Harry Potter and the Power of the Past
Disclaimer: All JKR's, not mine.
Summary: This is a complete AU- Harry Potter is a 21-year-old wizard, who's on top of the world. He's rich, in love, and loved by all, but his life is turned upside down as a spiral of events leads to the ultimate battle between good and evil. Can Harry lead the fight for the light, but yet manage to keep his life together?
A/N: Thanks for the reviews everybody. Oh, and review again!
S/N: The Nigels, other than Lucida, aren't important to the story: I'm simply using them as a way to relate information to you readers, and to show that Harry and Sirius have family, that they're not alone. As for Lucida, she's just a baby, so you won't see her importance till later…much, much later: like epilogue later.
S/N 2: So yeah, two more chapters until you have juicy wedding goodness! The next chapter is Godric's Hollow centered, so be ready for that! By the way, Freyjavangr means Freyja's plain: Freyja being the goddess of magic in Norse mythology.
Chapter 11: Dinner and a home
Again the rest of the week passed by in a blur. Sirius had cleaned up the third floor of Grimmauld place, needing only to clean the fourth floor and the attic to finish it off. He had yet to re-outfit the first two floors, however, so he wasn't completely done just yet. Plus, he had to buy all new furniture for the basement dinning room, which he hadn't even began to think about yet.
There was a tapping on his window as he rolled over in his bed; he swung his legs over the edge, and threw open the window, allowing the owl passage into the room. He took the parchment from the owl's leg, and watched it fly away, either not wanting or needing an owl treat. He grabbed his wand off of the bedside table, and alit the tip with a lumos spell, then ran his eyes over the letter.
Dear Mr. Black,
First of all, I would like to say sorry for all the Azkaban trouble that you were put through, and my family and I were touched when we saw that you had contacted us. As for your message, I think that would be great, meeting with you and Andromeda. My cousin, Austrinus, would love to come, and perhaps you two (and your families) could come and visit our family, the Nigels. Next Sunday would be grand.
Till Sunday,
Cepheus Nigel.
Sirius smiled, knowing that his mother would absolutely loathe the fact that two people, who hailed from disowned Blacks, would be entering her house: she would surely think of them as blood traitors. But, alas, his mother was gone from both this house and this world, he was in charge now.
Andromeda and Nymphadora had finished up the wedding plans, and all that was left was for Nymphadora to get her dress. She couldn't decide just what she wanted, either a muggle wedding dress, or witch's wedding robes. She had made an appointment at 'Gladrag's' a week before the wedding was to take place; which was only two weeks away from the day. All that was left for Tonks and the wedding was for Harry to show her just where the wedding was to take place. He told her it was perfect, and she believed him, but still wanted to see just where it was. Harry had promised her that he would take her to it the Saturday two weeks before their wedding, which was a promise she couldn't help but be giddy over.
"Nymphie?" Harry called out, knocking on her apartment door. He waited patiently as she got ready; hearing someone stumble behind the door, he couldn't help but smile. That's my Nymphadora, he thought to himself. She threw open the door, and he cocked an eyebrow at her. Surprisingly, she was in her natural form: creamy white complexion, heart-shaped face, long brown hair, and beautiful almond shaped blue-gray eyes. "Ready?" He questioned, taking a few steps into the room, and closing the door behind him. She nodded up at him, and wrapped her arms around his neck. Kissing her, he apparated them out of the apartment, and to a dirt path in the middle of nowhere.
"Ah, is this where you meant to go?" She asked, gazing around her surroundings. On one side of the path was a wooded forest; on the other were a few trees that ran along a cliff. In the distance she could hear waves crashing down on some rocks, and if she stared past the tree line, she could see the ocean: the sun's golden beams were bouncing off of the blue water.
"Yup," Harry chirped, taking her left hand and entwining it within his right. He started to walk down the path, tugging her arm lightly. His eyes shifted over to her, as he grinned at how beautiful she looked. She was wearing a white and pink sundress, which accentuated her curves and physique, with white flip-flops, that flopped against her feet every time she took a step. "See the gate?" He questioned, gesturing to the metal gate that was fifty feet in front of them.
Tonks squinted her eyes, trying to get a better look at it. It was a simple metal gate that had cursive golden 'P' atop a shield in the place a key would go into. On each side of the gate were two seven-foot tall pillars that each housed a stone statue. On the right pillar was a stag, standing tall and proud, as if he were watching over his pack. On the left pillar was tiger, laying on all fours, watching the horizon, as if he were a sentinel guarding a king. On each side of the gate was a brick wall that carried to the tree line, and, presumably, past it, though Tonks couldn't see. "Is this…?" She asked, her jaw halfway open. Her stomach twisted into a knot, as both hope and dread rose within her. As they neared the gate, she could see the extensive grounds behind it for the first time.
"I hope you like it." Harry whispered in her ear, untangling their fingers and reaching towards the gate. He placed his hand on the P shield, and grinned as it glowed blue, and the gate opened slowly. "The Potter manor." He said, bowing and gesturing to the grounds, as if he was a herald introducing a nobleman.
"Don't tell me," Tonks gasped, taking a few steps into the manor grounds, and spinning around to see the whole picture. "You built this? This is what your 'project' was?" She followed the cobblestone pathway up to the front of the house, marveling at her surroundings.
Harry laughed, nodding his head. "I've been working on this since the day I left Hogwarts." He smiled as Tonks' eyes met the house that he had built. She stood still for a few moments, gazing upon the façade that was so beautiful to her.
The manor, which was built in the Georgian style reminiscent to notable buildings such as the Leinster House of Ireland and the White House of America, was constructed with a beige stone, almost tan. It was three floors tall, and twelve windows across—five feet per window, with five feet in between each. A few balconies were scattered about, as they hung over the side of the brown building. The doors were French, and white of color. The front door was a large oak double door that had a golden knocker, shaped like a Tiger's head.
"This is beautiful!" Tonks chirped, running towards the front door. Harry laughed, and jogged behind her, knowing that she would love the inside even more.
And she did, for it had hardwood floors throughout the first two floors, lavish furnishings, and earthly tones of greens, dark blues, and bronze. There were a grand total of six bedrooms (a master, a guest, and four smaller rooms), six baths, two studies, a sitting room, a living room, a family room, a dining room, and a kitchen; plus, there were a few hidden rooms scattered about—Harry's specialty. The basement was complete, albeit empty. The third floor, to her surprise, was charmed to be an indoor quidditch pitch; the ceiling was akin to the Hogwarts' grand hall, with it showing the sky. The floor was charmed to feel and look like grass as well, adding to the effect of it being a real quidditch pitch.
It came as no surprise to Tonks, however, that the charm work throughout the house was fascinating, as it was Harry's best subject. The master bedroom had walls that were charmed to show the outside as if it were completely made of glass, even though from the outside they showed the stone they were constructed of. The house was decked out with all of the muggle amenities, but they were tweaked to wizarding specifications, however. Everything was perfect in Tonks' mind.
They then went out the back door, intent on touring around the grounds. She noticed that, other than a few scattered trees, it wasn't the wooded area she had thought it was going to be. A fence-like ring of trees on the outskirts of the property, which was big enough to house a few quidditch pitches, kept their privacy. There was a brick oven/barbeque in the back yard, with tables set up around it, making it a perfect spot to cook outdoors like muggles did during the summer. The best part about the property in Tonks' mind, however, were the cliffs that overlooked the Atlantic Ocean on the west side of it. She ran over to them, stopping a few feet away to take a look down. She smiled as she saw a beach, with a set of stairs leading down to it; the cliff was only about thirty feet up, but it was still high enough to get hurt if you fell.
"Where are we?" She asked, as she waited impatiently for Harry to catch up to her so she could skip down the stairs to the beach. She tapped her left foot on the grass, aching to go down and check out the beach.
"Gwynedd, Wales. Lleyn Peninsula, specifically." Harry said, turning her around and pointing her to the water that was below the cliff. "That's the Cardigan Bay." He pointed to a group of mountains in the distance; they were no farther away than a couple of miles. "Those are the Rivals; or, in Welsh, Yr Eifl. They host a reservation for Common Welsh Green dragons. On the other side of them is Godric's Hollow, the place my family lived." He pointed to another mountain range; this one was a little father away, but just as big. "That's Snowdon."
"Wales, hm?" Tonks smiled, looking up at him. He always did say that he was going to live in Wales sooner or later. Grabbing his hand, she ran down the wooden steps, pulling him behind her. She jumped off the final platform, landing on the beach. She took off her flip-flops, and allowed the golden sand to engulf her feet and toes. She threw her arms out, loving the feeling of the shore breeze rolling over her skin. She flicked her eyes over to Harry, grinning to him seductively. "Is this a private beach?" Tonks asked suggestively.
Harry quirked an eyebrow, as a small smile played at his lips. "Private enough." He replied, biting his lip. His eyes ran over Tonks' body as the woman slid her dress straps over her shoulders, and allowed it fall down to her feet. She stepped out of it, and kicked it over to Harry, who caught it, and watched as she ran into the ocean. Grinning, he followed suit and disrobed himself, and dove into the ocean as well.
An hour later, Zeali appeared on the beach with a pop. "Master Harry, sir, your lunch is ready!" He called out, his voice loud and squeaky, and barely carried over the crashing of the waves.
"Ah," Tonks screeched, hiding behind Harry, hoping the little elf didn't see her naked body.
"He's a house elf, Nymphie." Harry laughed, his eyes shifting over to hers. "I doubt he's the least bit interested in being a peeping tom." He waved to the elf, and said in a louder voice, "Okay, Zeali, we'll be right up, thank you." The elf smiled and disappeared with a pop.
After drying off, and putting their clothes back on, the pair headed back up to the house, their stomachs growling. They didn't realize they were hungry before Zeali told them he had made lunch, but now they couldn't wait to eat. As they neared the house, Harry's eyes flicked over to Tonks, who had a strange look on her face: it was pensive. "What?" She questioned, noticing his lingering gaze.
"You like it, right?" He asked, a hint of worry in his voice. He loved the house and couldn't ask for anything more, but if she didn't like it, then what were they to do?
"The house? Our home?" Tonks replied, cocking an eyebrow. "Are you kidding me? I love it!" She chirped, kissing him on the cheek. "A beach front house," She looked over at the cliffs that ran perpendicular to the house. If you were to walk out of the main door, the cliffs would be on your right, and continue to the end of the property. If you walked onto the grounds from the main gate, however, they would be to your left; though, the gate was a little off to the right and caddy corner from the main door of the house. "Well, beachside property is something that you just can't not like." She giggled. "How much did it cost you?"
"A lot." Harry answered, uncomfortably. She wouldn't want the house if she knew just how much it had cost him. "Let's just say that when we first met, my bank vault was empty. That's why I did those advertisements for Witch Weekly and Quidditch Monthly; they paid well." He bit his lip, before continuing. "It was the land that cost the most, though, since muggles usually charge more. Zeali and I did most of the work, although I had 'Cresswell Wizarding Construction' come in and build the actual structure; it's amazing how Dirk Cresswell's brother was able to get goblins to work for him. Goblins are amazing constructors, you know?"
"Cresswell? He works in the Goblin Liason office, right?" She asked, as Zeali directed her to the patio area in the back yard where he had set up their lunch. "I thought he was a muggleborn?"
"He is," Harry nodded, taking a seat. "But his younger brother is also a wizard, which leads me to believe…"
"Squibs?" Tonks finished for him, knowing his train of thought. It was very rare for a family of muggles to have more than one wizard or witch. And most of time, if it ever did happen, it was because the family was actually descended from a squib, and they just forgot about the magical community. Seeing Harry agree, she changed the subject. "I have to tell Canteen's where this place is."
"No, you don't." Harry told her, taking a bite out of his food. "They've always known. I went and told them where it was going to be an hour after you left them. I just told them not to tell you they knew, so it would be a secret." He grinned when Tonks slapped his arm playfully, sticking his tongue out at her. Even though their wedding was two weeks away, the couple was already acting as if they were married, and both agreed that if marriage was like this, they couldn't wait.
Sunday night came around, and Harry and Ted were lounging around in the sitting room of Grimmauld place; Nymphadora, Andromeda, and Sirius were all waiting at the door, glancing at the clock every so often. Then, as expected, there was a chime throughout the house, coming from the front door: it was a clever little charm that acted as a muggle doorbell. All a visitor had to do was press his wand up to the black door, and a ring will sound out, alerting the owner of their presence. Sirius strolled across the hall, reaching for the door and opening it slowly.
Two men stood on the other side, each dressed in elegant robes. The one known as Cepheus was a medium-height man, with short black hair, gray eyes, and the same aristocratic good looks that the Blacks were known for. Austrinus was a tall and thick man, with gray eyes, and dark brown hair. Though he had a few layers of fat, you could see that Austrinus was a man that would be hard to beat in a physical strength match—being comparable in height to Harry and Dumbledore, but having much more girth. "Sirius Black?" Cepheus questioned, putting his hand out to Sirius.
"Cepheus, I presume?" Sirius replied, shaking the hand. His eyes then flicked over to Austrinus, who gave a small grin. "And you must be Austrinus."
"Must be." Austrinus responded, shrugging. Both men looked relatively young, younger than Sirius, and around the age of thirty: they were closer to Nymphadora than to Sirius in age. Sirius moved to the side, allowing them room to enter his home, which they promptly did. "Hello all." Austrinus said, seeing Harry, Ted, Andromeda, and Nymphadora a few feet away. Andromeda and Nymphadora went to meet Austrinus, while Harry lagged behind; Cepheus noticed him and walked towards him after a second.
"Harry Potter," Cepheus said, staring Harry straight in the eyes. "It's good to finally meet you." He flashed the younger wizard a small, mischievous grin. "I read the Witch Weekly report. Getting married, I hear."
"Mr. Nigel," Harry said, smiling slightly. "Pleasure to meet you."
"Please, please, call me Cepheus." Cepheus interrupted, gripping Harry's shoulder. Cocking an eyebrow, he gestured for Harry to continue.
"You heard right, Cepheus." Harry replied, gesturing to Nymphadora, who was talking animatedly to Austrinus. Cepheus followed with his eyes, seeing Nymphadora for the first time. "A little under two weeks."
"Good, good." Cepheus said, nodding his head amusedly. After the introductions were finished and the greetings were said, they all headed down to the dinning room, where Dobby had a multi-course meal laid out on a fine, golden tablecloth. "So tell me," Cepheus began, putting down his salad fork and looking towards Harry and Nymphadora. "How did you two meet, if you don't mind me asking."
The pair relayed the events that lead up to their kismet-like meeting; how Tonks had tripped over Harry, and Harry had given her his jersey. Then, having finished, Harry changed the subject by asking, "How come the Nigels haven't been in Hogwarts? I've never heard that name go through there."
"Well," Cepheus said, furrowing his brow. "Phineas Nigel sent his children to Beauxbatons, not wanting the Black family to get to them, and Marius followed suit and sent his there, as well. Though, there have been a few of us who have gone to either Durmstrang or Freyjavangr—the Norse school of Magic. No Nigel, however, has ever gone to Hogwarts"
"Yes, but I think Peleus said that Emese wanted to send Lucida to Hogwarts." Austrinus said, looking over to Cepheus.
"She does?" Cepheus questioned, raising an eyebrow questioningly. Then, looking at the curious group, he said, "Peleus is Austrinus' brother, Emese being his wife. Lucida is their beautiful little girl that is just a few months old." He said, filling them in on what the pair was talking about.
"Same age as Harmony." Harry smiled, remembering his best friend's daughter. She had been born around the time of Hermione and Viktor's wedding, a few weeks after. "Any reason why Emese wants Lucida to go to Hogwarts and not Beauxbatons?"
"Durmstrang, actually." Austrinus corrected. "She wants our family, the Nigels, to expand their horizons, rather than stay in our own little corner. She thinks we've been afraid to become a prominent family for far too long, and by going to Hogwarts, Lucida will show her true potential."
"And she has such great potential." Cepheus shivered. "I've seen…I've felt it."
"I never knew pureblood families sent their children to different schools." Ted muttered, pushing his food around on his plate with his fork, disinterestedly. "I guess I always just assumed Hogwarts was the go-to place."
"There have been people who even leave the school that they were at to transfer into another, too." Cepheus said. "Some parents are from different countries, from different schools, so they decide that one child will go to one school, while the other goes to another. Whether it be one of the big three like Hogwarts, Durmstrang, or Beauxbatons, or the smaller ones that are located all across Europe."
The group all nodded, appreciating the conversation for what it was: easy. "So just how many Nigels are there?" Sirius questioned in wonder, after a moment's silence.
Austrinus and Cepheus shared a look, each counting up the number in their minds. "Thirty, maybe?"
"Yeah," Austrinus added. "We're a pretty big family, we have a lot of males in our line. Marius, our great-great-grandfather had five children himself, and Phineas had six—seven if you consider his adoption of Marius."
"A lot more of you than there are of Blacks." Andromeda said, almost grimly. Sirius was, technically speaking, the last Black, and the line would die out if he didn't have any children.
The rest of the night went without a problem. The conversation was light and fun, and the cookies, pastries, and strudels were never-ending. Before anyone knew it, the clock had chimed midnight, surprising everyone in the room. Austrinus and Cepheus both left a few moments after that, promising to send an invite for dinner in a few weeks, after the wedding craze had died down. It wasn't long before Sirius, being the only person in the house, turned off the lights and went to sleep, losing himself in the dream world.
The next Saturday, which was a week till the wedding, found Harry, Remus, and Sirius walking down the dirt path that would lead to the Potter manor. The path seemed to be abandoned, for Tonks and Harry's footprints remained from a week ago. It was, in truth, a forgotten area because the main road that led to the path had stopped being used over ten years ago. "Nice touch on the statues." Sirius noted, looking at the stag and the tiger that guarded the gate.
"It's all about the little things in life, my friends." Harry laughed, placing his hand on the 'P' shield, and opening the gates up. Remus whistled when the grounds and the house came into view. The house was visible from outside the gates, but the majesty of it came when you got inside the grounds. It wasn't the biggest house in the wizarding world—it was just a little bigger than number twelve, Grimmauld Place—but it was definitely something to brag about. "Welcome." Harry gestured to the house.
"Your father would be jealous." Sirius grinned, as his eyes roamed around everything: from the lawn that led up to the house, to the tree line that protected their privacy, to the cliffs that showed a beautiful view of the ocean.
"And very proud." Remus added, not wanting Harry to think his father was that materialistic. They took a few steps forward, but stopped as Harry put his hand out.
"Race you to the cliffs?" He questioned Sirius, cocking an eyebrow. Sirius smiled and, with a pop, transformed into a big, black dog. The dog tilted his head up at Harry and took off, leaving Harry behind. Harry transformed into a white Bengal tiger and sprinted towards the cliffs, catching up to the dog within seconds. Just as Harry was about to pass Sirius, the dog nudged the tiger, knocking him off course, which allowed him to jump in front, skidding to a halt as he neared the cliffs. "Cheater." Harry muttered, transforming back into a human.