Chapter Text
Aliandra Jamie-Rose Potter stared at the inheritance test that the Goblin had insisted upon. She felt both numb and happy that she was seated so her legs didn’t give out on her. Her long black hair was frizzing with her magic; her green eyes looked tempestuous. She felt nothing but a white noise ringing in her ears, and yet was filled with loathing. She was clenching the arm of the hard beige chair so tightly her fingers turned white.
The biggest mistake the Dursleys had ever made was abusing her until her creature inheritance had kicked in when she was six, after Vernon had pushed her through a plate glass window, and the glass slit her throat. After that, the Dursleys decided it was in their best interest to ignore the fact she existed.
She had already realised that Hagrid had been sent to her because someone was trying to manipulate her. She may only be eleven, but she had been a thief and a liar her whole life. When she was six, just a month before Vernon killed her, she had taken a computer course that the local library was running. Vernon and Petunia gave her the five pounds it cost, and she spent a gloriously happy four weeks learning computers, six hours a day, six days a week. The teacher, recognising someone like himself, had given her different lessons to the others.
He taught her how to hack.
Ali had been surprised when she realised that Vernon had been embezzling from his workplace, Grunnings. She had foolishly thought she could get better treatment if she confronted him with the evidence. When he pushed her through the window, she was taught her greatest lesson.
Always have a backup plan for your backup plan.
And never extort someone in front of a window.
Of course, when she woke up as some form of panther with orange and purple fire around her, she realised she had a much better way to compel her darling relatives to treat her better. After she took a chunk of flesh out of Vernon, and then somehow healed him before he could bleed out, they all agreed that ignoring the other side existed was the best way forward.
She had then begun her rather illustrious career as a computer hacker for hire. No one realised the best hacker in the world was actually an eight-year-old girl in Surrey. She began making contacts and more than enough money then she could spend in a dozen lifetimes. For fun, she tended to hack into government servers, and discover all sorts of lovely secrets. Extortion was a profitable business. She had also been making quite a name for herself as an information broker and sometimes thief in the Mafia world as well. She was known simply as Nightshade in her professional life. Vernon had begun getting arrogant a couple of years earlier, and she had shown him enough evidence to destroy him. And the computer program that would send the evidence to every person in Surrey, the police, Grunnings, and one hundred newspapers. She also cut his throat and waited until he nearly bled out completely this time before healing him.
To be a good or nice person, you had to have experienced others being good and nice to you. Those that had treated her well, she had always treated well in return. She was loyal to those who proved they were worth the loyalty.
It was only once the Hogwarts letter arrived that she realised she was magical. Vernon and Petunia had spent a couple of extremely uncomfortable hours telling Ali everything they knew. Only after they both knew how deeply unimpressed with them, that she was, did Ali write a letter back to Hogwarts, accepting her place, and asking for someone to escort her to the magical district.
They sent Hagrid.
The groundskeeper.
Which led her to this point in time.
Staring at an inheritance report, trying to control her rage enough that she didn’t rip the throat out of the Goblin in front of her. The Goblin who Hagrid had led her to had recognised her for both who, and more importantly, what she was. Hagrid, who clearly had some form of non-human blood in him, hadn’t and it made Ali wonder if he just didn’t listen to his instincts. The Goblin had insisted that they split up, Hagrid went after a Goblin called Griphook, to go to a vault for the headmaster. The Goblin on the counter had led her to a door that was marked with a crown, and the square brass nameplate “Ragnok Goldhammer.”
After a conversation in a language that was guttural and one Ali was determined to learn, Ragnok asked her to place three drops of her blood on a piece of stone. It shone brightly, and then spat out a ream of what appeared to be parchment. Ali could feel her fingers tingling with the urge to hurt someone. Her teeth ached with the need to bury them into something’s throat and feast. Her calf muscles tensed with the desire to run and hunt. Her heart was trying to pound its’ way out of her chest. Her breath began coming longer and deeper as she forced her body to calm as she re-read the parchment.
Inheritance Test For:
Aliandra Jamie-Rose Libra Potter-Black
AKA:
Ali Potter, The-Girl-Who-Lived, Lady Nightshade, The Mistress of Death.
Parents:
James Potter – Father, blood
Sirius Black – Father, blood adopted
Lily Jessica Potter nee Evans – Mother, blood
Titles:
Lady Potter – At age 13, from blood father
Lady Peverell – At age 11, from blood father and mother
Heiress Black – at age 13, from blood adopted father
Lady Black – on death of current Lord Black, from blood adopted father
Lady Slytherin – At age 13, due to conquest of Tom Marvolo Riddle, aka Lord Voldemort
Mistress of Death – Due to creature inheritance, blood of Peverell, Heiress of the Deathly Hallows, having met Death three times.
Sky Arcobaleno – Sky Pacifier Holder
Vaults:
Number 1 – Mortis Vault
0 galleons, 0 sickles, 0 knuts
1 Journal
No transactions recorded since opening
Number 27 – Slytherin Family Main Vault
0 galleons, 7 sickles, 0 knuts
450 books
70 swords
18 suits of armour
5 Family Grimoires
74 Family wands
No transactions recorded since 1306
Due to Family regulations, each Slytherin Family vault must have 7 sickles present
Number 28 – Slytherin Family Heir vault
1000 galleons, 7 sickles, 0 knuts
2 Family Grimoires
12 Family wands
12 Family staves
25 daggers
No transactions recorded since 1782
Due to Family regulations, each Slytherin Family vault must have 7 sickles present
Number 52 – Peverell Family Main Vault
25,000,000 Galleons, 64,000 sickles, 130 knuts
2500 books
35 swords
15 Family Grimoires
120 Family wands
75 assorted bows
150 daggers
25 Family staves
No transactions recorded since 1775
Number 102 – Black Family Main Vault
Not information provided until age 13, when Heir ring is accepted
Number 103 – Black Family Heir Trust Vault
1,000,000 galleons, 25,000 sickles, 650 knuts
3 Family Grimoires
12 Family wands
Auto-refilling once a year from Black Main Vault to current total
Number 157 – Potter Family Main Vault
1,500,000 galleons, 12,500 sickles, 1300 knuts
4250 books
11 Family Grimoires
150 Family portraits
No transactions recorded since death of former Lord Potter
Error: Numerous attempts to enter this vault from unauthorised beings. Blood protection on vault has stopped these attempts. Rectify this situation at once.
Number 158 – Potter Family Trust Vault
25,000 galleons, 25,000 sickles, 25,000 knuts
3 Family Grimoires
5 Family wands
3 Trunks of personal belongings
1 Invisibility cloak
Auto-refilling every year to total amount from Potter Main Vault
Error: Numerous transactions every year since death of James and Lily Potter. Possible fraud as the recipient of the trust vault has never been present when these transactions were made.
Every month 500 galleons to Dursley family. Totalling 58,500 galleons.
Every month 800 galleons to Bird Club account, owned by A.P.W.B Dumbledore. Totalling 93,600 galleons.
Every month 100 galleons to Account Manager Bloodgroove. Totalling 11,700 galleons.
Every month 100 galleons to Arabella Figg. Totalling 11,700 galleons.
Once the girl decided she wasn’t going to murder someone in a gruesome way, she looked at Ragnok Goldhammer and spoke, her voice high like a child’s, but hard and unhappy,
“Master Goldhammer. I am afraid I do not know the correct etiquette to greet you, or to ask my questions. I did not know I was a witch until three days ago. Is there any way to get the money that has been stolen from me back, discreetly, with interest? Preferably without my name being bought into this. I will have to play whatever game the Headmaster is trying to play with me for the moment before I can crush him. But I am accustomed to playing a long game, and I am willing to let them keep their ill-gotten gains for the time being if there is no way.”
“Call me Chief Ragnok if you please Lady Peverell. I can find a book on Goblin etiquette for you as well, before you leave here today. Since it was your family’s Account Manager that has been embezzling from you, we could arrest him, and get your gold and items back that way. Your accounts would not be the only accounts he has been stealing from. We could arrange for a bank wide audit due to his theft.”
“And the Account Manager that helped the thieves, what would happen to him?”
“He will be executed.”
“Good. If you could keep my name out of it, I am sure that, say, 10% of what has been stolen from me could find its way into your personal vault, Chief Ragnok.”
“There will be a lot of work, just to keep your name out of it, Lady Peverell. 25%.”
“Please, call me Ali. 15%, and I will throw in some of the weapons from my vaults once I gain access to all of them. Say, thirty weapons. You are a warrior race, Chief Ragnok.”
“We are a warrior race, Ali. Thirty weapons of my choosing?”
“Any thirty you want, Chief.”
The Goblin Kings eyes were wide, and his mouth dropped open slightly, before he thrust his hand out for her to shake.
“Deal.”
“Quick question, who rules the magical underworld?”
“What?”
“The magical underworld. Organised crime, murder, prostitution, gambling, drugs, theft.”
“There is no ruler. There is no organised crime in the magical world. There is some crime, but nothing big. There are criminals, but nothing and no one to organise them.”
Ali’s eyes glittered like emeralds as she tried to fathom a world without organised crime. Then, she gave a particularly bloodthirsty grin as she made her decision.
“What is your banks policy on an organisation opening a vault? Is there any governmental oversite of monetary transactions? If I wanted to become the ruler of the underworld, would there be a task force of the police to stop me?”
Chief Ragnok looked at the young girl in front of him, and decided he wanted to be on her side.
“Organisations can open a vault the same way an individual or family can. I can help you with the paperwork. If you make me your Account Manager, I can get your new vault opened today once you have decided on security features for it. There is no governmental oversite of much in the magical world, and certainly no Auror force to try to stop you if you wished to introduce organised crime into the magical world. Gringotts have a few contacts that we can help you get in touch with, for a small fee of course.”
“5% of every transaction that occurs in my organisation until I am 17. We renegotiate then.”
“15% of every transaction that occurs, until you are 17.”
“10%. Until I am 17.”
“Deal.”
They shook hands again, and Chief Ragnok knew this partnership was going to be very profitable for him.
“Is there an assassin you can get me in touch with? I have someone I dearly wish dead.”
“I can give you a pair of communication mirrors, and a name of someone who is willing to kill for money. It will most likely cost 1000 galleons. You send the communication mirror to him, with a note stating what name he is to call through it to contact you.”
“Thank you, Chief. Would I be able to purchase a dozen of those mirrors? With my attending Hogwarts, I doubt I will be able to get here very often. As for the vault, what security features do you offer?”
They spent nearly 45 minutes discussing various security features, and in the end, Ali decided on a blood locked vault that only she would be able to withdraw from, and a linked vault that those that had her permission could withdraw from. She also had a communication mirror linked to Ragnok so he could contact her if people wanted to withdraw funds so she could give her permission. The fact she also chose to add the feature of boiling acid to run over the vault door if someone unauthorised tried to access her main vault was just a bonus. She had transferred all the money from the Black Heir trust vault into her new vault, which was called simply, Nightshade.
She also walked out with the name of an assassin, a man in the ministry who would be able to help her gather information, 25 communication mirrors, a shadow owl that she called Anubis, a book on Goblin etiquette, a book on what being a Mngwa meant, a book on Mafia bylaws and how they impacted the Wixen world, a book on the Arcobaleno, former and present, a necklace portkey that would take her to Peverell Manor at her convenience, and a cowl that would obscure her face and voice in shadows for her to wear when communicating with people in her soon to be organisation/Famiglia. She also had the Peverell Lordship ring on her finger, the Potter and Slytherin Heir rings, and the Mortis Lordship ring. She also had the Journal out of the Mortis vault. And five different wands that had accepted her. All of them had Thunderbird tail feather cores, and all had some type of metal in the handles. Both were exceedingly rare and created a strong wand.
She met up with Hagrid, who was extremely drunk on some type of liquor that the Goblins had given him. She left him passed out and went shopping for the rest of her school supplies, knowing she would be coming back once she could ditch Hagrid. She only got what was on the list, and nothing more. She went to Ollivanders, and after he stared at her for a few moments, he cackled, and then he handed her a Holly and Phoenix feather wand. It didn’t suit her as well as the wands she had withdrawn from her Family vaults, or the Pacifier that she wore around her neck, but it would be alright for school. He cautioned her about the trace and wished her luck in her future endeavours.
Once she had finished, she woke Hagrid up, and used the touch of Mist she had to convince him that he had been with her the entire time, and she managed to convince him to leave her at the train station, so she could return to Surrey and her darling relatives on her own. After Hagrid left her, she found an out of the way restroom and used her shadows to head back to Surrey. It took her only a few minutes to get to a park that she knew no one was around in, and then only five minutes to walk to Privet Drive, passing Ms Figg on the way.
Now that she knew Arabella Figg was working for Dumbledore, she decided that poor Ms Figg would suffer an unfortunate ending in the school year. A heart attack maybe; she was of an age for that to be quite believable. She waved to Ms Figg and headed to number 4, to enjoy the wait before her relatives got home.
Ali placed her trunk in the second bedroom. She was planning on leaving tomorrow once she laid down some new ground rules for her relatives. She set Hedwig up on her new perch and told her to fly to Peverell Manor whenever she felt like it because that would be their new home. She also resettled Eligor, her Yellow-Lipped Sea Krait, around her neck. He was her Animal Companion from Kawahira. Instead of being black and white striped, he was orange and purple striped. He was highly venomous and hated the Dursleys. He was also invisible to anyone other than her, and those she chose to be able to see him and could grow to the size of a school bus at will. She sent Anubis, the shadow owl, off with communication mirrors and notes that said call the name Nightshade to the men that Ragnok had suggested. She used her computer, that she had hidden with her Mist flames, to access a chat room that Mafia assassins used. She posted:
Job going. Three-to-six-month time frame. Must be after September. Must look like a stroke or heart attack. Elderly civilian woman.
Nightshade.
Ali knew her reputation would get her some takers, but she was hoping for Trident Shamal to be the one who would take the job on Ms Figg. His Mist mosquitoes would make it look like natural causes. Ragnok had told her that Mist Flames could not be distinguished from natural causes even by magic.
She had known that eventually she would get the attention of the other Arcobaleno. She had borne the Sky Pacifier for almost two years now since the last Sky Arcobaleno had died. Kawahira had appeared to her one day when she was lounging in the sun in her kitten form. He had offered her the Pacifier and a book on the Mafia, the Arcobaleno, and the Vindice, and asked her if she would bear the Sky Pacifier. She decided her death should mean something. It didn’t mean she really wanted to have to deal with the Arcobaleno. From what she had heard about them, they all sounded like they would try to clip her wings and make her follow their rules. She was a Cloud secondary, with enough Mist to be able to make people ignore what she wanted them to. She wanted to be a ruler in the underworld, but she wanted it on her terms.
She was Cloud and Alpha enough to know she did not follow others, Sky and Alpha enough to be a good Leader, and Mist enough to be mildly unhinged.
After she finished her post, and checked to see if she had any messages, she decided to read the book on Mngwa’s whilst she waited for her darling relatives to return.
Mngwa’s, also known as Nunda’s, are some of the deadliest of all magical creatures. They have greyish to black fur and brindled tabby-like stripes and markings. It is readily distinguished from the lion and the leopard by looks, and its tracks are said to resemble a leopard, but are the size of a lions. According to some eyewitnesses, it purrs instead of roaring. They have a magical core like a squib; they are creatures of Death. Some instances have revealed that a Mngwa can also be a wixen; this however is extremely rare, and only occurs in young wix that have been killed by kin.
This type of creature inheritance is rare, and most normally die before puberty as they lose themselves in the instincts of the Mngwa. They use the shadows to travel and are some of the most proficient of all Shadow Walkers. They are Alpha to anything they meet and will often simply take over any other group of magical creatures they come across. In their own species, they are solitary, preferring to be surrounded by other creatures that acknowledge it as their Alpha. Only those that are completely magical, those having a developed magical core, can transform between their three forms at will. Mngwa’s that are squibs can only stay in their two cat forms. Those that get their Mngwa form due to their death by kin can transform at will between their human form, their large Mngwa form, and a form that resembles a house cat.
The Magical Ministry’s around the world have declared Mngwa’s to be a magical creature no one should hunt, partly because they are commonly held to be a neutral creature, and partly because Mngwa’s will kill what annoys them rather than put up with being annoyed. The last time any Ministry in the world hunted a rogue Mngwa, they lost almost 200 wixen, and the Mngwa escaped. It is believed only a Mngwa can kill another Mngwa. The Ministries have declared the Mngwa a creature they did not want to deal with, and anyone who angers one does so at their own foolish peril.
She decided to read the book on Mafia Laws and how they impacted the Wixen World next.
The Mafia world of Flames and the Wixen World have lived in peaceful co-existence for a thousand years or so. Flame Users have helped to shield and protect the Wixen World, and Magic Users have done the same in return. A Flame User can also have Magic. In these circumstances, the world they belong to and the Laws they are beholden to are up to them. They can choose to journey between the two worlds, which means they would be beholden to the Laws of the World they are currently in. Or they can choose to reside exclusively in only one World. As both societies have secrecy as their main Law, provided they follow that Law, they should be alright.
The one exception to this rule is for Skies. A Sky is different, as they are held as royalty by the Flame Users, and as extremely wise and benevolent beings by the Magic Users. However, due to the Treaty of Skies 1292, a Sky is only beholden and only answers to the Flame Laws. The Wixen World has no sway over a Sky, or the right to punish a Sky. The Wixen World can appeal to the Vindice in the instance a Sky breaks the Law, but they cannot punish a Sky, nor can they hold a Sky in their world.
Ali was thrilled after she finished reading the books. The Ministry could not punish her or arrest her for anything she did, provided she remained within the Laws the Vindice put forward.
Not that she had any intention of getting caught.
Still, she wasn’t foolish enough to think there was no possibility she would ever get caught.
Mistakes could happen, and Ali was pragmatic enough to realise there was always a possibility of mistakes or betrayal happening. Eventually she would have to take some people into her confidence, and there was always a possibility that they would flip on her, whether to save their own skin, or for the possibility of a bigger payout. She had read in the book that Kawahira had given her that Guardians could not betray their Sky, but she wasn’t going to count on that until she felt it herself.
She felt someone using Mist Flames to hide their presence; she recognised the touch of those Mist Flames as someone who had occasionally spied on her, but they had never felt harmful and her intuition had never given her any thought that the person who was spying on her meant her any harm, so she was content to play ignorant. She had always gotten a sense of curiosity from those Flames. She also felt it when the Dursleys car pulled up. Ali decided her spy could watch what was going to happen.
When Vernon, Petunia and Dudley walked in, Ali used her shadows to pull the adults into the room and cover their mouths. She used her Mist to obscure Dudley’s sight and convince him to ignore anything that happened down here, and to play his video games. She also used Eligor to help her access Storm Flames to burn off the tail Hagrid had given him. (As a Sky, Ali could access the other Flame types that she didn’t have, provided she used Eligor to help her.) She felt the interest of the Mist User watching her peak when she did that, and peak even more when she savagely shoved her aunt and uncle into the seats across from her.
Ali stared at Vernon and Petunia consideringly for a few moments, her green eyes looking like ice chips. She was lounging on the sofa, stroking Eligor who she had made visible.
“You know, if you had shown me even an ounce of love over the years, if you had been family the way you should have been, I would have had absolutely no problem sharing all my gold with you. According to the Goblins of Gringotts, I am the richest person in Europe. I could have made you the king and queen of your own country. Instead, you were foul, loathsome, pathetic little cretins. You abused me from the moment I arrived her, belittled me, beat me, hell you killed me. You stuck me in the cupboard, starved me, stole from me. I am going to take so much joy out of ruining you. You cannot imagine the pleasure it will bring me to ruin you both, slowly, oh so slowly so I can enjoy every second.
“You have received roughly 350,000 pounds to take care of me, of my money may I add. You have lived in a house I own completely free for ten years. Vernon has embezzled from his company, which as of an hour ago I own, for the last fifteen years. Petunia, you are responsible for at least twelve people being put in prison because you just can’t keep your nose out of other people’s business. Vernon, you have been having an affair with a married woman, Ms Blakely from the accounting department, for the last six years. Petunia, you have been having an affair with Mr number 8 for the last three years. Before that it was Mr number 12.
“Now that you both know some of the things I have on you, I don’t want you to be afraid. It won’t all come out at the same time. Oh no. It will all come out between now and my 17th birthday. Think of it as my giving you presents. And, because of a little bit of tampering, you will not be able to tell anyone about this conversation. You won’t even want to. In fact, you will slowly forget you even had a niece, except when I want you to remember. Now, tomorrow I will be leaving, and you won’t see me until next summer, when I will be back for one day to renew the blood wards. Can’t have Dumbles getting suspicious of course. So, have fun hating each other. Don’t worry, no one else will realise you hate each other, it will destroy some of my fun if people realise too quickly. And, simply because I can, Vernon you are now impotent with a raging libido, and Petunia your libido has just gotten one hell of a jumpstart, but you will only ever get pleasure from sex with Vernon, who is impotent. Oh, dear, that will make things awkward won’t it. Have a pleasant summer, my darling family. I know I will.”
With that, Ali walked up the stairs to the second bedroom. Dudley was on his computer, playing something. She paused for a moment, and then flicked a Mist suggestion at him that would encourage him to begin exercising and eating healthier, so he didn’t die before he was 30. She would never like her cousin, not really, but he was a product of the Dursleys, just like she was.
She walked into the second bedroom and wasn’t surprised to see the Mist who had been spying on her standing there. She closed the door and looked at him as she sat down on the bed and gestured for him to take the chair. She studied the Mist User for a few moments, aware he was doing the same to her.
He was tall, easily six foot three, with short teal pineapple-like hair with two zigzag partings, bangs, and hard eyes, of which the right one had a spade symbol in it. He was wearing a smirk that Ali thought was his default expression. He was dressed fashionably in a long white trench cloak that covered him completely to his feet, which were clad in black leather boots. He had a white silk scarf around his neck and white leather gloves. He also had the shape of a spade on his gloves.
“Is all the white meant to make people think you are an angel, and forget you are actually the devil?”
“Nufufu. You are amusing my dear Aliandra. What you did to your darling relatives was simply inspired. Especially for a Sky.”
“You know my name, clearly. May I have your name, sir?”
“Daemon Spade. I was the Mist Guardian for both Primo and Secondo of the Vongola Famiglia.”
“Aren’t the Vongola up to the ninth generation?”
“They are.”
“Hmm. Interesting. To what do I owe your interest in me, Mr Spade?”
“You are bloodline Vongola through your mother. There is a chance that you will one day be tapped to be the Decima. There are a few others ahead of you in line for the inheritance, but who knows what could happen.”
“That means Dudley and Petunia are also bloodline Vongola. I have no interest in taking over a Famiglia so screwed up. I’d have to deal with that man that goes by the name ‘The Young Lion,’ and no thank you. I don’t deal well with idiots. Someone else can become Decima.”
“You have a hardness to you that most Skies don’t. You may not have any choice in the matter, my dear.”
“I am only as hard as I must be. Whilst it has been a pleasure discovering the name of the person who was spying on me, I truly do have things to do tonight.”
Daemon Spade stood up and gave an elegant bow. Then he held his hand out to her, and they shook hands.
There was a flash of Flames and suddenly…
@@@@@@@@@
Ali jerked upright out of her memories when the door to her compartment on the Hogwarts Express was banged open. A young red-haired boy was standing in the opening. He was covered in freckles and was wearing hand-me-down clothes. He had a friendly face, and he looked like the twins that were already sitting with her that she figured they were related.
“Fred, George, hide me!” the boy squeaked as he dived into the compartment. There was stunned silence for a moment, as the six people in the compartment watched the boy crawl under the seats and hid.
A few moments later, after Ali had thrown a small veil of Mist over the boy to hide him from anyone not already in the compartment, the door was thrown open again, this time by an older boy, already in his school robes, with a prefect badge pinned to the chest of his robe.
His brightly coloured robe.
His psychedelic, tie-died robe.
He was also dripping what Ali’s sensitive nose picked up as water.
He looked livid; his red face matched his red hair by colour perfectly; he looked dishevelled, and so red Ali was mildly surprised his ears weren’t steaming.
“Where. Is. He?”
“Where is who, Perce?” One of the twins asked the boy, who Ali assumed was another brother.
“Ronald. Where is he?”
“Dunno, Perce. Haven’t seen him since we left mum, right guys?” the other twin answered, looking at the other people in the compartment, who all gave a nod or a sound of agreement.
“You may want to protect him, but I will get him when we get to Hogwarts, and when I do, he will be serving detentions with Snape.” Perce hissed as he left the compartment, slamming the door as he dripped whilst walking away.
“You can come out, Ronniekins. Percy is gone. How’d you get him, anyway?”
The boy came out, and looking slightly bashful, shrugged, and mumbled something that even Ali’s sharp hearing couldn’t hear.
“What was that?”
“I didn’t mean to. It just happened; I tripped and spilled some water on his new robes, and he was giving me a lecture about it, and then his robes began changing colour. I think he thought I used one of your guy’s potions.”
“Don’t worry, Ron.
“We’ll help you explain
“It to Percy, and
“Once he calms down,
“He won’t give you a detention.” The twins answered, alternating who spoke.
“Nowhere else is free, may I sit with you?” Ron asked, looking around the compartment and finally realising it wasn’t just the twins sitting there, but a sandy blond-haired boy, a boy with dreadlocks, a nervous looking boy with a toad, and a girl with long black hair plaited down her back, emerald eyes, and a smiling face, with a cat on her lap.
“Anyone mind?”
Everyone in the compartment agreed there was still room, and Ron sat down across from Ali. There was a round of introductions, and after one of the twins smacked their youngest brother over the head, he stopped gawking at Ali as if she was the second coming of Merlin. Ali drifted as she listened to the boys speaking; she heard her name called and opened her eyes.
“Sorry Cedric. I didn’t catch that, what were you saying?”
“That’s no problem, Ali. I was just saying your cat was beautiful. He is a type of Siamese, right?”
“That’s right. This is Daemon, a Siamese cat with blue points. He’s a very crafty cat.” Ali replied with a smile as she stroked her Mist Guardian on the head.
“He doesn’t hunt toads, does he?”
“No Neville. He doesn’t like toads. Only bacon. Trevor is completely safe from Daemon.”
“Why’d you call him Daemon?” One of the twins asked. She wasn’t entirely sure how to tell them apart yet, their scents were slightly different, but she hadn’t gotten a straight answer as to which one was which yet to remember the different scents.
“He came with the name, but I thought it suited.” Ali smiled as she answered.
As she listened to the six boys talk, she stroked Daemon and thought back on everything that had happened in the last month. Ali had run into the sandy blond-haired Lightning boy, Cedric Diggory, in Diagon Alley a week after she had Harmonised with Daemon. He had introduced her to the Twins, Fred and George, and their friend Lee Jordan. She had spent an enjoyable day with the four of them and agreed to find them on the train to school. Cedric had pulled Neville Longbottom in when he had almost had a nervous breakdown because he lost his trunk. (It turned out it was in his pocket, his Gran had shrunk it for him, and he had forgotten.) Neville was a sweet boy, innocent and anxious, and Ali had already determined that either her or Daemon were going to tamper with the minds of the poor boys’ relatives before he went back to them.
After they had Harmonised, Ali activated the portkey right after gathering all her things. She took Daemon to Peverell Manor, and after a teary yet heartfelt meeting with the House Elves, Ali took the main family suite, which had enough bedrooms attached to hers that Daemon could sleep next door to her, and still be in the same suite. There were seven bedrooms surrounding a living area, and given the colours the bedrooms were painted, Ali figured someone in the Peverell family had been a Sky with a full complement of Guardians. Ali had keyed Daemon into the wards, and Daemon began a complete overhaul of the security of the Manor and its grounds. Daemon refused to let her leave the Manor until his security upgrades were complete, and Ali didn’t mind too much, she had a month before she would have to leave for school.
Daemon changing into a Siamese cat was a bit of a shock, but his stating that he would be going with Ali to Hogwarts less so. They had both devoured many of the books in the Peverell Library during the week she was essentially on house arrest. (Ali had also found time to read the Journal from the Mortis vault. It was certainly eye opening. She also decided that she could leave becoming the Mistress of Death, and therefore Immortal, for a few years yet. She wanted to be able to buy alcohol without having to resort to Mist tricks first. She just had to accept the fact she was, and greet Death one more time, and she would be Immortal. She wasn’t sure how that would work with the Arcobaleno curse, but she was content to ignore that for the time being.)
Trident Shamal had been the one to take the job on Ms Figg, just like Ali wanted. He had also said he was interested in doing further work for Nightshade and had given her a private email address to stay in contact. Ali knew he was unaffiliated, so he could be a good permanent member of her organisation. He was also competitive on what he was charging her to kill Arabella Figg. The magical assassin that Ragnok had suggested turned out to be a werewolf named Fenrir Greyback. He had accepted the job to make Marge Dursley suffer a horrible car accident today and had charged less than what Ali would have been willing to pay. Marge’s death would be the first salvo in her war to destroy Vernon and Petunia. Marge was about the only thing Vernon truly loved, and Petunia liked her more than she did Vernon. Given she was dying on the day Ali was due to go to Hogwarts, she had no doubt Vernon and Petunia would realise it was her.
Ali had also begun looking at the situation of prostitution in the British Wixen World. Prostitution happened, but only in the Darker alleyways. It wasn’t centralised, and there was no protection for the men and women who worked in the industry. Ali had already ordered Ragnok to buy up properties in Knockturn Alley, Celeste Alley, Diagon Alley, and Nuave Alley. Knockturn and Nuave were the alleys that the poorer people and the creatures tended to live, so the property was cheaper. Celeste was an incredibly high-end Alley, and Diagon was the main Wixen Alley. She had also ordered Ragnok to get a team to begin going through the properties they bought and write up lists about repairs that needed to be done and adding in warding. It was going to cost her about 150,000 galleons to buy all the properties, and a further 200,000 to repair and ward them, but she would make her money back in only a few years.
She was only buying two properties in Celeste Alley, because they were the most expensive, and one would be a high-end brothel, that Daemon had insisted she allow him to oversee, because “I am older that dirt and have a very fine grasp on the kinks that people have, and there are some things you are too young yet to handle, my dear” and she hadn’t decided yet what the other would be. She was thinking about some form of clothing shop; there was apparently a market for muggle designer labels in the Wix World in Europe, which amused Ali given the prevailing feelings about muggles in pureblood circles.
Daemon was going to stay with her permanently; he decided that the Vongola would survive a few years without his oversight, and he was conscious enough of the atmosphere in the Wixen World to know that his Sky was going to be in danger, and as her only Guardian, it was his responsibility to keep her safe.
(Not that he doubted for an instant that she could protect herself, it was simply the principle of being a lone Guardian. His Sky, (and it still gave him the shivers to realise he had a SKY now,) knew everything he had done, and her only comment on it was that he had been exceedingly busy, and could he give her some pointers on the finer use of Mist Flames. Daemon had never Harmonised with Giotto, but now he could understand why it was anathema to a Guardian to even think of betraying their Sky. Daemon would sooner stab himself with his scythe than betray Ali. He would manage anything she either couldn’t, or he felt she shouldn’t, like the brothels. He had been raised as a Noble, despite being in the Mafia, and he still felt there were somethings that children and women should not have to see. Not that he believed females were weaker; he had known Daniella Di Vongola, and he knew his Sky was tough, and ruthless. It was simply the principle; he wanted to keep his young, preteen, female Sky away from the sex trade as much as possible. He had already sworn to Ali that he would make certain that anyone they hired and anyone they took off the street circuits would be willing, not potioned or drugged or threatened, and would make certain they would be kept safe. He could already tell Ali would be a good Boss and a good Sky; she was worried about her people and determined to keep them as safe as she could.)
Ali had bought three properties in muggle Britain. She had read there were only two solely magical areas in all of Britain; Diagon and Knockturn, both of which were in muggle London; and Hogwarts and Hogsmeade in Scotland. The rest of the time, people had to live in and around muggles, and hope that their wards and the Obliviators were enough to keep magic from being exposed. She had realised there was a sizeable portion of the human Magical’s that were disenfranchised, and that wasn’t even including the creature races.
Ali had also contacted the other person the Goblins had suggested. Brycen Abbott was a very Dark Wix in an exceptionally Light family. He used a pendant that he had to replace every two or three months to hide his magical signature. It was expensive and difficult to get a hold of, but necessary for him if he did not want to be disowned. (His grandfather was a staunch supporter of Dumbledore and believed everything the man said, including that anyone with a Dark core should go to Azkaban.) Ali had sent him a communication mirror with Anubis, and a pendant that she designed. As her own magic was completely, perfectly grey, she used a touch of her own magic, some Mist and some Sky, along with a few runes she had found in a book in the Peverell library to enchant it for him; it would cover his magical signature, making it appear grey, and only need recharging once a year, which Ali had indicated that she would happily do for him.
After he had asked her what the cost was, she told him the pendant was his to keep; however, if he wanted the gold she was offering, he would have to get her a complete list of every person who worked in the Ministry and their positions. She gave him a week to decide, and then a week to do the job. He had the job completed in less than four days; she gave him a bonus on top of the gold she’d offered for such quick work. She had given him two more jobs since, and each time she had thrown in a bonus of some sort. The first time had been gold, the second a rare book she noticed he had the first three of but not the fourth, and the third time had been a cloak that would hide his magical signature if he needed. She had enchanted the cloak herself of course, and she had a list of everyone who worked in the ministry, dirt on Dumbledore, dirt on Fudge, dirt on someone called Umbridge who everyone hated, a complete profile of every Auror who worked for the Ministry, and a list of Aurors who may be willing to work with or for Nightshade.
The cowl that the Goblins had sold her was worth every knut she spent on it. Neither Brycen nor Fenrir had any idea they had been taking jobs from an 11-year-old Hogwarts student. Ali had also done a few hacking jobs and had figured out how to use runes to protect her electronics from the ambient magic in the air around Hogwarts. She was able to take everything she would need to continue her business, both in the Wix World, and the muggle world. She couldn’t say she was looking forwards to going to a magic school, but she was looking forwards to seeing what chaos she could inflict. She realised Daemon had been quite intent on something for the entire trip when the trolley came around. She bought a few things off the trolley for everyone, and so did Cedric and Neville.
Then, well, everything went to hell.
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Daemon was staring at Ron’s pocket; he could tell there was something that shouldn’t be in there. He was worried about his Sky, and whatever was in the boy’s pocket. His cat ears perked up when something began to move around, attracted to the pumpkin pasty. A nose began peeking out of the pocket, and finally a small furry body was revealed. He tuned out the boy’s introduction to the rat as he launched himself from the lap of his Sky, to turn back into his human form as he grabbed the rat and threw it against the window even as he called his scythe up and shuffled his Sky away from the creature. He used his Mist to force the thing to change back into its human form.
Revealed was a small pudgy man with watery rat like eyes, balding blonde hair, and a generally unpleasant smell. Daemon had thrown a Mist barrier up so no one would be able to get in or out, except for his Sky, whom he stood in front of as the rat man looked around, slightly dazed from being thrown. He felt his Sky flare her Sky Flames around him, telling him wordlessly to calm down. He turned and looked at his Sky from the corner of his eye and saw that she had made her Flames visible; she was in Hyper Dying Will Mode. Beautiful orange Flame sparkled at her forehead and her hands, bathing the entire compartment in a soft orange glow.
“Easy Daemon. Ron, did you know your rat was a human?”
“No. I let that thing sleep with me.” The boy sounded a little hysterical.
“Very well. Daemon, find out who the rat man is and why a grown man was living as a rat, around a child.”
Daemon understood exactly what she meant and given the slight gagging and cursing coming from the older boys, they had realised as well, even if the other two 11-year-old children didn’t. Daemon forced the pathetic rat man to look him in the eyes and delved into his mind. He wasn’t gentle about it. What he found even made Daemon slightly sick; Daemon knew he had betrayed Giotto, but he had never pretended to be his best friend. He had always been completely open about the fact he was willing to shaft Giotto the instant something better came along, even before his beloved Elena had been killed. And kneeling, willingly, happily, to a being like that foul Voldemort; this rat man disgusted him.
As Daemon pulled away from the foul creatures’ mind, he was sincerely tempted to just kill the loathsome being. However, the hand of his Sky, his young Sky who had been so badly betrayed and used in the worst of ways, stayed his scythe. He answered the unasked question, knowing his Sky was concerned.
“That thing has no taste for children. I know we have discovered that there was something strange about how your godfather ended up in Azkaban, we just didn’t know what. We do now. This pathetic rat is Peter Pettigrew. The real secret keeper for your parents, and a willing follower of the Dark Wanker who tried to kill you. Your parents and godfather changed, thinking everyone would automatically believe it was Black, and not this thing. He then killed twelve civilians and framed Black to escape. However, he is a loathsome little coward, and realised he would need to remain in the Wix World to be able to hear of any news about his beloved Master returning. What would you like me to do with him, my Sky?”
“Take him to Amelia Bones; she is fair, and not able to be bribed. She will make certain that this mess is cleared up. Show that you are a Mist, just keep my name and the Weasley family out of this for now; there will be enough scrutiny on this as it is without my being a Sky getting out now as well. And Daemon, thank you for finding him, catching him, and protecting me.” She gave him a smile, that he had the feeling very few people had ever seen. Daemon bowed to her with a smile, his teal eyes gleaming with what he knew was love and fondness, for he did love his Sky, grabbed the rat man, and used a Mist portal to go straight to Amelia Bones. As he left, he heard his Sky begin talking to the young ones in the compartment.
He would have to implant a Mist suggestion into them to not betray his Sky once he returned.
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“I don’t suppose there is any way you would be willing to keep all of this a secret, is there?” Ali asked. She wasn’t truly worried, Daemon could simply remove the memories from them if they didn’t, but she genuinely liked the Twins and Lee, Cedric was funny, and she knew she would like Ron and Neville after a bit more time to get to know them.
She had never had friends before, and even though she was determined to run her business alone, with only a few people knowing exactly who Nightshade was, she wanted friends, a connection to other people.
Cedric smiled at her, and spoke, his voice warm.
“I already knew. I am a Lightning; I could feel the Sky Attraction. Most Wix have never met a Sky, so most would have no idea why they feel warm and happy around you, but I met a Sky once before I started at Hogwarts. My mother wanted to see if I would Harmonise so I could enter the Mafia, instead of Hogwarts. The Sky and I weren’t compatible, but I have always remembered what a Sky felt like. I won’t tell anyone, until you are ready for the world to know, Ali.”
“I have a Storm in the Family, and I met his Sky once. I got the same feeling from you that I did her; I thought you may have been Flame Active when we met, and I am happy to keep it quiet, Ali.” Lee answered, smiling at her.
“It seems like the Sky Flames will just give people yet another reason to want you to be what they want, so I won’t tell anyone.” Neville answered, giving her a shy smile.
“You saved Ronniekins from having to sleep with that thing any longer.”
“Your first thought was to make sure that thing hadn’t done anything to Ron.”
“You wanted to keep our family out of it.”
“We won’t say anything to anyone who isn’t here, right Ron?” The Twins said at the same time.
“I’m not gonna say anything. Your cat, um, I mean your Mist Guardian, saved us all. Who know what Pettigrew would have done if he had stayed any longer?”
“Thank you. I don’t want it to get out yet. Daemon is my Mist Guardian, but he decided to become my cat because he is the only Guardian I have right now, and he had no intention of letting me go to Hogwarts alone. It means a lot that you are willing to keep it a secret.”
“The only person whose business it is when someone becomes Flame Active is that person. It’s no one’s business that you are an Active Sky, and it shouldn’t be. There are a handful of Flame Actives at Hogwarts, I can introduce you to them if you want, or just tell them to leave you alone. There are fifteen of us, including Flitwick, the Head of Ravenclaw. Now, him, you are going to have to tell. He’s a Cloud and he takes the safety of all the Flame Actives at Hogwarts very seriously and will hunt you down if you don’t go to him, especially with an adult Guardian. I’ve seen him hunt down a Flame Active that didn’t want to talk to him; it wasn’t pretty.”
“Well, that’s going to be interesting. I have never met another Cloud before.”
“Another?” Cedric squeaked.
“I have a Cloud secondary, and a touch of Mist.”
“Oh, yes. Interesting is totally what I would call it.” Cedric muttered.
Ali smirked as she watched Cedric and Lee both try not to have conniptions about there being two Clouds in Hogwarts. She didn’t know what their problem was; her and Flitwick weren’t going to have the same territory. She was Sky enough to be willing to coexist with Flitwick as an older Cloud, provided he was. She hoped he might be willing to teach her a few things, the same way Daemon had.
When her Mist Guardian returned, he told her that Amelia Bones had accepted the rat as a gift from a Sky who wanted to remain out of things, and then stayed in his human form and proceeded to cuddle his Sky when she allowed some of her Sky Flames to escape her iron control. Cedric leaned into her Flames the way Daemon was, and Ali let him bask in them. Daemon had told her that Sky Flames were like catnip to Flame Users, and she let her Flames surround all the people in the compartment. Even the non-Flame Actives leaned into her Flames, and they spent a couple of hours all basking in the warmth.
When the warning about coming close to Hogwarts came across, Ali pulled her Flames back, and locked them away the same way she always did. Daemon changed back into a blue pointed Siamese cat, and Ali used a bit of wandless magic to change into the lovely soft acromantula silk school robes she had bought. As a Sky and a Mngwa she normally ran hot, so she had ordered all her clothes suitable for summer, and her naturally high body temperature would keep her warm in winter, even with lighter materials.
The boys all got changed with her back to them and her eyes closed, because they all refused to let her stand in the hall whilst they did. Daemon had also thrown a Mist barrier over them, so even if Ali had wanted to peek, (she really didn’t), she wouldn’t have seen anything. After they were all changed, they settled, and Cedric told her to leave her trunk on the train, as the house elves would worry if a student didn’t. Ali left her trunk with the others but kept her shoulder bag. (It contained everything that was important to her, and Nightshade. It was also covered in so much Mist and runes that no one who was not her or Daemon could even see the bag, let alone touch it.)
Ali was interested in Hogsmeade and was saddened that she couldn’t see very much in the dark of the night, even with her eyes. Daemon was on her shoulder, along with Eligor, as she made her way over to Hagrid with Ron and Neville. Fred, George, Cedric, and Lee left them heading to some carriages that were being pulled by bony winged horses. She could feel the touch of Death on them, just as they could on her. She wasn’t entirely sure what they were, but she had another thing to add to her ‘research so I can ignore it’ list.
The walk in the darkness, on a barely walkable path, which culminated in a trip across the lake in rickety boats just struck Ali as stupid. I mean, seriously, they have magic, surely, they could have rigged up some lights, and something to make sure tiny little 11-year-old children didn’t fall out of the boats that were barely big enough for four. She found herself despairing about the common sense of wixen kind. Ron and Neville joined her in a boat, as did a short brown-haired boy who introduced himself as Ernie MacMillan.
The view of the castle in moonlight, crenelations and towers gleaming with so much magic, the moonlight shining off glossy roof tiles, luminous white light brushing over the bricks that made up the castle.
It was the most beautiful thing Ali had ever seen.
Judging by the awed gasps of the boys with her, they agreed with her sentiments.
After they had gotten out of the boats, (and seriously, did Wixen have no sense whatsoever? There was no railing or a bar to grab onto, or anything to assist children from getting out of rocking boats, and not falling into the cold water) she helped Neville out of the boat, with Ron helping Ernie, and then walked up some slippery stairs, towards a set of large doors. After an introduction to a stern woman and figuring out that Professor McGonigal was not someone who Ali wanted to mess with, (she was a Mist, she enjoyed messing with people) a group of ghosts popping out of the wall and arguing with one another was less eye-catching than one would think.
A little blonde boy that Ali had seen in Diagon Alley was busy talking loudly to a dark-skinned boy who spoke with a slight Italian accent, asking him if he had seen Ali Potter. In fact, a lot of people appeared to be looking for Ali Potter. Ali was pleased that Daemon had placed a Mist veil over her so no one who didn’t already know who she was would look over her; at least until her name was called, and she had to be Sorted. (Of course, Daemon had snuck into Hogwarts last week and discovered how the Sorting was completed. He wouldn’t leave his Sky unknowing of such a thing.) Ali found herself chuckling slightly when Ron squeaked about having to fight a troll, but poor Neville only looked even more nauseated, so Ali used Eligor to help her give Neville a small shot of Rain Flames, to help calm him down slightly. Just enough to give him a little Tranquillity so he didn’t throw up.
Ali looked up as the Head of Gryffindor came back, chasing the ghosts away. She got them to settle into a line and follow her into the Great Hall.
It certainly lived up to the meaning of Great.
It was impressive; the floating candles would give those unused to seeing feats of magic a good glimpse into something harmless yet impressive, and those who had grown up around magic would be able to acknowledge that the spell work was excellent.
Ali ran her eyes over the teachers at the high table; she paused on the man in the centre. Sitting in a gaudy, ostentatious gold throne as if he were royalty was a thief that Ali was looking forward to ruining.
Albus, far too many names, Dumbledore.
She could feel that he was powerful but was waning in strength. Ali wondered when the last time he actually had to fight was.
She wasn’t impressed.
He reminded her of a spider that had sat too long in its’ web, waiting for its prey to come to him, never venturing out and hunting. Not keeping its’ sense sharp. Too complacent in its’ belief that it was the strongest.
Ali was a predator; she had never been complacent. She had to fight for every scrap she had ever gotten. It was time Albus Dumbledore learnt that he wasn’t the strongest any longer. She couldn’t wait to show him.
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Filius Flitwick was seated at the high table, his Cloud Flames circling the Great Hall contentedly as he greeted back the young Flame Actives and nearly Actives back to his territory once again. He had already welcomed back the two other Flame Active teachers; it was always good to see the cantankerous Mist and the healing Sun alright at the end of summer.
The quarter Goblin let his Cloud Flames flow over the students as they trickled into the Hall. He knew that Albus had no real idea of what Flame Actives were actually like; if he did, Filius knew the silly boy would want to be the leader there as well. Filius knew that if Albus had ever become Active, he would have been a Mist. The boy had the same twisty mind that Mists did.
Filius felt the not yet Active Storm of Marcus Flint enter, followed by the newly Active Lightning of Oliver Wood. He wondered how quickly those two would be found in a storeroom somewhere snogging as if their lives depended on it. He watched as the Sun of Katie Bell followed the not yet Active Misty Lightning of the Weasley twins, and the ignored Cloud of Percy Weasley. (Filius had hoped that young Percy would go Active, but it was unlikely now. Percy was intent on ignoring any possibility of Flames, focused solely on controlling his life as much as he could.) He watched the Lightning of Cedric Diggory and the nearly Active Sun of Lee Jordan as they split up going to their respective House tables.
Filius took another look at the Weasley twins, Jordan, and Diggory.
All four had been touched by Sky Flames.
He watched the grumpy Mist realise the same thing; they exchanged a look. The Mist had never come across a Sky before, and it had been a long time since the last Sky had graced Hogwarts.
Filius was excited to see who the Sky first year was, and just how much they were going to screw with Albus.
He had his answer in only a few minutes. After watching how intently the young female Sky was watching Albus, Filius was pretty sure the girl was going to enjoy screwing with Albus.
The Sky was small, the size of a child a couple years younger looking than even the smallest of the other first years. She had long black hair that had soft red highlights in the flickering candlelight. Her hair was tied into a plait that trailed down her back, over what appeared to be silk robes. (As a Flame Active himself, he knew that she would also run a few degrees hotter than non-Active people, so he wasn’t surprised by the choice of materials.) She was dressed simply in her school robes and uniform, not the most expensive garments, but not the cheapest either.
However, given her size, the scars he could see on her neck through the Mist veil, and the way her eyes had tracked over every single exit and entrance point in the Hall, Filius thought he would be having a talk to her about her home life, in addition to the regular talk he gave any Flame Active.
He could also see the shoulder bag, the sea krait around her neck, and the fact that her cat was not a cat. Probably her Mist Guardian.
Given how tense the not-cat was, Filius figured he was probably the only Guardian of the young Sky.
Filius thought the Mist professor could also see through the Mist veils, but Albus wouldn’t be able to, nor would any of the other Flame Actives in the school. Filius could see the grumpy Mist was also concerned; not that anyone else would have figured it out, but Filius had known the young man since he had been a student here, and he knew the man too well to be fooled by the scowl.
Filius watched the Sorting, clapping for every student. None of the other 11-year-old children were Active, but he could tell that Neville Longbottom would be a Rain, and he was nearly Active; Ernie MacMillan had the possibility of being a Sunny Storm, but Filius thought if he didn’t go Active in the next two years he probably wouldn’t. Susan Bones was a mix of Mist and Lightning that Filius hadn’t seen in a very long time, and she was nearly Active. Young Ronald Weasley was a Stormy Sun.
When the name of Ali Potter was called, he watched the young Sky shed a slight Mist veil that would have kept attention off her, and step forwards. Her eye met his, and he allowed his eyes to flash the deep purple of his Cloud, and hers flashed a bright Orange in return. No one else would have been able to see it given the Mist veil that covered the interaction. The grumpy Mist was always quick to shield such interactions, and the Sky’s Mist Guardian had done the same thing.
Filius was curious to see what House she would end up in. There had only been a handful of Skies to grace the halls of Hogwarts, and they had all been Sorted into Hufflepuff and Slytherin. A Sky had to be loyal, but to be a leader, you also had to be cunning and ambitious. There had never been a Gryffindor or Ravenclaw Sky.
Filius had the feeling, given the Sky had a Mist Guardian, and she was the Girl-Who-Lived, she might just surprise him by choosing to play a long game.
When the Hat called out Gryffindor, he knew he was correct.
She was playing a long game, which he could tell the Mist near him had also realised.
Albus wasn’t going to know what hit him.
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Albus Dumbledore watched the Sorting eagerly; he had picked out Ali Potter easily. She was small, meek, and weak looking. She was perfect for what he had planned. Hagrid had done everything he had wanted him to do; the half-giant had not allowed Potter to speak to the Goblins alone, (because who knew what those foul creatures could have done to the poor girl, Hagrid, it really would be best to not let them sink their greedy claws into the poor dear) he had bad mouthed Slytherin and anything Dark (because while I feel pity for all those who are Dark, Hagrid, it really would be for the best, of the poor dear, to go into Gryffindor just like her parents, wonderful Light people they were, and who knows what the children of the bad Death Eaters could do to her if she doesn’t have the protection of the Lions) and he had successfully attracted the girls attention to the Philosophers Stone (and make sure that she doesn’t know what you take out of the vault for me Hagrid, we don’t want the poor dear to be dragged into danger, now do we).
The Dursleys had done exactly what Albus had paid them to do, out of the girls own inheritance, not that she would ever find out, and if she did it would be simple enough for Albus to shame her about being so greedy and ungrateful to those who had raised her. Ali Potter would be a perfect, compliant, weapon and sacrifice for him when the time for her to die came. And of course, the time would only be after he had gotten her to write a will leaving everything to him, as her beloved mentor.
He knew that Filius was doing something with those damn Flames of his; he tended to ignore Filius wherever possible because of that forsaken power. Everyone knew Magic was superior in every way; but he allowed Filius to take anyone who had that cursed power under his wing, as Filius had once demanded. He didn’t even bother keeping track of the students who had a power that was only sparkly lights that no one cared about. (He didn’t care that Gellert had been a Sky, and had rejected him, Albus, because ‘he was a twisted Mist that no one would ever Harmonise with.’ Albus had taken great pleasure in driving Gellert into Dissonance, so that his Sky fractured after he had said such spiteful things. He deserved it for rejecting him, Albus Dumbledore. How dare he.)
Albus noticed that Severus was also watching Potter closely; he had spent much of the last ten years telling Snape how like her father the girl was, how spoiled, how arrogant, how her fame had been driven into her head, how she had never faced consequences for anything, how it would be up to Snape to keep her head unswollen, because he would never allow a student to be like that, for their own sake. Snape had eaten it all up, just like Albus knew he would.
Albus clapped with a grandfatherly smile as the girl went into Gryffindor.
His plan was working perfectly.
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