Hey everyone, after a long writer's block, depression, and an existential crisis, I was able to finish this chapter. It's been so long since I updated it, and it felt wrong to leave you hanging. It felt wrong not to write for the amount of time I have, but I am officially taking the reigns back and dealing with all my problems, one of which is finishing my stories. I have to say that I have many new ideas that I want to write, but I won't publish them until I have more than half of the stories I have are halfway done.
For the people reading my other stories, they will be updated soon, and I will do everything in my power to finish them as quickly as possible. I hope you enjoy everything, and don't forget to follow and favorite, and write your review, it's one of the highlights of my day.
It was a long day. That's all Harriet could think of after she met with the Dark Lord. In the back of her mind, she knew he was right. The teen mom had to get ahead of Dumbledore and reach the media before he made a statement about the whole teenage pregnancy fiasco. She held her son tightly as she headed to the Hospital Wing. Once there, Harriet ate lunch and left SJ in Poppy's care until the end of the day.
Time passed slowly for Harriet. Once she reached her last class, she was drained. When Poppy informed that her father had picked up her son after class, she went to her father's quarters. She knocked on the portrait to find Remus opening the door. "Hi there, Pup," he said as he hugged her.
"Remus!" She hugged back, "What are you doing here?"
"Severus gave me access to his Floo to see SJ whenever I could," He explained.
She entered the room to see SJ giggling and popping bubbles from her father's wand. "Mama," he squealed.
"Hi, baby," she hugged the little boy, "Were you playing with grandpa?"
The little boy giggled as he tried to grab and pull his mom's hair. "We were just playing before bath time," Remus said. "Isn't that right, SJ?" Remus said.
She flattened down his messy hair, "I spoke with Tom after class."
"What did the Dark Lord say," Severus asked.
She deeply breathed, "He said I should give a statement before Dumbledore talks with the Daily Prophet."
Severus hummed, "He is right. Every witch and wizard looks up to him to lead them. These are dark times, and every move that you make counts. It will force SJ to be in the spotlight, but it will be a necessary evil to have the masses on your side."
Harriet frowned, knowing full good adults around her were right. She hoped SJ would never be in the limelight due to her fame, but those were hopeless desires. Hugging the little boy, she decided to use all resources so her plans to destroy Dumbledore could finally begin. "Severus, is it okay if SJ stays here? I need the night to think clearly about how to move forward before the Daily Prophet gets in touch with the Headmaster," Severus nodded, knowing he would have the wolf would be there to help him.
She kissed SJ's temple, "Hey buddy, you're gonna have a sleepover with Severus tonight; mummy needs to work all night."
SJ looked at her with big puppy eyes, "No bad wo'k?"
"No, baby. Mummy just needs to get rid of bees," She smiled. Harriet kissed his temple again and gave him to Severus.
"Don't worry, you'll see your mother at breakfast," Severus replied.
"Bye, baby," She smiled again when SJ replied as she left. She returns to her dorm room to see Hedwig waiting for her in the window.
"Harri, where's SJ," Hermione asked.
"He's staying with Remus and Severus for the night," she replied but paused to think about what she wanted to do. "Mione, do you still have our threat to the beetle over her head?"
Hermione looked at her friend with surprise. "I do; why? Is she causing trouble again? I can-"
"Hermione, I promise that as soon as I lay down the groundwork, I'll tell you everything, but I needed to be sure."
Her friend still looked worried but nodded anyway and got ready for bed. Hedwig hooted for attention once Hermione settled in bed. "Hey, girl," she rubbed the owl's chest. Can you send some letters tonight? I promise I'll give you extra bacon tomorrow morning. You need to wait for a reply to one of the letters, alright?"
Hedwig bobbed her head in agreement, and Harriet smiled. She took out her pen and parchment and began her letters.
Rita Skeeter has had a horrible day. First, she missed the biggest scoop of the century. The Girl-Who-Lived turned out to be a teen mother while she was reporting the Triwizard Tournament. Secondly, she is still blackmailed by the bookworm muggle born, unable to write anything about the Potter brats. Finally, she lost a lot of credibility thanks to the smear campaign Fudge wanted on Potter. She poured Firewhiskey into a glass just to feel the anger burn away with the drink.
Unfortunately, her thoughts were interrupted by a snowy owl tapping at her window. She flicked her wand to open the window, and the owl flew right next to her, dropping a letter. Curious about the content, she opened it rapidly.
Dear Skeeter,
You must know by now that you have missed the juiciest gossip from two years ago. However, I'm writing to you so we can come to an agreement that will benefit both of us. I want you to destroy Albus Dumbledore and stop any statements that he makes regarding my child and me. I know you'll love to discover all the dirt "the greatest wizard in the world" hides in his closet. You must also keep Dumbledore's name out of the papers and prevent him from making any "exclusive interview" with The Daily Prophet.
In return, I'll make you the only reporter to have exclusive interviews with the famous Girl-Who-Lived. This offer will only be on the table if you swear that everything said in the interviews is not exaggerated or lies. If I find any lies, I'd have to report to the ministry about the Daily Prophet's beetle infestation.
If you are amenable to these conditions and offers, you'll have your first interview this weekend at Malfoy Manor.
Sincerely,
Harriet Potter-Black-Prince
Lady of Noble and Most Ancient House of Black and Potter, Heir of Noble and Most Ancient House of Prince.
PS.
Hedwig will remain with you until you reply. This message will self-destruct once you are done reading.
Once she finished reading, Rita could only salivate at the information the girl had on Dumbledore. Better yet, she'll become the only source of information regarding the Chosen One. Right then and there, Rita Skeeter didn't waste time answering the fantastic offer that had fallen on her lap.
While Skeeter read and replied to her letter, Hedwig had left a letter on Lucius Malfoy's desk. Once he opened it, he was surprised.
Lord Malfoy,
Due to the recent article regarding my son, a mutual acquaintance recommended that I give an interview before bumblebees take control of the issue. That is why I have asked Rita Skeeter to be our access to the press and stop anything he wants to say to save face. I also like to use your manor for an exclusive interview I will give. If I'm out of his reach, the interview will be continued, and his fall will begin.
I know I am overstepping my bounds as a guest in your home, but I believe we can reach our mutual goal this way.
I'll await your response through Draco or Severus.
Sincerely,
Harriet Potter-Black-Prince
Lady of Noble and Most Ancient House of Black and Potter, Heir of Noble and Most Ancient House of Prince.
The letter intrigued him, to say the least. He wanted to know more about this plan with his lord, but time was not in their favor. The Malfoy Lord didn't take long to gather his quill and parchment to start his correspondence with the GWL.
The days passed, and Harriet received all the necessary replies to move her plans forward. She was glad that Skeeter kept her word and kept Dumbledore's name out of the papers. It was as if the news of her son was never published. Once the weekend arrived, the young mother was headed to her father's quarters for breakfast and to head over to Malfoy Manor. To her surprise, SJ was munching happily on solid apples for the first time. "Good morning, baby," She smiled, twirling SJ in her arms. "Look at you eating apples."
SJ giggled and kissed his mother, "Are you ready to have fun today?"
Severus grinned at the happy mother as he drank his morning coffee. "You should eat your breakfast," He said, "Narcissa informed me she wants to prepare you and SJ for any possible photo shoot."
Harriet nodded and ate most of her breakfast. "Severus," She said to grab his attention, "am I making the right decision?"
Severus drank his coffee and took a deep breath. "Anything you choose will have its consequences, Harriet. You have suffered in this war all because of one man's choices. This time, you are taking the rails of your life. I believe that as long as Dumbledore is still in power, you and anyone he views as a threat will never have peace," He said to her, "You are doing what you believe is best for your child. I can tell you, for a fact, that your mother will be very proud of your choices."
Harriet buried her face in SJ's messy hair and sighed. "Now, you have to finish your breakfast. We must be at Malfoy Manor any minute, and Narcissa will fuss if we are not on time."
The teen chuckled and continued her breakfast until the Floo flared with an angry Narcissa, yelling for the small family to be at the manor in five seconds. Once finished, little SJ laughed and clapped at Severus' annoyed expression. It didn't take long for the small family to floo to Malfoy Manor and find a very stressed Narcissa. "Skeeter is going to be here any minute, and you are not presentable," She scolded.
SJ and Harriet sniggered as Narcissa dragged them to get ready. Narcissa instantly pulled out a floor-length burgundy dress with cape sleeves and a black cloak with gold embroidery. The older woman took the baby when Narcissa finished preparing Harriet for the interview. She dressed him in a burgundy shirt with a black vest, gold embroidery, black trousers, and a cloak to match his mother. Mother and child showed the perfect unit, and SJ adored the attention given to him.
After they were all dressed, Rita Skeeter didn't take long to appear in the guest Floo. "My, my, Miss Potter, this is quite the surprise," she giggled with her dicta-quill and camera ready behind her.
Before Harriet could snap, Lucius addressed the reporter. "Miss Skeeter, please follow me to the indoor garden. We have set up everything for the interview there."
Skeeter huffed but followed everyone to the indoor garden. The room itself was something to admire. It was filled with a few orange trees and different flowers that adorned the room with a beautiful aroma. She was stunned that not only was Potter relaxed, but she started tending to a few flowers and showing them to her son. Rita didn't hesitate to photograph how the mother and son duo acted around them as if trying to ignore the pending interview. The only strange thing was how serious the child around her was. It didn't escape her notice how serious the child looked at her when she set foot in the manor. "Well, Miss Potter, shall we begin this interview?" She said as she smiled greedily.
The interview passed, and Harriet spent her weekend in the Malfoy Manor before all hell broke loose.
The Great Hall was packed with students and professors alike eating breakfast and patiently waiting for the Daily Prophet on Monday morning. Harriet and her friends were happily enjoying their breakfast and playing with SJ. They felt the Headmaster's stare on them, knowing he was planning something to get control over his chess piece. Suddenly, the screech of owls could be heard, overlapping the noise from the student's chatter. Everyone was excited to read the Daily Prophet. It was a routinely typical morning for everyone. The chatter grew louder as the student read the paper, something that Dumbledore noticed. Curious, he grabbed the paper and spat the tea he drank once he read the headline.
GIRL WHO LIVED SPEAKS OUT, A STORY OF SORROW AND SURVIVAL.
After our children began a new term at Hogwarts, my dearest readers, we were surprised to learn that our chosen one, Heiress Harriet Potter, was a teen mother. Once the news broke out, we wondered how she had been able to hide such information. As the news spread, everyone in the community wondered when she delivered her child. Based on what her closest friends have said, I regret to inform you that Miss Potter had been pregnant during the Tri-Wizard Tournament! It was a shock to me to hear such news. It would beg to ask how she could participate in such a dangerous tournament, let alone for her magical guardian to allow such a thing.
After days of unanswered questions, I could sit down with Miss Potter at Malfoy Manor about the recent discovery. When I was greeted by the Malfoy patriarch, I was further surprised when I saw how doting Lady Malfoy was to the Potter Heirs and their cute matching robes.
RS: Good Morning, Harriet. I must say that this young man is quite dashing.
HP: He can be quite the charmer every once in a while. Isn't that right, baby? (Little SJ gave a toothy smile.)
RS: A charmer indeed. Now, to what all the readers have been asking since September 1st: how did this little charmer come to be?
HP: (She looked away as if it pained her to think about the past) I wish I could say it was a fairy tale romance, that all the stories everyone has read of my pampered life were even close to the truth. However, how he came to be is not meant for his little ears.
Dear readers, once Heiress Potter said those words, I could only deduce that our savior has been a victim of sexual assault. I confirmed my deductions with follow-up questions. My dear readers, our savior has been subjected to the worst kind of torture anyone could have ever experienced from the moment she was left on the doorstep of her last living relatives. One would wonder, where was Albus Dumbledore when our savior was sexually abused since the age of nine?
HP: I understand that after so many years under the darkness of the first war, people were happy with any stories of the adventures of their supposed savior, but while everyone celebrated, I've been tortured, starved, and used as a plaything for my uncle's work superiors. I was the burden of the family, having to earn my keep.
RS: Earn your keep?
HP: For as long as I can remember, I have been in charge of cleaning the house, mowing the lawn, taking care of the garden, and cooking all their meals. The other assignments came much later as my uncle noticed a particular potential.
Dear readers, what Heiress Potter detailed was too disturbing for anyone to read. It begs the question of where Dumbledore was in all of this. Why were we lied to if this was how our savior spent her childhood? This is a mystery I am going to discover because if we've been lied to about this, what else has been hidden from us?
Dumbledore was gobsmacked. When was the rotten girl able to give an interview with that Skeeter woman? That thought could barely register when, suddenly, owl after owl came rushing into the Great Hall towards the Headmaster. As the letters and howlers came in, the rest of the staff, bar Severus and the Dark Lord, were speechless after reading Potter's interview. There was a deadly silence between them until Minerva spoke. "Severus, is this true?"
Severus drank his coffee and nodded. "When I was summoned to Gringotts, the goblin in charge of the Potter-Black accounts informed me of the state where she arrived. It was shocking, to say the least."
The students and staff were all pale and gobsmacked at the most recent revelation. All Harriet and her friends knew was that the tides were changing and that the odds were not in Dumbledore's favor.