Archive of Our Own ^beta

Chapter Text

An excerpt from an unknown journal:

Wales, 1239

She has birthed an infant son in secret. The spell has held throughout, so she will never know this child exists. The magic I have stolen from her old friend will ensure that my death will trigger a rebirth within my heir. I will become the child. This is a safer way to ensure that I will never die; I need not damage my soul. I will not offer this solution to Morgana. Her soul is fractured beyond repair, and that aides in my enchantment upon her mind. Perhaps I will teach my heirs this useful skill. They may as well have good lives before I steal them.

They are not dead. The worst is yet to come.

GG

Hadrian ran his fingers over the words again. He was supposed to be watching Blaise and Theo play their game of wizard's chess, but he couldn't concentrate on their bickering. It was the same argument they had every time they played; he knew it by heart. Just like he knew this letter by heart, now.

GG had to be Gellert Grindelwald. He'd be the only one who could know for sure that Dumbledore wasn't really dead; who else would the old man run to for help? It didn't seem like Grindelwald wanted to help the former headmaster, if this note was any indication. The owl hadn't waited for a reply before flying off as if it had never been there in the first place, so he couldn't write back with his (many) questions.

Remus had found him sitting on his bed, staring down at the note in distracted silence. Hadrian's magic had reacted without him casting anything, which hadn't happened to him in months. The parchment shifted instantly to a Transfiguration essay.

"Everything alright, pup?" Remus had asked. That was the moment that Hadrian should have told him what was going on. His parents had a right to know, didn't they? But he couldn't bring himself to say the words or cancel the enchantment on the parchment. Instead, he mustered up a smile and shoved the slip into his pocket for later.

"Fine! Just getting a head start on homework so I can enjoy the rest of the hols in peace," he replied with forced cheer. Remus either didn't notice or simply didn't call him on it. They'd gone down to supper, and it had never been brought up again.

Now, two weeks later, Hadrian hadn't told anyone about the note. He'd changed the enchantment a bit so that he could read the true note but anyone else would see a random bit of homework. It had gotten him some odd looks, but nobody questioned it.

"Hadrian, tell him that's cheating!" Blaise demanded indignantly.

"It's not cheating. Even the pieces say that move was valid. It's not my fault that you have no foresight," Theo shot back smugly. "Hadrian won't tell you that you're right just to make you happy."

"Hadrian wants no part of this," he chuckled. The parchment was once again shoved into his pocket as he focused his attention back to his soulmates. They only had a few more days together before Hadrian would be moving on to Neville's house and starting his meetings with Lord Bill Weasley to prepare for the Wizengamot just after his birthday. Thinking about the next few weeks was becoming daunting.

"Are we boring you?" Theo asked gently. He'd been incredibly gentle with Hadrian since he'd arrived, like being away from his parents might cause him to crumble in on himself. It was starting to grate on his nerves... but he knew that it was coming from a place of love.

"No, of course not," he assured them both. "I'm learning strategy from you."

"Oh no," Blaise laughed. "No, don't learn strategy from us! Keep your Gryffindor innocence."

"I'll remind you that I'm also Lord Slytherin," Hadrian grinned. "I may as well learn what I can from Lord Ravenclaw and Lord Hufflepuff. Morgana knows that I've been learning from Lady Zabini all week."

Both of his soulmates shuddered in horror at that statement. Consiglia Zabini had earned her cold reputation, after all. To anyone who didn't know her well, she seemed detached and distant. Thankfully, she adored all three boys in her residence. She'd been coaching Hadrian on what to say within the Wizengamot, at least until he had the chance to take his Potter seat. The formalities were exhausting.

"Don't tell her you've been learning from her," Blaise recommended. "She'll really take you under her wing and then you'll be sorry."

"What's this about taking someone under my wing?" Lady Zabini asked as she glided into the room. Hadrian had also learned that she had an uncanny ability to know when she was being talked about.

"Nothing, Mamma," Blaise replied innocently. She didn't look fooled in the slightest as her gaze travelled from her son to his two boyfriends. One perfect brow arched expectantly.

"I was telling him about how you've helped me with what to expect at the meeting in a few weeks, Lady Zabini," Hadrian told her. Her lips curled into a satisfied smile.

"I've told you to call me Consiglia, darling. Though you could always call me Mum instead," she reminded him. "That is how you Brits say it, is it not?"

"Mamma," Blaise groaned.

"What? I am not wrong, il mio bambino," she smiled innocently. "Theodore has no trouble addressing me casually."

"I've known you for much longer, Mamma," Theo chimed in helpfully. "Hadrian is still getting to know you. Is there no happy medium?"

"Consiglia is the happy medium," she sighed. "Il mio nuovo figlio should call me Mamma, as his soulmates do. But I will settle for my given name. Nothing more."

"Your... what?" Hadrian asked with flushed cheeks. He couldn't have understood her correctly.

"I have always wanted a large family, but I was cursed with infertilità. Blaise will be my only biological figlio. That is why I am over the moon that he has two beautiful anime gemelle. I have gained two more sons!" she replied happily.

"That's not how that works," Blaise muttered under his breath. Unfortunately, his mother heard him.

"No? Then I suppose I should send them back to their real parents," she snapped. Hurt colored her tone, and Hadrian tried not to wince. As much as it would feel weird to call her anything other than Lady Zabini, his desire to defuse the situation was stronger.

"I think he's just embarrassed... Mamma," he said quietly. He managed to keep a straight face and not wince at the awkwardness of it as she turned to beam at him. Before he could register the expression, she was tugging him into a firm hug.

"Il mio nuovo bambino! Ah, benvenuto in famiglia, figlio mio. È passato troppo tempo dall'ultima volta che ho avuto un motivo per festeggiare," she murmured into his ear as she hugged him. He only understood a word here and there, but he caught the gist of it. "We will have a feast tonight, to celebrate!"

"To... celebrate?" Hadrian asked with furrowed brows.

"She's just adopted you," Blaise informed him dryly. "The feast is to welcome you to the family."

Hadrian,

France isn't the same this year. Something feels wrong here. My parents will barely look at me, and they're constantly whispering when they think I'm not around. Twice now I've caught them stashing a document when I walk into a room. I caught a glimpse once, and I could swear that it's my birth certificate.

I've now visited the French wizarding alley, and it's amazing! I purchased everything I'll need for the year other than the books from here. I've gotten you a few things, as well. I'll send them along when I know you're back home.

I've decided to focus on academics this year. I need to pass my NEWTS with the highest possible scores to achieve minister by the time I'm thirty. With you as Chief Warlock and myself as minister, we'll finally be able to set things right. I'm very excited for what the future will hold. I do hope that Professor McGonagall will understand when I tell her that I no longer want to be a prefect. Parvati will be wonderful in the position. You should give the idea some thought as well. I know you'll have quidditch captain again, but you barely had time for practices much less making decisions for the team. Your alternate played two games for you. (Yes, I was paying attention.) I would never tell you what to do, but... consider it?

I've got to go now. I promised Gabrielle Delacour that I'd spend some time with her today. She's actually quite delightful now that she's a bit older. She's told me that Fleur is now working at Gringotts in London.

Write soon!

Hermione

"Do you really have to go tomorrow?" Blaise asked as he draped himself over Hadrian's shoulders. He'd been clinging all day, since Theo had left early in the morning. Mylan had requested his presence to help him prepare for the upcoming Wizengamot session. It was all any of them were really thinking about. The only one not claiming his title was Blaise, and it was by his own choice.

"I promised Neville that I'd spend a week with him before my parents get back," Hadrian replied again. It was the third time he'd said that sentence in the last two hours.

"Yeah, but I'm sure he'd understand," Blaise pouted. Hadrian reached up to poke his cheek, and Blaise nipped at his finger playfully. It brought a small flush to Hadrian's cheeks, which made Blaise smirk. "I can think of several things we could do in that week that would make you happier than being at Longbottom Manor."

"Your mum would never allow it," Hadrian pointed out. Blaise's pout returned.

"We could sneak some time in," he tried, though they both knew better. Hadrian rolled his eyes.

"No," he said firmly.

"Fine," Blaise sighed dramatically. "But you're leaving me to be bored out of my mind for the rest of the summer."

"You're coming to stay with me for the last two weeks of summer," Hadrian reminded him with a smile. "Give up, love. This isn't going to work."

"You can't blame me for trying," he leaned in to kiss Hadrian sweetly.

To the Lupin-Blacks,

Your application has been approved. You have outstanding references and a stunning history of heroics. We are very impressed with your accomplishments and look forward to working with you to find the perfect fit. There will, of course, be a home inspection that must be passed before we can begin the process officially. We can schedule that at your earliest convenience. Once that has been completed, we can begin to introduce you to the eligible candidates so you can get a feel for what you're looking for.

Please note that this approval is not finalized until all inspections are passed.

Sincerely,

Martina Velarez-Smith

Augusta Longbottom was staring at him again. She hadn't spoken much since he'd arrived two days ago, but Neville assured him that was normal for her. She wasn't a very social person. To her credit, she hadn't batted an eyelash when Draco showed up for tea that day and just didn't leave. The boys had gone out to Neville's garden and hadn't gone back inside until supper. Every time Hadrian glanced her way, she was staring at him.

"Who do you think our head boy and girl will be?" Neville asked in a blatant attempt to end the awkward silence. Hadrian's gaze immediately turned to his friend. "I'd say you, Hadrian, but you never even got to be a prefect."

"Granger has Head Girl in the bag," Draco chimed in with a little smirk. "Pansy is outraged."

"Pansy might have a shot at it, actually," Hadrian admitted thoughtfully. "Hermione told me in a letter that she plans to decline if they offer it to her. She wants to focus on her academics for this last year. She's got big plans for the future."

"Are those plans in Bulgaria?" Draco's smirk grew more pronounced.

"I wondered that, too!" Neville exclaimed with a grin. Hadrian shook his head in exasperation. "What? She and Krum seemed to really like each other, and then suddenly it was all Ron, all the time."

"She's not interested in dating anyone," Hadrian informed them both. The truth was a lot longer and more convoluted, but it was her own business and not theirs. He was watching Augusta out of the corner of his eye as her face cycled through a quick range of emotions before settling into the pureblood mask that she normally wore. She knew something that they did not.

"Sure she isn't," Draco muttered under his breath. At Hadrian's sharp look, he held up his hands. "Lav says she's talked about liking someone, that's all I meant."

"You and Lavender gossip too much," Hadrian sighed. Draco rolled his eyes. "Have you introduced her to Pansy yet?"

"No," Draco said quickly. A hint of horror had entered his eyes. "They don't ever need to talk. Ever."

"I expect you'll see your Hogwarts letters any day now," Augusta said suddenly, as if the subject had never changed. "Someone at this table has something to look forward to."

"I keep forgetting that you're friends with Professor McGonagall," Neville said after a moment. "You already know who the Heads will be. It's one of us?"

"Minerva told me that the Founders were allowed to choose this year. They chose very wisely," she replied with what could pass for a tiny smile. It didn't take Hadrian long to realize what she was implying, but Neville was oblivious.

"I knew it'd be Hadrian," he nodded cheerfully. "It just makes sense."

Augusta shook her head fondly and settled back into silence. For a while, the boys talked about what they could expect for the upcoming school year. When it turned to the Wizengamot session, Augusta sat forward to participate.

"I've been told that you intend to claim your seats publicly," she said quietly. Hadrian's full attention turned to her and she smiled. "Consiglia and I speak occasionally about you and your friends. I became more involved when my Neville took an interest. He will have a title to claim, as well. Perhaps it is time for your generation to step up. Tell me, have any of your classmates expressed interest in alliances?"

Hadrian hesitated until Draco prodded him in the side. "One," he finally replied. At her quirked brows, he continued. "Cassius Warrington spoke to me at school about it, and he sent me a small gift over Yule to remind me that he was serious about it."

"The Warrington name used to be prominent in the neutral section, but they have since gone dark. Lord Warrington is a staunch supporter of Voldemort, even after his supposed death a few weeks ago," Augusta said in consideration. "If his son is reaching out, that might mean he has plans to return to neutral when he takes his seat. I believe he is on the list of young Lords taking their seats at our upcoming public session."

"He mostly keeps to himself at school," Draco chimed in helpfully. "He doesn't speak out against the pureblood supremacists, but he certainly hasn't been one himself. I don't think he really has friends. He was a prefect, and he was Head Boy last year."

"An academic," Augusta said approvingly. "Good. He must be more like his mother than his father."

"Was his mother a good person?" Neville asked. Hadrian found himself waiting for the answer as well. He always felt like he knew so little about the families around him.

"She was a Lestrange, but one of the good ones. Her sister spoke out against Grindelwald all those years ago and got herself killed," Augusta informed them patiently. "Poor girl took that to mean that she'd only be safe if she kept her mouth shut. Her father practically sold her into marriage right out of school and didn't look back."

"So not a good person," Draco said. Augusta shot him an annoyed frown.

"She was top of her class in Hogwarts, boy," she snapped. "A very smart woman. She was good to her son when she was still alive. I've a good idea that she died protecting him from his father. That man is bad news. Just because she wasn't outspoken doesn't mean she's a bad person."

"My mum was a lot quieter than my dad," Neville said softly. Hadrian felt his heart drop as Neville spoke. He sometimes forgot the pain that Neville lived with every single day. "But she was every bit as brave and strong."

"D'you think Cassius would be a good ally to have?" Hadrian asked Augusta to get the attention back off of Neville. Draco shot him a look but thankfully kept his mouth shut.

"If he means what he says," she nodded after a moment. "You've aligned publicly with the Weasley and Prewitt names, as well as myself and Lady Zabini. You've given Narcissa proxy of your houses after your father took his seat as Chief. Adding the Warrington name to the list will give you the potential of gaining more neutral allies, and maybe one or two from the dark faction."

"I've got the dark faction covered," he admitted sheepishly. "I'd give Lord Gaunt a proxy or two if he didn't already have so many."

"Known supporters of Voldemort, no less," Augusta raised her eyebrows. "Yet you trust him. You, of all people. You know who he is."

It wasn't a question, but Hadrian felt guilt flare up as he feigned confusion. "I'm sure I don't know what you mean," he said after a moment. "Lord Gaunt is my very distant relative on the Peverell side, that's all."

It was the story they'd come up with after weeks of discussion at the end of the school year. Hadrian planned to publicly show his support for Mylan in the coming weeks when he proposes new bills and changes that should have been made decades ago. With his solid list of allies and all of the titles between them, the bills would pass without any trouble at all. And since Hadrian had helped with writing several of them, he was a bit excited for it. They'd come up with the story of their relation for any reporter who might question why Lord Potter-Slytherin was supporting someone who seemed well engrained with families who publicly supported a dark lord.

"Is that so?" Augusta asked coolly.

"We met when he came back to claim his seats," Hadrian nodded. That wasn't technically a lie for two reasons: Hadrian had never met the former dark lord when he was sane, and he'd never met anyone named Mylan Gaunt at all. "We've bonded over false tales told about our families."

"The Gaunt family is as dark as they come. They always have been. I don't suppose you know the story of Tom Riddle?" Augusta asked. He couldn't read her expression anymore and had to fight to keep his face blank. She definitely knew more than he did, and it couldn't hurt to have the information in case it ever came up in the Wizengamot.

"Who?" he asked. She seemed to be studying him for a long time before she sighed.

"I suppose you should know," she nodded to herself. "I don't know to whom your Lord Gaunt belongs, but he has a relative named Merope Gaunt. The second child of a horrible man. She fell in love with a muggle man, much to her father's anger. The man seemed not to know that she existed, but she built the fantasy up in her mind. She imagined him flirting with her, stealing glances her way, returning her affection. Because her father didn't approve, she imagined that they were sneaking around behind his back.

"When she approached him to ask when they would marry, he laughed in her face. He didn't even know her name. Humiliated, she came up with a plan. She began to feed him love potions in secret. He fell in false love immediately, and they were wed within the month. She ran away from her family who never bothered to look for her. She became pregnant very early on in their marriage with a baby boy that they named after their fathers. Tom Marvolo Riddle. He was yet to be born when Merope decided that her husband must truly love her now. She stopped giving him the potions, and he woke up from the forced delusion of love. He left her that very day.

"She tried to go back to her father, but as she had a child with the muggle, he turned her away. She gave birth at a women's shelter and died there," Augusta told them.

"That's horrible," Hadrian admitted. He couldn't imagine something so horrible happening to anyone he knew. "But it's only one member of the family. They can't all be bad."

"When her family learned that she had died, and that she had first had a son, they chose to abandon him to his fate. Young Tom was in Hogwarts when I was. I knew him well," she continued as if he had not spoken. "He never knew his father, and didn't remember his mother. He didn't know his family at all. When we were sixteen, he talked about taking a trip to visit his remaining uncle, Morfin Gaunt. He came back for our seventh year a haunted young man. As it turns out, Morfin did mourn his late sister, and he blamed the muggle she'd enchanted for her death. He killed the poor man in his own home and left him to rot. Tom found his father's corpse first, and then his uncle's. The man died of a heart attack shortly after the murder."

"... Two bad people, then," Hadrian corrected himself. He was trying very hard to pretend that he didn't know what she was going to share next. Her shrewd gaze told him that she saw right through him.

"Tom Marvolo Riddle is a name you might have heard before, Lord Potter-Slytherin," she reminded him firmly. "Minerva told me that you met him several times over your last six years of schooling. I know very well that you saw his father's grave. You know more of that story than I do."

"What is she talking about?" Neville asked in confusion. Even Draco looked uncertain; Hadrian had never shared details about the graveyard. He honestly couldn't remember whether he'd told Draco Mylan's former name or if he'd just said that he was once Voldemort.

"Tom Riddle is Voldemort," Hadrian informed them when it became clear that Augusta would say no more. Both of them blanched.

"It is curious to me that you would align yourself with a Gaunt, knowing what you know," Augusta addressed only him that time.

"I didn't know anything about Merope," Hadrian replied calmly. It wasn't a lie. Mylan had never told him about his mother, only his father. He also knew that Morfin was not the one to kill Tom Riddle Sr. That was Mylan's first horcrux; an accident that led to his ultimate decline once Dumbledore realized how easy it was to coerce him. He had no intention of sharing those things with Augusta Longbottom.

"But you knew that they were related," she pressed. He felt his temper flare, and orange sparks came from his fingertips. Thankfully, he'd tucked his hands under the table. The only one who noticed was Draco, and that was only because he was sitting beside him.

"Who you're related to doesn't say anything about who you are," he replied coolly. She arched a single brow, and sparks flared again. "Mylan is a good man who shouldn't be shunned just because his family were bad. Look at my family if you want an example. The Black family have been darker than dark for longer than I'm probably aware of, but Sirius and I turned out just fine. So did Aunt Cissa and Draco."

"That's a very different situation," Augusta tried, but it was Neville who disagreed first.

"I don't think it is, Gran," he said with a frown. "Bellatrix was a Black and she..."

"She was a bad seed," Augusta spat angrily. "We do not speak her name here."

"We've gotten very off-topic," Draco pointed out drily. "I believe we were discussing whether Warrington would be a good ally or not. If you want my opinion, I say go for it. If he betrays you, he'll be digging his own grave. Metaphorically, of course."

The argument and subject change had apparently given Augusta too much to think about. She rose abruptly from the table and retreated up the spiral stairs. They all watched her go with sad expressions for different reasons.

"She's usually not like this," Neville tried.

"I don't believe you," Draco replied bluntly. "But maybe she is when it's just the two of you."

"We should go back outside so we don't disturb her," Neville sighed. Hadrian kept his comments to himself, but he definitely noticed when Draco reached over to hold Neville's hand as they walked side by side.

Krieger Herre,

There is something with which you may be needed for here in our nation. A rapidly approaching summit which all of goblinkind are invited to partake in. Thornfire and I should like to invite you as our guest. It will take place on the eve of September the 29th. I have already spoken with Filius Flitwick, who has agreed to grant you leave of the school for this, should you accept our invitation.

We have something important to share with you that is of personal interest as well. Stop in to visit at your earliest convenience.

vi ønsker deg alt godt,

Onyxclaw

Chapter Text

A corridor twisted in front of him, completely abandoned and full of closed doors. He tried each one as he moved down, but they all seemed to be locked. It wasn't until he reached the wall at the end that he found one that would open for him. The room within was lit by a single candle that floated inches from the ceiling. The flickering flame made the shadows dance and move, giving the illusion of others in the room with him. He knew that he was alone with a certainty that he felt about little else.

"Do not come closer," a voice whispered in the darkness. It echoed off of the stone walls, but there was nobody to make the noise.

"I'll do as I please," he responded clearly. He took two more steps into the room and the door slammed closed behind him. He knew without having to look that it was locked.

"What do you seek?" the voice hissed. He felt a pang of excitement at the query; this is what he'd been waiting for. One single answer to any question, no matter what it might be. Wizards have killed over this before, for only one answer may ever leave the room. Nobody had succeeded... until now.

"How might I achieve eternal life and power?" he called. His voice shook in his excitement. This was it. This was how he would win, once and for all.

"To achieve such things would be for the gods alone," the voice whispered.

Fury unlike any he had ever felt surged through him. NO. This was wrong. He would have his answer! "TELL ME!" he roared.

"To achieve such things would be for the gods alone," the voice repeated a little louder. It made him pause.

"The gods," he muttered to himself. "Then that's what I must become."

Potter Manor was bustling with activity. Hadrian had invited very few people over since moving there, but it was time for him to meet with all of his allies at the same time and there was no safer place. Not that he was ready to admit that he needed a safe place. As far as the others were concerned, the threat had passed. He wasn't ready to let them know that wasn't the case. Instead, he'd announced to Narcissa and Draco that he was inviting a few people over and asked Gizzy to prepare enough lunch for a dozen people. She was more than happy to do so.

The first to arrive were Blaise and Consiglia Zabini. Hadrian wasn't surprised in the slightest. If he was being honest, he was a little relieved that it was them and not Mylan to step out of the floo. Consiglia greeted him with a kiss to each cheek and then a tight hug, then moved around him to find Narcissa. Blaise took a bit longer with his greeting, much to the amusement of the twins who stepped out of the floo next. They were followed closely by Bill, Charlie, and Percy. Hadrian somehow managed to hide his surprise at seeing Percy, but not well enough to fool Blaise.

"You didn't know he was coming," his soulmate whispered into his ear once the Weasleys had moved to the next room. Hadrian shook his head.

"No, but it's a good thing. He'll have insight into the Ministry," he whispered back. "And I already knew that he was on our side. That part wasn't a surprise."

"As long as you're comfortable, anima mia," Blaise murmured. He pressed a kiss to Hadrian's temple as the floo flared again.

Mylan stepped out first, followed quickly by Theo. If Hadrian had been full of nervous energy before, he was practically vibrating with it now. Theo took his place on the other side of Hadrian and grabbed his hand without hesitation while Mylan stopped in front of the young lord.

"You keep very interesting company, Lord Potter-Slytherin. I'm very interested in seeing how this goes," he said quietly. Hadrian offered him a small smile.

"I chose my allies carefully," he admitted. "Everyone that will be here today holds our values and has voted with us in the past."

"And your father?" Mylan asked with raised brows. Hadrian held back a sigh. He'd hoped that they'd be home before the meeting, but an owl had arrived early that morning to inform him that they'd be gone for a few extra days. Something had come up.

"I'll have to catch him up when he returns," he replied. Mylan frowned but didn't press. Hadrian wouldn't have explained if he had. As he was leaving the room, the floo activated one final time. Hermione and Neville came through together, but Augusta did not follow them out. While he wasn't surprised, he was disappointed.

"Gran sends her apologies," Neville said quietly. "But as I'll be claiming the lordship at the meeting, she wanted me to do this myself."

"And she doesn't want to see Mylan," Hadrian added bluntly. Neville nodded along.

"And that," he agreed. "I'll be honest, I'm not thrilled to be working with him, either. I don't know how you got the Weasleys to go along with it."

"Well..." Hadrian hesitated.

"He didn't tell them who Mylan really is," Theo smirked. "It's positively Slytherin of him, if you ask me."

"We didn't ask you," Hermione replied sweetly. Blaise laughed out loud at the dismissal, and Theo thankfully seemed more amused than offended. The last thing Hadrian needed was for his best friend and his soulmates to be fighting. "We really should go make sure that nobody is dueling in there. You've got quite the mix of wizards in your home right now."

There was no dueling, but there was also no speaking happening in the dining room. Gizzy had made sure that everyone had tea of some kind, and the awkwardness was overwhelming. Hadrian cleared his throat and immediately regretted it when every eye in the room landed on him.

He could do this. He frequently taught students from all four houses defensive spells. He could talk strategy with the people in this room- his friends and allies- just as easily. He squared his shoulders and began.

"Er, right... thank you all for coming," he finally said. He ignored the smirks from his friends and continued as if this was something that he did every day. "There're a lot of things that we need to fix, and not a lot of time to do it. I guess the first thing to do is make sure that everyone here knows everyone else. Have all of you met?"

He'd hoped that Narcissa or Consiglia would save him and take charge, but that didn't seem like it was going to happen. Instead, Mylan turned his gaze to the Weasleys. "I don't believe we've been officially introduced," he stated calmly. "My name is Mylan Gaunt. I am the unofficial leader of the Dark seats, as I hold proxy for most of those houses until the heirs can claim their titles and take their places."

"Ah... yes," Bill said awkwardly. He stood and offered his hand with a small smile. "Bill Weasley. These are my brothers: Charlie, Percy, Fred, and George. The twins are also lords, actually."

"Yes, the Prewett lords," Mylan agreed as he shook Bill's hand. "I've been quite impressed with the way you handle yourselves at the sessions. I had hoped we could be allies. I must admit that I'm unsurprised you are friends with young Hadrian."

"Why is that?" Bill asked before the twins could say something inappropriate, as they were bound to do.

"He has a tendency to bring people together, does he not?" Mylan replied with a small smile. If Hadrian didn't know any better, he'd say it was fond. "But we didn't gather to discuss our ties to Lord Potter-Slytherin, did we?"

"No," Consiglia agreed primly. "We gathered to discuss what must be done at the upcoming session. Are you all certain that you're ready to claim your titles?" She paused and turned her gaze to Hadrian. "All of your titles?"

"Just how many does he have?" Percy asked in an undertone to Charlie, but everyone heard it. Charlie shrugged with furrowed brows and Hadrian sighed. This wasn't on his list of things to discuss that day.

"I hold lordship over several families," he admitted. "Potter, Black, Peverell, Gryffindor, Slytherin, and Le Fay."

The room was completely silent for several seconds while those who didn't already know processed what that would mean.

"So... you hold the majority of the Wizengamot," Percy finally stated. "There is nobody who could hold more powerful titles than yours. Effectively, you could be the wizarding king if you so chose."

"Absolutely not," he protested. "That's not what I've ever wanted, and you know that. I hold several titles, yes, and they're certainly the oldest titles, but I don't have complete control, and I don't want it. I chose everyone in this room as my allies because together we have the combined power to change our world for the better. If we are aligned, our votes will win every time. That's a dangerous game to play. We're here today to decide what needs to be changed after centuries of neglect and ignorance."

"That's a pretty speech, but it means nothing if we don't follow through," Consiglia spoke carefully. "I, for one, would like to undo some of the more damaging creature laws. I will hold the Zabini title until my bambino graduates from Hogwarts, but he will claim his Ravenclaw seat as is his right."

"I will hold the Nott title in proxy until Theodore does the same, though he will be claiming his Hufflepuff seat," Mylan agreed. "Creatures do deserve more, but I'm more concerned about the state of our society. We need more creative methods of keeping our existence a secret from muggles and ensuring that our ways are not lost to theirs."

"It is important to listen to him, young one. Magic is dying and cannot be saved by muggle methods. Our ways have been lost for too long."

"I agree with Mylan," Hadrian nodded. "I have nothing against muggleborns, but even I have noticed that we've bent who we are as a people to make them comfortable in our world."

"Is that such a bad thing?" Charlie asked.

"It is not a bad thing to make someone feel comfortable in a new place," Mylan replied after a moment. "It becomes a problem when making them more comfortable means not practicing the rituals that make us wizards. Our holidays have been replaced with theirs. Our rites have been banned because muggles think that blood magic is the darkest of arts. Magic is fading because we are letting it. That needs to end now."

"Your class at Hogwarts is a record low," Narcissa informed them gently. "We had three times the amount of new witches and wizards. At this rate, there simply won't be any new magical children before we know it."

"Right, so we'll need a bill to abolish the laws preventing us from doing rituals and rites for holidays," Hadrian said calmly. Hermione jotted it down on the parchment she'd brought with her, and he hid his grin. He should have known that she'd be the organized one.

"And a bill to give creatures more rights," Consiglia insisted. Hermione jotted that down as well, even as Mylan spoke again.

"We must be very specific in that bill," he said. "Do we mean all creatures, or specific ones? I, for one, would not like to give acromantulas the right to hunt for food throughout wizarding Britain."

"That's not what I meant, and you know it," Consiglia snapped.

"I do," he agreed. "But the way that we word these bills will be important. There will be those looking for loopholes to exploit that would make us revoke the bills before they can be used for their intended purpose."

"He's right," Bill sighed. "Creature laws especially are going to be scrutinized. Most of wizarding Britain doesn't want to be forced to hire creatures or give them rights of any kind. They're prejudiced against creatures of all kinds. It's nearly impossible to change minds."

"We don't have to change their minds; we just have to make them follow the laws," Hadrian shrugged.

"And how do you propose we get people to practice our rites and rituals when we make them legal again?" Narcissa asked after a brief pause. Mylan grinned like that was what he'd been waiting to be asked.

"It's very good for us that young Hadrian is such a public figure, don't you think?" he asked. "I propose that once the bill has passed and everything is legal, we bring it to society by holding celebrations of our own in the public eye. If Hadrian hosts a yule ball and announces his plan to perform the ritual, others will follow him in performing it simply to say that they did something that he has done."

"It's worked in the past," Consiglia nodded. "Usually for fashions, but I don't see why this wouldn't also work."

"Except that I know nothing about the rituals and rites, or about planning parties?" Hadrian pointed out with wide eyes.

"You're in luck! I know more than enough for both of us," Sirius announced from the doorway. "Though I'm apparently missing a really interesting party right now. Where's my invitation to join?"

"Dad!" Hadrian exclaimed with a grin. He stood and hurried over to hug his father, not caring if everyone was watching. He was still reeling over the fact that he had a father to hug, even though it had been over a year since he'd learned about Remus and Sirius being his parents. "You said you wouldn't be back, so I didn't bother mentioning what I was doing today."

"Well, we were going to surprise you," Remus told him as he shoved Sirius out of his way to hug his son. "It seems like you beat us there, though."

"You're welcome to join us, dears," Narcissa called from the table. "We're discussing our plans to overthrow the government. I just know that's a favorite topic of yours"

"Remind me what we're talking about, specifically?" Remus asked as he settled into the seat to the left of Hadrian. Sirius remained standing, but did move to be behind his husband. "Traditional rituals?"

"We're trying to decide what we can acceptably bring back," Consiglia murmured to him. "The working theory is that anything Hadrian endorses will become popular quickly."

"We'd have to get the papers on board for that," Sirius mused. "And it would take more than just one celebrity endorsing something that has been banned for decades."

"I am not a celebrity," Hadrian protested. He didn't like the smirks he received in response.

"Mate, you're in the papers more often than the Minister," Charlie pointed out. Hadrian could hear the laughter in his voice.

"I hate you," he replied without heat.

"No you don't," Charlie was openly laughing now.

The rest of the meeting went as Hadrian had expected. Sirius provided commentary that was not helpful as much as it was comedic, and Narcissa did a good job of keeping him under control when he got too far out of hand. Thankfully, he was more than willing to lead the discussions once he had tea in front of him, which gave Hadrian time to sit back and listen and watch.

The most confusing part of the afternoon was watching Narcissa's eyes flick to Hermione every twenty seconds or so. She couldn't seem to stop looking at her. Hadrian would have been more concerned if he wasn't completely certain that Narcissa wasn't a blood supremacist who was just waiting to say something about Hermione's status. He was completely sure that Hermione had noticed it as well, and if she wasn't concerned then Hadrian was determined to let it go.

Bill held his own in the discussions, too. He'd been a little worried that the eldest Weasley brother would be overwhelmed, but Bill seemed to be in his element. Charlie and Percy were there to support him, but it was clear that he didn't really need them to keep up with the conversations. It was interesting to hear what Percy knew about the Ministry, but most of it was about the different departments and the opinions of leadership. It wasn't relevant to the bills they wanted to pass first.

By the end, they had three fully written bills to present once all of the appropriate seats were claimed and proxies were named. It was shaping up to be a very interesting session.

Mylan pulled him aside as everyone was leaving. He left his hand on Hadrian's shoulder as he steered him just out of earshot of the departing Weasleys, ignoring the way that Sirius was staring at the two of them with narrowed eyes.

"I know you think you don't hold as much influence as we've been insisting," he said quietly. Hadrian opened his mouth, but closed it when he received a flat look. "I used to believe that I had much less influence than I did. When I changed my name and added a title, I did so thinking that it would gain me more attention to my cause. In reality, had I used my own name and the title that truly belonged to me, I would have been much more successful with much less blood shed."

"It's a different time," Hadrian pointed out with a frown.

"It is," Mylan agreed. "But that means that people are looking to you now instead of me. The way that public opinion works has not changed, Hadrian. You are a name that everyone knows, especially after you publicly claimed your Hogwarts heritage. People look up to you, whether you like it or not. It's a very good thing for the wizarding world that you don't seem to have an evil bone in your body."

"What exactly are you saying?" Hadrian asked. He only just stopped himself from snapping at the former dark lord.

"I'm saying that you should start using it to your advantage," he replied. "What you're doing here is wonderful, but it's not enough. Changing the law is only the first step."

"It can't only fall on me," Hadrian frowned. "I can't be the only one trying to change things publicly."

"You will have my full support, of course. I will stand by your side through all of this, and I'll speak to the press as much as you need. I'll host public balls or charities. Whatever will further our cause. But this time..." he paused, frowning for a moment. His face cleared quickly. "This time, you will be the leader of the cause. You'll be the one that people look to first. If that makes you uncomfortable, simply redirect their attention once you have it."

"You make it sound so easy," Hadrian shook his head. "I don't know how to be that person."

"You are not alone in this," Mylan told him gently. "You don't have to make decisions by yourself, or stand in front of a crowd. All you'll have to do is appear confident in crises and delegate to who you think will manage the situation best."

"That sounds like a muggle supervisor," Hadrian said, trying to hide his amusement. Mylan froze for a moment, then he laughed. It drew the attention of the remaining family members that were still in the room, but he ignored them.

"I suppose that's accurate," he agreed when he'd calmed. "Does that sound like something you can do?"

"... Yes," Hadrian agreed after a moment of consideration.

"Good," Mylan offered him a quick smile. "Then I shall see you at the Wizengamot session in two weeks time."

Hadrian only just managed not to shudder. Two weeks. He had two weeks to adjust to the fact that for better or worse, he was going to be leading the change of the wizarding world.