Chapter Text
At the top of Scotland lay a forest brimming with magical animals and creatures that kept wixen away.
The forest was dense and dark and had taken the lives of muggles that thought themselves better then the nature of the forest.
But the trees were tall and stole all light.
Their roots thick and protruding the earth making the ground uneven.
All knew to keep away from the forest, but there were five who found safety in the danger of the forest.
The magic the five released feeds the forest.
And the forest rewarded them with a warm clearing with soil that could grow all plants and vegetables.
The five were grateful and built a home.
Now, there in the clearing lay a cabin hidden by wards and barriers made by blood and intent meant to keep all other than the young circle that inhibited it away.
They were safe there and protected from their responsibilities and the war that was ripping them away from each other. There they could be themselves and let their wings stretch.
But it was different as of late.
All of them anxious and on their toes waiting for the day to arrive.
James had gone to bed late, his pregnancy not being kind to his need for sleep.
Finally falling unconscious at the start of Samhain day, too exhausted to do much more than to crawl onto his bed under layers of blankets.
He was woken up by his bonded Beta, Remus, far too early for James’s liking, but the sharp light coming through the windows and the panic that was clearly showing on Remus’ face woke him.
From the soft and gentle facial features Remus normally had, now sharp and rigged from his worry and panic.
Golden eyes piercing and worried.
His short wavy caramel-coloured hair had clearly been slicked back this morning but was now tousled by him running his hands through it in his worry when James wouldn’t wake up.
His warm-beige skin had gone a shade lighter too.
“What’s wrong Moony?” James’s voice came out hoarse from sleep and words slurred, still tired and feeling like his insides had been used as a punching bag.
His short curly cocoa colored hair was mussed from sleep and tears clung to his dark eyelashes making the green in his hazel eyes pop even more from his mocha-colored skin, the pain from his time asleep having made him cry.
Remus calmed down a bit seeing him wake up and having to fight off cooing at him, but it didn’t take much fight with his instincts still panicking. It was far too late in the day and the fact that Remus could smell the fact he was going into labor even if he didn’t seem to notice that he was made Remus panic more.
“Prongs it’s already three in the afternoon. We all know you haven’t been able to sleep well these last few weeks, so we let you sleep in, but… James how exactly are you feeling?” Remus’s voice was filled with concern that set James’s instincts on edge.
“Three in the afternoon?” He asks, Remus nods flicking his hand, casting a Tempus, the time appearing in the air.
“Hmm, doesn’t feel like it, but that’s clearly because this little one,” stroking a hand over his stomach, “choose to use my intestines as punching bags.” He said in a soft tone as he looked at Remus.
“Not really feeling any different then other mornings other than that I clearly slept mor-” James startled up and was fully awake when he felt a sharp jab of pain come from his lower stomach different from how it felt when his baby moved around too much.
He looked down, pushing off the covers and blankets that he had crawled into in the early hours of the day before he fell asleep.
That’s when he saw it.
The reason for the extra pain and sleep today.
A small puddle between his legs.
The liquid that would help him give birth to their child.
Meaning his baby was on the way out and he had slept through the first contractions.
His breath caught in his throat, and he stared down at his lap that was being obscured by his distended stomach. His baby.
Then another sharp pain went through him, and like a spell broke off he let in a deep breath and keened high turning into a whine.
He wanted all his bonded with him.
Of course, Remus was already there and rumbling low to comfort him, having moved to curl around his left, where his bond mark lies on James’s shoulder together with Sirius’.
But he needed them all.
He needed to know he and his baby would be loved and protected to let himself be so vulnerable when giving birth.
His Alpha came rushing in having already been on his way because they were taking too long for his taste to get up.
His black curly(3B)-hair tied in a loose bun, being kept there with his wand.
His silver eyes shine behind dark eyelashes and porcelain colored skin turning blue as his scales rippled through his skin before going porcelain light again.
“What’s wrong?” Sirius all but rumbled back to calm the submissive on the bed.
“He’s-”
Remus had opened his mouth to answer, but was interrupted when two sets of footsteps came rushing in. The circles Paraya and ACE, having heard the submissives keen had come rushing at the sound.
The Paraya with her blood red hair in a low braid, forest green eyes and stripped birch colored skin came through the door.
The ACE being hot on her heels. Lean and towering over their Paraya, his long black hair matching hers within a braid, onyx black eyes that absorbs light and almost paper white skin.
“What’s wrong?” The ACE asked coming in after the Paraya, repeating the Alphas question.
Remus opened his mouth to answer hoping he wouldn’t be interrupted again, but the Immortals liked to spite him, so he was interrupted by their Submissives cry which was answered with four comforting rumbles as they all climbed into the bed around him.
Sirius sat behind Remus who was on James’s left and Lily, their Paraya, walked around the bed to sit at James’s right side, their ACE, Severus, following her and sitting behind her.
Sitting on the sides where their bonding marks were on James’ body.
Having gotten closer and seeing the small puddle that was between James’ legs, the rest of the circle finally realized what was happening seeing the wet spot that signified that James was now going into labor.
“This was what I was trying to say before being interrupted; he’s going into labor.” Remus quickly let out.
Lily nodded and took charge when she felt everyone’s emotions go avery, and as always, she knew how to wrangle the circles emotional distress in stressful situations and so took control.
Purring at James to help calm his frayed instincts and cooing at him as she wrapped herself closer to him making sure he felt her love for him and their little one.
James leaned into her, putting his head under her chin finally calming down a bit now that he had them all accounted for and surrounding him
“Remus fill the big tub with warm water. Severus get the healing herbs and potions that you’ve prepared. Sirius stay here and help me with James until the bath is ready!” Lily’s purring voice came out soft but final and everyone jumped into action doing as she said.
James held in a whine as two of his bonded moved away from him.
Severus let out a comforting rumble, kissing James on his temple before rushing out to get everything from the potion room.
Remus nuzzled his face to the side of James’ face before also rushing to do his task in their ensuite bathroom to fill the bath that was big enough to fit them all easily and to get it ready.
The moment Remus moved to the bathroom, Sirius scooted over and maneuvered James so that he was now in between his legs and having his back to Sirius’s front. Nuzzling his face into James’ shoulder and rumbling low so James could feel the vibrations through his back.
Sirius cast a quick spell to rid the puddle that was on the bed and to dry James’ pants.
Lily also moved and was now in front of them on her knees with comforting words spilling from her lips as she talked James through breathing exercises.
James, having held back a whine when his ACE and Beta had left the room. Now purring from being nestled between Sirius and Lily, calming enough that he didn’t have need for them, so the two could get everything in place and ready for their baby’s birth.
Less than ten minutes later and Sirius was carrying James bridal style into the ensuite bathroom where Remus helped undress them. And the moment all their clothes were off, Sirius stepped down into the bath and settled down with James between his legs again. Making James’ soft blue and peach with gold scales appear, and Sirius’s dark blue almost black in some places and silver ones appear too.
Severus was pouring in potion after potion and mixing them in to the bath water. Putting everything on the tiled floor by the bath before stepping down into the bath to give some herbs to James to alleviate his pain through the labor.
Severus’ scales rippled out, completely white at the front and gradually going to gray to black at his sides until his entire back side was completely covered in black scales.
Remus stepped into the bath after Severus. Soft brown scales and beige stripes where his scars had covered him, which had healed when he got his inheritance. Went to James’s left to help soothe him.
Lily stayed on the bathroom floor, sitting by the water edge to the bath. Red and orange scales that made delicate swirls on her. Being primarily a fire Dragel, it was best she stays as dry as possible, but she was ready to jump into the water at any moment.
Their scales were lighter colored on their face, more similar to their skin color but with a tint of the color from their scales.
James was screaming in pain and cursing everything, everyone and every Immortal. Threatening to hex anything that he didn’t like at the moment as his emotions went for a roller-coaster and instincts fogged from the pain.
“I am going to find a-A fucking curse to castrate you all! FUuuUuck!” James screamed, teeth sharpening and claws digging into Sirius’s arm and head.
Sirius himself had started the whole process with reassurances and sweet words but was now just whispering apologies to James as his hair was being pulled by him and trying not to cry out as James’ claws tried to penetrate his scalp. He knew he was going to have a bald spot from how much James was tugging at his hair.
Severus had changed positions from being in the water to sitting on the edge of the bath with his legs still submerged, going back and forth from the water and the edge of the bath. Giving as many herbs as possible to relieve the pain but being careful not give too much to make sure nothing happened to James or their baby.
Remus had stayed in the water without getting out, but his scales were starting to feel and look pruney from staying in the water for hours without letting them dry. He couldn’t exactly move out of the water either as his arms were being used as biting material for James, so that he wouldn’t accidentally bite his own tongue in his pain. And Remus’ scales were the only ones that could handle the force of James’ bite, with his ability to harden them with his earth affinity without hurting the other’s teeth.
Lily had been making sure the water stayed warm with her fire and had stepped in at times to help as much as she could, but there wasn’t much more all of them could do until their baby was born.
After seven hours of labor, starting at three in the afternoon and ending at ten at night.
Their baby finally came out screaming and crying in the water and looking fully offended when he was brought out of the water into the air of the bathroom. Clearly being part merrow with his triad having at least one of their own parentals being merrow or part merrow.
James was exhausted but finally being able to hold his baby in his arms gave him some energy.
Their baby was perfect and in perfect health too. A full head of dark brown hair, redden skin that turned almost golden after a few days, a small button nose and strikingly glowing green eyes. They were all shocked by the color, sure, James had a bit of green is eyes, but they were hazel, mostly honey colored with a bit of green not like their baby’s bright killing curse green.
James figured that it came from the Peverell line that the Potter’s had married too throughout the years. As the Peverell’s were known for their eyes that were akin to Death’s eyes, which are green like the killing curse. Though the Peverell’s never had the exact green like Death and their baby has.
The names they had picked before the birth of their baby weren’t right after they had him in their arms, so after several days of discussions and some heated words, they all came to a conclusion of what to name their baby, their baby’s name.
Harold Hydra Potter Lupin-Black.
And that’s how Harold Hydra Potter Lupin-Black was born, Harry becoming a nickname later on as Harold was too difficult for the young child to pronounce.
Hydra because it was Black tradition that a child would be named after a constellation or star.
Sirius wanted the middle name to be Sirius, but Severus was completely against it, calling him egotistical for wanting to name their child after himself.
And also wanting a name that represented snakes as he was the only Slytherin in their circle and wanting their son to know snakes are not “Evil”.
Wanting it to be Salazar, Slytherin or Drake, which were all shut down by Sirius.
But Sirius and Severus relented when Remus found the name Hydra, meaning the water snake and also being the longest constellation, and it fit the criteria, so it stuck.
The last few months of the year passed, and it was now 1981. Their circle lived in that cabin and only went out when they were called to duty by Dumbledore, the Dark Lord, or to keep up appearances.
But late into spring rumors came out that there was a child born in the Potter family.
With a prophecy looming over them that Severus heard a part of and been forced to tell the Dark Lord, but knowing it had nothing to do with their family made it easier.
Dumbledore, looming over James’ and Lily’s shoulders asking about the child, they were forced to take action.
And so, they formed a plan, they would play into the rumors that Lily and James had had a child. And Dumbledore believed it immediately and told them that they had to move into a safe house to make sure they were safe as the Dark Lord was after them.
This surprised them as they hadn’t taken an active front in the war, but Dumbledore explained that He was after their child.
Putting things together with what Severus had told them and knowing Dumbledore knew the prophecy, they figured Dumbledore thought that their child was of the prophecy. Which they tried to tell Harold’s birthday, but Dumbledore didn’t hear it and then the Daily Prophet had written that “’Harry James Potter’ born to James and Lily Potter on the last day of July”.
In the end they just had suck it up and move into the house Dumbledore picked out, and then the house was to be put under the Fidelius charm, and they needed a secret keeper. James named Sirius and Remus, he wanted to say Severus too, but in public they were known as nemesis, Severus as a Death Eater and the up and coming right hand man of the Dark Lord.
Dumbledore didn’t like either of those options and shut them down. Saying that Sirius was from a dark family known to support the Dark Lord and couldn’t be trusted while Remus wasn’t a great choice because he was a werewolf and could potentially be dangerous.
James had half a mind to just rip Dumbledore’s head off but kept his cool without flashing his teeth at the meddling old man that was belittling his bonded.
His blood ran cold when Dumbledore recommended Peter Pettigrew, the unsuspecting quiet man. Their circle had distanced themselves from him after Hogwarts after a continued series of weird and sexist comments. Severus had even seen Peter in some of the Death Eater gatherings, but that wasn’t something he could explain to their former headmaster.
He gritted his teeth and started listing Lily’s friends.
Alice Fortescue, Marlene Mckinnon, Dorcas Meadows and even Mary Mcdonald. But, no, none of them could be the secret keeper and Dumbledore was starting to get suspicious, so he agreed to have Peter as secret keeper. Choosing instead to make sure they have extra backup plans.
When Dumbledore cast the Fidelius spell. James and Peter holding hands while James was staring into Peter’s eyes which the other man failed to do back. James saw a coward and more reason to not trust him when he couldn’t even look him in the eye and his instincts wanted his circle back to their home in the cabin, where their baby would be safe.
At the end of July, they held a fake birthday for ‘Harry’, only close friends that had survived until then were invited. They were pretty much forced to invite Dumbledore and Peter even if both were both unwanted.
They wanted to have an actual birthday for Harold on Samhain in secret with their circle, but it didn’t go as planned.
Things went downhill really fast that day. Severus had been forced on a mission for the Dark Lord which kept him away from his circle and child. Sirius was also sent on longer and longer missions by Dumbledore and being tailed by another Order member, slowly going crazy not being allowed to be around his circle and child. Remus was sent out to stop werewolf packs from joining the Dark Lord which ended with more and more injuries.
It was a tragedy set to happen.
Promises of being there for their child’s birthday were broken.
Harold kept crying and asking for them, which made James and Lily both sad and exhausted as it kept up the entire day.
Harold had finally exhausted himself and gone quiet when James felt that somebody had entered the wards around the house.
He was exhausted but now his instincts screamed of danger.
“Lily! Run and take Harry! Somone’s here!” James whisper yelled as he rushed to the front door.
Lily didn’t question it; she rushed upstairs to find the portkey for their cabin with Harold in her arms.
BOOM
The front door was blowen to pieces and in stepped the Dark Lord that had the killing curse already at the tip off his tongue.
James fell as the spell hit point blank to his chest.
No time for a scream just…
Thud
Lily gasped, holding back tears as she rounded the corner upstairs.
She didn’t have time to get the portkey.
She ran instead to the nursery room that held her blood wards. The bastard Lord would have to kill her if he wanted to get to Harold and that would trigger the blood wards in the room.
She had bled to the point of fainting multiple times to strengthen these wards.
The wards were strong and would hold.
They could even stop a physical injury from a weapon; they would definitely hold against a curse.
Even if it was the killing curse.
The Dark Lord broke into the nursery then.
“Give me the boy and I’ll let you go!” Hissed the man.
Lily went cold, this monster had killed James without a question or word and was now giving her option to survive.
“Go to hell! You’ll have to kill me before getting to Harry!” She yelled back, stretching out so that she covered Harold completely.
“One more chance. Stupid girl! Give the boy or die!” He hissed agitated.
“Never! Harry, Lils loves yo-” She fell lifeless to ground with a thump before she could finish.
“And now, Avada Kedavra!” The Dark Lord yelled, pointing his wand at Harry.
A great flash of green went straight towards Harold which hit, but the room lit aflame and engulfed the man burning him to dust and singed a bit of the man mutilated soul.
While keeping completely safe from the heat.
Only Harold was left to know how the killing curse was absorbed into his body from where it hit his head.
And how the singed wraith of Voldemort split in half and rushed at the baby only to be ripped away from the baby by a cold bone hand that came from the shadows of the room.
His skin splitting in the form of lightning that went into his hairline and down the right side of his face. Splintering and cracking as it glowed green the same color as his eyes.
Then Sirius was rushing into the room and picking him up only to hand him off to a Giant man.
Harold didn’t cry out for him.
No.
In his eyes Sirius hadn’t been there like he promised and had just as easily put him in a stranger’s arms.
Sirius wouldn’t come back if he cried.
He knew.
His Mama told him.
Told him that those that break promises aren’t needed and that all who hurt him would be punished.
So instead, he watched as he flied away with the stranger and saw Severus rush into the house and not come out until he was too far to see.
His Mama whispered promises that they would lose the sun in their lives, their love and happiness.
They would lose all that he was in their lives because they had hurt him.
And with whispered reassurance from his Mama, he fell asleep.
Hagrid took Sirius’s bike and flew with little Harry to Dumbledore.
It didn’t take long on the bike to get to the Headmaster and Hagrid gave a sleeping Harry over to Dumbledore before continuing on with his day.
Dumbledore held the child and had a felt joy run through his veins that his plans had worked.
But…
But that scar didn’t look normal, it glowed eerily, and his hand went cold, losing all its blood flow when he reached for it.
He growled; Tom had got too out of his control and had now done something he didn’t plan for to happen.
“Hmmm,” he grumbled, watching the child.
Then…
Something caught his attention.
Icey blue eyes glinting as he picked at the baby’s magic.
He let out small chuckle, yes, the child is perfect.
“You’ll do perfectly, won’t you?” He smiled; sharp teeth and lips too twisted for it to be any good.
Then he placed the child in the bassinet before taking out the Elder Wand and twisting and twirling it in a series of difficult hand movements as he put blocks and seals on the child’s magic, inheritance and soul bonds.
The child would be isolated.
His inheritance sealed.
His heritage blocked and hidden.
And the child slept through it all as his Mama watched in rage not being able to do anything as this was what her sister Fate had orchestrated.
“Yes, you’ll do absolutely perfect.” Said the not-so-human man.
Finally, he levitated the bassinet with the sleeping child onto such a familiar doorstep.
A doorstep that is mentioned in so many stories and tales.
In a street so normal and unsuspecting that no one would question the mistreatment he will make sure the boy will go through.
He stepped back and pulled up his hand that held the Elder Wand casting wards and compulsions around the house and then the street to make sure that no one would help the magical child.
Even putting a compulsion around the street that would make sure everyone was rougher with the boy.
Then he left with a swirl and a crack.
Apperating to the Ministry to make sure that Sirius Black would be put in Azkaban.
Albus was sure that Sirius was Harry’s third, James his sire and Lily his bearer.
Which meant that he needed to make sure Sirius stayed where he couldn’t interfere.
Making sure that werewolves couldn’t be around wixen without fear, he didn’t want Remus to somehow get custody of the boy.
And lastly, to make sure Severus Snape stayed in his hand to use now and later on when Harry started at Hogwarts.
Severus hated James and vice versa, so Albus would be making use of that hate. He’ll make sure that Severus keeps the boy alive but never cared for.
As morning light shone through Little Surrey the Dursley’s slowly woke up.
First one awake was a woman that slowly stepped down the stairs and opened the front door to get the daily paper only to startle fully awake at the doorstep.
There on the doorstep laid a bassinet with a sleeping child laying in it with a letter.
She bent down picking up the letter that was on the side of the bassinet.
Opening the letter, reading through the contents and quickly bringing in the bassinet with the child in before shoving it into the cupboard under the stairs before sitting down at the kitchen table to read the letter again.
Putting the child in the cupboard was as easy as breathing, the compulsion around the house paired up with her need to have everything perfect made it easy for her to just shove the not-perfect thing away where no one would see it.
Tears prickled her eyes as she learnt that her sister had been killed and that only the child survived the attack.
She knew her sister should never have gone to that magic school.
It didn’t do her any good.
First, it attracted that horrid boy when they were younger.
Second, it made her different, abnormal, not right, a freak.
Third, it ruined their relationship. She had spoken her mind to Lily, about the fact that magic was dangerous and will end up killing her. Lily hadn’t liked that, and their relationship only grew further apart after that.
Of course, Putina was right. She always was.
Lily had died because of magic like she told her she would.
And now,
Now she had a freak of a child in her home.
Someone abnormal.
Someone not right.
Someone not perfect.
A child that didn’t feel right.
Smell right.
Sound right
Look right.
Nothing was right with that child.
She didn’t want him, but the letter threatened her child and Dudley being hurt was something she would never let happen, so…
In the end she just kept the child in the cupboard.
She told her husband, and they agreed that it would be best for Dudley that the freak stayed.
So, that’s where he stayed.
Somewhere far, far, far away.
So far away that it wasn’t even in the same realm.
There a Submissive was pulled to sleep by the Immortal he had made a deal with.
A deal he made when he was young and on the brink of death.
And now he looked into green eyes.
The green eyes of Death.
He never thought his death would come like this, but at least he had lived a good two hundred years since the deal was struck.
But then…
The Immortal chuckled.
“I have not come to collect you. But I am here for repayment.” The Immortal said.
“Oh, well. That’s good.” The Submissive released a breath of relief.
“Not that I fear you or don’t want to come to you, but my circle and me are finally thinking of taking a break from all work so it would really be, a killer, if you know what I mean to die right now.” The Submissive laughed awkwardly.
The Immortal let out a chuckle at the man’s rambling before explaining.
“Expect that break of yours to be a lot longer. My chosen childe is…not in the best of hands right now and I do take responsibility for that. I would bring him here or do something to help him, but my sister Fate has put her claws in him, so I can’t do much right now.”
“So, you want me to find him and bring him Nevarah?” The Submissive guessed.
“No, that would alert Fate to much.” The Immortal went quiet, looking at the Gheyic Submissive in front of her.
“No definitely not that. I want to make you his Soul Mentor that only he can break off if he so wishes.”
“A Soul Mentor? Death just how old is this childe of yours? Can you be sure he’s going to even be a Submissive? And a Gheyic Submissive at that, I can’t just train whoever.” The man stressed.
A Soul Mentor and Mentee becomes more connected than a child and their triad. Their souls will quite literally be connected, not like a Soul Bond, parental Bond or mentor Bond that tie the souls together with braids of magic. No, Soul mentor and mentee means the core of their souls will be connected. The mentor would be able to talk to their mentee through a shared soulspace and vice versa. Severing such a connection will break the part of the soul that was connected and that break can lead to the entire soul breaking.
“Yes, a Soul Mentor. My childe has just turned one and I know that he will inherit as a Gheyic Submissive.” The Immortal answered and the man opened his mouth to question more but the Immortal continued talking. “He will definitely have the same affinities as you and if he breaks the Soul bond between you without proper reason, I will personally make sure your soul stays intact.”
The mans mouth shut with a snap as he took it all in.
He didn’t really have a choice in this, but it was better to think it over.
“…fine. I’ll do it, but if he isn’t a Gheyic Submissive with the same affinity as me I will find a way to break the Soul bond between us. I will and cannot train something I am not.”
“Of course, and if he doesn’t inherit as I have foretold then your debt will have already been paid.” Death said with a smile.
The man felt a shiver go up his spine at the smile being directed to him but nodded.
The submissive woke up from his chat with Death and could feel where his soul was now connected but it felt muted and blocked.
The worrying about that would have to wait though.
His circle were circled around him with his Healers, Alpha and Beta closest all looking a bit panicked.
Then he remembered that he had been in the middle of sparring all Three of his ACE’s when Death put him to sleep to have a chat.
Damn.
“I’m fine guys-” “No you’re not, you fucken’ stopped breathing!” His Alpha yelled at him while many of his circle made noises of disbelief and relief at seeing him awake.
“Yeah, about that-” his circle stood at attention like they were going to be sent to war, “none of that.” The circle hesitated but relaxed from their battle-ready stances. “Death summoned me. Remember the story I told you guys about, that I was on the brink of death when I was in my twenties and made a deal with Death so I could continue living?” There were nods all around the circle.
“Well, I am to pay up now-” many of the circle whined at that or protested “I am not dying or going to for the foreseeable future, instead, I am to be Death’s childe Soul Mentor.”
There was a long silence before they devolved into discussion of what this would entail.