Title: Family bonds
Summary: A small baby appears in the woods of Denali, Alaska. This young emerald eyed boy grows up in the loving embrace of the Cullen family. Voldemort has disappeared and the wizarding world is at a loss of what to do or expect next.
Disclaimer: I do not own Harry Potter or Twilight, they belong to JK Rowling and Stephenie Meyer respectively.
AN: Not sure who first thought of the concept but I am using the same concept that Athey uses in the brilliant fic "Harry Potter and the Decent into Darkness" where Harry has been actively fighting against the piece of Voldemort's soul since the night it happened.
Chapter 6
One thing Anthony knew for certain was that he loved his family above all else and that he would do anything within his power to protect them. That was why he was currently curled up on a chair in Carlisle's home office while his father worked through some papers for the hospital.
Isabella Swan posed a real threat for their family and as Edward drew closer to her every day, Anthony knew that he would have to ensure that she could not harm them, intentionally or not. Reading and learning about how the mind works was not something Anthony ever anticipated doing but necessity had forced his hand.
His powers had always been used for trivial things, like hiding from his family, moving from one place to another in the blink of an eye, things that he had been doing since he first found out he could use his magic at will. Now though, now he was specifically studying the human mind in order to better understand it so that he could use his powers in a way that would protect him and his family from the rest of the world.
He knew that Isabella was different from normal humans in the sense that she had a mysterious power that prevented Edward from reading her mind and even caused some confusion for Alice's visions. He was certain however that she was no match for him, his determination would certainly out match hers.
Finding the right section in the book, Anthony devoted weeks of studying to his project and after almost three weeks of non-stop reading and learning, he was at last satisfied that his idea would work.
Walking downstairs as swiftly and softly as he could, Anthony peered around the corner to find Isabella and Edward engrossed in their summer homework.
Knowing that there wouldn't be a better time for it, Anthony slid down on the bottom of the stairs and concentrated hard on what he needed to do. Envisioning as best he could the details of their everyday living, Anthony formed the thought in his head that the Cullen family was to be protected at all costs and that their secret needed to be kept even if it meant life or death. Pulling on his memory of what he had learned of the human mind, Anthony concentrated on guiding this very thought to Isabella and 'imprinting' – for lack of a better word – it on her subconscious mind. He could only imagine what Jacob would think of this description, 'imprinting' indeed!
There was a startled exclamation from Edward and Anthony thanked his stars that his job was finished before the distraction.
"What? What is it Edward?" Isabella asked after Edward had calmed down again but his attention was diverted to his youngest brother who tried his best to appear as if he had just walked down the stairs.
"Nothing, nothing. Just thought for a moment…. But no… must have been my imagination."
No amount of prodding from Isabella could get Edward to speak of it so Anthony soon lost interest and made his way out of the house.
He had a fair idea of what happened but would probably never find out for sure. His magic was still an unknown for them and even though his family had all gotten used to his privacy wards, as he called them, and his teleportation – Emmett's word – there were still a lot of things to be discovered, as he had just proven by ensuring that Isabella Swan would never be able to tell anyone their secrets.
Pushing a thought into someone's mind would most probably open that person's mind to any mind reader in the vicinity, even if only for a moment and Anthony could only smirk as he thought of how enticing that information would be for Edward.
Thoughts of Edward dampened his mood again and Anthony sighed deeply as he planted himself on the front steps of his home. The past four months had been as confusing as could be. One day he was happier than he could ever remember being and the next his mood was so low that he didn't want to get out of bed. There was no discernible pattern to his mood swings and Anthony feared that he was losing his mind.
His family all tried to cheer him up when he was down and they kept his spirits lifted when he was in a good mood, but although talking about school and his friends on the reservation could dampen or heighten his spirits depending on his mood, one thing stood out above all else. As soon as anyone mentioned Isabella Swan or if she came to visit, Anthony would brood for days on end. It was driving him mad!
The girl had done absolutely nothing to him or his family, indeed, she had managed to lift Edward's spirits as nothing had been able to before but that did not stop the insistent little voice in his head that encouraged him annihilate err…. alienate her.
Anthony chuckled to himself at his thoughts but swiftly wiped the smile from his face as Edward and Isabella made their way out of the house and to his brother's car. Seemed he was taking her home, at last.
The mood swings continued for the rest of the month but that was not the strangest thing that happened. His magic seemed to be rebelling or something because it kept on moving things without his knowledge and if he didn't know better, he would say that his power was growing by the day.
Well, truthfully, he didn't know better, as there was no way for him to know if this was normal for a teenager who could wield magic.
By the end of July, everything came to a sudden and complete halt, or rather, a climax. His magic seemed to burst from his very veins and as Anthony writhed in agony, he could see and feel all his family members surround him. Their anxiety and helplessness tore at him but there was nothing he could do or say while his magic kept on attacking him, or so it felt.
After what felt like an eternity, Anthony felt the pain abruptly disappear and as he opened his eyes again, he was shocked to find a black mist in the shape of a face floating infront of him. Eerie laughter echoed in the silent room as the spectre disappeared through the wall but Anthony had no time to think on it as his mother pulled him into a tight hug. Frantic whispers and questions followed right after but Anthony could not make anything out as his world spun and spots appeared before his eyes before he slumped in a dead faint.
The American magical society was split in three groups. Wizards and Witches, both pure of blood – meaning purebloods, halfbloods and muggleborns – as well as those of mixed blood – those who had creature blood in their veins, all answered to the laws and guidance of the American Wizarding Protectorate, which was similar in views and laws to those of the British Ministry of Magic.
Magical creatures who lived in the secret unplottable locations that most wizards and witches lived in, fell under the American Creature society, which was basically an extension of the American Wizarding Protectorate and their laws were mostly the same except in cases where they were even stricter – giants, sirens, merpeople, any creature that posed a direct threat if they were seen by a muggle because their appearance could not be explained with a few words or laughed off as the imagination running wild.
The last group was the creatures who lived among muggle society. Vampires, Werewolves, veela, shapeshifters or any number of creatures that could fit into the daily lives of the muggle population. Most of these creatures answered to their own higher council, the Volturi for the Vampires, the Lunar Arc for the werewolves, etc. The leader of each group was informed of the American magical society as soon as he/she took the position but was sworn to secrecy and only given an emergency portkey to the American Wizarding Protectorate offices in Washington.
For centuries, the creatures that live amongst muggles expressed their wishes to be left alone and to deal with their own problems in their own way. The council that was formed in the early thirteenth century agreed to their demands with the promise that should exposure ever be imminent, the wizarding world would interfere.
Except for one or two instances, the wizarding world had not been asked to clean up after any rouges or clashes between the species.
A great magical disturbance in the area of a pack of shapeshifters as well as a coven of vampires however, was cause for major concern.
The American Wizarding Protectorate offices was abuzz with speculation. Aurors were dispatched immediately as well as a few obliviators. The shifters and the vampire coven were unaware of the magical world and their memories would need to be changed if necessary.
Rector Raymond Hearst folded his hands together as he waited for his team of aurors to return, hoping that whatever had caused the magical disturbance was something benign, a false alarm.
End Chapter 6
Sorry, I know I said it would be Anthony's first year in high school but this little 'filler chapter' was needed for a grounding block.