116 Ch.1

My father found his target and got laid, the story of my life. Of all the people he picked the young and happy Greengrass couple to toy with. When he struck a mental bargain to break the family blood curse in exchange for letting him use the new Lord Greengrass to knock up his wife, I felt sick to my stomach.

Things got weird when they agreed and when the bargain was struck and the deal done, their minds were wiped of the bargain as I was born nine months later. My fathers a weirdo for sure. That and he sure as hell enjoys seeing me suffer because he sealed up all my memories of magic, preventing me from using outside spells and rituals to make my life easier.

His big middle finger and last laugh as he left me there with only a budding magical core and no real idea how to use it. Even my mind was foggy when I realized most of my knowledge magic as a whole was sealed away. All I knew were the spells from the damned book and movies and none of them explained wandless magic or how to do the spells except the damn floating and wand lighting charms.

The rest were all just cast like it's fucking candy to be tossed out. On the bright side I wouldn't die early from a fucking blood curse, yay me. So I was born during the war that was being waged by the Knights of Walpurgis, aka the death eaters and future snake face.

It was a harsh time to be a neutral family or anyone of the light. My human father raised me with his wife over the next five years while dodging and hiding behind the family wards. Then at the age of five, I'd snuck into his study and read my first magic books.

I didn't stop there as I went through every spell book with a ferocious hunger. All seven years of all the subjects accept muggle studies were there. His notes made things clearer and by the time he returned from the ministry, I'd finished a book on family magic's.

He was both shocked and angry at me until I raised a hand and did a silent Lumos with my finger as a wand. Yeah, I'm a badass. His mouth hung open at my show as I continued making it brighter until I made it flash, temporarily blinding him while I got away.

I hid behind my pregnant mother who was asking him. "What is it my young Damian has done now?"

My father, Ansel Greengrass, came out of his office rubbing his eyes and telling her. "Our boy is a genius! He's also powerful magically! He did a Lumos and blinded me with it so he could get away. But that's not the most impressive part! He did it without saying the spell and wandlessly!"

Rachel Greengrass Nee Lestrange, aka mom, was shocked silly until she grabbed me in a hug and murmured. "My big wizard, you'll be the next Merlin for sure!"

I grumbled. "Merlin was Slytherin, I don't want to be in Slytherin. They have no sense of cunning or wits. I'll be a Ravenclaw! Snakes hide best in their prey's nest."

Both my parents chuckled and approved as I'd said as much before. I turned to father. "Can I read more of your books? You said when I was old enough to understand them you'd teach me."

He chuckled. "Did you read all the ones on the floor already?"

I nodded. "They're boring and easy. I want more books like the last one. It said stuff about our family magic."

He stilled before asking sternly. "You give me your word that you won't practice that magic without my permission!"

I stuck my tongue out at him before shaking my head. "I want to become a metamorphmagus!"

My father sighed in relief that I'd chosen a skill he could help with instead of trying to become something like a vampire like one of our ancestors had tried and ended up catching a blood curse for their efforts.

He nodded. "That's much safer. You see, our family magic is one of a unique type that allows us to take other family magic's that effect a person and add it to our bloodline. If you'd chosen something or someone else to become like, I'd have forbidden you from seeing the actual spell book or burnt the damn thing before you become the lord Greengrass. Since you've chosen to be a metamorphmagi, I can actually help you there if your serious son."

I nodded vehemently and he sighed. "Very well, I shall make arrangements. Now for the reason I was called away to the ministry, the dark lord has upped the attacks on the muggles and moved on to attacking Diagonally and Hogsmeade in force."

I clenched my tiny fist before sighing and leaning into my mother's arms while he told us of the problems. Two months later I turned six and my sister was born the next month. Young Daphne was a blond haired angel that brightened up the room. Two month after her birth news came that one month old baby Harry Potter had destroyed the dark lord.

A week after that Sirius Black was a used and sent to Azkaban for his supposed hand in the Potter's deaths. My father spent the next year letting me read from the family library as he was too busy doing trials for the death eaters. Each time he came home feeling ashamed the system was so messed up, I cheered him on.

He of course used the system but he never resorted to breaking it's laws. He was simply smart enough to use the laws creatively. A true and cunning man if there ever was one. When I turned seven he began letting me do the purification and solstice rituals I'd found with him and mother.

Mother was pregnant again but still able to do the ritual I'd found because it was a simple blessing of the seasons with a small blood sacrifice. A simple few drops of blood and in exchange our magic was cleansed and bolstered for the coming seasons.

Father had been both surprised and happy I'd found something so simple that could benefit the family. My core had grown to the point of insanity if what my father said was any way to understand it. I'd made it into a constant state of exhaustion as it grew rapidly when it was in that state.

Unfortunately my father couldn't do the same as he'd grown passed the best time to do such a thing. (Between birth and majority at 17.)

He wasn't jealous at all but instead hopeful that I'd be able to improve our family's status even further when I became the head of the family when he retired. For now though, I'd studied all we had on magic and was sorely disappointed.

When I mentioned wards and runes beyond the simple ones in the books he said they were mostly a lost art like alchemy and that that was why we had to rely on the goblins for them or if you were a noble family like we were, our ancient home wards were all we had to protect ourselves with.

While it saw us through the last war, it wasn't enough by far in my opinion. I begged him to buy copies of all the lost or forbidden magic's. Even if he had to buy them from out of the country.

On my eighth birthday he surprised me by doing just that. I'd received my own miniature library of books that were either rare or banned from use in wizarding Britain. He'd bought the bulk of them from a pure blood witch who'd been disinherited for marrying a Muggle-Born named Ted Tonks.

He'd also brought me a hair from the witches daughter, a born metamorphmagus as it turned out. In exchange for the hair and the books, he'd paid them handsomely and brought on Ted as a family attorney to handle all of our legal matters.

As both Lestrange brothers had been sent to Azkaban and my mother was the closest family member, as they were her older brothers, I became legally able to inherit their vaults since they were in there for multiple life sentences.

Ted helped with proving my right to inherit as the closest male heir to their line and the by blow bastards had all been disinherited. On my eleventh birthday I would officially receive the vaults as my own. As it was now though I was too busy to care as I was learning wand lore.

The night of my eleventh birthday came and I performed the family magic when the moon was at it's apex with my father guiding and watching me like a hawk. I mixed the core of a boggart, the essence of a lethifold and the hair of the metamorphmagus before drinking the mixture while slitting my wrists.

As my old blood ran out, new blood replaced it. Throughout the night my father fed me blood replenishing potions until the rituals intended effects showed. My hair changed from white to black as my eyes went from a steely blue to a deep green.

He then healed my wrists and put me to bed while he cleaned up. I guess not all family magic's are pleasant and easily accomplished. As it was I'd had to stay awake the entire time and endure a mind pounding headache from the repeated blood loss.

My father had cleaned up by using fire to cleanse the chamber and burn the bloody clothes I'd warn. Blood was an important thing here in the wizarding world as it could be used to do a great host of things to the owner in the wrong hands.

My father took no chances and incinerated it all. The house elves were to clean any traces he'd missed and destroy it. When I awoke, I was so excited that my hair turned bright blue and my eyes followed. I spent the morning practicing in the mirror as I changed faces and shapes.

The best I could do animal wise was unfortunately a pig snout and cat whiskers. My little sisters both enjoyed them though, the only time we showed emotions now after years of practicing the family occlumancy and being taught how to act in public was when I entertained them with stories and now cat faces.

Astoria, my youngest sister, giggled when I showed her a Cheshire Cat face with purple and black striped hair. Daphne let a small smile show as I knew she liked it. She'd gone far though in her mastery of the mind defense art.

It'd been something I'd never actually understood even before I'd lost my memories. Occlumency, or at least the way we were taught it, was more like a foggy shield that protected your mind. So long as your defenses and will were strong enough, nothing could penetrate through it.

I took that concept and made a Buu like creature wall that guarded my mind. If you just scanned the surface you could tell I had defenses but nothing more. But if you tried to go further, it would allow it. When you were too far in, the wall would tear your consciousness and will, absorbing it into itself to be used against what remained.

If you were lucky and strong, you'd get a migraine before you realized you needed to stop. If you weren't, well, best case scenario, you become a drooling mess that needs constant looking after.

My father had once tested it and I'd been forced to release him or he'd have joined the drooling people in homes. He then referred to my mind like a honey trap. Easy to get into but impossible to survive once you're stuck.

He'd forbidden my sisters and mother from using Legilimency, if they ever learned it, on me. My sister Daphne took the impenetrable wall route and made a wall of ice around her mind, while Astoria went the fire route doing the same.

They were both still very young but they'd done so much with it already. True prodigies my father called them. Though neither had shown magic yet, he'd encouraged them to try using the Lumos spell, even letting them borrow our ancestors wands to practice with.

I'd made it just under the wire as my Hogwarts letter came in the mail. I'd be attending Hogwarts as a first year in 1984. A low year for students as the war had severely depleted our numbers. The death eaters had not been kind to even children.

Many families and entire bloodlines had been wiped out in the war and we were still feeling the aftermath four years later. When it was time to get my school supplies, my father took me to Germany where I met the wand maker Mykew Gregorovitch.

It was a very uncomfortable meeting as he poked and prodded me before having me feel out materials. I knew he was extracting small amounts of my magic to make the perfect wand for me. I'd thought of making my own instead but this was far better.

I'd chosen elder wood, a Phoenix feather and lethifold blood essence. Usually the blood essence would be used as a core and thus unacceptable for him to use and he said as much, but I told him. "Don't use it as a core, soak the wand in it once you've finished making it and add this rune to the core."

I held up a piece of paper and when he took it, he stilled as if he'd been struck by lightning. His next words were. "You leave now. Your wand will be sent in the mail. Go! Shoo! I must work!"

I left with my father and headed back to London by portkey. There I headed to Diagonally with my father. He took me to see the goblins and get my key made. Damned if it wasn't impressive and scary the way they did it.

The letter from the Wizengamot stating that I was to be given a key and made the sole heir of the Lestrange family since my uncles and aunt by marriage was to be considered dead, had the goblins in a tizzy. Their policy was less straightforwards but since the Wizengamot had spoken and it was wizard vaults and gold involved, they obliged.

I had to sign my name in blood while my father made sure they only used the blood on the heir rings and key. I'd received the heir ring for both the Lestrange and Greengrass families. I had no direct ties or claims to any others so I didn't bother.

On the bright side, when I opened the Lestrange vault with the key, all the spells inside were temporarily lifted. Though my father couldn't enter, I was given my own bottomless pouch. I put a thousand galleons inside it before putting the rest, including the Hufflepuff cup, inside my realm.

I hadn't used it until now as I'd no use for it but to relearn magic I already knew but was blocked for now. Magic by the way that was completely different by concept and use so I left it alone. Now though I actually had a use for it. I sealed away the horcrux and left the vault with a stack of books in my arms.

Most of them were family magic's and the detailed history of the Lestrange pedigree. My father was off doing his own things in the Greengrass vaults and the goblin was with him ten vaults over. I'd left a single Knut in the vault as it closed behind me.

Bellatrix could have it as I wasn't stingy in the least. I did however curse it to bring subtle but powerful hallucinations on the one who sees it next so here's to hoping Harry doesn't try to steal it or he just might be riding the dragon after all.

I met up with my father just as he was ordering two trust vaults made for Astoria and Daphne. I told him evenly. "I won't need a trust vault it seems. The Lestrange vaults were, profitable."

He raised an eyebrow but nodded in understanding. I turned to Griphook, the goblin that brought us here and told him. "I'll need to open a new vault before I leave. One on this floor. I intend to start investing so I'll need a dedicated banker for myself."

He nodded. "I shall inform Ragnok of your needed assistance."

We were both led to the surface on the cart and shown to separate rooms to do business. The goblin tellers and investors were shown to us and I chose Nagnok, an investor to be my direct banker.

We signed a binding magical contract stating I'd chosen him of my own free will to handle all my money and investments. I then had him transfer all the Lestrange holdings under his care while he was to send a team of ward breakers to each place and recover all the magical items and books to be placed in my newest vault I'd opened.

He was to then sell off all properties except businesses and use the money to fund my investments in both the muggle and wizarding world. I left a list of where and when to invest my gold and it's muggle equivalent.

Most was American businesses but there were some British ones, one of which was a company called Grunnings. They made and sold drills of all kinds including oil drills. For now It'd be a start to my investments that I knew would pay off eventually.

By the time I finished my business, my father was already waiting an hour. When I came out of the bank he asked. "How was your first time dealing with goblins?"

I made no point to hide it as my hair revealed my happiness anyway when it turned purple. "Profitable. I've no doubt I'll see a return on my investments soon enough. I've invested in both the muggle world and in ours."

He frowned as he'd not expected that. It was highly unusual for wizards to want anything to do with the muggle world but that was just their prejudices at work. There was no laws preventing me from investing in both worlds to turn a massive profit and when I explained to him why and how I was doing it, he left me at Florish and Blotts where I went and bought my school books.

I stored them all in my bottomless pouch and bought a few dozen books on languages and magical beasts beyond the school books. I picked out a few books that mention Animagi and how to become one.

It was all pretty much a straightforward ritual. With the details in mind I headed to get my school robes. That's when I met a curios girl who'd seen my hair changing various colors as I looked around.

While I'd mastered occlumency beyond anything my father had ever seen, my own innate ability to change forms was effected by my mood, giving away my feelings. I could clamp down on it and prevent it from happening but I liked the looks on people's faces when they saw the rapid shift in my hair and eye colors.

The girl in question had her own purple and pink hair and an excited smile on her face. She introduced herself while I was getting poked and prodded for my robe fitting. "I'm Nymphadora Tonks! You're a metamorphmagus just like me!"

Her cheery and happy personality was infectious and soon my hair mimicked hers as I introduced myself. "I'm Damien Greengrass, it's a pleasure to meet you and yes I am."

We became fast friends as something about her called to something in me. We traded facial changes and eye colors as I finished getting my robes done. I had to come back in an hour but I spent that time with her while she was poked and prodded and couldn't stop giggling at my many faces I made.

By far her favorite was the Cheshire Cat and when I told her my sisters liked it best as well she smiled sadly and told me she was an only child. I reminded her. "But not friendless! You are without a doubt my first real friend and I intend to abuse it to the max. Imagine the pranks we could pull in Hogwarts when we can literally switch places."

I changed into her and she clapped excitedly while I curtsied before changing back. When she tried changing into me, madam Malkin got annoyed with her and sent me outside to stop bothering her work.

I waited outside and received my robes, specially spelled to always stay clean and repair themselves when necessary after my hour was up. I headed to the trunk store with the newly dubbed Nym Nym which while annoying her at first, made her laugh when I did it in my Cheshire Cat face.

I bought her a very expensive trunk when I ordered mine. They were both blood locked and warded with nasty curses that would activate if someone tampered with them. Nothing fatale but then death wasn't the worst thing that could happen to a man.

The extendable expansion charm was used on the inside making it as large as a decent size mansion with it's own library space and greenhouse. They shrunk and would be carried weightlessly on necklaces as charms.

I bought her a friendship bracelet and an identical one for me as well. I truly intend to make friends with her and keep our friendship strong. She was happy to see I cared enough to spend so much especially to the details.

We went to get our scales and phials before picking up our cauldrons and ingredients. That's where I actually spent the most. I bought not only all the ingredients needed for school for both of us, but all the ingredients they had, even those not needed by school.

If it grew it ended up in my hands. After grabbing ice cream next Nym and I parted ways. I had to buy a pet and she needed to get her finished robes. Owls, cats and toads were the basics here at Eeylops Owl Emporium. Unfortunately nothing on the shelves appealed to me.

I wandered the isles looking for that same spark that Harry had so clearly had with Hedwig. Nothing for the next three hours popped out at me. The owls as if sensing my presence had bowed a little and turned away as I passed by. None of them had the reactions required to be my partner.

The roads hid in their muck as they sensed a superior predator and didn't make a sound. The cats had hissed in defiance but fled to the back as I got near them. Finally the owner Eustis Eeylops, finally had enough and told me. "If you can't find the right one here, follow me kid, quickly before you scare the rest of my animals into a revolt!"

I followed him into the back where even more types of animals lay. As it turns out he was most definitely an illegal beast smuggler if the caged baby Sphinx was anything to go by. We passed by dozens of rare and exotic animals but most were at best a class three except the Sphinx that when fully grown would be a class four.

When we arrived at a special more exotic section I saw something that surprised me, Phoenix's, a lethifold and three acromantulas. What surprised me more was the customer already there who was trying to coax a Phoenix into agreeing to come with him.

It was none other than Newt Scamander! He was chirping away and while I listened his words in bird song were grating on my ears. Not giving anything away, I approached the cages.

The lethifold lunges at the bars but the magically enhanced barrier let off a flash of light temporarily that sent the lethifold backwards. The flash left a feeling of joy in the air. I turned my attention to the cloak like beast in interest.

It hovered there and I put the wait of my full bloodlust and killing intent into it. It soothes the beast and had it trying to make a single point of friendly contact with me as I raised my hand to the cage.

It's hunger was suppressed by my own desire for blood. In a way I was far more a monster than it was and that made it tame towards me all on it's own. The owner tried to warn me but I didn't pay it any heed as I crossed the barrier to the lethifold's cage.

When it's flowing black cloak met my hand, it slowly danced and shimmered for me. The whole lethifold moved and danced around me, excited to meet someone or more accurately something more bloodthirsty than itself.

I used my own brand of telepathic communication to create a link between us and it worked. All it wanted in the end was a friend to kill with and revel in the kill. When I agreed so long as it obeyed me on whom we killed, it agreed readily. It's cloak shape covered me to the shouts of the owner and the old Newt.

I ignored the and the lethifold lowered it's hood revealing my face to them. I told them. "It's done, we've bonded. How much do I owe you?"

Newt was clearly shocked but that didn't come close to the mixture of fear and awe in old Eeylops's expression. Newt coughed, getting Eustis out of his shock. "Right, I'm sorry to say but I cannot well you this beast, it's illegal to have one in magical Britain and actually in the world."

I snorted. "Then I'll buy it and you shall forget you've ever had it in stock. She is mine now and I'll not be dissuaded."

Newt coughed again and Eustis backed away as the old magizoologist spoke up. "I'm afraid my friend is right. You see I had him import that particular lethifold so that I might try breeding a pair as while they're dangerous, they are in fact also on the verge of going extinct."

I shook my head. "Then you've clearly not fully understood what they are. From what mine has told me, it takes greet bloodshed and death to give birth to their kind. They do not breed as you so casually put it, without first being satiated with fresh kills they make themselves."

He grimaced and asked. "How can you speak with it if I might ask?"

I shrugged. "I've learned a few forbidden magic's. If one were so inclined, I might be willing to tell you how and what to do to achieve communications with a lethifold. Though I'd want something in return."

Newt frowned but nodded. "What is it you'd want?"

I smiled a false smile. "Apprenticeship over the summer until I know and have hands on experience in taking care of all the beasts you know about."

His frown deepened but he nodded. "So you know who I am then?"

I nodded easily. "Of course mister Scamander, you're quite famous after all."

Sighing he asked. "Which family are you from?"

I raised my heir ring and showed him. "The Greengrass family. I'm to be the next lord Greengrass when my father retires."

He chewed on that a bit but in the end he grumbled. "It's hard work and you're required to do it by hand. Are you sure you can handle it?"

I nodded and he sighed. "Fine, then we have a deal."

I tossed a bag of gold to the shop owner saying. "You've never seen or heard of this lethifold. If word gets back to the ministry, you'll wish I'd let it consume you. Now break the seal so I can bring my new friend out."

He set about doing so when Newt agreed and to both their surprise my new cloak didn't even ruffle their way as it simply became a strip of clothe as it shrank before hiding beneath my robes. When it did so, I put it in my inner realm in a dark cave I willed into existence.

I lured the animals my old coven had brought and breed inside for their needs one by one into the cave. The compulsion was set so it would have constant food.

Turning to the Phoenix cages now, I told Scamander as I passed him. "When you pick me up next summer for training, I shall teach you all you wish to know about it. Until then, unless you're willing to make an unbreakable vow here and now, I'd prefer to wait and see if you keep your word."

He chewed on it for a bit before nodding. One school year as I'm so clearly destined to be, would not bother him as the information I was giving for his patience and guiding hand was something he'd been trying to find out since before the first war effort he'd joined.

His current ability to control the lethifold he did have stemmed from a sort of food and peaceful living condition he gave it. Even then if he wasn't quick with a wand and knew the patronus charm, he'd be bones by now.

I'd put away my bloodlust and killing intent when I did my lethifold so my demeanor had subtly changed as well, causing the Phoenix's to be much more perceptive of me. Most gave me odd looks but one, the only green one of the lot of red and blue, showed real interest.

It sang to me when I approached. I heard my father's voice from behind me. "So you've chosen a companion, congratulations my boy, it's rare for a Phoenix to choose anyone as a companion."

I smiled lightly, a real smile as my hair went purple and my eyes green when I heard his words. I opened my cage as my father paid the store owner for my new companion. It was expensive but nothing that would break us and it really was rare. The common misconception amongst British wizards was that Phoenix's were rare and going extinct.

The real fact was that they were class four beasts and highly intelligent. They choose their own companions and they weren't native to the British isles. Those three facts led the general public into believing that it was impossible to gain a Phoenix as a companion. Well, that and the thirty thousand galleon price per Phoenix.

My new companion hopped onto my shoulder as I felt her mind connect with my own. I smiled at her song as she told me her name, Fiona. Newt looked at me with avid curiosity. First the lethifold and now a Phoenix. If Eustis was to be believed the owls had all refused out of inferiority while the roads and cats, even the kneazles, had felt fear at the boys presence and hid or fled.

A true mystery and one that had the old magizoologist truly curios. He finally introduced himself to my father as my new mentor over the summer breaks as we agreed and while my father happily agreed to have such a fine and famous tutor for me.

I gave my father a look that said I'd explain it all later and we left the shop. I sent Fiona to my room at home after we picked out a perch and her favorite treats and food for her at the Magical Menagerie.

She'd look around and get to know my family I'm sure. As I didn't need a wand and all my supplies were already gotten, I convinced my father to come with me to Knockturn Ally with me. I morphed into a random stranger we passed on the street as we walked into the ally.

He made a subtle illusion on himself as we walked past the local riffraff and headed to an old store deep in the heart of the rough neighborhood. A sign hung above the door almost too dirty to read that read. :Established in 1803 Borgin and Burkes.

The rest was too smudged and dirty to read but I got the gist of it. It was a sort of antique and pawn shop for the darker persuasion. Inside a man at the counter sat there gruff and bored looking. Right now I had a steely grip on my emotions as I held my form in place to ensure I didn't give away the ruse.

When we came to the counter I spoke coldly. "I want a single copy of every book you have in this store and the vanishing cabinet behind you there-"

I gestured to it as I continued. "I will pay five hundred galleons and not a Knut more as it's only half of the pair, and that includes the books unless you truly possess something unique and rare. I'm not one for bargaining so you'll have to show it to me if you wish for more."

I was straight forwards and cold while I radiated danger to his senses and not in the lawman and Auror kind of way either. From my time as a space pirate and assassin, I learned to deal with these types of greedy people one way, straightforward and brutal when necessary.

Mr.Burke hopped to it without saying a word as he sensed I wasn't one to mess with. It took him twenty minutes to gather all of the books while he floated them and the cabinet to me after he finished stacking the books.

I was straightforward enough to toss the bag of coin on the counter and store all the books in my bottomless pouch. As for the cabinet, I shrank it and put it in my pocket. He did however bring out five special books or so he claimed. One was on occlumency, another on Legilimency. Both I'd already owned and practiced much to my father's satisfaction.

Another was on breeding dark and illegal creatures while the last two actually made me smile. The first of them was a compendium of curses and spells from every culture dating back to the sumerians and all the way to the Romans and Egyptians.

And the second I was even more excited to see. It was a hand written book on potions thought lost and deadly. It was in fact in ancient Sumerian and I was sure not even the store owner knew exactly what it was as it was spelled so that only those who could actually read Sumerian and speak it, could read the book's contents.

Whomever had written it was desperate to not let it fall into an outsider's hands and clearly cunning enough to make sure it stayed that way. It was cursed as well and only a spoke Sumerian word could open it without ill effects. Unfortunately I didn't know the word but then I didn't particularly care. I could find the word in time so long as I kept at it.

As long as I didn't attempt to open it by normal means I wouldn't be cursed and as soon as I find the word I'll have access to all it's contents. It was a magical puzzle I'd figure out on my own time.

I bought all five books for a thousand galleons. Something that surprised both my father and Mr.Burke. When I put them away, I tossed the coin bag on the counter saying. "If you run across any more rare books by all means get them. I will pay a high price for forbidden and lost knowledge. The rarer the better. I do not care if they're cursed either."

Burke grinned happily. "Of course sir. When can I expect your next visit? It will take some time to acquire what you seek."

I sighed. "I shall come once more on the solstice and every month before the Hogwarts students do so that I may avoid the crowds. If you're successful in your endeavors, we may make this a permanent thing."

He bowed and we left the establishment, heading to the floo as I changed back into my younger self when we entered a crowd. We headed home to wait for September while I explained all that had transpired to my father behind closed wards.

I showed him my lethifold and he while happy I'd acquired something so rare, forbid me from taking it out from wherever I'd concealed it while I'm the mansion. He had my mother and sisters to worry about after all.

After I told him why I bought the Sumerian and other books at so high a price, he agreed I'd done good. I'd hid the real prize with my faked excitement over the occlumency book. Burke had really thought me a fool then but it didn't matter as the real prize my father agreed was worth so much more. I could tell it was an ancient Sumerian book as it'd been written in a scroll like manner and clearly sealed away to look like a book.

Only one who'd seen similar books would know what to look for and what possible treasures lay beneath the surface. For now though it would go in the pending study pile that I'd accumulated. Instead I spent the last few days with my sisters making them laugh and letting them play with Fiona.

My companion adored them both and even shed a few tears for them to keep before we headed off to the station at King's Cross.