Taking Chances and Making Changes
Authors Note - This story is an AU. It follows canon events up until the end of Prisoner and beginning of Goblet.
Disclaimer - I own nothing except my OC's. Everything else belongs to JK Rowling. Basically, if you recognise it from the books/films then it is not mine. Many characters will be OOC.
Hayley POV
My eyes widened as I read who had sent me the letter. "Why would Professor Snape be sending me a letter during the summer?" I think to myself as I continued reading.
Dear Miss Potter,
I am sure that you are extremely confused as to why I am writing to you during your summer break and even more confused as to why I haven't used one of the school owls. This is because I do not want the Headmaster to know that I have told you any of this. After your defeat of He Who Must Not Be Named, the majority of his followers were apprehended and incarcerated in Azkaban but there were a number of them who are still free. I was once a Death Eater myself but it had been a mistake and I defected to the light side shortly before his demise. One of my close friends had also been forced to join his ranks and become a death eater. He hadn't wanted to but You-Know-Who had threatened the life of his wife and unborn child. The person I am referring to is Lucius Malfoy. Yes, I know that you will find it hard to believe but he had never wanted to join but couldn't let his wife and child suffer the consequences. Lucius did not get a chance to defect to the light before his demise and even though he managed to stay out of Azkaban he still has a bad reputation amongst much of the wizarding population.
In order to keep his family safe, he still keeps up the facade of a loyal death eater. He visited me earlier this morning to inform me that a small group of loyal death eaters had somehow managed to discover your address where you reside with your relatives. He told me that they are planning to attack your residence sometime this evening. As soon as you read this letter you must gather your things and leave immediately. In order to make it safer for you to leave unseen, this letter is a port key that will take you straight to the Malfoy's when you say the Saviour when holding on to it. As much as you might not trust them Lucius means you no harm.
Professor Snape
I gulped nervously as I finished reading. Despite how Snape had treated me during the past 3 years at Hogwarts I still trusted him that this was true. I quickly sprung into action and packed away all of my things into my Hogwarts trunk and one of the old duffel bags that had once been Dudley's but had been given to me when he had wanted a new one. I finished packing everything except the letter just as I heard my Uncle's car pulling up. I really hoped that they will have left before the death eaters arrive because as mean as they are towards me they are still family.
Not wanting to waste any time I slung the duffel bag over my shoulder and held on to my trunk with one hand while holding the letter in my other hand. I spoke the word that would take me to the Malfoy's and I suddenly felt an awful feeling as though I had been hooked behind my navel.
The world was a complete blur of colours despite having my eyes closed and I when I opened them again I was very dizzy and I hunched over trying to get over how nauseous I felt. When I was back to normal I looked around and I was in a very large and posh entrance hall which had a large staircase next to it. The walls were a combination of grey and white with accents of dark green and black. I was so engrossed in looking around the beautiful decor, I didn't even notice that a house elf had appeared next to me and it was only the second time that she spoke that I snapped out of my trance.
"Miss Potter are you alright," she asks.
I look down at the house elf blushing slightly."Yes I am fine thank you I was just in a little world of my own" I admitted sheepishly
The house elf smiles."That is fine I is Mimsey and if you will please come with you and I will take to where master and mistress are waiting"
I nod and follow Mimsy through the house through a series of doors before we finally arrive in what appears to be a large sitting room. In the centre of the room, there is a large table between two large couches that were white and pristine with two chairs in the same colour. I noticed that all throughout the house the decor was mostly white or grey with accents of green and black.
Sitting on one of the couches was Draco with who I assumed must be his mother and sitting across from them in one of the chairs was Lucius Malfoy. I was also partially surprised to see Professor Snape sitting on the couch opposite Draco and his mother. Professor Snape stood up and walked over as soon as he saw me.
"Miss Potter I am relieved to see that you are okay I wasn't sure if you would receive the letter on time,"Snape says to me sounding surprisingly concerned
I nod still feeling quite overwhelmed with everything. Even with Snape assuring me in the letter that the Malfoy's wished me no harm I couldn't help but feel nervous to be in their house.
Snape told me to sit down and I sat down in the chair opposite of Lucius as I was too nervous to sit next to anyone just yet. Summoning all my bravado and Gryffindor courage, I forced myself to not look down at my shoes despite how uncomfortable and anxious I was feeling about the whole situation.
I took a breath before looking over at Snape and Lucius. "Thank you for warning me about the attack," I said genuinely
"It is no problem, Miss Potter despite the differences we both have had with each other I couldn't in good conscience not forewarn you when I knew what was about to happen," Lucius says
"So what's going to happen to me now," I say
"Well, I'm sure that you don't want to stay with your relatives if you are able to return at all," Snape says
"Definitely not" I mutter under my breath
"You are more than welcome to stay here over the summer but if that makes you feel uncomfortable you can always stay with one of your friends or even at the Leaky Cauldron"Narcissa speaks up
Snape agrees."It would probably be best to not alert the Headmaster to your whereabouts as he will probably try to interfere and I am sure you have at least realised that he pays more attention to your home life than he does for any other student"
"I have noticed and at first I thought it was because of being the girl who lived but it still is a little strange why he seems to feel he has the right to interfere so much," I say frowning thinking everything over.
"I think that I am going to stay at the Leaky Cauldron just because I don't exactly feel comfortable staying here because of the problems that we have had in the past. Even though I know that you don't mean me any harm it still makes me feel really nervous and anxious."I explain to them hoping that they wouldn't be upset or mad.
Luckily none of them are angry with my decision and they understand my reasoning behind it. They say that even though I have chosen to stay at the Leaky Cauldron I am always welcome at their house.
Professor Snape says that he will accompany me to the Leaky Cauldron to make sure that Tom doesn't give away my location to anyone especially the Headmaster.
"Professor will you please keep me informed as to what happens with the attack. Even though the Dursley's didn't exactly treat me that well, they are still my family and I don't wish them dead" I explain slightly hesitantly
He looks at me almost surprised before giving me an approving nod."As soon as I know what has happened I will send you a letter"
I collect my things from the Malfoy's entrance hall and both Snape and myself use the Floo network to Floo straight to the Leaky Cauldron.
Fortunately, I am able to land in the correct Floo grate, unlike the last time when I ended up in Knockturn Alley. As Snape had floo'd first he is already there and has immediately gone to speak with Tom who thankfully wasn't busy with customers at the moment.
He agrees to not tell anyone that I am staying there and we arrange for him to take the payment for the room out of my vault at Gringotts at the end of my stay.
Due to the surprisingly small amount of people currently in the pub, Tom helps me take my trunk and duffel bag up to my room. Before leaving back down to the pub area he hands me the keys and tells me what times the meals are at.
Once gone I unpack my things. Because of how tiring my day had been I was originally going to go straight to bed but I thought that it would be best to write Professor McGonagall a quick letter informing her of my decision to take the Arithmancy and Ancient Runes exam at the end of summer at the ministry. Not knowing if the attack had happened already and if so, if the headmaster already knew I made the letter vague and simple to make it seem as though I had sent the letter before the attack had occurred. I sent Hedwig off with it. I took a breath as I watched her fly off towards Hogwarts. I continued to look out of the window staring out at Diagon Alley looking at the different shops and street vendors that were still open.
As I had eaten at the Dursley's I felt no need to go downstairs for an evening meal so I decided to stay in my room and start on going through the Arithmancy and Ancient Runes textbooks. I decided to read the first 3 chapters of each book making sure to take notes on each chapter as I went through to ensure that I understood everything.
I was pleasantly surprised that the first chapters were relatively easy to understand and they were both much more interesting than Divination and Care of Magical Creatures. Ancient Runes was much similar to the French classes that I had taken at my primary school in that it was translating another language into English. Arithmancy was a little harder because of the various number charts that were quite complex and hard to understand at first but eventually, I got the hang of it and understood them more. I could now understand why Hermione had such open contempt for Divination and compared the two subjects because although both subjects related to predicting future events, Arithmancy focuses more on rigorous mathematical approaches whereas Divination is very much reliant on guesswork unless you possess Seer abilities which are quite rare.
After reading those few chapters I put the books and papers on the desk opposite the bed. Looking at the time I decided to get ready for bed. Soon enough I was laying in bed feeling quite tired but still couldn't sleep as I had so many thoughts running around in my head. I am excited about not having to go back to the Dursley's. Nervous about what will happen if Dumbledore finds out as well as concerned about Petunia and Vernon. "At least Dudley isn't in any danger as he is sleeping at Piers's house and I just hope that Petunia and Vernon don't come back before it happens," I think to myself.
I soon fall asleep the bed being so much more comfortable than the one at the Dursleys.
The next morning I woke up momentarily forgetting where I was before remembering what had happened yesterday. I quickly got out of bed grabbing my glasses before seeing that there weren't any letters yet. I sighed in disappointment before getting dressed for the day. I gave my hair a brush before putting it up in a bobble. I head downstairs to go get some breakfast. I ordered my breakfast at the bar and went to sit at a table in the corner again. Soon Tom brought my food over and I began to eat in relative peace watching the small number of customers glad that no one had really noticed me.
I take my time to eat, eventually finishing and standing up to pay Tom. I slowly make my way upstairs to my room. Going in and shutting the door I glance noticing that Hedwig still hasn't returned. I sigh and pick up my books from the desk intending to read through 3 more chapters of the textbooks before going into the alley. I sit down and continue to read through the books. I note that as I get further into the books it does get slightly harder and I have to spend more time going over each chapter but my determination to pass makes me continue until I fully understand the content.
When lunchtime has rolled around I have managed to cover another 4 chapters in both of the books. I see that while I have been busy studying Hedwig has arrived at my window without a letter. "Professor McGonagall mustn't have sent a letter back so they might not know about the attack yet,"I think to myself
I study for about another two hours as I don't really feel hungry. When I eventually decided to get myself some lunch I have covered another two chapters in both of the textbooks and done one of the practice quizzes in each book.
I stand up deciding to get some lunch in muggle London rather than eating at the Leaky Cauldron. I grab my thin jacket and grab my purse seeing that I still had enough left from yesterday and didn't have to go back to Gringott's. Stopping to look in the mirror I look at my hair hating how difficult it is to maintain because the length of it doesn't help that it is constantly quite frizzy and harm to tame. I decide to look around London after eating too see if I can find a hair salon and make an appointment to get it cut.
I walk downstairs to the main pub area and walk out of the door. I look at the time and I start to walk to where I had been yesterday and I find a nice looking cafe that looks to be quite quiet.
About an hour later I leave. I continue to walk around going further than I had yesterday to try and find a nice hair salon. After a decent amount of walking and searching, I come across one that looks quite good. I take a breath and walk in. I start talking to the receptionist asking when they are next available to fit me in. The woman says that the main hairdresser can fit me in for a consultation right now to talk about what I want doing so they can determine how long it will take. W=I sit down and the hairdresser asks me what I had in mind.
"I just kind of want it cutting to shoulder length,"I said explaining that it is quite frizzy and unruly so having it cut shorter would make it easier to manage.
She nods understanding my explanation."That's great, I can definitely do that. Are you looking to having anything else done with the colour at all?"
I think about it"I'm not sure. I mean it would be nice but there isn't much that we can do without bleach because it is so dark" I say confused
"It is possible to lift naturally black hair to a slightly lighter brown colour without bleach as long you haven't previously dyed it before" She explains to me patiently
I listen to her explanation pausing to think about how it would look. I smile."Yeah okay, let's do that"I say.
The hairdresser smiles and looks through her appointment book to see when she can fit me in. "I have time to do it this Friday at three o'clock if that is fine with you," She says looking up at me.
"That's fine with me," I say making a mental note to not plan anything for then.
She nods as she takes my name and puts it in her book before handing me a little card with the date and time on. I take it and thank her before leaving shortly after, I smile as I head back down the street buying a few more clothes and other small things that had caught my eye on the way up.
Soon enough I get back down to the Leaky Cauldron and head back up to my room to drop off my bags. I sort through my clothes putting them away in the correct places. I see that while I have been out two owls have arrived and are waiting on my windowsill. I give both of the owl treats and water before untying both letters. I sit down looking at who had sent them.
One letter is from Professor Snape and I instantly realise that it must be information about the attack. The other letter is from Neville and I remind myself that I need to tell him to not tell anyone where I am staying. I set aside Neville's for the time being and unfold Professor Snape's letter first finding myself curious and anxious as to what happened with the attack.
"Dear Miss Potter,
Lucius informed me this morning what happened to your relatives in regards to the attack. Fortunately, your aunt and uncle were both out of the house when the attack took place. The death eaters who orchestrated the attack destroyed the house in anger when they realised that you were not there. I can inform you that the Headmaster is aware of the attack due to some kind of wards that he had around your home to monitor it as well as yourself. He currently believes that you are either missing or had been kidnapped in the attack. It is unknown whether he will be informing the press but I would not go outside without taking measures to disguise yourself. To make it easier for you to stay hidden I suggest that you visit Gringott's and speak to your account manager to see if they can help you.
I will keep you updated as to what the Headmasters plans are and how he proceeds with attempting to locate you.
Professor Snape"
Placing the letter on my desk I sigh feeling relieved neither Petunia or Vernon were injured but annoyed that I was going to have to disguise myself for most of the summer. Glancing outside noting with relief that the alley wasn't too crowded I decide to go to Gringott's now rather than leaving it and risk getting caught. I throw on my shoes and a hat that I had purchased in London, ensuring that my vault key was in my pocket I left the pub quickly. I headed through the alley quickly enough to not draw attention to herself but not going to fast so that people would be suspicious.
I go into the bank feeling glad that it was mostly empty. I went over to the closest bank teller. I look up at him feeling nervous."Hello, I would like to see my account manager" handing my vault key over to the Goblin. He inspects the key closely before nodding to himself before handing the key back over to me."He speaks to a passing Goblin in a language that I don't understand."Goblin Grintor will escort you to your account manager"He tells me.
The Goblins walks in front of me through a series of long twisting hallways and doors before suddenly stopping at a large door with a nameplate saying Account Manager Vinclaw
Taking a few minutes to calm my nerves I walk in and sit in the chair across from the desk from Vinclaw.
"What can I help you with today Miss Potter," Vinclaw asks politely
I explain the situation to him glad that he didn't press for further information about why I didn't want to go back to my relatives.
Vinclaw sits there silently clear that he is deep in thought about the best way to proceed."There is a goblin charm that I can cast on you that will make it possible for you to look different to everyone except those that are aware that you are under the charm"He explains
"I will apply to charm to yourself and when you want someone to see your true self all you have to do is show them this"He explains handing me a small piece of parchment with a series of strange marks on. "Muggles also won't be affected by the charm so they will still your regular self" He adds
"Thank you Goblin Vinclaw. How much will the fee for that be?"I ask him
"It will be 10 Galleons and we can take that straight out of your vault"He explains. " In regards to the headmaster wanting to stay with your relatives there isn't much that can be done as he has made himself your magical guardian but once you turn 14 in two weeks time you can legally change your magical guardian and he won't be able to do anything about it or have a say in where you decide to live" Vinclaws informs me.
"That is great thank you,"I say genuinely
He applies the charm and hands me the parchment once again and I place it in my pocket.
Eventually, I left the bank after taking a small detour to my vault to take out some more money. I felt relieved that even if Dumbledore informed the press that I was supposedly missing I wouldn't have to completely stay hidden for the whole of the summer.
I head back through the alley intending to go straight back to the Leaky Cauldron when a stall caught my eye. The vendor had the stall set up outside a shop that had been closed down since my first ever trip to Diagon Alley. I walked up looking at the various items that he had on display. I spotted a pair of rings that were labelled communication rings. The vendor saw that I was looking at them and proceeded to explain what they could be used for.
"They can be used to telepathically communicate with the person or persons with a matching ring. If the person/persons with the matching ring is injured or in danger, it will alert you by the gem changing colours"He explains."It will turn red if they are injured and black if they are in danger. If you press the gem in the middle it will instantly teleport you to where the other person is"He tells me
"That's great I will take one set of two rings please,"I say handing him the money. He hands me two boxes with the respective ring inside."When you put them on it will shrink to fit your finger and nobody will be able to see it except for yourself.
After thanking him I place the boxes in my pocket and continue to walk back to the Leaky Cauldron. "That will make communicating with Neville over the summer so much easier than having to constantly send letters back and forth"
I enter the Leaky Cauldron again and waited until Tom had finished serving a group of customers. I went up to him smiling seeing his confused expression before I handed him the piece of parchment and watched as his expression changed into one of understanding. I smile at him and asked if I could order my evening meal in my room that night and he said yes. I told him what time I would like it bringing out and I paid him. I walked up the stairs and went into my room sitting at my desk to read Neville's letter.
As it was quite short I wrote out a small letter to send back along with the ring. Thinking for a few moments realising that I hadn't written Hermione and Ron yet I wrote out a small letter to them both not telling them anything specific in case they decided to tell the headmaster. I explained that I was safe and that I was sorry that I hadn't written earlier as I had found myself busy. At the end of the letter, I said that I would try to write more frequently during the summer.
Folding all three letters up I gave them to Hedwig explaining who to take them to and to go to deliver Nevile's first. I watched her fly out of the window and I sat down to do some more studying of the textbooks.
Authors Note - I was going to make the chapter longer but I thought it would be better to slow things down and seperate things into multiple chapters.