Maya angrily ignored her stinging eyes as she forced back another wave of tears, shoving the last of the outfits Narcissa had purchased for her into her backpack. This was her choice, So what if she'd never go back to Hogwarts again. So what if she wouldn't be able to see her friends again for years. So what if she was going to another country to meet a complete stranger. So what if she was running away from everything and everyone she knew. This was her choice, and she wasn't going to sit around and cry about it.

This was her choice! Even if it didn't feel like any choice at all.

Twenty-four hours earlier.

Three days after the Horcrux had been removed from her scar, Maya, accompanied by Narcissa, was back at Gringotts for a meeting with Ragnuk and her two account managers. A meeting that was ostensibly to ensure that all the Potter and Black accounts were in order and so that Maya could start to learn about her inheritance. In reality the meeting was about Dumbledore's insistence that Vernon Dursley would be dealt with and therefore Maya could safely return to number four Privet Drive next summer to continue living with her aunt and cousin.

Personally, Maya was of the opinion that just because she could safely return to number four Privet Drive the following summer, that didn't mean that she should. Maya was also of the opinion that if she did go back to the Dursleys next summer, then she wouldn't live long enough to make it to thirteenth birthday. Whether Uncle Vernon was in prison or not. Ragnuk and Narcissa seemed to share Maya's opinion, or possibly they just weren't willing to risk it. Which was why they had insisted on having this meeting, to go over Maya's options and allowing her to make her own decision about what to do.

Ragnuk smiled kindly at Maya and exchanged conspiratorial nods with Narcissa as the two witches were escorted into the room.

"Miss Potter, how are you feeling? Fully recovered from the ritual?"

"Yes, thank you."

Maya had fallen back asleep a short while after overhearing the conversation between Narcissa and Professor Dumbledore and hadn't woken up again until late the next morning, by which point she had already been moved to the Rookery, the house in which Luna lived with her father. Maya had been bedbound the whole of that first day, kept there by weakened limbs and a rather zealous house-elf named Dobby, who'd been sent by Narcissa to ensure that Maya was well cared for during her convalescence.

Yesterday, Narcissa had visited her along with a goblin healer named Mazaal, who had proclaimed her fit enough to leave the bed, but who had instructed her to have a restful day. Luna had ensured this by inviting Hermione, Neville, Draco, and Ron to help keep her company. Ron informed her that he had apparently been planning to rescue Maya with help from the twins, but Luna and Narcissa had got their first. Maya was very touched by Ron's determination to save her from the Dursley's, but also very grateful that Narcissa had managed it first as Ron had mentioned his plan involved the twins flying a car to Surrey and back.

Today when Maya had awoken, she had felt much stronger and much more energized, finally recovered from the effects of the Horcrux removal and the healing she had undergone. The sensation of lightness that Maya had felt when she'd first woken up had finally started to lessen. Her scar which had always looked as red and puffy had faded into silvery lines, still obvious to Maya's eyes but was now less like a newly healed cut and more like a scar that was ten years old.

"Good, I'm glad to hear it."

Ragnuk tapped his long fingers against the top of the table as black eyes thoroughly examined Maya lingering on the scar that graced her forehead before he spoke again.

"Did Lady Malfoy tell you why we were meeting today?"

Maya nodded, her eyes dropping down to gaze at the surface of the table, so she didn't have to see the pity in theirs.

"You want to talk about what Professor Dumbledore said. About me going back to the Dursley's next summer."

"Yes, Lady Malfoy and I have discussed the situation at length, and we would like to explain to you what we have concluded."

"Lord Dumbledore is a powerful wizard, both magically and politically." Narcissa said, measuring her words carefully. "Unfortunately, being powerful does not make one immune from making mistakes. He made a mistake in not checking up on you other the years after leaving you at that house, he admitted as much a few days ago."

"But he's still going to send me back, even though he knows now."

"He has promised to ensure that Vernon Dursley will be prosecuted and sent to prison for his crimes against you. But yes, he still believes that sending you back to that house is the best option for you, the safest option."

"If you were any other child then I believe the Headmaster would have already made arrangements for custody of you to be given to someone else." Ragnuk spoke again, expanding upon Narcissa's previous statement. "However, you are not any other child, and the Headmaster has to weigh up the risks of placing you with a wizarding family against the risks of sending you back to the care of Mrs Petunia Dursley. Unfortunately, he has decided that British Magical Society is far more dangerous to you than a muggle woman and her son would be, especially once her husband has been removed from the picture."

"He's not entirely wrong either Maya. As you yourself know Voldemort is still at large, as are many of his followers. We have taken steps to correct the first issue and Voldemort should be dealt with by the end of the summer. The second issue is much more difficult to deal with, especially when you consider that the followers who are still at large were pardoned by the Ministry of Magic for their crimes as they were considered to be under the Imperius curse when they committed said crimes."

Maya thought that it was an odd way for Narcissa to phrase it, 'considered to be' not 'were', but then again Narcissa was married to a man who had used that defence and been pardoned by the ministry. It was quite possible that Narcissa knew Lucius hadn't been under the Imperius curse and had phrased it in such a way so as to avoid lying.

"If your custody was ever brought into question in front of the Wizengamot then there are many of those followers who, albeit distant, are relatives and could make a claim for you. Most of them are known to the public at large and it is unlikely that their claims would be successful given the likely public outrage if the Girl-Who-Lived was ever placed in the custody of suspected Death Eaters, even if they've been declared innocent by the ministry. There are some however, who were never suspected and if they sued for custody of you then it would likely be approved, by the Wizengamot, the ministry, and the general public."

"So, in that respect, the headmaster is correct. Ensuring that Petunia Dursley maintains custody of you keeps you safe from Voldemort's followers who might otherwise attempt to gain guardianship other you. Thus, making it very easy for them to kill you and make it look like an accident, or hand you over to Voldemort should he ever regain power."

"Or who would simply betroth you to one of their sons thus gaining the combined wealth and power of two of the oldest and riches houses in Britain. An outcome that is possible even if your custody was to be awarded to someone who was not a former Death Eater or sympathiser."

"You are the Girl-Who-Lived and you are the sole heir to the houses of Potter and Black, any one of these things alone is enough to make your situation complicated. The three together means that there are many in our society who see you as nothing more than an extremely valuable commodity. The Headmaster was attempting to act in your best interest when he placed you with the Dursley's, attempting to ensure you wouldn't fall under the power of those who would harm you or use you, simply because of who you are. He is doing the same now in insisting that you return to Petunia Dursley next summer."

"I have never been a fan of Lord Dumbledore, I respect the power he wields, but I do not agree with the majority of his views or the decisions he has made. I do however think that he believes he is doing what is best for you, that number four Privet Drive in the care of Petunia Dursley is the safest place for you."

"He's wrong."

Maya spoke for the first time since their explanation of Professor Dumbledore's thoughts and decisions had started.

"Yes, he is."

If Maya was surprised that Narcissa agreed with her, she didn't show it, keeping her gaze resolutely fixed on the tabletop, as it had been since the discussion had begun. As far as Maya could see, they believed Professor Dumbledore to be wrong, but from what they had said, there didn't appear to be an alternative solution. Either Maya went back to number four Privet Drive where her aunt would likely kill her or come up with some scheme that would make Maya wish she was dead, or Maya would be placed in the custody of a wixen who would do the same.

"If I could, I would challenge for custody of you. Regrettably, it is highly unlikely that the Wizengamot of the ministry would allow me to have custody, given the actions of other members of my family in the past."

"Lady Malfoy challenging for custody, even if she loses, would likely embolden others to try and therefore we do not deem it a favourable course of action to take."

Maya raise her head finally and stared Ragnuk directly in the eye.

"If I go back to the Dursley's I'll die."

Ragnuk didn't try to downplay Maya's assertions or persuade her that she was mistaken in her assessment as many other adults would have done. He merely nodded, accepting her calm and simple words at face value.

"After a large amount of discussion, Lady Malfoy and I have come up with an alternative solution."

He snapped his long fingers together and a piece of parchment appeared in front of him, he pushed it over so that it was in front of Maya.

"This is the identity confirmation we performed a few days ago when Lady Malfoy first brought you to us. We never got a chance to discuss it properly then, I think it would be a good idea to do so now."

Maya picked up the piece of parchment and glanced at it, her eyes were immediately drawn to the top where the names of her parents appeared and stuck there, fixed upon the unfamiliar name that was attributed to her father.

Name: Maya Lucinda Potter 1996-

Mother: Jasmine Dorea Potter 1976-1997

Father: Niklaus Mikaelson 979-

"That's not my dad's name. My dad's name was Luke."

Maya's gaze was still caught on the piece of parchment, fixed on the name that did not belong, and so she missed the exchange of glances between Narcissa and Ragnuk. An exchange that Narcissa lost, causing her to sigh and turn in her chair to face Maya completely.

"Maya, I know this is a lot to take in, but the identity tests that Gringotts perform are never wrong."

Maya finally tore her gaze away from the parchment and looked at Narcissa.

"It can't be true. It can't be."

"Maya –"

"No! It's not true, because if Luke isn't my dad, then I was at the Dursley's for nothing! Dumbledore left me there for no reason!"

"He probably wasn't aware that Luke wasn't your biological father. Will you allow me to explain?"

Maya nodded mutely, impatiently brushing away the tears that had welled up in her eyes. There was no point crying about it, crying wouldn't change anything. It never had.

"I was at Hogwarts at the same time as Jasmine, a couple of years ahead of her actually, we weren't friends, but we maintained a civilised and friendly enough relationship for the time. Jasmine and Luke were in Gryffindor together and I do know that they started dating in their seventh year. I had very little contact with Jasmine after I left Hogwarts and even less when she graduated, I was married to Lucius by that time and Jasmine's politics were the opposite of his, so any news I got came from gossip mostly.

"I had heard that they had split up a little while after graduating, amicably enough that they remained friends. I don't know if that's true but given what your identity confirmation says I imagine it is, Jasmine wasn't they type to cheat on her partner. I do know that Luke and Jasmine got married late December 1995, because there was an announcement in the Daily Prophet. You were born in July seven months later, I can only conclude that Jasmine had a brief affair with your biological father and that when she discovered that she was pregnant, with no father in the picture, her and Luke got married.

"I can only make assumptions, anyone who may have known the truth is either dead or unavailable for questioning and it's highly likely that because they were married, Lord Dumbledore assumed, like the rest of society, that Luke Evans was your dad. He may not have been your biological father, but he loved you enough to give you his name."

Narcissa tapped the parchment just above Maya's middle name.

"It's a Potter family tradition for a firstborn daughter's middle name to be the mother's name. You should have been Maya Jasmine Potter, your mother naming you Maya Lucinda Potter, says that she considered Luke Evans to be your dad, even if you weren't biologically related.

"Now, why don't you read the rest of the information on the parchment and then we can discuss what your options are."

Name: Maya Lucinda Potter 1996

Mother: Jasmine Dorea Potter 1976-1997

Father: Niklaus Mikaelson 979

Named heir to the Potter family and the Black family.

Adoptive father: Luke Charles Evans 1976-1997

Godmother: Alice Magdalena Longbottom 1975

Godfather: Sirius Orion Black 1976

Godfather: Damon Giuseppe Salvatore 1839 (Named by Lady Magic)

"I don't understand any of this, my birth dad is still alive and apparently over a thousand years old. I have two Godfathers and a Godmother, and I still got left with the Dursley's! And what does named by Lady Magic mean?"

"Niklaus Mikaelson is an Original, one of the first ever vampires. There were six of them and it's from them that all the sirelines descend." Ragnuk explained.

"You learn about the Originals in your third year History of Magic class at Hogwarts, and about vampires in general in third year Defence Against the Dark Arts." Narcissa added.

"We don't know what your mother's relationship with him was, whether a short-lived affair or a romantic partnership, we don't know. Whatever it was it's unlikely that Lord Mikaelson knows of your existence, whether because your mother chose not to tell him or because she could not find him to do so. Over the last hundred years Niklaus Mikaelson and the rest of the Originals have faded into myth and legend amongst vampires, he is a recluse, and it would be very difficult to track him down. We will try if you want us to, but it will take a long time, so he is not a viable option for getting you away from Petunia Dursley."

"What about my Godparents?"

"Alice Longbottom and her husband Frank are in the long-term care ward of St Mungo's Hospital for Magical Maladies and Injuries; they were attacked a few weeks after Voldemort's disappearance and have been there ever since."

Maya flinched slightly when she realised Alice must be Neville's mum. He'd never really spoken about his parents, just that they'd been in the hospital as long as he could remember and that was why his gran had raised him. Luna had mentioned in passing that they'd been attacked shortly after Voldemort's defeat and Draco had confided once that his aunt, his mums sister, had been one of the attackers, so he always felt a little awkward around Neville. Maya hadn't known until now that Neville's mum was her Godmother and she wondered if Neville himself had known.

"Sirius Black is in Azkaban Prison and so neither of them can be considered for guardianship of you."

Maya glanced suspiciously at Narcissa. She remembered the name of Sirius Black from their discussion a few days ago when Narcissa had told Maya that he was unavailable to take up his lordship of the House of Black leaving Maya as the sole heir. Narcissa had glossed over the reasons then and again now, which made Maya wonder what Sirius Black could have done, that was so awful, that Narcissa didn't want to tell her.

"Which leaves Damon Guiseppe Salvatore." Ragnuk stated. "Born June 18, 1839 to Guiseppe and Lillian Salvatore in the town known as Mystic Falls. Turned into a vampire by Katerina Petrova, also known as Katherine Pierce, September 25, 1864. Currently resides at 111 East 19th Street New York City. Named by Lady Magic to be your Godfather."

"What does that mean?"

"It's an extremely rare occurrence where Lady Magic determines a godparent for a wixen child. I believe muggle stories may refer to them as 'fairy godparents'." Narcissa explained. "They are not always a member of the fey, but they are always supernatural in nature. It is not known why Lady Magic names them to be a child's Godparent, but the person named is usually linked to the family in some way, sometimes by blood, sometimes because of a life-debt, etc."

"So, you think he should ask for custody of me instead of Aunt… instead of Petunia Dursley."

Narcissa and Ragnuk exchanged glances again before Narcissa once more turned to Maya.

"He wouldn't be given custody of you because he is a vampire, they are distrusted and largely discriminated against in British Magical Society. Even those who would respect his being chosen as your Godfather by Lady Magic would still not want to give a vampire guardianship of the Girl-Who-Lived."

"Which takes us back to our previous issue, we can't sue for custody and win, and trying would give other, undesirable, parties the idea to do so as well."

"So what? I return to the Dursleys next year and just wait to die! Then Dumbledore and the Ministry can just turn around and say, 'oops we made a mistake, I guess we should have listened to you, but she's dead now so let's all move on!'"

"No!" Narcissa took in a deep breath, "No. You are not returning to that house, not now, not ever, but we have to be careful, smart, and extremely sneaky about how we do this."

"Once you turn seventeen you will be an adult, your inheritance will be yours in full and neither Dumbledore nor the Ministry will have any say in where you live. Until then you will need to remain out of their reach."

"Which means what?"

"It means you need to run away."

Now

Maya placed the pile of letters she had written down on the bedside table, after hesitating for a moment, her holly and phoenix feather wand was placed down on top of them. She pulled the backpack she had just finished packing on and secured the bracelet Ragnuk had given her around her wrist.

Finally, she picked up the small stone that Ragnuk had handed her. Narcissa had called it a portkey, an item that would magically transport her from one place to another. Goblin Portkeys were untraceable, meaning that the Ministry, and more importantly, Professor Dumbledore, wouldn't be able to follow her trail and bring her back to Britain.

Wiping away a fresh set of tears, Maya muttered the word that would whisk her away from everything she had ever known.

"Freedom"