Disclaimer:
I solemnly swear that the literature and works of the Harry Potter Verse belong to JK Rowling, Bloomberg and Warner Bros. The only thing I own are the one-shot ideas that popped into my head and whatever OCs I would create for them. This is a work of pure fiction made solely for fun, constructive reviews will be welcomed, flames will be ignored. Any references to characters in real-life or fiction are purely coincidental. If I could make money out of my ideas, it would be nice...
Mischief Managed Damn It!
Title: Lost Generation (Working Title)
Posted Date: June 7 2022
Tags: Wrong Generation Who Lived AU, Modern AU, WBWL, Good Draco Malfoy, Good Ron Weasley, Band of Brothers group, Delphini Riddle present in timeline, Bad Adult Potters, Bad Adult Longbottoms, Manipulative Dumbledore, Multi House Heirships
Possible Challenges: Shout out for Fast-Furious Dom, Good Augusta Longbottom, Potter Grandparents alive / good, Semi-good / neutral Snape, Individual Founder house heirship, Secondary Prophecy, Good Pansy, Bad Sirius / Lupin, Arturus Black alive / good
"HAPPY BIRTHDAY!"
It was a familiar scene for any household. A family having a get-together to celebrate a child's birthday, with relatives and friends standing about the dining room to wish the birthday boy good times as a cake was brought to the table with candles lit at the top. The boy eagerly blew out the candles to which everyone clapped before the cake got sliced and passed to everyone in the room. Shortly after, the presents were brought in, and the boy took the opportunity to open them up and see what was brought him. He thanked the people in the order their presents were opened, and smiles were going around. Everyone was happy for the lad.
Except for one.
Peering through the gap of the dining room, a pair of emerald green eyes looked upon the scene with resignation, the light in them having faded over the years. The owner of said eyes watched on as the child gleefully showed off yet another gift from one of his uncles, before turning away. The owner, who was a young boy, slowly made his way to the front door where a bag that had seen some years was packed along with another containing some books, gold coins and food. The young boy quietly slung the bag over his shoulders, although the point might be muted given the amount of noise coming from celebrations going on by the dining room. He then laid a hand on the door knob and opened the door, shivering as the cold wind rushed into the house.
For a while, the boy paused and turned to where the celebration was taking place with the moon shining on him. A tear went down one side of the face and dripped to the floor before the boy turned back and walked out of the door, the door closing with a resounding click.
And no one heard that, or noticed someone missing from the presence.
Why would they?
They had not noticed him for 5 years, and it was unlikely for them to break that trend anytime soon.
~ooOOoo~
"RRRRRRRRRIIIINNNGGGG!"
"Slap!"
A tired yawn issued from the boy's mouth as the boy raised a hand to wipe at his eyes, slightly frowning at the wetness around them. He sighed as he sat up in his bed and stretched, looking out of the window to see the sky still relatively dark but with the onset of the sun rising in the distance. Shaking his head to lose the dregs of sleep and the memory wanting back into his head, the boy got up from the bed and made his way to the bathroom, pausing to turn on the lights and winced from the brightness. He went to the tap and twisted it to get the water flowing into his hands so that he could splashed that on his face.
"Bloody memory." The boy muttered as he looked up to see his reflection, grabbing a lock of hair from the front to inspect it. "I am going to need a haircut soon." He proceeded to clean himself up and grabbed the towel nearby to dry his face, taking special care around his forehead where an ugly scar in the shape of a lightning bolt was situated. He knew that he had gotten this scar at a young age, but why the scar still looked fresh or ache on particular days was a mystery to him. He just got used to it over the years and moved on, although he would not say no to having it removed in the future.
After washing up, he walked out of his room and down some stairs to get to the kitchen. Said kitchen was a mess in terms of the different equipment being grouped together as though they were obtained from the garage sales in the country and brought over, but the wood frames and boards were somehow able to bring them together nicely, and for the boy, it was comforting.
The boy wasted no time bringing out the pots and pans, grabbing the ingredients from the reworked refrigerator and prepping them for breakfast. He did not stop his hands as he heard the door open from upstairs and footsteps going down with someone yawning.
"Morning, Neville." He called out.
"Morning, Harry." the brown haired boy answered with another yawn. "You are up early."
"Had a bad dream." Harry answered as he put together some eggs. "Considering the timing, I figured I would get up early to make breakfast."
"Thanks for that. Need any help?"
"Could you help me set up the table, then get the others?" Harry asked as he took the eggs off the heat while grabbing some toasted bread.
"Sure thing, although I am going to need a horn to wake Ron up." Neville went to grab the cutlery and went out to prepare the designated dining table which was essentially a big slab of concrete in the middle of the room outside the kitchen. Harry snorted at that last part.
"If you need me, I can just holler out to him with the pipe system about breakfast to get his legs moving. That works every time." Neville laughed at that remark.
"True." Neville set up the table and proceeded to move back up the stairs. Harry continued with the cooking, his ears able to pick up Neville knocking on doors and calling the occupants out. Harry then prepared the drinks as the sounds of feet echoed above him, telling him that others were waking up and washing up. He managed to get everything done and set up on the table when the others came down.
"Ron is going to need the holler." Neville called out while a pale boy with white blond hair and a girl with silver hair tipped with blue walked down the stairs behind him. "And CeeCee is currently asleep still, something about staying up late."
"I told you we need to set a curfew for her tv time at night." The girl spoke to the boy next to her.
"I can't exactly deny her watching that tv series." The boy answered with a shrug. "And we don't have much to do today, so I let her." The girl shook her head.
"I still do not understand the deal with the singing ponies."
"Be glad it is not the show with the purple reptile." All of them shivered as one at the mention of the creature that kept on singing that blasted song of love and something on one big family.
"Okay, breakfast is set up. Let me give a holler to Ron and prepare a set for CeeCee." Harry nodded to them while he took out some of the items he had cooked and set them aside for one of their own to eat later. After that, Harry went to a pipe with a movable flap attached to it, pausing as he turned with a smile.
"Okay guys, start your bets."
"2 pancakes, he will rush down with a toothbrush in his mouth within 5 minutes." Neville gave his bet. The blonde snorted at that.
"Please. 1 pancake and 2 sunny-side ups. He will just rush through without washing up. 3 minutes." the blonde gave his answer confidently.
"Del?" Harry turned to the girl who had a considering expression.
"Ron will crash through the door and come down with a toothbrush in the mouth and one arm through a sleeve in 6 minutes. I will forgo the breakfast options and have a waffle for dessert this week." The girl gave her answer with a smile.
"Okay then. Bets are set." Harry waved a hand and smoke appeared to form three zeros. Turning to the flap, Harry took a deep breath and let loose. "BACON, EGGS, PANCAKES AND TOASTS! GET THEM WHILE THEY ARE HOT!"
The sounds of something crashing hard against the ground and some choice words were the signals for Harry to wave his hand again and the zeros to start counting while Harry started making some extra items. When the timer hit past 3 minutes, the blonde groaned while the other two looked on eagerly. Neville then groaned when the timer went past the 5 minute mark. Just as the timer was approaching the 6 minute mark, a red haired boy came rushing down the stairs with his hair in a mess, a toothbrush in his mouth and only one arm through the red shirt he had on hand.
"And Del has it under 5 minutes and 58 seconds." Harry announced with amusement at the sight of the other two boys groaning and Del fistbumping the air. Rolling his eyes, Harry deposited the food items they bet on to their plates, with a couple of extras for Del. "Here you guys go. As for Del, tell me which flavor and I will make it tonight or tomorrow."
"Thank you, Harry!" All three answered while Harry pointed Ron to the sink with a raised eyebrow for him to complete his washing up. The boy in question scratched his head with embarrassment and went along with his actions. Harry shook his head in humor as he took his place by the table and began to partake in his work, watching the others laugh and poke one another in some manner.
Although he did not appreciate two of them playing potshots with his bacon. He worked very hard to get them crispy perfectly and did not like them wasting it.
"Draco, Delphini. Stop playing with your food." Harry scolded the pale blonde boy and the silver-haired girl, making the two look sheepish, before directing his eyes at Neville. "And do not think I did not see that grab of their pancakes, Neville. There is plenty over there, don't get greedy."
"Yes, dad." The three of them answered him in a whiny manner, making him roll his eyes.
"Having trouble with the brats?" Ron came along properly dressed with a smile on his face.
"They were playing with the food." Harry sighed. "Hope you do not do the same." Ron's smile turned to a smirk.
"No promises, dad." Harry's glare merely set them off laughing as they continued to eat their breakfast. Harry huffed before continuing with his food, with a gentle smile on his face as he watched their interactions. They had been together for a little over a couple of years now, and they had gone through a lot. Sure there were hard times, but they got through it.
This was his family, and he will do whatever necessary to protect them.
That thought continued as they finished their breakfast and enjoyed their cups of tea. It was a lazy day for them so they could relax, but Harry had the odd feeling that was going to change soon.
"Can someone pass the tea pot please?" Delphini asked as she sipped her tea. Harry looked to where the pot was and aimed his hand at it. A few seconds later, the pot lifted itself off the table and hovered its way to him, allowing Harry to grip the handle before handing it to her. "Thanks Harry."
"Magic is really useful." Ron took a sip of his drink. "I mean, sure we can do things by hand, but sometimes, the odd magic or two helps with everyday life."
"Helps that we found those old textbooks to learn from." Delphini remarked. Harry nodded in reply.
"Harry." The boy turned to the pale haired boy who had a serious expression on his face. "I got something to run with you. Hear me out first before you say what is on your mind."
"Must be really serious for you to ask me that." Harry placed the cup down on the table. "Okay Draco, what is the issue?"
"As you know, all of us, except for CeeCee, will be ten this year. That also means that we need to consider certain matters that some of us may have put off for a while." Draco started talking while looking them in the eye before looking at Harry. "What are we to do for education once we hit eleven next year? We will be approached by someone from Hogwarts or other institutions, and while we are doing fine on our own with self studies, we will need proper guidance for our magic. We don't have much time before the underage laws get applied to us." Harry nodded at that.
"I had been thinking about it for the past week, and you are correct. We would need proper education." Harry waved a hand to them. "But we need to consider the options. Do we want to go to Hogwarts or overseas? If we do the first, we would likely be recognised as soon as we step into the castle, or even the train that I was told about, unless we change our names, and as far as I know, our true names will still appear on the registry. Going overseas means we can stay anonymous for a long time and no one would know unless people check, but we do need to research the type of education being provided at those schools. There is the option of home tutoring but we would either need one who knows a lot, or multiple for the different subjects if we want to get the OWLs. And you guys may not want to, but I am planning on completing my muggle education to have some legitimacy in the muggle world if we need to hide here." The others nodded at that.
"There may be another factor you need to consider before all of that." Neville voiced out his end. "We need money to handle our magical education, and while we have earned enough on the muggle front, I do not think they will accept that."
"And this is where you may not like what I am about to say." Draco took over with pursed lips. "We need to go to Gringotts for this to work." That got the others to sit up straight and look at each other uneasily and back at Harry who had a rather stern expression for one so young.
"Okay, you said to let you finish. Let's hear it." Harry took a deep breath and let it out slowly to calm himself down.
"We may have some Galleons between us, but that is mostly us doing those part-time jobs around the alley, picking the loose change up from the ground or the odd times we pick pockets, and it is mainly for our food and living expenses." Draco talked firmly but quickly, knowing from experience to be short and precise was the key to handling Harry's quickly burning fuse. "If we are going to continue our magical education, we will need a lot of money on our end to help, and it also helps to deal with our other expenses. There is also one more reason for going to Gringotts."
"Which is?" Delphini asked. Draco looked at each of them slowly.
"We all left our old homes and families, that much is clear. We do not know if the people we are related to even bothered to look for us. Now for my part, it is more likely that I have been… replaced." The others kept silent at the closed expression on his face. "I do not know about the rest of you, but I do know that around this time or the next year, potential heirs have to perform an inheritance test to ensure they get their vaults."
"You want to see if any of us inherited vaults outside of our blood families." Ron slowly nodded as he processed those words. "Whatever gold is in those possible vaults would help us in that."
"Correct. Most people do not bother with the other vaults since they will more or less be connected to the primary family bloodline. For us though, I am thinking of something else that grants us more protection outside of the gold."
"Heirships. Titles." Neville answered. "Gaining our inheritance will grant us some limited protection if we have actual titles to go with them."
"Exactly." Draco nodded and turned to Harry. "Right now, we are still connected to each of our old families by blood and a very thin connection to the family magic, meaning we can be subjected to the judgment spells when they find us." That got the rest uneasy at that reminder. "But if we perform the inheritance before that?"
"You are hoping that the new inheritance could overpower the old blood inside of us, particularly those that are older." Harry finally spoke. Draco nodded and Harry hummed as he looked to the ceiling in thought. The others kept silent but also considered Draco's words.
"It does sound possible." Harry spoke slowly. "And in any event, we would need to have official bloodlines in case we get kicked out."
"How do you know if we haven't been cast out of our families by now?" Delphi looked at him.
"For one thing, none of us had suffered any loss of magic or had our appearances changed." Harry pointed to Ron for an example. "His family is famous for the red hair, and for males at least, freckles. I do recall an entry regarding someone from his father's side getting thrown out for bankrupting the family and hence lost the red hair as a sign of his disownment, so in that regard, we are safe. Magic-wise, we are in a bit of a gray area. From what I have read up, the family magic appears to be spread based on how heavily one uses it and whether one is truly connected to their family. If one is not really considered family for a long while, removal does not really affect much." Harry let out a bitter laugh at this point. "I should be pretty safe from that."
"Let's consider the pros and cons of going to Gringotts for an inheritance test." Ron spoke out, partially to change the mood that was about to settle in. Delphini got up to grab a whiteboard that was nearby and moved it over with a few markers at hand. At a nod, Ron started speaking while she wrote down what they said.
"The advantages are as stated: we can see if there are vaults not connected to the main family line for us to claim. Doing so allows us to get money, potential titles, and if needed, alternate places to live in." Ron looked about their current area. "Don't get me wrong, I do love this warehouse that we have taken over. This is more of a home to me than any other place I know, including the Burrow, and I think you guys agree with me." The others nodded at his remark. "But if we are going to get proper education, we need a proper place to be in. We can still hang on to this place as a getaway."
"We can certainly ask the goblins to help purchase this place and ward it up." Draco mused at that.
"Another advantage that we should consider is possible emancipation." Confusion on everyone's faces prompted Neville to explain. "As Draco pointed out earlier, any new vaults and family lines found in inheritance tests means that the owner gains a title, especially if the family line in question is an old line that has been squibbed out or destroyed in the past. Anyone gaining those titles would be automatically protected with laws pertaining to the last heirs, one of which allows for limited emancipation to protect themselves from others seeking to control them."
"Does that mean we can legally use magic even if we are underage?" Delphini perked up at that.
"To a certain extent." Neville answered. "As I said, the limited emancipation would grant us some leeway to use magic for protection, but the ministry will go harder on us if we were to perform magic in a muggle setting with multiple eyes on us."
"Those are the advantages, how about the disadvantages?" Ron asked.
"Primarily speaking, the goblins may inform others about the new statuses." Harry crossed his arms with a frown. "It is part of their procedure to let the Ministry know that any family lines rediscovered are to be announced to certain people, and depending on the people in question, they would try to investigate."
"The life stones would certainly be a big indicator." Draco huffed at that. "When we do the test, the life stones would be activated, and it is tied to our vaults. I do not know about any of you, but I know that 'dear father' would have at least prepared an education trust vault for Hogwarts within a year or two of the heir's birth. If it is the same for you guys, the goblins will know that we are still alive."
"Which leads to the main reason we are hiding." Harry took a big gulp of his drink. "Our 'families' may get alerted." That got everyone to look down with expressions ranging from uncertainty to frustration.
"You got something on your mind, Del?" The girl jolted at that. She frowned before answering his query.
"I hope you boys do not get angry. I mean, you have your reasons to not be found." The girl rubbed her hands together. "This inheritance test, it can reveal all the people related by blood, correct?" That question and her mannerism got the boys looking to each other in understanding.
"It can, although more likely it shows only the magical line. You can ask the goblins to show the muggle relations if need be." Neville told the girl who nodded slowly with pursed lips.
"We need this, don't we?" Harry turned to Draco, partially to go past the mood. "Because one way or another, August this year will be the limit for us. You are hoping to do the inheritance test to avoid the issue of 'them' finding out when their heirs come for their test." Draco gave a nod.
"I am hoping that if we do it now, we can perhaps request the goblins to not let them know." Harry leaned back in his seat and tapped his finger on the table while the others remained quiet.
"Very well then. We might as well get this over and done with since we have no tasks for the day." Harry finally spoke while scratching the back of his head. "Make sure we prepare what we need later. Going to the goblins means we cannot waste their time and whatever gold we have on hand." The others nodded as one before a voice drew their attention to the stairs.
"Morning~" A little girl with curly blond hair let out a yawn while rubbing one of her eyes, still dressed in her pajamas. "Why is everyone so serious this morning?" Delphini smiled as she got out of her chair and walked to her.
"Good morning, CeeCee." The older girl stopped to kneel slightly in front of the younger girl. "Have a good nap?" The younger girl nodded before letting out another yawn. "Okay, someone needs to wash up before eating breakfast. Come on now." Delphini lightly guided the girl back to the stairs while giving a significant look to the boys.
"If we are doing this, we will need adult supervision." Neville spoke once the girls went away.
"Dom should be able to help us." Draco answered.
"Provided he is free." Harry pulled back on his chair. "I can make the call to see if he is available for the morning or afternoon." He smiled at them as he moved away. "I have done the cooking, you guys do the dishes." He laughed lightly as the sounds of three boys cursing him out followed him to the corner of the room that had a salvaged phone set. He picked up the phone, dialed the number and waited for the person on the other end to pick up the call.
"Hey Dom? This is Harry." A confirmation on the other end prompted him to continue. "Do you have anything on later in the morning or the afternoon? I need a favor."
After a while, Harry walked back to the dining room only to stop and blink at the three boys covered in soap bubbles and the water sprout from the kitchen set too high, with CeeCee playing happily under the water while Delphini was laughing her head off. "What the hell happened here?"
"He started it!" The three boys pointed to each other at the same time. That only set off the two girls into laughing more. Harry merely introduced his hand to his face while sighing.
"I have not taken enough caffeine for this." With a wave of his hand, the water stopped flowing from the sprout and the kitchen was cleaned up, but still leaving the boys covered in soap. "Okay, listen up everyone. Do what you need to do for the next couple of hours, because we are going to visit Gringotts by 10am, and we need to meet up with Dom at the Leaky Cauldron." CeeCee squealed at that.
"We are going to meet Uncle Dom?" The girl came up to Harry with hopeful eyes.
"Yes, CeeCee. We are." the boy smiled at the girl's obvious happiness as she bounded about the room. He turned to the others. "Best to get everything we need on hand along with questions we want answers to. And remember."
"Always stay together." The others intoned as one. Harry snorted at them.
"That's right, for we are family."