Chapter Two
15 August 1995, Grimmauld Place
“Honestly, I have no idea why Albus left the letters so late this year,” Molly muttered as she moved around the kitchen.
“Morning, ladies, gentlemen, and eldritch beings,” Aria said in the most cheerful voice she’d had all summer as she entered the kitchen, only to pause. “What’s wrong, Molly?”
“Dumbledore took a long time sending the Hogwarts letters,” Sirius informed her. “Mail’s on the table.”
Aria gave Sirius a suspicious look, before heading over to the table. Sure enough, she found her Hogwarts letter.
The rest of the house’s teenage occupants entered the room then, all freezing at the sight of Aria – who was usually the last one down, halfway through breakfast – but didn’t have long to ponder as Aria absently waved a hand, causing the mail to go to their intended recipients. She took five minutes to notice the deathly silence that followed. “Am I the only living being in this house?”
Sirius gave a bark of laughter. “Aria, you literally did wandless magic without even thinking of it.”
“Oh,” Aria muttered. “And what’s wrong with that?”
“The number of Brits that are capable of wandless magic is nearly non-existent. And here you are, doing it as if it’s the most natural thing in the world.” Sirius shook his head.
“Counter-argument incoming,” Aria declared as she looked Sirius in the eye. “Wandless magic is actually the most natural way to perform magic – if childhood accidental magic is anything to go by, as it’s entirely wandless – but the dependency on wands is because most wix are lazy.”
“I don’t have a counter for that argument,” Sirius conceded, backing down.
Aria smiled in a lopsided sort of way as she opened her Hogwarts letter, only to frown. “Slinkhard’s Defensive Magical Theory? Isn’t that written for, like, eight-year-olds?”
“Indeed,” Remus glared down at the letter in Aria’s hand, as if it had personally offended him. “Buy Slinkhard’s book, but study Redrow’s Advanced Defensive Magical Theory in private.”
Aria nodded, sitting down to have breakfast. After breakfast, Aria was surprised to see Sirius coming along with them on their shopping trip, strapping a band to his wrist. “Aren’t you, like, a wanted fugitive?”
Sirius rubbed a thumb over the runes on the band, and his appearance changed as the band went invisible. “I don’t know, am I?”
“Hmm… I guess not,” Aria conceded, before smirking. “I’m calling you Antares for the duration of the outing, unless you have a suggestion.”
“Could be worse,” Sirius shrugged. “Antares has never been used by any Black, as far as I know.”
15 August 1995, Diagon Alley
Aria shook her head, linking arms with Hermione as the group made their way to the Leaky Cauldron, and through to Diagon.
“I just remembered,” Hermione muttered as they walked past Eeylops Owl Emporium, “where’s Hedwig?”
Tears prickled at Aria’s eyes at yet another reminder of Harry. “At the house. She’s nesting in my room. Apparently, she’s claimed me as a good enough owner.”
When people noticed Aria, they seemed to want to offer her their condolences, almost converging on the group en masse. Sirius – in his Antares disguise – pulled Aria against his side, his wand dropping into his hand. Kingsley, Dora, and Bill also had their wands out. The two Aurors were off-duty, but that didn’t stop Kingsley. “Resume your prior activities, or I’ll have you written up for the harassment of a Peer, and a minor at that.”
Apparently, the thought of time in the Auror holding cells was enough to deter the crowd, and the group made their way to Gringotts. Inside, Aria turned to Hermione. “Antares and I have business to attend to, and I have no idea how long we’ll be. Meet up outside Flourish and Blott’s in an hour, or outside Fortescue’s in three?”
“Okay.” Hermione hugged Aria before walking off to exchange money, while Aria and Sirius went up to an empty teller, Aria surreptitiously reading the name plaque.
“Teller Redblade, may your vaults never empty,” Aria stated formally. “My companion and I are here for a meeting with Managers Gronuk, Silverclaw, and Bloodaxe.”
Redblade gave the disguised Sirius an assessing look, before nodding sharply. “Follow me.” He flipped his sign to closed, leading Aria and Sirius deeper into the main bank, until they got to a door with Account Manager Gronuk – Peverell, Slytherin & Stinchcombe Accounts on the plaque. Redblade knocked once, before opening the door. “Heirs Potter and Black present for the meeting.”
They were ushered in, and the door closed behind them. The room was spartan, the only hints of opulence in Gronuk’s office was his impressive collection of bladed weapons behind his desk, a testament to his age and prowess. There were six seats at the desk – including Gronuk’s behind it – and four were already occupied. Athanasius had stood up when Aria and Sirius entered, and he bowed formally. “Heir Potter, Heir Black, merry meet.”
“Merry meet, Heir Gaunt,” Aria returned formally, before looking at the managers. “May your fortune grow by each day, Managers Gronuk, Silverclaw, and Bloodaxe, and your enemies fear your blades.”
“May your enemies tremble at the sound of your name, Heir Potter,” Gronuk returned. “Let’s get to business. Time is money, after all.”
Aria inhaled deeply, before exhaling slowly, and explaining her plan of action. “…so technically, the two houses would be remembered by history, but they would no longer exist except as cadet branches that returned to the main family.”
Gronuk nodded, distinctly impressed. “That can be done. Is there anything else?”
Sirius took a deep breath. “I wish to blood adopt Aria.”
The resulting silence was so profound you could hear a pin drop, before Athanasius started chuckling. “Make that the two of us. I am, after all, old enough to be her father.”
The two men traded a look, before Sirius shrugged. “Two living parents. Not terrible.”
Gronuk studied the group. “Which blood adoption potion, Heir Black, Heir Gaunt? Do you merely wish to add yourself to her parentage, or to overwrite that of Lord and Lady Potter completely?”
“I’ll ask her, since she’s the one that has to drink it,” Sirius muttered before he looked down at Aria. “What do you think, Pyrite?”
“Overwrite,” Aria responded after a few minutes. “I mean, I’ll always remember Mum and Dad, but I can barely look at myself in the mirror without seeing the features of everyone I lost.”
Gronuk nodded. “Then it’ll have to be done after the Gaunt and Potter lines are reabsorbed, because that kind of magic will rewrite everything.” He took three rolls of parchment out. “You’ll have to do inheritance tests first. Yes, even you, Heir Black. Three drops of blood on the parchment.”
The three humans traded looks before doing as requested. Sirius’ took the least time, and Aria’s the longest.
Name: Sirius Orion Black
Born: 9 November 1959, 12 Grimmauld Place, London
Age: 35 years, 9 months
Status: Pureblood
Parents:
Orion Arcturus Black (father, deceased)
Walburga Irma Black (mother, deceased)
Titles:
Lord of the Most Ancient and Noble House of Black (paternal)
Vaults:
Black Heir Vault – 100,000 Galleons
Black Family Vaults – 2,589,540,500 Galleons, 2,986 artefacts, 380 books
Sirius Black Vault – 500,000 Galleons, 28 artefacts, 12 books
Magical Abilities:
Core Magic – Dark
Grim Animagus (form achieved 29 November 1975)
Limited Metamorphmagus abilities (limited to eye colour & skin tone)
Properties:
Black Townhouse, London, England
Black Manor, Lincolnshire, England
Black Villa, Greece
Black Castle, Cumbria, EnglandÂ
Marauders’ Cottage, Hidden Hebrides (½ ownership, split with Remus Lupin)
Padfoot’s Den, South Glamorgan, Wales                    Â
Magical bonds:
Godfather bond – Harry James Potter (broken by death, 24 June 1995)
Blood Brothers bond – James Charlus Potter (broken by death, 31 October 1981)
Godfather bond – Aria Iolanthe Potter
Pack bond – Remus John Lupin, Aria Iolanthe Potter (strained)
Notes:
Extensive mental damage from dementor exposure, please consult a Mind Healer ASAP.
“Interesting…” Sirius muttered as he traded tests with Athanasius, since Aria’s was still going.
Name: Athanasius Maclin Gaunt (formerly Tom Marvolo Riddle)
Born: 31 December 1926, Wool’s Orphanage, London
Age: 68 years, 7 months
Blood Status: Half-blood
Parents:
Merope Minka Riddle née Gaunt (mother, deceased)
Tom Riddle (father, deceased)
Titles:
Heir to the Most Ancient and Noble House of Gaunt (maternal)
Heir to the Most Ancient and Most Noble House of Peverell (maternal)
Heir to the Most Ancient and Most Noble House of Slytherin (maternal)
Lord of Dark Magics (magical bequest)
Vaults:
Gaunt Family Vaults – 49,840 Galleons, 29 artefacts, 88 books
Peverell Family Vaults – 15,394,783,250 Galleons, 3,840 artefacts, 807 books
Slytherin Family Vaults – 854,380,455 Galleons, 3,493 artefacts, 984 books
Magical Abilities:
Core Magic – Dark
Parseltongue
Eidetic memory
Necromancy
Wandless magic
Wordless magic
Natural Legilimens
Natural Occlumens
Properties:
Gaunt Shack, Little Hangleton, Lancashire, England
Gaunt Manor, North Yorkshire, England
Peverell Keep, Scottish Highlands, Scotland
Peverell Castle, Hidden Hebrides
Peverell Manor, Cumbria, England
Slytherin Castle, Hidden Hebrides
Serpent Haven, Scottish Highlands, Scotland
Magical bonds:
Familiar bond – Nagini (magical reticulated python)
Notes:
Resurrected via Bone of Father, Blood of Enemy ritual, 24 June 1995
Horcruxes forcibly reabsorbed during ritual, reabsorption forced by Death
“No wonder you were batshit insane,” Sirius muttered under his breath.
“I concede that,” Athanasius muttered as he pushed their inheritance tests towards Aria, who had read hers and handed it over.
Name: Aria Iolanthe Potter
Born: 5 September 1979, Potter Manor, Dorset
Age: 15 Years, 11 Months
Blood Status: Half-blood
Parents:
James Charlus Potter (father, deceased)
Lily Marie Potter née Evans (mother, deceased)
Titles:
Heir to the Most Ancient and Most Noble House of Peverell (dual)
Heir to the Most Ancient and Noble House of Potter (paternal)
Heir to the Most Ancient and Most Noble House of Slytherin (maternal)
Heir to the Most Ancient and Most Noble House of Stinchcombe (paternal)
Vaults:
Peverell Family Vaults – 15,394,783,250 Galleons, 3,840 artefacts, 807 books
Potter Family Vaults – 99,897,533 Galleons, 808 artefacts, 480 books
Slytherin Family Vaults – 854,380,455 Galleons, 3,493 artefacts, 984 books
Stinchcombe Family Vaults – 934,780,950 Galleons, 4,808 artefacts, 292 books
Magical Abilities:
Core Magic – Neutral
Parseltongue
Eidetic memory
Nature affinity
Water affinity
Necromancy
Shadow manipulation
Wandless magic
Wordless magic
Properties:
Peverell Keep, Scottish Highlands, Scotland
Peverell Castle, Hidden Hebrides
Peverell Manor, Cumbria, England
Potter Manor, Dorset, England
Potter Cottage, Godric’s Hollow, Gloucestershire
Slytherin Castle, Hidden Hebrides
Serpent Haven, Scottish Highlands, Scotland
Stinchcombe Castle, Tayside, Scotland
Magical bonds:
Sibling bond – Harry James Potter (broken by death, 24 June 1995)
Goddaughter bond – Sirius Orion Black
Pack bond – Sirius Orion Black, Remus John Lupin (strained)
Blood Sisters Pact – Hermione Jean Granger
Familiar Bond – Hedwig (snowy owl, transferred from Harry James Potter, 24 June 1995)
Notes:
Severe psychological trauma caused by the death of Harry James Potter, please consult a Mind Healer ASAP.
Sirius let out a bark of laughter at Aria and Athanasius’ matching incredulous looks. “What on earth has your faces like that?”
“How many of each type of property do we have between the three of us?” Aria muttered as she counted. “Six castles – because a Keep is technically a castle – four manors, and eight assorted properties. So, eighteen properties.”
“Isn’t that, like, a good thing?” Sirius arched an eyebrow.
“I’m an indecisive wreck, you utter dunderhead, even more so since I lost my brother. I’d never be able to pick a property to live in,” Aria snapped, before sagging. “Sorry, Pads. I’ve been sleeping like utter shit lately.”
“I get it,” Sirius pulled her into a hug as Gronuk pulled out an ancient piece of parchment.
“Heir Potter, Heir Gaunt, this is the original declaration of separation between the Gaunt, Peverell, and Potter families, signed on the 15th of August 1380, by Antony Peverell, Cassius Peverell-Slytherin – later Cassius Gaunt – and Ingrid Peverell-Stinchcombe – later Ingrid Potter,” Gronuk explained. “This document is also the declaration of reabsorption, which you will have to sign with the names you wish to use for the rest of your lives. Choose your names wisely, because they are difficult to change in the eyes of Magic.” He set the blood quill on top of the parchment. “Sign under your primogenitors’ names.”
Athanasius took a deep breath, before picking up the quill, and signing under Cassius Gaunt’s name with a flourish: Athanasius Maclin Peverell.
Aria took the quill, her eyes stinging as she hovered it above the line just below Ingrid’s name, before she signed in her spidery scrawl: Aria Iolanthe Peverell.
Her signature had barely dried before a sharp burst of pain shot through Aria’s chest, and she bit back a scream of pain, clutching her chest. “Fuck… Hurts…”
Athanasius was better off, but not by much. Sirius didn’t need to speak Parseltongue to be able to guess what Aria was saying, because her heavy breathing and whimpers of pain said enough on their own.
Athanasius gave Aria a worried look. “Just how much pain did this cause her?”
“Hard to say, but the sensation of her magical core being forcibly altered rather drastically as the Light aspects of the Potter family magic are ripped away by the reabsorption would be pure torture,” Gronuk stated simply, but his tone held a hint of sympathy.
Athanasius flinched, and gave Aria another worried look. When she opened her eyes, it took a lot of self-control to remain in his seat. “Aria, are you alright?”
“Feels like I got stabbed by a basilisk fang right in the heart,” Aria hissed out.
“Basilisk fang to the heart? Why, you certainly are creative in your similes,” Athanasius gave her a wry smile.
“My brother got bitten in the arm by one that was a thousand years old. If it wasn’t for the phoenix, he wouldn’t have been around as long as he did. I asked him to describe the sensation that summer, and it honestly felt like that, having my magical core warped that fast,” Aria groused.
“Sorry to interrupt your pleasant conversation,” Sirius drawled, “but I don’t speak Parseltongue.”
“She just explained why she feels like she’s been stabbed in the heart by a basilisk fang,” Athanasius summarised for Sirius.
“Good enough summary,” Sirius conceded, before falling silent as Gronuk took out the blood adoption potion.
“Seven drops of blood, gentlemen,” was the only explanation.
Sirius grimaced while adding his blood, but Athanasius didn’t even flinch while doing so. Aria eyed the potion with a nauseated look, before knocking it back in an attempt to prevent it from touching her taste buds, but didn’t quite succeed.
“This taste is godawful,” was the only thing she could get out before she was bent double, breathing heavily. Wavy shoulder-length dark brown hair gave way to curly hip-length platinum-streaked white, and her skin went from a rich tanned colour to the pale alabaster associated with the House of Black. But the most shocking change was when Aria looked up. Gone were the vivid centrally heterochromatic eyes – Avada green ringed with emerald – and what was in their place was even more unearthly for their beauty. Vivid arctic blue – nearly icy in their intensity – bled into a striking silver – a shade of silver that was closer to white than to the Blacks’ light grey – in a way that would make many a person’s heart shatter.
Sirius and Athanasius could only stare, until Gronuk tapped his desk to get their attention. “Heirs Peverell, you have to undergo another inheritance test, each.”
“I better be sacrificing 13 drops of blood for a good reason,” Athanasius muttered as he cut his thumb open again.
Theirs were done much faster now.
Name: Aria Iolanthe Peverell
Born: 5 September 1979, Stinchcombe Manor, Dorset
Age: 15 Years, 11 Months
Blood Status: Pureblood
Parents:
Sirius Orion Black (sire)
Athanasius Maclin Peverell (bearer)
Titles:
Heir to the Most Ancient and Noble House of Black (sire)
Heir to the Most Ancient and Most Noble House of Peverell (bearer)
Heir to the Most Ancient and Most Noble House of Slytherin (bearer)
Heir to the Most Ancient and Most Noble House of Stinchcombe (bearer)
Vaults:
Black Heir Vault – 100,000 Galleons
Black Family Vaults – 2,589,540,500 Galleons, 2,986 artefacts, 380 books
Peverell Family Vaults – 15,394,783,250 Galleons, 3,840 artefacts, 807 books
Slytherin Family Vaults – 854,430,295 Galleons, 3,522 artefacts, 1,072 books
Stinchcombe Family Vaults – 1,034,678,483 Galleons, 5,616 artefacts, 772 books
Magical Abilities:
Core Magic – Dark
Parseltongue
Eidetic memory
Nature affinity
Water affinity
Necromancy
Shadow manipulation
Wandless magic
Wordless magic
Metamorphmagus
Natural Legilimens
Natural Occlumens
Properties:
Black Townhouse, London, England
Black Manor, Lincolnshire, England
Black Villa, Greece
Black Castle, Cumbria, EnglandÂ
Peverell Keep, Scottish Highlands, Scotland
Peverell Castle, Hidden Hebrides
Peverell Manor, Cumbria, England
Slytherin Castle, Hidden Hebrides
Serpent Haven, Scottish Highlands, Scotland
Stinchcombe Castle, Tayside, Scotland
Stinchcombe Manor, Dorset, England
Stinchcombe Cottage, Godric’s Hollow, Gloucestershire
Magical bonds:
Pack bond – Sirius Orion Black, Remus John Lupin (strained)
Blood Sisters Pact – Hermione Jean Granger
Familiar Bond – Hedwig (snowy owl, transferred from Harry James Potter, 24 June 1995)
Notes:
Severe psychological trauma caused by the death of Harry James Potter, please consult a Mind Healer ASAP.
Name: Athanasius Maclin Peverell
Born: 31 December 1955, Peverell Castle, Hidden Hebrides
Age: 40 years, 7 months
Blood Status: Pureblood
Parents:
Ulysses Samuel Peverell (father, deceased)
Seraphina Lyra Peverell née Declan (mother, deceased)
Titles:
Lord of the Most Ancient and Most Noble House of Peverell (paternal)
Lord of the Most Ancient and Most Noble House of Slytherin (paternal)
Lord of the Most Ancient and Most Noble House of Stinchcombe (maternal)
Lord of Dark Magics (magical bequest)
Vaults:
Peverell Family Vaults – 15,394,783,250 Galleons, 3,840 artefacts, 807 books
Slytherin Family Vaults – 854,430,295 Galleons, 3,522 artefacts, 1,072 books
Stinchcombe Family Vaults – 1,034,678,483 Galleons, 5,616 artefacts, 772 books
Magical Abilities:
Core Magic – Dark
Parseltongue
Eidetic memory
Necromancy
Wandless magic
Wordless magic
Natural Legilimens
Natural Occlumens
Properties:
Peverell Keep, Scottish Highlands, Scotland
Peverell Castle, Hidden Hebrides
Peverell Manor, Cumbria, England
Slytherin Castle, Hidden Hebrides
Slytherin Shack, Little Hangleton, Lancashire, England
Slytherin Manor, North Yorkshire, England
Serpent Haven, Scottish Highlands, Scotland
Stinchcombe Castle, Tayside, Scotland
Stinchcombe Manor, Dorset, England
Stinchcombe Cottage, Godric’s Hollow, Gloucestershire
Magical bonds:
Familiar bond – Nagini (magical reticulated python
Sirius gave a small laugh of disbelief. “Well, I’ve gone and done it. You’re my daughter, Pyrite.
Aria laughed. “Yeah, I am. Good luck coming up with a backstory to explain it to the entire world.
“Easy. Very easy,” Athanasius said with a smirk. “I got knocked up during a one-night stand, and kept it secret. Then I had to leave on business – as an independent enchanter – after giving birth and couldn’t conceivably take Aria with me, so I gave her to you.”
Sirius picked up the thread of the idea from then. “And because nearly 19-year-old me did not want that responsibility, and my blood-brother and his wife were struggling to conceive, I gave her to them instead, and she form-locked into an appearance that blended the two of them. And from there on, nobody could tell she wasn’t theirs, because Lily hadn’t been seen in public since May 1979, and nobody was going to do a blood test to check, since blood magic is illegal in Britain.”
Athanasius nodded in approval. “Perfect.”
They finished up their business shortly afterward, and Aria shifted into her original form, before going to meet up with Hermione outside Flourish and Blott’s.