Chapter 1

King's Cross

September 1st

Things were just as he remembered and yet everything had changed; most importantly, he had changed.

Harry Potter was no longer the skinny, impressionable young boy he had been the first time he set foot on Platform 9 and ¾. Back then, he had arrived at the station with Hagrid and then left alone to fend for himself in the strange world he had barely heard of.

Today he stood beside his adoptive family: his sister Elizabeth, his mother Silvia, and last but certainly not least, his father Drake Firefang. A man that made up with wisdom and caring for what he had in secrets and, hell, if one could measure them, they probably out-weight the world.

Their bodyguards cleared a path for them to walk easily thought the mass of parents and children wanting to board the Hogwarts Express; their movements stirred the crowd like ripples making everybody turn and stare at them. Harry supposed that it was due more to their attire than anything: Full Kevlar & Dragonskin suits and the black and crimson-red robes that distinguished his father's private army; also, in addition to their wands each member wore a 9mm pistol with magically enhanced bullets and a pair of mirrored glasses.

They must have made an impressive display for the civilians, specially the purely magical families who had probably never seen a gun. Or a tactical team for that matter.

Harry shook his head in amusement when he saw people looking at them and pointing. Just then, he felt his father's hand fall on his shoulder.

"Having fun?"

Even without looking, Harry could tell that he was smiling... he was sure that Drake had brought the bodyguards more for show than anything. After all, Harry and Elizabeth had trained with these men and knew almost as much. And as far as his father was concerned… well he was in a completely different monster.

As if to confirm his suspicions, his mother swatted his father on the arm "Drake, what are you up to now?"

Drake's smile became more natural, almost innocent, as he turned to his lover. "Nothing to worry about, dear" he winked at the children and faced forward again.

Their movement through the platform went uninterrupted until they were but a few feet away from the entrance to the train. Once there, Drake knelt beside his children and gave each a slip of paper with a wax seal "Keep this with you at all times"

"What is it?" Elizabeth asked, looking at it with puzzlement.

"It's a Royal Permit"

Both kids looked up with wide eyes "a what?" they chorused.

"A Royal Permit." He repeated, a smile still painted on his face "It allows you to use your training in the outside. But only in self-defense, you hear me?" His face and voice turned grave, wanting to emphasize the importance of that one rule "remember that you have been trained to be much more than any normal person… these skills should be used with responsibility."

Their stoic faces meant more than their words, but the kids still answered with a chorused "Yes father."

"Apart from that, just remember to make friends, play some pranks, keep up to date with your homework and projects, and have a lot of fun."

Stoic faces evaporated, leaving behind a set of wide grins.

The man stood up, allowing his wife to say her goodbyes and gave the children an equal set of heartfelt hugs and kisses.

Looking after Harry had been his pride and joy for the past five years, but now that the young man was going to school like all his brothers and sisters before, now it was time to set things in motion… specially if he expected his children to enjoy some time for themselves, away from the gruel training they had endured so far.

It was needed though. It would make their life easier in the long run, since they'd be prepared to deal with whatever the world threw at them.

That didn't mean he didn't wish their life was going to be easy and happy, but he was a realist. Life and happiness didn't come without struggle.

"Daddy?"

The man looked down to his youngest daughter and, like so many times before, marveled in the brilliance her soul held, as well as the link of love that connected them… more than with anyone else before, this girl had him wrapped around her little finger. Not even her adoptive mother, the still extremely beautiful Silvia Delacour was able to compete with the devotion this innocent child made him feel. "Yes, Liz?" he knelt before her with a smile that could only show a fraction of the importance she received in his heart.

"I love you daddy" she whispered with teary eyes, as her arms wrapped around his neck "and I'm afraid. What if I mess things up? What if I'm not good enough?"

That nearly brought tears to his eyes too, he put his arms around her and picked her up with extreme care "My beloved Elizabeth" he whispered in her ear, trying to infuse his words with positive feelings "You, who are the Sun of my days and the Moon of my sky, how could I not possibly love you? Take comfort and hope in our bond, young one, for the love that connects us is eternal." He placed a kiss on the top of her head "I love you, my sweet girl and know that you will never be alone because I'm right there in your heart. Do not fear, because it is the rule of the universe is that anything that is linked through love shall never be apart." He caressed her hair until her sobs subsided and she gave a great sigh. When he felt that she was a bit more composed he pulled her a little away "You are the bravest and more incredible girl I've ever had the pleasure of knowing. I am sure you will do just fine."

Her smile was, indeed, the sun of his days.

Feeling much better, the girl hugged him again "Thank you daddy". He placed her on the floor, where he took the time to approach his son.

"How do you do it?" the boy asked him when he placed a hand on his shoulder.

"What, exactly?"

Harry brought his hand up to erase an errant tear "make me want to vomit from all the fluffiness and cry of happiness at the same time."

Drake laughed "It's a talent acquired after years and years of practice." He offered the boy a confident grin "Perhaps I shall teach you some day. Girls love it", he laughed again at his son's frown.

"No thanks… at least not now."

The man nodded, and took some time to gaze at the boy "you know I am very proud of you, right?"

It was Harry's turn to smile, somehow, his praise made him feel ten-feet-tall and bulletproof "Yes."

"Then let me tell you something you probably don't already know: I'm very proud to be able to call you my son. And that nothing that ever happens or is ever done will change that. You are my son in all the ways that matter, should there be any doubt." He saw the boy was fighting tears again and decided to wrap things up quickly "I know there will be hard times in both of our futures, and that there is still much we must do and accomplish before we can call ourselves free from fate. But be sure Harry, be very sure, that no matter where you go or what you do, that my spirit and my heart are always beside you. And that everything and anything I am and can do I put to your disposition, to use as you will."

"Damn" Harry cursed, unable to hold back the tears any more "you're good." He felt his father embrace him, and only inside the safety of his arms, did he allow himself to shed the tears that were close to choking him.

A minute later, he sighed and took a step back, taking the handkerchief his mother offered him. "Thank you father, I may not be as eloquent but I can tell you this: If I ever die, then fate better place the future me with you again… or I'm going to cause all kinds of hell until it does."

His father laughed out loud "You know I would gladly take you in… if you're kind enough to leave the world standing" now it was Harry's turn to laugh. "Look after your sister for me."

The boy nodded with conviction, feeling the sacredness of his promise.

"And do remember to write" Silvia added, taking her husband's hand once he was back on his feet "often."

"Yes mom." Both kids chorused rolling their eyes, making the adults grin.

They then saw the children walk away with a pair of bodyguards trailing behind them, which didn't leave their charges until the red train began to move.

Drake and Silvia raised their hands to wave at their children as they left in the Hogwarts Express, and didn't put them down until the transport disappeared in the distance.

"I'm going to miss them" Silvia sighed and erased the tears with the back of her hand "and I don't even want to imagine what you're going through right now."

To her surprise, her husband laughed "I'm used to goodbyes" he smiled back at her, but even in his cheerfulness she saw the trace of unshed tears. "Besides, we'll see them in the holidays."

"Whatever are we going to do in the mean time?" she wondered.

"Well… it seems that we do have a lot of time in our hands, don't we?" his smile, just like the one that had won her heart over so many years ago, suddenly made her feel hot.

"You're incorrigible!" she swatted his arm but couldn't help the anticipation bubbling inside her.

"Will you accompany me then, milady? I just happen to have a carriage waiting for us" he wagged his eyebrows and brought her hand to his lips.

Her smile could have easily brightened the whole station.

As they turned to leave a man crossed their path provoking their bodyguards' reaction: withdrawing wands and guns and closing lines in an instant.

"Ah" the man stiffened, but didn't lose his aristocratic demeanor "Forgive my rudeness, I merely wished to speak with your lord." With silky tone he spoke to the man in front of him, who only moved at a gesture from Drake.

"Please forgive my men" Drake smiled, taking a step forward… he had been waiting for this to happen. Actually this was the very reason he had brought such an impressive –and utterly unnecessary– force "They are simply doing their job."

The man before him was pale for an Englishman; his dress robes where of the most exquisite silk and the diamonds that shone brightly on his wrists were genuine. As was his platinum hair, which he wore long and tied with a black lace behind his neck.

Before him stood the pale and regal-looking Lucius Malfoy.

"I understand completely sir. It is, after all, the only sure way to keep the filth away."

"Truly" Drake smiled at the haughty pureblood.

His sarcasm flew completely over Luscious. He bowed "Lucius Arcturus, Lord Malfoy, at your service" he offered his hand, which Drake shook.

"Drake Firefang, Count of Drakengard, at yours." Inside, the Count smiled at the sudden widening of Lucius eyes at the mention of his title. "And this is my countess Silvia Drakengard."

The pureblood did the proper courtesy for a lady of her stature, and wondered, like many before him, if she was fair game.

"You must forgive my surprise, milord. It has been a while since I heard of another noble wizard of such stature. Could I perhaps ask about your occupation for the coming days?"

Drake was silently surprised, he had planned to have to convince Malfoy to ask them to a reunion in the following weeks, but the fact that he was making the opening right now was the mark that he had made a miscalculation. It appeared that the pureblood was in some kind of a hurry. 'The question I should be asking is why'. Outwardly he shrugged "Not as of yet. But neither do I spend much time in Britain. My wife and I usually prefer to stay in our private island north of the empire, or simply travelling."

Drake didn't need eyes to see calculating glint in Malfoy's eyes. After all, it wasn't just any noble who had a private island. He smiled inwardly. For once, his self-imposed isolation had served him.

"Then may I hope that your Excellency could honor our house with a visit, while you are in the mainland? My wife has been planning a ball for a few months now and I know that she, as well as I, would love to receive a visit from such a gentleman and his wife. Surely there is something of the empire that I can tempt you with?"

Drake recognized the opportunity. For Harry's sake he ought to take it, even if he'd rather torch this man and his ilk to cinders. He steeled his resolve and offered a silent prayer, placing himself in the hands of God. "I am sure that my wife would kill me if I refused her the opportunity to enjoy such an event."

"I cannot, for the life of me, wish any man such fate." He smiled pleasantly "the event is planned for next Friday, where shall I send you and your wife an invitation?"

"You can send it to Kensington Palace. The servants will know and make sure I receive it."

Just as he had predicted, Lucius bit the hook assuring him that he himself would see to it.

As the blond man finally moved to the safe apparition zone and disappeared from the station, Silvia turned to him with a frown. "Why do I get the feeling that you had this all planned?"

He looked back at her with a serious and somber expression and nodded "because I did". He took her by the arm and led them away from the station. He only spoke again until the door of the limousine closed behind them "That man has a few things I need."

"Does this have anything to do with Harry and what you told us that day?"

Drake nodded. "Yes."

"Why?"

He shook his head "There are secrets I can't share even with you, my love. Please just trust me."

Silvia sighed, remembering that those had been the very words that had led to their separation in the first place. This time around, however, she wouldn't be as stubborn or as nosy as when she was younger… she had learned her lesson well: If she was going to be with Drake, she had to accept that he had secrets that couldn't and wouldn't be shared. No matter how much she asked, pleaded or threatened… no matter how much it hurt their relationship, Drake would never break a promise, would never reveal a secret even with explicit permission to do so. That was simply the way he was and she had to accept it.

Her younger self had been deeply hurt and left to find someone who was willing to share his whole life with her, not just a part; but she had never been able to forget her feelings for the man beside her. And it was decades later that she had been able to understand that if he didn't share his secrets, it was for a greater purpose.

But what was greater than sharing the love of your life…?

She suspected that had been one of the reasons why his relationship with his sister had deteriorated so much in such little time.

After minutes of silence, she decided that her love for him was still greater than her indignation "next time warn me beforehand."

"Certainly" Drake gave her a smile and liked their hands, silently hoping, wishing that what had pushed Lucius hand was a miscalculation on his part… the other possibility was too dangerous to consider.

Harry and Liz boarded the train with plenty time to take a compartment for themselves and expanded their trunks and secure them in the rails above their heads while their escorts guarded the door.

Once everything was in place, both children nodded to the commandos who responded in kind and left them alone to rendezvous with the others.

Meanwhile, Harry marveled at his wand, in which core resided the feather of Fawkes, Albus Dumbledore's phoenix, but not because he missed it –which he did–, but because it hadn't responded with the strength as it had done before. This was his wand, no doubt, Ollivander had said so himself; but it was as if the wand was waiting for something. As if Harry was not who he should have been to earn it.

The wand maker had been puzzled as well, but not, apparently, Drake, for some odd reason. He tried asking him later on but the man was so tight lipped that it would have probably been easier to get answers from a particularly stubborn, pig-headed rock.

Liz elbowed him in the ribs, bringing him out of his reverie, to see to door to their compartment open and a blond girl standing there, looking at them.

"I'm sorry" she said in a tone that reminded Harry of a princess of old "everywhere else is full, could I sit with you?"

Elizabeth smiled "Sure, want help with your luggage?"

"Yes, thank you very much." The unknown girl smiled a truly beautiful smile.

His sister got up and with a swish and flick of her wand got the girl's trunk above with the others.

"I didn't think we could do magic outside of school!" Clearly the blond girl was more surprised at the fact that Liz had done magic outside school that at her silent casting. Or perhaps she hadn't caught up with it yet.

"Normally you can't" he answered from his seat "but our father got us special permission. ¿What good is having magic if you can't use it?"

The girl nodded "Would there be a way to have him speak with my father? I've always believed that it was such a waste not being able to practice at home."

Elizabeth, who apparently had taken a liking to the other girl, answered with a lopsided grin "I'm sure we can arrange something."

The girl covered her mouth with her hand in a way that almost made Harry smile "Oh! But where are my manners? My name is Daphne Greengrass." She offered a hand, which Liz shook while Harry recovered himself from the shock.

This was Daphne Greengrass? As in Slytherin's Ice Queen?

He must be dreaming,

Surely, he must be dreaming.

Another elbow to the ribs confirmed that he actually wasn't.

"It's rude to stare, you know?" His sister glared at him.

Harry scratched his head "Please forgive, I… was simply caught unaware." He took shook her hand too "I'm Harry, Harry Potter."

And if he wasn't surprised enough, her reaction sent him over the edge.

"Of course you are" her smile was still on and as pleasant as ever "The scar is a dead giveaway."

It was then that it hit him that he had been prancing around the station and train with the scar in plain sight. He was so used to being around men that cared very little about the whole boy-who-lived status that he had completely forgotten. At home in the Faroe Islands he had forgotten about the scar, instead focusing on the fraction of Voldemort's soul that resided there and which he had to remove before he was able to kill his nemesis.

"You are the first normal person outside my family that hasn't overreacted when meeting me" he said without thinking, and then noticed that he had interrupted Daphne and Liz's conversation. "Sorry, I thought out loud."

Daphne smiled to him "Don't be troubled. I suppose it must be something of a shock to not have everyone fawn at you-"

"I didn't mean it like that" he corrected immediately "It is actually great to be treated normally outside my family. It's just not something I ever expected to happen."

"Then you clearly haven't been around decent people. Mother always says that famous people most wanted desire is, usually, to be treated as if they were anybody else." The girl shrugged "I think that if you have fame you should use it for your benefit but everyone is entitled to their own opinion."

Wow. Was this girl really 11? She sounded at least as knowledgeable as Hermione during her fourth year… which was saying something.Could it be that knowing so much had made set her so apart from others in the past/future, that she had had involuntarily become the Ice Queen?

While he was lost in his thoughts, Daphne and Liz were back to talking about some odd girlish topic that he would have been barely able follow, had he ever tried. However, they were again interrupted, this time by someone knocking before opening their door.

A girl Harry would even recognize in the dark stood on the doorway.

"Hello, could I bunk with you? Everywhere else is full." Hermione asked with a tired, but determined look. "I'm Hermione Granger, by the way."

This time it was Harry who stood, almost unable to believe his eyes. "Certainly. Here, I'll get your luggage."

Daphne and Liz both arched an eyebrow but said nothing, and even moved to a side to let Harry levitate the trunk out of the way without a word.

"Oh my god! How did you do that!?" Hermione pressed with eyes wide as saucers. "Silent casting is so advanced it is only taught at Hogwarts after fifth year."

Harry made a face and turned to Liz, who looked equally uncomfortable. "Really?" he asked

Hermione's face said everything he needed to know.

Again he turned to his sister who shrugged, thus he shrugged "our father taught us to do magic like this…."

"We simply assumed everyone knew it too" Elizabeth added "I'm Liz, by the way"

Hermione opened her mouth and Harry instinctively knew what she was about to ask, so he interrupted before any damage was done. "You don't really want to ask her full name." he smiled at his sister's smug grin and Hermione's confusion "I'm Harry, her brother. And the girl beside you is Daphne."

The blond girl smiled at him, before turning and shaking hands with Hermione, as had them all.

"Are you two-" Hermione began, pointing at Harry and Liz.

Again, Harry knew the question "The same age? Yes."

"But you're not twins, how can you both have the same age?" the bushy haired girl asked

It was Daphne who answered surprising Harry again. "They are clearly adopted; hence the last names."

Liz smiled and pointed to herself "I'm a Firefang, and the klutz beside me is Potter."

An instant later, Harry hear the inevitable "Oh my god! You are Harry Potter!"

"No? Really?" Daphne's dry tone nearly drove them into hysterics.

But Harry saw Hermione's blush and remembered the fears and worries she had shared with him and Ron in his past life-time, and knew there was some damage control to be done.

"Don't worry Hermione" he said with a friendly smile "It happens to the best of us. Beside, your reaction scales in the last –and the most normal– place in our WTF list."

That got her curiosity working "WTF list?"

Liz nodded "Yeah, we tend to gauge people reaction to things we do or say. Daphne's reaction scaled the top five" she turned to the blond girl and winked "that was why my brother got so worked up before."

A little calmer now, Hermione sat beside Daphne and began asking Harry about his knowledge of magic and silent casting, until the train rocked and began to move.

"Hey!" Harry noticed their parents waving from the platform "It's dad!" he threw open the window and got his head and arm out, leaving enough space for Liz to do the same.

"Bye dad! Bye mom!" Elizabeth grinned widely, al fears forgotten as she waved goodbye to her family, as did Harry.

"See you on the Holls!" Harry shouted with both hands around his mouth as the train moved away from the station.

Both sporting wide grins, they returned to their seats and resumed talking with their new friends.