Chapter 3
Edited
Soon after Hadrian moved in with his grandparents, James and Lily Potter forgot about their oldest child and became hungry for fame.
As the months rolled by, the Potter family changed. The easygoing, irresponsible James Potter had disappeared. He was now Lord Potter, the father of their saviour. The political climate dramatically changed when Dumbledore declared that Thomas was the Boy Who Lived. Most neutral and dark families had converted to the light, and James now led a huge coalition in the Wizengamot.
No one wanted to be on James's bad side while his ambitions grew. He quite enjoyed the fear and respect people had for him and became a full-time Lord in the Wizengamot. Nevertheless, James Potter continued to fear the real head, Charlus Potter. James would act strong whenever he had to cast votes on unimportant matters. Otherwise, he had to ask his father's permission for important votes. Similar to Sirius Black, James never obtained any of the family businesses and was acting lord in only the Wizengamot. Which, speaking of, most people didn't know that Sirius was no longer good friends with the Potters after they gave Hadrian away.
Lily was not the same either. The sudden thrust to fame had changed the witch drastically. She was no longer the compassionate, kind woman who drew people to her with her charisma and thirst for knowledge. She was now Lady Potter, wife of Lord Potter, and she began acting in her station. Her son was destined to get rid of the Darkness in their world, which could only mean that dark purebloods would be wiped out and Light would rule, right? She began acting like the very same people whom she despised when she was in school. She became snobby and selfish, snubbing her muggle-born friends. They were shocked by her changes, but Lily had rudely told them to mind their station and think before addressing the Lady of a Most Ancient and Noble House.
The press began hounding them everywhere, and the Potter couple began developing an addiction to the limelight. Even though it was their son who was prophesied to be their saviour, they, as the parents, got a separate share of fame for themselves. James Potter became an icon as an ideal father. Strong, brave, handsome, rich, and powerful. While Lady Potter became the rallying icon for thousands of witches with her good looks and intelligence.
Together with their son Thomas, they were without a doubt, the most powerful couple in the world.
When someone questioned them on the other twin, Lily claimed that she loved both her children equally but the other twin was with his grandfather.
While the famous Potter twin posed for photos or interviews, the forgotten twin, Hadrian, was no less busy. Dorea had explained to Hadrian why his parents preferred his twin over him and now, instead of hating them and his brother, he decided to make them pay by becoming better than his brother ever could be.
Hadrian threw himself into training with such dedication it scared Charlus and Dorea, but they couldn't help but be proud. Potter Castle, the ancestral seat of power of the Potter Family, had one of the biggest libraries in the entire world, and Hadrian haunted the place daily. He had an insatiable thirst for knowledge and devoured book after book dealing with Charms, Transfiguration, History, Runes, and Potions. His immense intelligence and almost photographic memory allowed him to read through the library at an astonishing pace.
While the world saw the Potters as a Light family, they were a Grey family. While Hadrian had absolute freedom to study anything he wanted and was not restricted to study topics classified as 'Dark' by the Ministry, his grandparents restricted his studies of Battle Magic, Dark Magic, and higher Magic such as Illusionary Arts and Elemental Magic until he was older and more mature. Charlus had made sure Hadrian understood that there was no 'Light' or 'Dark' magic, only intent. He chose to abstain from mentioning that black magic was still being practised in secret.
While it was true that James was publicly Lord Potter, the Potter family headship was still controlled by Charlus, and he had named James as his successor only in the Wizengamot. So when Hadrian turned five and displayed tremendous control over his magic, – he turned his grandmother's greying hair pink and then changed the colours according to the rainbow – Charlus took Hadrian to the Potter Family Vault and showed him rows and rows of wands mounted on the walls. Below each wand hung a small golden plaque that named the owner and the years they lived, as well as the wand's details. Charlus then asked Hadrian to choose one based on the amount of magic he could feel from it.
After moving through the wands of Potters from the 14th century, Hadrian finally stopped in front of a smooth black wand with runes all over the handle. His grandfather paled when he saw his grandson choosing the wand that had belonged to Jacen Potter. Made from Elder and Griffin heartstring, the pitch-black wand had served its master very well. Jacen Potter was known throughout history as the one who had single-handedly defeated the Horde during the goblin rebellion, in which the goblins had almost succeeded in overrunning them. A Horde was a unit of the goblin army back then, which wielded magical resistant, goblin-forged weapons. What made them especially terrifying was that they were made up of the most blood-thirsty and vicious goblins. Their weapons were highly magic-resistant and could only be blocked by goblin-made shields. So, no matter what shields or physical obstacles were conjured by the wizards, the weapons cut through them like paper.
Somehow, Jacen Potter seemed to have missed this memo. He, along with his faithful wand, stood as the last obstacle in front of the Ministry of Magic, facing the Horde alone. No one had seen the battle firsthand and Jacen didn't see the need to share details with the public, but it was speculated that Jacen and his wand's magic was so strong that they nullified the magic-resistant properties of the weapons. This, along with a shield that protected his body, allowed him to mercilessly slaughter the Horde and enabled the Ministry to take back control and wave a flag of truce.
Years earlier, Charlus had found Jacen's journal in the family vault and read through it thoroughly. He learned how his prodigious ancestor had linked his wand to his core which enabled him to draw much purer magic than others. This led to his spells being much more potent. He found that the runes carved on his wand would draw ambient magic in the air, or the Ley lines in the Earth, automatically. This ambient magic would fill his core gradually, thus making it impossible for him to feel magically drained.
The only downside Jacen described in his writing was that he needed to perform a ritual to strengthen his core. This was done to ensure that it wouldn't shatter if excess magic was drawn from the air when he visited places that had naturally high magical density, like Hogwarts. He also theorised that the wand would work perfectly only for him, with the chances of it working for his descendants, extremely slim.
Charlus had decided to take a gamble and asked Hadrian to take the wand. Nothing dramatic had happened, and at Hadrian's mutter of Lumos, the wand glowed bright but nothing exceptional. Charlus then realised that the wand was not linked to Hadrian's core, therefore, the magic-absorbing properties were disabled. When they were back home, Hadrian returned to his studies while Charlus once again poured over Jacen's journal. He found the entry on the rituals his ancestor had performed, strengthening and linking the wand to his core. He also found the runes needed to be carved on the wand for it to absorb magic. He decided that when Hadrian obtained a wand of his own, he would relay the knowledge that he had obtained. It would be tough to beat an opponent who got stronger and stronger as the fight went on, wouldn't it?
Charlus Potter could feel that Hadrian could not use his magic fully. It was as if he only had access to 50% of his magical power. Charlus decided to check for blocks, so once Hadrian picked out his wand, they went to the goblins. On a stroke of luck, King Ragnok was outside his office when Hadrian and Charlus made their way into Gringotts.
"Lord Potter, what can I do for you?" King Ragnok inquired with a toothy grin.
"King Ragnok, I'm here to check if there are any blocks in my grandson's magic."
"It would be my pleasure to help you, Lord Potter," Ragnok replied.
Ragnok himself was the manager of the Potter's vaults. He also knew how humble Potters were to goblins, unlike other wizards who saw goblins as their slaves. Ragnok ordered Griphook to bring all the items needed to assess whether Hadrian had a block or not. He also instructed Griphook to bring the supplies for an inheritance test.
After telling Lord Potter that they would be giving Hadrian an inheritance ritual to make sure he had no creature inheritances, which would affect the test, he asked for 13 drops of blood.
Charlus nodded and told Hadrian to go ahead. So, Hadrian bravely moved his hand forward while Ragnok cut his hand with a dagger, letting the blood fall. As soon as all 13 drops were given, the wound on his hand was sealed. Hadrian watched as King Ragnok chanted and saw a light appear on the parchment.
"Well! Your grandson is truly powerful. Lord Potter", King Ragnok proclaimed, handing the list over to Charlus.
Charlus was shocked by what he read.
Name: Harry James Potter, Hadrian James Potter
Born: July 31, 1980
Parents:
Mother
Lily Potter nee Evans
Father
James Charlus Potter
Guardian(s):
Charlus Henry Potter
Dorea Potter [nee: Black]
Inheritance:
Most Ancient and Most Noble House of Potter (Paternal) - Attempted block by James Potter. (Invalid due to James Potter not being the Head of the Potter Clan)
Most ancient and Most Noble House of Gryffindor (Paternal) - Attempted block by James Potter. (Invalid due to James Potter not being the Head of the Potter Clan)
Most ancient and Most Noble House of Peverell (Paternal) - Attempted block by James Potter (Invalid due to James Potter not being the Head of the Potter Clan)
Most ancient and Most Noble House of Slytherin (Maternal)
Creature inheritances:
None
Abilities:
Power core: 50% available (50% blocked by A.P.W.B.D on approximately October 31, 1981)
Parseltongue (Blocked by A.P.W.B.D)
Other information
A Horcrux of Tom Marvolo Riddle was found within the scar on his forehead.
Charlus was fuming when he read about the blocks on Hadrian's core. How dare Dumbledore block a little boy's abilities! He was also shocked that Hadrian had a Horcrux, which could mean that Hadrian is the boy-who-lived instead of Thomas! He also wondered how Hadrian could have gotten the Slytherin lordship from his maternal side since Lily's family were muggles. He came out of his thoughts when he remembered the blocks put into place by Dumbledore.
"Ragnok, I request that you remove all blocks placed on Hadrian and the Horcrux if possible. I also want to confirm that the heirship blocks that James tried to place aren't there and if they are then please remove them. If you could then bring all the heir rings for the houses that Hadrian is an heir to as well. Thank you."
Ragnok nodded and ordered Griphook to summon curse breakers and healers. As soon as everyone arrived, they took Hadrian to a ritual room. After 2 hours of waiting, Hadrian was still unconscious. Charlus carried him out of the chamber, taking him to Potter castle and up to his room, setting him down on his bed. He exited the room, making his way to the living room where Dorea was sitting with Lady Black and Lady Greengrass. Charlus' face was filled with anger and disgust, which everyone noticed when he entered the room.
"Charlus, what happened? Why are you so angry?" Dorea asked.
Charlus told them everything, what he learned about Hadrian's inheritance and core, what James had tried to do, and what had happened in the Gringotts' chamber to remove everything. Everyone listened intently to his recounting of the day's events and at the end, everyone was fuming in anger.
Soon after Hadrian recovered, Charlus and Dorea decided to start his basic training, such as politics and magic.
Some knowledge, such as Politics, Traditions, Manners, Family History, and Magic, was not found in books. These subjects were taught by Charlus and Dorea. They also taught him about what they had learned in their profession. Charlus, leading the Potter army during Grindelwald's time, taught him attack and defense tactics, as well as diplomacy. Dorea, on the other hand, having been a Healer during the war, taught him basic healing and promised to teach him more if he was interested.
Between classes and hearing stories, Hadrian Potter was kept busy, and his thoughts were academically inclined.
However, in the brief moments of silence between his studies, his mind would wander to his past. He would think about his life before Voldemort when he was treated equally to his brother and was loved. He would think about how he was treated after, how he was forgotten, how he would have been used. But most of all, he would think about his parents, from their love to their indifference to what happened to him. Being a child, Hadrian hadn't formed ways to properly deal with these thoughts and emotions, and occasionally they would cause him to break down and cry.
It was decided to add one more subject to his already vast timetable. He began to practise occlumency so he could improve his natural shields. Not only that, Hadrian was dreadfully lonely, having only his grandparents' company was very boring to his young mind. Aside from a few formal occasions that they had dragged him to, he didn't go out much and Dorea was determined to help him make friends his age.
When Hadrian looked uneasy at the thought of meeting new people, Charlus took him aside and explained how it would be good to have friends. After hearing this, he made up his mind.
Charlus Potter was very close friends with Lord Arcturus Black, Lord Abraxas Malfoy, and Lord Cadmus Greengrass. They had been major political players back in their day and now that they were in retirement, they spent all their time with their grandchildren. Charlus felt that a friendship between the heirs of these houses would greatly benefit Hadrian. He was also aware that their children were already acquainted with Hadrian's brother Thomas, and neither had great opinions of him.
It had been a very memorable day for Hadrian and one of his few good memories that didn't involve studying new magic. They had flooed over to Black Manor in London, while dressed in stiff formal robes, and landed in the house of Black. A boy his age was waiting to greet them. He bowed stiffly to his grandfather and eyed Hadrian. They both stuck out their hands at the same time and couldn't help but smile. They were ushered to the playroom as the adults discussed 'business.'
"So, what's your name?" The strange black-haired boy asked Hadrian as he lounged on a tiny chair. He was a little too big for the chair, but Hadrian didn't dare point it out, afraid of offending a potential new friend.
"Hadrian Potter," Hadrian said in a careful voice, looking for the tell-tale signs of someone's eye lighting up as they realised he was related to the popular Thomas Potter, but it never came. The boy rolled his eyes and asked, "Any chance related to that ponce Thomas Potter?"
"He is my twin brother."
"Sucks to be you, I guess. Hey, can you two manage to be in the same room at once? I figured that's not possible because his head is too big to fit in one room." The boy said, cracking up at his lame joke. Hadrian was in unknown waters. Whenever he introduced himself as the twin brother to the famous Potter twin, he either had to politely refuse to get them an autograph or explain that he indeed existed and that Thomas Potter indeed had a twin brother, but this boy had completely thrown him for a loop.
"I don't think they have invented a device big enough to measure his head yet. It must be larger than a room. Two rooms at least." Hadrian offered tentatively. The boy stared at him for a second before he burst out laughing. Hadrian felt a strange emotion coursing through him and seconds later, he started laughing along with him.
They laughed for a while and when the boy calmed down, he offered his hand and said "I'm Rigel Black. Friends?"
"Friends!"
They were inseparable after that and whatever concerns Sirius had about his son making a new friend vanished when he found out that it was James's son, Hadrian himself. Every day after lessons, Hadrian would floo over to Rigel's house or Rigel would floo over to Potter Castle where they would spend the day together playing and goofing around.
Dorea was so happy and proud of her grandson that she bought him and his new best friend a beginner's broom to play with. After that, there was no stopping the Quidditch-obsessed boys. After visiting Malfoy Manor and being introduced to the Malfoy heir, Draco, the three of them hit it off instantly. Draco and Rigel had met many times at pureblood events, so Hadrian felt a bit jealous of them having such a friendship from an early age, but they always included him in the conversations and told him about all the pranks they had done.
James and Sirius had tried to make Thomas and Rigel friends, but Rigel had flat-out refused to be his friend after just one meeting. James tried to force it but Rigel was outright stubborn and declared that he'd rather dye his hair red, paint freckles on his nose, and be adopted as a Weasley, no matter how ridiculous Rigel Weasley sounded, than be friends with a ponce like Thomas Potter. James took major offence at this and while Sirius – who had become less hostile towards them after he found Harry was with his grandparents – was still his best friend, James' opinion about his son was certainly bad. Rigel assured them that his heart had broken that day and that he still cried into his pillow at night.
Bellatrix Lestrange nee Black was saved by her grandfather, Arcturus Black, from being locked up in Azkaban. After she had given the oath that she was under the imperius curse when she had joined Voldemort, she was released and allowed to go free. The Lestranges were also saved because, even though they were voluntary death eaters, they didn't go with the other death eaters to attack the Longbottoms. After they were attacked, the Longbottoms had moved to their manor, behind very powerful wards which no one could enter.
Bellatrix's grandfather had told her to meet Hadrian. She had some initial doubts and part of her expected him to start boasting about his brother. She quickly quelled that idea after seeing the polite way he greeted her.
As the children all turned ten, their formal schooling would begin.
Author's Note:
Hi! New update on the editing, hope you all like it! Please let me know if there are any areas in which I can improve my writing. Thank you!