We know political chapters can be a bit heavy, so we're giving them a little break. In this chapter and the next, we'll skip over the political parts to dive straight into Wanda and Harry's daily lives. That way, we keep the pace flowing and focus on what really matters!
…
Looking for Andromeda was easier than Wanda had expected.
She simply asked Selene, who told her they had been classmates and then gave her the address.
When she arrived at a cozy house, the person who opened the door was someone Wanda and Harry already knew: Ted Tonks, the man who had helped them with the issue of Harry's name.
Ted looked at Wanda with slight surprise upon seeing her appear at his doorstep, a brief memory of the Gringotts incident flashing in his mind. He shook his head to push it away.
"Hello. Are you here to see me, or…?"
"I'm looking for a woman named Andromeda. Selene Greengrass gave me the address," Wanda replied calmly.
"Ah, I see. Andromeda is my wife. One moment, pleaseyou can wait in the living room. I'll go get her," said Ted, stepping aside to let her in before quickly heading off to find his wife.
Wanda waited patiently in the living room.
"Dad, I'm going out with my friends! Be back later!" shouted a teenage girl as she rushed out of the house. Her hair briefly turned a very striking color. But then, the screech of shoes skidding to a stop was heard, followed by hurried footsteps returning. A head peeked into the room, curiouspink hair and a face that still held traces of childhood showed she was still quite young. She looked at Wanda with interest, and for a few seconds, her hair changed to a color similar to Wanda's before she dashed off again at the sound of someone approaching.
"Nymphadora, come back here!" called a woman with chestnut brown hair and light brown eyes. Her face was warm and kind, though there was a hint of irritation from her daughter's sudden escape.
"Don't call me Nymphadora!" came a distant shout as the girl ran off.
The woman just shook her head in resignation at her daughter's rebelliousness, then walked toward the living room where Wanda was waiting.
"Sorry about that. She's my daughter, and ever since she became a teenager, she's been a bit... wild," said the woman. "I'm Andromeda Tonks. Nice to meet you."
"Wanda Maximoff," Wanda replied, shaking her hand.
"So, what did you need from me?" Andromeda asked with a friendly smile.
Wanda explained why she had come and who had sent her with a request.
"I see. But to be honest, I'm not sure how much help I can be. Sirius has been in prison for over five years now. He never had a trial; he was automatically declared guilty since he didn't defend himself and no further evidence was found. It would be difficult to get a new trial for him without someone powerful helping. Even with Selene's help, we'd still need a couple more," Andromeda said. She worked as a magical lawyer, although she was close to retiringher husband preferred she stop working (he earned quite well himself), and she usually avoided making enemies by not taking on too many risky cases.
"I was given this," said Wanda, showing a seal with the Potter family crest.
Andromeda looked at it seriously for a moment.
"Do you know what this is?" she asked.
"A family seal. With it, I basically have the power to control everything related to the Potter family," Wanda explained.
Andromeda paused in thought, then her eyes widened in realization.
"The Potter family has a seat in the Wizengamot," she said seriously.
"If we have Selene and the Greengrass family's support, plus the Potter seat… we'd only need one more person to request a new trial for Sirius," Andromeda said with a smile. "And I have someone in mind who'll help if I ask."
…
Wanda was sitting beside Andromeda, sipping tea as they waited for the person Andromeda believed could help them. After a few minutes, the fireplace flared with a green glow, and from it emerged a tall, slender woman with blonde hair, pale skin, and piercing blue eyes. She was beautiful, and her presence radiated elegance and the proud bearing of a highborn family.
The woman glanced briefly at Wanda, then turned her gaze to Andromeda.
"What do you need, Andromeda? I don't have much time," she said with a serious expression.
"Narcissa... it's been a long time," replied Andromeda, ignoring her younger sister's stern face, which remained held high with pride. But for a brief moment, a faint smile touched her lips.
Since Lucius Malfoy's disappearance, Narcissa had taken charge of the family. She was busy caring for Draco, trying to keep him from falling into despair, yet she also felt an unexpected sense of freedom without her husband constantly brainwashing her with his pure-blood ideals. Since his disappearance, Narcissaa woman who once firmly supported blood purityhad begun to see it all as meaningless nonsense. Her family needed workers, and not all of them were pure-bloods. Some of their businesses even employed squibs and Muggles, who worked there to provide for their magical children.
It was something she had realized after taking control of the family enterprises. Still, her disdain for Muggles and Muggle-borns hadn't entirely vanishedit was too deeply rooted, ingrained since childhood as a member of the Black family.
At the very least, she no longer despised half-bloods. That, in itself, was progress.
"Just say it already. Draco is about to finish his classes, and I need to be there," Narcissa said firmly.
"We want to give Sirius a fair trial," Andromeda said, getting straight to the point.
At the mention of that name, Narcissa frowned.
"Who is 'we'?" she asked.
"The Potter family. The Greengrass family. And you... if you choose to help us," said Andromeda with a smile.
"Potter?" Narcissa repeated, then turned her gaze to Wanda.
"She's Harry Potter's motherthe heir to the family. And the bearer of the family seal," Andromeda explained.
Narcissa stared at Wanda as if trying to read her mind, but the calm in Wanda's eyes was unsettling. Even if she had been foolish enough to try Legilimency, she knew better than to attempt it on someone like her. Her instinctsor whatever it wasscreamed that the moment she tried to peek into Wanda's mind, she would be lost.
"Fine. I'll helpjust enough to ensure the trial goes forward. In exchange, I want Sirius to hand over the Black family to you. He's likely to throw it all away or donate everything to Dumbledore's cause without thinking," Narcissa said seriously.
"But I don't want" Andromeda started, but Narcissa cut her off.
"You could rebuild the family. The legacy and businesses could support your daughter and her descendants. Even if you deny being what the Black family always demanded, it's still our home. And there's no better way to undo everything our grandparents and parents taught us... than having a 'blood traitor' take control of the entire family," Narcissa said, her words sharp, though it was clear she only wanted to protect her sister.
"As I said, I'm not interested. But if you care so much about Sirius inheriting and bringing the family back, then you handle it," Andromeda replied, unwavering.
"Fine," said Narcissa, conceding slightly. Accepting her sister back into the Black family gave them a solid foundation. And if Sirius didn't ruin everything, they'd have a stable anchor for the future. Of course, she would speak with him afterward to make sure he didn't do anything foolish.
Even if she had to give her sister half control of the businesses, she refused to let Sirius destroy everything she had built with her own hands.
Because yes... ever since Sirius was imprisoned, the Black family companies had fallen into Malfoy hands thanks to Narcissa. Bellatrix was in prison, Andromeda had been disowned, and Sirius had vanished from society. That left the path open for her to seize control of both family branches. Even without Lucius, she had ensured that nothing collapsed, keeping both the Malfoy and Black businesses afloatdoubling her workload in the process.
…
After that conversation, the three families sent letters to the Ministry and the Wizengamot, formally requesting a full trial for Sirius Blacksomething he had never received nor had ever been allowed to pursue.
That petition quickly caught the attention of several pure-blood families, especially because it came from three entirely distinct houses:
The Potter family, believed extinct except for the boy who livedstill far too young to wield any power.
The Greengrass family, leaders of the neutral faction in magical politics.
And the Malfoy family, formerly the figurehead of the dark faction. Though with the disappearance (and presumed death) of Lucius Malfoy, their position within that group now stood in limbo, awaiting reevaluation.