Chapter Text
The 31st October of the year 2003 will undoubtedly be written down in history as one of the most celebrated day of the Wizarding world. It was the day that marked the end of a man whose name left them shivering in terror. The magical kind celebrated the end of the war with massive street gatherings, public singing, dancing, bonfires and fireworks. Every face held a smile, Every child's future was save and guaranteed and this everything, was all because of their littlest Saviour, The toddler who survived a killing curse and defeated the man who shall not be named, Helena Potter—The Girl who lived.
On the other hand, Helena, though she might not know being a child, barely one, had lost everything. Her parents, Her home, Her Godfather. And in a few minutes, if things go according to Headmaster's will then....Her freedom. Her Childhood would be lost too.
Minevra McGonagall, The Deputy Headmistress of Hogwarts School of Wizarding, had been watching the Dursleys, Helena Potter's last blood relatives through her mother, all the day. If Minevra thought Lily Potter's muggle sister, Petunia, was anything like her older sister then she was proven to be completely wrong.
It was now night. Minevra assumed it was about time the Heasmaster arrives. Cutting her off thoughts, A man appeared on the corner, where Minevra was in the form of a black cat. Speak of the Devil.
He was tall, thin and very old, judging by the silver of his hair and beard, which were both long enough to tuck into his belt. He was wearing long robes and a purple clock that swept the ground. His blue eyes were light, bright, and sparkling behind half-moon spectacles and his nose was very long and crooked. And his name was Albus Dumbledore, The Headmaster of Hogwarts. The man in whose hand laid the fate of where the young hero would reside until the she reaches her magical majority.
He chuckled and muttered, "I should have known."
Minevra finally shedded her cat form. Standing in the position of the black cat was now a severe-looking woman who was wearing square glasses excatly the shape of the markings the cat had around its eyes. Her black hair was drawn into a tight bun.
Minerva McGonagall had been many things in her long life — strict, exacting, unflappable in the face of a burning classroom or a mutinous seventh year. She had never, in nearly six decades of knowing Albus Dumbledore, raised her voice at him in his own office.
She raised it now.
"I watched that woman for an entire day, Albus. They are the worst kind of muggles. They despise magic." Minerva's folded her hands behind her spectacles her eyes were hard as flint. "You cannot mean to leave Lily's daughter on that doorstep with a note and a blanket."
"The blood protection, Minerva—"
"Blood protection will not stop that woman from resenting her every day of her life for being what she is." She straightened.
"Minevra, we have no other choice, Miss Potter has to stay with them. Lily's blood alone could ensure the safety of young girl's safety—"
"There is another sister, Virigina Potts, she took on her mother's maiden name" Minevra cut him. "Older than Lily by a couple of years. Muggle-raised the same as Petunia, but she wrote to Lily every summer regardless — I've seen the letters, Lily kept them in a box under her bed at Hogwarts, I helped her ward it fifth year so the girls who were trying to bully her out of jealousy would refrain from taking those letters. It is very clear Albus, that Lily holds her older sister much dearer in comparison with the younger one. Virginia never once made her feel ashamed of what she was."
Minerva's voice dropped, quieter now but no less firm. "She lives in America. New York. She's built quite a life for herself, from what Lily told me — some high up position within a muggle company out there. If blood protection is your concern, she is blood. If a stable home is your concern, she has never given Lily's family anything but stability."
"America is very far from home, Minevra."
"Albus, A place becomes a home when you have who you love and who love you in it. If not, it will be nothing but a house made of wood and painted." Minerva did not blink as continued, pointing at the house the Headmaster intended to leave the child. "For the young potter that would be no home. I am asking you, as the woman who will have to look that child in the eye in ten years' time and explain where we sent her — do not choose the sister who called her own niece and sister more than once in a single day. Choose the one who would love and cherish her, Albus, please." She begged him.
There was a long silence.
Dumbledore's gaze drifted to the darkened house across the street — number four, curtains drawn, not a single light left burning for the child on the step.
"Are you certain?," he said at last, "that this Virginia would take her sisters child, arriving without warning, carrying magic she does not understand."
"I am certain," said Minerva, "that I would rather ask her and be told no, than never ask at all and know I left this child with a woman who called her a freak within a second after hearing her name."
Dumbledore's shoulders, for the first time that night, seemed to lose some of their careful composure.
"America then, Tonight, if we can." The Headmaster said, sighing in resignation.
Minerva did not wait to be told twice. She was already turning on the spot before he'd finished the sentence she apparated away to arrange the required documents and preparations to board their Saviour to the states, leaving the headmaster alone in the quiet night neighbourhood of Privet Drive, deep in thought.
Virginia "Pepper" Potts was a beautiful woman. She was a slender, intelligent-looking woman whose hair was red and eyes, green. Pepper was not supernatural, Thank you very much, that title belonged to her middle sister, Lily. Pepper was the eldest of the three children her parents had. Being the oldest, Pepper always had the responsibility to take of her younger sisters which was always a demanding job since Petunia, the youngest never got along with the other. Of course, her other sister, Lily was not in the slightest in the fault to be on the receiving end of Petunia's hatred. Lily was, in fact, the most gentle and compassionate soul Pepper had ever seen. They was always something about her that made her stand out among the rest. Was it her eyes and hair ? Probably not. She and Pepper bore an uncanny resemblance to eachother to mistake them for twins. It was not until Lily's 11th birthday did she realise the charm that her sister held was magic.
Yup.
Magic.
Actual Magic.
The "bipidi bopidi' type magic.
Even the world Flabbergasted would be an exaggeration to describe the moment Lily got her Hogwarts letter. Anyway, Fast forward. Pepper took on her mother's maiden because it sounded kinda cool and moved to the states right after her graduation, to pursue her so called career which would currently come to an end because of her genius, billionaire, playboy, philanthropist boss!
No, Pepper did not hate working for Tony. While Tony’s reckless behavior and chaotic lifestyle frequently stressed and exasperated her, she deeply cared for him, respected his intelligence, and acted as the reliable foundation that kept his life and Stark Industries together.
But the stress. Jesus, It was no joke! It wouldn't even let her catch a blink of sleep in the night.
Today was one such usual night, She laid on her bed, deciding whether to take a pill or count sheep to sleep when she heard a knock on the door.
Weird. She checked the time.11:23 PM.
Who would be coming this late into the night?
Pepper rose from her bed, warily walked over to her door and looked outside through peephole. There was no one there. She turned around to walk away from the door, shrugging. Maybe she just imagined it.
"Waaa.."
Pepper abruptly came to a stop when she heard the sound and swiftly stuck her ear to the door.
It was faint, at first. As it got stronger, Pepper was sure it was the wail of a baby. she carefully opened her door and stepped outside. If Pepper didn't freak out in this situation then she most definitely needed some therapy.
There was baby.
A damn Baby.
Buddled in a blanket, with a letter, that looked very much like her sisters school letter, on her doorstep!
Pepper carefully crouched down to calm the wailing baby. The baby had raven black hair which would surely turn out to be a nightmare in the future. And her green eyes.
Wait.
Green eyes. Messy Black hair. A Letter
Omg.
No way.
This
Was
Her
Bloody
Niece!
The following day, The employees of the Stark industry were in a hurry to find a substitute for their boss's ever diligent secretary who suddenly took a leave for a month.