Disclaimer: I do not own Harry Potter, JK Rowling does. But maybe one day you know...
StyxUA: I think I already answered to someone that said the same thing. However I don't remember if it was here, or on AO3, so I'll answer once more: Harry would never had done that. In that case, even if it's dangerous, it wasn't illegal for Rita to ask that question, nor for her to know the truth about what happened. Harry was still working at the ministry (with Hermione being minister if I remember well), so doing something like that could have caused him a lot of problem. I always dislike things like "he should have done that blabla". First, if he did, there wouldn't be any story. And then, in that case yeah every story could be cut short. Harry should have casted an Avada Kedavra on everyone he fighted in he books. It would have been easier you know. Anyway, even if you probably won't reach that chapter if you dislike the premise that much, here's your answer. Have a good day, and I hope you'll find something that suits your tastes.
john mainer: Hey ! I'm really glad you enjoyed the story so far. Here's the next chapter. I liked your analysis of older Harry's development, next to the younger one. They'll both have their goals, and they even will match up at some point. Thanks a lot for the support, and I hope what's coming will continue to keep your interest. Have a good day, and take care !
nhutton: Well, hi ! Thank YOU for taking the time to write that little message of support. That's very kind ! I'm glad you enjoy the story. Here's the next chapter ! Have a good time reading it, and take care of yourself !
CaskettFan5: Yup, she's the OC (had no idea for the name, and thought that it wouldn't be that bad). As you said, she MIGHT be up, but won't have it easy with how Hadrian's brain is messed up currently. And yeah of course the ministry's compensation was just the gift Hadrian made. It's not like Fudge to give his own money to other people. He could have kept some money, but with all Hadrian "gifted", he can allow that to go. Corrupted bastard... I swear. Anyway, thanks for the review. Always cool to exchange with you. Take care !
Linda: Thanks a lot for the support ! That means a lot. Have a great day, and take care of yourself, that's what matters the most !
Where did we stop again ? Pettigrew you said ? Alright, then here he is !
05/11/1992, 20H00, Dueling Club, London:
As soon as the duel began, the witch quickly swept her wand in a thunderous arc. Hadrian, through instinctive reflex, conjured the most powerful shield he could produce. This reflex saved his life as a flash of unprecedented violence struck the magical shield head-on.
"She masters lightning! Damn, I'm going all out then," he muttered, removing his blindfold. His enhanced eyes, capable of discerning flashes of magic before they hit him, activated. Without giving her any respite, he retaliated, chaining spells together with disconcerting speed.
A flicker of worry crossed his opponent's impassive face following his devastating offensive. Unfortunately for Hadrian, like a fluttering butterfly, the witch dodged and deflected most of his attacks, escaping with only a few superficial scratches. Determined not to give her any respite, Hadrian blew up the ground with a flick of his wrist. With a fluid motion, he transfigured the debris of concrete and earth into ferocious wolves that rushed towards the witch. Not wanting to take any risks, he transferred control of the creatures to his wandless hand, resuming his magical assault with renewed vigor.
Tired of being on the defensive, the witch concentrated all her power into a devastating riposte. Against all odds, she managed to break Hadrian's control over his wolves and turned them against him. She then dived to the side, narrowly avoiding her opponent's spells, while twisting her wand in a complex and unprecedented motion in Hadrian's eyes. "Hell, she's preparing another lightning spell," he growled, lowering himself and planting his wand in the ground. As the wolves rushed towards him, he activated his spell, altering gravity to violently propel them against the wall to his left. The creatures did not survive the impact, allowing Hadrian to refocus on the witch's incessant attacks.
His eyes gleaming, he squeezed his core, his overwhelming aura causing the air around him to flicker slightly. The temperature dropped dramatically as a wave of pure terror washed over all the spectators of the fight.
'I never had a chance from the beginning,' Sirius thought, both fascinated and terrified by the immense power of the British Lord. Compared to this display of strength, his own duel with him had been child's play. He dared not imagine the fate of those who dared to take on Harry.
Destabilized by Hadrian's power, the witch in turn squeezed her core, releasing a wave of magic that was certainly much less powerful than the time traveler's, but enough to give her back some freedom of movement.
Faced with this new tactic, Hadrian, aware of his disadvantage in terms of lightning mastery, adopted a defensive posture and guided the magic to his eyes. Fortuna's complex wand movement seemed to falter, and although out of breath, the young woman had a sly smile on her face. She pointed her wand at him, and before he could react, a violent flash of lightning shot from her wand.
The lightning struck him full in the chest, sending him flying backward. It took him a few moments to regain his senses, and when he did, he immediately rolled to the ground, narrowly dodging other bolts of lightning that were relentlessly raining down on him. He tried to protect himself with a shield, but it was pulverized before it could even be of any use to him.
Determined to give it his all, he turned his wand and cast a powerful explosion spell at the woman, before protecting himself behind a wall of earth. Encased in this cocoon, he escaped Fortuna's devastating lightning bolts while avoiding the impact of his own explosion.
After a few moments of silence, he cautiously emerged from his shelter. However, as soon as the earthen wall disappeared, the lightning attack began again. He saw the woman, although covered in dirt and wounded, standing before him, a sly smile still etched on her face.
'Offensively, she relies almost solely on her elemental magic,' he analyzed. 'I don't have the same mastery of lightning as she does, but I don't have a choice. If I want to win, I have to face her head-on.'
Hadrian had learned to control all the elements, but in reality, outside fire, his mastery of the other elements was only rudimentary. Indeed, where a true elemental could manipulate their element with frightening precision, causing considerable damage while expending little energy, he had to use a large part of his reserves.
Only his core, far superior to average, had allowed him to stand up to his elemental enemies during his service in the DWT.
He positioned himself facing her, the lightning bolts shooting from their respective wands intermingling and connecting them. "A contest of brute force. Well, let's go, Lord Potter," the woman taunted in an oddly sweet voice. Hadrian, a maniacal grin on his lips, squeezed his inexhaustible core once more.
Magic surged in waves from the duo, lightning bolts striking the edges of the arena. No one inside the building knew it, but outside, a violent storm was hitting the city of London. Many residents of the area had taken refuge in nearby pubs and shops to avoid being caught in the storm.
Fortuna, seeing that the man seemed tireless, broke the magical link between them and let out a sigh. "With all the duels I've fought, I'm getting tired... I'll have to go the old way I guess," she muttered before unleashing a series of devastating spells on Hadrian.
The man retaliated immediately, and the two duelists were caught in a violent ballet of magical exchanges that lasted for long minutes. Each spectator, terrified by the stray spells that flew from both sides, protected themselves behind a shield, fearing to be a collateral victim of this majestic duel.
Hadrian twisted his wand in all directions, sending curse after curse at the woman who, with fierce determination, responded in kind. The arena, once proud and immaculate, now resembled a devastated battlefield. The air was unbreathable, saturated with raw magic.
Mustering the last vestiges of her strength, the woman concentrated her magic and slammed her wand one last time, invoking a lightning bolt of unprecedented power. Hadrian, anticipating the attack, conjured a massive block of earth to protect himself. The block imploded under the violence of the impact, but managed to protect him just in time, leaving him unscathed.
The two duelists were wounded, scarred by the ferocity of the fight. Hadrian had only a few burns of varying severity where the lightning had hit him. Fortuna Moon, on the other hand, was covered in cuts and various wounds, from head to toe. Despite the pain and exhaustion, she remained calm, hiding her fatigue behind a mask of stoic indifference.
Observing no other imminent attack, Hadrian created a powerful gust of wind to clear the dust and knock the exhausted woman to the ground. Reflexively, he conjured his black flames to bind her and cast a disarming spell. However, before the Expelliarmus could leave his wand, a voice echoed through the arena.
"Dark magic detected. Duelist Hadrian Potter, you are disqualified. Duelist Fortuna Moon, you win," declared the ethereal voice of the magical surveillance system.
Hadrian was caught off guard by this unexpected announcement. He had become so accustomed to using this spell in order to subdue his opponents that he had forgotten its origin. The spell was indeed a derivative of Fiendfyre, a powerful but usually uncontrollable dark magic spell. However, in the dueling arena, the use of certain dark magic spells was strictly prohibited, Fiendfyre being one of them.
The spectators, shocked by the verdict, looked at the Lord's face and applauded weakly, preparing for an explosion of anger or a scathing remark about the injustice of the situation.
But to their great surprise, the time traveler tilted his head to the side, lost in thought, before bursting into laughter. A frank and sonorous laugh that echoed through the arena, causing surprise and confusion among the spectators. To anyone who didn't know him, this laugh could have been mistaken for an evil laugh.
However for Hadrian, it was a sincere laugh. A laugh he couldn't contain in the face of the absurdity of the situation: he had lost to his own stupidity for forgetting the rules of the duel.
He turned his head to the woman he had just fought. She had already gotten up and was dusting herself off. He approached her and held out his right hand, putting his wand away in the other.
"It was a good fight. I must congratulate you. I've never heard of you before, which puzzles me, but I'm glad to have met you. I want my revenge one of these days," he declared with a friendly smile as he shook the hand of the woman surprised by his fair play.
Hadrian was not a fool. A woman of such power could not have been defeated by just anyone. In his time, she probably lived in the shadows, vainly seeking an opponent worthy of her. For what reason? He didn't know. But if she shared his way of thinking, he might have an idea.
Indeed, when one acquires immense power, the first thing they want to do is to test their limits. This was a truth known to all passionate fighters. So the woman had likely sought to explore her limits, and finding no worthy opponents had turned to the most powerful sorcerer in Britain: Voldemort.
This fight was undoubtedly her last. 'With all the rituals he had performed, he was probably impervious to electricity. If so, her defeat is not surprising…' he thought to himself, thinking back to their duel.
Since his return to the past, he had sworn to save as many people as possible from the Dark Lord. If he could not only save this woman but also rally her to their cause, then...
"It was a good fight, Potter. No need to play the comedy act. No matter what that stupid voice says, you won. The moment that disarming spell hit me, I would have lost. I'm the one who wants my revenge. I'm up for another duel whenever you are. But this time, we'll go outside this arena. These... animals can be quite... intrusive," she said with a grimace, glancing at the other spectators of the club, terrified by the fight that had just taken place.
Without wasting time, she nodded in Hadrian's direction and apparated.
Hadrian let out a little chuckle as he put his headband back on. He'd gotten used to the pain of removing it, but if he didn't want to blind those he was talking to, he had no choice but to wear it.
In the middle of the stunned crowd, he grabbed Sirius, who didn't react to his touch, and the duo apparated to Potter Manor in turn.
05/11/1992, 22H54, Hogwarts, Scotland:
Harry had lived one of the most extraordinary days of his existence. The exams, those oppressive burdens, were finally behind him, giving way to a long-awaited freedom. Better yet, he had found in Hadrian Potter a true family, a haven of warmth and affection he had always dreamed of. The release of his godfather, Sirius Black, crowned this unexpected happiness.
Their meeting, although brief, had been marked by a striking intensity. Sirius' humor, zest for life, and radiant love were enough to paint a vivid portrait of his personality. Harry easily understood why his father had formed such a deep friendship with this man.
According to Sirius' stories, he had been one of his father's most loyal companions, and Harry could only agree. The Animagus' sociability was undeniable, even managing to charm his uncle, a rather reserved man whose circle of friends had hitherto been limited to Alexander Greengrass. However, observing him carefully during the trial, Harry had noticed an obvious complicity between the two men.
The trial itself had been an unexpected source of entertainment. His uncle and his godfather, Padfoot as he liked to be called, had orchestrated everything masterfully, convinced of the victorious outcome. The only discordant voice had been brutally silenced.
Thus, Padfoot, named after his animal form, a dog, had regained his freedom. Everyone in this little group had a nickname. His father was Prongs, Sirius Padfoot, one of their friends, a werewolf, was named Moony. As for the last, the traitor, Peter Pettigrew, bore the unflattering nickname of Wormtail.
The rest of the day, Harry had stirred this information in his mind, as if a crucial element was escaping him. An intuition gnawed at him, a feeling he couldn't quite grasp.
"Harry, are you asleep?" Ron's voice pulled him from his thoughts. It was Ron, from his bed.
"No, why?" Harry replied in a glacial tone. Ron had been his first friend, the one with whom he had shared so many moments of complicity. But his change of attitude following his new acquaintances, especially among the Slytherins, had deeply hurt Harry.
Ron took his time to answer, as if he was carefully choosing his words, aware that their dorm mates were sleeping soundly. "You know... I've been thinking a lot... I've also talked a lot with Fred and George... and... I wanted to tell you that I'm sorry. You were my best friend, and when you started hanging out with those... those other houses, I let my prejudices blind me and... I said horrible things," Ron confessed, surprising Harry with his sincerity.
"I already told you about it on the train, remember?" he continued, apparently ignoring the shock that shook his old friend. "Sixth child in a large family, I always felt like 'one more'. So, for once that I stood out from them, for once that I had a friend of my own... I didn't want to lose him. I discussed it a lot with the twins, who... insisted heavily that I apologize. And they're right! Don't think I'm just doing this because they asked me to!" he added, hoping that the other boy wouldn't take it the wrong way.
"What I mean is, I'm sorry for my behavior. I still have a hard time understanding why you hang out with Slytherins, and I know my words probably made you cross me off the 'best friend' list for good, but I wanted to know if a new chance was possible for us..." he finished, his voice dropping in intensity as he neared the end of his sentence.
Harry found himself unable to respond immediately. He agreed with the boy and sincerely appreciated his apology. It showed a real evolution on his part. Moreover, they were still very young. It didn't excuse everything, but it meant they still had a lot of growing up to do.
"I... You took me by surprise, Ron, to be honest. I already accept your apology. But I've always preferred actions to words. So, if you really want us to start over, I propose a deal. The next time I meet Daphne for a discussion, you'll come with me. I can explain what I was trying to tell you that day, which is the importance of our alliance, both for our families and for ourselves. If you can manage to do that without falling back into hostility, then we'll start over. What do you say?" Harry suggested, curious about the redhead's reaction.
"Okay! Um... sorry... I mean, I'm fine with that," he quickly accepted. A part of Harry couldn't blame him. Raised in these prejudices and being the sixth child, he had probably been a bit neglected. So he had internalized these beliefs, never questioning them, not understanding the harm they caused. 'I wonder what he would have become if he hadn't had this awakening…' Harry thought, unaware that one of the main reasons his uncle was in his life was the mistakes of the redhead lying two meters away from him.
A heavy silence fell after these words. Harry then heard Ron turn over in his bed, mumbling something indistinct. "Criticizing you for spending time with 'slimy Slytherins', when I spent mine with a disgusting rat..." the Gryffindor murmured from the next bed. The sentence made Harry smile for a moment, before he froze, as if struck by a sudden revelation.
"Ron, is your rat asleep?" he asked in a serious tone, sitting up abruptly and pulling back the curtains of the four-poster bed. "Uh, yeah I think so, why?" the redhead replied perplexed, getting up and imitating Harry's gestures.
The black-haired boy then fired off questions, each one reinforcing his suspicions, much to the owner of the animal's bewilderment. "You know Ron... I was at Sirius Black's trial today. Since he's my godfather, I asked to attend. The verdict will be published in the newspaper tomorrow, but I can already tell you: he's innocent. The real traitor was another of their friends, whose Animagus form is that of a rat...", he let it hang.
The redhead seemed to realize the situation and whispered, incredulous: "You don't think...".
Harry interrupted him, grabbing his wand from his bedside table. "I'm not sure. But from what I know, your rat isn't an ordinary rat. He's missing a finger on one paw, which matches a characteristic of Pettigrew. He's terrified of everything, hiding at the slightest opportunity, and most importantly... He's been in your family for ten years, as if by chance, the year the man disappeared. No rat lives that long, especially not in the wizarding world, full of dangerous creatures," Harry explained, realizing that his deductions might well be correct.
Ron thought for a moment, his eyes widening and his face contorting into an expression of disgust at the thought of having slept with a human transformed into a rat all year long. He got out of his bed in turn and, with Harry, approached the cage of the sleeping animal.
Harry, thinking about the best way to proceed, decided to use one of the spells he had learned from the Defense Against the Dark Arts books he had read. He made the appropriate wand movement and murmured, "Stupefy." A bright flash of light shot from his wand and hit the rat, which did not react. The only indication that the spell had worked was the animal's sudden jump when it was hit.
"The only one who would recognize him is my godfather. We're going to send him by owl. I left Hedwig in the aviary. Are you up for an old-fashioned adventure?" Harry asked, secretly happy to be able to share the secret of the invisibility cloak with his former best friend.
"I'm game, but how are we going to do it? Filch is sure to catch us!" the redhead whispered vehemently. Harry just smiled slyly. "Trust me, come on," he declared, grabbing the cage. "I have an excellent idea!"
05/12/1992, 10H21, Potter Manor, England:
Hadrian Potter and Sirius Black had experienced many improbable events in their lives. For Hadrian, the very existence of a hidden wizarding society was one of them. However, finishing their morning training and discovering Hedwig and two other owls perched on the kitchen table, next to a cage containing Peter Pettigrew, was a surprise even for them.
The two men recognized the rat without the shadow of a doubt. Sirius, because he had seen the Animagus in this form countless times, and Hadrian, because he already knew what the traitor looked like, having seen him many times in his time.
In front of the cage, a small letter written by Harry awaited them.
Dear Padfoot, Uncle Hadrian,
At your trial, Padfoot, the description of the rat reminded me strangely of something, but I couldn't identify what. I thought about it all day, and after a discussion with Ron (we've kind of made up, Uncle Hadrian, I'll tell you about it in another letter), I noticed that his pet rat had many similarities to Pettigrew.
I'm not sure if it's actually him, which is why I've refrained from taking any personal revenge. However, if it turns out my intuition was right, could I be present at the trial? If I can't get my revenge myself, I would at least like to see the face of the man who caused my parents' death...
With love,
Harry James Potter.
Hadrian read the letter aloud, slightly surprised by the information about Ron, before turning to Sirius. However, he immediately understood that reading the letter was pointless. The man was in uncontrollable rage.
"It's him! He's alive! It's PETTIGREW!" he roared, drawing his wand and casting a spell on the rat.
Hadrian reacted quickly, drawing his own wand and deflecting the spell to the ground. With his free hand, he slapped Sirius's hand, disarming the Animagus consumed by anger.
"Sirius, calm down! I know you want revenge, and I promise you will. But first, we need to make sure it's him!" Hadrian exclaimed, trying to get the man to sit down.
Sirius took a deep breath, unable to calm down his rage, and replied, "No need to check, it's him Hadrian! I'd recognize that damn rat from miles away! It's him! It's him! He killed James and Lily! Let me kill him!"
Hadrian, losing patience, cast a Stupefy on the rat, ensuring it was unconscious, before squeezing its core violently. The entire manor began to tremble, and despite the fatigue that marked his face after his morning training, he seemed ready to fight.
The anger he exuded made Sirius back away almost instantly, although the defiant look did not leave his face. The pressure slowly subsided, and Hadrian spoke again.
"Listen to me dammit! I'm going to cast the reversal spell, and we'll see if it's him. If it is, then we'll take him to the Ministry, and he'll be tried. That will clear all the suspicion still hanging over you. Trust me!" he declared, trying to reason with the dog-man.
Once again, the latter took deep breaths, and in turn spoke. "I know damn it, I know. But if we take him to the Ministry now, he'll be found guilty and suffer the Dementor's Kiss. He won't even see Azkaban. I can't let him get away with it like that. Even if death itself is horrible, I want him to suffer. Eleven damn years in Azkaban, do you realize?! AND YOU WANT TO LET HIM DIE WITHOUT EVEN ONE?!" Sirius shouted, clenching his fists.
Hadrian himself felt a considerable hatred for this man. But he had his revenge in his time. The man had died in front of him after all.
Sirius, however, did not have such luck. "Listen, I'm going to lock him up in the dungeons. Do whatever you want to him, but don't kill him. I'll heal him and remove the memories of what you do to him before we go to trial. If you kill him, you'll not only incur my wrath, but also Harry's, who wants to see this son of a bitch in court. So get your revenge as much as you want, but if you do any shit that goes against what the kid wants, shits going to go south," growled the time traveler, not caring about letting his own anger out.
Sirius was a great man, he knew that. But the man let his emotions get the better of him far too frequently, and it had already caused a lot of harm to both Harry and himself. He will not allow that to happen again.
To his surprise, his speech had managed to convince Sirius, who nodded. "You're right, sorry. I won't let you down, neither you nor Harry. I promise he'll survive," he promised.
Hadrian nodded in turn, and the duo carried the cage to the basement. They placed the animal on a table and cast the reversal spell. The rat immediately transformed into an unconscious Peter Pettigrew, taking no one by surprise.
Hadrian tied up the rat-man, making sure he couldn't use any magic to escape, and ordered an elf to watch Sirius's movements.
He knew the best thing to do would be to dissuade the man, but he wasn't sure the rat deserved it. After all, in his time, he was the one who had allowed, in addition to the betrayal of his family and the attacks on many Muggle families, the return of Voldemort. 'The bastard deserves everything that's coming to him,' he thought darkly as he saluted Sirius and left the room.
06/09/1992, 12H54, Potter Manor, England:
Hadrian knocked gently on the door, careful not to disturb the occupant of the room. "Sirius, can I come in?" he asked, placing his hand on the doorknob.
"Yes, come in," a breathless voice replied from inside.
Having his friend's permission he entered the training room, watching it slowly repair itself. Sirius, bare-chested, was lying on the floor, exhausted, his wand resting beside him.
"I lasted twenty-five minutes at level seven. I'm still far from being able to stand up to Voldy," he called out from the ground.
Hadrian had modified the mansion's training room with the help of the goblins, adding various training modes, including one called "chain battles". This mode plunged the user into a combat simulation against wizards taken from Hadrian's memories.
This marvel of magic had been created using his memories and several chains of runes. Hadrian had taken his inspiration from what he had seen in Djara's cave and, although he had not understood much of it, had passed the rune scheme on to the goblins. The latter, for a price, had happily agreed to help him set up the room.
From the memories provided, they had created ten levels, ranging from the simplest - a fight against a single average-level wizard - to the worst Hadrian had faced: Voldemort, Sethom, or other powerful wizards and beasts he had fought against. Over the past two weeks, Sirius had focused mainly on his training and his duties as Lord. He had quickly passed the first five levels, but was stuck on the seventh, which consisted of facing the Deos from Hadrian's era.
From what the time traveler understood, Sirius was able to hold his own against him but was unable to defeat him, hence the length of these duels.
"You'll get there, don't worry. I just got back, the meal is ready," Hadrian said.
The past few weeks had been relatively calm. Following Peter's arrival, Hadrian had sent a letter to Harry congratulating him on his discovery. The boy had then replied, explaining that after a discussion with Daphne, he and Ron had officially reconciled. Hadrian trusted Harry, but decided not to get involved any further. He knew that, from his experience, he would be unable to be objective.
After several days of torture, Sirius's anger had finally subsided. He had spent the first evening interrogating the man to learn the extent of his betrayal. Hadrian didn't want to know what he had done to him afterwards. When he got the rat back, he wondered how the rat had survived what Sirius had done to him. "I used Legilimency on him. I can't believe that one of my best friends was actually a scared Dark Lord fanatic who spent his time raping Muggle children," the dog Animagus had said. Hadrian himself had to admit that if he had been in Sirius's place, the rat wouldn't have survived more than an hour.
They then healed Peter, and Hadrian had meticulously searched his mind and destroyed each memory one by one since his arrival. He made sure to be as careful as possible not to add any new ones, not wanting to leave any magical traces of what he had done. If they were questioned, they would say that they had just kept the man unconscious, which explained the lack of memories.
After that, they had delivered the rat to the head of the Department of Magical Justice, Amelia Bones, who was delighted to organize a new trial. The Minister immediately agreed, happy to be able to put an end to this story that had given him very good press over the past month.
Hadrian, with Dumbledore's permission, had come to pick up Harry from school and take him to the trial. The latter had recognized himself in the young boy's disgusted face after seeing Peter Pettigrew. Hadrian, just as Harry, when he had met him in his time, had wondered how a human being could resemble his animal form so much.
Harry stayed with them that evening. Sirius had taken the opportunity to feed the boy stories of his parents at Hogwarts. It was also that evening that the young Lord Black learned that his old enemy, Severus Snape, had become the Potions professor. "If Snivellus is still as unpleasant as he was back then, I'm not surprised you hate the subject," his godfather had admitted with a grimace.
Since the trial, everyone had gone back to their old habits. Sirius focused on training, as did Harry who, to Hermione's delight, continued to read advanced course books. Hadrian, for his part, had... a new habit.
"Did you go back to fight that woman again? I guess by your smile that you're the winner once more?" Sirius asked, getting up and refreshing himself with a spell before putting his shirt back on. The two friends then walked upstairs towards the dining room.
"Actually, it's the opposite. For the first time since the duel at the club, I lost. She managed to take control of my Fiendfyre for a short moment and struck me down with lightning. It's been a long time since I've lost in a one-on-one duel," the man explained with a proud smile.
"So you're happy you lost? Ah, women... they have that effect," Sirius sighed, hiding a smile.
"Shut up. I'm just glad I can fight all out without risking my life, you degenerate. Besides, the next time you bring a Muggle woman home, make sure she knows about magic. The last one fainted when she saw a house-elf. The poor guy punished himself because he thought he had dishonored the Potter house," the man said, sitting down in front of his plate.
"Sorry, I didn't know. I could have sworn I told her before I... Anyway, never mind. I'll think about it," replied the dog Animagus, scratching his beard.
The past few weeks had been relatively quiet. Hadrian was trying to get some rest. April and May had been very long months, and he had earned his rest.
Outside of political visits, letters to Harry, and discussions with Sirius, he had made a habit of going to fight Fortuna.
The woman was perpetually cold. Sometimes she seemed to show signs of concern when she touched him with a particularly powerful spell, then she would resume her assault as if nothing had happened.
He didn't understand this witch. She didn't seem to hold any grudges against him, but as soon as he tried to start a conversation, she would push him away and insult him. "Whatever, I have too much on my mind to think about that," he thought to himself.
After his defeat, instead of being satisfied, the woman had seemed even more disappointed. According to her, the only reason she had won was that he had stopped fighting her at his maximum, and that he had been inattentive during the fight. She had then decided that they would stop fighting until she had improved.
'Why does she want to become so strong, I don't get it,' he thought, asking Sirius about his day. The conversation went on, with the two exchanging about what they had to do until Sirius came up with an idea.
"I'm thinking about it, Hadrian, but the Black family had a lot of properties. I'm very happy here, and to be honest with you, I don't want to go back to my parents' old house. But I know that the family grimoire, as well as many powerful spells, are there. Do you mind if we take a look? I don't know what kind of traps they might have left, so if possible, I'd prefer to have you with me for that," the former prisoner explained.
Hadrian rejoiced inwardly at the request. He was glad to be able to keep his godfather at home. But if he wanted to destroy Voldemort's horcrux at 12 Grimmauld Place, he would have to go there. "No problem. Let's finish eating and we'll go if you want," he suggested.
The man nodded, and the two, after a hearty lunch, set off. Sirius' former home awaited them after all...