Chapter Thirty-One, Yule and Polyjuice

The day term had let out for term most of the students had left the castle eager to get away from the school and what was happening at the moment, however, there were a few certain students that had remained within the castle walls; and thankfully enough some of those students just happened to be Draco Malfoy, Pansy Parkinson, Gregory Goyle and Vincent Crabbe which was lucky as the Polyjuice Potion would be ready on the 26th. However, Izzy was hiding in Moaning Myrtle's bathroom hiding from everyone until most of the student body had left while also trying to calm her down as ten minutes prior to Izzy arriving someone had thrown a book at her.

A book Izzy now had in her possession, it was a strange book, despite being thrown down the toilet it wasn't wet at all, it was like someone had preserved with a Preservation Spell or soothing similar, but there was also a strange feeling coming from the diary - once belonging to Tom Marvolo Riddle - that made her wary and drawn to it in equal measure.
"Myrtle, it's okay. I'm your friend and I won't let anyone do that again. I'm sorry people are so horrible to you."
"Really?" Myrtle sniffled, floating down from off of the top of the ceramic top above the o we head mirrors of the circular sinks in the middle of the bathroom.
"Oh course." Izzy smiled, looking over her shoulder with a reassuring smile as she stirred the potion and added more ingredients.

"I'm glad. Will -" Myrtle said happily, just as the door opened revealing Neville who sighed in relief when he saw Izzy.
"Izzy, there you are." Neville sighed in relief. "We were looking for you, you have an appointment at Gringotts soon with Sirius, Remus, Fred and Mrs and Mr Weasley, then you're going to Potter Manor."
"Sorry Nev. I just wanted to get away from those... anyway I thought I'd come check on the potion while I was at it." Izzy explained.
"It's okay, we understand and we even pranked quite a few before they left." Neville added, a mischievous smirk upon his lips causing Izzy to  laugh a little.

"Thanks Nev." Izzy muttered quietly, hugging Neville as her whole being filled with relief for her brother.
"What are big brothers for?" Neville said jokingly.
"Only by one day." Izzy argued.
"Still older." Neville teased, pulling back in for another hug. "Are you sure you're okay? You know whenever there has been a Potter there's always been a Longbottom beside them, and I swear to you Izzy, I'm never going to break that tradition. You are my sister and I'll always be beside you, supporting you." He added seriously. Not able to form words Izzy threw her arms back around his neck hugging him tightly as she placed a platonic kiss to his cheek.
"Thank you Nev. I'll always be beside you supporting you too." Izzy replied emotionally, her hair changing to reflect her emotions far better than her words would ever express.

"I know. I know." Neville smiled. "Come on, before they send a search party."
"Remus, Sirius, Fred or Ron?" Izzy said jokingly.
"Is that a trick question?" Neville asked, the pair laughing as they left the bathroom journeying down towards the Entrance Hall where Neville had told the others he'd meet them when he found Izzy.
"Izzy!" Fred and Sirius sighed with relief, both rushing forwards to embrace her first - Fred beating Sirius - who glared at the boy who hugged and kissed his daughter's cheek.
"We were worried about you, sweetheart." Sirius whispered, pulling his daughter into a comforting embrace, smiling as Izzy happily snuggled into him.

"I'm sorry." Izzy whispered.
"No, don't apologise, but we better get going. It's not a good idea to keep the Goblins waiting." Remus informed them, holding out a piece of rope to Percy (who was coming to accept the Prewett Heirship until he turned seventeen in August), Izzy, Sirius and Fred as it was their Portkey to Gringotts. Minerva had adjusted the wards slightly for just this occasion.
"See you later." Izzy said to Ron, Neville and George, a blush covering her cheeks as Fred held her close to support her during the Portkey. Before the trio could answer other than smirking knowingly at the pair, the quintet were whisked away by a hook to their navels, transporting them from Hogwarts to the Portkey arrival chamber within Gringotts.

***

Not ten minutes later, a bright blue-white light lit up the plain but ornate chamber as the quintet arrived. It was designed in such a way as it was the only arrival chamber for Portkeys, so no one crashed into anyone in the main entrance. Each section of the chamber had different wards dividing up the room, in around five feet radius, and each Portkey made had the coordinates for the different warded areas.
"Careful lil' sister." Percy gently reprimanded, grabbing hold of Izzy as she stumbled and nearly brought Fred down with her.
"Thanks Percy." Izzy murmured, a scarlet blush upon her cheeks contrasting with her now pink hair.

"Pardon me." Griphook's voice called from behind them as he entered the room. "If you'd like to follow me I will lead you to the Black and Potter-Peverell account managers, Blood-claw and King Ragnok the Potter-Peverell."
"Thank you, Griphook. May your enemies tremble at your feet." Izzy greeted, bowing slights before shaking her head causing the pink to dissolve back into her natural dark brown-black locks.
"Greetings Heiress Potter-Peverell-Black. Lord Black, May your vaults overflow with gold." Griphook returned, hiding his surprise at the correct greeting and bowing in return before he led them out of the arrival chamber.

On the way to the Potter-Peverell Account Manager office deep within the long halls of Gringotts, the walls lined with red oak doors with gold nameplates tacked to them stating other offices for their customers - they stopped in the waiting room where they picked up Bill, Mr and Mrs Weasley, and (to Fred and Percy's shock) Lady Muriel Prewett or in other words their Great Aunt. Not too long after they arrived at a dark red wood door with a large golden plaque depicting 'King Ragnok, Account for Most Ancient and Most Noble House of Potter and Most Ancient and Most Royal House of Peverell', Griphook raised a gnarled hand and knocked on the door.

"Enter." King Ragnok's gruff voice came through the thick door. Pushing open the door Griphook and the odd group were greeted to four Goblins sat behind a long mahogany desk, there was King Ragnok in the middle as this was his office, on his right was Blood-claw who was the Black Account Manager, and on his right was the only female goblin- but who was no less fierce -  in the room Taedai the Account Manager for the Weasley's and besides her was the Prewett Account Manager Zieg.
"Welcome and please be seated. Lady Prewett, William Weasley, and Perseus Weasley please be seated at the back of the room while we complete and sign the Betrothal Contract." King Ragnok instructed.

Once greetings had been uttered and designated seats had been taken, King Ragnok pulled out the Betrothal Contract from a drawer on his desk.
"This is the contract myself, Lord Black and Mr Weasley drew up several months ago. If you could all carefully read through it and we can discuss any and all changes if they crop up." King Ragnok instructed firmly, sitting back to talk on Gobbledygook with his brethren while he waited but still keeping a strict and watchful eye and ear on what was occurring within his office.
"Everything is in order, King Ragnok." Sirius said pleasantly, sitting back after explaining everything to Izzy and Fred as they went through it.

"Excellent." King Ragnok beamed, despite being pleased his grin was rather shark-like. "Lord Black, please sign here and Heiress Potter-Peverell-Black, if you could sign here." He instructed, pointing to the right side of the contract where the Lord-father and Heiress slots edge and passing over a Blood Quill. Usually such quills write banned as they were torture devices if used in any capacity offer then legal documents that Gringotts presided over. Izzy, far too used to pain for her family's liking didn't even utter a sound as the quill scratched her name and signature into the back of her left hand in her own blood before disappearing as if it was never there.

Once Sirius and Izzy's blood had dried upon the parchment and was checked over by the goblin king, who nodded satisfied as he turned his attention to Fred and Mr Weasley.
"Patriarch Weasley and Mr Frederick Weasley, if you could repeat the process on the left side as you're marrying into the Potter-Peverell-Black family. Afterwards, Mr Lupin you will sign beneath Heiress Potter as her witness and Mrs Weasley you will sign beneath your son as his witness." King Ragnok completed his instructions watching critically as they were carried out.

"Wonderful." King Ragnok exclaimed, he was happy that the sweet yet extremely powerful girl who respects them and treats them as her equals would have a strong and powerful wizard at her side. They knew from what they'd seen the past year and  half will shake the Wizarding world right down to its foundations.
"Mr Frederick Weasley, would you like to choose a Betrothal ring for Heiress Potter-Peverell-Black from her family vaults or design your own?" The goblin king asked. However, Fred didn't need more than mere moments to discover his answer.

"I'd like to choose one of her family rings please King Ragnok." Fred requested, spotting an impressed and satisfied nod from Sirius out of the corner of his eye.
"I thought as such." King Ragnok grunted, reaching into his desk and pulling out several boxes of various sizes and colours, and each with a different crest upon the top. There were medium-large grey velvet boxes with the Peverell crest upon the lid, large black velvet with ironically the Black family crest upon the lid, and lastly, medium sea-green velvet boxes with the Potter family crest.
"Heiress Potter-Peverell-Black, all you will need to do is hover your hand over each box, much like with your Heiress rings, and pick the one that calls to you the most." Her Account Manager instructed kindly.

Bidding that she understood, Izzy ran her hands over each box, letting her magic her a feel for each ring bridge moving on again and again until she came across the second Peverell ring as the Family Magick called out to her. Opening the box, Izzy spotted a prism-shaped obsidian with the triangular eyes engraved into it on a rose gold band with tiny diamonds on either side.
"That, there is one of three family heirlooms, otherwise known as the Resurrection Stone." King Ragnok informed them, shocking all of the rooms' occupants. "As I just stated, the Peverell family has three Heirlooms, one for each of the three brothers.

The eldest, Antioch, had the Elder Wand, that has passed through bloodshed, it had resided with Dumbledore until his arrest and is now safely within the Family Vault. The second, Cadmus, had the Resurrection Stone; however, he didn't trust his descendants and in the event of his death bequeathed it to his youngest brother Ignotus, and rightly so as Cadmus' descendants tried to replicate the Stone but it was shoddily done. It was made into a Horcrux by Lord Voldemort, a descendant of his through the Gaunt family but we have destroyed it and the one Bellatrix Lestrange had in her vault.

Now, this ring has been used only twice since it came into Ignotus' possession. The first time was when his only grandchild Iolanthe Peverell married Hardwin Potter, passing both the ring and the Invisibility Cloak (which was the heirloom her grandfather possessed) down through each generation of Potters; and the second time the ring was used was by your mother." King Ragnok finished explaining sadly, his gruff exterior cracking slightly as Izzy listened with rapt attention, clutching tightly to the ring box before she painstakingly slipped the ring onto her left ring finger where her engagement and wedding ring would later replace it.

"Thank you King Ragnok." Izzy whispered, a small nod in his direction as she swapped seats with Percy as he went through the process of accepting the Heirship for House Prewett and Bill accepted the Lordship for House Weasley.
"Will you be heading back to Hogwarts now?" Muriel asked Sirius after they had bid the goblins farewell with the proper greeting.
"Not until after Yule so Izzy can get the feel of Potter Manor and be blessed by the Family Magick." Sirius responded, holding his daughter close to him. He knew today had been hard for her and unfortunately it was only going to get harder.

"Excellent." Muriel beamed, spinning on her heel with surprising agility for her age to face her eldest nephew and her third eldest nephew. "Come along William, Perseus. You will both be spending Yule with me until I'm satisfied you both know your duties sufficiently. Despite the new teachings at Hogwarts you are both very behind." Not giving anyone (namely Molly) a chance to argue, Muriel linked arms with Bill and Percy frog-matching them to the fireplace.
"Bye Mum. Bye Dad. Happy Yule." Fred wished excitedly, following Sirius, Remus and Izzy towards the nearest Apparition point where Remus Side-Along him to Potter Manor.

***

After an amazing Yule where Izzy - under Sirius's instruction - recharged the Ward Stone, met the small army of house-elves in her employ which were excited to see their young Mistress  once again having looked after her as a babe in her first months of life, met the numerous and wide ranging Magical Creatures living on her grounds. And for the first time found the best Yule Log to burn continuously through the winter, and participated in the Yule offerings to Mother Magic.

But the best thing had been meeting her parents and grandparents' paintings, where she got to speak to them for hours on end, often sneaking down in the dead of night to talk to them; however, her father and grandfather had not been happy that she had already met her soulmate in Fred.

~ Flashback ~

Sirius had just finished the tour of the entire estate by pushing open the family room doors where two large full bodied portraits hung above the grand fireplace. One held an elderly couple: a woman with blue eyes as bright as sapphires with long wavy greying-blonde hair in an elegant up-do which was only a shade darker than Luna's, and a man who looked exactly like her father except for the salt and pepper coloured hair. She was seeing her grandparents for the first time in her life.

Much like her time in front of the Mirror of Erised, a terrible kind of ache erupted inside of her - half joy and half terrible all consuming sadness. The second, however, caused the dam within the young Heiress to break; tears coursing their way down her cheeks, her breath hitching with sobs as Fred held her in a comforting embrace: for the second couple were her parents.
"OI!" James Potter shouted enraged, trying to reach Fred through his frame. "Take your hands off my daughter!"

"OI!" Fleamont Potter shouted at the same time as his son. "Remove your hands from my Grand-fawn!"
"Monty!"
"James!"
Lily Potter née Evans and Euphemia Potter née Braithewait shouted scandalised, shaking their heads at their spouses, before turning blinding smiles upon their daughter or granddaughter in the elder woman's case.
"Hi baby." Lily smiled tearfully at her daughter.
"Oh my sweet granddaughter. Look at you! So gorgeous!" Mia beamed happily, although her sapphire eyes filled with tears.

"M-Mum? D-Daddy? Gr-grandpa? Grandma?" Izzy asked tearfully, approaching the fireplace hesitantly.
"It's really us, my sweet fawn." James assured, his vision blurring behind his glasses from his tears.
"I miss you." Izzy whispered, feeling a sense of déjà vu.
"And we miss you so much too." Monty told her, misty eyed.
"You are so loved, sweetheart. Never forget that." Lily told her lovingly.

"Sirius, Remus, who is this with their arm around my beloved granddaughter?" Euphemia asked, her arms crossed over her chest with an arched blonde eyebrow.
"I'm Frederick Gideon Weasley, ma'am." Fred introduced, bowing just like Augusta had taught him over the summer.
"He's Izzy's soulmate, Mrs P." Sirius grumbled, Remus telling the pair to show off their marks.
"Nope. No. Non. Nada." James refuted emphatically, shaking his head so hard his glasses nearly fell off within the painting.
"Don't even think about it." Mia warned her husband, causing soft giggles to escape Izzy's lips.

"But... but Mia dear..." Monty protested.
"I said no Monty." Mia repeated sternly. "Welcome to the family Frederick, but know this: hurt my sweet and only grandchild and I shall will myself to life just to kill you, do I make myself clear?" Mia asked in a deadly calm voice.
"Perfectly." Fred agreed readily.
"Good." Mia hummed pleased. "Sweetie, come and tell Grandma everything." Mia crooned, beckoning Izzy over who all but ran to the chair which is where she mostly stayed. Majority of the time even sleeping in that chair just to be close to them.

~ End of Flashback ~

Due to the bliss of actually getting to speak to her parents and grandparents, and the awe of seeing her ancestral home as the Family Magick welcomed her, Izzy had forgotten all about the hateful comments, the judging stares, and everyone avoiding her like the plague. She already felt stifled and she hasn't even been there for twelve hours; let alone twenty-four.

"You don't have to look so worried." Izzy told Neville and Ron as they made their way to the Great Hall for dinner. It was now December 26th the day the Polyjuice Potion was ready (not that anyone knew that other than themselves and Hermione of course). Izzy, Fred, Sirius and Remus had just returned from Potter Manor, along with Percy who was finally returning after spending Yule and training for his Heirship at his Great-Aunt Muriel's house.

It was lucky it was also the Full Moon that night and neither Sirius nor Remus wanted to risk Fred or Izzy, so they had returned to Hogwarts to spend the night in The Shrieking Shack; otherwise, it would have been tricky to convince them to return to Hogwarts halfway through the holidays. Although, that didn't make it any easier for Izzy to leave her home and say goodbye to her parents and grandparents who she wouldn't see again until the summer and only then it would be for a short time as she was going on that expedition with Luna and her father.

"I'm okay... I just..." Izzy huffed feeling agitated that she couldn't express how she felt so she changed the subject. "Anyway, thank you for my presents." Izzy beamed at them. "Fred?" She questioned.
"Fred." Neville and Ron agreed.
"It's okay Izzy, I get it. I feel the same when I visit my parents." Neville revealed, knowing exactly how his sister felt and exactly how hard it was to explain. Both god-siblings shared a pain filled smile squeezing each other's hands in comfort and solidarity.
"I know..." Ron cleared his throat and tried again, this time more strongly.

"I know I don't know what it's like, but that doesn't mean I don't empathise. I'm always here if and when either of you need me. We don't even have to talk, we can look at the rare plants in the Greenhouses, or look at the Magical Creatures, or we can Duel, play Quidditch or even play chess." Ron's rambling suddenly cut off when he was abruptly pulled into two sets of arms.
"Thanks Ron." Neville and Izzy said emotionally, pulling back and smiling at him. They hugged once again for a moment before they separated and continued their way into the Great Hall where Hermione was supposed to meet them.  

"Well, I certainly didn't miss this." Izzy said dryly, as an elder Gryffindor Cormac McClaggan and some other Gryffindors who had stayed for the holidays moved further down the table away from them after the trip had sat down.
"Everything's set. We just need a bit of who you're changing into." Hermione suddenly whispered as she finally joined them.
"That's all very well Hermione, but we need to make sure the real Crabbe, Goyle and Pansy don't walk in on us while we're interrogating Draco." Izzy whispered.
"Why didn't I think of that!?" Hermione exclaimed annoyed for her lack of foresight.

"It's okay. I filled these with a powerful Sleeping Draught I made in my grandfather's potions lab." Izzy explained, placing three chocolate cupcakes on the table.
"And as Parkinson always goes to fetch them when they're stuffing their faces, to endear herself to Malfoy..." Neville started.
"We'll be able to trick them into eating them!" Ron finished exuberantly. "Izzy you're a genius! Whose hair do you have, Mione?" Ron asked.
"Perfect." Hermione nodded satisfied. "Millicent Bulstrode, I got it off her robes at the  Duelling Club. I'll go and fetch the four of us some Slytherin robes from the laundry." She added, standing once she'd finished her dinner. "Meet me in the bathroom once you've hid them and pulled out their hairs."

***

Ron, Izzy and Neville were getting rather bored waiting for the glutinous pair known as Crabbe and Goyle to leave the Great Hall when Pansy Parkinson finally appeared from the dungeons with a scowl on her face as she grumbled to herself.
"Ron, maybe Izzy or I should do it." Neville suggested, as Ron crept around the statue they were hiding behind.
"Yeah." Ron sighed despondently, picketing his wand once more.

Clearing his throat Neville spoke the incantation perfectly. Since becoming friends with Izzy, Ron and Hermione his confidence had skyrocketed; it also helped he had his own wand now and not his dad's wand.
"Wingardium Leviosa."
Just in time too as the next second Crabbe and Goyle exit the Great Hall arms full of cakes with a nagging Pansy behind them.
"Look! More cakes for us!" Crabbe cried excitedly, pointing out the three floating chocolate cupcakes.
"Hey! If you don't let me have one of them I'll tell my Drakie you stole his cupcakes from me." Pansy whined, her voice in a high-pitched babying tone.

Grumbling Goyle passed her the third cupcake; the second they had all swallowed their rather large bite their eyes rolled back as they passed out into a deep sleep.
"How ... thick ... could you ... possibly be?" Ron grunted incredulously, dragging Crabbe into a broom cupboard, Neville and Izzy doing the same with Goyle and Pansy respectively.
"We better hurry, it only lasts a little over an hour." Izzy Panted, closing the door behind the three deeply slumbering Slytherins.

***

Izzy panted against the basin of the toilet, that potion had been horrendous as she changed into Pansy, she couldn't even begin to explain what it felt like. It probably didn't help that Izzy was still on potions to correct the damage ten years at her aunts and uncles had wrought upon her, and Pansy was rather tall for their age so it took a lot out of her. However, as they were pressed for time she pushed herself to her feet and exited the stall only to see Ron and Neville by the centre sinks practising to sound more like Crabbe and Goyle. But there was no Hermione.

"Hermione, come on. We're pressed for time." Izzy coaxed, making her voice whiny and demanding just like Pansy's.
"I - I don't think I'm going. Just go without me." Hermione's hesitant voice called through the door.
"Hermione, are you okay?" Izzy asked, concerned.
"JUST GO!!" Hermione screeched.
"She's right. We better go." Neville added, looking at his watch to see five minutes had already passed.

***

After barely avoiding being detected by Draco of any other Slytherin as they fled the Slytherin Common Room the moment they started to change back into themselves, uttering replies over their shoulders to his shouted questions that they were barely aware of; they luckily made it back to Myrtle's bathroom without bumping into anyone else.

"Hermione, come out we've got loads to tell you." Izzy called, noticing Hermione was still locked inside the stall.
"GO AWAY!!!" Hermione screeched once more. Hermione's distress seemed to bring Myrtle from her own stall cackling madly in an eerily similar way to Peeves.
"Wait, you see. It's awful!" Myrtle drawled and burst out laughing. Getting her own back for being called Moaning Myrtle.
"Hermione?" Her three friends asked hesitantly, pushing the door open slowly - once it was unlocked - to reveal a pair of bright yellow eyes gleaming from the shadows.

"Your concern was founded, Izzy." Hermione wailed, stepping out of the shadows to reveal a half-cat Hermione. She was covered in brown tabby coloured fur, with whiskers on her cheeks and replacing her eyebrows, bright yellow cats eyes replaced her chocolate brown orbs, a pair of cats ears poked out of her curls, and a bushy cats tail stuck out through the borrowed Slytherin robes. "I should've made sure before I put it in the potion. Don't you remember? I told you the Polyjuice Potion was only for humans. It was the cat's hair I pulled off Millicent Bulstrode's robes, not her own! Look at my face!"

"It's okay Hermione. We'll take you to the Hospital Wing. Madam Pomfrey will be able to reverse this." Izzy reassured her.
"If not she'll ask St. Mungo's and they'll send over help. But you will be back to normal." Neville added.
"Did we get anything?" Hermione asked tearfully.
"It's not him but he confirmed that it was opened last time, but someone died and someone was expelled, but he didn't say who."
Ron informed her which succeeded in distracting Hermione enough that they could get her to Madam Pomfrey.

Later on that night while everyone was asleep, Izzy could be found sitting up in bed writing in her new diary that strangely wrote back to her. Izzy was quickly becoming attached to it; that she didn't really notice her waning energy.