Archive of Our Own ^beta

Chapter Text

She was looking through books in the library, well aware of Madame Pinces eyes on her. After all, every other student was watching the final Quidditch game of the year, and here she was. A young first year, in the Library. 

But its not like Quiddich was all that interesting. The only sports that had ever interested her, this life and last, were anime sports. And thus watching sweaty pre-teens and teens beat eachother up with enchanted balls, very high in the air, sounds fun to some, she simply wasn’t interested. 

But Hogwarts, oh had she read about hogwarts. 

She loved Fanfiction, Rowling World of Harry Potter gave Fans something to start with, and they went with it. The Genderbends, the other romantic pairings, the other Harry House sortings, or simply other sortings all together. 

The butterfly effect was such an interesting thing. 

And while changing the world seemed interesting, she really wasn’t interesting. The only dead characters she cared about, had either already died by the time she had been old enough to learn Hogwarts was real, or she could easily save later.

Now on the other hand, books, the magical world. This was interesting.

And well you have to know history so as to not repeat it, and knowing how and why she shouldn't do things will make it easier to help those people she wanted to.

She had six years till the first death she cared about, but she could prevent it from happening at all by the end of next year, with minimal interference.

That was when she found the book, Core Vs Nature. It sounded interesting enough, so she flipped to a random page to skim.

An Excerpt of Core Vs Nature

… The differences of Wixen are easily explained. Core wixen are more versatile due to being unrestrained by nature, nature wixen have a process of answering to nature, or their own ancestors who also ultimately answer to nature. The differences of Core Vs Nature has also led to different magically inclined creatures, core werewolves spread their infection through the bite and have been around for a very long time. Whereas Nature Werewolves were created during the 5th Century A.D. by a young nature wixen named Inadu who often used sacrificial nature magic, and when being hunted by her previous fellow used her dying sacrifice to create a new species out of the wixen hunting her with wolves creating the 5 original lines. Nature Wixen also created Vampires in the year 1001 AD, the creation was done by a Nature Wixen so horrified by her youngest son's death by Nature Werewolf hands, made her other children immortal. Those vampires later sired the others, and became known as the original family.

Shefrantically pulled her eyes down to another part of the book. 

This couldn't be happening could it.

Her mind was incredulous, but rather excited for someone who just found out her life was a crossover.

But it was happening alright.

An Excerpt of Core Vs Nature - Original Vampires

…Due to their immortal lifespans and longevity, many people began seeing the Vampire Family, the “Mikaelsons” as the Original Family, of course it later became known they were the Original Vampire Family many people assumed their age meant they were the first family. To clear that up, the world has been around for much longer than them, and they are the Original Family because they are the Original Vampires and a Family. Now with that cleared up…

The Vampire Diaries, The Originals, and that weird Run Off show by Julie Peck, Legacies… Now that was something she wanted to interfere in. A totally bad Idea, but she really wanted to do it… AND take a DNA test, solely to see if she has connections to any of the characters, for research purposes. Not to see if anyone was off limits because they’re related. Not at all.

A Continued Except from the previous of Core Vs Nature - Compiled Information on Original Vampires

…Core Wixen have done extensive searching into the Original Family, and have found the names of all of the Children of the Wixen who created them. Esther Mikaelson was married to Mikael, hence where the last name of Mikaelson came from. -Mikaels father was deemed unimportant and so his last name is unknown.- Esther and Mikael had six children together, and Esther had relations with Chief Ansel resulting in one other child. There are seven children going by the Mikaelson family name. The Youngest, Henrik, dead. The Eldest, Freya, presumed dead. Finn, considered the Eldest by any who know the Originals are related-and that Finn Exists-, has been in a coffin since 1114 AD and hasn't been released since. Elijah, considered the Eldest by all who know the Mikaelsons are related, but do not know of Finn, is one of the more well known of the Family. Niklaus, is the son of Ansel and Esther, and this is not widely known outside of the Core Wixen Community, but is very well known for being unforgiving, and has hunted Katerina Petrova since the 14th century. Kol is known as Wild, in search for the thrill he gained from his Nature magic, he has not only researched magic very thoroughly and made connections with Wixen everywhere, but he has also gone on blood sprees for the short euphoria drinking blood gives him. Rebekah is widely known as the only daughter and very well loved by her brothers, she is also known as easy to manipulate into falling in love, and that all of her brothers are very likely to kill anyone she does fall in love with or lay with. The youngest Henrik, is known by close to none, having died before the spell was made…

This was going to be awesome.

Harry Potter Wizarding Powers, in The Vampire Diaries and Originals World.

So. Much. Fun.

She couldn't wait for it.

Chapter Text

“Ah, my lovely Lady,

The noble and beautiful flower of evil,

You are the most beautiful, number one in this world.

ーMirror, mirror on the wall, who’s the most…

ーFor thee, guided by the Mirror of Darkness,

Follow thy heart and take the hand of the one reflected in the mirror.

Flames that turn even stars into ashes,

Ice that imprison even time,

Great tree that swallow even the sky,

Don’t be afraid of the power of darkness,

Come now, show your power.

Mine, theirs, and yours,

There’s only a little time left for us.

Do not let go of that hand, at all costs.”

She awakens to darkness, the noises of a creature outside of wherever she is being kept, getting closer.

“I better hurry up and find that uniform before someone spots me…” She hears the words mumbled, the voice has an odd note to it that makes her think of Exceeds. A small talking animal, but not very small, just obviously not human or a child either.

She feels light headed, obviously out of it. What could knock her out so thoroughly, without her dad and uncles there to get her already?

There aren’t many things. Her Dragon Slayer adaptations means that she can’t be knocked out by the regular, and well, it's been decades since they had no cure for Dragon Slayer Induced Magical Motion Sickness, so that couldn’t be it.

Some sort of sleep magic was used on her, and she wonders who…The shifting of whatever is trapping her inside, gains her attention. 

“Urgggh... This lid weighs a ton!” The creature speaks again, oh? A lid? What’s she in? A coffin? Oh. 

It is rather soft here. Do her parents know she’s dead?

“Try this on for size! Mya-ha!” Does the creature have some sort of complex?

The Lid of the Coffin blew off, and she was suddenly able to see a room full of floating coffins. 

Are they all alive like she is?

And what is she wearing?

“Now to grab the goods…”

What goods?

“What?! You ain't supposed to be awake!” Ah, the creature kind of looks like an exceed too?

And not awake? As in not supposed to be alive? 

But more importantly…“Are you an exceed?” 

“What's an exceed? I am not whatever an exceed is! I am Grim! Sorcerer Extraordinaire!” Ah, does he not know he’s an exceed? 

Mom said Frosch thought they were a frog their whole life…

“Tch. Whatever. You...human! Just gimme your uniform, and be quick about it!”

He lights himself on fire, quite like the Dragneels in a mood. A mood to be dramatic, or even threatening. This weasel-exceed-creature was obviously trying to intimidate her. His next sentence confirmed it, “‘Cause if you don't...you're gonna regret it!”

And she doesn’t really think she will.

She snaps her light pen off of her wrist wrap and writes out a quick word.

“Chains!”

The chains wrap around the creature quickly and as they work around her, and she quickly writes another word in the air.

“Quiet!”

As soon as he is bound and silenced, she slips out of the coffin and through the doors to find someone or something to figure out where she is.

She is in a library when the man in the raven mask finds her. “Ah, I've found you at last. Splendid. I trust you're one of this year's new students?”

“I have no recollection of applying to your school sir.” She answers truthfully.

“Well, how old are you?” 

Why does he need to know? Maybe the age the school lets students in at? 

“I’m 15 sir.” 

“It’s so nice to see a student with manners.” She just said she wasn’t a student? 

Is he confirming she's the right age to be a student?

“Dear me. Of all the students I've dealt with, you're the first with enough temerity to open their own gate and step out of it.” Oh? “Does the very notion of patience elude you?”

“I didn’t open my gate. The creature I tied up outside blew mine off and so I've been trying to figure out where I am and why. By gate you do mean the coffins, right?”

“The design is intended to symbolize a parting with your former world, and a rebirth into a new one. No matter. Your orientation has already begun. Let us return to the Mirror Chamber.”

“Would you mind telling me who you are and where I am?”

“Yes, yes. Make haste, you have an orientation to attend.” He then pauses and looks back at her, his head tilted.

“Hm? Have you not fully regained consciousness?  The timespace teleportation must have addled your memories... Well, these things happen, I suppose. I shall explain it to you while we walk. Truly, my magnanimity is boundless.” He whipps the air with the rope in his hand.

He then clears his throat, “This is Night Raven College.  It is an institution for students the world over who demonstrate a rare aptitude for magic. It is the most prestigious academy of its sort in all of Twisted Wonderland. And I am Dire Crowley. Having been entrusted with its care by the chairman, I serve as headmage.”

“And what is Twisted Wonderland?”

At this his body comes to a full stop.

“Oh? We’ll get back to that after you’ve been sorted into a dormitory. That has interesting connotations.”

He begins walking again, the explanation falling easily from his mouth. “Only those who the Dark Mirror perceives as having a talent for magic are admitted to the college. Those who are selected are summoned to the campus through those "gates," which can appear anywhere. A black carriage bearing one such gate should have come to meet you.” 

Now that he mentioned it, she did remember some sort of horse, she mentions such to the headmage who nods his head in satisfaction before continuing. “That black carriage serves to receive a student chosen by the Dark Mirror. It too bears a gate that connects to this campus. And as you know, sending a carriage to meet someone on a special day is a time-honored tradition.”

As soon as he finishes his sentence she sees they are stopped in front of some doors.

She should be paying more attention, but she's mostly been listening to his heart beat. Either he’s not lying, or he somehow knew she would be listening and is controlling his heart beat.

“Now, let us attend your orientation.”

Guess she’ll be finding out soon.

And the doors open.

Chapter Text

When she awakens to find herself in a ruined world of darkness, an overcast sky darkening it further, she is dismayed. She quickly notices no sentient life, much less life at all. She sees no water either and is further dismayed. But well, it's not like she had much to live for anyways. 

Life had been dull before this sudden world transfer. It’s not like she had any plans to kill herself or anything, she just had no other plans for life either. The world was shades of black and white, and some rather nice shades of gray too.

Of course seeing things in shades of gray meant that she didn’t feel much need to pursue justice or even fight against justice.

She didn’t feel the need to kill anyone, but also just didn’t care about people who died or were killed. She felt a slight sympathy for their families who she knew would miss them, but most of the time simply didn’t care.

The world was a big place, and she was an insignificant human with no resources to help anyone and didn’t know enough people to care. She was also probably a bit of a budding sociopath, but don’t site her on that, she’s perfectly normal thank you very much.

Well, perfectly normal and slightly uncaring for other people’s troubles. And uncaring towards death. It happens to deal with it. Or don’t take advice from the girl who cried more at seeing her grandmother’s weak form in a hospital bed than at her grandmother’s death. She had been close to her grandmother, gran-gran had been the  closest thing she had to a friend in her later years and her death was just a relief. Maybe she had commitment issues?

As she contemplated these new mental issues she had contentedly ignored all these years, she stumbled upon a body that looked slightly familiar. Ah, well. Maybe he was just another white person. She’s pretty bad at faces, all skinny white people look alike. She is also a skinny white person, average in every way, and doesn’t see the appeal. 

But well, even if he’s familiar, he’s dead. And if she’s going to die, at least she won’t die alone.

It’s as she goes to lie next to him he awakens. Shooting up with a breath of air escaping his lips. His dead parlor and clammy skin fixing itself.

“Huh. So are you some sort of immortal phoenix or just really good at illusions?”

His head shoots over to her direction, tilting in a cat like manor. His eyes analyze her, looking for tells before he answers.

“I am very talented at illusions.” He pauses, before tilting his head to the other side and continuing.

“Now, you. What are you doing here?” She tilts her head back at him, mirroring his body language for a few seconds before making herself sit criss-cross and stare at him.

“I don’t know. Found myself in this wasteland and wandered across your body. Figured that if I was going to die, I at least wouldn’t die alone.” She mused the last bit to herself, but he seemed to have heard her because his eyes turned contemplative.

That's when she snapped her fingers. She knows where she recognized him!

“That’s it, you're the bondage guy who wanted to take over the world. Loved that by the way. Awesome that you let the good guys win while circumventing mind control!”

He stilled dangerously, and she suddenly felt in the presence of the predator. Well, thats hot.

“Mind control?” His tone was silky and that was also hot. He may be just another skinny white guy, but well her type appears to be dead bodies, no longer dead with attractive voices.

“Yeah, I did all sorts of video stuff in highschool, it was my major. So I reviewed the footage of New York and noticed the leaked footage of what happened when you first arrived. The shade of blue your eyes were, were the same as the ones of your victims you used that staff on.” Then she thought, “Unless you faked it, but unless you were actually trying to take over the world and knew you would win, what would be the point of putting illusions on your eye color then, and the injuries you came in with looked like torture to me. But, I’ve never tortured someone, so I wouldn’t know.” She narrowed her eyes, “Hey, were you tortured.” Then paused, “Ah, wait. Mom would scold me for that. Sorry for being blunt. You don’t need to answer that.”

He was gaping at her. He doesn’t seem like the type of person to gape. So she reached over to shut his mouth for him.

Chapter Text

Harry opened the letter he removed from Hedwig's outstretched leg. It had been addressed to him, the handwriting unfamiliar, but he allowed himself to hope. That hope was quickly crushed when he noticed it wasn’t from either of his best friends.

He did recognize the name, well the latter half of it. MacMillan. Ernie MacMillan from Hufflepuff and friends with Justin Finch-Fletchley who had apologized to Harry for assuming that he had petrified Justin.

If it’s someone related to Ernie then he won't be that wary, unless they were blaming Harry for Cedric’s death. He was doing well enough at that himself.

Except that when he opened it and began reading he felt a surge of relief course through him.

Whoever Euphemia was, she believed him.

Sincere Regards to Heir Potter,

First of all, disregarding etiquette, I would like to say that I believe you when you say that He-Who-Must-Not-Be-Named-Or-Written-For-A-Ridiculous-Matter-Until-Now is back. I’m not sure if you’ve read any of the papers, but due to the ministry sticking their heads in the sand, most of the population believes that you are lying. I wanted to let you know that I do not believe the ministry because there have been signs for years.

Now, to introduce myself. Heiress MacMillian, Euphemia, pleasure to make your acquaintance. It is possible you recognize my name, my cousin Ernest is in your year, Hufflepuff. I do not, however, expect you to recognize me. I am a Ravenclaw, year above you, and having just finished my OWL’s I was hoping to make things less stressful for you by handing over study guides this summer, to keep yourself distracted and to prepare.

Preparation is the reason I am writing to you, due to the current political climate, it seems very unlikely we’ll have a teacher that isn’t a ministry plant to keep control over you. Thus I figured preparing yourself while you are waiting for school to start back up couldn’t hurt you, and neither could my offering of assistance.

I also feel the need to inform you, that you and your friends are not very discreet at all, and having overheard some interesting conversations and found information myself to verify, you need a way to make your conversations unheard, especially now. Thus, I have attached a package, not only full of notes, but the one on top should be practiced so no-one else is overhearing things, let me reiterate, especially this year.

Due to our families long term alliance, I wanted to inform you of my taking up my Ladyship of House MacMillan by November and thus you will have my families support this war.

Awaiting your response,

Heiress Euphemia MacMillan

(Now Harry knew there was a lot of Wizarding culture he had missed during his time surviving each year at Hogwarts and not having access during Summers, but usually Hermione and Ron informed him of things he needed to know.

Except, his friends currently weren’t talking to him, Dumbledore’s orders Harry, you have to understand , and well, he was mad at them and Dumbledore and grieving so, so much–)

How long has he been an Heir? He knows, logically, what an heir is. Peerage of the Realm and such things, and well Pureblood Nobility is apparently a thing. This must mean his father had been wizarding peerage.

And what was Harry supposed to do with that?

Except there was something he could do, he didn’t need Hermione or Ron or Dumbledore.

Euphemia mentioned an alliance, which means that she will most likely help him, and information is something he needs, so he should write her back.

And he does, he asks lots of questions. So many that he writes more to her than he’d ever written to anyone else.

And he feels a bit of hope, the same hope that died upon realizing his friends still weren’t contacting him because they were more loyal to Dumbledore than Harry.

(And he should have expected this, even as loyal to each other as they are-life or death situations do that to you-Hermione has always believed in authority figures, and Dumbledore has been mentioned by her since the train, when she mentioned him being smart but in Gryffindor. And Ron has been finicky in the past, just this last year, he thought Harry put his name in the cup and had been ready to stop being friends with him. Back in third year, Hermione got his broom taken away. And- he loves them, but he’s finding it hard to trust them. He keeps forgiving them and he knows they care for him, and Dumbledore had probably convinced them its for his safety. But it hurts and here is someone willing. Someone who seems to trust him even without speaking to him, Not because he’s Harry Potter, Boy-Who-Lived, but because he’s Harry Potter, Son of James Potter and apparently Heir Potter. It’s… nice.)

He studies what she sent him while he waits for Hedwig to return with what is hopefully the information he needs.

And the information she has already given him is amazing. She did mention being a Ravenclaw, but the immense amount of information here makes him think that there’s stuff Hermione wouldn’t know. 

And maybe some of it is. Maybe there are libraries in her home that have information Madam Pince would never allow Hermione or other students. Maybe it's not a personal library but Harry had heard rumors of Ravenclaw tower having its own library.

There are all the classes he’s taking, notes from 1st through 5th year, all in her handwriting. As if she had transcribed everything and put it together just for him at the beginning of summer. There is also Muggle Studies, Arithmancy and Ancient Runes along with the classes he took, CoMC and Divination. Had she been using a time turner like Hermione, successfully, or had she just self-studied?

So Harry begins practice. He goes to the nearby park and picks out a stick similar enough to his wand so he can work on wand movements. He goes back to his room to practice, because there are already enough rumors of him in Little Whining without adding ‘needs to be in mental asylum, waving dead branches around’ to them.

He works through all the spells he learned in previous years, and perfects his wand movements into the more efficient ways she noted, pronouncing things more accurately and the such. He is perfecting these spells as well as he can. 

Expelliarmus worked in the graveyard, but Tom was in school during the late 30’s and early 40’s and Grindelwald hadn’t been defeated until 1945, so Tom grew up during war time. (See, those History notes are already helping, he owes Euphemia so much thanks.) This means Tom has 40 years of experience and also knows a lot of things that have probably been removed from the curriculum for being ‘too dangerous’.

As soon as he catches up he realizes he missed a lot of information, whether it simply hasn’t been taught in classes or maybe he really hadn’t been paying attention while trying to survive, it doesn’t matter, he has to learn so much.

It’s as he’s learning the spell she mentioned in the letter, ‘Muffliato’ (that she mentioned had been taught to her by Professor Flitwick in Charms but that Professor Snape had created it while still at school, and that is pretty impressive, even if he’s a bad teacher.) that the owl that first sent him the letter returns. 

(Hedwig had returned previously with a note attached saying to give her a few days to compile information for her next letter.)

And so he has another letter to read.

Heir Potter,

Concerning your questions on your inheritance, I have included a package with Paracelsus, who is named after the Alchemist to answer your questions. Both of your inheritance and my Owls name.

Regarding your question of what I overheard will be what I am addressing in this letter. Back during your first year, you and you friends were not discreet while speaking with Hagrid and I just so happened to be one of the students close enough to over hear and the only one that decided it was relevant information. My fellows in the area dismissed it, but I’ve always been curious and had also been worried about you, because you hadn’t followed protocol and spoken with me. I now know that you simply had no clue, but had been rather worried during those first few years, not only did you not address any alliances but you also kept getting in trouble.

I had found Quirrell rather suspicious when I noticed him get up and follow very quickly in the direction of the 3rd floor rather than to the dungeons where he reported the troll. And when there were rumors of your defeat of Voldemort, even if no one believed he was back… I remembered that Garlic was a very strong scent that easily hid possession.

During my third year and your second, I had been adjusting to a new schedule and making sure that I was properly set before paying any attention to rumors of you, and thus didn’t get a chance to deal with the situation until Ernest himself apologized to you with Miss Grangers Petrification. I deemed it sufficient and moved on, except you mentioned a Tom Riddle who when I looked up, just so happened to attend school during the same time the Chambers had been opened and came to my own conclusions.

I had also written to my Grandfather who attended at the time and he gave me some more information on Riddle, which I can compile for you in another letter if you would like.

Moving on to your third year, I had been suspicious of Black’s breakout and was researching things, I believe you now know this, but Black is your Godfather, and he swore an oath to your parents and magic to protect you, meaning either Azkaban really broke his mind leaving him to forget he made an oath, or he wasn’t there to kill you. It also led me to look into his trial, in which I found none.

As of last year I was working on a way to get him a trial and my own OWL’s. But I heard plenty of rumors and I also witnessed one of the fights between the youngest male Weasley and yourself. I was rather distracted but also felt I should contact you this summer, and well after what happened and the rumors involving your ‘lies’ I felt the need to reassure you that I do believe you before handing over any notes.

Wondering if you wanted that Information on Tom Riddle, 

Euphemia MacMillan

Well, he probably should work on Muffliato some more. But he should write back first. After all, he really wants that information on Tom.