Chapter Text
She watched Dumbledore, McGonagle, and Hagrid stand together and speak about the baby in the Headmaster's arms. It wasn't too difficult to figure out where the boy had been squirrelled off too, considering she'd gone to school with the boys parents and was the cousin of his godfather. All one had to do was pay attention and get a hold of a muggle phone book. The trio said their goodbyes and left the street.
It was such a mundane street. No real life or character outside of "Average Surrey", it gave her shivers. For all the fantastical settlements Muggles had created over the millennia's modern architecture was so very boring.
Stealing from her hideaway she knelt before the baby. Sleeping peacefully, wrapped in blankets and looking as if he had not a care in the world. He looked like a Potter, through and through. But she could still see a hint of the Black genes in there. From the curve of his cheekbones hidden beneath baby fat, to the cute shape of his little nose. The Black family was there.
Cooing she lay a faint warming charm on the boy, November was definitely chillier this year than she recalled. She'd return in the morning for him, with all the legal paperwork sorted. She wasn't about the leave the Godchild of her favourite cousin stranded with the inferior muggles living in that house.
Millicent Bagnold could feel the migraine that sat in the corner of her brain, just waiting to surround and suffocate her. Her job had been made both infinitely easier by the death of the Dark Lord, and endlessly more difficult. The warnings she had had to send out to Witches and Wizards flaunting the statute to secrecy was meant the Ministry was seriously in need of more owls. Not to mention the squads for magical reversals and obliviators that needed to make muggles forget the strange happenings around them. Everyone was far too lax in their relief. She had though, managed to toast a quick fire whiskey to the Potter family in thanks and remembrance for their deaths. The wizarding world would be all the poorer for the lack of James Potter and Lilly Evans. Maybe their son would carry some of their personalities with him through life. Who knows.
A knock at her office door had her throwing a glance to the Floo, deciding whether she should make a break for it, but the door opening stole that decision from her.
Stood in the doorway was Elektra Black. Fourth-born daughter of Cygnus Black the Third, and Druella Rosier. Elektra was a beautiful woman, even at just 21 years old she held a room with all the confidence of a Witch twice her age. And with all the arrogance of a Wizard half her age. She was a competent witch who had been swallowed up by the International Confederation of Wizards fresh out of Hogwarts and joined the "Gaurd". An organisation that worked to provide protection, information, and other unsavoury acts for the Governing Body. They weren't loyal to anyone on the Council, but to the institution of the Council itself.
Millicent was confused as to why the woman was here, in her office.
"Miss Black, please come in," she invited with a tight grin. Whatever she wa after was going to cause Millicent an even bigger migraine she could just tell.
"Thank you Minister," she purred. She walked as if she floated on air, her heels clicking softly on the ground, the dark wild curls that most of the Black family were known for flying around her face. Stormy, electric grey eyes pinned the Minister to her seat. "I am just here to file a petition for guardianship, you'll find all paperwork in order," she handed over the parchments she held with a glint in her eye and folded herself into the chair before the Ministers desk.
Millicent unfolded the first and read through it, her eyes shooting back to the woman in alarm.
“You cannot be serious!” she gasped.
“No, that would be my cousin,” she cheeked, leaning back in her seat. “But yes. I am. Seeing as young Master Potter’s parents have left us so tragically his guardianship falls to Sirius, however as the DMLE have seen fit to imprison him in Azkaban it should fall to his closest relatives. He was taken to his mother’s Muggle relatives, but I do not think it appropriate that the heir to several important houses be left in the care of those who could not possibly understand him or his needs,” Elektra explained in that no-nonsense way she had that infuriated many people who met her.
“But, this is…Albus-“she tried to protest but failed to find the words needed.
“I’m sure Headmaster Dumbledore was only doing his due diligence in ensuring a safe environment for the boy during this trying time, however it would be in his best interests to be placed with a magical family. And who better than his own blood-adopted cousins? You’ll see the adoption in his lineage paperwork,” she pointed out.
And indeed, it did. A full blood-adoption between Harry Potter and Sirius Black. Blood-adoptions superseded all other guardianship requests as Magic approved of them and they couldn’t be abused by anyone. Millicent literally had no choice but to sign the papers and allow Elektra to take the boy. She had no reasons to deny her petition, despite the rumours of her Brother-in-law’s involvement with You-Know-Who, or her families Blood purity fanatics. None of it made her a poor guardian in the eyes of the law.
With a heavy hand, and a mental apology to Lily and James, she signed the custody paperwork. It split into three, one flying off to the DMLE child protection department, one heading to the archive rooms, and the third being snatched up by Elektra.
“Thank you Minister,” she smiled, all sharp teeth and flashing eyes. “I can see a wonderful career for you,” with that she swept from the office.
Aparating back to that Merlin-awful muggle street Elektra walked up to Number Four. The car was still in the drive, but Harry was no longer lay on the door stop. Loud voices came from the abode, one low and gruff, the other high and sharply bitter. A babes screams joined the cacophony after a moment.
She knocked sharply on the door and all noise stopped. The curtains in the front window twitched and Elektra gave her best charming smile. She’d made sure to choose a dress that looked very good on her, and made her look like the incredibly wealthy woman she was. Being the only daughter not married off to another family meant her fathers wealth was now hers. Her sisters being given only token amounts in the will, except Andromeda. Her hair was styled properly, pinned in place with family heirlooms while her late mothers pearls wrapped around her throat.
The door opened and a tall, pinch faced blond woman stood before her.
“Yes?” she asked sharply. Eyes distrusting and panicked. “Can I help you?”
“Good day Mrs Dursley,” she greeted, doing an admirable job at hiding her disdain at talking to a muggle. “My name is Elektra Black, I am here to take custody of Harry Potter,” immediately the panic rose in the woman’s face as she looked around the street.
“You’re one of those…those…freaks!” she hissed. Elektra narrowed electric-grey eyes and pursed her lips.
“I would appreciate you not referring to myself and my kind as such derogatory terms Mrs Dursley. I have been nothing but polite during this interaction, but I can change that at any moment,” she stated lowly, Petunia’s face paled and she threw open the door to usher her inside.
She was lead to the living-room where a large man with a rather impressive moustache but no neck stood next to a basket with the boy she came to collect inside.
“She’s here for the boy,” Petunia explained, “She’s one of that lot,” the man’s face turned a mottled purple colour that had her slightly worried his heart might give out.
“Of all the ridiculous! Why not take him immediately? Why leave him on my doorstep!” he bellowed, his loud voice causing the babe to start crying.
“A minor custody problem, all sorted now I can assure you,” she was not impressed. Dumbledore must have lost more grey matter during the war than she thought if he honestly believed these muggles were in any way capable of raising a magical child. Or any child for that matter.
“Well, take him then!” he snarled.
“But that letter…” Petunia murmured. “He said…”
“I assume that Headmaster Dumbledore left a letter of some sort explaining all of this, please know that the potential danger to you and your family will be negated once I take him from you. No one really cares that much about a muggle family that do not have a magical child inside,” she knew how to word things to get what she needed. And playing on removing the undesirable element was the goal. “Either way, I have the relevant paperwork that allows me to take the boy no matter what the Headmaster says,”
“Compensation!” The male grunted. “We had the boy with no warnings or assurances about his expenses. It has caused us unnecessary distress, how are you going to compensate us?” Elektra dropped her genial demeanour and fixed the man with cold eyes.
“By allowing you to live, and remember this interaction at all,” she replied, voice flat and dangerous.
“Very good,” he returned, shrinking back from her. Elektra stepped to the boy and lifted him. His little cries had dies down slightly during their discussion and now she stared up at her with beautiful green eyes. She did not waste time with platitudes to the muggles, she simply turned and walked out the door before aparating back to her mansion.