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Chapter 17:
Director Fury got the message that Agents Barton and Romanoff had finally arrived from their mission. Their mission was to locate Odette Potter and convince her into joining S.H.I.E.L.D.; she was a highly trained assassin and from what his spy in the Red Room informed him, the little girl left a huge impact on many … she had a reputation, and most of the girls in the Red Room were frightened of her, and rightfully so.
Odette Potter could give Black Widow a run for her money, and Nick Fury needed her planted firmly on their side, especially with Shadow Swan lurking about and out there terrorizing the nation … Apparently, Shadow Swan got bored of America and had moved on to England. Nick Fury was sure that Shadow Swan would target Europe next, and she must be stopped at all costs.
"Director Fury?"
Nick Fury snapped out of his thoughts to see Hawkeye and Black Widow standing by his door, awaiting his permission for admittance.
"Come in. So tell me what is your report on Odette Potter? I take it your early arrival implies you have succeeded in locating her?" Director Fury asked them as his two best Agents took their respective seats opposite him.
"Oh, we found her all right," Barton blurted out, and Nick was curious as to what had him so unsettled. "Director, she wanted to be found. She made it easy for us."
"That means you are good at what you do Agent Barton," Director Fury dismissed him without a second thought, only for his brow to furrow in surprise when Black Widow agreed with her partner.
"No Director, Barton's right with his assumption. She knew who we were before we gave her fake names. She was relaxed, not feeling threatened the least bit by us. She also," Romanoff swallowed harshly before continuing with a grudging tone, "She also knew that we've been looking for her ever since she escaped the Red Room."
"She's been at least ten steps ahead of us. She purposely made it easy for us to find her today," Barton added with a growl. He didn't like the fact that Odette Potter had so easily evaded them, and she made it quite clear to them that she allowed them a reprieve.
Nick sighed and rubbed a weary had over his face. His one eye flickered to his two best Agents and he growled, "Will she join?" That was the question he desperately needed a response to, and his heart dropped when both Agents solemnly shook their heads in unison.
"She was adamant that nobody can control her," Barton explained angrily, "Her exact words were 'I don't work for anyone. I play by my own rules, and do whatever the hell I wanna do.'"
Romanoff spoke next and Nick could hear the grudging admiration in her voice, "She isn't one for teamwork, Director. I believe it would be a waste of our time to continue going after her."
Nick slumped in his seat. Now with Odette Potter definitely out, he needed to concentrate on a plan for capturing the illusive Shadow Swan that was constantly grating on his nerves for years. The best course of action for the time being would be to wait for Potter to grow older before they approach her again.
Focusing on his two Agents once again, he noted that they were nervous. Barton and Romanoff were never nervous, and so, Nick knew that he wouldn't like what they had to say. "What is it?" he gruffly demanded.
"We, uh, we found Shadow Swan," Barton admitted, wincing when the Director's pupil blew wildly with excitement and he sat up in his seat looking perfectly content.
"And? What happened?"
Agent Romanoff merely handed over a napkin from a café and the two Agents readied themselves for their Director to blow his gasket.
Next time do your research properly,
You never know who you could be talking to,
Give Nick Fury my love,
XOXO – Shadow Swan.
"It was left by Odette Potter after she had departed the café," Romanoff mentioned after Director Fury dropped the napkin from his clutches.
Nick Fury was eerily silent, the only hint the two Agents received of his impending ire was the particular vein on his forehead that was threatening to erupt, and when he spoke, his voice was deadly calm, "Do you mean to tell me, that we have spent years on multiple Agents, different leads, resources and time, searching for two different people, when they have been the same person all this time?"
Agents Barton and Romanoff merely responded with a stiff nod.
"Shadow Swan began terrorizing the nation a few months after Odette Potter escaped the Red Room!" Nick Fury growled, instantly off his seat, making his swiveling chair crash loudly against the floor, and the two Agents winced.
Placing both hands firmly on the table, his head leaning towards the two Agents, he continued with furious tones, "A child! A child assassin! We've been running around like chickens with our heads cut off over a child! A child who so happens to be an experienced killer and has murdered many citizens in the most gruesome ways. A CHILD!" he roared, banging his fist on the table.
Agents and workers bustling on the same floor as Director Nick Fury's office froze in their respective position; a mixture of curiosity and dread – Nick Fury in a rage was a very unpleasant occurrence for S.H.I.E.L.D.
"Find her! If it's that last thing we do, we need to find her and kill her!" Director Fury roared.
"We can't. She knows how to hide her tracks," Barton huffed, crossing his arms together in annoyance.
Romanoff lifted an eyebrow, "Director, I don't think killing her is the best course of action. She could be a great boon for S.H.I.E.L.D."
"She said she would never join," Barton reminded her with a scoff.
Nick Fury settled each of them with a glare; it was outstanding how he could scare them shitless with only one eye. "I don't care what you do! Get her off the streets and away from killing the citizens."
Director Nick Fury was unsettled, and he knew that Shadow Swan had done it purposely, she had played them expertly. She was a deft assassin, and only a child, yet she had won this round. She wanted to be found out, she panned her exposure to S.H.I.E.L.D., and she was showing Nick Fury and in relation S.H.E.I.L.D. that the only reason they found her was only because she allowed it.
Director Nick Fury would not let her win the next round.
***THE FORGOTTEN POTTER***
It was July 31st, meaning it was Odette Arielle Potter's eleventh birthday.
The very day she had been waiting for had finally arrived, and Odette felt excitement spark in her veins, and a sinister glint appeared in her eyes. Now her revenge against the Potters and the Wizarding World was at its beginning.
Her Hogwarts letter would be arriving soon and she was not about to miss James, Lily and Charlus' facial expression and their reactions when they realize how wrong they and that old, barmy codger had been. For the first time in years, Odette was looking forward to being around the Potters and attending breakfast with them.
Oh, they would rue the day they treated her like nothing but the sole dirt beneath their feet, and no one, no one would escape her wrath. They would rue the day they listened to Albus Dumbledore, who wasn't the leader of light they all expected him to be.
Odette Potter would be around to watch it all come crashing down.
For the Potters however, it was an exciting day, one for the photo albums as the house elves prepared a luxurious buffet for the Boy-Who-Lived. James and Lily were looking forward to the Hogwarts owl's arrival, and they couldn't help but beam proudly at their son.
It was when four-year-old little Harry began gurgling enthusiastically and giggled, "Odie," did the elder Potters and Charlus snap their heads and find Odette Potter join them at the table.
"What are you doing here?" Charlus sneered maliciously. His twin had never before joined them for breakfast, and he liked it that way.
Odette barely spared him a glance as she forked some pancakes and bacon to her plate. "Eating, duh. Are you that dense, Charlie?" she drawled, a smirk present on her face at the enraged look on her twin's face.
"Motherrrr," he whined, "It's my birthday! Make her leave; she's ruining my special day."
James fidgeted uncomfortably but decided to let his lovely wife handle the situation, he could barely look at the daughter he had forgotten all about.
Lily glared down at Odette with a scowl and snapped, "Take your plate to your room! I will not have you ruin your brother's birthday and him receiving him Hogwarts letter because you are a squib! Jealousy is not allowed in this household!"
"Oh, don't worry. I'll be out of your hair once I'm done," Odette smiled sweetly, though no one noticed the way her eyes glinted maliciously. She then reassembled her face into a forlorn look and pouted, "I really wanted to visit Diagon Alley with you today."
James shifted in his seat and made the mistake of staring his daughter directly in the face, wincing when he noted her adorable puppy dog face.
"You're a squib, Odette! You can't enter the magical world with us, it's not your place," Charlus sneered, but he kept his superior attitude in check.
"Yes, exac –"Lily was cut off however when two owls landed nearby.
"Lily Flower, why are there two owls?" James frowned in bafflement as he stood up and headed over to retrieve the letters, none of the Potters noticing the evil smile playing on Odette's cherubic face.
"Albus probably sent Charlus a letter for his birthday," Lily answered dismissively as she readied the camera for her darling Boy-Who-Lived. But Odette's emerald eyes were focused solely on James Potter as he finally relieved the owls of their burden, and his face turned extremely comical, gaping at the second letter that lay in his hand.
"Lil-Lil-Lily! Merlin, Lily!" James gasped, a choking sound coming from his throat as he slowly walked over to his wife. Her eyes turned into the size of a galleon when she read the envelope.
Ms. O. Potter
The First Kitchen
Potter Manor
"What's going on?" Charlus demanded heatedly, not appreciating being ignored by his parents.
"But you're a squib! Albus said so himself," Lily cried as she stared at her daughter.
Odette snatched her letter from Lily's grip and drawled, "Apparently not."
James Potter felt like he had been kicked in the gut as he stared horror-struck at his daughter … the memories of what they did to her, how they ignored her for not having magic, him – him hitting her and grounding her, shouting cruelly at her. Odette disappearing from their sight for three years after her fourth birthday, everything rushed back in, and he felt faint as he struggled to stand upright.
Lily Potter on the other hand beamed with delightful joy; there was nothing wrong with her after all. Her daughter had magic, she was a witch. She always feared that since she was a Muggleborn it was her fault for producing a squib and so she hated her only daughter and ignored her existence to disregard her failure. But there was nothing wrong with her … Odette was a witch, and relief flooded her veins.
Charlus Potter was jealous. He enjoyed being better than his twin, and he adored all the attention given freely to him. But now that his twin was discovered of being a witch, the attention would be split, and he did not like it one bit.
Lily rushed over to Odette and engulfed her in a hug, "Oh, my darling daughter. I am so proud! Oh, James isn't it wonderful."
Odette sneered at her mother and yanked herself from her suffocating grip. How dare that bitch think all would be forgotten and forgiven because of the arrival of her Hogwarts letter?
James winced; Odette's reaction didn't go unnoticed by him this time and he weakly choked, "Yes, wonderful."
After an hour of Lily Potter's annoying blathering as she crowed on and on about her two babies attending Hogwarts and snapping incessant pictures of them, they headed off to Diagon Alley. Odette made sure to set a large distance between herself and the Potters as Charlus' fans crowded around him, congratulating the Boy-Who-Lived for getting accepted into Hogwarts.
"And who may I ask is this enchanting young lady?" a short man with a squeaky voice beamed as he looked at Odette. There was silence around the Leaky Cauldron as everyone stared at a bored Odette.
"Dedalus, this is, this is our daughter, Odette," James smiled weakly. Charlus glared at Odette with well-written fury on his features, and Odette merely lifted an eyebrow, aggravated with everyone's continuous staring.
"We didn't know you had a daughter," the barman, Tom gasped out in surprise.
Odette reveled in the Potter's awkwardness. Of course, Lily Potter was a scheming bitch, and she always had a plan up her sleeves. She smiled and walked over to Odette, placed a hand gently on her shoulder and said, "Yes, she is Charlus' twin sister. She's not comfortable around crowds; she prefers to seek solace in the manor, so she doesn't go out much."
James winced yet again at Lily's words, Odette on the other hand faced everyone's gaping and dumbstruck stare with a face devoid of any emotion and snapped, "Take a picture, it will last longer!"
The patrons in the pub recoiled at her words and the emotionless look on her face and Lily stared at her daughter, scandalized, "Odette! That is no way to talk to people, young lady."
Odette faked contrite and said in an innocent voice, "I'm sorry, mother. I missed out on the parenting." There was a bite to her words, and an underlying meaning that James and Lily both understood clearly, and they wasted no time in ushering the twins to the entrance of Diagon Alley and away from the many curious stares.
"Odette Arielle Potter, you listen here –"
Odette cut in on Lily's scolding, she wasn't about to play their game any longer, and she had had enough. It was time it put them in their place. She wanted to buy her Hogwarts materials and meet up with Lexi for her birthday. Turning to stare at the Potters, she sneered and spoke in an icy tone, "No, you listen to me! Go shopping for your precious Boy-Who-Lived and stop acting like the caring and doting mother we both know you aren't!"
"Odette, don't talk to your mother that way," James sternly informed her, his eyes imploring her to behave.
Odette cackled softly, causing the three Potters to recoil at the sound, "Or what? You gonna hit me again, daddy?" she sneered, enjoying the forlorn and guilty look that overtook James' face at the reminder, "Newsflash! You aren't my mother, Lily. God knows I received not an ounce of parenting from either one of you in a decade."
Now it was Lily's turn to flinch. Charlus merely stood smugly behind his parents; it was obvious to him that he wasn't required to do anything to alienate his twin, she was doing it all by herself.
"I'm shopping on my own. Wouldn't want to ruin the perfect image of the Lord and Lady Potter and the Wizarding World's savior," Odette sneered as she walked away from them.
"Come back here, Odette!" James yelled after her, but it was too late. His daughter was lost in the crowd. As the elder Potters shopped for Charlus, they kept a wary eye out for their missing daughter. Unfortunately, they didn't believe in their wildest dreams that Odette Arielle Potter would be sitting with High Goblin, Ragnok in his office, chatting as though they were the best of friends over tea and biscuits.
"So, your plan is going smoothly, yes?" Ragnok grinned; his pointed teeth visibly clear on his face.
Odette winked, "Cheers, my goblin-friend. It is all going according to plan, they won't know what hit them," sitting up straight, her face turned solemn, all joking aside, "So tell me, Ragnok. In your letter, you mentioned that there was a matter of extreme importance we needed to discuss."
"Yes," Ragnok cleared his throat, before regaling his discoveries, "Ever since you took your place as the Lady of many Noble and most Ancient Houses, and became a friend to the goblin nation, I have had some of my best goblins searching for information you would be interested in, partaking you in particular."
"And of course, you found something of value otherwise you wouldn't have included it in your letter," Odette mused, her eyes glinting with curiosity.
Ragnok grinned widely, "Of course. Before your birth took place, a prophecy was made. Now I do not know its contents but what we have discovered was that it was prophesized to Albus Dumbledore by Sibyll Trelawney, the Divination professor at Hogwarts. The prophecy spoke of a certain child and the Dark Lord, and at that time, the Potters and Longbottoms went into hiding."
"Voldemort acted upon the prophecy when he tried to kill Charlus and I," Odette carried on Ragnok's line of thoughts.
"Precisely. Since the Wizarding World hail Charlus Potter as the Boy-Who-Lived, Dumbledore and the Potters believe him to be the child of the prophecy, when in actuality it is you," Ragnok informed her.
"Voldemort isn't dead from what the Horcrux that used my body as a container told us. The prophecy would explain a lot," Odette chuckled sinisterly, a plan already forming in her head. "Where is the prophecy currently?"
"It is in the Department of Mysteries, in the Hall of Prophecies. Only the two the prophecy speaks of can lift it from its place," Ragnok contributed.
"And that is where it shall reside for the time being," Odette smirked. Upon noticing Ragnok's incredulous stare, Odette relayed her plan, "Voldemort will rise in power once again, that is inevitable, Ragnok. And when he does, the old fool and the Potters will race to achieve the prophecy. Timing is everything," she winked. "I cannot wait to see their expression when Charlus Potter cannot take ahold of it in his possession."
"Brilliant," Ragnok let out a hair-raising and vindictive laugh, "You are quite the evil Potter, aren't you, my Lady."
"And I will make sure no one ever forgets that," she grinned back.
Upon concluding their meeting, Odette withdrew money from one of her vaults and immersed herself into the throng of Diagon Alley, shopping for Hogwarts at her own pace and thankfully not running into the Potters; she deduced they had already left the Alley since her meeting with Ragnok ran long.
Ollivanders was her last stop, and even though she already had quite a powerful wand, Odette knew that she had to buy one to preserve her cover; she needed a wand to be used around the Hogwarts staff to avoid suspicion.
"Ms. Potter, I was wondering when I would be seeing you. Your parents have been worried," Ollivander appeared out of nowhere, her bored face reflected in his silver eyes, "Yet you already have quite a powerful wand hidden under your sleeve."
"Bravo, Mr. Ollivander, and I am here for another one," Odette drawled as she approached the front desk.
"A witch or wizard need a license for an extra wand," he informed her in his regular hoarse voice.
Odette dumped a piece of parchment on his desk and spoke in an icy tone, "Wand maker Mancini already informed me of this and got me a license. Turns out, his granddaughter works in the corrupt British Ministry, can you believe that?" she said scornfully.
Ollivander stared directly into emerald green eyes and a shiver ran through his spine; she was very dark, and very powerful. She would make a formidable enemy; problem was, she already was since she despised Magical Britain.
Conversation stilted as Ollivander passed her multiple wands, but none of them worked. The wands all rejected her, and so, he decided to act upon his suspicions – Charlus Potter didn't hold a candle compared to his twin, and he felt an ominous feeling stir in the air as he handed over the brother wand to Voldemort.
Gold, black and silver sparks emanated from the wand in Odette's hand, and she noted Ollivander's face pale drastically, "Spit it out, Ollivander!"
"That wand contains a phoenix feather. That certain phoenix gave out two feathers, just two. One of them resides in the Dark Lord's wand. It is curious that you would be destined for that wand, when it's brother gave Charlus Potter his scar," Ollivander's voice trembled. However, he halted all of a sudden and his eyes bulged when he noticed the cruel smirk on Odette's face and he gasped, his hand clutching his chest as the answer hit him.
"It was not Charlus Potter who defeated the Dark Lord. It was you," he stated in awe and dread.
"And of course, this information stays between us, am I correct, Mr. Ollivander?" Odette smiled sweetly, the threat lacing her tone.
"Y-Yes of, of course, of course, Ms. Potter," Ollivander stuttered with a bow.
"Hmm," Odette pierced the frightened, old wand maker with her deadened eyes, "I am sure Dumbledore is expecting a letter from you, stating that his precious Boy-Who-Lived owns the brother wand. You shall tell him that the wand chose no one, and that neither of us has it. Do I make myself clear?"
"Y-Yes, yes Ms. Potter, of course."
Throwing seven galleons at his face, Odette sneered warningly, "You don't want me as your enemy Ollivander. I will know if you inform him."
As Ollivander watched the young Ms. Potter leave his store, he wiped the beads of sweat from his forehead and whistled to himself. Odette Potter would either save the Wizarding World, or destroy it.
***THE FORGOTTEN POTTER***
It was nighttime, and there were barely a few hours to the end of July 31st. Charlus was currently fast asleep in his room with a wide smile on his face; he had enjoyed his birthday celebrations and his trip to Diagon Alley.
But not all the inhabitants of Potter Manor had a clear conscious, for James Potter had a tumbler of Firewhiskey in his hand, his mind muddled with thoughts of the past and he was consumed by guilt. He did not dare inform Sirius that Odette received her letter that day, for he knew his best friend would tell him 'I told you so.'
James regretted the past decade, the more he thought about how they neglected Odette and hid her from the outside world, the more disgusted he became with himself. His parents would be disappointed; they would be revolted with their son and his actions. James Potter came from a light family, and he despised the way Purebloods treated their squib children, yet he was no better.
Odette showed them nothing but cruel hatred, and James wanted to curl up and die. His precious princess was no longer there, the little angelic girl that starved for her father's attention had vanished, only to be replaced by an uncaring eleven-year-old that held nothing but malice towards them.
James threw his tumbler into the fireplace, watching as the glass shattered and the fire roared violently. There was one person he wanted to confront, and he grabbed a handful of floo powder and disappeared with the green flames, appearing in the Headmaster's office.
"James, what is –"
"You! This is your fault, Albus!" James yelled at the top of his lungs, causing the great Albus Dumbledore to take a step back in shock.
"What are you referring to, James?" he asked quite calmly, his blue eyes piercing hazel ones in confusion.
"My daughter! My little girl. You, you said she was a … a squib," James spat angrily.
Albus gaped at James for a moment, before speaking, "And she is, James wha –"Albus' eyes widened at an incredulous rate when James smacked a letter under his long, crooked nose. He opened and closed his mouth countless times when he read the Hogwarts letter that was clearly addressed to Odette Potter.
"Explain this, then," James snarled through gritted teeth, his face red with indescribable rage. But Albus found himself at a loss of words, and for the first time, he was rendered speechless. How had he mistaken the girl as a squib … it wasn't possible. Yet there it was, as clear as the day, she was a witch.
Odette Potter wasn't raised properly by James and Lily, like Charlus was. She never looked upon himself as a mentor. She was now a wildcard; Odette Potter lived a life of neglect, cast to the shadows as she observed her brother gain everything and her nothing.
Albus Dumbledore feared she might travel the same path Tom Riddle did, before he fashioned himself followers and evolved into Voldemort. He would have to keep a wary eye on young Odette Potter upon her arrival to Hogwarts and ensnare her to his side in the war. He would have her followed around the clock.
Odette Potter must turn to their side at all costs; otherwise he would have to arrange a swift death.
When James Potter returned to Potter Manor after an hour of tongue-thrashing Dumbledore, he checked Odette's room again, faintly surprised to find her exiting the bathroom in her pajamas.
"Where were you today? You missed your birthday celebration," James said softly; he wanted his daughter back. But when harsh emerald eyes flashed in his direction, he knew it wouldn't be an easy feat.
"Funny, I haven't had one in a decade. Oh, but I forgot, now that I'm not a squib it changes things," she sneered sarcastically, her voice sending shivers down his spine.
"Odette, where were you? I searched the house high and low for you and you weren't here," James spoke sternly. No matter what happened in the past, she was still his daughter and he her father, and nothing gives Odette the right to leave the manor on her own. She was only eleven after all.
Odette stared impassively at him, her face devoid of all emotion, something a young girl shouldn't have, "It doesn't concern you." Just as James was about to berate her, Odette spoke again, "I mentioned to you once that I wasn't a squib, you didn't believe me. You called me a liar; you lost all rights to demand anything from me James Potter, now get out of my room!" she snarled with venom.
James stared at his daughter for a while before he stormed out of her room and into his office. He withdrew his pensieve, searching for a particular memory he had blocked from his mind, and drowned himself in the memory.
Three years old Odette was playing in the living room with her stuffed Padfoot plushy when Charlus snatched it from her hand and began stomping on it. She began wailing loudly at the top of her lungs, causing James and Lily to dash into the room and demand what was wrong.
All of a sudden, Odette had both hands outstretched, and the plushy levitated into her arms, eliciting giggles out of her. They stopped however when Lily engulfed Charlus in a big hug instead of her.
"Oh, my baby. James did you see that?! Charlus gave his sister her toy back using accidental magic," Lily squealed, peppering Charlus' face with many kisses. James beamed proudly and ruffled his hair, "Atta boy."
"But-But it was me! I did it daddy," Odette cried, sniffling loudly and staring beseechingly at James.
"Odette! We spoke about this before. There is no lying allowed under our roof," Lily snarled. She carried a smirking Charlus into her arms and told James to punish her.
"Daddy? It was me, I pwomise."
"You are a squib, Odette! You have no magic; you know how much I don't tolerate lying," James growled, smacking Odette hard, "Go to your room and think of your actions!"
James was plunged out of the pensieve, and he fell down onto the ground, tears of guilt and sorrow leaking from his eyes as his ears rang with the echoes Odette's cries, and the image of her tear-stained and forlorn face seared into his memory.
"What have I done?" he muttered to himself, "Merlin, what have I done?"
A/N: Finally, the plot thickens and the gig is up. Next chapter will be part 2 of The Forgotten Potter and she will be going to Hogwarts. I hope you liked Nick Fury's reaction, I added it for some of the readers who wanted to read that part.
Another note I want to mention; just because Odette is in Hogwarts, it doesn't mean she will stay there … don't forget that she is still Shadow Swan and she can shadow travel easily out of Hogwarts, so I won't be constantly showing her time at Hogwarts until she graduates.