Treason 1/2
Harriet Iolanthe Potter staggered down the chimney just before falling to her hands and knees. Her nose began to drip blood rapidly, staining the exquisite carpet under her hands. Although her tears had already reached the carpet long before the blood. She could see the contrast of her blood droplets against her clothing of a beautiful shade of red that was associated with the Potter family.
The sound of footsteps sounded behind the door before it swung open with six wands pointed at her. The women let out cries of astonishment and quickly approached her. Narcisa Black's warm hands enveloped Harriet tightly and securely. The other young woman stared in horror at the ragged black locks that less than an hour ago had been her splendid thick hair.
She had never cut her hair before, ever. Every night her father… A sob rose from her throat as she felt weak and small. She felt unprotected, alone like never before.
Walburga Black's hand caressed Harriet's head.
-My girl. What happened to you? Who has attacked you?
Harriet gasped for breath through the blood and pain that coursed through her like a hot iron plate pressed directly against her magical core. The pain of losing her hair in which so much magic she had poured out was killing her.
Literally
-Orion, go tell Charlus...
- NO!!!! --- Harriet screamed and thrashed, even though her whole body ached. - No….
- Harriet, was it your father? Has Charlus cut your hair? – Orion leaned down to her height to talk to her
Harriet nodded and could see the anger on the Black heir's face. After all, Lord Arcturus Black was still alive.
- I'm closing the house. We will reject any owl that comes from the Potters except Hedwig! – At the words of the owner of the house, Harriet heard magic locks go through the house. Then the floo died down and Harriet saw Orion give Kreacher an order.
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A few minutes later, Harriet was feeling better thanks to Narcissa's first aid. Then she was able to identify the wizards present. The Black marriage formed by Walburga and Orion, Narcissa, Lucius Malfoy, Bellatrix and…. Regulus.
He was seeing her so ugly, so horrible. She had always made sure that she was beautiful to him. She was not vain, but she wanted to be as beautiful as possible for her beloved husband-to-be.
Between her hands was a glass of hot spiced wine with a calming potion for her nerves. And she could feel the potion taking effect
-Harriet. What happened? What was so serious that Charlus did this to you?
Harriet looked at the glass in her hands. Her father had changed, four years ago he was no longer the same man who had raised and loved Harriet. He wasn't. He was no longer her father, she could never again see the man who had mutilated her in such a way as a father.
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Harriet thought it all started after her mother's funeral. Her father had not been a fan of the old ways, traditions and customs. But he had practiced them out of respect for his wife. But after the death of her mother, her father had abandoned the ancient traditions and James had accompanied him.
It hurt Harriet's soul to know that she was alone celebrating the parties she had grown up with while her father listened to every word that came from Albus Dumbledore's mouth about the benefits of change and progress. And then her father had taken in Sirius Black, stealing him from his family.
Harriet had come to apologize to the family of her mother's birth and the one she would marry on her twentieth birthday. She and Regulus Black had been courting lightly since they were thirteen years old. When the time came for Harriet's society debut, the Black family had sent a proposal to marry her to Regulus.
Her mother was happy that her daughter returned to her birthplace, but had hoped to catch the heir and not the second son. Still, Dorea could see how much Harriet loved Regulus, and how deeply she was loved in return. So Dorea convinced Charlus to sign a marriage agreement that only Dorea or Harriet could change.
Following Sirius' escape, Harriet had gone to apologize on behalf of her family to Regulus and her future in-laws. They had sworn by the magic in their bodies that they didn't hold a grudge against her and that Sirius' decisions were Sirius's fault alone. So Harriet had tried to be as diplomatically correct as she could while she and Regulus continued to court her and Sirius continued to live in her house.
But everything had gotten more and more complicated over the last year, until her father lost all respect for her and her beliefs and cut off her hair.
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Harriet came back to reality and shivered
-Dad…. Father has been trying to convince me to change the marriage contract for a week. Dad…. Father wanted me to cancel it.
Harriet noticed Regulus tense.
- Cancel it? Does that crazy man think that we Blacks are unworthy enough to break a contract with our house?! – Walburga straightened up along with Bellatrix. They loved the House of Black more than anything. - This insult will not go unanswered!
-Why did he want to cancel it? --- Regulus took Harriet's hands in his and she looked into the eyes of her beloved. She saw the hellfire pit that was his love and his devotion to her in those silver eyes in which she had always been able to read her fiancé's heart.
How she wishes she could let herself be consumed by this man, knowing full well that she would be loved and respected until the day one died. That his love would burn her with intensity, but that he would never harm her. That the cruelest side of those flames was destined for those who harmed her, never for her
-Father wants to adopt Sirius, and it occurred to him that the best way is to marry us both and for Sirius to enter the family as my consort husband. And it doesn't help that Sirius has "fallen in love" with me in the last year. No matter how many times I reject him, he always comes back. I have to seal my rooms whenever I'm not in them or at night. Father turned a deaf ear to my complaints and I had to put Dobby to protect me to avoid the incessant flirting. --- Tears slid down Harriet's cheeks. – Even though he knew I was engaged and I rejected him
Lucius puffed out his chest proudly. He had given Harriet that little house elf because he was totally crazy and Harriet liked things interesting. Somehow the two of them had fit together very well and the elf was the fiercest protector of his young lady.
- Your brother didn't do anything? – Narcisa was pale as a sea shell. If she received unwanted attention from a man, her father would kill him, Lucius would hide the body, Bellatrix would prepare alibis for them, and her uncle Orion would make sure the Aurors didn't investigate them. She knew that she would be protected.
That Harriet's father had consented to the harassment of his daughter in his own home was inexcusable. He had left her alone in the face of danger. And from the looks of it, James Potter hadn't helped his little sister either.
-James is with his crazy delusions since he fell in love with that woman. He thought if I ended my engagement to Reg and married Sirius we could be one big happy family. That I would be better off with Sirius. --- Harriet shuddered with disgust. – This morning, during breakfast, Sirius tried to touch my hair and I cast a curse on him. Father took me to another room and we started arguing.
Walburga closed her eyes, she knew how she was going to end this.
-Father said that the old customs were obsolete and of no… Of no real importance. I told him that they were important to me and I didn't want to break them. Father seemed to calm down and hugged me, I thought he wanted to end the discussion. But…. My hair… He cut it… --- More tears slid down Harriet's face as she buried her face in her hands and her shoulders shook with her sobs.
They all shuddered. Lord Potter had committed a crime against his own flesh and blood in the most base manner possible. A stab in the back of her at a time when she was unprotected. The complete breakdown of trust
-I… He left me on the floor crying. He said to stop being dramatic, that it was just hair. That Dumbledore said that the old customs were chains that prevented us from moving forward and that someday…. ---- Harriet took a deep breath. – That one day I would appreciate it. I felt my magic drain, I still feel it. I feel weak, naked, dirty, polluted, … As if I could never be clean again
Regulus stood up in a rage and raised his magic like a protective cloak around Harriet.
-I, Regulus Arcturus Black, invoke you, Mother Magic. Please listen to my pleas and judge the great injustice committed against my beloved. Mother Magic allows her to give up her family name and be adopted by name and magic into the Black line. Heal the damage done, I beg you
Orion got up and swore the same oath, as did everyone else in the room. Suddenly the air seemed to be water because of the amount of magic that saturated it. They all stood still, knowing what was happening
Mother Magic had answered the call
The entity approached Harriet and ruffled her hair. Then she brushed against her forehead and Harriet could feel the being's anger. But, as fast as it came, she disappeared. The air became breathable again, and Harriet felt a rustle behind her.
The men turned and Harriet looked behind her in disbelief. Then she took a strand between her fingers and brought it before her eyes. It was hair! Her hair had returned to the original length that she had had that morning!
Harriet just gave a wet laugh as Narcissa helped her pick it up easily, leaving the men to turn back. Harriet noted her hair, scanned the magic in the strands. There was no more Potter magic. Her hair was charged solely with Black family magic, as if Potter magic had never touched her.
She looked at the Black family tapestry. Her name was shining and changing, it was now Harriet Iolanthe Black. She united only with Dorea Black.
Strong man's arms took her from the sofa. Harriet blushed when her face was inches from Regulus's neck. But she didn't have the strength to lift her head from her fiancé's strong shoulder.
-Mother Magic has healed you. But you're exhausted and you need to rest. I'll take you to your bedroom. --- Harriet nodded and fell asleep in Regulus's arms.
Regulus left his fiancée on the bed in the room they were preparing for her to stay the night before her wedding. Regulus took Harriet's hand in his and kissed her knuckles gently, squeezing gently. He had almost lost her, by cutting her hair like that she wouldn't have been able to survive more than a few days. In his ignorance Charlus Potter had almost killed his daughter
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The boy entered the serious conversation causing a silence
- How is Harriet?
-Exhausted. She surely won't be able to do magic for several weeks. – Regulus sighed sitting down. – There were nine weeks left for our wedding, nine weeks. Why change things so late?
-Maybe they thought their time was up, my son. Doby. – An elf appeared before his father. --- You are Harriet's elf, not the Potters. Please collects all of Harriet's belongings and brings them here. From today, Harriet is one more of the Black house. And we'll celebrate bonding ahead of time
- I'll take care of the arrangements. Everything was already planned, paid and commissioned, all you have to do is set it up. – Walburga got up being followed by Narcisa and Bellatrix. – Ladies, you are ladies of the Black family. The best of the best, one of ours is going to link. We will make a ceremony worthy of the house of Black
The women smiled and stalked out of the room. Lucius sighed, knowing that Narcissa would be helping his cousin and she would be busy for a few weeks.
The house elf returned with Harriet's owl, the owl flew down the halls to her mistress and Dobby went to put the young lady into one of her pajamas and make sure all was well with her.
Fire glowed green and Cassiopeia Black appeared with an elegance and energy befitting her age.
-The portraits informed Arcturus and me. Go to the main house, he wants to discuss what to do with the Potters. I'll take care of the adorable bride, after all I'm the main line healer of the Black family.
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Three weeks later, before the entire Black family, the wedding ceremony between Harriet Black and Regulus Black was performed. Regulus watched his wife as they danced and remembered falling in love with her when he saw her with Aunt Dorea while she was out shopping when she was ten years old. He remembered his happiness at seeing her in Slytherin and how he pushed other suitors out of her way. A Black only loves once in his life and his love is as strong as Mother Magic.
Harriet's smile was beautiful and true. She was so happy to join the love of her life. No fear of Charlus Potter, no fear of her brother, and no fear of Sirius. Just her and Regulus. For eternity.
And the most damaging part of Regulus' flames of love would burn the Potters alive. Both Charlus and James as well as Sirius