Chapter Text
The clash of the swords seemed to echo in the basement room. Ivy Potter moved forward, fierce and determined, easily taking down her adoptive brother. As Taro fell backwards she pointed the sword tip at his nose, "Ready to surrender?"
"Fine! I give!" He said moving away from the tip of the sword. " Just…point that thing somewhere else, please!"
Ivy smiled as she sheathed her sword. Taro got up grumbling sourly.
Ivy had been taught a lot of things by her mother and cousins. Despite her love for lacy dresses, needlepoint, and fancy handfans, she was no slouch in combat. She also loved daggers, snakes, and archery. Some of her more old fashioned uncles and aunts criticized her for her more odd interests.
Ivy had a small python herself, which she had picked out herself in Diagon Alley on her eleventh birthday. Taro would tease her that she was on the fast track to Slytherin. Not that Ivy was opposed to being in her adoptive mother's house. But any other house was just as good.
Taro was a Gryffindor who had just finished up his second year. He was laid back and prone to mischief. Early in the summer he had gotten in some trouble for sending Lee Jordan one of his "secret magazines". He had the dark hair and features of his mother but the blue eyes from his father.
Ivy had met Mr. Foster, Taro's father, a handful of times. Mr. Foster was a cold and ,to her somewhat sleazy wizard , who'd once been her mother's housemate and rival. Ivy couldn't understand what interests her mother had in such a man. He was downright dismissive to his own son, which meant Ivy definitely didn't like him.
"You need to work on your form. And put your whole self into it. You'll never get anywhere if you always hold back". Ivy said as the two walked up the basement stairs.
"I'm not a fighter. Besides, who uses swords anymore anyway?" Taro said. "Not even muggles! If we were allowed magic at home-"
"That's not going to happen." Ivy said.
She had a feeling her brother had been holding back on her. It irritated her a bit but she knew Taro just had a discomfort about fighting girls. She could always get a fierce fight from Lasko , her mother's old (and dead) friend.
"I can dream!" Taro said indignantly.
"Are you two ready?"
Dex , their oldest brother, stood as if he'd been waiting for them.
"...for what?" Taro asked blankly.
" Our Diagon Alley trip" Ivy said heatedly.
"Oh that's today?" Taro asked. Ivy sighed in exasperation .
"How could you forget?" She said,
Dexter had graduated Hogwarts already. However he worked at a muggle job with computers. The Tanakas were a family who had been against the statute of secrecy. This got them labeled blood traitors among purebloods. A stupid thing to call someone, really.
Ivy Potter had been adopted by the family of wizard outcasts after her muggle relatives had abandoned her with a neighbor. That neighbor, Mrs Figg was a squib, someone born to wizards with no magical ability themselves.
Ivy had the dark hair the family shared, she could pass as her adoptive mother's natural daughter. But she had kept her birth surname because it was hers . Her mother had wholeheartedly supported this, saying that it was part of her sense of identity. She was her mother's only daughter and as such they shared the kind of things that her mother couldn't with her brothers. Like dress shopping and Victorian fan language.
"It may be exciting for you, but once you've been going to school for a few years this kind of thing is just routine," Taro said.
"Well you better remember you were going to introduce me to your friends' younger brother and sister!". Ivy said "you promised!"
"Yeah yeah , calm down" Taro said. "I swear one would almost think you're a little spoiled.".
"Well at least I'm not irresponsible !"
"Both of you shut up," Dex said shortly, leading them to the car.
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Gwen Weasley and her twin brother Gawain waited in the Leaky Cauldron while her mother was admonishing Fred and George about something or other. Honestly all the times she had to scold them, Gwen had lost count. They were swearing that one of their housemates, Taro Tanaka ,was coming to meet them today.
"Hope the stupid git didn't forget" Fred muttered
"Is this the boy who sent your friend those dirty foreign magazines?" Their mother asked suspiciously.
"I have atoned for my sins, Mrs. Weasley" a dark haired boy came in with an equally dark haired younger sister and older brother. Only the younger sister lacked the same eye shape and features the boys had. She had brilliant green eyes with slim, pretty glasses and her jet black hair up in a ponytail.
"Yes unfortunately. ". The older brother replied.
Taro turned and glared at his older brother "as I said I have atoned. "
"Not enough if you ask me," the older boy said.
"Nothing's enough for you!" Taro said huffily. "A bloke makes one little mistake…"
"Maybe it was more than a little mistake, " Gwen said.
"Well you won't be sending any magazines to my sons" Gwen and Gawain thoroughly enjoyed watching their mother looking like she was about to pinch Taro by his ear.
" No, ma'am " Fred and George looked disappointed at that. "I- I wouldn't dream of it!"
The girl approached Gwen. "Hello seeing as my brother is busy I'll introduce myself. My name is Ivy Potter"
"Potter ...you mean.." The girl sighed and rolled her eyes and Gwen gave her twin a sharp jab with her elbow.
"Yes yes , the famous Ivy Potter. That's me" she said with a sigh.
Whatever Gawain was about to ask was interrupted as Taro looked at them
"You sure you're twins? You don't look very ...er….samey". Both of the younger Weasley twins shot Taro irritated looks.
"We both came out on the same day so, I'd think we're sure ". Gawain said. Ivy glared and stepped on her brother's foot.
"What?" He groaned, rubbing his foot. "Shiro and Izzy look like clones"
"Shiro and Izzy are a unique case," Ivy said. The family was pretty sure their uncanny sameness came from a side effect of a nutrient potion their mother drank while pregnant with them.
"You sure those are your siblings, you thick git?" Gwen said , gesturing at Ivy and Dex.
" Gwendoline!". Mrs Weasley said.
"What? Ask a stupid question, get a stupid question"
Ivy laughed and even the quiet oldest brother gave a sort of smirk.
"Fine...stupid question." Taro muttered. Fred and George were stifling laughter.
"Wait til Lee-"
"Don't tell him!" Taro said. "I said sorry… sweet effing Merlin…" Mrs Weasley gave him a look. "Sorry".
"I'm very sorry, I hope my brother hasn't made too terrible an impression" Ivy said to her. Mrs Weasley smiled slightly, shaking her head. "I am Ivy, a pleasure to meet you"
It wasn't long before Taro and his sister and brother moved along and Gwen already couldn't wait to see more of Ivy Potter at school. She seemed rather interesting. Perhaps a bit hyper-girly, but interesting. Despite Taro's antics she had managed to charm their mother.
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They went down the list of school supplies with Ivy getting some extra books with her early birthday money, based on things she was hoping to learn sooner rather than later.
"You sure you want to learn alchemy from Lasko?" Taro asked. "I mean if you're learning it from him you won't need that book I can tell you that. He doesn't like to do things by the book"
"Supplementing your knowledge never hurts" Ivy replied, looking through her new Alchemy For Beginners book. "I'm sure once Lasko gives me a good explanation I can understand the books better. She had gotten two books on it , planning to have something to read at the beginning and for when she had a fuller understanding.
"Allright then". Taro shrugged. "I don't see the point in reading more books if a good lesson gets the job done."
"Of course you don't," Dex said. "You'd rather mess around and sleep"
"Sleep is important!". Taro said. "Oh hey, here's the wand place . Ivy you just...go on in. That bloke gives me the creeps"
"Nonsense we're not sending her to get her first wand alone" Dex said, as they went in- dragging Taro in by the arm. "Mother would never let us hear the end of it." Taro gave an exaggerated whine behind them
“You’re meeeeeean ”
“I think I’m being nice. If I were mean as you say I would have murdered you by now” Dex murmured darkly.
Ivy just ignored them before turning to the wand shop seller, Mr. Ollivander. He looked curiously at her as if studying her. “Ahh Miss Ivy….Tanaka was it?”
“Actually I go by my birth name” Ivy said “but yes”
Mr. Ollivander chuckled. “I see…” He studied the two young men behind her, “Dexter… it has been some time since I last saw you. Black Walnut, dragon heartstring , 14 inches and unyielding, if memory serves”
“Er yes” Dex nodded , seeming a bit taken aback by the odd address.
“I hear funny rumors you’ve taken up doing muggle business?” Mr. Ollivander raised an eyebrow.
“Yes.. but … I still use magic regularly” Dex said. “It’s … it’s a family business.” The shopkeeper chuckled.
“Ah right. I see. Your mother was always one to do things her own way. Not many Slytherins would be brave enough to do so openly.”
Dex nodded . “yes… that is true..” He said. Mr. Ollivander looked to Taro.
“I see you are still quite the mischief maker” He said half reprovingly. “Fir, Dragon heartstring , 12 inches, quite bendy, we shall see if it doesn’t get snapped before you turn seventeen."
Taro grumbled and said “rude!”
Ivy laughed. Taro was hardly a malicious trouble maker, as far as she knew. She couldn’t see him doing anything serious enough to get expelled from Hogwarts.
"Miss Potter Both of your families have a long magical history. Your birth mother’s wand was 10 and a quarter inches long , made of willow, with a core of unicorn hair and it was quite swishy, good for charms work. Your birth father on the other hand , had a mahogany wand, quite handsome , eleven inches long. It was very good at Transfiguration. I could never forget them” Ivy listened intently.
“Thank you sir” She said quietly. She didn’t often open up about it for how deeply personal it was but she liked hearing things about her birth parents. He beckoned her forward and began giving her wands to try.
Frustratingly it seemed like Ivy was going through the whole store .She had been told about the feeling of the right wand in your hands (by Taro who was then quickly admonished when he made a lewd comparison). Mr. Ollivander seemed to hesitate with one box. “I wonder” He came down from the ladder and pulled out a magnificent looking wand made of holly and handed it to her. “Try this, Miss Potter”
Once she grasped the wand, Ivy felt warmth and a feeling of belonging. She gave it a very practiced wave (as if she hadn’t been practicing her first wand wave the whole summer) and made an item on a shelf rise and then float down gracefully. Taro gave a triumphant whoop and Mr. Ollivander studied him. “Very well done… almost as if it was…practiced” he said sternly, eyeing him.
“Oh just the movements” Ivy said quickly , “and I’ve been reading a lot of books!”
“I see” He looked over her as if studying her a bit awestruck. “Ahh quite curious though…. Very curious”
Ivy tilted her head. “What’s curious, sir?”
“Well what are the chances that you’d be suited for this wand when its brother gave you that scar?” Ivy felt as if her insides had been plummeted in freezing water and as the wand seller got closer, Dex cleared his throat intently with a sackful of money.
“I think we need to be going now” he said eyeing Mr. Ollivander very sharply. He set the coins down hard on the counter. “That’s the price right?”
“Yes yes quite” Mr. Ollivander seemed to realize his error and silently took the money as Ivy was left wondering what that meant. Her wand’s…brother?
When they left the shop Taro shook his head tsking “Like I said.. Bloke’s creepy”
“Yes, good thing we were there,” Dex said. He started leading them off and Ivy knew very well not to trouble or disturb Dex when he was this angry. Something about the old wand seller mentioning her parents’ killer to her had set him off. She still wanted to ask what he had meant. Did her wand have something in common with the wizard who killed her parents? She looked at Taro who just shrugged. “Eh don’t ask me, I don't understand all that wandlore stuff anyway. Lasko might know. He’s ancient ”
“Well his body is anyway” Ivy said. They stopped at a few more shops, as Taro got his things as well and they made their way back to the Leaky Cauldron. Ivy couldn’t help noticing a girl her age with bushy hair and higher end clothing following a witch in glasses and sensible looking robes. Taro seemed to notice and he called “Oi-oi! Professor McG!”
The woman turned around to give him a momentary sharp look. “Manners Mr. Tanaka, "she said reprovingly.
“I…I said Professor this time”” Taro shrugged. The girl watched , clutching a notebook close.
Dex sighed heavily and shook his head at his brother’s antics. “Good afternoon, Professor McGonagall.”
“Ah hello.” The woman looked at Ivy, who looked up at her fascinated . She was a professor! One of her future teachers! She had to make a good impression if not only to make up for Taro’s general impression. “Ms Potter”
“Hello Professor” Ivy said beaming. “Nice to meet you!””
“I look forward to seeing you at Hogwarts,” She said. The girl near her looked over to them and asked the Professor. “They’re students too?” She seemed friendly to Ivy and very curious.
“Yes, Ms Potter here is going to be in your year, Miss Granger” the Professor said gently to the girl. Ivy approached her, holding out a hand. “My name is Ivy Potter”
The girl smiled. “Hello , I’m Hermione Granger! I’m very pleased to meet you! Professor McGonagall brought me because.. Well I’m the first in my family to go, that I know of..anyway”
Ivy nodded. “Ohh! like from a Winter’s Tale, by Shakespeare?” She said, noting her name.
“Oh yes. My father is very fond of his works. Usually people don’t know how to pronounce it” Hermione said sheepishly.
“Well a lot of people may only remember the most known of Shakespeare’s works. Romeo and Juliet, the Scottish Play, Hamlet” Ivy said
Hermione giggled “you can say the name, we’re not in a theater”
Ivy smiled “oh well I was just testing your Shakespearean knowledge. You pass” She said
“Miss Potter and Miss Granger, I am pleased you’re getting along but we do have to keep to a schedule, '' Professor McGonagall said, pulling out a pocket watch.
“Oh sorry Professor!” Hermione said , she looked back to Ivy “I hope we’re in the same house”
Ivy smiled. “With luck,” She said. She followed her brothers away feeling excited. She had potentially found three friends that day! But she wondered what were the odds they would all be in the same house.
“I wouldn’t go about bragging about your knowledge of muggle lit with some of the sorts at Hogwarts” Taro said as he buckled himself next to Ivy.
“Why not?” Ivy asked. “I wasn’t bragging , I could assume that considering her name she had an appreciation for them as well”
“Well people will make fun , at the least ” Taro shrugged.
“Well while they’re busy being idiots I’ll hex them” Ivy said.
“Be careful about that as well,” Dex spoke seriously. “A first year who knows too many hexes tends to invite scrutiny.” Ivy sighed. How could she do anything like this? At least Dex had gone and graduated already.
The trip home wasn’t too long, and Ivy was eager to pull her new Hogwarts trunk all the way up to her bedroom as soon as they got home. As she tucked it away and looked over her robe she heard the creak of a floorboard and noticed Shiro and Izumi, her nine year old little cousins both leaning intently.
“That’s a real Hogwarts robe?” Shiro asked .
“Course it is!” Izumi said, bounding in . “Ivy can we see?”
Ivy sighed. “I thought I told you two about coming into my room without asking” Shiro looked a bit sheepish but Izumi had no such shame. “Can I seeee ?”
“It’s a robe, for Merlin’s sake,” Ivy said, showing her. The young girl looked over it as if it was the most exciting thing she'd seen.
“Did you get a wand too? “ Shiro asked. Izumi looked up, changing tracks.
“Yeah, show us the wand!” They started chanting it and Ivy groaned. Merlin save her from annoying children . She didn’t normally mind the twins, but she would like to be left alone at the moment.
“Look .. if you two leave me alone I’ll show you my wand after dinner” she said. Izumi grumbled but Shiro agreed.
Someone else called and the two bounded off looking for some other thing to entertain them rather than risk being scolded or punished. Finally free, Ivy closed her door and started looking through her books. Eventually she got her snake, Hecate, out of the tank and let her curl up nearby as she studied up on textbooks to be ready for school.
But as she lay in bed she couldn’t stop thinking about what the wand seller might have told her. Damn Dex’s unrelenting overprotectiveness. She closed her book finally admitting defeat at the moment and turned to pick up Hecate letting her weave through her fingers. “Why do brothers always feel the need to butt in and protect a girl, Hecate?”
Dex should know damn well that she could speak for herself!
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Through the rest of August, Ivy awaited eagerly for term to start. She listened with the twins, as her mother told of her days at Hogwarts , the mischief and misadventures of her growing rivalry with Foster. As well as a detail she hadn't disclosed before, how in later years during Hogsmeade visits she would meet up with Lasko.
"It only started in fifth year or so , Ambrose of course refused to agree to meeting in secret with a child." Her mother chuckled fondly . "He about lost his temper when I initially asked to meet him in third year and scolded me.'
"He scolded you?" Ivy asked. Usually it was her mother who was scolding Lasko, ever the lighthearted jokester.
"Yes you know . I think he has a bit of…a thing about the issue of .. well being suspected of such a thing …were we ever caught" she said. "One of the handful of things he does take seriously."
"How did you meet him anyway?" Izumi asked.
"Yes… you've never really mentioned that" Ivy said. "How did you first meet him?"
Her mother hesitated and for a moment Ivy feared she would shut the conversation down. But she just looked thoughtful.
"I saw him in Hogsmeade loitering about the Hog's Head." She said, "There was something about him that was strangely familiar but ..hm. Almost like I'd known him in a past life."
Ivy giggled at that. "maybe it was because you two are meant to be!" She said,
Her mother laughed and Ivy's heart sank a bit . "Darling, no! I was a thirteen year old witch and he's ..well he's undead. That would be ..well …no. Besides, Ambrose was never one for romance. We'd drive each other mad"
"Well he's better than that Foster." Ivy said huffily. "And what about ….Dex's father?" She took a moment to ensure her older brother wasn't in the room.
"Elliott. Yes. Elliot Stryke was in Hufflepuff and he was an old childhood friend. It didn't last though.. we found out we were different people and well….it just didn't work out ." Her mother said..
"Whoa …Dex's dad was a Hufflepuff?". Izumi asked in disbelief.
Her mother chuckled. "Hufflepuffs are good loyal sorts. Hard working. I know it was popular to dismiss them but they can be fine wizards and witches "
"I know just…it's…weird I always thought he'd be a Ravenclaw like him."
"Houses don't always follow through families" Her mother said. "I mean Templeton and I were Slytherins and Taro wound up in Gryffindor."
Izumi laughed aloud. "His real name is Templeton ?!" She and Shiro giggled together.
Kagami Tanaka smiled a bit mischievous. "Oh ..dear..I suppose I wasn't supposed to let that slip. He's not going to be pleased."
She got up but before she could go back to what she had been doing, Ivy asked. "Where's Mr. Stryke now, Mother? Does he have other children?"
"Yes. He married a witch in America and their three boys are going to attend Ilvermorny I expect." She said, "Their oldest is the same age as those two" she gestured towards the twins. Ivy followed her as she got up to start pouring and fixing tea.
"Why don't you come with me , love? There's something I should tell you now that you're of proper age" Ivy's heart leapt. Her mother gave her a cup of tea and led her down the hall and to a little study. She shut the door and cast a Japanese spell to prevent eavesdropping. "You brothers told me about what that shopkeeper told you… that man is so tactless …"
Ivy nodded. Though she did want to know and secretly wished she had heard more.
"Don't be ashamed though . If you wanted to know ..it's only natural. Your birth parents…you have a right to know what truly happened ". Ivy sat down opposite her mother at the table. “Your birth parents were killed by a very notorious dangerous wizard that was at large at the time. Many among the wizard community don’t even speak his name, calling him things such as You-Know-Who or He Who Must Not Be Named. Personally I find this foolishness but a lot of people have had painful experiences with him in the past and people in public protest or flinch at his name. He is known as Lord Voldemort”
Ivy nodded, sipping her drink. “..oh” She said. “Why? Is it known?”
“It’s.. speculated but well your parents were part of a group fighting against him during the First War in the 1960s to the beginning of the 1980s. They were known enemies to Voldemort and his followers, very brave people. They had been in hiding at the time to protect you and well the rumor is your father’s close old friend Sirius Black betrayed them and they found you” Ivy felt her hands clench. “....oh and… what happened.. To him?”
“Black is .. well he’s in Azkaban right now. Unlikely to ever get out.“
“Oh..” Ivy nodded. “Good” She said.
“Yes.. and… there’s another.. Thing” Her mother said solemnly. “Lord Voldemort tried to kill you as a baby. He cast an unforgivable curse on you and for some reason it backfired bringing about his end.. So they say. Since I took you in, I’ve kept something of a distance to protect you and provide you a normal life”
Ivy remembered getting stares in passing and for years her mother refused to let her go to Diagon Alley only recently allowing her under a glamor. “...that’s why…”
“Yes.. I didn’t want you to deal with that, being treated as some kind of celebrity for such a horrid reason. I wanted you to grow up feeling like you could be a normal little girl. And have innocence.” She said, “But.. with you going to Hogwarts you will find out eventually and I wanted you to hear the truth first before.. All the rumors”
Ivy nodded feeling as if her insides were in free fall. She didn’t cry or do anything just… processed. “Thank you mother. Very much”
“You’re welcome.” Her mother reached out to gently sweep hair from her face. “Every child has the right to be a child for a little while. To be innocent. You have so much placed on your shoulders and…it’s not right but that’s the way people are. When I found you and realized who you were, I was determined to protect you from all of it.. Even that Dumbledore who seemed to claim he wanted what was best for you. They didn’t trust me entirely at first. I was .. well a Slytherin and many of them had a reputation because well Voldemort, the bastard , he was said to be Slytherin’s heir. But , considering that side didn’t care for my family either… they eventually accepted my terms”
Ivy nodded, smiling. “I’m glad…”
“And remember . Don’t let Dumbledore try to play you either when you’re there. He is.. Well. not evil , he has some noble intentions but…if you ask me he can be rather manipulative. I question the wisdom of putting him in charge of children. Many who grew up around me in Slytherin had rather dismal home lives.. And he didn't seem to pay them any mind. “ She seemed to remember something. ”Oh and.. I hear Severus Snape is Head of Slytherin now He and your birth father well.. They had an infamous rivalry so.. If he gives you any trouble or.. makes you uncomfortable, write to me and I’ll give him a good warning. Severus never did pick any conflicts with me”
Ivy nodded. “Of course mum”
With a chocolate from her mother’s jar, Ivy was dismissed to her room where she lay in bed and thought about everything she had been told. This was…a lot to digest. But it would certainly mean her time at Hogwarts would be a lot more interesting than she thought.