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Chapter Text

June 17, 1997- Hog’s Head Inn

The air inside the Hog’s Head was thick with pipe smoke and the scent of stale ale. The place had always been a haven for the secretive and strange and tonight Albus Dumbledore had come seeking both.

He sat in the dim corner opposite a trembling woman in layers of shawls and beads, Sybil Trelawney, the last living descendant of the Seer Cassandra Trelwaney herself wrung wer hands nervously aroudn her shot glass.

“So you are the Headmaster of Hogwarts?”

“Indeed,” Dumbledore said kindly “I am seeking a Divination teacher and was told your possess the sight.”

Trelwaney nodded uncertainly, her eyes darting through the bar as if someone would jump them at any moment.

“My great-great-grandmother’s gift runs thin in our bloodline now, I’m afraid my talents are… temperamental.”

Dumbledore smiled “Even temperamental gifts are rare, please tell me what you see.”

Trelwaney straightened her back, drawing in a slow, shaking breath, her fingers trembled then stilled as the air shifted.

The smoke seemed to freeze mid air, the candlelight flickering low as though afraid to burn, her voice, when she spoke again was not her own “The one with the power to destroy the dark lord approaches, born of iron and light as the seven months dies, born beyond the reach of the magical world yet bound to it by fate, the child shall be taken from the hands of the muggles and raised among our own, to parents who have thrice defied the Dark Lord shall he be given, and the Dark Lord shall mark him as his equal but one must strike down the other as neither can live while the other survives, One shall rise to save the entire world or cast it into endless flame.”

The candles flickered out, a glass shattered on the counter and somewhere the wind howled as it picked up speed.

Trelwaney gasped and blinked, confused “Oh forgive me Headmaster did I dirft off? I often do that after-”

“No my dear, you’ve done splendidly, I think you will make a wonderful Divination Teacher.” Dumbledore said, thinking of the prophecy. He had heard of only two in his lifetime and both had changed the world

-

July 31, 1997- Malibu, California

The soft ocean breeze could be heard outside the walls of the Stark residence as Pepper Potts, now Pepper Stark, lay half-asleep, one hand resting against the swell of her belly, the faintest flutter beneath her skin made her shift, and then she froze as her eyes shot open, the bedding underneath her suddenly felt warm and wet “Oh no… oh, no no no…”

She turned, groaning, to find her husband face-down on his side of the bed, snoring softly into his pillow, one arms hanging off the mattress.

“Tony.”

No answer, just a louder snore.

“Tony.”

She shoved his shoulder, nothing.

Finally with an angry glare she kicked him off the bed, Tony hitting the floor with a grunt “Ow-what the hell- Pepper?” Tony demanded, looking up disoriented, hair a mess as he blinked through the dim light “Is it morning already? Did I sleep through-”

“You didn’t sleep through anything and you’re not sleeping through this! My water just broke!” she shouted, clutching her abdomen as another cramp rolled through her.

“What like broke broke?” Tony asks, his voice rising as he got to his feet “As in the baby is coming now?!”

“YES NOW!” Pepper snapped through gritted teeth, gripping the bedframe as another contraction hit her.

Tony spun around the room “Ok, ok, uh Jarvis! Call a doctor! Or an Ambulance! Or hell call Rhodey! He’s good under pressure!”

“NOT RHODEY!” Pepper yelled, voice cracking between a laugh and groan “A DOCTOR TONY!”

“Right, right, doctor. Jarvis, you heard the lady, let’s move stat!”

“At once, sir” came the AI’s calm voice as Tony ran toward the door, still in only his pajama pants “Don’t move, I mean, move if you have to but uh- don’t…”

“TONY!”

“RIGHT! GOING NOW!”

The next few hours blurred together in a haze of motion, voices, and pain.

Tony tried pacing, holding her hand and not fainting, all in rapid succession,. Pepper alternated between clenching his hand so tightly his knuckles went whiter and threatening to kill him if he made one more bad joke.

“You’re doing amazing, Pep-”

“DON’T. TALK!”

“Ok, no talking, silent support mode, Jarvis remind me to patent that-”

“TONY!”

By the time the doctor arrived, surrounded by a team of nurses and a portable monitor, Pepper was in deep labor, hours passed as contractions came like waves, and then a single cry split the air.

Tony froze as the doctor smiled beneath his mask, “Congratulations, Mr. and Mrs. Stark, it’s a boy.”

Pepper’s tears came unbidden as they placed the small, wrinkled bundle in her arms.

The baby’s cries softened as he nestled against her, tiny fingers curling instinctively against her chest, Tony stood at her side, utterly still, his world reduced to the quite rise and fall of his wife’s breathing and the sounds of his son.

“He’s perfect.” Pepper whispered.

Tony swallowed hard, trying to smile though the lump in his throat “He… really is.”

The doctor glanced between them “Have you thought of a name?”

“Henry, Henry Anthony Stark.” Pepper whispered as she brushed a stray curl from the baby’s forehead.

Tony nodded slowly, “Henry it is.” he reached down, one trembling finger brushing over his son’s hand “Hey there little guy, welcome to the world. Sorry it’s a bit… complicated.”

The doctor cleared his throat “I recommend we get Mrs. Stark and the baby to the hospital for a proper check-up, just to make sure everything is how it should be.”

Pepper nodded, smiling tiredly “That sounds fine.”

Tony looked down at her, the baby sleeping soundly against her shoulder and for the first time Tony felt very small.

Two hours later Rhodey and Happy would arrive at the Hospital, expecting to meet the newest Stark, only to hear Tony yelling “WHERE IS HE!? WHERE’S MY SON?”

-

The Doctor that had helped delivered the baby and a nurse walked through the parking lot under an invisibility cloak, no one heard them, no one saw them.

They reached the far end of the lot and turned into an empty alley, the two switching from the muggle scrubs into their auror uniforms “Portkey ready.” the man said as the woman nodded and with a crack! They disappeared into the night air.

Days later, Lily and James Potter were cooing over their newborn son, they had both wanted children for a long time but had been informed James was sterile after a battle against a group of Death Eaters in Diagon Alley.

-

November 1, 1998

Dumbledore walked down the road, using a spell to keep himself and the newly orphaned Harry Potter dry, pausing as he saw the name ‘Hawthorn and Otters’ on the mailbox, as he let out a small smile.

The door opened almost at once, a tall witch with chestnut hair and green eyes met him, wand in hand but softening as she saw him.

“Headmaster, you made it through this weather, Please come in.”

“Thank you, Katherine,” Dumbledore smiled, adjusting Harry as he followed her, the sounds of a child’s laughter could be heard somewhere from above, Katherine’s son Caleb no doubt.

Katherine’s gaze fell to the bundle in Dumbledore’s arms, her smile fading, replaced by a sad smile “So it’s true then…” she whispered “Lily and James…”

Dumbledore’s eyes closed briefly “Gone, Voldemort as well though not destroyed I suspect.”

He moved the baby’s bangs, revealing a lightning bolt on his forehead “Merlin…” Katherine whispered.

“He will need a home,” Dumbledore said softly “A safe one, Lily and James trusted few and you were among them.”

Katherine nodded slowly, eyes misting “We’ll take him, of course we will. Winter and I talked about it when heard the news.”

She took Harry from Dumbledore’s arms, cradling him with ease as Harry whimpered once then settled against her shoulder, tiny fingers curling against her robe.

“Shhh little one, you’re safe now.” Katherine whispered as she headed down the hall, Dumbledore following her as they stepped into a child’s nursery, a woman with white hair and purple eyes playing with a little baby in the middle of the room, Dumbledore noting with amusement that half the room was decorated in blue and silver eagles and the other side was decorated in green and silver little snakes, the eagles and snakes moving around the wallpaper.

Two sturdy cribs were on opposite sides, both decorated in Ravenclaw and Slytherin colors, Winter Otters standing up as she adjusted Caleb on her hip “She insisted on splitting the room,” Katherine said, a small smile on her face “Blue and bronze for my house, Green and Silver for hers.”

Winter shrugged, smiling as she watched Katherine lay Harry in one of the cribs, the boy yawning as he snuggled into the blankets.

“Caleb, this is your brother.” Katherine told the boy, Caleb’s purple eyes lighting up as he stared at the new boy in the crib “Ha’y” he babbled.

Winter laughed softly “Close enough.”

Dumbledore watched the interactions, eyes misting as he turned to Katherine “Thank you, I can think of no better place for him.”

“You did the right thing bringing him here, He’ll have a home, a family, and a brother and hopefully many other siblings who will adore him.”

Dumbledore inclined his head “Then my work tonight is done.”

And with one last look at the two boys, Albus Dumbledore left the house.

Two days later, he watched as Bellatrix Lestrange, her husband and brother-in-law were sentenced to death alongside Barty Crouch Jr. for the attack on Alice and Frank Longbottom, Bellatrix declaring that the dark lord would return and that she was carrying his child to the shock of them all. The two Lestrange brothers and Barty Crouch Jr was executed a few hours later via being thrown through the Veil of Death, but Bellatrix’s execution would be held off until after she gave birth to a boy, Bellatrixwas  thrown through the Veil as Dumbledore vowed to take the baby in, he wouldn’t allow him to follow his father’s footsteps.

-

August 13, 2001

Obadiah Stane was not a happy man, he was less than pleased that Tony had wasted so many resources and money on finding that little brat of his, and now the man was tied between looking for his firstborn and helping with the newborn Stark Twins Harley and Peter.

No, Obadiah decided that Tony’s time was up, he would get rid of him before long.

Just like he got rid of Howard and Maria Stark all those years ago.

-

July 9, 2002

“The truth is,” Tony paused, seeing Pepper, Rhodey and Happy watching him, Harley and Peter curled in their mother’s arms, “I am Iron Man!” Tony announced to the crowd, pictures snapping as reporters jumped out of their chairs, shouting for him to answer their questions.

-

February 8, 2003

Tony stared at the footage of the Stark Drone. He had sent it there when he had detected a large anomaly froze in the ice, and to his shock the anomaly was none other than an airplane from around the 40’s by the look of it, and beside the plane was a faint life signature, Tony seeing a man frozen by the plane.

And beside the man was a familiar red, white and blue Shield with a star in the middle of it.

-

May 9, 2005- Hawthorn-Otters Household

Katherine hummed to herself as she worked, her sleeves rolled up to her elbows, flicking her wand as she levitated a bucket of feed to the Mooncalves who nuzzled her affectionately as she filled their trough.

Inside the house she could hear Winter reading to Caleb, Samuel and Olivia, the sound of Olivia’s laugh drifting through the windows bringing a smile to her face, thinking of the small family that had slowly grown over the last seven years.

Katherine turned to fetch another bucket and froze, across the field, just beyond the low garden wall she spotted a flash of movement where Harry was currently playing, thinking it was just a toy that Harry had drug out before she realized what it was.

A snake.

A very, very big snake that was curling around Harry.

“Sweet Merlin.” Katherine muttered, wand in her hand as she walked to her son who looked up with a smile, but what stopped her wasn’t the snake but the sounds Harry was making, soft hisses coming from the boy as he giggled and hugged the snake as he locked eyes with his mother, Katherine realizing with a start the boy was speaking Parseltongue.

“MAMA LOOK! HIS NAME’S NERRIS! HE WAS HIDING UNDER THE SHED ‘CAUSE IT GETS TOO COLD DOWN THERE!” Harry said excitedly as Katherine forced a smile and knelt down “Oh, does he? That’s very nice of you to help him dear,”

Harry beamed “He said he likes me and I sound like one of them!”

Katherine’s throat tightened “That’s very special Harry, not many people can talk to snakes.”

Harry’s eyes widened “Really? But it’s so easy! You just talk and they listen.”

The snake uncoiled slightly, almost nuzzling the boy in an affectionate manner.

“Do you talk to animals a lot sweetie?” Katherine asks, staring at the massive snake as it locked eyes with her.

Harry shook his head “No, just Nerris. The other animals don’t talk like him.”

Katherine reaching out, brushing his bangs back “I see… well Nerris seems like a very good friend.”

Harry nodded enthusiastically, “He says he likes this place… Mama why are you looking at me like that? Did I do something bad?”

Katherine felt her heart twist as she stared into his eyes “No, darling it’s not bad, just very rare and very special, but maybe don’t show it to everyone alright, not everyone understands special things.”

Harry nodded as Katherine smiled “Good boy, now how about we bring you both inside and introduce Nerris to your Mommy?”

Harry cheered and took her hand, Nerris following as they entered the house.

Chapter Text

January 7, 2006- Stark Tower, Sublevel four

 

The lights dimmed as Nick Fury walked into the room, coat flaring slightly as the door hissed shut behind him.

 

Tony was leaning back in his chair, boots on the holographic projector table, a smirk tugging at the corner of his mouth as Steve sat beside him, composed and looking completely unimpressed.

 

Fury didn’t both with greetings, dropping a small black data drive onto the table and ordering them to play it.

 

The room filled with grainy satellite footage of a night vision feed of a Ten Rings compound erupting into chaos, drones flew throwing the air as a streak of red-and-gold armor soared through a collapsing structure, while on the ground a man with a shield moved through the combatants, taking down mercenaries quickly.

 

Fury folded his arms and glared as the footage ended “You two done with your ‘Batman and Robin’ routine yet?”

 

Steve’s lips twitched, barely hiding a smirk “So who’s Batman in this scenario?”

 

Tony smirked back “Obviously me, you’re too wholesome to be the billionaire playboy.”

 

Fury slammed his hands on the table “ENOUGH! This is not a game and from where I’m standing it seems Iron Man and America’s Golden Boy just declared war on international soil, you’re one bad decision from World War three.”

 

Steve leaned forward, voice cold but calm “With all due respect, Director, those people needed help. We stopped them from being killed.”

 

“You are supposed to be the symbol of restraint, not Stark’s damn enabler. You’ve been out of the ice for years, Rogers, and all you’ve done is play bodyguard for Stark and his children and moonlight as his sidekick.”

 

Steve stiffened at that “I didn’t ask to be a symbol anymore, I just want to make a difference where I can.”

 

Tony cut in “Hey, easy. He’s saved my ass more than once. If you want to lecture someone then lecture me.”

“Oh, I plan to. Everytime you two play hero the world shifts, and not always in a positive way. What you two are doing is reckless, unsanctioned and it’s small.”

 

He reached into his coat and slid a tablet across the table, the screen flickering to life as a set of classified filed appeared:

 

Natasha Romanoff- Former KGB, S.H.I.E.L.D operative

 

Clint Barton- Master Archer, special operations

 

Dr, Bruce Banner- Classified incident, gamma radiation specialist

 

Thor Odinson- Unknown entity, extraterrestrial origin suspected

 

Tony leaned forward, eyes narrowing slightly “So what’s this, your fantasy football roster?”

 

Fury smirked “This is a team I’ve been putting together, people who can handle the things other can’t.”

 

Steve glanced at the screen, jaw tightening at the photo of Thor with his hammer “That’s an alien?”

 

“Yes. The point is the world’s getting stranger, Rogers and it needs people who can stand up to it.”

 

He turned to Tony “I’ve been watching you both, you’ve got talent and guts and somehow you haven’t killed each other yet, that’s promising.”

 

Tony smirked, “You’re trying to recruit us? And now a fruit basket it sight.”

 

“I’m offering you both a chance to make an actual difference without nearly kick-starting a war. You can keep playing heroes in the desert or you can be part of something bigger.”

 

Steve leaned back slightly, studying Fury “And what exactly do you call this… bigger thing?”

 

Fury gave the faintest smile “The Avengers Initiative.”

 

Tony’s eyes flickered to Steve “So what do you think, Cap? You and me joining Fury’s boy band?”

 

Steve crossed his arms “Depends, this team of yours do they follow what they’re told or do they do what’s right?”

 

“The best ones find a way to do both.”

 

Fury turned to the door “And if you join this team, we’ll be able to give resources to find your firstborn Stark.”

 

The door slid shut behind him before Tony could respond.

 

-

 

February 10, 2006

 

Steve stood beside Tony as they watched the Quinjet touched down on the grounds by the Old Stark Manor “Try not to look so serious Cap,” Tony said, glancing at him with a smirk “They’re guests, not the IRS.”

 

Steve gave a small shake of his head, the faintest smile appearing on his face “You invited an alien, a spy, a guy with a bow, and a scientist who turned into a big green being when he’s angry, forgive me if I’m cautious.”

 

“Cautious is good, I like cautious. Keeps Fury from blowing a fuse.”

 

The Quinjet ramp hissed open, Natasha Romanoff was the first to descend followed by Clint Barton, then Dr. Bruce Banner, and last was Thor Odinson.

 

Tony spread his arms “Welcome to Avengers Manor! Try not to break anything, half this furnitur’s older than me, and the other half is the reason my accountant drinks.”

 

“You decided to call this place Avengers Manor?’

Tony grinned “I wanted to go with ‘Club Awesome,’ but apparently that wasn’t government-approved branding.”

 

Thor stepped forward, taking in the structure with mild curiosity “A fine hall, does it have feasting tables? I was told Midgardian warriors share meals to forge brotherhood.”

 

“Kitchen’s through that door, help yourself to the food.”

Steve cut in smoothly, extending his hand to Thor “Captain Steve Rogers.”

 

Thor clasped it firmly “Thor, son of Odin. Friend to those who fight with honor.”

 

Clint raised an eyebrow behind him but didn’t say anything.

 

Bruce hovered behind them all “So… this is where we’ll be then?”

 

Tony turned, motioning to the mansion as the gate swung open automatically “Yep, welcome home Doc. This’ll be our base of operations. Fully stocked, secure and most importantly ours. My dad built this back in the fifties but I’ve done a few upgrades.”

 

As they stepped inside Clint whistled low as he glanced up at the chandelier and grand stair case “You call this a base? It’s a palace.”

 

Tony shrugged “Hey, if we’re going to save the world we might as well be comfortable in between missions.”

 

Tony then clapped his hands “Right, Team introductions, ground rules, and I think I promised Thor a feast. Jarvis, give them the tour and show them to the rooms so they can pick theirs out.”

 

“Good afternoon, Avengers. Welcome to your new headquarters. Refreshments have been arranged in the west lounge, please refrain from damaging the infrastructure, it is quite irreplaceable.”

 

“See, you’re going to love it here.” Tony said as Natasha and Clint shared a skeptical look, Bruce rubbed the back of his neck uncertainly and Thor was already following Jarvis’s directions to the kitchen.

 

Steve lingered for a moment, watching Tony as the others dispersed “You really think this will work?”

 

Tony tilted his head “Define work.”

 

“People this different, this volatile as a team.”

 

“I think if anyone can make it work it’s us, or we’ll burn the place down trying.”

 

“Let’s hope it’s the first one.”

 

-

 

April 3, 2007- Hawthorn-Otter Residence, Northern Territory, Australia

 

Winter shifted her weight on the bench, a sigh escaping her as she leaned against Katherine’s shoulder. The hear didn’t both her much these days, she’d grown used to the climate but their fifth child was very content to kick whenever she got comfortable certainly did get to her.

 

Katherine smiled, arm looping around her wife’s shoulders “You alright love?”

 

Winter’s eyes fluttered shut “Define ‘alright’. Our daughter seems to think my ribs are fun to kick.”

 

Katherine chuckled quietly, pressing a kiss to her hair “Our son you mean, and it seems he takes after you, restless and dramatic.”

 

“Says the Ravenclaw who cried because you got a EE on an Artihmancy essay.”

 

“That paper deserved an O and you know it.”

 

From the yard the children’s laughter echoed, Samuel and Olivia, both now eight, were leaping into the pools with a splash big enough to soak Harry and Caleb who splashed them in retaliation.

 

The sight drew a small smile from Winter “They’re growin up to fast, feels like yesterday Caleb was climbing into your lap for bedtime stories.”

 

“And now he’s managed to get Harry to go along with dumping bugs in Samuel’s bed.”

 

Winter laughed softly “Soon they’ll be off to Hogwarts, the house’ll feel empty without those two.”

 

Katherine smirked “Until the newborn starts wailing at three in the morning.”

 

Katherine and Winter watched their children for a few minutes before Katherine said “Fifty galleons says that Caleb is a Ravenclaw.”

 

Winter titled her head, an incredulous smirk curling on her lips “You’re betting on our children’s houses now?”

 

Katherine’s eyes sparkled “Of course, he’s got the smarts, curiosity, and that habit of questing everything I tell him. Classic Ravenclaw.”

“Or classic Slytherin, he wants to win, he even keeps score during tag.”

 

Katherine laughed then leaned in closer, her tone turning playful “Fine, then I’ll take Ravenclaw for Caleb and Gryffindor for Harry.”

 

“Gryffindor for our Harry? The same boy who hid under the bed for two hours after Olivia’s toy broom chased him?”

 

Katherine grinned “Bravery comes in stages.”

 

Winter scoffed “Please, he’s either a Slytherin or a Hufflepuff. He loves too hard for his own good and he’s too damn clever and good at getting people to do things he doesn’t want to.”

 

Katherine sighed fondly asd the squeals of their children could be heard “You know I’ll miss their chaos when they're at school.”

 

“There’ll be plenty of chaos, we’ll have a newborn and two eight-year-olds to contend to.”

 

Katherine chuckled “You’re right.”

 

-

 

April 19, 2007- Avengers Manor, Upstate New York

 

Laughter spilled from the halls, music drifting through the doors as the scent of grilled food drifting through the air.

 

Tony watched Clint’s son and daughter chase after Peter and Harley across the lawn, Lila wearing a Captain America onesie that made Steve smile everytime he saw it. The children squealed as they tried to catch the butterflies, jumping into the air and asking Thor to help them.

 

“Never thought I’d see the day that Clint’s family is in my house and there’s no arrows in anything.”

 

Pepper smiled, a glass of soda in her hands “Don’t jinx it, Lila was just asking Peter if she could ‘borrow’ one of your drones.”

 

Tony groaned as Pepper laughed softly at him.

 

From the corner of the room Thor began laughing at something Steve said while Bruce and Natasha stood nearby, watching the scene with amusement.

 

Above their heads was a banner with the words: ONE YEAR OF SAVING THE WORLD (AND NOT DYING)

 

Clint had placed a sticky note under the words: ‘Not yet at least’

 

Pepper shook her head “You really are proud of this aren’t you?”

 

Tony looked around at the mismatched team, the people he had somehow come to trust “Yeah, I didn’t think it’d last past six months but look at us now.”

 

He turned his gaze back toward the yard where Peter, red hair a mess and brown eyes glowing in glee, was crouched beside Cooper, trying to rig one of the toy robots that Tony had made to launch water balloons.

 

Harley, darker-haired with Pepper’s green eyes was already soaked as Lila egged them on.

 

It was messy, loud and perfect.

 

“They’re growing up fast,” she murmured “You’ve done well with the boys Tony.”

 

He snorted “They mostly raised me, Peter lectures me about lab safety and Harley keeps lecturing about my sleep schedule.”

 

Pepper leaned closer “Maybe they take after you more than you think.”

 

Tony chuckled at that, but his expression shifted as he sat his glass down “We’re getting closer Pep, Fury called earlier. He’s got his best people trying to find Henry.”

 

Her eyes widened slightly “Really?”

 

“Yes, there’s a team constantly going over the trail, we’ll have our boy back soon.”

 

Pepper smiled as she leaned forward “Then I guess it’s time I told of you my surprise.”

 

Tony turned, instantly wary “Please tell me you didn’t let the twins build another robot. The last one tried to smother me in my sleep.”

 

Pepper smiled “No, nothing like that.”

 

“Ok, hit me.”

 

“I’m pregnant.”

 

Tony froze, blinking as the words sat in “You’re, wait you’re serious?”

 

Pepper nodded slowly, a small smile appearing on her face.

 

Tony said nothing, eyes darting to Peter and Harley who were still playing with Cooper and Lila “How… how long have you known?”

 

“A few weeks, I wanted to tell you when things felt calm.” she tilted her head slightly “You know, as calm as life ever gets now.”

 

Tony let out a soft laugh, shaking his head “I’m part of a team that saves the world on a weekly basis and here you go with the biggest surprise I’ve had. Pepper, I’ve never been more thrilled and terrified since the twins were born.”

 

Across the room Clint clinked his glass loudly “Hey, Stark! You giving a speech or are you too busy whispering sweet nothings over there?”

 

Tony didn’t bother looking up “I’m multitasking Clint!”

 

The room bursts into laughter as Pepper leaned against Tony, her eyes half-lidded as she watched the twins run inside to get snacks, dripping mud and water all over the floor, Tony just staring for a moment at his boys, team and wife, and felt content and even more determined to bring Henry home.

-

 

September 1st, 2008- Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry

 

Harry shifted on his feet, glancing sideways at his annoyingly calm brother, Caleb giving him a  reassuring grin “You’re fidgeting.”

 

“I’m nervous, that’s what normal people do when they’re about to be judged by a talking hat.”

 

Caleb chuckled quietly but before he could respond Professor McGonagall’s voice rang out, clear and firm as she read from her long parchment scroll “Abbott, Clarissa!”

A small girl with pink ribbons stumbled forward, and after a brief pause the hat sorted her into Hufflepuff, the house cheering at their now housemate.

 

One by one the names were called, each student’s nervous shuffle met with cheers from one of the four tables, Harry’s stomach twisted tighter with every shout of a house echoing through the hall.

 

“Otter-Hawthorn, Caleb!”

 

Harry clapped Caleb on the shoulder “Good luck,” he whispered, voice cracking slightly.

Caleb smirked “You too.”

 

He stepped forward confidently, sitting on the stool as McGonagall lowered the Sorting hat on his head.

 

“Mmmm, clever are you? A sharp mind and a curiosity that borders on obsession… you’ll do well in-”

 

“RAVENCLAW!”

 

The Ravenclaw table erupted in applause, a few older students reaching out to clap his shoulder as he sat down among them, still grinning and talking to a freckled boy beside him.

 

“Otter-Hawthorn-Potter, Harry!”

 

The hall quieted, people whispering if they were Potter right, Harry stepping forward, legs feeling like they were made out of lead as he sat down, the hat coming down over his eyes as the sounds of the Great Hall dimmed to nothing.

 

“Well now, another Otter-Hawthorn. I see the resemblance, bright, ambitious and thoughtful but you young one have something different don’t you?”

 

“You… you can hear me?”

 

That’s the idea, let’s see what makes you tick. Oh my… there’s depth here, clever yes but not driven by knowledge for its own sake. You seek understanding and control, you don’t like being powerless.”

 

“Who does?”

“Fair point, there’s courage here too but not the reckless kind, you think before you leap, that caution, that ambition, that hunger to prove yourself… yes I see it now.”

 

“Please not Gryffindor.”

 

“Oh not Gryffindor. No, no… you’d do far better somewhere else. You’d thrive in the house that values cunning, self-mastery, and subtlety. A place where you instincts and that quiet, strategic mind of yours can grow.”

 

“SLYTHERIN!”

Chapter Text

September 3, 2008

 

The first few days in Slytherin House were exactly how Mama had told him about during her time in Slytherin.

 

The Dungeons were like she had described in his bedtime stories as a child: underneath the cold stone and shadows, Harry would swear he could feel the quiet hum of magic beneath them, a pulse running through him whenever he ran his hands over the stone or when he passed a candle or a painting. The Black Lake pressed against the Common Room windows, Harry even swearing he saw the passing figure of the Merpeople and even the Giant Squid slammed a massive Tentacle on the glass once, startling a group of second years when it did.

 

The upper years kept their distance at first, observing the new blood like predators sizing up prey. Draco Malfoy, of course, tried to make himself the center of their attention; his last name carried weight here, and so did his father’s donations to the school. He strutted through the common room with his perfect hair and a sharp smirk, pretending not to glance at Harry every few seconds as if to check that his spotlight wasn’t being stolen.

 

But it was.

 

Harry didn’t try to outshine anyone; he just wasn’t impressed by the same things everyone else was. When Malfoy bragged about his Nimbus 2000, Harry tilted his head and asked, “How’s its air resistance ratio compared to the Comet Two-Sixty?”

 

It wasn’t meant as sarcasm; he’d simply read the specs. But the blank stare Malfoy gave him, along with the chuckle from the darker corner where Theodore Nott sat, set the tone for the first week.

 

Theodore Nott was tall for an eleven-year-old, with sharp eyes and quiet in a way that made people listen when he did speak. His handwriting was perfect, his robes always looked one size too big. He noticed things, like how Harry’s questions were always precise, how he never flinched from the older Slytherins, and how Harry seemed to view magic less like wonder and more like an equation he couldn’t solve just yet, and it drove him mad.

 

The second night, he found Harry in the common room, crouched beside the wall where the lake shimmered through the glass “What are you doing?” he’d asked.

 

“There’s a distortion in the light, it’s bending more sharply here; must be a flaw in the glass or a spell designed to adjust the refraction based on the moonlight.”

 

Theodore blinked “You can see that?”’

 

Harry shrugged, “You just have to look properly.”

 

Theodore smirked, the corner of his mouth curling “You’re strange, Otters-Hawthorn-Potter.”

 

“Thank you.”

 

And thus began their strange friendship.

 

By the fourth morning, a third figure joined them at breakfast, Blaise Zabini, all calm posture and sly amusement, moved like someone who had already understood how to play people. His mother, a famously beautiful witch who was rumored to have buried seven husbands, was a Slytherin legend. Blaise, however, was far more interested in avoiding attention than chasing it.

 

He watched Draco loudly complain about the toast, with many of the complaints being “Too soggy, too common, not fit for a Malfoy.” Blaise sighed and swore he’d curse Malfoy into a coma if he didn’t shut his mouth one day.

 

Harry had snorted mid-sip of his pumpkin juice, “Please don’t, he’d probably like the attention.”

 

That earned him a real grin from Blaise, not the fake kind most Slytherins wore.

 

Soon enough, the three boys found themselves drawn to each other.

 

When the Flying lesson came, the first year Slytherins joined the Gryffindors, something none were too pleased about.

 

Madam Hooch stood tall and sharp-eyed, her whistle glinting in the morning sun as she indicated the brooms beside the eleven-year-old old “Stand beside your broomstick and say UP!”

 

Harry’s broom shot into his hand at once, and so did Theodore’s. Draco’s hovered, then slammed into his hand in a second. Blaise stayed on the ground for a few seconds before slowly lifting, as if considering whether it should be bothered.

 

Neville Longbottom, poor boy, managed to get hit in the face by his broom handle, getting chuckles from everyone, none being louder than Draco’s.

 

“Pathetic,” Malfoy sneered, “Imagine being so useless you can’t even-”

 

He didn’t finish as Madam Hooch’s sharp look shut him up fast.

 

Soon they were mounting, ready to however, the lesson was going smoothly until Neville kicked off too hard, panicked, and shot into the sky. Gasps rose from both houses as he wobbled, flailing, the broom spinning wildly.

 

“Come down this instant!” Madam Hooch shouted, running forward; however, it was too late as Neville tumbled, crashed, and landed with a painful thud on the grass.

 

Madam Hooch rushed him to the hospital wing, ordering everyone not to move a muscle until she returned.

 

The moment she was gone, Draco strolled forward, stooped, and picked something shiny from the grass. “Look what fell,” he drawled, holding it up, “A Rememberall, bet he doesn’t even remember how to fly.”

 

Harry’s hands tightened on his broom as Draco continued, “Maybe I should keep it since poor little Longbottom can’t even-”

 

“Accio Rememberall!”

 

Everyone turned and watched as the Rememberall slammed into Theodore’s hands, his wand raised towards Draco with a smirk as he tossed it into the air.

 

Harry blinked “You can already do Summoning Charms?”

 

“Technically, we’re not supposed to,” Theo said, smirking as he now twirled his wand between his fingers, “But my mother believed in early education.”

 

“Show off,” Blaise muttered, though his smirk betrayed his amusement.

 

Draco’s face turned red in anger. “That was mine, Nott!”

 

“No,” Theodore said evenly, “It’s Longbottom’s.”

 

Harry grinned, “And he’s right, best you sit down, Malfoy, Madam Hooch said no one move a muscle.”

 

Draco’s eyes flickered between them, his pride and anger warring for a moment. It seemed like he’d reach for his wand, but Blaise casually leaned on his broom “Go on then, try it. I’d love to see what happens when your father hears you ended up in the Hospital Wing because you tried to hex three fellow Slytherins.”

 

Mafly went rigid, then turned sharply and stalked back to his friends, Theodore handing the Rememberall to Harry “Make sure Longbottom gets it back.”

 

Later that night, the three of them sat near the fire while the rest of the house buzzed about their day “You didn’t have to do that for Longbottom,” Harry muttered to Theo quietly.

 

“Yes, I did. Malfoy thinks rules exist for everyone but him. I taught him that he was wrong,” Theodore said, flipping through a page in his book.

 

“Still, summoning charm at eleven? You’re insane.”

 

Theodore’s mouth curved into a thin grin “If you’re not breaking a rule, are you really learning something?”

 

Harry laughed softly, shaking his head as Blaise lifted his cup “Cheers to that!”

 

Theodore raised an imaginary cup with a smirk, “To the Silver Trio!”

 

Harry frowned “What?”

 

“Us,” Theo said simply, “You, me, and Zabini. Not quite like the rest of them, we think differently, see things differently, so the Silver Trio.”

 

Harry hesitated, then smiled, “I like it.”

 

-

 

October 31, 2008

 

If there was one thing Hogwarts never lacked, it was drama, and if there was one thing Harry James Otter-Hawthorn-Potter had learned from his mothers and siblings, it was that getting involved in other people’s drama never ended well.

 

By mid-afternoon on Halloween, he’d already heard half a dozen versions of the same rumor: Ron Weasley had said something cruel to Hermione Diggory during Charms, something that made the girl run off crying to the bathroom and skip dinner entirely, Neville Longbottom had apparently tried to defend her, but it just made it worse.

Harry had rolled his eyes at the whispers snaking through the Slytherin and Ravenclaw tables, “Not our house, not our problem.”

 

Caleb, sitting near him at the Ravenclaw Table, arched a brow at him “You’re learning, let the Gryffindors sort out their own mess, they thrive on disaster.”

 

Blaise smirked over his goblet “And yet somehow they always get praised for it.”

 

Theo didn’t look up from his plate “It’s a Gryffindor specialty, create the problem, then get house points for fixing it.”

 

Harry chuckled, “I’ll pass on the drama. I like my skin where it is.”

 

Caleb nodded, “Mum would send a howler if we did something ‘Un Otter-Hawthorn like.”

 

That got a laugh from the three Slytherin boys.

 

The feast continued like normal until Professor Quirrell stumbled in, pale as chalk, as he bellowed, “TROLL! IN THE DUNGEON! TROLL IN THE DUNGEON!”

 

Everyone froze as he swayed, “Thought you ought to know!” Then he fainted dead away as chaos erupted through the entire hall until Dumbledore let off a thunderous bang from his wand to silence everyone, demanding the Prefects keep the younger students in the hall as they went to deal with this.

 

Harry made eye contact with Caleb, and both brothers nodded at the same time.

 

Neither was going after the troll, both liked not having tanned rears, and both definitely liked not being in trouble, so they weren’t going anywhere.

 

The next morning, Hufflepuff and Gryffindor had mysteriously gotten house points.

 

December 10, 2008

 

The months that followed the fiasco settled into a strange rhythm, lessons growing harder, the Slytherins crushed Gryffindor in a humiliating defeat of 600-150, Harry swearing he saw the Gryffindor captain crying before he went to celebrate Gryffindor’s defeat with the rest of his house.

 

Three nights later, Theo tipped off Filch that Draco was planning to trash the Trophy room when he heard him challenge Longbottom and Weasley to a midnight duel in the room.

 

Draco got caught red-handed by Filch and ended up costing Slytherin twenty points.

 

Harry and Caleb both exchanged letters with their mothers during the months, each letter always ending with the same thing: “Behave yourselves, we love you both and we will know if you don’t.”

 

Harry and Caleb weren’t stupid enough to challenge it.

 

By the final week before break, both boys were counting the days, both Theo and Blaise doing the same.

 

-

 

The journey on the Hogwarts Express was filled with laughter, sweets, and chaos as trunks clattered, owls hooted, and the corridors filled with goodbyes. Harry and his friends were sitting with Caleb, who had his nose in a Charms theory book “Do you ever stop studying?” he demanded.

 

“Do you ever start?” Caleb shot back with a smirk, Harry throwing a chocolate frog at him that he caught without looking up.

 

“I hate you.”

 

“No, you don’t.”

 

As the train slowed as it entered King’s Cross, both brothers leaned out the window, scanning the crowd before spotting their parents standing there with their siblings, both Caleb and Harry bolting for them the second they spotted them.

 

The moment they reached them, Katherine caught them both in her arms, laughing happily as she spun them around. She kissed their foreheads “You’ve both grown so much, Merlin. I missed both of you.”

 

Caleb and Harry would normally complain they were too old for public affection, couldn’t help but cling to her like they were five again, breathing in the familiar scent of perfume.

 

Then Winter wrapped her arms around them all, a hint of pride in her voice, “Well done, you two. No detentions, broken limbs, or letters from your heads of houses or the headmaster.”

Harry muffled a laugh into her shoulder as Katherine cupped both their faces in her hands, eyes shining, “Welcome home, sweethearts.”

 

December 24, 2008

 

Christmas at the manor was always a different kind of magic on its own, no portraits or ghosts, just the sounds of the children laughing as they played in the snow, Harry and Caleb making sure the toddlers didn’t get swallowed by the snow before they all went in for hot chocolate.

 

Samuel, however, had flopped into the armchair with a sigh so loud it made their mama raise an eyebrow as she looked up from her knitting “It’s so unfair!” Samuel declared, “We’ve been waiting to go our entire lives, and Hogwarts still says we can’t go until next year!”

 

Olivia, sitting cross-legged on the rug, nodded solemnly, “It’s discrimination against the youth!”

 

Caleb snorted from the sofa, “It’s the rule, you’ll survive one more year.”

 

Harry leaned against the doorframe, grinning, “Maybe if you’re lucky, you’ll get sorted into my house.”

 

Olivia wrinkled her nose “Slytherin sounds slimy.”

 

Katherine, walking by with the tray of cocoa, smirked, “I was a Ravenclaw, and I assure you they’re all slimy sometimes.”

 

Winter smirked and muttered that she would make her pay for that comment later that night when the kids were asleep, Caleb and Harry wrinkling their noses as Samuel and Olivia looked confused at each other.

 

Meanwhile, Ben and Sophia, the youngest members of the family, had attached themselves to their older brothers and refused to be far from them.

 

Sophia refused to let go of Harry’s leg, while Ben followed Caleb everywhere, mimicking his every move with stubborn determination.

 

When Caleb tried to read a book, Ben threw it across the room and sat in Caleb’s lap, thrusting a pop-up book in his face.

 

Harry tried to cover the snort that escaped him as Caleb shot him a dirty look.

 

By the time Christmas morning arrived, the house was buried under ribbons, wrapping paper, and squeals of delight.

 

Harry tore open his gifts: a few books,  a Slytherin scarf, several gifts from his mothers, sweets from his friends, and a small, plain wrapped box without a tag.

 

He frowned, pulling the paper away to reveal a neatly folded piece of shimmering silver cloth that rippled like a liquid.

 

Caleb leaned closer “That’s not ordinary fabric.”

 

Harry touched it and his hand disappeared, his eyes widening, “Bloody hell!:

A warning tap was landed on his rear, and both boys jumped to see their mother standing there. “Language.” Katherine said sternly before they saw what Harry was holding, “Harry, where did this come from?”

 

“I don’t know, it was just with the rest of the presents.”

 

Both boys watched their mother exchange looks, something that frustrated both as both seemed to have entire conversations without saying anything whenever they did this “We’ll talk about this later,” Katherine said, taking the cloak and folding it over her arm “For now, why don’t you both help your siblings build that snow fort?”

 

Harry wanted to demand why they took the cloak, but one stern look from both of his mothers had them scrambling to do as they were told.

 

Later that night, Harry was lying in bed, reading a history book by moonlight, when a soft knock came at his door “Come in,” he murmured, and his Mum stepped inside, her white hair shining in the moonlight, the cloak in her arms.

 

Harry sat up instantly “You found out what it was?”

 

Winter smiled faintly, sitting beside him and pulling him into her lap “I already knew what it was, love. I’ve seen this before, in the hand of James before his death.”

 

Her eyes softened as she brushed his bangs from his eyes “Your father’s family vault is full of strange artifacts, and so is ours. I’m trusting you with this, but if I found out you’ve been caught sneaking around-”

 

“I won’t, I promise!”

 

“-then you’ll be one sore little boy.”

 

Harry flushed. “Yes, Mama.”

 

Winter tilted his chin up until their eyes met. “Don’t look so guilty, Harry. The keyword was ‘get caught’. I didn’t raise a Gryffindor, did I?”

 

Harry gasped in mock outrage, clutching his chest, “Mama!”

 

Her laugh was quiet as she pulled him tighter against her, pressing a kiss to his forehead “Good boy, now use it wisely or not at all.”

 

Harry nodded, burying his face against her shoulder for a moment longer than he meant to, his voice quiet, “I’m not too old for a bedtime story, am I?”

 

Winter smiled, “Never.”

 

January-May 2009

 

For most of the second term, Harry kept to his quiet rhythm of classes, studying, writing letters home, and long, thoughtful evenings in the library where Madam Pince patrolled at night.

 

He began in the Restricted Section, heart pounding the first time he dared unlock the chain with a whispered Alohomora.

 

The pages he found there weren’t as monstrous as stories that older years made them sound; they were knowledge, plain and terrible in their clarity.

 

Curse structures, ritual circles, theories on the boundaries of life and death, he never tried anything beyond the pure theory, but he still took notes of everything, every diagram was a map to power and brilliance, and Harry craved to know each one “Dark doesn’t mean evil, it just means forbidden,” he whispered to himself every night.

 

By spring, the castle had fallen into another swirl of gossip, and rumors spread that Weasley, Longbottom, and Diggory had been caught sneaking a dragon out of the castle.

 

Even for the wizarding world that was absurd.

 

Malfoy had been smug for days afterwards, even though he had ended up in detention with all of them for trying to catch them.

 

Harry was just grateful he kept his nose out of it when he learned they were doing detention in the Forbidden Forest.

 

If my mothers ever found out I’d been in the Forest at night, I'd be lucky to survive the lecture, not to mention the tanning and grounding afterwards.

 

Exams came and went in a blur after that, Harry finishing early in every subject and getting a half smile from Professor Snape that felt more like grudging approval than any real praise.

 

He was returning to the library one evening when he heard them.

 

“Snape’s going after the Stone tonight!” Weasley hissed.

“We’ve got to stop him!” Longbottom’s voice came, a hint of panic in his voice.

“We’ll get through the traps, we’ve practiced. We're going to the third floor tonight.”

 

Harry froze in the shadows What Stone?

 

Curiosity clawed at him, sharp and dangerous. He knew better, every instinct and lesson learned from his mothers told him to stay out of it, but another voice whispered in his head Knowledge is power, and you don’t learn by waiting for someone else to tell you the story later.

 

So when the three snuck to the floor that night, they had an invisible follower.

 

He made sure every move was precise; he moved when they did, timing each step between theirs.

 

He slid through the trapdoor after he heard them escape whatever was below, a quick Incendio sending the Devil’s snare away from him.

 

He stayed invisible in the key room, watching Weasley catch the ring.

 

He watched as Weasley took the hit on the Chessboard, stepping over the unconscious boy when the other two left him for the next room, dodging the returning Diggory as she went back for Weasley.

 

With a muffled Frigoris Ignis, he went through the flames after Longbottom.

 

Quirrell was there, Longbottom unconscious nearby, his wand still in his hand.

Quirrell spun around, sensing his presence as he demanded to know who was there.

 

Before he could think, Harry raised his wand and cried out, “CONFRINGO!”

 

Quirrell’s body was shredded as it was launched through the mirror, a wraith made of smoke coming from his body and howling in rage as it went through the ceiling, vowing vengeance against the unknown assailant.

 

“What the hell was that?” Harry muttered before he saw it, a small red stone beside the mirror.

 

He picked it up, turning it in his hand.

 

No warmth, no hum of magic. It was a fake.

 

Harry threw it to Longbottom’s body in disgust “What a waste, I could have been reading about dark hexes the entire time.”

 

He threw the cloak back over himself just as Dumbledore came in, Harry swearing the old man saw him before he carried Longbottom and the Stone out of the room.

 

Gryffindor ended up winning the House Cup thanks to Dumbledore giving out some last-minute points, much to the Slytherins’ outrage.

 

When Harry and Caleb got off the train, they both ran to their mothers, who both wrapped them in their arms, kissing their foreheads.

 

“So, you didn’t do anything dangerous with that cloak, did you?” Winter asks as Harry flushed, “No, Mama.”

 

Katherine raised a brow, amused. “That pause was far too long.”

 

Both women laughed as they pulled the boys into their arms again, and soon the family was going through the portal, Harry vowing he’d be ready for whatever the school had in store for him next year.

Chapter Text

Summer, 2009- The Spanish Coast

Every morning, the Otter-Hawthorns woke up in their Spain summer home to the sounds of the sea and the gulls, followed by the smell of salt. The house itself had been built on a cliff, the house itself having patios that overlooked the sea, and Katherine and Winter had to spell them so that the children wouldn’t throw themselves off them into the ocean below. Katherine loved the garden terraces; Winter loved the silence after the children went to play downhill and the toddlers were down for a nap upstairs.

Harry, Caleb, Samuel, and Olivia were rarely dry, from dawn until the heat grew unbearable, they dashed barefoot across the sand. Caleb’s hair stuck to his face so much that Winter and Katherine threatened to hold him down and give him a haircut, Olivia swam like she had been born to the water, Samuel simply floated on his back, his white hair flashing under the sun; Harry dove deep, staying under long enough to make the others think he’d drowned before surfacing with a grin and shells, though his mothers scolded him and threatened to ban him from the ocean the first time they saw this.

From the patio above, Winter would watch them play, muttering how they’d come back as prunes, Katherine laughing as she rocked Ben and Sophia in her lap, “Better that than bored, you remember what happened the last time they were bored indoors?”

Winter groaned at the memory of the prank war that had their entire house destroyed and covered in paint that took hours for the kids to clean up.

-
Dinner that night was an easy affair: fresh bread, grilled fish, and sweet peppers. The children collapsed afterward into tired piles in the living room, and it was only when the stars appeared that Harry and his were shooed to bed.

He only meant to change into something dry and maybe write a quick letter to Theo and Blaise, but when he opened the door, he saw a pair of enormous eyes staring at him from his bed.

Harry froze “All right, either I’ve had too much sun or there’s a strange creature sitting on my bed.”

“Harry Potter, sir!” squeaked the thing, “So good, so wonderful, to be seeing you at last, sir! I is Dobby the House Elf!”

Harry shut the door quietly, the absurdity settling over him, and he certainly didn’t want his mothers in here asking questions he didn’t know the answer to.

“Dobby must warn you, sir, terrible things are going to happen at Hogwarts this year! You must not go back!”

Harry blinked “That’s rather vague, terrible like bad food, or terrible like people dying?”

“Dobby cannot say, sir!” the elf’s ears drooped “But the danger is great! Dobby heard the master’s whisper, oh bad Dobby!” he smacked his head against the dresser with a loud thunk.

Harry winced and darted forward “Hey, stop that!” he caught the elf’s wrist mid-swing, firm but gentle “You can warn me without hurting yourself, I’m listening.”

Dobby froze, trembling, “You, you are listening, sir?”

“Of course, you came all the way to warn me, the least I can do is hear you out.”

The elf’s lip quivered “Harry Potter is too good, too noble. But you must promise, sir! Do not go back to that school!”

Harry’s mind was already racing, spells flicking through his thoughts in a breakneck speed “I can’t promise that, Dobby, but I can promise I’ll be careful.”

“Harry Potter is noble and kind,” he said miserably, “but Dobby sees that he will not listen, Dobby must stop him!”

Harry tensed “Excuse me, stop me how exactly?”

The elf’s eyes filled with something between apology and fear “You leave Dobby no choice, sir!”

Before Harry could move, Dobby snapped his fingers.

A piercing shriek tore through the house, the sounds of glass shattering and an ear-piercing scream, making his ear ring and Harry fall to his knees as the cries of Ben and Sophia joined the scream, Harry lunging at the creature, but Dobby disappeared with a pop!

“Harry James Otter-Hawthorn-Potter! What on Earth was that young man?” his mother’s voice came from downstairs as his Mama burst through the door.

Harry groaned as he facepalmed, he was in so much trouble.

September 1, 2009

Green fire flared in the hearth as Winter brushed soot from her coat, holding one hand out for Sophia, who was perched on her hip and fascinated by the spinning emerald flames “Alright, Caleb, you’re next. Don’t dawdle, it’s crowded this year.” Winter said, indicating her oldest.

Caleb straightened and grinned, “Got it, Mum.”

He tossed a handful of Floo powder into the fireplace, called out clearly, “King’s Cross Station, Platform Nine and Three-Quarters!” and vanished into a whirl of green light.

Harry was the last to go, shoulders tense and still sulking even after two weeks, he could still hear his mother’s voice in his head: You are not to be left alone until we understand what that elf wanted.

Katherine brushed ash from his sleeve as she looked at him with a mix of worry and love “You’ll feel better once you’re with your friends again, sweetheart.”

“Assuming the elf doesn’t come for round two.” Harry mumbled as his mother’s lips twitched, “Let’s hope not, go on now, I’ll be right behind you.”

Harry still felt guilty about ruining the vacation and ending it two weeks earlier than intended, though his mothers had assured him they didn’t blame him, even as they updated the wards around the house. At least they believed him about Dobby, which had been more than he expected.

Samuel, meanwhile, was struggling with his trunk until Winter lifted it easily with a flick of her wand “Mum!” he protested, though the grin betrayed how much he was grateful.

“Let me help while I can, love. You’ll be doing enough heavy lifting with your books.”

Olivia was next, dragging her trunk with determination while Katherine fastened Shade’s cage in the upper shelf, the dark-feathered owl glaring at her from inside. Olivia’s ginger cat, Pumpkin, was curled atop the trunk, tail flicking as he watched them lazily.

“Alright, the trunks and animals are secured. Try not to let them go wild this year.” Katherine said.

“No promises,” Olivia said, smiling sweetly.

Caleb rolled his head while Apollo, his growing direwolf pup, padded quietly beside him, silver fur catching the light as the wolf gave a soft huff, brushing his muzzle against Winter’s leg before circling and flopping near Harry, who had Nerris coiled lazily around his torso, the serpent flicking his tongue at the wolf as Apollo yawned in response.

“Peaceful as ever,” Caleb murmured dryly.

“Remember to write once you’re settled.” Katherine said, smoothing Samuel’s white hair before stepping back.

Winter pulled them all into fierce hugs. “And stay out of trouble this year, all of you.”

“Promise, Mama,” the four kids muttered as she kissed their foreheads before the two women stepped off the train, and soon enough, the train took off, Theo and Blaise joining them soon afterwards.

“The famous twins of Slytherin and Ravenclaw,” Blaise announced with a smirk, “We were beginning to think you decided to skip this year.”

Caleb scowled, “Our mothers would have made us due to Harry’s constant supervision if we didn’t beg and plead for days.”

“Oi, it wasn’t my fault a house-elf blew out all the windows in the house and woke up the twins just to keep me from going to school.”

Theo raised an eyebrow as he took the seat opposite Harry. “You’re joking.”

“Wish I was.”

The laughter that followed was easy and familiar, the tension of the last few weeks fading as the train carried them from London as the rest of the journey passed without incident.

Hogwarts Castle, that evening

By the time the train screeched to a halt, twilight was spilling across the horizon. The air was crisp, and the black lake seemed to stretch forever under the stars to Samuel and Olivia.

Samuel and Olivia were ushered toward the boats with the other first years, both wide-eyed and excited, while Harry, Caleb, Theo, and Blaise joined the older students in climbing the carriages drawn by something that none of them could see.
Two hours later, they sat at the Ravenclaw and Slytherin tables, watching as the first years were brought into the Great Hall, the enchanted ceiling glittered above them, lightning flashing as McGonagall held up the hat as she called names, “Lovegood, Colin!” was called as a young boy with a camera around his neck eagerly put the hat on, joining Gryffindor a second later, while his sister Luna joined Ravenclaw.

“Otter-Hawthorn, Samuel!”

Harry straightened, spotting his brother stiffly walking and sitting as the hat was placed on his head, after a few seconds’ pause, the hat called out “RAVENCLAW!”

Caleb and the others clapped loudly, grinning from ear to ear as Samuel sat next to his brother.

“Otter-Hawthorn, Olivia!”

Harry leaned forward, holding his breath as Olivia sat on the stool, clutching her robes nervously before the hat bellowed “GRYFFINDOR!”

The Gryffindor table erupted in cheers as Olivia’s face split into a radiant grin, she glanced across the hall towards her brothers, Caleb giving a thumbs up, Harry smiling faintly as Samuel waved.

“Looks like you got a little lioness in your home now.” Blaise said with a grin.

“Guess so, Mum’s going to love that.” Harry muttered.

September 2, October 31, 2009

For the first two months of term the school was remarkably quiet, or as quiet as a school full of teenagers could be.

Harry found the rhythm of second year falling into place: Classes, homework, letters to his mothers and watching over his younger siblings.

Theo made the Slytherin Quidditch team as Seeker, which caused more drama than anticipated. Draco Malfoy, having expected the position himself, had turned up to tryouts with a smug grin and a handful of Nimbus 2001s courtesy of his father.

It would’ve worked if Theo hadn’t outflown him in every trial with the Nimbus 2000.

When Snape listened the final lineup and Malfoy wasn’t listed as Seeker, his face went white, then red with anger.

An unspoken war began the next day.

It started small, hexed quills, snide comments, a few missing potion ingredients, and notes. Then it escalated into full-on curses, jinxes, and hexes in the middle of the common room. Blaise and Theo seemed to take joy in hexing Malfoy, while Harry alternated between Crabbe and Goyle.

“ENOUGH!”

Snape’s voice echoed through the common room, everyone turning to see him standing in the entrance. “I have tolerated hexed cauldrons, enchanted quills, and your pathetic feud long enough. Ten points from each of you and you will all report for detention this weekend together.”

Malfoy opened his mouth, but one glare from Snape made him think better of it.

Blaise muttered “Well, at least we’ll all suffer equally.”

That night Harry recieved letters from his mothers “Harry, we raised you better than to use your cleverness for childish feuds, do better- Mum” “You’re smarter than this love, try not to prove Gryffindors right about Slytherins. We’re proud of you, when you’re not in trouble at least.”

Outside of their bruised egos, life at Hogwarts was relatively calm except for Professor Lochart.

The man was insufferable, every class was a vanity project; every question somehow went back to him and worse of all he decided Harry was his protege, making him act out scenes from his books as Harry silently thought of all the ways he could send the man to the hospital for the next few years.

Lockhart had gleefully declared he had the right hair when Harry demanded to know why it was always him.

Caleb and his two best friends fell out of their chairs in laughter.

Halloween Night

The feast had just ended, Harry having stuffed himself with food and on the way back to Slytherin Common Room when they saw Longbottom, Weasley and Diggory standing underneath a petrified Mrs. Norris, and painted above the cat were the words “THE CHAMBER OF SECRETS HAS BEEN OPENED, ENEMIES OF THE HEIR BEWARE!”

It was there that Dumbledore ushered the Golden Trio away, Nerris hissing under is breath about the King of Serpents awakening as Harry’s heart thudded

A few days later, in an effort to ease student anxiety, a dueling club was announced, though excitement dimmed when Lockhart was revealed to be one of the teachers.

Snape, to everyone’s surprise, had agreed to help.

That should have been the first warning.

Lockhart had beamed as he strutted onto stage in bright lavender robes “Welcome, students, tonight we learn the noble art of self-defense, in the unlikely event you’ll be attacked by dark creatures or worse… ungrateful fans!”

Snape looked like he was considering the best way to kill Lockhart in the most painful way possible.

After a short and disastrous demonstration between the two professors, Lockhart called for Volunteers, choosing Longbottom and Malfoy.

Harry winced, Longbottom looked nervous and Malfoy looked far too eager.

Draco disarmed Longbottom before Lockhart was done counting down, Lockhart oblivious to the murder in the blonde’s eyes as Lockhart called for round two, Malfoy summoning a snake this time.

The snake went for Justin Bones, who paled as Lockhart panicked and blasted the snake into the air, making it even angrier as it rounded on Harry.

Harry felt Nerris stiffen against his ribs, every instinct screaming at him to speak to the snake and command it to leave him alone, the words burning in his throat when he heard his mother’s voice Harry, promise me, whatever you do, never speak parsletongue where others can hear, not all will understand.

Harry clenched his jaw and lurched away before Snape’s Diffindo took the snake’s head off, Harry breathing deeply as his two friends and siblings flocked to him.

November-February

The following months were anything but peaceful.

Classes carried on but the castle seemed different now; everyone was restless and uneasy. The attack had everyone on edge, whispers about the Heir of Slytherin and the chamber in every conversation.

Harry tried to keep his head down, focusing on lessons and the forbidden books in the library, though neither brought the joy as before.

Then came the Slytherin vs Gryffindor match.

It should have been simple; Theo trained for weeks alongside the Quidditch Team. The stands were packed that day, but something was wrong. When the whistle blew, one of the bludgers acted strangely, it didn’t fly naturally.

The bludger locked onto Harry, its movement erratic as it slammed into the seat next to him, Harry barely dodging as it came for another hit. Harry and the other students panicked as it went for a third strike, only to be blown to pieces.

Snape stood above them all, an enraged look on his face.

The stands were quiet, and even the teams were stunned at what had just happened.

“Match cancelled! All students return to your dormitories immediately!”

Harry didn’t remember being led off the pitch; he only remembered the pain in his leg and the pale faces of his siblings and friends.

The next morning, his mothers stormed into Dumbledore’s office, the walls shaking as Winter and Katherine screeched their rage at him.

“YOU CALL THIS A SCHOOL?! A CURSED BLUDGER ALMOST KILLED OUR CHILD!”

Dumbledore’s calm tone only made it worse. “I assure you, all measures are being taken, Katherine-”

“THAT’S NOT ENOUGH. YOU’RE SUPPOSED TO KEEP THEM SAFE!”

Harry stood quietly behind them with his siblings, half mortified and embarrassed.

“I’m fine.” Harry muttered, but that only made his mothers whirl on him in fury, “You are not fine, Harry James Otter-Hawthorn-Potter! You could have died!”

“One more incident like this and you’re all coming home.”

That night, Colin Lovegood was found petrified.

The boy had been found on the staircase with his camera, eyes frozen with shock and horror.

It helped Olivia the hardest; she had been making friends with him over the last few months. She stopped sketching for days afterwards.

Christmas Break

The Castle felt hollow without the laughter, and their mothers came to collect them the day before they were supposed to leave the school for home.

At home, Harry and his siblings tried to pretend things were normal. They played in the snow, helped cook and decorate, tried to make their mothers smile, but every time the school was mentioned, their expressions tightened.

“We’re considering keeping you at home and teaching you next term,” Katherine announced one day, the room going silent before Harry and his siblings exploded.

“WHAT? NO! WE CAN’T JUST LEAVE!”

“MUM, MAMA WE’LL BE CAREFUL WE PROMISE!”

“PLEASE DON’T MAKE US QUIT, WE’LL STAY TOGETHER, WE’LL BE SAFE!”

“WE’LL WATCH OUT FOR EACH OTHER!”

 

The two women finally relented, but they sent the kids to school with one final warning “If anything happens again, you’re all out of that school for the rest of the year.”

-
They weren’t even back two weeks before disaster struck again.

Justin Bones was found petrified outside the library, his face twisted in fear.

And then came the worst blow of them all.

Samuel was found petrified in the Library.

Harry felt his world fall apart.

Harry couldn’t breathe when he saw him. Olivia screamed until her voice broke, and she sobbed into Caleb’s chest, Caleb having just finished punching the walls until his knuckles bled, crying softly as he held their sister.

Their mothers were inconsolable, Katherine throwing herself over the petrified Samuel as she sobbed this was all their fault, Winter screaming herself hoarse at Dumbledore before she joined her wife in sobbing over their frozen son.

Harry stood in silence, anger, guilt, and grief filling him. It wasn’t fair. Samuel had always been careful, smart, and brave. Now he was-

No, he couldn’t finish that thought. He would fix this somehow.

That night, Harry knelt by his window, Nerris coiled around his arm. “Help me find whoever’s doing this, please,” he begged.

His tongue flicked, tasting the air. The scent of fear is thick, and blood lingers in the dark places. I will watch my bonded one.

And she did, for days Nerris slithered through the halls, unseen and silent until one night past midnight Harry woke to her urgent whisper The Red-haired one, the small one. She bleeds the roosters again.

Heart pounding, Harry threw on his cloak and followed her to the chicken coop outside near Hagrid’s hut.

Moonlight spilled over the lawn as inside the coop, the faint sound of clucking and sobs could be heard.

He pushed the door open and froze.

Ginny Weasley stood there, her hands red to the wrists, tears streaking her pale face as she wrung the neck of another rooster; around her feet were the bodies of dead roosters.

“Ginny?! What in Merlin are you doing?!”

She turned, eyes blank and black as the night sky, and for a heartbeat, something wrong looked out from behind them.

Harry lunged forward, slamming her against the wall and putting his wand against her throat.

Ginny’s eyes cleared, confusion and terror flickering in them as she gasped for breath. “I, I don’t know, I can’t stop, I can’t remember!”

“WHAT DO YOU MEAN YOU CAN’T REMEMBER?”

“THE DIARY, Tom, his name is Tom, he talks to me! He makes me forget, he makes me do things!”

Harry’s stomach turned to ice. “Where is it, Ginny? Where is the diary?”

Her trembling hand reached into her satchel and pulled it out, Harry snatching it out of her hand.

It felt wrong, abnormal, evil.

It was an abomination.

Ginny collapsed to the floor, sobbing into her hands, “I didn’t mean to, I didn’t know what it was, he said he was my friend!”

Harry stared at the diary, every instinct screaming at him to throw it away, even as he forced his hand to tighten around it. “I’ll take care of it, you’re done with this, you hear me, Ginny? No more.”

She nodded weakly, tears streaking her cheeks as she whispered, “Please, please help me.”

-

March-April

The days after he got the diary blurred together; the image of Ginny Weasley’s terrified face haunted him every night.

Nerris whispered warnings about the book he couldn’t understand, and so a week later, he did the only thing he could think of: he took it to Snape.

Harry plopped the book on his desk. “And what, may I ask, is this exactly?” Snape asked with a raised eyebrow.

Harry hesitated, “Something dangerous, I found it in the possession of a student who didn’t know what it was doing to her.”

Snape studied him, sharp and silent, before taking the book with a gloved hand. He turned it over once, then looked at something close to alarm behind his usual mask. “Did you write in it?”

Harry shook his head. “No, it talks she said. I think it’s cursed. It feels evil.”

For a moment, Snape said nothing, then told him he did the correct thing and dismissed him.

-

For the next two days, Hogwarts was in a panic. Dumbledore was gone for long stretches, and students were terrified to leave the common rooms.

Then, without warning, Dumbledore announced he was closing the school early as the Ministry would be inspecting the school from top to bottom.

Healers came and took the petrified students to St. Mungos, Harry and his remaining siblings being ushered out of the school by their mothers.

They didn’t allow them out of their sights for days.

-

No one ever learned the full story.

Rumors spread about dark wizards, ancient monsters, and even Salazar Slytherin rising from the grave to haunt Hogwarts.

Then two weeks later, the Daily Prophet announced that the Aurors and Dumbledore found and killed the creature responsible for the attacks, and the school would reopen in September.

A month later, Harry and his family were surrounding an unpetrified Samuel, the boy whining and protesting even as they ignored him, their mothers sobbing and alternating between kissing his forehead and the foreheads of their other children.

For the first time in months, Harry felt like he could breathe.