Andromeda Tonks was working in her office at St. Mungo's when, before she could react, a house elf appeared next to her, grabbed her sleeve and disappeared just as quickly.
She drew her wand the moment she reached her destination to defend herself and froze when she heard the screams of a child. She immediately spotted the source when she saw a man immobilizing a child who was in violent convulsions.
He looked up at her and she could see the terror in his face as he asked, "What's wrong with him?!" She walked over and crouched down next to them. "What happened? I need details."
She finally saw the kid's face and froze for a second when she recognized Harry Potter. They were in the Black house and the Boy Who Lived was screaming like he was hit by a Cruciatus. What was going on? It couldn't have been the man, he was clearly panicking at the situation.
"I don't know. We apparated outside to go back inside, and we had barely started to cross the hall when he collapsed. It's not the wards, as they recognize him as a member of the family. I don't think it's a case of disarticulation either, it would have manifested immediately, not after."
She nodded and did the diagnostic spell anyway to confirm that it wasn't a consequence of Apparating. The spell came back negative, so she used one for dark magic. This one came back positive, but only for his scar, where the magic was contained by something.
"Dark magic was detected in the scar on his forehead. He had it before, contained by a sacrificial blood ward. I was planning on using a ritual to remove it today."
She nodded and searched again. The child finally became quiet and lost consciousness. Unfortunately, the convulsions continued and the man seemed to be having trouble keeping him still. His arms were shaking a lot too. Now that she looked, he was shaking a lot himself, and it couldn't be because of the kid or panic.
"And you? You're shaking too."
"It doesn't matter, probably a consequence of my last work accident."
"Not if it passes to him. What accident and what work?"
"Curse breaker, dimensional displacement."
"Not temporal?"
"Historical differences."
She stared at him more closely. He had green eyes, Black and Potter features, black hair...
She brought her hand to his bangs and moved them aside to reveal a thin scar, almost invisible. She used a spell to confirm his identity and found that, yes, she had two Harry Potters in front of her.
"Convergence."
"Excuse me?"
"You are identical and the universe does not like that. So it tries to remove the anomaly. That's why there are so few survivors of dimensional displacement. It's a miracle you're still alive."
His eyes widened before swearing in several languages she did not know. He finally took a wooden box out of his bag and opened it, revealing potions.
"I have a phoenix that saved me with a blaze. If we give him the Undead Drop, will he be stable enough to last an hour? Or at least not hurt?"
"Yes."
He tried to take the potion in question, but his hands were shaking too much. She slapped his hand away and took charge of administering the correct potion to the boy.
"Kreacher, take him to his room. And bring me a linen robe." Andromeda ordered.
The elf complied immediately. The man stood up, shaking, and stared at her with a feverish look.
"I have an idea, but I need your help." Older Harry said.
"A ritual?"
A linen robe could only mean one thing.
"Blood adoption ritual and magical name change. In theory, If I'm no longer Harry Potter, then the universe will no longer consider us an anomaly.
"And if it doesn't work….?"
He smiled at her with a resigned but determined look.
"Then I would die. His life is more important than mine."
There was no hesitation in his voice or demeanor, he had said it as if it were obvious. She hoped it wouldn't come to that.
"Alright, let's go. Is the ritual room in the basement?" Andromeda asked.
He nodded. She helped him get there and he provided her with the book with the necessary ritual circle. She traced it while he changed into the robe. She could ask questions later, she had a nephew to save. See, two nephews.
"What name would you like to go by?"
"Alvis Corvus Black."
"Corvus, I understand, but Alvis?"
"The name my godfather gave me, a few days after I was born, when he did a magical adoption."
She raised an eyebrow at him at that detail.
"Your godfather? Sirius?"
"Yes."
"Didn't he betray your parents?"
"No. He was the bait, in both dimensions."
He pulled some documents out of his bag and handed them to her. She grabbed them and stood in shock as she saw certificates from Gringotts of a magical adoption and magical godfather oaths. Sirius couldn't have betrayed James and Lily, it would have killed him. His cousin might have been innocent...
"Why didn't it come up at his trial?"
"He didn't get one."
He closed his eyes, hands shaking, as she took in the news. Her cousin had been in prison for a crime he might not have committed, without a trial, for six years. She set the documents aside, a new determination settling in her. She was going to save Alvis and Harry, then worry about Sirius.
"If it makes you feel any better, Madam Bones is on the case."
She nodded and got into position.
"Good. I'll still ask my husband to help. Sirius will need a lawyer."
He stared at her in surprise and she wondered why. Of course she was going to help her cousin if he was innocent!
"Ted?"
"Of course, who else?"
"Had she married someone else in her world?"
"No one, it's just..... He was also a healer where I come from. So I guess I did well to follow my old ways and call you, instead of him."
She nodded. Ted wasn't bad at healing spells, but had decided to become a lawyer when he was denied a place in the healing apprenticeship in favor of a pureblood.
"Indeed. Ready?"
He sat down uneasily in the circle and nodded, determined. "Yes."
She took a breath, before activating the circle and cutting her hand over a cup. She let fall exactly seven drops and he did the same. She then recited the formula she had memorized while tracing the circle and he drank the cup. She placed a hand on his head and said: "I, Andromeda Belvina Tonks, née Black, do adopt this wizard as my magical and blood brother. Let him henceforth be known as Alvis Corvus Black, so I declare before magic, so mote be it."
There was a flash of magic and she felt the magic accept her declaration. Alvis collapsed and began to convulse as his features changed slightly. She crouched down next to him and waited for the seizure to pass and the transformation to complete.
When he stopped shaking, she noticed that his features were now slightly more Black than Potter and that his hair was more of a dark brown than black. His bangs also looked much neater and easier to style than before. She lifted an eyelid and saw that his eyes were still the same green as a Killing Curse, which was already different from Harry's emerald green.
Since he was still unconscious, she used a full diagnostic spell. The results she received made her wonder if she had cast the spell correctly. She tried again and found that they were still the same. One thing was certain, his pain tolerance must have been through the roof, which said a lot about the kind of life he led.
"Kreacher?"
The elf appeared and stared at her with a slight antipathy, but did not insult her. "What does Miss Andromeda want?"
"Take him and his things to his room. Where are his and Harry's rooms?" She asked.
"First floor, for now."
Then, he disappeared with Alvis and all his things. She straightened up, dusted herself off, and went up the stairs to the first floor. She found Harry's room first and did a full scan. She would give him the antidote when she returned. What she could read on this test was very disturbing and said a lot about his life up until then. That explained why Alvis had taken the risk of going to get him anyway. She left the house and went back to the hospital. She had potions to collect and order.
.
Harry groaned as he woke up. He was stiff and his mouth was dry, like he had been beaten up by Dudley and had caught a cold at the same time. However, he was on something far too comfortable to be his mattress, and the place he was in couldn't be his closet, because there was light.
He opened his eyes and looked around, but everything was blurry. He needed his glasses. He tried to move and groaned again, his whole body hurting.
He still forced himself to move to the edge of the bed (which was super comfortable!) to reach the bedside table. He fumbled around and eventually came across his glasses. When he put them on, he saw that he was in a spacious bedroom. Bigger than Dudley's for sure. It was decorated in blue with silver patterns. His bed had curtains! And there was a desk against one wall, with shelves holding a few books. To his right were two doors and another was on the wall opposite the bed.
He wondered where he was. All he remembered was...
He stood up abruptly, really looking around. A man with eyes as green as his own had come and freed him from the Dursleys! Then he had teleported them somewhere else! Like magic! And then an absolutely horrible pain overwhelmed him and he collapsed. He must have lost consciousness.
He looked down at his clothes and saw that he was wearing a pale green nightshirt, one of those old shirts with ruffles at the hem. He wondered who had changed him, but decided it could wait.
He headed for the doors on the right first. The one on the window side led to a huge bathroom, with a bathtub that could hold fifteen people! At least! A counter ran along the wall to its right, with two sinks and a large mirror, as well as cupboards. And super-soft looking white towels were on a drying rack. A partition in the back even hid a toilet!
He shook his head at the super luxurious bathroom and went back out. He wasn't sure if he was allowed to use it. The second door led into a dressing room, but there were no clothes in it yet. So he probably had to make do with the nightgown.
The last door led into a hallway. He stepped out cautiously, looking left and right. Doors lined the hallway and he could see the stairs on the right.
He hesitated, unsure of where to go, when he heard voices coming from one of the rooms on his left. He stepped forward cautiously, holding onto the wall, he was still sore. He leaned his head into the crack and saw his uncle Alvis, sitting in a bed, with a super strict-looking woman.
"And you were forbidden to move from this bed until tomorrow, at least." Andromeda demanded.
"But Andromeda…"
"No 'buts' for that, young man! It's a miracle you're alive!" Andromeda yelled.
He took a surprised breath at that and took a step back, onto a creaky slat. The two people turned to him and he stood there frozen, unsure whether to run or not. Uncle Alvis smiled softly at him and patted the bed.
"Come on up here, Harry." Alvis kindly said.
He entered hesitantly, before joining the adult and sitting down with relief. Alvis smiled at him before pointing at the woman.
"Meet my cousin, Andromeda Tonks. She's a healer."
"Nice to meet you, ma'am."
She smiled softly at him and looked much less strict in his eyes. "Nice to meet you too, Harry. You can call me Aunt Andy."
"Okay, Aunt Andy."
He didn't know the rules yet, so he preferred not to take any chances and do as he was told.
"How are you feeling?"
Should he tell the truth? Or lie? He jumped when Alvis patted his shoulder.
"You should tell the truth. You have every right to not be okay."
He hesitated, then whispered, "I'm sore."
She nodded and pulled a stick out of her sleeve before passing it in front of him. He watched her do so, confused. Then she said, "Your muscles are still a little stressed from the seizures. You'll be better after some rest."
"Okay."
He hesitated to ask what had happened. The first rule of the Dursleys was not to ask questions. Would it be the same here?
"You can ask questions. As many as you want, even."
He stared at Alvis in surprise. Was he reading his mind? The man just smiled softly at him, looking encouraging. Did he trust him? He had saved him from the Dursleys, so surely he could try?
"What... What happened?"
Alvis grimaced and he wondered if he had said something stupid. But Andromeda answered by pointing at the man.
"Your uncle had an accident at work that had unexpected consequences. He had an illness, let's say, that passed on to you when he used his magic to bring you here."
"But magic doesn't exist."
That was something he had always been told. Magic doesn't exist. The woman raised an eyebrow, then gestured with her staff and a chair appeared in front of her. He jumped as he stared at the object. He reached out and touched it with the tip of his finger and his eyes widened when he saw that it was real.
"How?"
"Magic. It exists. You, your uncle here, your parents have it."
"But... But I'm just Harry. I can't have magic."
Alvis snorted in amusement, and Harry stared at him indignantly for a moment.
"So, for starters, I advise you to forget all notions of normality and be 'just Harry'. That won't be possible, not with our family. Next, have strange things ever happened around you when you were angry or scared? Things for which your guardians punished you without explanation?"
He hesitated, then nodded slowly. "It has happened several times."
.
"That's called accidental magic. It's normal for children and you'll eventually learn how to use it when you're eleven and can go to magic school. Did they know what you have as well?"
"Yes. Petunia was always jealous of Lily because she had magic and she didn't. It doesn't surprise me that she was mean enough to pick on you about it."
"Oh…"
He lowered his head. So that's why they hated him and he could never please them? Was it because he had magic and they didn't like magic? Harry thought.
Two fingers rested on his chin and gently lifted his head. Alvis smiled at him and said, "Hey, it's not your fault. They're the ones who are horrible people. You're not to blame, and neither is your magic. Okay?"
He hesitated, then nodded. "Okay, Uncle Alvis." He hesitated again before asking, in a small voice: "Does that mean my parents weren't drunks who died in a car accident?"
"No. They were heroes."
He straightened up quickly at the direct answer, his eyes wide. "Heroes?"
"Your father was part of the magical police. Along with other people, he was fighting against a very dangerous dark wizard. This dark wizard ended up finding where you lived with the help of a traitor and attacked your family. However, your parents managed to neutralize him before dying. They are heroes and I know they adored you more than anything. They died to protect you and the English wizarding community from a horrible monster. You should be proud to be their son."
He nodded, before bursting into tears. His parents were heroes! And they loved him! He tensed as Alvis hugged him, but eventually relaxed against the man and cried into his chest.
It took him a moment to calm down and he was reluctant to leave his uncle's comforting arms. It was the first time anyone had ever held him like that. It was comfortable and he knew he could pull away whenever he wanted. However, his stupid stomach chose to ruin the moment by growling loudly. He blushed and ducked his head, ready to be scolded, but Alvis just laughed, amused.
"Kreacher?"
A snap sounded and Harry turned his head towards the source and saw a small, scrawny, bald creature with large ears and eyes, and just a head that was disproportionate to his body. He wondered what he was, because he couldn't possibly be human.
"What can Kreacher do for the Master?"
"A meal for three, something light and easy for Harry to digest, please."
"Two, Alvis, I'm going home to eat."
"Okay, a meal for two please."
"Kreacher bring that right away."
"Thank you."
He disappeared immediately and Harry looked up at his uncle with wide eyes. "What is he?"
"A house elf, they serve wizards in exchange for the magic that allows them to live. If you need something and can't get it yourself, ask Kreacher. Or me, it's up to you."
He nodded. He didn't know what to think of a servant race, but he had seen on TV that it was a perfectly legitimate profession. And Uncle Alvis didn't seem to be mean to Kreacher... He'll have to ask questions, but later. Does that mean dragons exist?
"Yes. And unicorns too. You can assume that all the magical creatures in the legends exist."
"Wow... Like Santa Claus?"
Alvis laughed and blushed, wondering if he had said something stupid.
"Ah, no, he doesn't exist. But that doesn't mean you won't get presents at Christmas. Even if I prefer Yule, an opportunity to give each other presents is never to be missed."
He winked at him with a playful smile and Harry nodded. It was a shame that Santa Claus didn't exist, but if he did have presents... He had never received any presents at the Dursleys, he was looking forward to having some. In any case, he hoped that his uncle Alvis was not leading him on, as the Dursleys sometimes did.
A crack made him turn towards Kreacher who had just reappeared with a tray in his hands. He reluctantly moved away from his uncle and sat down in front of his bowl of stew. He looked up at his uncle, to be sure he was allowed to eat.
"Eat as much as you can. You will never be deprived of food here."
He nodded, then jumped when Andromeda handed him a vial. He accepted it hesitantly, staring at her in incomprehension.
"It is a nutrient potion. You will take one with each meal until you are an acceptable weight for your age. Am I clear?" Andromeda demanded.
"Yes, Aunt Andy."
He uncorked it and swallowed it. Before coughing at the absolutely horrible taste of the potion. Alvis laughed again and patted him on the shoulder.
"Potions always taste horrible. But they are extremely effective."
"So you won't have any problem taking yours when they arrive?"
Harry hid a smile as he watched the man cower under his cousin's glare. It looks like his uncle was in trouble.
"Of course." Alvis said while gritting his teeth.
"Good. I'll come back tomorrow for a check-up. In the meantime, no leaving this bed."
"I have things to do, surely a few aches and pains won't stop me from moving?"
She pointed her wand sharply at the bed and the blanket parted on Alvis' right side, revealing his striped pajamas. His trouser leg rode up and Harry's eyes widened, dropping his spoon into his bowl. The entire area around his right knee was bright red and covered in white scars.
The man blinked at this and poked his leg with a finger.
Harry then noticed that he was missing the first phalanx of his left index and middle fingers. He wondered what had happened to him.
"Oh. I hadn't noticed that."
"Considering that half of your nerves are damaged, it doesn't surprise me. Do you feel pain anywhere?"
"Vaguely. My magic always heals me when I have minor injuries and I have such a high pain tolerance that I rarely notice it when I'm in pain."
She sighed, nodding as he continued to poke his leg curiously. "The accident has stressed your entire body, and your knee is already pretty banged up as it is. Don't put any weight on it until further notice, at least until the inflammation goes down. Am I clear? And stop touching it."
He immediately pulled his hand away with a guilty look, before nodding. "Okay. Promise. But does that mean I can't do the ritual I had planned tomorrow? It's like, super important."
"Can you do it sitting down or on crutches?"
"Yes."
"In that case I'll help you tomorrow morning, after your exams."
"Brilliant! I also have to go to Hogwarts to complete the set and talk to Dumbledore."
She scowled, then finally nodded.
"What we can do is have you come home for lunch, and we both go to Hogwarts while Ted watches Harry."
"Okay, that works for me. If I give him the money, do you think he'll agree to take him shopping for non-magical clothes?"
She nodded without hesitation and Harry decided that his meal was the most interesting thing in the world. They were going to buy him clothes! Just for him! He had never been allowed to at the Dursleys! He wondered if Mr. Ted would let him choose clothes with dinosaurs on them...
Andromeda left after agreeing with Alvis on the time she would arrive. Harry found himself alone with his uncle and their meal.
"Do you have any other questions?"
"Lots."
"You can ask them, I don't mind."
Alvis lowered his trouser leg, before covering himself with the blanket again and attacking his meal. Harry hesitated, then pointed to his leg.
"What happened to you?"
"An explosive spell on the leg. My job is not the safest in the world."
"Oh!"
If his job was not safe... Harry felt the worry in him.
"Does that mean I would go back to the Dursleys if you get killed?"
"No. For starters, I'm going to put my job aside until you come of age, so I can be with you the whole time. Then, even if something happened to me, I've already put things in place so that Andy gets custody of you."
He nodded. Then asked another question: "So why didn't she take it when my parents died?"
He blushed, it sounded like an accusation! He didn't want them to be mad at him for accusing them of things!
He was going to apologize, but Alvis beat him to it: "Because she was disinherited by the family for marrying someone the previous head of the family disapproved of. Since I'm the new head, I can bring her back into the family, with her husband and daughter, and designate her as your guardian if anything happens to me."
"Why did he disapprove? Is Mr. Ted mean?"
"Oh no! He's not mean at all. No, the Blacks are an old wizarding family, they're called purebloods. Except that they were part of those families that consider those from non-magical families to be impure and unworthy of being wizards, and that no-majs are inferior and stupid creatures. Ted comes from a non-magical family."
"Oh! Like the Dursleys who don't like those who have magic, they don't like those who don't."
"There you go. But, fortunately, most of the family is either dead or in prison. There's just Andy, my cousin Sirius, who has some legal issues at the moment that we're sorting out, and Narcissa Malfoy, Andy's sister, who married a pureblood who is just as racist as the rest of the family. You have two cousins, Nymphadora Tonks and Draco Malfoy. Or at least, that's it for the direct family. The Blacks have married into almost every pureblood family in England, so we must have quite a few cousins here and there, just not as close. I know the Weasleys have Black blood, through Arthur Weasley's mother, Cedrella. Arthur has seven children, if I remember correctly. The youngest must be about your age. Cedrella was disinherited for marrying a Weasley, who are considered blood traitors, because they support half-bloods and first generations."
Harry was starting to get confused about what he was saying, although it was interesting to know that he had family on his father's side. Something told him that Alvis was the type to use the word 'cousin' in the broadest sense of the word to refer to other members of the family.
The man must have noticed he was having trouble following, because he clicked his jaw and scratched the back of his head with an embarrassed look.
"Sorry. I know it's a bit complicated to follow, and I've only scratched the surface. There's a family tree in one of the living rooms, if you want. And I know a potion that gives a direct family tree."
"Really?" Harry said in amazement.
"Yes. We can do it later, if you're interested? I'll just try to postpone the history and genealogy lessons until after you're settled in."
He nodded. He found it a bit boring and hard to learn, but they were his family. He wanted to know more about them! And maybe he'll meet some cousins who will be nice to him? That would be cool! He yawned and Alvis patted his head.
"You should go to sleep. You've had a long day and tomorrow will be just as long."
He nodded and stood up. He wondered if he should take the tray and do the dishes, but it disappeared before he could ask. That must mean Kreacher had taken care of it?
"Harry, one more thing."
He stared at him carefully, recognizing the serious tone.
"The house has been abandoned for a few years. Kreacher is cleaning it and restoring it, however I would like you not to go beyond the first and second floors until I give you the all clear. It's for your safety, as there are magical critters that have taken up residence in the house and some are dangerous, especially to a defenseless child. Do you understand?"
"Yes, Uncle Alvis."
"Good. You can go. Sleep well. Your room is yours to do whatever you want, including the bathroom."
He nodded and left after wishing him a good night. He went to the bathroom before snuggling into his new super soft bed. This new life was looking so much better than the Dursleys! He hoped it would stay like this for a very long time.
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