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SIYE Time:9:24 on 28th March 2024
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Fighting Fate
By Fey Falyyn

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Category: Alternate Universe, Post-Hogwarts
Characters:None
Genres: Comedy
Warnings: None
Story is Complete
Rating: PG
Reviews: 59
Summary: Sequel to Fighting Harry. Fourteen years have passed since Harry Potter defeated Voldemort, and his life is perfect in almost every way. He went on to marry the witch of his dream, become the youngest-ever Head of International Auror affairs, and even have a son who loves flying as much as he does. There's just one problem. And her name is Meridy.
Hitcount: Story Total: 42240; Chapter Total: 3097





Author's Notes:
So I think there's enough interest that I'm going to try to finish this, though updates are unfortunately going to get more sporadic as classes and marching band start up. Hope you enjoy the chapter!




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Ginny Potter smiled, pulling the letter from the leg of the doddering owl she’d purchased at Eyelops just after Christmas. He was the very image of ancient, rather like her family’s childhood messenger Errol, and rather finicky.

She’d decided to name him Herbert.

It had taken awhile to find a suitable owl, she mused, but finally, after they’d returned to England two months ago, she had. Herbert was the stereotypical great aunt’s bird, and now she could send Meridy letters once a week without it looking suspicious.

Harry knew what she was doing, but said nothing about it. If she hadn’t known him better, she’d have said he was indifferent.

Except that she knew he read all of the letters Meridy sent after she’d put them in her desk; she’d caught him at it. And he’d barely managed to refrain from commenting after one in which Meridy described a prank she’d played in Snape’s class.

The latest missive was cheerful and animated.


Dear Mum,

Everything’s going fine. Charms is still my favorite class, and Professor Flitwick likes me. DADA is okay. I don’t think much of our teacher, Professor Hawkins. He’s not bad at teaching the theory, but I think he’s spent more time studying from books than repelling jinxes. But then, I guess I’ve just been spoiled, growing up with Dad for an example, what with him knowing all about it and having done so much. And I hate that he–Professor Hawkins, not Dad–makes me do demonstrations all the time! I mess half of them up just because everyone’s staring at me.

Quidditch is going well, too. Elliot’s got us practicing five days a week now, at the oddest hours, since we’ll be playing Slytherin for the Cup in May. Allison’s not too happy about me making Seeker, now that it turns out I’ll be helping to beat Slytherin. Vengeance is sweet–except I already put Uncle Fred’s new Instant Tentacula seeds in her cloak pockets, so now it’s all shot through with biting vines. Oh, well. She hadn’t figured out it was me yet, but she’ll hex me if she does. So if I end up in the Hospital Wing again, you’ll know why.

Which reminds me, my wrist got broken yesterday at practice; Jack let a Bludger get out of hand. Madame Pomfrey had it fixed in a trice, but she still sent out one of the ‘Notice of Injury’ things. Just so you don’t worry. It’s all better now, and Jack apologized for it.

Tell Michael that he’d better start brushing up his game if he wants to be a Gryffindor Chaser one day; ours are getting pretty fierce.

Love you,

Meridy



Ginny folded up the parchment, her smile growing. Her baby was happy; she could read it between the lines. All right, so she’d worried about this whole alias thing. But with the threats that Harry still got from extremists, it really wasn’t such a bad thing to have Meridy’s identity kept quiet.

And her baby was happy, for once given the chance to be someone new, someone that no one had any pre-conceived notions about. It agreed with her, Ginny could tell, from the enthusiastic Quidditch talk, the prank she’d played on her Potions partner, and her description of her teacher.

Were Meridy unhappy, she would sulk, and refuse to talk about it. Since Meridy was complaining, it meant she was happy…and well, then Ginny was happy with the arrangement, too.

“What are you grinning about?” her husband asked, entering the room. He had a funny pinched expression on his face.

Ginny waved the piece of parchment. “Meridy’s latest letter,” she said, and then noticed the ‘Notice of Injury’ that he held in his hand. “She got hit with a Bludger at Quidditch practice,” she added. “She blames Jack.”

Harry’s face relaxed a bit, then scowled. “Oh,” he said. “Isn’t dodging Bludgers part of her job?”

Ginny laughed, and kissed her scowling spouse. “Don’t be so hard on her. She’s young. Just be thankful she hasn’t been hexed off her broom yet. Do you want to see what else she wrote?”

Harry hesitated, and then held out his hand for the letter. Ginny smirked.

“Thought your daughter didn’t notice how good you are with a wand, did you?” she said sweetly, when he’d finished reading. “See, she’s proud of her famous father. She just doesn’t want to have to live up to you.”

Harry didn’t respond to this, but Ginny noted that he had swelled a bit, though he tried to conceal it with his next words:

“She’d better be careful, pranking Slytherins,” he said.

This was so hypocritical that his wife gave him a pointed look, and he desisted. “All right, all right. Send back an owl telling her that we love her and to be careful,” he instructed.

“Where are you going?”

Harry raised an eyebrow. “Why, to send an owl snooping into this Professor Hawkins’ teaching credentials, of course. He’s teaching my daughter, after all.”

Ginny’s laughter followed him out of the room.



Dear Mer,

Before I say anything else, your father wants me to tell you that he loves you and to be careful. I know, I know. I just had to get it out of the way.

Professor Hawkins, just so you know, was recruited into teaching from his job in Magical Law Enforcement. A desk job, since you’re asking, researching various forms of Dark Magic and ways you can counter them. So yes, he is qualified, and no, he has likely not had a lot of experience with people throwing hexes at him. So play nice!

I’m sorry your wrist was broken, baby; did Elliot make you finish practice before visiting the Hospital Wing? If he did, just tell me, and I’ll write and have Jack put itching powder in all of his clothing. It shouldn’t be too hard for him, seeing as they’re both in the boy’s dormitory.
I miss you, sweetheart. I’m sorry I didn’t get to see you at Christmas; it’s awful being away from your family on the holidays. There’s no one here to laugh at your father and brother with me, I’m the only female in the house now.

Don’t tell him I told you, but your father cut his hand on a bit of glass the other night when we were dining out, and let out a swear word. A lurking reporter heard him, and now the press is having a field day.

So now the rest of the world knows too–Harry Potter isn’t perfect.

I passed along your message to Michael. He’s been practicing like a fiend ever since.

Love,

Mum



Meridy smiled, and rolled up her mother’s letter, tucking it her bag. “Mail from your aunt?” Jacquie asked.

Meridy nodded, and took a drink of orange juice. They were at the breakfast table. “Yep,” she said noncommittally. “Checking how I am.”

Jacquie put down her own letter. “My mum, too. Making sure I’m studying enough.”

“Mothers do that,” a boy named Raoul said, and sighed. “Professor McGonagall owled mine about my last essay.”

“You should join our study group,” Jacquie told him. “We discuss all the essays when they’re assigned, before any of us start writing. That way everyone hits most of the important points, even if it ends up not being very well-written.”

“Maybe I will,” Raoul said. “When does it meet?”

As Jacquie responded, Meridy grinned. Her inter-house study group idea was working better than anyone had expected, and she knew her Astronomy and Herbology marks were up because of it. Better still, it had more of the first-years becoming friends and walking places together, which decreased the chances of them getting attacked because they were alone.

At the thought of this, her grin fell into a frown. She was still having trouble with the Disillusionment Charm. The last time she’d tried, she’d ended up looking like shelves in the library for an hour until it worn off, because the spell had reflected her initial background and then refused to change. At least it was a charm, though, and not transfiguration or anything like that.

Gary was being very helpful, though, looking in about once a week to check on her progress. He had already corrected her wand motion, and had talked her through most of the theory complications that went with it.

He was a good teacher, and very handsome–though, Meridy avowed, she did not feel that way about Allison’s older brother. It would just be too weird–and he seemed to enjoy helping her, even though he sometimes made sarcastic and disparaging remarks. Used to his sister, Meridy was not bothered by this.

“What are you learning this charm for anyway?” Gary asked, at their next meeting. “It’s hardly typical first-year extra credit.”

“I joined Charms Club, and I saw a sixth year do it, and thought it looked pretty useful,” Meridy replied. This much was true: Charms Club was a tight squeeze in with all the Quidditch practices Elliot was scheduling, but so far, she was making time for it. She enjoyed it, even though Alyssa teased her about being a geek.

Gary just looked at her, and arched an eyebrow. “You’re not a muggleborn, are you?”

“No,” Meridy replied, frowning. “Why?”

“Even so,” he said. “Keep in mind that it’s not safe to wander the corridors at night, Disillusioned or not. Work on that theory,” he instructed, and strolled off into the other end of the library.

Meridy stared after him, puzzled and still frowning.



It was two weeks later, towards the middle of March, that she finally managed it. She was practicing in the Common Room one night just before curfew, when to her surprise, she looked down and found her hand reflecting the couch below.

“Wicked!” she exclaimed, euphoria bubbling up inside her as she tried to remember exactly how she’d cast the spell.

It wasn’t like being invisible, but more like being transparent, or a chameleon. In a dark, dimly lit corridor, she was willing to bet, she would all but disappear.

This caused for a celebration. But where to go?

After some thought, Meridy decided to go down to the kitchens. Her first time breaking curfew! Uncle Fred and Uncle George would be so proud.

At the portrait hole, though, she stopped, looking around. The room was almost empty, so no one would notice her leave, but still…what if she did get caught? How much trouble would she be in?

Well, they weren’t going to expel her for walking around after curfew, Meridy assured herself. As a precaution, she dashed back up to her room and grabbed her book bag. In it she stuffed a finished essay, her Charms book, and a handful of Weasley’s Wizard Wheezes products. If she were caught, she could claim to have gotten lost walking back from the library. Coming from a first year, that would be believable. And, well–if she had to run from Filch, that’s what the Peruvian Instant Darkness powder was for.

It took three more tries to Disillusion her book bag, but by the time she’d managed it, she felt pretty confident that she had the charm under her grasp. Very carefully, she snuck back downstairs, thanking Merlin that her roommates were already asleep.

There were three people still up in the common room, but none of them seemed to notice when she slipped across the room. Except–

“Hey!”

Meridy winced. She’d tripped over Jack, as he was sprawled across the floor playing Gobstones with Jonathon.

“I’m sorry,” she said, and turned red as Jonathon stared at the chameleon that was her. “I didn’t even see–”

“Mer–Mel?” Jack interrupted. “Are you–Disillusioned?

The red deepened. “Umm, yes. Well, see–”

“Who’d you get to Disillusion you?” Jonathon asked.

Meridy stiffened. “I did it myself,” she said.

He snorted. “I believe it.”

“No! I did–here, watch.” And she lifted her wand, and proceeded to place the charm on Jack, letting out a sigh of relief when she got it right on the first try.

“Wow!” Jack was impressed. “Hey, cool! How’d you learn?”

“I joined Charms Club, and I had a tutor working on it with me,” Meridy said. It wasn’t precisely a lie. She just didn’t mention that her tutor was separate from Charms Club.

Jonathon’s face was unreadable. “Why are you Disillusioned now?” he asked.

Meridy’s blush came back up. “I was, uh, going to go down to the kitchens,” she admitted, sheepishly.

“Wicked! I want to come.” Jack grinned. “Since I’m already Disillusioned.”

“Sure,” Meridy said, pleased at the idea of Jack’s company. But she was unsure about Jonathon’s. She made herself look at him.

“Want to come, Jon?” Jack asked.

Jonathon thought about it. “Nah,” he said. “I’ve still got to finish that History of Magic essay for tomorrow.”

Meridy wasn’t sure if she was relieved or disappointed.

“Suit yourself,” Jack said, shrugging. “C’mon, Mel.”

With another quick glance at Jonathon, she followed him out of the portrait hole. “Do you know how to get to the kitchens?” Jack asked her, in a low voice. “And what’s with the bag?”

“Uncle Fred gave me directions,” Meridy said. “And I have some Weasley Wizard Wheezes stuff in case we run into Filch.”

Jack slung an arm around her shoulder. “Have I told you lately that you’re my favorite cousin?”

Meridy laughed, but quickly stifled the sound.

“Do you think Jonathon remembers me?” she asked.

“Hard to say,” Jack said. “I don’t think so. I wouldn’t worry about it, though.”
“He just looks at me weird sometimes,” Meridy said uncomfortably.
“Even if Jon did remember you, he’d probably talk to you or me about it first,” Jack pointed out reasonably. “Though if he hasn’t put it together by now, I doubt he will. Your secret’s safe, Mer.”

After a pause in which they went down a few flights of stairs, he asked “Are you still liking being Melissa Black?”

Meridy started to answer, but the sound of footsteps approaching stopped her. “Shh!” she hissed instead. Jack, already sensing the danger, pulled her into an alcove, and they both froze.

The figure that approached was small, and when a stream of torchlight fell on its face, Meridy gasped. “Allison?”

Behind her, she heard Jack make a disgusted noise, but she ignored it.

“Melissa? You’re Disillusioned!” Allison said. She kept her voice low; scared of Filch, no doubt.

Meridy raised a hand to her face, sheepishly. “Yes, well–what are you doing here?”

“I might ask you the same question.” Allison folded her arms. “And who’s that behind you?”

“My cou–friend, Jack,” Meridy amended quickly. “She’s my friend, Jack,” she added severely, when he didn’t come forward.

Resigned, Jack came to stand beside her. “It’s not good to just stand here in one place. Filch could come at any minute.”

“We’re going to the kitchens for a snack,” Meridy explained. “Want to come? I can Disillusion you too.”

“Where’d you learn the Disillusionment Charm? And my brother would kill me if he found out I went for a midnight snack with two Gryffindors,” Allison said.

“Your brother was the one who taught me the charm,” Meridy said. “I think you’re safe.”

“Ugh, fine.” Allison said. Smiling, Meridy Disillusioned her.

“I’m really getting good at it,” she said smugly.

“But have you tried lifting it yet?” Jack asked, and Allison smothered a laugh.
Meridy scowled, but didn’t answer.

“So, what are you doing out?” Meridy asked Allison again a few minutes later, when they had safely made it down to the kitchens and were digging into gigantic bowls of ice cream that they had gotten from the house elves.

“Oh, Gary wanted me to run a message to someone in Ravenclaw,” she said, taking a delicate little bite of strawberry. “He said if I didn’t, he’d tell Dad about…something I’d rather he didn’t find out about.”

“What was the message?” Jack asked.

Allison took another delicate little bite. “I don’t know. I didn’t read it,” she said, and Meridy couldn’t decide if she was lying or not.

“Weren’t you scared to be in the corridors alone?” Meridy asked. “After the attacks that have been happening?”

“Hang on,” Jack said with a frown, “I didn’t know those were still going on.”

“There have been five attacks since the end of November,” Meridy informed him. “They haven’t been spaced equidistant, but it comes out to about one every month. None of them have gone to the professors about it, though. They just make their excuses to Madame Pomfrey.”

Allison seemed unsurprised that Meridy knew all of this. “You’ve done your research,” she commented. “And to answer your question, no, I’m not scared. I’m Gary Malfoy’s little sister, and I’m a pureblood.”

“What does being Gary’s sister have to do with it?” Meridy wanted to know. “Does he know who’s behind the attacks?”

Allison shrugged. “If he does, he doesn’t tell me. But he doesn’t like Mudbloods any more than the next Slytherin.”

“Hey!” Jack stood up, his hand going to his wand. “Take that back!”

“Take what back, Gryffindor?” Allison taunted, drawing her own wand.

A sick feeling rose up in Meridy’s stomach. “Expelliarmus! Expelliarmus!” she cried, and both wands came flying at her. She backed up from the pair of two angry eyes.

“Fighting makes me sick,” she confessed. “Allison, Jack’s mother is muggleborn, so of course he’s going to get offended. Jack, Allison probably grew up hearing that term used. It wouldn’t occur to her that it’s offensive.”

“You’re a bleeding heart, you know that?” Allison shot at her. “Someday it’s going to get you into trouble.”

Meridy just folded her arms, three wands in her hand. “Will you apologize for insulting his mum?” she shot back. And my aunt.

Allison tossed her head. “Fine. Whatever. I didn’t mean to insult your mother,” she told Jack. At his still-murderous expression, she sighed. “It’s just what I was raised to say, okay? My father hates muggleborns.”

Jack only nodded, and sat back down. “My father hates your father,” he volunteered. “They fought all the time when they were at school.”

“Weasley.” Allison’s eyes narrowed. “Yeah, I remember hearing about that. Well, I won’t be telling mine about this tête-à-tête anytime soon. The only reason I’m not in trouble for working with Mel in Potions is because Gary likes her–not like that,” she added, seeing Mel’s expression. “You’re too young for him. But you’re a Black, and you’re good at Charms, so he likes you.”

“He said that?” Meridy looked down to hide the coloring of her cheeks. “That, uh, was nice of him.”

Then she looked at Jack, and the expression on his face was not happy. Merlin, I’m in trouble, she thought. I wonder how much I have to bribe him not to tell Dad?

“Gary also said that he thought you might be tempted to wander the corridors after curfew, now that you can Disillusion yourself,” Allison continued. “I should just mention that that’s a really bad idea, especially if you’re thinking you can somehow stop the attacks. He doesn’t know you like I do, or he’d never have taught you in the first place. We’re only first-years, Mel. There’s nothing we can do.”

Meridy had the grace to look sheepish, especially when Jack’s not-happy expression turned into a glare.

“I never thought that,” she lied. “I just thought it would be cool to be able to Disillusion myself so that I could sneak down to the kitchens sometimes, like now.”

Allison and Jack wore identical skeptical expressions. It would have been funny if Meridy hadn’t felt so cornered.

“I really need to learn how to lie properly,” she muttered, and put a last bite of ice cream into her mouth.

“It’s getting late, shall we head back?” she asked, more audibly.

“Sure,” Allison said, and stood up. “Don’t think this lets you off the hook, though. If I have to, I’ll ask Gary to talk to you about it. I’d be so mad if I had to break in another useless Gryffindor Potions partner because you went and got creamed by some supremacists.”

Because this was like ‘I love you,’ coming from Allison, Meridy let it slide. And kicked Jack when she felt him stiffening.

“I’ll keep that in mind,” she said, as they went through the painting of the fruit out into the hall.

They had only reached the end of the hallway when they heard a faint “Meow.”

“Mrs. Norris,” Jack hissed. “She can smell us. She’ll get Filch.”

As quietly as possible, they changed directions. But not quickly enough. “STUDENTS OUT OF BED!” roared Filch, charging at them from the end of the hall.

Meridy, whose hand had crept towards the Peruvian Instant Darkness powder when they heard Mrs. Norris, grabbed a nugget and threw it down on the ground. “Run!” she exclaimed, grabbing Jack’s hand as black soot filled the air.

No one needed telling twice. Allison disappeared immediately, down towards the Potions classroom. Meridy and Jack ran blindly through the darkness past Filch, who was yelling too loudly to hear their footsteps.

Two stories and four hallways up, they stopped to catch their breath, breathing heavily. “Whoa,” Jack said, when it became clear that they had, indeed, gotten away. “That was wild.”

Meridy only grinned. “That was fun,” she said. Then her expression changed to one of worry. “I hope Allison got away…”

“I bet she did,” Jack said. “Friends with a Malfoy. Uncle Harry would have a fit, you know.”

Meridy adopted her best cute-little-cousin face. “But you won’t mention it to him, will you? Since it’s none of his business.”

Her esteemed cousin rolled his eyes. “No, I won’t mention it. But you need to be careful. Don’t go wandering around at night alone, all right? I didn’t know that there were still attacks going on.”

“I’m always careful,” Meridy said, avoiding his other order. “I thought to bring the darkness powder, remember?”

Jack grinned. “I remember. That was brilliant, by the way–we got away from Filch! I can’t wait to tell Jonathon, he’ll be sorry he missed it. And Dad’ll think it’s a good story.”

“Just so he doesn’t mention it to my dad,” Meridy warned, as they reached the steps up to Gryffindor Tower.

“You worry too much, little cuz.” Jack said comfortably. “But you never got to say–do you like being Mel Black?”

“It has its ups and downs,” she admitted. “I like getting to be someone new, and no one knowing who I am. But I miss getting to talk to you and Aurelie in public, and I wish I could owl the family more.”

“And you hate being at odds with Uncle Harry,” Jack noted.

Meridy nodded. “Yeah,” she said. “I hate that.”

“Well, time will resolve it,” Jack said practically, as they reached the portrait hole. “Night, Mer.”

Meridy smiled. Whatever else, she still had her Jack. “Good night,” she said, as they went their separate ways.

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