As the two, lightly crying girls examined the ashes and what looked like snow a tiny birds head rose out of the ashes.
"I don't believe it." Hermione stated in shock. "I think Hedwig died and was reborn as a pheonix. We should grab some of the ash mixture and take it to the hospital wing. I am sure we can ask Dumbledore. Fawkes took Harry to the hospital wing, there is no doubt he is still there with Harry."
Susan nodded as she looked at Hannah and Neville attempting to comfort Natalie. While Susan watched her two friends comfort the heartbroken girl, Hermione waved her wand and transfigured a nearby stick into a large goblet.
We should grab those three and bring them with us. Harry risked his life to save her. I am sure she wants to be there when he wakes up.
In the hospital wing, Madam Pomphrey was waving her wand over Harry's body as she cast diagnostic charmes and cleaned the blood from his body.
"Fawkes' tears appear to have repaired all the damage suffered from the attack. He should wake up any minute."
As Madam Pomphrey finished speaking Harry began to move slightly while moaning in discomfort.
"Ughh, what happened? Is Natalie ok?" Harry sat up and tried to get out of bed.
"NNw now my boy. Lay back down. I am sure Poppy doesn't want you out of that bed." Poppy nodded. Dumbledore looked sad as he continued speaking.
"Last i saw before i asked Fawkes to bring you here, Pettigrew was captured and thanks to you and Hedwig Natalie was not injured. Unfortunately, Hedwig did not make it."
Tears started forming in Harry's eyes. Hedwig had been his one friend that was always nearby unless she was making a delivery. Before anything else could be said Two brunettes and a redhead rushed in closely followed by Neville and Hannah.
Before anyone could stop her Natalie ran up to Harry amd hugged him with tears in her eyes. "You nearly died to save me from that mean man." She could not be seperated from the boy that she now idolized. Harry wrapped his arm around her as she cried into his newly cleaned torn robes.
Hermione and Susan looked at him anxiously.
"Natalie, I promise I will do everything I can to protect you."
Harry looked to the group around his bed. "Dumbledore said Pettigrew was captured and Hedwig didnt make it. Pettigrew didnt get away did he?
Hermione smiled slightly despite the sorrowful situation. "With all of the students you had trained and all the adults around, he could not avoid the spells headed in his direction. He was stunned, bound, and taken away by aurors. With hedwig, however, we don't know what to say. She flew in front of the spell at the same time you appeared in front of Natalie. When Fawkes cried over your wounds one landed on Hedwig. She burst into flames and turned to ash. We were going to gather the ashes for you but noticed something strange." She pulled out the ashes and showed them to Dumbledore, Poppy, and Harry.
Dumbledore's eyes began to twinkle and hermione knew that he suspected what was going to be said next he turned his back to the others and started waving his wand and mumbling spells at the table next to Harry's bed.
Hermione attracted everyones attention as she began speaking again.
"We started gathering the strange ashes when a head arose out of the ashes. Harry it's amazing. Somehow we think Hedwig became a pheonix."
Susan now showed everyone the tiny bird she had been gently stroking on the head. Little white feathers were slowly growing out of the grey baby feathers.
"You are partially right miss Granger." Dumbledore started. "Hedwig does appear to be a phoenix now. Y'all can set her on this stand. It has been permanently transfigured and will perform as well for her as Fawkes' does for him. However, Hedwig is far rarer than Fawkes. I have only heard rumors, and this is only speculation, but the white in the ashes and the white feathers lead to the assumption that Hedwig is actually a snow pheonix."
"We have given Harry a lot to think about and i think we should allow him to recover. If you all follow me we can let him recover."
Everyone but Natalie moved away from the bed. Natalie shook her head still crying. "I don't want to leave."
Harry pulled her closer and moved to the side allowing her to snuggle closer still crying into his shirt.
"She's not allowed to stay, my boy. we need to find someone for her to stay with."
Harry shook his head and reached for his wand on the other side table. Susan rushed over and handed it to him before standing between Harry and Natalie and Dumbledore.
"It's ok, Susan."
Harry raised his wand and made a decision that would change everything for the little girl he had grown close to.
"I, Harry James Potter, Lord of House Potter declare that Natalie McDonald is now a daughter of House Potter."
Harry's wand flashed in acceptance and the Potter crest magically appeared on the breast of Mary's shirt.
Most of the people gasped in amazement at the length that Harry would go to protect Natalie.
Dumbledore smiled and gave Harry a grandfatherly smile.
"As natalie is too young to be sorted I will have a hoise elf prepare some of the family quarters for the two of you and i will reach out to Sirius and inform him of the capture of Pettigrew and ask him to stay with the two of you for the remainder of term.
Before Dumbledore could call an elf Dobby appeared.
"Dobby has already gathered all of mistress Natalie's stuff. Dobby will help with the family quarters and get Harry's stuff for him. Can dobby do anything else for Harry Potter, sir."
"Thank you, Dobby. Once you have prepared our quarterd please go to the McDonald home and pack all of Natalie and her mothers things. She has the right to keep all of her mothers stuff."
Dobby nodded in acknowledgement and popped away.
The next few weeks would change everything for the wizarding world.
Sirius appeared the shortly after dobby had popped away. He had already heard about the attack from Amelia. The three of them were given family quarters behind a potrait inbetween the Hufflepuff barrels and the portrait hiding the kitchen entrance.
Sirius, Harry, and Natalie went to Gringotts the next day and they asked Barchoke if there was a way for Harry to blood adopt Natalie into the Potter family. Barchoke told him it was the same as a blood adoption for a parent/child adoption except you would say brother/sister instead of father/mother and son/daughter.
With that they did the blood adoption and gave Natalie access to Harry's old trust vault, allowing her to spend 10,000 galleons a year and it would be refilled every September 1st.
Before the left Gringotts they did the necessary paperwork after Natalie's agreement thay she would henceforth be known as Natalie McDonald-Potter and she could shorten it either way.
Dumbledore, Amelia, and several other prominent members of the Wizengamont declared a vote of no confidence in the minister and everyone but the darker leaning faction voted to have him ousted.
Amelia was nominated to replace him but stated that she felt that she was in the right place at the moment and felt that there was a person far better.
"The death of Mary McDonald has been the first attack by a person marked by Voldemort in over 12 years. I have climbed to my position in order to protect our citizens from danger of every kind and wish to continue doing that. The man that I propose we elect has had his eye on the greater good of our community for many years. While he has made some mistakes over ther years i think that he is proven many times that he has the strength and desire to protect us. He defeated the Dark Lord Grindelwald and led part of the fight against Voldemort. I propose that we vote for Albus Dumbledore to become the next Minister of Magic."
Dumbledore stood. "While i dont think I am the best person for this job, I will accept should you choose to vote me into office. Are there any others you wish to nominate for Minister of Magic."
Dumbledore looked around the room waiting for someone else to be nominated.
Everyone else in the chamber knew that nobody would win against Dumbledore so he was elected as Minister.
Dumbledore declared that new people would need to be considered for ICW Delegate, Head of Hogwarts, and Chief Warlock. He also stated that all ministry positions would be evaluated and if necessary, people including heads of department would be replaced.
As the changes occurred at the end of the year McGonagall took over as temporary headmistress until a new head could be chosen. She declared that the year end tests would be exempted for all except for the fifth and seventh years. She told all of the students that they would be recieving information over the summer as changes were taken into effect.
Harry knew that with all of these changes going into effect his futire knowledge may become less relevant but he would do his best to prepare for future events.
Harry vowed, after the death of Mary, that he would put every effort toward ending the threat of another Wizarding war. He realized that he had spent most of the year putting off his future knowledge and responsibilities. As soon as McGonagall dismissed the students from dinner he stepped into an empty classroom and used his shadow abilities to become invisible. He then travelled as quietly as possible to the seventh floor where he asked for the room of requirement to provid him with the Room of Hidden Things. He walked straight to the Diadem of Ravenclaw and summoned his Basilisk venom infused sword. Without any hesitation he swung his sword at one of the corners of the diadem taking off the last inch of it.
As soon as the sword struck the diadem there was a scream of pain and a black cloud appeared out of it slowly disintigrating. Harry picked it up and delivered it to McGonagall and Flitwick in the Headmaster's office.
"Please keep this hidden for the time being. This was a horcrux and was created by Voldemort. He cannot no that i am going after his soul pieces."
Harry thought about Voldemorts soul pieces as he left the Headmaster's office. Death had taken the resurrection stone and removed the piece from Harry's scar, and the diary, diadem, and Cup had either been removed or destroyed. All that was left was Slytherin's locket and Nagini. Harry would make sure that the locket would be destroyed over the summer and Nagini would be killed at the resurrection ritual.
Hedwig had grown into her adult pheonix form and many were shocked to see that there was now two known pheonix in England and belong to the most powerful light wizard and the boy-who-lived.
Natalie and Harry were rarely seen apart from each other and Hedwig was often seen with either Harry or Natalie.
Harry now how a large group of people in his shadow legion, all were marked with his shadow mark, including Natalie. While many questioned Harry about giving Natalie the shadow mark, Harry knew that it was one of the only ways he could protect her all of the time and know where she was at all times.
Before all of the students were released for the summer break he presented them with some specially enchanted watches. Over the course of the year Harry had been commisioning watches to be created for each member he then enchanted them in a similar manner to the coins that Hermione had created for the DA in the original timeline. He could tap his watch and all of the others would warm and the hands would move to the time that Harry wants to meet. The meeting place would either be Potter Manor or the Room of Requirement.
I will be striving to post once or twice a month for the next two months as the semester is coming to an end. I will try to update my profile with completion status of the new chapter by the end of each week.
I plan to add more detail to each chapter and focus on individual events from this point forward instead of covering larger amounts of time in each chapter. As always, I welcome any and all suggestions, reviews , and criticisms. I will do my best to respond directly to the reviews. I do not mind criticizism but give suggestions instead of just flaming those of us that take time to provide new reading material for all of us.