Chapter 5: The New NormalNotes:Here is the Next Chapter. Hope you like it!
(See the end of the chapter for more notes.)
Chapter Text
"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 with 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 his 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!"
Notes:Well, how was it?
Next Chapter?: A day of work at Diagon Alley
Had a productive time writing today. Still need to finalize my plans for the Triwizard Tournament. Have only two full chapter scene outlines, so I will have to get back on those soon.
Leave a comment, discuss and see you all in three days.
Chapter 6: Haunting ParallelsNotes:Here we are, the next chapter. Hope you all like it.
(See the end of the chapter for more notes.)
Chapter Text
"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?" Hazel 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. Ms. 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 fuss. 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.
Notes:Lots more being revealed now, but so much more to come. Did you like it?
Next Chapter?: Hazel and Dora learn things about each other.
Wrote a lot of slice of life moments, bonding expiriences, a cool action scene, and then another tear jerker. I am developing a bad habit. Will be passing Blood and Magic in chapter count soon and only just passed the halfway point of the story. I feel so exausted. Hope you all don't mind if I eventually take a break, though my Muse is being mean, teasing me with thoughts on the next story. Don't worry, I plan to finish this story first and you might not even notice that I took a break.
Please leave a comment, discuss and see you all in three days.