Chapter 2
A small, 4-year-old, black-haired boy called Harry James Potter was hiding. He and his aunt, Petunia Elaine Dursley, his uncle, Vernon Thomas Dursley, and his cousin, Dudley Vernon Dursley, were on a trip in Ireland. Harry quickly hid in the cave he saw on the cliff. Vernon had family in Ireland and he had come to visit them. During the visit, Petunia had insisted on visiting the Cliffs of Moher so Dudley wasn't stuck indoors the entire trip. Vernon's family insisted they take Harry with them as they didn't like the boy. The Dursleys hadn't wanted to take Harry on the trip at all but they knew they couldn't've left him behind as the neighbours would've talked. Dudley had tried to shove Harry off the cliff but Harry's accidental Magic, not that Harry knew that that's what it was, had instead pushed Dudley. Knowing the Dursleys would beat him for 'being a freak' again, Harry had ran and hid. Harry went further into the cave. He tripped and tried to stabilise himself on the side of the cliff but it didn't help. The harsh cave wall cut Harry's hand and he hit the ground. Then, Harry looked in shock as the cave wall disappeared. He went inside the previously hidden part of the cave and saw a lake with an island in the middle of the lake. Harry felt a shiver run down his spine as he stared at the island. Then, Harry saw a group of people who looked to be clearly dead crawl out of the lake and towards him. Harry thought others would be scared but he felt calm and strangely at peace. The group stopped and fell down in front of Harry. "Hi," Harry said to them.
"Hello, Master," the male corpse in front of Harry said to him. Harry sat down and looked at it.
"Master? What's your name?" Harry asked.
"Regulus Black," the corpse replied. "We call you Master as you are our Master. We can sense it. You are the rightful owner of one of the three Deathly Hallows. Also, you have a Horcrux of our last Master inside you."
"Deathly Hallows? Horcrux?"
"The Deathly Hallows are the three objects gifted by Death to three brothers. The eldest was gifted an unbeatable wand known as The Elder Wand, the middle brother was gifted a stone which could bring back loved ones from the dead known as The Resurrection Stone and the youngest was gifted Death's cloak of invisibility known as The Invisibility Cloak. The one who possesses all three objects will become the Master of Death. This is you. There is a prophecy about you."
"What prophecy?" Harry asked.
"'The Chosen One will rise when the Dark Lord falls. He will unite with the Queen's Knight to help the Queen achieve her destiny. He will be the descendant of the youngest Peverell and reunite Death's gifts once more. He will aid the Queen and her Knight in uniting the Dark Lord's Horcruxes and creating the Queen's Dark Lady. Together, they will defeat the Chessmaster parading as a paragon of Light. They will elevate those who deserve it and bring an end to the Light.'"
"But what is a Horcrux? And what are you?"
"Horcruxes are parts of one's soul inside an object or person and I am an Inferius. An Inferius, the plural being Inferi, is a reanimated dead body. The Dark Lord brought us back and you have his Horcrux inside you. We can feel it as he was our last Master. However, you are our true Master, as you are the future Master of Death."
"Oh."
"Once you accept us as yours, you'll be able to summon us whenever and wherever," Regulus said. "You'll even be able sense those who share blood with your Inferi."
"Wait, really? Cool! So, how do I accept you?"
"Place your right hand over your heart and repeat after me."
"Okay," Harry said and he placed his right hand over his heart.
"I, Harry James Potter."
"I, Harry James Potter."
"Hereby accept the Inferi before me."
"Hereby accept the Inferi before me," Harry repeated.
"And the bonds that come with them in their entirety."
"And the bonds that come with them in their entirety."
"Including but not limited to the blood bonds, the Slave-Master bonds and the protector bonds."
"Including but not limited to the blood bonds, the Slave-Master bonds and the protector bonds."
"So mote it be," Regulus finished.
"So mote it be," Harry finished and the Inferi and Harry were enveloped in a golden glow for a few seconds.
"It is done," Regulus said and Harry smiled at him.
...
I grinned as I heard the doorbell go. Estella had told me that Hogwarts always sent a Professor to the homes of Muggle-raised children to introduce them into the Wizarding World properly. This usually happened on the child's 11th birthday and today is my 11th birthday. I quickly made my way downstairs and into the living room where I saw my adoptive parents and a woman who, if Estella's descriptions were correct, was Professor McGonagall. "Hi," I said as I sat down next to my adoptive mother. I used to call them Mom and Dad, despite knowing I was adopted, but as I got older and they pulled away more, it just didn't feel right. "I'm Hermione."
"It's nice to meet you, Miss Granger. I'm Minerva McGonagall, Deputy Headmistress and Transfiguration Professor at Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry. I'm here to offer you a place for the next academic year."
"Why?" I asked her.
"You're a Witch, Miss Granger. Your name, along with all other Witch and Wizard children in England, is on the Magical Registry at Hogwarts. The moment a child is born, if they have Magic, their name appears in the Magical Registry. Most Muggles, Non-Magic folk, don't believe in Magic so I can do a demonstration if you want?"
"Yes, please," my adoptive mother said. Professor McGonagall turned herself into a cat and back. "Hermione's always been... Different... Could this have anything to do with her biological parents? Is Magic passed on through blood?"
"Most Magicals have Magical children. The children who aren't Magical but have Magical parents are called Squibs. They don't happen often, though. Some Non-Magicals have Magical children and they are referred to as Muggleborns... Are you telling me that you adopted Hermione?" Professor McGonagall said.
"Yes," my adoptive father responded. "Is there any way for Hermione to find her birth parents through Magic?"
"Yes, she could take a Heritage Test at Gringotts. It'll tell her any and all Magical relatives up to five past generations but if her family wasn't Magical, I'm afraid there's no way of finding out," Professor McGonagall said. "Now, I can either add Hermione to the group of Muggle-raised children going to get their school supplies on July 25th and take her with the others or I can give you a map and you can take her yourselves."
"Map, please," I said. My parents didn't disagree. They probably expected me to go on my own but I'll go with Estella.
"Of course, Miss Granger." Professor McGonagall created a map out of nowhere with her wand and passed it to me. "If that's all, I'll take my leave now."
"We'll show you out," my adoptive mother said as she and my adoptive father left the room with Professor McGonagall.
...
"Gringotts first, obviously, then I was thinking quills, parchment and ink. Then, Potions stuff, robes, my wand and lastly books because I know that that part's going to be my favourite," I said to Estella.
"Yes, Princess," she replied with an amused smile. "What about a familiar?"
"I don't want one yet. I can't choose between an owl or a cat but I can always use the owls at Hogwarts if I have to." When we reached Gringotts, we immediately requested a Heritage Test. The Goblin told me to prick my finger and drop a few drops of blood on the parchment. I did as I was told. Then, writing appeared on the parchment. I read the whole thing through once and then re-read the important parts.
Name(s): Cassiopeia Narcissa Black, Hermione Jean Granger.
Blood Status: Pureblooded Creature.
Creature Type(s): Pure Veela, Pure Siren.
Mother(s): Ruby Anastasia Sparks.
Father(s): Regulus Arcturus Black.
Godmother(s): Estella Chloe Grey, Apolline Gloriana Delacour.
Godfather(s): Severus Tobias Snape.
Magical Guardian(s): Albus Percival Wulfric Brian Dumbledore (Self-Appointed), Estella Chloe Grey (Chosen by Cassiopeia Narcissa Black).
Block(s): Metamorphmagus 100% Blocked, Animal Communication 100% Blocked, Creature Communication 100% Blocked, Natural Legilimens 100% Blocked, Natural Occlumens 90% Blocked, Siren Call 100% Blocked, Veela Thrall 80% Blocked, Veela Transformation 100% Blocked, Siren Transformation 100% Blocked, Elemental Magic 90% Blocked.
All Blocks were placed on Cassiopeia Narcissa Black by Albus Percival Wulfric Brian Dumbledore on August 31st 1981.
Ability/Abilities: Metamorphmagus, Animal Communication, Creature Communication, Natural Legilimens, Natural Occlumens, Siren Call, Veela Thrall, Veela Transformation, Siren Transformation, Elemental Magic, Astral Projection, Aura Sense.
Title(s): Princess of Veela, Princess of Sirens, Head of the Most Noble, Most Ancient and Most Reverent House of Ravenclaw, Head of the Noble and Most Ancient Houses of Black, Fawley, Prewett, Selwyn and Shafiq, Head of the Noble and Ancient Houses of Blackthorne, Stormworth, Carlton and Carmine and Head of the Noble Houses of White, Sallow, Alden and Fernsby.
"How do I remove these blocks?" I ask the Goblin before handing him the parchment. The Goblin looks at it, snarls and then grins.
"We can remove them but it'll cost five Galleons each. Also, if you wish, we can remove Dumbledore as Magical Guardian and have him replace everything he's taken from the Vaults without your permission or knowledge," the Goblin said with a greedy and satisfied grin.
"Yes to both, please."
"Of course," the Goblin said. "Now, your name in the Wizarding World was Cassiopeia Narcissa Black but it was changed in the Muggle World to Hermione Jean Granger and Hogwarts goes by Muggle legal names. Do you wish to change this? We can change everything to Cassiopeia but you will have to be the one to notify your Muggle guardians."
"Er... Yes. Yeah, I'd like that."
"From this point forward, your name in both the Muggle and Wizarding Worlds will be Cassiopeia Narcissa Black."
...
"Ok, I'm going to go get some cat food for Ameila," Estella said. Ameila was an adorable grey and black half-Kneazle kitten and Estella's familiar. "You'll be fine getting your robes on your own?"
"Yeah."
"When you're done, if I'm not already back, just wait for me in the robes shop. Okay, Princess?"
"Yes, Estella." Estella left and I entered the robes shop. There was a blonde boy and a black-haired boy sitting on stools. The shop owner had me sit next to the black-haired boy. "Hi, I'm Cassiopeia Black but you can call me Cassie. Are you two going to Hogwarts for first year too?" The blonde boy gaped at me.
"Black?" The blonde boy asked.
"Yeah." A blonde and black-haired woman and a blonde guy came over. They're clearly the blonde boy's parents.
"How, if you don't mind me asking, are you a Black?" The woman asked.
"My biological father was Regulus Black." The blonde boy and his family seemed surprised by this but the black-haired boy wasn't. In fact, he seemed smug, as if he'd thought that I was but I'd just proved he was right. I decided to listen to his thoughts using my Legilimency.
"I knew it! She has a stronger blood link to Regulus than the woman and the boy next to me. Though, the woman is of closer relation than the boy... I need to tell Regulus this when I get back. I love it when I meet people related to my Inferi but this is the first time I've met anyone related to Regulus. I wonder how she'd react if she found out her Dad was basically a Zombie..."