Harriet admired the historic skyline of London as she trotted through the city of her birth on her trusted stead. It had been a few days since the mission in the villa took place. In these few days since, Harriet hadn't done much other than help the local Brotherhood in gathering intelligence and planning other missions. She got to meet multiple English Assassins, all of them wearing the same black robes as Jenson Hammond did. Harriet felt like she stood out in her white robes, and wondered why there was a difference of colour palette between the Assassins in England and those in Italy.
As a witch who was very well educated (as anyone from the 1990s would be in comparison to someone from the 1500s), Harriet's insight was often welcomed. Her word had even more power when the fact she was Ezio Auditore's student was taken into account. As Harriet discovered during her stay with the English Assassins, Ezio carried a good reputation and was greatly admired by the other branches of the Brotherhood.
The reason why Harriet did not immediately travel to Hogwarts after her mission finished was because she simply hadn't known how. All the methods she could think of were either unavailable, like apparition or portkeys, or simply did not exist yet, like the Hogwarts Express.
It would take a few days before Harriet got the answer she was looking for. And, it all happened because she accidentally stumbled upon Jenson and his wizard friend while said friend was giving him some blood.
"Oh!" Harriet exclaimed, seeing her new friend sitting on a stool wearing nothing but pants while another Assassin in full black garbs was waving their wand at him. "I'm sorry." she said with a red face as both turned toward her. "I think I got the wrong room."
"Don't worry about it." Jenson said with a tone of dismissal. He then waved her over. "Come here, Harriet. There's someone I want you to meet." As Harriet took a step forward, the Assassin in robes put their wand away and lowered their hood, revealing a man with sandy blond hair and blue eyes. "Harriet, this is my wizard friend, Arthur Greengrass! Arthur, this is my new friend I was telling you about, Harriet Potter! She has magic just like you!"
"Hello." Harriet said shyly.
"It is nice to meet you, Harriet. As Jenson said, my name is Arthur." the Assassin-wizard said pleasantly.
"Nice to meet you, Arthur." she returned, smiling.
Arthur spoke again. "Say, are you related to Ulysse Potter?"
Harriet shook her head. "I never heard the name, so I don't know." If Arthur was speaking about a wizard, then Harriet guessed it was likely, as she was the last of the magical Potters of her time. But, if he spoke of a muggle, then it was incredibly unlikely.
"No matter, then." the wizard said, shaking his head.
With that done, Harriet was about to apologize for barging in and leave when her quandary returned to the forefront of her mind.
"I have a question of my own, now that I think of it." she said, grabbing both men' attention. "I was wondering if you knew of a way to go to Hogwarts." she asked them.
Jenson frowned and looked at Arthur, who spoke. "You can go to Hogwarts via Diagon." he told her.
"Diagon?" she asked, feeling hope rise in her. Diagon Alley existed in this time period? Harriet expected the opposite, as London was not yet developed in the area she believed the alley to be.
"Yes. The hamlet of Diagon." he confirmed. "It is west of London outside of the city walls. You will be able to take a flying carriage to the castle for a price."
Harriet beamed. "Thank you!" she said.
Harriet soon left the vampire and wizard to their task. Not wanting to delay her visit to Hogwarts any longer than necessary, she immediately walked to the Mentor's office and knocked on the door.
"Enter." the Mentor said.
Harriet opened the door and slipped in. She was surprised to see three other Assassins present, all of them looking like they were in an important discussion together. Before they became silent at her arrival, Harriet detected some concern in their voices.
"Is everything alright?" she asked, concerned. The other Assassins stood there in silence. She could not see their faces under their hoods, but she had no doubt all of them were staring at her.
"Ah, Harriet. Just some worrying Templar movements. Nothing you need to concern yourself about. Now, what can I do for you?" the mentor asked.
Trying to ignore her discomfort at the looks, she said "I wanted to tell you that I intend to travel to Hogwarts in the following few days. I do not know when I will be back." she said. Mentor Sterling nodded.
"Understood. I wish you safe travels." he said. Just as she was about to thank him, he interrupted her and said "But, before you leave, I received a letter from Italy addressed to you." He grabbed a sealed letter from a pile of paperwork and gave it to her.
Harriet recognized Ezio's handwriting on the letter, having seen it on documents while at the Roman headquarters. She gasped. "Thank you." she told the Mentor. He nodded to her.
Harriet left the Assassins to continue their discussion and found a quiet corner of the headquarters to have some privacy. She unsealed the letter and opened it, drinking every single word of it like a thirsty man who spent a month in the desert.
Dear Harriet,
I am very pleased to have received your letter. I will not hide the concern I had over the lack of contact but I am very relieved to have some news. It is unfortunate that your journey to England was rough, though I hope the visit to your homeland will make the journey worth it.
Here in Italy, things have been rather quiet this past few months. We have yet to find any leads on where – or who – Cesare's mysterious banker might be. Otherwise, things have been good for the Brotherhood. Your fellow recruits are missing you, and so do I. Machiavelli and I have been thinking, and we have planned a surprise for you upon your return, depending on how your mission goes.
I wish you luck on your mission and your quest to find information. I cannot wait for your return. Rome simply isn't the same without you in it.
Bring me a souvenir from England.
Love,
Ezio.
Harriet smiled as she read the admittedly short letter. Ezio missed her! And, he had signed his letter with 'Love', just like she had. Her heart swooned! She wondered what surprise he and Machiavelli organized. She also thought about what she could get for him as a souvenir. What would Ezio be interested in?
Well, it didn't matter for now. She had time to think of something to bring him back.
She wondered whether she should write him a letter or not. In the end, she decided not to. If anything went right, she would be back in Rome before he had a chance to reply anyway. She could tell him how her mission went in person.
With the letter read, Harriet left the headquarters and, after borrowing 'Snowy', the horse she had been riding ever since she met Jenson at port, departed for the hamlet of Diagon. As she passed through London, she encountered the same children she met a few days before. "Hello, children!" she greeted.
"Hello, Miss Harriet!" the children greeted together.
"Good morning children!" Harriet returned with a chuckle. She waved at them before continuing on her way.
Harriet began looking around the countryside once she exited the city through the west gate. She was on the lookout for the hamlet Diagon.
"So, Snowy. Where do you think Diagon is?" she asked to her horse. Snowy snorted in answer. "Yeah. Didn't think you knew either. I wonder why Arthur called it a hamlet rather than an alley."
She arrived at an intersection where the road divided into two branches. Frowning, she wondered which road to take. As she pondered, she saw a woman with a hat walk in the opposite direction. While not a pointy hat, Harriet recognized it as a kind of hat still being wore by some witches in the 1990s.
"Hey!" she called out to the woman. "Are you a witch?"
The woman immediately tensed. Harriet mentally slapped herself on the forehead. 'Like that's going to get you a positive reaction.' she thought to herself.
"No I'm not." the woman said defensively, her eyes darting around her like she was looking for an escape.
"Sorry, I did not mean to scare you. I am a witch." Harriet spoke, drawing her wand to show it to her. The woman's eyes widened in surprise. "I am merely wondering where I can find the hamlet of Diagon."
"Oh." the woman said, sighing in relief. "I apologize for my reaction. I am indeed a witch. The hamlet can be found in the direction I came from. It can be accessed by entering the pub called 'The Leaky Cauldron'. It is not hard to miss."
"Thank you, madam." Harriet smiled.
"You're welcome, miss." the woman returned.
Now knowing the way to Diagon, Harriet directed Snowy to trot the right direction. She admired the countryside as she walked to her destination, impressed by the size London would take in the next centuries, and saddened by the loss of all that green landscape, claimed by the concrete and brick jungle that was the city.
Eventually, she saw over the road a very familiar building stand tall. Behind the building were other buildings placed like they were surrounding a small road. Harriet's heart leaped in joy. She had found Diagon Alley!
The title of 'hamlet' was indeed more appropriate to its current state rather than 'alley'. Not only were there no buildings surrounding them, but Harriet could see open spaces where one would be able to walk directly to the alley rather than by going through the Leaky Cauldron. The future alley looked like a miniature village rather than a hidden corner of an immense city.
Harriet stopped Snowy in front of the Leaky Cauldron and dismounted. She attached the horse's leash to a pole and entered the pub. She immediately felt shock hit her entire body at the sight inside. For a brief moment, it felt like she had just crossed a doorway to 1996. Everything inside was identical to the Leaky Cauldron of her time, down to the number of customers and their clothes.
Harriet felt herself tear up for a moment. She greatly missed the 1990s, and all of her friends from her time. She missed Ron and Hermione. She missed the Weasleys, Remus, Tonks. She missed Hedwig and even Hermione's annoying cat Crookshanks. She wondered if she would ever get the opportunity to see them again, and if she would have to lose Ezio for it.
"Good morning, dear," a voice spoke to her left. Harriet jumped in shock. She turned to look at the person standing behind the bar. A plump woman with brown hair was looking straight at her, a welcoming smile on her face.
"Good morning." Harriet returned.
The woman looked at her, curious. "Is it the first time you have come here?" Harriet nodded, taking a few steps toward the bar. "Then let me welcome you into my humble pub, the Leaky Cauldron. I am Daisy Dodderidge and I am the owner of this place."
"Nice to meet you, Madam Dodderidge." the younger woman said with a smile. "I'm Harriet. Harriet Potter."
"Nice to meet you, Harriet." Madam Dodderidge smiled. "What can I do for you today?"
"I need to consult the Headmaster of Hogwarts on a particular magical... problem I have. I was told by a friend of mine that I could find a way to travel to Hogwarts from here. A flying carriage, I believe."
"Ah, yes, of course!" The landlady said, giving a clap of her hands. She walked around the counter. "Follow me, dear."
Madam Dodderidge led Harriet out of the Leaky Cauldron to the entrance of Diagon. From the inside, Diagon looked even less like an alley, with only a few buildings up and running. But, already, she could see the beginning of what would become familiar sights in her future. At the very back of the hamlet, for instance, stood the foundations of what would become the bank of Gringotts. A literal army of goblins were working on the structure, assembling one marble brick after the other. Halfway to Gringotts, on her right side, was a tall building nearing completion, which Harriet recognized as the future Ollivander's shop. Closer to her on her left was her beloved Quality Quidditch Supplies, though it was merely a home for a few witches and wizards at the moment.
"This is beautiful." Harriet gasped.
"And it's going to be more beautiful once all the buildings are fully constructed." Madam Dodderidge said with pride. Harriet mentally agreed with her, knowing the end result. "Now, for your request, you see on the left the foundations the goblins are building? Behind old Austin Ollivander's future shop?"
Harriet looked in that direction and say a carriage with thestrals attached to it. A man was feeding them raw meat. "I see it."
"That's the stable. This is where you will find a carriage for Hogwarts."
Harriet nodded. "Thank you for telling me, Madam Dodderidge."
"You're welcome, Harriet. And please, just call me Daisy." the woman smiled. Harriet smiled back.
"Daisy, then." she said. Her eyes returned to the stable. "Can I leave my horse there? If I'm going to Hogwarts, I don't want to leave Snowy waiting alone in front of the pub."
"Of course you can. It is a stable, after all. Oh and, before I forget, careful with the man. He is a massive flirt." She chuckled at Harriet's expression of shock.
Knowing that, Harriet returned inside and exited the pub on the muggle side – if you could call it that yet. She untied Snowy before leading the horse around the building in the alley proper. Harriet walked to the other side of the hamlet, guiding Snowy along the way. She looked all around her, taking the sight of the forming Diagon Alley. The closer she was to the stable, the more she could hear the voices of the working goblins shout at each other on the construction site neighboring the stable.
When she arrived, the man who had been feeding the thestrals earlier was gone. "Hello?" she asked loudly, wondering where the man went.
"Yes, yes. Wait a moment." a voice came from inside a small building, if you could even call it that, standing next to the stable. It was the size of a shed.
Harriet waited for a whole minute before a burly man walked out. He had long, red hair and a lot of freckles, reminding her of Charlie Weasley. She wondered if he was an ancestor of the Weasley family. "I am Lailoken Weasley." the man said in a charming smile, unknowingly confirming her suspicions. "It must be the first time I have seen someone as charming as you walk to my stable. What can I do for you, my beautiful lady?"
Harriet blinked. Daisy was right. The man was a massive flirt. "Two things. First, I would like to book passage to Hogwarts in one of your carriages. Madam Dodderidge said you could do that."
"Indeed I can." the man said. "What is the second thing, if I may ask?"
"Can you take care of Snowy, my horse, while I am at Hogwarts?"
"But of course, my lady. Your steed with a coat as magnificent as your orbs granting you vision deserve the best treatment I can give it."
Harriet looked at Lailoken in bafflement at the sentence he'd just said. "Okayyy..." she said awkwardly, feeling uncomfortable. Correction: calling him a massive flirt was an understatement. She felt rather embarassed.
After leading her stead inside the stable, Lailoken led Harriet to the carriage. Lailoken offered his hand to help her aboard, only to be ignored when Harriet climbed by herself. Just before he was about to close the door, he spoke again, saying "May I ask, if you do not mind, if this fair lady is indeed attached to someone else? I would say that your hair is absolutely exquisite and that I would enjoy getting to learn more about you."
"Sorry, but this girl is already taken." Harriet lied.
"Really? What is the lucky man's name?"
"Ezio. And I shall see him again once I return to Italy, the country I live in." she said, subtly telling him she was not interested in him in the slightest and that nothing could happen between them.
Lailoken seemed to sense it and his face fell a bit. For a moment, Harriet felt bad, the man looking like a kicked puppy. "Then I wish you and your beloved all the joy." he finished before softly closing the door. Harriet closed her eyes and leaned in her seat, taking a sight of relief. That man was intense!
Through the windows of the carriage, Harriet saw Lailoken pat one of the thestrals before saying something to them. The thestrals snorted and ran off, taking themselves and Harriet off and away from Diagon. She was now going to Hogwarts!
It was only ten minutes into the flight that Harriet realized something: in all of the man's flirting attempts, Harriet forgot she meant to pay Lailoken for the ride. Oh well, she could always do that upon her return.
The length of the journey to Hogwarts was as long as if she had travelled there by the Hogwarts Express. She spent an hour looking out of the windows and admiring the fact she once again was in the air before it became boring. She spent the rest of the journey not doing much, and nearly fell asleep when the sun began falling. It was only when the sun had disappeared that Harriet saw Hogsmeade for the first time. She was incredibly hungry. She hoped the Three Broomsticks existed in this time. Or better yet, that the Headmaster would allow her to eat in the Great Hall.
The sun was nearly gone, with only the west edge of the horizon illuminated orange, when the carriage began lowering its altitude. It reached the ground a few minutes later and the thestrals landed in front of another, identical stables. Another burly man, this time one in his mid-forties sporting a brown, bushy hair similar to Hagrid's, welcomed her outside. "Welcome to Hogsmeade, Miss!" the man said jovially.
"Thank you." she said with a smile. Already she liked this man better. "I forgot to pay Lailoken while I was there. We got... distracted."
The man chuckled. "Let me guess, he was flirting with you?"
"I'm guessing its a daily occurrence, then?"
"For new, female passengers? Yes. The kid's a good kid, but he is often too concentrated on girls to think about getting paid." The man shook his head fondly here. "Thankfully, I expect it, which is why I usually ask arrivals from Diagon to pay here if they haven't already."
"Oh. Good." Harriet said in relief. "How much is for the ride?" she asked. She would pay for Snowy's stay once she returned to London.
"Fifteen knuts."
Harriet reached for her money pouch, ever more thankful that she thought to bring wizarding currency she inherited from Margherita on her trip to England. She took out fifteen knuts and gave them to the man. "Thank you, Miss!" the man said, making her smile.
With the payment done, Harriet left the stable, walking deeper into an empty and quiet Hogsmeade. Unlike the hamlet of Diagon, Hogsmeade very much looked like its modern counterpart. Other than one or two houses, everything was identical as far as she could tell. It was amazing. It gave her an even stronger impression of having travelled forward in time. She almost expected to see Ron and Hermione walk around a building to welcome her, with Ron discussing all the interesting sweets he saw in Honeydukes while Hermione, carrying a book bag with her, would discuss important historical facts about each shop.
"If only you were here to see it." she muttered sadly to herself, thinking about her two friends.
As she was about to go in direction of the castle, Harriet stopped. The sun was down and it currently was the summer - outside of the school year. It was unlikely that anyone would be open for a meeting, assuming there was someone in the castle in the first place.
Harriet decided it might be a better idea to instead spend the night somewhere and wait until it was day for her long-awaited meeting. To her relief, the Three Broomsticks Inn did in fact exist in 1501, and was open. Harriet did not hesitate to walk to it. She entered the Inn.
The Three Broomsticks was relatively quiet that night, with only few sitting around the tables. A couple was talking and laughing together in their corner, which Harriet thought was cute. Around another table in the centre of the Inn, two men were drinking themselves to stupor while animatedly talking about something. At the back, a lone old man was drinking something, looking miserable.
Behind the bar stood a bearded man, who looked incredibly like the man at the stable earlier. A brother, perhaps? She approached the bar. "Hello." she spoke.
"Good evening." the man greeted. His voice was quiet but warm. "What can I do for you? Want a drink? A room?"
"A room, please, to spend the night." she told him. The bartender nodded.
"Will it be all?"
"A meal to eat. I'm starving." she said with a chuckle.
The bartender offered her a selection of meals and Harriet chose the one she preferred. She then payed the man and, having received the key, went to her room. She entered and closed the door behind her before laying down in the bed. Here, she impatiently waited for her meal to come. She once again nearly fell asleep while waiting, and was jolted awake when the bartender knocked on the door.
"Thank you." Harriet said, receiving a tray with a plate full of food and a glass of water on it. Starving, she ate and drank everything on her plate in a few minutes. She returned the tray and then went back to her room. Now filled and alone, Harriet locked her door and removed her outer Assassin robes. She undressed until she was in nothing but her underwear. Then, she slipped under the covers of the bed.
She was asleep almost instantly.
If there was something Harriet loved hearing, it was the son of birds chirping in the morning. She could see birds fly around happily as she walked to Hogwarts, some dancing together in an impressive ballet. She smiled.
Harriet had spent a very restful night in the Three Broomsticks. When she awoke, she ate breakfast at the Inn before leaving. Unlike the previous day where it was dark and quiet, Hogsmeade was full of people walking around, either having an important task in mind or simply enjoying the day. She saw people talk in groups, children run around the village and wizards levitating heavy loads with their wands. The familiarity once again brought back memories of the future when she explored the village with her friends. She missed them.
Harriet shook her head. Now was not the time to be distracted by her past. She had an important meeting ahead. One which would dictate what would happen in her life going forward.
When she reached the gate, the young woman stopped.
"Wait a moment. How am I meant to get inside?" she said aloud, noticing how the gates were closed and locked. She felt very stupid for not having thought of it earlier, and found herself scrambling for a solution. Harriet had no idea how to contact someone to open the way, and nobody was close enough to help her out. "Hello?" she called out, hoping someone could somehow help her.
There was no answer after a few minutes. Harriet tried something else. Carefully, she brought her hand to the gate and pressed her palm to it, hoping Hogwarts would answer her wish. For a moment, it looked like nothing happened. But, suddenly, before her very eyes, the gate began glowing a very bright and blinding blue. Harriet brought her hand to her face to protect her eyes from the shining light. It took a few seconds before it began to dim, which was accompanied with the sound of the gates unlocking and opening. Harriet lowered her hand.
The way was open to her! Grinning, Harriet stepped on the grounds of Hogwarts castle, letting the gates close behind her.
Harriet followed the path to the castle, wondering if someone noticed her arrival. Would there be someone waiting for her in the castle, or would the Keepers of the Key – whoever it was – send her away before she could get the meeting she wished?
Slowly, the trees surrounding the path made themselves more and more scarce, allowing her to see more of Hogwarts castle. When the castle was unveiled completely, Harriet gasped. Tears slowly formed in the corners of her eyes.
The sight did not change at all in the years until the 1990s. Hogwarts was still very much Hogwarts. For the first time since she left school as a fifteen-year-old girl, Harriet was back to her first home.
"Who are y'a?!"
Harriet jumped, the nasal voice behind her taking her by surprise. She slowly turned around. Behind her stood a man with long, curly and dirty hair and very crooked yellow teeth. He had a sword sheathed around his waist, with a hand hovering over it. He looked very angry. The look on his face and his hovering hand alarmed her, and Harriet tensed, readying to defend herself if necessary.
"I'm Harriet Potter." she spoke, her voice calm. "I am seeking an audience with the Headmaster."
"Ha!" he cried. "The Headmaster won't want see anyone no more! Y'ain't welcome here!"
"Please." Harriet pleaded. "I only need to talk to him."
The man reached for his sword and unsheathed it. He pointed it at her. "Y'all have to leave now, lass." the man spoke with an air of malice Harriet had only seen in Severus Snape or Argus Filch's eyes. "Or I'll make y'a."
"You don't want to do that." Harriet said in a tone of warning, her own hand slowly reaching for the pommel of her sword. She did not fear for herself, knowing Ezio trained her very well in sword fighting. But, she did not want to harm the man either, something that was bound to happen if he tried to fight her.
"Oh, and why wouldn't I?" he asked.
Harriet took a good look at him and immediately realized the man likely did not know how to handle his sword well. His posture was wrong, for once. He would likely trip on himself before he had a chance to harm her. Second, his grip on the sword was loose, and he would likely drop it on first contact with her blade. Third, the sword was positioned in a way that would make him incredibly slow to react if she struck first, meaning she could take him out immediately if she wanted.
"Because you really don't want to piss me off." she said, her hand touching the pommel of her sword.
The man huffed. "Y'are just a girl. Y'are harmless."
It was the wrong thing to say. Harriet gripped her sword and unsheathed it, positioning herself in a proper fighting stance. She was angry now.
"Then why don't you show this girl how harmless she is?" she hissed.
The man's eyes narrowed in anger. With a roar, the man threw himself at her. Harriet immediately dodged and hit him in the back with the pommel of her sword. The man let out a "Ouch!" and fell face first on the ground.
"Stay down."
The man hissed and pushed himself back on his feet. "Nevah!" he cried before swinging his sword toward her.
The tip of the sword would have reached her face, if she had not raised her sword. The two blades hit each other with a loud 'CLANK'. The man pulled back and took a swing from another direction. Harriet blocked again. Another direction, and another block.
Then, the man tried the same, but swinging from the top. Harriet blocked the blade once more but, this time, she pushed it away and used the opening to kick him in the stomach. The man folded in two and dropped his sword as his arms went to his stomach.
"Stay down." she again told him. The man shook his head and stood back up.
"Y'are harmless. Y'a can't even hurt me with y'a blade."
"I'm doing it on purpose, you idiot!" Harriet told him.
The man lunged at her, trying to strike her with his sword once more. Harriet blocked it. "Y'a didn't even draw blood!" he told her, taking another swing.
Harriet blocked the blade and once again pushed it away. This time, she struck him in his face, breaking his nose with her first. Blood shot out of his nose.
"How's that for drawing blood?" she hissed.
"WHAT is going on here?" came a loud voice from nowhere. Harriet immediately turned around, trying to see who had spoken. Her opponent used the opportunity to attempt to strike her down, and swung his sword to her. Harriet, seeing it coming in the corner of her vision, raised her left arm and blocked the attack with the bracer of the hidden blade. She immediately released said blade and cut the skin of the man's forearm, making him bleed.
Before she could do anything else, both she and the man were frozen by a spell. Harriet fell down to the ground on her back, doing an unwilling impression of Neville the night she, Ron and Hermione went after Quirrell.
Harriet could see nothing but the sky and Hogwarts' highest tower while she lay on the ground. With no other choice, she strained her hearing to listen to what was happening. She heard on her right side footsteps come in their direction. A man passed her, Harriet only seeing the top of his head where a mop of familiar black hair lay. The man seemed to crouch to her left, checking the other man.
"Prince?" the newcomer asked. "Are you alright?"
"She hurt me!" her opponent whined. The newcomer sighed. After a few moments of silence, the man stood back up.
"Here you go. All patched up." the newcomer said. "Are you okay?"
"Feelin' better. What about her? What we gonna do with her, Headmaster?" the man asked. Harriet felt her eyes widened. The newcommer was the headmaster? With that display, her chances of getting a meeting with him were likely now in ruins. Great...
"That is for me to decide, Prince. Go back to your house."
"But-"
"Now, Prince." the Headmaster's firm voice came.
The man – Prince – seemed to have left as Harriet heard footsteps walk away. It left her petrified on the ground with the headmaster. She heard him move. "Now, who do we have here?" he spoke, his voice pleasant.
The man entered her field of view when he approached, and Harriet felt yet another shock. The man looked a lot like her! Not only did he have familiar messy black hair, but his face looked a lot like that of her own father James. This man, whoever he was, was related to her, that she was sure!
"Well, that's interesting." the Headmaster said, taking a good look at her face. He raised his wand and pointed it at her. Harriet closed her eyes in fear, expecting the worse.
But, instead of a harmful spell being sent her way, Harriet was instead unfrozen, getting back control of her body! She took a deep breath of air and stood up, all under the watchful eyes of the Headmaster.
"Good morning." the man said with a calmness she had only seen portrayed by Professor Dumbledore. "May I inquire why you were attacking my caretaker?" While his voice was pleasant, Harriet did not miss the steely edge in it.
"He attacked me first!" Harriet declared, defending herself.
The man sighed. "Tell me about your confrontation from the beginning." he said.
So, Harriet explained.
"Why do you wish to meet me?" he asked after Harriet spoke of wanting an audience with him.
Harriet wondered how to explain her situation without revealing too much immediately. "A few months ago, I received tutoring from Achille da Livorno. I have a... magical problem I need help with figuring it out. I confided in Achille but he told me he did not know enough about the subject to help me, and suggested I talk to you for an answer."
"I see." he said, rubbing his cheek. A smile then formed on his face. "Before we discuss further, may I inquire your name?"
Harriet flushed, knowing the man's reaction would tell her everything about their relationship. "Harriet." she said. "Harriet Potter."
The Headmaster's smile grew further. "Nice to meet you, Harriet. I am Ulysse Potter, Headmaster of Hogwarts, and I am very curious to know more about you." he said.
It was confirmed. This man was her ancestor. For the first time in her life, Harriet was in the presence of a fellow Potter.
She felt faint!