A/N - I have not yet put a disclaimer in saying that this belongs all to JRK. Long live the Queen!
Chapter 4 Kidnapped
The cart ride had not agreed with Hagrid one little bit. After the first stop where Harry was told to fill a small bag with gold, Harry thought better of declining. He really didn't want a man this physically powerful angry at him.
Harry looked around, and found several books including the 'Marauder's Handbook' and put that in book satchel hanging at the door, sad that Padfoot wasn't here to share this. They had waited so long for access to this vault.
They had planned on coming on Harry's 11th birthday when he could get a new key.
Now that Harry was finally here, all he wanted to do was leave! He could come back to look through the hastily packed remains of his first home later. Preferably when he wasn't half fainting with fright.
Though another part of him said that Hagrid was very trustworthy.
Griphook on the other hand should be dead. And if Harry's glare worked right he would be!
Hagrid stepped in, and took an huge amount for tuition, tuition that Harry knew at already been paid years before. Enough for several students. Again, he didn't feel he had the power to protest. No one had heard him yet!
The second stop had only a small package wrapped in brown paper, and tied with string. It was leaking powerful magic. Harry had a moonstone in his pocket, also powerful, but one of many he had found around the property. He did a wandless switching spell, making sure that Hagrid never noticed whatever had been in the plain paper was now in Harry's possession.
Harry would return the original stone when his tuition money was returned. He didn't like lowering himself to their level like that. He didn't like being kidnapped, or pulled around. But something powerful kept telling him it was alright!
Hagrid might be angry later about the theft, and that was a scary thought. He slipped the stone into the mokeskin bag around his neck. There was something in the bag, something that could help him, but he couldn't remember what it was. He was late for something. He needed to change. He needed his swim trunks and a towel. He needed nice robes that he was sure of, and something else. Hagrid moved closer to him. That was it! He was hungry.
"Hagrid, can we get something to eat?" was the last thing that the giant man wanted to be asked at the moment.
Hagrid gave him a treat from one of his many pockets, along with a drink. Harry was fearful of the potion, but couldn't stop himself.
Harry drank it, and all of his nervousness ended. His fears eased. He was fine, just fine.
"Let's stop at the Leaky for a bit of pick-me-up for myself, and you can get whatever you want. My treat."
Harry smiled at the man. That was nice, especially since he had been so poor for so long. It was nice to know that his parents weren't drunks, and that they had left him more than a little something. And now he was going to get to eat a real lunch!
"You'll tell me about my mum and dad? Please?"
"Of course, Harry, of course! Now they were both Gryffindors, like Dumbledore and myself."
"Dumbledore? That name sounds familiar?" Harry shook his head in confusion.
"Well of course you wouldn't have heard it much, but Albus Dumbledor is the greatest wizard that ever lived - greater than Merlin even!"
Harry smiled broadly and soaked it all in.
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Aurors were everywhere in Diagon Alley, searching every shop. Harry wondered about the red robes, and commented to Hagrid that they looked like a uniform of some kind. Hagrid looked worried, but ignored the comment.
They only had one more shop to go, and then they could return to Hogwarts where they belonged.
Harry looked around at the wands in awe. So this was how magic was done! So many colors running everywhere. Some with golden strands, some a deep royal purple. One that just flew into his hand had red and gold, and fire hues all around. It was beautiful. Harry wrote a rune in the air. 'Light' and the room exploded in bright light.
"I was wondering when I would see you again, Mr. Potter."
This man glowed like a flame too. Harry smiled and asked him how much for the wand.
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Albus Dumbledore thought he couldn't lose. His most trustworthy, magically resistant servant, delivering an additional letter that had powerful notice-me-not charms, and making sure that the boy ate the forgetfulness and memory changing potion.
Brewed for him by his very own spy, Severus Snape.
He forgot that Severus was godfather to Draco Malfoy, who was a member in good standing of the House Black. He forgot that Severus had made many, many oaths, some privately, to members of that House.
He also forgot that Severus had sworn an oath to protect Harry from ALL enemies, even the benign, benevolent Leaders of the Light who had their own obscure reasons for wanting Harry Potter under his control.
The potion was not a permanent memory loss, wasn't a real loyalty potion keyed to Dumbledore, and certainly neither would not last for more than a few hours.
In fact, it would fail just as the Heir of Houses Potter and Black breached the Hogwarts wards.
Professor Snape would of course provide samples of the potions to the headmaster upon request. The light show of Harry hitting the wards would be all the explanation needed.
Severus' own mind skills were legendary. There would be no attempt to perform legitimacy against the sour head of Slytherin
.
What neither man remembered was the house-elves.
The elves of House Black were frantic. The notice-me-not worked very well against them, up to a point. Once one foot of the Heir penetrated the grounds of Hogwarts, several things happened at once.
The fog from Harry's mind started to clear.
One dozen armed and armored house-elves popped to the gates of Hogwarts. The armor was obviously borrowed from a hundred different sources, but this was for the Great Harry Potter Sir!
Seeing the Heir, they quickly formed a phalanx around him.
"You! You kidnapped me from my home, made me forget my family, and brought me here! What was your plan? Turn me over to the Headmaster to be his pederast? Or worse?" Hadrian demanded.
Harry didn't really know what a pederast was, but had overheard Grandfather accusing the headmaster of keeping a stable of young boys to be them. He figured it was something bad, like having to muck out Abraxan stalls or something. Nothing he would be doing, ever! No thanks!
Surrounded by eager elves, the boy made his way back to the gates. Hagrid was burdened down with books and a telescope and cauldrons and robes. They never stopped to buy a trunk. The owl in particular was most distraught, and was banging against her cage. That stopped Harry short. Even though it was under a compulsion, he had somehow bonded to the bird.
Her human was angry, and she didn't want to be held by the target of that anger.
Just then, a dark haired, hooked nose man appeared. The ward that had gone off when he entered Hogwarts gates had done more than break the spells on Harry. They had obviously summoned his secret ally.
"I had heard we were getting a student early. Oh look, it's a Potter. You should know that you can't have your own elves here, and you certainly need to be dressed better. Why don't you show the young man to his room. I believe that the Headmaster has a nice dungeon prepared for the boy. Your father tortured me for seven years. I can't wait to begin returning the favor."
The baritone voice promised pain and worse.
That did it. Harry's stasis broke, and he fled the last few feet. Once beyond the wards, the elves had popped him away. He would have to worry about the animal later.
"Oh dear, that isn't good. Did you forget to give him the potion? This is clearly all your fault, you overgrown oaf." Snape sneered.
Hagrid nearly burst into tears. "I tried, I wanted to save him, just like Dumbedore said, I did, I did!" Then he did burst into tears.
He had failed his mission to save Harry Potter.
Snape bit down on his emotions, he so wanted to smile, but had to wait until he was safely back in his quarters before doing so. "I did it, I did it!"
He had succeeded in his mission to save Harry Potter.
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Hadrian James Sirius Arcturus Potter-Black (he took Sirius as one of his middle names when he found out what his godfather was originally named) was royally angry.
"What do you mean that you knew I would be kidnapped?! How could you!"
In a repeat of Yule when Harry first joined their lives, no window survived the question. What was different is that this reached all levels of the house.
Not allowing any of the adults to answer, Harry ran from the room, wandlessly summoning his broom. He was airboom in an instant, and used the new passage that the glassless great hall frame offered. He was over the pitch in seconds at an astonishing high rate of speed, and heart-pumping height.
"Well, that went well." Ares said quietly, pouring his grandfather a muggle whiskey. Not that the old man knew the originals of the drink, only that it was American, and to his liking. He hesitated, and poured one for himself.
"Don't say it." Acturus grumped.
"I won't."
Silence was not peace, and both men startled, nearly spilling the drink when the mistress of the home swept in. The men stood at her entrance. She waved them sit, and 'admired' the results of Harry's upset.
"Do you want me to try to talk to him?" Persephone offered.
Sirius, rather Ares looked out on the pitch. The broom was at least 300 feet up.
"Darling, please don't take this the wrong way. I know you're not afraid of heights. But I am afraid of you flying just now. So, please don't." Ares asked in a very respectful, very even tone.
"Hadrian would never hurt me or the baby!" She declared. "Harry loves Cassiopia!"
Said girl's eyes peeped open, then she fell back asleep.
"Not on purpose, no, but his magic was flaring badly when he left."
The expected explosion did not happen, and Ares drew in breath.
"I see." Persephone eyed the pitch, then her husband, and then the architect of her nephew's pain. Both men felt the daggers she was certainly sending. She saw Harry as a surrogate son, and hadn't approved the plan for proving Dumbledore was out to hurt Harry by allowing him to hurt Harry.
"I hope that you two are happy. I will be getting ready for the lunar eclipse tonight. I intend to nap until 8 or so, have a late dinner, and then be up in the observatory. Harry will be most welcome to join me." She gave them each one more glare before decamping. "Harry will soon be remembering that he has missed Hannah's pool party. I already wrote a note when the compulsion spells on me stopped working. It would be nice of him to send an apology as well."
Ares sighed. He was clearly uninvited to tonight's stellar event. He had little interest in astronomy but his beloved was fascinated by it. There were one or two things every season that interested him, and they would enjoy it together. Not tonight though.
"I'm sorry my boy. I truly am. I think that..."
His thoughts were broken off by a house-elf announcing Madame Bones.
"Thank you for letting me know that Harry was rescued and is alright. He's nearly 11, much older than the last kidnapping - certainly he could sit down and talk about this." Amelia observed.
"I asked Harry for memories of this latest adventure. He was potioned, so I don't know if we can use these at trial. I tried very hard to make the transitions smooth, so if there are any issues, please let me know. He's very angry at the moment. He wants to go to a different school now." Ares handed a dozen crystal vials over to the DMLE head.
"What aren't you saying?" She demanded.
"We'll never get a conviction, my dear. Just watch the memories. We have gone through them several times, and we are simply appalled. Fudge will send the lackey to prison, while the mastermind remains free and dangerous." Lord Black stated.
"Dumbledore?" she asked.
"I will not prejudice you."
Amelia looked at the man who had been a part of her family now for several years. He was clearly very unhappy. So much sadness! And poor Hadrian had been through so much already!
Bellatrix LeStrange had died in Azkaban, Sirius Black had preceded her death by only a few months. Walburga Black had also recently passed away, although her death was of natural causes. The kidnapping of the Black Heir was all poor Acturus needed, especially if the boy wound up dead as well. Thankfully, this was not the case.
"I will do all I can." She promised.
Both men knew that her best was good, but wouldn't be good enough. But would be another chink in the armor of the not-quite-yet former Leader of the Light.
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Once Harry calmed down, he realized that his memories were all a jumble. The professor Harry hoped would be his head of house came with the antidote, and administered a child size portion carefully. He had training as a mediwizard, and far too much practical experience with this sort of magic.
The potion to renew Harry's memories had worked, for the most part. The problem was that it worked too well for some of his earliest memories. Fortunately for Harry, it was Professor Snape that made and administered the potion.
"NO! Mummy! No! You're bad. Go away!" Harry repeated aloud the memory as it struck him, seeing his mother's death. Watched as the man once named Tom Riddle blew apart. Something hitting his head in rebound. His head hurting. Watched a rat pick up the bad man's wand and flee. Watched as Dumbledore came, saw his mother lying there, and did some kind of magic that hit his head wound causing even more pain.
Watched Dumbledore remove several bottles, and magically fill them with his mother's blood as Harry cried.
Watched the man leave, and a younger Professor Snape come and grieve over his mother, rocking her in his arms.
He must have fallen asleep, because the next memory was of being in the house on Privet Drive. Being put in a car, taken to a large place that smelled sharp and clean.
Dumbledore again. Took him back to Privet, did magic on the muggles. This happened another time, more magic.
Harry shook himself out of the revery. Severus Snape was pale, shaking.
"I must have made a mistake in the dose. I'm so sorry Mr. Potter."
"I forgive you professor. It's hard to dose a mage correctly as my magic wants to help. When it's a healing potion, that is normally a good thing."
"I'm so sorry for your mother's death." The professor said with profound sadness and softness.
"Tom Riddle was trying to kill me. She died in my place. I don't know what to do about it. But one thing I do remember. The Dursleys never wanted me, and tried to legally give me up."
"Albus?" The man said more than asked.
Harry nodded. "They are blood family, even if they are squibs. Grandfather needs to get them out of prison. They have suffered enough. They never wanted me, never asked for me. They feared me. I had killed a powerful wizard, and they are muggles! They had every right to be afraid and say no to hosting me."
"It wasn't your fault." The professor put a reassuring hand on his shoulder.
:"No sir. But, in seeing this? It is my responsibility."
A couple weeks later, Severus was not surprised to see a note from a friend saying how Petunia Evans, now Dursley had been released from prison, along with her husband. He shared with the Black family that Marge Dursley had taken the boy Dudley in, and spoiled him at first. But as time went on, she expected Dudley to do more and more with her dog business. Far more chores than were age appropriate. She would deny him food for the flimsiest reasons.
When Dudley was reunited with his parents, he was underweight. He worked hard to earn his meals. He was wearing poorly fitting second hand clothes. He was quiet and was very polite. Timid.
The Blacks were appalled that the boy had been treated like that. They had nothing to do with it. Harry thought it just proved that all muggles were evil theory, and Acturus grunted in agreement. Lord Black hired a squib lawyer to do some work for him in the muggle world. In exchange for enough money for a small home, Privet Drive being lost, the Dursleys made a special promise.
If Dudley ever fathered a magical child, it would be turned over to House Potter at the first signs of accidental magic.
There had been no objections there.
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Pansy Parkinson was a witch on a mission.
"There you are, birthday boy! I have a special gift for you!" She declared.
Hadrian paled, turned to Daphne who was sitting next to him, grabbed her hand, and left rather rudely.
"Sorry, but this is my favorite song, and Daphne promised me a dance, and I haven't seen Draco all night!" Hadrian spouted before running off.
The gala event was to bring the elite of the wizarding world together one more time before the children left for Hogwarts. Harry's birthday was being celebrated late, to coincide with some meteorite showers, and the adults were all oohing and ahhing over Harry's new telescope.
None of them would be admiring it if they knew that many parts were muggle made. Harry was backing the new company, a muggleborn witch who had graduated top of her class, and was seeking her mastery in astronomy. As well as a muggle uni degree, but that part was not spoken about in polite company.
Harry was still anti-muggle except for tele, telescopes, and EuroDisney. And Thai food takeout. Ares loved muggle made things. He even rented cars now and then on vacation. Hadrian kept his mind open about muggleborns though. After all, his own birth mother was one. And she was a true heroine.
"Hadrian, you haven't spoken to me at all, and the song's ending." Daphne complained.
"Sorry, Miss Greengrass for my rudeness. My mind was elsewhere. May I have the next dance as well? I will try to pay more attention to you."
"You're trying to figure out what Pansy's game is. Well, her father found out that Draco is not the main heir to House Black, despite Lucius saying so. Repeatedly."
Harry rolled his eyes. "I know, the whole decoy thing. Silly really." Grandfather had come down hard on Lucius for trying to publicly claim Heir Rights for his son after the latest kidnapping attempt. He claimed he was doing it to keep Hadrian safe.
"Are you really okay?" Daphne asked, liking Harry as a person, not just an icon, or Boy-Who-Lived, or anything else.
She was also the only one of his social circle that had never owned a silly Harry Potter doll, though she admitted to wanting a purple unicorn when she was younger.
"Yeah, I guess. I mean, I get it. Magical contract. I have committed to this year. I can't get out of going. It doesn't mean I have to like it."
"But I'm going to be there! My father refuses to listen and is forcing me to go." Daphne pouted cutely.
"And the fact that prepaying Hogwarts makes it much cheaper than Salem has nothing to do with it?"
Daphne's pout ended, and she stuck out her tongue at him.
"Really! Talking about such things, you cad!" She smacked him lightly on the arm with her fan.
"Really! You hit me! I just know that I will bruise! Have you any balm to restore my beauty?" He posed with his hand over his face. He was misquoting Gilderoy Lockheart who had recently had a run-in with a jealous husband who didn't like the author kissing his wife.
Poor Gilderoy had ended up a little beat up. And he didn't seem to understand why!
Both broke into laughter, and as the song ended allowed themselves to be shepherded into the great hall.
"The windows look lovely." Daphne whispered.
"They should. It took me a week to fix them all." Harry replied with the same volume.
Persephone waved a wand, and the sound of fairy bells filled the air. Much classier than a cannon-blast in Harry's mind.
"I ask you all to raise a toast." Glasses were being given out with age appropriate beverages. "May all of you students, returning or new, have a wonderful school year. Blessings be."
"Blessings be." The crowd intoned together.
"Now, our birthday boy has a few words."
"I just wanted to let you know how much I appreciate the friendships that I have made over the last few years. As we get ready to travel to Hogwarts, we will have to be mindful of the muggle influences that threaten our world. Some of the students coming have been blessed with the gift of magic whose family is not. It is up to us to teach them, give them the books so that they can learn of our culture, our holidays, our ways. Let us be strong in the face of the muggle threat, and be ready to fight it. Who will stand with me?" Harry lifted his lit wand.
"I will" "I will" "I will"
"There is no need to resort to violence to achieve our goals. Those who join us will be welcomed, those who hold to their muggle ways will not be hurt in any way other than to be shunned. Nothing more, nothing less. Let our circle grow, let the Magic grow. Blessings be."
"Blessings be!"
Magic crackled in the air. Harry looked around. He saw a chagrined Draco, a bit jealous of Harry's status, and several others he expected to share a House with. Susan Bones blushed at his look, while Hannah looked away. She was currently annoyed with him for not going to her birthday party on the beach. The fact that Harry had been kidnapped that day, and had planned on going didn't earn her forgiveness, not even when Harry sent an extra present of a selection of Honeydukes chocolates.
Girls!
The guests left knowing that the wizarding world was only going to continue getting better, getting stronger.
The titular leader of the new movement was a charismatic young man who was handsome, rich, and very well connected.
The next step was to release the Paracelsus records so that Harry's reputation could survive his unusual language skills ever became known.
No sense in undoing all of Grandfather's hard work to reform the country by having everyone view Harry as the next Dark Lord for being able to talk to snakes.
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Albus Dumbledore sucked on a sherbet lemon and contemplated his life.
The only way that the Headmaster had avoided the same Azkaban sentence that Hagrid now served was due to the fact that he made a magical oath that he would not interfere with Harry's or anyone else's custody. That had saved him from many of his former friends voting for his incarceration. He refused to take such an oath saying he had NOTHING to do with the boy's recent misadventures - his friend and caretaker of Hogwarts ground simply misunderstood Dumbledore's concern about the boy fooled no one.
Dumbledore had to use up many, many favors to avoid prison, and lost his ICW posting as a result.
Now, he had few true friends left. His deputy had looked at him in disgust a few weeks back, and three stacks of parchment work appeared on his desk.
"I just received these. Apparently, you are behind, and the house-elves were instructed to give them to me. Well, I won't be doing your work. If you lack the time to do your own work, then hire an assistant. You will of course have to pay that person out of your own pocket as these are duties that are within your remit as Headmaster. If you no longer wish to do any of your duties, please let me know before the school year starts. I have no desire to do your job anymore. In fact, I'm giving notice as your deputy. I've neglected my house for too long. I've informed the board to hire someone strong enough to stand up for what is right, and not what is right in Albus Dumbledore's version of the world!"
Those papers were still there. He had no answers for the ICW in regards to the defense class curse, or any of the other things.
Didn't people realize that he had a difficult job to do?
And the magical creatures teacher was complaining. Well, yes, Fluffy had bitten off one of his arms again, but Poppy had gotten him back together. Well, mostly if he was honest. Some people just didn't understand the sacrifices that needed to be made in order for the Light to win.
And then there was poor Hagrid!
He shed many tears as he was carted off to the cold and lonely isle. "Make sure someone feeds Fang, and the chickens, and Fluffy!" he had begged.
At least Severus' name was kept out of the trial, although he suspected Lucius' hand in that as much as his own craftiness.
With Hagrid away for several months, how was he going to get everything done? Well, maybe Remus Lupin would like a job. Yes. After all, Harry would be coming to Hogwarts, a chance to connect with a true Griffindor, someone loyal to Dumbledore.
He put quill to parchment, and wrote out his plea. No, his benevolence for a faithful friend.
Yes, this was just the thing.
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A/N There are more than one nod to some of my favorite fanfiction authors in my story. Old Crow and RobSt works are not to be missed! I highly recommend them.