A Mother Is A Mother is a Mother.
"James," Lily said dryly as he and their son came in the door of the house. "Why do I think you've been doing something I'll hate?"
"Why do you think I did something you'd hate?"
"Something about feeling an automatic vow," she said, staring at him.
"Oh, that."
"Didn't I tell your father off for wanting us to put Harry in a marriage contract soon after birth? You know how I feel about those!"
"Yes but there's a reason," he said, stepping away from her. She did have a temper and the yelling wasn't good for him.
"A *good* reason?"
"Yes."
"Beyond protocol?"
"Yes."
"And it is?" she demanded, taking her son to hold.
"There's a prophecy."
"Yes, I'm aware of the ramblings he gave us," she said with a grimace. "And?"
"There's another one. By someone competent that we trust."
"Excuse me? Have I heard of this one?"
"Remus had it." She stiffened up, staring at him. "While wolfed out a few months back." He stepped closer. "It was done to protect him," he said. "They can claim the kiddo. Because his vision had him staying with your sister."
"EXCUSE ME?" she demanded loudly.
"Mama!" Harry yelled back. "ShHH! Loudies!"
"Sorry, Harry," she said patiently, making herself calm down. She swallowed and nodded once. "All right. Explain that to me."
"We don't survive this. He does. Whatever you're doing worked for him." He stared at her. "And Albus sent him to your sister."
She squinted. "Why would he do that? He's got Sirius!"
"By the vision Sirius was in jail. The vision, it was Harry learning about us from Albus while in school, probably his first year. Remus said he looked kind of short so probably a first year." She nodded once. "They had blamed Sirius for turning on us."
"We can leave."
"We can," he agreed with a nod. "But they'll track us down. The Lestranges got Frank and Alice. Nev was raised by his grandmother."
"Oh hell no." She shook her head. "She's good, I like the woman, but no. I want to hear all of this. Today. Then you're going to tell me who you bound our son to."
"I used the calendar all purebloods keep to see who's turn it is to mix with who," he admitted. "Which means it's not a great choice but I'm pretty sure even Bellatrix is a better choice than your sister."
"Not much of one," she said dryly. "But ...I can't... I want to stick up for my sister." He stared at her. "Should I not?"
"No. You shouldn't." He patted Harry on the head, staring at her. "They know. They can claim him from Petunia."
"And if Albus interferes?"
"With a marriage contract? Filed through the Ministry and the bank? Just in case?"
"Does it have an orphaning clause?"
He nodded. "It does to let them do that."
"Who?"
"Malfoy or Longbottom. I thought Neville would be in greater danger and his grandmother probably couldn't handle both boys." He stared at her. "I know, and I know it's a bad choice, but if it means my son doesn't grow up being abused, I'm partially okay with that. There is an out clause when they're eighteen. That also let her avoid a few she didn't want for her son."
She nodded once, cuddling her son, who liked to cuddle thankfully. "I want to hear everything. Today."
"You, all of us, Frank and Alice, are going to Sirius' house."
"Please. Get our jackets? Since you didn't take Harry's with you?"
"Narcissa has it. So if she has to she can track him."
She stopped to stare at him. "We're leaving right afterwards."
He nodded. "If it'll help. If not..." He shrugged. "He'll be safer. She can nominate a guardian."
"I'm not sure I like that."
"Better her than your sister."
"Point. Barely."
"It was specifically written as the future Black heir, Draco Malfoy, not the Malfoy heir."
She raised an eyebrow. "Same person."
"Different title and that's important. That means it's up to Narcissa and Sirius to handle that situation. Not Lucius. Not anyone else in his family."
She grimaced. "Still don't like it. You blindsided me. We could've done something else. Like maybe send him to someone we know who lives overseas going to school."
"That's still an option but it means that no one gets into his stuff that we leave him. At all. She has regency over his vaults' use if we die. She has to pick a suitable guardian by Potter standards." He stared at her. "I protected him as best I could."
"I can see that. Not happy but I can see that. Does she know why?"
"I told her there was a vision."
"Ah." She nodded. "Get our jackets. We're going to see Uncle Paddy." Harry cheered, he loved his dog uncle. She took her cloak and put Harry's heavier one around him so they could go together. It was a bit nippy out. Harry hated that cloak but oh well. She apparated to the house they'd need, going inside. "I wanted to know before all that!" she shouted.
"Sorry," Remus called back. "I was in shock, Lily."
She went that way, finding them in the kitchen. She stared at Sirius. "So?"
"Not my vision."
"I know that now. Why wasn't I told?"
"Because we don't have time for you to come up with ideas. Halloween's in two days."
She flinched. "What?" He nodded, biting his lip. "Oh fuck no."
Remus sighed. "We may not be able to change much, Lily."
"Harry can go visit his Aunt Sable. Or anyone else we know not around here. So can Neville."
He nodded. "I'm sure they will be," Remus agreed. "And he should. That doesn't mean that they won't hunt him down there."
She stared at him. "Really?" He nodded, letting her see it. She sat down to read it, making Harry pout that she wasn't reading to him. "Later, sproutling." She handed him to Sirius, making Harry happier while she read it over a few times. Alice came stomping in and got handed the journal by Lily, then they looked at the guys, who all looked guilty but they might be stuck. She wasn't sure yet. "What if we go to something like a hidden area that's better hidden? And who was the secret keeper?"
"Peter," Sirius growled.
"Can we get him first?"
"If he hasn't already given it away."
"We can travel," she noted.
"We're banned from leaving the UK," Remus told her. "Completely. We tried that idea first. They won't let us go."
She nodded. "So someone's going to force it?" He nodded. "Fuck that man."
Alice sighed. "Agreed." She put the journal down. "How did we get taken out?"
"Tortured and in the spell damage ward for good," James said as he came in with Frank, who had been venting and cuddling his son.
She looked at Frank then at the other group. "How do we go around this?"
"If we can go around this," Remus said. "I have no idea how right I am. This is my first one and it was while I was changed. But it felt *right*. It's a warning."
She nodded. "Well..." She looked at Frank.
"My mother can handle him."
"Sometimes."
"Point. She's getting older."
Sirius looked at him. "What happened when her husband died?" he asked.
Frank winced. "She drank a lot. Got really depressed. Called me by his name a few times until I corrected her once and she was horrified. It made her stop it."
"Neville's going to be younger than you were, Frank. We're talking two days." He winced. "Can your mother handle it?"
"I'm calling Sable to see if she can get the kids," Alice decided, going to call their former housemate and friend. She couldn't. All travel into and out of England was forbidden for the next month. For some reason. She bit her lip, staring at her friend, who looked horrified.
"I would, Alice. You know I'd take both kids," she said quietly. "If I can get up there, I'll gladly take them. We can't portkey them here to me. Doing it via muggle transport is too dangerous. If they're alone they'll be picked up."
She nodded. "True. I..." She considered it, looking at the others, who looked grim. "If I'm lost, you will be the aunty figure to my son. Please. His mom's prone to depression."
"I can do that. Gladly do that to both kids."
"If you can find mine," Lily complained. "My sister's a magic hating, jealous woman."
Sable winced. "Where is she?"
"Number four privet drive, Surrey. Little whining or something."
"Got it." She made that note. "Do we have any other plans I may need to hurry up there to get around?"
"He's got a marriage contract as of today," James said. "Narcissa has the right to choose a guardian for the Potter heir who is betrothed to the future Black heir, her son Draco."
She nodded. "Okay. I can understand that."
"It'd draw notice if I had went outside the boundaries of the calendar of intermarrying."
"True. I hate that thing. I'll do what I can, people. I really will." They nodded. She hung up and went to make plans to hurry back to England in a few days somehow. Any way she could get there. The kids were going to need her.
Lily looked at James. "Did you give her the address?"
"No."
"I need to give her the address."
"What if he puts it under fidelus?" Remus asked.
She looked at him. "I can add it to the marriage contract. That way only legal representatives can access it. And make a note that she is not a fit guardian for him."
The guys nodded. Alice made similar plans and Frank agreed. She knew more people that she could trust than he did. For the next few days, Neville would stay with Amelia. Harry...he didn't want to stay with anyone else. He fussed and tried to magic himself back to his mother. Lily considered it then sighed. "I need to speak to Narcissa."
She got up and stomped off, going to call her to a meeting in a park. By now the gossip about the marriage contract was around so it wouldn't look too odd. Narcissa showed up looking cool, collected, and calm. Everything Lily wasn't. "Sit, Narcissa," she said quietly, shifting on the bench. The other woman did. "Did they tell you why?"
"Yes. That there's a vision of you both dying. Which I'm sorry to hear."
Lily sighed, looking at her. "If it happens I can accept that. I can't accept that the vision had Albus bringing my son to my bigoted sister."
She frowned. "Your sister?"
"She hates magic. She's jealous I got my letter and she didn't get one. If you've ever heard Severus talking about Petunia? That's my sister."
She grimaced. "I have heard him sneering that name once upon a time."
She nodded. "The vision had her raising my son to adulthood. It also noted he was pretty tiny when he was a first year. I can only assume why. And if I'm right I'm going to haunt that bitch and drive her 'round the bend until she never stands straight again."
Narcissa covered a smile. "I can fully understand that. I know you'd rather have him with you or someone like you."
"As long as they will take good care of my son, raise him to be a good man I'd appreciate, love him like I would, I do not care if a kneezle raises him." She stared at her. "But not my sister. Not her lard tub of a husband who also hates magic and us. Not their son."
"Where are they?"
"Number four privet drive in Little Whinging, Surrey. It's a completely muggle, very *normal* neighborhood according to my sister. Just everyone completely normal. Just like she pretends to be."
Narcissa grimaced. "How boring."
"Well, she's a different sort of bigot," she said. She stared at her. "Make sure they make my son *my* son and not James' son if you can?"
"I'll do my best to try. James made sure I knew it was for protection for both boys. That way Lucius couldn't tie Draco to someone I'd loathe."
"Well, get him someone outside the country if you can."
"I do intend that even if he doesn't like it." She grimaced. "Why not Sirius?"
"According to the vision he's being blamed as the secret keeper and they didn't give him a trial. Harry didn't see him again until his third year." Narcissa winced. "Yeah, that's my feeling too. I really need to strangle that man with his beard."
"Don't tempt yourself. You'd hate the jail as well."
"Point. Maybe. You know they won't accept Remus' word."
"I do." She stood up. "I'll do the best I can for him when I can. Without the husband helping." She tipped her head. "Try to be safe, Lily."
"We're going to do something drastic." She stood up. "Thank you, Narcissa." She nodded and left, her mind coming up with an idea. She walked into Sirius' house, going to the library. She found a book and brought it in, handing it over. "Alice." She took it to look at then gasped. "That'd protect you from the torture. It'd still leave you locked up until someone realized and freed you." She looked up at her. "At least then you'll survive to see Neville."
"Thank you, Lily."
"Welcome." They shared a hug. They left with their son and she looked at the guys. "Remus, take the sproutling and go on the train."
"I don't have a passport."
She stared at him. "So?"
"They won't let me."
"Go to Ireland."
He blinked. "Oh. Is that allowed?"
"I didn't need one when I went visiting up there."
He nodded. "I can try. What if they stop me?"
"He's your nephew and you're evacuating him because the parents got a threat," James said. He wrote out a note for him, handing it over. "He'll rest easier with you and you know how he is."
"I can try." He took the kid with him, making him fuss when his mother gave him a hug and a kiss on the forehead. James did the same thing and let Remus go find a train to Ireland.
"That vision goes to the bank," Lily told Sirius. "To be filed with our wills."
He nodded. "Okay." He took it to do that.
She looked at James. "Out of time and space or the crystal spell as well?"
"I'm going to stay and fight him, Lily. You're going out of time and space."
"No, I'm not going alone. We will live to fight him again, James. Both of us. Harry will need both of us and you need the family heir more than I do." She stared at him. "You're going even if I don't."
"Lily...."
She held up a hand. "Don't argue." He sighed, grimacing at her. "One of us has to survive. It'll be easier on Harry if it's you with the prejudice we have around here."
"No. It won't be. I'll fall apart. If I even survive it. Remember our vows?"
She blinked. "Crap."
"Yeah. So we're together or not, woman." He stood up. "We can both go." She nodded. "We have a house somewhere else. They can't stop us visiting it. Especially if we don't have the kid." She bit her lip, but nodded. "We can get Remus there after we're there."
She nodded. "We can." She swallowed. "We...what if they're listening?"
"Then he's a bad idiot who believes I'm going to let my son go to my sister-in-law's house," he said firmly, smirking at her. "Be damned if I wouldn't show up as a family ghost to help my son. And nothing he could do could block that because it's built on family magic."
She nodded. "I need to haunt her. A whole lot if she gets my son. And probably make her so insane she's never *normal* again." They shared a look then joined their ring hands, nodding together. "Let's go." They went back to the house. She did undo and redo the fidelus, sending to Sirius only. Then they waited. Enough magic against it could break the wards. They knew that. Nothing was absolutely safe.
***
Narcissa walked into the bank three days later. "I need to see Ablerod. Immediately."
"He is not over the Malfoy accounts."
"I know that. I need to speak to him about one of the accounts he is over. The Black account." She got admitted to his office, nodding at him. She handed over the copy of the vision she had been sent. "Lily and I talked after James and I signed the agreement."
"His custodian put it on hold."
"He has no custodian as I'm it."
"He has a magical guardian appointed."
"No he does not. The marriage contract supercedes that." She produced her copy, handing it over. Then she smirked at his gasp. He looked at her. She stared back. "She trusted me with her son."
"I... the Wizengamet has spoken."
"No they have not."
"Your husband will be upset."
"Oh well. The Black family is the older, more politically sound family of the two of ours." She raised an eyebrow. "If I must prove myself a Black I shall."
"You may have to." He handed it back. "You'll have to find him first."
"I know where her sister is. She told me." She stood up. "So be it. Will they back us or not?"
"We can not do much."
"Yes, I'm aware of how much the bank *can't* do," she said, walking off, heading to make the protest. She had expected that. She walked into the room and her husband flinched, staring at her. "I have an immediate petition. And then I'm going to challenge someone to a duel," she said, staring at him.
Dumbledore smiled at her. She handed over the marriage contract. "That supercedes his very intent. Especially since Lily and I talked and James told me why, about a prophecy. One Remus Lupin had." Dumbledore looked horrified, standing up partially. "She made sure I was aware that her son should not go to certain people."
"You cannot move him, it's for his own protection and you're not a fit guardian," Dumbledore told her.
"You do not have a right to say that and I'm not his guardian. I have the right to pick his guardian. I'm his future mother-in-law." She smirked. "He's betrothed to the heir of the Black family, my son Draco."
"He's the Malfoy heir," Lucius said.
She looked at him. "Mine first, Lucius. We're more important. If the Black family magic dies, so does part of our world. A lot of our protections. This very building as my ancestors built it." He flinched back, staring at her in horrified awe. "It does have an out clause if the boys can't stand each other. I made sure our son was going to be protected just like Lily's was."
"She didn't sign it." The note taker looked up at her.
"Yes, James did as the father, and the patriarch of the Potter family." She smirked. "Lily did find out and we did talk afterward. She made sure I knew that her son was not to go to certain people. And to pick someone who'd make sure Harry was *her* son. Perhaps not like James but very much like her."
"The matter has been sealed by the courts."
"Nonsense, they can't do that without my permission." She smirked. "Because that's illegal and I can charge them with the world courts for interference in a custodial matter that did not concern them." She looked at Dumbledore. "Do make me an enemy as well, Albus. Just do try." She looked at him again. "So?"
He swallowed. "The courts have sealed all that."
"I know her wishes. I talked to her. I also talked to their school friend Sable Madrigan. Who was supposed to get custody of Harry but you all *conveniently* locked down all travel into and out of the country for a month. For *some* reason about the same time as the expected attack." Her husband spluttered.
She gave him a look with an eyebrow raised then looked at her new enemy again. "If I must put the Black weight behind me, then so be it. Without Sirius there to stop me I am the regent for the Black family and my son. The only heir." She smirked and held up her hand, the ring manifesting. "It came right to me. It knows what I know and will tell Draco what I know."
"That can be fixed," Dumbledore said. He stood up. "You are not fit. You're dark just like your cousin."
She snickered. "He's not dark and he wasn't the secret keeper, Albus. Do you really think Lily didn't redo that spell of yours? The spell signs all over that property showed who broke it and how. Showed who was the secret keeper. It was actually linked to Arcturus Black, who is ill enough that the ring needs a regent." She smirked. "Do try though. Go ahead. I'm waiting."
"You're dark."
"I have not proven myself to be. Can you prove that I am in front of this body with actual evidence beyond where I was sorted?"
"All the Slytherins are suspected of going over."
"And yet there's Hufflepuffs that went over and Gryffindors. So why are you not considered dark by association?"
"I've proven my lightness."
"No you haven't. You helped create the last war. And this one. Riddle was your direct protege for a while. We all watched you mentor him and meet with him in private many times in your office. Everyone in the school knew that."
He glared. "You will not get Harry Potter to harm him."
"I'm not going to harm him but I'm not going to allow anyone else to harm him either. Since the one you put him with has put him in the hospital." He gasped. She shrugged. "Harry's a delightful child and his new guardian will be chosen by me, as James and Lily both decided upon." She looked back as the door opened. "Grandfather, you're feeling better?"
"Slightly." He walked up to her. She took the marriage contract from the desk to hand over. He read it and nodded. "I know she hated those." She handed over the copy of the vision she had been sent. He grimaced. "No. That will not stand." He looked at her. "Who?"
"Not the one he's with who's put him in the hospital already. Lily was very sure she did not want her sister anywhere near her son for her bigoted views of magic. I will let you help me decide."
He nodded. "Yes, I can do that." He looked at Lucius, who looked upset. Then at her. "You named him my heir?"
"He is one, about the only one left outside my sister's halfblood child. Will the ring accept her? Will the wards accept her?"
"No," he agreed. "The ancient wards will not accept them," he sighed. "Though they are still heirs."
She nodded. "I can agree to that. But we need a male heir more than my husband does. He's got a mistress or six. He can have another one. We do not appear able to unless you father another child."
"I'm too old for that."
She snorted. "Really?" He smirked at her. She smiled back, patting him on the wrist. "Lily herself tasked me with finding him a new set of parents who would love him and turn him into *her* son. Perhaps not James' she noted but her son definitely."
"There's worse ways for the boy to turn out. Including this vision. The wards at their house?"
"Busted. Completely open. Not given out." The chamber yelled. She stared at them. "Anyone who looked would see that. Did none of you look at them? How willfully blind." They stopped at Lucius silencing the group. She stared at him then at her grandfather. "Please," she said quietly. "I stand beside you in his benefit and the benefit of our only heir."
He nodded. "I can agree with that." He stepped up. "There's been many wrongs done. Including putting my grandson into prison without a trial." He stared at the minister then at Dumbledore. "If this is not corrected I will be suing in the world courts. My advocate is already doing so. We know we can't trust any of you to be good at your jobs.
"The Black family officially withdraws their magic from this board and this premises." The room shook as the magic withdrew into the family ring Narcissa was wearing. Most everyone was shocked and horrified. "If you insist we're a *dark* family we can prove it." He walked off. "Come, Narcissa. Go get the boy and bring him to me. We'll interview suitable stepparents."
"I have our house elf with him. He's in the hospital already."
He grimaced. "Due to the attack?"
"He wasn't there. He was found on a train with Remus Lupin in Ireland."
He stopped to stare at her. "What?" She nodded. "How?"
"I can't get near him to ask him."
"Damn it. If I had known that I would've waited to ask that question too."
"He can speak. I did talk to him already. He's not being held. He's in the hospital with curse damage."
He winced. "That's bad. The boy?"
"Not with curse related damage at least. Lily said her sister's a magic hating bigot."
"Charming." They left together, two people made of fiery ice that were not going to put up with this. And one very confused husband staring at their backs. She hadn't told him anything about that.
Lucius held out a hand. "My son's betrothal contract that I haven't seen yet?" It was handed over. He read it over, nodding at the terms. "Very fair. Protective. Very light sided," he said with a smirk. "James clearly did that." He looked up. "I'm sure Draco will live up to his expectations." He left with the contract.
The family's advocate needed to help Narcissa with this. Harry Potter being in their circle of friends? That may be great. Or not, depending on how long it took them and how many muggles got involved. Not that he'd worry about taking out muggles. That was an easily handled problem. Dumbledore stomped after him but he disappeared long before the old man found him.
***
Narcissa glided into the hospital room, nodding at the house elf. "Is he asleep?" she asked quietly.
"No, Lady Narcissa," the house elf said. "He is pretending to sleep. Nurses patting too much. Wonky not allow too many pats."
"It's an urge some of us have to soothe," she said. She walked over to the baby, smiling at him when he blinked at her. "Hello, Harry. I'm Narcissa. Your father made sure I'd see you taken care of." She smoothed a hand over his head, smiling at him. "How did you get that scar?"
"Is magic," the house elf told her, blocking her from touching it. "Is Master Lucius bad magic."
"Lucius caused it?"
"No. Like his collection wes not touch."
"Interesting." She tested it and nodded. "I can see that. That's very odd as you weren't even there." She smiled at him. "We will figure it out, dear. You'll be safe, as your mother needed." He blinked at her and yawned. She smiled at him. "You'll be fine. Rest, Harry."
"Mama?"
"Not here, dear. I'm sorry." She smoothed his hair down again. In Lily's place she'd have done the same thing. She couldn't trust many people. They'd have used Draco to their own ends. Lucius would ruin him. She was a mother first and a mother's love was absolute in many ways. Especially magically. She felt the protections around the baby, letting them finish their curling around his core and skin. Her husband walked in looking confused. "This is our one that I'm responsible for finding a good parent for."
"I can see that." He looked at the boy. "He looks about like Draco but darker."
"That thing on his forehead, what is it?" she asked quietly.
He came over to test it then grimaced. "What is that?"
"Feels like the collection wes not dust," the house elf told him.
He blinked a few times. "How did that happen?" She looked at him. "I did not," he told her.
"I'm aware of where you were that night." A nurse leaned in. "I'm responsible for his future stepparent. Is he healthy enough to go to my house for the day?"
"The aurors said he can't leave the hospital, ma'am."
"Then they're sadly mistaken as I have not been presented with any paperwork beyond the one I hold for his guardianship to pick his next parent." The nurse winced, going to get an auror. She stared at Barty Crouch Sr. "How did he get a magic filled scar since he was not at the house?" she asked patiently.
He blinked a few times. "What?"
"Remus Lupin had him in Ireland when the house was attacked. Then Lupin was attacked on the train. Lupin's in the hospital with curse damage. This one has a curse scar somehow." The head auror came over to look and winced at the bruising. "Yes, that wasn't there when we signed the agreement the day before the attack. Which is a great worry I have. Especially with Lily's own demand that her sister never see her son as she's a bigot against magic."
He sighed. "Dumbledore doesn't like this."
"I do not care and Lily was very explicit. Her sister is not to raise her son. James decided it was my choice to find him a new set of parents. They have wills on file."
"They're sealed."
"Which is against the law," she smirked. "Are you going to follow the law or follow Dumbledore?"
He winced. "I don't like this."
"Neither do I but James did call on an alliance between the Family Black and the Family Potter. Especially as Sirius has blood adopted him into our family." Lucius stared at her. She smirked. "The ring notes him as a Black heir."
Crouch winced. "That'll go over well."
"Oh well. I do not care what that egocentrical, little minded man thinks about anything. As he just plots." She waved a hand. "I will protect the family's heirs. All of them. It is my duty as the senior heir at the moment."
"The Black family has to have a male heir."
"Grandfather still lives. My son still lives. Other than that, one married a muggle. One is Bellatrix. And then there's me and my son." She smirked at him. He nodded, going to tell the others that she had enacted a tactical nuke to protect her son and bring the Potter heir with him into protection. She looked at her husband, who was shaking his head. "My family does come first in priority, Lucius. You knew that when you married me." She looked at the house elf. "Is he on potions or anything?"
"No, Lady Narcissa. Just much fussing. No healing. Bruises already touched and healing."
"Then take him to our nursery for a few days. It's the best protected and I know the family home doesn't have one." The house elf nodded, taking the baby with him. She looked at her husband. "Grandfather and I will find him a good parent." She breezed out. "He'll be very safe with the one I choose with Grandfather's help. Probably a Potter ally." She smirked at Crouch. "He's in the nursery." She left before he could say anything.
Lucius followed. "It's never wise to piss off a mother. They band together in solidarity over their children." He looked at Crouch then went after her. His wife was proving she was strong of will and not willing to bend on certain points. He did have to look into having another heir for the Malfoy family apparently. Because Draco may not be able to do that with how she was talking.
***
The older woman with the red hair that was going white walked into her coven's circle, carrying the child she had been given custody of. "Ladies, sisters, I bring to you my newly given son, Harry." She held him up to them. "I was appointed his guardian to raise him properly by the one who had legal authority to do so." She walked him around the circle so they could all see him. She stopped in front of the altar.
"I was warned there was evil that had come for him and more would come some day thanks to an idiot man who wants power from him. I was warned his mother was brilliant, his father was a prankster and slightly a dickhead, and the boy is magical but perhaps not like us."
The high priestess of the coven stepped forward. "So we have a new son of the coven." She smiled at him. "Hello, Harry. I'm Bertina. Some day I'll teach you to hunt herbs." She ran a hand over his head. "He's ...what is that feeling on him?"
"Protections. His mother and father protected him with all the love they had for him." She looked at the others. "The evil was so great, the threat was so great, that his father signed a betrothal contract to protect his boy from all the threats and harm that could come to him." She smiled at him then at them. "We must welcome the new son of the coven. His mother wanted him raised as her son, so he shall be the Son of a Mother."
The girls cheered, coming over to greet him. He was a fussy baby but a good boy. He didn't hide from them, just stared at them oddly for a bit until he drifted off. It was rather late for a child. Their coven had more grandchildren than children these days. Their daughters had mostly moved away and the few sons were married as well. They invited all the families to meet Harry in a few days.
It was a small village, everyone knew everything about everyone else. The more they learned about Harry, the more they thought he'd be a sweet but weird little boy. Which they all accepted. Weird was just part of life sometimes.
***
A lot of years later, their first morning in school, Neville sat Harry down. He knew who Harry was but he wasn't sure if Harry knew who he was or anything about the protocols and rules they lived by. "There's a few weird things that'll probably irritate some of the other kids," he told him.
He sat across from him. "There's a group of us here who have ...well, it's like the wizarding world version of a royal title I guess I'd put it." Harry nodded once at that. "We have truce rules established, long established according to Gran."
"Gran?"
"My grandmother, Harry. She raised me."
"Oh, okay." He nodded. "That's cool. I have Rowena."
"Everyone is going to be very curious about her because no one here has seen or heard from you since that night your parents were attacked. Which is why I'm warning you about the established rules. You'd be under them too." Harry nodded at that. "One of them is we can talk peacefully under a truce situation. We write a formal note asking for a meeting somewhere.
"We show up with at least one person to back us up, a second like in a duel, but never more than two. They're not to insult the other side either so you might not want to pick Ron," he said more quietly. "He's got a bit of a temper apparently."
Harry nodded. "Saw that this morning."
"Me too. Gran said that tempers are never good at times when you need a witness and a second behind you, so pick one well who you'd trust at your back with a sword if you had to." Harry nodded. "It can be a girl by the way, not just another boy." That got another nod. "There's going to be people who want you to pay attention to them. However much you give them they're going to try to take more. And they're going to show how shallow their interest in you is by how much they give back."
"I get that. I had some of that in school. Not that any of us had any real status."
"Same thing," Neville agreed with a grin. "Here in school supposedly we do not have status. Outside the school some of us have some and a lot don't. We are not to point that out to anyone, to try to use it for anything, to force it into someone's face to get things our way if things are fair. If they're unfair, then a noble man goes to war as my Gran put it."
"Rowena said the same thing."
"Good." He grinned. "I note this because with who you are and all the rumors and the stories and the myths about your parents, you fit among us. It's going to drive you nuts. It does the rest of us. We just kind of...learn to ignore it over the years. And if you see a reporter, don't talk to them! They'll twist stuff. Often."
"Okay, that's good to know. Are there some around here?"
"I hope not. We're still young so we're allowed to make mistakes and to be messy in public, or act like kids. Once we're fourth years, that grace starts to die off quickly, Harry."
"Wow."
"Yeah but they'll base how they treat us as adults off who we're becoming here. Some people you always want to be formal with. That blond boy yesterday, Malfoy? His parents, be formal with them no matter what you do. Lucius will hit you with his walking stick if you're not perfectly formal with him. He's just...not a nice guy really and his son so far has had to follow his example." He shrugged a bit. "We'll handle it but if it confuses you let me know and I'll see if we can explain it to you. Or Gran could maybe."
"What do people know about my parents?" Harry knew *some* but a lot had been overshadowed by the one who kept trying to steal him from Rowena and his proper family. But he had learned to hide what he knew and who he was to make sure no one thought he had many ideas at all.
"Harry, there's nine books about their last week. They're all different, all counter each other, and they're all best sellers," he said dryly. "Probably also all wrong. Have you ever heard of mythology?"
"Yeah. I read some of it for classes in school."
"Remember those Greek hero sorts?" Harry nodded slowly. "Your mother and father are seen like them."
"Shite," Harry muttered.
"Yeah. So that's why people are going to assume that you know things, even if you don't or don't appear to." He gave him a pointed look. "Sometimes being dumb isn't so bad."
"That's probably a great idea, yeah. Thanks, Neville."
"You're welcome. Just...be careful of the other kids and ask if you don't get something. This year's going to start off absolutely stupid with that stuff as we all figure out where we sit in the status hierarchy around here."
"I can understand that. Even though it's not something I care about."
"Harry, you have to care about it now. Unfortunately we both do." He stared at him. "People are going to care if you don't care. They're going to claim it's an insult to your parents if you don't care and make them look bad."
"I get that. It sucks."
"It does. A lot. I don't like it either."
"I can be careful, Neville."
"Good." He grinned. "Ask if you run into weird letters and the like. Try to use some tact now and then."
"I have very little of that."
"That's good to know. I won't count on you to have any yet." He grinned. "There's seven or eight of us in our year alone, plus the ones in the older years. There was a baby boom around when we were born apparently." He grimaced. "But we'll figure it out."
"Thanks, Neville."
"Welcome, Harry. Let's go eat. We should get our schedules today." They went off together, talking about some of the other kids Neville had recognized in the house.
Harry would learn when he could and couldn't be a little kid. Or it'd drive him nuts and force him to learn when he could and couldn't be himself.
***
Draco Malfoy found Potter outside before a class. It was a few weeks into their first year. He walked over to him. "My mother would want to know how the stepparent is working out for you," he said. "She said she couldn't check in the last six months."
Harry looked confused. "What?"
"My mother, Narcissa?"
"Oh, Auntie Narcissa. That never got explained to me, Draco. What is the connection there?"
"No one told you?" he asked.
"No. I know that Rowena's my stepmother."
Draco nodded. "My mother was charged with finding you a stepparent if yours died in the attack."
Harry frowned. "They were friends?"
"I...don't think so? But there's some legal paperwork there. So how are they?"
"Rowena's pretty nice. She really doesn't participate in all this stuff so I'm still a bit lost." He looked around then at him. "Tell Aunt Narcissa I said hi and it's good?"
"I'll tell her that." He pushed his hair back with a sigh. "Did Rowena tell you anything at all about what's going on with your family? I ask because not only am I nosy but it's also pertinent in a few years."
"No. Just that my parents were attacked and I survived. The thing on my forehead was from that. She helped me look into things when I asked." He didn't know this one and Rowena's friends had all taught him caution with outsiders. Draco felt slightly weird to him but if he was Narcissa's son he'd see through the smokescreen of a slightly confused young boy. She had easily enough.
Draco nodded. "Not exactly as my mother told me. You... need to sit and talk to my mother soon, Potter. Please." He walked off. "But I'll let her know you like Rowena."
"Thank you." He still looked confused, glancing at Ron, who shrugged. They looked at the other boys, getting a look from Neville. "Neville?" he asked quietly.
"There's a huge thing going on there, Harry," he admitted. "And the papers are all shite at figuring things out so they lie. Don't trust the Prophet about any of this."
"Okay. I like Auntie Narcissa. She's always been very polite and nice to me when she checked on me. How is Draco her son?"
"He's his father's son a lot of the time," Neville told him. "Very alike from what I've seen." He grimaced. "We'll deal with it."
Harry nodded. "I guess we will if there's problems." He went to look at the creature trying to get out of the pen, staring at it. "Should you be doing that? Hagrid will get sad if you escape." Hagrid came over to shoo it back into the pen.
***
Harry met with the headmaster for some reason. "You wanted to speak to me, Headmaster? Am I in trouble?"
"No, Harry, but things have went on that you have been left blind to so I was going to explain things to you."
"Oh. Okay." He sat down, staring at him. "What things?"
"Your parents, may they have peaceful rest, left you in my care."
Harry frowned, shaking his head. "No. That feels wrong."
"That's the magic that's blanketed you to hide you from us and the ones you're supposed to live with. Your loving aunt and uncle."
"I heard about my aunt. Rowena took me to talk to her once. She was horrible."
"She did?"
"Yes, she did."
"Your guardian's name is Rowena?"
"Yes." He smiled and nodded. "She's a great stepmum. She told me my parents had been attacked. That someone had picked her to take care of me."
"Yes, the one who chose her did it illegally. You were meant to go to your aunt's protection."
"She did not say that and didn't really want to talk to me at all, Headmaster. She acted like I'd infect her with stuff." He stared at him. "I'll ask Rowena later. Thank you for letting me know." He left, going to talk to Neville, who seemed to know. Neville looked at him. "He tried to tell me my aunt was supposed to take care of me? She didn't like me."
He nodded. "Yeah, there was a huge sealed court case about your custody." He looked around. "Listen, Harry, some people consider your parents all but holy for taking out the last dark lord. They said that your curse scar somehow protected you and they were lost protecting you."
He slowly shook his head. "That also feels wrong."
"What?"
"I get this feeling of 'wrong' if someone's lying to me. Something Rowena did with her plants."
"Huh. I wonder if that's a spell that can go on others." He considered it then sighed, looking at him. "Dumbledore tried to get custody of you from Narcissa Malfoy, that much I do know for certain. Something or somehow your parents made her responsible for finding you a stepmother."
"She did a great job. Rowena's really great." He grinned. "I've written her about all you guys."
Neville grinned. "That's great news. Gran was worried you'd be somewhere less than great. Or less than magical."
"Well, Rowena doesn't do it like we do but yeah, she's got magic." Neville stiffened, staring at him. "What?"
"Harry, that's almost heresy to some of the people like the headmaster," he said quietly. "They don't like people doing anything but their kind of magic."
"I won't mention that. Is it a problem?"
"No. Not to me. But some are really weird about that."
"Okay. I won't mention it then. Is Ron one?" Neville shrugged. "Okay." He shrugged and grinned. "Is there someone I can ask about all that?"
"Probably? Narcissa Malfoy."
"I can talk to Auntie Narcissa. Thanks, Neville." He went to write her a letter. She was a nice enough lady. Bit cold and unemotional but pretty nice to him. And he did remember to say something nice about Draco, even though he was a bit of a snobby kid.
Downstairs, Draco was writing his own letter to his mother about what little Potter knew about things. Including the contract. He sent it with his owl and leaned back in his bed with a sigh. He was aware it was also protecting him from being tied to someone that his father may like but he'd hate to be married to. So he was okay with it. He had learned that marriage contracts happened and you endured. Or maybe enjoyed it if your parents did a good job.
***
Harry sat down with his aunt that weekend. She had pulled him out for a few hours. Against the will of the headmaster but she had a house elf steal him. He grinned. "Hey, Dobby." He patted him. "Thank you."
"Yous most welcome, Harry Potter sir." He winked out again.
Narcissa smiled a bit. "That's very nice of you, Harry." She smiled a bit better. "Are you doing well in school?"
"I'm a bit confused. So many people are treating me weirdly. Including the defense teacher."
"Hmm. Some people are very invested in what your parents stopped. Some on both sides of it."
He nodded. "I tried to read about that and the book disappeared."
"That's illegal," she said smugly.
"I'll tell someone?"
"Yes. Tell your head of house. I don't think McGonagall would lie to you. She did favor your mother when she was a student."
"Wow. I didn't think they'd be the same teachers."
"She seems almost eternal and might've always been in her seat for all of us knew." She smiled. "How is my son?"
"He nicely asked me about Rowena the other day. That was great of him and it started me asking questions. Then the Headmaster told me that you had stolen me from my aunt. But I told him Rowena had brought me to meet her and she hated me."
She sighed. "Not exactly. The headmaster wanted you put with her. He took you from the one who had protected you during the attack and placed you there. Within two days you were in the hospital."
"Why?"
"I do not know the details. I know that you had multiple bruises. The one who had protection of you was damaged getting you from him." He winced. "By a different source than what attacked your parents. That part I'm sure of." He nodded, biting his lip and looking at the table. She tipped his chin up. "It has nothing to do with you."
"Then why would they argue about that?"
"He wanted control of you and your family's things."
"Rowena's barely told me anything other than my parents were pretty popular and had a lot of friends."
"Yes, they did." She stared at him. "Has Draco been being a little snot like his father taught him again?"
He winced. "I don't want to get him into trouble. Being at school is new for all of us, Auntie Narcissa."
"It is," she agreed. "And if he's fallen back on that he'll hopefully calm down. Do let me know if he turns into a little prick. He gets it naturally from his father."
Harry grinned. "Does he know that?"
"If he's honest with himself, probably." She smirked a bit, patting him on the wrist. "Before the attack, which your parents knew was coming, your father signed paperwork to make sure I would find you a good stepparent and make sure you were all right. She noted that her sister, your aunt, was not to be the one who raised you."
"Because she knew my aunt would hate me?"
"Yes." She nodded. "Lily was very honest about her sister's views on magic. Which she hated. I saw her a few times when she came back nearly depressed because your biological aunt hurt her feelings about going to school."
He grimaced. "That sucks."
"It does," she agreed. She patted his wrist again. "It will be fine. Someday. Even if things are odd or hard, it will work itself out."
He looked at her. "I don't want to be insulting but why did they pick you instead of Rowena?"
"Rowena is a friend of my family, not Lily's or James' families."
"Oh. I didn't know that." She nodded. "But she's a great stepmom."
"She has been." She smiled at him.
"Draco mentioned paperwork."
"He should not have done that." Harry winced. "It's not your fault. He knew not to talk about that. It's gauche in public."
"He and I talked privately outside."
"That's at least a good point in his favor." She sighed. "The paperwork your father signed would allow me to marry you to Draco someday if you both would agree. Which protected you from people who'd want you and my son from people who'd want him."
"We're what?" Harry asked.
"It's not that uncommon, Harry."
"Oh. I...have no idea about that. I'm not sure I could like Draco like that. He doesn't even seem to want to be friends because I'm friends with Ron."
"Yes, his father hates Ron's family," she said dryly. "He's taking after his father again apparently." She tipped her head. "You and he can decide not to enact it once you're both of age," she told him. "It was meant to protect you from someone unethical marrying you off for their own profit."
"Oh, okay." He nodded. "That sounds weird but I guess it's great to do."
"It was. It helped me protect Draco from that as well."
"I hope all kids are protected from that."
"It's politics, Harry. It's something you should learn to identify and how to manipulate. Before it bites your family greatly."
"Can it do that?"
"Yes, Harry. Politics tends to spread itself like oil when you spill it."
"Eww."
She nodded. "It is something you should learn. It could be important to your future. The same as you should go to the bank this summer to talk to them about the things your family's hiding."
"Hiding?"
"Your father came from a very old family, Harry."
"He was?" She nodded. "Rowena never told me that."
She nodded. "Your mother was born to muggles. Your father's family is almost as old as my own is."
"Wow." He frowned as he thought. "Does Rowena know about that?"
"I have no idea how much she knows about the Potter family. The bank would have the records."
He nodded, looking at the thing on his hand that liked to nag him. Then at her. He tapped the ring to let her see it. "That thing?"
"That's important. It protects you as well. That came from your father." He grinned at that. "For now, relax. Let me know if Draco turns into a snotty little brat like his father was." She patted him again. "Rowena has done excellently with you. I'm very happy with my choice."
"Thank you, Auntie Narcissa." She smiled and let Dobby pop him back to the school. Which could be a problem since he ran into the potions teacher, who hated him.
"What are you doing, Potter?" Snape demanded, staring down at him.
"Auntie Narcissa wanted to talk to me, Professor."
He blinked. "*Auntie* Narcissa?"
"Yes, sir. Apparently she picked Rowena to raise me."
He blinked. "What do you know of that family?"
"Almost nothing. Or my own." He shrugged. "I'll learn. As long as books quit disappearing when I try to read them." He walked off.
Snape would've asked but he'd seen that happening.
***
Dumbledore tried to get into Harry's mind the next time they were in the same room but it was blocked somehow. He wasn't sure how. Or why. The boy didn't know anything about that sort of gift. Whoever had raised him had kept him out of the magical world, almost completely. Somehow. He had no idea who had raised him but he had to get Harry back to his *loving* aunt's care so he'd be prepared for the hard times coming up.
At the table, Harry looked at the hidden ring then went back to eating. It told him what was going on. He had no idea when he had gotten the ring, or who had given it to him, but it was something Rowena had insisted he keep on always. No matter what. For some reason his forehead ached a bit so he rubbed over the scar up there. That was odd, but it'd been happening a few times. He'd have to figure that out. Hermione looked at him so he shrugged. He'd figure it out.
***
Neville stopped him that night. "Harry, are you wearing a ring?" he asked quietly.
"Yeah. Why?"
"I've got one too." He showed his. Harry's came into view when he tapped it. "Oh, that's an heir's ring."
"A what?"
"That had to come from your father." He looked at him. "Only certain families had those and your father had a long family history."
"I had no idea. Rowena just told me to wear it always, never take it off."
"It's got protections built into it," Neville told him. "So yeah, wear it all the time, Harry."
"That's good to know. Is there somewhere I can figure that out without a book disappearing?"
"The bank maybe? Gran says that the bank keeps records of stuff."
"I might see if they can tell me anything."
Neville looked at him. "Do you know nothing? Like completely nothing?"
"No. I know a few things. I know that my parents sent me with someone to protect me when they were attacked and whatever happened during that killed them. I know thanks to Auntie Naricssa that my parents made her responsible for giving me to Rowena to raise, she got to pick my new stepmother. I know that somehow during all that I got the scar."
"You supposedly got the scar during the attack."
"I wasn't there, Neville."
"Um... that's what the headmaster told everyone."
"No, I wasn't there. Rowena told me I wasn't there. Auntie Narcissa told me I wasn't there. I was with a friend of my parents' somewhere else."
Neville frowned. "I need to ask Gran that. That's...something's really weird there."
"Is that like the headmaster said that I *had* to go live with my aunt, who hates me?"
"He said for years you were stolen from some aunt who was supposed to have custody of you."
Harry shook his head. "No. Not in the least. I asked and Rowena showed me the legal document giving her custody of me. It was filed in Scotland. I guess she lived up there then."
"Yeah, I need to ask Gran. I'll let you know what she says." He walked off, thinking hard to write that letter immediately. He ran into Draco in the hallway and walked around him, getting smirked at for it. He paused then turned around. "Noble protocol business. Immediately. Get Harry to the bank," he said. Draco stiffened, staring at him. "I mean, soon. The headmaster tried to tell him about his aunt and he knows nothing." He tapped his ring, knowing Malfoy probably had one too.
"Nothing?"
"No, nothing," Harry said as he joined them. "Is there something I should know?"
Crabbe stared at him. "Potter, don't you know that people consider your parents heroes for taking out the last dark lord? Even though your father dying ended a really long family line with just you left?"
"No. Nothing of that beyond Neville telling me they did; nothing about the family things. What?" He looked at Neville, who he was starting to trust.
Neville nodded. "That's the only way you're wearing an heir's ring, Harry."
"And that means...."
Draco stared at him. "I think my mother took 'make my son more like me than James' literally," he admitted. "Your mother wasn't from a wizarding family," he said, leaning against wall and pulling one foot up to rest it there. He sighed. "The Potter family was ancient. In all meanings of the word." He stared at him.
"Is that a bad thing or a good thing?"
"Both. There's expectations," Draco admitted. "A lot of people are staring at you to see what you do and who you become. If you finish your parents' work." Harry blinked a few times. "I'll let Mother know she should talk to you about that as well."
"I suggested the bank."
"They'd probably know," Draco agreed. "I know that there's some weird things about you said in a few places. Usually it makes my mother growl and my father walk in the other direction."
Goyle winced. "That's because of all that?"
"Auntie Narcissa was responsible for putting me with Rowena," Harry told him.
"Which meant she went against Dumbledore openly," Draco told him. "More than once." Harry looked so confused. "You'll figure it out but yes, you need to talk to someone."
"He said he wasn't with his parents," Neville said.
Draco looked at him then nodded. "He wasn't. Mother said he wasn't." He looked at Harry. "She said you were with your father's friend Remus."
"I have no idea who that is," Harry admitted.
"No, Rowena is Mother's family contact, not yours probably. I don't know why though." He shrugged. "Half of what's been said about him is wrong. Very wrong," Draco told Neville.
"Gran doesn't know that."
"No, most don't. Which ...." Draco waved toward the office then shrugged. "Politics." He walked off. "Ask the bank but they have their own version of politics."
"I can do that," Harry agreed. "Thank you, Draco, Crabbe, and Goyle." He looked at Neville. "Thanks, Neville."
"Welcome, Harry. We don't want you to get hurt by all that stuff. You seem pretty nice. And you don't snore like some people do." He still went to tell his grandmother that. She had to know. She was an ally of Dumbledore and if he was lying to her, then what else had he lied about?
***
Story notes:
Note: there is some Dumbledore bashing in this series. I personally think he's a huge bit manipulative and it comes out in this series.