Hello to everyone. First of all thank you very much for taking time and reading this fic. Also, thanks to everyone who have left kudos and bookmarked the story. It means a lot. Here is the next chapter for you awesome guys. I hope you all enjoy it! Happy reading!

I don't own Harry Potter; it solely belongs to J.K. Rowling!

Chapter Text

Blinking rapidly and groggily coming to her senses, Harriet took note of her surroundings and found that she was in one of the deserted alleys. Looking at herself though, she found that she wasn't covered in blood and dirt as she had assumed but normal muggle clothes- full sleeve t-shirt and jeans along with comfortable sneakers. Checking thoroughly, she found a pouch with some pounds and her Holly wand safely tucked in the wand holster.

Harriet walked out of the deserted alley and looked wide-eyed at the somewhat familiar 70s London. She started making her way towards the Leaky Cauldron as observed her surroundings. She took in all of it; the vintage cars, the bell-bottom pants, people wearing leather jackets and what not. She observed everything and anything ignoring all the curious stares she got on her way.

Harriet walked to the Leaky Cauldron; Tom the bartender looking younger but still having the same warm and welcoming smile as Harriet approached him.

"Good morning miss. How can I help you?"

"Good morning sir. I was actually wondering if you could please guide me towards the Goblins' bank. I'm new here." Harriet said with a polite smile trying to sell her lie easily. If being honest, the only thing she was grateful for spending her life with the Dursley's would be the fact that how Aunt Petunia had practically drilled proper etiquettes and mannerisms in her from the very beginning.

"Of course, miss. Please follow me."

As the threshold of brick walls separating the muggle and wizarding world was moved, Harriet fought with every fibre in her being to not tell the threatening tears spill. The last time she had seen Diagon Alley it had been in complete tatters and utterly destroyed but the sight in front of her at the moment was beautiful and magnificent; just like the first time she had seen it.

Diagon Alley was bustling through activity, parents and children doing some last-minute shopping and panicking making it a bit difficult to pass through the crowds. Carefully walking Harriet reached the gates of Gringotts and smiled at the warning heed at the entrance of the bank.

As her turn came the goblin looked at her; sneer permanently on his face which was quickly replaced by shock when Harriet curtsied properly, "May the gold in your vaults increase."

The goblin looked gobsmacked at the unexpected gesture for there weren't many witches and wizards showed their kind any sort of respect; especially these days.

"How can I help you miss?" His asked politely.

"Sir I wanted to send a letter to Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry in regards to my admission. Harriet replied kindly. Nodding, the gobbling told her to follow him and soon they reached the manager's office.

"Hello, I'm Ragnok." Came a stern voice; the manager obviously not pleased with her not even when she properly greeted. Explaining her visit again she tried her very best to look a damsel in distress.

"Very well, we'll send the letter. For details, though we need some information and sending the letter would cost 4 galleons." Harriet raised her eyebrows at the blatant demand. She sighed in defeat instantly dropping her facade as she rolled up her sleeve as she showed them the mark of Deathly Hallows sitting with all its glory on her left wrist. At this neither of the goblins could speak anything; both of them utterly stumped.

"Think you could help me?" She asked again.

After a long discussion, they decided to send her letter by the name of Harriet Kathryn Christopher, completed the fake set of documents and lastly got her money exchanged. She thanked the two goblins sincerely for their help who were more than happy to help her now that they knew her real identity.

Harriet quickly left the bank to settle other things. From what she could tell the year was 1976 meaning her parents, Remus and Sirius would still be attending their 6th year at Hogwarts. Also since it was 25th August, she needed a place to stay and shopping to do. So Harriet went to the Leaky Cauldron booking a nice room for her weeklong stay.

Within the confinement of her room, Harriet let herself relax for the first time in a very long time. For as long as she could remember, Harriet had always been an emotional child but at the moment all she could feel was numbness. Images of past year kept surfacing at the very front of her mind- the hiding, the search for Horcruxes, the fights, the hunger, the pain, the torture, the blood, the scars, the innumerable lives lost in the name of war, the bloodied dead bodies of her friends and family, of Remus and Nymphadora.

No matter how hard she tried, Harriet just couldn't get those horrible images and memories out of the dark corner of her mind. She pondered over her conversation with Death and wondered how will she able to face her parents and godfathers after all they had suffered. But the most important question that kept bouncing at her was the fact that the man she had looked up to, the man she had come to see as family and role model had lied to her; lied to her practically all her life. He never told her what actually her fate was. Dumbledore always had known that the Dursley's hated her, then why didn't he take any action. Why was she left in that hell hole each summer to suffer? Why didn't he find an alternative solution to the Horcrux piece inside of her?

Had Harriet always been the sacrificial lamb between two powerful wizards trying to satisfy their egos? Was that the reason Death had asked her to be wary of Dumbledore and her surroundings?

Whatever the answer was, one thing Harriet was sure of the fact that she wasn't letting anybody use her. It was time for her to let the world know who Harriet Lillian Potter was; it was time to show the world who the Mistress of Death was.

With these thoughts in mind, she fell in a deep slumber, totally exhausted.
-

Two days after sending her letter there was a knock on her door and Harriet quickly opened it to reveal a perfectly fine and healthy looking Albus Dumbledore whose eyes seemed to twinkle far too much.

Realising that she had to act of not knowing him Harriet asked, "How may I help you?"

"I'm Albus Dumbledore, headmaster at Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry." He said offering a friendly handshake and a smile.

"Oh! Please come in." She took a seat across from him and politely asked, "Would you like to have something."

"No, I'm quite good my dear. I got your letter from Gringotts in regards to your admission and also your OWLs results. Your results have been quite impressive Miss Christopher."

"Thank you, Professor. So, do I get the admission?"

"Yes, yes. Here is your Hogwarts letter along with a list of school books and other essentials you will be required to bring." He said passing her a piece of parchment with a Hogwarts seal on it.

"Also, this is a list of elective subjects you will be required to take apart from core ones." He passed her a second list containing different subjects.

"How many subjects are we supposed to take Professor?"

"You will have to choose a minimum of 3 subjects, Miss Christopher."

Harriet looked at the list and ticked her electives- Arithmancy, Runes, Care of Magical Creatures and Languages (Latin). She wondered why they didn't teach Alchemy and Magical Theory as Hermione would always complain about. Taking the list she expected him to leave right away but Albus Dumbledore didn't hesitate to ask voice his thoughts.

"Dear child, forgive my curiosity. I wanted to ask what happened to your parents?" she knew the question couldn't be avoided for too long, so she decided to spout a twisted version of the actual truth.

"My parents were murdered by a dark wizard, professor." She said in a painful voice.

"Both of them were muggleborns so they homeschooled me. My godfather too died during one of his missions, he was an Auror you see. So, I was forced to move here from America and start a new life."

It was the dumbest excuse in the history of excuses but Dumbledore seemed to buy the whole story easily for he wore one of the most sympathetic expressions Harriet had ever seen on his face, "I'm very sorry to hear about that, dear child. Please don't hesitate to ask for any kind of help you may need in the future." He patted her hand and stood up to take his leave.

"I'll see you at Hogwarts, Miss Christopher. Goodbye."

"Goodbye, professor." As she closed the door, Harriet finally exhaled a sigh of relief.