Chapter 27: Awaiting NewsNotes:
Here is the next chapter. Hope you all like it.
(See the end of the chapter for more notes.)
Chapter Text
Hazel felt her bed dip slightly before it did so repeatedly. "Mom, It's here. It's here! My letter is here!" Hazel buried her head in the pillow and mentally screamed her heart out. She had spent the last few months expecting this moment, but it didn't mean she was ready for it. Teddy would be going to Hogwarts in September. She was honestly waiting for the other shoe to drop, expecting to hear news from Azkaban about an escape, but so far nothing really seemed to be happening. She buried her concerns over Teddy going to Hogwarts at a time when she also knew a certain bastard would be at the Castle. Well, a certain bastard beyond just Dumbledore and Snape. At least Teddy going there would give her a pleasant excuse to visit. If the Potions Master and Defence Instructor both ended up lost in the Forbidden Forest while she was at it, who was she to complain. Hell, she might even get away with having the Headmaster disappear. Burying her bloodlust, trepidation and the beginnings of separation anxiety, Hazel got up from the bed and hugged Teddy, kissing his cheek before sitting beside him comfortably. "Congratulations. Can I see it?" Teddy nodded and handed the letter to her.
Hazel had to laugh softly as she read the letter's address. "A P.O. Box. Croaker must love bothering the hell out of people with that. At least they got your new name right." She handed the letter back to him and kissed his hair. "Go ahead, open it." Teddy sat down on the bed beside her as Hazel sent her magic down to her extremities, before crossing her legs in front of her on top of the bed. Teddy read the letter and looked at her expectantly. "Can we go get the supplies today? You can send the letter back at the Post in the Alley." Hazel ruffled his hair. "Sure, but let me get breakfast started first. Do you want to go with anyone else?" Teddy shook his head. "Maybe next year, but I want to do this with just us. Like old times." Hazel stretched her arms over her head and felt all her bones pop into place. She heard most of them pop too. Feeling better about waking up so early, Hazel stood up. "Sure, I will send a message to the others and we can spend the day out in the Alley. For now, breakfast. Go wash your face and I will get started. Do you want pancakes or scrambled eggs?" Teddy thought for a second. "Both?" Hazel shook her head as she smiled. "Fine. But you get to tell Dora she missed out on a heavy breakfast." Teddy jumped onto the floor. "Deal."
Teddy blazed through his meal as Hazel wrote several messages that Leafsby went out to deliver, before they got dressed comfortably for the warmer weather and headed up the Ministry lift. Hazel felt more comfortable about the day as she noticed that few people were wandering in the Alley today. She knew the Hogwarts letters were sent out in tiers, with the muggleborns sent out first and usually staggered in such a way the Professors can personally deliver them. While Teddy's last name was one from a Magical family, the address must have confused the Deputy Headmistress and she must have sent it out early, unsure if she needed to give the child time to respond. Hazel hoped Dumbledore didn't hear about the fact that a Peverell was coming to the school soon. At least not until the sorting. She had at least made sure to keep Teddy's rights and safety secured independently from the school with the added legal documents she got signed with Ted Tonks' help. She refused to place her son at the mercy of the old man or any of his employees. The moment he tried anything, she would show him just who he was messing with. The fact that her world's Dumbledore escaped his just punishment at her hands made Hazel all the more determined. Once they had clear evidence this one was a manipulative bastard and all other concerns about colateral were lifted, she would finally get her chance.
The day in Diagon Alley went smoothly after dropping off the letter at the Post Office. Teddy got his text books, instruments and potions materials and Hazel placed it all in her trusty expanded shopping bag. The fact the stubborn thing kept working after seventeen years made Hazel all the more happy she kept it. Teddy spent a bit longer at Madam Malkins as his status as a Metamorphmagus meant that Hazel asked the woman to spend a bit longer fetching robes and clothes that could expand a little bit to accommodate minor changes in his frame. Teddy laughed when Hazel stared at the pointy black hat that Malkin added to the pile of clothes. The woman tried to tempt her with a few new boots but Hazel turned her down. Her Godmother spent a lot of Galleons to get her custom Basilisk-hide boots made in such a way for them to never need changing, only cleaned and treated every once in a while. She wouldn't change them for the world until they fell apart. She'd probably cry that day but until then she wouldn't worry about it. The moment Teddy pulled her to a familiar looking store after leaving Malkin's, Hazel sighed. She kept her holly wand holstered but made sure the Elder Wand was safely within her body.
Teddy pushed the door open and the sound of a tiny bell ringing echoed in the store. The boy looked around expectantly as Hazel heard a few footsteps approach from behind the counter. "Curious." Hazel looked at the old man that had to be Ollivader. He looked a little younger than she remembered. Then again, she only saw the man four times in her life, the last while he had spent a rough two years as a guest of the Death Eaters, making replacement wands for them. The man's light blue eyes went to them both before he smiled. "It's a wonder when someone enters my store and I don't recognize them. May I have your names?" Hazel watched him carefully. "Under the condition you don't share them freely. It comes with some notoriety among those we count as enemies. They will be known soon enough but I would rather not lose the element of surprise." Ollivander thought for a second and nodded. Hazel gently nudged Teddy forward. "This is Edward, my son. He's here for his first wand. My name is Hazel Peverell. I don't need to explain why I want our names kept quiet for now, do I?" Garrick Ollivander hummed, his eyes taking them both in. "My family never had the pleasure of crafting wands for the Peverells. They were prodigious crafters and wandsmiths themselves, after all. The last of the family bearing the name carried personally crafted wands. It's an honor, young lady, to be the first wandmaker for your family in centuries."
Hazel watched as the old man measured Teddy. He rubbed his chin. "Two years ago I was seized by the impulse to try out some unusual wand cores. A few odd ones came up successfully, while many failed spectacularly. I think one of those might be just what the boy needs. One moment." Hazel eyed the store, letting her magic sense a bit of the area. She quickly pulled it back. The place was too full of magic from the wands and she felt a slight headache build up. The old man returned, his eyes on her as he chuckled. "Yes, being a wandmaker is a bit of a double edged sword. We need the means to sense magic and its interactions with objects, but places like this are difficult for those finely attuned to the flows of magic such as yourself, Miss Peverell." He placed the box down, opened it and with some cloth on his hands, drew out a carefully sculpted red wand. "Rowan, 12 inches. Flexible. Its core I believe is one familiar to your family." Hazel looked up with surprise before checking on Teddy as he grasped the wand. A soft wind blew in the shop, flowing softly around Teddy before it dissipated, as clear white mist flew out of the tip of his wand. Olivander smiled at the boy. "Rowan is not known to mix well with the Dark Arts yet a Thestral's Tail hair is known to be capable of unleashing curses with ease. A wand of contradictions, yet in surprising harmony."
The old man turned to Hazel and she felt a touch of magic. "A bit like you, Miss Peverell. Familiar yet unknown. Dangerous but kind. May I inquire as to your wand?" Hazel shook her head. "Mine is one made by the family. It answered me with joy and now rejects all others who would wield it without my permission. I would rather it remained a secret, never truly known or spoken about." Ollivander hummed. "Perhaps it's for the best. I crafted young Mr. Peverell's wand on a whim and was surprised by the magic it holds. Yours must be quite the artefact. Perhaps it is best left forgotten in the end." Hazel looked at Teddy and noticed his frown. "What's wrong?" Teddy shook his head. "I read about Rowan wands. Doesn't it mean I will hurt you?" Hazel knelt down to his eye level and caressed his cheek softly. "No, it doesn't. You know me, more than I ever wished for you to ever know about what I have done. I am Dark but you are my light. You've helped make me a better person. Rowan means that. You are a good person and you will help many stay that way. You have nothing to worry about." Teddy nodded and placed the wand in its box as Hazel turned to Ollivander. "A Rowan care kit and two wrist holsters, please." Ollivander nodded and provided the rest as Hazel paid him. He smiled at the boy. "Head your mother's words well. The wood of your wand ties well with your character, but it doesn't mean you will always harm those who walk a different path."
Hazel followed a pensive Teddy to the Owl Emporium and tapped him on the shoulder. "Remember what I taught you. Focus your magic and see if a trail leads to one of them." Teddy nodded and the two entered. The owner looked up and smiled. "Ah, back again. The boy has come of age?" Hazel nodded. "Hope you don't mind but we are more interested in finding a familiar, not a post owl." The young woman looked on as the boy moved through the cages. "Not unusual among these parts. Sadly, not everyone binds well with owls." Hazel shuddered as a memory of her Hedwig flashed in her mind. "No, but they are beyond loyal if they do." The owner was a bit disappointed when Teddy returned and didn't find any owls that could work as a familiar. They tried the Animal Menagerie next and Hazel made sure to ignore the snakes talking to each other. Teddy seemed confused as he stayed in an area with other birds before shaking his head. "It's weird. I felt some thin connections but nothing called to me." Hazel guided him out. "We can check Edinburgh or with some Sanctuaries before school starts but perhaps it's best to simply wait for you to find it on your own if none come by then." Teddy nodded and looked at Fortescue's Ice Cream before turning to his mom. Hazel sighed. "Fine, but only two scoops."
-∞-
"Thank you Minerva, that will be all." With his Deputy Headmistress out the door once their meeting about the coming new year was settled, Dumbledore managed to sit back and sigh. Two years. Harry Potter, the Boy Who Lived and subject of a Prophecy with the fate of Britain at stake, and in those two years Dumbledore was no closer to figuring out what to do with the boy. Professor Quirrel had been possessed, the wards told him as much, but he wasn't exactly sure if it was by Voldemort. The clues said it might have been him but there was no real evidence. He had hoped the Mirror would have delayed him enough that Harry would have encountered him, discovering the wraith's identity in the process, yet it didn't happen. Someone stunned the boy, disabled the traps as if they were meaningless obstacles and then did away with Quirrell and the Mirror. He was keeping an eye out for Tom Riddle to just materialize or for the market of gold to suddenly become flooded, but there was simply no evidence that anything actually happened with the stone. When he spoke to Nicholas again, his old mentor had simply ignored the loss of the object, telling him it was no longer a concern of his and his wife's.
Then there was this year. He had selected Lockhart as a plant, someone to tempt Voldemort for either another possession, or for him to replace Lockhart after an unfortunate accident. Dumbledore knew the man was incompetent but there was some value in using him as bait. At first he thought the plan had worked. Someone was attacking the students, even using the same method Tom once used when he was a student: Salazar Slytherin's Basilisk. He had no idea how but not only had Salazar protected a massive system of passageways in the school with the Hogwarts wards, but he did so beyond even the Headmaster's ability to detect them. The vilest of the Four Founders even protected the Basilisk from being located, as Dumbledore could find no trace of it in the wards. He had hoped Harry would be drawn into the situation by providence again, to actually face Tom and allow Dumbledore to see exactly what made them equal. Yet the DMLE acted too quickly. Theodore Nott managed to summon his house elf and contacted his grandfather about the mess concerning Filch and his cat. He tried to reprimand him but the Charter was clear that under emergencies, the personal house elves could be summoned by the students. Dumbledore was forced to settle with some points deductions. Deductions Snape did away with far too easily.
The DMLE had proven to be a lot more effective these last two years and every attempt he made to figure out who was behind it all was blocked. Amelia had taken her animosity towards him and doubled down on it, ignoring his authority over the school and carrying out investigations of the students. Poor Marcus Flint was arrested and found guilty of using a cursed object on another student. Dumbledore shook his head. The boy needed time, not a cell in Azkaban, to turn away from his path. Why couldn't Amelia see that? He stood up and paced in his office. The DMLE ultimately succeeded in defeating the Basilisk and the source of the threat: a book. Dumbledore knew the books Tom read. He must have found the mention of Horcruxes. But did he make one? The remnants of the book would have told him if it hadn't been destroyed in its entirety. Miss Granger's medical diagnostics were sealed and Pomfrey was unable to tell him the girl's full condition. She could have been a victim of a Horcrux exerting its will but he wasn't sure. He hated not knowing. Attempts at requesting the files concerning the incident at Hogwarts by his contacts in the Ministry all hit the same wall. Amelia Bones had been securing her department from leaks. It clearly seemed to be working, if many of his contacts weren't able to get access at all.
Lucius' own removal from the Board had been a pleasant surprise. Sure, he expected the man to lose his position as Chairman, but to lose his seat was unexpected. That he had been the one to be in possession of the book made him a possible lead on whether Voldemort succeeded in creating a Horcrux. Then again, he did potentially allow a dangerous artefact trusted to him by his Master to be found and destroyed. If Voldemort gave it to him for safe keeping, he clearly didn't tell Lucius what it was. Dumbledore looked out the window and sighed. Dead ends. Voldemort's survival seemed to be full of dead ends. The Troll, the Mirror, the Book and the Basilisk. Every potential source of information on Harry's destiny or Tom's present state had been destroyed or blocked by an unseen force tied to the DMLE. This special force of Hit Wizards that were being used seemed like a likely source of the interruptions, but there was no proof. Even his attempt to goad Fudge to give them an Order of Merlin for the death of the Basilisk was ignored, with a request for the money to be donated to St. Mungos. Dumbledore reached the Sorting Hat on one of the nearby bookshelves. "Won't you give me anything on the Potter boy? I had hoped he would have had a need for you and the weapon you guard, but nothing came of it."
The Sorting Hat chuckled. "Oh Albus, the more time passes, the more I feel I misplaced you. Such cunning and ambition. The Potter boy's mind is not for me to speak of. He is a Gryffindor, that is all I can say of him. As for the sword not being used to harm the Basilisk, then all I can say is that the Founders would have been happy that their treasures weren't used to destroy each other's legacies, though the students are free to make their own choices regarding their forebears' remnants. Nothing, after all, is meant to exist without change." Albus sighed and sat back behind his desk. He pulled out the notice about the reactivation of the Triwizard Tournament. It was initially going to be nothing more than a friendly competition but recent events would require a more direct approach. He needed to make sure the boy was being prepared for his task. Remus should be able to draw the boy with stories of his father and offer him tutoring in Defence. The Tournament would have to be his test. He pulled a quill and started to write a letter to Crouch and the other Organizers. The event would need to be made more difficult and more observable. He needed to see the boy prove himself. There was no other way to be sure. He would have a year to prepare him through Remus. He hoped the training and the Prophecy were enough to see young Harry through to his destiny, whichever end it might lead to.
-∞-
"You ok, Dora? You are walking funny." Dora winced. Last night she might have allowed Hazel too much freedom. Sure, she didn't regret it. The screams of pleasure and the blackouts were always welcomed, but her girlfriend might have overdone it a little. Now Dora had Teddy asking her about stuff he was too young for, while Hazel showered, unaware of her son asking tough questions. She really needed some coffee too. A cup appeared in front of her and she sighed in relief. "Thank you Leafsby." She took several sips of coffee, feeling her stomach warm up, as well as her toes. She looked at Teddy. "Your Mom would probably be mad if I told you so maybe ask her?" Teddy frowned before he remembered something. "Is it about what Mom said I should know but not try until I am older? Sex?" Dora coughed repeatedly as she inhaled the hot liquid down the wrong pipe, Teddy tapping her back until she stopped coughing. "Wait, wait. What has your mom told you about sex?" Teddy made a somewhat unpleasant face. "She told me a few days ago. It's something teens and adults do, mostly for pleasure but it's for making babies too. Usually involves lots of kissing and being naked and…" Dora waved him off. "Ok, ok. Your mom clearly went into a lot of detail."
Dora felt a cold hand touch her neck and she shuddered even as her voice made her warm up at the memories from last night. "That I did. As much as I wanted to spare my son from "The Talk," Teddy is going to be spending ten months of the year in a castle full of hormonal teens experimenting and acting irresponsibly. After the Lockhart fiasco, I wasn't taking any chances about any of the older students taking advantage of him." Dora drank from her coffee a bit more gingerly, trying to keep her eyes away from Hazel's jean clad rear as she went to the kitchen. "I see your point. How much detail did you go into?" Hazel shuddered. "More than I would have liked but Teddy handled it well." Teddy smiled and kicked his legs playfully under the table, while Dora sighed. "Thank goodness." Teddy looked back at her. "But that doesn't answer why you were walking funny." Dora groaned. "Because your mother is a bit aggressive in bed." Teddy blinked. "Oh. Is that bad?" Hazel placed the plate of scrambled eggs and diced slices of ham on the table in front of him. "Depends. Remember the first rule. Everyone has to be fully aware of what's happening, be of age, have romantic feelings for each other and agree on every little detail. Dora here agreed to it all, she just got a bit more than she planned for. Not that she ever complained at the time. She also didn't complain this morning."
Teddy wisely dropped the subject as Dora turned bright red in embarrassment. Her mood improved at the large serving of breakfast placed in front of her and everyone dug into their food. Teddy looked at his Mom. "Should we get a regular owl that I take with me to school? We looked at all the magical districts and no one had a bird that was capable of being my familiar." Hazel hummed. "I want to try one last place. It's a Magical Sanctuary in Ireland. While it mostly cares for magical creatures that lost their masters, it also breeds them, so we might find a familiar there. If not we can see if they have an owl that would want to be our messenger." Teddy smiled. "Think they might have some magical birds? Like Phoenixes?" Hazel chuckled. "Maybe. The only phoenix I know is Fawkes. I swear he better be a nicer bird here." Dora swallowed her fork full of food. "What did the phoenix do to you?" Hazel eyed Teddy and sighed. "A good thing in the long run but I seriously don't recommend having a cocktail of Phoenix Tears and Basilisk Venom running through your veins at the same time. I was mute for a week after damaging my voice box from all the screaming." Dora winced. "Yeah, I will keep that in mind."
Leafsby dropped the morning paper and letters to both Dora and Hazel. Hazel pried open a letter from Amelia. "Susan and her Aunt are going to be in Diagon Alley on the 31st. Are you interested in going with them? She is going to be looking after you in Hufflepuff." Teddy looked at Dora for a second before shaking his head. "No, I am fine. We could maybe meet up for a luncheon again though." Hazel nodded and summoned her fountain pen and letter paper to respond. "I do have a request to check them out three days a week in August so we can certainly see them there. Neville, Daphne and Astoria should be there too. Might even see a bit more of Tracey and now Theodore Nott." Teddy, having finished his breakfast, went to place the dishes in the sink, where Leafsby popped in and started cleaning them. Dora hummed as she read her own letter. "Horatio wants to see us as soon as we can manage about… something. He is also asking us to keep our schedules free after the 1st of August as well. He does want us to start firearms training sometime this year though." Hazel finished her last bite of toast and drank from her mug of coffee. "Sounds fun. I'll probably stick to pistols and maybe a shotgun." Dora chuckled. "Of course you would." Dora pulled up the Daily Prophet and was about to turn it around when the sound of breaking glass stopped her. She saw Hazel staring at the paper, her hand having crushed the mug she had been holding, as blood dripped onto the table. Dora checked the headline as Teddy rushed with a paper towel to his mother's side.
Notorious Mass Murderer Sirius Black
Escapes From Azkaban Prison
-∞-
OW July 1993
Hazel grinded her teeth for so long on that day, she was sure she would need a dentist. She wondered if the wizarding side had dentists for all of a second before she remembered the stupid conversation she heard between Ron and Hermione as Hermione tried to explain to him what a dentist was. So she started wondering if she would need to go see a Healer about her teeth instead, as she was sure she broke something. There was no way there was no damage after grinding them for so long while Vernon's sister kept insulting her by every means possible. She remembered a memorable night when Marge used dog metaphors blaming her dead parents for how bad she somehow turned out to be. It would have been insulting and believable if she had been raised by them at all, but to Hazel the insults were just worthless. She had endured another awful end to her year at Hogwarts, most of which she spent in the Hospital Wing after enduring days of endless pain in her veins. She had actually cursed at the bloody phoenix with her black flames the moment she saw it next, much to Dumbledore's displeasure. Not that she cared. He could keep the bloody sword too.
Tricking Lord Malfoy out of his elf had been fun, especially when he realized the book she gave him was a really weathered divination book she took from Dumbledore's office. The tie inside of it did the trick as Dobby cheered. The little elf then told her about how elven magic worked. She knew the workaholic was trying to guilt her into taking him in and it bloody worked too. She accepted him as an elf for the House of Potter and set him about taking care of what little property she knew of was hers. She barely managed to give the Basilisk meat to the Herd of Centaurs before she had to get her trunk ready to leave on the Express. She spent the whole night wondering if it might have been worth staying in the Chamber of Secrets until the beginning of next term, but the need to buy the new books and maybe some new clothes won her over. And she really didn't want to see how determined Dumbledore could get in fetching her. So she left Hogwarts for Surrey again and bid her time. She spotted that Vernon kept her trunk locked in the booth of his car so she wandlessly practiced opening and closing the locks of the vehicle. Whatever happened, she had a means to get her stuff in an emergency. She was also getting better with the banishing and summoning charms, which were exceedingly tempting to test on Marge and her drink of choice.
Hazel barely heard about a report on the tv about two escaped felons before Marge huffed. "See that girl. That's the sort of life you will live one day. Mark my words, you will be chased down like a rabid dog and locked away once you piss off the right people." Hazel couldn't resist. "Sounds like it could be worth it. Weeks of getting away with everything you want, painting the walls red with the blood of a victim before they send me off to a house with a gym, three full meals a day and a bed in a locked room." She eyed the old drunk and gave her a toothy smile. "Scratch that, it sounds like it's completely worth it." The woman snorted. "Please girl, you are nothing more than a troublemaker, just like your dead parents. You were lucky my brother bothered to take you in at all." Hazel hummed as she placed the last of the dishes away. "Sure, it certainly wasn't the 25,000 pounds that gets deposited into his bank account from my trust fund every month." Hazel smirked as Vernon paled. "Took some time but I finally got one of my bank statements. So tell me Vernon, what was that about me being an imposition on you? A burden?" The man's face grew purple as the woman glared at her. "As if you were worth all those pounds."
Being done with the dishes Hazel took her shopping bag, loaded with a decent amount of scraps of food and headed for her room. "Wouldn't know. I personally think your mutt of a dog is not worth the price of a vet's injection, let alone what you charge the possible owners. You claim to care, but how many get sent to illegal dog fighting rings? Or are you just a hypocrite and actually bet on them yourself?" Marge stood up from her seat, shaking the table with her fat stomach. "How dare you! Those dogs go to good, fine people!" Hazel chuckled. "Like you? If you and your brother are the bar for good, fine people, then there is no doubt in my mind I am living in Hell. Still better than getting my stomach ripped out by another dog. Is that why you called that mutt Ripper? Because it's either that or he must leave your furniture in tathers. Do you use the hide from the dead dogs by the way? Because it would explain that disgusting purse." Marge exploded. "That's it! Ripper, attack! Show her what you can do!" The dog charged at Hazel who stared at it before waving her hand. " Depulso ." The dog whined as it got sent to the nearest wall. Marge pulled her purse, searching for something. "I knew it! Vernon didn't call you a freak for nothing. You are the Devil's child."
Hazel laughed at that. "I wish I were. I might actually have some real power to do shit if the devil was my father. But no, I am just a witch." Vernon laughed at her. "And a stupid one at that. You'll be barred from school now, freak. Using magic outside of school." Hazel bared her teeth at him. "Might surprise you, Vernon, but I actually bothered to read the law. I can use magic all I want, I just can't use a wand." She twirled her fingers. "No wand, no letter, no luck for you. OWW!" Vernon had apparently distracted her long enough for the blasted dog to bite her. She felt its teeth digging into her leg and she cursed. Pulling its collar and banishing the mutt did nothing so Hazel did the only spell she knew would settle the problem. " Ignis Obscuras ." The dog yelped as Hazel was forced to sustain the spell herself. Despite the animal burning, it refused to stop it's attack on her leg, so Hazel was forced to feed even more magic into the flames.
Marge charged at her with a spray bottle of what she assumed was pepper spray, but Hazel wandlessly launched her into a wall hard, before she returned her attention to the incessant dog digging into her leg. The dog had no magic to speak off and that meant keeping it lit with the cursed flame was a lot more difficult than lighting Tom's book or the Mirror. Hazel, however, was just as stubborn and certainly in enough of a bad mood to put the dog out of its misery. Eventually all that was left of the mutt was a pile of ash and bones. A bit winded by the exertion, Hazel smiled at the horrified Marge who was staggering to stand up. "Sorry I couldn't put him down quickly, but I haven't learned a spell for that yet. Now, I think I am going to take the rest of the summer off. Hope to never see you again, ever." Another banishing spell knocked her out as well, before she went for the door that led to the garage. Wrenching her trunk from the back of Vernon's car was easy enough after she banished the man against a wall the moment she tried to leave. She pulled her trunk behind her as she made her way down the road before stopping at the nearest bus stop.
She sat down and dug into her trunk to pull out a map she had bought of the bus routes of Surrey and the nearby areas, checking the time when the next bus was due, before sighing in resignation. Feeling lightheaded from the excess amount of magic she used earlier, Hazel pulled out her wand. The blasted thing still hated responding to her, even now. Even after the mess in the Chamber. She was already at the point where her wandless spells were equal to if not better than what the wand produced. She grinded her teeth, feeling the day's worth of anger building up inside of her again. She was happy Quirrell taught her wandless magic. It was literally keeping her alive and whole. But she hated the fact that nothing she ever did satisfied the stupid wand that was meant for her. She held the wand in her hands and pressed her thumbs into it. She felt its magic react to what she was doing before a loud cat's screech stopped her. The next thing she knew a pitch black cat jumped onto her lap and it pressed its paws into her chest. Hazel was about to ask what was wrong when she heard a guttural growl that made Ripper sound tame in comparison. A large wolflike dog stepped out of the bushes on the other side of the road, its teeth bared at her as its saliva dripped from its opened maw.
Hazel held the struggling cat to her as she stood up. "I am really going to Hell for doing shit like this." Hazel lifted her hand up over her head, planning to cast a banishing charm at the dog before her wand in her other hand caused something in the bus stop to react. A loud horn rattled Hazel's ears and the dog rushed back into the bushes. Hazel watched as a purple triple decker bus pulled up in front of her, a man hanging from the opened door at the front. "Good evening. This is the Knight Bus, emergency transport for Witches or Wizards who can't apparate, use a broom or otherwise travel. The name's Stan and I will be your conductor for the evening. Where to, miss?" Hazel stared at the man and laughed. "You know, it would have been nice knowing you and your bus existed two years ago." Stan blinked at her. "Ah, Hogwarts student, ey? Should have been on your introductory pamphlet." Hazel sighed. "Sure it was. Too bad I never got one. How much is it to the Cauldron or the nearest and cheapest place I can rent a room for a few weeks?" Stan laughed. "That'll be the Cauldron, miss. Careful with the pea soup there. You never know what they put into it. Still the cheapest dump for a room this side of Edinburgh. By the way, you seem to be bleeding. Might want to see a Healer." Hazel looked at her leg under the dim light of the bus stop and she noticed she was in fact bleeding from Ripper's bite mark. While she could feel an injury just fine when it was made, prolonged pain had become harder for her to notice since the Chamber. She sighed. "The Cauldron it is."
After she paid the man, Hazel sat in the furthest seat on the back before caressing the cat that was still attached to her chest. "So, care to join me for the rest of the way? Might get some milk, though I doubt they have lactose free milk where we are going." The cat blinked at her with beautiful gray eyes before it started rubbing its head against her hand. Hazel smiled. "Guess I am stuck with you then. I'll try to come up with a decent name for you in the morning. I am bloody tired after today." The cat curled up in her lap for all the good it did in the nauseating ride from Surrey to London. Hazel watched her trunk slip back and forward a bit until Stan came over, handing her a newspaper, before tying the trunk down to the floor. "Figured you'd like to read the Prophet. Everyone else is done with it." Hazel nodded and looked it over. "These Blacks that escaped. They're that bad for a kill on sight order?" Stan shrugged. "Sure sounds like it. Ernie says they killed loads of people for You Know Who back in the day. The Blacks were mostly Death Eaters, except for a lucky witch that got out just in time. Her daughter was in my year at Hogwarts. Weird witch with pink hair in her later years. Good for laughs though." Hazel handed him back the paper and sat back, waiting for the ride to end. She wondered if these Blacks would try to kill her too, though the name Black sounded familiar to her.
-∞-
NW July 1993
Harry sat down on the bench at the bus stop and sighed. He hated when Marge came for visits. She always tried to get a rise out of him. Tonight though she had insisted that he probably had some other family out there and that they clearly didn't want him if he was with Vernon. That he was lucky he hadn't been thrown out to the streets. The thought of her insulting Andromeda and his mysterious guardian angel angered him and his magic acted out on its own. Seeing Marge swell up like a balloon had been quite funny until Vernon started yelling at him to get her back down. He tried to stop him from leaving but Harry had had enough. He was glad Hedwig was out delivering letters as he took her empty cage and school trunk with him and left the house, until he reached the nearest bus stop and sat down. Harry tried the exercises Neville taught him and that the book he got for Christmas covered to calm down and eventually he felt a little better. He sat at the bus stop, waiting for the next bus to come by, when he heard some bushes moving. Harry watched as an emaciated black dog looked at him for a second before it snapped it's head to the side and hid back out of sight. He pulled his wand out of his pocket as he heard some heavy steps coming up to him from down the sidewalk. "We need to get you a holster. If I was a cop, I'd be whacking you over the head thinking you were pulling out a knife or worse on me."
Hearing the voice of the white haired Auror made him sigh in relief. "Yeah, not sure I will get the chance to use it." The Auror sat beside him on the bench. "Why, because you turned that nasty woman Vernon calls a sister into a balloon? Nice accidental magic by the way. I had a nasty aunt with a dog too. I ended up slamming her back into a wall and torching the mutt. Had a nasty scar on my leg for a while from where it bit me first." Harry shook his head in amusement before he looked at her with concern. "So, I am not in trouble?" Hazel looked at him and he felt so lost when he saw the same green eyes as his own again. Whenever he saw her, it always felt like there was more to her than just an Auror. She smiled at him. "You draw your wand? Attacked her without reason?" Harry shook his head. "She'd been bad mouthing me all day." Hazel chuckled loudly. "Then not only are you not in trouble, kid, but you can say goodbye to Surrey. If that's what you want." Hazel stood up and stretched her arms. "Accidental magic happens all the time and even wandless magic is effectively untraceable. Sure the DMLE will get word of a woman floating in the air like a balloon and they will trace it to your Uncle's house but they can do nothing about how your magic reacted."
Harry stood up. "Then why did I get a letter for the magic Dobby did around the house last year?" Hazel sighed. Croaker had never mentioned that. Then again, he probably thought it was actually Harry's fault. She herself had broken the law several times, minus the need for a wand. "Dobby probably cast it with enough strength that the magic registered at the Ministry. I could light that bush on fire over there and no one would know. Conjuring a dragon or casting a Fiendfyre curse would register quite easily since it uses a lot of magic. Dobby probably made his magic seem strong enough to need a wand and yours is the only wand in the house with a trace, so it must have resonated. Remind me to check with Amelia to get that cleared out. Some nasty people out there don't care to hear shit about the truth and we can't have them use that as an excuse." Looking around and making sure there was no one in sight, Hazel wandlessly cast a notice-me-not charm on the spot they were standing on.
Hazel then waved her hand at the birdcage and the trunk and shrunk them down before summoning them both to her hand and dropping them inside her jacket inner pocket. Harry stared at where his trunk had been for just a second before he looked at her. "Wait. You didn't use a wand." Hazel waved her fingers playfully at him. "Bit of an open secret. Wandless magic is very real, can be useful and can't be traced if used with enough control. Now then, ready to head out? Or do you want to wait for the next bus, which is in about an hour or two?" Harry looked at Hazel's eyes, unsure on what he should do. "Where would we be going?" Hazel smiled at him. "Technically it's up to you, but Andromeda has kept her guest room ready for you for two years now. Even decorated it with some Gryffindor banners and a few photos she had of your parents. With the Contract broken, she is officially your guardian. She would never force you, but Andromeda would be delighted if you could call her house your new home for the summer. Interested?" Hazel presented her hand to him. Harry felt tears forming in his eyes as he took her hand. "Sounds perfect."
Notes:
Let me be clear. I do not condone the harming of non-pest animals in any way, shape or form (I have had to kill mice, snakes and birds because cats don't always show mercy or provide a quick death). Sadly, certain animals can be trained to ignore their flight response in the face of certain death and no one likes being a chewtoy. As someone who has had Dogs attack me for no reason whatsoever, I can say a dog bite isn't fun at all. I am also happily a cat person, minus the presents they tend to bring into the house. So, how was the chapter? For those waiting for Harry's turn to be a bigger part in the story, then the wait is over. Harry Potter has officially joined the party.
Next Chapter?: Harry meets his family
Finally got to writting a bit but not much, though I have gotten closer to filling out the missing scene outlines in the future chapters. Going 5 full days without water wasnot fun, though thankfully the issue has been cleared out. Hope you enjoy what's coming up.
Leave a comment, discuss and see you all in 3 days.
Chapter 28: Waking up to FamilyNotes:
Here is the next Chapter. Hope you all like it.
(See the end of the chapter for more notes.)
Chapter Text
Harry walked up towards the front door of a nice looking two story house, with flower boxes on the upper window sills and soft hedges around the front, as Hazel seemed to check something with her wand, before making it vanish. She walked up to the door and stood there waiting for him. Harry suddenly felt nervous. "I wouldn't want to impose. Especially at this hour." Hazel blinked at him for a moment before she sighed. "Harry, the woman and her husband have been fighting for custody over you since the day Dumbledore dropped you off at the Dursleys. They have waited for nearly twelve years to welcome you to their home. You want to make them wait longer?" Harry felt his cheeks warm. She was right. Andromeda said as much to him the few times he saw her. Taking a deep breath, he walked up to the door and knocked. The door opened a few minutes later to a surprised looking Andromeda. Her eyes went from Hazel to Harry and back. "What happened?" Hazel smiled. "Vernon's sister couldn't resist misbehaving. She broke the contract. Harry is officially your ward. If you will have him." Harry barely had a second after Hazel spoke those words before Andromeda pulled him into a hug. "Of course he's welcome here. If you're willing to join us for the rest of the summer." Harry nodded and Andromeda smiled.
Andromeda moved to the side. "Then come right in. We are actually running a bit late with dinner tonight. My daughter should be dropping by with food. Are you hungry?" Harry felt his stomach growl. He had forgotten to get his serving at the Dursleys earlier. "Famished." Andromeda looked to Hazel who raised her hands. "Don't look at me. Dora said to keep out of the kitchen for tonight. I'll be here since Teddy is with Dora getting the food. Though I need to step out for a second. I have a last bit of work to do so the Headmaster is forced to keep his trap shut about all this." Andromeda nodded. "Then go. I'll show Harry to his room and get him ready for supper." Hazel apparated away silently from the edge of the wardline as Andromeda took him up the stairs. She opened the door and turned on the light into a comfortable room decorated with dark wood furniture and maroon paint on the walls, with a hint of golden yellow trimmings.
Harry's eyes took the whole room in as he stepped inside before turning to Andromeda who gestured with her head to the dresser and mirror. "This was our guest bedroom for the longest time. We kept a box of photos, toys and sculptures for you for as long as we can remember. We added the Gryffindor trimmings as soon as we heard what your Hogwarts house was, though we went for a softer red. A bit easier on the eyes if you ask me." Harry nodded as he moved gingerly further into the spacious room, seeing the Gryffindor posters and touching a few figurines on top of the dresser carved out of wood. He looked at one which showed a Griffin, it's posture restful but alert, something Andromeda noticed. "That was a gift from the woman who dropped you off. She'll introduce herself properly when she's back here for dinner. She used to be in Gryffindor during her school days too, but times were different then. She has no fondness for her former house and gave us some of her old stuff for you. We hope you don't mind."
Shaking his head, Harry tried to surreptitiously remove a tear from his eye. "It's brilliant. Thank you." Andromeda smiled and pointed at the door next to the window. "The closet is yours, as are the dressers. The bathroom in the hallway is your standard shower and bathtub set. You're free to use it. Though if my daughter is staying over, make sure you knock before going in. She never locks it." Harry blushed lightly at the thought and went into the bathroom to wash his face before he walked back down the stairs. A man with brown hair and eyes came up to him and smiled, offering Harry his hand. "Hello again, Harry. Ted Tonks at your service. Solicitor and Andromeda's husband. I can help you with anything, minus murder. The wife has exclusive rights to that." Andromeda whacked her husband on the head, who yelped softly, before she looked towards Harry. "No scaring the boy. Don't mind him, marrying a Black requires a level of madness and my husband has his fair share." Harry chuckled at the two and shook the man's hand. "A pleasure, sir." A knock on the door drew Ted's attention. "That's probably Dora." Ted looked through the peephole and opened the door for his daughter. Dora shook her bags. "Delivery. Hey, you know why Hazel sent her Patronus to Teddy? No one saw it since it was tiny but she ordered an extra serving of food." Ted stepped aside. "See for yourself." Dora blinked for a second as her eyes got drawn to Harry before she smiled. "Hey there cous. Welcome to the family."
Dora dropped off the food in the kitchen as Harry stared at a dark haired boy that looked a bit like him. The boy smiled. "Hey Harry. Names Edward. Teddy to my family." Harry smiled at him and shook his hand. "I am assuming I am family." Teddy nodded. "Mom is, though not through the Blacks. Is she here yet?" Andromeda touched Teddy's back. "She had one final errand to run but she will be here soon. Help us set the table. Come along Harry, so you can take your pick of the food." The table was set quickly as Harry took his pick of the chinese food before he felt something odd. He looked around and Andromeda noticed. "Dora, your partner is outside setting up the wards. Let her in and show her to the wardstone." Harry watched as the white haired witch came in and closed the door behind her. "Evening everyone. Harry, I fetched the other trunk you left back at the Dursleys." Harry flushed in embarrassment. "I … forgot about it." Hazel smiled at him. "I figured when you walked out with only one. I'll drop them both off in your room and resize them for you. Dora, the wardstone please. I am feeling like a livewire right now with a full ward running through me without an anchor."
Hazel and Dora disappeared down the basement before Harry felt the shift in the magic around him again. The white haired Auror waved at him as she came up from the basement. "Good news. The wards Dumbledore placed at the Dursleys for your safety against Voldemort and his Death Eaters are now safely and properly added to Andromeda's. There is now no reason to send you back to them at all." Harry froze for a second before he rushed forward and hugged her suddenly. "Thank you. I honestly hated the place." Hazel patted him on the back. "No problem, Harry. Anything for a friend." Harry froze and looked up at her. Hazel's smile grew. "How was Newt's book? Bit drier reading than the Potter family history but the man knows his magical creatures. Same for the mental exercises text, but it does help with curbing some bad habits. When you want to, of course. I myself am a good example of poor impulse control so I wouldn't know." Harry felt tears running down his cheeks. "It was you?" Hazel grew a little sheepish. "Yeah. Name's Hazel Peverell. Me and my son are the only living relatives you have from your paternal great-grandfather's side of the family. I've been keeping my eye on you for the last two years. Hope you don-" Hazel was silenced as Harry hugged her for dear life, repeating "Thank you" over and over again as he cried into her chest.
Harry sat down next to her and asked her about who she was. Hazel sighed. "I can't tell you everything because not all of it is good. I was only seventeen when Voldemort vanished and I was a favorite target of his for most of the war. My father can trace back to Henry Potter and even further back to Iolanthe Peverell, hence the family name. When the war ended, I was young, deeply troubled and powerless to do anything about anyone other than Teddy. Trust me, if I could have taken you from the Dursleys earlier, I would have." Harry finished his drink and smiled. "I am just glad I don't have to go back there again." Teddy, who was sitting opposite of him, asked him about his classes and the adults sat back and watched as the two kids discussed Hogwarts happily. As the evening grew darker, Hazel, Teddy and Dora excused themselves, hugging Harry and wishing him a good night. Andromeda pulled Hazel into a hug and whispered to her. "Thank you. For everything." Hazel hugged her back. "You are all family, Dromeda. There was no other choice. There never should be." Hazel ruffled Harry's hair. "Take your time and relax, ok? You have a home and family now. Just take it in and enjoy it all." Harry nodded, brushing away some tears. "I will. See you soon."
-∞-
"Morning. Good night's sleep?" Harry rubbed his eyes as he yawned, his steps taking him into the kitchen in his pajamas. "Yeah. Best night's sleep I have had since Hogwarts." Andromeda nodded. "Trust me, I know the feeling. Best night sleep I had out of Hogwarts was after my seventh year with Ted after we eloped. Sure, that became more of an issue as Dora grew in me but it was better than being back home with my parents. Please sit down." Harry sat at the table of the Tonks' residence and heard a screech before a familiar white bird landed on the table in front of him. Harry rubbed the owl's feathers. "Hi Hedwig. I am happy you found me here." Andromeda came up and caressed the bird as well. "She's been added to the wards so she can come and go safely. We did have to remove a tracking charm from her. We think someone was trying to find out where you were sending your mail. Our Best guess is that it was Dumbledore. The wards should isolate any foreign magic on her and her packages from now on, so she will be safe." Harry smiled as Hedwig nipped his fingers playfully. "I gathered from Hazel you aren't fond of Dumbledore?" Andromeda sat down beside him on the table. "The man was celebrated as almost a second coming of Merlin, but he still has his share of problems. We don't think he is malignant, not all of us anyways, but he has been breaking the laws to keep you isolated. Recent events have certainly done a number on his reputation, which is something we are quite happy about."
Harry thought back to his first summer after Hogwarts. He had asked to stay at the school but Dumbledore denied him, saying he was safer at his relatives house. That there were wards there that he needed to keep charged for his safety and theirs. "What will happen now?" Andromeda drank from her coffee. "Well, your parents Last Will was sealed at the Ministry but you might find a copy in your family Vault at Gringotts, so we can check there. After that we can see if there is enough evidence to strip Dumbledore of his illegally obtained Magical Guardianship over you. Everything after that is just us keeping him away from you as much as possible while you spend your next few years at Hogwarts." Harry thought for a second and nodded. "Ok, I am fine with that. When do we go to the bank?" Andromeda chuckled. "Well, technically we could go today, even if it is your birthday." Andromeda passed him a few letters. "Your friends are meeting up in Diagon Alley today, with Florean Fortescue making a birthday ice cream cake for you. Care to go?" Harry smiled. "Sure. Are Hazel and Teddy coming over too?" Andromeda gave him a sad smile. "Not today, though three of the letters are from them and Dora. Teddy completed his Hogwarts shopping with his mother early and aside from today being your birthday, it's also Hazel's. Dora and Teddy focus on her exclusively today. Maybe next year."
While he was a bit disappointed they couldn't come, Harry could see why. Hazel always felt odd to him. She always smiled for him and he always found it sad. Like she knew something was wrong. He always assumed it was about him but last night he remembered seeing the same sadness there, except when Teddy and Dora were with her. "She had a hard life, didn't she?" Andromeda nodded sadly. "She did. She hardly speaks about it openly, but aside from a Godmother who loved her as her own child, she had no one to care for her. Said Godmother died before anything could come of their relationship. If it wasn't for Teddy, I am not sure she would be here at all." Harry smiled a little at the wistful look on Andromeda's face. "He has that way about him, doesn't he? He likes seeing people happy." Andromeda smiled. "He does, but I am sure it's mostly directed to his Mom. Those two care deeply for each other. Since he is going to Hogwarts this September, it might cause a bit of trouble for Hazel, but her boss has been checking with me about how to ease their discomfort. So Harry, how about a light breakfast while Ted gets all the paperwork in order for today?"
Harry's morning went quickly after that, finding himself at Gringotts where he was presented his parent's will. Gringotts warned that the one in the Ministry was far more recent, so the section awarding gifts to others was unenforceable for now. Andromeda pointed out the names of the people in his parent's life. He was surprised though, when he read the name of a person he heard on the news. Andromeda sighed. "Sirius Black was a close friend of your father and my cousin. He worked with him at the DMLE as an Auror and was part of the Order of the Phoenix, the group Dumbledore organized to fight the Death Eaters. We aren't sure what really happened but people accused him of betraying James and Lily Potter, killing another wizard and thirteen muggles on a street, and he was sent off to Azkaban for all of it. Without a trial." Harry looked at her. "You don't think he did it?" Andromeda looked at him sadly. "I don't believe he did. My cousin was like me in a lot of ways. Knowing him, something else happened but until he is captured by the right people, we won't know for sure." Harry thought about Sirius Black until he saw his friends waving at him. He decided to focus on them first. After all, this was the first time he could celebrate his birthday properly.
-∞-
Hazel slammed her hands on Croaker's desk. "Why did you rescind the kill on sight order?" Croaker eyed her, feeling the flow of magic shift around him as he spotted arcs of making moving down her bare arms. He knew this was going to be a sore subject as Hazel had refused to speak of what happened in her third year beyond the fact two people escaped from Azkaban. Only one person did so in this world. "The escape of Sirius Black opened up his files in the Ministry Archives. All of them. A good number had been surprisingly, though expectedly, sealed after his imprisonment. Care to guess what we found?" Croaker dropped a folder in front of Hazel who opened it. She skimmed over the two documents. "The arrest record and the transfer record from the DMLE holding cells to Azkaban." Croaker nodded. "Indeed. There is nothing else in the documents at all. No charges, no trial, no verdict and no legal representation." Hazel pulled away from the table, her eyes reading the papers thoroughly. "If this was an isolated incident, Arcturus Black would have rained hell on the Ministry for imprisoning his Heir. It wasn't, was it? There are other criminals and Death Eaters in Azkaban under similar circumstances."
Croaker sighed. "Dozens of them. The policy was put in place in the final days of the war by Minister Bagnold, DMLE Director Barty Crouch Sr. and Chief Warlock Albus Dumbledore." Hazel snorted. "Doesn't sound like his style. Was he under pressure or did he have a need for it?" Croaker gave her an approving smile. "Legal is in agreement. Crouch headed the initiative several times but was denied by the Chief Warlock and the Minister. This changed in the later days of the war, but the measure was rescinded months later. After Sirius Black was sent to Azkaban. The next group of Death Eaters brought to trial were the LeStranges and Igor Karkaroff, all of whom received full trials." Hazel sat on the chair, even as her magic grew wilder inside of her. She kept her jaw clenched as much as possible. "In theory most of the dangerous Death Eaters got put away and locked up, but you are suggesting Dumbledore agreed to the change to potentially remove an obstacle. Which reminds me, in which period did Snape face the charges for his crimes?" Croaker shook his head. "None of them. He never saw the Courtroom. Dumbledore vouched for him and several Death Eaters went to Azkaban, not to mention a certain counterspell was made known to Healers, at least surreptitiously. The ones caught were minor Death Eaters, but still Marked. As for Dumbledore's machinations, we believe he was after this."
Hazel watched as Croaker pulled another file out and opened it. "By record of St. Mungos, Harry James Potter was born on the 31st of July 1980. On the 2nd of August, Alice Longbottom and Sirius Black were named the boys godparents." Hazel felt her thoughts stop for a second. "Are you sure about that? What about Frank Longbottom? Neville's godparents?" Croaker waved his hand. "Frank remained on active duty as an Auror after Neville's birth, which made him a target. He didn't have a godchild. James became Neville's godfather since he and his family went into hiding. The godmother was Marlene McKinnon. You know what happened to her." Hazel nodded. Marlene was a relative of hers she never got to know. She had been a potential godparent to her but that honor went to her Neville as well. Hazel closed her eyes, trying to get a hold of her magic. "So, Albus Dumbledore agreed to a change in the rules around the time the war became more violent. The Potters were attacked, Sirius Black got arrested and the Longbottoms were incapacitated permanently. Yet he changes the rules before the criminals who attacked the Longbottoms were brought to trial, but not before Sirius BBack was shipped of to Azkaban."
Croaker sat up straighter in his chair. "That's why we rescinded the order. He is now a priority target of interest and we need him alive for interrogation. The timing of the changing of the laws, his imprisonment and his position as Harry's primary guardian make him Dumbledore's greatest counter. I also don't have to remind you of the benefit this could have for Harry's legal situation should Sirius be innocent." Hazel gritted her teeth as a memory flashed in her mind, something Croaker noticed. "Fine. Take me off the hunt for him. I can't be impartial with him." Croaker eyed her, feeling the magic in the room shift again, the air becoming thicker and the hairs across his body standing up on end. "Why?" Another memory surfaced in Hazel's mind, one of an insufferable laugh. Hazel clenched her fists as her body started shaking. "Because if I see him I will kill him. Now if you excuse me, I need to head to the training chamber." Hazel exited the room as quickly as she could as Croaker tapped his comm on the desk. "BM, R1 is heading to the Training Room exhibiting signs of distress. Get there with R2, quickly."
Hazel tuned all noises out as she entered the Training Room, her magic screaming inside of her. Arcs of green light shot out of her hands as she cast curses towards the targets used for practice, striking every target on the wall, every hit leaving a bigger and bigger scorch mark as images played before her eyes, feelings long buried rising up to the surface. Biting her lip hard enough to draw blood, she conjured several human-like golems dressed in Death Eater robes before she drew on her magic and unleashed a killing curse that she kept sustained. An arching beam of blackish green light dropped the pseudo life forms she created, some even being torn in half as she did everything in her power to sustain the curse. She released it as the last golem collapsed, the ground littered with black cloaks as her body trembled. She lifted up her hand and looked at the charred flesh, though she knew it was just her skin, as she could still move her muscles easily enough. Memories bombarded her again as she reached up to hold her head in pain. Voices filled her ears but she wasn't sure which were real and which were her memories. She collapsed onto the ground, hearing her name being screamed.
-∞-
OW June 21st 1996
"No! Stop it!" She screamed as she watched Voldemort place her Godmother under the Cruciatus Curse. His voice echoed in her ears. "She's yours but I must have the Prophecy. Bring it to me and this will all come to an end." She spent the next hour hearing her Godmother's screams in her head as she rode the back of a Thestral, three morons following behind her. She had refused to be part of their little Defence Club and she was still constantly targeted and followed by them and the pink toad's cronys. Why couldn't they just leave her alone! They tried to stop her, telling her it wasn't worth it. That Dumbledore had a plan. She didn't care about Dumbledore's plan. Her Godmother was the only thing that mattered to her. So she ran head first into the Department of Mysteries, unconcerned with the absence of people around her. She finally found the Hall of Prophecies and searched desperately for where her's was. She found it easily enough. No other bastard had a name as long as Dumbledore. She took it without a second thought and looked desperately around. "I have it. Just let her go!"
A voice answered her. "Too bad, the bitch ain't here. We'll take the prophecy though." Hazel growled and hurled curses at the source of the voice. Time seemed to speed up around her as she dodged curses and Death Eaters until she reached the room with the creepy Archway and a mess of rocks. She glared at the bastard Malfoy holding her at wandpoint until a voice made her heart sing. "Oy, Lucy! Get away from my Goddaughter!" A red spell pushed him back and Hazel looked into the concerned grey eyes of her Godmother. "I am here, my sapling. Don't worry, we will get you out." Hazel stood by her side as the fighting resumed around her as more and more people showed up. Hazel deflected a curse coming towards her Godmother before she felt herself getting pushed back, a nasty purple curse missing her face by a hair. The fighting continued until a loud voice uttered a curse and Hazel froze. " Avada Kedavra! " Hazel watched as the green curse came straight at her before a hand pushed her aside. Dark brown curls filled her view as she watched the curse being intercepted by her Godmother's body, before the now cold empty eyes remained fixed on her as her Godmother fell into the Archway, vanishing on the spot. The world turned silent to Hazel, even as her heart seemed unsure about whether to beat loudly or stop beating at all.
"… no…"
"You know, James once tried the whole long haired look. The girls seemed to like it but Lily hated it. Pretty sure her first compliment to him was that he looked better with short hair. On you, though, I am sure she would have loved it being long." Hazel looked at herself in the mirror, her hair exceedingly uneven with the edges dulled in color by the fire damage. "So, any idea how to regrow it back?" Her Godmother smiled. "I have just the thing."
"Please… no."
Her Godmother hugged Hazel to her, the dusty old place of her family looking festive with Christmas decorations. "I know it's not our home yet but I think you deserved a proper celebration." Hazel hugged her back tightly, tears running down her cheeks. "It's perfect."
"No…"
Hazel watched her Godmother pull a tarp away, showing Hazel her pride and joy. "Can't believe Hagrid kept this. He even did a good job tuning it." She pulled out a helmet and tossed it to Hazel who caught it, as her eyes took in the motorcycle with it's side car. "So, what do you say, kid? Roadtrip?" Hazel was sure she heard her jaw crack with how wide she smiled. "I wouldn't miss it for the world!" Her Godmother smiled at her, those grey eyes filled with warmth. "Hop right on then. Next stop, wherever the sun sets." Hazel laughed in utter joy as she jumped into the side car.
" … Please… No…"
She got pulled into her Godmother's arms. "I promise you, Hazel. When I am cleared and a free woman, I will blood adopt you. You, me, Dobby and Kreacher will be a proper family. No more old goats, no obsessed Dark Lords. Just you, me and some cute boys and girls." Hazel buried her head into her Godmother's chest. "Promise?" Her Godmother rubbed her head, kissing her softly on her hair. "Promise."
Her Godmother's face flashed before her eyes, that beautiful smile aimed at her. She had never not smiled at her. Her heart sank as all her eyes could see was an empty Archway, the battle going on around her all but forgotten as her world shattered completely.
"Noooooo!!!!!!"
-∞-
NW July 31st 1993
Hazel felt a weight on her arm as soon as she recovered consciousness. The warmth and the feel of his magic were as familiar to her as her own. Hazel opened her eyes and looked around, seeing the curtains she knew were from the Medical Wing. She closed her eyes and sighed deeply as her mind settled back into place, her magic drained but recovering. She lifted up her left hand and saw it wrapped in bandages before she brought it up to her mouth. Hazel tore through them softly with her teeth until the flesh underneath the bandages was uncovered, a bit red but definitely healed over. Using her now uncovered hand she reached over and gently touched her son's hair, causing him to stir. "Five more minutes." Hazel chuckled. "If we were back in your room, I would say you could have the rest of the day." Teddy lifted his head and looked at her sleepily before his eyes woke up. He threw himself at her and she hugged her son. "You collapsed in the training room! Dora was so scared. She said your arm looked bad." Hazel rubbed his back. "I am better now. My arm is just a bit red."
Teddy nodded as he looked the arm over before he turned to look her in the eyes. "What happened?" Hazel sighed as she rubbed his cheek. "Bad memories, Teddy. About the day the light went out in my world. Before you lit it up again." Teddy looked at her sadly. "Your Godmother?" Hazel swallowed the lump in her throat. "Yeah." Teddy hugged her harder. "I'm sorry." Hazel chuckled and rubbed his hair. "I should be saying that. I probably ruined the surprise birthday you and Dora were planning." Teddy shook his head. "It's ok. You're ok now. That's more important." Hazel tried to sit up and Teddy sat on the bed. Hazel looked around. "Andromeda?" Teddy shook his head. " She's with Harry. The other Healer, Johnson I think, took care of you before she got called to St. Mungos." Hazel nodded and pulled her legs over the side before stepping on the cold floor with her naked feet. After getting dressed she left with Teddy towards her Apartment, finding Dora reading over a Healer's textbook. "Just so you know, those are nice and all but they aren't going to turn you into an instant Healer. My Andi gave up on me after three years of trying."
Dora tackled her into a hug as soon as she registered who spoke. "You scared the shit out of me!" Hazel pulled her head back and kissed Dora on the lips, drawing a whine out of her. Hazel touched Dora's hair gently. "Sorry for ruining your plans. Think we can spend the day watching some movies?" Dora kissed Hazel on the neck. "Sure. You sit. I'll get the popcorn." After Leafsby blocked Dora from the kitchen after her first attempt at making popcorn set the pan on fire, the three settled in front of the tv to watch the movies. Teddy sat on the floor with Hazel's arms hugging him from behind. Dora kept eying the two throughout the evening, watching as Hazel slowly seemed to come back to a more jovial state until they both fell asleep just after the second movie.
Not wishing to disturb either of them, Dora cast a few cushioning charms and conjured a blanket that she draped over both of them before she left the apartment, her eyes fixed on the two out of concern before she closed the door and made her way through the Department of Mysteries. She opened Croaker's office door and found him and Horatio talking. "The hell happened?" Croaker sighed. "Hazel has strong feelings about Sirius Black. I'm under the impression he means something to her. Something terrible. She willingly stepped down from the hunt for him after I changed the order to capture him alive at all costs." Horatio grunted. "Must have buried a lot of frustration as she and you talked. Her Killing Curses were causing physical damage to the Training Room, without her using a wand. I reviewed the security system. I've never seen anyone use the killing curse the way she did. If Hazel used that in an enclosed area, we would have dozens or more dead instantly. I am almost glad she stuck to conjuration as her main means for killing people." Dora winced at Horatio's tone. "Alright then, what's our standing orders then, because Hazel is currently asleep and I don't know if I can stop another incident like this on my own."
Horatio looked at Croaker, before turning to Dora. "We have an idea that should reduce her stress levels for the coming year, but it will require your cooperation. The few sightings of Sirius Black had him close to Surrey, before he started heading North." Dora blinked for a moment before she sighed. "Harry. He's going after Harry." Croaker looked over the papers. "Twelve years in Azkaban is a long time. We aren't sure what that has done to his mind. We know he whispered Hogwarts all the time just before he escaped. If he heads up there, we need our non-lethal expert to handle it." Dora felt her stomach sink. "Me." Horatio nodded. "Exactly. Catching up to him seems impossible so far to the Aurors, even with Mad-Eye directing them. So we will be posting you at his likely point of interest. Hazel will be there as backup, though we want her to be kept busy, which we have a plan for as well. Just make sure you keep her away from the action. We will probably have other missions throughout the year for you two, but this will be your top priority." Dora nodded and headed for the door when Horatio stopped her. "Oh, and make sure you have the Patronus Charm down. The Minister isn't being rational right now and his Undersecretary isn't helping." Dora whined. "Great."
Notes:
So, how was it? For anyone wondering why Sirius wasn't rescued from Azkaban at the very beginning, now you know that there is more to the events surrounding his arrest and Hazel's own memories.
Next Chapter?: Sept 1st
After so many chapters (more than the amount posted), the major events in my story are drawing to a close. As soon as I begin writting the Epilogue and the plot points are concluded, I will take a break in writing and try and work out what my next project might be. I will let you know what I decide.
Leave a comment, discuss and see you all in three days.