Chapter Text
When Harry’s parents were murdered, he got sent to his extended family back in the wizarding world.
His muggle relatives refusing to take ownership of them leaving the aurors no other choice than to leave him with his other family.
His uncle.
Charlus Potter.
It wasn’t really the first choice from the legal force since he began to be more known with the Black family because of his wife Dorea Black.
They had a son together who moved out before Harry came to live with the married couple.
When they first saw the aurors delivering Harry with the news that their extended nephew had died Charlus wasn’t immediately pleased.
He was naturally tempted asked the aurors, Why specifically me? When he remembered.
His brother Fleamont had his own son to take care of.
Charlus relented either way, seeing Harry with his bright green eyes made him feel like seeing his own son be borne. Harry was a tiny bit smaller than his own boy, but it seemed similar either way.
Dorea was even more reluctant. Her pureblooded ways of living being threatened by a singular babe.
Charlus convinced her enough when he brought up blood-adoption.
Dorea agreed, making Harry Potter now; Cygne, derived from Dorea’s father. Henry “Harry”, derived from Charlus’ father and Harry’s— now Cygne— name. Potter-Black, as they wanted to take his now Black blood into account.
The moment the couple saw Harry change their hearts were set in stone— this is now their son.
With Cygne having Dorea’s inky black hair, silky and soft to touch without any product.
And gaining the Potter lightly coloured brown eyes and set jaw, not that they could see that as he’s still a year old anyway..
Cygne Henry “Harry” Potter-Black.
A pureblooded name, fit for a pureblood.
“Isn’t he lovely?” Dorea crooned, holding the baby in her arms. She was starting to warm up to baby Cygne after watching his appearance change to fit both her and her husband more.
No longer does Harry have those green eyes.
Charlus hummed, pleased with the outcome. He thought about introducing his son to Cygne soon.
They started his pureblood etiquette at a young age.
Older than most families do it but still young, at 5 years old.
Cygne was a natural.
He soaked information up like a sponge, his eyes brightening unintentionally every time his tutors flattered him with praises.
His poker face needed work, but even that struggle went away without too much effort.
His eyes now perfectly polite whenever a guest approaches, his smile eager regardless of what he was feeling inside.
Charlus was naturally reserved, his introverted nature not being able to handle interactions the way others do. Cygne didn’t mind that at all, his father doted on him a different way.
Always asking him what he wants, trying to get him to talk about his day whenever Charlus can handle the extended interaction and always, always making sure he had enough galleons whenever he decided he wanted something from Diagon.
Cygne was spoiled, but he stayed as humble as a pureblood could get.
Dorea wasn’t that bad either, she accepted Charlus’ introvertedness with ease as she knew what she was getting into when asking Charlus to have her hand in marriage.
Dorea in turn was more present in Cygne’s life. Making sure he didn’t overstep or get into trouble.
Subtly teaching him how to understand what he’s learning without pushing him too far or giving him the answer outright.
Cygne’s family was never loud, ever. But they were loving all the same.
Things would’ve been very different had he grown up with his birth-parents.
Everytime Dorea brought it up it just made Cygne more sure that, yes, this is his home.
Social gatherings were hell, that will always stay as a fact— but it was the hell he’s most comfortable with. The hell he’d learn the most from.
He was challenged, loved and attended to.
He also had a brother who would spoil him every single time he came home to visit.
It made Cygne feel treasured.
But even pureblood lessons could not heal his bleeding heart.
As Dorea kept finding him tending to wounded animals in the backyard.
Charlus watching him subtly thank the house-elves without missing a beat.
And his brother watching him give candy to wandering children in the street.
While the family hoped for Cygne to sort into Slytherin— with the small exception of Charlus, stubbornly wishing he’d be a true Gryffindor like all the other Potters— they all knew where he’ll end up.
“Cygne, I need you to do something for me.” One of his tutors informed him, handing him a blank sheet of paper.
“Could you make this paper move?” The tutor asked.
So, Cygne delivered.
With no wand in his vicinity he had to do all his magic by raw power.
Both Dorea and Charlus were very insistent on the matter, confident he’d have it in him since he started small practical magic lessons.
They were right, all tutors in awe by Cygne’s potential when he kept exceeding their expectations with pure intention
Dorea was pleased with his results, Charlus patting Cygne on the back.
And he moved the paper.
The tutor, hummed his acknowledgment. “Now make it burn.”
While Cygne could make small fires, making a whole page burn was not really in his arsenal.
But he still tried.
Dorea was sitting in one of the expensive looking chairs in the living room reading the newspaper. Cygne came in a few moments after waking up, his night robes sleek clashing with his black flowy hair that came to his shoulders.
‘DARK LORD IN HIDING!!’ Cygne read the title. “Mum?” Cygne called out to Dorea.
“Yes hun?” Dorea looked up from the paper and set it aside, gazing at Cygne with mild fondness and a placid smile.
“Are we followers of the dark lord?” Cygne asked straight up, his eyebrow rose as Dorea was thinking.
“It’s a complex situation, are we talking about Grindelwald? Or.. the rising ‘star’?” Dorea asked.
Cygne averted his eyes, focusing on what to say before looking back at Dorea. “The upcoming one.”
Dorea rested her chin on her hand. “My uncles have said much about him, aunt Walburga had more reservations but told me he’s a genius. The mudblood running through his veins didn’t seem to deter his brilliance.”
Cygne hummed his acknowledgment. Pondering as his mum got up from the chair and hugged him loosely.
“Cy, you’re going to Hogwarts soon.” Dorea said, Cygne couldn’t see her lovely grey eyes but he felt the fond warmth from her hands.
Cygne sighed, relaxed. “Quite.” He murmured.
“You’ll do well, my son. Remember your family.” Dorea chided. “If your cousins are making it hard for you, tell me.”
“Yes mum.” Cygne hugged her tighter.
Cygne went to Ollivanders a week before Hogwarts started.
Accompanied by Charlus, of course.
“Did you get your wand here too?” Cygne asked.
“Of course I did.” Charlus indulged, his face neutral with the exception of the lightly curled ends of his lips.
“Black Walnut, Griffin feather, 10 inches.” Charlus told Cygne, pulling out his wand to show exactly what he was talking about.
Cygne didn’t break his composure, but it was a close thing with his eyes shining impossibly bright.
Charlus once thought that the grey eyes that his wife and son shared were most expressive, he was proven wrong the second Cygne came into the picture.
“I can’t wait to get my wand..” Cygne lightly bit his lip, his nerves still holding him tight.
Charlus patted him on the back, humming leaning down to whisper. “There might be other families around, don’t let them.. exploit your weakness” he said the last sentence with an incredibly soft tone. Cygne strained to hear it but heard it nonetheless as he nodded.
Charlus was a Gryffindor through and through, but he knew how the Slytherin house worked, Dorea was one of them.
They made their way into the shop.
Would Cygne have been Harry, he would’ve openly been in awe.
He still is, just not openly.
Cygne watched the wands with a scrutinising eye. The selection of wands all being a different colour, wood and height.
It was all so interesting for someone who loved knowledge.
Cygne has read about wands before, not daring to slack off with his studies— he was never a theories boy, always wanting visuals and spoken examples.
Wands were extremely interesting, it touched the deeper most inner parts of a person, it touches their soul.. their magic.
It was such a personal connection Cygne craved for it.
And he’ll get it.
Ollivander greeted them with his usual self, a wand fanatic only thinking about what matches who.
Cygne respected the man, he would’ve been the same if he was just a little more motivated.
“So, Cygne huh?” Ollivander finally saw him after babbling to his father. His father in question just nodding his head with a stubborn elegant smile.
“Try this one! Beechwood and Dragon Heartstring, 9 inches, flexible.”
Cygne felt something flashing, before vanishing completely.
“How about this? Maple & Phoenix Feather, 7 inches, whippy.”
Same as the first wand.
“Hmm, really picky ain’t ya?” Ollivander mused aloud.
Cygne couldn’t help but blush out of embarrassment. It felt like he tried every wand in the shop as Ollivander kept giving him wand after wand, it’s like nothing fit him. He felt extremely frustrated, his eyes glittering with every refusal, every empty wand. Charlus rested a comforting hand on Cygne’s shoulder.
“This! Holly, 11 inches with a phoenix feather core!” Ollivander practically shoved the wand into Cygne’s hands.
Cygne finally felt something other than the flash of magic before the signature wand denial.
“Yours?” Ollivander looked at him with an unreadable expression.
Cygne felt his heart soar, the comforting wand brimming with magic. “Yes.” He said, his voice cracking slightly because of his youthful awe.
Charlus lead him out the wand shop.
“Wait here, I’ll get you something.” Cygne looked at Charlus’ face with confusion.
“I know you have trouble keeping your temper. I’m proud you didn’t throw a tantrum in the middle of the store just now. Even I, felt the frustration oozing out of your skin.” Charlus told him. Cygne blushed again, every time he’s outside he couldn’t help but feel frustrated.
It wasn’t because he was outside, or maybe it was? It’s when things don’t go the way he could’ve sworn it should’ve went. It’s like people getting out of the invisible line he drew before ever meeting them.
Both Charlus and Dorea didn’t mind his short temper, as they taught him how to reel in his anger in a way that wouldn’t be tears or a screaming match.
Charlus left Cygne outside of Ollivanders.
It’s like he was trying to reward a child.. Cygne sometimes felt like he could handle more mature things, but moments like these felt like regression.
Dorea and Charlus led him to the platform.
“You have everything packed don’t you?” Dorea asked the house elf carrying Cygne’s baggage.
“Yes my lady, everything squeaky clean! Everything inside! Nothing left out! Everything master Cygne needs.” The house elf told the woman hurriedly.
Dorea took her eyes off of the house elf, the coldness melting away when talking to her son.
“Cygne, you’ll be safe, right?” Dorea asked, her brows lightly furrowed.
“Yes mum, I’ll write to you both. The only thing I’m worried about is my Potter cousin.” Cygne told them.
Charlus looked at Cygne, his eyes tinged with concern. “That’s fine, I never met my cousin but my brother Fleamont is a good lad. I heard he was only a prankster, don’t be afraid.”
Cygne scrunched his nose before gaining his composure once again. “Yes dad.”
The train was about to leave, Cygne hurried inside with comforting words from his parents.
They waved him goodbye before the doors closed.
Now it’s time to find a compartment for his own..
He walked along the train, tripping over his feet once or twice as the train moved.
He opened a seemingly empty compartment.
“Hello?” Cygne asked aloud, just to make sure it was empty.
“Hello!”
Merlin!
The red haired girl greeted him so suddenly he fell over backwards.
His arse stung from the fall.
“Oh my god! I’m so sorry.” The girl apologised hurriedly, concern etched onto her features. She stuck out her hand, but Cygne knew better than to take it.
“No worries.” Cygne coughed into his palm, before helping himself up.
The red haired girl seemed discouraged as Cygne denied her hand. “No, really I apologise.” She sighed, rubbing the back of her head.
“Are you gonna sit with us?” She asked, her eyes curious.
“Us?” Cygne murmured, honestly he can’t even trust his eyes anymore, how couldn’t he have seen this fiery girl?
“I’m right here.” An unfamiliar voice spoke out, Cygne turned his head the other side to see a gloomy presence in the corner of the seats.
“Oh, I didn’t see you there. My bad.” Cygne apologised, half heartedly at best. Not because of malice, because of him not particularly caring.
“Let me introduce myself,” Cygne entered through the door, sitting next to the boy opposite from the girl.
“My name is Cygne Henry ‘Harry’ Potter-Black.” He said with his usual tone of elegance, his face polite.
“Oh wow! Those are, a lot of names.” The girl seemed a little hesitant, so did the boy as he kept rubbing himself into the wall. It’s like he thought could go through it and pop himself out of the moving train.
Cygne waited a beat before asking, “And you?” Seems like he’s in a cart full of mudbloods.
“My name is Lily Evans.” Lily introduced herself. “This here is Sev, Severus Snape.” She pointed at Severus.
“Hmm” Cygne feigned interest. It seems like he should hurry out of the compartment as soon as the train ride stops.
Loud footsteps were heard before the door busted open.
“Yello yello! Searching forrrr— ey is that my cousin?” A Potter-looking boy asked loudly with a snickering Black behind him.
“Sirius Black?” Cygne ignored the Potter in favour of the bloke behind him.
Potter dramatically gasped. “Cousin! Are you ignoring meee? Hey hey! I haven’t seen you before and now you’re not even gonna look at me?” Potter made a false pout, leaning into the compartment.
“At your service!” Black teased, hitting Potter behind his head ‘Ouch! Sirius! Oh— hey!’ They slapped each other around like hyenas.
Lily seemed unimpressed, Severus was disgusted.
Cygne couldn’t believe these were his cousins.
Cygne couldn’t take it, he scolded them with mild annoyance. “You ought to be acting like your respective titles. Black, you’re the Black heir— so are you, Potter!”
Both Sirius and the Potter bloke paused their play fighting just to stare at Cygne. It made Cygne a little self-conscious.
“What, you’re a pureblood wanker?” Sirius snorted. “Wasn’t that an act? You seemed all shy and reserved at every party.” Sirius looked at him, mockery slipping through his words. “I thought the Potter blood would’ve made you more.. tolerable, guess the Black blood really came for you.” Potter sneered, Sirius sniggering in the background.
Both Severus and Lily felt the room change within a second, all the playfulness turning venomous.
“Hey! What do you mean? Pureblood?” Lily asked, her eyes narrowing.
Potter turned his head to Lily, “Oh, you’re muggleborn?” He asked, admiring her green eyes.
Lily’s lips turned down. “What about it? What does that even mean?” She inquired, glancing at Severus with clear betrayal.
Severus was avoiding Lily’s attention, looking out of the window instead.
Sirius butted in. “Pureblood are a stuck up lot, they think they’re better than everyone else just because of their incestous acts.” Potter made a show by gagging. “Muggleborns are those who were born from non-magical parents. And halfbloods are mutations— joke! Just a jokeee” Sirius hurriedly said, rolling his eyes when Lily’s gaze started burning through him. “Halfbloods are as the title says, born from pureblood and muggleborn wixen.
Lily seemed to lose interest in the two boys after her question has been answered. “So you’re pureblood, Cygne?” She asked, as the hyenas kept groaning and yelling in the background.
Cygne cringed. He’s really not used to mudbloods, wasn’t it clear that you use last names before asking permission for using the first?
He ignored the mild irritation in favour of talking to the girl. “Indeed I am in fact pureblooded, Evans.” Cygne confirmed. “Both of you are muggleborn, aren’t you?” He implored.
Lily nodded, then looked at Severus. “Aren’t you a halfblood? Your mum is a witch.”
Severus paused, he turned his face away from the window and looked at Cygne and Lily. “Yes.. my mother is a pureblood.” He said with annoyance. His guard all the way up.
Another bang of loud noise brought them away from their conversation.
“James!” Ah, so his cousin’s name is James. “I remember a guy with a huge scar on his face, wanna try and find him?” Cygne immediately tuned them out once again till they left the compartment completely. He was not interested in the conversation they were having.
“Snape, you mentioned your mother being pureblood— any idea of which family she came from? I don’t recognise any purebloods named Snape.” Cygne asked him.
“… my mother was a Prince.” Severus yielded.
“I’ve heard of them before, they’re a small branch from the Black family years ago. They’re quite the family on their own with their riches, but it’s still a fun fact.” Cygne said, making Severus look up at him with disdain.
Cygne remembered why the Prince family was so infamous, old gossip said that Eileen Prince married a muggle for ‘true love.’ None of the purebloods know what happened to her after, and the ones who did mentioned seeing bruises all over her sickly pale skin.
“Quite.” Severus hissed. Shackles raised once again..
Cygne didn’t dignify it with a response, his heart begging him to apologise for being so tone-deaf, but he knew as a pureblood he didn’t need to respect halfbloods.
Severus in turn looked away once again, his eyes burning through the window.
Cygne bit his lip when he saw that. Merlin, he really can’t do this.
“You do know your mother has some resources she could go to for.. any problems.” Cygne rose a brow.
Lily cringed, her nose scrunched. “Hey, Cygne maybe—“
“What? She already tried.” Severus cut her off, his gaze trying to settle Lily down.
“I can give you some more, there are organisations for women like her. We may be ‘stuck up’ but we acknowledge that even we, can make mistakes. That’s why we try to—“ Cygne didn’t continue his sentence, his eyes trailing off to who Severus was looking at. Maybe he shouldn’t spout any pureblood ideologies with Lily nearby, she’s a proud girl and could take offence to his words.
Severus just rolled his eyes, a huff escaping his mouth. “Why are you even trying? We’re just a poor family banished from the Prince line anyway.” Severus couldn’t take it, the offer seemed too pitiful.
Cygne looked at Severus’ irritated expression “Beggars can’t be choosers, Snape.”