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Harriette Potter was no naive little girl...
With dreams of people coming to save her, to protect her and care for her, she no longer dreams of a time where her parents, where her Godfather would swoop in and protect her against the realities of the real world, she's suffered too much pain to think like that, again.

She's no stranger to loneliness, to sorrow...to, pain that crawls up your spine and burrows into your chest, never letting go of the grip it has around your lungs, slowly draining you of oxygen as you suffocate and fall beneath the waves.

Drowning...
From a young age, she's been fighting a war that she never wanted to, forced to be a pawn for both sides, like she was a slab of meat and two wolves were fighting over who got what piece, the meat...or the bone.

When...when her Godfather had died though, she had stopped caring...
She had let go, channeled her pain and took the fight to the enemies. Well...the Death Eaters, for she still wasn't sure Dumbledore was any better.

She had murdered her first person that night, with the intent to kill down in the Department of Mysteries trying to save the person she cared about most in the world.

She had murdered Bellatrix Lestrange, and she held absolutely no remorse for it.

After that first kill, she had stopped caring about protecting what little innocence she had left, she had discarded her morals and decided that if the Death Eaters wanted to fight dirty, she would too.

Dumbledore had been against her new change, but in the end it didn't matter, he had died much like everyone else had, his opinion hadn't mattered to her, not by that point.

Everyone of her supposed allies had something to say about her new outlook, how she was less forgiving, cold, and downright brutal to the Death Eaters and their sympathizers.

Told her, to forgive the evil scum, the waste of space humans, to give them a second chance.

To not kill them...
But they had all been trying to kill her for her entire life, why should she stop now? Why should she hold back when they never did.

They never showed her mercy, they never showed anyone mercy so why should she bother doing it for them, just so they could escape prison and do it all over again.

She had holed herself into Grimmauld Place that summer, and the summer after that reading all she could in the Black Library, every book that could help her protect herself, to make the enemy pay.

Blood Magic.

Dark Arts.

Everything...
The things she studied alone, when no one else was around to judge her for it...
They were bad, but she didn't care, not anymore.

Surprisingly, there were a few people who didn't look at her with fear, with hate after everyone had found out, they had been surprisingly understanding of her plight.

Hermione and Tonks were a godsend during those last years of the war...
She had expected Hermione to scold her, if she was being honest, she had expected a twelve hour rant about why she shouldn't be doing what she was but Hermione...her best friend had simply looked at her with kind eyes, a knowing glint to them and had sat down next to her to read her own book, making sure she was never alone while reading those dark books.
She really shouldn't have been surprised, Hermione had been one of the only ones in all of Britain who had never turned her back on Harriette, but it was very welcomed nonetheless.

Tonks had been a pleasant surprise, but not unwelcomed. After the death of Sirius, she had wanted to check in on her cousin's Godson and one night, a particularly bad night she had arrived at Grimmauld and found the last Potter reading through a Blood magic totem from the Black Library.

After a minor interrogation, the pink haired Auror had sat down with her and kept her company for the rest of the night.

It had actually been the metamorphmagus to tell her she should change the wards to Grimmauld now that Sirius was gone, since he had left her as the heir to the Black fortune in his will.

With some help from the pink haired woman, Harriette gained full control of the Wards and locked everyone but Dora and Hermione out, not wanting to be disturbed.

Dumbledore had made a fuss about it, but he could do nothing about it, it was her home now, she would not go back to her abusive relatives again, not that she could since they had been killed.

Still, Sirius had left her a perfectly good, if not slightly cursed home to stay at and she wasn't going to squander this chance.

For the house had all the reading material she'd need to end this war.

Her way...
After that, everyone kind of distanced themselves from her, even Ron. They thought she was going down a Dark path that she wouldn't be able to come back from.

But she didn't want to come back...
She was done being the pawn.

As soon as the war escalated, as soon as Dumbledore died and told her about the Horcruxes, she had went underground and planned her attacks, she had struck the Death Eaters alone, so no one would be hurt from her ever again.

She had tore through Tom Riddle's ranks of soldiers, his inner circle but most of all, she had destroyed his Horcruxes single-handedly with the Sword of Gryffindor.

The only ones who had any sort of way to contact her was Tonks and Hermione. The former who was hiding out, keeping her nose to the ground since Voldemort had taken over the Ministry and the latter staying with the Weasley's at the Burrow to remain out of Hogwarts.

Tonks though, had been pregnant with...with Remus' child, a thought that still made Harriette want to punch his face in but a few weeks before she had made her final push against the Death Eaters, before she had lured Tom to Hogwarts where the last Horcruxes was, her pink haired friend had called her and she had rushed over, thinking she was in danger.

When she got there though, all her eyes could focus on was the small child in her friend's arms, the little boy sleeping soundly in his mothers embrace.

Tonks had made her Teddy's Godmother...
And she swore, on that day staring down at the boy as he giggled up at her, smiling so wide for a three month old her heart filled with warmth again for the first time in years.

She vowed that she'd protect the boy if something were to happen to his parents, she vowed that no matter what, Teddy would come first.

Sadly, she had to keep that vow sooner than she had anticipated...
Both Tonks and Remus were killed in that final battle, where she wasn't all that cracked up about Remus, the man having turned his back on her and ignored her one too many times she had been heartbroken that Dora was amongst the casualties.

That Teddy only had her to raise him now...
After the dust had settled, everyone of her supposed allies had pulled away from her and her...Dark ways while Harriette had threw herself into raising her Godson, along with the Dora's mother, Andromeda.

She heard the whispers, even though she was living with Andi at Grimmauld, she heard how people whispered about her, how she was turning dark, how she was becoming like Tom but she didn't care.

She had a son to raise, she didn't give a damn about what Britain thought of her anymore.

What her allies thought of her...
It all started going downhill in 2004, she was twenty four years old when Andi started getting sick...
She and tried everything she could find to save her, tried everything to save Teddy's grandmother but a year later, a tireless year full of despair, tears and sorrow Andromeda had gotten too sick to continue on...
She had passed, leaving Teddy and Harriette alone.

It was her funeral, that changed Harriette and Teddy's life forever...
Where she had been betrayed by the people she saved, people who she once considered friends.
The sad thing about betrayal...is that it never comes from your enemies. You expect them to deceive you, to lie and cheat their way to victory, to achieve their goal and yes they do but your enemies are just that, enemies.

Betrayal...comes from those you trust the most...
Harriette was standing beside her six year old son, both of them wearing black with the woman in a black pair of jeans and jacket with Teddy copying her look. The only difference was how his face was buried into the side of her leg, trying to hide his tears but he couldn't hide it from her, Harriette always knew when her son was in distress.

Staring blankly ahead, with Cold, hardened eyes watching them lower the casket into the ground beside Ted Tonks, the last Potter raised her hand and rested her palm on the back of Teddy's head, softly running her fingers through his black locks, locks that matched her own due to his metamorphmagus abilities.

An ability that she later learned she had.

But that was a story for another time.

At the sound of her son's small whimper, Harriette closed her eyes for a brief moment before getting down onto her knees, not at all caring about the wet ground as she wrapped her arms around her son and brought him against her chest.

She felt as he started to silently sob, tears leaking into her jacket and underneath her shirt but she didn't care, she held her son and rocked them back and forth in place, trying to calm him down as best she could.

For so long, it had only been Andromeda, Teddy and her, they were a team, the three of them. No matter what they'd deal with it together.

But now, it was just them.

The young woman ignored how much that thought hurt and instead stayed kneeling on the ground, cooing to her son and rubbing soothing circles across his back to try and calm him down.

After a few minutes, he stopped crying and instead melted against her so, without thinking much on the subject she picked him up and brought him to rest against her hip and she hugged him to her even tighter as she stood up, Teddy wrapping his legs and arms around her so he didn't fall down her torso.

She didn't care that he was six, didn't care how she probably shouldn't hold him like a baby anymore but sue her, her son needed comfort and she'd be damned if she didn't give it to him.

Unfortunately, after that things spiraled out of control.

She had felt it first, through her magic. How the three deathly hallows that she always kept on her person sung out to her, warning her as her hairs on the back of her arms and neck stood up straight an hour after everyone had left the graveyard and it was only just Teddy and her.

Something was wrong...
She turned to her right and saw that Minister Shacklebolt was walking up to her with two females who looked to be trying to hide the fear that they had for her.

Even Shacklebolt had an uneasy look to his eyes, which only made her instinctively tighten her hold around her son.
"Kingsley." She said in a monotone voice, narrowing her eyes at the three people from her spot standing before Andi's grave. She felt as the magic of the three people in front of her blipped for a moment, allowing her to sense their trepidation and wariness.

She didn't know if that was her own power, or due to being the Mistress of Death, even though she hated that name but right now she wasn't complaining, especially since she had Teddy with her.

She had to protect him, no matter what.
Her gut feeling only got worse when she felt other magic signatures surrounding the graveyard she was in though...
Harriette had made the decision that Andi's funereal was to be a private affair for family only, which the only surviving members of said family were her and Teddy.

The Malfoy's were...indisposed.

There should be no one but her and her son near this muggle village, especially not another magical.

Sensing his mother's unease, Teddy lifted his head from Harriette's chest and gazed up at the newcomers with slightly narrowed eyes, but his mom could sense how he too was uncomfortable with the sudden arrival.
She couldn't really fault him for that.

The Minister of Magic paused a few feet away from her and waited for Harriette to reorient herself, pulling Teddy behind her leg to hide him from them as the little boy grabbed a hold of her jacket and leaned as close as he could to his mother.

"Harriette—" Before the man could continue, the young woman glared at him and literally growled, making the other Magical's around the area flinch back at the sight of her anger.

They knew what she was capable of...
"That's Lady Potter to you, Minister." She spat at Shacklebolt, emerald green eyes darkening and blazing with a raging inferno of resentment and fury.
"And you'd be wise, to remember that."

She held no love for any of her previous allies, none whatsoever. Not after they had practically shunned her for dipping into Dark Arts.

Over the years since she was an eleven year old she learned to ignore what the entirety of magical Britain thought of her but knowing that her past friends and allies were telling the Prophet false stories about her, adding fuel to the fire about how she was a Dark Lady in the making stung a bit.

And sure, she was technically a Dark witch, but the way they said it...
She knew they were insinuating that she was the next Dark Lady who wanted to conquer all of Britain.

"Of course." Back to the topic at hand, Shacklebolt nodded his head hesitantly and she watched with a small smirk as his eyes grew even more hesitant at her cold demeanor.

What did he honestly expect, crashing her son's grandmother's funeral? She doesn't even know how he knew when she was burying Andi.

That though, was a problem for later.

"What do you want?" She said lowly, her voice taking on a dangerous tone as she glared at the three people before her, making sure she kept her senses sharp for the other's surroundings the graveyard.

"I wanted to offer my condolences, to you and your godson. Andromeda was a good woman, it's a shame she got sick." He said, making Harriette's hackles start to rise.

"My Son and I don't need your pity!" She stated firmly, "And if it's all the same to you, we'd like to be left alone."

Shacklebolt frowned, "I'm afraid we can't do that." He said, making the young woman's stomach drop but she didn't let them see how nervous she really was.

She had Teddy with her, if she could help it, she really didn't want to show her son her more...dark side.

But with how this was starting to go...she didn't know if she'd be given a choice...

Harriette glared, "Care to explain that statement before I burn your face right off your head? Or do you want to just skip to the fun part? Well...fun for me."

"The ministry has come to the conclusion that with Andromeda passing, it would be in young Teddy's best interest if he was moved to a more...stable environment to grow."

His words, made ice crawl down Harriette's spine.

They wanted to take her son from her...
Her hand reached behind her and rested on Teddy's back, pressing him all the more closer to her leg as her eyes narrowed further at the man before her, "My son...is safest with his mother. End of story."

"Ha—Lady Potter, he's not your son."

The Minister was cut off when Harriette's magic suddenly burst form her body, black and white physical manifestations of her power flowing through the graveyard and washing over everyone around the area making them all buckle under the pressure, except for her and Teddy.

"He's mine." She growled, her eyes now glowing pitch black with white flames dancing across the edge of her irises, "He's of my blood now after the adoption. As far as you're concerned, Tonks and I are his blood parents and that's all you need to know."

The Minister groaned at the strength her power was sapping from his body, "Remus...he is Teddy's father. You can't just—"
He groaned again in pain when another burst of power suddenly pushed him closer down onto the ground.

"Do you know how blood adoption works? I found a way to select which parent I replace during my research. I am his mother just as much as Tonks was. Check your updated registry if you don't believe me. I am the only one who has claim over my son...not you and not anyone else." She said, glaring down at the kneeling man before her feet but just before she was about to take a step further and do something she probably would regret, Teddy gently yanked on her jacket and made her snap out of her stupor.

"Mom." He said gently, causing some of the tension to drop at the sound of her son's voice, "Let's just go, I-I don't want to stay here." He whispered, making Harriette sigh and pull her magic back into her body, making every magical in the area gasp in relief and fall onto the ground.

She turned around and gently picked up her son, not caring that he was getting a little too old for her to hold him comfortably.

He was her son, and that would never change. He needed comfort and she would be there for him no matter what.

She froze though when Shacklebolt spoke up before she had the chance to Apparate away, "You're a murderer Harriette. A killer. You dabble in the Dark Arts and don't see any problem with that? Does your son deserve to be raised by a monster? A broken woman with so much blood on her hands. The houses you've made extinct, Weasley... Nott, Malfoy, Parkinson, Crabbe, Carrow, Lestrange, anyone who you deem too dangerous to live...or who has betrayed you." He took a second to catch his breath before continuing, "When does it stop Harriette? When does the killing end?"

There was a moment of silence before the young mother spoke up, "When the world becomes a better place. When all of Voldemort's influence, when the superiority complex everyone seems to have is eradicated from history."

She turned and glared at him, "When my friends...stop betraying me."

Before she could Apparate away, no sooner than when she finished speaking did the graveyard she was standing in ripple with energy as a ward was enacted around the area, making her arms tighten around Teddy.

She had a feeling that's what they were doing...
In the end, it wouldn't matter.

"I'm sorry, but I can't let you leave Harriette." Shacklebolt said, standing up and drawing his wand to point at her, his guards beside him doing the same, "You're coming with us, where we can find a better family for young Teddy to grow up with while you spend the rest of your days in Azkaban."

Her eyes narrowed and her power began to rise up into her chest, eyes changing from green to pitch black with white flames again, "Lady. Potter. That's my name and you, minister have just made your last mistake." Before anyone could blink, she used Teddy as a perfect way to hide her hand reaching for the Elder wand and quickly sent a nonverbal spell into the ground below them all once she had a grip on it, making the ground below her feet begin to rise.

She then quickly flung the dirt in every direction, hitting their mark and blinding everyone for a second but that second was all she needed.

Before they could recover, she aimed her wand and sent a curse that she had read about in the old Peverell Grimmore right at Shacklebolt.

A curse, that he wouldn't survive.

She watched with a small smirk as the man crumbled onto the ground, no doubt never to get back up but in the moment, she couldn't care.

He had come after her son, he deserved death.

No one messed with her family.
Before the others could recover and realize she just killed the Minister, she raised the Elder wand and waved it above her head, soaking in the magic of the ward around her, causing it to quickly fall at her action. She then sent the magic back out just as the other witches and wizards entered the ward to stop her, trying to reach her after watching her curse their leader.

But it was too late.

She re-powered the ward with her own intent, locking them all inside before she quickly Apparated out of the area just as spell fire was thrown in her direction.

Not noticing the small tracking spell that stuck to her jacket just as she disappeared...
Once she landed back in Grimmauld, she sighed in relief, leaning back against the door as she closed her eyes.

She hated them, all of them. The Ministry, magical Britain, everyone!

Why couldn't they just leave her alone?

Leave her son alone.
Speaking of her son...
"You okay Teddy?" She asked softly, raising her hand to tangle into his black curls, watching fondly as his hair turned to pink, to blue then back to her natural black before nodding his head softly against her chest.

"Yeah. Tired." He whispered, causing Harriette to nod her head as she walked into the main foyer and towards her son's room.

When she had remodeled Grimmauld place, she had made the adjustment of placing her, Teddy and Andi's bedroom on the ground floor just because she didn't like the thought of little Teddy falling down those stairs when he woke up every morning.

He was very clumsy, a trait he no doubt picked up from Dora so to ease her heart she had made the bedrooms ground level so he had no chance of ever falling down the stairs.

After she entered her son's room, she gently placed him on the edge of his bed. Unwinding her arms, she looked down at him sadly when she saw the tears collecting at the bottom of his eyes.

She too felt Andi's absence, but her son needed her right now, she could worry about her own feelings later.

Harriette walked over to his dresser and grabbed him a clean pair of pajamas. She then went back over and gently placed them on his lap while lifting her other hand to rest on his shoulder, "Come on Teddy, go get dressed alright? Then you can head to bed." She said softly, gazing down at him with love filled eyes, a look that never failed to make Teddy feel all warm and fuzzy on the inside.

Today though, he merely nodded his head and almost robotically walked into the bathroom to change, leaving his worried mother behind.

Harriette sighed and took a seat on the edge of his bed and waited for him to freshen up, her mind a whirlwind of thoughts.

She hated showing Teddy...that side of her, the one who wasn't afraid to do whatever it takes to protect her family because she never wanted to scare him.

She knows that she isn't normal, she knows that normal people don't kill others that have wronged them, not like she does.

And even if they do...not a lot of people do it the way she does.

She wanted to make it hurt, the people she went after. That little curse she sent at Kingsley was a nasty old Peverell spell, one that was intended to kill Dark wizards and make them feel it all.

Due to her trapping all of them inside that ward, it would take them hours to break free, hours that the Minister wouldn't have.

The curse slowly ate away at a person's insides, making each and every organ wither away and die.

Due to the unique magical signatures of the Peverell's and their connection with death...there was no cure for it either.

The Minster would die before his beloved followers could do anything.

And there wasn't a single ounce of Harriette that cared.

Especially after he had dared try to take her son away from her.

She was broken out of her thoughts when Teddy came back into the room with a pair of sleep shorts on along with his favorite shirt that she had gotten him for his birthday last year.

A shirt that had a picture of a chameleon, many shades of color on the creature with the silhouette of a dragon behind it.

Depicting both of his mothers...
She smiled at seeing the shirt before patting the bed beside her. Without much fight, Teddy crawled up the bed and laid down on his pillows as Harriette scooted up and tucked her son in.

"You alright?" She asked softly, smiling down at her son as he cuddled into his sheets and his eyes fluttered shut. He hummed, the only answer she got making her shake her head fondly at her boy before leaning down to press a lingering kiss to his forehead.

"Sleep tight Teddy." She whispered, pushing one of his black curls behind his ear before getting up and walking towards the door.

Before she could leave the room though, her son called out to her, "He's wrong."

Harriette froze before she turned around and looked at her son, her own emerald green eyes staring back at her as he remained curled up in his bed, "What?"

"You're not a monster...You're the best mom ever." He said softly, making her gut clench and her heart warm in equal measures at his words, "Best mom ever." He trailed off as sleep finally took ahold of his small body.

The woman stood there and stared at her son's now sleeping body and couldn't help the soft smile that spread across her lips, "And you're the best son a mom could ever ask for." She whispered into the silent room, taking a moment to just stare at her son, letting the warm and fuzzy feeling in her gut overwhelm her body while holding back tears before she slowly walked out of the room and shut the door, leaving it open just a crack.

She then made her way into the foyer and shrugged off her jacket and kicked off her boots before sighing in relief, "Kreacher, Dobby." She called out to both of her house elves and not a second later twin pops sounded out a few feet before her.

"Mistress called for Kreacher and Dobby?" The older of the elves said, making Harriette hum as she got down onto her knees to be more eye level with them.
"Can you make Teddy's favorite for breakfast tomorrow? I would but I have a feeling he might need me when he wakes up and realizes..." She trailed off sadly, knowing that her son would take his grandmother's death very hard.

Dobby though, merely nodded his head excitedly, all these years haven't changed the elf in the slightest, "Of course Mistress Potter! Whatever House Potter needs, Dobby be here to serve!" He exclaimed quietly, making the single mom smile fondly at the elf.

Kreacher nodded beside the younger elf, although he was a bit more reserved, "Kreacher will serve last of the Blacks with honor."

"Thank you, both of you. You're dismissed." Harriette said, getting up onto her own two feet and walking towards the sitting room as her house elf's popped away.

As soon as she sat down on the couch and leaned back, she felt as her emotions finally caught up to her as tears started to leak from her eyes.

She quickly raised her hand to her mouth and chocked back her sobs, not wanting to wake up Teddy due to her emotions.

Andi was gone.

She was now left alone with only Teddy and Hermione whenever she came by to check on them.

Or, more accurately whenever she could sneak away from the Ministry to come check on them.

Even after all these years, her best friend still refused to leave her.

Don't get her wrong, she's absolutely overjoyed for that fact but sometimes...sometimes she just wished Hermione would leave her to rot in peace.

She closed her eyes and brought her knees up to her chest, hugging her legs to her front and burying her face to hide her tears.

She didn't know how long she sat there and cried for, seconds, minutes or even hours but after a while, she felt as the wards around her home rippled as someone entered her house.

And there was only one person who could do that without repercussions.

She waited for her to arrive and sure enough, as soon as Hermione turned the corner her breath stuttered in her chest at seeing Harriette curled up into a ball and she quickly made her way over to her and engulfed Harriette into a hug.

The mother of one allowed her best friend to hold her as she cried into her shoulder, the brunette rubbing soothing circles across the Mistress of Death's back to try and calm her down.

She didn't deserve Hermione, she should've left her like everyone else, I'd be safer for her that way...
Harriette couldn't handle losing Hermione, especially if the Ministry would be gunning for her now that she killed the Minister.

"The word got out." Was the first words Hermione said since arriving, keeping a firm grip over her best friend's frame, "The masses are calling for your head." She admitted softly, making Harriette scoff.

"Did they mention anything about crashing Andi's funeral? Saying how someone like me wasn't fit to raise Teddy? How I wasn't his mother as they tried to steal him from me?" She said bitterly, glaring at the floor below her as anger started to course through her body.

"No...they didn't."

"Figures." She grumbled under her breath, "Like hell was I gonna let them steal the only person in this life that makes it worth living." She said, making Hermione flinch.

Registering her own words, Harriette sighed softly, "I'm sorry. I didn't mean it like that. It's just..."

"I know." Hermione cut her off, shaking her head, "I understand Harriette, you don't have to explain it to me." She said, her hand absentmindedly going down to wrap around her best friend's wrist, a wrist that she knew had a certain scar slashed across her skin.

Harriette winced, "I didn't...I haven't done anything." She whispered, "I made a promise to Teddy and Andi...I don't intend to break that."

Hermione hummed, "Good." She said before pulling away and staring at her with slightly narrowed eyes, "Now you are going to go to your room and sleep for at least eight hours while I stay the night to ensure you both are taking care of yourself and I won't hear a single word otherwise." She said, stepping into her usual no nonsense attitude making a small smile break out across her face.

"Bossy." Harriette murmured teasingly to her friend as she stood up from the couch and walked towards the master bedroom making Hermione narrow her eyes in mock anger.

"What was that?"

"Nothing." She offered her best friend a small smirk from over her shoulder before shutting the door to her bedroom behind her, making Hermione sigh and get ready to sleep herself.

Unfortunately, neither of them got the rest they were hoping for...
In the middle of the night, Harriette was rudely awoken when the wards to her home shook the entire building, making her eyes snap open.

She practically threw the covers off her her bed and rushed out into the main hall just as another shockwave shook the building.

"Oh no." She whispered under her breath, the Wards telling her all she needed to know as they blocked another volley of spells from outside.

Grimmauld was being attacked, they had somehow found her.
Which didn't bode well for the three of them.

"Harriette Potter! Come out now and surrender! You're under arrest for the murder of the Minster of Magic!" A voice she didn't recognize called out to her from the street, "Come out now and hand your Godson over into our custody! Do not make us use force!"

The Wizard's words only made her grow angrier though, "Son, he's my son!" She snarled, her magic flaring up at the continued mention of Teddy being only her Godson.

Before she could do anything she might regret though, a small voice called out to her from behind, "Mom? W-what's going on?" He asked and Harriette could hear the tremor in his tone which made her stop.

She couldn't worry about them right now, her focus had to be getting Teddy and Hermione out safe.

Sure enough, as soon as she thought that her best friend came barreling down the stairs, no doubt being woken up by the witch and wizards outside screaming at them.

Hermione's eyes were wide, her full attention on her best friend, "What's the plan?" She asked without a single ounce of hesitation in her voice.

The last of the Potters frowned as shook her head, "Run. We run. I'm not taking any chances with Teddy. We take what we can carry, anything of value and we run before they breech the Wards. It'll take them at least ten minutes, I enhanced them myself." She said before turning to look at her son with soften eyes.

She kneeled on the ground and ignored how the cold wooden floor felt against her knees, "Listen to me, I need you to go back in your room and pack up your things okay Teddy? Can you do that for me?"
Teddy nodded his head but he still looked confused and scared, "What's happening mom?"

She sighed softly, "We're going on a little trip okay? Grimmauld isn't safe for us anymore but I promise we'll be fine yeah?"

Teddy pursed his lips but nodded all the same, "Good." She said, leaning down to press a kiss to his head, "Now go pack, you've got five minutes to grab anything of value alright, the wards won't last forever." She said just as the house shook again, making her gently push her son back into his room to pack before turning to her best friend, "You need to leave, they don't know you're here you can still get out."

Hermione though shook her head vehemently, "Nope, not happening! I'm staying with you and Teddy and that's final!"

"Hermione."
"Harriette."

The Lady of the House glared at her friend but when it was obvious she want backing down she sighed, "Fine, we don't have time to argue. Just grab anything of value and meet back in the main foyer. I'll go grab everything we'll need to survive." She said, talking about her hidden stash she keeps just for emergencies.

Her best friend groaned as she ran out the room, "I can't believe your paranoia finally paid off." She grumbled to herself as they split up to grab what they could.

As soon as Harriette entered her room, she rushed towards her closet and practically flung the doors off their hinges as she grabbed the trunk on the ground and pulled it out.

She opened it and did a quick inventory of everything inside before getting up to put some clothes inside, knowing she wouldn't be back for awhile.

Inside the trunk was literally everything of value for her and Teddy. Years ago when she had started caring for Teddy, she had withdrawn everything she owned from Gringotts, from all her vaults. Galleons, family heirlooms, Grimmore basically everything from the Black, Potter and Peverell vaults since she was the last remaining member of all three houses.

The goblins weren't the happiest, but she had gained a reputation throughout the war and she guessed the goblins didn't want to make an enemy out of her.

If only they knew she had already broken into the bank to steal a Horcrux from someone's vault. She knew if they ever found out their relationship would definitely take a plummet.

The trunk didn't just have all of her money, which was definitely more than she'd ever need in this life alone, it had everything to pictures old and new, to legal documents and all of Teddy's records along with hers.

She had a feeling she'd need everything inside this trunk if she was going to be on the run for the unforeseeable future.

When Hermione found out what she did, she had called her paranoid but at the moment, she was so glad that she had listened to her instincts.

Especially now...
After throwing some clothes inside the trunk, along with a few pillows and blankets she quickly got dressed in a pair of jeans, throwing on a black shirt before shrugging on her basilisk scale jacket, the green and white scales glinting due to the soft moonlight entering in her window.

Another shake of the house made her break out of her head. She quickly shut the trunk, shrunk it and attacked it to her belt before walking towards the door after grabbing all three hallows that had remained on her bedside desk while sleeping.

She glanced back one last time at her bedroom and sighed as she quickly left and shut the door, her gut clenching at the thought of leaving her home.

Teddy's home...
As soon as she got out back into the foyer, Hermione was already there waiting for her with Teddy standing on her right, his own backpack slung across his shoulders with whatever he was bringing.

She hoped he got all he wanted...
"We ready?" She asked but before either of them could respond, she felt as magic started to cover the wards of Grimmauld, barricading them inside the already failing wards.

"Anti-Apparition." Harriette shook her head and clenched her jaw in anger, eyes flashing with her power, "They know we're trying to escape."

Before Hermione could comment, Dobby and Kreacher appeared before them, eyes glinting with determination that made Harriette pause. "We's can get you three to safety." Dobby said making the elder elf nod his head.

"Kreacher stay to defend Mistress's home from bad wizards." He said, making Harriette softly shake her head.

"No, no we're not playing the hero card here. We're all going, end of discussion." She stated firmly but her two house elves, her two noble, stupidly loyal house elves shook their head.

"Mean Wizards block other Wizard magics, but not house elf magic." Dobby said, staring intently at his Mistress as he grabbed something from his cloth pocket, a small chess piece, "Dobby can make portkey with elf magic to save Mistress and family."

"Dobby..." Harriette whispered but she was soon cut off by Kreacher too.

"Mistress has been kind to us, protected us...let us return favor, just this once." The old elf said softly, staring up at her with a reverence that only an elf could hold for their master.

Harriette glanced at her son, knowing exactly what needed to be done.

If it was just her and the elves, she would stay and fight.

But she had her son with her...
Hermione was here...
She couldn't risk the last two members of her family.
So, swallowing her emotions she turned back to the elves and nodded her head, "Okay, do it." She said firmly, watching as Dobby infused his magic into the chess piece before handing it to her.

"The Password be bishop." Dobby said softly, making the woman nod her head as she kept the portkey firmly in her grasp.

Not wasting any time, she grabbed her son and hoisted him up into her arms as Hermione came up and hooked her arm around Harriette's elbow.

Before activating the portkey, she looked back at her elves and smiled, "You were the best house elves ever, don't ever forget that." She said, making them both puff out their chests in pride just as the house's foundation shook again.

The woman could feel her wards failing, they didn't have much time left.

"One last thing." She said, her eyes narrowing as she let some of her anger flow through her veins, "Give 'Em hell you two, that's an order."

Kreacher smirked and Dobby held his head up high, "It will be done Mistress. Kreacher will defend your home with his life."

"Dobby too! For the great Harriette Potter!"

Harriette nodded her head, "Thank you." Without another word towards her elves, trying to ignore the sorrow welling up inside of her she activated the portkey once she made sure Teddy and Hermione were ready.

"Bishop."

The three of them felt a pull in their naval before they were suddenly pulled away from Grimmauld place, with the ones outside none the wiser.

They had landed in a distant forest far up north, but that next day Harriette had used her cloak to go and see the damage for herself, having felt the wards fall not long after their departure.

There was nothing left.

Just a burnt down husk of a building.

All of her stuff, her Son's stuff was gone, at least what they couldn't grab but most importantly...no one survived...
She couldn't feel Dobby or Kreacher through the bond anymore.

They were dead too.
From that moment on, it was just the three of them, moving from place to place after a few weeks, trying to outrun
and outsmart the Ministry which wasn't at all that hard with the Deathly Hallows at her disposal.

They didn't want to draw too much attention to themselves so they tried not to use a lot of money, just enough for Hermione to head into the nearest town to buy a supply that would last them the week.

They continued like that, falling into the pattern with Harriette and Hermione teaching Teddy themselves, everything he needed to know but a year after they were declared public enemy number one, everything fell apart, again.

It was supposed to be just a small trip into the nearby town, a trip for food that they desperately needed especially with a growing metamorphagus around but the Ministry had somehow found them.

There must've been a wizard in the village and as soon as they saw her, had called in the Calvary before fleeing the scene.

It was an action...that caused Harriette to snap.
She was at the fruit stall of the small farmers market, picking up the ingredients she'd need for this weeks meal plan so she wasn't really paying attention to those around her.

That's not to say she wasn't ready for anything, her powers warned her for anything major but by the time she felt something wrong, by the time she turned around it was too late.

She was too far away from Hermione...
She watched as a sickly green spell was shot at Hermione's back, her bets friend not even having enough time to turn around to see what she was staring at before her body had crumbled onto the ground, lifeless...
Soon she was surrounded by Aurors, Hit Witches and Wizards and DoM operatives but her eyes could only focus on one thing.

Hermione's lifeless eyes staring at her, not a single ounce of light in her once bright eyes.
"It's over Potter, surrender now!" The lead Auror on scene Dawlish, if she wasn't mistaken spoke to her in an arrogant tone of voice, making her eyes narrow.

She could feel her power start to bubble up to the surface, feel her anger and bitterness at everyone and everything course through her veins.

She was so glad Teddy was back at the tent, she didn't want him to see her like this.

She felt cold, her heart clenching at the sight of Hermione but that wasn't important.

She had to get back to her son, no matter what.

She had to get back and move camps before they found him.

Her magic began to bleed out of her body, wisps of power, colored in black and white surrounding the area and forcefully pressing down on everyone in the area.

The weight of her power, her anger...she knew they all felt it when some of the least skilled soldiers started to back up when they felt how potent her magic was.

She was angry, and she was not leaving here without avenging the one person who never left her side.
Her magic was enough to make everyone hesitate around her, giving Harriette enough time to strike.

Tapping into the power of the hallows, everyone watched in shock as she suddenly bursted in flames, her magic growing and growing until the fire was at least thirty feet tall.

Then, from the flames Harriette Potter emerged, covered in black and white flames, three stories tall, her eyes a black pit as she stared down at the witches and wizards who were dumb enough to attack the Mistress of Death.

"I am your ruin." Her voice echoed across the small village, sending shivers down everyone's spine and knocking them out of their stupor as they began to fire spells at her.

But Harriette began to absorb them, even the killing curse simply phasing through the flames as she soaked up its magical signature.

She then raised up both her hands and channeling all her hate and anger, she called upon her cursed flames and let go...
She let go of her hate and anger, directing it right at the wizards and witches who took away her friend.

In the aftermath, after she shrunk back down to normal size and literally cooled off, seeing the burnt village around her with smoldering corpses she mechanically made her way over to Hermione, who had remained untouched by her flames, lifted her up into her arms before she apparited away.

Having to explain to her son that Hermione wasn't coming back...was one of the hardest things she's ever had to do as a mother...
After that day, she changed, her heart grew colder and the only one who seemed to be able to thaw it was her son.
Teddy was her saving grace, her lifeline and the one thing that grounded her to the present, especially after she started to change as well.

Physically speaking.

After Hermione's death, after that show of pure magic she started to have some changes to herself.

The more she used her magic, the more she used the hallows her raven colored hair began to change to a stark white color at a rapid pace and just a short six months after the incident, all of her hair was white.

She also seemed to unlock some dormant ability of hers.

She was also a metamorphmagus.

It took her a while to master it, but she used the lessons Andi taught her for Teddy on herself and
two years after she had originally went on the run, she had complete control of her abilities and so in tune with her power that she didn't know where she began and it ended.

Another change was she stopped heading into towns, even if they were muggle. To make sure they had enough food, Harriette went out and hunted for the two of them, coming back and cooking whatever she found and using some of the spices she had acquired on one of her first trips to a town years ago.

It wasn't great, especially since they both needed a lot of food to keep up their mass, add in the fact Teddy was a growing boy but Harriette had to decided between food, or no food.

She knows what it's like to go hungry, and she would never make her son go through that.

Ever...
Along the way, the ministry or, what was left of them tried to send whoever they could but after her little stunt, she could tell there was a hesitance to them all that they didn't have before whenever they tracked her down.

No matter, they all ended up in the same place.

She couldn't take the risk anymore, not with Teddy.
All of that change though, everything that's happened since going on the run was nothing to what came next.

Three years after going on the run, after Harriette Potter became the most wanted woman in all of Britain and was barred from entering any other country her actions finally caught up to her...
It was a normal day, the extendable tent that they had been living out of the past few years was safely nestled underneath a canopy of trees beneath heavy wards casted by the Elder Wand.

The sun was shinning brightly down upon the small clearing Harriette had found but inside the tent, the twenty seven year old Mistress of Death was standing before the temporary kitchen inside the tent and making breakfast for her son.

She was in a simple pair of black leggings, cream colored sweater and a comfy black skirt that she had found a few years back in one of the last villages she had entered.

She had on white socks and black flats to match with her attire and her white hair was up in a bun atop her head, trying to keep it out of her face as she cooked.

Harriette absentmindedly started to hum a soft tune as she continued to fry up the venison. She would have to go out to hunt very soon, they were running out of meat but they did have enough fruit to last them the next two weeks.

Hopefully.

A few minutes later Teddy came out of his room, stumbling over his own legs making Harriette smile fondly at his clumsiness, "Morning Teddy." She said.

"Morning mom." He replied back as he walked over to the small wooden table she had set up in the middle of the tent.

She plated their food and made sure all the utilities were turned off before walking over to the table and sitting beside her son, setting both of their plates down, "Eat up. We'll be moving camp today and you'll need your energy." She said before slowly taking a bite of her breakfast.

Teddy hummed around a bite of his food, taking a moment to swallow his food before he looked between his plate and his mother's, "You gave me more food. Again." He said softly.

Harriette's hand froze in midair, her fork inches away from her mouth at her son's words. She lowered her hand and gazed at her son with a soft look behind her eyes and a sad smile across her face, "You're a growing boy, you need the extra energy. I'll live."

Teddy frowned, "But you protect us. You need the energy too." He said, starting to push his plate towards his mom but Harriette cut him off and pushed it back.

"No." She said softly yet firmly, shaking her head and narrowing her eyes warningly at him, "You're eating that entire plate of food. It's my job as your mother to take care of you so let me do that."

It seemed that her son though wasn't budging, "You take care of me, but who takes care of you?" He asked gently, with wisdom behind his eyes that no nine year old boy should possess.

His words made Harriette sigh under her breath, her heart warming and clenching all the same at the concern her son was showing.

Showing her...
She smiled softly at her boy, raising her hand to rest against his cheek as she rubbed circles into his sunken skin, hating how she couldn't keep the both of them healthy while on the run, "You're just like your mama, you know that? Heart too big for your body and always wanting to help." She said, making Teddy smile.

Harriette clicked her tongue in thought for a moment before continuing, "But...here, right now...it's my job as your mother to protect you. To feed you and shelter you until you can do all of that yourself and even after that, even after you're all grown up I'll still do that because you are my boy...my son and I will never not love you Teddy. That's what it is to be a parent...trying to make a better world for your kid to live in."

"I love you too mom, but you also have to eat." He said, raising one of his hands to rest on one of her sunken cheeks as well.

The woman smiled, "I am. I do...But I also know what it's like to be a growing child and going hungry all day and all night long. And I refuse to let that be you, I refuse to let you go about your day starving, not when I can help it."

"Teddy...I, I've never tried to hide who I am to you. I've never tried to hide what it is I do...what I am." She whispered, swallowing thickly before continuing, "I'm a bad person son. I've done bad things and I don't feel bad that the people I've killed are gone...they've hurt me one too many times for me to care. But...everything I do, everything I've ever done since the war first started...since the war ended is to ensue you don't have to grow up in a world that's full of bigoted, simple minded people who will look down on you the second they get the chance...who will hurt you just because they can."

"People call me a monster...and m-maybe I am. Maybe after all I've done I deserve the title...All I know for certain, is that I don't kill because I enjoy it...I kill to protect the only family I have left so please Teddy, please let me protect you, let me do my job as your mother."

Her son quickly bolted out of his seat after she was done speaking
and threw himself at her, burying himself into her arms as they wrapped around his smaller frame making Harriette sigh.

"You're not a monster mom. You've kept me safe from people who want to take me away from the only person who cares about me. A monster wouldn't do that...a monster wouldn't care so much about what their child thinks of them."

"I love you, and I always will. I've never once seen you as a bad person, I promise." He said, making Harriette smile softly down at him as she rubbed his back soothingly.

"I'm glad." She murmured, "Now, will you please eat all the food on your plate?" She teased, making Teddy softly chuckle as he looked up at her with wide green eyes full of love.

Her eyes.

"Okay, only if you promise to have an extra piece of fruit for dinner though!" He examined.

She really shouldn't agree to that, she wanted those apples to last another two weeks but seeing the hope and love radiating from her son's face made her sigh and nod her head.

She'd do anything to keep that look on his face forever.

"Fine, I promise. Now eat, we've got a long trek ahead of us today and you'll need all your strength." She said, making Teddy beam up at her before sliding back into his seat to finish his breakfast.

After they were done with their food, Harriette cleaned up while Teddy went to go get dressed. After she packed up everything and made sure everything was in its correct spot, her son was done so without wasting another second the two of them walked out of the tent.

She turned around and waved the Elder wand at their portable home, shrinking it down so she could fit it in her Basilisk scale jacket that she had put on for the journey ahead.

Once their home was safely tucked away into her pocket, she grabbed her son's hand and began the long trek towards the cost.

She decided to head down south for a little while, hoping that the proximity to the beach would give Teddy a reason to smile again, for he's been bugging her for quite awhile about heading to the beach.

And she couldn't find it in herself to take what little fun her son could have away from him.

She already had to homeschool him everything, she was lucky that Herm...that Hermione had been with her for the first few years to help him learn all the muggle stuff he might need to know that he hasn't already learned from Andi.

Her own time at primary school was sort of mentally blocked out in her memories, and even if it wasn't she had nothing good she wanted to remember there.

Nothing good at all...
Plus it's been years since she went there and she's been too focused on surviving for the last two decades of her life to even remember trivial things such as that.

At least she could teach him all about magic on her own, that was easy for her.

The entire day went off without a hitch, they stopped for lunch and admired the scenery, making sure to stay clear of all villages and towns in the process. If they continued on with the pace they were going at, then they'd reach the coast by sundown.

It was a few hours before sundown though when things started to go downhill...

They had stopped in a flower meadow due to a stream of freshwater running straight through it. As Teddy was sitting on a rock taking a drink of much needed water and refilling their canteens Harriette's magic flared up inside of her, warning her and making her glance up at the tree line twenty yards away from them.

Something was there...
"Teddy, pack up those canteens and get behind me. Now." She said firmly, no room for argument in her tone making her son spring up and do as he was told.

As soon as he was behind her, she reached back with her left arm and made him stay flush against her back as her right hand held the Elder Wand firmly in her grasp.

"Mom?" Teddy asked hesitantly, only making Harriette tighten her grip around him.

Before she could answer him, a flash of green heading straight towards her made her throw up an energy shield with her wand, the spell an old Peverell classic.

The spell hit against her shield that was shaped as the Peverell's sigil, the one Grindlewarld stole and desecrated, the symbol of the Deathly hallows.

She watched as the green of the killing curse was absorbed into the shield but she didn't have time to think before another spell from behind her caught her attention.

She pivoted left and right, forward and back as a volley of green spells shot at her but once she realized she'd be overwhelmed too fast, her eyes started to glow black again with white flames and she called upon her family magic and erected an impenetrable barrier around her and her son.

She watched in shock as hundreds of witches and wizards stormed out of the forest, running straight for her.

She knew her barrier could hold for a while, after all it was a Peverell spell casted by the Elder Wand but seeing how many people were here, for her...
Her stomach clenched and an uneasiness filled her veins...
"M-mom?" The fearful voice of her son drew her attention to Teddy though, seeing him glance around in fear, afraid of all the people trying to hurt them made a red hot determination flood into her body.

She couldn't fail, not now, not after all they've been through.

She needed to get out of here with Teddy, there was no other way.

So, she called upon the Hallows, called upon their power and held the Elder Wand with both hands and closed her eyes.

She ignored the sound of spell fire hitting the barrier, ignored how it was taking all her strength to keep the barrier up over them and instead focused on getting her and Teddy away from this place.

She focused on her intent to protect her son, to give him someplace to live, not just survive...but a place he could live.

"Save me and my son." She thought in her head, calling out to her magic. "Protect the last of the Peverell line. Take us somewhere safe in our time of need and I promise, I'll feed you as many souls as you want. I promise I'll kill and keep killing for you O'Deathless one, for this I vow till the day you call upon me."

"So mote it be." She whispered out loud, feeling as her magic surged within her at her words.

Before anyone could blink, before the barrier could fall and the hundreds of wizards and witches could get to the two of them, a silvery white light blinded everyone in the area, consuming both Harriette and Teddy Potter until they vanished right before their eyes.

The sound of birds and crickets chirping the only thing echoing out across the now empty meadow...

----- CHAPTER BREAK -----

Harriette gripped ahold of her son with all her strength, keeping him against her chest while her eyes tracked the movement happening around them, "Hold on Teddy, I've got you. I've got you." She said shakily, secretly glad that her son had his eyes buried into her jacket.

Watching as they were pulled from their position, seemingly traveling at speeds unknown through some type of portal, all the colors of the rainbow flashing before her eyes it was almost too much for her brain to process it all.

She could feel how they were moving, but at the same time it felt as if she was just standing still and there was heavy winds blowing beside her.

Her grip on her son never once faltered though, not wanting to take the chance of something happening to him if she let go.

Before she knew it, she saw a light at the end of the psychedelic tunnel they found themselves in and after only another few moments of travel, the portal they had been in spat them out.

About twenty feet from the ground below them.

Harriette's eyes widened and she had just enough time to twist her body so her back was pointed at the ground while her arms kept her son safely against her chest.

Sure enough, the impact took the wind out of her as soon as she hit the ground and she felt herself slid across the grass below her now aching back .

After sliding for a few seconds, she finally stopped moving and as soon as she realized that she was one, on solid ground again and two there was no one there to capture or kill them her tense shoulders relaxed and she let out a pain filled groan.

"That hurt." She hissed softly, making her son shakily raise his head from her chest and look around their surroundings hesitantly before turning back to her with concern behind his eyes.
"Are you okay?" Teddy asked, eyes roaming over her face to try and see any sign that she wasn't feeling good causing Harriette to smile softly up at him even as her back screamed at her in protest.

"I'm good. Just knocked the wind out of me is all." She said, moving them both to sit upright on the ground making the woman slightly wince. She looked down at the ground below her though when she was sitting up straight and couldn't help the soft hum of amusement that left her mouth at the dent they left when falling. "We're lucky the Hallows didn't drop us from any further up." She mused.

"Hallows? What did you do? How did you get us out of there?" Teddy asked with a titled head from his position sitting on her lap, eyes sparkling with the promise of learning something new.

Harriette sighed, "I wanted to get us to safety. I saw how many people were surrounding us and...and I couldn't take them all on while also trying to protect you so I asked the Hallows to get us out of there." She shrugged, "Since all three of them are bonded to me, they heeded my wish, although...I have no idea where we are." She said, looking around the clearing they landed in and noting that there was a pathway into the forest not far away.

Sensing that they weren't in any immediate danger, she stood up and placed Teddy back on the ground and quickly waved her hand around to cast a pain relief spell on her back.

Harriette sighed in relief once the spell settled onto her back. If she hadn't been wearing her Basilisk scale jacket though, it could've been a lot worse.

"Come on, let's see if we can figure out where we are." She said, offering her hand for Teddy to take which he did without complaint.

The two then set off towards the forest and followed the pathway until they reached the outskirts of a small village a half an hour later. Harriette hesitated for a moment before deciding to risk it.

She didn't know where she was, figuring that out right now was her top priority. If the Ministry found her because of this decision, oh well.

Figuring out where they were was more important than trying to hide.

But her paranoia got the better of her and just before Teddy and her reached the village, she focused on her abilities and changed her hair color back to her natural black and made her eyes a stormy grey color before turning to Teddy.

"Quickly, change your eyes to match mine and make your hair brown." She said, causing her son to nod and do what he was told without hesitation.

Walking into the village, she could tell they were in a muggle place of residence but it was weird, to her it seemed that everyone here was stuck a decade in the past with their fashion.

There was not a single person wearing all the new fads that were currently on the rise in popularity.

She got her answer though pretty quickly when they passed a newspaper stand from the sidewalk. Harriette's eyes had glanced over for a quick second but said eyes caught sight of the date on the newest paper of the day.

It read 1991...
"Oh no." She whispered to herself, staring at the paper with a growing sense of dread, "This...I can't...impossible..."

Teddy frowned as he looked up at his mom, "What? What's wrong?" He asked before he too looked at the paper. It took him a moment to register what he was looking at but he too saw what had made his mother so shocked, "Oh." He said.

"Okay this...this is fine. This is fine." Harriette said, quickly dragging her son down the sidewalk until they reached an alleyway where she turned into so they could have some privacy.

Teddy watched as his mom paced back and forth, muttering under her breath no doubt trying to think of a solution for this problem but before he could try and calm her down, before he could even speak pops sounded out in the alleyway making his mother's gaze snap up.

She quickly moved over and covered Teddy with her own body as she glanced at all the dark cloak individuals that had formed a circle around them, all of their faces obscured by their hoods.

Harriette growled, "Back off." She said, her voice taking on a dark edge that made some of the people freeze in place, "I won't tell you again."

Everyone around them on both sides of the alley looked at one another, not knowing exactly what to do until one of the grey cloaks moved through the crowd and seemed to take the role of leader.

"Peace. We mean you no harm ma'am." The distorted voice of the Unspeakable before her said, but she instantly knew who it was.

The director of the DoM...
"Saul Croaker, as I live and breath." She said, a small smirk spreading across her face when she watched the man's shoulders tense, "Still cleaning up after the Ministry?"

Croaker hesitated for a moment before he flipped down his hood, his piercing blue eyes trying to stare right into her soul. Even though he was hesitant, she could see he was amused by her comment, "You've caught me off guard. You seem to know me, but I can't say I know you. I'd remember a lady such as yourself." He said.

"Flattery will get you nowhere with me." She deadpanned, raising an unamused eyebrow, "So instead how about you call off your lapdogs, you all can go off in one direction, and my son and I can go in the other. We never have to see one another again."

"Yeah, I'm afraid I can't do that." He said but quickly backpedaled when he saw the woman's growing glare, "We detected a massive surge of energy originate not far from this village. It was magical in nature and seeing as how you and your son are the only living creatures giving off a magical signal within fifty kilometers of the origin point..." He trailed off, raising his eyebrow pointedly in her direction making her clench her jaw and narrow her eyes even further.

She really hated the Department of Mysteries.
She took a glance around the area and saw that all the Unspeakables around her already had a hand on their wands incase she did something that was classified as hostile but she wasn't really worried.

She knew she could take them, but she didn't want to make any sudden move...
Not with Teddy in the crossfire.

"If, and this is a very big If," She started off by saying, keeping her tone even as to not try and show them any hostility but even then, there was a firmness to her voice that promised trouble if they disobeyed, "If I go along with you, I'm only speaking with you." Harriette said, pointing to Croaker before continuing to speak, "What I have to say is...pretty unbelievable, the source of that huge energy spike so I want guaranteed safety for me and my son or I'll kill every last one of you here and now." She said, keeping a firm grip on her son to ensure no funny business.

If they made one wrong move towards Teddy...
Croaker pursed his lips for a second to think it over before nodding his head, "Alright, I can do that. As long as you tell me what that energy spike was, we have a deal." He said, "So do you know where the Ministry—" Before he could even finish that thought, the woman scoffed at him, shaking her head.

"I know where to go." She rolled her eyes, "I'll apparate just outside the Department of Mysteries."

One of the Unspeakables scoffed, "You can't Apparate within the DoM. There are Wards that prevent things such as Apparation."

Harriette's lips twitched up in amusement, "That's what you think."
Back in...well, her time, a few weeks after Hermione had...died, she had attacked the DoM and burned it all to the ground.

She had found out that after Croaker had been killed by Voldemort, one of the Death Eater sympathizers had taken his spot as Director of the DoM and Saul's replacement had been the one to order the hit that had ended up with her best friend's death.

So one afternoon, she had left the campsite while Teddy was sleeping to go and burn down the DoM.

There was nothing but ash and dust left when she was done...
Since she was bonded with the Hallows, since their loyalty lied with her she could easily break through the Ministry's wards no problem.
Add in the fact her Peverell magic and, well no ward on earth could stop her.

Croaker sighed under his breath, "I can feel a headache coming already." He grumbled under his breath, "Come on, let's get going."

This time, a smirk did make its way across Harriette's face, "By all means, lead the way."

Saul glared at her, "If you're not at the DoM within two minutes, I'll hunt you down till the day you die." The man snapped his fingers and with his last words spoken, him and his Unspeakables vanished from sight.

Leaving just Teddy and his mom.

Harriette sighed before turning to look at her son, "Alright, you stay with me the entire time alright? You don't wander and you keep a grip on my hand. We don't know where we are yet or why we're in the past."
She said, getting a quick nod from Teddy.

"Okay, I'm ready." He said.

Harriette smiled fondly and lifted her hand to cup her son's cheek, "That's my brave little man." She said, moving her hand to grip his hand so she could Apparate them away, smiling to herself when her comment made her son beam up at her.

"Ready?" She asked.

Teddy smiled and tightened his grip, "Ready."

With that said, Harriette apparated both her and her son away to the Department of Mysteries, where hopefully they would find some answers.

"You set off every damn alarm in the ministry, you know that?" Saul grumbled as he lead Harriette and her son towards his office, the two of them having just arrived a few minutes prior.

An arrival that tripped every last alarm and shattered some of their wards.

The mother of one shrugged her shoulders, like she was nonplussed about the entire think which she probably was, "Oh I know, I just don't care." She said flippantly, making Croaker sigh under his breath.

The rest of the short trip to his office was bathed in silence, the woman and her son content to keep quiet while Saul remained trapped in his head.

He didn't know what to think about this woman, obviously she was very protective of her son, like...very protective but he couldn't get a good read on her besides that.

All he knew for certain was that she was dangerous, he could sense it...feel it with how her Magic physically reacted with her.

And her eyes...
Her eyes gave him the true answer to what she was.

She was a survivor.

She had to be, she had the same glint of paranoia that he's seen on Mad-Eye countless of times, her eyes always sweeping the area to look for threats and exits incase she'd need them but there was a sense of loss, of sorrow deep in her gaze that made him pause.

He knew without a shadow of a doubt that the woman before him had lost a lot without even needing to be told.

Even so, despite all of that the darkness he saw in her gaze made him wary.

Just who the hell was this woman? And where did she come from?

Before he could ponder any further, they reached his office. Croaker opened the door and allowed them to walk in before him. The woman gave him a quick glare, whether it be for his chivalrous action or not he didn't know before she tightened her grip on her son's hand and walked in, Saul following behind a second later and shutting the door behind them.

He then walked behind his desk and sat down, gesturing to the two chairs in front of the wooden mahogany before him, "Sit, lets talk." He said.

Surprisingly though, the black haired woman narrowed her eyes at him and scoffed, "Do you take me for a fool?" She asked rhetorically. Before he could comment, she grabbed her wand and waved it above her head, a pale blue spell coming from the tip and shooting over to his shelf where he knew a listening spell was stuck to an old picture frame.

Once the spell lit up green, he grimaced, knowing that his last minute idea was spoiled right before him. She quickly dispelled the listening charm and then casted a small but unbreakable ward around them, so no one could listen in.

Only after that was done did she sit down, her son opting to sit in the same chair as his mother instead of his own.

They both were squished together but it didn't seem like they cared at all, the woman merely lifted her arm for the boy to settle more comfortably against her side before she focused on Croaker.

"I'll give you one free pass for that little stunt only because I know you're probably as paranoid as I am." She said, a firm edge to her voice as she glared at him, "But try something like that again.." She trailed off threateningly but Croaker got the hidden message loud and clear.
"Understood." He sighed, "Now, mind telling me what that surge of power was?"

Harriette sighed, pursing her lips in thought for a moment before deciding to just rip the band-aid off, seeing no way around it, "My name is Lady Harriette Potter, daughter of Lily and James Potter. I'm twenty seven, the head of my house and this is my son, Teddy Potter. I blood adopted him after his biological parents died and I've been looking after him since he was three months old." She said before taking a breath and continuing, "To answer your question about that surge of power...well let's just say that the last time I looked at the date it was 2007...not 1991."

Saul's eyes widened in shock at her words, "Fascinating." He murmured under his breath, "Truly remarkable because here..the only child of Lily and James is a Harry Potter, the Boy-who-lived." He said, crossing his arms in thought as he glanced at the woman who was...well, seemed to be an alternate reality version of Harry Potter from the future.

That would explain the massive energy surge.

Harriette's eyes narrowed at his words, "Harry? Pretty sure I wasn't born a boy." She mused, making her son look up at her with a small smile.

"I don't think we just traveled back in time mom." He said softly, causing the woman to sigh.
"Yeah, just what I needed." Harriette sighed, "If it wasn't bad enough being the most wanted woman in the world, now we're stuck in another universe. Great." She said before focusing back on Croaker, "Can you give me a brief summary of events since the war? What happened, who died, what the aftermath of Voldemort looked like."

Croaker rose an eyebrow at her, "We'll come back to that most wanted thing later." He promised, receiving a smirk in response which made him roll his eyes, "To answer your questions though. Voldemort rose to power, gained support and started to openly attack Magical Britain. Lot of Purebloods joined his movement, but some didn't. The Longbottoms were attacked by Bellatrix Lestrange, leaving behind a son and much was the same for a lot of Light faction families. One of which, being the Potters."

"They went into hiding when they had Harry but their secret keeper, Sirius Black betrayed them and sold them out to Voldemort. They died but that night, so did Voldemort. Harry though, lived and became famous. The Boy-who-lived." He said before staring at her pointedly, "Sound familiar?"

Harriette scoffed, "Yeah, too familiar." She said, thinking about her innocent Godfather stuck in Azkaban, rotting away for a crime he didn't commit.

She'd have to fix that for this version of her, for Harry.

Harry...
Her eyes widened when she thought about this version of herself, "Where is Harry living? Do you happen to know?" She asked, trying to push down her anger at the thought of another version of her having to go through the abuse of the Dursley's.

If he was indeed with them, she'd have to fix that, as soon as possible.

Croaker shook his head, "No one knows. Whenever someone asks Dumbledore he just says the boy is safe and growing up away from everything. Every attempt to find the boy is a dead end. The Tonks family has tried to find him on multiple occasions but like I said, nothing." He said, making Harriette clench her jaw.

It sounded like Harry was at this version of the Dursley's.

Not if she had anything to say about it though.

She would not let another version of herself believe that he was alone, that no one cared for him like she had for so many years of her youth.

She had a chance help him, like she had wished someone had helped her all those years ago so she was going to help Harry, no matter what.

She ignored how Croaker mentioned the Tonks family, ignored the way her heart clenched at the thought and Instead decided to focus on the problem at hand, "What's the exact date?" She asked.

"June 17th, 1991."

"Okay...okay I can work with that." She murmured. She had a little over a month until her...Harry's birthday which meant she had probably a month until he received his Hogwarts letter for the first time.

Remembering what happened in her universe, if this one went along the same timeline as hers did, then Vernon would try to run away from the letter.
She wasn't going to let him do that this time though, she'd be the one to introduce Harry to the Wizarding World and teach him everything he needed to know.

It was the least she could do.

But then again, Dumbledore was his magical guardian, she'd have to find a way to—
Her eyes widened and a small grin started to spread across her face.

That could work...
"Croaker, the Wizengamot convenes on the twenty first, does it not? For the summer solstice?" She asked, making Teddy glance up at her with slight narrowed eyes and a titled head, picking up on his mother's tone of voice.

It was the tone she used when she had a crazy idea that Aunt Hermione would usually yell at her for while Grandma would've been half exasperated and half amused.

It could either be a very good idea, or a very bad idea...
"Yes it does, why?" Croaker asked with a raised brow.

"Well needless to say I can't go by Potter anymore, seeing as how Harry is the last one in this universe but...there is a name I can go by that people will remember and might make a few heads turn in the process." She said, making Croaker gesture at her with his hand, imploring her to continue.

"I can become the head of House Peverell, seeing as how me, Harry and my son are the only ones alive who have Peverell blood running through their veins. Harry will become the Heir to House Potter so there won't be any mix ups between us when Teddy grows up." She said.

Croaker hummed, "That could work. Technically you wouldn't be lying in saying the three of you are related. Plus, you could reclaim the Peverell seat in the Wizengamot, it might strike fear in the other Pureblood extremist's hearts. There hasn't been a Peverell in Britain since they married into House Potter."

Harriette smirked, "It'd also help seeing as how I have all three Hallows in my possession."

"...What?"

The woman hummed in amusement, tracing patterns on her son's shoulder absentmindedly as she responded, "Yeah. You know that legend? About becoming the master of death? Well you're looking at the Mistress of Death and before you ask, no it doesn't grant immortal life. That's not what being the Mistress means and whoever spread that rumor is an idiot." She shook her head and rolled her eyes, noticing how Croaker was staring at her with wide eyes.

Teddy though saw and couldn't help but snort, "I think you broke him mom." He said, making Harriette turn and raise an eyebrow at the DoM director.

Croaker shook himself out of his stupor when he saw the woman's look, "Sorry it's just, surprising. To get back on track though, if you're going to announce the Peverell's return in four days, you're going to need to actually take up the Lady ring. Gringotts should have it in one of the vaults for you."

Harriette shrugged, "Doesn't matter if they do or not, I have my own Peverell ring form my world." She said, reaching down to the small pouch on her belt and pulling out a small chain that held three rings.

She pulled off the one she was looking for before placing the other two back in the pouch, "It should work here, accepting me as the Lady Peverell." She said, placing the ring on her right pointer finger.

As soon as the ring was firmly in place, she felt her magic swell inside of her as the Hallows that were on her person began to radiate a warmth even through her clothes.

It was so potent that the shelves around the room began to shake in place, books and trinkets falling from their place as her magic started to build.

Harriette eyes began to glow a silvery white and she lost focus on her morph, making her eyes and hair switch back to green and white respectively.

After what was only a few seconds, the room began to settle down again and Harriette let out a sigh as her magic seemed to calm down. "That was...new."

Croaker huffed, "A warning would've been nice. Also, you're a metamorphmagus?" He asked, making Harriette sigh.

"Yeah, we both are." She said, gesturing to Teddy and without even needing to be told he dropped his morph and made her green eyes and natural black appear back onto his frame.
The man before them hummed and decided to continue on the current topic at hand, not at all ready to unpack everything just yet, "Even though the magic has accepted you as the Lady of House Perverll, you should probably still head to the bank just to ensure everything is in order. Especially if your son will be attending Hogwarts, you'll probably want to make sure those payments are in order." He said, making Harriette nod her head.

"Yeah probably." She said, pursing her lips in thought.

She hadn't really given it much thought since she got here, but...they didn't have to go on the run anymore.

Teddy could actually be a kid and not worry about if he had to go to bed with a half empty stomach.

She could actually raise her son in a world where she wasn't being hunted down for murder and use of the Dark Arts.

Her son could be normal...
Plus, if the Peverell's were the same in this universe as they were in hers, the name would give her some leeway with the type of magic she used.

Since the Peverell's were known for their use of the Dark Arts.

"I also want you to see a healer." Croaker said, not noticing Harriette was stuck in her head and continuing on, "From the looks of it you both seem to be slightly malnourished just by your sunken cheeks alone. I also want to ensure nothing dangerous has come from your universe to ours."

It took the woman a second to grasp what he said, and that was only after her son elbowed her lightly making her snap out of her haze and nod her head, "That's fair. If you'd be so kind as to lead the way, I'd like to sort everything out as fast as possible." She said, making Croaker nod his head and stand up.

"Follow me." He said.

Harriette rose from her seat and offered her hand to her son, waiting until he stood up and grabbed her hand before following the man out of his office.

As they made their way through the winding halls of the Department of Mysteries, people who were walking around gave them funny looks but a quick glare from Harriette made them turn and look the other way, afraid of the white haired woman's glare.
As they should be.

"Is there anything I should be made aware of?" The sudden question from Croaker made Harriette raise a brow and glance at him from the corner of her eye.

"Don't play coy with me, if you're another universe's Harry Potter, you should've never seen the war at it's height." He whispered so no one walking around could hear them, "How you act though...how you hold yourself...It's a lot like how other wizards and witches who've fought in the war act. How Mad-Eye acts."

Harriette hummed, "Observant." She said before answering his question, "You're not wrong. Things escalate pretty quickly out of control. Don't worry though, I don't plan on it getting that bad this time around."

"It's Voldemort, isn't it?"

Harriette glanced at him before turning back and staring straight ahead of them, "If you need me to answer that than this world is even dumber than mine." She said, making Teddy snicker under his breath.

Harriette looked at her son out of the corner of her eye, green irises shining in amusement as a smirk slid across her face, "Something funny Teddy?" She asked, making her son shake his head.

"Nope, nothing at all." He said, all too quickly with a faux innocent tone of voice making fondness swell up inside of her heart.

Gods she loved her kid...
The woman hummed, "That's what I thought." She said before turning her attention back to Croaker, "You said healer. I didn't know of any healer down in the DoM in my world." She said before clicking her tongue, "Of course I wasn't really that popular with many people at the Ministry in my world. Probably had something to do with me burning the place down. Honestly, you save everyone from certain death and people just turn on you." Harriette shook her head, "Unbelievable. That's why I hate people. Can't stand them."

Her 9 year old son looked up at her with a small grin, "You don't hate everyone mom. Just the stupid ones."

Harriette huffed under her breath before she glanced at the boy with a raised eyebrow, trying to stay stern even though his comment amused her greatly, "Watch your language young man. What have I said about calling names?"

"That it's okay if it's justified?" He smiled, wide innocent eyes glancing up at her with love and affection which caused her heart to melt.

She hated when he pulled the puppy dog eyes on her.

"It's only justified if they do something bad." She corrected her son fondly, shaking her head and rolling her eyes at his knowing gaze, "Plus you shouldn't be following my example. I want you to be better than me."

Teddy's eyes softened and he gently squeezed her hand, "You're already the best mom." He replied truthfully, not a single lie in his tone, merely love for the woman who raised him.

Croaker watched all of this play out from the corner of his eye, really taking in their dynamic for the first time.

He knew that they were close, very close but to see them interact with one another, to see their eyes glance at the other and speak without words showed just how close they were, how unbreakable their bond truly was.

It made sense, she had been caring for the boy since she was a teenager, right after a war that was swiftly approaching this timeline as well.

He could tell that the woman may have taken great care of her son, but Teddy in return took care of his mother along the way.

From one glance at Harriette, he could tell that boy saved her life...
For there was a darkness to her gaze, not just from her power, but fueled by sorrow and loss. Saul could see how much the weight of everything was pushing down on her, from all sides but in that darkness...in that pain she found something to help keep her afloat.

She found a son she never knew she needed.

To ensure a brighter future, for all of them Croaker would make sure that whatever war was approaching, whatever war that Harriette was running from, they would stop it before it got too far.

He'd help the woman in whatever way she needed, whether it be man power or information, he'd gladly give up everything to make sure Voldemort never returned.

He saw the damage the first war did, he didn't want to see what a second war would do to his home...
"Wait...did you say you burned the Ministry down?" Croaker asked suddenly, his mind catching up to what the woman said previously.

Harriette glanced at him with a raised brow, "Yeah. For years they were gunning after me, trying to put anything against me because I dabbled in the Dark Arts but, when I was their only weapon against Voldemort they let me have free rain, until the end of the war that is. It came to a heel when Teddy's grandmother died. The Minister showed up at the funeral and tried to take my son away from me, saying I wasn't fit to raise him. I killed him where he stood. After that we went on the run."

"And you burned the Ministry down why?"

His question made Harriette's eyes darken, "They killed someone important to me. The only person left besides Teddy who cared so...well, can't say I feel any remorse for those poor excuses of witches and wizards." She said, making Croaker swallow thickly.

To hear her say how she burned the Ministry down, their government so casually...
Well he'd be lying if he said it didn't make him just a smidge more wary of this alternative version of Harry Potter.

What had made her so...cold towards death? What made her not care about another's life, where she'd willingly take another's soul just because they wronged her?

He's...not sure he wants to know.
"So...you never answered my question about the healers." Harriette said, making Saul shake his head and clear his throat, getting back on track.

"Right. Well normally we don't have any, at least not ones on call today. It just so happens though that this one is from St Mungo's. She's here today training some of the newer staff that work up in the hospital wing but we call her from time to time when things need a bit more...discretion." He said, unknowingly his words making Harriette frown as dread started to creep up her spine.

She knew of a witch that also worked at St Mungo's in her world.

Before she had retired to help her raise Teddy...
"You said, she...Who is this healer?" She asked, trying to sound confident on the outside but inside she was panicking.

She...she wasn't ready to see—
"Healer Tonks of course. She's the best of the best and can keep a secret. I'm guessing you'll want that type of treatment, yes?" Croaker said, Harriette, who was trying so very hard not to panic could only nod her head to answer him.

The thing that broke her out of her own stupor was Teddy. His hand gripping ahold of hers tighter than he usually would, making the woman push all other emotions down.

She could worry about herself later, right now Teddy needed his mother.

He needed support for he was about to meet an alternative version of his grandma.

So the white haired witch squeezed his hand back and started to rub patterns across the back of his palm to try and calm him down, which seemed to work for only after a few seconds she felt as his muscles began to release all the pent up tension.

They could do this, together...
Sooner than either Peverell would've liked, the three of them arrived at where Harriette assumed was the Hospital wing of the ministry, or at least a section of it.

After they walked into the room, Croaker gestured for her and Teddy to sit down on one of the couches while he walked up to the receptionist. Harriette watched as he whispered something to the young woman and she quickly nodded before heading on back further into the room.

"Come on you two, Healer Tonks will meet us in here." He said, walking over to a door off to the right of the room that strictly said employees only.

Keeping a firm grip on Teddy's hand, Harriette followed Croaker into the room and they walked down the pristine white hallway until they got to the end where there was a private room already open and waiting for them.

"Come on, no time to waste." He said, gently pushing the both of them into the room before shutting it behind them.

"Touch me again, and you'll lose that hand. Got it?" Harriette said in a sickly sweat tone of voice but her eyes betrayed how she really felt for Croaker could see an edge to her gaze that made a shiver run down his spine.

"Understood." He said, raising his hands in surrender as he walked over to the back wall and leaned against it as they waited for the healer.

The woman sighed under her breath before she nudged her son's shoulder towards the hospital bed, "Come on, let's go sit down." She said softly, causing Teddy to nod and lead the way over to the bed.

Once they sat down on it side by side Harriette kept a calming hand on the boy's knee as they all waited in silence. As soon as she was settled down though, she waved her hand in the air and allowed her magic to traverse the room, looking for any type of listening charms.

When she found none, she huffed and pulled her magic back into her body and was content to wait for...for healer Tonks to arrive but a sudden hum from the Director of the DoM drew her attention.

"You're not really trustworthy, are you?" He asked, making the woman glare at him.

"Me and my son have been hunted down for three years, people who we once called our friends coming after us just because of the power I wield and I have been betrayed by everyone in my life so yes, yes Saul I have a bit of a trust issue with others. Believe me, if you were in my shoes, if you had gone through what I had then you would be in the same boat as well."

Croaker wisely didn't say anything after that, not wanting to a anger the woman any more and was willing to let them all wait in silence. Much to the dread of both mother and son though, it wasn't three minutes later that the woman who they both were dreading to see again walked into the room.

Her curly brown hair, stormy grey eyes that could pierce anyone's soul and high cheek bones that weren't sunken down like the last time they had saw her.

She was young...and alive.

Andromeda looked exactly how Harriette remembered her, give or take a decade of aging.

"Now Saul, what have your brought me today?" Andromeda said, her grey eyes looking over the newcomers with obvious interest behind her gaze. Once that look washed over Teddy though, he shrunk into himself and hid behind his mother's frame, causing Andi's gaze to soften.

"Two patients, a full work up." He said, not giving anymore information on the subject.

If Andromeda was annoyed by his short response she didn't show it, the witch merely raised a questioning brow at him before moving closer to her patients, "Well then, who should I start with first?" She asked before turning her head to look at the woman, "Do you mind if I look after your son first?" She asked.

Harriette swallowed thickly before responding to the woman, "You can check out my son first just..." She trailed off, the first time since arriving that she seemed to be at a loss for words.

But Andromeda merely nodded, smiling softly at the mother of one, "It's alright. I promise I'll be as quick as can be about it." She said, noting the look of hesitance on Harriette's face as she got closer and closer to her son.

She didn't know what had happened, but the mother was clearly very protective of her boy.

Making sure she exaggerated her movements, for both of their sake as she walked up closer to the boy, she waved her wand and performed diagnostic spells on the child and after a moment of waiting, she frowned at the results.

"Definitely malnourished, you'll be needing to stay on a nutrient potion for at least a month and even though I haven't checked you yet young lady, I suspect you'll need to stay on one for longer just by how sunken your cheeks are. And don't even get me started on your arms. I can practically see the bones sticking out of them." Andi said, making Teddy turn and glare at his mother meanwhile Harriette was pouting.

"Young lady. I'm 27 years old." She grumbled under her breath but before anyone could comment on what she said, Teddy spoke up.

"I told you you should've eaten more of the food mom. We should've split it, fifty fifty!" He exclaimed with a frown along his face, making his mother turn to look at him, Harriette noting the distraught look behind his eyes.

She sighed, "And I told you Teddy, that it's my job as your mother to keep you safe. You needed the food more than me and it wasn't like I was going to starve myself, I was merely making sure you got all the energy a growing boy like yourself needs, especially with those metamorphmagus abilities of yours." She said, reaching over to lift her hand to cup his cheek.

"But you have that too!" He said, pouting up at her, "You need
the energy to use your abilities as well, to protect us."

Harriette raised an eyebrow at him, "I don't change my appearance and stay with that morph all day long. You on the other hand do."

"You're both Metamorphmagi?" Andi asked with a raised eyebrow, a small smile making its way across her face as she wrote something down on her clipboard, "My daughter is one too. Although, I'm convinced metamorphmagi have excess energy levels over normal witches and wizards because let me tell you, she was not easy to handle as a child." She said, making Harriette snort in amusement.

"Tell me about it, this one was up the walls when he was little." She said, making Teddy pout and cross his arms over his chest while Andi chuckled. "He definitely gets that from his mama. She was also a metamorphmagus." Harriette said softly, a soft, fond smile spreading across her face at the thought of her late friend.

She wishes Teddy could've met his mother.

Andromeda stopped writing and glanced at them in shock, "Two metamorphmagi parents? I've never heard of anything like that before. What are the chances?" Andi mused, making Harriette shake her head and explain.

"No well, yes but that's not what I meant. Teddy isn't biologically mine. I was friends with his Mom, who was a metamorphmagus and she made me his Godmother before she passed away." She admitted, "I was seventeen at the time when I took him in. Only three months old. A few years later I blood adopted him, replacing his...donor so he technically is the child of two metamorphmagi, due to the adoption." She said, unable to get the sneer off her face at the mention of Teddy's...father and she used that term quite loosely.

Andi rose an eyebrow at her, "I take it you weren't a fan of this...donor?" She asked but her tone alone indicated that she already knew the answer.

"Let's just say...the man wasn't all he was cracked up to be." She said.

There was a point where she had been very fond of Remus, especially during her third year at Hogwarts. He had taught her the Patronus charm after all, and that had essentially saved her life along with Sirius and Hermione.

But he had known her parents, he had been close to them and for him to just...ignore her, for him to just go about his life and keep pushing her away...well it was unacceptable.

She didn't care if he was a werewolf, she didn't care that once a month he turned into a beast that couldn't control himself.

She had wanted to feel closer to her parents, but the only one who was willing to talk about them was Sirius.

But he...he had been killed, and she had lost that one last connection to her parents.

An eye for an eye though, she had killed Bellatrix for what she did. Chased right after her and flung the torture curse at her, watching as she fell to the ground and stared screaming in agony.

Harriette had been pleased, watching the woman who took her godfather away from her suffer, she had wanted payback, revenge for what she had done.

So after she was done playing with her, she had shot the killing curse out of her wand to end it without a second of hesitation.
No more Bellatrix.
Her first kill that she had actually meant...
Andromeda hummed as she finished her report about Teddy, "Nothing else seems to be amiss. Like I said you'll need to stay on the potions for at least a month but my scans came back positive, you have all the necessary vaccines in your system that a young boy should have so there really isn't any cause for concern." She said, finishing writing her notes before tearing the parchment from the clipboard and setting off to the side, "I'm be sure to get everything in order for you to take home with you once I'm done checking you up ma'am." She said.

"Please, my name is Harriette. Ma'am makes me feel old." She said, making Andi smirk at her.

"Well then my name is Andromeda Tonks, pleasure to meet you." She said, offering her hand for the younger woman to take.

Harriette only hesitated for a moment before grasping her hand and shaking it back, "Lady Harriette Peverell."

Andi's eyes widened as the both pulled their hands back from the other, "Peverell? I thought they married into the Potter line generations ago?"

Harriette hummed, "We did. To ensure Britain thought we were gone though, my family changed their last name. We've been hiding our true selves for years, waiting to return when the time felt right." She said.

"And that time is now?"

Harriette pursed her lips, taking a moment to collect herself before speaking again, "I lost everything to the war. My parents...my friends...my innocence...my self." She whispered, swallowing thickly before continuing, "I was betrayed at every step of the way. No one knew who I was, but If they had...if they knew I was a Peverell...they would've hesitated because of the weight my name carries. They would've thought twice before doing what they did to me."

She looked up at both Andromeda and Croaker, eyes blazing, "I refuse to turn my back on family...like what happened to me. I refuse to watch as my home burns to the ground, crumbles under the weight of its own corruption."

"The Peverell's are back, and I'm going to ensure that everyone knows that."

Andromeda narrowed her eyes and searched her face for something. After a minute though, she spoke up hesitantly but her tone was mixed with an ounce of hope, "When you say family..."

Harriette nodded her head, "Yes. I mean Harry Potter. He is of my ancestors blood which makes him family. I'll find him and ensure he's protected, even if I have to go through Dumbledore to make sure of it."

Andromeda sighed in relief, "Thank Merlin. You don't know how long I've been trying to find that boy. I've never been convinced he was safe, even after the many times Dumbledore...ensured me he was."
"Don't worry, I have a pretty good lead to where he is. But let's not talk about that yet, I believe you still need to do my work up, yes?"

Andi nodded, "Right. Hold still, this won't hurt a bit." She said, waving her wand and casting charms on her like she had Teddy but this time when they lit up, her frown was much more pronounced.

"Severe malnourishment, old bones that were broken and healed at a wrong angle, faint traces of dark magic on your forehead, but from what I can tell it's now fully gone. And that's not even the concerning part. There's faint traces of venom in your bloodstream, along with Phoenix tears." Andi said, making Harriette hum.

"Yeah. The malnourishment is from living in a tent for three years, trying to find as much food as possible for my son. Those bones are from a lot of different things, accidents, old battles and...some of them inflicted on me by those that some people might call family." She said, not noticing the looks of growing horror on Andi and Croaker's face, "The dark magic from my forehead was because some sicko placed a Horcrux inside of me. But it's gone now. The venom is from a basilisk and the Phoenix tears is what saved my life." She said, making Teddy burrow into her side as she listed all of the things that had happened to her.

"Basilisk venom?" Andi asked faintly.

"Yup, nasty that stuff is." Harriette shook her head, "Luckily there was a Phoenix nearby that trusted me or else I would've been a goner."

"Yeah, that's terrible and all, but I'd like to go back to where you said you were a Horcrux." Saul demanded, eyes wide as he stared at the woman who's been through so much.

He knew what a Horcrux was, he knew what they did.

And seeing as how he knew who she was... add in the fact that he now knew for certain Voldemort wasn't dead and the Horcrux...
Harriette subtly nodded her head towards him, making him curse internally. He'd need to speak with a few people to see if he could learn more about these dark objects.

Because if she was a Horcrux...that meant that there was a good chance this Harry Potter was a Horcrux.

He'd definitely need to speak with a few of his colleagues on what's the best approach going forward.

"How...how are you even alive?" The whispered comment drew everyone's attention back to the healer, noting that she was staring at the woman with saddened eyes, her wand held loosely in her palm.

"Stubbornness." Harriette said softly, "Not willing to back down from a fight and...having something to fight for is a good motivator." She said, glancing down at her son with a soft smile, making him beam up at his mother and hug her around her middle.
"I love you too mom." He said softly, making Harriette sigh under her breath and lean down to press a kiss to his head.
"I love you more." She murmured, making a small smile spread across Andromeda's face as the sight of the bond before her.

They both were adorable together.

Giving them a moment to themselves, Andromeda busied herself with writing down everything the mother of one would need to help her get back to a healthy state.

Once she saw Harriette pull away from her son, she spoke back up, "I'm going to set you on a potion regime that will fix all of those past problems for you. Ones that will heal your weakened bones, nutrition and supplement potions to help with your malnourishment and a purging potion that will hopefully take care of any remnant of the Basilisk's venom in your body. There's also signs of magical binds having been on your core, but they've since been broken and your magic is healing that so there's not much I can do there." She said before continuing on, "You will have to take these potions until the end of summer if you have any wish to be at a healthy level again. Your son can stop his potions at the end of July."

Harriette nodded her head, "Got it. Anything else?"

Andromeda shook her head, "Nope, although I would like to see your son once next year and again before he heads to Hogwarts in two years. Just to ensure he has all his vaccines before he hands to Scotland." She said, making Harriette hum.

"Alright, thank you Andromeda. Seriously, I appreciate what you're doing for us."

The healer shook her head, "You don't have to thank me Harriette, it's my job to take care of my patients." She smiled, causing the single mother to smile back.

"If you're done healer Tonks, might I interject?" Croaker asked, making Andi gesture with her hand towards the two of them.

"Be my guest." She said, causing Saul to turn and look at the Peverell matriarch.

"I know you wanted to head to Gringotts today, but I can see you both are tired. We have small apartments that people at the Ministry use every now and then. I can get you one down in the DoM if you'd wish to rest for the night." He said, making Harriette purse her lips in thought.

She glanced down at her son and saw how his eyes were falling shut every few seconds which ultimately made the decision for her, "Fine, but first thing tomorrow we go. I don't want to be here longer than necessary." She said, causing Croaker to wince which in turn made Harriette narrow her eyes.

"What?" She questioned, making the man sigh.

"Is it safe to assume you didn't take any NEWT's or anything equivalent to them while you were hiding?" He asked.

Harriette glared at him, "After the war I took care of my 3 month old godson. I was seventeen, didn't really see a need to go back to school when I had a baby that relied on me."

Croaker raised his hands in surrender, "It was just a question. I was asking because it would probably be best for you to take some of those tests. It would give you more opportunities to get a job and help your son out in the long run. I can have testers here tomorrow for you, if you're interested." He said.

"And who's gonna watch Teddy?" She asked rhetorically, "In case you didn't hear me, I don't have anyone here who knows me and everyone I trusted with Teddy is dead."

"I could watch him for you, if that's alright." The sudden reply from Andromeda made both Peverell's turn to look at her, shock behind both of their eyes.

"Andi...you don't have to do that, you...you just met us." Harriette said softly, her old nickname for the woman slipping out but the healer before her merely smiled at the sound of it.

"And you've already told me how you plan to get Harry back. That alone is enough for me to trust you. You're the only one who's been willing to go against Dumbledore to take back the boy. The least I could do is watch your son for a day. Plus, I'm off tomorrow so it works out perfectly." She shrugged.
Harriette bit her lip and thought it over in her head for a moment. She knew, realistically that she had no reason to worry. Andromeda, no matter what universe she was in was an amazing woman and would be the only person she trusted to watch Teddy.

But at the same time...it had only been the two of them for years. She didn't want to leave her son when she didn't have to.

Was it a bit unhealthy to have such a codependent relationship with her son?

Probably, especially if he was going to go to Hogwarts in two years, especially if they were going to try and be normal but Rome wasn't built in a day.

These types of things, her instincts and thoughts that she's been harboring for years would take time to balance out to a new norm.

Which means she could be as clingy as she normally was with Teddy...
Harriette sighed and turned her head to look at her son, "What do you think? Would you care if you stayed with Andromeda tomorrow while I deal with a few things?" She asked softly, resting her hand on the back of his head with a knowing glint behind her green eyes.

She knew what she was asking of Teddy, to spend the day with an alternate version of his grandma who had died years ago.

But at the moment...she didn't really have a choice.

Teddy glanced up at her before turning to look at Andromeda, the healer smiling gently at the boy to try and help sooth him which made him smile back softly.

"Okay." He nodded his head slowly, "I can stay with Healer Tonks as long as you promise to make one of those special meals you used to make when I was a kid." He teased, making Harriette chuckle.

"You've got yourself a deal little man." The woman said fondly, an amused grin across her face as she turned to look at Andromeda, "Thank you. Seriously, this means the world to me."

Andi merely shook her hand dismissively, "Nonsense, I'm merely helping a very kind mother and her equally amazing son. Plus, you've agreed to help Harry. This is the least I can do." She said before an amused look appeared behind her grey eyes, "How about you both come by for supper at my place? Teddy will already be there so you and I can trade cooking skills with one another while my husband occupies Teddy."

Harriette sighed under her breath, "You're not going to take no for an answer, are you?" She asked, making Andromeda smirk.

"Not likely."

"Okay, fine." Harriette nodded her head, "If you wouldn't mind taking him sometime after breakfast, I'll probably stay busy all day with the stupid tests and then sorting everything out at Gringotts."
Andromeda merely smiled back, "That's fine. It'll be nice having someone else in the house. Ever since my daughter grew up, things have been a lot less chaotic. I'm sure my husband will love the company."

Harriette hummed as she stood up from the bed and offered her hand for Teddy to take. Once his hand was within hers, she gently pulled him off the mattress until he was standing beside her.

"Well I think we should get going, big day tomorrow. If you could have all those potions ready for us tomorrow evening Andi, that would be appreciated." She said, making Andromeda nod her head after taking note of something on her clipboard.

"Will do. Where will the two of you be staying?" She asked.

Harriette pursed her lips, "Haven't gotten that far yet. I have to see if there are any Peverell properties Gringotts has on file. If there is I'll take one of them. If not?...Well we'll cross that bridge when it comes." She said before turning to look at Croaker, "Can you show us to that apartment now? We've been walking all day before arriving here and I could use some shut eye...And I know you can too little man." She said, glancing at her son who was about five seconds away from passing out.

As soon as she said that, Teddy yawned making Harriette smile fondly at him, "I could sleep." He replied, making the others in the room chuckle.
"Come on, I'll show you two to your room." Saul said, walking towards the door to lead them out of the hospital wing.

"Alright, thanks Andi, for everything. Teddy, what do you say?" Harriette said, raising a brow at her son.

"Thanks healer Tonks!" He said with a small smile, making the older woman smile back.

"It was my pleasure young man. And please, call me Andi." She said. "I'll have everything ready tomorrow when you stop by for supper and Harriette, I very much am looking forward to seeing your cooking skills." Andi grinned, causing the young woman to huff.

"I'll be there."

"You can stop by the Ministry around nine tomorrow morning Madam Tonks. I'll make sure everything is ready with those tests by nine thirty for you Lady Peverell and Andromeda here can pick up Teddy." Saul said who was standing by the door waiting to lead them to the apartment.

"Sounds good. See you two tomorrow." Andi waved, causing the mother and son duo to wave back as they left the room and followed Croaker down to their apartment building.

An hour later, Harriette walked out of the adjacent bathroom to their temporary apartment and couldn't help the fondness and warmth that spread across her body at the sight before her.

Laying down on the one bed in the corner of the room, Teddy was already fast asleep with a blanket that the white haired witch had brought along with them, a blanket that she had made a year ago for his birthday.

Harriette smiled, brushing a stray curl behind her ear before she too walked towards the bed. She slowly crawled up the bed and onto the other side before reaching out and gently dragging her son to rest against her front.

Teddy hummed softly in sleep and buried himself against her sleep shirt, wrapping his arms around her waist and making her heart practically burst with love.

"I promise my love, you will grow up in a better world than our previous one." She whispered into the silent room, leaning down to press a lingering kiss to his head.

"No matter what, I'll make sure of it. Even if I have to tear through every pure blooded family to do so."

With one last kiss to his head, Harriette closed her eyes and allowed sleep to overtake her body as she kept her son close to her, protecting him even in sleep.

There was lots to do, now that they were in this new world but she could rest easy knowing that her son was now safe in a world they weren't constantly being hunted in.

At least...for now.

----- CHAPTER BREAK -----

Harriette stared at her reflection in the bathroom mirror, hands absentmindedly tracing her naked body, soft skin unblemished by scars from years of battles and abuse.

She's never seen her skin so...clear before, so perfect...
Every last mark across her skin was gone, every scrape and scar a reminder of all the pain she had endured.

Gone...
She had been too high on adrenaline yesterday to notice, to focused on keeping Teddy safe above all else while in this new world to really notice but the proof was clear as day right before her.

Not a single scar in sight. No lashes on her back from the abuse she suffered at the Dursley's, no burns going up the side of her hip from outflying that Horntail back in fourth year, no Lightning bolt scar, hell not even a faded outline of it...
No slash against her right wrist...
Her skin looked to be as untouched as the day she was born, not a thing out of place.

Harriette sighed under her breath, trying to keep her breathing calm as she finally turned away from the mirror and walked over to the shower. She turned on the faucet and stepped in, sighing as the hot water started flowing down her body.

After the day she had, a hot shower was very much appreciated.

After waking up, Teddy and her had breakfast before Andi came over to pick up her son. After making her son promise to behave, she reluctantly parted from him, unable to quench the slight worry and panic she carried around now that they had been separated.

It had only been them for so long, suddenly having Teddy not with her was staggering to say the least.

She didn't have much time to ponder on it though, for true to his word Croaker had gotten the testers and booked out the entire morning for her to take her NEWT's that hopefully wouldn't suck.

Spending a year in a tent with Hermione though, while trying to teach her son new things she was bound to pick up on her best friend's mannerisms at one point. During that year she had read as much as she could to try and pass the time and surprisingly as she went though each test, she found the material very easy for her to understand and she could answer the questions with ease.

It was only after lunch that she had finally taken her last test, the ones that she was willing to take that is.

She definitely didn't take no potions or history exam, for obvious reasons. Snape hated her guts, reminding him too much of her mother that it had hurt to be around her so he took his anger and frustration out on her and history...
Well, no one paid attention in Binns class.

After her tests though and sayings a quick goodbye to Saul, the man promising to send her scores to her once he got them the woman then went off to Gringrotts to settle her affairs and see what she needed to do now that she was Head of House Peverell.

She was stuck in that bank, for four hours...
Going over her assets, properties she owned and investments. It was all so very boring to her but she knew she had to do it, if she wanted to make a home here for herself and Teddy she had to get all this boring stuff out of the way first.

Much to her amusement, she learned that the Peverell's had an entire vault full of Galleons and heirlooms.

A vault, she had already looted back in her timeline.

The contents of all the vault she owned back in her world was still safely tucked away in her expandable trunk that remained attached to her belt, all the heirlooms, Family Grimmore, money and even the lord, lady and heir rings for the Potter's, Black's and the Peverell's, the Lady ring for the Peverell's still safely nestled onto her pointer finger.

Her account manager did wonder how she had gotten the Lady ring when the original was still inside the vault, but she had made up an excuse about her father having one custom made for her mother and the goblin seemed to have bought it.

Her manager, Alkor then went over the properties listed he had on file but unfortunately she only owned land around Britain, no actual houses were built seeing as how the original home of the Peverell Family was destroyed centuries ago.

So she was back to square one for living arrangements for her and Teddy, but she'd think of something.

If she did decided to build a home from scratch, she knew she wanted it to be made by muggles, knowing that in ten years times electricity would advance and phones and computers would become even bigger and better so she had to find some muggle contractors for that.

Alkor had kindly given her a card with the number of a company that the goblins use for similar purposes. It was a muggle contractor that would gladly help her for the right price, or so Alkor said.

She had looked at all the land she owned and one property had caught her eye. It was Southwest of London over in Somerset. There was a beautiful piece of land right on the coast, easy access to the water, ancient woods surrounding the perimeter of the entire property and a nice huge open space for a house to be built.

Once she had saw the pictures, hey eyes had lit up and she knew, without a shadow of a doubt, without looking at the other ones that she wanted to raise her son there.

It was perfect.

She already had a name for the place, The Peverell Villa .

Oh there was so much room too. Enough to eventual have a small pool, a hot tub and don't even get her started on the beautiful shrubbery around the land.

She'd have to call that Muggle contractor soon, as soon as she had plans for the house laid out because she knew it would take awhile to build, especially the normal way without magic but she truly couldn't wait.

She wanted her own home where Teddy and she could make new memories, together.

By the time all of that was done though, and after she had set up Teddy's Hogwarts funds for when he started school in two years she had left the bank and quickly went back to the Ministry apartment Saul had given her to shower.

Which brought her right back to the present.

She wanted to look somewhat presentable for the dinner tonight, so after washing up, she went through her clothes to find a decent outfit to wear.

She decided on a pair of high waisted jeans, a brown leather belt, some trainers, a standard white t-shirt and her Basilisk scale jacket.

Once she made sure everything was in order and all of her and Teddy's stuff was safely shrunken and placed in the protective pocket of her jacket, she then walked out of the door and shut it before apparating away to the Muggle village Andromeda told her they lived at.

All the while unable to push down the slight anxiety she felt going to have dinner with the Tonks...

Teddy giggled as he listened to Andi and her husband, Ted bicker back and forth, his smile not once having left his face since he arrived at the Tonk's residence that morning.

He's really enjoyed his time with them today. Sure he misses his mom, it's been just them for so long that not having her right by his side is a little scary but spending time with alternate versions of his grandparents was an opportunity Teddy didn't want to squander.
It was also nice to meet the man he was named after.
"I'm telling you, it wasn't me!" Speaking of the man, the sudden exclamation from Ted made the little boy laugh all the more harder meanwhile Andi was gazing at her husband flatly, "I'm serious Dromeda! I didn't touch your spices."

The brown haired witch rolled her eyes fondly, "Honestly Ted, who else would it be? Our daughter is at the academy day in and day out training with Alastor so it isn't her. Are you accusing sweet innocent Teddy here, who has only been here for the day of moving my cooking supplies?" She asked with a raised eyebrow, moving over to the giggling child to rest a hand on the back of his head and softly running her nimble fingers through his black curls making him subtly lean into her touch.
The witch smiled at the action but kept her stern expression on her face while looking into her husband's eyes. After a moment of silence, Ted sighed and shook his head.

"I can never win." He bemoaned, trying his hardest not to let a smile break our across the face when his dramatics merely made the young boy continue laughing, "This is what happens when you live in a household of all women Teddy, you know what I'm talking about right?!"

Teddy grinned up at the man, "Not really. It's always been mom, her best friend and me. Even when grandma lived with us before she died it was pretty tame. That's...probably due to the war...mom...my aunt and grandma were still grieving." He said, his tone now taking on a somber note as he continued, "After grandma died...some bad people found out about mom, and how she had me. We both were hunted down which is why we've been living in a tent these past few years." He said, making the adults drop their playful bickering at the change of subject, the hand that Andromeda still had atop Teddy's hair rubbing soothing patterns against his scalp much like his mom did when he was nervous or sacred about anything.

"Were...were the people after you, Death Eaters?" Andi asked softly, but there was a hesitant frown spreading across her face the more Teddy started to reveal.

The little boy looked up at the woman with pursed lips, "Some. Others were just people who didn't like how mom...took care of things." He admitted softly, making Andi and Ted share a glance over the boy's head.

They could both hear the unspoken things Teddy wasn't saying. Like how he wasn't getting into detail about what his mom did, or who exactly was after them.

They could infer the rest though, especially knowing that their last name was Peverell.

That name carried weight in the wizarding world, everyone knew about the tale of the three brothers but it was more than that.

The Peverell's were the unofficial family of Britain that kept the peace so to speak. They would use any tools available to them to hunt down bad witches and wizards. They didn't care what type of blood you had or if you were a creature, if you harmed innocent lives, then you'd feel the Peverell's Wrath.

That was one of the reasons people speculated that Voldemort went after the Potters, because of their ties to the Peverell's. The last family in Britain who were descendants from them.

It seemed though, they were all wrong...
Even though she had just met Harriette, Andromeda could tell that the Head of House Peverell was exactly as the stories of old depicted a Peverell to be like.
It was her eyes that gave it way, the horrors she's seen, the things she's had to do.

Andi knew the moment she saw the woman she's killed people before.

But she also knew how much of a loving, attentive mother she was to her son.

Some people might have something to say about her, some people might accuse her of being bad but Andi knew the truth.

She knew that the woman she saw in the hospital bay yesterday, the wary, untrustworthy, paranoia filled shell of a soldier was just a face, a face she's had to construct from a young age to survive the war.

The real Harriette was the one she saw with Teddy, the one who smiled so wide when her son was beside her, the one who wasn't afraid to lean down to press a soft kiss to his forehead and the one who would throw herself in front of him to protect her son at all cost.

Harriette was a good mom, a great mom actually.

That's who she was.
"You said Aunt...What, what happened to her? If you don't mind me asking." The sudden question from her husband broke Andi out of her head as she glanced down at the boy who seemingly deflated at the man's words.

"She...she was murdered two years ago. She was living with us in the tent. Mom and her went out to get supplies from a nearby village when they were ambushed. She...she never saw it coming. At least, according to mom." Teddy said softly, a stray tear leaking from his eye at the thought of Hermione.

He knew she was alive here, that she wasn't dead but his Hermione...his aunt was. This one was only a few years older than him.

She'd never be his aunt again, not like she was back in their world.

"I'm, guessing your mother didn't take kindly to that." Ted replied back equally as soft making Teddy offer the man a sad smile in return.

"Mom has lost everyone she's cared about in life. People have betrayed her at every step of the journey for her so she finds it hard to let people in. Even harder to trust them. When she lost her best friend... the one person who remained loyal to her for years, it was bad." He whispered, "She...she only has me now so she'll do whatever it takes to make sure I'm healthy and safe now that she has the chance."

Andi hummed, "Even if those methods are...frowned upon by other people." She said knowingly, making Teddy shrug.

"That's how mom is. She protects with every fiber of her being. She doesn't give people another chance to hurt us."

"Yeah...I don't want this to come off the wrong way, but with how things are looking out there we might need that type of thinking pretty soon." Ted murmured under his breath, causing Andi to frown.

"My husband, despite his lack of tact is right." She said, a smirk sliding across her face when Ted gasped in mock outrage but she ignored him for now and continued on, "Pureblood's are gaining more rights where everyone else is losing them. We need a strong presence fighting for what's right, not what's easy. And from what I can tell, your mother is just the right person for that."

Teddy bit his lip to try and keep his laughter from bubbling out of his throat, "My mom hates politics. She's more of a...curse first ask questions never type of person." He said, making Ted laugh while Andi's lips twitched up in amusement.

"Be that as it may, your mother's name holds power, yours too. Whether she likes it or not, people will listen to her. People will fear her and some...will try and take that support away from her. But...your mother seems like the type of woman who doesn't scare easily."

"Definitely." Teddy nodded his head, but before anyone could say anything else there was a knock on the front door and Andi felt a wave of magic ripple across the wards.

"That would be your mother now Teddy. Why don't you go open the door for her? I'm sure she'd like to see a familiar face." Andromeda said, causing the boy to bolt from his seat at the dinner table and over towards the door, making Ted and Andi both laugh as they got up and followed him at a more relaxed pace.
As soon as Teddy got to the door, he pulled it opened and practically jumped into his mother's arms, causing the woman on the other side of the door to laugh as she effortlessly caught the boy.

"Hey little man, did you miss me?" Harriette asked in amusement, love and warmth radiating from her emerald gaze as she hugged her son right against her chest.

Teddy pulled away to stare up at his mother with a blinding smile, "Of course I missed you." He replied back softly causing the woman's insides to melt.

Harriette's smile widened as she heard his words, "Well I missed you too." She said, gently booping his nose drawing a giggle from the nine year old, "Come on, let's go inside and shut the door. We don't want to let all the bugs in." She said, maneuvering them into the house so she could shut the door.

Once she did so, the white haired witch looked up at Andi and Ted who were standing a few feet away and smiled at them, "Thank you for watching him today. It definitely made the day easier on me." She said, making Andi wave her off dismissively.

"Nonsense! No thanks are needed Harriette, little Teddy was an excellent helper today and he was a blast to have around." She said, making Ted grin from beside her.

"Indeed he was. The house was a lot more livelier with a kid around again. Reminds me of Dora when she was younger." He said fondly before stepping up and offering the Harriette his hand, "I believe we haven't met yet. I'm Ted Tonks, pleasure to meet you Mrs Peverell."

The white haired witch smiled softly and took his hand "Please, the pleasure is mine. You can call me Harriette Mr Tonks, Mrs Peverell makes me feel old." She joked, making the man laugh.

"Then that's Ted to you Harriette, it goes both ways."

Harriette smirked, "Whatever you say...Mr Tonks." She said, winking at him causing both Teddy and Andi to laugh while Ted pouted.

"Rude." He grumbled, making his wife gently pat his back with a small smirk across her face.

"You'll live." She said before turning to look at Harriette, "How about you and I head on into the kitchen and start dinner while the boys entertain themselves. I'd very much like to see your cooking skills in action." She said.

The younger witch looked down at her son with a raised brow, silently asking him what he wanted. There was no hesitation across his face as he smiled back and nodded, "That's fine, go cook with Andi mom. I'll stay with Ted." He said, making the woman quietly sigh in relief under her breath as she nodded.

It seemed her son was doing great here, for the first time in years she couldn't see any tension around his shoulders. He was completely relaxed around both Ted and Andi and something inside of her broke and mended itself all in the same second.

She's so glad that her son could finally let go, that he could finally rest without worrying about them having to hide or leave an area due to it being too dangerous.

He could be a kid for the first time in years...
And that thought warmed her down to the very bone.
"Alright, call if you need anything alright?" She asked, causing her son to nod his head.

"Go it!" He exclaimed, making Harriette sigh fondly as she leaned down to press a lingering kiss to his head before pulling away, but not before she ruffled his black curls atop his head making him squawk in protest.

"Mom!!!!"

Harriette and Andi chuckled as they walked down the hallway to the kitchen while the boys headed off into the living room. As soon as the women were away, the older witch turned and rose an eyebrow at her.

"So how did it go? Did you get everything in order?" She asked, walking over to the counter to clean it off so it was germ free while they made dinner.

Harriette sighed, "Most of it. Tests are done, Teddy's funds are squared away and I have a property that's perfect. The only problem is there's nothing built there yet, so I'll need to hire some contractors to built a home for us from scratch."

"You going for Muggle contractors?" Andi asked with a titled head, "Any particular reason? If you used magic you could be done way quicker."

"I know, but I want all the standard muggle appliances in our home. I was raised muggle, it's how I'm used to living. Once I've made the plans and handed them off, I'll have to wait until it's built to add in the wards around the property. Even still, with what I had in mind it'll take over a year to build." She said, leaning back against the counter with pursed lips.
The elder witch frowned as she washed her hands, "Where will you and Teddy be staying then?"

"I...don't know. I was thinking we could just stay in the expandable tent we've been using for years and just...camp out on one of my properties until the construction is complete." She said, her words making Andromeda sharply turn to her with a small glare.

"No." She said, voice firm with no room for argument, "No I refuse to allow such a thing to occur. A young mother raising her son needs an actual place to rest. Not a tent. We have two spare bedrooms here, Ted and I would be happy to accommodate you and Teddy till your house is finished." She said honestly, making Harriette stare at her with wide eyes.

"Andromeda...I-I couldn't do that to you! This is your home, I wouldn't want to impose upon you and Ted." She said, shaking her head in denial but inside she was insanely touched by the offer.

Back in her old world, the only ones who had really cared about her were Hermione, Tonks, her Andromeda and...and Sirius.

Dumbledore and his Order of the flaming chicken only wanted her to be their savior, only wanted her because of what she could do, they didn't care about her as a person or what she wanted.

And when she had denied them, when she had killed the Dark Lord her own way, when she had found her own way of dealing with the War by giving up any preconceived notion of Mercy and killed anyone who harmed innocents they had dropped her in an instant and betrayed her trust.

Which was why most of them had been killed by her...
The adults in her life were all loyal to Dumbledore, so they were out and her classmates dropped her as fast as the entire Wizarding World did whenever Rita Skeeter wrote a new article about her.

The Weasley's...
They were the worst of the bunch.
Lying to her for years, manipulating her and pretending to be family, friends just to get what they wanted.

The reason she had went after the red-haired witches and wizards was because after the war, she found out that Dumbledore had promised Molly a portion of her family fortune if they looked after her.

Which translated to being his spies when he couldn't...
She had found out that Dumbledore, since he had technically been her magical guardian had written up a betrothal contract between the Potter's and Weasley's too...
He had promised them her...like she was some, prized possession, some trophy wife for the youngest Weasley. Someone who she had once considered a friend had been promised he could have her to use whenever he wanted and would force her to pop out kids for them.

She would've rather died then become Ron's broodmare. A woman who he could use whenever he wanted because of some stupid contact that was made after her parents death.

Since she had been Lady of three very prominent houses, although no one knew of her being Lady Peverell in her old world she had told the goblins on no uncertain terms that the contract was null and void considering it was made without her consent, she didn't even know it existed and the most important and vital point of her argument was the fact she didn't like males that way.

Which was the most hurtful part of it all, they all had known she wasn't attracted to males for years, she had never really hidden how she stared at pretty women but they had all just ignored the signs, for how could Harriette Potter, The Girl-who-lived be gay?

When they had denied her initial request, she had threatened them with publicly stating that House Potter, Black and Peverell had lost their trust in Gringotts, knowing the fallout they'd have in the process.

After that, they had almost happily destroyed the contract right before her eyes.

They weren't pleased she threatened them, but they knew better than most witches and wizards not to mess with her.

She had then went to the Burrow and confronted them all. It just so happened to be a Weasley Sunday dinner so everyone was in attendance.

Which made it all the more satisfying.

It was as civil as it could be, considering the circumstances. She had been fine with yelling and raging at them and cutting ties completely but then...they had brought up Teddy...
She still remembers that feeling, when Molly and Ron had called her those...names. She still remembers the rage she felt when the two of them had belittled her and her sexual orientation.

She remembers the burning hot rage that settled in her bones when they had called Teddy not her son...
Hermione had been there to old her back, but just barely. She had known her better than anyone, she knew that she wouldn't let them live, not anymore.

She had burned the entire house to the ground...
Killed every last one of them and made sure she made it hurt for both Ron and Molly.

She had caused the Weasley line to go extinct that day. After it was all done, after Hermione had to practically drag them both back to Grimmauld she had broken down and cried her eyes out with how unfair it all was.

They had lied for years...
And acted like it was fine, like there was nothing wrong about selling her like a piece of meat without a single thought about what she wanted.

Everyone who had went against her well being had died, and at the end of it only a handful of people had remained, the ones who were loyal to her and liked her for who she was.

All of them were dead now though, and the only person she had left was Teddy.

That incident was the reason she had blood adopted her son though, so no one again could claim he wasn't of her blood.

She had done so in secret, but it wasn't any less official.

Teddy was hers and that was final.

The gist she was trying to get at though was everyone in her life except a select few had failed her, had cheated and lied and manipulated her at every turn.

So for this woman, this alternative version of Teddy's grandma to come out and offer her own home to house the two of them for the foreseeable future, after only having known them a day...
It made her heart both melt and clench at the kindness Andi was showing.

Andromeda, her grey eyes staring into her very soul seemed to soften, as if she could read her thoughts and she offered the woman a soft, sad smile as she walked up to her and lifted her hand to rest on Harriette's shoulder, "It's no trouble at all, I wouldn't have offered if you and your son weren't welcomed here Harriette." She said, her eyes shining truthfully at the young mother, "I don't know your story, and I may never know the full truth but I can see your eyes, I can tell you don't trust easy. Please, let me do something for you and your son, let me ease at least one burden from your shoulders." Andromeda said before her eyes turned mischievous, "Plus, If your as good of a cook as your son likes to brag about, then you can easily pay us back by wonderful home cooked meals."

Despite herself, she couldn't help the small giggle that escaped her throat, missing the pleased look crossing Andromeda's face in the process. "That boy is gonna be the death of me. He's growing up so fast. It seemed like just yesterday I was cradling him in my arms for the first time." Harriette whispered fondly.

"That's one of the worst things about being a parent. Watching your kid grow up and slowly start to become more independent." Andi agreed softly, "It's good for them, truly it is but...only a parent can relate to that wistful feeling watching as your child leaves for the first time."

"Yeah...not looking forward to that." Harriette sighed under her breath before changing the subject back to the matter at hand, "Andi...are you sure? It's really not a big deal. I'm sure I could find another solution if you don't—" The young woman wasn't even allowed to finish before the other witch cut her off.

"I'm positive." She replied firmly, "It's no trouble at all. Plus, my husband absolutely adores your son. He'll be excited to have another male around the place, especially considering how much time Ted spends home when he isn't out with a client. He'll be able to watch your son if you're ever busy."

"He's a lawyer, right?"

Andromeda nodded, "Indeed, he is. So..." She raised a pointed eyebrow at the young mother, making Harriette sigh.

She had already made her choice, seeing how Teddy relaxed here, she knew she couldn't take him out of this safe environment anymore, not when he had just started to act a little more like the excitable child he used to be before they had to go on the run.

Plus, the look Andi was giving her made all of her arguments crumble within seconds...
"Okay....okay, we'll stay." She said, making the other woman smile back at her, pleased that she had finally gotten through to the stubborn mother of one.
"Excellent, I'll be sure to make up the guest rooms after dinner then. In the meantime, how about you show me just how great of a chief you really are." She said, making Harriette grin.

"If you don't mind, I already have a recipe in mind." She said, causing Andi to gesture for her to continue, "It's a pretty simple pasta dish, so you should have everything I need but it was Teddy's favorite and I haven't been able to cook it for him in years."

Andromeda smiled, "Then by all means, let's start cooking."

The two witches worked like a well oiled machine, Andi happy to finally have someone else in the kitchen who knew what they were doing and Harriette glad for both the help and company.

For the white haired witch, it was almost like falling back into old habits with her Andi, cooking side to side in the kitchen of Grimmauld Place for Teddy, Hermione and them.

It was a comfort she didn't know she needed, or longed for until just this very moment.

It only took them a half an hour to prepare the dish, and then another twenty to combine everything and cook the pasta but once they did, a whole pot full of creamy garlic and Parmesan chicken pasta was ready to be served, with tons of leftovers considering both her and Teddy were Metamorphmagi.

"I'll go set the table and call the boys." Andromeda said from the sink as she washed her hands, "I'll come back and help bring the food out once that's done."

"Sounds good." Harriette said from her spot near the stove, stirring the giant pot full of pasta. She waited for Andi to come back a few minutes later before they both started to bring out the food.

But as soon as they stepped into the dinning room, the front door opened and the sound of a voice Harriette hadn't heard in practically a decade called out through the house.

Freezing her in place...
"Mom! Dad! You both home?" Said the voice of one Nymphadora Tonks as she kicked off her boots and ran down the hall towards the dining room, "Moody just gave the rest of the week off to all trainees after the exams so I decided to stop by and say—Ahh!" She exclaimed, rounding the corner and practically running straight into Harriette, making the white haired witch quickly throw out her arms to steady the both of them so they didn't topple over.

"Woah, you okay?" Harriette asked softly after clearing her throat and pushing down her fear of seeing one of her best friends again after so long, even though a small part of her couldn't help the fondness that swelled up inside of her at Tonk's clumsiness.

This wasn't her Tonks though, this was a younger less experienced alternate version of her friend.

She had to remember that.

The pink haired witch shook her head and straightened her body up, looking up at the woman who was in her parents house but before she could get a word in, her breath stuttered in her chest as she finally caught sight of her.

The most beautiful green eyes she's ever seen were gazing at her softly, roaming across her frame as if checking to make sure she wasn't hurt, the green as vibrant as pure emeralds shining in the moonlight.

The second thing she noticed was her hair was completely white. Not old white, but pearly white that for some reason made her heart flutter.

The third thing she noticed was how hot the woman she was currently in the arms of was.

From the gentleness of her eyes, a gaze so piercing she felt herself shudder to her soft cheeks and curvy hourglass figure.

The way those jeans hugged her legs...
She was drop dead gorgeous.

Despite herself, Dora felt a blush crawl up her neck and settle across her cheeks when her mind caught up to her that she was currently in the arms of said hot witch and she had just witnessed how clumsy she was, "Uh...H-Hi?" She said lamely, making the white haired witch bite her lip as Dora's cheeks burned even brighter.

"Hi." She said and her voice was soft and smooth like honey but she didn't dare voice those thoughts aloud. Her only saving grace was the fact the mystery woman was nice enough not to laugh outright at her, meanwhile her parents were standing around the table and unashamedly chucking at her display.

"Honestly Nymphadora, would it kill you to slow down." Andromeda said in exasperation, but there was a teasing note to her voice as she gazed at her daughter with mischievous eyes.

She noticed her reaction and Andromeda was very much enjoying the show.

The Metamorphmagus finally turned her head away from the white haired beauty and instead glared at her mother, "Don't call me that."
"It's your name Nymphadora."

Her bright pink hair turned red and she huffed, "A stupid name." She grumbled, her cheeks burning bright at the thought of the woman beside her knowing her real name.

Before either she or her mother could say anything, the white haired witch spoke up, "I like your name. It's nice, Nymphadora." She said, no ounce of a lie or anything across her face only succeeding in making the Auror in training blush even more as her heart warmed.

God what was this woman doing to her?
"Well, seeing as how you know my name, I feel like it's fair I know yours...And what you're doing in my parents house." She said, turning her focus back on the woman beside her, raising a hand to rest on her hip and lifting an eyebrow.

Harriette ignored the way her stomach fluttered at the sight of Dora and how her clothes clung to her very fit body and instead answered, "Harriette. Harriette Peverell. Your mother and father were watching my son today. It's a pleasure to meet you Nymphadora." She said.

The pink haired witch surprisingly didn't mind the sound of her full name coming out of Harriette's mouth. Instead she focused on what she said instead of the warmth encompassing her entire heart, "Peverell? I thought the last one married into the—wait! Did you just say son?" Her mind finally caught up with what Harriette said, eyes wide as she glanced at the woman beside her before turning to look at the table.

She didn't know how she hadn't noticed before, but sitting right beside her father was a small boy, who couldn't be older than ten years old, who was smiling happily as his eyes bounced between her and his mother.

There was something behind his gaze as he looked at her but it was gone the next moment so she brushed it off for now and instead focused on the important part.
"You're a mother?" Nymphadora asked, tilting her head as she gazed between mother and son, "I mean, there's nothing wrong with that of course! You do look a lot a like it's just...you look so young. You don't look that much older than me." She rambled on, drawing a small blush from Harriette which actually made a small part of the pink haired witch very pleased with herself.

"Yeah, his biological mother, my friend passed away at the end of the war and I was his Godmother so I took him in when I was seventeen. Blood adopted him a few years later and the rest is history." Harriette said, the blush still firmly across her cheeks due to Nymphadora's comment about her age.

Hermione had mentioned something of the same years ago, how the only obvious sign that she was indeed aging was her eyes and body figure. After the war her body matured much faster than it ever did in her youth, most likely due to the abuse she faced at the hands of the Dursley's.

Her eyes though were another dead giveaway that she had seen too much in her almost three decade lifespan.

But hearing Nymphadora, a beautiful witch herself, an alternate version of the friend she lost, of Teddy's mother call her gorgeous and ageless made her insides tingle, her stomach flutter and caused the hairs on the back of her neck to stand up straight.

She didn't know what this feeling was, but she absolutely wanted to feel more of it...
"My condolences." Dora said softly, eyes full of empathy for the two of them before quickly changing the subject to something far more lighthearted, "It seems I arrived at just the right time! What's for dinner?" She asked, a smirk taking over her face when she heard the little boy laugh at her comment.

Why did making him laugh feel so good?

"Creamy, garlic and parmesan chicken pasta. It's got a little kick to it but it's very delicious, just ask Teddy." Harriette said, grinning at her son who was now staring at his mother like she had just given him the key to a candy shop all for himself.

"You made my favorite dish?! What's the special occasion? It's not my birthday." He accused with narrowed eyes but the look wasn't at all threatening, it only made him look cuter.

"I wanted to give you something you liked since I haven't been able to do so in a while. Plus, I had to show Andi here how good I am in the kitchen." Harriette said as she started to walk over to the table with Dora not following too far behind.

At one end of the table sat Ted, to his left sat Teddy and on the man's other side sat Andi. Harriette decided to take the chair next to her son while Dora sat down beside her at the other head of the table, wanting to stay next to the woman who had caught her attention so quickly.

"And I'm so glad that I'll finally have someone else around here to cook with for the foreseeable future. Do you know how much of a hassle it is to be the only one in the family who can cook?" Andi said, her voice mixed with both fondness and exasperation, rolling her eyes at the thought but Dora was more focused on what her mother just said.

"What do you mean foreseeable future?" She asked, "What's going on?"

"Nymphadora, Harriette and little Teddy will be temporary residents here until their house is built." Andi admitted, making Teddy gasp in shock before turning to look at his mother with wide eyes while Dora was blinking owlishly at the white haired witch beside her.

This hot witch was going to be staying at her house?

She may have to come back home more frequently...
"Really?! We're staying here mom?!" The little boy exclaimed, excitement in his voice which made Harriette laugh, the sound like twinkling bells and making Dora's heart flutter just a bit.

"Yes we are. Andromeda was kind enough to offer us the spare bedrooms to stay in until I've made up plans for our new house and sent them off to the contractors. It'll be at least a year until the house is finished though. Is...that alright with you Teddy?" She asked, a soft expression across her face.

Teddy looked up at his mother and noticed the pointed look she sent to him. He understood what she was really asking him.

If he was okay with staying in a house of alternate versions of their family...
He didn't hesitate though as he nodded his head, a wide smile across his face as he answered, "I don't mind. I...kind of like it here." He admitted, causing all the adults around the table to smile at him.

They watched as his eyes suddenly turned mischievous as he gazed at his mother with a small grin, "It'll be nice to have another boy around too. Mr Tonks is pretty funny." He said, making Ted and Nymphadora laugh as Andi smirked at Harriette while his mom gasped in mock outrage.

She placed a hand on her chest, leaning into the dramatics but everyone could see her eyes shinning with love and fondness for the boy, "How dare you! I raise you and protect you, and this is the thanks I get? Kicked aside as soon as a male steps into your life? I have never been more insulted in my entire life!"

Teddy leaned to the left until he was pressed up against his mother and hummed in amusement, "You're still my favorite." He admitted softly, causing Harriette's eyes to soften, her heart melting at the sincerity reflected in his expression as she gazed down at her son with a loving smile.

"And you're mine." She whispered, leaning down to press a kiss to his head, not noticing the smile plastered across all three members of the Tonks family.

Dora though, couldn't keep her eyes from the sight of the woman before her. Harriette, who was so loving and caring to her son that the thought sent a pleasant shiver down her spine, making her own body heat up.

It helped that she was probably the most beautiful woman she's ever seen.

"Now, how about we eat. I know you must be starving." The white haired witch said, pulling away from her son and smiling teasingly at him, "I even made a triple batch. It's a good thing too, considering we have another Metamorphmagus with us tonight."

Dora titled her head in confusion, "What do you mean by—" Her eyes widened in shock when she watched both Harriette and Teddy suddenly shift both their hair and eye color before settling down to their original look.

"You both are..." She trailed off, her hair shifting from yellow to red and then back to her normal pink color as her cheeks began to heat up.

She's never met another Metamorphmagus before, seeing as how they were obnoxiously rare but to meet another two, a mother and son in the same day...
And they were staying at her house for at least the next year.

Gears started to turn in her head, thoughts and feelings that she long since came to terms with never feeling again surfacing inside of her and she did nothing to stop them.

She didn't want them to stop...
She saw the small smirk her mother gave her, noticing her reaction but she was kind enough not to call her out on it as she began speaking, "Indeed. They're both Metamorphmagi. Now enough small talk, let's eat. We'll all have plenty of time to get to know one another in the coming weeks." She stated firmly, causing everyone to dig into their food as soon as they got their serving.

The evening was filled with laughter and jokes thrown around the table as they continued to eat. Harriette hadn't felt like this in years, hadn't thought that she'd ever be apart of a setting like this again after she found out Andi was sick.

Hadn't thought she'd ever be apart of a family again...
After everyone was done eating and Andi and Harriette had cleaned up, they all made their way out to the back patio to sit around the small fire pit to relax.

The sun was down over the horizon, the stars were starting to appear in the sky and the fire in front of them all was crackling and popping. Harriette from her spot sitting on the old wicker couch couldn't help the content feeling that spread across her body, the warmth in her heart as the five of them just sat back and relaxed.

Teddy, who was laying against her arm, eyes fluttering shut with his head buried in her side was essentially already fully asleep, giving the adults free rain of the conversation.
"Thank you." Harriette whispered, eyes roaming across Andi and Ted before gazing at Dora with a grateful smile, "It means the world to me that you're willing to help us...to help him like this." She said.

"Don't sweat it Harriette." Ted said softly, a smile across his face as he gazed at the mother son duo cuddling on the couch as the sound of crickets chirping off in the distance and the fire in front of them bathed the area in a comfortable blanket of warmth despite the cool evening breeze, "It's the least we can do for you."

"But you barely know me." The white haired witch pointed out, her hand softly running through her son's hair, "You didn't need to do...any of this for me."

"But we did, and we're offering you a place to stay because it's the right thing to do." Andi said firmly, "You're a single mother raising a growing young man. You need an actual place to stay, not just an extendable tent Harriette." She said, making Dora frown from her place sitting on the other side of the white haired witch.

"You've been living in a tent?" She asked, no judgment in her tone, merely curiosity and a small ounce of sadness.

Harriette sighed, "We've been on the run for years. I...I had to leave our home, they...they found out where I was living and it wasn't safe for him anymore." She said, looking down at her son sadly, "I had to keep him safe, no matter what."

"When you say, they...do you mean, Death Eaters?"

Harriette hummed before turning to make eye contact with the pink haired Auror in training, "No, I...took care of the ones after me years ago, when I was still a teenager...Right after the war a lot of them tried to kill me but, as you can see they all failed. No...there were others who wanted to take Teddy away from me. But he is my son, in every single way except biologically. I'd run my entire life if it meant keeping him safe and out of harms way."

Dora frowned and lifted her hand to rest on Harriette's shoulder, "You don't have to run anymore." She whispered, her hand rubbing soothing circles over Harriette's shirt bringing a small blush to the woman's cheeks.
"Yeah, maybe I don't." She replied back just as softly, smiling gently at the other metamorphmagus as she raised her hand that wasn't still in Teddy's hair up to rest against Dora's.

The two women remained staring at one another, both emerald green and amethyst violet eyes sparkling in the fire glow.

Ted and Andromeda smiled at one another knowingly, all the while trying to fight off their growing amusement as to not bring too much attention to them.

They've never seen their daughter act like this before, it was equal parts heartwarming and bittersweet.

Their baby was growing up so fast...
A sudden groan from the nine year old boy burrowed into his mother's side caused Harriette to shake her head and turn to look at her son with a soft sigh, missing the small pout that crossed Dora's face.

"I should probably get him into an actual bed." She said, slowly wrapping her arms around Teddy and lifting him up bridal style, causing his head to fall against her chest as he remained asleep.

"Do you need anything else? Another blanket perhaps?" Andi asked, causing Harriette to shake her head.

"We're good, thank you though for asking." She said with a soft smile before turning to look at Ted, "If you don't mind I would like to speak with you more in depth tomorrow. If I'm going to be making my first appearance in the Wizengamot in a few days, I'd like to be as prepared as I can be." She said, making the lawyer nod his head.

"Of course, as soon as you're all up we can go through all the paper work and necessary documents you'll need." He said, making Harriette smile back at him.

"Sounds good." She said before turning to look at the last person who was to her right still sitting on the couch she had just stood up from, "See you around, yeah?" She asked and although she tried to hide it, her voice came out a little more hopeful than she had wanted it to.

It seemed that Dora heard it as well because Harriette watched as her face brightened as a grin overtook her face, making the white haired witch blush, "You betcha! If every meal was like tonight, I might have to make it my personal mission to stop by for breakfast, lunch and dinner whenever you're cooking!"

Harriet chuckled bashfully, "I'm not that good." She said, biting her lip and unknowingly making Dora's stomach flip at the action.

Andi though was the one who replied back, "Nonsense, I've been cooking for years and your skill supersedes my own. I still don't know how you managed to get the chicken so savory yet somehow allowed it to keep that subtle sweet undertone."

Harriette's blush crawled down her neck, "It was nothing. Just something I picked up along the way." She said and unable to stop herself, she let out a massive yawn at the end of her sentence making the other three Tonk's softly chuckle.

"Alright, off to bed with you." Andromeda gently shooed her away, "There will be more time for this tomorrow. Goodnight Harriette." She said.

"Night Harriette." Ted waved.

"Goodnight, Harriette. Sweet dreams." Dora said softly, making the white haired witch bite her lip again to stop the grin wanting to spread across her face.

"Night Andi. Night Ted...Night Nymphadora." She whispered and before she could see the young woman's reaction, she walked back into the house with Teddy safely in her arms.

Dora was still staring at where she entered the house after she had already vanished. Her cheeks turning red and hair fluctuating between colors so fast it was almost impossible to decipher the true color she wanted to settle on.

Merlin that woman would be the death of her...
Now that they were alone, Andromeda couldn't help but tease her daughter. Eyes sparkling with mischief as a teasing smirk made it's way across her face, "Who knew you had a type Nymphadora." She joked, making her daughter shake her head and look at her mother with a titled head.

"What?" It just showed how out of it she truly was when she didn't comment how Andi had used her full name.

If at all possible, the brunette's smirk widened even further, "Who knew you liked mothers. I wouldn't have taken you for a, a MILF type of person." She teased.

If at all possible, Dora's blush darkened and her hair turned beat red to match her cheeks, "Mom!!" She exclaimed, eyes quickly turning to look at the door as If Harriette would come back out and hear them, "You can't just, s-say that!"

"I did though." She shrugged, "Am I wrong? You obviously have taken a liking to her. And I can see she has taken a similar liking to you. It's a good thing they'll be staying here for the next year, if not longer. It gives you time to get to know each other."

"Mom!!"

Back inside, Harriette had just entered the guest room that Andi had set up for her. Teddy's was across the hall but she didn't really want to be away from him at the moment so, she took him into her room.

She laid him on the bed before getting changed into her pajamas which consisted of an oversized shirt and a pair of black sweatpants.

After she had brushed her teeth, she climbed in bed and laid down beside her son. Watching fondly as her son instinctually moved closer to her warmth and snuggled up against her chest.

Smiling softly down at her son, she slowly pulled the covers up both of them and it wasn't even a minute later until she fell asleep with her son safely tucked away beside her.

She knew tomorrow would bring new challenges for them, lots of paperwork for her mostly but for now she was content with taking all the time she could get with her son and their newfound peace.

For however long it would last.

~FLASHBACK~

"Sirius!!" Harriette exclaimed as she ran into the Black Library at Grimmauld Place and practically flung herself at her godfather.

The man easily caught her smaller frame and chuckled, his arms raising to circle around the teenager's waist to keep her from falling, "Hey there pup! When did you get here? I thought you weren't supposed to arrive for another few weeks." He said pointedly but as he pulled back to stare at his goddaughter, Harriette saw the mischievous look behind his eyes along with a knowing smile.

The almost fifth year student smiled up at him ruefully, shrugging her shoulders as the man let her down back on the ground, "Took the Knight Bus. I was afraid if I stayed at Privet Drive any longer I'd have killed my...relatives." She admitted softly, an undercurrent of anger and resentment in her voice making Sirius sober up.

"Yeah...I hear you." He said before his eyes darkened as a thought entered his mind, "They didn't...do anything, did they?" He asked and if he was anyone else his tone would've made her uneasy but this was Sirius.

She knew he'd never hurt her.

Harriette shook her head and smiled up at Sirius, touched by his concern for her, "No, just the usual stuff, nothing I can't handle." She shrugged.

The man's eyes narrowed, "You and I have very different definitions of "usual stuff" Harriette." He said, which...okay, fair point BUT she was fine! Not even a scratch on her.

"I promise Sirius that nothing happened. I just...I couldn't stay there any longer. I'm not just gonna lie there and take it like I did for the first decade of my life, no matter what Dumbledore says. Not when I can stay here with you, perfectly safe under a Fidelius charm. I...I can't go through it all again." She whispered, making the man's heart practically break right in two.

He leaned down to press a kiss to her unruly mane of black curls before pulling away, "You won't see me complaining pup, I need the company. The order has been driving me nuts all summer long. You'd think since this is my house they'd be more respectful towards me." He grumbled, leading the teenager towards the plush couch near one of the many bookshelves in the room so they could sit and chat.

Harriette smirked up at her godfather as soon as they settled down on the couch, "You do know you can literally kick them out right? You have control of the wards."

Sirius shrugged, a mischievous sparkle to his grey eyes, "Yeah, but then I'd have to listen to Molly screech at me when she inevitably wants to enter. And don't even get me started on Dumbledore's "disappointed eyes" he'll send my way once he realizes I've bared entrance. Especially since there's an order meeting tonight." He said before barking out an amused laugh, "Then again, everyone's gonna flip shit when they realize you're here. Totally worth the future headache though, if it means getting to spend time with my favorite person tonight." He said, fondly running a hand through her hair making the teenager smile softly, not at all upset about her godfather's actions.

She had missed him, so much...

"You're my favorite person too." She said softly before grinning up at him, emerald green eyes turning teasing, "Well, you might have to compete with Hermione for top spot there. Sorry not sorry."

Sirius chuckled, "I can live with that. So, tell me...how have you been since the ending of the...Tournament." He asked gently, knowing that he was steeping on eggshells, "I didn't really get a chance to speak with you before you were whisked away back to the Dursley's."

At his words, Harriette sighed and leaned against her godfather, causing the man to wrap an arm around her frame, "Truthfully? I can't close my eyes without seeing Cedric's face." She whispered, making Sirius gently squeeze her shoulder in a show of support, "I keep thinking about the graveyard...the pain of the Cruciatus and, and Voldemort, Tom...the way he looked at me, the way he spoke. All I could see staring at him was a husk of a man, hell bent on revenge and inflicting pain to make himself feel better."

Sirius sighed softly under his breath as he pulled Harriette closer to him, "There's no denying it that he's back, no matter what the Ministry says. There's a dark road ahead of us Pup, but as long as we fight for what's right...we'll win."

"Dumbedore's way isn't gonna cut it, is it?" She whispered after a moment of silence, "His way of mercy...of second chances. They're not gonna stop until they kill me. What am I going to do if I find myself against another Death Eater? Disarm them and be done with it? Let the Ministry throw them in Azkaban again just to escape?"

Sirius pursed his lips in thought before sighing, "I had hoped you'd be a little more older when I showed you these, but...these are desperate times." He said, getting up from the couch to walk over to a certain bookcase to grab a certain three books.

Once he came back and set them on her lap, she stared down at the titles in shock before looking back up at her godfather who had sat back down.

"The Dark Arts? Blood magic and rituals? Sirius..." She trailed off, not knowing what to say but her godfather beat her to it.

"Over time pup people have become afraid of the Dark Arts, but they weren't originally intended for Evil purposes. I mean, you can easily kill a man with a piercing curse to the throat and no one would blink or call that Dark. The reason they have such a bad rep is because Evil men and Women have used them to further along their own agendas."

"Britain as a whole though seems to have forgotten of one really specific family who used to use the Dark Arts to stop evil fucks like Voldemort from ever rising." Sirius said, making Harriette tilt her head in confusion.

"Who was this...family?" She asked, fully enraptured by his story, her focus one hundred percent on her godfather.

"The Peverell's. The first mention of them was three hundreds years after Hogwarts had been built. Some of the family had known the Founders before they passed though and a fraction of the secrets to ancient magic was entrusted to them." He said before taking a second to collect his thoughts and continuing on, "Around 1300, the story of the three Peverell brothers was told for the first time, a tale that would be passed on for generations."

"I'll tell the entire thing to you later but the point I'm trying to make is these brothers made a name for themselves. They used their tools and knowledge from their family to hunt down vile beings who preyed on the innocents of the world, they used the Dark Arts for good and killed so many witches and wizards who threatened the peace. So many pureblood lines died out because of them. But...they didn't care, they did what had to be done and they were allowed that leeway from the Ministry because everyone was afraid of them."

"For all intents and purposes Harriette, they were considered to be Dark Witches and Wizards, but they weren't evil. They used the Dark Arts as a tool to be used against the enemy, nothing more. They didn't succumb to the temptation of the power, they didn't use it for themselves but instead in the names of others, to protect."

"I say this, because the last of the Peverell's married into the Potter line generations ago, which makes you the last Peverell in all of Britain." Sirius said.

Harriette frowned as she glanced down at the books still in her lap before looking back up at her godfather, "So...you're saying that, I could learn the Dark Arts, and use the spells and rituals and curses I find in these books to...kill my enemies?" She asked softly, making the man sigh.

He lifted his hand to rest on her cheek, "In a perfect world Harriette, you never would have to lift your wand to defend the people you care about. In a perfect world you would've grown up happy and loved and cared for. But alas, our world isn't so lucky. There are very bad people out there who will continue to do bad things and giving them second chances like Dumbledore wants...like the Order, is only giving them another chance to hurt innocent lives." He said, pursing his lips, "I'm done playing nice. I'm a Black, we all have a little madness inside of us. I think now is the time to tap into that, more so then ever."

"People expect you to be their savior. Well...I'm giving you the necessary tools to ensure you do. But also keep you alive as well, something the Order seems to never take into consideration." Sirius grumbled darkly under his breath, making Harriette smile softly at him.

It was nice knowing that at least one adult in her life cared about her well being above everything else.

Swallowing the sob wanting to escape her throat she flung herself at her godfather and hugged him around the waist as tight as possible, "Thank you, for everything." She whispered, not caring in the slightest if there were tears leaking from her eyes.

Sirius chuckled and tighter his grip on her, "No problem pup. Just remember, Good and Evil are not the same as Light and Dark...Everyone has the capacity for good and evil inside Harriette. What matters is the part we choose to act on. That's who we really are. Light and Dark...these are merely tools that help us along that journey. They are not inherently good or evil, they are merely weapons we wield, whether it be to protect the ones we care about, or to spread fear and terror."

"Never, forget that." He said firmly before rubbing his thumb over a tear streak across her cheek while cupping her chin, "Never forget who you are Harriette, what you stand for and no matter what tool you use, as long as you remain true to your beliefs, stay true to yourself you will never have to fear the temptation of the Dark."

"Power doesn't corrupt." Harriette whispered, "It just shows everyone who you truly are." She said, making Sirius nod his head.

"Exactly." He smiled, "Now, how about we get down to business and work on reading through those books. I have a feeling you might need to learn some of this stuff rather quickly."

Harriette smiled softly up at her godfather, her entire heart warming at the amount of love she could see reflected from his gaze as he looked at her, "Sounds good Sirius."

Unfortunately, the peace couldn't last for long. After sitting in the library going over the first of three books for two hours, they both heard a commotion coming from the kitchen that was just down the hall.

Sirius and Harriette glanced at each other before shrugging their shoulders. They both got up and walked to the source of the sound to see what was happening.

As soon as the man opened up the door, with Harriette close behind him he couldn't help but ogle at the amount of people currently in his kitchen, "Oi! What's the meaning of this? What the hell is going on!?" He barked from his place leaning against the doorframe, keeping Harriette out of sight for now.

He knew how everyone got when the kids herd about the meetings, but this was his home and any information he got from the order he just relayed it back to his goddaughter.

Dumbledore who was standing at the head of the table was the first to speak, glancing at him with blue eyes that surprisingly weren't sparking at the moment, "Sirius...I regret to inform you that, the Dursley's were all killed an hour ago." He said.

Sirius eyes widened and he felt as Harriette tensed from where she was leaning against his back but he decided to ask what the teenager behind him was no doubt thinking, "What happened? Where's Harriette?" He added on, not wanting to look suspicious, yet.

"A stray Dementor was sent to Privet Drive, no doubt it's intended target was Young Harriette but...it could not find her. All three of the Dursley's though had their soul sucked out...they didn't stand a chance." Dumbledore said sadly, making Sirius grit his teeth to stop himself from lashing out.

They didn't deserve mercy, they didn't deserve Dumbledore's pity or sadness.

They were vile people who deserved to rot in hell for all he cared.

Before he could explode in anger, Tonks was the one who spoke up next, fear in her voice but violet eyes as steely as her mother, "But where, is Harriette?" She asked, tone brokering no room for argument.

Tonks and Harriette had met a few weeks ago and the two of them had hit it off instantly. Sirius loved the fact that his goddaughter had someone else to talk to, beside him and Hermione.

Apparently though Harriette had made a very good impression on Tonks because Sirius doesn't ever remember seeing his little cousin ever like this before.

Harriette, the little shit decided now was the best time to enter the conversation too as she peeked out from behind Sirius back, "Yeah, where is Harriette?" She asked, a small grin along her face at seeing the entire room become shocked at her sudden appearance.

Sirius barked out a laugh, "You just couldn't help yourself, could you?" He asked rhetorically, making Harriette turn and smirk up at him.

"Nope, you know I love my dramatic entrances. It was just a perfect opportunity!" She said but before she could say anything else, she was suddenly in the arms of Tonks, who was now hugging the lights out of her.

Harriette didn't mind though and she instantly hugged back, "Hey Tonks, I'm fine. You don't have to worry, I've been here all evening. I'm good." She said, making the Auror snort as she finally set down the teenager to raise an eyebrow at the black haired witch.

"How'd you manage to leave your relatives house without anyone noticing?" She asked, making Harriette smirk.

"I have my ways." She said in a sing song tone of voice, making Tonks smirk back.

Before anyone could say anything else, Dumbledore's cut into the conversation, "Harriette...your relatives...they're—"

"Dead, I know. I heard." She shrugged, "Honestly, not a single part of me cares. They were terrible. I'm kinda glad that I left when I did earlier today, who knows what would've happened if I was there." She said, making Dumbledore frown as the others in the room shook their heads in disappointment.

"They were your family young lady." Molly Weasley stated firmly, "They didn't deserve to be killed like that."

Harriette rose an eyebrow back at her, "And why should I care?" She asked in confusion, "They abused me all my life. Starved me, beat me...why should I care about them when all they ever did was belittle me? Told me how much of a freak I was, how I'd never amount to anything. A waste of space if you will." She glared at Dumbledore as she spoke, "All three of them are gone? Good. It means I don't ever have to go back to that wretched house again." The teenage witch said before turning around and walking out of the room back to the library, "Now if you'll excuse me, since I'll most likely be staying here for the foreseeable future and be seeing you all quite frequently, I was in the middle of reading a good book before I was interrupted."

Harriette didn't wait for anyone else to say anything before she walked out the door, leaving behind utter silence in her wake.

Sirius though, couldn't help the smile from breaking out across his face.

That was his Goddaughter...

He could already tell she'd grow up to become someone feared in the future.

For all the right reasons, of course.

Voldemort didn't know what was coming.

~END FLASHBACK~

Dumbledore sighed as he sat down in his seat and waited for everyone to arrive and sit down in the Wizengamot chamber for the Summer Solstice meeting.

He had a lot on his mind, especially with the upcoming birthday of one Harry Potter.

Everything had to be perfect for it to work, hopefully the boy would be as malleable as Albus thought he'd be.

Those muggles weren't the best sort, so if all went according to plan Harry Potter would enter the Wizarding world completely oblivious and easily guidable down the path for the Greater Good.

There was another problem though, one that he could not figure out. The Elder wand had suddenly felt cold to the touch for the last few days, almost like there was no more magic inside of it.

But he could still cast spells with it, it was merely a lot harder to do so.

Like it had somehow lost its allegiance to him.

Perhaps it had something to do with Harry. Maybe the Elder wand recognized him as it's one and true master seeing as how he was the last Peverell descendant in Britain.

Hopefully it wouldn't complicate matters too much.

"Alright. Everyone settle down, this meeting is now in session!" Dumbledore exclaimed loudly, catching everyone's attention, "On the 21st of June, 1991 we begin our Summer Solstice conference. First order of business, I've been informed beforehand that there is someone who would like to present some findings of there's before we get too deep into todays meeting. Mr Tonks, you have the floor." He said, gesturing to the man who was sitting down in one of the seats reserved for guests in the Wizengamot.

The lawyer nodded his head in thanks, ignoring the muttering coming from the dark factions above him as he started to speak, "Before you Chief Warlock is all documents in regards to the few items I wish to bring up to this esteemed body today. The first order of business, and perhaps the most important one is the call of one of the original seats on the Wizengamot be given back to its rightful owner. A seat that no one has sat in or been used in many centuries." He said, making the entire chamber go quiet.

"And who, Mr Tonks...does this seat belong to?" Lucious Malloy drawled, as if he was already bored with the man before him.

Ted Tonks though merely grinned back at the blond haired peacock, an almost smug look passing behind his eyes as he spoke back up, "Witches and wizards of the Wizengamot, please let me introduce to you all the last of her family. Lady Harriette Iolanthe Peverell." He said, making many people inside the chamber gasp in both shock and fear.

Dumbledore's breath stuttered in his chest as soon as he heard the name. Before he could think about it any further though, the chamber doors swung open and in walked a woman with stark white hair, emerald eyes that seemed to glow unnaturally and dressed in an outfit that seemed to originate in the muggle world, not common for what you'd see in magic Britain today.

And, the woman was staring right at him with narrowed eyes.

Albus had a bad feeling that this woman would definitely put a dent in his plans.
If only he knew just how right he was...

----- CHAPTER BREAK -----

As the woman walked into the Wizengamot chamber, the entire room was bathed in silence. Every witch and wizard staring at the newcomer with shock, trepidation and a little bit of fear behind their gaze.

The young woman, Lady Harriette Peverell came to rest beside Mr Tonks on the floor below them, her emerald green eyes staring up at them coldly, no ounce of warmth behind her gaze at all.

She was wearing an assortment of black and white leather, there was no standard Wizarding robe along her frame which made some purebloods grimace.

She had a black leather jacket adorned across her frame with tight, black skinny jeans to match the jacket.

There was also a pair of knee high boots on her feet and black fingerless gloves on her hands with white trimming along the edges of the leather.

The last piece of her attire was the off the shoulder cape that came to rest about halfway down her bicep to cover her left arm. But there was a sigil plastered onto the cape itself, the symbol of the Deathly Hallows, the symbol of the Peverell's.
The most notable thing about the woman was her stark white hair. She looked to be young though, she couldn't be older than thirty so it didn't make since for her to have white hair due to age.

So seeing a feature such as that on a beautiful young woman, it was a little strange.

Her hair came down to her shoulders and was curled towards the end of each strand. The curls framing her face perfectly but everyone could see how sunken her cheeks looked, the subtle coloring of black underneath her eyes.

The darkness radiating off her...
It made certain members of the chamber shiver, Dumbledore being one of them.

Staring at the woman, glancing into her hardened eyes he couldn't help but frown as thoughts and feelings swirled around his gut.

Where had she come from? He could see the ring on her finger, the Peverell ring no doubt so he knew she wasn't lying when she said she was Lady of the house but where had she been all these years? Did she fight in the war? From his perspective, she definitely looked to have. There was sorrow and pain hidden behind her eyes.

She kept glancing around the room too, taking in her surroundings and no doubt checking for exits like he's seen Alastor do plenty of times in the past.

She definitely fought in the war, but he would've recognized her if he had met her before.

She must've gone by a different name, to make sure no one knew who she really was.

If Tom had known, he would've stopped at nothing to hunt her down...
But her presence here now, the year when Harry Potter was scheduled to arrive at Hogwarts was too convenient to be a coincidence.

Add in the fact that the Elder Wand felt cold in his hand, had for the past few days and it didn't take a genius to connect the dots.

Lady Harriette Peverell was here for a reason, and he vowed to find out said reason, no matter how long it took him.

Harry could not be distracted from his destiny, he had to remain focused on his task for the greater good.

He had to keep this woman away from him.

"Members of the Wizengamot, allow me to introduce you to my client, Ms Peverell." The voice of Ted Tonks broke everyone out of their shocked states and they glanced from Lawyer to Lady until the man spoke up again, "Chief Warlock, before you, you'll see all the necessary paperwork from both Gringotts and the Ministry. After you've read it over to make sure it's all there, you can pass it on to the Minister." He said.

Dumbledore sighed under his breath, knowing that there was nothing he could do to stop the woman from taking her seat. He grabbed the file and looked it over, noting with a fair amount of regret that everything was in order. Wordlessly, he handed the papers to Fudge who was sitting beside him who grabbed the paper with trembling hands.

After the Minister looked over the papers, the man shakily exhaled before glancing down to smile at the woman but Harriette could see the genuine fear in his eyes as he spoke, "It seems that everything is in order Lady Peverell. You're seat is rightfully yours to claim. Let me be the first to welcome you back into the Wizengamot...and to welcome you home." He said.

Harriette smirked dangerously up at the man, "Many thanks. But I'm not done yet." She said, making others in the chambers glance at one another in trepidation.

Fudge smiled shakily, "W-Whatever do you mean Lady Peverell?" He asked, the man practically bleeding fear making Harriette's smirk widen.

The white haired witch waved her hand dismissively as she began to circle around the chamber floor, staring up at everyone like they were her prey, "I believe the Chief Warlock will have all the files before him. Since arriving back home, there are many points that need to be addressed now that a Peverell is back in Britain. Points...that can not, and will not be ignored any longer." She said lowly, but everyone could still hear the hidden threat in her tone.

The Minister swallowed thickly, "And w-what would those pints, uh...be?"

Harriette glanced at Ted and nodded her head, signaling him to start to explain which he did without complaint, "My client would like to inform you all that effective immediately, the Peace Clause of 1339 will be enacted by my client, the Head of House Peverell as per the Clause states." He said, making everyone murmur under their breath in confusion.

Dumbledore himself frowned, "I'm not sure I'm familiar with that Clause." He said placatingly, making Harriette grin up at the man when she saw the obvious wariness in his eyes as he no doubt remembered what the law stated.

"You wouldn't,” She said, a faux innocent expression along her face, “It’s vastly overlooked, most likely due to the very specific nature of the law. For those of you who don't know what it states, I'll inform you, and your Chief Warlock can confirm with that file before him." The white haired witch said before continuing her explanation.

"The Peace Clause states that in the event that something or someone threatens Magical Britain, the Head of House Peverell will be granted with immunity to do whatever they need to do to...get rid of the problem." She grinned viciously up at the other members of the chamber, causing a shiver to run down their spines.

"When you say...get rid of the problem?" Madam Bones asked, raising an eyebrow at the woman and trying to fight down her own fear for the moment.

Harriette shrugged, "It's exactly what it sounds like. My family were once very renowned for their policing of Britain as a whole. They hunted down the evil scum around the land and...made sure they never harmed anyone again. The Wizengamot of the past wanted to make sure if anything happened in the future, anything that required a Peverell hand that we wouldn't be discipled for protecting our home. Which..brings us to the Peace Clause."

"It's a law that allows the Head of House Peverell to take the laws into their own hand. In order to protect innocent lives." The Wizarding lawyer cut in which made Harriette click her tongue in amusement.

"Oh don't be so modest Ted. Say it how it is...It's a "do whatever I want badge" The difference is this one is actually legal and I can get away with anything
I want." She smirked.

"Lies!" Lucius Malfoy exclaimed, standing from his seat and handing down at the woman, "This is absolutely preposterous! Do you honestly believe we would fall for such a falsehood?" He sneered down at her but Harriette merely smirked back, causing him to narrow his eyes further at the white haired witch.

"Actually, Lord Malfoy." Dumbledore said softly, cutting the man off before glancing down at the document before him, the frown not once having left his face since the start of this session, "It is an actual Law, and...she is fully within her right to enact it." He admitted to the chamber, causing the Dark faction to shout in outrage, the Neutrals to stare down at the woman curiously while the Light Faction was wary and concerned about the woman before them.

For good reason.
Harriette herself hadn’t even known about the clause until yesterday when Ted and her had been going through some of the laws that would help her with her plan to eventually gain guardianship over Harry.

That law though, would help her do everything she needed to do.

And the Ministry could do nothing about it.

She wished she had known about it in her old world...
"Are you saying that you will not in fact be honoring the old ways?" Harriette asked with a raised brow, "I thought you loved the old ways. It's a pity, for anyone who denies my right to enact said clause will be punished by death, as stated in the fine print of the document." She said with a shrug to her shoulders, making everyone turn to look at Dumbledore.

"What does the woman mean?!" Lord Nott demanded.

Dumbledore pursed his lips as he read the last line of the document, "It states that no one among the Wizengamot can stop the law from being enacted. Our predecessors made sure that the Peverell line would be able to protect Britain no matter what anyone thought on the matter."

Harriette hummed in agreement, "Exactly. I was merely informing you all as a common courtesy. To let you know that there is a darkness buried deep in the heart of Britain, and I intend to eradicate it at the source." She said, glancing
around the room, her eyes lingering on some people's forearms before roaming over both Dumbledore and Fudge, "No matter what...methods I need to use." Before Harriette could continue, someone cleared their throat.

The sound, making the white haired witch clench her jaw in anger.

"Ahem. Ahem." Umbridge said pointedly, making many people in the chamber grimace, "Lady Peverell, are you insinuating that the minister is incapable of dealing with this...threat that you speak of?" She asked in a sickly sweet tone of voice that only made the woman want to punch the pink toad in the face.

"Of course not." Harriette said smoothly, grinning wolfishly up at the Undersecretary, "You have laws for these types of things, I know this. But what happens when they fail? What happens when the bad people go unpunished? They do horrendous acts of violence and get let go because there's not enough evidence, even though many people saw them."

"You have laws...until they fail. Then you have me, who has to clean up the mess." She said lowly, green eyes shinning with magic making everyone swallow thickly once they felt how potent her power truly was.

She wasn't even doing anything
and they could feel it passively bleeding out of her body and into the chamber.

The power was strong...powerful...dark.

"It's obvious just in the last few decades that Britain has gone downhill. We're the laughing stock of the Wizarding World! Other countries don't take us seriously—"
"Ahem."

"—the amount of racist, bigoted hypocrites on this island is truly revolting! The way the majority of people treat muggles and muggleborns is completely unacceptable—"
"Ahem."

"—and don't even get me started on the corruption! The bribes, the favors, the scum hiding in plain sight everyday! People who pretend to be someone they aren't. They cheat and lie and buy their way out of anything and everything. That ends now, that ends because let me tell you something...I don't discriminate. I don't care who you are or how much money you have...if you've done something bad, you will face consequences, no matter what."

"Ahem."

Harriette growled lowly in her throat, eyes flashing in anger, glowing a silvery white color as she raised her hand and forcefully pushed the pink woman against the back wall, making her grunt in pain and stare at her with fear in her eyes.

Good.

"If you interrupt me one more time woman I'm going to cut your fucking tongue off and fucking shove it down your goddamn throat." She whispered darkly under her breath, making everyone flinch back when her magic washed over them all. "Let's see you interrupt someone then without the ability to talk." She said softly, titling her head menacingly at the toad making her eyes widen even more.

"Lady Peverell, please let's not resort to violence." Dumbledore said placatingly, trying to diffuse the situation before it got too out of hand. "I'm sure Dolores is very sorry." He said.

Harriette huffed loudly before dropping her hand, pulling her magic back into her body and dropping the Toad of a woman too, "Doubt it." She muttered under her breath before taking a second to collect herself before moving on.

"Like I was saying before being so, rudely interrupted." She sent a small glare at Umbridge, making her shrink back behind Fudge, "Britain has fallen from grace. From what it once was back when the Founders walked the lands, back when Merlin and Lancelot were still kicking."

"The remnant of both Grindlewards and Voldemort's followers will be hunted down and punished. The bigotry and corruption will no longer be tolerated. And where the Aurors may not be able to do much, especially to purebloods...I can." She threatened, making the purebloods of the dark faction to glare down at her.

Even still, she could see their fear...
And it was beautiful.

"You wouldn't dare come after our families! One of the sacred twenty eight!" Lord Parkinson sneered down at her, making Harriette chuckle darkly.

"Oh Lord Parkinson, why ever would you think that?" She asked in a sickly sweet tone of voice, "I said I'd go after the bad people. Are you insinuating there's a reason I should come after you? Your family?" She asked innocently, making the man freeze at the realization that he had just dug himself into a grave.

"W-well, I...I-I mean, I don't." Before he could make an even bigger fool of himself Harriette waved her hand dismissively.

"To answer your question Parkinson, about coming after one of the sacred Twenty eight...well, it wouldn't be the first time the Peverell's went after very prominent families in history. Do not make the mistake of thinking that your name will save you. If you do something bad, something that directly harms innocent life then I promise...I will find out about it and when I do I will make you wish for death." She said.

"For those of you who are actual decent human beings then you have nothing to worry about," She shrugged, "I'm not a monster. I'm simply trying to restore peace. Peace that Britain hasn't seen in decades."
As soon as the woman was done talking, everyone started to murmur under their breath, speaking about all the information that was just dropped on their heads with the people near them.

There was a sense of dread and fear among the Dark Faction. Peverell’s speech was pretty pointed and it didn't take a genius to figure out that she was insinuating much about them as a whole.

And the way she was looking at them...
It made fear that none of them have ever felt before swirl in their gut.

The only time some of them have ever felt like this before was...was when standing before the Dark Lord himself.
The Neutral faction looked like Christmas had come early. Their eyes gleaming with everything this woman could bring to the table, all the change she could foster due to her family name.

One woman in particular was staring at Harriette with sparkling eyes, unable to help herself as she admired the white haired witch and her gorgeous frame.

She may be a little slim at the moment, but Evelyn Greengrass could tell that something had happened to her, she could tell by the sunken cheeks alone that there was something wrong.

That didn't change how absolutely ravishing Lady Peverell looked.

She prayed that Harriette was single, she hasn't slept with anyone since her late husband died and she could very much use the stress relief.

Meanwhile over in the Light Faction, much like the Dark they were sacred. Not by the change, they absolutely agreed with Harriette that things needed to change. No...they were sacred about how far she'd go to accomplish that goal.

They saw the darkness behind her gaze, eyes that were hardened, cold and unforgivable.

They could only hope things didn't get too out of hand...
"If we're done here, my client and I would like to move on to the third topic we have to bring up today." Ted cut into all of their thoughts, making everyone look down at the man as Dumbledore nodded his head in consent, eyes wary as he glanced at the duo on the floor.

What else was there?

"Certainly Mr Tonks. What is the third topic?" He asked, making Ted speak back up as Harriette moved to stand beside the lawyer with her arms crossed over her chest.

"As of September first, Lady Harriette Peverell will be added onto the board of governors at Hogwarts, to ensure the children...the future of Britain are getting the attention and education they need to build a better world once they are old enough." Ted said, making Dumbledore's frown more pronounced.

"But there is already twelve governors on the board. Adding another seat is against the charter of Hogwarts." He said, internally grateful about that fact but a smirk from the woman below made his heart clench.

"Usually, I'd agree Mr Dumbledore." Harriette said with a small, amused smile, "Although in this case, due to enacting said Peace Clause and seeing as how I'm the Head of House Peverell I can kick anyone I deem unworthy off said board. Since protection of the next generation falls under my jurisdiction when it comes to keeping the peace of Britain." She said, eyes sweeping over the crowd before landing on a certain blond haired individual, "And I know exactly who I want off said board." She said pointedly, narrowing her eyes at Lucius Malfoy.

The people in the chamber who were on the board at Hogwarts tried to hide their smirks of absolute joy at the thought of finally being rid of Malfoy but the blond peacock obviously wasn't at all enthusiastic about the arrangement.

He glared down at Harriette, "This is hardly fair! I earned my seat at the table. What have you done that's oh so magnificent Lady Peverell?" He spat the words out of his mouth like they physically pained him to say.

Harriette merely raised a brow at his whining, "First off, life's not fair. Get over it and quite your whining, your a grown man, act like it. Second of all, it's obvious that you are a pureblood extremist Lucy. And, I don't know if you know this but muggleborns go to Hogwarts too. I don't believe it's in the students best interest for someone so...biased to be in charge of things concerning said school." She said, a faux pout along her lips, "As for what I've done...well I've fought Voldemort before, and lived to tell the tale. That's got to account for something." She smirked, enjoying the shocked gasps that echoed across the chamber at that little piece of information.

"What?" Dumbledore asked, eyes widened in shock as his entire body remained frozen in place like he was petrified, "When? How?"

"I was a teenager, young...revenge driven for Voldemort was the one responsible for my parents death." She said, rolling her eyes when most everyone in the chamber flinched from her use of his name, "He never knew who I was, how I was a Peverell but oh did I make sure he never forgot his encounter with me. As you can see, I'm obviously still alive. Most powerful wizard my ass." She grumbled.

Technically, she wasn't really lying to them, she had went up against Voldemort and she had made sure to take whatever she could away from him at every encounter after his resurrection back at the end of her fourth year.

She had enjoyed every ounce of pain she had inflicted upon his soldiers, his inner circle...on Tom himself.

"You said you were a teen. How...how old were you?"Augusta Longbottom asked softly, yet firmly.

Harriette shrugged, "I was seventeen when the war ended. The run ins I had with death eaters up until that point were...well, let's just say they never made it back to their master. Voldemort and I crossed paths towards the end, before he had went after the Potters. Nothing much came of it, we both got some hits in, then he ran away. Pity too, I wanted to be the one to finish him off for murdering my parents." She said before sighing under her breath, "There's nothing to do about it now though. He's gone...but if he ever shows his face again, he or his followers well...I'll be right here waiting."

"That's a lovely story and all." Lucius sneered at Harriette, "But I still don't see why I have to give up MY seat!"

Harriette grinned at the man's annoyance, "It's because you're an ass and I don't like bigoted purebloods." She said truthfully, "Plus the other reasons I gave you. So, come September 1st you'll no longer be a member of the Board of Governors at Hogwarts. There's nothing anyone can do to stop it from happening, so just accept the inevitable." She waved her hand dismissively and was about to move on to her last topic before Malfoy spoke up again, his words making her freeze in place.

"You know, a friend of mine said that a few days ago, there was a white haired witch making her way through the DoM." He said pointedly, a self satisfied smirking spreading across his lips, "They also said a small boy, with the same shade eye color as the woman was holding onto her hand. Like mother, and son."

There was a beat of silence in the chamber, everyone waiting with baited breath to see how Harriette was going to react. What none of them expected though, was how the white haired which merely smirked up at the blond man.

"Oh, curious. You know what, I think a friend of mine told me something as well." She said, tapping her chin in mock thought before speaking up again, "What was it? Oh, that's right, you also have a son...your little mini me. I wonder...if he's as "strong" as his dear papa." She pouted, the dangerous edge to her voice not once leaving, "I could find out for you, if you want." She grinned viciously up at the man, making anger course through Lucius’s body.

"Are you threatening my son?!"

Harriette growled lowly in her throat, eyes glowing a silvery white again, "Don't act all innocent, you brought my son into this first and everyone in this chamber is a witness of that!" She said, sneering up at the man with as much hatred as she could muster, "Let me make one thing clear, for all of you. You have a problem with me? That's cool, I'm fine with that. The moment...and I mean the moment you bring my son into this, into these politics I promise you I will rain down hellfire on your family and I won't stop until everyone and everything is a smoldering pile of ash beneath my boot."
"I will wipe your entire, miserable existence from the face of the earth. If a single strand of hair is misplaced on his head, I'll know. I'll find out who's responsible and you will pay. That, is a promise."
Everyone in the chamber shivered once Harriette's power washed over them all, making some people close their eyes at the overbearing presence of her magic, pushing done on them from all sides.

Malfoy himself was clenching his jaw and trying to will his legs to stay still and not wobble but everyone could see the slight tremble to them.
Including Harriette.

Before she could do something she'd regret, Ted gently pushed through her magic to lay a hand on her shoulder in support, making Harriette turn to look at him before sighing.

She quickly pulled her magic back into her body and allowed the entire room to breath a sigh of relief once the invisible pressure was done pushing down on them.

"Whether you like it or not Mr Malfoy, you're relieved of your duty as Governor of Hogwarts." Harriette said after a moment of silence, eyes glaring coldly at the man and silently daring him to step out of line, "This isn't something you can buy your way back into either. Come September 1st, you're done."

Before Malfoy could open his mouth again and possibly dig his grave even deeper, Lady Greengrass stood up and spoke, hoping to try and calm the angered mother before she actually killed the man before the Wizengamot.

"As the highest ranking member of the Governors present today, I would just like to note that I see no reason to deny her the position if she's willing to take it on." Evelyn said firmly, catching everyone's attention, "Since she's the Head of the Peverell house and has enacted the Peace Clause, she can do whatever she wishes in regards of keeping the peace. As such, seeing as how our children will be the ones who shape the future, that does fall into her jurisdiction." Lady Greengrass then turned to look at Harriette, a small grin overtaking her features as her eyes roamed across the woman's frame, "We'd love to have you Ms Peverell." She said, giving the woman a heated look which made Harriette's stomach flip as heat started to pool in her core.

She's only ever slept with one person, only ever trusted one person with that side of her and...well, needless to say it's been years since she's had any action.

Unable to help herself, her eyes roamed over Lady Greengrass and couldn't help the small thrill that ran down her spine at the thought of exploring the slightly older woman's body, and all she had to offer.

Just thinking about it was making her all hot and bothered. She hadn't realized how much pent up energy she had until just this moment.

She really needed to get laid.

Harriette smirked, "Please, my name is Harriette Lady Greengrass." She said softly, watching as the woman bit her lip at her tone of voice, "I appreciate the support..." She trailed off pointedly with a raised brow, making the blond woman grin.

"Evelyn." She replied, "If I can use your name, I see no reason why you can't use mine."

"Evelyn. I look forward to working with you on the Board then." The white haired witch replied, getting a nod from said blond before she sat down again, though not before giving Harriette one last lustful glance, making the woman swallow thickly.

Ted glanced at her, amusement behind his eyes before he decried to move onto the last topic they needed to talk about. Waiting for everyone to settle down, he clapped his hands, "Alright, now that the governor business is sorted let's get to the last item on our list." He said, making Malfoy scoff under his breath but everyone ignored him as Ted gestured to Harriette.

"Would you like to do the honors?" He asked her, making the woman shake her head to clear out the fog before smirking when the man's words registered.

"It'd be my pleasure." She said, making Dumbledore's frown.

He quickly glanced down at the last document before him and he couldn't hide the way his body tensed and his eyes widened at the paper.

No, no he couldn't let that happen...
All of his plans, they'd be for—
"Like I said previously, there are still followers of Voldemort out there. As such, someone whom I consider a part of my family remains in danger while they are running rampant out in the world. Which is why, as of right now due to the Peace Clause I'm the official magical and non-magical Guardian of one Harry James Potter." She said firmly, making certain members of the chambers gasp, "You'll see that I have all the necessary documents in that file Chief Warlock." She said.

Dumbledore, having already glanced at the file and knowing she was correct tried to salvage at least some of this session, "Ms Peverell, I must implore you to rethink this decision. Mr Potter is safe where he is, no harm will come to him, I promise." He said, making Harriette clench her jaw in anger.

He was lying right through his damn teeth and it made the woman even more pissed off.

The white haired witch glared up at the old man, "Harry Potter is of my blood, Peverell blood. He belongs with family. I am willing to let him stay...wherever you have put him for the summer Dumbledore, but come next summer when he gets off the Hogwarts express he will be coming with me, and there's nothing you or anyone can do to stop that." She said.

"Ms Peverell—"
"No." She said firmly, "You will not change my mind with your honeyed words Dumbledore. My decision is final. Harry Potter will come to live with me and my son during the summers. Seeing as how he will be living at Hogwarts for nine months of the year, I have no idea why you're putting up so much of a fight." She said pointedly, "Unless, there's something you'd like to share with the rest of us Something...secret?"

Harriette watched as the old man clenched his jaw at her words, the sparkle long gone from his grandfatherly eyes.

Serves him right.

"No, there isn't." He finally answered after a moment of silence.

"Great!" She clapped her hands together with a wide smile, a smile that turned a little predatory in nature as she gazed up at the man, "Then since that is settled, I believe that is all I had planned to talk with you all about today. All the paperwork is with you Chief Warlock and my lawyer will have it all filed with the Ministry by the end of the hour." She said, turning to Ted and giving him a grateful smile, "You can head on out now Ted, I've got it from here." She said, making the man nod.

"I'll wait for you by the main atrium." He said before turning around to leave the chamber, the large doors shutting behind him as Harriette walked up to take her seat.

"Now, let's get the rest of this session going." She said, sitting down and crossing her right leg primly over the other, "Let's hope it goes quickly too. I never again want to step foot in this chamber." She muttered under her breath but the Lady beside her heard her whispered comment and tilted her head in confusion.

"Whatever do you mean?" The woman asked, a woman that Harriette wasn't familiar with in the slightest.

Noting everyone's questioning gaze, she responded back, "This may be my first session but it'll also be my last. The next Wizengamot meeting that is hosted, I'll have a proxy to sit in my place." She shrugged, "Politics bore me. I'm much more suited for something far more...excitable than this." She said, her words making a lot of the lords and lady's breath a sigh of relief, happy that they wouldn't always have to deal with this scary woman.

The proxy she sent in her place couldn't possibly be any worse than she herself was.

Seeing all the looks across their faces, Harriette couldn't help but smirk in amusement, internally preening at making everyone wary of her.

If they were wary of her, that was good. That means they'd all think twice before making a move against her in the future, if it ever came down to that.

Two hours later and the white haired witch was finally allowed to leave the Wizengamot. As soon as the session was called, Harriette was out of her seat and making a b-line straight towards the atrium, with one quick pit stop along the way.

Making sure no one saw her, she turned a corner and placed her cloak over herself and waited in silence for a few minutes before she started to follow a woman that walked by her position.

A woman that couldn't be allowed to make it to her office.

Making sure she was absolutely silent, she followed the blond woman and when they got far enough away, Harriette quickly pulled Rita Skeeter underneath the cloak and covered her mouth to ensure no one could hear her weak attempts at alerting someone.

"Nice try hag, gonna have to try a little harder than that if you want to escape me." She said softly, a dark edge to her voice making the writer whimper beneath the fingers covering her mouth.

She knew Rita had been in the chamber, and she knew she could not have the woman writing about this, she'd only twist it into her own version of the truth.

Which is why she had to get rid of her ASAP.

"Say Goodbye to your life Rita, for you're never getting it back." She threatened before channeling her magic into her hands, forcing the writer to change before her eyes.

Right into her Animagus form, a Water Beatle.

Before she could fly away, Harriette quickly trapped her inside a unbreakable glass jar and sealed the lid on tight, ensuring that the holes in the top weren't big enough for her to escape, but large enough for oxygen to enter before she pocketed the jar in her extendable bag Hermione had given her for her birthday.

"That's one problem solved." She muttered under her breath before taking the cloak off and walking towards the atrium for real this time like nothing had happened.

Everyone around her none the wiser about what had just occurred.

It only took her a few minutes to reach the atrium, and when she did she saw Ted sitting down on one of the benches nearby and eating a sandwich while he waited for her.

She shook her head fondly with a small smile as she walked up to him, "You know I would've made you something when we got back to your house. You didn't have to go and buy lunch." She said, an amused look behind her eyes as she came to rest right before the man.
Ted shrugged his shoulders, "I was hungry." He said, making Harriette snort.

"You sound like my son." She rolled her eyes fondly at the man, walking up to him and gently grabbing ahold of his arm and guiding him up on his own two feet, "Come on, let's get going. This place makes me uncomfortable." She said, glancing
around as if they were about to be jumped at a moments notice.

"You need to calm down Harriette." Ted said softly, "After the statement you just made in front of everyone, no one's gonna risk angering you. At least, not right now." He said.

Before the white haired witch could respond, a voice from behind them called out, "He's right. You were amazing in there Harriette." Evelyn said, a grin along her face as she walked up and came to rest a few feet away from the white haired woman.

Said witch turned to look at the blond and couldn't stop her own grin from spreading across her face, "Why thank you Evelyn, I do try." She smirked, making the blond haired witch laugh.

"I can tell." She purred, blue eyes roaming across Harriette's frame hungrily, "May I be the first to complement your attire today. It's very...fitting." The blond witch said, taking a step closer to the woman which in turn made Harriette's stomach flip in anticipation.

"You don't look half bad yourself." She cooed, eyes taking in Evelyn's full outfit now that they were both out of that stuffy room and in the open.

Lady Greengrass was in a very fine and silky black robe that hugged her curves perfectly. Underneath that, the older woman had what appeared to be some sort of shawl covering her dark blue dress that ended just above her knees. Her legs weren't bare though, for she had a pair of stockings that went up her luscious legs, hugging her thick thighs beautifully.

Only furthering Harriette's arousal and the heat pooling down in her core.

She needed relief...soon.

Evelyn smirked at the smoldering look she got from the white haired witch, "How about you and I go off and have a little...chat? We can talk about what's expected of you when you become a Governor of Hogwarts, yes?" She said, raising a challenging brow at the woman, daring her to accept the hidden proposal she was offering to her.

And Since when has Harriette ever backed down from a challenge?

"Ted? Can you and Andi watch my son for a little longer?" Harriette asked softly, her voice tinged with arousal as she licked her lips staring at the beautiful blond before her, "Evelyn and I need to talk." She said, her pupils now fully black with lust, much like Evelyn herself.

Ted, standing beside the witch couldn't help it as he chortled, amusement practically bleeding from his body as he leaned down to grab his items from the bench, "Message received loud and clear Harriette! Don't worry, little Teddy will be in good hands. See you when you get back!" He said, clapping her on the back gently before giving her a wink, "Have fun."

With his goodbyes said, Ted walked towards the public floos to head back home, nodding his head at Lady Greengrass on his way past but both women were too focused in on one another to notice.

As soon as he was gone and the sound of flames dissipated, Harriette spoke up barely above a whisper, "You're gorgeous, you know that? I'm so gonna have fun with you." She said in a sultry tone of voice, causing Evelyn to shiver in anticipation.

"Well what are you waiting for, an invitation?" She pouted at the white haired witch, laughter shinning behind her blue eyes, "Come and fuck me already." She whispered softly, smirking at Harriette which made the slightly younger woman snap.

Before Evelyn could even blink, Harriette had grabbed ahold of her hand and roughly pulled her into a hidden alcove in the corner of the room. Once they got there, the blond was pushed into the corner making her gasp as her back touched the wall but before she could think about anything else, Harriette had her pinned to the wall and thrusted her knee against her soaking wet core.

"My my my, someone's been a naughty girl." Harriette tutted, smirking in amusement when she felt how wet the other woman was through her knickers. Her hands gently started to roam down Evelyn's frame, ghosting over her neck, cupping her breasts until the made it to her hips where she slipped into her robes and bunched up the skirt of the dress for easier access.

Evelyn couldn't help the moan that slipped out of her mouth at the sensation, making her grind her covered pussy down onto Harriette's knee, "The o-others! In t-the r-room!" She gasped out, eyes closed and panting as she felt the woman lean down to press soft kisses to her neck.

After a moment, the witch pulled away and hummed, leaning closer to her head and gently nibbling into the blinds earlobe, "Don't worry, no one can see us. I made sure of that." Harriette whispered softly into her ear, making Evelyn moan and grind down onto her knee again.

Unable to hold back any longer, Harriette guided the other woman's knee between her own thighs and started to grind down on the blond's leg, making the white haired witch bite her lip and groan under her breath.

"That feels heavenly!" Harriette sighed, still slowly grinding down onto Evelyn, "I haven't had a good shag in years!"

"Me e-either." Evelyn whispered, staring up at Harriette with lustful eyes, "Not since my husband passed. I, ugh...I'm sooo backed up. I'm thinking...y-you can help me with that though."

"I sure hope so." Harriette whispered before crashing forward, bringing both of their lips together in a very heated kiss, Evelyn instantly moaning into the kiss and opening her mouth for the other woman to explore as they both continued to grind against one another.

After a few moments of swapping spit, Evelyn pulled back with a gasp, leaning her head into the crook of Harriette's neck and softly kissing her exposed skin there, "You were so hot in there, y-you know that? T-the way you commanded that r-room! Your magic...the feel of it...it was so, intoxicating!!" She moaned, causing the woman pinning her to the wall to smirk.

"Was it now?" Harriette huffed, thrusting her hips down onto Evelyn's knee as her right hand moved underneath the hem of her dress to dip into her lacy panties that lay hidden underneath, Harriette's smirk only widening when she felt the blond tense up and shut her eyes at the added pleasure, "I hope you weren't expecting anything, permanent out of this little...a-arrangement." She warned as she thrusted three of her fingers right into the woman's snatch, making her cry out in ecstasy.

Evelyn gasped, "No! Not a-at all! You were a pretty woman who got me all h-hot and bothered Mmm, and I n-needed to fuck. No strings a-attached!!!"

Harriette smirked, "Good." She said before plunging all five fingers inside her pussy, making the blond cry out in pleasure.

Evelyn had finally reached the tipping point and as she fell over the ledge, her orgasm rocketing through her body like a lightning strike her pussy clenched down tightly onto Harriette's fingers and the white haired witch's palm got utterly soaked in the blond's love juices.

With a devious grin, Harriette pulled her hand out of the woman's panties and stared her right in the eye before licking her hand completely clean, not wasting a single drop.

She watched as Evelyn's eyes darkened and before she could even blink, the woman had flipped their positions so that Harriette was against the wall and she was standing in front of her.

That position didn't last long though as Evelyn kneeled on the ground, her hands outstretching to tug at the belt around the other woman's waist and loosen it.

Once that was done, Evelyn reached up with trembling hands and with one mighty pull, yanked her dark jeans down around her thighs, exposing her crimson red lace underwear to the blond.

"Let me return the favor Harriette~" Evelyn purred, making the white haired witch bite her lip as she leaned back against the wall for support.

"Be my guest gorgeous~" She whispered seductively down at the woman and that was all the blond needed as confirmation before she pulled Harriette's knickers down to join her jeans before throwing herself at the younger woman's perfectly shaved mound.

Harriette moaned, eyes fluttering shut as both hands came to rest on the back of Evelyn's skull. Enjoying the way her tongue flicked at her clit and probed at her entrance before diving completely in.

Needless to say, it took Harriette a lot longer than she had originally anticipated to get back home...
At least she had remembered to silently cast those privacy charms and silencing spells around them.

If not, then the whole ministry would've been able to hear them...

Fudge sat in his office with a glass of Fire whiskey, staring blankly at the opposite wall deep in thought.

He's been sitting in his office for the past hour, ever since the Wizengamot session had ended and he couldn't help the wariness that settled deep in his bones.

The arrival of Lady Peverell was...
Well, it was bad if she ever found out about all those...donations he had received from Lucius.

Merlin she had complete and utter control of anything and everything regarding the courts.

No matter what, she'd have final say in everything, laws, criminal sentencing, punishments...
If she felt it was wrong, if she considered something unjust than she was well within her right now to fix said mistake.

If another person stepped out of line...she was within her right to get rid of them...permanently.

Which was the most concerning part of this all. None of them knew what she considered, "bad." They knew from her small speech that she would not tolerate bribes, bigotry, racism or anyone trying to harm innocent lives, but...how far would she really go?

If the stories are to be believed about the Peverell's, then he should probably distance himself from Lucius and his crew and probably try and gain more support from the light and neutral factions.

Try and appease the woman and get on her good side.

Maybe if he did that, she'd even endorse him.

Maybe if he showed her his support about her guardianship of Harry Potter, she'd be a lot more open with him.

After all, a Peverell backing him would be much better than a Malfoy in the long run.

Yes...that's what he could do.

He really didn't want to get on her bad side either, with the way she lashed out at Malfoy, he knew it was only a matter of time until she went after the man.

And her magic, the way it felt, the darkness shrouding her.
The way she had put Dolores in her place...
Thinking back on it, made Fudge shudder from his seat at his desk.

Lady Peverell was scary, and he wasn't afraid to admit that to himself.

Needless to say, he had a lot to think about.

Dumbledore paced around in his office at Hogwarts, a small frown across his face as he thought about what all had occurred today.

Lady Peverell was a threat to the greater good, of that he was certain. He had known about that Peace Clause, he did but considering the last Peverell was Harry, the last one who had any claim to the Head of
House ring that is, Albus wasn't at all worried about it.

He hadn't even known Harriette was alive, hadn't known that there was another direct descendant from the Peverell's besides Harry.

And now she essentially had free rain over Magical Britain, to act on her judgment alone without any repercussions.

This would not do...
Especially now that she had used that law to gain guardianship over Harry.

It was completely official too, he had received a letter from Gringotts, the Potter Goblin who was loyal to him saying that there was nothing he could do, the Peverell account manager had revoked Dumbledore's access to the accounts along with making his keys null and void.

He had absolutely no stake in Harry's life anymore and that was not okay, not when Voldemort was merely biding his time and waiting to strike.

Harry had to be ready to sacrifice himself, had to be ready to face Tom and give up his life so the world could be safe from Riddle's influence.

Having Peverell gain guardianship ruined his years of planning, flushed them all down the drain.

If Harry came to Hogwarts and wasn't malleable anymore due to Harriette taking him from his relatives, all future plans to manipulate the boy would crumble then and there.

He had to hope Harry would arrive at Hogwarts and make friends with the Weasley's, hopefully Ron's dislike towards Slytherin would sway Harry to Gryffindor where he could learn to be the martyr the Wizarding world needed him to be.

If not...
Then he had a bigger problem to deal with.

He still couldn't understand how Lady Peverell came to be. Had the Peverell's had a squib in the family that they never mentioned to anyone? Why did no one know of Harriette and her family until now? If what she said is to be believed, she had fought in the previous war and even met Riddle and came out on top while she had been a teenager.

Just how powerful was she? Is her presence why the elder wand felt so cold to him now? Why it wouldn't let him use it?

It had to be that, her very presence enough to call the hallows to her and earn their loyalty without doing anything.

They could sense their true mistress, and the wand had already given her it's full loyalty.

He had much to think about until the school year started, much to think about indeed.

Before Harry came to Hogwarts though, maybe he could change some of the wards around Privet drive, just slightly as to be alerted when Harriette made her debut there.

Yes, that could work...

Harriette hasn't been this relaxed in literal years...
After her impromptu...meeting with Lady Greengrass, a meeting that she hadn't known she needed until she had literally fucked the energy out of her, she had eventually made her way back to the Tonks house to see her son again.

On the way though, she noticed that she was practically floating on air, she felt light and Harriette swore she had a skip in her step that wasn't there hours previously.

Who knew having sex could lighten up years worth of trauma.

She wasn't a fool, she knew this high wouldn't last but for the time being, she'd take what little victories she could get.

Once she had arrived back to her temporary home though, she had walked in and saw the most heartwarming scene ever, Nymphadora was sitting down in the living room and playing with Teddy, both of them chuckling and having a good time.

She felt her heart melt at the sight...
"You're glowing." Andromeda said as she came to rest beside the white haired witch where she was standing in the doorway, the two Metamorphmagi not having seen her yet.

Harriette turned to look at the woman and saw the teasing smirk across her face and couldn't help the blush that started to crawl up her cheeks, "Am I that obvious?" She asked softly, tucking a stray curl behind her ear and trying to keep quiet as to not break the spell on the two people playing in the middle of the room.

Andi hummed in amusement, "No, not really. Ted told me what happened though. But I wasn't lying, you're literally glowing." The brunette said dryly, causing Harriette to calm done and try to tame in her own emotions.

"Well I can't help that." She whispered, "That's the first time I've had sex with someone in...years." She admitted.

Andromeda gazed at her softly, an inquisitive look behind her grey eyes before she spoke back up, "You're best friend. Teddy's aunt." She stated, like she already knew the answer.

Harriette felt the familiar feeling of sorrow and pain bubble up in her chest but she pushed it down with a soft sigh and nodded her head, "Yeah. She was the only person I trusted with that part of me. I didn't realize how...pent up I was until Evelyn started flirting with me."

Surprisingly Andi rolled her eyes, "That's Evelyn for you. Always the adventures type. She's the most insatiable woman I've ever met, I swear." She shook her head fondly.

Harriette titled her head in confusion, "You knew her?"

"I went to school with her." Andi admitted, "She slept with about half of the school's muggleborn population because she knew Purebloods were too proper for what she wanted. Eventually she got locked into a contract with Greengrass and couldn't do any of that anymore." She said, making Harriette grimace.

"That must've been a death sentence for someone like her."

"And it would've, had she not had her two daughters." Andi said, "Those girls kept her grounded and made sure her head wasn't wandering too far in the clouds. When Ignatius died, it was as if a weight had been lifted off her shoulders."

"Don't get me wrong, she cared for the man who was the father of her children, but she never loved him." Andromeda said softly, making the white haired witch hum.

She thought back on the Contract for her and...Ron back in her world and couldn't help the shudder that ran down her spine.

She couldn't imagine being stuck living with someone who you didn't love. Having them...do things to you that you don't really want them to, just because adults wished to see their two families joined.

Everyone should be able to pick who they wanted to spend the rest of their lives with, why did some families think they could just...sell their children away to someone else? With no thought into what the affected party might think.

The thought of selling Teddy off to anyone like that, the thought of forcing her baby boy to marry someone he didn't like made her want to vomit.

She'd never do that to her son, never in a million years.

When he was old enough, he would be able to pick who he wanted to love. It should never fall to the parents to try and force two people together.

But, she really didn't want to think about her son dating anyone at the moment.

He was only nine...hopefully he still had a good few years before he was interested in...stuff like that.

Watching him sitting on the carpeted floor though, with Nymphadora beside him as they joked around while coloring at the coffee table, she knew that no matter what happened, she'd make sure her son was safe and happy.

No matter what.

----- CHAPTER BREAK -----

Harriette leaned against a lone tree across the street from number 4 Privet drive, staring at the house with pursed lips and a blank look across her face.

Being back here...of all places, brought back memories she'd rather keep stay buried for the rest of her life.

She knew what she told Dumbledore, she knew she said she was content to wait but she wasn't, she couldn't in good conscience leave Harry here to deal with the Dursleys alone.

The white haired witch had gone through that for half her life, always being stuck with them, dealing with their rules, their words...their abuse.

She will not have Harry endure that longer than he needed to.
It's only been two days sense the Wizengamot meeting and she couldn't wait any longer to see the boy, she'd never forgive herself.

Especially knowing what the date was, and what happened.

For it was June 23rd, the day of her cousin's birthday, the day that they all went to the zoo and she learned she could talk to snakes for the first time.

They were all gone at the moment, at the zoo and Harriette had used the time to scope out the house until they got back.

She had found that the Blood wards around the house had been altered, slightly just within the last day. And the only one who knew of the wards around
her relatives house was Dumbledore.

It seemed he hadn't wasted any time with trying to dissuade her from entering the premises, even though he had no reason to believe she knew where Harry actually was.

She couldn't deny that Albus Dumbledore was a smart and cautious man who planned for every outcome.

Even if she disliked his methods, even if she couldn't stand his second chances and mercy to the enemy, she could begrudgingly admit that his plan, back in her world had worked.

It Just...also brought with it a whole lot of loss.

All those people, her friends, the innocent children, the muggles...how much life could've been saved if he had just came out to her and told her everything that he knew?

She doesn't think she'd ever be able to fully trust the man, or get on board with how he does things but...but this was a new world, different people.

She had to at least play nice with him, and the other people she'd rather not.

Like...the Weasleys.

She shuddered just thinking about them and all they did to her. But, one of the first things she checked when she had gotten control of the Potter vaults was if there was a Betrothal Contract written up for Harry, like there had been for her but much to her surprise there wasn't.

In her world, the Weasleys were being paid monthly from her vault until she had taken everything out of Gringotts and stored it at Grimmauld Place inside her trunk.

It wasn't enough to cause concern, but enough to help a household with seven children.

But in this world, there was nothing of the sort happening behind the scenes, nothing at all.

In this world...it seemed the Weasleys were...maybe, somewhat half way decent.

The thought, left a bitter taste in her mouth.

She'd continue to keep on eye on them, just in case and maybe warn Harry to be cautious but unless they did something she really couldn't act on it.

Her main concern had to be her son and Harry, she had to protect them, no matter what.

And for Harry, well it all started here.
Back to the point though, after having deduced that the modification to the wards was a simple charm set up to alert him if someone besides the family entered the house, she quickly dispelled it and resigned herself to wait for the Dursleys and Harry to arrive.

She had changed her look though as she waited, her stark white hair was now a chestnut brown, much like Andi's and she had changed her eye color to a azure blue.

She knew Petunia would recognize her eye color, so that was one major feature she had to change but other than her hair and eye color she kept everything mostly the same.

Her cheeks were still sunken down and outlines of the bags that had remained under her eyes for years were still there but she was getting better with that potion regime Andi had her on.

The ones her son were drinking were doing him wonders too, she could already see the changes as the days slowly ticked on by and it had only been less than a week since their arrival.

The bags under his eyes were almost nonexistent and while his cheeks were still sunken, it wasn't nearly as bad as hers.

Her son was getting better and that thought made her so damn happy.

Harriette though, seeing as how it was pretty hot out, it being the end of June and all decided to forgo her usual attire and instead was dressed in a pair of Jean shorts, a red v-neck short sleeved shirt that showed just a hint of cleavage and a white set of trainers.

She had went to London with Teddy yesterday and bought them both a new wardrobe, seeing as how their clothes were all worn out from years of living in a tent.

Not to mention how she had to improvise when it came to Teddy due to him growing since they went on the run.

She couldn't always afford to sneak into a town and get him clothes so sometimes he just had to make due with what they had.

She wished she could've done more back then, but now that they were safe and no one was hunting them, she could do all of that and more.

Although, she probably should've waited, considering she'd have to buy new clothes for Harry once he came with her.

Because he was in fact coming with her to the Tonks household.

Andi and Ted had already given her the go ahead, both ecstatic that they were getting not two, but three new members in the house for the foreseeable future.

Along with Nymphadora, who appeared to be staying around much more frequently, at least according to Andromeda she was, the house would never be empty.

A thought that Harriette believed both Ted and Andi secretly loved.

A thought that she secretly enjoyed too.

Growing up without anyone, no family to call her own she had always longed to have a place, a home with a huge family right beside her.

A wife...children, a son or a daughter, it never mattered to her, she just wanted a family.

Her family...
She had gotten a taste of that with Hermione, Sirius, Teddy and Andi.

And now, hopefully, she'd be experiencing much more of the same.
One could hope, that is...
The sound of an incoming engine broke her out of her stupor, making her shake he head and glance at the silver car making its way down the road.

She glared at the vehicle as it turned into Number 4 Privet drive, unable to hide her anger at the thought of Harry with...those people.
Sure enough, as soon as the car parked in the driveway, her whale of a uncle pushed himself out of the car and made a b-line straight for Harry, who was sitting behind the drivers seat.

Vernon ripped open the door and grabbed ahold of Harry's arm and dragged the scrawny little boy out and towards the house, not caring in the slightest that he was hurting him or the fact that he was dragging him behind him without letting the boy get his bearings.

Now that Harriette could see Harry, she felt her heart clench at the sight of the obviously abused and half starved child who was so much smaller than his relatives.

It brought back memories that she'd rather wish stay hidden forever...
Petunia and Dudley were walking behind the two of them a few paces back, but Harriette could still see the smug smile on her cousin’s face and the sneer on her aunt's.

She couldn't help the absolute fury that started to bubble up inside her chest as her magic surged, causing her eyes to glow silver white once more.

This ended, today.

As soon as the door slammed shut behind the occupants. It took every fiber of her being not to March over there right that instant but it would look suspicious if she knocked as soon as they closed the door so, she waited one minute before pushing herself off the small tree and storming over to the house.

As soon as she got there, she felt the wards ripple around her being but she paid no mind to them, knowing that Dumbledore wouldn't find out about this until it was too late.

She took a calming breath, steading herself and tried to rein in her magic before firmly knocking on the door three times.

It took a few moments but soon the door was pushed open and the face of her aunt, an aunt that had died years ago for her was staring right at her with her head titled in confusion.

"Can I help you ma'am?" Petunia asked, eyes roaming across her attire judgmentally, no doubt hating the fact that she, a woman was showing off so much skin while out in public.

Sue her though, she had never been able to do so before, she had been so insecure back in her world, of all the marks on her arms, especially after fourth year and the dragon burn so she never got the chance to wear clothes like this.

She'd do whatever she pleased now that she had the chance, thank you very much!

"Yes, in fact you can." She replied back smoothly, tone of voice clam and collected but her eyes, her eyes were a raging inferno, cold and hard as ice causing a shiver to run down Petunia's spine. Before her aunt could speak up though, she continued on, "I'm here to see one Harry Potter, If that's alright with you."

As soon as she said that, a sneer crossed over her aunt's face, "What on earth could you possibly want with that, that freak!?" She shrieked, making Harriette clench her jaw to stop herself from murdering the woman in front of her.

Just as she was about to say something, her uncle came lumbering down the hallway towards the door, "Petuina who's at the door?" He asked, coming to rest beside his wife, "What's wrong?"

"This...woman, wants to see the freak!" She said, making Vernon's eyes harden as he glared at the young woman on the other side of the door.

"How do you know of him?" He asked softly but with gritted teeth, a glare firmly across his face as he raised a finger up to her face, "Are you one of...his kind?"

Harriette glared right back at him, making the both of them flinch away from her at how much anger they could see radiating from the woman's eyes, "His kind?" She asked lowly, dangerously. A tone both Dursleys picked up on, "As far as I'm concerned we're all humans here. There is no difference between us, except how much of a vile person you two both are." She hissed, taking a step closer to them and making them flinch a step back into their house, "Now, are you gonna let me see Harry, or am I gonna have to make you? The choice is yours but I promise you, option 1 will not be pretty for you." She warned, making her eyes glow a silvery white to emphasize her point.

Petunia's eyes widened even further and despite the anger she felt, she stepped aside and started moving down the hallway, Vernon not far behind her, "S-Shut the door and get in h-here! We don't need the neighbors to g-gossip about this!" She stuttered, making Harriette roll her eyes as she walked into the hallway and closed the door behind her.
She watched with sadness swelling up inside of her as her relatives walked up to the cupboard under the stairs and undid all the locks they had placed on it before stepping away and letting her access, not even caring about how there was a young boy inside and practically dying in there.

She scoffed under her breath before moving forward, once getting before the cupboard kneeling down on the ground and slowly opening up the door.

Her heart clenched when she saw the sight before her. Harry was laying down on his mattress, his blood soaked mattress and he was facing away from the door. The boy was wearing what should be considered rags, not actual clothes and from what little skin she saw poking out, he had bruises coating his entire frame, especially around his neck.

He had his face tuned away from her but she had done the same in her youth many times to know that there were tears leaking from his eyes, silently crying.

She had done the same on this day in her world for the same...punishment had happened to her when she had released that snake at the zoo.
Locked in her cupboard for three weeks...
It was one of the many times that she had thought she'd actually die at her relatives.

She could tell his eyes were closed, which was why he hadn't reacted yet which only made her heart clench even more.

As softly as she could, Harriette raised her hand and gently knocked on the cupboard door, "Hello?" She called out, making Harry tense up and instantly causing his shoulders to stop shaking, "Are you okay?" She asked, knowing that saying his name would only confuse him, If what happened to him was the same as her.

For she didn't know her name until she had received her own Hogwarts letter...
She hated the fact that it seemed that Harry had to endure the same as her.

After a moment of silence though, Harriette watched as Harry slowly turned around and blinked up at her in confusion. There was a subtly uneasiness to his gaze as he caught a glimpse of Petunia and Vernon hovering nearby but other than that, he gave his full attention to her.

"H-Hi." He stuttered hoarsely, making the ten year old clear his throat as he sat up on the bloodied mattress with knees tucked into his chest, "Who a-are you?" He asked and Harriette, even though she could tell he was uncomfortable with a new person seeing him in the state he was in, could detect no fear in his eyes as he gazed up at her.

So much like her...
She pursed her lips for a moment, trying to stamp down the anger she felt at the Dursleys hovering a few feet away and decided to give her full attention to Harry, offering him a small genuine smile filled with warmth that made the boy's heart flutter inside his chest.

"My name is Harriette. Harriette Peverell." She said, offering him a small nod with the smile still in place across her face, "It's very nice to meet you...Harry Potter." She said softly, knowing the impact her words would have and sure enough, she watched as his eyes widened in shock as he stared up at her with a revenant sparkle in his emerald green eyes.

"You...you know my?...My n-name is, Harry?" He asked, wonder in his tone as he gazed up at Harriette making the woman's heart break right in two.
In the moment, she hated how similar their upbringing was...
"Yes, yes I know your name." She said sadly, eyes boring into his soul with empathy, "I'm actually a distant relative from your dad's side of the family. I knew of both your parents before they were killed."

Harry stared at the woman, Harriette with a small frown across his face, eyes bouncing to her before settling on the floor while fiddling with his oversized sleeves, "My aunt and uncle said that...my p-parents died in a car crash." He whispered.

Harry flinched though when he saw anger flash behind her gaze, making Harriette take a calming breath, closing her eyes to steady herself before responding to the boy, "It's alright, I'm not mad at you." She said softly, "If you'll excuse me for a moment Harry." Harriette said, offering him a smile before standing up and turning towards the Dursleys with a glare that could freeze the likes of anyone.

"You told him his parents died in a car crash?" She asked in a deadly calm tone of voice, her eyes hardened and as stone cold as ice drawing a small shudder from Vernon as Petunia hid behind her husband. "What about his name?" She spat, sneering at the two.

Vernon puffed out his chest and glared right back at her, seemingly forgetting about the danger he was in at the moment, "The boy didn't need to know any of it! My wife and I already deal with his...freakishness!! He should be grateful we decided to keep him and not dump him at on orphanage!"

Before Harriette could open her mouth Petunia spoke up with a disgusted sneer across her face, "We gave him more than enough to survive! And If you don't like the way we've been raising the boy, perhaps YOU should've taken him in! Distant relative, you say? Where have you been for the past decade?!" She scoffed.

"I've been indisposed. I just got back into Britain last week!" Harriette growled, eyes narrowed even further as the Dursleys kept talking.

She was holding back every instinct in her body that was telling her to kill them where they stood...
She didn’t want Harry to see that part of her yet.
"We gave the boy shelter, food and discipline." Vernon said firmly, "It's not our fault no one wanted the freak."

As soon as he said that, Harry started to crawl out of his cupboard, wanting to be in the conversation but Vernon saw this and glared at the boy, "Did I say you could come out of that cupboard? Get back in there right this instant!" He exclaimed, taking a step forward to force Harry back inside but Harriette stepped in front of the ten year old and glared at her uncle with as much hate as she could muster, eyes glowing a silvery white.

"I'd reconsider what you're about to do, Dursley." She said lowly, fists clenched at her sides as she glared at the man. From the corner of her eye she could see how Harry got up onto his feet and stood behind her, using the woman as a shield from his uncle, "Harry, stay right where you are."

"You're one of them, aren't you? A freak?!" Petunia narrowed her eyes at Harriette, making the woman growl as she took a step back closer to Harry.

"I wouldn't consider myself the freak between all of us." Harriette bit out, "I'm not the one abusing a child for what he was born with."

"Now you listen here, we have no room for your kind in this house. We barely can stand one of you! So I want you out of this house this instant or else—"
"Or else what?" Harriette smirked dangerously, cocking her hip to the side as her eyes bore into their souls, "What are you gonna do to me? If you know what I am...you know what I can do to you and no one would ever be the wiser." She said, her smirk widening when she saw the Dursleys flinch back at her threat.

"Y-you wouldn't dare! Your government wouldn't stand for that!" Vernon exclaimed fearfully but she could tell he didn't believe his own words.

"Wanna know a secret?" She whispered, "I don't give a damn about my government. It's corrupted and broken, and technically, I can do whatever I want and get away with it. So you two, you...disgusting excuses of humans don't have any say in what I'll do. You can and will do nothing if I decide I need retribution for what you did...for hurting someone of my blood."

Without waiting for a reply, Harriette whipped out her Elder Wand and waved it at the Dursleys. Harry, who was peaking out from around her watched with wide eyes as a silvery white light washed over his aunt and uncle before settling over their heads.

Their eyes became glazed over for a second before they blinked and without another word, they both robotically turned around and walked towards the sitting room and away from Harriette and Harry.

Once they were out of sight, Harriette sighed and tried to push down the anger she felt in the moment before she turned her attention back to look at the ten year old behind her, "Hey...sorry you had to see me so upset, I hope I didn't scare you. I know I can get a little...intense." She said, kneeling down so she was eye level with the boy.

His eyes though were staring at her with wonder behind his gaze, "Thank you." He whispered softly, "No adult's ever...e-ever..." He trailed off, making Harriette's heart bleed at the open shock and gratitude in his tone.

"It's no trouble at all Harry. Like I said, you're family. I wasn't lying when I said that." She admitted softly, making Harry purse his lips, willing them not to tremble but they were technically the same person, Harriette knew her own signs of distress better than she had in her youth.

"Can I...can I hug you?" She asked hesitantly, knowing that it was probably a fifty-fifty shot with him.

Harry hesitated for a moment before nodding his head but that was all the confirmation Harriette needed before leaning forward and wrapping her arms around his smaller frame.

The boy tensed for a few moments before he melted right into the hug, drawing a small smile from the woman's lips as she righted her hold around the ten year old.

The two of them stayed there on the ground hugging for a few minutes, the woman gently rubbing soothing circles across his back while pretending not to notice how her shoulder was getting wet.

It was Harriette that pulled back first, smiling down at Harry with a warmth in her gaze that made the boy's face heat up.

No one's ever looked at him like...that before.

"What...what was that?" Harry suddenly asked, making the woman tilt her head at the boy making him gesture at her wand still loosely grasped in her hand, "My relatives don't usually give up that easily." He admitted.

Harriette sighed softly under her breath and smiled sadly at him, "They don't, do they?" She said rhetorically, "To answer your question though...let me ask my own first. Have you ever been upset or, sad? Angry or nervous and noticed how...weird things happen around you?" She asked.

Harry nodded his head slowly, "Yeah...my aunt and uncle say it's because I'm a freak."

Harriette's eyes darkened, "Don't you ever say that." She said firmly but with a gentleness in her tone to not scare Harry, "You're not a freak, Harry. It's completely normal for people like you and me. It's called accidental magic." She admitted.

The young boy's eyes widened in shock, "Magic?" He asked faintly, making Harriette nod her head.

"Magic. This right here is my wand, when you're young a wand helps wizards and witches channel their magic. Eventually if you're strong enough you can learn how to cast wandless magic but not everyone can do that." She said, reaching over and placing her hand on Harry's shoulder and squeezing gently, "I'm a Witch, and you're a Wizard Harry, just like your parents were."

"My parents...they could wield magic too?"

Harriette smiled, "They could. And they were very strong in their own ways. From what I remember your mother was good with Charms and your father was good at Defense."

"What...what happened to them?" He asked hesitantly, making Harriette sigh.

"A very bad wizard went after them when you were one." She said somberly, eyes shinning with empathy for the boy, "There was a war between two factions of wizards and...and your parents fought against the opposing leader, a madman who wanted to subjugate the entire world. There actions though, it painted a target on their heads. They were betrayed by someone they had considered a friend and the evil wizard, Voldemort went after you and your parents."

"You...were the only one who survived that night." She said softly, making Harry frown.

"How did I survive when my, parents didn't?"

"That scar on your head, Voldemort gave it to you when he tried to kill you but your mother was smarter than him. Before she had been killed, she had performed a ritual that saved you from the man's wrath. Powered by a mother's love for her child. Something Voldemort could never understand."

"What happened to him?" Harry asked with a titled head, "What did the ritual do?"

"It made Voldemort unable to touch you, for your mother sacrificed her life for yours. So when he tried to kill you, his spell rebounded and killed him instead." She said, "But his followers, his beliefs are still out there."

Harriette sighed and leaned down so she was staring directly into the boy's eyes, "I won't lie to you Harry, there are still bad people out there who want you for one reason or another. To have you under their thumb or to finish what their master started. But...if you'd let me, I'd very much like to help you." She said, smiling softly at the boy.

"You...you want to h-help me?" He asked in shock, "Why?"

"Like I said before, we're related by blood. I would've taken you in and raised you with my son if I had been in Britain but after the war...we had to go into hiding...bad people were hunting us." She said, offering the boy a small smile, "But now that I'm here, If you'd let me...I'd like to take care of you."

"Why?" Harry whispered, curling into himself and staring at her with so much confusion and sadness that it made Harriette heart crack, "Why would you want...me?"

"Because I know what it's like to grow up without anyone who cares about you." She admitted softly, making Harry look up into her eyes which made the woman sigh, "I lost my parents to the war and had to grow up with...not so nice people. They didn't treat me right Harry, they made me their glorified slave. Cooking and cleaning for them, attending to their lawn and when something wasn't perfect they'd withhold meals from me...lock me away for weeks until I was on the brink of death."

"I know what it's like to fight for your own survival, and a child shouldn't be worried about that. Not like I was at your age." She said softly.

Harry gazed up at her with a soft look behind his eyes, his heart bleeding for the woman before him. She sounded like she had been treated much like he had been, much like how his aunt and uncle treat him.

When he looked at her, he also didn't see an ounce of pity or sympathy, just understanding and a warmth that made his heart flutter.

She was being so kind and understanding, he didn't know what to do with it all.

But to learn that there was a reason all this weird stuff happened around him, that he actually was different from those around him...
He couldn't help but feel hope.

Hope that maybe, finally he could belong somewhere.

A place where his parents had belonged.

And Harriette, this woman who had just appeared at his house, used some sort of magic to force his relatives to leave them alone while actually explaining to him about who he is and what he is.

The woman who told him his actual name...
She was offering him so much, offering him a chance to escape this hell he found himself in.

He'd be a fool not to accept.

"Yes." Harry whispered, nodding his head and gazing up at Harriette with a soft smile, "I'd like that, very much."
Harriette smiled once she heard those words, moving her hand from his shoulder to gently cup his face like she does with Teddy, thumb gently brushing across his cheek, "I'm glad. You won't be alone either. My son is only two years younger than you so until you start heading to school, there will be someone closer to your age. We're staying with the Tonks family until my house is finished being built though, but they're very nice. They've allowed my son and I to stay with them until the house is built and they offered you the same curtesy."

Harry ignored the sudden flip his stomach did at the mention of so many new people and decided to focus on something else, "You said school. Is there, is there a school where you learn magic?" He asked hopefully, making Harriette smile and nod her head.

"Yeah, it's up in Scotland and once you turn 11, everyone's eligible to attend. Which means, this September you'll be heading off to learn how to control your magic in a school filled with young wizards and witches. A school just for you." She said, "You'll stay there nine months out of the year, and only come back for holidays if you want, along with during the summer breaks."

"I...I don't have any money. I won't be able to pay for—"
"Harry." Harriette cut in gently but with a firmness that made the boy pause, "You are the kid in this situation, you don't have to worry about stuff like that. I'll deal with it, okay? You worry about just being a kid a little longer." She said.

"I don't really feel like a kid..." He admitted, making Harriette sigh softly under her breath.

"I know, you'll probably feel like that for a while, I know I did. But eventually it'll get better, I promise."

"Is that what happened for you?" Harry asked, gazing up at her softly, "Did...time help with, with a-all this?" He asked, gesturing around him, towards his cupboard and his scrawny frame and trying to convey what he meant but Harriette understood.

She knew what he was asking.

Her eyes softened, "It wasn't time that did it. Sure, it made it easier to bare, but I had a handful of people who cared for me. Who showed me that I meant something to them. Their support...their love is what really made it bearable, for me at least." She smiled gently at the boy, making him smile back.

"Okay." He said, nodding his head, "Okay I...I'd like to go with you, if that's alright. I mean, I don't want to be a burden or try to take like, y-your own son's spot or anything but—"
"Harry." She said softly, eyes shinning fondly at the ten year old, "I'm the one who asked you to come with me, you are not and will never be a burden to me. And you're definitely not replacing anyone's spot, I promise. My son will be overjoyed to have someone else closer to his age to talk with."

Harry nodded his head even though Harriette could still see the hesitance in his eyes, not quite believing her yet, "Alright. O-okay. What...what will happen to them?" He asked, gesturing towards the living room where his relatives were sitting down.

Harriette scowled as she glanced towards the living room before turning back to Harry, "I performed a memory spell on them. They won't remember what happened to you or that I ever showed up here. I can't take the chance that anyone finds out I was here." She said.

"Are, are you gonna get into trouble because of me?"

Harriette shook her head, "No Harry, I won't. You don't know the significance of this, but my last name holds power in the Wizarding World. People are afraid of my family name, they won't cause a fuss if they know what's good for them." She said. "I'll explain everything more in depth when we get back to the Tonks house."

Harry decided to ignore that comment about her name for the time being and decided to move on to other important issues, "Will...will my relatives ever remember...me?" He asked.

"Do you want them to?" She asked gently, "Right now they just know you left, but have no idea how. If you want, I can...erase your existence from their minds too. But only if you want that." She said, making Harry purse his lips.

The thought was tempting, his relatives never once gave him a second thought and he knew they truly wouldn't care, but a small part of him wanted to see if one day, maybe they could change, maybe they would learn to, tolerate him.

He knew they'd never be a family, that ship had sailed many years ago but maybe...maybe at least his cousin could learn to be a better person.

Hopefully.

Harry shook his head, "No, no I don't want them to forget me, what you did here is fine for now. Maybe one day...one day I can talk with them again. Maybe..."

Harriette nodded her head, "Maybe." She agreed before standing up on her own two feet and offering her hand for Harry to take, "Come on, let's get going. There's a few things I'd like to get done with you before we do much else. Andromeda Tonks, the woman we'll be staying with is a healer and she can check you out to make sure you're as healthy as can be...all things considered." She said.

Harry grabbed ahold of her hand and let the woman drag him towards the door, both of them not once looking back as they walked outside. "Is...is she, nice?" He asked hesitantly, not liking the sound of having to go to any sort of doctor who could easily find out everything that's happened to him.

Harriette glanced down at him softly, "Yes, the nicest. I promise." She said, stepping out the door and shutting it behind them before walking around the house so they couldn't be spotted.

Once they were behind cover, Harriette closed her eyes and dropped her morph, letting her natural features, her green eyes and White hair appear back.

"Woah." Harry whispered softly, staring at her hair and eyes as they changed color right before him, "How'd
you do that?" He asked.

Harriette smiled, "I'm what the magical world calls a Metamorphmagus. We can shift our appearances without uttering a single spell. You have to be born as one in order to do what I do, but anyone can change their looks temporarily with a spell if need be. This is my natural hair and eye color though. Well, natural now."

"What do you mean?"

"My natural hair color used to be black, but after using my family magic for so long, ancient spells and magic forgotten by time...well it had some lasting effects on me to say the least." She said, shrugging her shoulders, "But I kind of like it now. The white hair has grown on me a bit."
"I like your white hair better." Harry admitted softly, brushing his bangs behind his ear, a small blush covering his cheeks, "Even if it's unnatural, the white brings out your green e-eyes."

Harriette smiled warmly at the boy, a small grin across her face at his words, "Why aren't you a little charmer in the making." She said in amusement, making Harry's cheeks burn brighter, "You're father would be proud."

Harry smiled and seemed to puff out his chest at her words, making Harriette bite her lip to stop from laughing at how heartwarming it was to see Harry actual act like a kid.

She’d make sure that smile stayed on his face for as long as possible...
"Alright, I'm gonna apparate us back to where you'll be staying with me for the next few months okay? It's a form of teleportation, but it's not very pleasant so you might feel a little sick once we land, alright?" She said.

Harry nodded his head and tightened his hold on her hand, "I'm ready." He said, making Harriette nod her head.

"Ok, hold on tight." She warned.

Harry closed his eyes and made sure to keep his grip firm around the woman's hand. A moment later, behind Number 4 Privet drive the two suddenly swirled in midair and vanished from sight, gone with a simple popping sound echoing along the side of the house.

No one the wiser that Harriette had just taken the Boy-who-lived away from his abusive relatives and to someplace far more appropriate for a growing boy.

Harry was sitting down on the couch at the Tonks residence, gazing at the fireplace with a blank look behind his eyes, shoulders tense and body practically curled into himself.

He couldn't believe the turn today had taken. First he had been woken up by his aunt's banshee like screech, demanding him to cook breakfast. Then they had gone to the zoo, where he had set a snake on his cousin, got reprimanded by his uncle and then dragged off back home.

And that wasn't even the weirdest part.
Only after a few minutes of being locked in his cupboard, it had opened and a woman who was apparently related to him had practically saved him from his relatives.

She had told him he was a wizard, told him what really happened to his parents, showed him the beauty of magic and...
And she was the first adult who had ever made any attempt to care about him.
About...Harry.

He still couldn't believe he knew his name, his actual name. For years he's just been "boy" or "freak" and after awhile he just got used to the names but Harriette...she had known his name, had known things about his parents and showed him genuine concern.

It was one of the reasons why he had trusted her so fast, why he was so quick to go along with the woman who he had just met.

He had felt more safe with her than he ever had with his aunt and uncle, and he...well now that he got a taste of it he didn't want to lose that.

"Hello." The sudden voice broke Harry out of his mind, making the ten year old shake his head and glance up at the young boy standing a few feet away from him with a smile.

Edward Orion Peverell, or Teddy as he liked to be called was a spitting image of his mother, minus the white hair. He had the same face structure, their noses were the same, small and button shaped. The same smile, the same straight yet slightly curly hair towards the bottom of each strand.

And the piercing emerald green eyes.

The only thing that was different about the younger boy before Harry was his check bones sat up a little higher on his face, much like Mrs Tonks's did.

If Harry was being honest...Teddy, kind of looked like him, with only a few differences.

"H-Hi." The ten year old boy replied back, blinking away his thoughts for the time being and smiling back at the young Metamorphmagus, "Are they still, talking?" He whispered, rubbing a hand across his forearm which was now covered in a long sleeved shirt that once belonged to Teddy.

As soon as Harriette had gotten them both to the place they'd be staying, she had introduced him to the Tonks family and it wasn't long before Mrs Tonks had sat him down and casted all sorts of diagnostic spells on him.

He hadn't been able to see much before the adults fled into the kitchen to talk, but from the looks on all of their faces they...most likely knew pretty much everything that had happened to him at the hand of the Dursleys.

The look alone that he saw on Mrs Tonks face was enough to scare anyone away.

But Harriette had looked equal parts livid and heartbroken...
It was her look though, that made his heart cry out in pain and warm at the same time.

"Yeah, they are." Teddy answered his question, walking towards the couch and taking a seat on the opposite side of the furniture, making sure to keep his distance and give Harry space much like his mother told him to, "I wouldn't worry about it too much, they're just trying to figure out the next course of action." He said, making Harry turn and look at the younger boy with a tilted head .
"You're mother...she's not gonna...I'm still staying, r-right?" He asked softly, "I didn't do a-anything wrong. At l-less I don't think I did! B-because I don't think I can just...go back to the Dursleys especially after everything that happened today but your mom has been really nice to me and Mrs Tonks along with Mr Tonks and—"

"Harry!" Teddy exclaimed as softly as he could as to not disturb the adults in the other room, "I promise you're staying with us. Now that mom has you, she's never letting go." He said, his words making Harry's heart warm at the admission.

Why did that feel so...good to hear?
"Okay." Harry whispered back while nodding his head, "Okay."

Teddy, taking any chance he could get to put a smile on someone's face grinned at Harry, green eyes sparkling, "Mom got me this new set of cards a few days ago. Want me to teach you how to play?" He asked.

Harry turned to look at the other boy and couldn’t detect a single ounce of deceit on his face, merely kindness which in turn made Harry smile back, "I'd like that."

Not that far away in the other room, Ted, Andi, Harriette and Nymphadora were quietly speaking amongst one another as to not alert the boys in the other room.

"How is he even alive?" Andromeda asked, a horrified look behind her eyes, much like how she had looked when she had learned of Harriette's extensive list of injuries when she and Teddy had first arrived, "Where did you even find him?"

Harriette's eyes darkened and her fists clenched at her sides, "Stubbornness. Not willing to give those...monsters what they wanted. To answer your second question, Dumbledore left him with muggles who...weren't the nicest to people who wield magic." She admitted.

Ted, usually so kind and easygoing couldn't help the frown that slid across his face, eyes blazing with anger on Harry's behalf, "Who?"

"Lilly's muggle sister, the Dursleys. Petunia always hated Lilly, jealous that she was the family's favorite. If you ever want proof I can give you my memories of what I saw, if that would help in anyway." Harriette said, making Ted nod his head.

"I'll let you know." He replied back.

"How could anyone do that to a child." Nymphadora whispered, glaring at the floor, arms crossed over her chest as she took in everything they had just learned, "How can you beat a child and think nothing is wrong with that?"

Harriette clenched her jaw, "They wanted to beat the magic out of him." She grit out, only making the other three people in the room more angry.

"Do they have any idea how dangerous that is?!" Andi exclaimed as quietly as she could, but her eyes were livid, "Harry could've rejected his magic and became an Obscurus, he could've hurt a lot of people if he had thought suppressing his magic would let him fit in with his...relatives." She spat.

"That's horrible." Nymphadora shook her head, closing her eyes for a moment to try and calm herself down.

Her father shrugged his shoulders and pursed his lips, "From what Harriette said, they were sacred. And I'm not defending them!" He quickly added on, seeing the looks he had received from all three women, "But...fear has a way of controlling one's actions. Leads them to do unspeakable things." He said, making Harriette sigh under her breath.

He was right, her relatives were deathly afraid of magic and what it could do.

Because from Petunia's point of view, magic stole her sister from her, magic made Lilly the favorite of the family and eventually, it was the thing responsible for taking the last of her family away from her.

Magic, in Petunia's eyes had killed Lilly Potter née Evans.

And Harriette knew Petunia would never forgive magic for, well...any of it.

"Still, I took care of it." She said, leaning back against the kitchen counter with a small shake to her head, "The Dursleys won't remember I was there or that I took Harry, they will simply remember him leaving. If Dumbledore checks up on him though before the start of school, then he'll obviously know I took him and will try looking for Harry."

"Let him try." Andi waved her hand dismissively, "Our house is protected by the strongest wards anyone can buy. Nothing is getting inside the perimeter of the house without me letting them."

"And even if they do, you've got me as a last resort." Harriette smirked, eyes sparkling dangerously which made Nymphadora shudder at the look she saw reflected in the white haired witch's eyes.

Why did Harriette have to be so damn hot?!

It had to be illegal to be that sexy!

"That we do." Andi smirked, winking at her daughter, making the metamorphmagus blush before moving on, "Now, let's talk sleeping arrangements. We only have the two spare bedrooms and with Teddy in one, and you in the other Harriette we need to come up with a plan."

Harriette sighed, "Harry can take my room. He's gonna need his own place to call his own especially after...everything he's been through. Don't get me wrong, I love my son but he can be a little too excitable at times and with Harry...I don't know if that's going to be very helpful in these beginning stages of healing."

"What about you?" Ted asked with a small frown, "I mean, we have an attic and basement we could easily convert a section as a temporary bedroom for Harry. Plus, he'd have his own privacy there too."

Harriette shook her head though, "I don't want to split him off from the main floor. That's where everyone else sleeps and the last thing I want is to make him feel isolated or left out by giving him the attic or basement. I can easily take the basement and make it a temporary bedroom for now. Harry can have my room." She said.

Back when she had stayed at Grimmauld place with...with Sirius, she had always felt better knowing her godfather was just a door away from her.

She wanted Harry to have that same sense of security she did, wanted him to know that he wasn't alone, that he had people close to him that wanted to help.

She knew that the road to his recovery wouldn't be easy, hell even two decades after the fact, a war and traveling to a new universe she still had her problems but it was different for her.

Everyone in her life had betrayed her, had left her besides a very select few. She had never really gotten the time to heal all those old wounds she had received at the Dursleys, the mental ones that is.

It's been nonstop for Harriette, her entire life and only now, having entered this new world did she receive any sense of peace.

She'd be damned if she let Harry go through what she did...
"You can, sleep in my room...If you want."

Harriette turned to look at Nymphadora with wide eyes, despite herself feeling a small blush crawl across her own cheeks, "What?" She whispered.

Nymphadora's blush only darkened when she finally said the words out loud, voicing a thought that just popped into her head, "We're both adults here, we can share a bed. Also, I'm not gonna always be sleeping here since I'll still be at the academy for the next few months. I see no reason why we can't share my room so you can actually have, you know...your own space."

"Nym...I, I can't do that. It's your room, your space. I'm not gonna take that away from—" Harriette wasn't even given the chance to finish before the metamorphmagus cut her off.

"I'm not asking you to take it away, I'm offering you a place to sleep." She said, the blush that had been on her cheeks speeding down her neck and up to the tips of her ears at the pet name that spilled out of Harriette's mouth.

She really liked how that name sounded coming from the white haired witch's mouth...
Harriette bit her lip and tried to fight the blush that crawled up her neck and the warmth threatening to melt her heart into a pile of mush. She couldn't help how her eyes softened though as she stared at Nymphadora with sparkling irises, "Are...Are you sure? I don't want to make you uncomfortable." She whispered.

Dora though merely nodded her head, "I'm positive! And trust me, you could never make me uncomfortable." She said truthfully before continuing on under her breath, "Nothing about you makes me uncomfortable."

Luckily Harriette hadn't seemed to hear her whispered comment at the end but her mother and father had and they sent her looks full of amusement and mischief making her blush merely darken.

Before her parents could comment though, Harriette sighed and spoke back up, "If...If you're sure, I don't mind sharing a room." She said softly, rubbing her hand over her exposed bicep, a nervous tick of hers.

Nymphadora beamed back at the woman and despite the blush across her cheeks, she couldn't help how she smiled at the white haired witch as her stomach fluttered, "Great! We can move your things inside whenever you're ready."

"Let's go and do that now." She said, "I want Harry to have his own room as quick as possible." Harriette admitted, walking over to Nymphadora but once she got beside the younger woman, Dora took a chance and offered her arm to the woman, making Harriette bite her lip to try and smother the amused smile.

Deciding to play along, she looped her arm around Dora's elbow and allowed the metamorphmagus to lead her down the hall towards the bedrooms, leaving behind two equally amused parents.

"Our daughter is completely smitten by her." Ted said, grinning at the retreating forms of the two ladies.

Andi snorted, reaching over to lay a hand on her husband's shoulder, "Harriette is equally enamored with Nymphadora too. I wonder how long it will take for them to sort this out." She said.

Ted smirked over at his wife, "Knowing our daughter? She'll probably throw herself at Harriette one night when they're both in bed." He said, making Andromeda chuckle.

"Yes, I hope Harriette is ready for her. Merlin knows how much of a handful our daughter can be." Andi rolled her eyes as the two of them walked out of the kitchen to join the children in the sitting room.

Ted snorted, "That's putting it lightly."

Nymphadora slowly blinked her eyes open as the morning sun streamed through the crack in her window.

She yawned, closing her eyes again and decided to grab another few minutes of shut eye but movement right beside her made the woman open her violet eyes again.

Once she saw the sight before her, Dora's other senses recognized the weight that was resting against her chest along with the sight of the white haired witch beside her using her as a pillow.

Her heart melted and eyes softened when her sleep muddled brain finally returned back to the present, along with what day it was.

It was July 31st.

Harriette and Harry's birthday.

It had been a little over a month since Harriette, Teddy and Harry had come to live with them, a little over a month since they had rescued Harry from his abusive relatives and a little over a month since all three of them had begun healing.

A little over a month since Harriette started bunking in her own room...
After that first week, Dora had to head back to the academy to complete the last few months of her training but she tried to come home at least a few times a week to check on things.

On those days, or those nights...Harriette and her would sleep in the same bed.

And she was convinced that on those nights, she had gotten the best night of sleep in her life.

They'd both start sleeping on opposite sides of the bed but sometime during the night usually Harriette would roll over until she was practically on top of her. She'd then wrap her arms and legs around her and use Nymphadora as a pillow until they both woke up the next morning.

Despite the awkwardness in the mornings after the fact, Dora secretly enjoyed every aspect of it.

Every time she was woken up to the beautiful sight of Harriette's peaceful face she couldn't help the warmth that encompassed her entire being.

And today, was no different.

Harriette had her head resting on her shoulder, her lips slightly parted so Dora could feel every time the witch exhaled a breath. Both of her arms were also wrapped around Dora's left bicep while her sweatpants clad legs were circling the other metamorphmagus's bare legs.

She could feel the apex of Harriette's knee resting against the hem of her sleep shorts but it was times like this where she wished Harriette would sleep in shorts so she could feel their skin against one another.

The thought made her blush, but that didn't stop her right hand from coming around to gently rub soothing patterns across the length of the white haired witch's hand, which remained looped around her elbow.

Harriette suddenly mumbled in her sleep and pulled herself closer to Dora, tightening her hold on the pink haired trainee and making the woman smile.
She loved quiet moments like these, especially after a hard day training with Moody.

All tension just melted away.
After spending another few minutes simply basking in the warmth surrounding her, Dora sighed and gently started to shake Harriette awake, noting the time on her alarm clock and how she’d have to get up soon to get to the academy on time, "Harriette. Come on, I’ve gotta get up." She whispered, causing the woman to stir.

Harriette grumbled under her breath, "Five more minutes." She mumbled, making Nymphadora grin in amusement.

"In five minutes I’ll be late. You know how long I take to get ready and you, little Miss sleepy head asked me to wake you when I got up." She said.

Harriette slowly blinked her eyes opened and Dora saw the moment she realized their position when her eyes widened and she as quickly as she could without hurting both of them pulled away and sat up.

The pink haired metamorphmagus ignored the pang that was sent through her heart at the gesture and instead she decided to sit up much like Harriette was doing now.

"Sorry." She mumbled under her breath, a small blush across her cheeks much like every time they've woken up like this, "I-I don't mean to use you like a pillow. I guess I'm just used to cuddling with Teddy that it's, sort of second nature for me to do so in my sleep at this point." She admitted.

Dora shrugged her shoulders, an easy going smile across her face as she responded back, "No problem. I'm the one who asked you to use my room, it's seriously no trouble at all Harriette." She said, meaning every single word that came out of her mouth.

Sure, did she force herself into a situation where she had to sleep next to a beautiful woman and NOT mess around?

Yes, she did.

Did her body wish her to just throw caution to the wind and jump on Harriette, straddle her lap and claim her?
Yes, it did.

Did she want to lean forward and press their lips together? Tangle their tongues inside one of their mouths until there was no space left between them?

Yes, she wanted nothing more than to do so but she didn't want to mess up...whatever this was, didn't want to make it even more awkward for the young mother.

She didn't just want this to be a one and done thing either, she...she wanted something else, something more...
And Nymphadora wouldn't stop until she got what she wanted, no matter how long she had to wait for Harriette.

Before she could forget, and before Harriette could change the subject Dora leaned forward and, pushing down the urge she had to press their lips together, she pressed a chaste kiss to the white haired witch's cheek, "Happy Birthday Harriette." She whispered, pulling away and delighting in the way the woman's cheeks burned brighter.

"Teddy told you all, didn't he?" She asked rhetorically but by the fond eye roll Dora could tell she already knew her answer, "Honestly that boy is gonna be the death of me."

"You can't fault your son for wanting to celebrate his mother's birthday." Dora said.

Harriette sighed, lifting her hand to rub at her eyes, "I guess not. Still, I wanted this day to be about Harry, not me. He hasn't ever hand a proper birthday and I don't what to steal the spotlight from him."

"You won't." Dora said, lifting her hand to rest on the woman's shoulder, "Harry was pretty excited that he shared a birthday with you. Apparently he's come up with different ways to thank you throughout the day for saving him from his relatives. But, you did not hear that from me."

Harriette's eyes softened, "He doesn't need to thank me. Not for something like that." She whispered.

"And we know that, but Harry's only been here a month, he's still not used to all this kindness yet. Eventually he'll come around, especially with such an amazing woman like yourself looking out for him."

Harriette smiled over her shoulder at Dora, "Such a charmer. A few more comments like that Nym and maybe I'll give you a reward." Harriette cooed, battling her eyelashes at the metamorphmagus but before Dora could react the woman had pushed the rest of the covers off herself, grabbed some clothes and went into the hallway to get changed in the bathroom.

She could've sworn there was an extra sway to her hips as she left the room too...
Nymphadora groaned and fell back against the mattress once the door was closed, lifting her arm and slinging it over her eyes, "How am I gonna survive this?" She mumbled to herself as her heart kept beating erratically in her chest, feeling as if it would burst for her chest.

She really had to come up with a plan on how to deal with these new feelings.

In the meantime, she should probably get dressed and head out. If she wanted to make it back in time for the birthday dinner tonight, she'd need to get to the Ministry soon.
It was a full hour later when Harry stumbled out of his room, rubbing at his eyes while making his way over towards the kitchen.

It was his birthday today, his eleventh birthday and even though it had just started, he knew it would already be the best he had ever had.

Sure enough, as soon as he walked into the kitchen, he saw the woman who had saved him standing before the sink while washing bowl.

Harriette saw him as soon as he entered the room and she offered him a soft smile, a smile that never failed to make Harry feel better, "Happy birthday Harry." She said softly, taking note of everyone else who was still sleeping in the house considering how early it still was.

Harry beamed up at the woman, "Thank you. Happy Birthday to you too, Harriette." He said, a small blush on his cheeks at someone actually acknowledging him as he walked up to her, "Do you need any help?" He asked, making the woman shake her head.

"Nope, foods almost all done anyways. Just waiting for it to cool down before serving it. In the meantime, come sit down, I wanna give you something." She said, shaking off her hands and drying them before gesturing to the dinning room table.

Harry followed her without any hesitation, sitting down on one of the chairs as Harriette went to the counter and grabbed two items. When she walked back over to him, she smiled and offered him the small book first.

"This is a present that I wanted to give you before anything else, just...something to remind you of who your parents were." She said softly, making Harry gasp at the moving photo he saw on the front cover.

A picture of his mom and dad, holding him as a baby...
Noting his silence, Harriette continued speaking, "It's a scrap book filled with different photos from your parents youth, along with when you were a child. I found it in your vault at Gringotts and thought you'd like to see it. To...keep them close, you know?"

"I...I-I love it, thank you!" He examined, dropping the scrapbook on the table and reaching over to wrap his arms around Harriette's middle, crushing her in a bear hug.

Harriette chuckled fondly at his reaction, bringing her own arms up to wrap around the boy, "Your welcome. I'm glad you like it." She said softly, holding him to her chest for a moment longer before pulling away, "Now, something that all eleven year olds get." She said, reaching back to grab at the letter that she was hiding before passing it over to Harry.

His Hogwarts letter...
"It arrived fifteen minutes ago. Don't worry, I already sent a reply telling them you'd be there so that's taken care of. We can probably head to Diagon alley in a few weeks when all the hustle has died down and there's less faces there, wouldn't want you to be swarmed by the Potter mob, would we?" She smirked in amusement, chuckling when Harry's face shone bright red at her comment.

"Yeah, let's wait." He nodded enthusiastically, making Harriette's amusement not once die down.

She had sat him down and explained his fame to him, about why he was famous and told him to get ready for people to try and get close to him because of that.

Hopefully he'd take her pointers to heart, for she really didn't want him to get hurt because of his fame.

"Alright, seeing as how Nym left for the academy and everyone else is sleeping, how about you and I sit down while I tell you a few stories I know about your parents. Would...would you like that?" She asked, hands clasped behind her back as she rose a questioning eyebrow at the boy.

Harry's beamed up at the woman though, gently setting his Hogwarts letter down on the table and standing up, "I'd like that very much." He admitted softly.

Harriette smiled warmly at him, "Great. I know the perfect one to start with. Your mother and father used to hate each other Harry. And when I mean hate, I mean hate! Your mother couldn't stand James—"
Harry couldn't help but smile as the two made their way over to the couch to sit down and talk, unable to stop the warmth from spreading across his entire body, couldn't help how he relaxed into the couch and leaned against Harriette as he listened to the stories she knew about his parents.

There was only one thought that was ringing through his head as he listened to the stories, the memories that Harriette, the woman who took care of him and saved him had of his parents.

Best birthday ever.

----- CHAPTER BREAK -----

"Come on you three, let's get going. We have to hurry if we want to get back in time for me to cook those homemade pizzas you've been bugging me about." Harriette said, rolling her eyes fondly when Harry, Teddy and Nym all rushed towards the front door to get on their shoes, "Honestly I expect this behavior from the children, but you Nymphadora?" She smirked when she heard the pink haired trainee whine, making Teddy laugh at her antics while Harry merely smiled in amusement.

"What have I told you about using my full name!" Dora exclaimed, a cute pout along her face that only made Harriette's grin widen.

"But it's such a beautiful name, I just can't stop myself from saying it." The white haired witch replied back, batting her eyes at the metamorphmagus and drawing a small blush onto the Auror in training's face.

Seeing the look on her daughter's face, Andromeda smirked and couldn't help herself from teasing her, "That's what I've been saying for years but she never listens to me. It's nice to see someone's finally gotten through to her."

The older witch's comment only drew out more giggles from Teddy who had just gotten his shoes on, making Dora turn and narrow her eyes at the boy playfully, "Watch it Teddy-man, I'm not above blackmail. I'm sure your mother would love to know what you were doing yesterday evening in the pantry after everyone had already—"
Teddy's eyes widened and the smile slid right off his face, "Okay! Okay! Keep your voice down!" He examined, making his mother raise an unamused eyebrow at him.

"We're in the same room." She deadpanned, eyes shinning mischievously as she stared at Teddy but as she spoke back up her voice was firm, "If I catch you sneaking snacks young man, you and I are gonna have a chat, understand?"

Teddy deflated, "Yes mom." He said, sending Dora a glare as he walked by her to stand by the wall and wait for the others to get ready, making the pink haired witch grin and wink at him.

"Alls fair Teddy." She shrugged, tying up her trainers before holstering her wand in her back pocket, "This is a house of blackmail, or be blackmailed. It's about time you learn the ropes."

Much to everyone's surprise and delight, Harry spoke up, a small grin on his face as his eyes bounced from person to person, "I suppose it's alright then if I tell everyone about a few weeks ago when you accidentally tripped over the dining room table, causing yourself to land against the wall and knock down all those picture frames." He said, causing Dora to shoot a betrayed look at the boy, meanwhile Teddy was laughing, Harriette was smirking and Andromeda was glaring at her daughter.

"Nymphadora Tonks! I was wondering why those pictures looked out of order. Did you even try to put them back in their original spots?" Andi asked in exasperation.

"It was an accident!" Dora exclaimed, a small blush dusting across her cheeks, "It's not like I meant to knock them down!"

"It still happened though." Harry teased, making Dora huff.

"You were sworn to secrecy Harry, what ever happened to loyalty!? You promised you wouldn't tell anyone!"

Harry merely shrugged his shoulders, "I gotta look out for Teddy. You always team up with Harriette whenever we have these little secret battles. Andi and Ted are always on the same side too so I have to have my partner's back every now and again." He said, actually drawing a small giggle from Harriette, the sound causing everyone to turn and look at the woman in question.

"He's got you there Nym." She said, sending Harry a warm smile that made his face heat up but her words made him puff out his chest in pride, "We've all got our teams. Let the boys have their fun...for now." She grinned, happy that Harry was finally coming out of his shell after almost two months having lived with them.
It's been a bumpy couple months, for all of them if Harriette was being honest. She and Teddy had been on the potion regime and while she still had a few weeks to go until she was done with hers, Teddy was finally at a healthy level for a boy his age.

It wasn't hard to spot the difference either, her son now had an extra pep to his step, his skin was back to its normal color as it had been before they had went on the run and his eyes, his eyes weren't dull anymore, they were full of life again.

The bags under his eyes were non existent and Teddy hadn't been this happy his entire life.

It never failed to make her heart warm.

She on the other hand, still had a ways to go. Her bones weren't as brittle anymore, her cheeks weren't sunken into her skin anymore and she wasn't as pale as she used to be but it seemed that no matter how many hours of sleep she got, the bags under her eyes just never went away.

There was also another problem...
Back in her world she had never grieved properly for Andi and Hermione, she didn't have the time to do so.

But now, having time to herself and someplace safe made all those emotions she spent years suppressing bubble up to the surface.

It hadn't come to a head yet, not really at least, she's had small episodes but mostly she's been able to stamp down the feeling whenever she felt like bursting out in tears.

She knew it was only a matter of time before the ball dropped though.

She usually spends the mornings and evenings working out, trying to strengthen up her body the old muggle way instead of using potions. It was working really well, so well in fact that Nym actually joined her for her morning sessions since it would help her when she became an Auror.

Harry though, had fit right into their small circle of people like a glove.

Andi wanted to keep him on his Potion regime for a lot longer than Harriette and Teddy. Seeing as how his wounds were fresher so to speak, she wanted to make sure it didn't get as bad as her wounds had gotten.

Harry would have to take nutrient and supplement potions for the next year, all the way until his next birthday just to ensure no everlasting damage had occurred to his body.

Harriette though was very proud of him, he's come right out of his shell since staying with them. Sure, he still gets nervous and timid at times. There will be moments where he simply hides behind her body, not willing to talk or engage in conversation and Harriette was always content to let him do so, not wanting to rush his progress.

She'd always reach back and take his hand in hers to squeeze, silently letting him know it was alright.

Teddy and Harry also got along swimmingly, they were thicker than thieves and Harriette was sure that if her hair wasn't already white, she'd have a few more white strands from the stress alone.

It was mostly her son if she was being honest, always the instigator he was, trying to start something with Nym or Ted and it usually was up to Harriette or Andi to put their foot down before they destroyed something in the house.

But even then, Harriette couldn't help but feel at peace, even with the chaotic mess Nym and Teddy could cause.

She had her son, she had the Tonks for support and she had Harry.

Life was good.

She knew she'd have to deal with Voldemort and his followers sooner rather than later, but for the summer, she was content to heal up and get stronger so she was at peak condition for when she did so.

Plus, watching her family interact with one another was like a soothing balm to her soul...
Like now, when Harry found the courage to come out of his shell to tease the others.

Always worth the amount of pouting she'd have to endure from Dora after the fact.

Andromeda suddenly broke Harriette out of her head as she walked up to the rest of them, silky black robes adorned on her frame over a summer dress, "Come on everyone, let's get going. We want to get out of Diagon before the dinner rush hits the alley." She said while slipping on a pair of flats.

They were all dressed for the mid August heat with Teddy and Harry in a pair of shorts and a short sleeved shirt, Dora with a pair of jean shorts and a Weird Sister's top while Harriette was wearing a yellow and white summer skirt that ended right above her knees with a white sleeveless crop top that hooked around her shoulders.

She too had on a pair of flats, tan in color that matched her outfit with her white hair down and curled.

Sure, it was usually more skin than she allowed to be shown, but there wasn't a single scar on her body anymore and now that she had been eating right and exercising her body was finally starting to fill out so she wanted to wear normal female clothes for once!

If the look she had received from Nym was any indication though, she looked damn good in the outfit and she was proud of that.

Andromeda was the only one wearing anything resembling the Wizarding world, a light robe across her shoulders but Harriette would not be caught dead wearing one of those, horrendous things in the heart of summer!
She had standards after all.

It made sense why Andi was wearing one, years of tradition and it was still hard to shake old habits.

It was a shame Ted was working late, he probably was the only one who could've reasoned with Andi to take the damn thing off.

"She's right." Harriette said, making sure she had her extendable pouch with some money inside before turning to the others and gesturing to the fireplace, "Let's go. Harry, remember what I told you about Floo travel?" She asked, causing Harry to nod his head.

"Yup. Speak loudly and fluently so you don't end up somewhere you don't want to." He reiterated, making Harriette smile and nod.

"Good, let's get going then. Teddy, you stay in our line of sight the entire time alright? I don't need you to be wandering off." She stated firmly, walking towards the fireplace with the others not far behind.

Teddy pouted up at his mother, "Why'd you single me out?! Why not say that to Harry?"

Harriette rose an eyebrow at her son from over her shoulder, "Harry doesn't have the attention span of a gnat." She replied back wryly, making the others around them chuckle.

"Rude." Teddy huffed, but dropped the subject, knowing that his mother had a point.
It didn't mean he had to like it.
The five of them didn't waste anymore time, one by one they entered the fireplace and flooed over to the Leaky Cauldron, appearing on the other side just a few seconds later.

"Come on, let's try not to draw too much attention to ourselves." Harriette said softly to the group, leading the way out towards Diagon with Harry and Teddy behind her, Nymphadora on her right and with Andi taking up the rear, making sure the children remained in her line of sight at all times.

"Hate to say this Harriette, but that ship has already sailed." Dora grumbled, glancing around at some of the wizards who were either staring too intently at Harriette or giving them the stink eye, or...more accurately, their clothing.

The white haired witch merely glared at everyone around them, eyes flashing and magic flaring making everyone around quickly turn to look the other way, "They should mind their own business. Honestly, I'm not gonna wear a robe when it feels like I'm about to melt. No offense, Andi."

The brunette witch shrugged, "None taken. The Wizarding World's fashion is out of date anyways, you won't see me say otherwise." She said before her eyes turned mischievous in nature as she gazed at her daughter, "Although, I feel there's a different reason you're so defensive about all the stares Nymphadora. Am I right?" She asked, a small grin overtaking her face as she stared into her daughter's eyes.

Even though her daughter wanted to hide it, Andi could see the annoyance...the jealousy flash behind her daughter's eyes as soon as she saw the looks both men and women were giving Harriette as they walked out the Pub and towards the entrance of Diagon Alley.

The amount of skin Harriette was showing, her toned arms and legs, flared hips hugged by her skirt, all the right curves on display and just a small amount of her stomach showing due to her crop top, a stomach adorned with the barest outlines of a six pack.

Add the fact of her natural beauty into the mix, along with her unnatural white hair and she gave off an exotic look that had both men and women drooling at the sight.

And Nymphadora wasn't at all too pleased with the looks the white haired witch was receiving.

Dora blushed at her mother's words, sending her a small glare before speaking back up, "They should keep it in their pants." She grumbled, making Harriette turn and smile softly at the pink haired witch.

"I appreciate you looking out for me, but I'm a big girl Nym. I can deal with the stares, promise." She said, not at all picking up on the real reason Dora was upset with all the attention, making said Auror Trainee internally shout in frustration.

Harriette was gonna be the death of her.
Why did the most beautiful witch in existence have to be so dense? So ignorant about the pink haired witch's attempts to seduce her?

She wasn't at all subtle about it either, honestly she literally offered her bed for her so they could sleep together and it took all of Dora's self restraint not to jump her bones whenever she saw Harriette in her bed.

It was madly infuriating...
Teddy, watching as the women spoke with one another couldn't help but smile in amusement. Sure, he was only nine at the moment, but he could see the way Dora was looking at his mom.

When no one was looking, he also saw the way his mother looked back at her...
It was the same look he would sometimes see on Andi and Ted.

He was happy for his mom, truly he was. Throughout the years he's seen her at her worst, but he's never seen her like this before, so...peaceful...so calm.

He wouldn't say she was at her best yet, he could still tell she was harboring a lot of emotions, emotions she was trying to hide from everyone but he knows his mom better than anyone.

Being dropped in this new universe was their second chance at living. A second chance at living their life how they wanted to.

They didn't have to be hunted down, or threatened or be worried about others trying to split them apart.

Here, they could just be Teddy and Harriette, mother and son making friends and expanding their family.

Finally letting their walls down, letting others in.

In the two months since arriving here, he could see a shift in his mother. Where he could tell she was still the same butt-kicking powerful Witch Teddy had always known, he also knew that a part of her heart had thawed, the walls she had built around herself after Grandma had died...after Aunt Mione had died were slowly being removed, piece by piece.

A few weeks ago, he had saw something that he hadn't wanted to bring up with his mother, but the event was still fresh in his mind.

He had walked into the living room by himself one morning, Harry having slept in with Andi and Ted at work so he had thought he would be alone.

But instead, he walked in on his mom sitting on the couch, a blanket wrapped around her shoulders as Dora sat beside her, whispering to one another.

He had deduced that his mother had a rough night, no doubt plagued by something from their past. From the looks of it, Dora had only been up for a short while before he had gotten out of bed but she was sitting down, eyes staring softly at his mother as she tried to cheer her up.

Much to his shock, his mother had giggled at whatever Dora had said, causing the pink haired witch to smile in satisfaction and preen but that wasn't the main thing about the story that was so unexpected.

Even if he hadn't heard his mother giggle for years...
Teddy swore that he had saw his mother's stark white hair flicker back to black for a split second, could've sworn her natural color had returned but it had only lasted for a second before he blinked and it was back to white again.

It wasn't the first time he had thought he saw that either, back in their old world, when it had only been them those last two years he remembers a few moments where he had cuddled up to his mom and told her how much he loved her.

There were a few times back then, he thought he had saw the same thing happen, white turned to black and then back to white again.

Back then he had dismissed the claims but now, seeing it happen again, well...it didn't seem like a trick to the light anymore.

Not when it's happened more than three times...
He vividly remembers when his mother's hair started to turn white, just after Aunt Mione's death.

He knew that something else had happened out there, something with his mom's magic that she wasn't telling him, that she probably would never tell him but he knew, without a shadow of a doubt now that her magic had done something to her, in result it had changed her hair white.

He didn't know why, or for what reason but Teddy wasn't going to stop until he found the answer, until he found a fix for his mom.

There were times that she became very insecure about her hair color, times where all she'd do for minutes on end would be to stare at the mirror or more specifically, at her hair.

He didn't want his mother to think anything bad about herself, so if he could help her by finding her a solution one day, he would.

No matter how long it took him.

Teddy was broken out of his head once they finally reached the entrance to the Alley. His mom lifted her hand and tapped on the brick wall, forcing the bricks to move out of the way.

Harry gasped in wonder watching as the wall parted and gave him his first look at the Alley, stalls and shops all over the place with all sorts of people mingling about, along with children who seemed to be roughly his age.

Harriette smiled down at Harry, eyes full of warmth and fondness as she gestured in front of them, "Welcome to Diagon Alley." She said.

"It's brilliant!" He exclaimed, eyes glancing around their surroundings with barely concealed excitement, "Where should we go first? There's so much here!"

Harriette smiled, "Wherever you want Harry." She whispered softly, causing Harry to freeze for a moment as he gazed up at her with an unreadable expression before he smiled shyly back.

"What was that look for?" The white haired witch asked, tilting her head and making sure her expression was open so she didn't accidentally spook Harry off, for sometimes it was like pulling teeth to make him admit something.

Much like she was and yes, the irony was not lost on her.
"I...I'm just, not used to people still calling me by uh...my...name." Everyone had to lean closer to the boy to hear his whispered words, making all of their hearts clench at the sorrow and hurt in his tone, "I...I know it's been two m-months and all and I should be over it already but s-sometimes—"

"Harry." Harriette called out softly but with a firm edge to her voice, "You don't ever have to apologize for something like that, okay? It's not your fault your relatives were terrible people. And please, for my sake...please stop trying to convince yourself that you should feel a certain way. If you're not over it yet...you're not over it." She shrugged, reaching over to lay her hand on his shoulder, "That's how healing works Harry, there's no exact timetable on how long or short it takes. You just need some patience. One day, you'll get better...if you ask me, you're already well on your way to that as we speak." She said.

Harry eyes watered, but he didn't let the tears slip down his face, "Thank you." He said softly before shaking his head, "You know...you're the only adult who has ever cared about me." He admitted.

"E-even in Primary school, all the other kids saw was the trouble making relative of the Dursleys." Harry bit his lip, hesitating for a moment before speaking up again, "You know, I once...told a teacher, on my first day of primary." He whispered, making the adults frown, not liking what this story was hinting at while Teddy gazed sadly at the other boy.

At this point, Harriette had already maneuvered them around one of the first buildings and enacted a privacy ward to make sure no one was prying on them, but her focus remained on Harry the entire time.

"My uh...my teacher asked me my name during roll call and I, well I didn't know it. I told her that and she had went to the principal." He said sadly, "After that first day, she seemed to just...forget I existed, all the teachers did. They...never asked for my name again, they never called on me in class and the only time they interacted with me was when we had some sort of exam. Every teacher just seemed to...forget I ever existed."

His words made Dora and Andi glance at each other in shock meanwhile Harriette had an understanding look behind her gaze, eyes shinning with nothing but empathy and warmth for Harry.

She knew what that was like...
"Well...you don't hear that everyday." Dora said softly under her breath, eyes wide in shock making her mother blink herself out of her own stupor.

"That's...that shouldn't be possible." Andromeda whispered, shaking her head softly, "You were only a child, there's no way you could've done something so magically advanced at such a young age." She said, making Teddy and Harry turn and stare at her with a titled head in confusion.

"What...what do you mean?" Harry asked, but it was Harriette that answered the boy.

"A Disillusionment charm. Usually it makes the caster either invisible or unnoticed, but it's meant to be temporary." She said, "In your case Harry, your magic reacted to your thoughts, your desires. What you wanted in that moment. In an act of self preservation, your magic bubbled up and did what you secretly desired for it to. You didn't want anyone to know, so your magic hide it right in plain sight." Harriette said, making Harry sigh under his breath.

"Yeah...t-that makes sense." He replied back softly, making Dora shake her head.

"Still, silently casting a Disillusionment charm everyday of your life...that's some magic you've got there Harry. Most people don't learn to control their magic on that level, manipulate it like that for years. It's...it's terrible that you had to learn to do so to survive...but it's an impressive feat nonetheless." She said gently, making Andi nod her head in agreement.

"She's right, most wizards or witches never learn to manipulate their magic like that, it's too advanced for the standard magic user. It's...I don't think I ever have heard of someone learning so they could hide..." The older witch trailed off, making Harry blush and bow his head.

"People who are...mistreated feel the need to hide it, it's just part of the cards for them." Harriette said after a moment of silence, eyes glazed over as she thought of her own experiences, "Told one way their whole lives...then suddenly, that's not the only option...But they, they can't bring themselves to admit it." She whispered, making everyone turn and glance at her in concern.

In was Dora though, who spoke up, eyes already glinting knowingly at the white haired witch with a small frown across her face, "How did you know that's what...Harry was doing?" She asked, but if her look was enough to go on, she and everyone else already knew how she had known.

She hadn't gone out and said it yet to them, but Harriette knows they suspect as much.

She refused to speak about her youth, before she had went to learn magic, always side stepping the question whenever they popped up.

The only ones who knew anything was Teddy and what Andi knew from her own examination of her body, and even then they both barely knew much details of such horrendous events.

The woman sighed, deciding to just...get it over with, "I didn't know my name either, for the first decade of my life." She admitted, ignoring the way Andi and Nym looked at her with sadness behind their eyes, "After my parents died I grew up with some not so nice people and...and they hated me. Despised the very ground I walked on."

"I was...the freak. The girl...The, The Dyke." She whispered, swallowing thickly at saying the last name out loud, after years of pushing down those memories to try and forget it.

Dora's eyes darkened at the last name while Andi's fists clenched in anger, "What?" They both said at the same time, unable to stop the anger they felt.

Harriette laughed with no real humor in her tone, "Yeah, I guess I've always liked women better, even at a young age. The point is...I know what it's like Harry, trust me I do. Living with people like that...it changes your outlook on the world...on life."

"Do me a favor Harry...never, let those memories, those past experiences control you. Don't let those feelings burrow into your heart and change who you are. It's...it's a terrible experience." She said, smiling sadly at the boy.

"Our past...our pain defines who we are destined to be Harry, but it doesn't have to control us, remember that."

Harry smiled softly at the woman and nodded his head, "I will, promise." He said, eyes gentle as he gazed at the witch who had so much in common with him, it practically hurt.

To know this kind woman had gone through what he had to...and still, she turned out okay, became a kind and gentle mother who wanted to help in anyway she could.

It gave Harry hope that he too could overcome his...experiences from his relatives.
"Good." Harriette smiled, "Let's get going then. We'll start with getting you some robes first then we'll just go down the list for what we need." She said, leading the group of five out from behind the building they were hiding behind and into the Heart of Diagon Alley.

Once they got to the shop though, and Andi had taken both Harry and Teddy inside Harriette was left alone with Dora out front, guarding the entrance to make sure no one entered behind them.

She noticed a few looks sent Harry's way, but they had all been quickly silenced by one of her glares but...it never hurt to be a little cautious every now and again.

Constant vigilance after all.

While the two women were waiting though, Dora decided to speak up, voice not even above a whisper but Harriette could still hear her, "I never knew." She shook her head softly, scoffing angrily at herself, "I should've. You've been with us for two months, I should've seen how alike you and Harry act."

"Hey." Harriette said gently, reaching over to lay her hand against Dora's bicep, "It's not your fault. I didn't mention it before for a reason. It's just...I don't like thinking back on that part of my life. Sometimes, it's just too painful to...well, I'm sure you get the gist." She said with a soft sigh.

Dora pursed her lips and gazed at the other witch sadly, "I just hate the fact that...you had to go through that, alone. Harry at least has us now but...just thinking about you in that situation..." She trailed off, making Harriette smile back at the pink haired witch gently.

"Nym...I promise I'm good. I've had Teddy to keep me afloat for years. He's been my anchor since the war ended all those years ago. He's kept me stable and yeah, sure sometimes it's tough...there are some days where the memories just, sneak up on me but I get through them. Plus I have you and your parents, along with Harry to help keep me grounded now too."

"Just...promise me." She said, turning until she was standing right before the other woman, reaching her hands up so one of them was on her shoulder and the other was hovering just above Harriette's cheek, "Promise that...if you ever need someone to talk to about this stuff, you'll come find me." Nymphadora said.

Harriette blushed but smiled nonetheless, ignoring how her heart fluttered against her ribs as she leaned her cheek into Dora's palm and gazed up at the woman with sparkling eyes, "Promise." She whispered.

The rest of the trip was quite normal, if Harriette was being honest. Heading from shop to shop, getting everything Harry would need for the upcoming school year until they only had two last spots to go to.

The Owl Emporium and Flourish and Blotts.

They decided to head to the book store first so they didn't have to carry around an owl cage. And if, Harriette was being honest she was equal parts excited and nervous to head to the Emporium.

She knew who would be there, her old familiar.

She honestly couldn't wait to see Hedwig again...
As soon as they entered the bookstore though, Teddy ran over towards the first thing that caught his eye, making Harriette fondly shake her head at her son's antics, "I'll keep my eye on him, if you two could help Harry find his books?" She asked, making the Tonks ladies nod and lead Harry to where he would find his school books while Harriette followed her son.

"Honestly Teddy, I understand you enjoy books but what did I say about wandering off." She sighed, rushing over to her excitable son who was now standing before a shelve with all sorts of books fit for children all the while she stood there, arms on her hips while raising an unamused eyebrow at the boy.

Teddy smiled innocently up at his mother, "There's nothing wrong with a good book." He said, making Harriette huff in amusement.

"You sound like you're aunt." She rolled her eyes fondly, making Teddy beam up at her.

"I'll take that as a compliment!"

Before she could respond though, the two of them were rudely interrupted by an unwelcome presence, their voice making Harriette's hackles rise and any ounce of warmth or kindness was buried and in their wake, a cold blank mask was formed over her face.

"Lady Peverell? What a surprise seeing you here." The voice of Albus Dumbledore called out to her, making her turn and stare at the man with a raised brow.

"Dumbledore." She nodded curtly, eyes slightly narrowed, "To what do I owe the pleasure?" She asked wryly.

Dumbledore frowned for a moment at her tone but before he could say something, his eyes caught sight of the little boy behind her, "Ah, I assume this is your son." He said, ignoring her question and moving on, making the woman clench her jaw in anger.
Don't get her wrong, she had once held so much respect for the man but all his lies, his secrets and his subtle manipulations of her throughout the years left a bitter taste in her mouth that she'd rather not have a repeat of.

She would not let Harry follow in her footsteps, to be swayed by the old man's words and led down a path that had ultimately led to her death.

She would not deal with his second chances and mercy this time around, she would take the fight to the enemy before they did the same to them, no matter how many bad people she had to kill to make that happen.

She'd find a different way to remove the Horcrux from Harry, she'd have to consult her Blood and Soul tablets to find the best possible solution but she would find a way to make sure Harry didn't die, like she had...
And step one of that plan, was to make sure Dumbledore never got his claws into the boy.

Harriette, deciding to play nice for the time being reached back and pulled Teddy closer to her body, "Yes, not that it concerns you." She said, unable to help the slight snarl that entered her tone as she spoke, "What are you doing here?" She asked.

"I came to pick up some books for the new school year." The old man chuckled softly, "My mind isn't what it used to be I'm afraid and I forget a few weeks back. Minerva has been reminding me to do so all morning." He said, eyes twinkling and forcing Harriette to suppress an eye roll.

"The wonders of aging." Harriette agreed, a small frown across her face as she gazed at the man, "Why are you really here?" She asked, making Dumbledore drop the look.

"Am I that obvious?" He asked, making Harriette raise an eyebrow at him, a small smirk spreading across her face despite herself.

"To me? Yes."

Dumbledore sighed, pushing his glasses up his nose before speaking again, hands clasped behind his back, "It has come to my attention that Harry Potter isn't where I remember him being. When I went to investigate, imagine my surprise when his relatives had mind Magic influencing their thoughts, memories wiped of how or when Harry left their house. I then of course remembered what you said at the Wizengamot meeting, but it would seem you're a hard lady to find."

Harriette gazed at the man knowingly, "You wouldn't be here Albus, if you didn't already know your answer." She said sardonically, making the old man hum.

"I suppose you're right, Harriette." He said before continuing on, "Where's the boy?"

Harriette shrugged, "Safe. With me. No longer trapped in an abusive household. I've been getting him ready for the Wizarding world, what he might see, how things are done and teaching him about both his magic and lineage. Something he needs to be ready for so he isn't blindsided when he goes to Hogwarts in three weeks."

Dumbledore frowned, which he seemed to be doing a lot in just this conversation alone, "I must really implore you to let Harry go back to the Dursleys for the summer Holliday's Lady Peverell. He'll be safer—"
"Safer?" Harriette whispered dangerously, eyes flashing silvery white, "He was beaten and starved Dumbledore, as far as I'm concerned that's not safe." She said, taking a breather for a moment to calm herself down before continuing, "He's of Peverell blood, I'll keep him safe from now on, but thanks for the concern."

Albus shook his head, eyes shinning sadly, "Lady Peverell I am just trying to help the boy stay safe in the long run."

"Yeah well I'm looking to keep him safe now." She scoffed before her eyes mellowed out a bit, silently telling herself that the man before her wasn't the real enemy, "I understand you're worried Dumbledore, worried that Tom will rise again and I relate to the fear, truly I do but I will not force Harry to live with people who hate him just because you want to be cautious." She said, making Albus's eyes widen at her words.

"How do you know his..."

"His real name?" She asked, raising a brow at the man, "Like I said, I've met the man before, I know a few of his tricks, what he planned before he died and needless to say I'm utterly revolted." She whispered harshly under her breath, dropping her tone so Teddy wouldn't be able to hear her as she continued on, "You know too, about his...Horcruxes."

Dumbledore froze in absolute shock, staring at the woman before him with barely concealed concern in his gaze, subtly looking around them to ensure no one heard their conversation, "How—"
"It doesn't take a genius to figure out how he cheated death so many times Albus." Harriette rolled her eyes, "Us Peverell's have a special relationship with Death. We know knowledge that isn't usually shared with the public, knowledge that's dark and if fallen into the wrong hands, could cause unspeakable damage for everyone." She said before gazing at the man with narrowed eyes, "It only took me a single glance at his scar to know what it was." She admitted.

Dumbledore's eyes were swimming with fear and panic at this point, trying to salvage all of his future plans that had seemingly crumbled right before his eyes in the span of a few minutes, "Harriette, this...this topic is very delicate. There are things outside your control that need to be factored into whatever it is you're planning to do! Please, I beg you...please consult with me at the very least before you go and do something. Please..."

Harriette pursed her lips in thought, her eyes raking over the man's frame. There was a part of her who wanted to scoff at him and move on with her life, but she could see the genuine worry in his eyes, a man who was barely holding it together as it was, trying to salvage anything he could from this broken, prejudiced world they found themselves in.

She knew, deep down he was just trying to help, but his way of helping ended with so many deaths back in her world. He had been so focused on the end goal, stopping Voldemort that he had lost sight of everything it would cost them to get there using his methods.

At some point, he had stopped caring about individual lives, and instead looked at it as a whole. In his eyes, If the majority of Britain lived to see the end of the war, that was a win.

But they had lost so many people...
So many friends and family...
She couldn't go through that again.

"Teddy, can you go find Andi and tell her I'm speaking with someone. I'll join you all in a minute." She said, making her son glance up at her.

Once he found whatever it was he was looking for, he nodded his head, "Okay mom." He said before rushing away from them towards the direction Andi had gone with Harry.

Once her son was gone and out of sight, she began speaking to the old man before her, "I can't promise that. I can't Albus. If I see someone doing something bad, if I find one of Tom's followers doing anything I don't like I will engage them. I've been hurt one too many times in my life to let them get the jump on me. If I promised to consult you, I'd be a lie, because I wouldn't. I know you'd try and get me to give them a second chance but I can't do that. Not after everything I did to get here..." She said softly, subtly casting a privacy charm around them so no one could overhear their conversation.

"I admire your moral compass, really I do. I used to be the same way..." She sighed and shook her head, "But after everything I experienced in the war...I'm done playing nice. That's why I enacted the Peace Clause, so no Pureblood extremist could demand my head for my actions."

"People like them, need to be punished. What good does it do by throwing them in prison, trying to teach them the error of their ways when they'll never change? When all we're accomplishing by doing that is giving them all a second chance to hurt people?"
"When does it stop, Albus?"
Dumbledore took a moment to collect his thoughts before sighing under his breath, raising his hand to rub the bridge of his nose, "I...I appreciate the honesty Harriette, I do. I can't say I agree with your views, because I don't. But...there's only one enemy we should be concerned about, and that's Tom Riddle." He said, causing the white haired witch to nod her head.

"Couldn't have said it better myself." She said, "I guess it's too much to hope that you'll stay out of my business, isn't it?"

Dumbledore gazed at her sadly, "I can't in good conscience just let you murder people, it's not me. If I find out you're planning to hurt someone, I can't promise I won't try and stop it...You're not the enemy, I get that now but...all life is sacred, even the lives of Death Eaters."

"Yeah." She whispered, clicking her tongue, "Well, there are just certain things we'll never see eye to eye on I guess. Till we meet again Dumbledore." She said, walking away from the man and towards her family but before she could get far, the man called out to her again.

"Can you...answer a few questions I have, please?"

Harriette paused but didn't once turn back around to look at him, "Shoot."

"The Horcrux, can you remove it from the boy?"

"Yes, in time."

Albus shakily exhaled a breath he seemed to be holding in, "The Deathly Hallows...do you know of the legend?" He asked.

Harriette hummed in amusement, "Yes, and before you ask your next question, there's a reason that Wand of yours won't obey you any longer."

"Mistress of Death." He whispered before shaking his head and moving on, speaking his last question for the woman, a question that made her freeze in place.

"Why...why do you hate me?"

"I don't...I don't hate you." She sighed, "I'm just tired of people manipulating me like I'm a piece on a chessboard." Harriette said, turning to look at the old wizard with cold, hardened eyes.
"And I refuse to let my family become one too." With her final words spoken to the man, she left to go find said family, walking through the book shelves until she came across the four of them waiting for her by the exit.

Not seeing the look Dumbledore gave her as she walked away...
"We all good to go? Got all the books you need?" She asked, smiling at Harry once she reached the others and pushing her confrontation with Dumbledore to the back of her mind for the time being.

She could deal with that later.

Harry nodded his head, "Yup, the last place to go is the Emporium. Am I really allowed a pet at Hogwarts?" He asked.

Harriette nodded her head as she grabbed ahold of both Harry and Teddy's hand, leading them out the door and towards the Owl shop, "Yup, and Owl's are the most useful since they can send your mail for you. It'll be easier to keep in touch that way." She said.

As soon as they entered the Owl shop though, Harriette's eyes instantly caught sight of the most beautiful bird in the entire store, towards the back on top of her perch, a snowy white owl was gazing right at both her and Harry.

Before anyone could even blink, the bird swooped down and landed on Harry's shoulder, drawing a small smile from the white haired witch.

Seeing that familiar sparkle in Harry's eyes as he gazed at the owl, she couldn't help but reminisce about her own Hedwig.

She knew she'd do whatever it took to make sure that smile remained on Harry's face, even if she had to go against Dumbledore to do so.

She failed to notice though, that while she and Harry were busy gazing at Hedwig, while Nym and Teddy fed a barn owl in the background Andromeda was gazing at the two of them with a contemplative look behind her stormy grey eyes, a small frown etched across her lips as she took in the expression on their faces.
The exact same expression...

----- CHAPTER BREAK -----

"Okay, you've got everything right?" Harriette asked for the tenth time since leaving the Tonks residence, brushing imaginary dust off Harry's shoulders as she did another once over his frame from where they were all standing before the Hogwarts Express on Platform 9 3/4.
They had arrived early to make sure he got the best choice of seating on the train but even though she had tripled checked back home, Harriette couldn't help but fret over the young boy.

She didn't know why she was so nervous...okay scratch that, she did. If her years were anything to go by, she had every right to be nervous but even though she knew things would be different this time around, she couldn't help but worry.

She realistically didn't want to mess with the timeline that much. If she kept to the script to how things escalated in her universe, she'd know exactly what to do and how to do it but if she deviated too much she'd be flying blind.

And she couldn't afford any mistakes, not this time around, she had to be near perfect to ensure everyone made it out alive while the people responsible paid for their crimes.

The point she was trying to make was she knew Dumbledore wouldn't stay out of Harry's life, she knew he'd try to force him to became the Savior of the Light but Harriette was adamant that her ward never once fall into Dumbledore's misguided hands.

But now that he was going off to Scotland, he would be out of her reach for months, who knows what could happen in that time.

Luckily she had a Board of Governors meeting tonight so she could stop by to check on him when he arrived, but after that he'd be on his own.

"Yes Harriette, I promise I do." Harry replied back to her question, making the white haired witch shake her head and focus back on the task at hand.

Before she could open her mouth though, Dora rolled her eyes from her place beside the woman and lightly bumped their shoulders together, "Give it a rest Harriette, the kid's got everything he needs. Let him breath." She said jokingly, making the witch turn and narrow her gaze at the pink haired woman.

"I'm just making sure." She huffed, turning her nose up at the other woman as if dismissing her, "I'm allowed to worry about my Ward." She said, making Dora roll her eyes while Teddy, Andi and Ted all laughed at Harriette's dramatics.

Harry, smiling softly at the scene before him couldn't help the way his heart jumped against his rib cage at the amount of care they were all showing him, at the amount of care Harriette was showing him, "I appreciate the sentiment Harriette. But yes, I do have everything I'm positive. And if I did by chance forget anything I could always Owl you. I'm sure Hedwig would love to stretch her wings." He said brightly, making the white haired witch smile down at him.

"Okay, you're right." She sighed under her breath, "Maybe I'm being a bit—"
"Overprotective?" Andi smirked.

"Annoying?" Dora countered wryly.

"Anxious?" Ted said softly, but his eyes were alit with amusement.

"Fussy?" Teddy replied with an all too innocent expression across his face, making her narrow her eyes playfully at her son.

"Watch it young man, I may not be able to ground those three but I can you." She warned, making Teddy pout.

"What about Dora?! She called you annoying!"

"Oh and believe me I'll get my revenge on her, don't you worry." Harriette said, a small smirk spreading
across her face as her eyes roamed over Dora's frame, making the woman blush and take a step away from her, hands up in surrender, "I'll strike when she least expects it." She said, making the others around them laugh at Dora's expression mixed with both trepidation and mischief.

"Don't make a girl a promise if you can't keep it Harriette." Dora purred, eyes darkening as she continued to gaze into the amused eyes of the woman who had completely stolen her heart in the short few months since they met.

She really had to do something about this tension, soon...
"Oh Nym, you should know by now that I don't." Harriette cooed, batting her eyes at the pink haired metamorphmagus causing her heart to flutter in her chest at the sound of that pet name. "I'm a woman of my word, a promise is a promise after all."

"Alright children, behave." Andi cut in before either woman could say anything else, a teasing look behind her eyes as they bounced from one metamorphmagus to another, "Let's hurry this along and say our goodbyes. Some of us have jobs to get to." She said dryly, making Harriette blush while Dora merely shrugged her shoulders, eyes drinking in the sight of the heat spreading across the white haired witch's face with a small smile.

Before Dora could say anything though, a voice from beside them called out to the group, "Well well well, what a surprise! My favorite white haired witch gracing all us mere mortals with her presence." Evelyn Greengrass said, a small smirk along her face as she walked up to the group with two young girls beside her, one with blond hair and the other with brown.

Harriette turned and smiled at the woman, "Evelyn." She greeted with a small nod, "It's good to see you again." She said, causing the blond woman's smirk to widen.

"I bet." She winked, causing Dora's eyes to narrow at the newcomer but before she could say anything the woman plowed on, "If I knew I'd be seeing you here I would've dressed the part." She said, the insinuation not lost on Harriette as her blush returned while Evelyn gestured down to the robe covering her own blouse and pants.

"I'm not sure your, "dressing the part" would be all too kid friendly Evelyn." Andromeda cut into the conversation with a small grin, her comment drawing a laugh from the blond in the process.

"Oh you know me so well Andi." Evelyn replied back, "Guilty as charged." She said before changing topics when her eyes caught sight of both Harry and Teddy standing behind the white haired witch.

"And who are these two handsome young men?" Evelyn said warmly, her teasing voice turning more genuine as she smiled at the two of them and making said boys blush, "I can tell where your son got his looks from Harriette, even you and Harry have some similar traits." She said, noting the similarities between Harry, Teddy and his mother. "Teddy's a spitting image of you though! Minus the hair." Evelyn finished, the smile not once leaving her face.

Harry couldn't help but feel pleased at the comparison though.

For some reason, being told that he looked like Harriette, the woman who had saved him and gave him a home when he desperately needed one made him all chocked up, his heart beating rapidly in his chest.

Meanwhile Teddy's blush darkened but he puffed out his chest in pride being compared to his mom, making Harriette's heart melt as a loving smile slid across her face as she replied back, "My natural hair color was black, Teddy here grew up with my hair being normal. It was only after he was around seven did it begin to turn white." She admitted.

A sudden question from the small brunette that seemed to be around Teddy's age made everyone turn and look at her, "Why did your hair change color?" The girl asked, blushing when she noticed everyone looking at her.

"Astoria." Evelyn admonished her youngest daughter, a stern look crossing she features, "It's not piloted to ask such personal questions having just met Lady Harriette." She said but the white haired witch merely shook her head and smiled down at the little girl.

"It's alright Evelyn, she was just curious." She said before answering the young girl's question as gently as she could, not wanting to tell her or anyone here the full story...yet, "Some...very bad people took something from me, something that was very important to me and my magic didn't like that. It reacted...quite harshly." She said softly, making everyone around her gaze at her with both curiosity and sadness, able to hear the emotions from her tone alone.

If Andi had to take a guess though from what little she knew of the woman's past, and how Teddy's shoulders slumped down, she'd bet that Harriette was talking about her best friend and when she had died.

"After that day, my magic started to change my hair color. It...it changed me." She whispered before shaking her head, "But enough about the past, what's done is done. There's nothing anyone can do about it now."

Dora frowned from her place beside the witch and raised her arm to rest a hand on Harriette's shoulder, making the woman subtly lean into her touch and drawing a pleased smile from the pink haired Metamorphmagus.

Harriette offered her a grateful smile before turning to look at Evelyn's other daughter who seemed to be staring at Harry who was still partially hiding behind her back.

Daphne Greengrass if she wasn't mistaken...
The white haired witch reached behind her and gently began to push Harry in front of her, keeping her hands on his shoulders for support as she began speaking, "Harry, this will be one of your classmates while at Hogwarts. Daphne here is in the same year as you." She said, making Harry swallow thickly before offering the blond a small, shy smile.

"It's nice to meet you, Heir Greengrass." He said softly, making Harriette's heart bleed with how even after a few months with her, he was still hesitant around anyone that wasn't them.

Hopefully in time he'd work through that. He was after all going to be staying at school for months on end. She prayed he'd come out of his shell with others his own age when he was there.

Because Merlin knew she hadn't, and the only true friend that she had was Hermione.

Hermione...
Oh she didn't even realize that she might have to face a younger version of her best friend.

She was not looking forward to that meeting...
How will she be able to look her in the eyes and not see her Hermione's cold, lifeless eyes staring back?

A problem for another day, she wagered.

Daphne blushed and offered Harry a small hesitant smile as well, "The pleasure is mine Heir Potter." She said, offering him a cute little curtsy, one that made Harry bow his head in recognition of the gesture.

She's so glad that she had taught him some Pureblood techniques while he was with her, it would definitely save him the trouble later on when he met the entitled bunch of them.
The white haired witch smiled at the interaction before waving her hands in a shooing gesture towards the train, "Alright, it's time to board, before the station becomes too crowded." She said before kneeling down to become eye level with Harry, "You be good okay? Try and stay out of trouble for me. I already have to worry about Teddy, I'd appreciate if I only had to worry about one young man." She smiled, causing Harry to smile back.

"I'll do my best, promise." He said before hesitating a moment. He bit his lip but before Harriette could ask what the matter was, small arms were suddenly wrapped around her middle as Harry hugged her, his head resting just underneath her chin.

Harriette's eyes softened and a gentle smile spread across her lips as she wrapped her own arms around Harry's smaller frame, her heart melting at the touching gesture.

Harry wasn't normally a very touchy person, with anyone and neither was she to be honest before Teddy became a part of her life.

Even while they were home, the only thing he would ever initiate himself was bumping his shoulder against her for support. Other times he'd hide behind her and let her make contact but he himself would never be the first.

So this? For her to get a hug from him that he himself initiated made her so unbelievably happy.

In the background Evelyn was saying goodbye to her own daughter but Harriette's focus was completely on the young boy in her arms.

She would miss him, so much. In the last few months he's made his own home inside her heart, much like Teddy had when he first came to live with her but she didn't want to think too much on that topic.

She wasn't his mother, and she wasn't trying to replace Lily Potter.

She just wanted to give him someplace to call home and if he was comfortable with her, that was a step in the right direction all things considered.

She didn't...she didn't want to try and force the topic.

Even though the thought of Harry calling her...mom, made her heart skip a beat.
She never really considered having more children after Teddy, she never thought she'd find someone willing to be called themselves her partner if she was being honest.

Ultimately whatever Harry wanted was fine with her. He's had such little say in his own life, she would not be one among many to force him to do something he wasn't comfortable with.

When the young boy pulled away, Harriette shook her head fondly and waved him off, meanwhile trying to push back all the emotions she was now feeling, "Alright, get going. Make sure to Owl at least once a week. I'll check in with you tonight before I leave the school myself." She said, causing Harry to nod his head and smile brightly up at her.

"See you later Harriette." He whispered before turning to say his goodbye to both Teddy and the Tonks family meanwhile Harriette looked on fondly, a hint of sadness to her gaze.

"This is the hardest part of being a parent." Evelyn whispered, coming to stand beside her as they both watched Harry say his goodbyes, "Seeing our children leave the nest for the first time, so to speak."

Harriette pursed her lips but didn't correct the woman about her assumption, knowing that it would be a lie to herself, "I'm not looking forward to when Teddy leaves for school in two years."

Evelyn huffed in amusement, "Yeah, I can already feel the grey hairs forming just thinking about Astoria going to Hogwarts." She said, making Daphne snort under her breath while Astoria pouted up at her mother.

"I'm not that bad!"

"Yes, you are Sis." Daphne said, a small grin on her face making the younger out of the two siblings turn and glare at her.

Before the brunette could hurt her smug sister, their mother cut in, "Alright, enough you two. Daphne go on and grab a seat for yourself before I start to cry and Astoria, leave your sister alone."

Daphne smiled up at her mother and rushed forward to give the older woman one last hug, "I'll be sure to write every week mother." She promised.

Evelyn smiled warmly at her daughter and eagerly returned the hug, "You better."

By the time they pulled away from one another, Harry was done saying his goodbyes to everyone else.

Harriette watched wistfully as both Daphne and Harry made their way onto the Express, both children waving at the respective parents and family before boarding the train and leaving the rest of them alone.

"No one ever told me watching your kid board the express was this difficult." Harriette muttered under her breath but it was loud enough for both Teddy and Dora to hear her, both of them giving her knowing looks making her blush.

They were kind enough to not say anything about her slip up as the conversation topic was switched by Andi, "So the board of governors meet tonight, what's on their agenda Evelyn? Anything you can tell us mere citizens?" The brunette asked with a small smirk, making her old friend smirk right back.

"Oh you know I can't. Not even Harriette here knows the topic. Mainly because she refuses to answer any Owl's sent her way." Evelyn said with a small glare but the look dropped when she saw the open confusion on the other woman's face.

"What Owl's?" She asked with a titled head, "I haven't received anything for weeks." She said, making the blond frown.

"That's strange because I sent out an Owl to every governor just last week detailing everything about this meeting. You haven't gotten anything?"

Harriette merely shook her head, "No. come to think of it I haven't received anything since that trip to Dia—" The woman trailed off as she put the pieces together.

She hasn't received anything since her impromptu meeting with the Headmaster.

Her eyes narrowed, "Fucking Dumbledore." She hissed, quickly unholstering her wand and dispelling all charms around and sure enough, the tip of her wand glowed a pale yellow, signaling exactly what she was expecting.

"A mail re-direction charm?" Andi asked with a small frown, her eyes darkening in anger, "I can't believe Dumbledore would stoop so low."

Harriette scoffed, "I may not be a threat to peace, but I am a threat to Dumbledore and his "Greater Good." He stands for second chances and I don't, my methods are a tad bit darker and he wants to keep tabs on me. Well...two can play at that game." She said, holstering her wand back across her forearm, pulling her sweater sleeve down to cover said wand before turning to look at the others, "What's the meeting about Evelyn. At least I'll have a few hours to get ready."

"Mainly about how to improve the students grades all around. There's not much time for one on one help with a single student if they're having trouble. We'll be brainstorming ideas to fix that." She said, making Harriette nod her head, deep in thought.

She had done something similar for a few of her friends back in her fifth year. Of course, once she had started dabbling into more darker spells that group had thinned exponentially but still, she had taught the select few who still wanted to learn from her to combat Umbitch and her dumb rules.

Thinking back, she thinks she may have the perfect idea to suggest at the meeting tonight.

"Look who we have here."

The sudden intrusion of their little group, the sound of a silky smooth voice that sent shivers down her spine made Harriette narrow her eyes and turn to look at the man and woman who had walked up to their group.

It seemed she wasn't the only one who didn't like the newcomers either.

"Sister." Andromeda said stiffly, glaring daggers at her younger sibling with barely concealed anger.

"Andi." Narcissa Malfoy replied back without missing a beat from where she had her arm looped with her husband's, "So...nice to see you and your, family again." She said stiffly, making Andromeda narrow her eyes even further and take a menacing step forward but her husband held her back.

"Save the false pleasantries for someone who cares." The brunette Black sister hissed, making Narcissa purse her lips.

Harriette swore she saw a flash of hurt behind her cold eyes but the very next moment it was gone...
"Lady Peverell." Lucius cut into the conversation before Dora, Ted or Andi could speak up, "I was surprised to see young Mr Potter get on the train just a second ago. Then I remembered that last Wizengamot meeting. It's good to know our, "Savior" is being looked after by such a fine young lady like yourself." He said, making Harriette scoff.

"Save us all the headache and just get to what you want Malfoy. I don't have time for your games today." She said firmly, arms crossed over her chest and emerald green eyes gazing at the blondes before her, daring them to do something she didn't like.

"There's no need to be rude." Lucius tsked, shaking his head in mock disappointment, "I've simply come by to say hello to fellow parents seeing their children off to Hogwarts. Is that a crime, Lady Peverell?"

"I can make it a crime." Harriette threatened, taking a step forward with a vicious glare across her face, making both adults of the Malfoy family take a step back in fear. "Don't you remember? I'm the Judge, Jury and Executioner around here now, whatever I say goes so if you don't like that...maybe you should crawl back into your manor and wait like a good little slave that you are." She said, a mocking expression across her face making Lucius clench his fists in anger.

"How dare you!!" The Malfoy Lord exclaimed, doing a great job at putting on a fake outraged expression across his face as he spoke, "For those of you who may not remember, I was under the Imperious Curse all those years ago—"
Evelyn, who was standing by the Tonks family in support with Astoria hiding behind her leg didn't even let him continue that sentence before she cut him off, "Oh shove off Malfoy! We all know that's a lie. You can sprout as much crap as you like, doesn't change the fact you willingly took that Dark Mark!"

Lucius turned his glare over to Evelyn until his eyes caught sight of Astoria hiding behind her mother's leg, which made his eyes flash dangerously, "False claims from those of the Light looking to pull me down a few pegs, nothing more." He waved his hand dismissively, "Now, how about we switch to more pleasant matters, such as the topic of that Betrothal contract I Owled you about three weeks ago." He said, eyes roaming over Astoria making her flinch away from him.

Evelyn growled and covered her daughter's body with her own, "I told you, House Greengrass will not be accepting any contracts like such. My daughters will have free reign on who they get to spend the rest of the lives with and that is final!"

Lucius tsked and shook his head, "What would your Husband think of such blatant disregard of our—"
"MY husband would care for the safety and happiness of our daughters!" Evelyn hissed, pointing her finger at the blond haired man, "Don't you ever speak for him again."

"Or what?" Malfoy mocked, making Harriette clench her jaw and curl her fingers into fists at her sides.

"Or I'll bury you alive and take great pleasure in watching you suffocate to death."

The sudden comment from the white haired witch made a shiver run down everyone's spine. They all looked over at her and saw that her eyes were glowing black with what looked to be white flames coming out of her irises.

And her glare...was directed right at the Malfoy's.

What made everyone uneasy though was how calm she had said it, how indifferent she was about killing the man before her, like it was the most normal thing in the world for her.

What was more worrying for the Tonks Family, was Teddy didn't even seem to bat an eye at the Bloodlust in his mother's eyes.
Teddy was the one who reacted first but Dora also stepped in and tried to stop Harriette from attacking the Malfoy's. The young boy took a step forward and wrapped a hand around her wrist while Dora placed her hand on the white haired witch's shoulder, "Harriette, let it go."

"Come on mom, let's get out of here." Teddy whispered, making Harriette sigh under her breath but her glare was still firmly in place directed right at the Malfoy's.
"You'd be wise Lucy, to leave my family alone. If I ever catch a glimpse that you looked at them the wrong way I will rain down hellfire on you and burn everything that you hold dear." She stated softly, her eyes losing their unnatural glow and instead her cold, piercing emerald gaze remained, "I will out to the entire world every single little crime that you committed under your Master and believe me, I know everything that you did...I know everything you all did so I'd think twice before getting your death eater friends to retaliate against me." She hissed, taking a step closer to the man and staring into his now fearful gaze, "Do I make myself clear?"

Malfoy swallowed thickly, unable to hide how truly terrified the woman standing in front of them made him as he nodded his head shakily, "Crystal." He said through gritted teeth before storming away from the express with his wife not far behind.

Although, Harriette noticed the woman glance back at her older sister once before they were out of sight...
Once they were both gone, Harriette finally relaxed her shoulders and allowed all the anger and hate she felt towards the Head of House Malfoy to drift away for the time being, content to just forget about the encounter but the others around her were not.

"What was that?" Andi asked sharply, a raised eyebrow directed at Harriette with stormy grey eyes searching the white haired witch for something.

The woman in question sighed, "My powers tend to...act up when I'm feeling a certain way. It's one of the perks of having Peverell Magic flowing through my veins." She admitted softly, "Sometimes it gets...carried away." Harriette said while rubbing her forearm, a nervous tick of hers.

"Your eyes...they looked like they were on fire." Dora admitted softly, gazing at the woman with a small frown but her eyes were shining with a concern that made Harriette stomach flip.

The white haired Metamorphmagus shrugged her shoulders, "Head of House Peverell." She said pointing to herself, "I have certain...edges that others may not have. Ancient spells, rituals and charms that predate most of the other families Grimmore."

"You were...bleeding magic Harriette." Ted said softly but his eyes were shinning gently as he looked at the woman, "We all could feel what you felt. How angry you were...how much you despised Malfoy. It was, well it was very potent."

"It was...Dark." Evelyn whispered, her word's making Harriette wince which in turn caused Lady Greengrass to gaze at the woman softly, "Not Dark as in evil just...Dark. Like, someone had just thrown you into an ice cold pool in a pitch black room."

Teddy, seeing how everyone's comments were affecting his mom and making her retreat into herself finally decided to speak up, "Are you okay mom?" He asked, giving them all the stink eye before he pulled his mother down and hugged the air right out of her lungs.

His words and action made them all flinch back, taking in the defensive position Harriette was in making them all feel guilty for being the cause of that.

They weren't trying to hurt the woman with what they said, they were merely curious about her show of power.

They had never seen anything like it before.

But, in doing so they had made Harriette think that what she did was bad, wrong...evil.

Even if they didn't mean to, they could tell that's how Harriette took their reactions.

The white haired witch sighed softly when her son's arms wrapped around her frame and she hugged him back, smiling sadly down at the boy, "Yeah, all good here little man." She joked, drawing a small smile from his lips as he buried his head against her stomach.

"Good. Can we go home now?" He asked softly, making Harriette glance up at those around them. Seeing soft looks full of warmth for the two of them made the woman smile back at them, "Of course we can." She said but her eyes suddenly caught sight of someone who was saying goodbye to a red haired girl
min front of the train and a sudden idea popped into her head.
"Actually you all go along without me, I have to speak with someone real quick." She said, making the others turn to look at where she was staring at.

When Andi realized the woman she was looking at, she turned her gaze back to Harriette and rose an eyebrow, "What are you gonna do?" She asked in exasperation, making Dora snort, Teddy and Ted laugh while Evelyn smirked.

Harriette shrugged her shoulders but her eyes were glinting mischievously, "Nothing." She shrugged, "I just need to bring something up real quick, it'll only take a few moments, promise." She said.

The woman then turned to look at Evelyn and Astoria and offered them both a smile, "It was nice seeing you again Evelyn and Astoria. I'm glad I got to meet you." She said.

Evelyn have her a smile in return, "Likewise. See you later tonight at the meeting? Don't you dare think about skipping it, after all it's your first one."

Harriette smirked, "I'll be there." She said before turning to look at the Tonks, "Andi, I'll see you after work and Ted, I promise this will only take a couple minutes. I'll be back at the house to watch my son by the time you have to leave." She said before her eyes glanced at Dora.

"I'll see you in a couple hours Nym." She said, eyes softening without her even noticing as she spoke to the pink haired woman, making a pleased blush spread across Dora's cheeks.

"See you then." She whispered.

Harriette offered her one last smile before she leaned down to press a kiss to her son's head, "Go on home with Ted, I'll only be a few minutes." She said, ruffling her son's hair as she walked by making him squawk in protest and drawing a smirk form Harriette's lips as she walked away towards the woman who she had to see.

Seeing her gave her an idea. Now that Harry was at school and she'd be actively going against Tom and his followers since she's spent the summer healing up, there was no better way to start than right here.

For someone who was innocent was rotting away in prison.

And she could no longer let him suffer, not when she could help it.

"Madam Bones, I'd like to speak with you if that's alright." Harriette said once she watched Susan Bones board the train and the Head of the DMLE was alone.

The witch turned to look at her with a raised eyebrow behind her lone spectacle, but Harriette could tell she was intrigued by her offer nonetheless, not having expected her to walk up and practically demand an audience, "I have to get to the Ministry in three minutes so you're on the clock."

"Oh believe me, you'll want to hear what I have to say. Especially when you realize who I'm speaking about."

It was time she freed her Godfather...

Harry made his way through the Express, trying to find a seat for the ride to Hogwarts while keeping his head down to avoid the others gaze, hoping they didn't recognize him.

Daphne and him had just split up, the blond wanting to sit with her childhood friend for the trip and Harry was content to find somewhere else.

Tracey Davis was her name, and both of them had offered him a spot with them but he had politely refused, not wanting to intrude on them.

After promising to speak more after they had gotten to school and were sorted, they had split ways with Harry trying to find a peaceful spot to sit.

He picked a compartment towards the end of the train, an empty compartment. After getting inside and shutting the door, he placed his trunk on the top rack and sat down by the window and decided to wait until they departed.

It had been the craziest two months of his life, but possibly the best two months of his life as well.

And it was all thanks to Harriette...
He owed everything to her. She's taken the time out of her day to ensure he was always cared for, always comfortable and had anything that he needed, treating him like she treated her actual son.

He never knew his mother, but from what Harriette has told him about her, from what little the white haired witch knew herself Lily Potter seemed like a very nice woman who'd do anything for anyone she cared about.

But the past few months, watching how Teddy would call Harriette mom, Harry couldn't help the jealousy and envy that bubbled up inside of him.

He knew he shouldn't, Harriette wasn't his mom but she treated him like one, treated him exactly as how she treated Teddy.

He's never felt this comfortable with anyone before.

And it wasn't as if he hated Teddy, he actually got along with the nine year old quite well, it was just every time he heard the younger boy call Harriette mom he secretly wished he could do the same...
Before he could think too much on the topic any longer, a sudden knock came from the door and a brunette girl with frizzy hair and chocolate brown eyes opened the door a smidge to peak her head in, "Hello...may I sit here with you?" She asked and Harry could tell she was slightly nervous about asking him in the first place so he smiled softly at her and nodded his head even if he too was nervous.

"S-sure, make yourself at home." He said, making the girl offer him a small smile before she made her way completely into the cabin and shut the door behind her.

"Would you like some help with that?" He asked, gesturing to her truck as she entered the compartment, making her glance at him gratefully.

"Yes, thank you." She said, making Harry stand up and help lift the trunk up onto the shelf across from his.

"Merlin what is in this thing!" He exclaimed with a small laugh, shaking his head as they finally managed to push the trunk into its spot.

The brunette merely huffed at his question but he caught a glimpse of her lips twitching up in amusement before she responded, "School books, obviously. We're going to be first years and I don't know if you've grown up knowing about magic, but I'll be at a disadvantage seeing as how I've only known about all of this for a year!" She said before brightening up as she sat down across from him on the other seat by the window, "I'm sorry, but I didn't get your name. I'm Hermione. Hermione Granger. It's a pleasure to meet you." She said, offering him her hand to shake.

If this had been two months ago, he would have never taken her hand but two months of being around people who care about him made him a lot more comfortable with touch in general.

So Harry grasped her hand and gave it a firm shake, "Harry Potter." He said, making Hermione's eyes widen in shock.

"Harry Potter? The Harry Potter?!" She exclaimed with eyes sparkling in excitement, "I've read all about you. But, some of those books seem...a little far fetched if I'm being honest. There's no way you battled a dragon." She said with a roll to her eyes.

Harry grimaced at the mention of those books, books that Harriette promised she'd take care of once he had gone to school.

She had said she wanted to focus on him for the summer, getting him ready before doing anything else.

The thought still made his heart warm...
"Yeah...those books aren't true at all. I lived with my muggle relatives all my life until this summer. A distant relative came back to live in Britain a few months back and she agreed to take me in. I've been living with her son and their...family ever since." He said.
"So you just learned about magic like me?!" Hermione exclaimed excitedly, making Harry nod his head with a small smile.

"Yup. Harriette, the relative who took me in has spent the summer trying to teach me things I should know but, you can only learn so much in two months." He replied with a shrug to his shoulders.

"Don't worry, I hear that Hogwarts is the best magical school in the entire Wizarding World! I'm sure we'll learn all sorts of cool things during the seven years we're studying here."

"Harriette said so as well." Harry nodded, "She’s actually a pretty great teacher. Better than any other teacher I've ever had before." He said, making Hermione smile at the soft expression across his face.

"She sounds lovely, I hope I can meet her one day."

Harry smiled, "I'm sure she'd like that." He said, sticking his hand out for her to shake, "Friends?" He offered.

Hermione's eyes widened at the gesture. She glanced down at his hand before looking back up into his eyes and he could see all the different emotions pass through her expression.

Almost like she was surprised he wanted to be her friend.

He knew the feeling quite well.

After a moment of hesitation though, she beamed at him and took his hand, shaking it excitedly, "Friends." She whispered softly under her breath, but Harry could still hear how touched she was by his offer.

Before he could say anything else though, the compartment door slid open and a red-haired boy glanced at the two of them with a hopeful expression across his face.

"Can I sit here with you guys? All the other seats are bloody taken."

Hours later found Harriette sitting in the meeting room in Hogwarts castle with her arms crossed over her chest as the other governors left from the meeting.

This was not how she wanted her first meeting to go...
Apparently though, her Dilemma seemed to only amuse the last member of the Board who was in the room with her, "Quit your pouting Harriette, it was your idea to begin with." Evelyn said, unable to hide the smirk from her lips.

The white haired witch turned and glared at her from her seat, "It was a suggestion yes. But I didn't think the entire Board would want me to take up that role!!" She exclaimed, only making Evelyn laugh all the more harder.

The meeting had been quite mundane all things considered, until they had gotten to the main topic, how to help students who needed extra help.

Harriette had offered a solution though, making a sort of study group where a teacher would have certain time slots after classes were done for the day and for an hour, they would go over a certain topic with whoever needed the extra help in that subject.

The board had initially loved her idea, but the problem came with who said teacher would be.

And then, Augusta Longbottom had suggested SHE be said teacher, since after all it was her idea...
According to Augusta, she was the perfect fit for the job. Her NEWT scores which she had gotten back a few months back had made waves inside the Ministry since she was the first person to achieve a Mastery in Charms, Runes, Defense and Transfiguration at the same time.

Four Mastery's without even trying...
All thanks to the knowledge of the Black Library back in her timeline.
And help from her best friend.

The entire Board of Governors agreed that there would be no better person to take up said tutor role than her.

But she didn't want the role, why would she? Her Hogwarts years had been a nightmare for her, all being in the castle would do to her was remind her of how lonely, how depressed she was back then.

She didn't want to leave her son either, or Andi, Ted...Nym.

On the other hand though, she wasn't blind to how good this could be if she accepted. She'd get full access to Hogwarts whenever she wanted and she'd be able to look after Harry if things went sideways.

And realistically she knew that by the time these extra classes started and she'd be needed here, someone would be back home to watch Teddy but still, whenever she was far away from him for too long she got antsy.

It made her uncomfortable.
"Harriette." Evelyn said after taking a moment to collect herself, "You don't need to worry so much. Your very qualified for this job and I see how you are with children, you're a natural." She said.

"Teddy and Harry don't count." She deadpanned, making the blond haired woman shake her head and walk up to her and rest a hand on her shoulder.

"Relax." She said softly, "You'll be great, promise."

"Yeah." Harriette whispered under her breath as she got up from her seat, "Something tells me I'm not gonna have a choice. You know, I enacted the Peace Clause so no one could order me around and make me do something I don't want to do...Yet here we are."

"Oh quit being such a baby." Evelyn rolled her eyes, "You're acting like it's a death sentence to teach some kids for an hour out of your day. Plus, you'll be able to check up on Harry. Isn't that a nice twist?" She wiggled her eyebrows at the white haired witch.

Harriette though didn't dignify that with a response as she walked towards the door, "I'll see you around Evelyn. I'm sure you'll know what the Board decides." She said, the dismissal clear as day but it only made the blond laugh.

"See you around Harriette!" Evelyn said and even though her back was turned, the witch could hear the smirk in the woman's tone making Harriette roll her eyes.

She couldn't believe this was happening to her.

She's gonna have to re-arrange some of her plans if this was really going to be happening.

Especially with things concerning a certain Godfather of hers...
This morning she had told Amelia Bones that Sirius had never received a trial and he was thrown in prison without being able to defend himself. Sure enough, that had definitely caught her attention and Bones promised to look into the situation and inform her of any changes.

More specifically, she'd contact her when she had a new trial date and had all the information she needed to ensure no one could dismiss it.

Sirius wouldn't be at a stable condition to see Harry for months after he was released, but if everything went according to plan, hopefully by Christmas time they could all celebrate together.

She'd have to get herself ready to see him...without revealing too much.

Because he wasn't her Godfather in this universe, he was Harry's...
She couldn't lose sight of that.

Back to the present though, before she went down to the great hall, she wanted to make a little detour first.

To a certain Room of Requirement...
It was time she collected the first Horcrux.

Before long she was on the seventh floor across the tapestry of Barnamas the Barmy. Thinking about what she wanted to find, she paced before the painting and after her third pass a door appeared.

She quickly went in and allowed her magic to guide her through the stacks of artifacts towards where the dark signature was originating from.

Only after a few moments of wandering around, she found the small box that the Diadem, the first of many Horcruxes was resting on.

The object responsible for the curse on the Defense against the Dark Arts teacher.

She grabbed her Elder wand and casted protective spells around the small box just incase something happened before she shut the lid and sealed the Horcrux inside.

She then picked up the box and placed it inside her extendable pouch for safe keeping before turning around and walking back out the exit.

After leaving the room with 1 of 7 Horcruxes accounted for, with number 2 in this very building no doubt eating dinner at the moment she started to make her way towards said great hall to check up on Harry and inform Dumbledore of the good news.

She didn't want to keep him out of the loop after all. She may not like his manipulations, but she would not keep all the information hoarded to herself like he had done in her timeline.

She would not make the same mistakes as he had.

It only took her five minutes to reach the hall and once she did she didn't waste another moment before she opened the doors and walked right in without a care in the world.

Everyone inside the hall turned to look at the doors as soon as they opened but what they saw shocked most of the occupants.

A woman dressed in black jeans, knee length boots and a leather jacket strolled into the hall but despite how all the Purebloods were sneering at her attire, the most shocking part of her was the stark white hair that was curled and resting right above her shoulders.

She never once broke stride though, her cold green eyes scanning the room until they landed on someone who was sitting at the Gryffindor table. They all watched as her cold expression melted into one of affection and warmth as she gazed at one Harry Potter.

Harry hadn't noticed her approach, as he was having a very in-depth conversation with the brunette witch beside him making Harriette's heart crack at the sight of her.

Not now...
Once she was only a few feet away, she decided to speak up, ignoring all the looks she was receiving, "I see you were sorted into Gryffindor. I'm sure your parents would be proud." She said, causing Harry to tense in shock before he turned to look at her with a beaming smile.

"Harriette!" He examined happily, getting up from his seat and engulfing the woman in a tight hug as she came to rest before him.

Harriette huffed out a laugh as she shook her head fondly, circling her arms around his smaller frame and pressing a kiss to the top of his head, "Hey you, miss me already?" She teased, making Harry huff out a small laugh.

He looked up at her with twinkling eyes, "Nah, I just miss your cooking." He teased, causing Harriette to smirk in amusement.

"You need to stop hanging around Nym." She said, raising a hand to ruffle up his hair, "She's corrupting your mind."

"Says you." He joked before grabbing her hand and pulling her to the table, "Come on, I wanna introduce you to my friends." He exclaimed, making her heart sing in absolute joy, elated that Harry had friends in just the short time since arriving.

Once they made it to the table, Harry pointed to everyone around them, "Everyone, this is Harriette Peverell, the relative that took me in. Harriette, this is Neville Longbottom, Dean Thomas, Hermione Granger and Ron Weasley." He said, unknowingly making Harriette internally wince at the last name.

Weasley...
She hated that name.
On the outside though, she merely grinned at everyone while trying to ignore the pang that echoed inside her chest at the sight of Hermione again, "It's a pleasure to meet you all. Unfortunately I don't have time to stick around and chat, I've gotta talk to the Headmaster about something regarding the Board and then I'm heading on home." She said sadly before turning to smile down at Harry, "I expect an Owl at least once a week, is that understood young man?" She asked with a raised brow.

Harry merely smiled back and hugged her again, "Understood."

She sighed softly and hugged him back, "Good." She said, pulling away and gazing at the young boy with a soft expression across her face, "Be good. Study hard. I'll see you soon, okay?"

"Okay. Say hi to everyone else for me!" He said, making Harriette smile.

"You got it, see you later Harry." She said, pressing a kiss to his head one last time before turning around and making her way over towards the staff table where everyone was staring right at her, especially Dumbledore.

She could also feel the stares of other students, the sneers from the purebloods about her attire, the confusion from the muggleborns and the lustful gazes of the older students, from both men and woman eyeing up her hourglass frame and her voluptuous curves straining against her leather jacket and black jeans.

She ignored them all though as she marched right up to the staff table and stood before the Headmaster, "Dumbledore, may I speak with you...in private. Something regarding the board and I would very much not like others to overhear what I have to say." She said, subtly glancing at Quirrell form the corner of her eye, making Dumbledore's eyes slightly widen.

"Yes, of course. Let's head to my office." He said quickly, getting up from his chair and leading her down the isle.

Harriette glanced to the side and offered Harry one last parting wave before she exited the Great Hall with the Headmaster. Once they were far enough away with no prying ears around Dumbledore spoke up as they continued to walk towards his office.

"How did you know?" He asked quietly, no doubt referring to Quirrell, "I've only had suspicions since agreeing to let him take the position."

Harriette merely smirked, "I have my ways."

"You couldn't have warned me?" He asked in exasperation, making the woman's cold eyes narrow at him.

"Consider it payback for putting a mail re-direction charm on me." She said, making the man wince, "I'd hope you won't ever stoop that low again. If I had received something important from Gringrotts during that time I would be a whole lot angrier."

"I would've sent anything of value right to you." He reasoned softly, "I wasn't trying to anger you, or upset you. I just wanted to..."

"You just wanted to spy on me, the one person who you have no control over. I get it, I get why you did but let me make myself clear, if anything of the sort happens again, I will not be as forgiving. Am I understood Dumbledore?"

"Yes Harriette, perfectly." He sighed softly under his breath, "I know you don't see me in the best of light, but I promise I'm just trying to keep the peace. I want our world to heal, I want it to thrive. Surely you must see that is my ultimate goal."

"Oh I see it all right. I see all the questionable things you’re also willing to do to ensure that peace. Like killing an eleven year old boy." She said hotly.

Dumbledore winced, "I know it wasn't my best plan, but the prophecy...the Horcrux. How was I supposed to know that there was a way to remove the soul piece?" He asked, tone of voice full of emotion, of self loathing and anger at oneself that Harriette was all too familiar with.

"You wouldn't have known of the ritual." She conceded, voice more soft now, "It's old magic...very old magic...and dark." She admitted, making Dumbledore sigh and pinch the bridge of his nose.

"I feared as much." He whispered, shaking his head, "You Peverell's have always had a certain affinity with the Dark Arts. I suspected as much when we spoke in Diagon."

Harriette shrugged, "Sometimes Albus, you need to fight fire with fire. It's just the way things are."

"Yes, well I won't argue your point, seeing as how we'll most likely never see eye to eye on this topic...Let's move on though, what did you wish to speak to me about?"
"The board wants to add another teacher to your roster. Basically after classes end, that teacher would have a few blocks, all one hour long where they could sit down with kids and help them with topics that they're having trouble with. It's supposed to help students who are falling behind, relieve some stress for the other teachers." She said, making Dumbledore hum under his breath.

"Not a bad idea." He admitted, "Who are they considering for the position." He asked, making Harriette grit her teeth.

"Me." She admitted, "Apparently my test scores indicate that I'm a perfect fit for the position." The white haired witch said, making the old man turn and glance at her form the corner of his eyes.

"Yes, four Masteries is quite a feet Lady Peverell. I was shocked, as was most of the staff here. It is quite unheard of for someone to achieve two at the same time, let alone four. It's something to be proud of, especially of that Runes mastery.”

"Yeah well, I didn't come home to Britain to watch over a bunch of teens ogling me when they're supposed to be learning." She grumbled, knowing that if she did take that position she'd have to worry about that problem among many others.

"Yes well, children will be children Harriette. For what it's worth...I know we don't see eye to eye but the Board couldn't have chosen a better person to fill that roll. If they do give it to you, Hogwarts would be honored to have such a talented woman as yourself helping these children become better wizards and witches."

The white haired witch gazed at the man in shock before she shook her head, "Thanks." She said softly, "There's a few more things I'd like to discuss with you." She said.

"Well it's a good thing we're at my office then." He said before turning to stare at the statue before them, "Lemon drop." He said, causing the statue to groan as a set of stairs appeared before them.

Once they were at the top and inside the office, Harriette remained standing as Dumbledore walked over to pet under Fawkes’s chin.

"I've successfully taken the curse off of the Defense position." She started off by saying, making Albus turn to look at her with a raised brow.

"How?" He asked in shock, but she could tell he was starting to get used to the many things she just apparently knew about even if a small part of him was slightly put out, making a part of the woman really happy to annoy the man, "I've looked for that curse for years and I've found nothing."

"That's because it was charmed into one of Tom's Horcruxes inside the Room Of Requirement. He no doubt hid it there years ago when he still went to school here." She said.

"A Horcrux? Here?" He asked, his expression troubled that he never once found such a dark artifact in his school after all these years, an artifact that could've hurt his students and staff.

"Yeah. If you want to go through the room, I'd suggest you get one of the House Elves that work in the kitchen to show you. There's a lot of dark shit in that room that could be dangerous. I'd clear it out sooner rather than later." She said, making Dumbledore sigh and nod his head, looking his age in this very moment.

"I'll be sure to put it on the to-do list. Hopefully we can get all of that sorted out by the beginning of next term." He said, making Harriette nod her head.

She watched as his face suddenly took a more contemplative look before he clicked his tongue and walked over to his desk.

Harriette titled her head in confusion as he opened his drawer but once he pulled out what was inside, her eyes widened in shock, "Are those what I think they are?" She asked, making the man nod.

"Yes, the Elder wand and the Cloak of invisibility." He said, "You've done me a great favor Harriette, helping with these Horcruxes and dispelling the curse on the defense position. I believe these should be in their rightful owners hands. The hands of a Peverell."

"Albus..." She trailed off, walking over and grabbing the replica of her very own Deathly Hallows, her hands warming once the old relics were in her grasp, "Thank you." She said, "Truly. This means a lot to me." She said, grabbing her pouch and gently placing the two Hallows inside.

Dumbledore nodded his head, "Of course. It's the least I could do. Consider it an apology as well, for that mail charm."

"...Apology accepted." She nodded her head before pursing her lips, "You've done me this favor, so I'll return the gesture and warn you that there will be a surprise trial coming up soon, for one Sirius Orion Black." She said.

Dumbledore's eyes widened, "Sirius? He's finally getting a trial?" He asked, making Harriette nod.

"Thank you." He said, surprising the woman, "I could do very little for him back then with the Minister demanding his head. I never quite believed he was responsible for the Potters death, he thought too highly of them. It still doesn't explain how the secret got out but..."

"Sirius was never the secret Keeper." Harriette shook her head, "It was Peter Pettigrew."

"Pettigrew." Albus sighed softly under his breath, shaking his head, "They must've switched it, knowing that Sirius would be the obvious choice." He said, making the woman nod her head in affirmation, "Thank you." He said again.

"Don't sweat it." She shrugged, "Just trying to do what's right. Now...if we're all done here I gotta get home. My son is waiting for me."

Dumbledore nodded his head, "Of course, I'll be sure to Owl you when the Board has made an official decision to let you know if it will be indeed you taking up the new position. It won't be for a few weeks though, these things take time to implement."

"Got it." She nodded her head, "See yah around Dumbledore."

As soon as the woman left the room, the old man shakily exhaled and crumbled into his seat, placing his head in his hands with his elbows on his desk trying to wrap his head around everything he just learned.

A new age was coming to the Wizarding world, and all Albus could do was prey the world was ready for one Lady Harriette Peverell.

"It's not funny." Harriette pouted, a small blush spreading
across her cheeks as everyone around the dinner table started to laugh at her predicament.

"It's a little funny." Andi smirked, "First day as a Governor for the board and already you're being forced to do something you don't want to do." She said, "Remind me, why was it you enacted the peace clause?" The older woman teased.

Harriette narrowed her eyes and crossed her arms over her chest, "So no one could force me to do something I don't want." She admitted hesitantly, knowing Andi wouldn't stop pestering if she didn't answer the question.
Her response only made them all laugh harder, "Yeah yeah, laugh it up." She grumbled under her breath, "We don't even know if I'll be picked for the position yet."

"Oh we do." Ted said, an amused smile across his face, "Four Masteries? No one would be more qualified for the job Harriette. They're gonna pick you, no questions asked."

"Merlin why do I put up with you people?” She rolled her eyes, but there was a fond glint to them even as the blush remained across her cheeks.

"Because you love us!" Both Dora and Teddy exclaimed at the same time, making Ted and Andi chuckle while the two metamorphmagi smiled at one another.

Harriette couldn't help the soft expression that crossed her face, secretly enjoying the fact that both her son and Dora admitted that they loved her.

She knew her son did, but to hear it from Nym...
It sent pleasant shivers down her spine.
The rest of the meal was spent conversing with one another and laughing, but despite that there was an absence that had been filled by Harry these past few months that everyone could feel.

It would take some getting used to, but eventually everything would work out.

After dinner was done, they had all split up, Andi and Ted going to sit outside on the back patio with Teddy while Harriette cleaned up from dinner, offering to clean since Andi had cooked tonight.

When she was just finishing drying the last dish though, she was interrupted by Dora, "Hey, can I talk with you for a moment?" She asked, making Harriette turn around and give the pink haired woman her full attention.

"Sure. What's up?" She asked, drying off her hands before leaning back against the counter as she gazed at the woman with a curious expression.

"This morning, with...Greengrass. I sensed something there." She stated, eyebrows furrowed as she gazed at the woman before her with a searching expression.

Caught by surprise, she wasn't able to stop the blush from crawling up her neck at the accusatory glance Dora sent her way, "Uh...yeah. When I...When I first came to Britain, right after that first Wizengamot meeting Evelyn and I...were intimate with one another." She said but quickly continued on when she saw Dora's growing glare, hating the fact that she was the cause of it, "But it was only that once! We never...did it again. I told her before hand that it was a one off thing and, she was fine with that."

"So there's nothing between you two?"

Harriette quickly shook her head, "Nothing. She just, likes to mess with me, that's all. I promise." She said.

Dora's eyes searched hers for a moment before they brightened and a small, pleased smile spread across her lips, "Good." She said, taking a step closer to the woman and trapping her against the counter, making Harriette's breath stutter in her chest.

Dora smirked as she raised her hand to rest against her cheek, "Someone as perfect as you deserves the best." She said, half lidded eyes gazing hungrily at Harriette making a sudden surge of arousal course through her core, making the woman squeeze her legs together to fight off the feeling.

Her green eyes darkened in lust and she watched as the same happened to Dora. They slowly started to lean in, Dora's right hand
cupping her cheek with her left arm against the counter behind the white haired witch but a sudden shout from the hallway made them quickly pull apart and return back to the present.

"Mom!! Come outside already, Andi is showing us where the constellations are!!" The voice of her son made Harriette quickly pull away, Dora doing the same and just in time too for not a second later did the boy enter the room.

She ignored the blush on her face and instead smiled at her son, "That sounds lovely Teddy. Let me just get my shoes and I'll be out there in a second."

Teddy beamed up at his mother, "Okay! Hurry up though, you don't want to miss it!" He said before leaving the room just as fast as he had entered.

Once he was gone, Harriette sighed softly before turning to look at the other woman beside her who was trying to hide her growing blush, a blush that the white haired witch thought adorable.

She offered Dora her hand and smiled warmly at her, "Join us?" She asked softly, her expression soft as she stared at the other Metamorphmagus.

Dora could hear the hidden message though between her words.

Join me...
Ignoring the disappointment that spread throughout her chest at a moment ruined, she grabbed ahold of Harriette's hand and shivered as electricity coursed through her at the skin on skin contact, "Lead the way." She whispered.

While Harriette was walking towards the door, her hand still grasped tightly inside Dora's the Auror Trainee couldn't help but glance appreciatively at the woman's form.

One day, hopefully soon she'd get Harriette alone.

She was done playing coy, especially after this morning.

She wanted the woman before her and she'd be damned if she lost her to someone else.

Not when Dora would treat her so much better.

Sure, could Harriette get a little intense? Of course but in her eyes that only made the woman all the more beautiful.

She's never felt like this before, she's never had these feelings for anyone before and she would not squander her chance to experience them.

She needed a plan.

And it was a good thing the pink haired woman had the perfect idea...

Harriette walked down the pathway with her leather jacket wrapped tightly around her shoulders and a duffel bag grasped firmly in her hand.

She was finally doing it.

Months of planning and writing up blueprints have come down to this moment.

When she finally reached her destination, the sounds of hammers clanking and shouting reached her ears. Looking around her property which had all sorts of muggle machinery and materials stacked up high for the project, in the middle of the what would one day be her front yard stood the man she was looking for.

She walked up to him and after a minute, he saw her approach and turned to smile at her.

"Ms Peverell, I'm surprised to see you here. We just got started laying the framework. What can I do for you though?" He asked, the morning sunlight shining down on his construction vest.

"I'm a woman of my word Jack." She said, offering the man the duffel bag that was in her hand, "I know you didn't quite believe me, but that's a third of the money up front, like I said."

Jack glanced down in shock, hesitantly opening the pack a smidge and his eyes widened once he saw what was inside, "T-That's..."

"Half a million pounds, yes." She shrugged, "You'll get the rest of the million once my house is fully completed." She said, "I'm sure I can trust you to work swiftly and efficiently, yes?" She raised a single eyebrow at him.
Jack nodded his head enthusiastically, "Yes! Yes ma'am. This will be our only job until we finish the house. I've booked the rest of the year out, just like you said. We'll get this place up in running in no time!"

Harriette smiled, "That's what I like to hear."

----- CHAPTER BREAK -----

Flashback...

Harriette hummed quietly to herself as she paged through an old book while sitting in the ritual chamber beneath Grimmauld place.

She was getting ready to preform her very first ritual, a ritual that would hopefully strengthen her magical core so she was better equipped to deal with the Death Eaters this year, especially since now their master was back.

She had chosen this ritual specifically though because a few days ago she had learned that there was some sort of, magical bind on her core. When she had showed Sirius, he had gotten pissed beyond belief and stormed off, muttering under his breath about Dumbledore.

Her Godfather didn't return for hours after the fact...

Once he got back, the man had helped her look through the old books in the Black Library until they came across a certain ritual that was said to strengthen her core and break any binds she had on herself.

Unfortunately due to the...circumstances of the ritual she had to be the only one in the room while performing it though.

"Alright, go time." She muttered to herself, "Might as well get it over with." Harriette gently folded the page she was on in the book and closed the cover before getting up and moving towards the center of the chamber where everything was already set and ready to go.

Before stepping into the middle of the drawn pentagram on the floor, she quickly stripped until she was standing in absolutely nothing.

Once her clothes were off, she glanced towards the door with a small blush, hoping no one would somehow make it inside to see her like this.

The door was locked but that didn't mean her mind couldn't come up with scenarios of what could happen and the embarrassment she'd feel if it did in fact happen.

No one but Sirius knew she was doing this of course, so she knew it was safe but she also had to get this done quickly before the Order meeting started.

Shivering as the cold air of the basement washed over her naked frame, Harriette didn't waste another second as she stepped foot in the pentagram and began the process.

She kneeled onto the cold ground and first took the knife and bowl beside her. The black haired teenager then raised the knife and gently slid it across her palm, making her hiss in pain.

She didn't let the slight pang of pain distract her though, for the teen quickly grabbed the bowl and held her palm over it, allowing her blood to drip down into it.

After she had enough blood in the bowl, she grabbed her wand and muttered an Episkey under her breath before moving on with the ritual, ignoring the way her head spun at the sudden blood loss for she had other things to worry about, like not freezing to death in the basement for having no clothes on.

But both the blood and being naked was required for this Blood ritual.

The next step conveniently, made the young woman dip her fingers into the bowl of her own blood and start drawing runes across her skin while muttering an old Latin spell under her breath.

She truly didn't understand why more people didn't use blood magic, just from what she's read, it could be very useful at times, like right now even if it was a little inconvenient with HOW it was performed.

It was a shame it was categorized as Dark in the Wizarding world…

She didn't see how, if she was being honest.

Her fingers then started to run over her arms, chest, stomach and even her legs. Her skin was stained with runes written in her own blood but she didn't let the sight of it distract her, having seen much more of her blood while staying with her relatives before, especially when she was younger...

After a few minutes she was done and all the runes were painted onto her skin which meant she could move onto the last step. She ignored the way her blood stuck to her cooling skin and instead focused on lighting the candles around the pentagram before moving to the five items she needed for the ritual.

She placed a strand of unicorn hair at the top point of the pentagram, then she placed a fang from a Horned serpent and a feather from Fawkes on the two side points before placing a thunderbird feather and a Thestral hair at the bottom two corners of the star.

Each piece hand selected specifically for her in order to do this ritual. Each part of these creatures had a significant meaning in magic. The Unicorn represented the Earth, Horned Serpent for Water, Fawkes's feather for Fire, Thunderbird feather for air and Thestral hair for spirit.

Sirius had gotten most of the ingredients for her but she had personally asked Fawkes for another feather and explained to the bird why she needed it. Much to her shock he was pretty alright with it in the end, seeing as how he offered her a feather the moment she finished speaking.

She had been led to believe that it was rare for a Phoenix to hand over a feather, but perhaps since she had her wand, which was linked to Fawkes already he was more then welcomed to give her another.

She didn't know for sure, Harriette was just glad that it had worked.

Once all five pieces were in place, she then poured the rest of her blood onto the ground to fuel the ritual. Once it was all done, she watched as the pentagram glowed before calming down, signaling she could begin the last part of the ritual.

She laid down in the middle of the ritual circle, her back against the cold ground below her but she didn't let that distract her. Harriette closed her eyes and outstretched both her arms and legs in a spread eagle formation before she began the final chant.

The memorized Latin phrases spilling from her tongue, her voice getting louder and louder as the seconds passed by, the circle glowing, changing colors from a pale blue to a majestic lavender as she continued further on.

She felt as her body began to float a few inches off the ground and without opening her eyes she knew the five objects were hovering around her in a Circle but she didn't stop, she couldn't stop, not when she was so close.

The runes on her skin began to emanate a warmth that burrowed right into her body, a warmth that coursed through her small frame, all the way from her toes straight up to her head.

She gasped as the sensation continued, her body heating up
and making her forget all about the cold basement she was currently in.

She felt as the walls around her began to shake but she ignored it, focused on chanting the last few phases she needed to complete the ritual.

Around her, not that she could see it, the five objects began to slowly disappear into a cloud of mist, pure magic made manifest as it swirled around her body.

"Dimittis anima!" Harriette exclaimed as quietly as she could, but with a firmness to her voice that had entered her tone more and more these last few months since the tournament, "Dimittis Compedes!"

As soon as the last words were out of her mouth, she gasped and her eyes shot open as the magic from the five objects passed right into her chest, their magic filling her up and strengthening her core in a split moment, but also breaking the binds on said core.

As soon as it happened, she felt like a weight had been lifted from her shoulders, she felt an inescapable warmth flood her body and root itself into her very being, into her core.

It was almost as if she could see the shackles on her core fall away in front of her very eyes. Her body felt lighter than it ever had, stronger than a few minutes before and she wasn't able to quite describe it, but there was this feeling of...relief? Or, something like that in the back of her mind that she couldn't quite explain.

The five objects from those magical creatures though, she could feel their magic strengthen her own, could feel the power ripple just underneath her skin and suddenly, why she had been mediocre at magic for the past four years all made since.

Her magic had wanted to get out, but it couldn't with the bind. Now that it was free, now that it had been enhanced by those five objects it wanted to be let out, to be used and escape from its confines.

But overall, Harriette felt an inescapable sense of safety now that her magic was with her, her full unbound magic.

Before she could barely sense her own magic. Hermione always said she could sense her own but Harriette never could.

Now though, now she understood what Hermione was always preaching about. This feeling...

It made her feel safe, for the first time in her life Harriette felt safe with herself, safe in the knowledge that if she had to, she could defend herself and win to see another day.

What else could she do?...

Harriette was then gently lowered back to her original position on the ground as the blood infused pentagram lost its lavender glow, the blood on the floor soaking into the blood runes drawn onto her skin.

Signaling the ritual's completion.

Before she could even get up though, there was a soft yet frantic knock on the door, "Pup? You good in there?!" Sirius called out to her, making the black haired teen shake her head and sit up.

"Yup, All good! Just let me get dressed and I'll be right out!" She replied back, carefully getting onto her feet and ignoring the way her knees wobbled for a moment before she walked over to her clothes.

She quickly put on her leggings and shirt, ignoring the way the blood runes stuck to the clothing and instead focused on getting her socks on.

She had to keep the runes etched across her body for a day or else the potency of the ritual would slowly dissipate over time, so she'd have to deal with the uncomfortable feeling of blood dried onto her skin for the next twenty four hours, sadly.

Once she had her socks on, she stepped into her skirt and pulled it up her legs before cleaning up the ritual chamber with a wave of her wand.

After another quick look around the room, she grabbed the blood ritual book and put it under her arm before walking towards the door and exiting the chamber.

As soon as she left the room, she came face to face with the worried facade of her Godfather but once his eyes landed on her he let out a sigh of relief, "Thank Merlin you're alright. I'd never have forgiven myself if something wrong happened down there and I couldn't do anything to stop it."

Harriette smiled at Sirius and gently brushed their shoulders together, "No harm done, the ritual went off without a hitch Sirius. The binds are gone and I can actually feel my magic for the first time in all my life." She admitted, making the man smile down at her.

"Good." He sighed in relief as he threw an arm over her shoulders and led her up the stairs, "I'm glad. Just in time too, the Order is starting to arrive." He said before his eyes turned more mischievous in nature as he grinned suggestively down at the teen, "The other kids are arriving too. Which means a certain bookworm will be here soon..." He winked, making Harriette narrow her eyes up at the man even as a small blush appeared across her cheeks.

"I will find a ritual to turn you into a dog indefinitely. Don't think I won't." She warned, making Sirius laugh.

"I bet you will." He said, "Speaking of rituals, I'll be taking that and hiding it before anyone sees you with it." He said, stealing the book out from under her arm and placing it within his robes, "We don't need no Dumbledore lecture." He said, making Harriette huff in amusement.

"We're gonna have to hear one anyways when he realizes you're letting me sit in on the meetings." She replied.

Sirius hummed, "You're not wrong pup."

As soon as the two of them made it up the stairs and into the living room though, Harriette's arms were suddenly full of a bushy haired teenager, making the black haired witch stumble back a step with a small laugh, "Hello Hermione." She said softly, tone full of warmth as she gazed down at the other teen in her arms.

"Oh I'm so glad you're okay." Were the first words Hermione said to her before pulling back and gazing up at Harriette with worried eyes, "When we heard the news that your...relatives, were killed I...I thought the worst." She whispered, making Harriette smile softly at the brunette.

"You don't have to worry, I...I left before the Dementors arrived." She said, "I was here with Sirius when we received the news."

Hermione sighed, "Thank Merlin." She muttered under her breath before glancing into the other teen's eyes, "How do you feel about it all?"

Harriette pursed her lips, "Truthfully? A little relieved I never have to see them again." She admitted, eyes glancing down at the floor, vulnerability in her voice as she spoke up again, "Does...does that make me a bad person? Being happy that they're dead?"

Hermione instantly shook her head, her tone full of conviction as she replied back to her best friend, "Not at all Harriette. Those...people, they were horrible to you. The most vile of humans to ever walk this planet! If you ask me...they got what was coming to them." The brunette said passionately, no trace of a lie anywhere on her face as she kept eye contact with Harriette.

Sirius, who was a few feet from them watching the exchange nodded his head, "She's right kid, after everything they did to you, I say they get what they deserve. Plus, if the dementors hadn't gotten them, I would've went there and killed them myself." He said darkly.

"And I would've joined him." Hermione added on, eyes narrowed as she thought more and more about what the Dursleys did to her friend, "I'm serious, another year of staying with them and I would've took care of them for you."

Harriette was so very touched by the words her best friend said to her but she couldn't help herself as she smirked teasingly at the bookworm, "You're not Sirius, last time I checked Hermione you weren't a middle aged shaggy dog." She joked, making Hermione laugh while the man in question narrowed his eyes at the black haired witch and raised a finger in warning.

"Watch it pup, I will retaliate." He said, making Harriette smirk teasingly at him as she placed her hand on her hip.

"Sure." She drawled out with a roll to her eyes, "And I'm the Queen of England." She said sarcastically, making the man sputter, "We both know that you're too old for pranks. You've probably lost your touch by now, a shame really. The mighty Padfoot, nothing more than an aging dog." She said in mock sadness, making Hermione giggle, throwing a hand over her mouth to try and prevent the sound from escaping.

"Now listen here you little—"

"Sirius! Come on, meeting's starting!!" Dora called from the other room, making Sirius narrow his eyes at his goddaughter.

"This isn't over." He warned.

Harriette's smirk widened, "Sure thing old timer. Whatever you say." She said, mischief shinning behind her emerald green eyes.

Sirius grumbled before walking towards the door, "Kids…Come on, don't want to be late or Nymmie will drag both of our asses in the dining room." He said.

"Wait, you're joining the meeting?" Hermione asked with a small tilt to her head and a pout along her lips, "Can I come?"

Harriette smiled sadly at her friend, "Sorry, I'm only going because it's Sirius's house, a place he controls. If it were anywhere else, no one would've dared let me join...not that, they know I'll be there tonight either but that's besides the point!"

Hermione snorted under her breath and shook her head fondly, "What are we gonna do with you?" She asked fondly before grabbing ahold of the other witch's hand, "Tell me what it's about when you come back?" She asked.

Harriette's eyes softened, "Of course." She whispered, "Always."

Hermione smiled before she gently pushed the other teen away, "Alright go! You don't want to be late for the meeting."

"Alright, I'm going bossy pants, jeez." Harriette muttered fondly under her breath as she made her way towards the door.

The bookworm raised an unamused eyebrow and crossed her arms over her chest, "What was that?" She asked, tapping her foot on the ground impatiently.

"Nothing!" Harriette replied back instantly with a way too innocent smile across her face as she left the room and followed her godfather to the kitchen where the meeting was taking place.

"Smooth." Her godfather deadpanned.

She glared playfully up at him, "Shut it, mutt." She said which only made him chuckle under his breath.

She walked down the hallway, with Sirius not far behind until they made it to the dinning room. The man walked in front of her and opened the door for them both, entering the room first so the others didn't see her right away.

"Good, we're all here now! Let's get this meeting started. First on the agenda is..." Dumbledore trailed off as Sirius moved out of the way and let Harriette walk into the room behind him, the teen shutting the door once she was fully inside.

"Harriette dear, go back out until the meeting is over." Molly said gently but with a firm edge to her voice, "This is for grown ups only."

As soon as the words left her mouth, Harriette clenched her jaw and pursed her lips in anger, she hated those words.

Grown ups only...

Screw that! This was her fight, her war! If Tom was gunning for her she should be privy to all information pertaining to said topic, no?

Apparently not everyone thought so.

Before she could explode in anger though at the Weasley Matriarch, Sirius cut in for her, "Molly this is my house and for as long as the Order convenes here, I decide who can sit in this room and listen in." The man said firmly, narrowing his eyes at the woman.

"Sirius my boy, I must implore you to—"

"No." He said firmly, his voice taking on a darker edge to it, "These assholes are coming after Harriette, they're gunning to KILL her. My Goddaughter needs all the information she can get while there's still time so no, she won't be leaving and she will be sitting in on these meetings until school starts up next week and that is final. Anyone who disagrees with me can get the fuck out of my house this instant!"

Everyone was silent at the man's outburst but Harriette was smiling warmly at the man, causing him to wink at her out of the corner of his eye.

"Very well." Dumbledore sighed under his breath, knowing that this was a battle he wouldn't win at the moment and deciding to just go along with it.

Especially knowing how mad the other man had been when he learned of the binds on young Harriette…

Dora, who was sitting a few chairs down from Sirius who had taken his seat at the head of the table smiled and gestured to the chair next to her, "Great, come on take a seat Harriette!" She exclaimed, causing the young witch to start moving towards her friend.

From the corner of her eye, she could tell Molly wanted to say something, to both her and Sirius but Arthur put his hand on her shoulder to calm her down, making the redhead sigh and take her seat, surprisingly backing off for now.

Once she sat down next to her friend, Harriette noticed the other woman sitting on the other side of Dora and couldn't help but glance from the woman to Dora with a small tilt to her head.

They looked...really fucking similar.

The older woman saw her look and smiled warmly at the teen, "Hello Harriette, my name is Andromeda Tonks, Nymphadora's mother. It’s nice to meet you." She said, making Dora whine with a small pout.

"Mom!" She exclaimed quietly, making Harriette huff while her mother smirked at her.

"Oh hush you." The older witch rolled her eyes at her daughter's antics, "Enough of that."

Harriette smiled and was about to say something when the voice of Dumbledore broke her out of her head as the man continued on with the meeting.

Secretly in the back of her head though, the young witch knew she had to talk with Andromeda before she left.

Hopefully she had a few embarrassing Dora stories to tell.

"—sadly there's nothing I can do, Minerva. The Minster has already appointed a new Defense teacher, one that is...severely lacking in skills to teach the course to students."

"Dare I ask Albus, but who is the teacher this year?" The Transfiguration teacher asked skeptically, dread already forming in the pit of both her and Harriette's guts when she caught up to what they were talking about.

A new teacher?

This never went well for her...

Dumbledore sighed and pinched the bridge of his nose, "Dolores Umbridge."

END OF FLASHBACK

Present Day...

Harriette stood outside the Gaunt shack on high alert, the Elder wand held firmly in her right hand as she slowly began to walk down the cobblestone path to the front door, aware of all the traps laid out before her.

It was past midnight and the moon was shinning bright above her head. She had snuck out of the house a little after Teddy had finally fallen asleep, with Andi and Ted none the wiser at her departure.

They'd be fine for the hour she'd be gone for, especially since they were all asleep.

Harriette could feel the magic in the air around her, could feel the evil intent behind these wards and traps so, slipping her hand into her jacket she took out a ring she had made specifically for her Resurrection Stone, one of her Deathly Hallows.

Once her fingers grasped ahold of the ring, she took it out of her pocket and stared at the black triangular stone that sat atop the silver and green band.

The ring itself was molded to look like a dragon's curled tail, both sides of the ring coming up to meet the Resurrection Stone at the top.

She placed it on her left pointer finger and sighed in relief once the power of the stone washed over her, all three Hallows, with the cloak wrapped around her shoulders giving her a sense of relief that nothing except her son or Hermione could ever accomplish.

After getting through this shack, she'd have all of this worlds Deathly Hallows too, along with another Horcrux.

Using her magic, she threw out a burst of energy and with that power, she opened her eyes and saw physical manifestations of her power circling around each and every trap around the property.

With a simple wave of her Elder Wand, she dismantled them all with but a thought, feeling as the evil energy dissipated before she moved closer to the building itself.

"~Open~" Harriette hissed in Parseltongue, watching as the door opened with ease, the protective spells on the cabin put there with Parsel magic so it was quite easy for her to dispel them.

Seeing as how Tom, her and Harry were the only ones who had the gift, it was a pretty good defense, but at the same time having the only one able to open your shack with a Horcrux inside of it being your enemy was kind of flawed.

Not that, Riddle knew she or Harry had the gift. To be fair Riddle didn't even know SHE existed at the moment.

That would change though, soon...
Once the door was open, she followed her senses to where she could feel the Dark magic originate from, dispelling the traps along the way.

Once she got into the living room, she kneeled onto the floor and ran her hands across the rotting wood until she came across the floorboard she was looking for.

Grabbing ahold of it, she pulled the board up and revealed a hidden compartment underneath the ground.

A small ring, a ring that looked much like hers did in her world was sitting at the bottom of the compartment and radiating dark magic.

Magic that tried to force her to put it on...
She knew what would happen though, she saw what had happened to her Dumbledore when he had put the ring on.

He got cursed and was given only a year to live.
She would not make the same mistake.

Waving her wand, she made the ring hover in place as she reached into her pocket to grab her trunk, the very same trunk that she had taken with her from her world.

A trunk that had everything from her world inside.

She had recently done some...renovations to the thing, adding an expanding charm in the inside of it.

It was essentially her new portable vault where she stored everything of value.

She kept some money at Gringotts of course, for Teddy and to keep up appearances with Alkor so he could invest in certain businesses on her behalf but the majority of her equity, artifacts and possessions were stored in the trunk.

Much like Newt Schmander's breifcase, but one that had much better defenses on it if it ever were to fall into the wrong hands.
She quickly set the trunk down and enlarged it so she could easily step into the case. As soon as she had one foot inside, stairs formed right before her and she began to walk down them with the Horcrux hovering behind her as it followed her inside.

Once she got to the bottom of the stairs, she looked around the giant stone hallway she was in and smiled at seeing her completed work once again.

It had taken her weeks to finish the case but now that it was complete, she couldn't be prouder. At the bottom of the stairs where she was, marked the end of the hallway but before her was a giant vaulting corridor that led to a circular room at the other end.

That was all there was in the case, or at least that's what she wanted it to look like to the naked eye. Just a long corridor with a little room attached to it.

But there was so much more.

The bricks themselves were almost beige in color though as the architecture itself had an old Medieval feel to them.

Shaking the thoughts from her head, she quickly walked down the corridor into the circular room and looked around at all the shelves that lined the area.

Each one had an important book, whether it be a spell book, Grimmore or just something special from her world, everything was organized precisely the way she wanted it.

But there was two secret chambers in the case that only she'd ever be able to open.

If she were to walk straight ahead towards the back wall, she'd find a pedestal that looked like a family Grimmore belonged there but instead, if she were to place her Elder Wand on the pedestal and infuse her magic into it, a secret door would open which would then lead her to the millions of Galleons that she had stored away.
But she wasn't looking for that, she wanted the last chamber, the one that was to the right of the corridor.

Harriette walked towards an old bookshelf that was leaning against the right wall and looking towards the second shelf, she grabbed ahold of the Grimm statue that was sitting there and twisted it to the right.

A loud clanking sound made the woman turn to look at the opening wall beside her, the stones shifting out of the way and reveling the last secret chamber of her case.

The place where she had stored the other Two Hallows of this world, along with the diadem Horcrux.

She walked inside and wanting to make this as fast as possible, she pointed her elder wand at the resurrection stone atop the Gaunt ring and began to chant in Latin.

For the Horcrux itself wasn't the resurrection stone, Tom Riddle wasn't that powerful to directly influence a Deathly Hallow with a piece of his soul after all.

He had infused his soul fragment into the ring band itself so the two parts, if done carefully could be separated.

No priceless artifact like the Resurrection stone should have to be tarnished by the delusions of one man.

Carefully, as to not accidentally blow up her entire case Harriette gently flicked her wand to the side as she fished chanting and watched in relief as the stone slowly pulled itself away from the Horcrux, listening to the Mistress of Death, obeying to her will alone.

She then quickly placed the corrupted ring into a protective bubble much like the Diadem was in, making it hover in place above a new stone pedestal that appeared with just a thought.

She then walked over to a small wooden case at the back of the hidden chamber and opened it up. Inside were the other two hallows of this world.

Harriette placed the stone inside, right on top of the cloak and once they were reunited again, once all three hallows touched she felt a small spark go off before it was gone the next moment.

Not wanting to stay out too long, she quickly shut the case and walked back out of the chamber before shutting the door again.

She would decided what to do with the other three Hallows at another time, right now she had other things to worry about.

Harriette didn't want to destroy the Horcruxes just yet, that was why she was keeping them. In her timeline, there was a certain chain of events that caused other Horcruxes to revel themselves, like the diary in her second year.

If she went too fast, or if Voldemort's followers were warned in anyway that something was happening it could make all of her future knowledge obsolete.

She was already taking a risk with getting Sirius a trial, but she couldn't in good conscience let the man suffer any longer than he already had.

Her...her godfather had never fully recovered from his time is Azkaban before he had died, he never fully healed before giving his life up for her.

She would not let another Sirius go through the pain hers had gone through, she refused to let that happen.

She knew that doing this would have consequences, she knew it would but she would gladly take them on if it meant he could be a free man.

She didn't however want to keep doing it like this, keep changing things. She'd have to wait until the end of the year to deal with Quirrell, she'd have to deal with the Basilisk again next year and take the diary then.

Oh, so much to do in such a little timeframe...
But this was why she was starting early, she already had two Horcruxes in her possession, three if you counted Harry.

That left just the Diary, which she would get next year when Malfoy planted it, the Locket, The Cup and the Snake.

The snake would have to be the last one, for obvious reasons but another reason she wanted Sirius out of prison was so he could give her access to Grimmauld place so she could grab the Locket.

Although...she could probably enter the house, couldn't she? After all she knew it's location and she was technically still Lad Black, technically...
But Kreacher...
Yeah, he would never let her take that necklace, especially considering she wouldn't be destroying it yet, that old elf would hold onto it till his dying breath.

At least she knew where it was though, which was a plus. To be fair though, she knew where they all were except for Nagini.

The hard part would be to grab the Cup from the Lestrange Vault.

But, that was a problem for another day, for right now she was dead beat tired and wanted to go to sleep.

Shaking her head, clearing those thoughts for the time being Harriette slowly climbed up the stairs and exited the enlarged case. Once she was back on solid ground she closed it up, locked it and shrunk it back down to fit inside her pocket.

Once that was done, she quietly left the house, locked the door again, reactivated all the traps and wards before Apparating back to the House.

She appeared right outside the front door to Andi and Ted's and as quietly as she could, she opened the door and snuck back inside.

She used her magic to try and sense if anyone else was up but once her magic reached out into the living room she sighed under her breath and walked towards where she could feel his presence waiting for her.

"Young man, you better have a good reason why you're up past midnight sitting in the living room." She asked softly yet with a stern expression across her face as she placed her hands on her hips, raising an eyebrow at her son who was sitting on the couch with a book in his lap.

Teddy glanced up once he saw her enter to room and couldn't help but smile, even at the sight of his mother's ire, "I woke up to get a drink and couldn't feel your magic anywhere. I...couldn't go back to bed after that so I decided to stay up and wait." He admitted, making Harriette's eyes soften at his admission.

The white haired witch sighed under her breath and walked over to her son and sat down beside him, "I appreciate the gesture bud, but you need you're sleep. You're still a growing boy after all." She joked, ruffling his hair and making him pout up at her as he tried to fix his black locks.

"Where were you?" He asked after fixing the mop atop his head, "You don't usually head out after dark unless it's for a...specific reason."

Harriette sighed at her son's pointed statement, "I had to steal something of great importance to Voldemort. He won't know until it's too late, but it gets us one step closer to ending this war before it begins." She said, making Teddy tilt his head.

"Are you okay?" He asked softly, making the woman's heart melt as she pulled him closer to her body.

"I am now." She smiled, resting her head on top of his own, "You always make me feel better."

Teddy smiled at the comment and couldn't help but burrow into his mother's arms even further, "I'm glad."

The two sat in silence for a moment before Teddy broke it once again, "How's Harry?" He asked, making Harriette smile.

"Doing good. He's made some friends and he's enjoying the classes, although apparently he's missing my teaching methods." She rolled her eyes fondly, making her son chuckle softly under his breath.

"Well you are the best teacher ever, it's only reasonable." He joked, making the witch huff in amusement.

"You're biased Teddy, both you and your aunt. I wasn't that good." She said, thinking back fondly to Hermione, a somber note entering her voice as she spoke about her best friend.

Teddy smiled sadly at his mother and placed his hand on her arm, "She'd be proud of you." He said.

Harriette sighed softly under her breath but smiled softly at her son, "I hope so." She whispered before shaking her head and standing up, "Come on, lets get you back to bed." She said, offering her hand to pull her son up with her.

Teddy groaned quietly, "Do I have to?"

"Yes." The witch deadpanned, "You do and I won't hear another peep about it." She warned, making Teddy's shoulders slump in defeat.

"Alright..." He sighed, following her down the hall and into his room. Harriette stayed by the door until he was up on his bed, she then walked over and leaned down to press a kiss to his cheek, "Goodnight Teddy, I love you."

"I love you too mom." He said softly.

Harriette smiled one last time and turned around to head to her and Dora's room but the sound of her son’s voice made her stop.

"Mom?"

"Yes?"

"Are we going to tell them about...us?"

Harriette froze in place for all of two seconds before she turned around and saw her son's eyes gazing up at her with nothing but love and affection for her, even in his half asleep stupor.

"Yes." She admitted after a moment of silence, "We will. I...I wanted Sirius to get here first though. I don't want to tell anyone who shouldn't know." She said before continuing on, "If...if I have it my way the only ones who will know are family members but I don't want to explain it more than once."

"Are we gonna tell Harry?"

"Of course we are." She whispered, "He has every right to know as well. I...I was thinking within the next few weeks, once Sirius has his trial and is a free man again."

"Do you...do you think they'll understand?" Teddy asked, making Harriette tilt her head in confusion.

"What do you mean?"

"I...I just don't want you to get hurt by them." He muttered under his breath, "You've been hurt enough mom. I hate it when you're sad..."

"Oh baby." The white haired witch said softly, walking back over to her son and sitting in the edge of his bed, reaching up to weave her hand through his hair and gently caress his scalp, "As long as I have you, I'm as happy as could be."

"But you could be HAPPIER with them too." He countered, making the woman sigh under her breath.

"Maybe, but as long as I have you and Harry, that's all I need. And..." She swallowed thickly, "If Harry hears the story and isn't comfortable with me anymore than, I'm more than happy to let him stay with the Tonks if that's what he wants. Our house will be done within the year so, we'll be fine."

"But thats not gonna happen." Harriette countered, trying to stay on the positive side of things, "Everything's gonna work out exactly how it needs to, I promise." She said, leaning down to press a lingering kiss to his forehead, "Now enough worrying, go to bed. I'll see you in the morning."

"Night mom." Teddy said, finally shutting his eyes and relaxing as his mom got up and walked towards the door.

She smiled back at his slumbering form, "Goodnight Teddy, sweet dreams." She whispered before shutting the door fully and walking down the hall towards her own bed, a bed that she shared with Dora.

Dora, who was already fast asleep once she got into the room.

These last few weeks of Auror Academy were pretty lax for Nym, especially considering Harriette had been training with her whenever the other Metamorphmagus had feee time.

So that meant she spent most nights here now, seeing as how graduation was only a few weeks away.

Which was equal parts amazing and pure torture for Harriette at the same time.

Whenever she saw Dora, all she could think about was that time they had almost kissed, when their mouths had been just a centimeter from touching. Ever since then, the tension between them hasn't gone down a bit, she will catch Nym staring at her with smoldering eyes and the other woman will catch her staring too.

They still acted the same, they were pretty great friends after all having spent the last three months getting to know one another, it was just their words had a lot more hidden meaning to them that made a fire ignite in both of them.

And right now was no different, especially considering the sheets were half off Dora's sleeping frame, giving Harriette a clear view of the pink haired woman's bare legs and t-shirt, the only thing covering her bottom half were a pair of red lace panties that made the white haired witch swallow thickly.

This woman was gonna be the death of her, she was sure of it...
As quietly as she could, Harriette stripped off her clothes, placing her jacket across the back of the desk chair before sliding her shirt and jeans off her frame, leaving her in a matching black pair of undergarments.

Looking back at Dora to make sure she was still asleep, she unclipped her bra and placed it in the dirty clothes hamper before hooking her fingers in the waistband of her panties and dragging them down her legs.

Once they were in the hamper as well, she quickly put on a black t-shirt and looked at the sweatpants in her hands while biting her lip.

After a moment of thought, along with another quick glance back at the bed she threw the pants on the dresser and grabbed underwear instead.

She pulled the fabric up her legs until it was covering her privates and once she was done, she slowly made her way over to the bed and laid down on her side, throwing the covers over both of them in the process.

Dora muttered in her sleep and as soon as Harriette's weight was on the bed, the pink haired woman turned and grabbed ahold of her waist and brought her hips back against her front until Harriette’s ass was pressed against the younger woman's pelvis, making the white haired witch gasp softly under her breath.

The feel of their bare legs tangling together, the way Dora kept breathing on her neck as she burrowed closer to her and the way her arms were squeezing her middle made the usually so composed and put together witch crumble as heat pulsed through her entire body.

There was nothing she could do about it right now though, she told herself that before she...tried to do anything with Nym she had to tell them all the truth, no matter what the outcome was, they all deserved to know.

Easier said then done though with a beautiful witch pressed up against her back...
She couldn't help it though as the warmth from the other witch slowly began to lull her to sleep, Dora's soft breaths and steady heartbeat a soothing balm to her soul.

Before long, Harriette was fast asleep in the arms of Dora. Due to this, the woman didn't see the small satisfied smirk that slowly spread across the pink haired witch's face at the sound of her breath slowing down.

Dora-1, Harriette-0...

Andromeda sighed as she exited the Wizengamot chamber, unbelievably relieved that she no longer had to play politician with these uptight Pureblood extremists.

They weren't all bad, but most of them were...
It had been her first meeting that she had to sit down as the Peverell Proxy and...well it could've gone a lot worst if she was being honest.

"How'd it go?" The voice of Harriette knocked the older woman out of her head. Andi looked to her left and saw that the woman in question was leaning up against the wall, waiting for her.

The brunette sighed softly, "Do you want the good news, or the bad news first?" She asked, getting right to the point.

Harriette scowled, causing a few people who were walking by to flinch away from her, "Bad." She said through gritted teeth, pushing off the wall and joining Andromeda as they both began to walk towards the elevators.

"So the purebloods played the, concerned citizen card and sprouted off lies about how they were worried that you would, "Go too far," as they put it." Andi rolled her eyes, making Harriette scoff.

"That's rubbish, the only thing they're worried about is themselves." She replied back, making Andi nod her head.

"I don't disagree with you, but they convinced some of the neutral faction, along with a majority of the Light that you were a danger to our world and where they might not be able to stop you and punish you legally, they can offer some...minor suggestions to try and keep you on a leash." The older woman admitted, causing Harriette to narrow her eyes and clench her fists.

"What did they do?"

"If you can believe it, Malfoy suggested that an Auror shadows you around to make sure you don't get into too much trouble, he suggested someone who was definitely in his pocket but I offered a better solution, which brings us to the good news." She said, making the white haired witch tilt her head and stare at Andi with a raised brow.

Seeing the curiousness reflected in her eyes, the older woman began speaking again, "I managed to tame them and push back a little. You still will have an Auror presence whenever you go out and do...something reckless but I managed to convince them to let YOU pick the Auror you wanted." Andi smirked.

Harriette’s eyes widened in shock before she began to giggle under her breath, eyes alit with amusement as she responded, "How did you manage to convince them of that?"

The older woman shrugged, "I may have heavily implied that you wouldn't at all be too pleased with having someone picked by someone else following you around." Andi said, "Once I...suggested that I'd inform you immediately after the meeting, and how displeased you'd be everyone was all too happy to vote in favor of you picking the Auror who got to shadow you."

"It's nice to see that they're all still scared of me." Harriette said happily, a grin in place across her face, "Say what you want about fear, but in this case I'm all too happy to use fear as a weapon."

"Ditto." Andi smirked, "It really comes in handy at times like this." She said.

Harriette hummed as she moved on to other matters, "Did they mention when I have to pick the Auror in question?" She asked curiously, making Andi nod her head.

"They said preferably before the holidays so when the new year hits, your pick will be all ready. Since it'll be a new year, the Auror in question would hopefully not have any left over work that he or she needs to do before they leave their post." Andi replied back, "They did tell me to warn you not to go out until you have your Auror picked out, but I tried to tell them it was a lost cause." She rolled her eyes.

Harriette smirked at the older woman, "I wouldn't say that." She said, amusement coating her tone and mischief dancing behind her emerald green eyes, "I already have the perfect Auror in mind for the job." She said.

Andi tilted her head in confusion, "You do?" She asked skeptically, "Who?"

"Say Andi, your daughter graduates the academy in a week, does she not? Then she'll be a full time Auror?" She asked pointedly.

Andromeda's eyes widened at what Harriette was implicating but after a moment her lips twitched up into an amused smirk, "Oh you play dirty Harriette, dirty."
Harriette merely shrugged her shoulders, a shit-eating grin across her face, "They never said it had to be an experienced Auror, just an Auror. I think I'll wait till Dora graduates and then inform Bones of my decision, just to be on the safe side."

"You do know she'll be expected to spy on you when the two of you are out there, right?" Andi said with a raise to her eyebrow.

"Oh I know." Harriette waved her hand dismissively, "I won't put her job on the line, but who's to say she has to say the full truth. Plus, even if they try to force it out of her, they can't do so legally since Dora is technically a member of the Sacred Twenty-eight through the Blacks and it's illegal to use Veritaserum on a member unless they say it's alright."

Before Andi could speak up, Harriette cut her off, "Even though you were disowned, you're still a Black by Blood and that goes for your daughter as well. Considering Purebloods are all about...well blood, their rules will be their undoing. They won't be able to get a lick of information out of Dora once we team up...if, you know, Dora wants that of course." She trailed off hesitantly, a small blush covering her cheeks at the thought making Andromeda smile.

"Harriette, my daughter will be jumping for joy when you ask her if she wants to take up the position." Andi said fondly with a small roll to her eyes, "As I'm sure you've seen the way she looks at you...and the way you look at her." She said pointedly.

Harriette's blush darkened but she didn't let that distract her as she scoffed, "I don't know what you're talking about. I don't "look" at her a certain way, I just look at her." She said, and even as the words came out of her mouth she knew they were a lie.
"Uh huh." Andi replied flatly, "Real convincing Harriette. You know I do have eyes, right? I can see what's in front of me. I can see the way my daughter practically attaches herself to your side whenever you both are in the same room. You may be better at hiding it, but my daughter is the most obvious person in existence...plus I'm her mother." Andi added on, a small grin in place across her face.

Harriette rolled her eyes, "Yeah yeah yeah." She muttered, making the brunette frown at the white haired witch.

"What's holding you back?" She asked softly, making Harriette tense, "I can see how happy my daughter makes you, and she's not at all subtle about her like for you."

Harriette, not expecting this turn of events swallowed thickly and decided to be as truthful as she's could at the moment, "There's...there's something I haven't told you all." She said truthfully, "Something that, I believe you all need to hear before anything, serious happens between me and your daughter."

Andi, not expecting the truthful response pursed her lips and her eyes softened as she thought for a moment.

After a moment of silence, the older woman spoke back up, "Does this have to do with the fact both you and Harry look similar to one another? And how you share mannerisms with him? Have the same eye color? An eye color that was all Lily Potter?"

Harriette's breath stuttered in her chest and she almost stumbled and tripped over her feet at the woman's words.

She glanced at Andromeda and only saw an open and curious expression across her face. Deciding to ignore the fear that struck through her frame at Andi's words, she spoke up and answered the woman, "Yes." She whispered, "It has everything to do with that but...but I don't want to explain it more than once, and I only want to tell family."

"But you're afraid." Andromeda said, looking intently into the other woman's eyes with a small frown before her eyes turned gentle, "Afraid of what our reactions will be." She said, placing a hand on the white haired witch's shoulder and squeezed.

"Harriette, over the past few months we all have come to care for you and Teddy, you're apart of our family and nothing you say could ever change that." She said truthfully, a soft smile across her face as she looked into the other witch's eyes.

Harriette smiled at the brunette, "Thank you. That...that means a lot to me."

"Whenever you're ready to tell us, tell us the complete truth we'll listen and we'll understand, but only when you're ready." She said, making the younger witch nod.

"Alright, I...I want to wait until Sirius gets out of prison. Any word from the Wizengamot about when he'll be free?" Harriette asked, making Andi hum.

She knew the woman was changing the subject but she was willing to go along with it, this time, "Yes. We actually reviewed the facts we have and to say the Light faction was appealed would be an understatement. The only missing piece for the trial is Pettigrew. After Sirius admitted he never killed Peter under Veritaserum, questioned by Bones herself in Azkaban the question remains what happened to the man?" She said, making Harriette perk right up.

"Oh don't you worry, leave that part to me." She smirked.

It seemed she'd be making a quick stop at Hogwarts tonight to steal a rat...
"Oh no, I hate when you have that look on your face." Andromeda sighed softly under her breath and shook her head.

"What?" Harriette replied back innocently, "I'm not that bad."

"Sure you aren't." Andi deadpanned, lips twitching up in amusement, "Come on, let's get home. We can finish this discussion once we get back to the house." She said.

Harriette nodded her head, "Sounds good to me. Every time I step foot in this building I get the sudden urge to blow it up."

Andi shook her head, "You didn't have to come and wait for me, we all know how much you hate this building."

Harriette shrugged her shoulders, "I wanted to know the news as fast as possible. Gives me more time to plan my next course of action." She winked, making Andi chuckle.

She knew there was more to the story than Harriette was letting on, but she didn't want to push the woman too far.

She had a feeling it had something to do with that secret she was keeping to herself.

Andromeda had her suspicions of course, how couldn't she? After watching how Harriette, Teddy and Harry interact, it was almost impossible not to see the resemblances.

But she was fine with letting Harriette wait a little bit longer to inform them all.

She just hoped it was sooner rather than later, she doesn't know if she can take any more of her daughter's heart shaped eyes or the unbreakable tension between them.

She knew if Harriette didn't tell her secret soon, her daughter would most likely snap and force the decision out of the woman.

Her daughter was never one for being patient, after all.

Vernon and Petunia were having a lovely dinner with their son when suddenly, their was a knock on their door.

"Who on earth could be knocking at this hour!?" Vernon exclaimed as Petunia got up from her chair to go and open the door.

Once the door was open though, she couldn’t help but gasp in surprise at who was standing on the other side.

"O-officer?" Petunia stuttered, "What are you d-doing here?" She asked, making the man in uniform on the other side of the door frown.

"Mrs Dursley? We have a warrant for both you and your husband for negligence and abuse of your nephew, Harry Potter?" The man said before gesturing for then men behind him to enter, "Please don't resist."

"What! Preposterous, we've never given that boy anything he didn't deserve!" Vernon said stubbornly, causing the officers to frown.

"So the photographic evidence that showed up at our office, brought to us by Harry Potter's new guardian was fake?" The lead officer deadpanned before shaking his head, "I've heard enough, take them to the station!" He exclaimed.

From the shadows across the street, Harriette watched the scene before her with a small smirk across her face as both Vernon and Petunia were marched into squad cards with their hands behind their back.

She was glad that she hadn’t missed the show after making a pit stop at Hogwarts but the woman couldn’t stick around for the rest of it, she had one last stop to make before heading home for the night...
She had a Rat to deliver.

Amelia Bones was sitting in her office in her manor when her wards warned her that there was an intruder by the front door.

As quick as she could, the woman bolted upright and out of her chair, quickly grabbing ahold of her wand and running right for the front door, secretly glad that her niece was at Hogwarts now.

Once she reached the door, she took a calming breath before opening it and pointing her wand out with a spell on the tip of her tongue the moment she saw movement.

What she saw though, made her gasp in shock.

For laying unconscious on her front step was one Peter Pettigrew, a man who was thought to be dead for ten years, a man who everyone thought had been murdered by Sirius.

A crime that had made the man suffer in Azkaban for ten years.

Looking around her front lawn, she narrowed her eyes at the thought of someone breaching her wards to leave Pettigrew here for her to find.

When thinking about it, there was only one person who would be that stupid, that reckless and that powerful to do such a thing.

"That woman is gonna be the death of me." Amelia muttered under her breath, shaking her head at the thought of Lady Peverell.

She really couldn't wait until the woman took one of her Auror's with her, at least then she would have an accurate understanding of how the woman thought and fought.

That day though, couldn't come any sooner...

----- CHAPTER BREAK -----

Harry sighed as he sat down at the Gryffindor table, reaching up to rub the sleep out of his eyes. Some days it was hard getting a full night sleep with Ron always snoring across the room, but at least he didn't have classes today.

It had been an amazing first month of school, and he couldn't even believe he was saying that. Growing up he had always dreaded going to school and facing Dudley and his gang, being ignored by everyone there but now, now he had something to look forward to during his days.

After Harriette had left that very first evening, it had been a crazy week of meeting his professors and reviewing all that his guardian had taught him throughout the summer.

Harriette really was the best teacher he'd ever had...
There was...just one teacher who he didn't quite like, Professor Snape.

The first time he had entered the classroom, the man had signaled him out almost immediately, asking him questions no first year should know.

Good thing he had been living with both Harriette and Andromeda though, for what his guardian hadn't known, the older witch had gave him a brief rundown.

After he had answered all of Snape's questions the man had glared daggers at him before turning away and ignoring him for the rest of class.

Needless to say that Potions was definitely his least favorite.

All things considered he enjoyed all of his classes, but that wasn't the best part, the best thing about Hogwarts for him was actually being able to practice magic with his wand.

And of course making friends.

Harry, he had never really had friends before. When he came to live with Harriette, him and Teddy got close but he had never met someone who actually wanted to be his friend before.

That was, until he met Hermione, his very first friend.

He had made other friends of course, his dorm mates weren't bad, Ron was good at chess, Neville was an encyclopedia for anything regarding Herbology and Dean, along with Seamus were pretty funny to watch bicker back and forth.

But Hermione was by far his most talented friend.

His dorm mates didn't really understand it, most of them with the exception of Neville thought she was a bookworm, bossy know-it-all but Harry had gotten to know her on the train ride to Hogwarts and she was a blast to hang around.

Sure, she could be bossy at times and yeah, did she know most of the material? Of course she did but it wasn't her fault, according to Hermione she never had any friends either, so she really didn't know how to connect with others her own age.

She's been getting flak from a lot of people from other houses as well, especially the Slytherins but whenever someone picks on her, Harry makes sure to check up to make sure she's alright.

The first time someone had called her a name and he had stood up for her, she had stared at him with wide eyes full of vulnerability but with a happiness behind her brown irises...so unbelievably touched that he would stand up for her.

It reminded him of...well, him when he had first come to live with Harriette...
At first, he had walked on eggshells around the older woman, not knowing if she'd be mad at him if he did something she didn't like, or if she'd force him to work for hours and hours on chores for him to, "earn his place."

But Harriette had been nothing but kind, gentle and understanding with him. There was a knowing glint in her eyes whenever she looked at him, almost as if she knew what he was feeling without him saying it.

It was comforting for him, to say the least. He never saw pity on her face, not once did she ever look at him and make Harry feel weak.

If anything she always tried to make him feel strong, told him that he was one of the bravest people she had ever met for going through what he did and still remaining the good person he was.

He appreciated the words much more then he ever let on, if he was being honest.

To know someone so...good, so brave such as Harriette viewed him the same way, it made his entire body warm and caused his heart to skip a beat.

No one had ever believed in him before, not before Harriette had came along.

He missed her, he missed them all if he was being honest. He really couldn't wait for the holidays to arrive...
A sudden groan from across the table made Harry look up to watch as Ron sat down at the table while rubbing his eyes.

Harry's eyes softened as he gazed at the other boy, "Hey Ron. Still haven't found Scabbers yet?" He asked.

The redhead boy shook his head, "No!" He lamented, "He's been gone for days, I don't know where that bloody rat could've wandered off to. If you ask me, I bet Ms Norris got her claws into him!"

"Honestly Ron, you can't blame everything on that cat." Hermione said as she walked up to the table and took her seat to the right of Harry, rolling her eyes at Ron's behavior which made the black haired boy stifle a sigh.

These two could never quite see eye to eye, and to some degree how Ron acted always annoyed him as well. The redhead would always make comments about Hermione, whether it be about her bossy comments or her know-it-all attitude.

He had spoke to Ron about trying to tame it down a bit, knowing how much words affected his best friend and the other boy had listened to him and dialed down the remarks but they both were still trying to find that happy medium since they were both friends with him.

Sometimes Harry thinks they tolerate each other just for him.

"I'm telling you Hermione, it was Ms Norris, it's the only explanation!" Ron exclaimed, "Scabbers has been in my family since I was a baby, there's no way he'd just run off and never come back."

Hermione sighed, "You don't have any proof Ronald, you can't just accuse Ms Norris, especially not with Filch around."

Her words made Ron shudder as he looked around the hall for any signs of the man himself, a small amount of fear behind his eyes, "That man is scary. Why the bloody hell does he work in a school filled with kids?"

"Language Ron!"

Harry smiled at the calm-er interaction between the two, happy that either of them hadn't started screaming, yet, "Who knows." He shrugged, "I'm pretty sure he's a Squib and Professor Dumbledore just gave him a job. At least that's what I've heard."
"Dumbledore couldn't have hired someone...less scary?" Ron whined and Harry could see how Hermione was about to lecture him but before she could Ron dug into his breakfast, making both of the other first years wince.

"Gross." Hermione muttered under her breath, staring at the boy in disgust before she too started to collect her food, at a much more even pace and with less...gusto.

The three first years began to eat their breakfast in peaceful silence, occasionally speaking up as more students began to pile up into the hall, but a lot of them wouldn't be up this early on a weekend.

When Harry was almost done with his food though, Owls of all shapes, sizes and colors began to fly through the windows and swoop down towards the tables, delivering the mail.

It was easy to make out Hedwig among the sea of feathers. His companion was as elegant as ever as she dived towards him and landed before the three of them with her leg outstretched, showing off the letter attached to her talon.

"Morning Hedwig." Harry said softly, scratching under her chin with one hand as he untied the letter with his other, "What do you got for me?" He asked.

Once the letter was in his hands, he handed his Owl a slice of bacon before switching his attention to the note. He unrolled it and began to read it, a smile breaking out across his face as he continued reading.

"Who's it from?" Hermione asked, taking note of his smile.

"Harriette." Harry replied back, "She's just checking in, making sure I'm okay and everything with school is good. Wanted to make sure no one was giving me any trouble, especially considering what today is." He said, a somber note entering his voice.

For the date was Halloween, the night that his parents died all those years ago and the night he was orphaned.
If he was being honest, he didn't really feel that sad. Sure, he wished his mother and father could be here with him, but he now has a family who he wouldn't trade anything for.

He knew, without a shadow of a doubt that they all loved him and where he wished he could've met his parents, he didn't long for them like he used to.

Because he had a real family now, not some fantasy he had made up in his mind...
"Don't worry mate, if Malfoy starts something today I'll make sure he regrets it!" Ron said with a grin, punching his fist against his open palm.

Hermione rolled her eyes but it was Harry who replied back, "You know he'd stop messing with us if you just ignored him, right? All Malfoy wants is a reaction out of us." He said, thinking back on his cousin Dudley and the similarities between them both.

That's all Dudley ever wanted to be, the center of attention just like Malfoy.

All reacting to people like that ever did was make them keep coming back.

Ron rolled his eyes, "You sound like Hermione." He groaned, making the young witch narrow her eyes at the boy.

She glared at him but didn't say anything, not wanting to argue at the moment. Instead she turned her head to look back at Harry before speaking up, "That was an awfully wise outlook Harry, good for you."

Harry blushed at her praise and shrugged his shoulders, "It's nothing. Harriette tried to make sure I knew how to act whenever I'm in the Wizarding world so I don't get any bad, "PR" as she put it. She doesn't really want me to worry about stuff like that until I'm older. The entire summer, she made sure to
drill into my head that if I ever had the option to fight or walk away with my head held high, always take the latter." He said, making Ron scoff.

"Sounds boring!"

"Shut it Ronald." Hermione snapped, "I think it's sweet. She's teaching Harry an alternate way to deal with situations when she's not there. She's trying to protect him." She said, making Harry blush but there was a pleased smile across his face.

"Like I said, I don't mind." The raven haired boy shrugged, "Harriette's a pretty great teacher for like, any subject. According to her son, that's due to her best friend, Teddy's aunt. She was a bookworm from the sound of it, but she sadly passed away a few years back." He said with a small frown, "And when I say everything, I mean everything from ancient runes to politics, even though she hates those. Teddy hasn't decided if he wants to become head of House Peverell when he's of age but since I'm the last Potter Harriette's been teaching me a few things I should learn before hand. It's really helped a ton when speaking with Purebloods. I'm a mess when trying to socialize, as you know." He huffed but his words made Ron tense in shock as he looked up at Harry with wide eyes.

"Did you say Peverell? As in Lady Peverell?" He asked, making Harry tilt his head in confusion.

"Yes?" He trailed off, utterly thrown for his friend's behavior, "Why?"

"My mom said that Lady Peverell is like...Evil! The next Dark Lady in the making. From what she knows from dad's meetings in the Wizengamot, everyone's like, deathly afraid of her! And you said she took you in!!!?" Ron shook his head, "Better watch out mate! She might want you for...for You-Know-Who!" He whispered harshly under his breath.
Harry's eyes darkened at Ron's words though, along with Hermione who was much more vocal in her displeasure, "Ronald!!! That's awfully rude of you to say, you haven't even met her yet! She can't be that bad if she took Harry in."

"Mom said that—"
"Maybe that's your problem!" Hermione glared, "Stop listening to what your mother thinks of someone and make your own opinions for once!"

"I understand you're just looking out for me Ron...but Harriette is the best thing that's ever happened to me." Harry cut in before the redhead could say anything else, voice soft but with a firm edge to it, "She took me in when no one cared for me. My...my relatives weren't great people, they hated me but when Harriette came back into the county, she didn't hesitate to take me in and provide for me." He said, catching both Hermione and Ron's attention.

Harry never spoke about who he stayed with before Harriette, not once had he ever mentioned them but they knew from that alone it wasn't great.

Having it confirmed though, was way worst than mere speculation...
"Can she be a little...intense at times? Yes, she can but that's only because of what she's been through. She's a survivor of the war Ron, she lost practically everything."

"It's not right or fair to her that you're judging her entire personality based off a few things you heard from your mom...who heard from your dad."

Ron blushed and lowered his head down, guilt and shame flooding through his body at the way Harry was speaking to him. The other boy never usually disagreed with him unless it had to do with Hermione, and yeah he could admit to himself he was a little harsh with her at times but it was all just joking around...
Right?
But now...Harry looked so serious. So firm that it made Ron's stomach clench, hating the fact that he was the reason for that expression to be on Harry's face to begin with.

"I'm...I'm Sorry..." He muttered under his breath, "I didn't mean to, you know...upset you." He said truthfully, making Harry's eyes soften as Hermione looked at him in shock.

The look from the girl though stung the most. In the month since they began being friends, was it really that unbelievable for him to...apologize?
Now that he thought about it...he, never really did say sorry to them, did he?

Especially Hermione...
Harry sighed, not knowing the epiphany that Ron had just had, "It's fine just...lay off the comments yeah? Especially if it's about someone you don't know. She's really great and...and she makes me happy."

"And that's all we care about." Hermione said softly, a gentle expression across her face as she smiled warmly at him, "As you're friends, we just want what's best for you. And If Harriette is what's best...so be it." She said pointedly towards Ron, making him shake his head, clearing him of his thoughts for the time being.

"Yeah mate, if you say she's cool...then, I'll believe you." He replied back, "Plus, she'll be picking you up at the Express during the holidays, right? We can meet her fully then. Maybe then we can prove mom wrong about her." He shrugged, making Harry smile at the amount of trust Ron was willing to put in him...or more accurately his assessment of Harriette above his own mother's.

The thought made Harry feel all warm inside.
"You've technically already met her." Harry replied back after collecting himself, a small grin along his face making Hermione roll her eyes fondly while Ron teasingly leaned over the table to punch his shoulder.

"Prat. She was here for two seconds to say hello to you before she left with Professor Dumbedore. That hardly counts Harry." The bookworm replied back but even then there was a smile along her face.

"You still, TECHNICALLY met her."

"Hermione's right, you are a prat." Ron said, shaking his head with an amused smile across his face, making Harry gasp in shock.

"Did you just admit Hermione was right?" He asked, mischief shinned behind his emerald green eyes as he looked from Ron to Hermione, "Mark the calendars everyone, the world is ending!" He said dramatically, making Hermione giggle while it was Ron's turn to roll his eyes.

"You're not as funny as you think you are mate." The redhead deadpanned, making Harry smirk at the other boy.

"You're right, I'm funnier."

The rest of the morning was spent in laughter, the three of them joking around the hall until others began to enter. Once they did they moved to the library where they continued to talk amongst one another while doing their homework for the upcoming week.

The smile on Harry's face though, never once faltering for more than a second...

Harriette was never one for Halloween, for multiple reasons.
It was the day of her parent's death, the night she had been left alone in a world that hated her, the day she was subjected to ten long years of torture at the hands of her relatives and the beginning of what would one day be just the first chapter of her long and pain filled life in the Wizarding world.

You know, back in her universe she sometimes wished she had just left it all behind. That she had taken her son and moved out of Britain to live in some other part of the muggle world, far away from her past or anything that could haunt her, that could remind her of those days.

She would've done it too...if it wasn't for Hermione and Andromeda.

They had been her rocks, her tethers to the Wizarding world. They were the only reason why she had stayed there for so long, enduring the pain of the stares, the looks and whispers.

As each year marched on, as Halloween after Halloween passed for her she began to get...better at dealing with it. With time she learned to forget it most years, especially with raising a newborn but the pain never faded far from her mind.

It was always there, festering in the back like it was now, in this New World, new yet similar to hers. She could feel the pressure in the back of her mind as she was cleaning the dishes from breakfast.

The others were in the living room lounging around, Ted and Andi both didn't have to go in to work until later today so they were watching over Teddy while she cleaned up. Dora however was out at the Ministry for the graduation ceremony, since she finally completed the academy today.

The ceremony wasn't public, so they couldn't go ahead and be there for her but Dora had promised to come right home as soon as she was done.

She had to miss breakfast though because of how early she had to be in, which was why there was a plate of food sitting in the microwave waiting for her to come back.

Today was a busy day for them, especially considering she had to head to Hogwarts tonight to stop a troll from breaking into the school and then tomorrow the Wizengamot would meet to finally have Sirius's trial.

She found it in slightly poor taste to have it a day after the man's best friends had died, but it wasn't really up to her when they scheduled a trial.

She'd leave all the politics to Andi for now, not at all in the mood to play Pureblood Politician.
Before her mind could wander any further, the sound of flapping wings right outside the window drew her attention.

She smiled when she saw the white plumage of Hedwig. Harriette reached over to open the window and allowed the Owl to fly in and land right atop her shoulder.

"Hey girl." The white haired witch murmured softly under her breath, scratching Hedwig's chin, "Got something for me?" She asked, noting that there wasn't one, but two letters attached to the bird's talons.

Harriette gently untied the two letters and walked over to Hedwig's perch by the window, letting her jump off her shoulder to rest as she began to read the letters.

The first one was from Harry, letting her know he had got her message and letting her know about what has happened since the last letter he sent her which always made her heart warm.

But the second letter was surprisingly from Dumbledore. He must've caught Hedwig on her way out of Hogwarts so he could send this message to her.

As she read through the entirety of it, she couldn't help the sigh of slight annoyance that escaped her at the contents of it.

She had a feeling it would happen, but that still didn't make her WANT to do it.

For the Board of Governors along with the Headmaster and Professors we're all in agreement that she'd be the best choice of teacher to help the children get ready for their tests, a tutor of sorts.

They wanted her to take the position after the holidays so she could start catching students up who were having trouble along with starting review for the material each student should know.

According to the rough schedule they had planned out, She'd have first year review on Monday after dinner, Second year on Tuesday, Third years on Wednesday and so on and so forth all the way until Sunday where she'd have Seventh Year review.

Seven grades, seven days of the week.
Of course if a student needed a little one on one time with help they were welcomed to ask her for help, but she only needed to be in Hogwarts by dinner time, not during the day and by then, either Ted or Andi would be back from work so it would work out perfectly.

Still, it didn't mean she had to like it, teaching a bunch of children who weren't hers? Kids who she didn't know just made her feel uncomfortable.

She couldn't deny though having access to Hogwarts would definitely be a big boon for her...future plans.

Harriette sighed and folded the letter in her hand with a shake to her head and kept it clenched in her fist while she placed Harry's note in her jean pocket before walking into the living room.

Once she arrived, Andi was the first one to see her, "All done cleaning up?" She asked before taking note of the look on her face and the note in her hand, "What's wrong?" She asked instantly, drawing the young boy's attention.

"Mom?" Teddy asked, making her sigh.

"Nothings wrong. I just got a note from Dumbledore saying that everyone's made an unanimous decision. They want me to take up being the Hogwarts tutor to help children learn the material." She said, a small pout on her lips making Andi smirk at her.

"Quit whining about it, it's not that big of a deal. It's an hour out of your day. Who knows, maybe this will help you stay out of trouble." She said, making both Teddy and Harriette snort in amusement.

"Doubt it." Teddy said, making Harriette roll her eyes at her son's teasing.

"Watch it young man." She warned, "I can still—"
Before she could finish her thought, the front door suddenly slammed open and the voice of one pink haired metamorphmagus echoed across the entire house, "Guess who's back? That's right, me...Auror Tonks at your servi—WOAH!" Dora examined as she came sliding into the room and tripping over her own two feet, causing her to collide with Harriette, making the older witch shriek as they both tumbled onto the ground with Dora landing on top of the white haired witch.

"Honestly Nymphadora! Slow down!" Andromeda exclaimed in exasperation, looking at the scene before her with mischievous eyes, "You're gonna kill someone one of these days."

Harriette groaned in pain, head back against the wooden floor with her eyes closed, "I second that." She sighed under her breath but in doing so, she made the witch on top of her shift making Harriette's eyes bolt open.

After taking in their position, the white haired witch couldn't help but blush in embarrassment as she tried to gently get out from under Dora, "Sorry, just...let me—"
Dora couldn't help as a ghost of a smirk appeared across her face, subtly as to not get caught by her parents and definitely not wanting Teddy to see this, she gently pushed her knee against the crotch of Harriette's jeans making her breath stutter in her chest as she looked up at her with wide eyes, "Here, let me help you up." Dora purred, pressing her knee against her crotch one last time before getting up and acting as if nothing had happened, offering her hand down for the woman to grab ahold of.

Harriette's face was as red as a tomato as she shook her head and reached up to grab Dora's hand, letting the pink haired woman pull her off the ground as she tried to ignore the heat pooling in her naval and the way Dora was looking at her like a piece of meat.

At this rate she'd never last till the holidays, she had a better probability of blurting out her secret now and letting Dora have her way with her if the Metamorphmagus continued teasing her like this.

She knew what the other woman was doing, she was trying to bait her into action but Dora would soon come to learn that Harriette had excellent resilience and control over herself and emotions.

If anyone was going to crack first, it'd be Dora...
"Thanks." She whispered, staring into the gorgeous violet eyes of the pink haired woman before her, "Seriously though...you should slow down." She joked, trying to ignore the heat blooming across her cheeks.

Dora though merely smirked as she gazed right back into her emerald green eyes, "Oh I can go slow if you want me to. I just always considered you the type of gal who enjoys a...wild ride." She flirted, fluttering her eyelashes at the woman and making Harriette blush even harder but a sudden throat being cleared made them both turn and look at Andi who had a deadpanned stare across her face.

"If the two of you are done," Andromeda said flatly, making both woman flush, "Now that my daughter is an official Auror, I believe you had a question to ask her, Harriette?" The brunette said pointedly, making the white haired witch shake her head from her love-crazed stupor as she responded back, all the while trying to ignore the amusement she could feel bleeding from Ted and the subtle disgust she could see across her son's face.

"Right." She cleared her throat, "Uh, the Wizengamot essentially think I need a babysitter and are forcing me to choose any Auror I want to shadow me whenever I go out and..."Do something reckless," as Andi would say." She started off by saying, glancing up into the now curious gaze of Dora with a small amount of hesitation in her own gaze, "And...now that you are an Auror, I was wondering if you wanted to become...my partner?" She asked, making Dora's eyes widened but before she could say anything Harriette continued to ramble on.

"I know you just got your dream job and all, and I would never take that away from you if that's really what you want I, just thought I'd ask and see if you'd be interested in taking up the job. If you did accept, whenever the two of us go out you'd be forced to like, spy on me and report back to your boss but that's fine, I don't really care what others hear about me or think of me." She said with a small huff, "You don't have to accept either! I just, I thought I'd ask you first seeing as how you're like, the only Auror I know and...and I, trust." She admitted softly, a small bit of vulnerability in her gaze but she didn't put up her walls like she normally would.

The Tonks have been there for her and Teddy for months, it was about time she let them see a part of her that she rarely ever showed anyone...
Dora's eyes softened at her admission though, touched that Harriette trusted her to have her back out there, touched that she wanted HER out there as her partner, that word sending pleasant shivers down her spine.

In her mind, there really was only one choice here...
"Of course Harriette." She replied truthfully, a small smile across her face, "I'd be honored to take the roll." She said before her eyes turned more teasing in nature, "I'm still getting paid though, right?"

Her words did the trick and brought a small giggle out of Harriette's mouth, the sound going right to Dora's heart and making it practically melt, "Yes. From what I understand you'll be reporting directly to Bones. Like I said, you'll have to spy on me. Give her a rundown about how I fight, how I operate. If you think I'm...I'm a danger to others...that sort of thing." She said, voice turning more somber as she thought more and more about it.

What if Dora saw something she did and...and it sacred her away? What if they met some prick on the side of the street and Harriette just hauled off and murdered him, right in front of her? What would she think of her then?

Would she be sacred? Call her a monster? Become too afraid to even stand in the same room as her?

Harriette didn't know if she could handle that, especially not from Nym...
Dora must've heard the way her voice changed for she placed her hand atop Harriette's shoulder and squeezed, "Hey, it'll be alright. We'll figure it out, together...and I promise I won't paint you in a negative light." She joked, bumping their shoulders together and successfully drawing a smile from the white haired witch.

"Yeah...together." Harriette whispered, a blush crawling up her neck again and across her cheeks which in turn made Dora internally preen in satisfaction.

Dora-3, Harriette-0.
How high could she get until one of them finally made THE move?

There was only one way to find out...

Hermione giggled as she and Harry walked down the corridor towards the Great hall where the Halloween feast was just about to begin, "There's no way that happened Harry!" She exclaimed, a joy filled smile across her face making the raven haired boy chuckle.

"I'm not lying Hermione, it really did." He replied back, "We were out back enjoying the summer heat when Dora suddenly comes running out of the house and knocks right into Harriette. Harriette, who had a tray of lemonmade in her hand." He laughed, "They were both completely soaked, head to toe in it. Harriette was so upset with Dora, she wouldn't even look at her! She only forgave her after Dora spent the rest of the day shooting her puppy dog eyes and basically apologizing after every sentence."

Hermione bit her lip to try and calm herself down but there were the beginnings of happy tears leaking from the corner of her eyes as she responded back, "If you ask me, it kind of seems like Dora does it in purpose. How many times has she, "accidentally" fallen into Harriette? Just from the stories you told me?"

Harry hummed in thought, "At least seven, that I remember." He shrugged.

"Which means there's probably more that happens when you aren't around to see it." Hermione said, "I think she does it on purpose, no one is THAT clumsy."

Harry smiled, "I wouldn't be that sure, I once saw Dora trip over nothing but air, and then she proceeded to wobble around until she fell on her but, taking all the paintings and photos on the wall with her."

Hermione shook her head, "How?" She said, part shocked and part exasperated, "How is that even possible?!"

"Trust me, Dora always finds a way." Harry chuckled, "Come on, let's get inside, the feast is about to begin." He said, gesturing towards the Great Hall doors that were just on the other end of the hall from them.
Before they could reach the doors though, they were both intercepted by Malfoy and his gaggle of Slytherins.

"Well well well, look what we have here, Potter...and his little Mudblood." Draco said with a sneer, his words making both Hermione and Harry glare at the blonde ponce.

"Watch it Malfoy." Harry warned, taking a step so he was in front of Hermione as if he had to protect her, "I don't care what you say or think about me, but don't speak to Hermione like that."

"Oh, what's little Potter gonna do?" Malfoy laughed mockingly, "Call mommy and daddy to come save him? Oh wait, they're dead!"

Harry glared at the other boy, "No, I'll tell Lady Peverell that House Malfoy is insulting House Potter." He said, making Draco tense up at the mention of Harriette, "I'm sure that will go over nicely with your father. Knowing that you ruined relationships with two prominent Houses in the Wizarding world, especially one such as the Peverells." He said, internally grinning at the scowl that crossed the other boy's features.

"Granger isn't a member of either of those houses!" Draco sneered.

"No, but she's MY friend." He said, "And I don't like that word. So you'd be wise to never use it around me again Draco."

"You're always bragging about how you're gonna tell your father...how about I tell my guardian instead and see what she does about it. How well do you think that'd go over with dear ol' daddy?"

Draco scowled and glared at the both of them, "This isn't over Potter!" He exclaimed before stomping away with Crabbe and Goyle not far behind him.

Once they had finally left them alone, Harry sighed and turned to look at Hermione, "Are you okay—Oof!" He was cut off by his arms suddenly being full of his best friend as she squeezed the life out of him.

"Thank you Harry, for standing up for me." She whispered, making Harry smile as he returned the hug with only a split moment of hesitation on his part.

"Of course. I wasn't lying Hermione, you really are my friend." He said truthfully, making her squeeze him one last time before pulling away, "Now let's get to that Feast, yeah? I bet you Ron's already there." He joked, making Hermione snort.

"I'm not taking that bet." She deadpanned, causing Harry to laugh.

The two of them walked into the hall and went over to the Gryffindor table to have a seat. The food was already out so they began to make their plates, while Ron was indeed already there and had a stack of food on his own making them both roll their eyes fondly.

The feast went off without a hitch, students conversing and joking around with one another between bites of food with the professors up at the staff table watching them all with smiles across their faces.

Well most of them, Snape never seemed to smile...
As the feast was starting to die down though, something unexpected happened. The doors suddenly hurled opened and in came Professor Quirrell screaming at the top of his lungs.

"TROLL!!"
"TROLL! There's a Troll in the Dunge—"
Before he could even finish screaming, another voice called out into the hall...
"Oh zip it you coward! Quit your blabbering."

Harry perked up at the sound of the second voice that echoed across the hall, unable to stop the excitement from coursing through his body.

Sure enough, everyone turned to look at Harriette striding through the giant double doors with her head held high and an annoyed glare across her face as she looked at the cowardly professor.

"You DID have a Troll problem." She continued to speak as she walked over towards the middle of the hall where Quirrell was still standing in shock as he gazed at the woman, a small amount of fear behind his eyes, "But I so kindly took care of it as I was on my way here for a...friendly visit." She smirked, glancing at Harry out of the corner of her eye and offering him a small wink which made him smile back.

"But...there is no Troll now?" Dumbledore asked as he stood from his seat at the staff table, glancing from Harriette to Qurriell with questioning eyes.

"I-I saw it Professor! I d-did!"

Harriette merely shrugged, "And I killed it on my way up, it was no biggie, a false alarm. You can go back to your feast!" She examined, waving her hand dismissively, as she did so a speck of Troll blood that had gotten on her hand soared off her digits and landed right on Quirrell's eye.

Around the hall people grimaced in disgust while Harriette smiled wolfishly at the defense professor, "Oh my sincerest apologies Quirrell, I'm afraid Trolls have a lot of blood and, well it gets everywhere once they're killed, must've missed a spot." She shrugged, humming under her breath as she could practically feel the anger radiating off the back of the man's head.

"It's uh, I-it's n-no problem Miss...?"

Harriette smirked dangerously at the man, "Peverell, Lady Peverell. The last TRUE heir to the House, a House that has been lost for centuries." She said and the white haired witch could feel the moment they both recognized the danger she posed, the anger radiating off the man's head skyrocketed while the professor's fear only climbed higher.

She didn't know who the man was more sacred of, her...or his master.

If he had any lick of common sense, he should be much more scared of her and what she might do to him...
"If you'll excuse me Quirrell, I have things I need to do." She said, staring at the man with hardened eyes as her emerald irises glanced at the back of his head for a moment longer than necessary, "I'll see yah around." She said before shrugging past the man and walking up to the staff table, leaving the other professor in the dust.

She saw from the corner of her eye how Harry slumped down once she started going to the staff table though and guilt started to crawl it's way up her throat.
Deciding it'd be better for him, she decided to speak up while still making her way towards the table at a leisurely pace, "Don't think I've forgotten about you Mister! You best not be slacking off! After I'm done speaking with the headmaster I'll be checking myself." She said from over her shoulder, making the young boy perk up and smile widely at her.

"I haven't!" He replied back, making everyone glance at them, all of them still unable to believe that Lady Peverell had custody of the Boy-Who-Lived.

They...don’t know how Harry stayed with her for the entire summer. Just from the two times they saw her, along with what their parents have said this woman was…
Well, scary....
Harriette smiled and continued her small trek to the table. As she was doing it though she could feel Quirrell's eyes on her the whole time but she ignored it for now.

She made her stance pretty clear to the men...
Voldemort would now second guess everything he did when it came to Harry because he'd have to go through her to get to him.

Hopefully that held him off long enough for her to get all the Horcruxes.

But she wouldn't count on it...
Once she got up to the staff table, Dumbledore met her with a half exasperated and half thankful look, "I should expect impromptu visits from you, shouldn't I?" He asked, making her smirk.

"Probably." She shrugged, "At least until the new year, then I'll be in the castle anyway and I'll just do all my super secret plans then." She joked.

Dumbledore sighed, "For what it's worth, I thank you. You stopped panic from spreading to the students, that's all I could ever ask." He said.

"They shouldn't be burdened by any of this." She said, a serious note in her voice that the entire staff picked up on, "What's happening...these kids shouldn't be involved at all. I'm just doing what I can to protect them." She said.

"How did you know about the Troll?" Minerva asked softly but with a firm edge to her voice.

"I...came across some information, information that I believe too valuable if fallen into the wrong hands. Like about the corridor in this castle that spells out certain death for any who enter?" She said pointedly, making all the staff tense in shock. Before they could say anything she continued on, "I know about Fluffy...I know about the Devil's snare, the Snitches...the potions and the chessboard, all of it."

"Including the special little object at the end of the puzzle..." Harriette's eyes darkened as she glared at the Headmaster, "A puzzle that any competent First year can solve." She whispered, making Dumbledore flinch at her pointed tone.

"Harriette..."

"I thought I made it clear to you that Harry Potter was off limits." She said, lowing her tone so that only the ones closest to Dumbledore's could hear them, "That puzzle will not stop the person who's trying to get that stone, it will not stop the man who let that Troll into your school."

"Who would do such a thing though?" Minerva asked softly, one of the two other professors who was close enough to hear her.

"The only man that wasn't at dinner of course. The man who came screaming into the hall about a threat...the man who has conveniently left as soon as I got here and took care of the troll." She said and sure enough, Snape, Dumbedore and McGonagall glanced behind her and saw Quirrell was nowhere to be seen.

Dumbledore sighed, "I fear you're right. I had my suspicions about the man, but I didn't know for sure." He said before turning to look at the potions master, "Keep a close eye on him Severus, we can never be too careful." He said, making the other wizard nod his head but Harriette, once she took note of him narrowed her eyes at the man.

She had a few...choice words to say to him, especially after all the letters detailing that he had done the same thing to Harry, as her Snape had done to her.
Tried to embarrass him, single him out and whatnot.

At least it was a little bit better here, the man seemed to ignore Harry unless he was in a bad mood.

But still, enough was enough.

"Ah Severus Snape, in the flesh." She cut in before the other man could, eyes narrowed as she gazed at the Head of House Slytherin, "I've heard a lot about you...especially about your...interest in my Ward." She said, making the man sneer at her.

"I have no interest in the Potter brat! He's an arrogant glory hound, just like his father!" Severus hissed, making Harriette narrow her eyes even further at the man.

"Severus..." Dumbledore warned, but Harriette wasn't having any of it.

He needed to hear this, he needed to grow the fuck up.
"Or maybe that's just how you want him to be. You can't stand the thought of the child of James Potter, you're bully being so much like the woman who you loved, the person you betrayed!" She whispered harshly, pointing her finger right at his chest, "You're being a Petulant child, throwing a tantrum because you didn't get the girl of your dreams. Wake up and smell the roses Snape, you lost that chance years ago and taking it out on Harry because he looks like his father?...That is the single most pettiest thing I've ever heard."

"Grow up Severus." Harriette said, "Before it's too late."

Snape, frozen in shock couldn't help but stare into Lady Peverell's eyes, fear and sadness swelling in his chest at her words.

For a moment he could've sworn her eyes had shifted colors, changing from a light emerald shade to a darker emerald.

The same dark emerald as Lily...
The white haired witch huffed at the man's blank stare and turned her attention back to the Headmaster, having said her piece, "Keep Quirrell away from that Stone Dumbledore, and if a hear a single rumor that my Ward is investigating that corridor I swear I will rain down hellfire on you, do not test me, especially when it comes to me protecting my family. Am I understood?"

Albus swallowed thickly, Harriette's magic pushing down on him from all angles as she exerted her will over his, "Crystal, Lady Peverell." He said softly.

The woman pulled her magic back to herself with a satisfied nod to her head, "Good. I'll be in touch with you to iron out all the details about me taking up my position in the New Year. Until then though, I'm gonna spend some time with my ward while I'm here, until next time." She said before turning around and walking towards the Gryffindor table, leaving the three teaches and the staff staring at the woman with varying degrees of emotions across their faces.

"What have we gotten into Albus?" McGonagall asked quietly, making the old man sigh under his breath.

"A clash between Titans Minerva. One as Evil as one could get...his lust for power endless, his need for control boundless...the other shrouded in Darkness, willing to do whatever it takes to protect that which she holds dear." He whispered.

The only question, is who would come out on top?

Tom...or Harriette?
Back over with Harriette, she was just coming up on the Gryffindor table when the brunette beside him pointed at her, making Harry turn around and smile widely.

"Harriette!" He exclaimed, jumping from his seat and launching himself into her arms, making her chuckle as she caught him with ease.

"Easy there Tiger, you're gonna knock me over!" She said with a small laugh, eyes brightening as she finally held the boy in her arms for the first time in weeks, "I don't need you to pull a Dora on me, alright?" She joked, making Harry laugh.

"We wouldn't want that now, would we?" Harry said jokingly right back at her before he pulled away and began to drag her towards the table, "Come on, I want you to meet my friends!" He said.

Once they had traveled the few feet to the table, Harry began to introduce her to everyone, "Everyone, that is Harriette, she's the one who's been taking care of me." He said.

The woman grinned at the other students around the table, "Hello everyone, Harry's told me a lot about you in his letters, it's good to finally meet you." She said truthfully but on the inside she was freaking out.

All of her previous classmates, some who had problems with her and others who didn't, all before her again but this time she was an adult and they were still children.

It was all so surreal...
It was just her luck though, that the first person to speak up was the bookworm beside her ward, "Hello Miss Peverell! Harry's told me a lot about you too!" Hermione Granger said with a small smile across her face as she looked up into the white haired witch's eyes.

Unknowingly making Harriette's heart crack...
Despite her personal feelings, she pushed all of her negative emotions away for the time being and instead smiled softly at the little girl, hoping the little genius didn't pick up on her mood shift, "You just be Miss Granger, Harry's told me a lot about you." She said quietly, making the girl blush.

"All good things, I hope?" She asked, tilting her head in confusion when she saw a flash of sorrow behind the older witch's eyes but she decided to file that information away for later and focus on the present.

Harriette snorted, grinning softly down at the other witch as she replied back, "Yes, I don't think he spoke one ill thing about you." She teased, smirking at Harry and making him blush, "All he did in his letter was praise you for—"
"Okay! Okay, we get it!" Harry cut in, trying not to look at Hermione even though she was staring at him with a small grin and a please blush across her cheeks.

Harriette merely shrugged her shoulders, "Fine, no need to be rude about it Harry." She tutted, amusement behind her eyes which made the boy narrow his eyes at her.

"Not funny."

"It was to me." She joked, causing another boy, this one with a head of red hair to laugh from across the table, drawing her eyes to him.

Once she saw who it was, her insides screamed at her to lash out, to make him hurt, make him regret anything and everything he had done to her but the more reasonable side of her, the one that sounded a lot like Hermione told her this wasn't the same Ron.

They weren't the same Weasleys.

She's checked...multiple times.

They were honest, hardworking and even though they had seven kids Arthur got by enough to provide for everyone, especially now that two of his kids were out of school and the other was pretty soon gonna be graduating.

Still, that did nothing to suppress the memories of her world, the thought of the contract, the money they stole from her, the way they were just going to marry her off and force her to become Ron's little plaything, his trophy wife even though she wasn't attracted to men...
You didn't just, get over stuff like that, that stays with you for the rest of your life and Harriette was most certainly not over it yet, unable to forget the betrayal she felt when she first learned of it.

But...she knew that Harry was actually pretty close with Ron in this universe and where he wasn't best friends with him, he was still a good friend so Harriette had to learn how to suck it up and deal with the Weasleys.

Sooner rather than later.

"And you must be Mr Weasley." She said, subtly shaking those thoughts from her head, "It's nice to meet you." She said, trying to ensure the hatred she carried for HER Weasleys didn't infect her tone at all.

Ron blushed a bit but took her hand nonetheless when she offered it for him to shake, "It's uh, nice to meet you too. Harry's told us a lot about you, how much he enjoys living with you and, whatnot."

Hearing that made Harriette smile, "I'm glad, cause I enjoy having him around too." She said truthfully, making Harry beam up at her, eyes shinning with affection for her.

"Now, sadly I can't stay for long, but how about we sit and you can explain everything that's happened these first two months of school, yeah?" Harriette said, gesturing to the table before them while the other students tried to not so subtly lean forward to try and listen in on their conversation. "I have to get back soon or lord knows my son and Dora will burn the entire place down." She said fondly with a small roll to her eyes.

Harry grinned at her comment before his smile turned more soft, touched at her offer to stay with him, "I'd like that very much." He admitted.

Harriette smiled, eyes crinkling in joy as she responded back, "I'm glad."

The next day found the entire Tonks family, along with Harriette and Teddy standing outside the court room with one another as they waited for the man they wanted to see to be escorted out of the chambers.

Andromeda had just been released from the chamber herself, she had met up with the others who were waiting outside and now they were all waiting to see the man.

For Sirius Orion Black had been found innocent of killing Pettigrew and betraying James and Lily Potter. As soon as he had admitted that Peter was the secret keeper it was essentially a done deal, not even the Dark faction could find anything that made Sirius look like the criminal.

That's not to say some people didn't try and vote against him, Malfoy and his posse did but it didn't matter for they failed, and Malfoy lost any claim he had on the Black Fortune since Sirius was still the official heir.

Which was the main reason the man had voted against him.

The sound of the door opening before them caught their attention as Amelia Bones along with the man of the hour walked out, one in her standard Auror robes and the other in a pair of normal pants and shirt.

But the sight of her long lost Godfather made Harriette's breath stutter in her chest...
He looked...happier than her Sirius ever had been, his face was pulled back into a joyful smirk, eyes shinning with life that he had never truly gotten to experience in her world.

For he was never a free man in her world, but here...here he could go out in public and not be arrested on sight.

Here, Sirius still had his entire future ahead of him...
"Well if it isn't my favorite cousin and her family, here to greet me as a free man!" Sirius said as he and Amelia came to rest right before the small group.

Andi smiled, eyes softening as she gazed at her cousin, "It's good to see you again Siri." She admitted softly as she walked over and hugged the man, making him chuckle and hug back.

"Good to see yah too." He murmured under his breath before pulling away and grinning at his cousin's husband, "And how have you been Ted? Working hard, or hardly working?" He asked, making the other man chuckle heartily.

"A bit of both." He laughed, walking forward and bringing the skinny man into a mighty bear hug, "It's good to see Azkaban was unable to take away your spirit Sirius."

The shaggy haired man huffed, "Not for its lack of trying, I'll tell yah that." He said before his eyes roamed over to Dora who was standing in her Auror robes.

"Well if it isn't little Nymmie, all grown up!" He said, walking up to rustle up her shoulder length pink hair, "I can't believe you made it on the Aurors, especially with how clumsy you were as a child." He joked, making the metamorphmagus glare at him while trying to fix her hair.

"Don't call me that." She growled at him, a blush spreading across her cheeks when she saw that Harriette was looking at her in amusement.

Sirius definitely took note of her reaction as he smirked back, "Okay okay, calm it down there Nymmie, it was just a joke." He said, hands held up in surrender as he laughed while Dora continued to glare and grumble under her breath at him.

Sirius then turned his attention to the last two people in the group, but this time his face grew more serious, losing his teasing nature.

"You must be Lady Peverell, and I'm assuming this is your son, correct?" He asked, making Harriette lips twitch up in amusement.
She doesn't think she has ever seen her godfather act this serious before.

Pun intended...
"Indeed I am, and this here is Edward, but his nickname is Teddy for friends and family." She said, laying one of her hands on top her son's shoulder, "I'm glad to see an innocent man out of prion, if there's anything I can help with please, let me know." She said truthfully, making Sirius shake his head.

"No, you've done more than enough Lady Peverell. You're the one who got me that trial, I'll never be able to put into words how grateful I am. Andi here also told me all about what you've done for them and for...for my Godson." He said softly, gaze softening as he thought about Harry.

"I failed him." He admitted, "I chose to try and get revenge, I let my anger control me and didn't think about what Harry needed in that moment and for that, I will be eternally guilty. So...thank you, for taking care of him, thank you for...caring in general."

Harriette shrugged her shoulders, "He's family. He's got Peverell blood running through his veins. We Peverell's take care of our family, no matter what."

"Still, thank you. Lady Peverell, you have my eternal gratitude. Whatever you need, you can always call upon the House of Black for help." He said, crossing his fist over his chest.

The white haired witch smiled, her eyes softening, "Thank you, I appreciate the gesture." She said.

"Good...Now that the boring stuff is outta the way," Sirius joked, "When do I get to meet my Godson?" He asked, making Andi shake her head in exasperation.

"Not until the holidays when he comes back from Hogwarts. You Mister will be needing around the clock care, both mental and Physical so you can be in a good place to meet your godson. Which is why we're heading to St Mungo's immediately." She said in a no nonsense tone of voice, making the man whine.

"Come on Andi!! I'm fine!" He exclaimed but Andromeda wasn't convinced in the slightest.

"That's not gonna work on me."She deadpanned, walking over and grabbing him by the ear while moving towards the Apparation points, "You are gonna get checked out if it's the last thing I do!"

"Ow! Ow! Andi, let me go!!"

The others laughed as they watched Sirius get dragged away by his cousin, a cousin who was only worried about him which was why she was doing this the way she was.

Amelia who had been watching the whole thing in amusement decided to speak up now that Andi and Sirius had left, "It's gonna take time, but I believe the effects of Azkaban will eventually ware off him." She said, making Ted nod his head.

"Thank you Madam Bones, for everything." He said before glancing at Harriette and then Teddy before grabbing ahold of the little boy's hand, "Come on Teddy, let's go catch up with Andi and make sure she doesn't accidentally harm Sirius. I believe your mother has something she wants to talk about with Amelia." He said, making the woman in question glance over at the white haired witch with a raised brow.

"Is that so?" She asked, making Harriette shrug.

"Yup." She said, turning to look at her son as she gestured in the direction had had went, "Go on with Ted baby, I'll meet you at St Mungo's." She said, kneeling down and pressing a lingering kiss to his forehead.

"I love you." She murmured.

Teddy beamed up at her as he leaned forward and pressed a soft kiss to her cheek, "Love you too mom!" He said before following Ted towards the others, leaving just Amelia, Harriette and Dora.

"So, what's this about?" Bones asked, raising an eyebrow at the two of them.

Harriette was unable to hold back her smug smirk as she got back up on her feet and glanced at the woman, "Well the Wizengamot was sooo...kind, as to force me to choose an Auror. I thought it best to tell you as soon as possible, since I've already picked out the perfect one for the job." She said, unable to keep the mischief from her eyes, a look Amelia definitely saw.

She glanced from Harriette to Dora before sighing in resignation, instantly knowing who her pick was, "I can't say I'm surprised. The others should've really thought about that decision before forcing it onto you." She shook her head, "Well, a deal is a deal. You pick the Auror, and you did. I'll be sure to contact you Tonks with what the specific...assignment will entail." She said, making Harriette roll her eyes.

"She'll be forced to spy on me and my actions, yes I'm already quite aware of that." She said, waving her hand dismissively, "You don't have to tip toe around the subject, I wouldn't have picked her if I didn't think she was fit to be my...partner in crime, if you will." She smirked, making Dora hold in her laughter while Amelia merely sighed.

"Can't say I blame you for choosing Tonks, especially considering your history with their family. Just know that you'll probably receive some backlash on your decision, especially for choosing an Auror right out of the academy."

Harriette shrugged, "If they know what's good for them they'll keep their trap shut unless they want to end up at the bottom of a river." She said with a small glare, making Amelia sigh while Dora couldn't help but feel a little...heated up at her words.

She loved it when Harriette got so firm...so, demanding. It never failed to get her motor going and when she hit that specific tone of voice...
Oh nothing beat it...
"Alright, thanks for informing me Lady Peverell." Amelia said with a nod to her head, "Tonks, make sure you're back here in two days right at dawn, you'll have your first shift then. Until then, I'll see you two later." She said, excusing herself as she walked towards the Department of Magical Law Enforcement.

Leaving just Harriette and Dora...
Alone...
Harriette, not noticing the look Dora was giving her sighed and started to speak, "Now that that's done, we should probably head on over to the hospital to check on—EEP!!" The white haired witch let out an embarrassingly shrill shriek as her body was suddenly pushed into a dark corner of the room where no one could see them, Dora's body pushed perfectly against hers, almost as if they both were made to fit together.

"N-Nym? What are, what are you d-doing?" She stuttered, not at all having expected this surprise attack from the other woman.

"Merlin, has anyone told you how hot you are?" Dora whispered into her ear, making the white haired witch shiver as her hot breathe washed over her exposed neck, "The way you're voice demands attention whenever you speak? How your body, each move meticulously thought over and fluid, muscles stretching across the fabric of your clothes." Dora blew on her neck again and nibbled on her earlobe, making Harriette bit her lip to try and suppress a very embarrassing sound that she would've never lived down from the other woman.

Unable to stop herself though, she did let out a small whine when Dora's hands began to roam down her sides, ghosting over her very sensitive breasts until they made their way down the curve of her butt to cup her black jeans, causing the witch to groan as she pushed her ass against Dora's hands, all the while trying to ignore the way the pink haired woman's tongue was being dragged along the length of her neck sensually.

"Nym...ahh, N-Nym we can't...uh, we hah, can't do this h-here...now." She gasped out, even as she continued to lean into the other Metamorphmagi's hands. Her words though made Dora stop for a moment to stare into her eyes, not once breaking eye contact.

"Tell me to stop." She whispered, odly serious as her violet eyes bore into emerald green, "Tell me to stop and I will. I'll pull away and we can forget this ever happened."

"Look me in the eyes and tell me you don't want this and I'll go."
Staring into the gorgeous violet eyes before her, Harriette couldn't lie to herself any longer.

She wanted Nym, so very badly that it hurt whenever she couldn't be around her.

This was so...weird for her though, she's never felt like this before, so out of control of herself. Usually she's the one in control, usually she's the one on top, starting it all.

It was like that back in her world, with Hermione. They had trusted one another and she had never once wanted to give up control, and Hermione trusted her to have control.

It was the same when she had slept with Evelyn, she was the one pulling the strings but with Dora...it felt different.

Dora made her feel something she never felt before, at least not to this degree. She wanted to let down her walls near the pink haired Auror, Harriette wanted to tell her everything about her, to...to give her the wheel every time even though that thought was so fucking terrifying to her, letting someone else be in control of something so important in her life.
But with Dora...it was different.

She trusted her, trusted her with her very life and Harriette knew if the rolls were reversed Dora would say the same.

She's been her closest friend since arriving here in their world and she couldn't be any happier.

Well, she could...
She new what her body wanted, she knew what her emotions were telling her.

She wanted Nym, mentally...physically, she wanted ALL of Nym.

And it seemed she wanted all of her too...
"Fuck it." Harriette whispered harshly, shakily exhaling a breath before she wrapped her arms around Dora's neck and smashed their lips together in a passionate kiss.

Dora's eyes widened in shock before they rolled into the back of her head as she moaned when she felt Harriette's tongue push into her mouth.

Returning the favor, the two witch's stood in the corner of the room, arms wrapped around one another with their tongues shoved into their respective partner's mouth. Dora rubbing her hands against the curve of Harriette's butt before slowly moving up her back and maneuvering underneath her shirt to touch her bare skin.

The white haired witch moaned and hiked her leg up on Dora's hip an wrapped her leg around it, bringing their pelvis together roughly which made them both moan into the others mouth.

Neither of them knew how long they stood there in that corner for. It could've been seconds, minutes or hours. All they did know was when they finally pulled away for air, they were both panting, their lips were swollen and Harriette's hair was an absolute mess from one of Dora's hands making its way up to tangle into the white locks.

Her other hand was still inside Harriette shirt against her naked skin, fingers toying with her bra clasp that she could feel while Harriette still had her hands wrapped around Dora's neck, fiddling with her short pink hair with a leg locked around her hip.

"That was..." Harriette trailed off, eyes glazed as she tried to form a coherent thought but Dora beat her to it.

"Amazing? Breathtaking?" She asked with a small smirk, making Harriette look up at her flatly.

"You just ruined the moment." She said, but the pleased blush on her face and the small smile gave her away.

"I don't think I did." Dora said smugly, leaning down to ghost her lips over Harriette's, "I think the moment is perfect." She said before pressing their lips together again, this kiss a lot more slow and methodical, making Harriette sigh into the kiss as she returned the favor.

She couldn't wait for Harry or Sirius to be ready, she couldn't wait for the holidays anymore, she needed to tell the family that was here and ready the truth about her and Teddy, she had to if this...was going to continue.

The only problem?

Pulling away from Dora long enough to get the entire story out...

----- CHAPTER BREAK -----

Flashback...

Harriette stared at the corpse before her with a small frown across her face...

She was here for one reason and one reason only.

A ritual of course.

It was past midnight and she definitely shouldn't be out past curfew, especially considering she had skipped her detention with Umbitch a few hours ago but this needed to be done.

She was having a hard time sneaking away since starting this year, not that she didn't...it was just a lot harder to do so unnoticed.

And Dolores was just...pissing her off at every step of the way.

But...that's why she was down here, in the chamber of secrets with a dead basilisk.

A dead basilisk that would fuel her next ritual.

Over the past few years, the body itself had decomposed so the only thing left was the bones, unfortunately but the bones were exactly what she needed for this to work.

The bones themselves had lingering magic in them, magic from the basilisk and seeing as how no one was using the dead snake for anything, she might as well put it to good use, no?

It was the least she could do.

All things considered it was a pretty simple ritual, much simpler than her first one anyways. She didn't need to do anything fancy, all she needed was a small portion of her blood and the Latin chant which would basically infuse the lingering magic from the bones into her core.

Where the first ritual unbound her core and infused more magic into her, strengthening her magic this ritual would help balance out that new found power she had gained.

She had noticed in the past few weeks since arriving at school that sometimes she'll overpower a spell on accident due to her sudden influx of power. Hell, she sometimes catches herself doing wandless magic without breaking stride, like it was the most normal thing in the world.

She's gotten a few shocked looks whenever she's done so in public before...

The magic from the Basilisk is old though, centuries old and it's magic is ancient, much like the Peverell's, the house she was descendant from.

She found an old reference in that ritual book of hers that she had slipped past Sirius that magical creatures and their magic could balance out a witch or wizards own powers. If done correctly, it would give them increase in stamina, durability and allow the person access to magic that wasn't normally seen on the streets everyday.

According to the book, it'd also help strengthen her mind. The older the creature, the better effect it had on the witch or wizard performing the ritual.

There was another reason though she wanted to get this done. Apparently there's been only a single recording of someone doing this type of thing with a basilisk before, according to the old Black Ritual book she had smuggled into school.

According to the book's writer, Apollonian Black she was the only woman to use a basilisk in this way and what she discovered was something Harriette wanted access to.

She had found that once the ritual was completed, Black had gained access to a certain type of magic that harnessed the power from the basilisk into a single, deadly spell that left nothing in her wake.

Apollonia called it Death's Kiss...

According to her findings, you needed an enormous amount of power to even cast the spell, a spell that she had never quite mastered before her death but Apollonia believed with the right motives and with enough power the spell could be achieved.

The woman believed that due to the basilisk venom, the spell itself would just about kill anything and everything, just like the venom would which made Harriette slightly uneasy, remembering her own run in with that exact same venom years ago.

It wasn't pleasant to say the least...

The actual incantation for the spell though, well Black herself had to figure that out, by channeling that power herself but Apollonia mentioned that the incantation that worked the best for her was Osculum Mortis.

Kiss of Death.

Shaking her head to clear her thoughts, Harriette walked over to the skeleton of the giant snake and decided to get to work.

The only thing she needed to do though before starting was to...cut herself.

She needed to lather her blood along her hands and let it drip from her body into the chamber to help her pull the magic into her blood stream.

So Harriette quickly reached into her robes and procured a knife she had stolen from the Great hall and barely blinked, barely hesitated before she brought the knife across her right wrist and gave herself a shallow cut along her skin before copying it on her other wrist.

It...it wasn't anything new to her.

She promised Hermione that she'd never do...well this again but this wasn't for...those reasons, this was strictly because she needed the blood for the ritual.

That's what she kept telling herself anyways, even though she sighed in relief once the pain started to ground her in the present...

Harriette without missing a beat started to rub the blood leaking from her wrists into her hands before putting them against her side and letting the excess drip down onto the floor.

All the while trying to ignore how clearer her mind was, as the blood...her blood kept leaking from her body onto the Chamber ground.

Now was not the time for thoughts like that...

She then started to chant the spell, old Latin flowing from her tongue. As the spell began to grow in strength, so did her voice and even though she couldn't see it, her eyes began to glow an almost neon green as the air around her began to swirl like a hurricane with her in the epicenter.

"Magna Anguis; Da mihi potestatem tuam." Harriette exclaimed, eyes glowing while magic began to flow from the bones into her body, "Amplectere me. Suscipe me. Nam domina tua sum. Tua virtus mea est et sola mea."

"A morte autem usque ad mortem. Ita fiat fiat!"

As soon as the final incantation of the spell left her lips, the residual power from the basilisk's bones settled into her own body and Harriette couldn't help but gasp as soon as she felt the magic flow through her veins.

It was old...ancient...powerful.

This magic, it was...it was like nothing she had ever felt before.

She could sense things that she couldn't have minutes ago, like the magic of everyone else inside the school, flowing around every corridor and room in this great castle, some of their magical signatures very potent and others less so.

The wards around this place, she could actually feel them ripple around her body, hugging her and telling her all she needed to know about them, like a voice whispering into her ear, she knew things that only a select few should know about these types of wards, but this new type of magic...

Oh it was magnificent...

Wordlessly and without a thought, she sent a silent, wandless Episkey at her wrists to stop the bleeding before waving her hand around to get rid of all evidence of the blood as she made her way out of the chamber and back into the main school.

All the while deep in thought.

This power, this new power would definitely come in handy. Think of everything she could do with it. She could feel her magical core sing, all the power trying to right her body after years and years of neglect.

Her senses sharper than they ever had been before, the faint outline of muscles actually underneath her robes, visible with the new power, along with the past months way from her relatives where she could "heal" up.

But the most notable thing for her, at the moment was the fact that everything was blurry with her glasses now. In shock, she reached up and took them off and couldn't help the small gasp that left her throat when she saw the disgusting chamber around her, in all of its glory.

She now had twenty-twenty vision without any need of her glasses.

It was...it was amazing to say the least.

Thinking on her feet, she quickly vanished the lenses of her glasses before putting them back on her face, hoping no one saw the difference, at least not until she filled them in with just normal glass to mimic her need for glasses.

She didn't want people to get suspicious now did she?

After she placed the empty frames back on her face, she continued her walk down the chamber until she got back to the giant hole that would lead her back up to the girls bathroom.

She used the stairs she had conjured on her way down and quickly made her way back up into the bathroom before sealing the chamber of secrets one last time.

Hopefully she wouldn't have to go back down there again.

On her way back to the Gryffindor common room though, while trying to sneak through the dark hallways she unfortunately ran into the last person she wanted to see.

"Ahem! What are you doing out past curfew Miss Potter?" The voice of Umbridge behind her made Harriette grimace, the sound of her sickly sweet voice grating on her ears, "Especially after skipping detention."

Harriette clenched her jaw and turned around to stare at the other woman defiantly, "I'm sorry Dolores, but I don't believe in detentions for BREATHING." The raven haired teen basically spat, rolling her eyes, "I have no time for you or your power trip. This is a school, a place where kids are supposed to learn, not grow dumber because Merlin knows you don't teach a drop of sense in your class." She snapped, already done with the woman before her, especially with those smug and arrogant eyes of hers.

She hated this woman before her, with every fiber of her being...

She watched as the toad of a woman bristled at her worlds, making Harriette smirk in amusement at the way her face was turning tomato red, "It is Professor Umbridge to you Miss Potter! And for the utter disrespect of a superior, you'll be spending the next hour in demotion with me! In my office!!"

"I thought it was past curfew?" Harriette replied wryly, rolling her eyes again.

The pink toad merely narrowed her eyes further at the teen, making Harriette softly snort under her breath, "I won't ask you again. If I have to resort to expulsion, I will." She said, eyes turning a tad more smug as she continued, "I'm sure that...Miss Granger would sorely miss her only friend if that were to happen." She said making Harriette glare at the woman, lips pulled back into a sneer.

No one, threatened Hermione and got away with it...

Harriette took a step towards the woman and pointed a finger right in her face, "Don't you ever, say her name again." She growled, eyes glowing that neon green again like they had back in the chamber making Dolores take a step back in fright, "If I hear a whisper of her name on your lips, you're gonna regret the day you were born." She whispered harshly under her breath before huffing and turning towards the hallway that would lead her to the other woman's office, knowing she wouldn't let this go tonight. "Let's get this over with."

It took Dolores longer than she'd ever care to admit to pull herself back together and follow the teen towards her office, all the while glaring daggers at the back of her head.

The short distance they had to travel was done so in silence. Harriette didn't even wait for the other woman to get there before she pushed open Dolores's office door and walked towards the nearest seat and waited for the woman to enact her punishment.

But something was wrong.

On the desk before her there was two cups of tea, one of which had a certain magical signature flowing from the glass but while that was concerning, there was a quill on the desk that made her wince at the potency of its magic.

It was dark, it had to be. Or at the very least cursed...

Taking a closer look at the quill though, she only needed another second to realize what exactly it was, making her eyes widen in shock.

There's no way this woman was allowed to bring a blood quill into a school filled with children, children who some weren't even in their teens yet.

That had to be illegal...

"For the next hour, you will sit there and not speak. You'll write the words, "I must not tell lies." On that sheet of paper before you with that quill and I won't hear an ounce of complaining from you." Dolores said as she sat down behind her desk, a simpering smile across her face but that look quickly dropped when Harriette rose from her seat and growled at the woman.

She pushed her magic out of her body and it slammed into the pink toad with so much force it knocked her back against the wall, making her groan in pain as she looked up with fear in her eyes.

"Do you take me for a fool?" Harriette asked in a deadly calm tone of voice which sent a shiver down Umbridge's spine, "I know what that is, just like I know it's completely and utterly illegal to use it on a child without an explicit reason to do so. And even then, their parent or guardian need to be present to give consent, you of which are neither for me." She said, eyes glowing green again as she kept the older woman pressed against the wall.

"Not only is it illegal, but seeing as how I'm a Pureblood, it's punishable by death. Line theft is a very serious crime, or so I'm told. Even your Death Eater friends that you no doubt have in your pocket would sneer down at you for what you're doing at the moment." She hissed.

Harriette with one hand still keeping the toad in place, reached over to the desk and grabbed the quill in hand before snapping it in two, causing the enchantment on it to break before she took the cup filled with truth serum and levitated it up towards Dolores's mouth.

"Seeing as how you were okay with dosing me with Veritaserum. Allow me to return the favor Umbitch." She sneered, tipping the cup forward and forcing the woman's mouth open so the liquid flowed down her throat.

Dolores could do nothing as the truth potion worked it's way through her system. After a moment of silence, Harriette spoke back up.

"Now, tell me...what is your plan throughout the year? What is your goal?"

"The Minister is looking to discredit you and Dumbledore." The woman replied in a monotone voice, "By any means necessary. The Dark Lord is not back and we aim to prove that. Lucius has given us any materials we require to ensure that happens." She admitted, making Harriette growl.

Of course, Malfoy...

Playing the Ministry as if his puppet master wasn't back form the dead.

"I on the other hand have another mission." She said, peaking Harriette's interest, "While I'm here, I will force Dumbledore out of his position as Headmaster and take his place. I will then purge this place of all Mudbloods, starting with your Miss Granger."

There was silence in the room for all of three seconds before Harriette's mind caught up to what the woman said.

She was coming after Hermione...

Her Hermione...

That wouldn't do, not at all.

Trying to keep her anger in check, Harriette clenched her jaw and closed her eyes for a moment before opening them again. She looked around the room and it only took her a few moments to lay eyes on the antidote for the truth serum.

Harriette quickly gave the pink toad the antidote and waited until it took effect before speaking again, voice barely above a whisper but Dolores could still hear her almost perfectly, "You just made your last mistake Dolores."

"No one, messes with Hermione." She said, eyes narrowing at the still trapped woman before her before she uttered a single word that would change the rest of the year for everyone, "Obliviate."

Harriette tore through the woman's mind and erased everything that she didn't want the woman to remember, using her new found power to easily do so.

The rest of the year would definitely be...different from these first few weeks, that was for sure.

And at the end, once the year was done she'd give Dolores back all the memories of what happened, make her witness how Harriette had made her play nice with everyone no matter their blood and then, only then after the teen made the woman suffer would she Obliviate her again.

Stuck in her own personal hell...

Once she was done rooting through the woman's mind, Harriette unceremoniously dropped the now unconscious woman into her chair before storming out of the room and closing the door behind her.

Once she was out in the darkened hallway, she felt as all the energy suddenly drained from her body and she stumbled back against the wall, barely catching herself before she fell on her butt.

"Woah." She whispered, shaking her head to clear her mind, "That was a rush...what the hell was that?" She asked herself, staring down at her hands in confusion as she tried to keep calm.

That's never happened to her before, that sudden urge that had overcome her body inside that office, how she effortlessly took down Umbridge, she's never felt like that before.

It was...it was invigorating but also, also a tad concerning.

This new power of hers, it was changing her, enhancing certain emotions for her.

Such as her protectiveness to Hermione, along with her anger.

...The small part of her that wanted retribution, it enhanced those feelings in her.

At the moment though, she couldn't see how that was necessarily a bad thing.

They were at war now, Riddle was back and they needed all the advantages they could get.

If being a little extra intense was the price to pay to win this war, then so be it. Harriette would pay it gladly.

It didn't take her long to sneak up into the common room, she got lucky and avoided both Filch and Miss Norris on her way there. She quickly gave the Fat Lady the password before walking into the common room but she was surprised when she suddenly had an armful of her best friend.

"Hermione? What're you doing up?" She whispered, arms circling around the other witch and bringing them closer together if that was at all possible making Harriette relax.

Her best friend was safe...

And to her, that was all that mattered.

"I noticed you didn't come back to our dorm. I wanted to stay up and wait for you until you got back." The Brunette whispered into Harriette's shoulder, nuzzling her nose against the raven haired teen's neck and sighing in relief, "I was worried you got caught." She admitted.

Harriette sighed softly under her breath as her hands rubbed soothing circles against the back of her friend's sleep shirt, "I'm okay. Just...tired." She said, which wasn't a lie, she was very tired.

Hermione looked up at her with narrowed eyes, "How did it go?" She asked, referring to the ritual as her hands came to clasp the other teen's wrists where the faint outline of the cut could still be seen, "Is it done?"

Harriette nodded her head, "It's done, everything went off without a hitch." She replied back, making Hermione sigh in relief.

"Good, we don't need anyone asking questions that we don't want to answer." The bookworm said, making Harriette huff in amusement as she pulled away just slightly to look into Hermione's eyes.

"Couldn't have said it better myself." She said, expression soft and open as she stared at her best friend, a look that wasn't lost on Hermione.

"What?" She asked, quirking an eyebrow at her friend but there was a smile along her face, "Is something wrong?"

Harriette shook her head, the smile never once leaving her face as she stared at the other witch, "No, nothings wrong. Just...I'm glad you're here, with me." She whispered, "Before you I never really had anyone I could rely on. Having you by my side means...so much to me. I don't think I'd ever be able to repay you."

Hermione shook her head as she moved forward to press their foreheads together, "You don't need to repay me." She whispered, "You're my best friend too, and there's nothing I wouldn't do for you. And I know the feeling is mutual between us." She said, brushing her nose against Harriette's in an Eskimo kiss making the raven haired teen giggle.

The last Potter couldn't help as her hands slowly began to raise up her friend's frame until they wrapped around her shoulders, Hermione copying her actions as well.

They were so close to one another, mere centimeters apart that both of their warm breath was washing over the other, sending chills down their spines.

All Harriette could focus on was how her best friend's chocolate eyes were shining in the firelight of the common room, how they were gazing into her very own soul with so much love and affection that it made her heart skip a beat.

She knew what was happening, and she was completely powerless to stop it.

"Don't leave me, ever." Harriette whispered, something vulnerable entering her tone making Hermione's gaze soften even more as she smiled lovingly at the other teen.

"Never." She replied, pressing a small, lingering kiss to the corner of Harriette's mouth making her lips twitch up and her cheeks heat up.

"I'll hold you to that." The raven haired witch said before finally turning her head to the side and brushing their lips together in a soft, gentle embrace, making both of them moan under their breaths.

It was perfect...

Hermione was the first to pull back with a loving smile still adorned across her face, cheeks equally as red as Harriette's now, "I'd expect nothing less."

END OF FLASHBACK

Present Day...

Dora grunted as she was pushed onto her parents couch, blinking up at the woman who did so in confusion. Her parents were in a similar boat as her, although her mother had a knowing glint to her eyes that made the pink haired Auror think she knew what was happening.

Meanwhile Harriette paced back and forth before them all while Teddy sat down on the arm of the leather chair across from them, his eyes not once leaving his mothers frame.

"Harriette...what's wrong?" She asked, eyes shinning with both concern and confusion.

After their...impromptu make out session the white haired which had practically dragged both her and her parents away from St Mungo's, away from Sirius and back home with barely an explanation.

She hoped she hadn't messed anything up before...well, something could form between them.

Harriette stopped her pacing and glanced at her son. Teddy nodded his head with a small smile, which made the woman sigh under her breath before she went to sit down with the little boy.

"I...I need to tell you all something." She started off by saying, "Originally I was gonna wait for the holidays until both Sirius and Harry could join us but...it can't wait till then." Harriette said, glancing at Dora with a small blush adorned on her cheeks before continuing on where she left off.

Her look though made Dora internally preen.
"We're here for you Harriette." Andi said gently, a soft smile across her face as she stared at the woman with knowing eyes, "Whatever it is, we'll understand."

Ted nodded his head and wrapped an arm around his wife, "She's right. We're a family, you both are apart of our family and there's nothing you could say that would scare us away."

"Nothing." Dora said, smiling at the woman with an open expression across her face as she gazed at her...almost lover.

They still needed to talk about that, after all this...
Harriette offered them all a grateful smile before she started to tell her story while Teddy slipped down the arm of the chair to sit in his mother's lap.

He knew she'd need the comfort.
"My name...my real name is Harriette Euphemia Potter." She admitted, making Dora and Ted stare at her with wide eyes meanwhile Andi watched on with furrowed brows, "I was born to James and Lily Potter, and I was their first born child." She whispered.

Before anyone could say something and cut her off, she continued on, knowing she may never finish if she doesn't get it all out now, "In...in my world I was the Girl-Who-Lived. I survived that fateful Halloween night when Voldemort went after my family. I...I grew up much like Harry did, the only difference is no one came to save me. I lived there throughout eighty percent of my school years until they passed away the summer before my fifth year."

"I know why Voldemort came after us...I know how he cheated death and I plan to stop him along with his followers long before they ever become a problem like they did in my world." She said.

"So...you're what, an alternate reality version of Harry?" Dora asked softly, a small tilt to her head with eyes narrowed in thought.

Harriette shrugged her shoulders, "Essentially. In my universe I was born a girl though. Along with a few...personality differences of the people here, this is basically the exact same world as mine, just...a few decades into the past."

Andi caught onto the hidden emotions behind her words though and narrowed her eyes, "Personality differences?" She echoed, "What do you mean by that?" She asked.
Harriette frowned in thought for a moment before responding, "Let's just say, not everyone was this...nice or understanding in my world."

"They were mean to you!" Teddy butted in, glaring at the wall opposite of them as he leaned further into his mother's arms, "They betrayed you! They called you a monster, made you out to be evil and tried to take me away from you!" He grumbled, "They got what they deserved."

Harriette sighed softly under her breath, "We've talked about this Teddy." She stated firmly, "Just because someone does wrong by us...doesn't make my...methods of dealing with them okay." She said gently, "I don't want you to follow in my path little man, I want you to be better and for that, you NEED to understand that what I do, isn't the right way to deal with things." She whispered, tangling her hand into her son's raven hair and messaging his scalp, making him sigh and lean into her touch.

"Betrayed?" Ted asked softly after a moment of silence, "What do you mean by that?" He asked, concern shinning behind his gentle eyes.

Harriette sighed, "The second war began at the end of my fourth year at Hogwarts. I was kidnapped from the grounds and used in a ritual to bring back Voldemort." She said, ignoring the horrified looks from the Tonks for the moment, "After that...I vowed to do whatever it took to ensure I made it out the other end of the conflict...no matter what. Even if I had to dabble in ancient magics that were considered Dark." She admitted.

"I spent that summer reading everything I could get my hands on to get ready. At the end of the summer, my relatives died so I went to live with Sirius at Grimmauld Place which gave me access to the Black Library. And...far more darker spells."

"The Order didn't take kindly to my new outlook on the war. They distanced themselves from me, whispered behind my back how I was the next Dark Lady looking to usurp Voldemort and only a select few stayed by my side throughout the years. But my way worked...I went off, alone and eradicated over half the Death Eater population by myself those last few years of the war. Hunted done any artifact of value and slowly plucked away at Voldemorts inner circle until all that remained was him."

"And when the time came...I was ready for him. He never stood a chance..."

"At the end of the war...when the dust settled and the bodies were buried everyone began to look at me like the enemy, like I would one day snap and kill them all so I distanced myself from that world as much as possible to raise Teddy." She said, shaking her head.

"They never stopped hunting me down though, for one reason or another. I was a threat to their vision of peace. As long as someone as Dark as me lived, in their eyes they would never be safe. Everything came to a heel at...at Teddy's Grandmother's funeral. I was surrounded by Auror's and the Minister and they demanded I hand over my son and come with them." Harriette said darkly, her lips trembling as she thought back on the memory.

"I only had one choice, to keep my son safe I had to run. I...I shot a spell at the Minister and killed him before escaping. We were forced to go on the run for three years before they found us. We were trapped in an open field and there was only one way out that I could think of at the time...I used the Deathly Hallows, The Hallows I had collected back during the war and called upon their power to save us and, before I knew it...the two of us were transported to this world, over a decade into the past in a world that had no idea who I was. A new start..."
Harriette swallowed thickly as she finished the main gist of her and Teddy's story, "I then met with the Unspeakables, Croaker which is the only other person who knows of how we came to be here in this universe. After our meeting, I meet Andi for the first time and...the rest is history." She said.

There was a moment of silence where the entire room took a second to soak in all she just said but once she was done thinking, Andi spoke back up with a gentle expression across her face, "I'm...guessing your best friend was with you, no? While you were on the run." She said, making Harriette exhale shakily.

"Yeah." She whispered, "She was. I couldn't...I couldn't keep her safe though. We were ambushed in a village and she didn't..." Harriette closed her eyes to fight off the tears, "I couldn't save her, the only person who had never left my side throughout all the years."

"It wasn't your fault." Teddy whispered, lifting one of his hands to rest on her cheek, "Aunt Mione wouldn't want you to torture yourself like this."

"Mione? As in...Hermione?" Andi asked, making Harriette nod her head.

"Yeah, she was my very first friend and never once wavered in her support of me." She admitted, smiling softly as she thought about her late best friend.

She missed her, so damn much...
"We're the two of you..." Dora asked softly, not wanting to overstep a boundary but unable to help how curious she was to know.

Harriette though shook her head and pursed her lips, "Not really. I mean we had our...intimate moments for sure but we never really put a label on what exactly we were. She was my best friend, and I was hers. There wasn't a need for labels when we already knew we'd do anything for one another. We, took that first step in our fifth year together and were inseparable but after the war...I went to raise Teddy and she tried to have a normal life, a life I knew I could never lead since the entire world wanted my head. We were...I don't know how to explain it. We were just Harriette and Hermione and we were both happy with that."

"Teddy." Ted murmured under his breath, his tone of voice making Harriette tense and brace for what his next question would surely be, "You never mentioned who his biological mother was...nor who, his grandmother was." He said, glancing at her with a raised brow but Andi seemed to already know the answer to those questions if the way she was looking at Teddy was anything to go by...
Dora seemed to be picking up on the clues that have been right in front of her face as well, for she was glancing back and forth between Teddy and Harriette with eyes widening in what could only be described as shock.

Harriette, deciding to just rip the bandaid off swallowed thickly before nodding her head, "Yeah, yeah I guess I didn't." She said, taking another moment to collect her thoughts before speaking again, "Teddy's...father will not be named, nor will I ever speak of that coward, ever." She started off by saying, eyes darkening just at the thought of him.

She didn't know how the Remus of this world was, but considering he still hasn't made contact with Harry yet, she'd go out and say he was still afraid of his other self.

A fear that would cost him if he kept letting it control him...
"His biological mother...she was one of the only people who still believed in me after everyone turned away." Harriette admitted, "She was a friend when I desperately needed one. Never afraid to lend an ear to listen or a shoulder to cry on. She...was one of the only ones who wasn't afraid of me."

"When she learned she was pregnant, she didn't even hesitate to make me Teddy's Godmother. She knew I was the only one capable of protecting her son, the only one who would die for him and I hadn't even met the little menace yet." She said teasingly as she tickled Teddy's sides, making him giggle.

"She trusted me with the most important thing to her and I never once forgot that. Never once did I lose sight of all she was saying in just a simple gesture as that."

"She gave me a portion of her heart to keep safe, and I would be damned before I ever let anything happen to him."

Harriette sighed, "During the final battle, she...she passed on and, left me in charge of everything. Her Will stated that I would be her son's primary caregiver with her own mother as a close second."

She hesitated for a moment before looking up directly into Dora's eyes, making sure there wasn't a single ounce of deceit on her face as she spoke next, "I will never be able to thank Tonks for the gift she gave to me, because being a mother means everything to me now, and I wouldn't trade it for anything."

Andi's eyes widened and Ted exhaled shakily but it was Dora's reaction that Harriette was watching. She didn't know how she'd react and all Harriette could do was pray it was good.

She...she was very fond of Dora, and yes she could understand it might be weird that there was an alternate version of a son you never had living in your house but...Harriette wanted this to go smoothly. She wanted both of them to get along because where Teddy was the most important thing to her, Nym was also important.

Just, in a different way...
She didn't know how she'd move on if Dora had a...bad reaction to this new piece of news.

The pink haired Auror stared at Teddy as if she was seeing him for the first time, eyes sparkling with just the barest hint of a smile starting to spread across her face, "You're...you're, an alternate version of a Son I...could've had?" She asked softly, staring at the boy before gazing up at Harriette.

The white haired witch smiled softly and nodded her head, "He is. Tonks named me his godmother before she passed and a few years later I blood adopted him so...technically he is now half you and me. I erased all of his...father's genes in him when I adopted him as my own."

Teddy smiled hesitantly at Dora and shrugged his shoulders from where he was sitting on his mother's lap, "Nothing has to change between us if you're...uncomfortable." The little boy whispered, "I just want us to be happy." He admitted.

Dora's eyes softened at the boys heartfelt admission and couldn't help but smile teasingly at her sort-of Son, "You think you can get rid of me that easy, huh? Nonsense squirt, I'm here to stay." She joked but her eyes were shinning earnestly at the two sitting across from her.

Teddy beamed at her while Harriette smiled, eyes shinning with love and adoration for the pink haired Auror making Dora's heart skip a beat.

She ignored the way her parents were gazing at her in pride and decided to move on to the next topic, "Well now that the cats outta the bag so the speak, why don't you tell us more about your life before you came here." She said, causing her parents to nod their heads in agreement.

"I for one agree with my daughter." Andi said before her eyes grew teasing in nature as she smirked at the little boy, "I'd definitely like to hear about some baby Teddy stories if you don't mind Harriette." She said, making Ted laugh.

"As would I. After all, we're technically his grandparents. We need to know all the juicy details we could use when he gets older!" He exclaimed making Harriette chuckle while Teddy whined.

"Andi!! Ted!!"

"Ah ah ah, no buts!" The older witch said in amusement, "Now spill Harriette, we've got some time before I have to meet back up with Sirius at the hospital and I for one would love to know about all the mischief my grandson has gotten into." She joked, making Teddy groan in embarrassment while the others laughed.

Harriette looked around and couldn't help the relieved smile that spread across the face at all of their acceptance, "Where do I begin? There's so many stories of him." She said, ticking her son's sides and making him giggle.

"Start from the beginning." Dora said softly, a gentle look behind her eyes, "We've got time." She said, bitting her lip in nervous excitement as she was about to hear all about Teddy's life growing up.

Biological, he was her son after all...She knew she'd have to earn anything else than being a member of the family, but there was a part of her that was demanding her to do so.

To show them both she deserved that spot.
And if she was anything, it was persistent. She wanted to get to know her son, she WILL get to know her son better.

And maybe, one day...both he and Harriette would accept her.
She wasn't looking to replace Harriette or anything, but maybe together...they could help guide Teddy through the rest of his life.

As a team...
They spent the rest of the afternoon in the living room with Harriette telling them all about her and Teddy's life before they came to arrive in this world. At some point, Andi had to leave to go back to St Mungo's but only after they promised her they'd fill her in on all she missed when she got back.

At some point, they had split apart and Ted and Teddy were joking around and playing in the living room, the younger of the two telling the man all about their time in the tent while Harriette had stepped out onto the back patio to get some fresh air but the other occupant of the house followed her out for a more...private chat.

"So...a Harry Potter variant from another universe?" Dora asked as she came to rest next to the white haired witch, "Gotta admit, wasn't expecting that one." She said, making Harriette snort in amusement.

"But you were expecting something." She said, looking at her pink haired friend from the corner of her eyes.

The metamorphmagus shrugged her shoulders, "Of course, I'm no fool Harriette I also picked up on the same clues as my mother did. How you, Harry and Teddy acted so similar to one another." She said before quieting down, "I...even noticed the subtle similarities between...Teddy and me, I just...didn't know what to make of them." She admitted.

"Of course, I'd expect nothing less from the woman who trained under Mad Eye Moody." Harriette joked, making Dora huff before the older of the two sobered up again, "What...what are you thinking about?" She asked hesitantly.

Dora glanced at her and seeing the trepidation across the white haired witch's face, her eyes softened and she raised her hand to rest on Harriette's shoulder, "A lot." She admitted truthfully, "But...none of it bad, I promise. It's just...a lot to take in, I guess."

Harriette nodded in understanding, "I get it, I do. I just...I didn't want to, you know...do anything else with you until, until you knew the truth. You all needed to know." She murmured under her breath, a small blush overtaking her features as Dora's eyes roamed over her frame.

The pink haired woman couldn't help the smirk that spread across her face at the sight of the flustered woman before her, "Do anything else?" She questioned with a small quirk to her brow, "So you...DO want something else between us? Something...more, perhaps?" She purred, rubbing her hand down the woman's shoulder until it was wrapped around her waist, making Harriette shiver.

"If, you know...uh, If that's what YOU want Nym. I didn't want to assume or anything—"
Dora snorted, "Assume? Harriette, I practically threw myself at you back at the Ministry. I definitely want something more between us."

"Even...after everything I told you?"

Dora's eyes softened, "Of course. Did you think I'd just, what? Throw you away after learning the truth?" Seeing the woman wince at her question only made Dora sigh under her breath though, "Harriette, I knew exactly the type of person you were the first week you came to stay with us. Finding out you're actually an alternate version of Harry isn't gonna change my feelings for you...and you want to know why?"

"...Why?"

"Because you went through something completely different than him. You and Harry, while you might be the same person genetically, you both couldn't be any different if you tried. You grew up as a hardened soldier who had to do whatever it took to save your world. Harry won't ever have to go through that here, because he has us looking out for him." She smiled, "Because he has YOU looking out for him."

Harriette blushed at Dora's heartfelt expression and couldn't help but smile softly at the pink haired woman, gently bumping their shoulders together, "Nym..." She said, embarrassed by the other woman's kind words.
Dora smirked before her eyes turned more teasing in nature, "Why do you insist on saying my name, but the other me got you to say my last name only? That's not fair."

Dora expected a joke in return but Harriette merely smiled softly back at her, "Because you aren't Tonks. To me, you're Nym. You're my Nym. Tonks was my friend but you...you somehow wormed your way into my heart, without my permission might I add." She said, causing Dora to blush as she stared at the white haired witch with stars behind her eyes.

The pink haired metamorphmagus turned so she was facing the other woman and wrapped her arms around Harriette's waist to being her closer to her, forcing the white haired witch to wrap her own arms around Dora's neck.

"If you'd allow me, I'd...very much like to be part of you and your son's life." She admitted softly, leaning close and closer to Harriette while speaking, "I know I'm not his actual mother, I know I'm not your Tonks and I don't want to replace them but...it would mean everything to me if you gave me a chance to prove I wanna stay with you, by your side."

Harriette's breath stuttered out of her chest as she gazed into Dora's violet eyes, "I'd like that, very much." She whispered.

No other words were spoken as the two of them mutually leaned in towards one another and connected their lips in a loving embrace.

Lips moving in tandem with one another, fingers drifting up and down the others body while Harriette lifted one of her legs to wrap around Dora's hip.

The action saying more than words could in the moment. It was a promise between them, all of their
emotions they couldn't air out in the moment, fueled into one loving action.

It was almost a full minute later when the two of them finally pulled apart with a gasp of air, panting as they tried to get oxygen back into their lungs while gazing at one another lovingly.

"So, does that mean you'll say yes to being my Girlfriend?" Dora asked with a teasing smirk, actually drawing a small giggle from Harriette's lips.

"If that's what you want, I'm totally down." She replied back, "Just as long as that makes you MY girlfriend." She said before crashing their lips together again.

They knew there was still loads to talk about but right now, they were both content to stand right where they were and show just how much they cared for each other.

No matter how long that took...

She was absolutely freezing...
Her black fur was frozen to her body, ice cold sea water dripped down her smaller frame onto the grass below her paws and the wind wasn't helping at all.

It didn't help that it was autumn and the Scotland weather wasn't helping her one bit.

But she had to take her chance, especially after her cousin had been released from his imprisonment.

She had work to do, and she couldn't wait for her master to come back from the grave, she needed to act now before anything happened.

It was past midnight by the time she reached the nearest magical village although and by then she was already frozen to the bone.

While in her Black Fox form though, she knew that no one would be able to determine who she really was.

No one would be able to tell that she wasn't just a normal wild animal lurking around town.

While trotting down the road though, trying to find a place to warm up...or find a wand her eye caught sight of the newspaper stand on the side of the street.

In particular, there was a certain someone on the front page that caught her attention.

Lady Peverell...
She had heard rumors of the last Peverell's return, but in Azkaban no one could be quite sure about how true something was, especially if it was overheard by one of the guards.

But here was all the proof she needed...
Lady Peverell had indeed returned, and she was absolutely ravishing...
Her white hair flowing in the gentle breeze of the picture, her eyes hardened and narrowed at the idiot who had snapped a picture of her with her lips pulled back into a sneer.

She was absolutely perfect...
Bellatrix had never seen such a gorgeous specimen before, never had she run into someone so utterly beautiful as Lady Peverell.

Not even her own Master could compare.

Even through the picture, Bellatrix could see the Darkness behind her eyes, even more potent that her Lord's.

Lady Peverell was a force to be reckoned with, she knew that without having even met the woman. Now, all Bella had to do was figure out how to grab the woman's attention.

After all, if her Master wasn't around, the former Black had to have some sort of entertainment until the day came where they took over the world...
Or...
She could recruit Lady Peverell and the two of them could have some...fun together.

Now, how to get her attention?
Options options...sooo many options.