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A/N
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Here it is, my new story, 'Harry Potter: The Forgotten'. This story has been published on Harry Potter's fortieth birthday and I hope you enjoy the story.
Due to an overload of school work and other hobbies of mine, the story might follow an erratic update schedule. It could have one chapter a week, or one chapter in two weeks. This story, right now, is not my main focus. My attention is focused on two of my other stories and I request you to go give them a read.
Summary: Lily Evans Potter might have been the soon-to-be Lady Potter, but she had always been a mother first. Thus, when she heard her husband, who was overcome with grief, at the loss of his parents, agree with Albus Dumbledore to send away her eldest child to another family, she took matters into her own hands. Little did she know that there were secrets in the shadows that would spell trouble for Harry Potter, in every single way.
Rating: The story will stick to a strict M rating or R-rated. Nudity, coarse language, violence and gore will be prevalent in the story. There will be no explicit sexual content but there will suggestive sexual themes in the story.
Notes: Not exactly warnings but what to expect from the story.
1. For the purposes of this story, Hogwarts education begins at the age of twelve. All pre-Hogwarts events have been shifted back by a year. That means, Harry was born in 1979, The Marauders graduated in 1977 and Voldemort was born in 1925.
2. This will be a fairly political story with Noble Houses and the like.
3. This story is a Slytherin! Harry, WBWL and Fem!Draco story. Slight cliches will be used with inspirations from other stories on ffnet. The plot and OCs belong to me.
4. This will also be a Good Dursleys story if you don't like that don't read the story.
Pairings: Romantic pairings will not set in till the third year. However, the pairings have been decided but will not be revealed.
Disclaimer: I do not own the Harry Potter series and its characters. The OCs and plot belong to me.
"Speech"
In story text/Memories
"Parseltongue"
"Spells"/ 'Spells'
'Thoughts'
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Prologue
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30 January 1959, 11:16 P.M. - Unknown Location, France.
In a manor, hidden by magic from other wizards and hidden by the dense forestry from muggles, a woman sat up tiredly on her bed after an agonising two hours of childbirth. She tucked her flaming red hair behind her ear as she looked at her eldest daughter holding one of her twin daughters and cooing at her.
The room was lit up with torches that were flickering with low flames giving it an eerie look. Two red couches were situated near the fireplace of the room and several tapestries in various colours were adorning the walls.
Her husband was chuckling as the other twin tried to grab at his blond beard. The woman smiled to herself as she felt happy in the dangerous times of war which were threatening her as the Queen of her nation. Her hopes were dashed as her sister and midwife walked into the room with sombre expressions on their faces.
Her sister began, "Marie, Jean… I d-don't know what to say to this."
Jean looked at his sister-in-law questioningly, "What's wrong, Aimee?"
She handed him a piece of parchment as Jean laid down Lily in the cot beside her bed. As Jean read the parchment, his eyes widened before they became tearful.
"Jean, what's wrong?"
Jean looked at her but did not say anything. He was holding back his tears with full force but could not completely stop them as a single tear ran down his cheek.
"WILL SOMEONE TELL ME WHAT THE HELL IS GOING ON?" For someone weak from childbirth, her anger was still at par with any other woman. Jean and Aimee flinched and the two newborns began wailing. Her eldest daughter bounced Petunia in her arms and then picked up Lily as well.
"Marie, Lily is a witch but she doesn't have the gift of our people. And Petunia… she doesn't have magic."
An intense silence followed as both mother and daughter were shocked to their cores. One of them wasn't magical while the other didn't have the trait that was essential for the females of the family.
"But… But…" The oldest daughter tried to form some words but she failed to do so. Marie, meanwhile, looked ready to bawl like a baby when her husband spoke the words she had been dreading, "You know what we have to do, honey."
"N-N-No. I will not give away my daughters, Jean. I will not." She frantically shook her head. The daughter who could walk on her legs also had tears in her eyes as she realised that she would not be able to take care of her little sisters.
"Daddy, please don't take away Lily and 'Tuney."
Jean kneeled in front of his eldest child and looked into her identical emerald green eyes, "I'm sorry Apolline. To keep your sisters safe, we have to give them away."
Apolline recognised the tone her father used. It was the tone he used when there could be no argument.
"Jean, pl-please. I can't."
Jean heard the pleading tone in his wife's voice as he kissed her forehead and wrapped his arms around her. He rubbed her back comfortingly as he said, "Honey, we have to. We prepared for the possibility of a non-magic child and this is what we came up with. The war against the Dark Ones is our war not the two of them. They can live a long and peaceful life,... in England. Once the war is over we can tell them the truth."
"But…"
This time, Aimee cut her off, "Marie, we can't do anything else. We have to give the two of them to the Evans. They can protect them by concealing their identity."
"What about the discrimination prominent against Muggleborns in Britain?"
Aimee laid a hand on the forearm of her sister as Apolline tackled both her mother and father, "Lily is a daughter of the Queen of our Nation, she will be so magically strong she won't ever have anybody trying to bully her. Plus, if I am to guess by Apolline's temper at times, she's going to be one fiery girl who won't take shit from others."
Jean hurriedly covered Apolline's ears as she giggled. She knew that her aunt liked to curse quite a lot and she didn't care if Apolline was present or not.
Marie glared at Aimee who gave her an innocent smile. Marie sighed and thought over the situation for a moment. She knew in her mind that this was the best plan but she also knew in her heart that she could never see this through if she was awake. She looked at the emerald green eyes of Lily and then the blue eyes of Petunia which were so similar to her. She kissed both of them on the forehead and she took a vial of the sleep potion on her bedside table.
"Try to keep them safe, will you." And she gulped down the contents of the vial. A few seconds later, Marie found herself sleeping soundly in her bed.
The couple did not know that they would never meet their two daughters, who they had given away, because they would perish in the war before it came to a halt. Apolline would grow with her aunt in a relatively peaceful life but she would never forget her two sisters. She would never meet Lily because she would perish in the aftermath of her own war but she would meet Lily's son. He would leave quite an impression on her.
After all, saving one's daughter from a life or death situation does tend to do that.
oOoOoOoOo
31 October 1980, 8:46 P.M. - Potter Cottage, Godric's Hollow
A married couple sat peacefully on a red couch in the living room of Potter Cottage. Potter Cottage was a respite from the awfully formal lives, pureblood lords had to lead in Wizarding Britain, While it may not have been comfortable, it was a necessity because of the small population.
Potter Cottage was a quaint house. It was a two-storey house as compared to the seven-storeyed Potter Manor which was located in a… secret location. The first floor consisted of the living room which was covered with several couches, a fireplace and a few tables littered across the room, the kitchen and the dining room.
The second floor consisted of seven bedrooms in total but only three were occupied as of yet. The biggest one belonged to the Lord and Lady Potter, Charlus Potter and Dorea Persephone Potter née Black. The second room belonged to the Heir and Heiress Potter, James Potter and Lily Potter née Evans. The third room was a nursery for the future heir, Harry James Potter and his twin brother, Trevor Charlus Potter.
And thus, we find the Lord and Lady Potter enjoying Samhain night with their two grandsons. Harry pulled on Dorea's black curls as she laughed merrily. Charlus was enjoying playing with Trevor while James and Lily were off to a meeting for the Order of Fried Chicken as he liked to call them.
The thought caused Charlus to sigh. It was a time of a war that had stretched over for nearly ten years and they were no close to the end of the war. It was hard to find moments like these, even so, when the Dark Lord was after his family specifically. He sat up straight as he felt his subconscious trickle with magic.
The wards had been breached.
Charlus looked into Dorea's black eyes and he nodded. Both of them had already gone through a war and their communication was the best when it came to those who fought in pairs. They would have faced Voldemort together but they had two more important people to take care of. Harry and Trevor were the future of his house and he would protect them no matter what.
'Honore Tuo Sanguine' Charlus focused on the Potter family motto, which translated to 'Honour your Blood'. Dorea stood up with her arms completely around the two children as she walked upstairs as fast as possible. As soon as he heard the bolting of the nursery door, the front door of Potter Cottage was blown open.
Charlus wandlessly summoned his wand from the other side of the living room. He was feared by Grindelwald for a reason in the Global War.
"Tom." Charlus stared into the blood-red eyes of the half-blood, Tom Marvolo Riddle, who liked to call himself, Lord Voldemort.
Voldemort sneered, "Do not call me by my filthy muggle father's name, Potter."
Charlus used the Gryffindorish foolhardiness which seemed to kick in life-threatening situations as he mocked the strongest Dark Lord of the century, "Why? Is the little half-blood afraid of his father's name?"
Yeah, he was pretty sure that in the afterlife Dorea was going to kill him again.
Voldemort wanted to start cursing him right then and there but he had to wait for his trump card to arrive and show Charlus Potter that he was going to die in vain.
"Charlus Potter. You foolish, foolish man. If you would have joined me, I would have spared your family, even that uppity mudblood, Lily Evans. Your family would have been safe but sadly you chose the other path. You chose to follow the path of the Light led by that manipulative old coot, who everybody fawns over. I would never have expected the Exalted and Royal House of Potter to bend over for an Ancient and Most Noble House."
Charlus barely reigned in his anger, "We did not bend over for Dumbledore. He is a manipulative old man who likes to have everyone under his thumb. I might have chosen the path of the Light but I never followed Dumbledore."
Voldemort let out a cold and harsh laugh, "What do you think is going to happen when you die today, Lord Potter? James has a case of hero-worship in Dumbledore. He would do almost anything for the man. Do you really believe that somehow House Potter will not be acting at the whims of House Dumbledore?"
Charlus gritted his teeth because he knew Voldemort was speaking the truth. James Potter had a serious case of hero-worship when it came to Albus Dumbledore. That was the main reason he joined Dumbledore's Order despite Lily's protests.
"Now that I have delivered the truth to you, I guess your usefulness is over. Avada Kedavra." The green beam of light shot through the pale yew wand in Voldemort's right hand. Charlus conjured up a brick wall which took the full force of the Killing Curse. The debris flew through the room and trashed everything in sight.
"Effusus Sanguis. Fragmina Ossis." The blood boiling and bone breaker curse left his wand in a second and Voldemort conjured objects from thin air to block the two attacks. Charlus followed up with, "Stupefy. Reducto. Bombarda Maxima. Avada Kedavra."
Voldemort laughed with glee as he saw the Killing Curse leave Charlus's wand, "Now, now, Lord Potter. An Unforgivable? What would Dumbledore say? He would say that everyone deserves a second chance, even little ol' me, the Greatest Dark Lord of the century."
The casual way with which Voldemort was dodging, blocking and then attacking made Charlus realise that he was too old for this shit. Even though Voldemort was about sixty as well, he had the magic regenerative and physical regenerative rituals behind him. Charlus decided that the only option was to rile him up.
"What's that, Voldie? The Greatest Dark Lord? Oh no, you are sadly mistaken. Grindelwald was a much bigger challenge for me!" Charlus shouted as he dodged another chain of curses.
Voldemort's eyes flashed with anger as he let his pride speak, "I am far greater than Gellert GRINDELWALD! He failed to get the loyalty of the true Knights of Walpurgis and I did get their loyalty to my cause!"
Charlus's spine chilled as he heard the declaration but he decided to play it cool, "Funny, I don't see them."
A cold and oppressive air seemed to encompass the Cottage as the words left his mouth. Voldemort felt it too but instead of fear, his facial expression showed victory and triumph. A slow clapping rang through the Cottage along with the clang of swords against an armour of sorts. A deep voice spoke through the silence, "How naive of you, Lord Potter. Did you really think that we would reveal ourselves before our victory was ensured? Your family is the only one in the way of our Lord and then our Lord will rule Magical Britain.
Two men stepped through the debris that was the front door. They were dressed in black dragon-hide armour with a steel sword strapped on their waists and wand holsters plastered on their left wrists. The crest on their left breasts truly froze Charlus.
The crest was two snakes entwined around a silver sword which was glistening with green emeralds. The crest of the Knights of Walpurgis. The Knights who led the first and original blood purity war. The war which was led by Salazar Slytherin's son. The war that had caused the deaths of over hundreds of muggles before Slytherin's son was put down by Godric Gryffindor himself.
The two men had silver helmets which had two protruding horns. They slowly took them off and he was met by two… elves.
"Surprised by our appearance?"
His expression told them the answer.
The Knight on the left chuckled, "Yes. Exposure to the Dark Arts for over four centuries can do this to you. We have become what you could call Dark Elves. Humans but the Dark Arts have turned us into elves to increase our resilience to magic."
The Knights had pure white hair which was tied in a braid. Their ears were long and pointed, they had scar-like ridges over their cheeks and their eyes were a deep red.
"The Knights… How are you still alive?"
This time it was Voldemort who threw his head back and laughed, "How naive can you be. The Ritual used to bind the lives of the Knights to a single lord gives them immortality unless they die in battle. The Knights which would have survived in their homes till a new Lord came seeking them. And when they were declared worthy they would swear fealty along with the unbound males who wanted to become a part of the Knights. Take care of him while I take care of the brats." He said in an offhand manner and fear gripped around Charlus's heart which was instantly calmed down as he heard Dorea whisper into her Lady Potter ring, "It's done. If what we suspect is true, Voldemort will at least be vanquished today".
Once those words were spoken, Charlus was ready to accept Death with open arms.
Voldemort made his way through the second floor blasting things for the sake of it. He blasted the third door he reached open, to see Dorea Potter talking slowly to the boys who were lying in a single cradle. In his arrogance, Voldemort failed to notice the runes that were inscribed on the cradle.
"Dorea Black, a shame to waste such pure blood. If you would have just joined my cause with the rest of your family."
Dorea turned around with a fire in her eyes, "Sirius never supported you."
Voldemort sneered, "Yes, the Black that has caused many problems to me along with your son. Nevermind, I'll take care of those two when I take care of these two. Now, you can step aside or you can taste my Killing Curse."
"Do your worst."
Voldemort shrugged, "Oh well. Avada Kedavra." The green Killing Curse struck Dorea Potter's body as the life faded away from her eyes. The two boys were crying by now. Voldemort approached them, failing again to notice the soft golden light that had surrounded the two boys.
"Harry and Trevor Potter. The banes of my existence. I could have gone to the Longbottoms but well, Longbottom will be taken care of soon enough. After all, taking out the Potters as well is just a bonus for me. The prophecy will never come true because you will not stay alive."
Voldemort pointed his wand at Trevor Potter, "Goodbye, Trevor Potter. Avada Kedavra." What Voldemort had expected was that the green beam of light would hit the boy and he would leave this plane of existence. What he did not expect was Harry pushing his brother out of the way and taking the force of the curse.
Now, the ritual Dorea had created by giving her life, would have killed Voldemort's body, forcing him into the form of a wraith. However, a part of his soul would have, unknowingly, chosen to bind with the nearest living soul. But, Harry's intent to save his brother overpowered the ritual which had also used both his brother's and his blood and absorbed that fragment of Voldemort's soul.
The curse hit the now visible golden dome, as Voldemort felt sheer agony rush through his body and felt the rip on his body and soul. His wand was flung into the cradle and his body vanished into a pile of dust. The Voldemort wraith knew that the Knights while bound to him would never acknowledge his commands in this form, so he flew away, bristling with anger, biding his time. The magical backlash of the ritual blew apart the roof of Potter Cottage indicating the Wizarding World that something big had occurred.
The curse hit Harry just as he pushed his brother. A broken piece of the cradle impacted Trevor's forehead and a 'V' shape formed on his forehead. Harry survived the Killing Curse but it gave Harry a symbol of its survival.
A jagged thunderbolt on his forehead.
oOoOoOoOo
An Hour Later
Lily Potter née Evans, walked through the debris with a horrified look on her face. Her wand was in her hand as she saw the bleeding form of Charlus Potter hunched up against a wall breathing shallowly.
"Charlus!" Lily shouted as she rushed to him. She would have run several diagnostic charms and then healing charms had it not been for a simple shake of the head by her father-in-law.
"L-Lily… C-Check on D-Dorea… A-And the boys." He coughed up blood and Lily knew that he was going to die and he had accepted it. She looked around and saw two men lifeless on the ground with swords being driven into their chests. Lily nodded as she ran frantically up the stairs, to the nursery door which was blown completely off the hinges. She ran into the room and was both horrified and relieved.
Dorea Potter was lying on the floor, pale and lifeless while her two sons… Harry was unconscious while Trevor was sitting in the cradle looking at Harry with worry in his eyes as he poked his brother. This was his usual way of riling Harry up and when Harry didn't react Trevor was getting worried.
Lily pocketed her wand and hugged Trevor tightly and looked into the hazel brown eyes that were similar to his father's.
"Trevor, what happened?"
Trevor waved his hands widely as he tried to explain what happened, "Bad man, wed eyes, Hawwy push, gween light. Boom!" At that moment, she realised from even her son's broken speech what had happened. She looked at the ground and saw Voldemort's wand and robes sprawled on the ground for the first time.
She realised that the ritual Charlus, Dorea and she had created had worked. Voldemort was gone for now and he was in no condition to attack them once again. Harry's intent to save his brother had vanquished Voldemort for the moment. The Death Eaters would fall in one fell swoop when they would learn about the death of their Master's Death.
Lily breathed a sigh as she ran diagnostic charms over the two boys. While Trevor's magical core was charged, Harry's was exhausted but it had taken a huge leap and she knew why. Overpowering a ritual can result in either two things. The best possible result and the worst possible result.
In this case, the best possible case occurred.
Harry had absorbed Voldemort's soul and his magical core had expanded rapidly. She knew that James and Albus would be right behind her, so she put an illusion on his magical core to make it seem he was magically exhausted and the capacity of his core was the same as before. She put a sleeping charm on Trevor and floated the cradle behind her as she went to an untouched room and crashed onto the bed.
A few minutes later, Dumbledore would arrive behind James and when he would break through the illusion Lily had placed on Harry's magical core, he would realise that with two children who could be the boy-who-lived, one could be raised as the hero while the other true boy-who-lived could be raised as a goat for slaughter. That's when he declared Trevor as the boy-who-lived and the killer of Voldemort.
He had never made a bigger mistake before.
Downstairs, as Charlus Potter took his last breath, he looked at the ring on his ring finger on his left hand. It was a golden band fitted with an emerald with two wands crossed over a shield with the letter P engraved on it, signifying the Potter's history as fighters and warriors. People assumed that it was the only ring on his finger.
It was not.
He willed the ring on his middle finger to become visible. The ring was a black band fitted with a black amethyst stone. Instead of the crest of the family with the first letter of the family name, there was a symbol of utmost importance.
A triangle within which were a single stick and a plain circle.
The symbol of the Deathly Hallows.
Charlus knew that this secret, the only one he had kept from both his son and wife would be the salvation of House Potter. This secret he had never revealed to his son because James was arrogant. If he were to realise the true power the Potters held he would lose it in a minute. It would be the one who would bring down Voldemort. This secret would be the one to bring down the Knights of Walpurgis as they had done in the years past.
'The last enemy that shall be destroyed is death.' The only family motto in English. Because some things were more important than flair and dramatics. Charlus Potter closed his eyes as he let Death embrace him like an old friend, not as his master, but like an equal, almost like his ancestor. Both the rings vanished from his hand as Charlus Potter left this plane of existence.
The Exalted and Royal House of Peverell would be the death of Voldemort and the Darkness surrounding the House of Potter.
oOoOoOoOo
1 November 1980, 8:30 A.M. - Potter Manor
Lily opened her eyes as she rubbed the blurriness out of them. She looked around and smiled softly as she saw the cradle beside her bed. She looked around and realised that she was in her bedroom in Potter Manor. She was about to lay down again before the events of last night crashed into her.
She sat up abruptly before she hurriedly made for the door when she stopped. She knew that if James was awake he would be talking to Dumbledore and this was the only time she could safely hear Dumbledore's plans and act on them before he set them in motion.
She twisted her Heiress Ring and whispered, "Show me, Heir Potter."
An image formed in front of her, where James and Dumbledore were sitting in the study of the Lord sitting on comfortable chairs with grave expressions on their faces.
"James, you know what needs to be done, yes?"
"What?" James asked a bit harshly. He had taken his parent's death hard and Dumbledore did not have the simple courtesy of letting James grieve.
"Trevor will be the one who killed Voldemort, the boy-who-lived…"
"Only if you hadn't bloody declared it to the world!" James bit out.
Lily gasped a bit. Dumbledore had got it all wrong. Trevor wasn't the one who killed Voldemort. Hell, Voldemort hadn't even been killed.
Dumbledore spoke in his grandfatherly voice, "James, it needed to be done. You know that and I know that. What I'm trying to tell you is that raising two boys, where one is as famous as me when he is one year old and the other like a normal child will be very difficult for both you and Lily."
James slumped a bit in his seat as he realised the truth in Dumbledore's words, "What can we do?"
"You can give Harry away to another family." He spoke in a voice that suggested it was an on the spot decision but Lily knew better. She had observed Dumbledore far too much and her talks with Dorea and Charlus had enforced her belief that Dumbledore never suggested something on a whim. He always subtly manipulated people into what he wanted. Her eyes narrowed, she cast the diagnostic charm on Harry and gasped as she realised that her illusion was in tears and tatters.
She came to a startling realisation.
Dumbledore knew exactly what happened. He knew that Harry was the real boy-who-lived because even she could see the traces of Dark Magic on Harry that had been leftover and Dumbledore sure as hell could detect.
"Why?" James asked with scepticism. Lily was horrified at no outrageous reaction from James as he talked about one of his sons being given away.
"James,... Voldemort isn't gone. He's alive but barely. He'll come again and we will have to train Trevor. When Harry doesn't receive the training, he will be insanely jealous and could take to the Dark Path. Keeping him in a Light family will allow him to grow in the influence of the Light without realising that he's related to the boy-who-lived."
Her mind went back to the prophecy, one particular line. Either must die at the hand of the other, for neither can live while the other survives. The pieces fell in place. Dumbledore wanted Harry to grow in a family, which was under his thumb to make him a malleable weapon. And when the time came, Harry would die by Voldemort's hand, allowing either Dumbledore or Trevor to take the glory.
'Not if I have anything to do with it. Neither of my sons will die.'
"That's… quite appropriate. But when will we be allowed to tell him the truth of his heritage, because he is the Heir Potter, and I will not disown him."
The smile on Dumbledore's face strengthened the idea that was forming in her head. She looked at the two boys, who were sleeping peacefully, unaware of the years that were to come. Lily knew that because of Trevor's fame she could not take him away from Potter Manor but she could take away Harry and give him to a family she trusted. A family that would take care of him.
All she had to do was find a family who would take care of Harry like their own and she had just the family in mind.
She locked the door to her room and summoned one of the House-elves, to summon every single book that was important to a muggle raised wizard. Books on pureblood cultures, etiquette and history. Books based on the basic working of magic, and other explanations of magic. She sat down and wrote four letters. One to her husband, her son Trevor, one to the family she was going to give Harry to and the most important one to Harry.
This was because she knew what she was about to do would most certainly result in her death and she would gladly give her life if it meant that both of her sons grew to the best of their abilities.
After a few hours, she stood up. She had successfully placed notes in the most important books and she had written the letters. She charmed the letter to James to appear exactly one year after her death while the letter to Trevor would appear one year before he would go to Hogwarts. She put all the books in their same size into a bag with an expansion charm.
She picked up the closest object she could find, which turned out to be a clock. She wrapped a black cloak around her and wrapped a warm blanket around Harry as she lifted him up.
She tapped her wand on the clock and whispered, "Portus." The clock glowed blue for a moment and then the glow died down.
Just as she was about to depart from Potter Manor she remembered the Consort's Oath she had taken on her wedding day to James.
I, Lily Evans, pledge to support the Exalted and Royal House of Potter. I vow to serve the sons and daughters of my house, to teach them all that they must learn, to guide them in my family magics and to safeguard them. I vow to stay loyal to my husband and never stray from my love for him. I vow to offer wise counsel to the head of my house, to stand beside them in times of peace, and guard their backs in times of war. So I swear by my life and magic, so mote it be.
She knew that Mother Magic may claim either her life or magic for violating the terms of her oath as what she was about to commit was line theft in a way, but she couldn't care less. She knew that if either one of her sons grew away from Dumbledore's influence, she would be happy. She pulled out her Heiress Ring and left it on the table.
She grabbed the portkey and whispered, "Activate." She vanished with a swirl and that was the last time Lily Evans stepped into Potter Manor.
Down in the Lord's study, James winced as he felt the forceful break in the wards around Potter Manor. He checked who used the portkey and his eyes widened at the implications.
"She's gone." James breathed out.
"What?"
"Lily. She's gone and she's taken Harry with her."
"Why Harry?"
James's eyes shot to his Heir ring, "She must have listened in to our conversation."
While Dumbledore looked calm outside, he was cursing up a storm inside. He would never forget the date of 1 November 1980, for it was the date all his well made plans started falling apart.
oOoOoOoOo
1 November 1980, 8:26 P.M. - Black Manor
Lily appeared on the edge of the wards of the manor of the Darkest Family in the history of Wizarding Britain. After a taxing hour in Gringotts, as she prepared the last resort for Harry she had reached her second last destination. But right now, she was going to meet the Lightest member of that family. The house right now was visible to only her and select others. For the rest of them, it was an empty property. She walked through the wards which gave her instant access because she was keyed into the wards. In a moment, Sirius Black appeared in front of her.
He was dressed in muggle clothing, a simple t-shirt and jeans. He had shoulder-length black wavy hair, silvery grey eyes, high cheekbones and a soft aristocratic face. Lily was not ashamed to admit, that had she not fallen in love with James, Sirius could have easily won her over.
"Lily, what's wrong?"
Lily launched into the tale of what had occurred in the last 15 hours or so. Sirius was hiding at Black Manor under the Fidelius Charm, unlike Potter Cottage. Most of what occurred in the outside world reached his ears at least two years later. Lily completed the tale with her explaining what she could about Albus's plans.
Sirius did not know how to react. His emotions were all over the place. He was sad that the couple who he had looked upon as a surrogate mother and father was gone, happy that Voldemort was gone for now and then pure unadulterated rage at his best friends.
How dare Prongs try to give away his godson when he could very well be taken care of?
"What do you need me for?"
Lily's hesitation caused him to be on guard, bracing for her answer, "I want you to adopt him."
Sirius was a bit confused, "In the muggle world, you say?"
Lily shook her head, "Blood adopt him."
Sirius's eyes widened, "Lily… No. I can't do that, the Potter family magic could very well kill you for this. You're allowing the Heir Potter to be adopted into the Black family. The family magics of both families are very different and they could potentially permanently harm Harry. Plus, won't he lose the Potter Heirship because of this?"
Lily shook her head, "I don't know about the first case but I have to take the risk for both mine and Harry's sakes. For the second, no. My blood will be used to power the ritual. The Consort Oath saw to it that Potter blood and family magic ran through my veins. While your blood and Black family magic will run through his veins, the Potter family magic will not leave Harry and he will still be recognised as the Potter Heir."
"But, Lily… This could still kill you."
"I DON'T CARE SIRIUS! Did you not hear what I told you, Dumbledore wants a malleable weapon and I will not allow my son to die at the hands of either Dumbledore or Voldemort. Harry will need all the support he can get when he reenters the Wizarding World and I will very well give my life for it. He might remain the Potter Heir but he won't' be able to take up his Lordship till he's seventeen and what if something happens to you in that time, huh? Who will take care of him then? The man who was willing to give away his son without protesting even one bit?!"
Sirius squeezed her shoulder to calm her down and he spoke softly, "I'll do it."
Lily's eyes had tears in them and she nodded thankfully. Sirius guided her to the ritual room of Black Manor which was located in the basement. Lily handed Harry, who was sleeping thanks to a sleeping charm and discarded her cloak. She started inscribing the runes on the ground.
First, she created a pentagram which she surrounded with a circle. She asked Sirius to hand over Harry and she placed Harry in the centre. Sirius stood beside her as she drew the runes around Harry, careful not to touch Harry's body with it. She drew the Algiz rune, which was a straight line branching out to three more straight lines. It symbolized protection.
She drew the Gebo rune which was a simple X and it symbolised a gift, or what she intended it to mean, the rune of love. She drew several other runes and finally asked for Sirius to draw the rune of family on Harry's now naked body.
Lily chanted in Latin for a minute as the runes around Harry glowed with a golden light. She gestured to Sirius who began chanting the oath required for blood adopting a child.
"I, Sirius Orion Black, Head of the Exalted and Royal House of Black, hereby adopt Harry James Potter, Heir to the Exalted and Royal House of Potter as my son and heir. My blood and family magic will run through his veins along with that of his original mother and father. I swear on my life and magic to protect him from any and all who seek to harm him and teach him all that is to learn. I, hereby christen thee, Harrison Regulus Potter-Black."
A string of magic erupted from the rune of the family inscribed on Harry's body and shot through Sirius's heart and it seeped into Harry's heart as well. For a moment, both Lily and Sirius held their breath which they let out in a sigh of relief as the string of magic turned blue and vanished into thin air.
What they did not realise was that there was another family's magic running through Harry's blood. This magic was far greater and ancient than that of the Potter and Black family magic. The Potter magic was Light magic and more relaxed while the Black magic was Dark and oppressive. Were it not for the ancient magic of the Peverell Line, Harry would have suffered dire consequences. The Peverell magic absorbed the Potter and Black magic into its own to prevent them from rebelling against each other's presence.
Lily stumbled a bit as she felt the family magic within her raging through her body. Sirius caught her and when he was about to tell her to rest, Lily cut him off, "No, Siri. I have to get Harry to 'Tuney. She'll take care of him."
"You sure?"
"Positive."
Sirius nodded and they carried a now awake Harry in their arms. Harry's emerald green eyes had a tint of grey in them and his hair and lengthened slightly. They walked out of the Manor into the grounds of Black Manor.
Sirius conjured a small can and whispered, "Portus."
Lily turned to him, "Thank you, Siri. When Harry comes to Hogwarts, make sure to take care of him, okay?"
"Why can't you leave him with me?"
"Siri. James will know if you have Harry. James might let you keep him but Dumbledore will not. He will find some way to take Harry away from any family that is not under his thumb."
Sirius nodded, and handed the portkey to Lily, "You have to cross the wards to portkey, I'll take you till the end of the wards."
Lily nodded. She was extremely weak right now and she was quite grateful for Sirius's support as she walked. They reached the edge of the wards and just as he was about to depart, a calm and controlled voice said, "Sectumsempra." The curse hit Lily's leg and cuts started appearing all over her body. Her eyes widened just as Sirius thrust the can into Lily's hand and whispered, "Activate."
Lily spun on the spot and vanished into the air as Sirius flicked his wrist and looked for the attacker, "Step out from where you are standing."
When the attacker stepped out, Sirius snarled, "Dumbledore."
Albus Dumbledore had a disappointed look on his face, "I did not expect you to support Lily, Sirius. You knew that they were the ravings of a mother, how could you have helped her?"
"Maybe because you were thinking of abandoning my godson?" He sneered at the strongest wizard (though not for long) of the century.
"It is for the Greater Good. And forgive me for what I'm about to do. Stupefy. Expelliarmus. Reducto."
Sirius dodged the three offensive spells and shouted, "Effusus Sanguis. Fragmina Ossis. Exanimo."
That was the wrong spell chain to use because as soon as he spoke the spells four Aurors apparated onto the spot and knocked him from his feet. They snapped magic repressing cuffs on him in seconds as one of them almost snarled, "Sirius Orion Black, you are under arrest for the liberal use of the Dark Arts against Albus Percival Wulfric Brian Dumbledore, Chief Warlock of the Wizengamot and the Supreme Mugwump of the ICW." Before the four of them could register what happened Dumbledore had stunned them.
Sirius snarled at Dumbledore, "You set me up."
"It is for the Greater Good. You will understand later."
"When I am out you better be ready for a blood feud against the House of Black, Lord Dumbledore." Sirius spat out.
The smirk on Dumbledore's face did not reassure him that everything was fine and dandy. "Unfortunately, Lord Black, as you will be declared guilty of a crime by the members of the Wizengamot your Lordship will be declared void. The next Lord of House Black will be Harry Potter and he will grow up exactly the way I want."
He had never been more wrong.
oOoOoOoOo
1 November 1980, 9:30 P.M. - Little Whinging, Surrey
Lily appeared on a street in a bloody mess. The cuts on her body had spread and were bleeding profusely. While she was thankful for the quick getaway she was worried about Sirius. She was sure that the attacker was either Snape or Dumbledore because she had helped the greasy git create the spell and in his need for approval, had blabbed the spell to Dumbledore.
She looked around and saw that very few lights were on in houses and it would give a nice view with the lights in the street if a bloodied woman arrived at the house of the Dursleys. She waved her wand and the lights in the street went out with a pop.
She staggered to the door of #4 Privet Drive which had a few lights turned on and knocked on it tiredly. She heard the gruff voice of her brother-in-law, Vernon Dursley as he made his way down the stairs, "Who the bloody hell is at the door at this time?"
The door swung open and when Vernon saw the bloodied mess of his sister-in-law he gasped. Lily looked over him and saw that he hadn't changed much in three years. He was a tall man of about 6'1'' on the slightly pudgy side. He had black hair which was cut in a short military style and his blue eyes sparkled with concern.
"Pet, come here quickly!"
Sensing the urgency in her husband's tone, Petunia hurried over to the door after setting Dudley in his crib. When she saw her sister covered in blood, barely holding one of her nephews, she gasped before she hurriedly hefted Harry from her arms and ushered Lily inside the house.
Lily, however, did not move from her place. She took out the bag which stored the books she had taken with her and withdrew the two letters and placed them in Vernon's hands.
"Read the letter addressed to you and give Harry's letter to him on his tenth birthday. You'll find everything in the letter. There are books in this and make sure he reads this when he knows the truth about his heritage."
"Lily…"
"'Tuney this is the only way. You've seen my condition, only magic could save me and neither you nor Vernon has magic. If I'm going to die then I'm going to protect at least one of my sons from Albus Dumbledore. Take care of him."
Normally, Petunia would have taken Lily in her house, by force, and tried to remedy whatever was wrong with her but it was clear as day to Petunia, what with the way Lily was wheezing and bleeding, that she couldn't do anything.
Petunia had tears in her eyes, "Oh, Lily…"
Lily looked at Harry and kissed him on his scar and whispered, "Always remember Harry. Momma loves you and nothing you do will ever change that."
Lily shut the door behind her and walked to the centre of the street and brought out the silver ritual knife she had in her back pocket.
'It's funny, how Mother Magic would never directly claim me but rather let life play its course.' She thought.
'Guide me, Mother Magic.' She thought as she cut her palm and spoke loudly and clearly. The words came to her from a part she had never known, "I, Lily Evans Delacour, daughter of Marie Delacour, Heiress Secondary to the Veela Throne, sacrifice my magic and life to Mother Magic and erect blood wards around Little Whinging, Surrey, to prevent any and all living beings with even a trace of magic on their person from locating Little Whinging for the next eleven years and any and all living beings in contact with magic to inflict harm upon the residents of #4 Privet Drive. So I say, so mote it be."
'Delacour? What the hell?' With that thought, Lily Evans Potter née Delacour vanished in a flash of golden light.
~~*~~
A/N
~~*~~
So, this was the prologue to the story and I hope you enjoyed the chapter. The Delacour influence will increase from Harry's fourth year. Things will get darker from that year on while the first three years will be relatively less dark in terms of antagonists and their actions.
Dumbledore frames Sirius and he ends up in Azkaban, Dumbledore loses control of the real boy-who-lived, what a fantastic day for Dumbledore! I don't hate Dumbledore, per se, but I just wanted to write a story where he is slightly evil and overly manipulative.
James and Trevor won't be outright pricks but Trevor would have some bigoted ideas about Slytherins and all imbued in his mind.
I don't think bashing will occur in the story. Next chapter will be the start of Part I: The Forgotten's Return, which will encompass the first year.
I hope you enjoyed the prologue and continue to read the story. Don't forget to favourite and follow the story. Leave your comments and suggestions in the reviews section. I must stress the fact that while constructive criticism is appreciated, FLAMES are not.
Toodles!
Next Chapter: Part I: The Forgotten's Return, Chapter 1: A Plethora of Letters.
Published: 31 July 2020
MasterChaos1