The Many Sides We Deal
Harry doesn’t mean to fall down in shock, but he does. His Da is Lord Slytherin?! He looks from Hermoine to Quirrell to Ombric.
“Does Da know?”
Ombric looks mildly surprised, but remains quiet.
It is Hermoine who answers him, “No, he doesn’t. He won through conquest, but he has not actively sought to inherit anything that falls under the line of Slytherin as of yet. The rings would have to ac-“
“Wait a mo’ Sheila! What kind of Lord of the Rings bullshit is tha’?! Do we ‘ave ta go to Mordor too?!”
Hermione snickers before letting out a full belly laugh that has her on the floor, tears streaming down her face. Quirrell sighs and waits for the laughter to subside a bit.
“You-you-no! Oh god Bunnymund-“
Harry is flustered; these past few weeks he’s been trying to survive and find a way and now he’s got a way and he still has to go back.
“Look, what does Da ‘ave ta do?”
It is Voldemort who answers as Hermione’s laughter dies down, “He must either take the mantle or be defeated in combat and the title passed on. Your fate depends on the outcome,”
“O’course it does,”
—————————————————————
Aster had known something was different, ever since the basilisk incident. There was a difference in his abilities. Jack saw it too. It wouldn’t be long before the other guardians began to question. He had an idea of what it was, but no concrete evidence to solidify his findings. All he knew was that his abilities were stronger, almost as if he’d have had Mage training back on his planet.
Aster wished that Elderberry was here. She would’ve known what to do or say. Instead, he was here, alive but not living. Aster sighed, The Warren was too lonely now as Jack was off spreading snow and ice on some parts of the world. He almost wished he would’ve gone with him. He wanted to see Harry but that would have to wait until Easter, since not even the wizarding world could deny his kit an Easter googie.
“YOU are PatHetic, EdElWeiss,”
“Not now, Gale, please,”
Gale materialized in front of the elder guardian, cocking her head at him. Zephyr had said to leave him be, but what did they know? They never left! Aster continued to walk away, right into his neatly plowed fields. Gale rolled her eyes and flew after him.
If he wasn’t going to go, there was nothing against giving him a push. Jack would certainly thank her later.
Aster nearly tripped over his own feet, bending down to check on the root he’d all but trampled. The little root looked fine, but a little bit of healing never hurt. Focusing his magick, he guided it into the root, healing the bruises he’d caused.
He swallowed hard, wondering how much he’d hurt his kit.
Because of his silence. Because he was a creature. Because he wasn’t a human. Because he’d come here as a last resort. Everything he knew was dead and gone. His glorious planet reduced to a barren wasteland. There was no green, only cold rock and blood. It was one of many and Aster had become orphaned that day. His entire family was slain, despite his best efforts.
To add insult, those blasted things had inhabited their bodies again and again. Aster had to eviscerate them again and again. As soon as he put one down, another rose up and so on and so forth. It had almost been too much and he’d heard Elderberry’s screams-real screams not the garbled mess he’d grown accustomed to. Elderberry was alive. There were living Pooka, still fighting.
He wasn’t the last one.
Aster fought like a man possessed. They fled, a cluster of them into the unknown.
Elderberry had healed him, told him to grow a spine that he was pathetic. She was past the age to rear new children and he’d been to the academy. He was grown and trained.
He had fought and survived. How dare he spit on their sacrifices?
So Aster went out into the world, loaned his talents when needed and then, when he could not do any more, he nestled himself in the Earth and slept.
Aster slept and time moved on.
Manny came to him, in dreams on a silver moonbeam. When Aster woke, he was the Guardian of Hope.
He met North first, then Toothiana and finally, Sandy. He remembered Sandy from that terrible time and the two often traveled through the night, reminiscing.
When Pitch returned, they fought and there were many times when Aster thought he’d lose his new family all over again.
He didn’t. They survived and then he was given the title of Guardian of Spring as well. An honor for him, a punishment for Mother Nature.
Harry came and then Jack and suddenly, the Warren was lively again. Even with Severus, who mainly preferred to garden and read. It was good again.
Aster didn’t hate Sirius Black, but the man had been away for so long, a blink of an eye for Aster, a lifetime for the man. He’d missed Harry’s entire life and then he’d still been stuck with the notion that Harry belonged to him. Aster knew that Emily Jane had something to do with it.
She was as scheming as her father, some would say even better than he’d been.
Once the root looked healthy enough, at least to Aster’s critical eye, he stood up and was about to continue towards his home when he was easily and suddenly swept off his feet.
“Ohh strewth! Gale, lemme go!”
“nO, YOu arE PaTHetic! I’ll Fix IT!”
Try as he might, Aster was no match for Gale who quickly flew out through one of the tunnels and disappeared from the Warren, the Easter Bunny dangling uselessly.
Zephyr sighed and hoped to MiM that Gale was doing the right thing.
—————————————————————
Harry stood in front of Sirius’ house, Hedwig balanced on his shoulders. He was pleased to see that the magickal contractors had come and repaired the front, again. Ombric had given him orders-suggestions, dear child. Harry knew that Ombric was concerned about something; the man had a very MiM way about him, even if he had been human a long time ago.
Harry tried to see exactly where the hole had been in the roof but much like the front, it had been repaired back to its previous state. He sighed, knowing he was delaying the inevitable.
“Ready, girl?”
Hedwig clicked her beak several times in protest, pointedly looking up at the sky. Harry would’ve left her at Grimmauld Place, but Ombric insisted that Hedwig return. It had pained Harry to do so, mainly because there were no barriers, Hedwig had been free and she’d taken straight to the skies.
Katherine’s spell, whatever she’d done, would only last for a few more moments. Harry had to be in the house by then, otherwise Sirius would know. Taking a breath, Harry walked up to the porch and turned the door knob, stepping inside.
Almost immediately, he felt the slight shift of magickal energies wash over him like a series of exploding fireworks. It felt warm.
“Mornin’ kiddo-er, Harry! Slept well?” Sirius emerged from the top of the stairs, yawning and stretching as he did.
Harry’s jaw nearly dropped-the man had no idea that it was nearly dinner time.
“Yea I did-Mornin’ n all tha’” Harry spoke in a rush and raced past him, head down.
Sirius watched him and smiled softly.
Some progress was better than nothing at least.
Taking the stairs two at a time, the man jovially went to the kitchen for a much needed coffee and breakfast. He hoped they still had muffins.
—————————————————————
Charlie had known something was off with Ronald, so had Bill and to some extent, the twins did. He wondered who else suspected it as he apparated just shy of the boundary surrounding his childhood home.
“My, you certainly have a lot of nargles surrounding you! Perhaps you’ve seen it too? The inkling?”
Charlie spun around to find the palest young child he’d ever seen staring at him with a perpetual dream stare in her eyes. She was short, and dressed in a simple green and blue outfit, complete with outrageous radish earring.
“Er, hello?”
The girl looked up at him for a moment, “Dragonborn, you should leave, the elder doesn’t have much time. It’s feasting,”
Charlie froze and made a move to ask the girl or at least grab her to say something or explain herself but she vanished over the ridge without another word.
Deciding to chase her later, he made his way to his childhood home, wand at the ready. Bill was supposed to meet him there and had arrived earlier in the day to talk to his mother.
“INCENDIO”
Charlie was cresting over the hill when the plume of smoke came into view, followed by the explosion of glass and wood and roar of magickal fire.
“NO! Aguamenti!” Charlie raced down the hill, heavy feet stomping through the grasses and puddles from the rain shower last night. He stumbled a few times, cursing himself each time until he was finally able to get up and out of the puddle. Pumping his legs, Charlie was suddenly tackled by another large figure.
Together they veered off the well worn path towards the now burning inferno that had been his home. Charlie struggled to get up but an iron grip held him firmly. “-Arlie! CHARLIE!”
Charlie went lax, staring into very familiar eyes-the bright blue eyes of Bill. Bill, who was covered in soot and had part of his face singed and scratched. Bill who was alive. Charlie threw his arms around his brother, crying in relief.
“Oh! Bill! Thank the gods! Wai-Ginny! Dad! No-“
Bill hauled Charlie up to his feet and shoved him forward, where Ginny and Arthur fell into a collected heap.
Molly ambled towards Bill, who spun around, a wild rage evident in his eyes, wand pointing at Molly.
“Bill! Ronnie’s still-what are you doing?! I am your mother-“
“No,” Billy snarled dangerously, “you aren’t! I don’t know what you are, but you aren’t Molly Weasley!”
“Son!” “Bill, that’s mum! Stop it!”
Behind the family, the burrow continued to burn, wood splintering and glass baubles bursting into fine ash. Bill could care less; he apparated almost directly into the fire itself, just shy of his dad’s shed. Ronald had been there, or whatever had been wearing his youngest brother’s skin. Bill hadn’t wanted to believe it, but the thing had taken a needle and thread and stitched the pieces back together with a practiced ease before almost skipping back to the burrow.
Bill had been frozen.
“Hello William,” Bill spun around to face Molly.
Bill knew two things at that moment-whatever that was, it was not his mother and he needed to get his family to safety.
“What ever is the matter, William? Hmm? You can tell m-“
“INCENDIO!”
Hell had broken loose at the Burrow.
—--------------------------------------------------------------
Ginny Weasley struggled to breath, pressed between Charlie’s bulky form and her father’s, her wide brown eyes watching as Bill dueled her-that thing. She could hear the other thing still in the house-the one who’d been pretending to be Ron.
Ginny was scared and wanted to scream, but she couldn’t. How long had her mum been gone?! How long has Ron been dead? She swallowed thickly. How many nights had they spent watching her sleep, waiting to swallow her up like a messed up midnight snack?
Ginny wished she knew more spells. She’d be able to help, but more than anything, she wished that Malfoy was here. The woman had saved her and while she hadn’t said anything, Ginny had been grateful. She’d written the woman a thank you letter trying to express how in debt she was to her. Selfishly, Ginny hoped that the woman would have introduced her to Harry. Now, she wished for the woman to appear and save them.
How pathetic was she?
She’d known that Molly wasn’t a good person. She was too busy chasing after so many kids-making sure the twins didn’t blow anything up, making sure she made extra for Ron, making sure Ginny never saw her crying after Bill and Charlie stopped coming home. Ginny knew that Molly had always wanted a girl, a mini Molly she could dress up and play with. Molly had wanted someone of her own.
Bill was too eager to leave, applying for internships as soon as he was able. Charlie only ever spoke about dragons. Percy only loved his books and the twins had each other. Ron only talked about becoming better than his brothers. Ginny grew up with them as her role models. She wasn’t made to be soft and girly like Molly had wanted her to be.
She felt sick, perhaps if she was a bit more girly, could her mother be saved?
Maybe that’s why she wanted to be around Narcissa, the witch was strong and powerful on her own. She didn’t need her husband. Ginny would never have that. She was the seventh daughter, a spare of a spare. She would need to marry into a powerful family to be worth anything.
Hence, the contract with the Potters.
Ginny had no idea how Molly had found it.
A sudden thud had Ginny backing further into her father, almost on his lap. Bill’s body lay before her, bleeding and wheezing horrible. Ginny screamed in horror, crying and clamoring back.
“Hush Ginny! Let mummy handle this!”
Molly grabbed fistfuls of Bill’s long hair and pulled him, a feat Molly shouldn’t be able to do. She’d been complaining about her sore wrists!
The Molly thing roars at Bill, who has gone horribly pale and still and none of them are sure what to do. Charlie is frozen in shock. Bill had been his protector; he’s unable to do anything and he’s hating himself for it.
Arthur is muttering a series of prayers that Ginny never knew he knew.
It’s not enough.
Ginny isn’t sure how she knows the words-the very words which doomed and saved their world once before. It’s no shock when she gets up-Molly said she was stubborn. She would be stubborn. She would protect her family. No matter what.
Her wand is in her hand-she doesn’t know if she summoned it or if it was always there, it doesn’t matter. She doesn’t want that thing to hurt her brother. To hurt her family.
Molly wanted a fucking daughter, she’ll show her how stubborn she can be.
“AVADA KEDAVRA!”