The Ever Changing Face of Death (unedited)

by TheL0sts0uls

After passing through a Veil archway, Hazel Potter and her adopted son Teddy discover they are in the DoM of a parallel world in 1991. Deciding to prevent the events that resulted in a nuclear winter, Hazel becomes an Operative, facing the dangers and traumas that exist in the crossroads between worlds, as she tries to build a life for herself in the new world. Female Harry Potter.

1. Chapter 1-10

The Ever Changing Face of Death

Summary:

In 2007 Hazel Potter takes her 9 year old blood adopted son Teddy through a modified Veil Archway, wishing to escape their dying world. The two exit out of a Archway in the Department of Mysteries in 1991 before being surrounded by Unspeakables. Hazel informs Director Saul Croaker about her world and he notes that theirs has enough similarities to be concerned. He convinces her to become an Operative for the DoM in order to give her a new identity and a place for her and her son. During the orientation for Operative candidates, she finds Nymphadora Tonks. Wishing to give her son a chance to know a version of his birth mother, the newly named Hazel Peverell helps Dora train to be selected as an Operative. As Metamorphmagi, the two are partnered together and carry out missions for the DoM, while getting to know one another. Dora learns what it is to trust another while Hazel, carrying a power gifted to her by the Hallows and her own demons, learns what it's like to be more than just a mother and a killer.

Chapter 1: Leaving Everything Behind

OW June 1998

Hazel looked at her surroundings as soon as the bag over her head was removed. She had heard about the old families having ostentatious homes, but her idea of frivolous expense and theirs was apparently way off. The place looked like a medieval castle's oldest wing, with its wrought iron chandeliers full of candles and dreadfully dark walls. The furnishings looked to be old leather but hardly screaming comfort or even good taste. There was even some damage on the roof from the once lit candles. Either the Malfoys were stuck in the last millenium or all old families were too. What a scary thought. It was certainly more scary than being pulled in with her two companions under heavy disguise done the muggle way because what could possibly hide one's appearance other than illusions, self-transfiguration or Polyjuice Potion. "Well, is it them, Draco?" Hazel turned at the source of the voice and felt her blood go warm. Lucius Malfoy. Biggest racist pig in the whole bloody country, minus a certain pink toad. Well, said Pink Toad was currently in a Ministry morgue somewhere, so yeah, he was the biggest racist pig in Wizarding Britain. Hazel watched as the peacock's spawn came up close to her. "Her face looks similar, but her eyes and hair are all wrong. That bitch may have had horrible taste in witch's clothes but she'd kill herself for cutting her hair so short. You sure there is no magic hiding her?"

If she had had her hands free she might have actually given Draco a bloody hug. For the biggest racist at school, he was surprisingly observant because she had loved her hair. She had let it grow long from the moment she went to Hogwarts and then her Godmother had spent a whole two summers and one winter with her, usually brushing her hair or braiding it. It had become a part of her. She had felt so hollow cutting it short for the deception, like she had lost one more of her good memories. That was something the stupid war had done. Take, take and take. Her friend, her Godmother, her Familiar and now a part of her, all gone. She was desperately wondering if there would be anything left of her if they ever brought it all to an end as Dumbledore thought she could. The snatcher huffed beside her, "No magic. No wands either." Draco looked at her, unsure before turning to an old blonde woman that looked a bit familiar. "We can't call this in, not until we know for sure. The Dark Lord has been furious these last few weeks in his search for her. He might just kill us all for bothering him with a lookalike. What do you think, mother? Anyway she could be using makeup to hide her appearance?"

Ahh, that's where she recognized her. Narcissa Malfoy née Black. Funny, of the three Black Sisters she looked the worst off. Maybe being a Dark Lord's retaineer wasn't all it was cracked up to be. The woman closed in and held Hazel by the chin and cheeks. "Don't know. There is no makeup on her face and she looks way too tanned from what we last saw of her." Funny, tanning salons had been around since the late seventies. Then again, with how pale the Britain's European Wizarding population was, it didn't surprise her that they didn't know about them. They all could use a few long hours in the sun. The woman released her and went to speak to her husband when a Death Eater entered the chamber. "We got them Lucius. The shapeshifting whore and her mutt of a husband are dead. No kid though, must have been with the Grandmother. We still can't break the wards around her home." Hazel's body suddenly went cold. No. Please no. Not Dora. Lucius stood up quickly. "Get more of our men to that stupid muggle neighborhood. I don't care how long it takes! I want through those wards." Hazel waited until the Death Eater walked past her before slipping or her cuffs and punching the bastard in the family jewels. She used his body as a shield as she took his wand. It felt like it would complain but she refused to be denied. Not after losing Dora.

She casted a featherweight charm and stunner on the prick and kept his body between her and the rest as she casted every curse she knew. The snatchers next to her companions dropped dead from exploded skulls and missing limbs as she focused on the Death Eaters in the room. Narcissa was fast, probably as fast as Andi and Dora, but not faster than her. She had been training to cast as fast as possible ever since Tom disarmed her in the Chamber. Her meatshield took a lot of curses, including a few AKs, but the morons didn't think to use far more devastating spells. Either they didn't want to damage their home or they had been too used to using Unforgivables to scare people into submission. Too bad for them, she stopped being scared almost two years ago to the day. Funny how fear just left you when you have nothing really left to live for. A Piercing Spell shattered through Narcissa's shield and took her right through the heart. Draco barely cried "Mother!" before a stunner took him down, courtesy of Hermione. Lucius didn't last much longer after that, taking a cutting curse to the leg. Hazel shoved the corpse she held at him, cancelling its enchantments. The old Slytherin wheezed as a full man's weight fell on his chest before crying out in pain as she amputated his arm and crushed his wand. No emergency calls for the bastard.

Hazel swung her stolen wand and pulled the corpse of the old man before slamming her boot on his intact hand, earning a cry of pain. She screamed at him. "Why!? The Tonks and Lupins had practically left the Order and Andromeda has never raised her wand against you and your people so why go after her." Lucius spat at her and she responded with a piercing curse to the thigh, getting another cry of pain out of him. "Mad-Eye taught me a few things before your Dark Lord killed him in July. I can leave you just as bad as Rudolphos left the McKinnons. Give me a bloody reason Lucius and I will test it all out on you." The Slytherin looked her right in the eyes. "Why do you think? The Black Headship has been in Limbo for a year! It was Draco's by birthright but the Tonks stood in the way of it. I wasn't going to let a Halfblood Shapeshifter and her mongrel child inherit the fortune of the oldest Wizarding family in Britain." Hazel stared at the man. "You killed Dora and Remus, leaving behind a child orphaned, just because you couldn't stand seeing a few more barrels of Galleons go to another family?" Lucius growled at her. "Of course you wouldn't understand! You never had a family. You never knew what it meant to us. It's why we all are fighting this bloody war!" Hazel stared at the man as she swung her wand and a body dropped right next to Lucius.

"You are right. I never had my own family. So, show me what it means to care about one. Sectumsempra!" Lucius watched as the cursed cutting spell tore into his son's body, his blood covering the floor. The bastard's blood started pooling around him as the boy started to choke on it. Lucius hollered at her. "Stop. Stop! I'll give you anything you want. Just spare my son. Please! Stop!" Hazel blinked at the man, her face emotionless. "But you didn't when you had Dora and Remus killed. Or Mad-Eye. Or my Godmother. None of you ever stopped, no matter who begged. Funny, how you expect everyone else to play by a different set of rules but not your own." Hazel felt someone try to pull her wand arm away and she just banished them back. "You take and take until there is nothing left of your enemies. Too bad, Lucius. You just took something else from me so now I am done holding back. You wanted Draco to inherit your fortune and the Black's? Congratulations, you get to watch him bleed to death instead." Lucius turned at her. "The Dark Lord will kill you, you bitch! Mark my words, you will die like your accursed family." Hazel gave him a bitter smile. "That doesn't sound like a bad thing. Death seems so much more comfortable than living in this hellhole. Don't worry, I will give you the same comfort as your wife and son." Hazel aimed her wand at Draco's twitching body. "Avada Kedavra." Draco stilled as the dark green curse struck his chest, causing Lucius to cry out his son's name. Hazel didn't care. She had seen Death Eater's do the same a hundred times. It was about time they got a taste of their own medicine. "No Snivellus to save him this time, old man. Your turn Lucius. Don't worry, I will be sending your beloved Dark Lord to you as soon as I can. I might even join him. Avada Kedavra." The second beam of green light was the last the wand casted as it fell apart in her hands.

She turned around and saw her two friends looking at her with horror in their eyes. They didn't have time for this. "Hermione, grab a hair from Narcissa, Ron take one from Draco while I take one from Lucius. We need into the Malfoy Vault at Gringotts to get the bloody sword so stop wasting time gawking at them." Hermione stood up. "You didn't have to do that! We could have let them live!" Hazel glared at her friend. "The hell I was! They killed Dora and her husband. They left my Godson orphaned and they wanted him dead. I wasn't going to let that happen!" Hermione screamed at her. "Then you're just as bad as they are!" Hazel blinked at the bushy haired girl. "This is a war, Hermione. There aren't any heroes and villains, only combatants and casualties." Hermione cried in front of her. "Your parents didn't die for you to become a monster. They wanted you to mean something. Something good." Hazel scoffed as she bent over and plucked some blond hairs from the dead man. "If they wanted me to have a good life, they should have raised me themselves. Them being dead means shit to me. Now let's get going. Gringotts ain't robbing itself." Hazel would spend the cart-ride going down the Gringotts vaults thinking about Teddy. He would end up like her if he was left alone. There was no way Andromeda could manage after losing her entire family in less than two months. She cursed under her breath as the Polyjuice Potion was neutralized by the bloody security system. She had planned to die when she faced Voldemort again. Now she had to somehow live for Teddy. He deserved better than the life she herself lived. He deserved to be happy. Staring down an albino dragon, Hazel swore he would have a happy life. She'd make sure of it.

OW June 2007

Hazel breathed deeply as she got pulled out of the memory and went to wash her face in the fountain. Was it 8 or 9 years since that day? She wasn't sure and a part of her didn't care beside the fact she had just celebrated Teddy's 9th birthday. In two years he should have expected to receive his Hogwarts letter and then she would be going crazy trying to figure out what to do. She couldn't teach there after the mess of corpses she left behind, both before and after the end of the war. Funny, how Shacklebolt promised things would be better once the Ministry was back in order. Those Hit Wizards and Aurors that came after her certainly didn't feel welcoming. She had killed most of Voldemort's Inner Circle, including the maniac himself, and a metric ton of his foot soldiers but apparently that wasn't good enough. None of the racist pigs would harm another soul and muggleborns could live without fear for the rest of their lives, but she was somehow a threat to the safety of the same people she saved. The moment the bastard tried to pry custody of Teddy from her hands as soon as Andromeda died was the last straw. She stopped caring about the people sent after her then. Auror or Neo Death Eater, those things stopped meaning anything different. The moment they tried to kill her or take Teddy from her, they were all the same; dead.

At least the Minister got his priorities right when the Grindelwald fanatics blew up the G8 summit meeting in London. There was no hiding magic from the live performance broadcasted to every corner of the world as the eight most powerful leaders got sliced, burned and just exploded before a video camera. The masses went ballistic as did the governments of the world, everyone throwing blame everywhere. Good thing she had long taken her son away from the urban centers as there was no chance they would have avoided drawing attention to themselves. In the years since the Battle of Hogwarts, she had a lot of trouble not making a spectacle out of every fight she was in. When Teddy was safely home, she could actually manage being stealthy, hence her exceptional record of unconfirmed deaths as a killer for hire. The war had taught her how to kill, so why not make a living from it. She made sure her targets were exactly the right kind of people too; racists, rapists, misogynists and terrorists. Sure, some of them were parents, siblings and children of others, but she didn't care. They were raised that way or they became that way. She never had trouble sleeping from those kills and she could look at her son in the eye and not feel any shame.

No, the world really went to shit when the first nukes were launched. Mutually Assured Destruction was a great deterrent until the first shot was fired. After that, there was no stopping it. Britain had taken a direct hit in London but at least she and Teddy were far enough away not to suffer any immediate effects. Things got bad, though, when the clouds set in. Winter came and refused to leave. The wildlife started dying as April turned to May with no end to the snowstorms. Hazel had to go out hunting for miles and miles, using every hunting trick she learned while out avoiding Death Eaters and Snatchers. She did what she could to clean and preserve every scrap of meat, every bit of fat. Thank goodness for stasis spells. Thank goodness her own magic didn't fail either. She didn't understand it at first when Teddy told her he couldn't shift anymore. She gave him her old Holy and Phoenix Feather Wand and he couldn't perform any magic with it. He could with the Elder Wand, even if it complained from being wielded by him. She had no idea how but Magic was apparently dying, leaving her as the only person left to wield it freely. She spent most of the time using it to safeguard Teddy from the cold and to keep his food preserved. At least her shitty childhood at the Dursleys' made her used to living on an empty stomach.

Magic dying did have one benefit. Places that had once been warded or hidden away by magic began to appear in the world again. Or maybe it was just Britain. Hard to tell when she refused to cross the English Channel. Britain took one direct hit, but all of Europe took several. No way she was crossing over into that radioactive cesspool. The best thing to come of the fading magic was the current place she had brought her son to. Her Druidic texts called it the Isle of the Blessed, the inspiration for a version of Avalon. This was a place were the High Priests and Priestesses of the Old Religion gathered, taught their apprentices and held rituals. The death of the Old Religion soon after the demise of Camelot caused it to be lost to time, until just a few days ago. She had found some fish still alive in the ponds and had pulled them out of the water. Teddy had eaten well for the first time in a year. The little ball of sunshine had even asked her to eat from the food. She did, only because she had seen what she had really been looking for in the area. It was in far better shape than the one in the Department of Mysteries in 1996, that's for sure. She did notice some trace of goblins in the area though, which bothered her.

Hazel had never gotten in the good graces of the Goblins after the break in at Gringotts. They had seized her Galleons and sealed her Vaults, after they threatened to kill her if she ever walked through the doors of Gringotts again. The fact she eventually walked right into the Bank, bypassed all their shiny new security and retrieved everything that they couldn't take from her Peverell and Potter Vaults, plus the money Andromeda had left for her and Teddy in her Will that she never did get withdrawn, had made them so angry that they sent Gringotts Retrieval Teams after her. She had no idea what exactly had changed but her Invisibility Cloak had gotten much better at avoiding detection since last she sneaked into Gringotts. She would freely admit that the Retrieval Teams were better than the Aurors and the Hit Wizards and had actually managed to take her down for all of a minute. The Bank got a box full of Goblin heads and a less than friendly worded letter soon after for the trouble they gave her. She still never did walk back into a Gringotts Bank freely, but the greedy and arrogant little blighters didn't bother her again, not even with threatening letters. The books in the Peverell Vault had been the main target of her visit. She needed to know what the hell had happened to her since she ate an AK straight to the face. No such luck. She did find a translation of Druidic Script and texts about a lot of interesting stuff, including the Isle of the Blessed and what it housed.

The Unspeakables and the Ministry called it the Veil but the Druids called it an Archway. It was supposed to be a means of instant travel between two points with synchronized Archways, but leaving it without a destination was an effective way of getting people killed. They got their gruesome reputation from that, especially as the High Priests and Priestesses who maintained and operated them died out. The one in the Ministry took a nuke, so that one was never in Hazel's consideration. This one though would hopefully give her what she wanted. She ran her hands through her now long white hair and pulled it back into a ponytail before tying it. She got to work making Teddy what breakfast she could, including some salted pork and a few vegetables she found on the Isle before storing the meal under stasis. She quickly bit her way through her own supply of pork and some leaks as she reached the Archway. The Druidic Script was much more intact on this one, which she was thankful for. What she was about to do wasn't part of the designer's thoughts or ideas but she had no choice. If she did nothing, Teddy would die in this forsaken world, just like everyone else. When Dora had practically demanded she be Teddy's Godmother, despite Remus' objections, she knew what it meant. Teddy would be her responsibility if something happened to them. Her responsibility now included breaking a few laws of Magic. No pressure. Hazel took a deep breath as she sliced her index finger. Time to get to work.

Teddy felt something tickle his nose before he brushed it away. The sensation came back and he opened his eyes. A butterfly was staring at him from the tip of his nose, its wings beating softly. "Hello." The bug took flight and hovered in front of him as he lifted his feet over the edge of the sleeping cot his mother had made for him last night. He yawned as he scratched his side, his black hair getting a bit in his eyes until he brushed his hair back. He missed being able to shapeshift and take care of his hair, though he could still do it when his mom gave him a bit of her magic. She always looked tired afterwards so he only asked for it twice, the second time taking the appearance he wanted to keep. As far as he was concerned, this was the way he wanted to look for the rest of his life. Grandma Andi had shown her pictures of Mama Dora and Mom when they were younger. He loved that his mom had once had jet black hair, even if it had gone mostly white now, with a few odd jagged streaks of black crossing it. She couldn't change her hair to black anymore, at least not her original shade. So he changed his to match. She was his mom after all.

Stepping out of his sleeping tent, he moved to the bigger one where his mom kept the bigger supplies and equipment she carried with her. There was a pan drying next to the bowl of water she used for dishwashing and he spotted a familiar looking box on the kitchen table. His mom had gotten him an old aluminium lunch box and she used it in the mornings for his breakfast. It had once sported some weird cartoon drawing on it before she just made it into a Hufflepuff themed box, emblem and all. He knew his mom had been a Gryffindor even if she said she never quite liked the Hogwarts House, but her Mama had been a Hufflepuff. Grandma Andi and Mom both were sure he would be a Hufflepuff one day so Mom made him the lunchbox and changed a lot of his clothes to match. He honestly loved it. It made him feel closer to Mama. He was also sure the Sorting Hat would place his Mom in Hufflepuff now too. Sure, she wasn't loyal to just anyone, even he could see that, with the way Grandma Andi shook her head every time something went bad. But she was a hard worker. She always had food on the table and she always made sure he was safe and loved.

Opening the box, Teddy took the utensils and started eating, enjoying the meal that his mom had made. Grandma Andi had always complained when Mom cooked, but never about the taste. It always tasted good. Mom used to cook a lot and to be fair he knew he ate a lot too. Metamorphmagi apparently had a high metabolism. Mom said it meant we went through food faster. It was weird because mom never ate a lot, though she did eat more when things were ok. Teddy had to practically beg her to eat since things went cold. He used to like the snow, he still liked running in it when he was in his wolf form and making snowmen with Mom and Grandma Andi, but the current snow took magic and food away. He wondered if he'd ever like the snow again. At least this place Mom found felt like spring, though he could see the edges starting to be covered in snow. He could even feel some magic in the air. Soon he was done eating his breakfast, the biggest he had for a while, and he stepped outside. Mom called the place the Isle of the Blessed and it certainly felt like a blessing. His thoughts stopped when he smelled a familiar scent.

"Mom!" The moment he found her she looked at him with concern. "You ok?" Teddy blinked at her. "I'm not the one bleeding, Mom!" Hazel looked sheepish. "Sorry, I forgot how good your nose is. I know you hate it but I need to do this, son. Please?" Teddy felt torn. He hated seeing his Mom hurt, especially when she hurts herself. She hadn't done it in years. "You aren't doing it to hurt yourself?" Hazel went to him and pulled him up into a hug. "No Teddy, this isn't me breaking my promise and hurting myself. You remember what I told you about some of the old magics?" Teddy thought back. "They didn't use wands, you had to make a prayer at times and sometimes you needed to draw something in blood?" Hazel nodded at him. "Exactly. What I am doing is old magic that needs blood to work. I know you hate it when I am hurt but we need this Ted. If I do this, we could say goodbye to the bad winter and maybe see some people again." Teddy hugged her hard. "Mom doesn't like people." Hazel laughed, which warmed her son's heart. He loved hearing her laugh. "True, but you like people and where we are going they won't have a reason to not like me. I hope."

Teddy settled down and was placed on the ground. Hazel kneeled down to be at his level. He liked her green eyes, though she said his purple eyes were better. They were Mama's real eyes. "So, what do you want to do?" Teddy frowned. "Can I watch you work?" He could see that his question had surprised and worried his mother. "Promise me you won't use or study this magic until you are at least 17. Please?" Teddy nodded and Hazel ruffled his hair. He sat back and watched his mom essentially doing a lot of finger painting, only the paint was her blood and he could feel the magic building in the air. He had read some of her Mom's books from her family's vaults but he had trouble understanding what all the symbols meant. It was oddly relaxing. Mom only ever allowed him to watch her work when she was at home, mostly in the kitchen. Mom loved to cook. He hoped he could see her smile again over the stove or when she pulled out a meatloaf from the oven again. He thought about Grandma Andi. She had been gone for a few years. He really missed her and he knew mom missed her too. The two were very close. Grandma said she had even wished Mama and Mom had been the ones who got married.

The man he knew was his birth father wasn't someone Teddy knew or really cared about. Grandma Andi complained a lot about him, about how he made Mama cry and how he ran off when Mama had been pregnant with him. He found it funny that Mom had actually personally dropped off his deadbeat dad on Grandma's front door after he ran away. That Remus Lupin didn't like Mom was something he picked up early on. When he asked Mom, she told him that she and his former dad never really got along. He had taught her magic once to keep scary Dementors away but he never came to visit her or care for her even though he was supposed to be like an uncle to her. Her Godmother had been there for her and his Mom had been hurt when she was killed. She killed the bastard who had killed her only family and after that Remus had turned cold to her, like the rest of the Order. Mom and Grandma never had good things to say about the Order either. They did their part to beat the bad guy and Mom finished him, but then they went bad and tried to take him from Mom. When Mom said she could Blood Adopt him by replacing Remus, he had jumped with joy. Mom became his real mom after that. No matter what happened, he knew his Mom loved him. He would never doubt that.

Hazel stored everything she brought with her back into her bag and casted the spells to make it easier to carry it all safely. The time had come. The Archway was one final symbol away from activating. After that, she hoped to say goodbye to this wretched world. She had everything that ever mattered with her, his hand gripping hers tightly. She kneeled down to look him in the eyes. "Ok Teddy, I want you to hold onto the Hollows for me. I know they don't like you except the Cloak, but you need to hold onto them tight. They will keep you safe, whatever happens. Got it?" Teddy nodded and took the wand and stone into his hands as Hazel wrapped him in the Cloak. She always knew where Teddy was, even with the Cloak on him. She took a deep breath and walked towards the Archway, slicing her finger open. She drew the last piece of Druidic Script and watched the Archway light up, until it became filled with an undulating wave of energy. Hazel sealed her wound and placed her hands onto the stone. She closed her eyes and focused her mind.

She could feel the Archway groaning under the force she placed on it but she refused to let that bother her. She had a goal in mind and it meant everything to her. She'd use all the magic in the world for it if she could. Feeling the magic strain under her will she envisioned her target. The Archway seemed to stutter and groan. It kept saying the target wasn't there. Hazel didn't care. She forced it to keep looking, to find it, no matter what. She felt her arms starting to burn as her heart began to beat harder and harder in her chest. The Archway demanded her to stop, but she refused. She wouldn't stop. Eventually she felt the Archway giveaway, as if all the weight it pressed against her just vanished. She breathed deeply as sweat covered her face. She eyed the Archway and grinned. It had worked. There, where the stone Archway usually showed nothing but an undulating curtain of magic, was a clear image of the Death Chamber she remembered. A Death Chamber that had been destroyed by the nuke that took out London. The image meant she got her wish.

Hazel called Teddy to her. "Ok Teddy. I am going to take you in my arms and we are going to cross the Archway. Keep the Cloak completely over you and the wand and stone in your hands. I promise, whatever happens, you will be safe." Teddy hugged her. "I love you Mom." Hazel felt tears in her eyes. She didn't know she could still cry. "I love you too, my son. Hold on tight." Hazel lifted him up into her arms and took one last look around. She would be eternally thankful to the Isle of the Blessed. This one last bastion of Magic had given her what she needed to save her son. In thanks she and Teddy preserved some of the flower plants fully to bring them wherever they went. It was better than leaving the plants to wither and die in the encroaching snow. If she somehow made it through alive, she'd try and visit the Isle again wherever they were. The place deserved to be cared for. She eyed the cloud covered sky and the darkness beyond the wardline. The world she had been borned into felt cursed from the moment she could remember living in the cupboard under the stairs. She remembered the beatings and the nights she felt hunger pangs. She remembered the promise of magic that left her hoping for a better world, one she only found in two people. She hoped the next world had something better to offer. This one would have nothing left once they were gone. She focused all of her magic onto Teddy. No matter what, he would be safe. She walked into the Archway and felt the magic sweep over her, leaving behind a cold and barren world.

NW - -

Pain. If there was one thing Hazel was intimately familiar with, it was pain. She knew the pain of broken bones and torn muscles. She knew the pain of a hot summer's day on her back and the prick of thorns on her fingers. She could say she knew what the pain of the highly corrosive Basilisk venom felt like in her veins as phoenix tears pulled her back together at the same time. She became quite familiar with pain under the Cruciatus Curse wielded by the biggest sadist in the world. She knew the gut wrenching pain of watching her Godmother be taken away from her just before her eyes. When she went to Voldemort in the Forbidden Forest, she had been torn between letting herself die or living for Teddy. She chose her Godson and fought back with all her strength, tearing into Voldemort's forces before he managed to strike her with a Killing Curse. The one time she chose life, she had died. Only for her to then experience a pain unlike any other. There had been no spirits or Ancestors to welcome her, no pearly white gates or unholy infernos. Not even the calm of an empty black void. No, only a pain that seemed to tear through her entire soul.

She had been just as surprised as everyone when she woke up behind Voldemort, held in Hagrid's arms, as he gloated about having bested a 17 year old girl in combat to the entire school. She didn't know what surprised everyone the most, the fact that she was alive or that she casted the Killing Curse straight at Voldemort's back, ending the bastard once and for all. Her life began to change after that day. Her pulse had slowed down, hunger had been less frequent and her hair started to go white. The pain she felt after Voldemort's Killing Curse became a familiar one soon after. Aurors, Hit Wizards, Neo Death Eaters and the Goblin Retrieval Teams. Hell, even a lorry took her out one time. That last one had made her feel quite ashamed of herself and it had nothing to do about her waking up naked in a morgue with a toetag listing her as an unknown female. So it came as no surprise as she felt that familiar pain assail her again even as she kept her magic on Teddy. She did have to admit, this was the first time she blacked out from the pain. She briefly wondered if it meant anything.

"Mom. Mom!" Teddy kept pushing into his Mom's side. Whatever his Mom had done, it had worked. They were through the Archway at the place his mom had chosen. He had felt his mom's magic wrap around him in a cocoon, the Wand and Stone reacting to it happily even as he began to feel cold. The next thing he knew was that he fell onto his side, his mom beside him, both of them safely across the Archway. He did what Mom taught him and checked for her magic and pulse. Teddy sighed in relief when he felt it before he remembered. Mom said the place had people in it. Mom hated people. If the people showed up before Mom was fully awake, bad things would happen. "Please Mom, Wake up!" He saw his Mom's eye open and he stared. He knew that empty gaze. It was the one she had when bad things happened. He stared back at her until the eye began to soften and a smile grew on her face. "Hi Teddy." Teddy teared up. "Hi Mom. We are through." Hazel felt every bone in her bone pop and snap into place as she stood up. She eyed him carefully and really smiled. She conjured a mirror and held it up for Teddy to see. "Looks like you're back to normal."

Teddy blinked as he saw his hair and eyes shifting color before he closed his eyes and focused. He was back to his usual black hair and purple eyes as Hazel vanished the mirror before looking around. She stilled. "Cloak on, Ted." Teddy pulled the Cloak over his head quickly and stood behind his Mom as loud voices were heard echoing in the room. A bunch of grey cloaked figures came up, their wands drawn and aimed at Hazel, who eyed them carefully. She felt a small hand pull her by the belt. "Mom, please don't hurt them." Hazel sighed, reigning in her magic. Teddy had a point. They were here for a fresh start. Exterminating a bunch of Unspeakables wouldn't do her any good. Not that it wouldn't be too hard to consider. One of the Unspeakables came up and pointed her wand at Hazel's face after all. "How did you get in here? Make sure you say the truth or things will get nasty." Hazel eyed the woman. She was pretty sure anything she could do, Voldemort had already tried. He didn't find the link between their minds and not do anything about it. The man was an opportunist after all. Still… "I walked." The Unspeakable was probably glaring at her, though the face covering made it hard to see for sure. "One more remark like that and we will see who has the last laugh."

Hazel was seriously considering asking Teddy if she could at least wipe the floor with this one. Her near death had the expected result of recharging her magic, so she was good to go. A different voice interrupted her thoughts. "Michelle! I pay you and the rest to use your heads. If that woman literally walked out of the Veil, what makes you think you can take her on your own? Where the hell is that brain I hired three years ago?" A man in a grey cloak wound his way through the other Unspeakables before standing in front of Hazel. Unlike the others, his face was visible. He was also familiar. "Saul Croaker. Still keeping eggheads in line?" The gray haired man eyed her carefully as he came upon her. "I am afraid I don't remember having the pleasure of meeting you before. What's your name?" Seeing no point in lying, Hazel went with the truth. "Hazel Potter." The woman next to her scoffed. "Please. The Potters are all dead except for Harry Potter. Everyone knows that. Try again." Hazel sighed before banishing the woman wandlessly and eying Croaker. "What month and year is it?" Croaker frowned. "June 1991. Are you a time traveler?" Hazel ran her hand through her hair. "Since I don't remember ever being a boy or going by Harry, I'd say more like Dimension Traveler. You got a place to chat without wands being pointed at my face?" Croaker eyed her carefully before nodding and motioning her to follow. "Right this way."

"Nymphadora Tonks?" Dora sighed as she turned around to look at the man who called her name. She really needed to bother her Mom about picking a name like that for a daughter again. The amount of sexual innuendos and corny pick up lines aimed her way since Hogwarts had only gone up with every year. She hoped the Auror Academy would be better but knowing who else would be here, she highly doubted it. She eyed the man looking at her, surprised by seeing a grey cloak in the Auror Academy. Didn't Aurors wear red coats and Hit Wizards maroon? "Can I help you?" The man, his head covered partly by a cap, nodded. "You applied to the Auror Academy and are here to pursue a career in law enforcement, yes?" Nymphadora blinked at the man. "I assume that's the same for everyone here, sir." The man chuckled. "Indeed, but not everyone here is an Metamorphmagus." Dora focused her eyes on him as she slipped her wand out of her holster on her hidden side. The man grinned. "Not bad, but you telegraph your movements by your shoulders. Might want to practice that more."

Blushing at being caught, Nymphadora nodded. "Will do. Now what do you need with a Metamorphmagus? I literally just got here too." The man lowered his papers. "That you did. Your skill set would be quite well received in the Academy. You also got a note of recommendation from one Alastor Moody, who was at Hogwarts as a guest lecturer and to test out some of the Auror hopefuls. While you may find good work in the DMLE, I am here to offer you a different career. Should it be too much for you, you would be more than welcome to reapply to the academy, with our own letter of recommendations." Dora eyed the man carefully, noticing his stiff posture. He had training too. "What sort of work would I see with you and is this private or government business." The man motioned her forward and the two walked along the edge of the Academy running track. "It's Ministry business, all above board. You'd see some guard duty, scouting, intelligence gathering, enemy engagement and a lot less paperwork for it all."

Dora chuckled at that. "Mad-Eye did complain about the paperwork." The man nodded his head. "Moody's flair and aggressive tendencies make for a lot of paperwork, that's for sure. We tried to recruit him too but he failed our … higher level of stealth requirements. We still had the pleasure of him under our payroll for a few years." Dora grew concerned. "If he couldn't pass it, then I ain't likely to either. I am a clutz most of the time." The man eyed her. "That may prove true, but we would still like to try. Other than the work, you'd get a higher wage, in house living quarters if you don't already have a secure living arrangement and our own Medical, Financial and Legal services. Due to our more clandestine operations, we tend to keep things in house." Dora could see the benefit in that. No paper trail, no exposed employees and no need for transport. She hadn't secured an apartment yet because she wasn't sure if they would take her in at the Academy. She had passed most of her classes but she wasn't sure if she could deal with the entry qualifications. This gig did sound a bit better, though she doubted she could make it. She'd give it a try, at least. "Sure, why not. Any papers I need to sign?"

The man pulled out a small slip of paper. "This is just a confirmation that you are willing to try out as a candidate. The full contract will be available at the location once you arrive. Please be there by 7:30 in the morning two days from now and make sure you have your whole day and night free for the next six weeks. If you are still on after that, then we will adjust a more fitting schedule. Don't be late." The man gave her the paper and Dora read it, finding a simple agreement to take part in the training. She signed it and returned it. "So, where do I go in the Ministry for this job interview and training?" The man grinned as he took the paper. "Basement Level 9: Operations Division. See you there, Candidate Tonks." Dora watched him walk away as she stored her wand back in her holster. Level 9. What was it that her Dad told her about the Ministry Levels? Level 10 was where the Courtrooms were located and where he went to the most because of his work as a lawyer. He always complained about having to take the stairs from Level 9 and … the Department of Mysteries. Dora felt a slight shiver run down her spine. She had just been scouted by an Unspeakable. What the hell was she getting herself into?

Chapter 2: What's on the Other Side

Hazel stared at Croaker as they stood just inside of an interrogation room. "No." The man ran his hand through his short graying brown hair. "Look, you have a minor attached to your leg. That means Child Services needs to ask him a few questions. They will be in the room next door, perfectly safe." Hazel growled. "I didn't just cross an Archway that likes killing as much as working as a portal just so your government lapdog gets to scare my son. He stays in the room with me." Croaker sighed. "We don't have a room with two interrogation desks or the space to add one." Hazel blinked at the man and pointed at the two walls with mirrors. "I know you aren't stupid enough to have two observation rooms on both sides. So, which side faces another interrogation room?" Croaker frowned. "The right, but-", Hazel didn't let him finish. She pointed her hand to the right wall and blasted it into dust before vanishing the traces of the wall. She eyed Croaker. "There, problem solved. Conjure a privacy screen if you want but not fully opaque. I am not letting my son out of my sight." Croaker stared at the demolished wall, trying to remember just what wards were on it. "Fine, take a seat." He watched the woman place her hand on the table and felt magic cover the area before she sat down.

Since there was no physical change he could see, Croaker figured it must have been a soft transfiguration, probably to disable any traps or triggers. "You aren't very trusting, are you?" Hazel stared at his eyes, those emerald orbs filled and shining with magic. "I was trained by Spies, Aurors and Vigilantes in the middle of a war before my own Ministry betrayed me. My trust ended with them. Besides, except for you since you're the Director, all your employees wear face covering. So hi Pot, my name is Kettle." Croaker chuckled. "Touché." The door behind him opened and a woman with a clipboard walked in, looking around. "New interrogation room?" Croaker pointed at Hazel with his thumb. "A concerned mother who refuses to leave her son out of sight. Considering he was wrapped in an Invisibility Cloak and she just blasted my wall away, please be respectful. You have the clearance to be here, but I'd rather not explain why one of the Child Services workers vanished in my Department. I am already dealing with a few missing lawyers as is." The woman nodded and went to the other table. Teddy, who had been with Hazel the whole time looked at his mom. She kissed him on the head. "Go, but be careful. I'll be here, no matter what." Teddy nodded and went to the other table with the woman as Croaker conjured a privacy screen slowly.

Croaker sat down in front of Hazel. "You love him very much." Hazel eyed the man carefully. "I won't beat around the bush. I have killed for him. The only reason your greycloaks weren't dead on the floor was because he deserves a quiet happy life and you all might just be our ticket to getting it. That changes and I won't hesitate to have the entire Ministry drop on your heads. The Courtrooms alone deserve to be wrecked for all the shit your Minister lets the Purebloods get away with after his pockets get a few hundred galleons in them." Croaker stared into her eyes. "Interesting. So Fudge is just as corrupt in your world. Any major things we should compare notes? Especially since you are clearly too old to be Harry Potter's age, so either you're a cousin that survived or you are a version of Mr. Potter, several years into the future." Hazel leaned back. "We left sometime around June of 2007. Hard to keep track of time when we only catch a few glimpses of the sun through the thick clouds. I do know it's been about two years of our time that the nukes dropped, and two years prior said bomb drops some morons spouting lines from Gellert Grindelwald appeared on camera and outed magic to the world, killing the 8 most powerful leaders in the process."

Hazel could almost see the gears turning in Croaker's head as he wrote all that down. "We may need to get in touch with other Unspeakables and the ICW. If the events that took place in your world are likely to be repeated here, we need to head them off. Anything else with the lives of countless people on the line you remember?" Hazel waved her hand. "What's your Dumbledore's opinion on Lord Voldemort? Assuming they both exist here, of course." Croaker thought for a second. "That he was defeated on Halloween of 81 but may yet return." Hazel cursed. "Great. My Dumbledore was a manipulative asshole who left thousands of magicals to die in his game of chess with Voldemort, especially the second time around. In my world, the man, formerly Tom Marvolo Riddle, made three Horcruxes to cheat death. What are the chances yours did too?" Croaker stared at Hazel, his quill frozen in place. "The fact you know what they are tells me you are telling the truth. If we had a proper Operations team, we might be able to handle this, but we don't. As for Dumbledore, he likes to keep his secrets. We technically have no idea where Mr. Potter is right now." Hazel hummed. "So, Director, any idea what kind of deal we can make that lets my son have a modicum of normality with me as his guardian or do I take my business elsewhere?"

Croaker sighed and leaned back into his seat. If the events of their two worlds were to play out similarly, the world would be in for a nuclear winter in less than 14 years, not to mention the collapse of the Statute of Secrecy in a worst case scenario. Those things can't be allowed to happen. The ICW could handle the issues early with enough forewarning and keep an eye on Grindelwald believers who might be planning to break the Statute of Secrecy. That still leaves Voldemort's return. He eyed the woman across from him, whose attention was glued on the privacy screen separating his side of the room and the other. This person survived Voldemort enough to know the bastard's greatest secret. Probably finished him off too, before getting the short end of the stick from a corrupt Ministry. She braved a dangerous device they didn't even know how to work to give her son a better life, away from a world of death and destruction. She had the raw potential and more of what they were looking for. He knew Operations would be holding another candidate examination in two days. Could she pass and become an Operative, one they desperately needed? "You clearly aren't lacking in raw magical power, just in everything else one needs in an organized society. If I offered you a job as a DoM Operative, would you take it? After training, of course." Hazel tapped her fingers on the table. "Moody once told me about that. He also mentioned our Operatives got betrayed, hence their decommissioning in 82." Croaker sighed. "We got betrayed too, but our Battlemaster survived. He's kept the Division going, but all we have is a couple of Curse Breakers, a Crafter and some Healers on staff. We need true Operatives to do the job. Are you interested?"

Hazel thought about it. Moody had failed his entrance test but bemoaned the end of the Operations Division, calling them the best combatants the Ministry had in its walls, especially as they were disinterested in following the corrupt and radicals of the Wizengamot. She eyed Croaker. "If I do, what can you do for me and my son? I brought what few identification papers we had but we simply don't exist in your world. My son needs a home, food and… an education." Her heart started beating wildly. Two years. In two years her son might get a chance to go to Hogwarts. Right when shit was going down in her own life. She slammed a fist into the table, startling Croaker. "If Harry Potter's life is in any way like mine, the next seven years of Hogwarts are going to be a nightmare. Aside from getting us situated and living comfortably, I need your help in safeguarding Hogwarts. I am not sending my son there unless I am sure we can keep him safe. One of the threats is a bloody Basilisk left there by Salazar Slytherin himself, that will be set loose with no one stopping it for almost a half an academic year!" Croaker paled. His great nephew Neville would be going to Hogwarts too. His sister Augusta would murder him if he did nothing to keep him safe. "Agreed. We will get you two settled, get you trained and get started on taking care of the stragglers of the last war. Any families you could claim as your own not being Potter? It could make securing funds and identities easier, without drawing attention to yourselves."

Families. Hazel blinked as she thought about her family tree. What little she knew of it. "My grandparents, on my father's side, were Fleamont Potter and Euphemia McKinnon. My parents were James Potter and Lily Evans. I know I have some Black far back in my ancestry, but I can't remember the name. I am also related to the Peverells." Croakers wrote the names down and thought out loud. "The Black estate is frozen while the Lord presumptive is in Azkaban, Harry's paternal grandmother was a Black not McKinnon, so the McKinnon family's wealth ended with them during the war, the Ministry claiming most of it. The Peverell family folded its Seat in the Wizengamot to the Potters, with the Potters taking everything minus a Vault the Peverell's placed into a Trust, keeping it intact for a potential Heir. The family name is practically worthless politically right now but it can give you a foothold in our world, if you want it." Hazel turned to look towards Teddy, feeling his growing unease. "I won't be changing my name until my son says anything. He was proud of being a Potter. I won't take that away from him without asking him." Croaker nodded as he finished writing his notes. "Very well. For now, our Department's Legal and Financial Divisions will make the inquiries to see what we can claim of the Peverell Trust."

Teddy squirmed in his seat. He hadn't been separated from his Mom in front of people for years. It felt weird. He eyed the woman in front of him carefully. The woman with brown hair with traces of grey smiled at him. "No need to be afraid. My name's Emmeline Vance with the Ministry's Child Services. I just need to ask you a couple of questions." Teddy frowned and pulled his seat back a little. He remembered that name from a photo Mom carried. "You're with the Order. Mom might not like you talking to me." Vance blinked at the kid. How did he know? "Your mother was in the Order of the Phoenix?" Teddy shook his head. "She was too young when bad things started happening. When she was older, the Order didn't like her and treated her badly. Especially when Mama died. She was in the Order and they couldn't keep her alive. Mom doesn't like the Order because of all that we both lost because of it." Emma sighed. She couldn't exactly try and explain the good the Order did for the country, as the child probably wouldn't care or understand. All he knew was that he lost a parent to it. "I can tell you my oaths wont let me talk about you to anyone, Order or not. I am just here to make sure you are in good hands." Teddy glared at the woman. "Mom has the best hands. She's been with me since I was in nappies."

Emma wrote that down. "She has made sure you had food? A home? Education?" Teddy started feeling insulted. "Mom did all that. This last year was bad because the snow didn't leave since the year prior but she always came back with food. I had to get her to eat because she always gave more food to me." Emma was concerned about that. "That's not always a good thing. Your mother has to take care of herself if she is to care for you." Teddy nodded. "Grandma asked me to care for her, but Mom can tell when she makes a mistake. If not I tell her and she stops it. Mom listens to me." Emma looked at the kid. He was clearly more mature than a typical 9 year old, especially if he was forced to have some responsibility. "What about schooling?" Teddy made a face. "Grandma couldn't send me to primary because of me being a Metamorphomagus. Grandma and Mom home schooled me. When Grandma passed, Mom kept at it. She kept a lot of books and made sure I read and understood them. Had me do quizzes when we were bored. She even teached me some magic, but we had to stop because of the bad snow." Emma tapped her Quill. "Your mom can get in trouble for that, teaching you magic before going to school."

Teddy blinked at her. "Mom says rich people teach their kids magic before school all the time, despite the law. The law was made for muggleborns to keep them from breaking the Statute of Secrecy accidentally, but the law was written the way it is to make it seem more fair. Doesn't mean those who live in Magical houses don't break it all the time and the Ministry never enforces it." Huh. The kid clearly knew about the important rules, but also about how people broke them all the time. "What about your Mom's rules? Do you break those?" Teddy shook his head. "Mom's rules are simple and she explains them to me so I know why she asks it of me. I need to eat well so my body doesn't hurt later. I need to exercise so it takes longer for me to get tired and I burn bad stuff from food. I sleep early because I need my rest for the next day. I need to bathe because then I am not smelly and don't get sick. There are a few more, but it's more what to do and not do when bad things happen." Emma took a few longer notes. At least the woman clearly looked after the kid. Still, his earlier comment about her not eating enough bothered her.

"Does your mother do other stuff she isn't supposed to do?" Teddy thought for a second. "Can't say. Mom might get mad. She stops doing them when I catch her. When I ask her for a promise to not do it again, she keeps it." Emma didn't like the sound of that. "Like what? What does your mother do?" Teddy shook his head. "No, Mom promised. She keeps her promises. Those things don't matter anymore." Emma tried to get the boy to see reason. "Kid, if your Mom is dangerous to herself or to others, I need to know." Teddy pulled back from the table and stood up. "Mom isn't dangerous if people just leave us alone. She only hunted animals for two years without hurting anyone else because they were all gone. I'm safe with Mom." Emma placed her papers down and stood up. "Look. Things aren't that simple. If-", Emma stopped talking as she saw the walls warping around her. She eyed the kid but despite being distressed, it didn't seem to be coming from him. He noticed the walls too and ran to the other side of the barrier. The magic instantly settled, the walls returning to their normal state.

"I think that will be all, Ms. Vance." Croaker came to her side and Emma glared at him. "My evaluation isn't complete. The boy seems well adjusted but I am concerned about the parent being a danger to herself and others. That isn't the best place for a kid to be raised. At best, the mother will need to see a Mind Healer for several issues. At worst, Oblivi-" Croaker pulled her to the side as an object flew past them both, embedding itself on the wall with great force. They both turned to look at a black bladed knife embedded into the wall. A growl echoed in the room. "Croaker, any use of Mind Magics on myself or my son will be an instant breach of contract and as far as I am concerned a declaration of war. UNDERSTOOD!?" The sheer density of magic in the air had Croaker and Emma breathing a little harder. Croaker shook it off. "Agreed. No Mind Magics. Miss Vance, while I value your insight, we do have a unique situation here with this pair, a relationship that didn't form in the typical fashion under unusual circumstances. I don't think it's fair to judge it by our standards completely. I will need you to finish your report and reapply the oath." Emmeline stared at Croaker before sighing. She sat down and finished her report before reapplying her oath in front of Croaker. She promptly left the interrogation room.

Croaker walked back towards the table with Hazel and Teddy and saw the two in quiet discussion, with both their hairs switching color as they talked. He sat down and waited for the pair to stop, with Teddy sitting down comfortably, his hair back to black. He eyed Hazel. "Interesting use of shapeshifting." Hazel shrugged, her own hair back to white. "Teddy's grandmother was a Healer with some Mind Arts training. She developed a relaxation exercise for her daughter and Teddy that required a lot of self awareness, especially of your own emotions. When my gifts manifested, she taught me and after that we taught Teddy. It helps keep the shapeshifting magical muscles active. Keeping a shape for too long is a bit of a problem for a typical Metamorphmagus." Croaker hummed. "Something else we need to discuss, as having Metamorphmagi discuss their talents is quite unusual. For now though, I can provide you one of our apartments so you can rest for the night. There is an elf attached to the independent wards of the place who will be under your command exclusively but is forbidden from carrying out certain tasks. A book with the restrictions and expectations of the tenants is available in the room proper. You may adjust the wards but not in a way that damages the other units."

Hazel kept a comfortable grip on her son as they walked through the Department until reaching a black wall that suddenly opened up, the section of the wall lifting upward, revealing a long hallway that reminded Hazel of a hotel. Croaker left them in the apartment they were assigned to as Teddy looked around excitedly. Hazel noted the windows on the walls, remembering what Mr. Weasley had once told her about having artificial views to help settle the minds of the workers. The view showed the old districts of London at night time. She reached the wardstone and placed her hand on it, tying the wards to her directly with a drop of blood. A loud pop echoed in the room and Hazel looked over at the little creature that appeared. Unwanted memories appeared in her mind and she buried them quickly. She would miss her friends but they both chose to act in defence of her. That was all that mattered. It was their choice. She would honor them now and hoped their counterparts would have a kinder fate. The young elf looked at her with big silver eyes. "Welcome Mistress. I am Leafsby. Leafsby the house elf. What can Leafsby do for the new mistress?" Hazel made sure she had a good grip on the wards, feeling how they interacted with the elf. "I want to hear every order you are currently under and what restrictions bind you. Be precise in the wording. I had two elves before who knew how to skirt the orders of unwanted masters. I will endeavour to be a good mistress but my son's life supersedes all other concerns. I need to know I can trust you."

Leafsby wasn't really burdened by any great standing orders, just to help keep the Department clean if not under any other orders and not to act against any of the other elves or tenants in any way possible, even by inaction. Director Croaker had one order to report any harm to the tenants to both himself and the Medical Wing. No orders to observe, document or spy and no orders to control or intervene with their food intake. "Leafsby, my standing orders are that Teddy's life is your first priority. If he is in danger, you are to pull him out of it and then inform me. If you cannot pull him out, inform me immediately. If anything unusual happens you are to inform me to verify whether it's of concern. Any attempts by anyone, including Teddy, to give you orders must be taken as a request and verified by me first before implementing them. You are forbidden from concealing or taking no action that may cause any danger to me or my son. Understood?" The young female elf nodded. "Strong Mistress cares for her child. Leafsby will protect the child and Mistress. Can the Mistress ease her grip on the wards?" Hazel nodded and released the wards, having overcharged them. She would have to look at some books on warding as she was more adept at charm wards, not necessarily runebased wards. Well, she knew how to bypass those too in the right conditions.

Hazel smiled as Teddy called for a change of clothes from the bathroom. After letting Leafsby clean most of the clothes from everything conceivable, including any radioactive traces, she gave her son his clothes and waited for him to finish before she walked into the bathroom and stripped down. "You can ask Leafsby any questions, just be careful with requests. Ok, Teddy?" A happy "Kay!" was her response as she got under the shower and turned it on. Washing her body thoroughly, Hazel remembered to ask about getting some in depth physicals tomorrow. She wanted to be sure that she and Teddy weren't carrying anything dangerous. She sat down on a shower bench and scrubbed her legs and feet clean. She was always having issues with the fact that there weren't any scars on her. She had never worn shorts as a teen, nor any kind of revealing clothing. Her so called friends had called her a prude while the purebloods had been supportive to a degree. She hadn't been doing it out of modesty, she just didn't want to show anyone her scars. When she first saw the communal showers in first year she had been terrified to take her clothes off. She eventually found an abandoned prefect bathroom on the second floor and bathed there alone. Well, as alone as she could be in a school with ghosts.

OW September 1991

"Oh, hello. Not many students come here." Hazel panicked when she heard a voice behind her. She slipped and fell onto her back. "Oww." She blinked a little before a translucent face appeared above her. "I'm sorry, I didn't mean to startle you." Hazel could feel her back being bruised and a bump forming on her head. "I didn't know you'd be here, so I guess we can call it fair." She sat up and pulled her partly lifted shirt down. She noticed the ghost eyeing her oddly. "Is there something wrong?" The ghost shook her head. "Well. You aren't making fun of me." Hazel looked at her. The ghost looked like any other teen at the school. "Why would I make fun of you?" The spectral girl floated around her. "Because I'm Moaning Myrtle." Hazel knew the girl had just lied to her. She knew the type of names bullies made for people. "That's not your name." The ghost shrugged. "Not really, but everyone calls me by that name." Hazel stood up and dusted her leggings. "Can I hear your real name?" The ghost looked at her with surprise. "Myrtle Warren."

Hazel smiled at her. "A pleasure to meet you. I'm Hazel Potter." The girl flew around her. "You don't look like what the students described. No glasses on your face. Not even a scar on your head." Hazel blinked at the ghost, feeling uncomfortable being so close to her. "I think I had a scar as a baby but it healed over. As for glasses, I never wore them, so I have no idea where that came from. Can I ask why you're in this bathroom?" Myrtle laughed. "Because I died here, silly." Hazel looked around. "Oh, sorry about that." Myrtle got really close to her face, causing her to scoot back. "The real question is why are you here. First year students aren't Prefects." Hazel started shaking. "I just wanted a private place to bathe. The Gryffindor showers are too busy all the time and no one seemed to ever come here." The ghost floated about. "I guess that makes sense. The Prefects don't come here because of me and some legends about other students going missing here. Well, what are you waiting for? Hop in." Hazel shook her head. "You are here!" Myrtle chuckled. "Yes, but I am a ghost. I don't count." Hazel shook her head and moved towards her towels. This had been a bad idea. "I'll just go."

Myrtle looked at the girl as she picked up her towel and bag. "You know, you're not the only one who came from a bad household." Hazel froze. The ghost moved closer to her. "My mom was ok, but my step dad hated me. He never got to beat me, but only because mom made him worried about what his family would say if word got out. I hear that it's better now, with the Ministry helping those in need. You could ask for help." Hazel couldn't help it. She laughed, she laughed and fell onto her rear as her laugh turned to tears. "I tried! I tried over and over again. No one in the muggle world believed me. Even when I showed them the scars and they swore they would do something, they never did. They always forgot. Some even said I did them to myself. When Hagrid showed me to Diagon, I asked who to see about bad people. The Aurors said they'd do something, but it never happened. They all said I was a troublemaker, that I harmed myself for attention! Even McGonagall and Dumbledore don't believe me!"

Hazel cried into her towel as Myrtle hovered beside her, unable to do anything. "I can show you how to reset the password. Then this place would be yours privately. I promise, I will go to the other bathrooms while you are here." Hazel descended into hiccups as she settled down and followed Myrtle to where she could reset the password to her own choice. She used the word "Sanctuary". Hazel looked at the ghost. "Thank you Myrtle. Thank you for believing in me." Myrtle nodded and vanished into one of the toilets. Alone and emotionally drained, Hazel took off her clothes, revealing a mess of scars across her back. She slipped into the massive bathtub and started to scrub her body, trying to avoid the raw marks on her upper back. From that night on, sanctuary became her private place, away from the school that had promised her so much only to prove to be just as disappointing as her life back in Surrey, as well as a place to talk with her new friend. As she dried herself, she yelped as the towel scrapped the now open wounds. She hoped Quirrell was able to teach her how to defend herself soon. She needed to stop feeling so vulnerable.

NW June 1991

Drying her now unscarred back with a towel, Hazel looked at her reflection in the mirror. She could feel echoes of her past screaming in her head. Grinding her teeth she focused on the now. This wasn't her shitshow of a world, this one was still alive. She was strong enough to not be vulnerable and she could protect Teddy. Her son needed her to be strong and whole. He had a chance at a real life now, to go to school and make friends. To learn magic properly. To… a thought intruded into her mind. The Tonks family was alive. All of them. Ted, Andromeda and Nymphadora. They were alive, or at least she hoped they were alive here. Hazel would have to check on them and see what they were like. Maybe Teddy could have more than just a chance. He could have a real life with his grandparents and mother in the mix. Of course, they probably wouldn't be the same people but they could be close enough. She had so much to look up and ask Croaker about. Hazel eyed herself in the mirror again, feeling her focus returning and her body growing steady. She breathed a deep sigh of relief and pulled on her sports underwear and really long pajama shirt.

She smiled when she found Teddy talking to Leafsby, asking about how the elves lived when not following orders and what it meant to them to find a steady family. He saw her and smiled. "Hi Mom." Hazel nodded at Leafsby who popped away as she sat down next to Teddy. "I have some things I need to ask you, Teddy. Please be honest with me." Teddy nodded and snuggled up against her. Hazel conjured a brush and tried to straighten out his hair. "Croaker has offered me a job and in exchange we get to live here and later elsewhere, with all the nasty paperwork adults like to make for themselves all straightened out. One of the things we need to decide is if we are keeping our name. Harry Potter already has dibs on it and there aren't any other Potters to inherit. The McKinnon's don't have anything else to offer me here either. That leaves the Peverells. You read their old books from my bag. Do you think you'd be ok being Teddy Peverell?" Teddy thought for a second. " I wouldn't mind. I know names mean something but we are new here. I guess having a new last name feels right." Hazel chuckled and kept brushing his hair. "When did you get so wise?"

Teddy escaped her grasp and shifted into his wolf animagus form while his mom watched on. He could feel his body readjusting after going two years since shifting before he shifted back. "It feels stiff." Hazel nodded. "Since I am going to be getting some training, I will see if there are some exercises we can do together as Animagi. We need to get used to it all again. We also need a physical tomorrow." Teddy sat down on Hazel's feet and looked up at his amused mother. "Do we have to?" Hazel nodded and picked him up by his armpits. "Hey!" Hazel eyed the room she knew was Teddy's. "Do you want to sleep in your room tonight?" Teddy shook his head. "Can I sleep with you? It's been so long." Hazel sighed and headed to the master bedroom. "Fine, but you need to get used to sleeping on your own eventually. You might just get a letter in two years time." Teddy brightened up in her arms. "Yes! I can go to Hogwarts!" Hazel noticed a kid's blanket had been placed atop the bed as Teddy jumped off her arms. "Thank you, Leafsby." She could feel the elf through the wards grow happy at the gratitude as she pulled her sheets aside. Sleep came easy to her that night and she hoped it did so from now on.

"Morning sleepyhead." Dora yawned as she sat down at the kitchen table. "Morning Dad. Morning Mom." She took the cup of coffee her mom had set out on the table and hummed in satisfaction when she drank it. Ted looked over the newspaper towards his wife who was bringing breakfast to the table. She sat down and prepared her utensils. Even after she had been cast out of the family, Andromeda refused to behave as anything less than a proper lady. She eyed her husband. "Any word from the Department of Education?" Ted sighed and shook his head. "Nothing yet. We know this is the year young Harry enters Hogwarts but so far everything has been quiet. We might not hear anything until his birthday on the 31st of July, if not the September 1st." Andromeda drank from her coffee as Dora eyed her parents. "Are you still trying to get custody of him?" Andromeda nodded. "He is Dorea's grandson. He has no other relatives on the Potter side and I swear I will burn Dumbledore's beard right off his face if he left him with Petunia Evans. Lily had made it quite clear she was not to get custody of her son." Dora shrugged. "The Headmaster could be trying to keep him out of Narcissa's hands. She is the next Black with legal right to him."

Dora winced at the angry look on his mother until Ted gripped his wife's hand. "Nymphadora has a point. You are the oldest but disowned Black still alive. Narcissa would be Child Services first choice, especially with the wealth she can throw around. He may just be safer away than being fought over in the courts." Andromeda sighed as she drank her coffee before looking at Dora. "Weren't you supposed to be at the Academy 10 minutes ago?" Dora bit into her Mom's French Toast and waited till after she swallowed to answer. "I got asked to try out for a special program tomorrow so I got today off. Was thinking of heading to the gym and getting a workout for today and then going to the Auror Academy's Spell Casting Training Room to get my aim in. I want to be ready for tomorrow." Andromeda frowned. Did her daughter get tapped as a Hit Wizard? That usually happens after graduating from the Academy. Then again, she is the only Metamorphmagus in the Academy. "Just remember to stay safe, Nymphadora. You know how I feel about you joining the Aurors. Things are starting to stir out there." Dora cleaned her chin with a napkin. "Then they need more Aurors out there. The more wands the better, especially in bad times. Besides, I will probably get assigned to Moody. Who better to be with, right?"

Andromeda shivered. "That man has seen too much of war, Nymphadora. The scars he carries aren't for show. Each one was one spell away from ending him. Please try and learn to dodge better. If I find you on my Hospital Ward casting Healing spells on you for anything more severe than childbirth I am going to be quite displeased." Dora thought about having a child and shuddered. "Way too early for kids, Mom." Andromeda scoffed. "Nonsense, I had you when I was still 17." Ted blushed as Dora looked embarrassed. "That certainly explains my name. No adult would think Nymphadora was a good idea as a kids name." Andromeda's eyes twitched as she stared at her daughter. "What was that?" Dora drank from her coffee. "Nothing." Ted gave Andromeda a pleading look and she sighed, dropping the subject for the thousandth time. Andromeda had just finished her own meal when a black and grey Owl flew into their kitchen with a letter attached to its leg. Andromeda took the letter and Ted passed the bird a bit of bacon as his wife opened it.

"Message from work?" Andromeda nodded to her husband as she read what little info her boss deemed safe to answer without violating privacy. "Two patients will be needing a full physical workup, a nutrition plan based on it and a slight oversight on their mental health. I am to be extra careful as they might have been exposed to high levels of radiation for a prolonged period of time, though they doubt it had any serious effect on them. They still want to be sure, though." Ted scrounged his nose. "Where did these people come from? Chernobyl?" Andromeda shook her head. "That's all my job could safely share with me right now. Anything else will be covered by the Healer oaths." Dora finished her coffee and took her dishes to the sink, rinsing them. "Well, have fun with your radioactive patients. I have a day full of exercises planned." She kissed her Dad and Mom on the cheek and headed for the front door. "Later!" Ted looked at Andromeda who wrote a short response and had the Owl take it back out the window. "Try and be safe dear. We can't get custody of anyone if you get sick." Andromeda stood up and kissed her husband warmly on the lips. "Will do. You keep an ear out. Dumbledore might have kept Harry safe, but that doesn't mean he means well by him. I might be disowned but I can't stop being a Black, even with your ring around my finger." Ted kissed her back before Andromeda headed for her workstation to pick up her Healer's Kit. She had a long day ahead of her.

Chapter 3: Taking a Walk

"Don't run so fast in the hallways Teddy. People work here." Her son slowed down as he kept going from hallway to hallway, getting a feel for the building. Croaker eyed the boy carefully as Teddy checked a few gaps in the walls and even hid in a few for a second before moving forward into the hallway. "Survival awareness turned into a game?" Hazel sighed but nodded. "When it became just us surviving I had a hard time leaving him anywhere alone, even under heavy wards. I took him with me on a few simple supply runs and taught him how to be safe as a game. Best way for a kid to learn, especially one as hyperactive as Teddy, is via games. Keeps his mind occupied with the important stuff, even if it's viewed differently than what an adult would take it." Croaker hummed. "I don't have any kids myself, so I wouldn't know. My great nephew isn't the active type, unless he is in a greenhouse. To business then. Our Legal and Financial Divisions believe they have a good case in claiming the Peverell name and Trust for you and your son. It's not going to earn you the status of a Noble House outright, but you could buy a small house with it."

Hazel shook her head. "Maybe in a year or two. I have a lot to learn about runic warding and while I am good at severing a wizard's head cleanly off their shoulders, something tells me you want me to be more than just an Assassin for hire. Unless that's what you want, then I am good to go." Croaker looked at her from the corner of his eye. "As satisfying as having an Assassin on my payroll might be, I have more need for a well rounded Operative. Tomorrow the Operations Division will be having trials for candidates our Battlemaster has vetted and selected. I will be submitting you myself. Horatio doesn't like it when I involve myself in his business, so he is going to be after you on principle alone. Prove to him you can handle yourself and everything should be fine." Hazel nodded, eyeing the double doors with a sign over the top of them. They had reached the medical wing. "I know you don't usually take requests but I was wondering if you could run a few names for me. I am curious if they are alive and how close they are to the people we knew. You can start with-" Teddy's loud voice cut her off. "Grandma!" Teddy shot off and tackled a clearly surprised Andromeda as Hazel looked on. "-the Tonks family. Great."

Teddy stared up at Andromeda. "Grandma! It's me! Teddy!" Andromeda looked at the boy and gave him a sad smile. "Sorry young man, but the only person I know by that name is my husband." Teddy's mind froze as he remembered. He remembered Grandma Andi getting sick and tired often. His Mom had stopped going out to find work as she cared for both of them at home, making sure Andi ate well. He remembered getting called in and talking with her one morning seeing her look so frail and weak as she told him how much she loved him. She asked him to take care of Mom for her. He sat in the hallway afterwards, hearing his mom and Grandma Andi argue over something until the room went silent. He poked his head in and found his Mom crying, her wand thrown to the floor. He looked at his Grandmother and felt tears come to his eyes. She had a smile on her face, her hands clasped over her chest and her eyes were closed. He knew. He ran to his Mom and hugged her as the two cried together, knowing they were alone now. His Mom moved him out of the house the next night. He looked up at the woman he knew wasn't really his Grandma Andi and all of those feelings returned. He fell to his knees and cried.

Hazel moved forward and pulled Teddy into her arms. He hugged her tightly. Hazel sighed and rubbed his hair gently. "I know Teddy. It's not her. Not really. How about you let me chat with her to clear things up. She might not be Grandma but she might be interested in getting to know you a little." Teddy nodded into her neck, his voice hoarse and shy. "Ok." Hazel hummed gently to him as they went to the far corner of the room and she sat him down on the closest medical bed. She pulled her backpack off her back and summoned a book into her hand. "Here. Try testing out on some transfiguration exercises. Look over the instructions and try and whisper. It helps in letting your magic not be overused for the simple stuff. When it gets too easy, try Freeform Transfiguration like I taught you." Hazel closed her eyes and waved her hand over the bed beside him, conjuring a variety of materials, including matchsticks, buttons and even a porcupine. Hazel hugged him softly. "You get these right and old McGonagall is going to be pleased. She might forgive you for not being a Lion." Hazel gave him her old wand and ruffled his head before kissing him gently on the head. "I will be right back, Teddy. I promise." Croaker eyed the older witch as Hazel returned to his side. "That explains the Metamorphmagus trait. You didn't know she worked at the DoM?" Hazel gave him a glare. "The Operations Division was scrapped in my world, remember?" Croaker thought about it. "Point taken."

Andromeda eyed the child closely, surprised to see how much he looked like Dora at that age. She looked at the woman as she came up to her. There was no mistaking them as anything other than mother and child after the way she cared for the boy, but the woman's white hair didn't seem natural. When she turned her eyes to her Andromeda felt her heart stop. She knew those eyes. "Lily?" Hazel shook her head. "Sorry, unless you are referring to my middle name, I am not Lily Potter. A pleasure to meet you Madam Tonks née Black. Names Hazel Potter, or at least it was. Croaker here is working on getting us some new identification papers." Andromeda turned and looked at the child. "And your son?" Hazel thought about how much to share. "Edward Potter. Teddy to family." The woman stared at Hazel. "He didn't confuse me with family for no reason, young lady." Hazel's eyes narrowed for a split second before turning to Croaker. "How much is she allowed to know?" Croaker sighed. "Depends what you want to say. She is our Chief Medic." Hazel closed her eyes and tried to bury the flash of irritation that had appeared earlier when she was called "young lady." She hated being treated as anything less than an adult.

Her temper reeled in, Hazel looked towards Andromeda. "Teddy was born to my world's Nymphadora Tonks. She died 3 months after his birth with her husband and I, as his godmother, raised him as my own. With a version of you." Hazel could see Andromeda was having a hard time processing that. The elder woman leaned back against a medical bed. "Tell me everything." Hazel told her about her world, about meeting Tonks and growing to see her like a sister. She refused to mention Remus' name or why they didn't get along. She told Andromeda about a few stories she knew about her youth and Dora's. Andromeda closed her eyes. "We haven't gone to the Hebridean Black Dragon Reserve, but we certainly did take Dora out for a carnival on her 9th birthday and I did dye her hair brown for the day. I didn't want to spend a lot of time casting confunduses at every muggle that spotted her hair changing color." Andromeda looked towards the child as he kept switching the porcupine to a pincushion and back again. He looked a lot like James at that age now that she knew what to look for. "I'm surprised he hasn't been shifting his hair as much." Hazel shrugged. "Teddy was always a bit self conscious about not being my son at first, so he kept shifting his appearance to match mine. After magic began to fade in our world and he had trouble shifting, he settled on that form for almost two years. It's probably a part of him now."

Andromeda hummed. "Nymphadora still hasn't found a comfortable form she can call her own. Not entirely." She eyed the young woman. "What do you want from my family?" Hazel looked at her. "I brought my son here to give him a better life. He now has a chance for that. I don't expect you to take the place of our Andi but… I think he should have a family beyond just me. At the very least he deserves some friends." Andromeda looked at the boy. Hazel's words may ring true about not replacing the woman who helped raise the boy, but there was a part of her that wanted to be a part of the boy's life. Cygnus may have disowned her but she was always a Black and a Black took care of their family. Teddy wasn't her grandson but he was still a Black and a Tonks. He was still family. "If you would allow me, I would like a chance to get to know him. At the very least." Hazel eyed Andromeda carefully, her heart feeling heavy. She knew it would mean a lot for Teddy either way. The constant reminder would hurt but getting to know her again, a healthier and younger version of Andromeda, would probably do him well. Hazel hoped she was making the right choice. "You have my permission, just be careful. He will have a lot of getting used to, being in a world that feels so familiar yet so alien at the same time."

Hazel watched as Andromeda did her best to be friendly as she scanned Teddy and her son did laugh a bit at her jokes, which made Hazel relax a bit. Her turn under the Healer's care took much longer and Hazel could see she was confused by the readings. Croaker spoke up first. "Am I in need of a physical after this?" Andromeda shook her head. "No, both of them were surprisingly free of radiation and pathogens. Teddy will need a few vaccinations to reinforce his older ones. You, Miss Potter, are a bit of an oddity. Teddy's scans were what I expected to see of a Metamorphmagus. Yours are not, not even for a typical witch." Hazel nodded. "Low blood pressure, pulse, oxygen count, body temperature, metabolism and everything else. Andi saw the same in our world." Andromeda noted everything down. "Did she say why?" Hazel hummed. "The best guess we got was the Peverell Family Magic. As the owner of the three Hallows, something changed in my physiology and magic." Croaker choked on a breath and coughed as Andromeda stared at her.

"That would have been something you should have mentioned in the debrief." Hazel looked at Croaker. "Yeah, sure. Hello Unspeakable, I am a mythical Master of Death. Got an aspirin for the splitting headache I got cracking an Archway to work through space and time?" Andromeda fought to contain a laugh as Croaker glared at Hazel. "I see your point, but a heads up would have been appreciated. I am guessing you don't have a clue what being Master of the Hallows does for you?" Hazel shook her head. "I know the side effects because I live them everyday, but nothing beyond that. Hell, the side effects might be all the gift is, which doesn't amount to much other than your typical blessing and curse scenario." Croaker pinched the bridge of his nose. "Andromeda, just get a vial of blood enough for a Family Tree. Legal and Financial want to get the Peverell funds allocated to them quickly." Andromeda drew Hazel's blood and sealed it before giving it to Croaker. She turned to Hazel who had pulled Teddy onto her lap and was tickling him. She smiled at the pair. "You two are cleared to walk the streets, but you ought to be careful who you run into. Since Croaker is sure you will be Peverells, introduce yourself as such. I am sure you can come up with a viable excuse for your absence and return to England."

Hazel nodded and looked at Croaker. "Would being a victim of the war who fled to Canada work as a viable excuse? I can't fake the accent but it's the one country that I remember supporting refugees with the intention of eventual return, at least in my world. My delay could be attributed to this little guy." She tickled her son for emphacize. "Mom!" Croaker nodded and passed her a pouch. "I will get Legal on that but it should work fine. Here, a bit of an advanced withdrawal. Use it to get some new clothes and anything you see your son be interested in. I would avoid "Twilfitt and Tatting's," in case you want to see the coins last you the day." Hazel looked into the pouch. "You guys have a more muggle oriented clothing store? Otherwise I might stop at Gringotts and that might be a bad idea." Croaker was afraid to even ask. "What's wrong with Gringotts?" Hazel waved her hand. "Nothing, if I wasn't the only person to break into our Gringotts twice and get away with it. Our Goblins had it out for me and wanted my head. After I sent back a dozen of theirs they settled down. Nearly having my head chopped off makes me a bit twitchy around them." The silence in the Medical Wing stretched out for a bit until Teddy slapped Hazel's cheek playfully. "You said no more teasing Goblins." Hazel chuckled. "Yes, but I didn't have a reason to walk into Gringotts when I said that."

Croaker could feel a headache building in his skull. "Please Miss Potter, don't antagonize the Goblins. Madam Malkin's Shop has recently expanded into a more muggleborn friendly store with plenty of muggle inspired clothes. It should see to your tastes." Hazel lowered Teddy onto the floor and hopped off the medical bed. "Good to know. We will go check out Diagon then." Teddy rushed out to the double door and Hazel walked out at a steady pace. She popped her head back into the Medical Wing for a second. "Careful with that blood vial. I already had a Dark Wizard use my blood for nasty things. I don't want to hear about Homunculi with my blood running in their veins or wards made from it." Croaker sighed. "Noted. Please be on your way before I decide to get a pensive and retrieve every memory in that skull of yours." Hazel glared at him as she left. Andromeda began to straighten out her documents. "Well, Operations will certainly be busy with her here. That is what you're planning for her, right?" Croaker nodded. "She knows Wizards and Witches better than most in a fight. Be a shame not to foster that into a well rounded skill set. Horatio might curse me for adding her name without his permission but he would outright kill me if I let that much raw talent walk out the door."

Andromeda handed a folder to Croaker. "Your copy of their medical files." Croaker eyed his Chief Medic as she started storing her Healer's kit. "What are you planning to tell your family?" Andromeda turned to him and sighed. "Nothing for now. Nymphadora doesn't have clearance and Ted hasn't completed your evaluation yet." Croaker thought for a second. "Would they believe you if you said you'd do some follow up checks on your patients from today?" Andromeda blinked at her boss. "Who are you and what did you do with my emotionally stunted boss?" Croaker huffed. "Stunted or not, I am giving you a chance to know those two better. Well?" Andromeda sighed and nodded. "It will work. Add in a Mental Evaluation and it will sound solid. I read your note outloud and Ted already thought they were crazy. He thought they had been to Chernobyl." Croaker chuckled. "Oh, I like that. Their world was just as bad, all told. Due try and keep it simple." Andromeda nodded and stepped out of the Medical Wing, her mind on the two new people in her life. Hazel Potter was right though. She had to be careful how she approached the kid. It might be better as a friendly aunt. She started thinking of what to get the boy as presents as she stepped out of the Ministry building and apparated away.

Teddy looked around Madam Malkins, trying to decide what else he liked while his Mom was getting fitted in the back. Their original clothes were far too warm for a snowless Britain and it showed on him after stepping out. His Mom had transfigured his clothes a bit before they apparated into Diagon Alley. The place looked nice and felt comfortable, though there were few people walking about, since it wasn't Hogwarts season yet. Mom had said it stayed like that until the war got started, when the shops started to close and people had been too scared to walk under the sun. He hoped Mom and that Croaker guy stopped that from happening again here. He eyed a few clothes that matched what his Mom said were the uniforms for Hogwarts. "Heading to Hogwarts this year?" He turned around and met a pretty redhead girl with a ponytail. "Not yet. I'm only nine. We were out of the country though and needed to get some clothes." The girl eyed him closely. "You look a bit older for nine." Teddy shrugged. "Mom said I grew a bit in the last year, but I am still nine." The girl nodded. "Aunti said I had a growth spurt too when I was nine. My name's Susan Bones. What's yours?" Teddy had to hold his tongue for a second. "Edward Peverell."

Susan offered her hand to him. Edward tried to remember what Grandma taught him about greeting. He held her hand, bowed and blew on her knuckles. "A pleasure to meet you." Susan blinked at him before scrutinizing him again. "You don't look like a pureblood and they are the only ones who greet like that." Teddy shrugged. "Mom's Half but Grandma was from an Old Family. She taught me how to behave when not amongst friends." Susan hummed. "You got a house you want to be sorted into yet?" Teddy beamed. "Hufflepuff." The girl smiled. "Me too! My whole family has been Hufflepuff for years." Teddy nodded. "Grandad and Mama were Hufflepuffs but Mom was a Gryffindor, though she hates her old house. She's a hard worker too so if she got resorted again I am sure she would be a badger." The two chatted for a few minutes about clases with Teddy being careful about not letting anything else slip. He forgot that Mom hadn't gone to Hogwarts here. Whoops. A tall woman with red hair wrapped tightly into a bun and a blue dress joined them at the store and Susan went straight to her.

"Aunti, meet Edward Peverell! He will be a Hufflepuff in two years. This is my aunt, Amelia Bones." Teddy gave her the traditional greeting, earning himself a smile. "A pleasure to meet youm young man. We haven't had a Peverell in Britain for quite some time. Are your parents here?" Teddy gave her a sad smile. "Mama died when I was a few months old. Mom raised me with Grandma since, until Grandma passed. Mom is in the back getting fitted." Susan and Amelia shared a look before Amelia spoke. "Sorry for bringing that up." Before Ted could answer he heard his mother's voice. "Teddy, are you still here?" Ted walked over. "Here Mom." Amelia had to take a double take for a moment. While she knew a few witches who didn't wear robes, the one in front of her seemed to not be concerned with showing too much skin. Her arms were completely uncovered. The woman looked up and seemed to freeze for a second, the green eyes looking vaguely familiar. "Oh, I see you met yourself a Hufflepuff. Madam Bones, if I am not mistaken." Amelia nodded. "Young Edward has been keeping my niece company while I was busy on the street. A pleasure to meet you, Miss… ?"

Hazel eyed her carefully. "Hazel Peverell." Amelia smirked. "Not one for formalities?" Hazel rubbed Teddy's hair. "Ted's Grandmother was raised in an Old Family while I was left to piece everything together on my own. When the war happened, I simply stopped caring about the niceties, though I did learn them prior. Didn't seem to keep the curses from flying my way at the time." Amelia nodded. The look on the woman's face was clear to her. Her eyes were eyeing the exits and the people walking on the street. This was someone like Alastor and Scrimgeour, a survivor of the war. "War's tend to do that. I am surprised to hear your family name." Hazel shrugged. "I wasn't born with it but I had the right to inherit it so I did. Gives my son a bit more protection from the less friendly members of society." Amelia hummed as she remembered who else would be at Hogwarts with her niece. "I don't disagree. Are you looking for work as an Auror? You seem to have the build for it." Hazel gave her a less than friendly grin. "I tried it once elsewhere and I got a lot of complaints about my spell choices and aim. Got approached by another outfit as soon as I landed here and they don't seem as picky. Still working for the Ministry, so you can relax your grip on your holster, Madam Bones."

Amelia blushed a little as she lowered her hand from her wrist. "My apologies. There has been some talk about the less pleasant people of our society making moves of late and I made a wrong assumption." Hazel nodded and turned to her son. "Anything else you want from the store or are we good to go?" Ted mentioned some longer sleeved shirts and long pants and Hazel sent him to the back to get Malkin to find those that would fit him. Amelia watched the woman turn around, exposing a whole lot of naked back before she watched her pull out a blackish green jacket from an extended bag and slipped into it. "Dragonhide?" Hazel gave her a toothy smile. "Basilisk, actually. The snake nearly got me too. My Godmother suggested I wear it as a sign of surviving the worst of the worst." Amelia eyed Hazel with renewed interest. "You sure I can't tempt you to sign up with the DMLE? We could use someone of your skills." Hazel hummed. "Alastor Moody still scaring the Purebloods stiff?" Amelia chuckled. "Indeed." Hazel smiled at her. "Then I am needed elsewhere. Don't worry, Madam Bones. I am sure we will meet again." Amelia watched as the white haired woman walked her son out the store, wondering who might have offered her a job at the Ministry. A name came to mind and she groaned. "Croaker, you better put her to good use, you damned spook."

Later that day Hazel stared into the fogged mirror before wiping it clear with her hand. She bit back a groan as she fought her memories again. The moment Teddy had asked her if they could see the owls, she knew it could happen. It did. A beautiful white snowy owl flew from its perch and landed on the arm she had instinctively lifted up. Those bright yellow eyes stared at her and she had wanted to cry. She wanted to take the bird and bring her home. But it wasn't hers. She had looked the bird in the eye and spoken to it. "There is a boy who just might need you more than me. Please, look after him." Hedwig had moved up her arm and rubbed its face against hers before returning to its perch, leaving the store owner dumbfounded. Wishing to not leave it to chance, she paid for the owl and told the owner it was for Harry Potter when he visited the Alley. She mentioned that if Hagrid or any of the Hogwarts staff entered looking for a present for the boy, to make sure he received the owl. When asked who to say it was from, Hazel thought for a second. "A friend."

It took all of her willpower to make it back to the DoM and reach the bathroom before the tremors started. Tears she had thought were long since used up ran down her face as she sat on the ground and cried. Hedwig had been her first true friend. In some ways, her only friend. Everyone else eventually turned their back on her, abandoned her or worse yet, betrayed her. To them she had only been the Girl Who Lived, Voldemort's chosen equal and his likely doom. They hadn't cared about the little girl who spent years wishing for her parents to take her away. They hadn't cared that she didn't want the name, the fame or the attention. She had just wanted to feel the warmth of a friend. Ron had been nice at first but the jealous bastard had always hated being in her shadow. Hermione had also been there and Hazel did have a crush on her during their 4th year; it ended when the brunette admitted she couldn't love another girl. Hazel had barely anything good to say about her afterwards. They all ignored her when her Godmother died. They all abandoned her after she killed Voldemort for them all. Hedwig hadn't ever stopped caring for her. She stood by her to the end.

OW July 31st 1997

"Dora! Get down!" A piercing hex just barely missed Dora as they literally dueled their way up the road to the Tonks residence. Why Hazel had agreed to Mad-Eye's crazy plan, she would never know. When she was safely behind closed doors, she was going to take a Purging Potion. She wouldn't put it past the mad Auror to doze her. Taking her Godmother's flying bike had been a mixed bag of nostalgia and agony for Hazel as she and Tonks dodged the flying Death Eaters in the skies of Surrey. How the bastards knew where she was became clear as she saw a familiar mop of greasy black hair among the sea of black cloaks and green flashes of light. Said Dungeon Bat had followed her through the chaos, despite Dora doing some driving her Godmother would have high fived her for managing. A blasting hex to the side had ripped the enchantments clean of the bike as they reached Dora's neighborhood. Worried about Snivellus attacking them, Hazel had casted a bright Light Charm, enough to briefly blind the bastard as they crash landed.

He and another Death Eater followed after them as they ran down the streets, flashes of red and green being traded between them as they got closer and closer to the warded home. Dora managed to stun the other Death Eater but not before his errant blasting hex knocked Hazel off her feet. She sat up and watched her former Potion Master aim his wand at her. "Avada Kedavra." Hazel had frozen in place as Dumbledore's supposed double agent and spy casted the killing curse at her. She barely registered Dora's screaming her name as the green streak closed in on her until she heard a familiar screech and watched the curse impact Hedwig, her Familiar dropping onto the pavement, perfectly still. She didn't know how she moved or even casted as she couldn't remember anything past the mounting grief, but she knew she blasted Snape's wand and arm clean off his body. She did remember taking his legs out from under him with a wide cutting curse and scrambling to look him in the eyes. "I should have killed you when I had the chance, you bastard!" The man laughed at her. "Stupid girl, I could have killed you many times over as well. In the end we were both living on borrowed time, at the mercy of my master."

Hazel felt her magic snapping against her wand hand. "Maybe we all are, but you just took the last thing you will ever take from me, Snivellus. Sectumsempra." The cutting curse he invented struck him on the throat and chest, causing him to bleed out quickly. Hazel watched over him until she was sure he died before daring turning to look. Her heart broke instantly as she knelt down to pick up her oldest friend, cradling her in her arms as she and Dora walked into her parent's house. No one spoke a word to her as she cried for hours, her mind flooded with images of the times they spent together walking along the Hogwarts grounds alone in every season. The joy she had felt in calling her name and watching her fly towards her, landing gracefully on her arm or shoulder. She had been her companion from the beginning and now… now Hazel was being asked to continue on without her. Andi sat down with her and plucked some of Hedwig's feathers before making them into a charm. "You need to go. We will take care of her, I promise." Hazel hardly remembered how she moved after that, only that she did. She knew because she remembered sitting in Ginny's room silently, staring at the feather charm Andi had made for her. A permanent reminder of Hedwig. No one dared to bother her, not even as they prepared for that stupid wedding. All she knew now was that she was alone. She was utterly alone.

NW June 1991

"Oh, hi Mom. You're up late." Andromeda looked up and smiled at Nymphadora. "Yeah, I had a lot on my mind today." Dora looked at her. "You sure you're ok?" Andromeda stood still for a bit before tapping her empty side of the sofa. Dora walked over and sat down. "Is this about your two patients? Are they ok?" Andromeda nodded. "Mostly. My boss asked me to check on them in the next few weeks to see if there might be some mental concerns. They didn't want to let a Mind Healer check on them." Dora chuckled. "Newsflash Mom, no one likes Mind Healers in their heads." Andromeda gave her a glare. "I studied to be a Mind Healer, you know." Dora smiled. "I can see where that went. No one would want to be under the care of a former Black, but especially in their head. You are all supposed to be insane, remember?" Andromeda sighed. "The fact that you are not wrong doesn't mean you should be so dismissive. Mind Healers are important." Dora nodded. "Sure, but isn't the whole point of Legilimency to be an invasion of privacy? An oath may be enough for some people, but you aren't going to get everyone to trust you just because you said some pretty words."

Andromeda nodded. "I see your point. Anyways, the adult of the pair might be seeing work at the Ministry and it's partly up to me to see them not be a problem." Dora hummed. "Sounds like you are going to have to get to know them better. Maybe after a while they might trust you getting in their head. If not, you can just help them the old fashioned way." Andromeda drank from her cup of tea and eyed her daughter. "I know you don't like talking about it with me but be honest. Would you like to be a mother?" Dora had been about to give her usual answer but she could see how serious her mother was. She tried to think about what being a mother might be like. "I… don't know. I mean I know I can be impulsive and immature so I think I would make a terrible mother." Andromeda sighed. Her daughter had a point. Still … "What about if you woke up pregnant tomorrow, ignoring the impossibility and the absence of another parent. Would you be willing to raise the child as a mother?" Dora eyed her mom, "Please tell me you didn't have an affair and are pregnant right now." Dora yelped as a stinging hex landed on her ribs. "Ok! Just needed to ask!"

Ignoring Andromeda's glare, Dora thought about her mother's question. "I think so. I know I will be terrible and will make a lot of mistakes, but I think I would like my child to at least know me. To know how much I loved them. I don't know. It's weird, thinking about it seriously. I mean, I am going into law enforcement, which means long hours and a lot of danger. You are already mad at me for even trying out at the Academy, I can only imagine how bad I would be actually having to work as an Auror while also caring for a kid. It's why I haven't thought about it at all. If I am going to be a mom, it should be when I can make time for them." Andromeda thought back on what Hazel had told her and what she omitted. She never spoke of the other parent, only that her alternate daughter and they died together at the hands of terrorists. If her daughter and this other version were alike, it meant that the pregnancy was probably unplanned. She spoke of living through a war. The thought of another war made Andromeda grow cold. A war where she lost Ted and Nymphadora, forced to raise a grandchild alone with the child's godmother.

"What's with all the questions, Mom?" Andromeda eyed her daughter. "I know we don't see eye to eye with your chosen career but please, promise me you will take care of yourself. The people I met today… one was a young woman a few years older than you and she was raising her godchild all alone because the child's parents died. It was startling seeing such a lively kid next to a woman that felt so emotionally cold. Auror work is important but it's dangerous too and I am not talking about physical injuries. You could lose yourself in the bad things that happen to others and to yourself. Moody is called mad because of all the horrible things he has lived through. Hell, he is the last one left of both his families and they all died in the war. That sort of life isn't one I want for you, Dora. Promise me you will take care of yourself. Please?" Dora could see the concern in her mom's eyes and she leaned forward to give her a hug. "Ok, Mom. I promise."

Chapter 4: First Day of Training

Teddy latched onto his mother's waist from the side as she was cooking breakfast. Her hand touched his hair gently. "I'm good now, Teddy. I'm not going anywhere." Teddy tightened his grip. "You weren't well yesterday. You were hurting." Hazel sighed but kept her focus on the food. Her jaunt down memory lane after meeting Hedwig had dragged her into a breakdown. They were nothing new. She had plenty of them while raising Teddy with Andi. How Andi put up with them she never knew. No, what was new was getting her bearings and finding Teddy hugging her desperately under the running shower. She hated when her son saw her vulnerable. It made her feel like she was failing him. After getting the scrambled eggs onto the plates, she brought everything to the table before pulling her son off her leg and into a hug. "Mom has bad days Teddy, you know that. Seeing Hedwig again brought back a lot of pain. She was my first true friend and Familiar. Getting one is rare enough as it is. She meant a lot to me and having to leave this version of her behind was harder than I thought. I am good now, thanks to you. So how about we eat before I get to go kick some butt." Teddy giggled and nodded. His mom definitely seemed in a better mood.

"You think you can get the job?" Hazel swallowed her fork full of eggs, ham and vegetables. Hazel hummed. "If not, the redheads at the clothes store offered me a job. Lots more paperwork but I might get to annoy more morons. Pretty sure I am getting the job here though." Teddy ate a few more bites. "Do you think I will get my letter? It's not like I was born here." Hazel could feel some concern under her son's words. "I am and if it's late, I promise to go personally to collect it. Might punch an old goat while I am at it." Teddy giggled as Hazel thought about Dumbledore. She hated the man she knew. He had yanked her from a nightmare straight into another and dared to say he cared about her. He constantly judged her against parents she never got to know, all because of his pet Death Eater's fault. She had tried killing Snape after Dumbledore died but bloody Remus Lupin stopped her before she could have sliced his head from his body. Remus told her that Dumbledore had to have a plan for this, that Snape had a mission to do. That lie died the moment the bastard failed to kill her. She spent 6 years tormented by the man for absolutely nothing, all because of Albus Bloody Dumbledore. She hoped the one here was just as bad. She would enjoy tearing him apart.

"Mom, your eyes are glowing again." Hazel sighed and pulled her magic back. Being in a world full of magic again would be a bit harder to get used to. "Sorry, got lost in thought thinking about all the different ways to punch a mean old goat." Teddy giggled. "Can I watch?" Hazel ruffled his hair. "I'll wait until you are old enough and then you ask me again. Until then, no watching Mom beat up bad guys. I get dirty and it's not a good look." Teddy pouted but nodded. "Ok, but you best wait for me to be old enough." Hazel drank her coffee. "I promise to wait. Now, let's see what you can study today while Mom works. Leafsby will be here keeping you company." Teddy ran to the desk in his room and brought out the books he was working on. Hazel told him to work on the Herbology and Astronomy books. "Try sketching the pictures again to help memorize how they look. I will see if we can bring a few real plants here so you can get some real practice before impressing your Hogwarts Head of House." That got Teddy pumped for the class. Hazel had stayed in Herbology all the way to her sixth year because she was used to working on plants but she honestly couldn't care much about them beyond what was medicinal and what was edible. She learned how to deal with the dangerous ones quite early.

Seeing the Astronomy textbook, Hazel looked at Teddy. "The Andromeda here wants to get to know you. She will never be Grandma Andi, but she could still be family if you want. Croaker will have her be here once a week at least. Do you want to get to know her better?" Teddy thought about it. "Does that mean one day I get to meet this world's Mama?" Hazel nodded, feeling her heart grow heavy. "She's here, probably just as clumsy and crazy as yours." Teddy swung his feet under the table. "I… think I would like to know her. I wouldn't mind knowing the rest of the Tonks too. I never did get to meet Grandpa." Hazel kissed him on the head. "Kay, then you best get through that Astronomy book. Dromeda here is just as much a Black as Andi so you need to know your stars." Teddy nodded and got started on some reading as Hazel stood up and went to wash the dishes. Leafsby popped in. "Mistress leaves washing to Leafsby. Mistress has work." Hazel sighed and lowered the sponge. "Alright Leafsby, but next time ask. Dishwashing can be a decent stress relief for the annoyed." Leafsby nodded and started to wash the dishes with magic as Hazel hugged Teddy from the back and kissed his hair. "Take care, son. I will be back by dinner. Leafsby will have your lunch ready. Hopefully after today I will be having lunch here too." Teddy waved at her as she left the Apartment. "Later Mom. Show them what you got!"

Dora looked around the massive training room. She knew the Department of Mysteries would have a lot of weird stuff, but a large training room bigger than the Great Hall of Hogwarts was something unexpected. Her attention and those of the other candidates was drawn to the man who had shown up to recruit her, his head now on full display, the man sporting a very short haircut that displayed a massive scar across the top of his skull over greying hair. His eyes jump from candidate to candidate, as if gauging them again, his jaw claw clenching and unclenching. "Alright everyone! You all signed the papers so we can all get started. The name's Horatio and I am your Instructor straight out of Hell. I am here to make sure each and every one of you is worth putting real effort into. I don't care about blood, skin or what kind of junk you have in your pants or your heads. You give up, you're out. You get seriously hurt, you are out. You do the work, I work you harder. Maybe if you work hard enough, we start paying you. Got it?" The Candidates nodded, including Dora, who was currently feeling a lot less confident about managing this gig. Horatio's eyes landed on someone behind her. "Saul, what did I say about sticking your nose in my business? Get that person out of here."

Dora turned her head a little as she heard a man chuckle. "Trust me Horatio, this one can take all you got. You'll kill me if I let Amelia have her. They already met and she offered her a job less than ten minutes into a simple chat." Dora saw Horatio's eye twitch. "Fine! Let's see if you can all crack it. Draw your wands, aim at the targets behind me and cast a Killing Curse." Dora's stomach dropped as his words registered fully. What? One of the other candidates, a guy, spoke up. "That's illegal." Horatio walked up to the guy and stared him in the eyes. "Outside this room without a license, you are damned right it is. You cast it at a person here, I will personally send you off to meet your maker right after. Sadly, the Dark Witches and Wizards out there won't hesitate to hit you with an AK, and neither will one of our own if you end up on the other side. As Operatives, you will find yourselves in a fight to the death more often than not, so I want to see you give it your all. You can't be squeamish and you can't be expected to get out of every fight with your hands clean. They never stay clean for long. So get on the line and start cursing." Dora sighed and did as she was told. She drew her Ebony wand from her wrist holster and tried to remember what Moody taught at the lecture. The Killing Curse needed hate and power. She visualized Bellatrix, her mad Aunt responsible for so much death. She focused on building up the hate before she casted. "Avada Kedavra." No curse came from her wand.

The result was repeated all along the candidates. "Come on! You all have at least 17 years of life. An abusive family member, an ex, a bloody bully. Anyone of them can be enough. Get that feeling up and Cast!" Dora tried over and over again and nothing. She wanted to scream at the coach when she felt a hand touch her shoulder. "If hate's not doing it for you, try mercy." She turned and froze. Standing beside her was a woman that she could only describe as beautiful, from her bright green eyes to her puffy lips. She had to pull away when her eyes wandered lower because she was wearing a halter top shirt, some hot leather pants and a sweet leather jacket. The woman was everything she ever found cool and hot wrapped into one package. It was a good thing she was a Metamorphmagus and she remembered, otherwise she would be as red as a tomato. The woman's words came back to her and she frowned. "Mercy?" She looked over, doing her best not to drool as the woman nodded. "The Killing Curse didn't start out as an Unforgivable curse. It's not painful or devastating. It is death in its purest form. You can kill just as easily with a cutting hex and a piercing charm, let alone the nastier curses."

Dora thought about it and could see the point. "Still, how does mercy work?" The woman sighed and had a far off look to her face. "Think of the person that means everything to you. They are lying in a bed, consumed in everlasting pain and misery. There is no cure, no fix. Only pain. You have the means to end it. Two words, the certainty that they need to die and it's done. That was one of the origins of the Killing Curse. Hate makes it easy to cast for those who are full of hate, but if you can't hate someone enough, then focus on your love. Love them enough that you are willing to let them go. Send them on their way. A mercy killing. Try it." Dora took in her words and focused. She saw her parents, strapped to a medical bed screaming in pain, begging to die. She heard the pleas over and over again until all she could think about was giving them relief. Mercy. "Avada Kedavra." Her eyes stared at the target in front of her as a jet of cyan light shot out of her wand and struck the target dead center. She heard a noise come from the wall like an alarm and saw Horatio walk towards her. "Not bad, Candidate. Not the usual color but the target registered the spell as a legitimate Killing Curse." Dora blushed, "Thank you, sir, but I did get a little help."

Horario's eyes latched on to the woman with the white hair. "Interesting. Care to cast it yourself, Hotshot?" The woman looked at the instructor, one of her eyes raised in question. "That an order, sir?" Dora shivered at the cold response. Horatio didn't seem fazed by it. "It is. Draw your wand and hit the target." The woman stepped into the spot beside her and Dora froze. The woman raised her arm without a wand. Horatio growled, "I said draw… " His words ended as the woman spoke the words. "Avada Kedavra" and the curse shot out of her hand, a dark green unlike any spell Dora had ever seen before striking the target. The noise from earlier was repeated, indicating a successful cast. Dora dared look at the Instructor and she took a step back. He looked furious. "Care to tell me why you didn't draw your wand?" The woman grinned at him, showing a lot of teeth. "My AKs tend to be overpowered. Without a wand they work fine, with a wand you might be looking to replace the target, or the wall behind it. I would rather not kill someone just because my spell pierced one of your walls." Dora shivered down to her toes, utterly confused as to why she was both terrified and aroused.

The instructor looked to Dora. "Cast it several times until you are tired. I want to know your limit right now. We will work on getting it higher in time." He gave the woman next to her a measured look before turning back to the rest of the candidates. Dora released a breath she hadn't known she was holding. "Thanks for that." The woman turned her green eyes back to her and Dora had to fight a blush. They were very pretty eyes. "No problem. It's not the easiest spell to learn to cast without being a prick or having a shitty life." Dora nodded and turned back to the target. She managed five more successful casts before she felt winded. Horatio called them all back into a line in front of him and he started pacing. "Hardly any of you managed to cast it. If you think you could do it in a week, then you can stay and keep trying until then. If you know you can't do it then you know where the door is. I suggest you go now." Dora watched half the Candidates leave, leaving only a few others besides her and the scary woman. The man nodded and stepped further back. "Staring from my left, I want you to come up here and take me down. Non-lethals only. You have two minutes before I retaliate. Begin."

Dora felt her jaw almost go unhinged as Candidate after Candidate came up and failed spectacularly as the Instructor blocked every spell with shield after shield before two minutes passed and he then stunned them with great ease. She was about to step up when the woman beside her spoke up to her. "Don't be stupid and make sure you move around. No one is supposed to beat him, you're just supposed to show him you know how to think in a fight. He's been doing this for years." Dora nodded and took her position before she started casting. Like before, all the spells hit a shield and her time was getting shorter before started casting at her as she moved around the mat. She thought carefully and casted Aguamenti at the floor before casting Glacius, earning her a look of interest from the instructor before he started casting. The woman had been right, she dodged hard and fast, casting at him as much as she could before raising a few shields, some that broke instantly on contact with a spell. Dora tried an overpowered banishing spell that forced the Instructor to step out of his spot. Her iced over floor failed, though, as he took a long jump that landed him outside of it. The distraction ended with her getting a stunner to the face.

Horatio's face was the first thing she saw as she woke up. "Not bad at all, Candidate. Your trap was shit but you thought around the issue better and you got me out of my spot. Thinking like that will get you far. Next." Dora sat up and watched the white haired woman take up her position on the mat. "You know any non-lethals, witch?" The woman grinned. "You mean useless spells numbers 1 through 10? I do, but I might be rusty." Horatio grunted and took up a defensive posture. "Begin." Dora stared at the scene in front of her. The woman charged straight at the Instructor and the two got into a magicless fist fight. The man looked decidedly surprised at first before he responded with his own fists and kicks. He clearly knew how to fight better with his fists and legs than the woman, but she kept pace with him, the two landing a few blows on each other. The moment the alarm sounded for two minutes, things got even weirder as the woman conjured blades into her hands without uttering a word. The Instructor kept trying to get distance, casting cutting spells and stunners, all of which were suddenly blocked by slabs of stone coming from the floor. "Gods damn it, witch. Cast some proper battlemagic so I can evaluate you!"

The witch jumped a bit of a distance back, raising several slabs of stone in her wake. "You asked for it!" She drew an odd yet familiar looking wand out of somewhere and started swinging it wildly around. Horatio looked on unsure until he looked up and he started cursing under his breath. Dora watched in stunned silence, as did the rest of the candidates, as metal spears started raining down onto the mat, the Instructor dispelling and dodging as many as he could, though a few clipped his arms and thighs. Dora turned and looked at the white haired witch who kept circling around, looking for a good shot, her wand constantly in motion. She watched the witch cast a wide cutting curse that forced Horatio to duck underneath it before he casted a massive dispelling spell over and over again. Because the cutting curse had sliced through the embedded spears and created new ones to launch straight at him. Eventually Horatio had enough. "That's it! Stop!" The witch flicked her wand and all the spears vanished in an instant as Horatio glared at her. "I said non-lethal!" The woman twirled her wand. "A spear to the leg is non-lethal, as is one to the hand, the foot, the lungs and your shoulders. Only two targets on your person to miss and it's all non-lethal. Lungs and major arteries are only lethal if your stupid and pull it out, but you don't strike me as a moron."

Dora watched the Instructor rub his face. "Alright! All of you just got an impromptu demonstration of what a real fight is like. I don't expect you to match it but I expect all of you to beat your previous time every two days for two weeks straight. If you feel you can't manage it, walk away. This ain't the Academy or Hogwarts. I ain't here to hold your hands all the way. I am here to take the best of the best and make them better. Now I want twenty laps around this entire room starting now!" The few remaining Candidates started jogging around the Training Room, including Dora. She did have to bite her tongue as the hot witch jogged up a bit more ahead of her, her back fully exposed after she had taken off her jacket. She had to squash a thought of how it would feel to run her hands over that back. Dora sped up a little to be next to her. "Where did you learn to fight like that?" The witch shrugged. "Fighting wizards whose prefered spells were AKs and Torture Curses. Most of them forget Conjuration and Transfiguration can be used for fighting too, including offensively. Got to say the Instructor surprised me. Never met a Wizard who actually practices physical combat before. This might be fun after all." Dora shook her head. "Well, you certainly make it look fun. Name's Tonks. Just Tonks." The woman gave her a grin. "Hazel Peverell. By the way, nice trick with the ice. Next time, try making icicles and launching them. You might hit something." Dora chuckled. Maybe this wasn't such a bad idea after all.

"Saul! What the hell did you just dump on my lap!" Saul grinned as he took his coffee spiked with a bit of whiskey. He had a feeling he'd be seeing Horatio soon. "So, how did she do?" Horatio slammed his arms on Saul's desk, "The hell you don't know! You had to have watched the whole thing from the start!" Croaker stared at his Division Head. "I do have better things to do than watch a few Candidates train, Horatio. I didn't stick around and watch. So, how was my Candidate?" Horatio growled. "You didn't send me a Candidate. You sent me a Wizard Killer. The woman nearly took my head clean off with a few conjured curved blades and actually nailed a few hits with conjured spears." He showed Croaker the gashes on his arms, making the DoM director hum. "Sounds like you got yourself an Operative in the making." Saul grunted and sat down, swiping the bottle whiskey and serving himself a shot. "The woman's killed before. Her AK is the darkest I have ever seen and she only pulled out her wand when she had to do multiple Conjurations at once. I haven't had a Conjurer stalemate me for 15 minutes straight since before my days upon the Circuits. Where the hell did she come from?"

Croaker thought about what to say. "She just walked into the Ministry two days ago." Horatio glared at him. "The longer explanation, please." Croaker chuckled. "She walked out of the Veil in the Death Chamber with her kid two days ago." Horatio coughed as he swallowed the liquor down the wrong pipe in his throat. "That's the witch that got the Death and Transportation Divisions at each other's throats?" Croaker nodded, grinning. The chaos was a bit much for his taste, but seeing his Division Heads excited was always a pleasure. They were all here to expand their knowledge after all. "I thought about asking her to replicate her stunt with the Archway, now that it got reseted, but if what you just said is true, I think I will wait for her to be in a better mood. If you're wondering what she got up to on the other side, she got dragged into a war at the age of 11 and ended up as a mother by 17. She's been killing her way to keep herself and her son safe ever since." Horatio nursed his drink. "You sure you want me to train her to be an Operative? We might just make the next Dark Lady. I fought Voldemort once and I can tell she is either his equal or his better. She just needs work." Saul tapped his cup of coffee. "So far I don't think she will become a Dark Lady. A rampaging Killing Machine if something happened to her son? Absolutely. But not a Dark Lady."

Horatio grimaced after taking the last of his alcohol in a shot. "You best make sure that kid is safe then. I stalled her when all she was doing was having fun at my expense. She has no finesse and her fighting form is shit but the witch has power and drive. I'm willing to help shape her, but I will not be getting in the way of her should she turn. I may be rough, but I am not suicidal." Croaker nodded. "Any other Candidates of note?" Horatio leaned back. "We got seven total Candidates sticking with the first two weeks of trials. Your witch should be fine. The Tonks' Metamorphmagus might make it, especially if she listens to her new friend." Croaker stilled. "You scouted Nymphadora Tonks?" Horatio waved his hand, "Of course I did. Had to see if she could hack it. Mad-Eye had his eye on her, meaning she might make it. Your Witch taught her how to do an AK for the first time in less than 5 minutes, a cyan one." Croaker rubbed his face. "You do know Andromeda works here, right? When word reaches her that you're training her kid, that cut on your arm may just get infected." Horatio hummed. "True, but if Nymphadora makes it, Andromeda's kid will probably live through a war just fine."

Croaker leaned back. "Well, it's a good thing the two witches are getting along. The kid that came through is Nymphadora's too, from the other world." Horatio served himself one last drink before corking the bottle. "Is the kid any good as a fighter?" Croaker glared. "He is bloody nine and his mother would fillet you alive for suggesting that. We just talked about not pissing her off." Horatio shrugged. "True, but only so much you can do to keep someone safe. Training beats all other options." Croaker finished his coffee and eyed the bottle of whiskey before setting his cup down, storing it in his desk drawer. "That may be but let him be a kid for a while. His mother has given us some warning about the things that happened in her world and we and the ICW Observers are going to look them over and try and avoid a Nuclear Winter. Your job is to get her up to shape. If her world is any indication, Voldemort ain't dead and we have a few short years before he starts making trouble for us all." Horatio stood up and placed the shot glass on the table. "Better get to work then." Croaker watched him open the door to his office and step out. "And Horatio? Go get those cuts looked after. You're bleeding all over my floors."

Hazel dropped onto her bed, fully intending to go to sleep after a long day of workouts and a filling dinner with her son. That thought ended when she felt her bed dip slightly and the weight of a nine year old settled onto her back. "Did something happen? You were quiet at dinner." Hazel groaned playfully. "Found this world's Nymphadora in the Candidates Training." A long silence lingered until Teddy broke it. "Oh. What was she like?" Hazel thought for a second. "Young. She's barely 18 or 19 years old and has a lot to learn about casting magic. A good thinker and fast on her feet, though her tripping problem might be worse here. Of the twenty laps we did today, she tripped in ten of them." Teddy hummed. "You think she could get to know me?" Hazel gave it some thought. Her insecurities reared up and she questioned whether Teddy knowing the Tonks was a good idea before she buried the thoughts. If she were Teddy, she would have done anything to know a version of her parents. Teddy had a chance at knowing a close version of his birth mother.

"In time. Like I said, she is young and thinking about getting a career first. We did talk a bit at least. Once she gets out of training and gets clearance, then we should be able to tell her. We might want to ask Andromeda too." Teddy nodded and moved his body until he was sitting on Hazel's upper back. "You know, massages are supposed to be somewhat pleasant." Teddy giggled before he yelped as Hazel lifted herself up, causing him to fall on the bed. He then started laughing as Hazel tickled his chest. "Mom! Quit it!" Hazel pouted but stopped before laying down on her side. "Still want to spend the night here?" Teddy nodded. "My room is nice but it just feels weird being so far away from you." Hazel could see that. Even after all the suffering she endured at the Dursleys, she had some trouble sleeping in a bed rather than in the cupboard for her first year. She thought for a second, "How about the first break I get, we go looking for a furniture store? Then we can buy some things to make it feel more like your room. Then I can spend the night with you. Get you used to the place?"

Teddy snuggled into Hazel and yawned. "Sounds nice." Hazel watched carefully as her son slipped into a light sleep as she pulled the blanket over him. She thought about what the next few days had in store for them and how these would just repeat themselves over and over again. While surviving on food she spent weeks hunting wasn't a pleasant experience, there had been a peacefulness to it. Here she would be surrounded by noisy people, doing the same thing day in day out. The more she thought about it, the more she realized how unusually dynamic her life had been. The longest stretch of monotony had been when she took out people for money. Most days she spent home with Andi and a very tiny Ted, chasing him in his animagus form every time he refused to bathe. Those would be interrupted by requests for a kill. The ones she agreed too were dead within 24 hours, just so she could go back home faster. She hoped Horatio wasn't too boring, or she might just spend more time with Teddy. On the other hand, Nymphadora needed to complete the trials if she was to get the clearance to meet Teddy. Hazel sighed as she hugged Teddy and started slipping into sleep. Nothing was ever easy, was it?

Nymphadora looked at the front door of her parent's house. After her long day of working out and casting curses she never expected to ever cast, she had decided it might be a good idea to hit a bar. It was odd though. She thought about getting wasted but she couldn't bring herself to do it. She drank a bottle of beer and half of another before she decided to come home. She knew she was tired. Her legs were killing her, as was her back. More than that, she was magically exhausted. The shift she kept on her body kept failing a bit. So she prioritized. Her hair grew a bit long and regained some of it's waves, but it stayed pink. Her eyes… those she kept a close watch on. She refused to let her eyes take their natural color. As she drank the rest of her bottle, she chastised herself. She wasn't 11. She shouldn't be afraid of her eyes. But she couldn't bring herself to let the shift fall. Dora sighed and almost drew her wand before she remembered. Her parents lived in a muggle neighborhood and she wasn't in the wards yet. She took a few steps forward until she felt the magic was over her flesh. She drew her wand and vanished the bottle before freshing her breath.

She opened the door and saw her parents look up from the coffee table, a mess of papers strewn about. She remembered that it was just about time for the bills to be paid. "Hi Mom, Hi Dad. That time of the month?" Ted gave his daughter a shudder. "Phrasing Dora." Andromeda shook her head, "Please. That was on purpose. How was your first day, dear?" Dora smiled. "It was good. Lots of exercise and lots of casting. The Instructor seems to know his stuff. Got a few weeks to go before we get told if we hack it for the special program or not." Slipping to the kitchen for a second to drink some water, Dora came back and found her mom eyeing her closely from the entryway. "You tripped." Dora blushed. "A bit." Andromeda sighed as Ted came around with his stack of papers all wrapped together. "Please Andromeda, you know it's going to happen." Watching the two of them chatting made Dora's heart warm. She closed her eyes, the imagery she used to cast the killing curse coming back to her mind. Her eyes watered as soon as she opened them and Dora pulled her parents into a hug. Andromeda stilled, knowing her daughter rarely initiated a hug. That was usually Ted. "You alright, Nymphadora?"

Dora nodded as she pulled back, rubbing her eyes a bit. "Yeah. Our workout just had a few rough moments. I just… I wanted you to know that I love you two. I love you so much." Ted pulled his daughter in for a tighter hug. He kissed her hair. "We love you too, Nymphadora." Andromeda soon followed and kissed her daughter on the cheek. "You should go take a warm bath, if not a shower. You feel a bit cold. Will help get that beer out of your system too." Dora blushed. "Ok, Mom." Dora went up the stairs gingerly before reaching the bathroom, stripping out of her clothes completely. Leaving the water in the shower running until it got warm, Dora looked in the mirror, her appearance shifting. She shuddered, hating what she looked like. She hated who everyone compared her to. She shifted her eyes back to match her dad's before stepping into the shower, feeling the warm water mark all of her sore muscles. Especially her knees. She knew this was just the first day. The training would get longer and harder. She would follow through with it as long as she could. While being an Auror had been her dream, being an Operative seemed so much more. She hoped she could do it. She just had to cast the killing curse and all the other nasty ones without turning into her. She'd settled for not getting emotional every day after casting them either.

Chapter 5: The New Normal

"Has Andromeda tested her surgical knives on you yet?" Croaker shivered in fear at the thought. "No, but the first time I see her I am pointing her to Horatio. Bastard scouted her on his own knowing who worked here. He can spend a few hours in her tender mercy for all I care. Ready for a more specific chat about the coming month?" Hazel placed a mug of coffee in front of him and sat down opposite of him in her apartment's kitchen table. "Let's make it quick, I want to get some kid friendly furniture for Teddy. Just make sure you point me to Financial so I can get some Pounds." Croaker nodded and drank the coffee before looking down at it. "What did you add to this thing? It's better than what I usually make." Hazel drank from hers and hummed. "Coconut milk, some maple syrup and a pinch of cocoa." Croaker noted the ingredients. "Any good mixed with whiskey?" Hazel looked at him. "You're welcome to try. I had a whole bottle of firewhiskey at 15 for Christmas. Never touched the stuff since, except on a certain day and not for a while. At least not that I can remember. Caffeine is my drug of choice." Croaker could see how a bottle of firewhiskey at 15 would dissuade anyone from drinking. He wondered if she burned anything beyond her throat that day.

Deciding to bring things back on track, he pulled out his pen and opened his notepad. "So, summer onward of 1991. What happened?" Hazel thought back a bit. "Hagrid fetched me from my relatives' house, took me to Diagon where I met Professor Quirrell, the new DADA teacher. He seemed nice and interested in how I was. I was then escorted to Gringotts where Hagrid showed them my Trust Vault key and a letter from Dumbledore. We left after I got some Galleons and Hagrid took what I later found out was Flamel's Philosopher Stone from his vault. Met a snobby brat called Draco Malfoy at Malkin's, got my school supplies and then went for my wand. Ollivander went through most of his stock before he pulled out a wand of Holly and Phoenix Feather. The wand… it liked me but it felt off for a long while. Hagrid then gave me my owl and familiar Hedwig as a birthday present. I got into a chat with Hagrid during lunch about the brother wand that Ollivander mentioned and about Voldemort. Got told a few things about the school, the houses and everything. Heard Gringotts got broken into a few days later." Croaker wrote all that down. "Why was Hagrid your introduction to Diagon Alley? It's usually a Head of Hogwarts House or the Deputy Headmistress who shows the kids around."

Hazel ate one of the muffins Leafsby had placed on the table. "At the time I didn't think about it. Pretty sure it was so I didn't get the full introduction. I had to ask someone else about who one went to should a crime be committed. I got nothing on how I was expected to behave at school, who had certain powers over me or if I even had the right to not go. A few years later Dumbledore said some words to me that got me thinking. Pretty sure he orchestrated events in such a way that I got to school all wide eyed and impressionable. That I would be surrounded by people who would tell me to trust the old man above the Ministry and the law. I think his goal was to make me out as a saint and a martyr for his cause. He got a soldier instead. One that stubbornly refused to die no matter how much his Order hated me." Croaker finished his notes and thought for a second. "Harry Potter hasn't been seen since his parents went into hiding. You think our Dumbledore might be following a similar path?" Hazel tapped her fingers on the table. "I would get Financial to monitor his Vault access and have Legal check his official documents. My Dumbledore had illegally placed himself as my magical guardian. If yours is up to similar tricks, he could have done that too. He had gold from my Vaults being transferred to the Dursley's bank accounts. You could see if you can trace the kid's location from that."

Croaker nodded and made his annotations. "I might have a chat with Horatio and see if he can give you and Tonks some stealth and target shadowing training. You lived the boy's life and might spot things better while there on the ground on the day you believe he will arrive." Hazel drank from her coffee. "Probably for the best. Dora will need a bit more time getting her equilibrium work in, but a recon mission with two untrained targets will be fine. If that is even how things go." Croaker tapped his pen on his chin. "I think I will leave the questions here. If we get evidence of Dumbledore manipulating the events around the boy, we can then take a closer look at your timeline. If he isn't, we would have to look at your future as a guide of potential coincidences. Fate likes her parallels, if stories about time travelers are to be believed." Hazel eyed Croaker. "You said Harry is a Black here. What would it take for Andromeda to have legal custody of him, should the worst be confirmed?" Croaker sighed. "The Lord Presumptive being named Lord Black and reinstating her. Fighting for custody right now would place him with the Malfoys." Hazel hummed. "Might be worth it. I went three for three on Malfoys in my world." Croaker glared. "We need to be careful. The more radical changes you make, the harder predictions will be worth making. For now, let's eye the events of his early months and see how they line up."

Hazel watched Croaker leave her apartment and walked over to Teddy, dropping onto the floor. "Close the books and tell what each one is and can do." Teddy nodded and closed his textbook and sketchbook. He pulled a potted plant to him. "This is wormwood. It's a typical plant found in both magical and non magical areas. It's commonly used as an ingredient in several potions, including Healing, Draught of Living Death and Elixir of Euphoria. Tends to growl like a weed." Hazel nodded and Teddy pulled another one. "This is Fluxweed, also used for Healing Potions. It's a fully magical plant and if harvested under a full moon, it can be used for Polyjuice Potion." Hazel hummed and Teddy pulled a see through container full of water and algae. "This one is Gillyweed. It can be used in potions to allow patients to survive lungs filled with liquid. It is also in a potion designed to reverse the effects of Gillyweed when eaten raw by a person. It lets a person breathe underwater via gills. Mostly found in Europe but sold at most Apothecaries. Gillywater is made by collecting the fresh water from a tank of Gillyweed after a week in it." Hazel rubbed his hair and looked at the books. "Three for three. Good job. Tried Gillyweed myself once. Great effect, horrible taste. Come on. Let's see what Muggle London has for us." Teddy's excitement made Hazel smile as they left the apartment.

Andromeda eyed her daughter as she walked through the door and slowly made her way up the stairs to her room. She sighed and went to grab her kit before barging into her room. Her daughter, face down on the bed, groaned. "Just need some rest, Mom." A stinging hex got a yelp out of Dora. "Sure and I didn't spend years studying Healing without spotting symptoms. Your gait was off, you aren't favoring your right side and you have a cut on your lip you forgot about. Strip to your underwear before I vanish your clothes." Andromeda gave her daughter a glare as she groaned in pain as she took her shirt off, showing a growing bruise on her ribs. "Lie on your back for now. Those ribs are at the very least bruised. Why didn't you go to the Infirmary after your Training was done?" Dora tried to shrug but only managed to wince in pain as her mother's wand began to scan her. "I was too bloody tired and would have passed out if I stayed. Didn't want the Instructor to see me. He might have kicked me out if I did."

Dora gave a few more groans of pain before Andromeda's spells eased most of her symptoms. The closed cut on her lip had been the most appreciated. She had had it for the whole day and forgot about the pain from it until it was gone. She eyed her frustrated mother and sighed. "I am sorry, Mom, but I really want to try to get this job. Sure, the training is hard, but once I am in, I get to study some neat magic and actually go on assignments." Andromeda might have used more force than necessary when applying Bruise Removal ointment, as Dora hissed in pain. "That might be true but you won't be going anywhere if you keep getting a beating like this. I wasn't aware the Aurors had a Physical Combat course either. Don't try and lie to me, Dora. These bruised ribs were the right size and shape for a closed fist." Dora silenced her protest and tried to think what she could honestly say, without breaking her contracts. "Instructor is more than your typical hard ass at the Academy. He started us out today on basic Physical Combat. I think I managed a few punches his way before he nailed me."

Andromeda checked Dora's knees. "You've been falling a lot too. Your Episkey isn't doing you much good as you keep damaging the area on your knees. I am going to cast a few more spells before applying the ointment. If you see yourself tripping more, wear your old Quidditch pads. I don't care how silly you look. Knee injuries aren't easy to fix when they get serious, Dora." The Metamorphmagus sighed but ended up agreeing. Her thoughts drifted to her training session and the witch that kept intruding on her steamier dreams. She had noticed it before but Hazel did seem to wear padding on her legs, from foot to knee. It looked like the same blackish green leather of her jacket and boots too. Today, since they had been warned about Physical Combat, she had also worn gloves and arm guards too. Dora wondered what kind of life her new friend had if she had custom made leather armor specifically made for fighting hand to hand combat. Still, it had been funny watching Hazel fight the instructor. He had insulted her form, to which Hazel responded with a straight punch to his arms that got a decidedly painful groan out of him. Why was her friend so hot when she did stuff like that?

"Please tell me you aren't crushing on your instructor." Dora groaned. Her control had to have slipped while she got lost in her memories. Her mother's words made her want to gag. "Hell no! He is a bloody old man with an ego the size of a house." Andromeda hummed. That sounded very familiar to her. "Then who got you so bothered that you actually blushed at the memory?" Dora debated whether to tell her or not and how much she could share. "There is a witch in my training group. She is a bit older than me and is quite hot. She always wears these really open backed shirts and cool leather boots. She's been helping me out a lot with some nasty spells they want to see how well we can do. Pretty sure she cracked the instructor's bones after he dissed her form. She's really into physical combat." Andromeda stilled for a second as she finished wrapping the bandages over the murlap ointment applied to Dora's knees. That sounded vaguely familiar to a certain witch she just met. "Oh, how interested are you in said witch? Might I be a Grandmother before I turn 70?" Dora got up on her elbows, her face fighting a blush. "Mom! It's not like that! She will probably be my coworker, maybe even my partner."

Andromeda grabbed a towel and rubbed her hands clean as she started putting her kit away. "You'd be surprised how many Aurors and Hit Wizards and Witches get into a serious romantic relationship with their partners. Something about a lot of adrenaline filled nights and the level of trust between them makes for very serious relationships. A few even get dispensation to stay assigned together if their teamwork is just that good. No point in cutting down a person's performance just because they are lip locked with their partner while off duty, so long as it stays off duty. The Longbottoms were a prime example of that in their day." Dora wanted to be embarrassed about the topic. She hated talking about her love life with her mom. But her words gave her pause. Could that really happen with her? Would she date her partner? She pictured Hazel's face hovering over her and Dora felt her cheeks warm. A cold glass potion vial snapped her out of her daydream. Her mom was giving her an amused smile. "Pain Relief Potion. You should feel better by tomorrow. If I have to tend to your training injuries frequently, I am going to start charging you." Dora shugged the vile medicine down before mom headed for the door. "Make sure you're on the Contraceptive Potion too. I want my grandchildren in a few more years, not in months." Dora's face and hair went deep red.

"Mom!" Andromeda grinned as she walked down the stairs, placing her kit down on the kitchen table as Ted eyed her with mirth. "What's got our daughter yelling at you just before dinner?" Andromeda hummed happily. "Our girl has gone and found herself a crush. I reminded her to stay on the potion. I might want to be a grandmother, but not at this second." Andromeda latched onto the wards and projected her voice. "Dinner will be ready in an hour." A distant "Will be there!" came down the stairs as she disconnected from the wards. As she started on dinner, Andromeda's thoughts drifted to her daughter and her recently arrived extended family. Hazel clearly had a lot of emotional baggage but she was a good mother to Teddy. If Dora was taking the Operative's Trials and was bonding with Hazel, it wouldn't be a bad thing. She might not want a grandchild for a few years, but she wouldn't mind having those two in her life. She got the water to start boiling as she went to the window. "Biela." Andromeda wrote a short note before attaching it to her grey Eurasian Scoop Owl. Ted eyed the owl as it flew out the window. "Work?" Andromeda shook her head as she started slicing some vegetables. "No, just seeing if I can get together with some friends soon."

Andromeda smiled as she saw the two dimension hoppers sitting at a back table. "Hope I am not late." Hazel gave her a guarded smile as Teddy ate some garlic knots. "Not really, just had to make sure Teddy had something to keep his stomach from grumbling." Teddy's indignant "Hey!" was silenced by his mother playfully ruffling his hair as Andromeda sat down. The waiter came by and she ordered carbonated water. The disgusted looks on both mother and son amused her. "Not to your taste?" Hazel shook her head, her white hair tied into a braid over her shoulder. "Had that in Primary from the few times the nurse actually bothered with looking after me. Pretty sure they gave the stuff to get people to leave early. I don't mind carbonated drinks but pure carbonated water makes me want to taste Polyjuice again. Even Pumpkin juice might be worth it." Teddy shuddered. "No Pumpkin Juice for me. Ever." Andromeda chuckled as the soda was delivered and they ordered a large pizza with mixed meat and vegetables. "The other students are going to tease you for that at Hogwarts." Teddy made a face. "I'll go with water and maybe tea if I can't get any other juice."

Hazel chuckled. "I hated the stuff too. Still have no idea how people like Butterbeer either. Gillywater was alright, until I swallowed a mouthful of Gillyweed. The taste of the Black Lake got stuck in my throat soon after." Andromeda shivered. "Fell into the lake myself once and I get your point. Thank the goddess it wasn't on the boats, I might have been mortified for years." Andromeda eyed Teddy, who just finished his last garlic knot. "Are you looking forward to Hogwarts?" Teddy got a thoughtful look. "I know I will make friends and be a Hufflepuff, but I think I will miss Mom's approach to teaching. The school sounds like it can get boring." Andromeda could see that being an issue. The fact the boy could do Transfiguration at nine years of age was impressive. She eyed Hazel. "How far is he into the curriculum?" She shrugged. "It's not been a proper education. I had to pick and choose what gave him an advantage in the last two years. Herbology was important quickly in figuring out what plants we had to save as the snows covered the ground. A bit of Care in case we ran into some starving wildlife. Charms and Transfiguration have been the more standard, though I got him started early on silent and point casting. Was working my way up to wandless before magic faded."

Andromeda had a pensive look. "I think he will probably go over the practical portion of the classes quickly, but theory might be an issue." Andromeda smiled as she saw Teddy pout. "I know how to do it, I don't have to explain it." Hazel chuckled. "Maybe we should keep him away from Arithmancy. Septima might have a tough time with him, if it's her as the Professor here." Andromeda nodded. "It is and that's probably for the best. She hates it when her students don't show their work with the equations." Andromeda frowned for a second. "What about Potions?" She felt her skin breakout in goosebumps until Teddy tapped his mom's shoulder. "Don't be scary. Food isn't here yet." The feeling vanished instantly as Hazel closed her eyes. A few deep breaths later and she leaned over and kissed Teddy's cheek before looking at Andromeda. "I had the worst Potions teacher imaginable. Since he hated me as well from the start, I literally learned squat from him. How I got to sixth year Potions was a miracle, mainly because the bastard got his wish of being Defence Instructor. He tried sabotaging me there too but by then I was already quite intent on blasting holes through Death Eater heads. Might have ended him sooner if Dumbledore had not trusted him blindly." Andromeda sat back as the pizza arrived.

"Severus was a threat in your world?" Hazel nodded as she pulled a slice onto Teddy's plate and then one on hers. "Yeah, he was. We best check out your Hogwarts Potion Master before Teddy goes to study under him. He tries to sabotage my son's education, I will drag him into the Forest and bind him there for a week. See how he likes the local denizens." Andromeda pulled her own slice of pizza and started cutting it with her fork and knife. "Good to know. I will let Croaker in on that before he has to do any damage control. Speaking of the DoM, care to tell me if my daughter is also training under Horatio's supervision?" Hazel took a bite of her slice of pizza, ignoring the looks from both Teddy and Andromeda. She smiled as she watched the two get scandalized by her table manners. She loved doing that with Andi too. "She is. In Croaker's defence, Horatio seems a bit obsessed with keeping the Director out of his business. Horatio did it all on his own. You're welcome to talk to him after our next training session. So far I have given him a few cuts and bruises, plus a cracked forearm." Andromeda made sure to check in on the Medical Wing the next afternoon. "Do you think my daughter might make it through the training?"

Hazel finished her slice and passed another one into Teddy's empty plate. She thought about what she saw of this world's Nymphadora. "I think she has some self esteem issues. Her clumsiness isn't helping her out and the more she does the training the more I see her frustrated. Don't get me wrong, she is improving but there is only so much she can take about the situation before she feels like it might not be worth it. I have a low risk recon job lined up with Croaker on the 31st of July that could do her some good but I do worry about when she will have enough." Andromeda sat back and thought about her daughter. She clearly wanted the job and was working hard to get it. At the same time she knew how she was at school. She got decent grades but never truly Outstanding, except for DADA. She worked hard at it but she sacrificed her other courses for it. "Are you interested in seeing her succeed?" Hazel looked at Andromeda and blinked. Was she? Her Dora was great but she still had confidence issues, especially with Remus and his self-pity parade. Would helping her here be the thing she needed to step out of her comfort zone?

"I… think the job might give her a shot at bettering herself. My Dora had issues that she carried with her to her grave. Yours has some of those but she might outgrow them. It's hard to tell really. If you want me to keep helping her along, I will be happy to do it, but I won't if you don't want her in the DoM." Andromeda ate her pizza quietly, thinking about what her daughter could gain in the DoM. There would be no more secrets between them and she might just get the training she needed never to get taken down by any lingering Death Eaters or any other Dark wizards or witches. She looked up and saw Hazel cleaning Teddy's mouth with a napkin. She also saw what was missing. James and Lily. James' skills as an Auror made him advance quickly, but he drew too much attention to himself. If Hazel's parents were like her friends, then they got overwhelmed by the Death Eaters and caught in a deathtrap by Voldemort. Operative training was the closest thing she knew that just might save Dora from a similar fate. "Help her. As much as you can. I want my daughter to live through the next 7 years of her life." Hazel nodded and lunch was a bit more subdued after that. Andromeda went home, intent on pressing her husband to finish getting his clearance certification. She was also planning how to get Horatio back for not telling her about recruiting her daughter. Maybe adding an itching solution on his murtlap healing bandages.

"Gods dammit, Witch!" Horatio pulled himself as far back as he could, his eyes on the white haired woman who was driving him to actually break a sweat in training his Candidates. He had already narrowed them down to two, the rest of the Candidates quitting and taking their recommendation papers back to the Academy. This had been Horatio's issue for the last 12 years since his Operations Division got gutted by that traitor Rockwood and his no-nose Dark Lord. Years of training and efficient teams taken down by bad intel and a traitor in their mix. Had Rockwood been caught by the DoM, he would have been executed. Instead the DMLE caught him and he turned into a stool pigeon, all to avoid a date with a Dementor or the Veil. Bloody bastard. Every year since then, Horatio would scout candidates and after nearly a month of training, most took the easy road and returned to the Academy, their lips sealed on what they did prior, a few even getting Obliviated. This year he counted his blessings; he still had two willing to take the punishing regime. Now he had to see if they could hack it for years to come. His biggest headache was the witch he now knew as Hazel Peverell, formerly Potter.

He remembered James Potter's evaluation, like most of his possible candidates. He tried to recruit him but the bastard was dead set on being an Auror. Had he taken the training, he might have survived that night. His NEWT scores indicated a high proficiency for Transfiguration, like most Potters. That his daughter from another world inherited the gift wasn't entirely unexpected. That she refined it the way she did was. He casted a Blasting Hex through a Wall that sprang up, before he was forced to roll out of the way as conjured spears were launched his way through the opening. He bit back a growl of pain as he severed a transfigured thorn that sprang from the embedded spear that just barely missed his leg. The witch was seriously rough around the edges, her Physical Combat needed a lot of work to get it perfect, but gods was she a terror as a Conjurer. Conjuration, as the final step of Transfiguration, was often ignored by most witches and wizards. Sure, you could conjure water, metals and even furniture. Most people stuck to that party trick, as a way of showing off. A few might even conjure living animals if they could, usually birds.

True Freeform Conjuration for combat was almost unheard of. Albus Bloody Dumbledore was a Transfiguration Master, but even he stuck to using it as defense in combat, switching to Hexes and Charms in fights. The she-devil infront of him either never got the instruction a typical witch would have or she took notice of a weakness and exploited it. Because the moment he managed to get enough distance from her to cast Hexes and Curses safely was the moment her combat switched to offensive Conjuration. He really needed to get her to take some NEWTs in December to figure out if she was hiding any other areas of expertise. So far she was his favorite yet, even if he would never say it to Saul. He would never hear the end of it. He casted a Siege Engine spell and watched as it tore through her garden of spears and transfigured slabs for defence. He noticed a Duelist Shield pop out. Interesting. "You done playing games, witch?" The cheeky grin he got made his stomach drop. That oddly familiar wand was waved wildly as hundreds of slabs sprang from the floor. He sighed as he blasted the closest one away and regretted it instantly.

The sharp teeth of a wolf's jaw was digging into his wand arm as the angry growls filled his ears. Great, she had Animal Conjuration down too. Which meant that of all his Candidates in the last 12 years, she was the closest he had ever gotten to an Operative that rendered numerical advantage useless against her. "Enough! Call them off!" A loud whistle echoed in the training room as the slab retreated back into the floor. The pack of wolves returned to the witch who vanished them with a flick of her wrist. Horatio looked at his wound. "You got a good idea of a wolf's bite. Reminds me of the time a dog took a chunk out of me." The witch shrugged. "I ran into a few Direwolves in the frozen Moors. Nasty buggers were a nightmare to take down without ripping them apart. Made some nice fur coats though. Still have a few… I think." Horatio stared at the woman. "You ran into a few Dark Wizards before that though, enough to know how to take on several all at once." Her eyes took on a far away look. "A few times. Started with birds and bugs. Actually made some nasty badgers once or twice. Lots of fun with those. The largest I could manage then were Mountain Trolls. Those take a lot out of you if you add in their natural magical resistance. Damn good curse sponges though."

The fact the woman just admitted to conjuring a magical creature and even applying magical traits to it meant she was beyond NEWT Transfiguration. She was a bloody Master. "Croaker wants you out on a low risk reconnaissance mission. You just got my permission. Don't squander it." Hazel gave him a calculated look. "Alright then. Are we good for tonight? I was planning on baking a Lasagna in the oven for my son and I only have the meat precooked as it is." Horatio nodded, a little concerned about how easily she could switch between battle hardened Conjurer to Caring Mother. "You have the rest of the night off." He left towards the Medical Wing, cursing under his breath at the deep bite mark on his arm. The moment he opened the door, the pain in his arm instantly vanished. The sound of the doors locking place behind him made his blood run cold. Andromeda Tonks was a scary witch on a good day. The woman in front of him was clearly not having a good day. Scratch that, maybe a good day is the worst. The smile that grew on her face was a good sign that the Black Madness still lived in her. "Let me have a look at that, Horatio." That wolf pack seemed downright pleasant right now.

Later in the evening Hazel sat in bed with Teddy asleep against her side. She smiled down at him, rubbing his hair gently, watching him slip further into sleep. She leaned her head back against the wall, her eyes looking around the room. Their trips to Muggle London had been very pleasant, with Teddy getting a few fantasy and sci-fi books as well as some more sketching supplies. An old Vinyl Shop had caught her eye and she bought a few discs from every season. She made a pit stop after their shopping trip in Diagon Alley to buy a Record Player that was powered by magic. The rest of the time was spent looking at kid's furniture, including some nice looking bookshelves and posters. She also bought a few Huffpuff posters before the two slipped back into the Ministry. The room now felt like it was Teddy's room and not just an empty apartment. So Hazel did her best to focus on that rather than the memories trying to claw their way back into her mind. She did her best to not make a sound. The memories eventually surfaced but she managed not to disturb Teddy. A small victory even as she swallowed her own bile.

OW October 31 1997

Hazel didn't know how long she stared at the badgers she conjured as they tore through the mangled flesh of the Snatchers that she, Hermione and Ron ran into. Why the two stuck with her she had trouble understanding, after she made it clear she wasn't going to stop killing, no matter how much they complained. "Damn it Hazel, they weren't bothering anyone!" Hazel turned to Hermione and eyed her wearily. "Really? How many Muggleborns do you think they managed to corner before today? How many are probably lying dead in a ditch somewhere because they fought back? They could have been out here looking for anyone they could snatch and bring to the Death Eaters. I wasn't going to let them get us or anyone else." Ron sighed. "Hazel, I get that, but what's the point of this? You didn't have to kill them. At worst you could have snapped their wands. It's not like Olivander is making new ones anymore."

After a second of thought, Hazel smiled. "Oh, right. That can come in useful. Accio wands." A dozen wands flew towards her before she levitated them in place. She took the four that didn't seem to complain as much in her hands and gave rest to Hermione and Ron. They looked at the blood soaked wands and grimaced. Ron shook his head. "This wasn't what I had in mind, Haze." Hazel's temper flared. "You don't get to call me that!" A tree next to them snapped, causing Ron to shrink back. "Sorry." Hazel turned back to the corpses as she vanished the Badgers. "Remind me to tell Neville he would have made a better Badger. They are a lot more terrifying on the inside, especially after getting mad. As for this having a point, I think it has a damn good one. How many more Snatchers will be careful about signing up or hunting anyone after hearing about this? The Ministry might have tried to hide it but the Death Eaters will make sure everyone knows how I really am Undesirable #1. If the country is going to call me that, I may as well earn it."

Hermione shivered. "At what cost! You are a good person, Hazel!" Hazel pinched the bridge of her nose. "Hermione, I killed my first person at 11 years of age, I casted my first Killing Curse at 15. I have killed repeatedly since and I can tell you I am probably going to kill many more, including Tom." Hermione shook her head. "But you don't have to! You can be better than this! Dumbledore said…" Hazel turned and growled at them. "Dumbledore can get bent in Hell for all I care! The bastard did nothing to stop this mess and now you expect me to clean it up his way? The hell with that. I am doing this my way. You two can stick around but I swear if you try and stop me I am leaving you both behind." Ron fingered hsi wand and ended up getting an up close look at a nasty looking curse itching to leave Hazel's wand. "You Hex me at any moment, I won't hesitate to take you down. Got it?" Hermione whimpered. "You are going to end up like You-Know-Who like this." Hazel glared at her. "I am not Voldemort!" They heard apparition pops behind them as Ron groaned. "I warned you about the Jinx!" Hazel ignored him and conjured a massive pack of badgers before hiding behind a tree. "Like I care!"

Chapter 6: Haunting Parallels

"So, why didn't you say anything?" Hazel drank from her tea as her eyes constantly scanned the Leaky Cauldron. Some of the faces looked familiar to the ones she remembered from almost 30 years ago, with some difference in hair or clothing. At the corner of the room, near the entrance to Diagon Alley, sat Professor Quirrell, who seemed… jumpy and spent quite a bit of time babbling with the bartender. He was really different from her former DADA instructor, who was far more cool and collected, always speaking with a soft and commanding voice. Sure, he wore the same formal clothes and purple turban, but the Quirrell of this world sounded so pathetic. She was half tempted to pull the turban off and ask Tom, if he was even back there, what made him possess such a terrible excuse of a human being. Then again, maybe the man she met so many years ago was more Tom than Quirrell. She never did study the finer details of wraiths and possessions, not that the Hogwarts Library would have even had a selection for said situation. Maybe she should ask Croaker for a book on it. On second thought, maybe not. He would only look at her funny and demand a longer explanation. Those were getting more common. Someone snapped her finger in front of Hazel and she glared at her partner for the day. "What? They aren't here yet."

Dora, looking decidedly masculine in some very god awful wizard's robes, glared at her. "I am asking why you didn't say anything about your gift." Hazel, looking like a woman sporting short brown hair and blue eyes, shrugged. "Because it's not that important to me. I got it after I turned 17 and while I can manage a shift, I don't like not looking like myself." Dora drank from her gillywater, which made Hazel shiver at the imagined taste. "So, the way you usually look is all you? No changes? Not even the hair?" Hazel looked over as the door to London opened but no giant popped in, or any other faculty member. Good thing she had asked Croaker for the Hogwarts personnel file. She had never seen Professor Babbling before, as her version of a Runes Professor was an old man and her Professor Sinastra had been as pale as an Icelandic vampire, not of African ancestry. Flitwick was the oddest thing, with her version looking like an old man that gave Dumbledore a run for his money, while the local Charms Master looked quite dapper for his size in something resembling a tuxedo. She returned her attention to Dora. "As far as I am aware, that is all me, minus the hair. I can't get my hair to match my original shade of black anymore. It always goes white. It's either the effects of curse damage or my Family Magic that keeps it white. Don't know. I tried shifting it to red for a time but I kept getting hit on by creeps, and blonde doesn't look good on me."

Visualizing a redheaded Hazel made Dora hum apreciately. "Yeah, I'd tap that." The look Hazel gave her made Dora blush, even through her shift. "I said that outloud, didn't I?" Hazel looked elsewhere. "The privacy ward should make it so only I heard you, though I don't think it will make you feel any better." Hazel tried her best to not think about Nymphadora that way, but that was difficult right now. She had had a massive crush on her own Dora when they first met at her Godmother's place during her summer before fifth year. She had even kissed her under a mistletoe once. While Hazel had been interested in her, her world's Dora had been fully enamored with Remus. Hazel spent a full year trying to get over her, only for her next flame to have been a lot worse for her. The thought that the local Nymphadora was interested in her did make her reconsider if it was a good idea to spend a lot of time with her. Her Dora had deserved way better than that bastard mutt. She was about to say that this Dora deserved better than her before she stopped herself. She didn't want to linger in self pity. Not like he did. Maybe… they could be something. Her thoughts ended as she spied a giant of a man walking into the Leaky Cauldron.

"Heads up. Keep your eyes open, keep chatter low and we will talk about everything later." Dora nodded as the privacy ward dropped. The bartender looked towards the Half Giant. "A bit early for a pick me up, wouldn't you say Hagrid?" Hazel eyed Quirrell, watching his reactions. "Sorry Tom, on official business. Maybe later for lunch. Got to get Harry here to the Alley." Hazel turned her head towards the black haired boy who seemed to cringe under the attention of the place. Whispers of Harry Potter were shared everywhere as people crowded around him. Quirrell, interesting enough, seemed to have a debate with himself. Was Tom really that disconnected with him that they needed verbal communication? Interesting. Hazel stood up and nudged Dora and they both moved away from the table. They walked past Harry, with Hazel giving him a small bow. "A fair day, Mr. Potter." Dora bowed her head but remained quiet as they entered the back part of the store and opened Diagon Alley's gateway. Hazel eyed the street, knowing they would head for Gringotts first. "Was it wise to say anything?" Haxel turned to Dora. "It would have been more noticeable if I didn't. Blending in is more than changing your look. You have to behave like the rest or stand out by your lack of reaction. Best way to spot an amateur in a room is to check for lack of reaction and razor focus."

Dora nodded. "Thanks, I will keep that in mind." Hazel pulled her to the side, out of view of most. "I want you to stick out here, keep an eye out. If my intel is right, the Malfoys are about. Keep a low profile." Dora frowned at the mention of the Malfoys. "Got it. Hey, where are you going?" Hazel turned and looked at her after heading back to the main street. She grinned. "Those two will be entering the bank. My means of invisibility can fool the Goblins, yours can't. Stay nearby and stay out of trouble. I will be back. We need confirmation of a target being acquired." Tonks thought back to her orders. "I didn't hear about that." Hazel sighed and pushed into Tonks' personal space, her lips inches away from Tonks'. She intended to make it look natural for a couple out for a walk in the Alley, but her mind failed for a second at catching how nice the Metamorphmagus smelled. Getting her mind back on track. "If I can confirm this, it gets us one more piece of evidence that the Boss needs to add to the file. We need all of it to make the right call. Please, wait for me around here?" Dora's mind misfired for a second before she nodded. Hazel turned the corner and promptly vanished from sight. She hurried up the stairs as she scanned the area. She felt the old Goblin wards pass over her and she smiled. They were a bit weaker than what she remembered from her second break in.

Hazel hurried to pass the tellers as she eyed the Half Giant and the kid waiting in line. She needed to get to vault 713. Croaker already confirmed it as the only one co-owned by Flamel and Dumbledore. If the stone was in Gringotts, this was the place to keep it. She avoided the Goblins as she slipped around and found an empty cart before stepping on, casting a notice-me-not charm on it. Hidden under her Cloak she rode the cart all the way to 713 and got off, sending the cart back and dispelling the charm on it. She focused her magic to essentially fill her entire essence, blurring the line between her and the Cloak. She had done this accidentally the first time after getting cornered by Death Eater Remnants while on a grocery run and had spent weeks bumping into walls until she got it right. Andi had thoroughly enjoyed hearing her make a fool of herself and even baby Teddy laughed at her. Smiling at the fond memories, Hazel looked at the Vault wall and walked right through it, changing direction back towards the Vault proper before exiting into the empty space. Hazel saw the package and, after picking it up with gloved hands, opened it. A crystaline stone filled with a great deal of concentrated magic shown in her hand, a deep red color radiating from it. She replaced it in the bag and placed it back on its pedestal before she walked out through the wall again, the stone left behind. About 15 minutes later, Hazel heard a cart approach.

She walked around the three people as the goblin unlocked the Vault door before latching on to the back of the cart and casting a featherlight charm on herself. She turned and saw Hagrid pick up the stone and asked Harry not to tell anyone. Hanging from the back of a cart sitting a Half Giant was decidedly less fun than an empty cart, but Hazel focused on not letting herself get spotted or slipping into the void that were the Goblin tunnels. She couldn't keep the grin off her face though, as she walked out the front door of Gringotts. 3-0. To be fair, two of her break ins were using what she assumed was either Death's Cloak or the closest thing man could ever make to it, but damn if it didn't work beautifully. She walked down the street and spotted Tonks giving Madam Malkins' storefront the stink eye. She leaned down and kissed Tonks on the cheek. "Miss me, darling?" Dora blushed up a storm. "Not really. Got what you needed?" Hazel nodded. "Peacocks in Malkins?" Dora wanted to giggle. "That was a good code name for them. Just two. The big Peacock wasn't with them." Hazel nodded and asked the coffee shop waitress for the menu. The two sat quietly before Hazel eyed Ollivander's, deciding to steer clear of the place. Best not tempt fate with that man's eyes. Knowing this was the last stop of Harry's today, she settled in and thought of Quirrell's odd behavior and how he compared to hers.

OW November 1st 1991

"Enter." Hazel opened the door to Professor Quirrell's office, her body still trembling from last night. She had gone to the bathroom to cry a bit after the Weasley boy laughed at her for failing her spells during Charms. Despite her best efforts, spells never felt like they were casting right. After getting the embarrassment out of her system, Hazel had opened the door of the bathroom stall before slamming it shut again. The mace carried by a large Troll tore through the wooden structures soon after, as she tried to sneak out beneath the stalls. She tried running past it before it smashed the faucets in front of her, water dripping down everywhere as the floor flooded. The Troll kept trying to crush her and at one moment she felt it had succeeded. She couldn't dodge in time. She remembered screaming at it with her outstretched hands and hearing a sudden thud follow through. She stood up and looked over at the troll, seeing the beast on its back, it's mace thrown across the room. When it started waking up, Hazel panicked. She grabbed the nearest jagged pieces of splintered wood and jammed them down into its eyes. The creature batted her away with its arms but moaned in frustration as it failed to see anything.

A few seconds later, Professor Quirrell opened the door to the bathrooms and launched heavy chains towards the creature, immobilizing it. That had been last night and she hadn't seen the Defence Professor again until right now. The moment Quirrell spotted her his face changed from stern to concerned. "Please sit down. Hogsby, a spot of camomile for my guest. Last night's adventure hasn't settled well with her, it seems." Hazel blinked at seeing the cup of tea appearing on the table in front of her. "A bit of warning, never accept snacks or drinks from an adult alone in their office. There are bad people everywhere, hiding behind kind words and a warm smile. You can, however, trust the house elves of Hogwarts. They won't let any harmful potions into a student's meal. The rules that bind them are absolute." Hazel eyed the man worriedly as she took the cup of tea. "Thank … you, Hogsby. And you, sir. For the tea and for last night." Quirrell sat back, his eyes focused on her. "Well, the Troll would say you did a lot more damage to it than me, wouldn't you agree?" Hazel lowered her eyes, her hands shaking. She sat the tea cup down and stared at her hands. She could remember the feel of the blood on her hands. She swore she hadn't managed to clean all of it. Not the last fifteen times she tried.

Quirrell's eyes felt piercing. "You didn't go to that bathroom on purpose, did you?" Hazel shook her head. "No, sir." The Professor tapped his fingers on the desk. "Miss Potter, I will be frank. Have you received any prior instruction in magic?" Hazel shook her head, "No, sir." Quirrell looked confused before he sighed. "You weren't raised among a magical family or with anything to do with our world." It wasn't a question, but Hazel shook her head. Quirrell summoned a book from the bookshelf with barely a wave of his hand. He passed the book to her. She eyed it carefully, seeing a caricature of a person who sort of looked like her riding a dragon. "As far as Wizarding Britain is concerned, that is who you are, Miss Potter. The teachers and the students expect to see a brash young Gryffindor breaking the rules, fighting bad guys and saving her fellow students. The fact that you hardly know a thing about our world, that you, a target for every Dark Wizard or Witch, are utterly incapable of defending yourself against a Troll, shows that you aren't the person everyone expected. Here you are, not 8 hours after escaping death by the skin of your teeth, quaking in your shoes as if the beast might appear behind a corner this next second. I have made a career of facing Trolls, Miss Potter, and while Magically Resistant, they are very easy to disable by a skilled hand. How are you even a Gryffindor?"

She wasn't sure why but hearing him describe who she was supposed to be made her start to cry. The odd man sighed and walked around his desk before pulling out a handkerchief. "My apologies, Miss Potter. My anger is not towards you but to the people that have fostered a lie while you were clearly left neglected. You are a quick study in class, though your calligraphy and theoretical work are very much lacking, a consequence of your failed instruction prior, I believe." Hazel looked at him oddly as he wiped her tears away. She thought back to his previous question and answered, barely above a whisper. "The Hat didn't know where to put me. I didn't seem to have any of the traits the Founders valued. He eventually settled on Gryffindor and Hufflepuff and asked me which I wanted. I asked for Gryffindor… because of my parents. I wanted to feel closer to them." Hazel sniffed. Quirrell, satisfied she wouldn't cry anymore, returned to his seat, his hands rubbing eyes. "I suppose you aren't the first one here, trying to fit in. We all want to do well by our parents, especially those who never really got to know them."

Hazel looked at the man and saw an understanding look in his eyes. Was he like her? The Professor shook his head and scratched some writing on a paper with his quill. He passed the paper to her. "Your name, Miss Potter, will bring many people after you. Perhaps worse still, many will flock to your side for safety, expecting a champion and a protector. You are not prepared for either. Come by here after Dinner every other day in the week and we will see if we can get you to a point where you can at least take care of yourself." Hazel took the paper and nodded. "Thank you … sir." Hazel got up from the chair, bowed and left the office. She looked at the paper unsure why he was helping her. No one else did. Maybe… maybe he actually cared? Or would he just disappoint her like every other adult? She placed the paper away in her pocket and wandered back towards Gryffindor Tower, wondering what she could learn from him. Would he teach her how to use wandless magic? Was that what she did last night? Maybe he could teach her how to change her eye colors too. Watching his eyes turn from brown to red had been neat.

NW July 31st 1991

"Well done, both of you. Mr. Potter entered and left Diagon Alley safely, for the most part, and we got a good grasp of what elements were in place around him. Candidate Tonks, Candidate Peverell's recommendations are important. When hiding in plain sight, the illusion of being part of the masses must be maintained. While a good disguise will get you in the door, a good performance will get you safely out the door again. Even more so should you ever be asked to portray another person. Trusting your partner will also play a part in any future mission. Mrs. Peverell's skill sets are more suited to a variety of tasks. If you two complete your Trials, you will be required to be intimately aware of your partners capabilities, in an objective manner." Dora and Hazel stood at attention as Horatio talked to them, with Croaker eyeing them from behind, though he kept looking at his reports closely. Horatio picked up a pouch and tossed it to Tonks. "Since you are technically not under our employ yet, you can take this as a tip for a job well done. You are dismissed, Candidate Tonks. Candidate Peverell's performance inside the bank needs to be addressed privately."

Tonks eyed Hazel carefully but when she saw a warm smile she knew everything was fine. She left the room without a fuzz. Hazel eyed Horatio before looking at Croaker. "How much has he been filled in about the current threat?" Horatio grumbled. "Enough. We have a presumed dead Dark Lord acting as a parasite and a Headmaster with too much interest in an 11 year old not of his blood." Croaker nodded and dropped the papers. "Since Mr. Potter is technically a Peverell, we were able to use your status with the Goblins to place a monitor on his expenses and isolate who can make withdrawals without Mr. Potter being present. We will make allowances for academic purchases as long as they match Potter's needs and a few extra, but should anyone try to make mass retrievals or small but regular retrievals, we will know." Hazel hummed. "Good thing I wasn't caught then, might have soured those deals." Both Horatio and Croaker glared at her, with the latter of the two sighing. "You snuck into Gringotts and confirmed the presence of one of Flamel's Stones as well as its withdrawal in the presence of Mr. Potter. Mr. Hagrid may not see an issue with this but any security minded person would."

Hazel nodded. "Like Dumbledore. Did the stone getting stored at Gringotts get advertised in any way prior to this summer?" Horatio got a worried look. "There was a notification of Flamel being seen in Gringotts in mid June, prior to the staff meeting for the school as they organised the next year's curriculum. If Dumbledore is up to his usual tricks of playing long games, this won't be an easy matter to resolve with just a simple intervention. I doubt Flamel is a willing part of this, but even if he is, our real concern currently is Voldemort." They both eyed Hazel who sighed. "Professor Quirrell showed signs of partial possession, or what I think is partial possession. The man I met in my world was more in control of himself and had no need to hide behind a stutter or a nervous disposition. I can't offer even a guess as to why they are different, without asking Voldemort himself. Something tells me you won't like to share books on wraith possessions either." Croaker gave her an amused look. "No, we would not. Even if we had any books detailed enough to cover this situation." Hazel grinned before her face grew pensive. "I also noticed the man refusing to touch the boy. Quirrell had no problems with that in my world, which suggests that Voldemort might know something we don't." Croaker sat forward. "So, we have a powerful Alchemic Stone, a half possessed Defense Professor, a Headmaster with too much time in his hands and an eleven year old boy who has no idea what forces are at play around him. This is a recipe for a disaster."

Thinking back on the day, Hazel eyed Croaker. "Speaking of forces at play, did you contact Ollivander about the incident in his store? I would have gone in but the man's eye is too discerning for my taste. I would only dare walk in there with my Cloak on." Horatio turned to Croaker. "I've never heard of a wand behaving like that either." Croaker nodded. "Neither have I. Ollivander, under oath, swore that the wand reacted positively for a second before the wood of the wand, Holly, disintegrated. He salvaged the Phoenix Feather core and refashioned a new wand, this one made of Willow, for the boy. He isn't sure what happened with the original either." Hazel rubbed her wand holster before summoning her Holly wand into her hand. "My original wand matched the one that was ruined. Is it possible it sensed I was nearby and rejected Harry because of me?" Croaker eyed the wand while Horatio interjected. "Does it still recognize you as the rightful wielder? You never use that particular wand in our practices." Hazel ran her magic into it and got a positive response. "It's still mine. It took years to accept me fully but after that it never wavered. I don't use it because the last time I wielded it with my magic at its peak, the wand cracked. Ollivander swore there was no fixing it but the Elder Wand did it without issue. Still not tempting fate and using it again at my max performance. Teddy uses it most of the time now."

Croaker sat back. "Two identical wands, one fails near the other. The one that endures had already been damaged and restored by forces beyond the skill of a wandmaker to understand. We have a lot of unknowns here." Hazel stored her Holly Wand away before a thought came to mind. "Wait, has Dumbledore been seen with his wand lately? My Elder Wand should be the same as his if he also bested Grindelwald and stole it from him." Croaker got a pensive look. "He has typical meetings in the Wizengamot but none since you arrived. The next session is on the 15th of September. I will keep an eye out and see if his wand has changed. In the meantime, Miss Peverell, please stay out of trouble and train. You snuck into Gringotts alone. Your next target will be Hogwarts and you will be taking Tonks as backup. A Troll in a castle full of kids is a danger. My greatnephew will be there and my sister will murder me if anything happens to him and I knew about it. So your job will be to identify the threat, subdue it and then see what happens. Dumbledore's behavior will tell us more about his endgame and just how vulnerable Hogwarts is because of it. So focus on getting Candidate Tonks up to snuff." Hazel nodded and left the meeting, her hand rubbing the owl charm with Hedwig's feather strapped to her belt. At least the boy got his familiar. She hoped he got the same strength from Hedwig that she did.

Andromeda watched as her daughter sat back and huffed. She smiled, not seeing any bruises on her. Progress. "Good day at work?" Dora nodded as she removed her boots and lifted her feet onto the Ottoman. "Not the typical training, but still interesting. Oh, I got to see Harry at the Alley today." Andromeda froze and turned to her daughter. "How was he?" Dora thought back. "He looks like the pictures you have of your cousin James, just scrawnier and a bit more jumpy. Hagrid was showing him around the Alley and got him his school supplies." Andromeda frowned. Hagrid wasn't the best person to introduce a kid into the world, especially if he had been living with Petunia for the last 10 years of his life. "Huh, was he happy at least?" Dora leaned forward and felt her bones pop into place. Holding the form of a man for the duration of the mission had been exhausting. Not to mention uncomfortable. She had wanted to not commit fully to the role and leave her privates intact but Hazel warned her that it affected her walking pattern. The bruises and chafing between her legs that she developed over the day definitely attest to that. Oww. She focused on her memory of Harry's face and smiled. "He looked happy, his eyes darting everywhere with wonder. Definitely his first time around magic." Andromeda sat down.

"Did he meet anyone else?" Dora thought back. "I think he met Draco Malfoy, but not the Lord and Lady Malfoy. Both were out of Malkins at the time and Harry left before either returned." Andromeda sighed in relief. "Good. The longer he stays away from those two the better." Dora watched her Dad enter through the front door, bags of chinese food in his hands. "Long day at work, Dad?" Ted nodded as they all sat around the table, with Ted passing the food around. "We got some interesting hits on Harry Potter's legal interests. Dumbledore is somehow listed as Magical Guardian, but there is concern that challenging it would draw the attention of the Malfoys, who could flip the Minister. Interesting enough, another name was recently added and managed to exert some influence with the legal rights to the boy. Peverell. My boss was surprised to see that name appear. He was under the impression the Peverells had gone extinct centuries ago. Harry seems to be of their line and while politically powerless in the Gamot, they still have legal rights over the boy. At least partly." Andromeda noticed a pensive look on Dora before looking at her husband.

"Any chances we could work with them?" Ted opened his box of chinese food while Andromeda glared at Dora and her slurping of the noodles. Ted grinned at his two ladies, loving how different they tended to be, despite Andromeda's attempts at instructing Dora on proper table manners. "Not sure. There was no name listed for legal representation, which means they acted on their own or the Ministry did it for them. So far they seem interested in protecting the boy's finances and making sure he had legal representation. Anything happens to him and someone will come calling at the school." Andromeda sat back and ate as she thought about what that meant. Hazel came from a world that practically used her and turned on her. Was she and Croaker making sure Harry was spared that fate? She eyed Dora who dug into her meal with too much fervor, causing Andromeda to pass her a napkin. If the DoM was keeping an eye on Harry, maybe it was for the best they slowed down their own requests. Not entirely to make it appear as if they lost interest, but enough to keep attention away from the changes. She dug into her meal as she planned for a chat with her husband later that evening.

Chapter 7: Struggles of a Metamorphmagus

"Funny seeing you here." Hazel sighed and closed her newspaper, seeing Dora as she sat across from her on the cafeteria table. "My usual lunch appointment got cancelled. Something about a surprise for dinner." She technically knew Teddy was baking her a cake with Leafsby, but she didn't dare interrupt her son's little experimentation. The excitable elf was keeping her eye on making sure it was edible and that Teddy didn't set the kitchen on fire. Dora hummed as she bit into her sandwich, before eyeing the newspaper headline. "Damn, so much for a Potter in Hufflepuff. Nothing would have improved the house's image like having the Boy Who Lived in with the Badgers." Hazel bit back an angry retort on calling him that. She had hated being called the Girl Who Lived. Everyone took it as a bloody celebration, forgetting it literally meant she had been orphaned. Then again, Wizarding Britain was just like that: forgetful. They forgot the truth if an obvious lie was more convenient, or if the bloody paper repeated it enough. She had really hated her fifth year for the amount of crap the Prophet said about her, even as she ignored it all. If she ever spotted Rita, she would transfigure her into her animagus form and squish her.

"Who knows, he could up and change houses later. Might make a bigger impression that way. Harry Potter leaves Gryffindor for Hufflepuff." Dora chuckled. "Oh, that would be rich. Charlie would absolutely lose mind over that. He was a Gryffindor nut, just a bit less than a Dragon nut." Hazel hummed, ignoring the comment on the Weasley. "So, how was Hogwarts for you? All I am hearing is a bunch of mixed messages right now. Best school in Europe but the worst student scores in OWLs and NEWTs, as well as fewer electives." Dora swallowed her most recent bite of her meal. "I guess it's a bit of both really. McGonagall is the best at Transfiguration." Dora paused for a moment. "Present company excluded." Hazel grinned at her. "Much appreciated." Dora smiled back. "Flitwick is the best at Charms, and no one knows Herbology better than Sprout." She took a moment to drink from her drink. "I studied History of Magic, Divination and Muggle Studies, so I can safely say Binns is a free nap period. Trelawney is either insane or can't control her gift. Quirrell was ok as a Muggle Studies Professor so he might do good in DADA, which never had a single Professor stay more than one full academic year. Astronomy was fine under Professor Vector." Hazel eyed Dora. "Noticing your avoiding one. What happened to Potions?"

Dora sat back and tried to be as diplomatic as possible. "Snape… is a brutally efficient task master. He expects you to know the subject and get on with it. Most of my classes were with Ravenclaws and I can't remember ever hearing him give a single point to either of our houses. I heard he deducted points from Gryffindors like a madman and practically gifted points to Slytherin." Hazel drank from her cup of water and digested Tonks' summation. Sounds about right for the Hogwarts she knew. She had gotten a standing order from Croaker not to kill Snape just yet, so that was out. She eyed Tonks. "If we ever sneak into Hogwarts for a long assignment, want to go to Snape's office and mess with him? I know a few tricks that will make him furious because he would know no student did it." Tonks brightened up at that. "Abso-freakin-lutely! The bastard gave me a permanent detention in my sixth year for accidentally dropping a Venomous Tentacula plant on him." Hazel blinked for a second. Her Tonks had never done that. "Are you sure it was an accident?" Tonks' glare made her chuckle.

Hazel sat back and thought about what Tonks had said and what it would mean for Teddy. Ignoring the fact a certain Werewolf might be at the school in Teddy's first year, her son would be going through a whole lot of problems aimed at Harry Potter. No Basilisk, she hoped, but definitely some insane escapée from Azkaban, whatever disaster this world called their Triwizard Tournament and then the next three years of clandestine warfare. She needed to talk to Croaker on how bad it would be if she murdered Dolores Umbridge before Teddy made it to Hogwarts and the hell was she letting Snape ruin her son's interest in Potions and DADA. So much to do… Hazel sighed as she rubbed her eyes before looking at Dora. "Are you ready for a much more intensive Physical Combat training session today?" Dora winced. "I am just worried. My balance and hand eye coordination is shit. I can cast fine but landing a punch the right way seems so hard. Not to mention my hand hurts every time I mess up." Hazel tapped the table, feeling a little concern. This sounded like her world's version of Dora's self-esteem issues. Hazel pushed her seat back and stood up. "Finish up soon. We have a 30 minute jog before we get to do some physical combat." Dora eyed her friend before she slumped her body onto the table. "Joy."

Dora dropped onto the ground, the kneecaps she wore reducing the pain by just a little. "Again." She got up and turned towards Horatio as Hazel watched from the wall. After the last of the Candidates called it quits, Horatio moved her and Dora to a smaller Training Room, where they did everything that required close quarters combat, both magical and physical. It made things a lot harder for casting and dodging in the middle of a firefight but that was the point. The more she thought about it, the more she recognized how lucky she had been. The majority of her fights ended up being in wide open spaces, perfect for her Conjuration and Transfigurations. The closest to a narrow combat area had been her fight in the DoM, with the Hall of Prophecies and the Ministry hallways being very enclosed. Both the Death Chamber and the Atrium gave a lot more room to fight. Sure, she could switch to curses or bladed weapons, but Conjurations allowed her a freedom of observation she had desperately needed when the bloody Snatchers and Death Eaters got overzealous. Hazel winced as Dora fell on her knees again. Horatio was not taking it easy on her today. "Again."

Hazel could tell that Dora was reaching her tipping point. While her casting and curses were beyond reproach, Dora's footwork, physical combat and equilibrium were lacking and Hazel could see the strain getting to her. Horatio's aggressive regimen wasn't doing her any favors. Hazel watched as Dora switched into a kick aimed at Horatio's head before Dora's other leg slipped. Dora ended up hitting the ground hard. Horatio eyed her, clearly disappointed. "Alright, we are calling it a day here. Make sure you take another 30 lap jog in the large training room then you are free to go." Hazel walked up to Dora as Horatio left the room. Dora stood up, breathing heavily, but clearly agitated. Hazel looked at her and wondered. "Drop the shift." Dora froze. "What?" Hazel stared at her. "Drop the shift. You're keeping a form that is throwing you off. Drop it." Dora shook her head. "This is me, Hazel." Dora watched as Hazel's foot started tapping. "You asked me on the 31st of July if this was my original form and I said yes. I trusted you with my truth, so stop lying to me and trust me with yours."

Dora spinned towards Hazel and practically growled. "THIS IS ME!" Hazel raised an eyebrow at her. "Ah, that makes more sense. You are lying to yourself first." Hazel caught the punch that was aimed at her face and spinned Dora around until she grabbed both of her arms and pinned them behind Dora's back. She slammed Dora into the floor and pinned her down. "Drop it, Nymphadora." Dora froze. "Where did you hear my name?" Hazel pressed her body into Dora, who had to fight a lot of mixed feelings on the contact. "Doesn't matter. You are keeping a part of yourself hidden and it's throwing you off. It happens to Metamorphmagi who can't accept a part of themselves but can't dismiss it either. Now drop the shift." Dora growled, "Go to Hell!" Hazel felt her instincts kick in and she almost smashed Dora's head into the ground. Fearing a loss of control, she released Dora and sat on the floor. She held her head, fighting a memory trying to consume her mind. Her hands started to shake violently. Dora stood up and expected to get back into a fight with Hazel when she noticed her friend sitting on the mat. "Hazel?" She saw Hazel look up at her and noticed her eyes rapidly changing color until they settled into an eerie pair of red before returning to her vibrant green.

Hazel stood up quickly before stumbling away, holding onto her head with one hand as she headed for the door. "Hazel?" Dora tried touching her shoulder but as soon as she did she couldn't breathe, her throat gripped tightly by Hazel's hand. She noticed the same shift in colors in Hazel's eyes before they resettled into green and her grip lessening. "Here is a free fact about me, Nymphadora. I am not a good person. I have moments where I forget I am trying to be a good person and in those moments, bad things happen. So please, get away from me. Go home and get some rest. I will be a better friend on monday. Now leave, before I forget who you are to me again. Please." Hazel pushed Dora back as she stumbled towards the Medical Wing. She'd never hurt Teddy but right now she didn't want her son to see her like this. She didn't want to disappoint him again. She barely made it to the Medical Wing's doors and slipped inside before her mind collapsed.

OW August 1998

"Stop it! Please stop it!" Hazel ignored Hermione's pleas as she approached Ronald Weasley. The redheaded boy had been shadowing her for years. For years she had thought that maybe they could have been friends. Then he started trying to flirt with her in their sixth year, ignoring every time she told him that she wasn't interested. He followed her all throughout the hunt for the means to destroy the last Horcrux and the stupid sword that got locked in Lucius Malfoy's Vault. Whatever defences Voldemort had put on the Locket it refused to be consumed by Fiendfyre or even her own cursed flames. Even a straight Killing Curse failed. The only thing they discovered that could work on it was the Sword of Gryffindor and its Basilisk Venom infused Goblin Steel. In that time, Ron stuck to her like glue, refusing to leave. She had finally begun to warm up to him again until she took a bloody drink while at the Burrow. The moment the disgusting pumpkin juice touched her lips, she knew something was wrong. It's taste was off and her Family Magic had reacted to it as if it was toxic. She had excused herself, threw up the liquid into a vial and apparated away to Grimmauld Place, at least what was left of it. Her Godmother's family had been paranoid for centuries and she had no trouble identifying the potion in the drink with the potions kit she found in the rubble. Amortentia. Why the potion failed on her she couldn't really care.

A week later she had invited the twosome to her apartment in Edinburgh and they came. She never truly understood how they could be so stupid. She revived the bastard and woke him up by slapping his cheeks. "Hello, Ronald. Care to talk now?" The redheaded boy spat at her. "Piss off, you bitch. I did nothing wrong!" Hazel hummed before conjuring a thin and small spear, the size of a scalpel, into her hand. The screams from both began to build up as she carved into the bastard. She was as careful as she could be with her incisions, but it didn't stop her hands from becoming filthy with his blood. She stood back and conjured a towel to wipe her hands and forearms clean before turning back to the two people seated at the table. She waited for them to stop screaming before silencing Hermione and turning towards the redhead again. "You and your family fed me Amortentia last week. I want to know why and how long you have been planning this." The redhead glared at her, his body suffering tremors from the echoes of what she did to him.. "Go to hell you, psycho!" Hazel grabbed the bastard by the neck and twirled her scalpel in her fingers. "Wrong answer." Hazel hands were stained with blood again as Hermione seemed to do her best to tip her seat over, her screams still silenced.

The screams from the boy were surprisingly not that grating to her as the scent of blood seemed to fill the air around her. For the two it must have been quite disconcerting but for her it was just another in a long line of experiences. The smell and taste of blood were almost nostalgic, especially since for once it wasn't hers. Feeling a little winded from her exertions on the redhead, Hazel pulled back and rubbed her chin, a bit of blood visibly smudging it, as smaller dots of blood marked her face. She looked back at the tearful brunette. Hazel, deciding to try a different approach, silenced Ronald before slamming her scalpel down onto the table, making Hermione's eyes widen and her struggle to break free became all the more urgent. As soon as she did the bare minimum to wipe her fingers clean, Hazel unsilenced the witch and sat beside her against the table. "Care to answer for him? The clock is ticking and you know I am shit as a Healer. Though I hear chicks dig scars on their men." Hermione eyed her before looking at Ron's less than appealing state. "Dumbledore was right about you. You really are no different than Voldemort!" Hazel eyed the girl, the first person she had crushed on, even if it was brief, before touching her chin. Hermione visibly tried to pull away, the scent of the blood on Hazel's hand making her visibly sick. "No. I'm not. Not really. I tried to be different but it never seemed to amount to much. What's the point when you still end up losing? Some things are just meant to be, I guess. Crucio."

The brunette visibly started to shake as Hazel fed her curse all the pain she herself had once felt. There was a lot of pain for the spell to make use of. Hazel waited for the screams to stop before asking again. Hermione's face was covered in tears as Hazel looked at her. "We can do this all day. We are nowhere near civilization, you two were taken just as you left the Burrow and even if the Weasleys or the Order knew you were visiting me, no one would have seen you arrive at my place." Hermione shook her head, visibly shaken. "They will know. They will know and come after you! You monster!" Hazel showed her a toothy smile. "You know, there is a bit of a saying. Call someone a monster or a criminal and treat them that way long enough and they start to believe it. A bit of a bad idea in your current state, wouldn't you agree? Am I wrong, oh brightest Witch of the Age? Crucio." Hermione's body visibly shook again as Hazel stared at her. Blood dripped from the edges of Hermione's mouth before Hazel canceled the curse. "There was a time I would have loved to have you at my mercy like this, you know? No scalpels or curses, though ropes and bindings sound quite pleasant. Alas, you had your preferences. So, care to talk now while your tongue is still intact?"

Hermione lasted one more touch of the Cruciatus Curse and an up close view of the amount of damage Hazel did to Ron before she cracked. Ron might have been trying to sleep with Hazel, but she knew Hermione somehow loved the git. He didn't deserve her. Her words were a bit slurred from the pain in her tongue. Or maybe it was the nerve damage. Hard to tell really. "You were supposed to have gotten engaged to Ron and a Contract had been signed! After you died against Voldemort, the Weasley's would have gotten the Potter wealth!" Hazel blinked at her. "How long did you know Dumbledore planned for me to die?" Not getting a response, Hazel gripped Hermione's chin again. "Answer me!" She hadn't known it but Hazel's eyes had gone red. Hermione, terrified about another round of the Torture Curse, answered. "Since the start of 6th year! Dumbledore was sure you were a Horcrux. You were getting too indifferent, too violent and too out of control. You were using Dark Magic! We needed you to live long enough for you to die with Voldemort. You were supposed to have stayed dead!" Hazel felt so cold inside. She knew Dumbledore had used her since the end of 5th year. She knew what Voldemort wanted from her until she desperately tried to kill him. But for kids to be fine with betraying someone they claimed as their friend? To have started that far back and be fine with it? She felt her jaw clench. "Let me guess. In his grief, you were supposed to console Ronald. Marry him. Have a few kids and then grow old and die together?" Hermione lowered her eyes, confirming her suspicions. Hazel turned back to the table and the still bleeding Ronald, his breaths quite a bit more shallow.

"Congratulations then, Hermione. You get one of those tonight. If you somehow make it to Heaven, apologize to my parents for me. I was a bad girl. If you land in Hell, tell Tom hello for me. I would gladly join him down there, but I have a godson that deserves better from this nightmare of a world. I will make sure he gets it. Just so you know, we are in the Forest of Dean. You said it was your favorite place outside of Hogwarts. You can go ahead and enjoy it. While you still can." Hazel silenced her mid scream. She went to the sink within the Wizarding Tent and washed her hands and face thoroughly, before tossing her clothes to the side. Fully dressed in an identical set of clothes, minus the blood splatter, Hazel took one last look around the tent. It had been their home for the better part of a year, the place where she thought she had made some inroads with her relationship with them. For years they had sort of followed her around, trying to get her to conform to Dumbledore's view on what the Girl Who Lived was supposed to be. She never did follow that vision. She didn't care for the adventure, the nobility or the Greater Good. None of that ever seemed to do anything for her except take more of the things she loved away from her.

Hazel's thoughts turned to the bundle of laughs and tears that was Teddy. Her Godson was now her only true concern. Nothing else mattered. What remained of her funds that the Goblins didn't take would go to him, as would be the majority of her attention. Because he was worth everything, including what she was about to do. "Ignis Monstrum." The Fiendfyre lept hungryly and happily from the Elder Wand as it raced through the opening of the tent. She stood back outside and watched as the fire took shape, looking like an ever more dead dragon, as it consumed all traces of the traitors and the place that should have made them all friends. She knew the Weasleys would come after her but they wouldn't find any trace of their son. Even if they did, she would just kill them. Kingsley could send all the Auror and Hit Wizards still alive and it wouldn't change anything. The Order and Dumbledore had wanted her dead? Well, too bad for them that she had a reason to stay alive for now. She knew she would have trouble looking at Teddy tonight but she was sure the shame would pass. It always did. "I hate it that you were right. You said they would betray me because I was the same as you. You were right. Still, I hate it. I hate that I am the same as you. Did you know that, Tom?" No answer came to her as she apparated away from the scene. No answer ever did.

NW September 1991

"Are you going to tell me what happened to you yesterday?" Hazel kept her hands busy at the workstation in front of her. It had taken a bit to convince Croaker to lend her a workstation, but when she showed him some of her previous work, he agreed it was worth it. "Had an episode when your daughter decided to let her stubborn side shine through. Made it to the Medical Wing before I collapsed, leaving behind a very concerned son." While Teddy hadn't seen her in the Medical Wing, she knew he had been worried sick. She had arrived an hour after she had promised to be there and he knew it meant something had happened to her, not that he didn't feel her emotions spiralling out of control through the Family Magic. She hated worrying him so much but ever since she had crossed over into this world she had been losing control of her memories and experiencing more emotional breakdowns than before. She knew why too. Back in her old world she had no time to worry about what kind of person she was. All that mattered was getting food on the table and making sure Teddy was happy. Here there was food aplenty, Teddy was safe and happy, he had a chance to have a family again and everything was great. Potter's don't get that much good luck without a bit of bad karma looking to balance things out, especially her. She hated karma.

Andromeda sighed and leaned up against the wall. "Dora isn't much better. She's blaming herself for triggering your episode. I got her to agree to come back and train tomorrow, but I don't know how long before she quits. Whatever you told her bothered her." Hazel stopped for a second. "Who does she look like that has her so terrified to be herself in front of others?" Andromeda sighed. "You know too damn much from your world. Of course you knew about that. She looks like my sister; Bellatrix." Hazel hummed, returning her attention to the woodcarving. "What did she do here?" Andromeda had a pained look on her face, something Hazel caught out of the corner of her eye. "Killed dozens of Witches and Wizards. Got caught after she helped torture Frank and Alice Longbottom to insanity. Yours?" Hazel turned her attention back to her project, rounding oug one of the edges of the charm. "Got sent to Azkaban for the same. Alice and Frank died in my world, though. She spent over a decade in Azkaban for it, before she escaped." Andromeda sighed. "Dora got… compared to her a lot when she wasn't shifting her appearance. Sure she was a Hufflepuff, but most felt she was just hiding among the Badgers. Eventually it got so bad she just never shifted to what she looks like normally. She kept the same appearance she has now, though with a bit shorter hair. Though it changes with her mood." Hazel could understand not wanting to look like someone. Snape had hated her just because she looked like a black haired Lily and never failed to torture her for it infront of others.

Hazel scratched the last bit of Celtic Scripts into the wood and blew her breath on it, before rubbing the bit of wood clean. Andromeda looked over her shoulder and saw an odd looking charm, two holes at the side of a curved tag filled with indecipherable script. "What is it?" Hazel pulled a scalpel up and spinned it. "Something for your daughter. It's not a cure for her demons anymore than me being an Operative is a cure for mine, but it will get her past her problems until she is ready to face them." Hazel sliced her finger and began applying the blood to the wood, making Andromeda pale. "Where did you learn Blood Magic?" Hazel chuckled. "Funny thing about Blood Magic. It was bloody common, pun intended, among the Celts and Druids. The Peverells kept a lot of Grimoires on it and Salazar Slytherin's secret chamber has a library full of books on the subject. Pretty sure the Blacks had books on it too, as this charm is from the Black Family library. What was left of it from my world." Andromeda sighed. "Please don't get my daughter caught with it. It's an outlawed practice." Hazel gave Andromeda a look. "Not a problem. Once I tie it to her it will register as standard magic, hers specifically. It's technically not illegal to have a Blood Magic Charm, just making it. Since I made it in the Department of Mysteries and I will register it, it will be perfectly legal. Don't ask me about the theory on how this works exactly, I gave up trying to grasp Blood Magic logic a long time ago."

Dora sat down at the bench in the locker room and stared at her hands. She hated how she had parted with Hazel. She could understand why Hazel had pushed her but that was a part of her she never wanted to remember. The fact it could be the reason for her clumsiness only made her hate it more. The whispers she had heard at Hogwarts behind her back for years had bothered her so much. When she had shifted her face a bit, made her hair short and pink and made her eyes brown, the whispers changed. She was no longer a mad witch's clone. She was a weirdo. She could live with that. She had been so focused on her thoughts that she failed to notice Hazel entered the locker. She did notice when Hazel jabbed her with a needle on her shoulder. "Oww! The hell!" Dora turned to the person who had jabbed her and saw Hazel poking the needle at some wooden charm in her hand, a circle of hide hanging from it's edges. "Why did you stab me, Hazel!?" Hazel looked up and stared. "Because you are too bloody stubborn for your own good, Nymphadora." Dora's hair went red as she raised her voice. "Don't call me that! Where did you hear it anyways?" Hazel, satisfied with the blood connecting to the charm, nodded and tossed the charm at Dora. The moment she caught it in her hands, magic surged inside of Dora and somehow she felt different. She eyed the charm carefully, noticing the carvings on it. "What did it do?"

Hazel shrugged. "It's adjusting your magic as a Metamorphmagus. While you wear it, you should have close to perfect balance and spatial awareness, or as close as you normally would have without it. It was made by a Black who weaponized a Metamorphmagus as a spy so that they wouldn't be weakened by the prolonged periods they spent as other people. It's literally a crutch but since you need more time to settle your demons, it will have to do. Wear it on your person and guard it carefully. Should it break midfight, you will lose your balance momentarily and the magic is incompatible with any unbreakable charm I could find, so it is at risk of breaking, especially with the more involved fights when it's magic can be overwhelmed by how much it compensates for. Wear it at your own peril." Dora stared at the charm, dumbfounded. "Why?" Hazel sighed. "Because you shouldn't let what others say about who you are bring you down. You are not her, Nymphadora. You are your own person. I hope that in time you will truly believe that. Until then, try that out." Hazel left as Dora remained behind, looking at the charm in her hand. She untied the leather straps of the charm and placed it around her neck as a necklace. Switching into her training outfit, she eyed herself in the mirror before leaving the locker room.

The change had been like night and day as Dora went through her daily routine. Over 30 laps around the Training Room later and she hadn't tripped once. She watched as Hazel fought Horatio in hand to hand combat, noticing her friend was a lot smoother in her strikes too. Then, when it was her turn, she wanted to laugh. She didn't slip. She didn't screw up the positioning of her arms or legs. She didn't fall until Horatio launched her over his shoulder. She had started laughing when she was flat on the ground, sweat covering her face. Horatio gave her a smirk. "Much better. Candidate Peverell told me what she gave you. You either guard it harder in case someone notices it or you get over your problems. Got that, Candidate Tonks?" Dora nodded, her body feeling so light. She had been guiddy for the rest of the evening, getting an odd look from her Dad and an interested look from her Mom. Later that night she stepped out of the shower, on her typically wobbly legs, and had pulled a large shirt over her body before sitting on the bed, the charm held in her hand, the magic connecting with hers again.

Dora thought of Hazel and a part of her wanted to cry. From the moment she had appeared in her life, the odd woman had been helping her out. Dora could cast faster now, her spells much more concentrated. She had always had a talent for silent casting but none of her spells felt any weaker now. Now… now she had the freedom to not worry about her clumsiness or her lack of coordination. She knew it was temporary but the relief she had felt all day was real. For the first time, she felt whole. Because of Hazel. Her friend who she now knew had her own demons, ones that literally could snap her personality and force her to flee. Dora touched the charm, feeling some magic on it that wasn't hers. Hazel's magic. Her friend said she was a bad person playing to be good. So why did that feel wrong? She was scary, especially yesterday, but the entire time she fought against that part of herself. Hazel had asked her to look past what her Aunt had done. To be herself. Dora swore she would try. For herself and for Hazel. And maybe… maybe she could help Hazel see past her own demons. Maybe… they could help each other be better. Dora fell asleep that night more relaxed than she ever remembered, the charm sitting comfortably on her bedside table.

Chapter 8: A Troll on Halloween

"Ok, let me get this straight. Something is going to happen here in Hogwarts tonight. It might involve Harry Potter and a Mountain Troll. We are here because the presence of a Troll in the school is dangerous and we can't inform the staff because a staff member could be responsible for getting the Troll into the Castle in the first place. Even Dumbledore can't be trusted?" Hazel sighed and checked the Disillusionment and Privacy wards on their person while trying to feel the Hogwarts wards. "Dumbledore has final control of the wards in the castle. If a Troll crosses the ward boundary, he knows. That means that he can't read the wards correctly, which is bad for the whole school. Or he can and did nothing to stop the Troll from entering, which is also bad for the students. Or he temporarily trusted the wards to a staff member, the staff member sabotaged them and now we have a Troll in the school. We can make a case of negligence for two of those and willful endangerment of the students for the third. So no, we can't trust Dumbledore unless the Boss says so." Nymphadora sighed but could see the point Hazel was making, before she tugged on her sleeve. "Good thing I kept my old uniforms from a year ago." Hazel pulled on the uniform she was wearing, the Hufflepuff colors looking odd on her.

At Croaker's orders, they had sneaked onto the Castle Grounds through the hidden passageways and had disguised themselves as seventh year Hufflepuff students. There was a high chance they would be recognized as not from Hogwarts even with their shifted appearance, but the Disillusionment charm would hide them from the paintings, the scent cancelling charm would conceal them from Filch's cat and any other Animagi in the castle. The disguises were mainly a back up plan. That just left the wards. If Dumbledore confronted them despite the charms, then it meant the man had been aware of the Troll. If he didn't, then the wards had to be checked for damage or sabotage, as even a disillusioned person could be spotted by them. Either way, they would learn something from the infiltration. Hazel's eyes scanned the school's hallways, feeling a lot of memories threatening to surface here. For now, though, her mind was focused on completing the task at hand. "So, did you study here or were you raised elsewhere?" Hazel thought back to Croaker's cover story for her. "I studied here as a Gryffindor but not under my current name. Can't say the year or my original name. I graduated around when things got bad with the war. Spent a few sleepless nights fighting Death Eaters on my own until I got word my godson's parents died after the war was over. I took the kid, his grandmother and fled for safer territories."

Dora blinked at that. "Oh. What brought you back?" Hazel noticed they were approaching the Great Hall. "My godson is now my son and he wanted to go to Hogwarts when he turned 11. He has a little less than two years to go before the letter arrives so I brought him over, hoping to settle us down in the country before that day." Dora hummed. "Sounds reasonable." A few seconds passed before she did a double take. "You have a son!?" Hazel hummed happily. "I missed lunch at the cafeteria everyday for a reason, Dora. I don't have a boyfriend or a girlfriend either. What did you think I did everyday at lunch?" Tonks blushed. "I told you, just call me Tonks." Hazel waved a hand before realizing Dora couldn't see it. "Sorry, Dora sounds nicer." Tonks huffed. "Fine! Then I will call you Haze." The moment those words were out of her mouth Dora felt Hazel slam her against the wall. Those green eyes were staring right at her before shifting to slitted red, as if their Disillusionment charms had collapsed. "Don't … call me that." Tonks could instantly tell it meant something to her. Something bad. "Trade?" Hazel blinked at her, her eyes returning to normal before pulling away, disappearing in an instant as she stepped out of Dora's spell. "I… sorry. My ex used to call me that. At the time I liked it but… because of them I got hurt. A lot. That name just… reminds me too much of them. Of what they did." Dora swallowed a lump that had formed in her throat.

"Well, that's better than my excuse. Everyone just teased me because of my name. It got worse in the later years. Everyone expected me to just spread my legs for no reason." Hazel rubbed her currently invisible dirty blonde hair and sighed. "Fine. How about we get the mission done, we get back to base and then in the next week we can decide what nicknames we can both agree to. I am still partial to Dora as I doubt you want me to use the rest of your name. Sounds good?" Dora, moved away from the wall, bumping slightly into Hazel as she did. "Sure. Can I get more of that cake while we are at it?" Hazel groaned. Teddy had made a very tasty vanilla sponge cake with berries and cheesecake filling. He had worked really hard for it the day she had her collapse in the Medical Wing. The fact that it had been so delicious had left her feeling very guilty for scaring him. She had packed two boxes, one for Dora and one for Andromeda. The elder witch had enjoyed it too during one of their weekly get togethers. What was it with Tonkses and Cheesecake? Sure it's delicious but they all seem addicted to it. Teddy had protested when she made a one a week rule for it, but ultimately agreed. "We will see. That was a gift from my son and house elf. I had to put a limit on it and other sweets. You haven't known the stress of motherhood until you have a kid on a bloody sugar high."

Nymphadora started fantasizing about food when they both heard a man screaming about Trolls in the Dungeons, followed by the Great Hall screaming loud enough to make Hazel flinch. "Ok, we probably have a Troll. Point of entry is probably not in the Dungeons but on the first floor along the southern side that leads into the Forbidden Forest. Let's look around there and work our way out." Dora felt a tap on her shoulder and a pull in a direction. She turned to follow. "Got it." The two ran disillusioned along the Halls searching the first floor until a smell caused them both to stop. Dora jumped when she felt a hand on her shoulder. "It's near. No paintings nearby. We can drop the disillusionment charms when ready." Dora drew her wand and started clearing corners as they progressed further down the hallway. "Nothing here." Hazel looked around, finding the place a bit familiar. She had been crying in the bathroom nearby in her world, tired of the kids celebrating while she had to live without having her parents around, especially on Halloween after Weasley insulted her mediocre casting at the time. Would the Troll be there again? She tapped Dora and nudged her in another direction and they moved further into the hallways, the smell growing thicker until they saw the troll entering a bathroom. Hazel had a bad feeling and dropped her Disillusionment, Dora following her lead. "Tonks, create a false wall behind us and put a barrier on it. I don't want anyone messing around with us while we are busy." Tonks nodded and started casting as Hazel aimed her hand at the bathroom. "Homenum Revelio."

Hazel cursed under her breath as her eyes registered a figure inside, besides the magical echo from the Troll. "One person in there. We stun and shield them before we take out Stinky." Dora, finished with the illusion, came by her and lifted her long sleeves back. "Got it." The two entered just as a girl screamed. Hazel dropped onto her knees as the massive club smashed the sinks and then the cubicles. She spotted the girl through the debris and stunned her instantly before casting an independent shield charm on her limp body. Hazel turned and saw the Troll aim his next attack towards her. The giant club slammed into another kinetic shield, just inches from Hazel's face. Eyeing the floor filling with water, Hazel remembered Dora's first fight with Horatio. "Freeze the floor." Dora aimed her wand at the ground. "Glacius." The floor froze with a thin sheet of ice. It was all Hazel needed. "Banish his legs on three. One, two, three. Depulso." Hazel aimed her wandless spell at the Troll's head while Dora took out the feet. The ground shook as the beast slipped on the ice and landed on its back. Hazel summoned the club and positioned it over the Troll's head before slamming it down, making Dora flinch at the sickening noise that it made. With the creature dead, Dora took a moment to breathe again before she gagged. She waved away the stench from her face and tried not to look at the now dead Troll. "Well, Stinky is down." Hazel turned and checked the unconscious girl, growing still as she recognized her.

Biting back her less than pleasant instincts, she casted a diagnostic spell on her. "Alive and unharmed except for a few splinters and cuts. I am lifting the spell on her and leaving her for the staff to find. Let's go." Dora nodded and disillusioned herself. She dispelled the false wall and felt an arm pull her to the wall instantly. Two kids passed by, almost running into her as the wall vanished. "I told you it was here! The Castle must have blocked the hallway for our safety. Hermione!" Hazel watched the staff rounding the corner soon after and stilled. Dumbledore's glasses would probably be charmed to pierce disillusionments. She pulled Tonks into her arms and whispered into her ear. "Don't talk or move. I am about to flood you with my magic." Hazel pressed her fingers roughly into Dora's skin. Tonk felt the magic latch onto her, her skin breaking out into goosebumps as her breathing grew cold, before a clothlike material seemed to wrap around her. They watched as the professors arrived, chastising the boys and debating as to what had happened. McGonagall woke up Hermione and got nothing from her. Seeing they could get nothing from the children, the Deputy Headmistress took all three students towards the Hospital Wing as the rest checked around. The moment those blue eyes landed on her own, Hazel's grip on Dora tightened. Dumbledore looked away quickly, seemingly finding nothing. "Professors, please remove the creature. I will go check the wards for anything else being amiss."

After the coast was clear of meddling old goats, Hazel pulled Tonks along towards the hidden passageway. "My magic and cloak blocks most wards from reacting to me. It might keep us hidden but I am not sure of it right now. Regardless, we need to get out of the wardline before I get drained. Stay close to me." Dora bit her cheek and nodded, feeling the magic rushing beneath her skin. The two navigated the hallways before reaching the passageway out of the castle. Hazel pulled her magic back inside of herself as soon as they were over the wardline, eliciting a noise of relief from Dora. Both of them dropped to the floor, underneath Honeydukes' cellar, breathing heavily. Hazel eyed Dora. "You ok? I've only done that to my son before and his magic and mine are tied via blood adoption. I have no idea how it would react to you. Also, sorry about the bruises on your skin. Transferring magic needs certain conditions. I didn't think you'd prefer the taste of my blood in your mouth." Dora huffed as she was out of breath before she could speak. "It felt draining and invigorating at the same time. Otherwise, I think I am fine. And no, I am happy to avoid tasting your blood." Hazel nodded, her face flushed from the exertion as drops of sweat dripped from her chin. "We didn't get a chance to mess with Snape but, other than that, I'd call that mission accomplished." Dora chuckled, her eyes closed. "Right. Mission Accomplished. We will get him next time." Hazel laughed a little and smiled in relief for a second until a thought entered her mind. "Think you could do the debrief with the Boss and Horatio alone?" Dora looked at her friend. "Sure. Got somewhere to be?" Hazel sighed, her hair going white and her face changing back to normal. "I have a date with a graveyard."

Teddy kept his hand gripping his mother's tightly as they walked down the cobbled streets of Godric's Hollow. It had become a tradition of theirs to visit the place in their own world on Halloween, leaving flowers on the Potter graves. He had asked his Mom if they could do it again this year, as they missed the one from the year before, with the snow making the journey impossible and unsafe. He could tell his mother was worried and he knew why, feeling a bit guilty for making her come. She hated the place, even if it was the only thing left of her parents. Of course, these weren't the James and Lily that gave Teddy the best mom ever. Still, it seemed fitting. He hoped she would be ok. Hazel's own eyes roamed the streets before landing on the statue made by the Ministry. They had done something similar for her back in her world, though Teddy never saw it. Her eyes shifted across the area as they made their way to the nearly abandoned graveyard. Old wards, left behind by the caretakers of the graves, slipped right over her and Teddy as they moved along the headstones until reaching two slabs of white marble. Hazel moved up the space between them and placed a bouquet of black roses mixed with Lilies on both. She walked back, staring at the two graves for a second, her son's hand taking hers again.

They remained there for a silent moment before moving towards the only other grave she visited here. She knelt down next to it and scraped out the dirt covering the name with her fingers, before waving her hand at the grave, clearing it of all the muck and filth it accumulated after being abandoned for centuries. She transfigured a thestral made of the same black marble and placed it atop the slab, in the middle of a conjured wreath of black roses. Hazel stayed silent with Teddy by her side as she mourned the family that she now belonged to. The people responsible for giving her the gift of living long enough to raise her son and the power to do so. Her moment was interrupted as her senses registered a change in the area. She could feel a person's eyes on her, their movements stiff and slow as they approached from beyond the graveyard's boundaries. "It's been some time since there has been a visitor to this graveyard, even more so on this night of all nights. What family are you two here for, if you don't mind an old woman's curiosity?" Hazel stood up and turned to see a somewhat familiar face. "We are Peverells, Professor Bagshot." The woman waved her hand dismissively as she walked closer to them, her steps unsteady even with a cane. "None of that. I am quite happily retired. Peverell you say? Of which line?"

Hazel smirked, knowing the old woman would probably know. "Ignotus, last of the three. Iolanthe married a Potter, but her aunt did not. My line was presumed extinct but was restored in my generation and now continues on into the next." The woman thought for a second before she nodded. "Ah, yes. There was some debate on that. Still, it's good to hear the name spoken once more. The Peverells carried a heavy burden for centuries and died out for it, taking with them quite the legacy. Perhaps in your hands the burden may be lifted." Hazel wondered if perhaps Grindelwald's obsession with the Hallows came from the old woman. "I believe some things are best left to the mists of time. No one should revisit the terrors of Antioch's Lasting Shame, or Cadmus' Bane. No good comes from seeking powers beyond those men were born to wield." The woman nodded, her eyes looking at her much more clearly. "Then perhaps I was right. Thank you for remembering the last of your people, even if they carried the name Potter. A shame no one is there to tell the boy of his legacy." Hazel chuckled. "Everything in time, Professor. Let the boy be a boy before you burden him with the sins of men." The woman smiled at her and towards Teddy. "Quite right. A fine Samhain to you, my lady Peverell and young master Peverell." Hazel watched the old woman return to her home as her eyes turned to look at the only thing left to see of Godric's Hollow.

She made her way there, as if drawn by an old memory. Her hand touched the white picket fence, the little gate hanging from just one hinge. Teddy tightened his grip on his mother's hand, hoping to give her some support. The two walked up the stairs as her eyes landed on the dark, open doorway. She launched a floating blue light into the room, as Hazel's eyes were instantly drawn to the ground. Ever since she had been hit by Voldemort's last curse, she had been strangely intuned with the places where people died via magic, though she was careful with how she interacted with them. She knelt down and touched the wooden boards, the paint long peeled off and the ravages of time eating away at the material. She knew that a man died here. James Potter. She remembered her earliest memory, one that haunted her dreams as a child before worse memories followed. The sound of her father's voice screaming for Lily to take her and run was a part of her. This one died too, protecting his wife and son. "Mom?" Hazel pulled Teddy to her leg and touched his head. "I am ok still. I… need to feel what happened upstairs." Teddy hugged her leg tightly. "Be careful." Hazel nodded as she launched another light up the stairs, while steading them a bit with reinforcing magic. The two walked up before stopping at what she knew was the Nursery. The door had been reduced to splinters, while half the room, the part facing towards the front of the property, had been blasted open.

Hazel could feel two echoes here. She went to the one closest to the damaged crib. She knelt down and touched the rotted bits of carpet. A woman died here. Lily Potter née Evans. Hazel frowned, feeling as if some magic still lingered there, an echo but not one of a living soul. Blood Magic. "What did you do, Lily, to save your son's life? What has been twisted by those who could only guess at a mother's desperation as a psychopath hunted her year old boy?" No answers came to her from the echo, as Hazel stood up, cleaning her hand. She eyed the spot she dreaded most. She knew what she would find there. Still, she had to know. She knelt down and kissed Teddy, giving him a chess piece. "You keep this in your hand. If I can't get us home, you whisper the phrase that ends the game, your hand gripped to mine. Got it?" Teddy nodded holding the piece to his chest as Hazel turned to the black mark on the ground. She took a deep breath, trying to find some calm before she dared. She reached down and touched the rotted wood, the carpet long since eaten away by curse damage. The echo appeared in her mind, his magic both familiar and alien. A man died here, his flesh devoured by a magic designed to counter his final curse. Yet this is not his end. She could feel it. The magic lingered, as Lily's did. He was still alive and hers… hers could still be fighting him.

Other images began to intrude on her mind as his lingering essence triggered old memories. The times she spent with him as a Professor, teaching her how to protect herself from the vile world. A boy of 15 who looked at her with curious eyes as he showed her a memory of his past, in a grayscale version of Hogwarts. A man reborn from a Cauldron, smiling and laughing as his plans had been carried out to perfection. A whisper in her mind, calling to her, asking things of her. He never wavered from his pursuit of her for the next three years. He had made his claim that she was his to deal with. So he did everything to conquer her, to prove he was above Fate's strings. He took from Hazel everything that mattered to her and left her yearning for death. Hazel broke out of the echo and her memory before physically slipping onto the ground. Teddy, her beautiful son, looked down at her as her eyes filled with tears. A memory threatened to surface even as she fought it. She hugged Teddy to her as her body began to shudder, her mind filling with the voice of the man who tore her apart. Teddy started to cry, seeing his Mom in so much pain. "Checkmate." The phrase activated the black and white Queen, bringing them both to their new home.

OW December 25th 1997

"Hazel Potter, alone at last." Hazel turned and eyed the man who had called out her name. She knew who he was. How couldn't she? He had been haunting her mind since the end of Third Task. Her wand slipped into her hand as she circled around him, the sound of snow crunching beneath her boots feeling all too loud in the silent night. "Halloween, my birthday, the Summer Solstice, the last night of term and now Christmas. Should I put out a sign for April's Fools? Maybe Beltane? Tell me, Tom. How much longer will we keep doing this?" The man smiled at her, his face being quite handsome for someone past his sixties, his dark hair cut and combed stylishly to the side. A Homunculus body would probably help with keeping him looking quite young. "You know the magic words, Hazel. You say them to me, this all ends." Hazel gave him a feral grin. "Sure. Avada Kedavra." The spell came particularly close to hitting his arm as he dodged away, the cobbled ground exploding where the curse impacted. Voldemort gave her a glare, dusting his dapper jacket before drawing his wand. "Not the words I meant." Hazel laughed. "No, but I mean them. Now drop dead!" She casted the Killing Curse over and over at him, forcing him to vanish his overcoat.

The two traded spells in the night, causing the nearby residents to seek shelter as Hazel grew far more frustrated. "Dammit Tom. Just die!" Tom, wishing to stop her, casted a disarming charm. The two spells collided and a familiar golden cage formed around them, casting a warm light over the snow covered ground, a familiar phoenix song filling the air. Hazel growled. "You know my bloody answer Tom! It's not going to change." Tom huffed, running his free hand over his short brown hair before his red eyes focused on her. "Now Hazel, what more can I give you to change your mind? Umbridge? She's efficient but expendable. How about Barty? After the fun he had with you in fourth year I think you could get a lot of mileage out of him. I would offer Severus but I already sent him your way for your birthday. Did you like my present? I know my Death Eaters found him in quite a few pieces." Hazel's mind stopped for a second, forcing Voldemort to reduce his own resistance. "You sent Snape after me on my birthday so I could kill him?" Voldemort smiled at her. "He was a decent Potions Master but a terrible spy. He had already lost any value to me. So I sent him to you. How was it getting your revenge after 6 long years under his less than pleasant tutelage? Must have been quite sweet."

Hazel eyed the man and for a second before she closed her eyes. Voldemort grinned, thinking he might have won before those eyes opened again. The two green orbs were brimming with magic, the irises slitted. Her voice came out raw as her magic rushed into the linked streams. "You bloody, psychotic bastard! He killed my Familiar right before my eyes! You helped take one of the last things in this world that mattered to me!" Voldemort began to feel the magic between them shift as more and more of Hazel's anger fed into the stream of magic. Hazel screamed. "Here's two more words for you, Tom! Choke on them and just die! Ignis Monstrum!" The fire consumed the linked magics between them, forcing Voldemort to drop his spell and apparate back a few feet. He watched as the Fiendfyre fell into Hazel's control, the fire coalescing until a massive winged dragon took form, its roar rattling the windows around him. Hazel's now red eyes remained fixed on him as she sent the beast straight at Voldemort. Seeing his chance lost for tonight, he sighed before apparating away from the area completely. Hazel, filled with pain and rage, screamed, causing the Fiendfyre dragon to roar loud enough to shake the village's houses to their foundations. She turned and saw the statue the Ministry erected of her family. She had been about to destroy it when Tom spoke to her.

After the fire melted the metal sculptures into slag, she dispersed the flames. Hazel dropped to her knees onto the now wet ground. She cried. She continued to cry as she realized that Voldemort wouldn't stop taking from her everything that mattered to her. Her life had been spent as a pawn of two wizards, both with their own ends in mind for her. In the end though, neither cared about her. Here, in the village where she had been raised for a year and where her life was first destroyed, she finally understood. There was no one left who cared about her. Maybe Dora, but not in the way Hazel wanted from her. Everything she had done for the last 7 years of her life was meaningless. It had all been for Dumbledore's and Tom's plans. She cried remembering the last time she had enjoyed a Christmas with her Godmother. She had been the only one to care. Hazel stood up and tried to clean her pants with her wand but nothing happened. She looked at the wand and felt more tears slip from her eyes. From the handle to the tip stretched a massive crack filled with embers. Hazel held the wand to her chest, feeling her heart break again. Her wand had been stubborn with her until her fourth year. Now… now her wand was gone too. She eyed the streets as people stepped out to see the source of the blaze. "Happy bloody Christmas." The words had been as bitter as she remembered when she spoke them alone in the cupboard as she turned her back on the home that never was. She vanished into the night, feeling emptier than when she arrived.

NW November 1st, 1991

"Mom. Please wake up!" Teddy had asked Leafsby to drop his Mom into her bed before he joined her after they arrived at the DoM Portkey arrival point. He could feel her hurting inside. His eyes filled with tears. "Please Mom, you have to get up. Please!" He noticed his mother's eyes open and saw them look towards him. It was the same dead and emotionless eyes he knew were there whenever she had a bad day. He waited, hoping to see it change. It did, but not into her usual smile. Tears filled her eyes. She started crying. Hazel brought her hands up to her eyes. "I'm so sorry Ted. I tried. I try so hard! I can't seem to keep myself from falling apart in front of you." Teddy latched onto her side and hugged her. "You're here Mom. That's what matters. You always come home to me." Hazel cried. "You deserve better, Ted. I am a killer. A bloody murderer. You know that. I am going to kill again and again. I am a bad person, Teddy. You deserve someone better than me. Someone who isn't broken and bad." Teddy hugged her harder, rubbing her hair. "But you're here mom. I don't care that you kill people. They are probably bad. You don't want to be like them. You don't want to be bad. That means you are good. You're a good person, Mom."

Teddy reached out and touched his Mom's crying face, his thumbs brushing away her tears before he pressed his forehead against hers. "I don't care that you cry. You're always here, Mom. I know you have bad days. I know you're hurting. But we had good days too. Loads of good days. So please, Mom. Don't think you are bad. You aren't. You're a good mom. The bestest mom. You're my mom. That's all that matters to me. You don't have to cry." Hazel touched Teddy's face, clearing away his tears before pulling him against her into a hug. "I promise you, Teddy. I am going to get better. You deserve better. If you still want me as your Mom, then I will get better for you." The two hugged each other in silence for what felt like hours before Hazel felt Teddy fall asleep in her arms. She adjusted herself, keeping her son cradled against her, before conjuring a blanket to cover them both. She didn't want to wake him. She rested her head back and cried silently. She had to get better for Teddy. She had to be better. But she knew she would kill again. There was no stopping that. If she didn't, monsters would stay in the world longer, killing people like Teddy. They wouldn't care about the innocents or the undeserving. She breathed deeply as she hugged her son tighter. She would do better than them. She would try to be a better mother to her son. No matter what.

Chapter 9: Getting the Job

Croaker looked up from his papers as the door to his office opened. Hazel entered, her hair looking a bit disheveled. "Long night?" Hazel came up and sat on the chair in front of the desk. "And long morning. I cracked too much after my visit to Godric's Hollow." Croaker eyed her carefully. "If you need a bit more time, we can wait. Miss Tonks' report was plenty." Hazel shook her head, "No, I am good for now. I also have something else to add. I walked into the Potter Cottage last night and was able to get a feel for the magic there." Croaker dropped his papers and sat back. "We had a team inspect the place after the incident. Our results were inconclusive." Hazel nodded. "They would be when the magical residue was still fresh. I went out after ten years. What I found confirms our theory: Voldemort is still alive. His soul is fragmented." Croaker tapped the desk. "Then we can assume he is attached to Quirrell. I can also guess there's something more?" Hazel pulled out a book from her expanded pouch and leafed through a few pages before turning it over and placing it on the desk. "This is a Blood Magic ward. It's used to protect a home and even people from specific enemies. It can keep them safe from curses, potentially even the Killing Curse."

Croaker eyed the page and deciphered what he could. "Spell Deconstruction and Curse Breaking aren't my strong points. Are you suggesting something like this was done? If it was, why isn't it a more common protection, baring the illegality of Blood Magic?" Hazel sighed. "Because someone tied by blood has to die with all the preparations made beforehand. The defence will then protect their blood relations from further harm. A life for a life. If what I felt is correct, your Lily Potter carried out the spell, allowed herself to die and grounded the protection to her son via a blood carved mark." Croaker looked at the page, understanding dawning on him. "The stupid scar. It's a ward mark against Voldemort." He looked at Hazel. "Did you have one?" Hazel shrugged. "Dumbledore gave me a half-assed explanation about love protecting me and blood wards at my house. There were no blood wards to be found the moment I could feel for them and my mother didn't shield me with Blood Magic. Pretty sure the only reason Tom failed to kill me was because he was stupid enough to claim the Peverell Lordship. He then tried to kill me, the last possible Peverell Heir. Family Magics are… aggressive in our world. If a line is about to go extinct or has, it will seek out others and guard them, even if disowned. The magic refuses to die. Voldemort tried to kill the only Heir and the Family Magic punished him for it. I had a scar, supposedly cursed, but by the time I could remember, it was gone."

Hazel watched as Croaker examined the book and tapped it. "This ward that Lily Potter used. Can it be attached to a house by another person?" Hazel eyed the man, getting a sinking feeling. "It can but it's not recommended for those not of the family. It puts a magical strain on the primary recipient of the ward. Why?" Croaker sat back. "Gods damn you, Albus. Amelia Bones, Rufus Scrimgeour and myself asked Dumbledore under official capacity, and under oath to keep the information isolated, about what protections the boy was under. He mentioned a permanent watch and wards designed to stop Death Eaters tied to the boy and the house he lives in." Hazel felt her blood boil. "So he twisted Lily's Protection into a ward on the property? Great. God damn Blood Magic amateurs." Hazel frowned and looked at Croaker. "How are you able to tell me this?" Croaker grinned. "I might have added a condition that if the person I talked to already knew the secret, they could discuss it. You knew of the wards Lily made and how it could be shaped and applied. You also seemed to understand the implications that Dumbledore used this blood ward to safeguard the Dursley residence. You counted, if just barely." Hazel hummed. "Sneaky. Regardless, Voldemort can't directly harm Harry while possessing Quirrell. At least not right now. So, where does this leave us?"

Croaker pulled open his desk drawer and pulled out a box, placing it in front of Hazel. "It leaves us in a holding pattern. For now, I suggest you expand your skill set, develop a working relationship with your partner and help us unravel the people and mechanisms we can that would support Voldemort's return." Hazel took the box and opened it. Inside was her identification and assignment to the Department of Mysteries. She eyed the rank at the bottom. "Recruit?" Croaker nodded. "Operations has four active duty ranks; Battlemaster which is Horatio, Commander which is no one right now, Operative and Recruit. Right now you have to act under orders from the Battlemaster or the DoM Director, which is me. As an Operative, you get more independent action but must still report in, though you don't answer to the DMLE. If you become Commander, you get authority over Aurors and Hit Wizards on the field and can issue orders to Operatives and Recruits. I have a lot of expectations for you, Miss Peverell. Let's see how far you go." Hazel nodded and stood up. "Well, better get going. Teddy was attached to my leg all morning and I promised him a bit of a trip into Muggle London." Croaker nodded and passed her the book she placed on the table. "Keep it. If we need into the house of Harry Potter, you might be our ticket in. For now, take care of yourself."

Dora stared at the identification in her hands. She looked up at Horatio who was smirking at her from his office seat. "I'm in?" He chuckled. "Yes, you are in. For the moment your callsign is R2. You get to Operative, you get your own callsign. If you want." He handed her a stack of papers, "Sign these and you can get started with a paycheck, in house quarters, Medical, Financial and Legal coverage and your new clearance level for classified intel." Dora sat down and made sure she read the entire document. She didn't have a lawyer as a dad for nothing. She blushed when she saw the passage about relationships between employees. Her Mom had been right, it's not frowned upon but it had to be brought to the attention of the Head of the Division. Seeing everything in order, she signed the papers and gave them back to Horatio, who checked the signatures. "Good. As standard policy you will be assigned quarters next to your partners. Your physical training regime is now in your hands. The next lessons from me will be to get you two to take on wider roles. R1, Hazel, is already cleared for Stealth Infiltrations and is working on improving her Ward Breaking skills. I will be evaluating you later to make sure you are at the level we require from you in Stealth. We are going to go over tracking and intercepting targets soon. Make sure you have your silent casting down by then." Dora nodded and stood up.

"Thank you for this, sir." Horatio gave her a toothy smile. "Oh, don't thank me yet. You just passed basic training. I got a lot of advanced work in line for you two. If you can thank me by the time you make Operative, then we can talk. Now get out of here and get down to Acquisitions to get your gear. I have a schedule to devise for how to torture you both for the next year." Tonks shuddered at the look on her Instructor's face. Guy was a sadist. She happily left his office, her new badge in hand. She remembered that Acquisitions was in the far end of the Training Area Hallway. Seeing a black door with no sign, she knocked on it. The door opened partially and a woman's voice yelled out. "Callsign!?" Dora shook off the momentary shock to her ears. "R2." The door opened fully. "Next time, press your badge to the door. Works as a key. Now get in here. Name's Quetz by the way. Your partner is inside getting fitted too, so get moving, muchacha." Dora walked in and whistled. The walls were covered in armors and weapons. She could even see some wooden staffs on the walls. She stopped and looked at a nearby display. "You have firearms?" She yelped as a muscular woman huffed beside her. "Why wouldn't we? We need to take out targets hiding among muggles all the time. A few shots, they are dead and the Statute of Secrecy is intact."

Dora nodded absentmindedly before she was physically dragged to the back placed on a platform beside Hazel. Dora had to look away for a moment. "Do I have to get down to my knickers too?" Quetz gave her a look over. "You left them at home?" Dora flushed. "Huh, half of them." Hazel chuckled beside her and Dora glared. "Hey, I am a Metamorphmagus. I don't need the lift." Hazel smiled. "Considering that if I didn't have a kid I might be right there with you, I won't judge." Dora turned before getting a face full of cloth. "Wear that for now. I can shrink it to fit. Make sure you keep your usual body type. The full body tactical suits will adjust by a bit but they won't take a massive shift. They are also made spell resistant for a reason." Dora nodded and turned her back to Hazel as she took her clothes off and placed the loose and short camisole over her chest. The next 30 minutes were spent getting sized from every possible angle. Dora tried to suppress a blush as Quetz worked around her waist in view of Hazel, who barely seemed bothered. "How are you so calm?" Hazel turned and blinked at her. "It's not worse than waking up on a morgue slab utterly naked." Both Dora and Quetz stared at her, with Quetz asking the question. "What got you there in the first place?" Hazel blushed. "A lorry sorta hit me. My magic took the brunt of it but the local cops thought I was dead."

Quetz turned to Dora. "You keep your friend off those streets. Getting hit by a lorry. Diosa mía, dame fuerza." Dora shook her head and eventually got to get dressed as Quetz went about her work. The blonde woman eyed Hazel's boots and leather arm and leg guards. "Where did you get Basilisk Hide?" Hazel grinned at the woman and she just closed her eyes. "Never mind, don't want to know. The guys who worked on this did good work. I can't improve it. I will still make you some of our Dragonhide sets that can work with minimal adjustments. You switch them out when you need to." Hazel nodded as she got her boots back. "Much obliged. Might stick to your gear anyways for Operations. Out of concern, does any of this gear impede Animagi transformations?" Quetz eyed her. "The grey cloak will. It's our heaviest spell resistant material. The body suit should be fine for you." Hazel nodded as Dora pulled her own boots on. "Animagus? Really? I thought that the Metamorphmagus magic negates it." Hazels pulled her black shirt on, though not her usual halter top. "It doesn't, it just makes it harder to work the magic. Horatio might not have it for our training but it could help you out. Helps with balance and wandless magic a bit too."

Dora nodded as she pulled her jacket on and the two started eyeing the weapons. Quetz walked up to Hazel. "Horatio says you are good with weapons but most are self conjured. Do you carry any physical knives on you?" Hazel pulled a few thin knives from under her arm guards and holster. Quetz eyed them carefully. "These have bitten into bones too many times. You've sharpened them enough but the damage is done. I got a few you can try out later. See if you get a feel for them." She turned to Dora who pulled two thick combat knives from her boots. Quetz held them and then eyed the blades. "Not bad, but not great. Not much action on these but they won't take much punishment, especially against magical resistance." She handed them back. "Your first set of body suits and cloaks will take about a month or two to make. I'll call you in when they are ready and you two can see if my selection of weapons suits you better so I can get them into custom holsters. Horatio will eventually get you both onto firearms, so if you want to practice, we do have a shooting range. I'm here from eight in the morning to nine at night, minus lunch and dinner hours. See you around, Recrutas." Dora breathed out a sigh as she left. "That was the longest I ever spent getting fitted."

Hazel hummed in agreement. "So, are you moving in?" Dora nodded. "I stayed with my parents expecting to get pulled into the academy dorms but a fully furnished apartment is too much to pass up. I will probably go over the weekends to see my family, but I really needed a break." Hazel eyed her. "That bad?" Dora shook her head. "No, I love my parents. I … just feel like I am a bit in the way. Plus Mom was never a fan of my being in law enforcement. Moving out should give us some peace of mind and room to breathe." Hazel thought for a second before she smirked. "Don't forget you have to get a full medical evaluation. I had mine when I got pulled in here and I am guessing you probably coasted in on your St. Mungos record. Horatio will want a full one before he starts getting serious." Dora stretched her arms over her head. "I'll get to it on Monday. Tonight and for the rest of the weekend, I am going out to celebrate. Going to see what bands are in what counties. Are you interested?" Hazel shook her head. "Nope. Got my music on vinyl, a pizza to bake, ice cream in the freezer and a kid waiting for me to get it all started. See you on Monday." Dora watched Hazel head towards the living quarters area, her mind a bit conflicted. Why did Hazel's afternoon plans sound so… pleasant? She shook her head and made her way to the Elevator. She had some clubs to check on.

"Dromeda! Over here." There was a part of Andromeda that loved the sound of her name being called from her alter ego's grandson. Teddy had been such a delight to be around, so full of energy and curiosity, something Hazel always seemed to foster. She smiled as she neared the pair just sitting outside of the entrance to the Hebridean Black Dragon Reserve. "Interesting place." Hazel stood up and dusted her jeans before reapplying a warming charm on Teddy. "November isn't the best season for walks down the northern coasts and there is only so much mall window shopping I can take. A bit of warded areas with somewhat fair weather around dragons seemed like a good idea. I told Teddy some stories about dragons and he wanted to see them himself." Andromeda chuckled as Teddy took off for the Reserve's main entrance but always looking back, the two women walking behind at a softer pace. Hazel approached the reception area and handed them several Sickles to pay for the entry. Andromeda followed closely as they entered the Reserve, following one of the Handlers. "Nymphadora arrived quite late last night, with a lot of alcohol in her system and a bit of blood on one of her knives. Anything I should know?" Hazel sighed. "She got the job and should be in the Medical Wing on Monday for the full check up. Maybe you should take the shift. To make sure she is alright." Andromeda smiled. "Oh good, Ted is close to completing his Department of Mysteries classified info evaluation too. It will be nice, not having to watch what I say around the family as much."

Hazel watched as Teddy went to the edge of one of the pens, looking down as the black scaled dragons lumbered around, the largest one sleeping. She walked up behind Teddy and looked at the creatures, noticing a shift in their behaviour instantly. They kept eyeing her wearily, shifting their posture as if expecting an attack. The Handler came up to them, clearly confused. "They are typically more friendly than this. Never seen them look so spooked." Hazel hummed and looked towards the Dragons, their red and purple eyes staring at her intently. She bent down and nudged Teddy. The three of them moved towards another pen, this one showing a mother dragon and her brood. Hazel kept back and watched as the little dragons ran around the enclosure playfully, a few throwing fireballs at each other while the mother looked on. Every once in a while the mother would look up towards Hazel but not with the same weariness as the others. Andromeda moved closer to her. "Your magic and animals don't mix?" Hazel thought for a second. She took a deep breath and pulled in her magic tightly, like she used to do in her hunts. The weariness on the dragons vanished and they proceeded to ignore the humans entirely. Hazel eyed the mother practically falling asleep, probably from the cold weather. "Seems like it. I haven't been restraining my magic as much as I did back in my old world for hunting, so I sort of forgot animals don't like me."

Andromeda hummed. "When did that start? Animals not liking you?" Hazel thought back. "It started a bit after November of 94 but got worse after 98. Guess an impromptu bath in dragon's blood wasn't a good idea." Andromeda closed her eyes and pinched her nose. "I really shouldn't ask and I won't because I want to believe your life isn't a never ending trainwreck. Just try and remember that you and animals don't mix well." Hazel shrugged. "Hedwig didn't seem bothered." Andromeda gave her a look. "Familiars probably know better. Still, be cautious. We don't want to start a stampede anywhere." The three moved along to a larger viewing area where one could see the dragons take flight and hunt sheep in the green flatlands and jagged cliff edges. Andromeda smiled as Teddy cheered for a sheep that got away into a crevice. "Speaking about Harry's bird, what are you and Croaker up to? Ted mentioned you secured legal aid for him from the Ministry." Hazel hummed quietly as the group sat down on a bench for a moment, Teddy using the Omniculars provided by the Handlers to watch the Dragons flying around in circles within the larger warded pen, waiting to spot their next meal on the ground. "Dumbledore has tied up the courts effectively on Harry's living situation. We secured his finances and can get a look and see that everything remains above board in his home. If he or the Malfoys try anything, we can spirit him away, especially now that we have an idea as to what wards are shielding his house." Andromeda frowned. "No chance of getting custody?"

Hazel eyed the older woman. "Any claims I could make as either a Potter or an Evans would draw a lot of scrutiny my way. Croaker has the authority to create our IDs and secure our rights, but we could see fallout outside of the Ministry if word got out of some unknown claiming guardianship over the Boy Who Lived. While we can't take him in, we can block The Malfoy's attempt, so he could fall in your hands. Without a reason to remove Dumbledore's illegal claim, however, we can't get there yet." Andromeda felt her shoulders sink but she nodded. "Guess that's for the best. You and Croaker keeping an eye on him?" Hazel grimaced. "As much as we can. Hogwarts is notoriously hard to get any accurate word out of. The fact Dumbledore hid the Troll incident doesn't bode well to continued transparency." Andromeda sighed before Teddy came up. "Mom! Come on! The Handler says there are more at the Cliffs!" Hazel sat up and followed Teddy as they made their way around a narrow winding path. The dirt and bright green grass faded and turned to dark sand as they reached the beach head. Teddy beamed and pointed. "Look at the cliffs. There are so many of them!" Hazel smiled and allowed Teddy to drag her down to the water's edge. She kneeled down and pulled out a wizarding camera, making sure she captured a picture of Teddy and the cliff wall full of shallow caves, more than half sporting an adolescent dragon. Their Handler guide offered to take a picture of the three together and Hazel agreed. She promised to send a photo to Andromeda later.

After applying a warming charm again, Teddy rushed off across the beach as they made their way around, several dragons flying over the water, their eyes searching for prey that breach the surface of the water. The Handler pointed towards one as it pulled up from a dive. "That one caught himself a seal. We had a lot of trouble reworking the wards to allow certain living creatures through them, so they can't go hunting for whales or dolphins. Not yet anyway. You might find some dragon bits on the beach though. We get a few loose teeth and claws sometimes washing up on shore." Teddy nodded and handed the Omniculars back to the guide as he started looking over the surf. Andromeda smiled as they followed closely, keeping their feet from getting too wet from the coming waves. "Any plans for Christmas?" Hazel eyed Andromeda and looked back at Teddy. "I think we will have a small Christmas this year. Two years in a never ending winter has sort of left a bad taste in our mouths. I know he won't say it but I could tell the sight of snow was bothering him. He's afraid he could lose his magic again." Andromeda looked towards the boy as he bent down and looked amongst the beach rocks. "I didn't think about that. A quiet celebration would probably be best for you two." Hazel nodded and then smirked. "Was going to see if Horatio would let us practice magic in the training room. The more snow Teddy sees and the more magic he can perform should lower his concerns a bit." Andromeda lifted an eyebrow. "And the Restriction for Underage Magic means what to you?" Hazel smiled. "A colossal waste of ink."

Andromeda sighed in resignation as Teddy rushed over to them. "Mom, look! I found a dragon claw! Can I keep it?" Hazel took the claw carefully and rubbed her hands on it. She could feel traces of magic on it still. She smiled at Teddy as she conjured a thick letter pouch before placing the claw inside of it. "Sure. But you leave it with me for now. It still has some magic in it which could make a nasty scar if you nicked the skin. I will ask Quetz back home to cleanse it and help preserve it. After that it's all yours." Teddy whopped in joy and hugged her leg. "Thanks Mom!" Andromeda smiled as Hazel rubbed his hair. "Just wait until he meets Charlie Weasley. Might get a dragon fang earring just like him." Teddy looked at his Mom. "Can I?" Hazel shook her head. "Not until you are of age. You do it behind my back and I will cut your sweets by half." Teddy pouted but on seeing the serious look from his mother nodded. "Ok, I promise." Hazel smiled before glaring at Andromeda. "If I see Charlie or any Weasley near him, I won't be happy. Got it?" Andromeda saw a bit of magic leak into her eyes. "Sure. No Weasley's till Hogwarts." Hazel all but growled. "Don't remind me."

OW October 1998

Hazel had just finished her grocery run when she spotted a familiar mop of red hair. "Can I help you, George?" The last surviving twin eyed her wearily just outside the local grocery store, drawing attention to them both that Hazel didn't particularly care for. She had made it quite clear to Kinglsey that she wasn't going to be his poster girl or another brainless Auror. She had enough on her plate caring for her godson and his distraught grandmother. She pointedly ignored his letters and attempts to follow her now. She started wandlessly casting stasis and unbreakable charms on her bag as she felt someone move in from behind. "Yeah, you can. What did you do to our brother Ron?" Hazel blinked at him, shifting her head to the side a bit. "Me? You're asking what I did to him after he tried to potion me with Amortentia? Really? You know, I took you and Fred for the smart ones in the family. Are you also going to ignore the fact that your mother tried to potion me several times? Or that she and Dumbledore signed an illegal contract with my name on it? Sorry to say this Fred but I stopped caring about your family when I caught them trying to rob me of all I had left of mine. If you're looking for Ronald, I suggest you look for Granger. I heard she was practically attached to him."

She moved to the side inorder to leave until the other person made his presence known. William Weasley kept his wand lowered but blocked her escape back into the store. "We have. She's missing too. Not that anyone has bothered checking since she wiped her parents' memories. What did you do to them?" Hazel eyed the Curse Breaker. "You'd think you'd be more interested in being a father than playing vigilante. What would your wife say? If you drop dead here, what will happen to Victoire? Fleur is a quarter Veela in a country that just barely restored her rights. Did you think about what could happen to them before you accused me of being responsible for the disappearance of two people?" The man was taken aback by that, showing that he had in fact not taken his family's needs into account. Hazel couldn't help it. She laughed. "Wow, and I thought the Order had some brain cells left in its remaining membership. Clearly I was mistaken. Then again, the Order seemed cater made to draw in young impressionable people who never thought about the consequences of their actions. No wonder the Minister is having trouble restoring the government. Between the brainless morons and the racist pigs, one wonders who might be actually left to make an honest effort at governing from the two. Now if you two don't mind, I have a mouth waiting to feed back home."

George's wand came up to her face. "We aren't leaving till you tell us what you did to Ron!" Hazel eyed the man. "Sure, I have some words for you." George, taken aback by the response, loosen his grip on the wand. Which he then dropped when a heavy boot made contact with his family jewels while Hazel banished William against the wall behind her. She then stepped on George's hand, making sure he couldn't cast at her. "Threaten me again, Weasley, and your fiancée will have to find another man to marry. Your family threatened my life and future so as far as we are concerned we are done. I have no idea where your little shit of a brother ended up. I would suggest Hell but from what I gather it's a bit of a one way trip. Now I really must be going. Better not see you again. Might not leave any of your manhood intact if I do." She stepped harder on George's, hearing bones crack and George scream in pain before she took her foot off and apparated away. She had a feeling they would try again, ignoring the fact that the war was over and that they had people waiting on them back home. She honestly couldn't understand people who ignored what family's they had left. She had made sure that she wouldn't be like them. Her godson should never have to worry that she would just up and vanish. She would keep to that, no matter who came looking for trouble.

NW November 1991

Dora rubbed her head and groaned. Maybe hitting three clubs three nights in a row was a bad idea. Sure, she had sampled the local bartender's wares and had enjoyed the beating of the music on her skin as she danced among the mass of people, but the creeps and mornings after hadn't been part of her celebratory plans. The first night an asshole had grabbed onto her chest and after an elbow to the chest he had walked off to find a more welcoming woman. Later, when she was about to leave, another moron tried manhandling her. Her knife sticking to this thigh and a cut across his chest made the drunkard stumble back and fall, leaving her alone. She was glad she had asked her mom for a portkey tied to the house. Sure it wasn't technically legal, but they couldn't track them unless she used them in front of magicals. She was pretty sure the law had been written so the people who knew the loophole could exploit it. There were a lot of laws in the Ministry like that, her Dad had been quick to tell her. While he hated bigotry, the man was a lawyer, a husband and a father. He made sure his family knew all the loopholes to keep them safe.

Not satisfied with the first night's festivities, Dora decided to try another nightclub the following night, this one being a lot more her style. She did manage to catch the Weird Sisters having a grand ol time in Cardiff, which was a blast. Less booze, no creeps and louder music. Sure, she couldn't hear well as she stumbled into bed but it had been worth it. The third night was the one she might call a mistake. No, it was definitely a mistake. She had way too much to drink and the club had some very scantily clad ladies. She had practically latched onto one and made out with her for several long minutes. When they got to a dark corner, the clothes started coming off and Dora had been about to take her hard against the wall before she started imagining her as Hazel. When the woman's unfamiliar voice begged her to go harder she felt the illusion break and guilt filled her. She excused herself, took a bottle of gin and portkeyed back home. Said bottle had been quite dry when she woke up in the morning with a massive headache. She had thought about taking a Hangover Cure Potion but if she went down and grabbed it, she knew her mother would notice. She was the one who kept the Potion Cabinet stocked for all occasions after all.

So, rather than raiding the family's stock, Dora arrived with a hangover to the DoM and hoped that the Healers in the Operation's Medical Wing had some cure for hangovers in her Potions Cabinet. She couldn't be the only person in the DoM with a drinking problem. Right? She thought of Hazel and thought that she had a kid at home. Either she was stone cold sober or she had to have a few drinks away from the kid. If she was honest with herself, then she knew Hazel was the former. That woman seemed way too focused to let herself get drunk. She didn't even want to know what a drunk Hazel would be like if she got into that odd mood of hers. The thought of Hazel made her remember last night. Her partner had been intruding in her thoughts a bit lately. Seeing her in just her knickers had made her feel flushed and she might have thought about what touching her would feel like. Well, she would have done more than touch her. That she had almost taken a woman imagining it had been her friend had made Dora so confused. She had wanted it so bad but the moment it clicked that it wasn't Hazel had made her feel so guilty. It wasn't like she had been cheating on her… right?

"What do you want first? The Hangover Cure or a talk?" Dora's thoughts came to a screeching halt as she realised she had entered the Medical Wing. It might have also been because she knew that voice, even by its tone. She looked up and stared. "Mom? What are you doing here? Did I go to St. Mungos by accident?" Andromeda gave her a glare. "No, Nymphadora. This isn't St. Mungos. Congratulations on your clearance level. Now you know I actually work here in Operations as the Chief Medic. On the bed, Dora, before I stun you." Dora didn't need to be told twice. She jumped on the bed. "This is going to be so weird." Andromeda smiled. "On the plus side, I don't have to charge you for medical visits. I am also going to be monitoring your health while you are here. So, how much alcohol did you drown your liver in?" Dora tried to think, having a hard time with her headache. "Uhh, one bottle of gin?" Andromeda stared at her. "Dora, I personally introduced you to gin and I know you aren't this bad after one bottle so try again." Dora thought a little harder. "Uhh, three full bottles?"

Andromeda nodded and went to the Potion Cabinet. "Did you read the papers you signed as a Recruit?" Dora glared before stopping. The room had started to spin when she did that. She brought her hands up to rub her eyes. "Of course I did." Andromeda measured out a dose and gave her the glass cup. "Then congrats on your first free Hangover Potion. You get one a month. Only one. After your third in a month the Department will have you go sober for the rest of the year before letting you drink again while supervised. We aren't training killers to take out the scourge of Wizarding Britain just so you can get drunk and become part of the problem. Got that?" Dora shugged the drink back and felt her body shudder. Her ensuing burp left a horrible taste in her mouth. "Yeah, got it. Party once a month and don't go overboard." Andromeda nodded before she drew her wand and pulled up a clipboard with some parchment on it. "Good. Now, you are here for your physical. Let's get started. Any injuries to yourself in the last few days since you saw me, any unusual magics or compounds in your system?"

Dora thought back. "No injuries except for maybe a little bruising from … grabby pricks. Magic… I was flooded by Hazel's magic at Hogwarts to avoid detection a few days ago. Hazel said that Dumbledore's glasses are probably enchanted to see through Disillusionment charms and cloaks, but not hers. She kept her magic in me for a few minutes until we got out of the wardline. No odd food in my stomach that I know off." Andromeda casted her diagnostic charm again. "Any side effects from Hazel's magic?" Dora thought back. "Ahh, I felt tired but refreshed at the same time." Andromeda checked her readings and nodded. "You have some residue left in you from the overexposure. Nothing serious, just a trace of her magic in you. No different from the charm on your neck. I will keep an eye on it since you two will be working side by side for the foreseeable future. Hazel's magic might conceal her from wards but it also has a negative effect with animals. Check on that if you ever get near one. Other than that and the recent damage to your liver and lack of proper sleep and water intake, you are just fine."

Andromeda finished writing Dora's medical evaluation as Dora jumped off the bed. "So, how long have you known Hazel?" Andromeda kept her eyes on the paper, her quill moving quickly as she wrote down what she got from the diagnostic spell. "Since that owl in late June when you signed up for the DoM. She and her son came in from a classified location and had a need for a thorough medical evaluation. Been checking with them once in a while." Dora hummed. "Dad said you were out on Saturday. You were here with them?" Andromeda finished writing, duplicated the files and placed one into her archive before turning to Dora. "I am sure you have noticed Hazel has a few issues. She refuses to see Mind Healers, so the boss assigned me to get to know her. Let her open up and work through her issues. Saturday we were actually in Scotland at the Hebridean Black Dragon Reserve. Hazel wanted her son to get a good look at them. They are his favorite dragon type." Dora looked at her Mom, seeing a new side to her. It was nice. "Cool. Outside of the Oppals, those are my favorites too. I was going to move in here by December. Is that going to be a problem?"

Dora was shocked to see a smile on her face. "It might surprise you but this is a safe place to have a home, at least before you need a house. I might not have approved of you being an Auror but I know Horatio and Croaker. I am also getting to know Hazel. They will make sure you can take anything out there and come back alive. It's the best I could ask for, barring keeping you at home locked in your room." Dora smiled and hugged her mother. "Thanks for not being mad. So far the job looks great and I really like Hazel. I think I will be good at this." Andromeda gave Dora a cheeky look. "Oh, you have a thing for a young hot mother? Should I get started on a betrothal contact or baby names?" Dora's hair went through several color changes. "Mom!" Andromeda laughed as Dora got her hair to go back to pink. "Were… just partners!" Andromeda nodded. "True. But remember what I said. The best partners are like the best couples. You need to trust each other intimately." Andromeda eyed her daughter, her hair cycling again. "And like all things, it doesn't happen all at once. Take your time Dora. None of us are going everywhere." Dora's hair stopped at pink again. "Thanks, Mom. I will remember that."

Chapter 10: Quiet Holidays

"Easy Leafsby! Don't drop that box too hard. Vinyl is delicate." The little elf eyed her before levitating the box down and popping away. Dora sighed and looked around her new home. When Horatio said full apartment, he hadn't been kidding. While she knew the veranda that looked over an outside view was fake, the view itself was just amazing, especially with the snow now covering the rooftops of old London. Tonks pulled out her wand and started changing the colors of the apartment walls away from the cream and greys to warmer yellows and a bit of orange. She also shifted her furniture to a darker wood. The elf dropped the last of her boxes into the bedroom. "Thank you, Leafsby. I will go grocery shopping later. Anything you don't cook?" The elf eyed her carefully. "Leafsby been learning more recipes. Leafsby not wanting Mistress Peverell to cook too much but Mistress like cooking. Leasby's been learning for young master Peverell." Dora blinked. "Guessing we both share you?" Leafsby nodded. "Leafsby was asked to by Boss Croaker. Leafsby asked if Mistress Peverell was accepting of Leafsby sharing responsibilities with Mistress Tonks, who agreed on condition that young master remains priority. Does Mistress Tonks disagree? Other elf might serve Mistress Tonks."

Tonks shook her head. When Mom said elfs talked weird she wasn't kidding. Still, having the same elf probably helped with making sure they were both on time and looked after properly and she has no problem with the kid getting priority. "No problem here, Leafsby. I don't mind sharing." The elf nodded and snapped her fingers causing a door to appear on the wall. "Tonks and Peverell be partners. Door leads to Peverells. Speak with Mistress about wards between places. Leafsby be going now. Leafsby be trying to learn how to make Chinese food." Dora watched the spot where the elf had been. At least her menu options wouldn't be limited. She approached the newly made door and opened it, finding another door behind it. This one was locked solid. She knocked. The door opened and she stared with wonder at the boy in front of her. He had hair as black as a raven's feathers and … purple eyes. Why did he have eyes like her natural ones? Her mind stayed frozen as she locked eyes with the boy until a familiar voice spoke up. "Teddy, it's rude to stare. Same to you, Nymphadora." Dora looked at Hazel, her hair shifting to red. "Stop calling me that!" She heard a giggle and looked back towards the boy, seeing him change his hair and eyes to match hers.

"I can do that too." He then changed his hair and eyes to blue, green, yellow before returning to black, his eyes returning to purple. The boy grinned. "Mom talks about you all the time. My name is Edward Peverell. She can call me Teddy but you can call me Ted for now." Dora blinked for a second and smiled. "My dad's a Ted too, but his name is Theodore. A pleasure to meet you Ted. Name's Tonks. Forget what your Mom called me. That's a lie." Teddy shook his head. "Mom doesn't lie to me. Also Dromeda calls you Nymphadora. Why can't we?" Dora rubbed her eyes. "Because some people shouldn't be allowed to name their kids." Hazel chuckled from the kitchen as she stirred a pot of white rice. "You won't win that argument, Dora. Teddy likes weird names." Dora shook her head. "Then I hope his spouse vetoes his choices too." Hazel grinned before looking at Teddy. "Why don't you show Dora around, Teddy? Dinner will be ready in a second. You're invited too, Dora. I made enough for five people so I expect to see it gone by the end." Dora took a moment to smell the food. "Is that meatloaf in the oven?"

Teddy pulled her hand. "Yup! Mom goes crazy with the oven for Christmas time. We get Meatloaf, Turkey, even Roasted Pork. She is reading up on desserts other than cheesecake, despite me telling her it's the best one." Hazel spoke up. "Oi! There are desserts other than Cheesecake and Sponge Cake!" Dora laughed as Teddy pulled her to his room. She looked around, noticing the familiar colors of her old Hogwarts House. "Are you going for Hufflepuff at Hogwarts?" Teddy nodded. "Mom says I am a shoe in. I have been studying Herbology to not get Sprout mad at me and because it's fun. Mom is trying to see if someone here can tutor me in Potions too, so Snape won't pick on me, since she doesn't know a lot about Potions herself." Dora hummed. "Wish I had thought of that." She noticed the rest of the apartment was in soft blues and whites, with the wood being typical oak. She saw a large white bed across from Teddy's room. Teddy pulled her away from there. "That's Mom's room. Only me and Mom's future girlfriend are allowed in there." Dora chuckled as she sat on the kitchen table, Teddy sitting beside her. Dora looked towards Hazel, who seemed to be cutting into the Meatloaf. "Kid trying to get you a spouse yet?"

Hazel gave a sigh of relief as she brought two plates of food onto the table. "Thankfully not. He knows I don't usually like people so he leaves it up to me." Hazel ruffled his hair as she summoned her own plate of food. Dora took a bit of the Meatloaf and groaned. "Ok, I need to eat with you more often. The cafeteria has nothing on you." Hazel blushed. "If you want to, you are certainly welcome to join us. Though, I might get you to pay me back by watching Teddy." The kid eyed Dora for a second. "I … don't think I would mind. Though I don't know about her choice of shirts." Dora mock glared at the kid. "Oi, the Weird Sisters are the best band in the UK." Teddy went back to eating, ignoring her, which made Hazel chuckle. "Try for less bleeding from the ears and more relaxing tunes. Wish I could sing though, it would have made getting this little guy to bed much easier." Dora hummed, enjoying the white rice and beans that were served with the meat. Hazel was about to stand when Leafsby popped in. "Mistress, sit. Mistress asks Leafsby what to bring." Hazel sighed. "Applejuice for Teddy, my Blended Fruit Juice for me. You got a drink you want, Dora?"

Dora blinked for a second as she thought about her options. Asking for wine would be rude and she had a good idea that beer was out too. "I'll try that blend." The elf popped away and three full glasses appeared on the table. Teddy chimed in, "Thank you, Leafsby." Dora smelled the drink and tried it. "Huh. Not bad." The three settled in and ate a bit quietly, with Leafsby providing Dora and Teddy with second servings of food. Eventually Dora gave out a bit of a burp that made Teddy chuckle and Hazel looked at her, clearly not amused. "You ruin my son's table manners, Andromeda might just forget the anesthetic the next time you visit the Medical Wing." Dora shivered at the thought. "Noted." Teddy chuckled. "Dromeda scary like Grandma." Dora noted a look of longing on Hazel. "You hardly talk about her." Hazel was about to take the empty plates before Leafsby popped them away. She sighed, exacerbated with the elf. "Thank you, Leafsby. Teddy's Grandmother and I bonded over Teddy. As you know, he was my godson before I blood adopted him. We sort of pulled each other out of the hell from the war. She passed on a few years back. We both miss her. Every once in a while I think about her. Hard not to when Teddy has her eyes. Or at least a shade of it."

Teddy saw the sad look on his Mom's face. "Dessert?" He grinned at the amused look she gave him. She knew why he did it too. Hazel turned to Dora. "Do you like Cookies and Cream ice cream?" Dora eyes practically sparkled. "Damn right I do." The three dug into the tub and before long Hazel looked at the empty carton. "You know, I might regret having you over. Feeding Teddy was a full time job already." Dora pouted. "Hey, I am only 19. I am still growing." Teddy giggled. "Mom, you know you like cooking." Hazel sighed. "Fine, but if our entire paycheck goes into food, you and I will have words, Nymphadora." Tonks groaned. "I'll pay you to stop calling me that." Teddy sat back and watched his Mom tease this version of Mama for a bit more, feeling very happy before Dora stood up. "Ok, better get to my apartment and get my bed set." Leafsby popped in. "Bed has been prepared, Mistress Tonks. Your toiletries are in the bathroom as well." The elf popped out. Dora blinked for a second before looking at Hazel. "I don't know whether to love the elf or tell him to stop," Hazel pulled Teddy into her arms. "You ever find the off switch, let me know. Until then, goodnight Dora. Teddy needs his bath." Teddy waved at her. "Night Dora." Tonks waved at them both with a smile. "Night you two."

After taking a shower and slipping into a long shirt, Dora dropped onto the bed in a bit of a haze. The hours she spent with Hazel and Teddy felt almost like a dream. Sure, seeing her own purple eyes reflected on her was weird, but the kid was a Metamorphmagus like Hazel. The fact the eyes were a trait from a woman that died made Dora's worries vanish. The warmth between them, the love they had for each other just seemed to eat all of her fears away. She knew her parents loved each other and would sometimes catch them in awkward and traumatizing situations, but it hadn't felt so warm and inviting as that apartment had felt. Though she knew it had everything to do with the people. Hazel… She had always thought of Hazel as a bit distant but friendly. She was also scary and absolutely hot. So seeing her smiling all the time, being playful and teasing had caught her completely by surprise. It had also made her seem even more beautiful, even if she seemed to wear much more modest clothing around her son. There was some of that weariness she could see in her eyes but it practically melted away. Hazel was happy. Why did that thought make her own heart so warm? Why did she want to be a part of that? Dora sighed and turned to her side, adjusting her alarm. She fell asleep remembering she had invited herself to dinner with them everyday, meaning she would be with them quite a bit. She had no idea she fell asleep with a smile on her face.

Hazel felt a growing sense of deja vu as she wandered the Halls of Hogwarts alone under her cloak. Croaker had been reticent at first but agreed to let her explore the castle alone on Christmas Eve. Which meant she had a short window of time while Dora and Leafsby watched over Teddy. She needed to verify a few things, while also dropping off a present. Not finding her target on the first and third floors, but definitely confirming that Dumbledore had a Cerberus in the school behind a door any advanced first year could open, Hazel made her way closer and closer to Gryffindor. If the intention was for it to be found, then it had to have been placed somewhere Harry would stumble onto it, especially if he received the Peverell Cloak as she had. She walked past a partly opened door on the fourth floor and stopped. Wrapping herself ever deeper in her magic she pushed the door open and found further proof that Dumbledore was definitely up to something. The Mirror of Erised was categorized as a cursed object and it's inherently private subject matter had no business in a castle, especially not as a piece to educate anybody.

Eying the reflective surface for a moment, Hazel turned around and left the room. Once she had fallen for that trap. Now… now she wouldn't dare. Whatever her deepest desire was, she would leave it be. She had far more important things than chasing shadows or false hopes. She had a son to raise and a world to keep from falling apart. No bloody pressure. She paused as she stared at a blank wall before retracing her steps. The entrance to the Gryffindor Common Room was not where she remembered it being. In her world it had been at the end of a long and empty Hallway, one of many in the castle designed to keep the untrained lost. It took her a bit of searching but she finally found the right portrait. Why was the entrance of the Common Room here to the side of one of the many moving staircases? Even the portrait looked different. Sighing to herself, Hazel pushed herself through the portrait and entered the Common Room. How she had ever loved spending time here was beyond her. Shielding her eyes from the onslaught of red and gold, Hazel made her way up the stairs and into the first year boys dormroom. The familiar snoring from one of the beds forced her to swallow the sudden buildup of rage as she eyed the rest of the beds.

She found the one she was looking for when she spotted the same pair of glasses she had seen on the boy's face at the Leaky Cauldron. She knelt down to look at his face. He looked a bit like Teddy did, though his hair seemed a bit more tamed for now. He turned onto his other side and Hazel caught a glimpse of the scar. She resisted the urge to touch it. Lily Potter had gone quite deep into Blood Magic to find that little gem. Hazel had been impressed with her if only for a second. The Potters had still given birth to a boy in the middle of a war and made no attempts to flee to safer territories. She would admire Lily's ingenuity but always condemn the Potters lack of foresight. Hazel stood up and approached the pile of presents at the foot of the boy's bed. A few looked like candy boxes, one looked suspiciously like it held a certain disgusting piece of knitted wool and the other two were clearly books, probably from a certain bookworm and a Half Giant. The last one, wrapped in brown paper and twine, was especially familiar. She touched the surface of it and felt the magic within. It felt… weaker than hers. Hazel frowned as she casted diagnostics on it. There weren't any enchantments on it or anything that could explain its weakness and its lack of reaction to her magic.

Hazel thought back to the differences she had found between the two worlds. The lack of Family Magics had been the most unexpected. They had played a part in her own Voldemort's crusade against the Light families, clamoring for the protection of the Magics of the Sacred 28 as they were passed down from parent to child in the face of the Muggleborns and their blank slates. She knew she had survived that fateful night because of her connection to the Peverells. Even now the same Family Magic existed inside of her and in Teddy. But it was nowhere else in this world. Did that mean the Hallows here were worthless trinkets from a long dead family or did they need to be assembled again? Bagshot's warning came to mind. Her Hallows were a part of her now. She could potentially destroy these and end their place in the world. For now… for now she would leave the Cloak to Harry. It would help keep him safe until Voldemort was gone. She'd figure out what to do with the other set later. Making a bit of room, she placed her own present onto the pile. The boy had been dragged into the world with nothing but stories of his parents. There was more to the Potters than the self-sacrificing martyrs and their slanted view of duty.

The book she had gone to great pains to find in this world was the complete listing of all the achievements of the Potters for the last 700 years. It even contained a Family Tree. She had gone to the Legal Division in the DoM to get this book's tree updated to its most recent state. The boy would know his place amongst a family full of people; from Potioneers, Alchemists and Artificers to Healers, Politicians and even Professors. She had been denied her legacy to the point that most of it had been destroyed when she discovered it. If she was to change things, then she needed to make sure Harry knew where he came from. He needed to understand his ancestry and that there was more to his life than being his parents' echoes. The note she left in it should help the boy understand. Just because you are the last of your line doesn't mean you are truly alone. Be safe. From a friend." Hazel looked at the sleeping boy one last time before slipping out of the Gryffindor Tower. She made one last stop, one she found in a lone tower at the edge of the castle. "Hedwig?" Even partly masked by her magic and cloak, the snowy white owl descended from her place in the Owlery. Hazel lifted the hood of the cloak from her head, a smile on her face as the owl landed on her exposed arm. She opened her hand to it. "Here, I brought some treats for you. Thank you for choosing him." The bird chirped happily and ate the treats before rubbing Hazel's cheek. Hazel caressed Hedwig's chest plumage, "Take care of each other." The bird screeched in agreement and took off as Hazel left the Castle grounds once more.

OW December 25th 1991

Hazel pulled the Invisibility Cloak tighter upon herself. The note had said it had been her father's before he died. While getting it had felt great, wearing it was a different matter entirely. She felt free. Absolutely free. Her magic, which she still had so much trouble casting, vibrated under skin as she wore it. She had waited until curfew to step out and just enjoy the night free from all thoughts of bullies, exams and stupid expectations. Sure, she got some presents, including a book on how to pronounce Latin better from that annoying bookworm called Hermione, but that didn't mean she was going to be friendly all of a sudden. She couldn't understand why the girl was following her so much, especially in the library. At least her private bathroom remained private. She also got a weird jumper from Mrs. Weasley. Why the mother of the kid she hated most from her housemates was sending her presents had been a mystery until the Weasley Twins told her that Ron had sent a letter home, asking his mother to send a present to her. Weirdos. At least the Twins seemed nice, when they weren't terrorizing the school. Professor Quirrell's lessons made her feel safer, even if her stunning spells and shields were below the usual strength, but she doubted she'd manage to keep the twins at bay. Her wand still didn't like her.

Her thoughts came to an end when she caught an odd reflection from an abandoned storage room near the courtyard. As she pushed the door open Hazel noticed a massive mirror dominating a corner. There was some weirdly spaced writing on it but it seemed just like an ornate mirror until she looked at her reflection. Or lack of one. Sighing, she took off her cloak, letting it spill at her feet. Her breath caught as her image appeared, followed by two others. Her eyes watered as she started to hiccup. "Mom? Dad?" The two people smiled at her and nodded. She lunged forward and slammed into the glass. She was surprised by it being there. Why was there glass between them? She wanted to be with her parents. "Mom! Dad! Let me in! Take me with you! Please! Please don't leave me. Not again! Please! MOM! DAD!" She screamed over and over again. as she punched the glass, but it withstood her. A hand pulled her away and she fought back. "Let me go! My parents are in there! I want to be with them! Let me go!" An old man's voice reached her ears. "It is just an illusion, young Hazel. Nothing more than a spell projecting your heart's desire for you to see. They aren't there, no matter how much you want them to be."

Hazel felt her feet collapse under her as her eyes remained fixed on her parents. An illusion? It was all… she cried. A lie. It was a lie, like everything else in the castle. She cried as the man tried to comfort her. "There there, young Hazel. It is not good to dwell on the past, especially that which can never be. You should look to your future." She turned towards the old man. "Why? What's so good about the future? So far everything that I have seen is one big lie after another. I tell you what's happening to me, I ask for help but no one listens. So why? Why should I care about any of you!" She gripped the Cloak in her hand, pulled it over herself and ran. "Miss Potter! Miss Potter!" She ignored the Headmaster's calls. A lie. Hagrid had told her the Wizarding World was her home. That she would find friends and family here. Instead everyone ignored her suffering, calling her a troublemaker and underachiever. They ignored her. Now they showed her her parents and it had all been an illusion on glass? This world that she had been brought to felt like such a lie. What was really here for her? She gripped the cloak tightly around her and felt its magic wash over her. At least… at least the Cloak felt real. She could feel a connection to it beyond who owned it last, beyond it just being her father's. It was a part of her. Hazel Potter would vanish from that day on all the time at night, disappearing into the castle beyond the gaze of anyone or anything. In those short fleeting moments, she was free.

NW December 25th 1991

Memories of her first Christmas day in the Castle flooded Hazel's mind until she felt her bed dip. It dipped again and again. She buried her past pain and smiled. This! This was worth it. This was worth all the pain. "Mom! Mom! Wake up! It's Christmas morning! We got presents!" Hazel lazily turned her face into the pillow. "Just 5 more minutes." Teddy fell onto his arms and crawled up to her head. "Come on, Mom. It's Christmas!" Hazel wrapped her arm around Teddy and pulled him into a hug. She sighed in content. "Christmas brought me a Teddy pillow. Must sleep. Five more minutes." Teddy whined playfully. "Mom, it's Christmas morning. You can sleep later. We got presents!" Hazel opened one of her eyes and looked at Teddy. "Presents?" Teddy grinned and giggled. "Presents!" Hazel released him and pulled herself up. "Ok, presents first, sleep later." Teddy shifted into his animagus form and ran circles around her feet until she carried herself over to the family room sofa. The Christmas tree had been one of the few things Teddy agreed to go out under the snow for, her brave boy refusing to back down even as she felt his feelings spike several times.

One long visit to a Tree farm and hundreds of pine trees later, they had finally found one Teddy had liked and would actually fit in the apartment. Hazel had to use a bit of the Confundus charm to assure the owner of the tree farm that they indeed arrived in a car and left with the tree on said car. She certainly didn't shrink it and carried it in her pocket as they apparated back to the Ministry. Hazel pulled Teddy into a warm hug afterwards and the two drank some hot chocolate, his lingering fears slowly melting away. They then went to a store that only sold Christmas ornaments and proceeded to buy the decorations. It had taken a bit of pressure on Croaker, but he readily admitted that the apartment could be adapted to run electricity. They just didn't do it unless asked. Hazel asked and in two days the apartment was sporting quite a few modern amenities, from a TV with a VCR to a food blender. The apartment eventually featured a Christmas tree with actual Christmas lights. They had pulled Dora in to help decorate, which made the witch smile. The three of them got it done with time to spare and spent the rest of the day swaping Christmas stories before Dora headed home, after promising to watch Teddy on Christmas Eve for a second. Andromeda hadn't minded that Dora spent about an hour with them before heading home.

Finally tired of running circles around Hazel's feet, Teddy shifted back and brought the presents onto the coffee table as a cup of coffee popped into existence in front of Hazel. "Thank you, Leafsby. You can show up for a second." The elf popped in and was startled when Hazel passed her a small present. "We know it's not Elf Custom, but we felt you deserved a gift. It's not clothes." The elf pulled the box open and stared at a glimmering crystal. "Where we came from we visited an island known as the Isle of the Blessed. Among the ruins we found this, which I remembered an old elf friend once told me about. If I am right, it's a crystal that elves use for special ceremonies. We thought you might like it." Leafsby held it to her chest, her ears fluttering as she nodded. "Leafsby knows of old crystals. Leafsby be honored for such a gift. Leafsby's Mistress and young Master are the best." The elf popped away to store her crystal as Teddy finished sorting the presents. Hazel placed a present in his lap. "You know the rule. Youngest first." Teddy ripped into his present, and smiled. "It's from Quetz. It's a Griffin's claw!" Hazel chuckled as her son eyed the immaculate white claw. If her son kept getting these he might just need a display case.

Hazel gave Teddy a mock frown when Dora sent him a lot of sweets. She might just need to tell off her partner. Or she could force Dora to babysit him on a sugar high. Hazel hummed to herself happily as she planned some revenge as Teddy opened his gift from Andromeda which made him squeal. Leave it to Medic to have a book specifically on Herbs and Potions. At least Hazel was sure her son would avoid Snape's more vicious nature. After a bit of cajoling and a promise to not overindulge on sweets, Hazel agreed to open her own presents. She was surprised to find a Basilisk Hide hair pin and tie from Quetz. Apparently it was what little remained in stock, practically worthless to the Division, so the woman repurposed it for Hazel to match her set. Hazel thought about the snake currently sleeping under Hogwarts. If things went bad then at least Quetz would have a decent supply of Basilisk Hide for the foreseeable future. She could also see the rest of the Department fighting over the carcass. Returning to her gifts, Horatio's was a particularly obscure book on Transfiguration and Conjuration. She would look into it. She hoped the old man enjoyed what she knew was a fine bottle of scotch and some new padded fighting gloves. His last right hook had left her jaw a bit scratched. Teddy giggled when he saw his mother had two more books which made Hazel pout.

The next book was from Croaker and it came with an interesting note. Don't make me regret this. She leafed through the book and grinned. A Druidic book on Blood Magic Curses and Witchcraft. She was definitely taking a closer look at it later. The last book had surprised her. Croaker must have screened it as it was from Bathilda Bagshot. She traced a hand over the Peverell family crest on it. She knew that Family Magic didn't exist here but it would be nice knowing about the people she called ancestors here. She would have to find a suitable gift for the old history professor. The second to last gift was from Dora and Hazel actually smiled. The vinyl disc of the Weird Sisters would probably sit on the shelf for a bit but the disc on Scottish Folk Music would see plenty of use. Teddy landed beside her. "This is from me!" Hazel opened the box and froze. "Where did you get this?" Teddy hugged his mother. "Croaker has a pensive that can be photographed. He took the memory from me and got it framed. Do you like it?" Hazel looked into the Wizarding Photo of the moment Hedwig landed on her arm in Diagon Alley. She hadn't remembered smiling at all at that moment. She hugged her son and kissed his hair. "I love it. Thank you, Teddy."

Her son beamed as she placed her present on his lap. He stared at the photo album and opened it. Inside were photos from their own world, with a few of Mama holding him at birth and Mama cooing over him while Grandma and Grandpa laughed. Mom looked so different in it, with her hair still raven black, her face looking so young. The last pages had photos of their new home, with a few from the Dragon Reserve and two from a few days back as they decorated the tree with Dora in the frame with them, probably taken by Leafsby. Hazel hugged her son. "I had this with me all the time. It started as a small book with photos of you, your mama and grandmother. As we spent time together, I got a bigger album and kept adding photos. I thought it was time for you to keep it. We will keep adding photos together as we go forward but I wanted you to have it with you from now on." Teddy teared up a bit and hugged his mother back. "I love it! Thank you, Mom." Hazel popped a disc of Christmas music on the record player as Leafsby brought out their breakfast. Hazel sat back and watched Teddy dig into his meal. There were no doubts in her mind now. Everything she did to get him here safely was worth it to just see her son smiling and talking about what other claws he could get for his collection. She prayed that he could be a kid for quite a while longer.