Welcome back to "Crashing Into Darkness". This chapter may be the one where I lose some followers, but I really don't care. This is the direction I want the story to go in, and if people have a problem with it, there are over 800,000 other stories to go read instead.

ChunkyFunkyMunky: Sorry to hear you don't like OCs, but these won't be temporary. Hera won't play too big a role, given that most of their time is spent at Hogwarts, but Altair is going to be a recurring character. As for Bellatrix... well, she has her own agenda, like any true Slytherin would. They all see Hardwin as something they can use for their own purposes, it's all just a matter of who gets to him first.

CittingAlmond42: Other POVs? Absolutely! Glad you like my Dumbledore. I don't want him to be manipulative or evil. Just an old man who people listen to when they shouldn't because he's as prone to mistakes as anyone.

As usual, I do NOT own Harry Potter or its universe. Those rights belong to JK Rowling and her publisher.

ENJOY!

Severus pulled out of Hardwin's mind before the boy had a chance to defend himself and stared at him with calculating curiosity, filled with desire to understand what he had just seen. The memory of a large python escaping a zoo cage captivated Severus's entire focus, the sounds of hissing echoing in the depths of his mind like a song.

"You," Severus said slowly, "are a Parselmouth?"

Hardwin blinked.

"What's a Parselmouth?"

"Someone who has the magical ability to speak to and control serpents," Severus answered without hesitation. "Such as what you did by unleashing that python at the zoo when your cousin shoved you to the side."

Hardwin winced.

"Oh," he said. "Is that good or bad?"

"It depends," Severus said quietly. "A Gryffindor and most Hufflepuffs would likely consider the ability very Dark in nature, as the Dark Lord possessed that same ability."

Hardwin's eyes widened, and Severus could practically see the questions bouncing around in the boy's head without even using his rather considerable talent with Legilimency.

"However," he continued, "every Slytherin and almost every Ravenclaw will most likely be curious about your ability. Slytherin House would revere you as their superior for that talent alone. When one considers your intelligence and aptitude for magic, you could easily claim your place as the King of Slytherin."

Hardwin looked at his hands, clasped in his lap, clearly deep in thought.

"But I don't have a name," he said softly. "Slytherin values lineage and fraternity. I'm just a nobody with no family. Why would they respect me, even if I am a Parselmouth?"

Severus had to bite his tongue to avoid saying anything. It had been three weeks since Hardwin had come to stay with the Black family, and Regulus and Hera had informed him of a decision they had agreed upon to offer Hardwin for his birthday. If Hardwin were to go along with it, he could easily become the most powerful student in the school, politically and magically, as well as taking his leadership among Slytherin House.

Those three weeks had done a load of good for Hardwin, though. He was filling out and growing, looking less like the malnourished and small boy he had been a year ago with each passing day, and becoming the powerful wizard he would become known as.

"You underestimate your peers' respect for their founder's gift," Severus replied instead. At the startled look from Hardwin, he continued, "Salazar Slytherin himself was a Parselmouth. As such, all students of his House would respect you for your gift –– all of them will be envious."

A part of Severus wondered if the Dark Lord knew, and that was why he had taken such an interest in the bright young snake in front of him. Hardwin had revealed Quirrell's lessons in the Mind Art of Occlumency, so it was entirely possible that the Dark Lord was aware, and that created a new suspicion in Severus's mind about what his plan could be.

Severus was actually quite pleased with Hardwin's progress in Occlumency. While he wasn't anywhere near talented enough to keep out a full-strength attack, he was fully capable of throwing off any passive uses of Legilimency and controlling his own emotions with ease. Another year of tutelage and he would be right where Severus needed the boy to be to begin the next stage of his training to reach his full potential.

"What do I do?" Hardwin asked, seemingly to himself.

"If you plan on revealing yourself," Severus said carefully, "I would highly suggest doing it somewhere that only a Slytherin will notice. If the rest of the school were to learn of it before the right moment, it could potentially cause many conflicts among the student body."

Hardwin nodded in agreement.

"So the Slytherin common room, then?" he asked.

"Would be a private enough location," Severus concurred.

Severus idly wondered where Hardwin had received the ability to speak Parseltongue. He knew for a fact that the Potters had no relation to Salazar Slytherin, having looked up their family tree in his preparations for training Hardwin, and his mother, Lily, was a Muggleborn, so it couldn't possibly have come from her, either.

Which left only the theory that Hardwin had somehow inherited it on the night the Dark Lord was defeated, but Severus couldn't see how that was possible.

The boy he was so eager to take on as a protégée was certainly powerful: A partial Metamorphmagus capable of changing his the color of his hair and eyes, as well as the style of his hair with barely a thought; a Parselmouth; an intelligent student with the potential to be the top of his class with a little more studying; and an extremely powerful wizard who had already proved himself capable of casting magic years beyond his classmates. Severus knew from their lessons the kind of spells that Bellatrix Lestrange had been teaching her favorite "nephew" –– she certainly seemed to like him more than Draco Malfoy; but then again, almost everyone who wasn't the boy's parents did, so that was one thing that Severus and Bellatrix agreed upon, for a change –– and he also knew they weren't spells that anyone else in the school was likely to have heard of, much less know how to cast properly.

If they weren't extremely careful about how they guided Hardwin, they could potentially have a more terrible Dark Lord than Voldemort could have ever become.

Severus vaguely wondered if that was Bellatrix's plan… She had been extremely displeased to learn that her cherished Lord had been a blood traitor of the highest degree, having murdered his own father and grandparents, even if they were only Muggles, and blaming it on his maternal uncle.

Bellatrix was by no means a Muggle-sympathizer, but she was a Black, and Blacks cared more about family than anything else. It was the only reason they had refused to fight Sirius Black, James Potter's lackey, whenever they wound up on the same battlefield. The Dark Lord had been furious with their lack of willingness, but did nothing to stop them.

"I think we will stop for today," Severus decided. "Practice your Parseltongue. It would not do to accidentally slip if you wish to keep it a secret."

"Yes, sir," Hardwin said without hesitation.

"I will return on Tuesday for our next lesson. Farewell, Hardwin."

"Goodbye, sir."

Severus swept from the room, deep in thought, and already planning to have a very interesting conversation with the Black family at the next gathering, which he had been invited to at Regulus's request to see how far the training with Hardwin had come.

Life was getting to be very enjoyable.

"HAPPY BIRTHDAY!"

"OOF!" Hardwin grunted as an excited eleven-year-old girl landed on his stomach after barging into his room. He sleepily opened his eyes to see a fuzzy outline with shiny teeth grinning at him, and fumbled to put on his glasses.

"What time is it?" he mumbled.

"Don't know," Altair beamed. "But it's your birthday, so you have to get up."

Hardwin groaned and rolled over, pulling a pillow over his head.

"Go away," he grunted.

"Not until you get up," she said cheekily, and Hardwin cursed her mentally. He hated how easily he caved into her every request after only a month in the same home. It had been the best month of his life, and he spent every day wondering when it would end, because if there was one thing he had learned in his now-twelve years on this planet, it was that nothing good ever lasted.

He pulled the pillow off his head and raised an eyebrow.

"Are you going to stay in here while I change?" he asked dryly. "Or would you prefer to wait out in the hall?"

Altair leapt off his bed with a loud "Eep!" and slammed the door shut behind her.

Hardwin rolled his eyes and climbed out of his covers. He dressed himself in a new pair of robes that Hera had gotten for him his first week with the Blacks because his other clothes were all "pathetic excuses for tattered rags", according to everyone else.

It had surprised him to learn that a family as steeped in Pureblood supremacy as the Blacks had no problem going out into the Muggle world on occasion for shopping and other indulgences that made them feel better –– Hera was particularly fond of their spas.

"Having my feet rubbed and cleaned by Muggles is the way the world works," she had said. "It is their rightful place."

Hardwin slipped down the stairs into the kitchen.

"Happy birthday!" came a chorus of voices.

He couldn't help the grin that crossed his face at seeing everyone gathered for his first birthday celebration since he was abandoned at the Dursleys over a decade ago. Bellatrix and Regulus were beaming at him; Hera smiled softly, her icy eyes twinkling like icicles; Altair was practically vibrating with excitement, bouncing on her heels; even Narcissa and Walburga, who had finally warmed up to Hardwin over time, were smiling at him.

Hardwin was surprised to see Professor Snape there, too, and giving him a rare smile.

Breakfast together was enjoyable as the family told Hardwin what they had planned for the day, as twelfth birthdays were supposedly very important in the magical world, and families usually pulled their children out of school on the nearest weekend –– for those unfortunate enough to not be born during the summer –– to have the celebrations. They wouldn't tell Hardwin why it was so important, but he didn't push too hard to find out.

After breakfast they congregated in the drawing room for presents. From Bellatrix, Hardwin received a dueling wand holster for his forearm with Anti-Summoning and Disillusionment Charms for protections. Given his wand was longer than his forearm, it had confused Hardwin until he realized that the holster had a magically enlarged space inside to make up for it. Narcissa got him a book on the politics of the magical world; Walburga gave him a copy of Nature's Nobility: A Wizarding Genealogy, which briefly summarized the most influential magical families: their origins, how wealthy they were, what status of House they were, and more.

Altair and Hera had gotten Hardwin a set of formal robes with the Black crest on them, proving that he was a ward of their family when they attended specific events. Professor Snape got him a book full of tips on potion-making (What a surprise, Hardwin thought in amusement) that would certainly help to keep him ahead of his year, and maybe even surpass Granger in overall scores this year.

"And here is my gift," Regulus said, sliding over a thin but wide box.

Hardwin frowned slightly at him in confusion before opening it. Inside the box was a stack of official-looking parchments. He read over them, his eyes growing wider and wetter with each word, then looking up at a nervous yet hopeful Regulus. Hera was biting her lip; Narcissa and Walburga looked expectant; Professor Snape was smirking; but Altair looked confused.

"Are you serious?" Hardwin asked quietly.

"No, that's my brother," Regulus deadpanned. Hera smacked the back of his head, and he gave her a sheepish grin before turning back to Hardwin. "Yes, we are absolutely serious."

Hardwin looked back at the parchments. It was unbelievable. Why would they do something like this for him? They had already done so much, why do this?

"You want to adopt me?" he said, his voice barely above a whisper.

"Yes," Regulus and Hera said firmly, without hesitation.

Altair's eyes grew wide.

"Adopt him? Adopt him?" she repeated excitedly. "He's going to be my brother for real?"

The hope in her voice made Hardwin's insides feel warm. He looked around at all their faces once more, but it was the puppy-dog eyes that Altair was giving him that finally settled the matter.

Damn those eyes, Hardwin thought. But damn anyone who thinks they can hurt my baby sister.

Hardwin stepped out of the Floo at the Ministry fluidly, having practiced with the magical travel when he visited Lestrange Manor for his dueling sessions with Bellatrix. Regulus was waiting for him on the other side, and it was only a moment before Altair appeared behind him, with Hera right behind her.

Together, the family of four made their way through the atrium. It was a testament to how much the Black family was respected that a path was cleared for them the moment they were seen by the people in the crowd. All four dressed in their finest robes, proudly displaying the Black crest, it was fairly obvious what their intentions were, and Hardwin had to focus on his Occlumency to hide his nerves from all the hissing whispers around him.

Regulus merely flashed his Unspeakable badge at the security desk and they were let on through without stopping. They boarded a lift and clattered upward to level two: Department of Magical Law Enforcement.

The doors opened into a corridor lined with doors. They were underground, but the windows they passed had sunlight streaming through.

"They're enchanted," Hera explained quietly, seeing Hardwin's confusion. "Whenever the unfortunate folk in Magical Maintenance want a raise they give everyone hurricanes. The last time it happened, it was three weeks of storms."

They made their way to a door marked WIZENGAMOT ADMINISTRATION SERVICES and entered. Regulus led the way to another door labelled HEIRSHIPS and gestured his family through before closing the door behind him.

The room wasn't very large, but the back wall was filled with filing cabinets. Before them was a dark wooden desk, behind which sat a rather large wizard with a bald head and no neck. He vaguely reminded Hardwin of a hairless Uncle Vernon, except without a purple face.

"Name?" the wizard said.

Regulus obviously bit back a sigh before saying, "Lord Regulus Arcturus of the Noble and Most Ancient House of Black."

The wizard started before looking at Regulus fearfully.

"My apologies, my Lord," the man stammered. "How can I help you?"

"We are here for my new Heir to claim his place," Regulus said, gesturing to Hardwin.

"I was unaware you had a son," the wizard said carefully, looking a Hardwin.

"We're adopting."

The wizard gulped. "Right. Well then, let's get started."

The next half hour was taken up by tedious paperwork: birth date, original parents, new parents, original blood status, new blood status, and wand information. After that, the wizard had them all fill out the proper adoption form with a black quill that didn't use ink.

"Blood Quill," Regulus explained as he signed his name with a flourish. "It uses the blood in your hand and can leave quite a nasty mark. They're heavily regulated by official departments."

Hera signed next, then the quill was passed to Hardwin.

"Before you sign," Regulus said as the quill was put to parchment. "Do you wish to change your name? I mean no offense, but Hardwin isn't exactly a Black family name, as I'm sure you've noticed from reading about my family's history."

Hardwin understood immediately. From what he had seen, almost every member of the Black family was named after a star or constellation, or, like in Narcissa's case, after a famous figure from Greco-Roman mythology.

The more he thought about it, the more he liked the idea of leaving his past behind him, of becoming someone new. If he wasn't Hardwin, then no one had expectations of the person he once was, and only of who he would become. This was his chance to get away from the Potters and the Dursleys forever; for the world to forget the scared first year who had no friends or family.

"I don't know what name to pick," Hardwin admitted quietly.

Regulus grinned. "I thought as much, so I put some effort into it, and I think I have just the name for you."

Hardwin looked into his eyes.

"Krios Regulus," said Lord Black. "Krios was the third Titan born of Gaea and Ouranos, and this is essentially your third life –– from 'Harry' to 'Hardwin' to 'Krios' –– as well as his status as the Titan Lord of Stars and Constellations. Fitting for a Black, wouldn't you say?"

"Not to mention," Hera cut in, "he was also the Titan Lord of the South, and if you happen to inherit my eyes instead of your father's, it could be quite the powerful image."

Altair and Hardwin grinned at each other.

"I like that," Hardwin said.

Without further ado, he signed the parchment: Krios Regulus Black. There was a flash of light as magic itself accepted his adoption, and the family magic accepted him. Hardwin was covered with a silvery glow for several seconds as his genetic being was shaped to what it should be.

When it cleared, Regulus grinned, Hera and Altair gasped, and the fat wizard swallowed thickly, clearly nervous.

Regulus waved his wand and conjured a mirror that he handed to Krios.

"You look just like my grandfather," Regulus said.

Krios looked at himself in the mirror and had to take off his glasses, not needing them anymore. He had the aristocratic features of the Blacks, with smooth black hair that parted to one side and covered his ears and his new mother's icy eyes. His shoulders were broader than they had been, and he had clearly gained a few inches in height.

Altair wrapped her arms tightly around his torso, squeezing him. A month ago he would have tensed or flinched at the contact, but he had quickly come to learn how much she loved showing signs of affection –– especially hugging –– and found that her touch didn't bother him as much as others' would.

"There is only one last form," the wizard said nervously. "To certify your claims."

"Why don't you two go get started on finding somewhere for lunch?" Regulus suggested to his wife and daughter, giving his wife a warning look. Hera didn't look offended in the slightest, rather accepting of what he was hinting at.

She smiled at Altair and said, "Come along, Ali, they can catch up."

"Bye, brother," Altair said, hugging Krios one more time before leaving.

Krios gave his new father a questioning look, but the man was staring down the wizard behind the desk impatiently.

"Just sign your name with the Blood Quill," the wizard said. "Right on this line."

Krios did as asked and gaped when information began to magically fill out on the parchment like an invisible quill had written it.

Krios Regulus Black

Father: Regulus Arcturus Black

Mother: Hera Ophelia Black née Parkinson

Heir To:

Noble and Most Ancient House of Black (Paternal Line)

Noble and Most Ancient House of Gaunt (Right of Conquest)

Magical Abilities:

Legilimency (Potential)

Metamorphmagus (Full)

Occlumency (Tier 4 of 7)

Parseltongue (Right of Conquest)

Spell Resistance (Partial)

"What ––?" the wizard started, gasping.

"Obliviate!" Regulus said quickly, his wand aimed at the man.

The wizard's eyes glazed over. He picked up the parchment, which Regulus cast a spell that Krios had never heard of on, before placing it in a folder and sending it up to a filing cabinet towards the very top.

"Come on," Regulus said, handing Krios a ring box. "Put that on while we walk."

Krios opened the box to find an silver ring with a black gemstone embossed with the Black family crest. He slipped it on his right middle finger –– the same finger that Regulus had a golden ring on. There was a second ring that Krios hadn't even seen his father grab: It was silver and shaped like a serpent with emerald eyes. He slipped it onto his right ring finger.

"If anyone asks," Regulus said in a low voice, "that serpent ring was a birthday present from me. Do not tell anyone that you are Heir to the House of Gaunt, understand?"

"Why?" Krios asked.

"Because it's the Dark Lord's House."

Krios swallowed thickly, and he mentally vowed to never let anyone know. That would be extremely bad information to have released to the public, but it made him curious. How could he be the Heir to a family like that? How was he the Heir to the Gaunt family?

Those questions would have to wait.

They met Altair and Hera in the atrium and were nearly to the lifts when a woman's voice called from behind: "Lord Black! A pleasure to run into you here!"

The witch who ran up to them had blonde hair set in elaborate and curiously rigid curls with ghastly jeweled spectacles. She clutched a crocodile-skin handbag with two-inch nails painted red.

"Miss Skeeter," Regulus said tightly. "What a coincidence?"

The woman smiled like a shark. "Have time for a quick interview?" she asked, looking intently at Krios –– more specifically, the ring on his finger that stated he was Heir to the Black family. "I'm sure the readers would just love to hear about your new Heir."

Regulus looked like he would very much want to say no, but Hera cut him off before he could say anything: "We would be honored, Miss Skeeter."

Miss Skeeter's smile broadened, looking like a cat who caught the canary.

"Excellent."

Lily Potter had made many mistakes in her life, and the regret was eating her up inside. It all started when she had agreed to go out with James Potter towards the end of their sixth year. He had changed after his parents died, and she finally got to know the mature man he could be –– but then he had seemingly relapsed after the war had ended and Evan became the Boy Who Lived.

James had always enjoyed attention, strutting around Hogwarts like he owned it, and it was one of the biggest reasons Lily had put him off for so long. Having a famous son brought out the worst in him, now that he could likely get away with murder.

It really didn't help that Sirius had never grown up in the first place and encouraged him.

Lily loved James, she really did, but it was difficult to stay around when he continued to make life worse for her with every step.

She had been so distraught the night her parents were murdered by Voldemort that she hadn't even realized what choosing one son over the other had meant until a month later when it was too late to take back the decision. She had a feeling that James had chosen Evan simply because he was the older of the two boys, making him the Potter Heir and therefore the one that James would need to spend more time with anyway.

When Lily had come to her senses, she had cursed and hexed James well enough to put the talented Auror in St. Mungo's for three nights.

Seeing Harry again almost a year again had broken her heart. He had been so small and thin that it was obvious Petunia hadn't cared for him as well as she should have –– as well as Lily would have cared for Dudley had the situation been reversed –– and she had cried herself to sleep that night wondering why she had let herself forget about her youngest son.

She had tried for years to maintain visits, but with James and Sirius working full time, her friends all busy with their own lives, and the demon-child that Evan had turned out to be, it had soon become impossible to make time to visit Petunia and Harry.

Somewhere along the line she had forgotten about him, and Lily hated herself for it.

As Lily watched an owl deliver that morning's Daily Prophet the day after Evan's twelfth birthday, her heart stopped beating, the headline penetrating her mind like a steel spike.

New Heir to the Noble and Most Ancient House of Black?

By Rita Skeeter

This reporter was lucky enough to catch sight of Lord Regulus Black and his family at the Ministry this July thirty-first just after noon leaving the Department of Magical Law Enforcement. Spotting the new ring on the Heir's finger, I scrambled for an interview that the Black family was only too gracious to give.

It was surprising to this reporter to learn that the new Heir to the House of Black is none other than the former twin brother of the Boy Who Lived, Hardwin Potter.

Lady Hera Black was only too kind in informing me that they had accepted Hardwin into their home following his first year at Hogwarts so he wouldn't have to return to his Muggle relations and could learn more about the magical world. She spoke of how they had come to love him as their own over this last month since the term ended, and eventually came to a decision to formally adopt him!

When asked about her opinion of losing her Heirship, young Altair Black (11) had this to say:

"I'm actually relieved. I'm not very interested in politics or running the family, so it was truly a blessing to welcome Krios (the new name of Hardwin) into our home. He has a much better mind for that kind of thing, so this works out for everyone involved."

Naturally, it was nothing short of astonishing to learn that Hardwin Potter had tossed his old life behind him and renamed himself Krios Regulus Black. When asked why, he only said that he "wanted to leave [his] old life behind and become someone new".

We here at the Daily Prophet welcome the new Heir to the Black family.

For more on the history of Krios Black, see page five (5)

For more on the current standing of House Black, see page nine (9)

Lily dropped the newspaper onto the table without realizing it. She had known that her youngest son wanted nothing to do with her, but she had hoped for a chance to fix that and become the family they should have been all along.

And now she would never have it.

It was all James's and Dumbledore's fault. Her family had been torn apart because of them, and she wasn't sure what to do about it.

She was still crying when her husband entered the kitchen half an hour later.

AN: Hope that chapter was enjoyable. Just a quick note, Spell Resistance is more along the lines of Imperius Curse resistance. It just means he has a higher tolerance for magicks that try to control him unwillingly.

I'm probably going to get a lot of shit for renaming Hardwin to Krios, but that has a purpose for later on. I've read several stories where Harry is renamed to something else, so I'm holding out hope that people don't hate it too much.

Anyway, we got to see Krios find his family as well as a new POV. I hope I did Lily justice to explain her actions well. If not, too bad.

And yes, I absolutely borrowed Occlumency tiers from "Harry Potter and The Ashes of Chaos" by ACI100. It's another twin!Harry story if you want to go check it out. It can drag on at times, in my opinion, but definitely a good read.

THANKS FOR READING!