Chapter 1
Chapter 1
The Gardens
"Master Hadrian?" He looked up to see Daisy wringing her long fingers anxiously, huge eyes watching him carefully. Hadrian gently shut his book and smiled at her.
"Yes, Daisy?"
"Dissy be touching your gardens." Hadrian blinked, and resisted a fond laugh. He'd asked his elves to leave the gardens alone during the summer so he could work them himself. It was relaxing, and he'd genuinely enjoyed gardening at the Dursleys; when he wasn't forced to do it with the looming threat of being smacked by a frying pan, that is.
"Thank you for telling me. I'll be right down." Hadrian smiled at her little curtsy before she disappeared with a pop, and he got to his feet while stretching.
Hadrian had been curled up in his study for the last several hours, going over (reading) his new school books and making sure he had them all. The letter containing the supplies he needed for the new school year had arrived two weeks prior, and he had immediately gone to retrieve everything on the list. Obviously he'd picked up a few extra books while he was gone. It was inevitable.
He blinked into the bright sunshine as he opened the back door to his vast property, and saw Dissy freeze where she'd been working halfway across the lawn. She didn't move as Hadrian approached, but her eyes were huge and her ears were droopy as he came to a stop in front of her, crouching down in the dirt.
"Hello, what are you doing?" Hadrian asked, smiling softly. She slumped slightly.
"Dissy be weeding, Master Hadrian." She said, wringing her hands just like her sister did. "The plants be looking sad, if Dissy may say."
"Thank you." Hadrian said in response, "I don't mind you doing gardening work if you want to, but could you ask me next time? The garden is very important to me." Dissy nodded quickly, smiling.
"Dissy be doing that!" She said happily, "Thank you Master Hadrian." He reached over to affectionately scratch behind one of her ears, and she leaned into the touch before stepping back and popping away with a little curtsy.
Hadrian studied his garden, and realized he did indeed need to weed. He'd been so caught up in his new school books he had neglected his plants. Resolved to correct his error, Hadrian summoned Kigga to bring him his gloves and gardening kit. In under ten minutes, Hadrian was happily weeding and using his kit to produce watering cans, fertilizer, and anything he'd need. Magical gardening kits were handy like that.
He was dutifully making his way across his gardens for the next three hours, when he froze upon hearing padding footsteps and immediately drew his wand.
"Whoever or whatever you are, you're not supposed to be here." Hadrian glared in french. His elves always popped in audibly, and within his line of sight. He also had wards in place that immediately notified him of Apparation. Besides that, no non-magical animals could enter either. Whoever had interrupted his garden really wasn't supposed to be there.
A huge black dog came prowling out of the bushes, and Hadrian immediately pointed his wand at it. He examined the animal, nearly as large as a bear. It wasn't a werewolf, or even one of the mutated half werewolves that only had a wolf form (apparently there was a pack in the Forbidden Forest at Hogwarts which was so cool—). No… it was just a massive dog. Suspicious.
"I bet you're the dog animagus who broke into Hogwarts in the year of 1993 and 1994." Hadrian said in english as he narrowed his eyes. "I don't have time for this. Change back, please." It's tongue lolled out of its mouth and Hadrian's grip tightened on his wand.
Between one step and the next, the dog melted away, shimmering slightly to reveal a man with long, slightly tangled black hair and light gray eyes. He was thin, painfully thin, but there were lingering signs that he had been cared for recently. Standing in front of him… was Sirius Black.
"Seriously?! You're a criminal! You're jeopardizing my entire future by coming here!" Hadrian exclaimed, not lowering his wand.
"Well, I can't speak french, Hadrian." The man raised his hands defensively. "But I'd assume you're not happy with me."
"Of course not!" Hadrian glared, eyes narrowed suspiciously. "You're trespassing on my property as a criminal of the British Ministry!"
"Technically, that is true." Sirius winced a little. "But you said you'd tell me more in person."
"I told you to write letters to this place!" Hadrian exclaimed. "You are a criminal, and I said maybe we could meet someday! If you don't leave in the next five minutes I'll call the Aurors!" Hadrian bluffed, knowing he'd probably never do that. However, he kept his wand and eyes on his father and began backing towards his Manor.
"I'm not here to cause trouble, I swear. I just wanted… needed to talk." Sirius seemed desperate. "Dumbledore told me I had a 15 year old son." Hadrian froze, eyes widening slightly. That slimy old bast– "I didn't confirm or deny it, because I only know of one child I sired. His name was Harrison, and he would be 14 right now. Nearly 15, but not quite yet."
"Well, thanks for at least not denying it. Dumbledore sucks." Hadrian muttered. "I don't trust that man as far as I can throw him." Hadrian glared at his father, the man seeming to freeze.
"Dumbledore is–"
"Look, Dumbledore thinks he's entitled to do whatever he wants just because he's powerful. I defied him at every turn, and that infuriates him." Hadrian said tiredly. Sirius eyed him slowly.
"So… you are Harrison, then. Aren't you?" His father was staring at him, as if he was looking for something. "You look just like me. But James…"
"The blood glamour was removed when I was eleven. I didn't want to be Harry Potter." Hadrian said quietly. "But… yeah. You're my father, and my name is Hadrian. Nobody knows who I... was except Professor Snape, and, well, now you."
"You told Snivellus?" The man recoiled. Hadrian gave him a wicked grin.
"He figured it out, actually. My mother meant something to him, apparently." One of Sirius' eyes twitched with irritation. "Regardless, we swore a blood oath. He won't be telling anyone." Hadrian had their Blood Phial on display on one of the bookshelves in his study. A prized possession, really. "However, I can't say the same about you. Please make a Vow, or I'll turn you to the Aurors." Hadrian was bluffing again, of course. He'd probably just throw his father into his dungeons or something. Hadrian had previously marked the basement level dungeons as useless, but now, the possibilities…
"I'll swear whatever you want." Hadrian only showed his surprise with a slow blink. "You're my son, and I'm willing to protect you in any means necessary. You've… you've grown." His father smiled sadly, and Hadrian lowered his wand only slightly.
"Kigga!" Hadrian called. With a pop, his little elf was standing next to him. He turned away from Sirius, but kept listening for sounds of movement and lowered his wand more fully. "Kigga, would you be willing to help me with something? You're allowed to say no, I won't punish you for it." Sirius watched Hadrian curiously and a little warily. Good, he wasn't an idiot then.
"Kigga be willing, Master Hadrian." The little elf responded. Hadrian found it immensely convenient house elves mirrored whatever language their Master spoke. "What is you be needing?"
"I'm going to be making an Unbreakable Vow with this man. We need a third person to help with the ritual, to seal it. Are you up for it?" The little elf nodded firmly.
"What is Kigga doing specifically?" Hadrian smiled and affectionately scratched his elf's batlike ears. Kigga leaned into the touch, much like Dissy had.
"I'll need you to hold my wand, and tap our hands with it when I say so. Can you do that? I can force my magic to do all the work, you just need to hold the wand." His elf seemed to shake himself a little before nodding.
"Kigga has never held a wand before, but Kigga be doing his best, sir!" Hadrian laughed and nodded. He turned back to his father, going serious again.
"We'll do an Unbreakable Vow, since Kigga has agreed to be a witness." He sighed, eyeing the man. "I know Vows are a big deal, but this is serious. I could die, or worse, if my identity gets out." Hadrian watched his father swallow heavily, and nod.
"Sure. Let's get this show on the road." Sirius took a step forward, hesitantly, and Hadrian handed his wand to his little anxiously determined elf.
"Before that, I have a Dumbledore-safe story. Okay?" Sirius nodded. "As far as he knows, mother had green eyes and blonde hair, and she was beautiful and sweet. You can tell him… you two didn't court each other for very long, but you loved her. Um, maybe don't make things up about her randomly. You could say you're still grieving and can't talk about her." Hadrian sighed, resisting running an anxious hand through his long hair. The same hair as the man in front of him had. "Anyway, you recently discovered her to be dead. I am your only child, my birthday is October 31st, 1979, and you didn't tell anyone because… you were ashamed or maybe embarrassed? Obviously they never met your supposed lover, and we're gonna say my birth was an accident. You were imprisoned on my 2nd birthday, and, duh, didn't get to see me again after that. You can tell them you wrote me, if they ask. Okay. Any questions?" Sirius paused a moment, metaphorically loading, but he shook his head finally.
"I can work with that." He rolled his shoulders confidently. "Okay, so vow?" Hadrian nodded, stepping forward and reaching out his right hand. Sirius mimicked him, and they clasped each other's wrists tightly.
"Kigga, tap our hands once with the wand please." Hadrian smiled softly. He nodded encouragingly to the elf, and Kigga lightly bapped their entwined hands, and Hadrian poured his magic into it, Kigga's ear twitching as the elf felt it. Hadrian turned his eyes to his father. "Do you promise you will reveal to no one I am Harry Potter, remaining silent about my previous identity? And when questioned, you regretfully believe Harry Potter to be dead, or have no opinion, unless I permit you otherwise?"
"I promise and accept." Sirius said firmly. A stream of fire bled from the wand tip, curling around their fingers and over their wrists.
"Do you promise to know me as Hadrian Orion Black, your son and family Lord and only child, unless I permit you otherwise?"
"I promise and accept." Another tongue of fire joined the first, zinging along their knuckles with crackling energy.
"Finally, do you promise to tell anyone who asks that Hadrian Orion Black was birthed by a lover you cared for, whom you will not reveal the name of? Unless I permit otherwise?" Sirius exhaled roughly through his nose, but he nodded.
"I promise, swear, and accept these terms." A final string of red and orange magic joined the first two, and Hadrian smiled.
"Then I hope you can keep your promises, Sirius Orion Black." The magic faded, but Hadrian felt wisps of magic, a reminder, settling into his magical core. If Sirius were to die, from breaking the terms or otherwise, Hadrian would most likely feel it. Interesting.
Hadrian turned and gently took the wand from his elf with a smile. "Thank you, Kigga. I really appreciate it. You may go now." The elf gave a little bow and popped away, positively beaming. Hadrian straightened, eyeing the very still man in his gardens
"Will you tell me more about yourself, now?" Sirius eyes him, shaking out his right hand a little ruefully. Hadrian sighed.
"I… guess. What would you want to know?" His father perked up considerably, and then frowned.
"Dumbledore told me that he believes Harry Potter to be dead." He admitted, eyes flicking to Hadrian before looking away. "Because he can't access any of the Potter Vaults, or anything. The only way that happens is if the Lord locks everything down or the last member dies. There isn't a Lord, and you're clearly alive."
"Oh yeah, I locked them. I'm Lord Potter, Lord Black, and Lord Peverell. Instant adulthood privileges." Hadrian grinned, and then deflated into seriousness, "He was stealing massive amounts of money every year, basically helping himself to it because two out of three of my parents are dead."
"He… Dumbledore wouldn't." Sirius recoiled, eyes widening in disbelief.
"I saw the bank statements myself when I was eleven, and I've reviewed them every year since then to keep the information in my head. As I get older, I also form new opinions about it." Hadrian frowned. "Dumbledore isn't… he isn't evil. He's manipulative, and fake, and he expects to get whatever he wants. It's likely he thought he deserved the money, that he was owed it."
"I– I can't process this." Sirius frowned, touching his forehead with a wince.
"Yeah, I couldn't either. You should head to Gringotts and check for compulsions. I was peppered with them." Hadrian hummed. Sirius blinked numbly, and Hadrian frowned. "Moving on, anything else?" Sirius looked reluctant, finding with his fingers.
"Why did you do it?" He asked softly, "Why did you hide? People would've taken care of you."
"No, they wouldn't have." Hadrian gave his father a sad smile. "I was given to Petunia, Lily's Muggle sister. She and her husband knew I was a wizard, and I was treated horribly. You might not like to hear it, but I was… I was abused. Pretty badly." Hadrian's sad smile probably only made Sirius' pale expression worse, but he did it anyway. "Snape is a teacher at Hogwarts, I know, but he hates James Potter. He basically ignored me because I was your son, but I think he'd have actively hated me for being James' son. Even if I was also Lily's."
"Abused?" Hadrian winced at the crack in his father's voice.
"I was emancipated when I was eleven, and since then I've been living here. My elves were a godsend, honestly." He smiled fondly, then exhaled roughly as he shook off the past. "Look, let's not do this now. Okay?"
"Sure." Sirius swallowed heavily, clearing his throat.
"Is there anything else?" Hadrian asked, shifting from foot to foot.
"Why did your name come out of the Goblet of Fire?" Sirius seemed reluctant to ask, but curious nonetheless.
"A Death Eater put Harry Potter's name in, to get revenge. Or something, I don't know." Hadrian added the second part on the spot. He wasn't about to explain the Horcrux and visions to the father he'd only barely met. He'd probably call Hadrian insane or something. Sirius shook his head.
"No, I mean, why didn't Harry Potter come out? Or, that is, Harrison Potter-Evans-Black?"
"Easy. Because that's not my name." Hadrian grinned. "I legally changed my name, so my legal name came out no matter what name they threw it. Lady Magic knows who the person is regardless."
"Oh." Sirius said, blinking. "Why did you choose Black instead of–"
"Um, you've been here long enough." Hadrian announced, interrupted him. "I'll write to you." He started backing up towards the house, smiling awkwardly. "I don't really like that you're here, but I'm glad we got the whole Vow thing out of the way. I feel… safer, now. Also, if you try to stay I'll call the Aurors." He hesitated a second, making up his mind, before smiling slightly. "Thank you for your visit… Father." With that, Hadrian had reached the Manor back entrance and he quickly slammed the door tightly behind him.
Hadrian sighed, sliding down the door to the floor. He'd met his father. He'd threatened his father. He hadn't meant it but still! Hadrian buried his face in his hands. He… didn't regret it. He really was safer, especially since two people now knew his identity, which was two people too many. If Dumbledore or Voldemort caught wind of it… Hadrian was pretty much done for.
Suddenly a thought assaulted him, and Hadrian groaned at his own stupidity. He told Draco and Fred and Cedric he had a brother! He’d said it was on his mother’s side, which he could work with. Sirius’ claim that Hadrian was his only child would work well, since apparently his so-called brother was Hadrian’s mother’s son, not Sirius’. Sighing, he decided he needed to add “get my stories straight” in the list of his many things that needed addressing. Maybe he could slip a mention of his supposedly dead brother into some conversation with Dumbledore? Wait… why would he ever converse with the Headmaster again willingly?? Hadrian had too many problems and not enough brainpower to address them!
He heard a pop and looked up from his depressing thoughts to see Dissy and Daisy both standing in front of him, each holding a little plate of food.
"Dissy be bringing you some strawberries." Dissy said shyly. "Master Hadrian be looking in need of strawberries, if Dissy may be saying so."
"Daisy has brought you a finger cake, Master Hadrian." She pushed it out firmly towards him, eyes huge. "Chocolate makes everything better." Hadrian laughed a little wetly, one hand taking each small plate. Who needs parents when you have tiny magical servant friends?
"Thank you, both of you." Hadrian said, eyes shining. "I don't know where I'd be without you." He really didn't know what he'd done to earn such precious creatures, but Hadrian was grateful for it anyway. For now, he just sat on the floor and ate the little snacks brought to him, while his elves watched eagerly. He took care of them, and they took care of him.