Chapter 18
Dear Mum and Dad,
My first day at Hogwarts was an interesting experience, to say the least. James and I have quite a few classes together, and I have had an opportunity to meet many people that remind me of home. Being sorted into Slytherin has been an honor, and having the opportunity to get to know Andi better is something I am looking forward to. She has kindly introduced me to more names, and faces than I will likely remember, but it was nice to have a familiar face to guide me around.
As my Patronus undoubtedly told you I had a meeting with Headmaster Dumbledore last night. Needless to say, we had a few disagreements, and narrowly avoided cursing one another, but it was a close thing. For now, the Headmaster has let me be, however, and I am not expecting any further incidents for the foreseeable future. It seems my previous encounters with a Phoenix gave me some leeway in his eyes.
I should warn you both that I have already found myself at odds with a few members of Slytherin House. I promise that I have only acted in a way that you would both approve of so far. The bigotry displayed by members of my house is quite disturbing, but I think I have provided ample reasons for my housemates to mind their manners.
I should warn you both though that I was forced to disarm Rabastan Lestrange, and stun a member of the Mulciber family. Worst of all, however, a member of the Avery family attempted to curse me in the back. I was forced to remind him of the cost of attacking a Potter, and snapped his wand in retaliation. He did not act alone, however, and a wizard by the name of Corban Yaxley attempted to aid him. Perhaps you will hear from their families, but I am unsure if they would like to admit that they were beaten by an opponent they had outnumbered 4 to 1.
I plan to make you both proud this year, and I look forward to writing home with updates as much as I can. I miss you both, and I look forward to the holidays.
Harry Potter
Harry read over his letter one last time before calling for an owl to make the delivery to Potter Manor. The sun had not even made it over the Black Lake yet, but signs of dawn were coming. Another restless night had led him to prepare for his upcoming duel with Professor Black at an earlier time than he anticipated. Staring up at the Quidditch Pitch he reminded himself that he would need to meet with Regulus Black to seek a spot on the Slytherin Quidditch Team. He had a lot of good memories on that pitch, and even his first kiss with Ginny. It felt like a lifetime ago, and Harry sighed wistfully.
"Feeling sentimental, Potter?" A voice called from behind him.
"Good morning, Professor." Harry acknowledged turning to face the man who was wearing a light cloak with dueling robes underneath, "I don't think I understand the question."
The man chortled as he began walking towards the dark forest with his student walking shoulder to shoulder with him, "Your mother gets that same look on her face when she is remembering a fond memory."
Grinning at the similarity Harry looked out to the forest as they crossed into an area that was forbidden to students in his time. It was a beautiful morning as the sun hit the horizon, and he could even see Thestrals in the distance grazing in the grass. Deciding to answer his Professor's inquiry he spoke with an even voice, "I've always loved Quidditch. I have a lot of fond memories with the game."
Alphard Black chose to humm in acknowledgment of his words as they crossed through the Dark Forest. Harry spotted a lone Centaur on sentry duty, as well as an Acromantula rummaging through the forest. The time traveler was intimately familiar with where the nest of the giant spiders was located, and knew that they weren't close enough to draw the ire of the horde. Regardless, something told Harry that with the help of Professor Black beside him, they would be okay whether they launched an attack on the pair or not.
"Tell me something about yourself, Potter." Professor Black requested, "You are one of the world's best-kept secrets, and I admit myself curious that you managed to elude my family for as long as you did."
Pausing for a moment to gather his thoughts Harry shrugged, "It wasn't difficult hiding from the Blacks. They didn't know I existed, so they thought my mother and father were just being recluses. Mum was pregnant with me around the time that they lost my brother, and I was raised in isolation for the most part. Any friends I made were under different aliases, and I said goodbye to all of them when we left America. As for myself, I just love magic, and I love Quidditch. I have to admit there isn't some grand mystery about me, nor is there a lot to my interest. I am single-minded in a lot of things, and right now that is mostly in dueling, while also trying to be the best wizard I can be."
Alphard seemed to contemplate his student's words, and Harry realized they had crossed the boundary lines that the Hogwarts wards extended over, and they didn't continue much further before the Defense Professor stopped. Alphard looked around for only a moment before he began waving his wand in slow concise patterns. Walls of magic began to appear in a large dome-like area, and Harry at this point drew his own wand to help reinforce their area.
It took a matter of minutes before Alphard and Harry observed their work, and seemed satisfied that they would not draw any attention to themselves. Before Harry could comment, a knockback jinx came sailing towards him, and he was forced to hurl himself out of the way as his wand worked to return the spellfire.
It was clear that Professor Black had no interest in gauging his dueling abilities. What the man wanted to see was what Harry was capable of, and Harry would happily demonstrate. In no time, Harry had his balance, and was weaving through a rainbow of curses that left the Defense Professor's wand. Harry was used to shielding and dodging magic he didn't recognize from his time with Dorea and Charlus, which gave him an advantage. Harry's style of dueling had become much more fluid and flexible in his time training with his family. This was something he quickly came to realize when dueling with someone who was famously talented in fighting.
Professor Black dueled like a Death Eater. There was no other way to look at it. The man used hardly any transfiguration, and mostly relied on a variety of curses that would make even Antonin Dolohov envious. This proved to be a weakness though, because as Harry found his rhythm in working his way through Professor Black's spellfire he began to slip his own creations into the battlefield.
Harry was quickly realizing the difference between fighting a great duelist, and a magical titan. He had been wary of dueling with a Black of Alphard's caliber, but it quickly became apparent that the young man was at least on par with his professor in terms of magical abilities. What Alphard Black was lacking now, was creativity.
With a flick of his wand, Harry decimated the ground at their feet creating a mountain of dirt, and dust. In that time he apparated across their warded area while swirling the dust into a tar-like substance that was absorbing Black's curses. The battlefield had become hard to navigate with the environment Harry had created, which allowed Harry to begin flinging wide-range hexes across the area, while also conjuring snakes with the intent to find and bite his opponent. Before Harry could further his strategy the air seemed like it was sucked in around him as if he were in a vacuum. The dirt, tar, and Harry's other creations that were clouding the area dissipated in the air, and Alphard Black was on him in a moment flinging more curses.
Harry swore as he apparated back across the field attempting to regain his balance. He could admit that Professor Black's ability to suffocate the area of his creations was inspiring, but at the sight of his snakes moving across the field, he knew it wasn't a complete loss. Harry was shielding for dear life at this point as the Professor tried to take him down in a way similar to what he himself did to Amelia Bones the day before.
The next thing Harry knew he was being levitated off the ground and it felt like a hand was choking the life out of him. He squirmed as his body went three feet off the ground and his Professor attempted to incapacitate him. In a panic, Harry let out a yell of exertion, breaking the grip on his throat by forcing himself into an apparition. At first, he thought he had splinched himself when his feet hit the ground, and he fell to his knees, but he quickly found himself regaining his breath. Alphard didn't waste a moment though as he forced himself towards Harry in an attempt to finish the job.
Harry, however, was relentless, and continued to apparate around the field to regain his sense of balance and breath. Charlus had hounded Harry into beating his apparition tells, and it was clear that he was starting to unnerve his Defense Professor. When Alphard attempted to blitz Harry with curses, the young man knocked him aside with a slash of his wand that sent an electric blast through the air. An Ozone smell reeked in the area as Harry commanded two snakes on the ground to launch toward his Professor. The man quickly vanished the snakes, but Harry used the distraction to disarm the man, and wrap him in barbed wire rope.
Before Harry could ask for a surrender the man snapped his fingers causing the rope to seemingly melt off of him, and his wand returned to his hand, but not before Harry could hit the man with a blasting curse that knocked him backwards a second time. This time Harry created chains, and bolted them into the ground with quick, concise magic leaving the man no other options as Harry ripped the wand from his reach into his own hands. Heaving for breath Harry controlled his Professor's wand and held it to the man's throat, "Yield?"
The older Black was a sight. He was bruised and looked like he had been in a boxing match. Harry didn't look much better. Cuts were all over his hands and face, while his clothes seemed a little singed from the other man's curses getting too close for comfort.
The man seemed to think for a moment, but as he did the wand sank into the man's throat, before he finally grunted out, "Fine, I yield."
Approving this decision, Harry nodded as he banished the chains with a flick of his wand, and allowed the man to retake possession of his own wand without a word. Alphard Black began waving his wand around his body patching himself up, while Harry did the same without a word. The two were both a sight, but it was certainly an improvement.
"You're a hell of a wizard, kid." Alphard Black admitted, "Ruthless too. Your parents did a damn good job teaching you."
"Mum, dad, and Uncle Arcturus are the only ones who can beat me consistently." Harry admitted, "I outgrew all my teachers in the last couple of years, and after my last duel with Arcturus he told me it was time to come home."
"I can't imagine what you went through to get this way." The man said with a frown, "I am certain some of it is a natural gift, but fighting through my suffocation spell that drained the atmosphere of your creations, and then not losing composure at any point is something that only experience could teach you."
"I was motivated to give my parents no reason to worry about me." Harry explained, "I knew they wished to coddle me and keep me hidden away, but the more my skills grew the more freedom I was allowed. By the time I was thirteen, I was pushing myself beyond the Ordinary Wizarding Level, and by the time I was fifteen I could have passed all my NEWTs."
The lies flowed seamlessly from Harry, and if Alphard suspected any foul play he gave no indication of it. Harry knew that Professor Black's father was one of the greatest legilimens the Wizarding World has ever known, but it was apparent that he was not the natural his father was.
Massaging his throat, Harry knew that he had nearly been beaten by his Defense Professor, and it was not an easy victory by any means. Wishing to remain humble Harry offered the man a hand, "You are still beyond me with your spell repertoire, and maybe even brute force. I would be honored to do this again sometime."
Nodding, the man accepted the hand, "It's good to be a gracious winner, Potter. I agree though, let us do this again. It has been some time since I have found an opponent willing to duel twice with me. I can be quite the sadist against my enemies. Do you need to visit the hospital wing before your lessons today?"
Grinning at the man Harry shook his head, "Nah, I've had worse. Your grandfather is quite the git. Have you ever crossed wands with him?"
The two discussed the skills of various Black family members, and Alphard admitted that he was talented, but some of the other Blacks were beyond him. Reportedly he had never fought with Bellatrix, but by all accounts from the family she was the most talented Black since Dorea and Arcturus. Cassiopeia was said to be quite the enchantress, and very creative with her dueling. It seemed other than Pollux, the other children of Arcturus Black were not very talented with a wand. Orion and Cygnus were not very hard workers, and while skilled, could not stand against the more powerful members of the family.
The two crossed the Forbidden Forest unchallenged, and when they made it back onto the grounds at Hogwarts they went their separate ways to avoid the questions and speculations of being seen entering the Great Hall together.
Harry had freshened himself up by the time he made his way to breakfast, and when Andromeda saw him her eyes widened as she got to her feet, "Merlin, Harry, what happened to you?"
"A training accident gone awry, I dare say." Harry said with a chuckle, "Nothing to worry about."
"It looks like someone made a punching bag out of you." Andromeda said with worry in her voice, "I thought some of the older Slytherins had gotten to you after last night."
"They tried." Harry said with a grin, "Needless to say I think a few sixth years under the guidance of Rabastan Lestrange are in the Hospital Wing this morning. I stepped over them this morning on my way to the owlery. Nothing extreme, but I am certain they will have learned their lesson."
Nightmare wards that came straight from the Black Family library. Completely harmless physically, but mentally they will have been taught a lesson to those who would have broken into his room and harmed him. It was hardly worth a second thought when he stepped over them this morning, and he was certain they would make full recoveries, and be escorted to the Hospital Wing by their friends.
The ward worked similarly to the potion that Dumbledore was forced to drink in his time. This was laced with a stunner so they could not harm themselves in an attempt to flee the images their brain would create. When they awoke they would be shaken, but unharmed. Andromeda looked puzzled by Harry's explanation, but offered nothing further.
About halfway through breakfast, it was clear that Harry's injuries were more visible than he realized. He could only hope that Professor Black did a better job of covering himself up or there could be some questions they may not want to answer come up later.
Harry's thoughts were interrupted by owls arriving in the Great Hall, and mail being delivered. The young man watched as Andromeda had a Daily Prophet delivered to her, and as she peered at the front page her face turned a little pale. Frowning, Harry asked the girl, "Something unpleasant in the prophet?"
She nodded, and slid the paper over to him. The Dark Mark was blazing across the page, displaying a headline that over a hundred muggles had been killed in the fires of Sussex. Shaking his head in disgust Harry stood, "I think I just lost my appetite. I will see you in Charms later."
Andromeda nodded, and Harry stormed out of the hall with the intention to return to the Slytherin Dungeons. Before he could make it, however, an arm latched onto him from nowhere, and Harry nearly blasted James across the hall before he realized who it was.
Motioning for Harry to be quiet, James beckoned the young man to follow him. Harry's heart thumped as he had nearly cursed his birth father within an inch of his life. The invisibility cloak was powerful, of that, there was no doubt. No disillusionment charm would've fooled Harry to the point that someone could've snuck up so close to him without alerting him in some way.
Arriving in an abandoned classroom, James tossed off his cloak and cast a spell that Harry recognized as Muffliato to prevent eavesdroppers. The Head Boy was grinning slightly at Harry as he leaned against the wall, "Sorry, I didn't mean to scare you. I just wanted a chance to talk with just the two of us. Something we didn't even really get a chance to do over the summer."
Nodding, but feeling a bit of anxiety creeping into his stomach, Harry tried to offer the young man a smile in return, "Sure, what's up?"
It was clear that James had not had a good look at Harry until this moment, because he bounced off the wall to get closer to him, and seemed to examine the bruises around his neck, and the cuts on his face, "Rough first night in Slytherin?"
Shaking his head, "Not exactly. I was training out in the Dark Forest this morning, and had a little training accident. Nothing I couldn't handle."
Snorting James agreed, "Looks like it almost was. I can't even begin to lecture you about going in there though, because the others and I do it all the time. Just be careful, alright? We Potters don't have a lot of family left, and I'd hate to lose you, before I even had a chance to get to know you."
The smile Harry offered his birth father was a lot more genuine this time, "Don't worry, I will be careful."
Nodding like James had done his job well he ran a hand through his hair taking a deep breath. Harry knew this was a mannerism he himself did when he had a lot on his mind, "You know a lot of people don't believe me when I tell them I didn't know you existed."
"You shouldn't concern yourself with the opinions of-"
"Sheep?" James asked cutting Harry off, "That's what your dad used to tell me when I was little. Where did they hide you when they did visit on the occasional Christmas by the way? If no one else in the family knew of your existence, where would you go?"
It was only natural that James had his curiosities, but Harry had to think fast in this scenario, because it was a good question, "Sometimes I stayed with Uncle Arcturus. Other times I would stay with Mipsy. She took care of me a lot while Mum and Dad were forced to do business elsewhere. It was no secret in our little family that I was being kept hidden. It was something I just had to live with. I knew it could be dangerous out there for me, and I trusted mum and dad to keep me safe."
With a frustrated sigh, James shook his head, "I wish I could be as understanding as you are about it. I have been trying to smile and wave through this whole thing, but to be honest with you I am pretty hurt by it."
Harry thought it was a pretty mature thing to admit, but he couldn't offer the boy much in means of reparation, "I am sorry it came to all this. I wish it could have been different."
"Now there's these signs of something bad coming, with these muggles getting killed, that symbol appearing in the sky, and with you suddenly showing up I just can't believe it is all unrelated." James said unhappily.
"I suppose they are all related in a way." Harry admitted, "I told you that I didn't come back to play Quidditch or attend Hogwarts classes. I am here to make a difference. To keep our family safe. To help keep Hogwarts safe."
"I'm older than you." James pointed out, "It should be my job to take care of you. It's what your brother would've wanted."
The words made Harry's heart ache. James couldn't remember Henry Potter, but in a way, his life had been greatly affected by the true-born son of Charlus and Dorea Potter. Drawing his own wand Harry twirled it in his fingers for a moment before saying, "You've seen a fraction of what I can do. I've been looking out for myself for a long time. Now that I have a family in the picture you can believe that I will do everything in my power to protect it. That is what my older brother would've really wanted. For all of us to look out for each other."
James grimaced at his words, "The way you talk makes me think you are preparing for war."
"We are at war, James." Harry said calmly, "The rest of the country just doesn't know it yet."
James seemed to ponder his words, before saying, "You were raised by some of the greatest magical soldiers in history. You know what's coming, but you can't tell me anything? Harry, tell me, what can I do?"
James sounded almost desperate, and Harry felt for the man. He wished he could comfort him, and tell him there was nothing he could do, but that wasn't true. If Harry was going to win this war in the coming years he needed capable fighters at his side, and he would do what he could to make sure there were people strong enough to watch his back, "Train, James. Practice magic. Practice dueling. Study. Work hard. Be prepared. Because the moment we step outside this school things will change."
"Then train me." James said simply.
"I will if you want me to." Harry said immediately. It was what he wanted from the start. His birth mother and father were immensely talented in the magical arts from everything he had gathered. With the right guidance they could be a force, "I will even teach you our Potter family magic. I don't care what the rest of the family thinks about it. You may need it one day, and I'd rather you have it than not if the moment were to arise."
James looked surprised by his answer, "I didn't think you would want to train me."
"You are the heir to our family, and you must be kept safe from some things, but we can't hide you from every shadow lurking around every corner." Harry said, understanding the boy's irritation, "Also, if something were to happen to you that would put me in line to be Lord Potter. I would make a horrible Lord Potter, and would likely burn the Wizengamot down in the first week."
James's frown turned to a grin, "I heard you made an example of four Slytherins last night in the defense of our lovely Head Girl. Something I should know about?"
If Harry wasn't so good at reading people he might not have read into James' question, but he could see beyond the boy's intentions with that question. Deciding to put James at ease, Harry placatingly said, "You don't have to worry about me moving in on your girl, Prongs. Lily just reminds me of a very close friend of mine. She's kind, and I won't have people speaking ill of her because of her situation of birth."
Deciding not to comment on Harry's original comment James snorted, "Well, you won't be making many friends in Slytherin then."
"I've already told you I didn't come here to make friends, James." Harry said, feeling a little irritated now.
James held his hands up in surrender, "I'm sorry, you're right. I just want to understand you...let's talk about something else. How much longer on the Mandrake Leaf?"
Happy with the change in conversation Harry explained that at the end of the week, he would be able to dispose of the blasted leaf that he had nearly swallowed a hundred times at this point. The two discussed the following steps that Harry would undertake, and seemed to find more comfortable ground away from the politics of his arrival.
Walking to charms together Harry and James were laughing about a prank they were planning on Sirius, and even sat together during Professor Flitwick's class.
It was a privilege to have charms and transfiguration back-to-back with his parents. He had heard of their skills in each subject, and he made no moves to outperform them. Harry merely bowed his head to their skills and watched in admiration. Seeing his parents perform magic with smiles on their faces made everything feel okay for the time being. He could tell Lily was disheartened at the beginning of classes that day, but it seemed the Marauders' jokes uplifted her spirits by the time they had finished up with Professor Flitwick.
When charms class came to an end however his thoughts drifted back to the morning's Daily Prophet, and a painful reminder of what was to come flashed through his mind. He had to do something if he was going to protect his parents from a similar fate to the one they faced in his timeline. He would do anything to get to live his life and continue seeing the smile on their faces that he saw today.
.o.
"They have these bastards in the Auror department running scared! In our day we would've stomped these fanatics in masks in a week. How long do we let this go on for?" Arcturus Black said as he slammed the copy of the Daily Prophet on the table.
Charlus and Dorea exchanged looks allowing the man to vent his frustrations as they stared at the front page that contained the attack on Sussex with the dark mark floating in the sky. The article painted a grim picture for the future in Wizarding Britain, and Harry's warnings seemed more real than ever.
When Arcturus sat down, and took a long pull of his firewhiskey, Dorea tried to console the man, "the Aurors in our day were mostly veterans from the Great War. They knew what it was like to fight in combat. The Aurors today are likely very inexperienced in battle. It is even more likely that the only Aurors who have seen combat are behind a desk these days."
Charlus nodded in agreement with his wife as he looked out onto the grounds of Potter Manor with the sun setting in the background. Charlus could hear the house elves working in the kitchen, and his stomach turned a bit as he realized his worst nightmares from his youth were becoming a reality. The war was coming home.
"Someone needs to get in there and toughen them up then." Arcturus complained, "We can't allow these psychopaths to terrorize our country on a magnitude like this."
"The signs have been there for a while. I think we all knew something like this was possible." Charlus said calmly.
"I sure as hell didn't!" Lord Black exclaimed, "I thought it was just a few purebloods trying to get their sick pleasures fulfilled. I didn't approve of it, but I had no idea such a following was being assembled under our noses."
The type of devastation that was wrought in Sussex could not have been done by a small band of wizards. This was a mass assault, and like all battle plans it was must have been orchestrated by a leader. Voldemort was on the move–just like Harry said he would be, Charlus thought darkly.
"What do we do?" Dorea asked with concern in her voice, "If there is something we can do to protect the Muggleborn or Muggle community then we should do it."
"It is something we should speak to Harry about." Charlus said with certainty, "He knows our enemy, and the path they take better than any. We should consult with him."
Dorea nodded, while Arcturus looked surprised, "You trust the boy then?"
"He is our son in this world now, Arcturus." Dorea said sternly.
"You have only heard parts of his story as well." Charlus added, "He hasn't gone into details, but I have a feeling some of his stories would be as disturbing as ours. We know it haunts him."
"You think he has battle neurosis?" Arcturus asked with a troubled look on his face.
"Yes." Dorea said simply, "I could feel his emotions some mornings. They were torn, and he was distraught by whatever haunted him. We tried to get him to open up to us, but..."
"Typical." Arcturus said with an understanding look.
Before the topic could be furtherly discussed, Mipsy appeared with a large smile on her face, "Master Harry writes home!"
Dorea lit up at the news, and snapped her fingers causing the letter to levitate out of the house elf's hands into her own. Charlus and Arcturus exchanged looks of amusement as her eyes devoured the letter. The amusement faded though as they could see the contents of the letter disturbed her before she began to read the contents aloud.
At the end there was a moment of silence before Arcturus asked, "What do you think of his interaction with Dumbledore, and what do we know about his story with a phoenix?"
"Dumbledore's phoenix assisted Harry in slaying Slytherin's monster in the Chamber of Secrets." Dorea said dismissively, as she began to pace the room.
The look on Arcturus' face indicated he wanted to know much more about the story Dorea described, and Charlus provided small details, "It's a long story. I am sure Harry would be happy to show you in our pensieve. You should know he was only 12, and killed it with the sword of Gryffindor."
Arcturus desperately seemed like he wanted to know all the details, but Dorea was already launching into a tirade, "What do you want to bet that Harry downplayed this attack on his person?"
"I would bet a lot more that those fools are probably licking their wounds today." Arcturus said with a laugh, "I doubt Harry would've been merciful."
"Do you think he is okay? He said they attempted to curse him in the back." Dorea asked with worry in her voice.
Charlus snorted, "Had they actually managed to hit our son we would probably be breaking him out of Azkaban right now."
This caused Arcturus to chuckle, and Dorea to shake her head, while Arcturus patted his sister on the hand, "I am sure your boy is fine, Dory. If it makes you feel better you should go visit him this weekend. I heard their first Hogsmeade weekend was coming up."
Dorea seemed to think on this for a moment before nodding, "You're right. Even if there isn't a school-sanctioned Hogsmeade weekend my son is very knowledgeable of the castle, and will find a way to meet with us."
"I don't think Harry has ever been one to live by the rules." Charlus said with a grin, "If we ask to meet with him I am certain he will come. We need to ensure he is okay, and find out if Fleamont needs to be made aware of this incident that occurred between him and his housemates. He can give us valuable insight on our enemy as well. We will question him on what this Voldemort is up to, and what we can do to combat him."
In acceptance Dorea drew her wand, and softly spoke her son's favorite charm, "Expecto Patronum."
(A/N) There is a lot brewing! Go get a peak at what is to come on Discord today, and next week you will get to experience an extra free chapter, putting Discord on Chapter 25. Discord is 100% free, but if you would like to join my premium channels you can join me on pat(reon) @ OrionB15 for just 1$ a month and get to read all the way to chapter 35!
Also I am holding a poll for which crossover my readers would like to see as my next side project. The poll will be open for another week, and there are sample chapters of HP X Game of Thrones, HP X Avengers, HP X Star Wars, and a PJO X Avatar story for your review to help you vote. This is for patrons only so if you would like to participate in the vote and get a glance at which story will be continued now is your chance!
If none of this interests you, don't worry I will still see you all in two weeks! Cheers.
The Hunter's Lounge
Discord.
gg/
Zu3ZNyaN86