Blaise Zabini had considered himself to be different. Not essentially different by a huge leap, but his academic interests and his want to evaluate everything before him had always set him a little apart. That was, until young Mr. Black became an acquaintance.
Imagine his surprise when the young boy, who had turned out nothing like his father, displayed immense interest in the very studies and information Blaise appreciated. Add to that his curious magic problems in the first year, and Blaise Zabini found himself thoroughly invested in unraveling the mysterious young Black. And then soon he was Rigel, and Blaise was a best friend, and suddenly half the things Rigel kept secret were less suspicious and more needed. Blaise started to respect the boy's boundaries, though every now and then he wouldn't really pass on an opportunity to get to know him more.
Rigel Black seemed to live a life full of secrets, and Blaise had started to consider them part of his charm- and then this had to happen.
A halfblood. He would have been hysterical, but Blaise Zabini wasn't allowed the room to do that by his own unfazed reputation.
Everything he'd ever learnt, all the Party beliefs that had been breathed into him had been questioned in just a moment.
Rigel was a halfblood. One of the, he'd been made to think, lesser beings who were undeserving of all that his superiors had.
Was he, though?
Would he ever, Blaise thought quietly, be able to believe the same?
***
Aldon scanned the common room, and, spotting Zabini sitting, no- resting on a couch by the fireplace, made his way to the couch nearest to him.
After settling grandly on the cushion and flicking his eyes once over the tired boy, he said, "I have something of import to discuss."
Zabini looked up at him, eyes suddenly alert as he fixed his posture to one more acceptable in respect, "Is it of Rigel?"
Aldon gave a short nod as he cast a few privacy charms around them, "Indeed. Let us compare notes."
There was a short pause.
"I do not have upfront information to offer." Zabini said, "It is best if you start."
Aldon wondered if he should throw his Ace card right then and there, but then he pushed the thought aside and decided to first confirm and build up to it. Patience pays in drama, he chanted in his head, "Have you ever.. noticed Rigel doing extra work? I mean, other than healing, brewing, and other extras, extra school work?"
Zabini paused, then said, "Only in Ancient Runes. He picked quite advanced topics without essentially knowing all the basics and then came to me for assistance… Why?" His gaze turned shrewd.
"He went to Percy Weasley for help in Advanced Transfiguration." Aldon said, "Apparently he went through all the fifth, then sixth and seventh year curriculum to keep pace with Weasley and his studies for better help." Ronald Weasley had been extremely stingant with this information, but Aldon got what he wanted.
Zabini frowned, "Then why ask for my help in Runes? He could have easily asked for Weasley's assistance in that as well."
Aldon's grin grew sharp, "Indeed. Unless he was trying to avoid suspicion." At Zabini's continued frown, he elaborated, "Marcus Flint had been getting someone else to do his homework for him. All the Professors knew it, but couldn't do much. It was kind of obvious with the sheer amount of practices he held for Quidditch and how his grades still remained good. In fact, it was surprising that he had grades at all, since he was known not to submit assignments. A certain Cho Chang also mentioned that Rigel, under ridiculous disguises, went through the library at regular intervals until he was allowed officially. While that isn't all that suspicious, considering what we know of Rigel, she mentioned that he seemed to be browsing Fifth Year Advanced Herbology that year."
Something like disbelief warped through Zabini's features, and then he snorted, "You think Rigel did the work."
"Yes. Was he ever caught sneaking to the Owlery with suspiciously thick letters?"
"I have no doubt he was good at avoiding people while doing so. But I did notice that despite sleeping and waking at what appeared to be the same time as the rest of us, some days he appeared a lot more tired, as though he went for midnight strolls. In fact, he even displayed his knowledge of the perfect timings for early morning pranks where he could avoid everyone in the castle one day…" Zabini let his voice go wistful for a moment.
"No doubt that would be an interesting story." Aldon said softly.
"Should we be going to Snape right now?"
Aldon raised an amused eyebrow, "I haven't even started."
"Oh?" Zabini tilted his head, "I find myself suddenly full of information as well."
"That is gratifying. Do enlighten me." Aldon drawled.
"Rigel, as you know, has always been a little shy in comparison to the rest of us."
"Well, yes," Aldon said, "other than avoiding changing in public or seeing others do so, though, Draco mentioned something during their third year that might indicate Rigel was uncomfortable with touch in general."
"Rigel seemed to have some sort of physical condition that got aggravated at contact with most things." Blaise said carefully, "I heard him and Draco talk of something vaguely of the sort in my dreams, until I realised it was a real conversation those two nitwits were having in the dormitory. For several days afterward, Draco overreacted whenever anything came too close to Rigel."
Aldon processed this information slowly. How clever the girl had been.
"The Potter Heiress." Aldon said slyly, "What is your opinion of her?"
"Suspicious." Zabini murmured, "At the Parkinsons' Gala, which I believe to be our only interaction, Rigel was so… different. He was cheerful and relaxed most of the time, except, at the oddest of moments, he would tense with an ever so slightly confused look, then laugh like it was an inside joke."
"Harriet Potter, however, was familiar." Aldon finished for him.
Blaise Zabini's gaze sharpened so much that Aldon had to hold back a natural wince, "Yes. Although she had some key differences from Rigel, she constantly looked wary, which is natural, I suppose, considering that she was a halfblood in the middle of purebloods-" he cut off abruptly.
Aldon cleared his throat, "She looked Rigel wary, yes. As though she was living a life so complicated no one understood and she had to weigh her words every time she spoke. As though everyone around her was someone far off, and yet, in her eyes I saw the strangest of intensities when she looked at me. Not to mention, every time Rigel was brought up between the two of us she looked as though she was in on a joke only she would get."
Zabini just stared into nothing, lost in his own thoughts.
"You know," said Aldon, attempting half-heartedly to break the growing ice, "I never thought I'd see the day I'd recognize someone because of wariness."
"Rigel..." Zabini looked close to swearing, "Potions, really? What was so appealing about a subject, you stupid girl, that you would..." he seemed to be, for the first time, at a complete loss of words except ones that displayed disbelief, "How..? We saw- during the fourth task, he- she- had the body and structure of a boy. There was no change from how he usually looked, so she couldn't have retaken modified polyjuice to turn into a boy, her own genius invention, for the task itself, and the alternative- taking on the form of a boy for as long as we're assuming- that would really damage her reproductive organs. She wouldn't do it. Not because she would be afraid, the idiot, but because it would be a strong evidence against her when they switched back."
Aldon had to agree with the assessment. Now however, it was time to bring into picture his informants.
"Let us take a walk, Zabini, to our Head Of House's office. On our way, I have someone you would be interested to meet."
Zabini met his eyes with his own amber ones, "Blaise, please. I think it is crucial we trust each other."
"Aldon to you, Blaise."
And so they walked out of the common room, faces impassive as Rosier undid the privacy charms. A few turns later, they came across Cho Chang.
"While it is a good theory," Aldon said grandly, "what gave rise to my already strong suspicions was the work of this marvelous girl."
Cho looked at him with part amusement, then said, "Mr. Zabini, Mr. Hognose, pleasure to meet you both."
Blaise hid a smile, "The pleasure is mine. Of what work does Mr. Hognose speak? Come to think of it, how did he come to possess such a fitting name?"
"Come, now-" Aldon protested.
"We were to look for secret pen names," Cho said, smiling, "Where I suggested that nothing befitted his Holy Dramaness more than the dramatic Hognose Snake."
"I agree."
"Nevertheless, I suspect this is not the reason you have come to meet me, no?" She asked.
Aldon quickly cut in before they could further drag his name down with jokes, "She looked into all the shopping Owl orders made from the American Institute of Magic last year by one Harry Potter."
"From which I found this." She brought her hands back from behind her and displayed an attachable version of the human boy form, "Arcturus Black, under the name Harry Potter in AIM, bought a similar product near the days of the fourth task."
"This is the last piece of the puzzle." Blaise said, then looking up at Aldon, "She really did do it, then."
"Thank you, Cho." Aldon said, "I expect you will keep whatever conclusions you have drawn to yourself?"
"Of course, Mr. Hognose," she smirked, "I wouldn't dream of doing otherwise, not the least because of your annoying tendency to collect blackmail on people you don't trust."
"Then I expect all will be well between us," Aldon said pleasantly.
"Fair enough." She said wryly, before inching her head towards both each in turn, and then walking out of the dungeons.
***
Severus Snape had considered himself to be an unfazed man. He had long since learnt, however, that nothing about his apprentice was going to help him live up to that name.
Even as he wrote a letter to James Potter, seeking his permission to continue with his apprenticeship with his oldest daughter, his thoughts kept wandering back to a certain grey eyed boy with short hair.
Rigel was hiding somewhere in the continent, that much was true, but Severus was having a headache just thinking about where. His appearance would have surely changed by now- seeing as the Potter girl's had, and it would make it near impossible for Severus to find him, but find him he would. He had sought out Hurst not long after his Divination and asked him to keep an eye out for any new emerging potioneers, but that would not be enough. The boy had come so far, for Merlin's sake, and a few lookouts were not going to help more than what Severus could do by himself.
It would be as though Rigel Black never existed.
Severus was afraid he could very much see what the boy had meant by that. He continued down the thread, then stopped. Hadn't the boy said a lot of revealing things that day?
"It's already a lot for my dad that I enjoy potions and book learning so much, and I don't want to…"
Why had that sounded so true? He would have had to be an orphan, considering how no one had missed him during his entire time at hogwarts. Perhaps they had, but didn't bother to report him missing? Or did they know, too?
"Believe me when I say that if my family found out the truth before I graduated, they would pull me out of Hogwarts so fast it would be as though Rigel Black never existed."
That sounded wrong. Severus's eyebrows knit themselves against each other. Perhaps he wasn't an orphan. But his family didn't know either, then. The topic of discussion they'd been having at the time, he recalled, had been about Rigel downplaying his Potion's knowledge and showing fake interest in pranks. Severus was well aware, now, that the real Arcturus Black was no such genius in the field, but that statement also indicated that Rigel's family was well aware of his burning passion for potions, and also close to the Black Family, so aware and close, in fact, that the Blacks would immediately realise it was the other boy altogether if they found out about Rigel learning under him.
The boy was not older like the Aurors said, of that Severus was sure, seeing as his core matured over the expected summer.
There were only a few families so close to the Blacks. And only one, Severus realised with a dawning mixture of horror and disbelief, that had an heir unable to attend Hogwarts the same age as Rigel.
Potter-
There was a polite knock on the door.
Severus smoothed his mind with Occlumency, though it took a marked amount of effort for once, then drawled, "Enter." The door swung open of its own accord and in came the most unlikely pair of Heirs: Rosier and Zabini.
"Professor." Blaise's voice was slightly apologetic, "I request you to set the strictest of Privacy Wards."
Snape's eyebrow rose, but he did so without question. Once in the relative safety of an even more well-warded office, he said, "Mr. Zabini, Mr. Rosier, I expect that what you are to speak of is as big as you deem it to be?"
Aldon Rosier had the gall to grin at him, "Sir, before we do say something, dare I ask whether you will be able to keep a secret for Rigel?"
Severus had to stop himself before he uttered an insult he would regret, "I daresay I am perfectly able." He couldn't quite keep the silkiness out of his voice.
Aldon's grin dropped considerably, "Sorry, Professor Snape. It was necessary to ask."
"If anyone is to know who Rigel is, it ought to be you." Blaise said quietly.
"Yes, indeed." Aldon said, "and as you are most able to protect your apprentice, we wanted to share with you our conclusion on her identity."
Snape's face fell in raw shock. How had they-?
"Harriet Lillian Potter." Blaise said, something like awe and frustration in his voice, "It was her all along."
***
"Harry." James said, his voice a little too firm to be natural, "This came for you."
Harry stared in thinly veiled surprise at the letter he was holding out to her. James hadn't let her read any of the letters being sent. Why would this be an exception?
Seeing her hesitation, James added, somewhat softly, "It's from Snape."
She nodded as she accepted the letter. Then, softly, added, "Thanks, Dad."
James gave her the smallest of real smiles, then left her room. She steadied her breathing as she sat on her bed, and steeling herself, opened the letter. The seal was already off, testimony to James deeming it okay for her to read, and Harry felt a small smile spread across her face too. It was nice of him to leave it that way, as though he felt slightly guilty and wanted her to know he'd read it first, instead of sealing it again.
Ms. Potter,
Discussions with your father have been made with regards to your apprenticeship, and all that remains is that you prove to be fruitful as a potioneer.
I write to remind you of your apprenticeship, and expect to see you at the Guild on Tuesday morning, 11 a.m.
Master Severus Snape
First came the shock, then the tiniest of whispers of the words she intended, and then Harry felt her eyes get a little prickly, "Thank you." She murmured into thin air, "I'm sorry."
Thank you.
"I needed someone who knew potions to tell me I had a real chance at making it in the field. You made me believe that even though I'm a—"
A halfblood girl.
Her heart and joy dropped for just a fraction, until she remembered she was Harriet Potter. Snape had written to her. Her, in all her halfblood talent and self, and the tears slowly poured down.
You made me believe that even though I'm a halfblood girl, that I have the potential to do something great with my abilities. I do think that now. Thank you, Professor.
I'll make you proud.