Chapter 9
Harriet and Severus returned to Malfoy Manor from their trip to the bank. The teen ran. All she had ever been doing was thinking of how to save her son from the Headmaster's clutches. Her mind also drifted to what she experienced in the bank. She kept staring at the family rings, knowing she had become the most powerful witch in Britain.
Flashback:
It took a while for the teen to calm down. She apologized to the goblins and continued listening to how she could claim her inheritance. At first, everything was overwhelming for Harriet, but after they kept explaining, her fury rose against Dumbledore. It turned out that while Harriet was out working like a slave, Dumbledore basked in her fortune since he was her magical guardian. Gently bouncing her sleepy son, she snarled when she heard that Dumbledore used her money to pay many people to keep quiet about her situation or spy on her. "Also, Miss Potter, there is a marriage contract for you to marry Ronald Bilius Weasley once you are of age." The goblin said.
"I want that contract broken!" She snarled. "I will not be subjugated by that man any longer. I want every Knut they took, and I will claim my inheritance just to see the man grovel at my feet!"
Severus couldn't believe the hatred that Harriet spoke. He never imagined the Girl Who Lived- no, Lily's child, to say such words. He couldn't wait to strangle the man. He watched with immense pride as his daughter claimed most of her inheritance, becoming Harriet Lilliana Potter-Black-Peverell-Gryffindor-Slytherin-Ravenclaw-Hufflepuff-Emrys-Morgana. This most powerful witch had ever lived.
End of Flashback.
Harriet remained in the garden even after her child tired himself trying to catch the butterflies around him. "I will never let anything happen to you, Siri." She thought. "Dumbledore will not get away with all the things he has done." As SJ played waving daisies to his mother, the mother playfully kissed the chubby hands, resulting in a giggling fit. The teen lay right next to the child, watching him sleep soundly without a care in the world. All she wanted was her son out of the war, but she knew she'd eventually have to pick a side. "Harriet," Someone called.
The teen took the attention from her son to see the man behind her. "Tom," She said.
"Severus told me you wanted to learn of my plans once I win the war," he said. May I?" Tom sat in front of her, and once she nodded, SJ's attention went directly to Tom playing with the buttons on his robes.
"Why is this boy so attached to me," Tom asked.
"Why do you ask, is he ruining your evil reputation?" She scoffed. "He... I don't know why he's acting this way."
Tom carried the little boy and sat him on his lap while the child kept playing with the sleeve's buttons. "So Tom, what are your big plans for the Wizarding World?"
He sighed, exasperated with the teen's attitude. "I have been trying to eliminate the Dark Magic restriction, promote the equality between creatures and wizards, and prevent the abuse of all wizarding children."
Harriet, with her eyes wide, asks, "So you don't want to kill all muggles and muggle-borns?"
"No, we need the muggle-borns so our community can grow stronger. Without them, our magic would eventually fade."
"If protecting was all you wanted, why the senseless murder," She asked. "Why do all the evil things Dumbledore praises the dark sect does?"
It was there that Tom realized he had fallen into Dumbledore's manipulations. He had been made a tool for the old coot's plans, and he followed them with a heartbeat. He clutched his hands, turning white, ignoring the infant whimpering next to him. It didn't take long for Harriet to start having a headache. "Tom," she yelled. TOM!"
He snapped out of his trance to see the girl in pain. "Forgive me, I—" he sighed. I lost my train of thought."
"Just try not to get angry. I don't like having a headache because of it," she said as she glanced at her son, now biting off the buttons from Tom's robes. She smiled when SJ snuggled closer, yawning with defeat. "He seems to like you," she said.
"It seems that way, doesn't it," He chuckled. "For what is worth, he is one adorable child. I see why you hid him from dear old Dumbledore."
Her eyes grew dark hearing Dumbledore's name, "All I know is that I need to get stronger... I can't keep running from Dumbledore. I want to see him suffer and burn his legacy to the ground!" She snarled, holding her son's boots tightly. Her mind drifted to all the times she wanted to protect someone following what their world, especially Dumbledore, wanted from her. It wouldn't surprise her that the whole ordeal between the Light and Dark was all... it was all a trick.
She couldn’t finally understand Tom's insistence on fighting her and why he needed her to fulfill her duties as a Gryffindor. Harriet's eyes watered at what the man could do to SJ. There was sadness in her eyes, but there was also determination to see the old man rot. Her attention drifted to Tom, who had a worried look in his eyes. “Tom,” she took a deep breath, “where did you hear the prophecy?”
He cocked an eyebrow, confused over the question, “Severus overheard it in an interview Dumbledore was conducting in a pub; why?” There, it dawned on him that he fell once again for Dumbledore’s manipulations. There, he realized the prophecy could be all a hoax; sadly, there wasn’t a way to prove it. “Dumbledore has played me like a fool. There is no prophecy.”
Harriet stared at the floor, realizing her stupidity. “At least you weren’t the only one who was a pawn in his plans. He threw me in an abusive environment, making me vulnerable to his manipulations,” She explained. “The worst part is I would continue to be manipulated if someone I love will or is getting hurt. I wouldn’t let anyone suffer or feel pain.”
“Ah yes, the hero complex of yours.” Tom chuckled. “That complex has ruined my time one too many times; at least now I can use it to my favor.”
“It looks like someone is a little tired,” She brushed a finger on his cheek as he yawned. “Would you like to take him to bed? He seems to be attached to you somehow.”
“Um- I, uh… I would love to.” He replied. His attention went directly to the little boy with green eyes. “Let’s get you ready for bed.”
“NO,” The child giggled.
“That’s no way to talk to an adult young man,” I smiled.
“P’ay wi’ papa!” He yelled. “SJ p’ay wi’papa!”
Both of them were shocked by the SJ’s words, not knowing how to react. Tom froze completely without words until Harriet carried SJ away from Tom. “No, want papa!” SJ yelled as Harriet took him away. “PAPA!”
“I’m sorry, I don’t know why he would say this,’’ Harriet said rapidly. “I- I’ll head back now.” Immediately, she left the Dark Lord in the garden speechless. There, he began to think about everything that had happened in the last few weeks. He thought of how he had changed since drinking the potion. He had regretted many actions, like killing the Potters, for instance. Another change was how he viewed his so-called enemy. Since he granted sanctuary and avenged her, he has noticed the beauty of Harriet Lilliana Potter. It amazed him how happy he became watching her laugh and how protective he was of her when he spent with her. With SJ’s revelation, he never thought a chance with the young woman was possible. He knew the boy was a seer. It would only explain how he warmed up to everyone after knowing who had been trying to kill his mother all these years. Yet, he never expected the child to welcome him to his family with open arms. Once it was dark out, Tom left for his office, where he left the house elves to pick up the picnic blanket. There, he started thinking of ways to destroy Dumbledore for what he had done to everyone in the Dark sect, especially what he had done to Harriet.
On the west side of the manor, the young mother was having trouble getting her son to bed. It took her at least two hours to bathe the boy when he kept fussing over having the Dark Lord around, and then it took another three hours for the child to have his dinner, throwing the purée to the floor and refusing to drink his daily meal. After five long hours, little Sirius was still crying, making his mother desperate. "SJ, please go to sleep," She said as she rocked him.
She continued rocking him until she heard a knock on the door. "Need any help, child," Severus said.
"He has been crying nonstop since this afternoon. He just won't stop, and I don't know what to do." She cried.
Severus gave her one of his rare smiles and took his grandson. "You need to rest after this stressful day," He replied. "I'll take care of the little one."
The teenager sighed, giving in to exhaustion, and went to bed. After ensuring she was asleep, Severus took the crying child from the room to the Dark Lord. "My lord," Severus said.
"Papa!" SJ yelled, trying to reach the Dark Lord. "Papa!"
The Dark Lord carried the child as he dismissed Severus. He watched SJ stop fussing, cooing, and grabbing the Dark Lord's robes tightly. "Hello, child, you were very fussy tonight, weren't you?" He hushed, "You are one mischevious child."
SJ giggled. "I'm surprised your abilities have flourished at such a young age." Tom continued to see the year-old asleep in his arms. "Goodnight, little one, sweet dreams."
With a smile, Tom kissed SJ's forehead and tucked him in his crib. Once tucked, Tom turned to see Harriet's sleeping figure and left a note for her to read in the morning. Without a second thought, he kissed her forehead, watching her smile brightening the room.