Quoth the Raven, Nevermore
Disclaimer: See chapter 1 Reviews are welcomed, flames aren't
Chapter 11: 'Tis Some Visitor
Snow covered Tower Green as the weather moved into the Christmas season. Tourist Season had slowed down but the Tower remained open to the public with reduced hours. The Tower closed from Christmas Eve to Boxing Day.
Hadrian was getting excited as Yule drew nearer. He wasn't with the Dursleys any more and Maggie had promised that, if he was good, Father Christmas would bring something extra special for him this year. Like children the world over Hadrian could barely contain his excitement! He was even allowed to help with the decorations. Aunt 'Tunia never allowed him to do that!
Hadrian however, wasn't excited for that reason alone. While he was looking forward to his first ever Yule gifts, Thor's news had him bouncing. The wily old bird had told him that the Lady would be visiting tonight! It'd been so long since he'd seen her! He wanted to thank Her for his new family and he even had a gift for Her, one he'd made himself.
He'd spent the last few days helping Aunt Maggie cook and bake for the upcoming holidays. They were having a family dinner on the weekend and would be visiting families on both sides. Hadrian was a little nervous about that. He only had experience with his own family, and they weren't very nice. They never took him any wheres special.
Aunt Maggie said that they owned a spot of land outside Devonshire, a small farm that Hadrian would just love. He couldn't wait, 'specially since there would be other kids. There really wasn't anyone at the Tower his age to play with, unless you counted the two princes, but they were ghosts and couldn't really play many games.
It would be the first time Hadrian had left the Tower since he was brought here as a baby raven last spring. He wondered what a farm was like, did it have animals he could see. . .and maybe even pet? Why did it seem like it was taking forever anyway? Hadrian sighed impatiently and turned back to the biscuits he was decorating with sugar sprinkles.
0o0o0o0
The night was dark and the air bitterly cold. Snow blanketed the grounds and trees inside the Tower complex.
A shaft of moonlight shone into the bedroom of a tousle-headed child who was soundly sleeping, his small arms clutching a plush stuffed raven named Inky. He was snuggled so deep in his covers that only his nose and a mop of black hair were visible.
"Hadrian . . . My little raven . . . Wake up . . ."
Hadrian rubbed his eyes as he sat up in bed, pulling Inky closer. He yawned as he looked around, hearing a woman's laughter.
"I am sorry to disturb your rest, child, but I need to speak with you."
Hadrian blinked away the sleep clouding his eyes and saw the dark-clad lady that visited him once before. "Lady!" he said, moving to hug her. "You came!"
She laughed again. "Oh, my little raven, you are such a treasure," She whispered, reaching up to brushed a stray lock of hair out of his eyes. "I see that you have found better guardians than my ravens."
"Are you mad at me?" he asked, clutching Inky tightly.
She smiled as she sat on the bed beside him. "No, child. I am quite proud of you. You were very brave to show yourself to someone you didn't know."
"But she's the Queen, and Queen Anne said she's the Mother of England. I wanted a real mother who would hug me and tell me stories," he said with childish logic.
She leaned over and placed one long, pale finger on his lips, to stop his rambling. "Hush Hadrian, child, I need you to do something for me."
He thought for a moment, then nodded.
"I need you to give this to your new guardians," she said, holding out a scroll and a small package. "This will help them take better care of you."
Hadrian took the scroll and package and placed them on the bed beside him. "All right."
She smiled and leaned over and kissed him on his forehead. "And now, my little raven, what can I get for you this Solstice Night?"
"What's a Sol'tis?"
"The Winter Solstice, it is a very special day for family, which starts the Yule celebrations," she explained.
"I know what Yule is! Aunt Maggie told me! She said if I was very good Father Christmas would leave me a special present. I never got presents b'fore, but Dudley always did." He sounded dejected, until he remembered. "Oh wait! I have a present for you. I made it myself!" He pulled out a small rumpled drawing from under his pillow. "I hope you like it."
"Thank you, my raven. I shall treasure this, " she laughed, taking the drawing of her with Thor and Hardey. "And I have a special present for you as well."
"Where is it?" he asked excitedly.
"You'll get it on Yule morn with the rest of your gifts."
"Awww! That's like forever away."
She smiled as she ran a hand through his hair. "It isn't that long until Yule, little one." She smiled softly down at him. "Always remember you are mine, Hadrian Ravenschilde, and I will keep you safe from all who would bring you harm here at the Tower."
"Will I see you again?" he asked with another yawn as he laid back down. She tucked his blanket up under his chin and kissed him again.
"Yes, my little raven," she whispered as she faded in the moonlight. "I will always be watching over you."
Clutching Inky tighter, he rubbed his eyes and snuggled back into his covers as sleep claimed him once more.
0o0o0o0
It was two days before Christmas and a very unusual meeting was being held at Number 10 Downing Street, well away from prying eyes.
"Normally, we don't allow children to live at the Tower," the Prime Minister said. "However, from what you tell me, it is probably the best and safest place for him at this time."
"Yes, Prime Minister," Amanda Kensington said. "From what I found out in the magical world, Albus Dumbledore knows he is missing and is looking for him."
She shifted through the file in front of her as she continued. "The goblins have sealed all the Potter vaults and are looking into the Headmaster's possible mishandling of the young Lords' trust fund. There have been several inquiries to date from several prominent families as to the child's location, some of questionable repute. Albus hid the files well. Even I couldn't find them."
She looked up at the concerned faces before her. "As far as I can tell, no legal firm has stepped forward to take Lord Potter's case, which is puzzling. I know that the Potters are a very ancient and noble family, wealthy in their own right and they should have had legal counsel on retainer. Such arrangements are made when the family head draws up his will."
Amanda sighed as she went to the next item on her list, "From the scroll that was delivered to Lord Potter by the, 'Lady', she has tied him into the blood wards that surround the Tower, and she's made it possible for myself, Healer Atwaters and Maggie McIntyre to do non-lethal magic without triggering the wards." She shuddered at the memory of the feelings of dread that had washed over her when she first encountered them.
"I thought that Maggie McIntyre could do magic within the Tower?" the Prime Minister asked, looking a bit confused.
"Normally, she can only do magic within the Waterloo Barracks as, so she tells me, it is shielded Prime Minister,"
Ben explained. "Because of the oaths we swore to the Crown, most magicals that work at the Tower don't have to worry too much about the wards. Maggie's always very careful about going out onto the Greens though. She tells me that on the Tower Green itself it feels as if some great beast is looming over her, poised to strike."
"I see," the Prime Minister said thoughtfully. She looked over at the fourth person attending the meeting, who had been silent until now. "Your Royal Highness, has Her Majesty been informed of the Healer's recommendation as to guardianship?"
"She has, and she feels that the first priority is the child's safety and well-being. She will make an exception to allow the child to live at the Tower. She doesn't like it, but will agree to it," the Prince of Wales said.
Amanda chimed in, "Too many people want to use that child for their own political agendas and, according to his parents' will, he was never supposed to go to Lily Potter's sister. I can see why Albus Dumbledore sealed the will, but it didn't give him leave to ignore their wishes. The Dark Lord's followers are everywhere, so Lord Potter needs to be hidden for his own safety."
"I concur," said His Royal Highness. "We have taken a special interest in His Grace as well. The Crown owes the Gryffindor line a debt that can never be fully repaid, which is why his ancestor was ennobled. It was the least the Crown could do for the service rendered and now it is only fitting that we see to the safety and well being of the heir to that noble line."
"I have Her Majesty's approval to make any decisions necessary for His Grace's protection and well-being. It would be best to follow the recommendation of Healer Atwaters and ,for the moment, have the child fostered by Yeoman Warder McIntyre and his wife. We have deemed it wise to give the child a name not associated with the magical world for now. Let's give him a childhood before training him to be a soldier."
"Then you think this Dark Lord will be back?" asked the Prime Minister, looking a bit worried, glancing from the vacant portrait over the fireplace to Amanda.
"We are not sure, but Albus Dumbedore is or he would not have gone to such extremes to hide the child and bury all records pertaining to him," she replied. "Let's hope for the best and prepare for the worst, shall we?"
"Maggie and I have fallen in love with Hadrian," Ben spoke up quietly. "We are planning to take the child with us for our family holiday. He needs to interact with children his own age, and Maggie and I do have a big family."
"Will they be able to keep the secret?" Amanda asked.
"We've only told them that we're fostering a child," Ben confirmed. "We haven't given them any details, only that he was made a Ward of the Crown and needed protection and so was entrusted to us."
"I think he needs a name other than Hadrian or Harry, if we are to protect him," Amanda said, thoughtfully. "People will start looking for him under those names."
Ben smiled with a mischievous glint in his eyes. "Well, Maggie and I thought his name should fit well with his raven name of, 'Scrapper'."
"Oh, no! No!" Amanda groaned as she ran the name through her mind, clutching her head as she shook it in denial.
His Royal Highness looked over, one brow raised in a stoic expression as the Prime Minister just rolled her eyes.
So the guardianship paperwork was filled out, and all it needed was the proper signatures. That day, Hadrian "Harry" James Potter became John Hadrian James McIntyre until such time he was able to claim his birth name and his heritage within the wizarding world.
0o0o0o0
Hey! Don't blame GF! The name came to her in a dream and she liked it! Cookies to anyone that gets the pun.
Thanks for all the help on the Brit speak for police cars! It was much appreciated.
Until next time. -GF and the Frau
