2 - Old Friend, New Family
▪︎▪︎ Gimlé Hall, Nott Residence Yorkshire, 31st December 1982▪︎▪︎
Lord Dominic Nott was sat in his library with a glass of fire whiskey in hand staring at the book on front of him and a roaring fire keeping the chill out of the room. It had certainly been a cold and particularly damp winter so far; he would need to get the house elves to re-charm the windows to exclude drafts again he thought as the wind picked up outside and a cold breeze made its way into the room.
There was a quiet 'pop' as one of his house elves appeared, "What is it? Is something wrong with my heir?"
Dominic Nott had been widowed for a second time nearly three years prior but at least his last wife had done her duty and provided him with a male heir before she died. He had been on the older side for a first-time father at age 53, when his son Theodore had been born, but it mattered little as the child would be raised and educated by house elves until he was of such an age where he could be taught by tutors.
"No Master Nott, there is being a person at the door demanding to see you. He says to tell you, "It is time, old friend, to prove your loyalty, or did you believe me to be truly gone?".
Lord Nott jumped to his feet and demanded, "Where did you leave them?".
"The secure foyer Master", the elf squeaked as his Master nearly knocked him down in his haste to see the visitor for himself.
When Dominic got closer to his destination he slowed down from a near run to a brisk walk and was immediately disappointed and then suspicious to see a man whom he did not recognise stood there. He raised his wand towards the newcomer, this was not who he had anticipated it being.
"Identify yourself", he said in a cold and precise voice.
"Dominic, do you not recognise your own Lord", at this point the man gave an exaggerated look down at himself and gave his most trusted follower a shark like grin. "No, I suppose you wouldn't in this current skin. I must confess it is not to my liking either", he said with a wrinkle of his rather fat nose.
Dominic recognised the mannerisms and way of speaking all too well however, the face and body before him were wrong, but with magic they could have been altered.
"Tell me something that would have only been shared between us", he asked, he waited with bated breath for confirmation that his suspicion was correct.
The man smirked, it was a sharp and cruel thing that seemed unnatural on his soft round face, "You're first wife didn't die in a tragic accident. You discovered that she and her family had concealed the fact she was barren from your father when the contract was draw up between you. You killed and tortured not only her, but her family and the healer who had been bribed to produce a false health report. As I recall you asked for my help with a particularly dark ritual to remove the evidence of the torture and that of your magical residue before you set the scene at her parents' home for a total ward collapse and explosion".
Dominic gave a brief victorious smile and bowed, "My Lord, it is good to see you again. It would please me greatly if you would accept my hearth as your home once more", he greeted his friend, his Lord.
"Thank you, Dominic, I will accept your generosity at this time as I will have need of your aid in the following few weeks", the man said, walking stiffly forward and at Dominic’s gesture walking into the Manor proper.
Once sat in his study, he offered the Dark Lord Voldemort a brandy and waited patiently for what he desired help with.
"As you are likely aware by now, an... unfortunate incident occurred the night I attacked the Potter home. The mother it seems had been dabbling in some sort of blood magic to protect her son. Not many have had the benefit of knowing they were in imminent danger from our forces and therefore have been unable to adequately prepare for our attacks. Even so, I was wholly unprepared for such unexpected magic to have been wielded by a Light Mudblood witch, as you may well understand.
The magic used had the unfortunate effect of turning my own spell against me, which in turn left me disembodied for a time.
I found this...", he gestured down at his body, "...temporary vessel in Knockturn Alley, he is alone and unknown therefore will not be missed once I return to my own body"
Dominic processed the information given to him carefully, he had known of course that his Lord was immortal in some manner, though none knew the details but his Lord, even so to be able to possess a person so thoroughly and for such a prolonged period of time was an astounding feat of magical prowess that required an incredible amount of power. He was in awe of his old friend not for the first time and he was certain it wouldn't be for the last.
"I will require your aid in powering the ritual to return me to a body if my own. Ideally it would occur at Samhain when the veil between life and death is at its thinnest however, that is over ten months away, much too long to wait in my opinion therefore it is my opinion that, with some adjustments, Beltane will suffice as an alternative. It will give us nearly four months to gather the necessary items and sacrifices but it is my belief that we may require an additional trusted wizard to power the ritual", Lord Voldemort explained to his most trusted follower.
"I will do all that you ask of me my Lord, I would have suggested Abraxas join us however, he has come down with a rather vicious case of Dragon Pox and even if he survives he is likely to be left with a considerable magical core deficit", Dominic told his Lord, knowing that he would have likely been the man's first choice.
Voldemort made a humming sound and with a squat and somewhat square finger, entirely unlike his own usually long, elegant tapering ones, and stroked his chin in thought. The entire pose was one Dominic was well acquainted with and with his Lord's imposing height and slim, strong frame it was usually an elegant pose, one that lent him the stately air of one much older than his years, even when they were but 13 year olds sharing a dorm at Hogwarts School together. It was a pity that the same could not be said for the shorter man with bull like proportions that his Lord had chosen to... inhabit.
"Very well what are the current statuses of Lestrange and Avery? Also has Abraxas' son taken control of the wards do you know?", Voldemort demanded.
"Lestrange and Avery are both in good health I believe and are still loyal to our cause. It is my understanding that the onset of Abraxas' Illness was so abrupt that he hadn't had time to hand over the wards to his son. Though I cannot say for certain as communication with the household is limited while they are quarantined".
"Very good. I thank you Dominic, are my bed chambers to be my usual ones?"
"Yes, My Lord and your usual house elf will be available for all of your needs", Dominic replied, recognising that he would receive no further information that night.
"Then I will bid you good evening, this body requires more rest than I am used too", Voldemort said as he walked from the room.
As he walked to his room Voldemort considered his situation further now that he was somewhere he considered relatively safe. He believed that the current vessel he was using would last for approximately a year, but to make the most of it he would need potions and potentially a few runes carved into the body would ensure a more secure anchor between it and his soul temporarily.
He would also need to contact the Malfoy Heir to see if he is able to retrieve the diary he left in Abraxas' safe keeping.
He began to prepare himself for bed, possessing a body in this manner was exhausting in the extreme. He needed rest so that he could tackle the issues with his temporary body tomorrow with a fresh mind.
▪︎▪︎The Rookwood Residence, Essex, February 1983▪︎▪︎
Augustus’ life had changed little since acquiring an heiress a month previously, he was still worked long hours and spent much of his down time reading in his library or experimenting in his labs.
The only difference was that he now had an heiress who shared meals with him and the library for quiet evenings of reading. He had set an ambitious timetable for the girl as he had high hopes for her intelligence and the expectation that she should work hard. He would in no way be satisfied with an average child, not when her parentage indicated that she should be capable of the extraordinary.
Her mother may have been a mudblood but it was well know that she had been offered a fast track into the Department of Mysteries and that Filius Flitwick, Master of Charms, Professor at Hogwarts and Duelling Champion, had offered her an apprenticeship under him. Her sire Severus Snape had direct links to the Prince family line and he had high hopes that she would inherit some of that families talents in the Mind Arts, Spell crafting and Potions. The man himself had been exceptional in all of those areas in addition to being a formidable duellist, had mastered occlumency like few others were capable and was a natural in the dark arts. Yes, his new daughter could be exceptional with the correct guidance and encouragement and would most certainly be powerful.
Calla's lessons from the house elves and portraits included Wizarding Culture, Deportment and the Rookwood Ancestry. Augustus had decided to employ a tutor to attended to her educational needs and who instructed her in the basics of Arithmancy, Magical Creatures, History, Runes and Magical Theory. He had also employed a distantly related Great-Aunt who came by each afternoon to teach Latin, Art, Music, dancing and the "Correct way to present one's self as a young woman of good standing" (or so he had been informed).
His Aunt had initially questioned his decision to, "Over tax a young lady's mind needlessly with so many academic pursuits", but he had stood firm. The Rookwood name had become synonymous with intellect and innovation, and it would not do to have his heir appear uneducated even at 6 years if age.
As it had so happened the child had already proved to have a thirst for knowledge that rivalled his own and the ability to recall much of what she read. She was quiet and polite and after only a month of tutoring was already making excellent progress in all of her subjects except for Art. His Aunt had informed him in woeful accents that the child appeared to have little to no interest in the subject unless it pertained to the magic that allowed the paintings to take on the personalities and memories of their original self.
Overall, he was most satisfied with his decision to adopt the girl, she was already proving that she had the intelligence of her natural parents and he had already discovered at least one family talent that hailed from her Prince heritage.
Providing that she continued as she was, he had every intention of completing the adoption process using both magic and blood so that the child would be a Rookwood in more than just name. It was convenient that the ritual he wished to use could only be conducted at Ostara, when new life was celebrated, as it had the added benefit of acting as a 'cooling off' period before making their situation more permanent and binding. He was a cautious man by nature and one that gave his every decision great thought before committing to it
He was well aware, of course, that the purity of one's blood had no real impact on ones innate magical power, unless of course the ingrates bred a little too closely in their lines as the Blacks had, really first cousins! It was no wonder their line was all but dead. The Dark Lord was a half-blood after all and one of the most powerful and impressive individuals to grace the planet in the last 200 years or more.
He looked over at the child, she was sitting in one of the high backed chairs that graced his library and was reading a children's book on the importance of Wizarding sacred festivals. They had just celebrated Imbolc together and he was glad to see that it had sparked an interest in Calla to learn more, it would help to ensure that she would have a good understanding of the traditions and culture of the world she now lived in.
He often wondered what his Lord would think of his decision when he returned, he couldn't help but feel it would be positive, his Lord had impressed upon them countless times the importance of the continuation of their family lines, the importance of producing the next generation of strong and magically capable wizards and witches. Calla would undoubtedly grow into an intelligent and powerful witch, one who would carry the Rookwood name and would go one to marry and pass down the family skills and traits from both the Rookwood (once he ratified their family bond magically) and Prince lines.
In addition to that he was bringing the half-sister of the boy-who-lived into the fold.
Yes, he believed his Lord would be pleased, perhaps he should attempt to acquire the so called boy-who-lived, he would certainly have a legal claim having already adopted the boys sister. It was certainly something to consider further.
▪︎▪︎Ministry of Magic, London, February 1983 ▪︎▪︎
There was a clamour in the Wizengamot chambers, despite the almost tangible weariness that seemed to exude from every single member there.
It had been a long few months since
Voldemort's fall, or as he was still being called, he-who-must-be-named or more frequently you-know-who, one filled with countless criminal trials and urgent pieces of legislation to passed all in a desperate attempt to reconstruct their war torn country and to being some hope and normality back to the witches and wizards of Britain.
Chief Warlock, Albus Dumbledore, called the room to order.
"Please take your seats everyone, once again we have much to attend to this day. The sooner we begin the sooner we can finish can we not?", he said declared cheerfully and loudly, with a small smile.
As the room began to quieten Milicent Bagnold, Minister for Magic, spoke, "I believe there are several departments that wish for information on the Potter situation Chief Warlock, if you would so kind as to answer them?"
"We do have a rather busy schedule today Millicent my dear, perhaps it would be more convenient for me to approach them during their office hours", he said with a kindly air.
"That would be all well and good Chief Warlock if we hadn't all just spent several months all but living in these chambers during our 'office hours'. There are many questions that must be answered and the sooner they are answered the sooner we can all move on", she answered firmly, she had been fielding requests from various departments since directly after the night that saved them all.
As the weeks and months passed, they began to complain that Dumbledore wasn't cooperating, having tried numerous times to pin the man down she could well understand their frustrations. It was why she had resorted to cornering him in the middle of this meeting
"Very well, If it is deemed to be so urgent that it must derail our planned meeting...", he looked over his glasses and gave a small sigh, he had known that he would need to answer them but had hoped to do so in a less public setting, "...I will endeavour to answer those questions that I can", he concluded seriously.
"Wonderful, I believe that the first and most pressing question is from Madam Crickley Head of the Department of Magical Children and Families", she introduced the first person on her list of people wishing to question the Chief Warlock on various aspects of the you-know-who's demise.
"Thank you, Minister. Chief Warlock I have questions about the current location of one Harry James Potter. Since he became an Orphan certain procedures and paperwork should have been filed to ensure that he was placed with a suitable home. This has not been done and we are rightfully concerned for the child's welfare".
"I'm afraid that I cannot disclose the location of Harry Potter. I can assure you however, that I personally placed him with his only remaining family", Dumbledore answered.
"I'm afraid I can't just accept your word on the matter. We have procedures for a reason, we will be unable to ensure he is in a safe home environment and receiving adequate education regarding his family and the world he inhabits.
His parents wills were sealed by yourself and therefore we cannot be sure what their wishes for their son were. I can, however, tell you that several wizarding families have requested custody of the child and that whoever you have placed him with is far from his 'Only remaining family', I have with me several requests from those who can claim a familial relationship with the boy, one of which is a very near relation.
It is imperative that Harry Potter's home be assessed by our department and that the correct channels are used to determine his future placement", Madam Crickley explained her concerns with how the situation had thus far been handled.
“I am sorry Violetta, but I cannot share young Harry’s whereabouts, it is simply too dangerous whilst there are still followers of Lord Voldemort's unaccounted for. It is for that reason that the Potters’ wills had to be sealed, anyone could have accessed the boys potential location and it would put more lives at risk. It is why I have taken up the mantle of his Magical Guardian and have placed him as I have. As it is he is with his mother’s family hidden in the muggle world behind some very strong blood wards that were enacted the night that Voldemort disappeared. It is my current understanding that by sacrificing her life to ensure her son survived, Lily Potter has given the child a blood protection based on love. It is there for imperative that he remains with his mother's family as the protection will only work whilst he lives and is loved by one of his mother's blood.
Please be assured that I have placed someone nearby that will report back to myself with regards to his health and welfare.
Will that suffice my dear lady?”, Dumbledore asked, though one way or another the boy would need to stay where he was regardless of the feelings of the people here.
“No, it does not suffice. I will leave the conversation at present as I am very aware of how many others have questions for you however, I would ask that we speak again within the next few days or I shall be forced to raise the issue through the Wizengamot once again”, Madam Crickley answered with some ire, the man was so very high handed and rarely believed that a family would never hurt one of their own, sadly that was not always the case and despite the man's beliefs love did not conquer all.
Albus agreed, though when he was to find the time he had idea, he was glad that he had, had the forethought to install Arabella Figg, a squib and a member of his Order of the Phoenix – the group that he had led against Voldemort's forces, in a property not far from the Dursley’s where he had placed young Harry Potter. She would watch out for the child and report any suspicious activity in the area.
“Unspeakable Starling, you wished to address the Chief Warlock I believe”, Minister Bagnold indicated to a shrouded figure, sat in amongst the other Department Heads in the room.
“Thank you, Minister, I do”, a male voice came from the unidentifiable figure.
“Chief Warlock, I have requested numerous times for access to the Potter home and child on behalf of the Department of Mysteries. We have been denied access to either, that for obvious reasons would be of great academic significance. As the only known person to have survived the killing curse, Avada Kedavra, it could potentially lead to a breakthrough on a shield against such magic. You have informed us today that it is your belief that Lily Potter enacted some sort of blood sacrifice to save her son and we would wish to gain access to the property to confirm your findings.
As we are now aware that it is you who is the child's Magical Guardian, I ask you directly why have you have denied our requests?”, demanded Unspeakable Starling, his frustration evident in his voice even if his face was obscured.
“Though I am the boys Magical Guardian I do not feel it is my place to allow access to the Potter home. It is my belief that it should be left to the boy to decide when he is older”, Albus explained slowly, he had examined the house himself and didn’t believe that allowing the Unspeakable’s access would grant any new insights into what had occurred. It could however, destroy what had been placed under a strong preservation ward.
“So, we are to accept your supposition without any facts in support of it? We as a society are to loose potentially invaluable magical data that could pave the way for a ground breaking discovery because, ‘you don’t feel it’s your place’?”, the Unspeakable asked derisively, whilst trying to get some sympathy from the Wizengamot members.
“Yes, I am", Albus said pleasantly.
The Minister spoke again before the issue could be pushed further; she could see Albus wouldn’t relent.
“The Committee for the Preservation of Magical History has question”.
“We have requested that the Potter home be placed under strong protection and preservation warding in order to prevent this monumental piece of history from being lost to us. We would also like to recognise it as an Historical Landmark officially”, an excitable older woman suggested .
Albus gave an imperceptible sigh and smiled benignly at the woman, it would be an even longer day than he had anticipated it seemed, of that much he was positive.