Harry Potter and Changing Destinies

Chapter 7

Harry’s jaw found itself on the ground once more as he saw piles upon piles of money and artifact upon artifact in the Black vault. It may have been a very old, ancient family but the vault was very organized and full to every possible corner of the vault. The one thing that had nothing around it and took a whole wall for itself was the Black Family Tree. Harry had seen this tree before, but it had been burnt and ruined in places because Sirius’s mother had taken people off the tree for betraying the pureblood ideals she held. This tree on the other hand was complete from beginning to end. The emblem of the family is what caught him though. At the very top was a snake surrounded by stars and planets. The snake itself looked like one of those Chinese dragons with no wings, with no legs that Harry had read about in a book at Hermione’s one night when he couldn’t sleep.

As he looked through it he found Sirius and Tonks’s faces smiling above their names. He even found Draco. As he turned away from the tree a little book with a shaggy dog on it flew at him. He caught it and just smiled as words appeared on the book’s cover. They said: “Knew you’d show sooner or later, Harry. I know its a lot to take in, but you got to. This journal is from my time on the run, enjoy my boy.”

With this Harry opened the book, but as he began to read the pages turned themselves to near the end. So, Harry getting the message laughed and began to read the entry it had stopped at. Saying to the air, “Ok I get it, read this first Harry before you read everything else.”

“October 31, 2004, Halloween

Its Halloween, once again journal. I love Halloween! At least I did before Lily and James were…Oh I need to stop this moping, they wouldn’t like it at all. This was one of Lily’s favorite holidays, it was one of the few times we the Marauders had to fear Lily’s tricks. Lily would tell me to change and go scare people and James would join me. Merlin, I love them both and miss them greatly.

Well now that I’m done moping I wish I could be out enjoying it, but can’t. Though Griphook has been kind to update the files for the Black family for me and notify me on everything. I have found an interesting thing out about my own family today. We have members in America! They don’t go by Black, they go by Brigid. From what I’ve read my great-great-great-grandmother Celest Black left Europe to go to America because of the persecutions here. Though just her luck, she got caught up in the middle of the Salem witch trials and because she had a daughter when she was accused, tried, and sentenced as a witch. (How right those muggles were in her case unlike with so many others) She chose to be burned at the stake so her daughter could live on.

American witches and wizards don’t use wands today, its because after the trials well during them too if anyone was caught with a wand they were killed instantly. No accusements, no trial to try to save selves, no sentence and wait time. Instant death. I guess the fear stuck. That’s why many think of the Americans as rebels because they use the stereotypical spells and potions. I personally think its hilarious, the outcasts are the more powerful because there’s no focusing item. They have to learn how to control their powerful magic wandlessly right away because if they don’t bad things could happen. Unfocused magic is one of the most powerful and healing but also destructive magics there are out there.

I digress from what I just learned from the files. I don’t just have Tonks and Draco as cousins I have yet another. She sounds like quite the lady. Her name is Abrianna Authine Brigid. She just got out of Salem Academy. I hear she’s going for Hunter training. That’s the equivalent of an Auror though more hands on you could say. They don’t discriminate against those who are sick like Moony. Maybe he should go over there. I have also been informed by Moody she’s a member of the Order. She’s helping train the younger generation. She seems to be the best in her combat skills class of sword, hand-to-hand, and others I can’t recall. I hear her codename is the Order is Buffy. I’ve been informed by Tonks Buffy is a character off a muggle show in America. She lives in Westchester, New York away from the local town. She’d be nice to get to know for us all, but especially Harry I think.

Got to go BB getting hungry. I can hear him scratch at door. Night – Padfoot”

All Harry could think was, “Draco’s cousin could help us. I’ll have to tell Ali later.”

After he looked through some things in the vault and found a cape Sirius had had, he sat down to finally read the other note he found and look at the jewelry box he had found in the Potter vault. Before he got very far he had tears in his eyes as he read the letter which he now knew was from his mother.

“My dear darling baby boy,

I’m sorry I’m not there with you. Sitting beside in the night as you cry from a bad dream or singing you to sleep. But know I love you more than life or death could say. I know all you’ve learned this day from your father’s letter has shocked and saddened you, but I must say be strong as I know you can because I must add one more thing to what your father has.

Then my dear little boy you can cry and rage all you wish. I won’t blame you. It is not a weakness to care, to love. I do hope you are loved by my family I doubt it. They hate people like us though I don’t know why. My sister when I found out what I was, was thrilled but later grew to hate me.

Remember my Harry baby that I and your father love you and we will always be with you. Now, for the news I know will rock you, I am sorry for that too. My son you have learned today that you are the descent of Gryffindor and your cousin-sister Ali is the descent of Ravenclaw. That you both are elementals, that you two fulfill a prophecy within your father’s family. That we had your powers and hers bound for your protection. But this isn’t all, you are also the heir of Slytherin because of me, of my family. I am not a muggleborn like many believe because we let them. We let them because it’s safer than any other way, your father and I are already major threats to Voldemort. We didn’t want to add more wood to the fire. My family weren’t muggles dear, they are squib descents of Slytherin.

I know you have probably heard that Slytherin is bad, evil even and yes he had a dark side but than again everyone does. You have a destiny bigger than you my dear and I am sorry for having put this evil on you, for making you grow up far quicker than any child should but you are my son as well as your father’s. You can handle it, you can survive and thrive. I know you will. Believe in love and life my sweetheart, it is more powerful than any spell you were taught.

Remember darling I and your father are always with you, will always love you.

Love your loving mother,

Lily

PS: the jewelry box is for you and holds another letter from Sirius, dear.”

With tears in his eyes he took the jewelry box in his hands that had the Potter family crest on it and opened it to find the most amazing and stunning rings ever in his life. Taped to the top of the lid was a letter with his name, he took it out and read it.

“Dear Harry,

How you doing my boy? Hope well. If you got this letter you’ve inherited your parents as well as my family legacy. Your parents put these in my care. The two gold rings with the heart shaped diamonds are your parents’ wedding rings. From what I know (from what Lily told me of course) the metal is elven gold and has words in the band that only appear when you put them on at the ceremony in Gaelic. I think she said that they mean; true friendship, true love. The diamond is Goblin it stays diamond until at ceremony when they’re put on.

Your father’s stone turned to your mom’s and your mom’s turned to your father’s. Your father explained to me the meaning behind the hands and everything else on the ring. So I’ll pass the information to you. He said it was a Celtic clauddagh; the heart means love, the hands holding it mean friendship and the crown means fidelity and loyalty. They were left for you and your chosen, so go have fun. Find that special one. The other two rings as you can guess are your family rings. The Potter and Black rings. You don’t have to wear the Black if you don’t want to but you must and should wear the Potter.

Good luck Harry we all believe in you.

Sirius”

With a smirk his father would have been proud of he put the Potter ring on and put the other rings within the jewelry box in his pocket. Taking out the mirror again he called Ice.

“Yes, Ash?” sounding tired she replied.

Harry replied quickly, “I know its getting late but you must know before I meet up with Ron and Hermione. There’s an Order member in America. She’s related to Draco. She may be able to train him and us. You need to find her, get her to help. Plus I’m also the Slytherin heir from mom’s side. Let’s not get into that now. I have to go. Just find Abrianna Authine Brigid. I learned of her from Sirius’s journal, but I read some files that said she runs a nightclub for muggles, witches, wizards, etc. called the Night Phoenix so dress muggle to be safe ok. Bye Ice, I’ll talk to you later.”

With that he left Ice to tell Draco he had family in America that they needed to find and get help from her.

Harry got up stretching out his legs and left the vault finding Griphook still there. they rode up in the cart to the upper bank where he found Hermione and Ron waiting for him.

As he came to them Hermione could tell something was up and asked, “Harry, is everything ok?”

Harry smiled a bit and said softly, “Yeah, just a bit overwhelmed. Get everything?”

Hermione smiled softly and said, “Yeah its all shrunken. We should go.”

Harry turned to Griphook and asked, “Griphook, you won’t tell anyone we were here, right? I need complete silence from you.”

Griphook nodded and replied, “Of course, Lord Potter-Black. We can keep your inheritances quiet until you say if you wish?”

Harry nodded, “Yes, thank you.”

Then Harry took Ron and Hermione’s arms and apparated to some woods across from the lighthouse Hagrid had first found him and he had learned of his wizarding legacy. They set up the tent Ron brought out and Hermione set up wards and warning spells to protect them from detection by the Ministry or Death Eaters.

Back at Ali’s…

Ali got up grumbling about Harry disturbing her sleep, put her robe on, and headed to Draco’s room. She knocked lightly until she heard a cool, “Its open.”

As Ali walked in she found Draco in his bed reading a potion’s book. She stood in the doorway with a smirk until he finished his page and put the book down. Ali stood still until he waved his hand for her to enter completely. She came to the foot of his bed and said, “Drac, how do you feel about muggle clothes?”

Draco gave her a quizzical look saying, “Why?”

Ali replied, “Because Harry just contacted me and says he’s found an Order member we may need for the fight. She can teach you how to fight muggle-wise more than I can. Plus,…” she quieted.

Draco silent through this all finally spoke up, “Plus, what?”

Ali sighed and looked Draco in the eye saying, “She’s a distant cousin of yours. Her name is Abrianna Authine Brigid. She’s the descent of your mom’s great-great-great-grandmother who went to America from what Harry says. She runs a nightclub for muggles and wizarding alike called the Night Phoenix. So, again what do you think of muggle clothes?”

Draco shocked yet again with in the last twelve hours he replied, “I don’t know really. I’ve never had many or any actually.”

Suddenly Ali went from gloomy to pure devilish with a glint in her eye smirking, “Really? Come with me?” she said pulling him up to his feet taking him to Harry’s room.

As she pulled him along she kept saying, “You and Harry are about the same size, right? Right, duh of course Ali they are. You’re probably a label queen just like me so…we’ll have to go with slacks and clubbing shirts or label jeans. Hmmmm, what colors?”

As they entered Harry’s room Draco was shocked to find the room high fashioned but common as well. It was like Harry had mixed his muggle world with his magical completely into who he was really. Draco was getting to see a part of Harry he’d never seen, it was almost frightening to see this side of him without him there. He felt like he was stepping into something sacred, only for Harry and he was degrading it.

“Hell when had he begun to think of Potter as Harry,” he thought.

Just then Ali threw an outfit at him and told him to try it on so he left for the bathroom to change. When he came out she had him turn so she could judge how it looked. She deciding it didn’t work had another outfit picked out and the process began over until about an hour later she had chosen an outfit that would work. It turned out to be black slacks and a silk green shirt.

She left him with a smirk and a grin saying, “Now go do your hair while I get ready?”

Without think he did as he was told and went to get ready. When Ali came back to his room an hour or two later she was dressed in a pair of hip hugging jeans, high heeled boots, and a V-necked, form-fitting deep emerald green shirt with earrings and necklace on. She eyed Draco, walked up to me and messed his neat slick hair saying, “Drac, we’re going clubbing not to a conference. Look your age a bit. Oh, now hold I know where we’re going? Oh, by the way Harry’s also the heir of Slytherin, on his mom’s side. Let’s go.”

With that before he could speak they were apparating and reappearing in an office full of posters and pictures that didn’t move. There was a pounding rhythm all around them even though the door was closed. Draco sat down shell-shocked, “Harry’s heir of Slytherin and Gryffindor, oh shit! Oh shit!”

Ali watched Draco drop to the couch in the office in shock and sat beside him lightly saying his name, “Draco?”

He shook his head clearing it and looked to Ali, “I want to kiss you? I want to do more, but he’d kill me, you’d kill me.”

Ali smirked saying, “Then kiss me.”

So, he did. He kissed her. It was hot and demanding. He fused his mouth with hers as she fused her mouth with his. They clung to each other letting their passions match the pulse of the music outside the room. They found themselves rubbing against each other, touching each other everywhere they could reach. As Draco began kissing down Ali’s neck holding tightly to her hip with one hand while the other travelled slowly down the side of her body the door opened letting the music and a beautiful young woman in with it. She stood still just watching them for a moment as they jumped apart like naughty teens caught doing things a daddy wouldn’t like which they were.

As she stepped in and shut the door behind her she said, “Oh don’t stop on my account, but you might want to move from the couch to the floor.”

Draco rushed to his feet in a huff, “What! How dare you say that! How dare you degrade…”

The girl held her hand up laughing, “Whoa, lover boy no need to get protective. I meant stand up, you and your girl are blocking my weapon’s chest.”

As they stepped away they watched the girl grabbed something and pull it out from under couch. As she opened it and began choosing weapons Ali stepped up to her saying, “Miss Brigid…”

The girl stood fully and turned to them saying, “Please call me Bri everybody does around here.”

“Ok Bri…I’m Alexis…”

“VanLint, right? And…your Draco Malfoy right? Nice to meet you. Though never thought I’d see the day a Malfoy worked with the Order.”

Draco was shocked, “Order? What order?”

He looked at Ali expecting her to be as surprised as he was. Ali was surprised alright but not for the reasons Draco thought.

“How did you know I was a member at the Order?” Ali asked, “I’ve never even heard of you before Harry told me who you were.”

“Of course I know about you being a member, hun Scruffy told me about you and as well as hero boy when I joined. He wasn’t supposed to but then when did Padfoot listen, am I right? Plus, he knew I’d be an asset as well as you and hero boy if you joined. Now unless you came to tell me something, I got stuff to deal with.”

“We did. We came to get you and your help.” Draco voiced in his most Malfoy cool way as he eyed this girl who was supposed to be his cousin.

She stood at 5’5” he could tell, he dark brown eyes older than her outer appearance slowed, had medium length dark chocolate brown hair. She was pale in complexion but he could tell it wasn’t from illness, but genetics. Malfoys and Blacks seemed to be pale-complexioned families. She wore black leather pants which seemed to have a section of the leg made out of dark pink silk in the shape of a stretched triangle with high-heeled leather boots that came to her knee. Which he saw when she lifted up her pant legs to put knives in holsters she had there. She wore a black tank under a dark pink shirt that had long sleeves but had no real top to it.

“They actual let girls over here wear that kind of thing? Aren’t they ashamed?” Draco thought.

Though he had to admit she wore it well. He stood amazed as she chose a sword and sheath and put it on. The sword was almost as long as she was. He watched as she strapped it on and tied the edge to her leg and began taking other weapons out. He watched as she put on a long leather coat with dark pink lining. He was fascinated when she began to put stakes and vials in slots and pockets he couldn’t see.

“Muggle clothes can do that?” he thought.

When she put an L-shaped object in a slot on her other hip on the sword belt after loading it full of weird shaped pieced of melt probably silver by the shine he spoke up to ask what it was.

She looked up and smiled simply replying, “A gun with silver bullets,” as she picked up a small crossbow with an arrow in its slot and then chose three other arrows to put in her coat lining. Once done with this she took one more item out of a pocket in the chest, shut the chest and put it back in place. She walked to a mirror they hadn’t seen and fastened a cross necklace around her neck and said to them, “Well, what is it you need me for, hun?”

Ali replied calmly as if seeing this girl of their age walking around with a zillion weapons on as if they weighed nothing was just that nothing, “We need you to train Draco here in muggle combat. I could probably use some more practice too. Seeing as Padfoot called you the best and we need the best…”

“You came to get me. Fine, I’ll go with you, but first I have a job to do.”

“What?” Draco getting suspicious.

“Oh calm down will you cousin boy. I’m going for rogue werewolves, vamps, and Snakeface followers ok. I’ll be back in an hour or so hopefully.”

Just then a knock came at the door and she told whoever it was to come in. In came a young man around their age tall maybe 6 foot with messy black hair and piercing black eyes. He wore black slacks, a black T covered by a blood red velvet shirt. He smirked at Bri and said, “Ah, hun you didn’t have to get so dolled up for me?”

She laughed lightly and gave the guy a very crude hand gesture which he laughed at and said, “Now hun you know I don’t do women.”

She laughed again turning to the man saying, “Yeah I know. I just got called in hun can you watch these two until I’m back, Adrian babe.”

The man turned to Draco and Ali. He smiled at Ali which made her smile back, but what made her laugh loudly was how he eyed Draco like candy and Draco stepped behind her slightly straightening his spine a bit to show courage.

“I wouldn’t Adrian hun, he’s all straight. You want that, go bounce your boyfriend. I need you to make sure they only get the light stuff, nothing’s put into their drinks, nothing more than Tylenol or Ibuferon and no potions with alcohol ok?”

“Oh special treatment I see? Why?”

“He’s my cousin and she’s a member. Now I must be going, don’t forget your meds baby.”

“I won’t mommy,” Adrian joked and pushed Bri out the door.

She left with a laugh and a, “don’t forget to have fun you two.”

After this Adrian took them both out to the actual club, where their senses were instantly hit with amp-destroying wattages of the song Radar by Britney Spears, flashing strobe lights and lasers all around them. As they looked around they saw girls with guys, guys with guys, girls with girls, witches, and muggles; everybody just having fun. Nothing major to call authorities about just people having fun.

Though as they walked farther into the chaos Draco had to ask so he yelled so Adrian could hear him, “Do people really take drugs and mix things here?”

Adrian as they got closer to the bar looked back and said, “No, Bri was just messing with you. Though we did have a problem with one of the tenders awhile ago.”

Ali getting into the mood of the club, “What happened?”

Just then Adrian’s boyfriend came over, he was a tall blonde blue-eyed dream, saying, “He was mixing potions or drugs, whatever he thought cool into the drinks. We almost got shut down by the Council and the muggle authorities. By the way my name is Jake.”

Ali smiled, “Hello.”

Draco, “the Council?”

Jake smiled and went on, “Yeah, its our version of a Ministry of Magic, but not so strict on most things. Bri, almost ripped the new guy a new hole, if you get my meaning, and kicked his ass outta here.”

Adrian smirked and said, “Now you kiddies go have fun. I’ll tell you when mommy’s home.”

With this said Ali pulled Draco onto the dance floor as the song Trouble by Bonnie McKee started to play. An hour later Adrian walked over with Bri laughing about something. Bri motioned for them to follow her and they went to her office once again. Once inside Bri waved her hand and a huge duffel bag appeared which she slung over her shoulder and turned to Draco and Ali saying, “Let’s go to the alley to apparate.”

Once outside Draco grabbed Ali and Bri’s arms and they all apparated to the living room of Ali’s home.

Bri looked around with a smirk and said, “So what is this place? Richville?”

Ali laughed, “No, but it could be thought that way. I’ll call Jensen to show you one of the guest rooms.”

Just then Jensen appeared and showed Bri the way to her guestroom. Which it appeared was down the hall from Ali, Harry, Hermione, and Draco’s rooms. She literally had her own section of the hall; which she liked the idea of this personally.

In her room Bri shut the door and heaved a sigh laying against the door. Once she felt grounded she crawled with ten-ton weighted legs over to the bed and at the foot of the bed dropped her duffel with a heavy thud. She waved her hand dismissively as her clothes and weapons began to set themselves away where she would have put them personally if she wasn’t so tired. She didn’t even question why her magic was apparently working within the house because of what she could remember when her mind was clear again from her letters from Sirius was that the only room a person could do magic in was the training room.

She took her coat off and let it fall on the floor as she began a painful walk to the connecting bathroom she peeled off her boots and weapons dropping them. When she reached the bathroom she shut the door and locked it and began slowly undressing, wincing every once in awhile when the clothes or movement would make a bruise she had received ache.

Once undressed she wrapped a towel she found in the cupboard around her and began the water, steam-making hot with just a touch of cold. She found a couple of candles and a lighter, she lit them and set them out letting the scent of an Irish spring and a waterfall engulf her in their comforting embrace. She had also found a little radio which she plugged in by the sink and turned to a radio station she liked, which happened to be playing Mirror by Barlowgirl. As she shut off the tub with water very close to the top she found herself walking by the mirror and stopped short at seeing the old scar across her back covered here and there with bruises and looking red and swollen. This didn’t bother her she was used to bruises and her scar swelling it happened. She had had the scar since she was a child and she was Hunter bruises and pain happened. What bothered her was the four claw marks down her back; which made her remember who had given them to her forcing her to end their life which she never wanted too. As steam rose to fog the mirror she turned away with tears in her eyes and took the towel off sinking into the warmth and soothing comfort of the bath. As she dunked under the water to wet her hair she let her memories of the night take her over. As she continued with her bath routine, letting the memories flow she never knew she cried.

Once her bath was finished she walked back into her room and pulled on a pair of pj pants and a long sleeved T and climbed into bed falling asleep instantly, exhausted.