Picking up the Pieces

Chapter Two

A large part of me was glad to be going back to the Dursley's.

Even if I couldn't stand that family when reading the books, and watching the movies, since it meant, I wouldn't have to pretend to know what the hell I was doing.

Because even with Haley's memories guiding me, it still felt disconnected making me wonder how long it would be before said memories melded with my own.

Not that I was happy about taking the place of a kid whose life was cut short.

That truth would live with me until my dying day, or until whatever Lily Potter did, took effect and no longer bothered me. Not that I was aware of what exactly she did.

I only knew she had done something since for a brief moment I had glowed.

The whole night, as my/Haley's body slept, I spoke with James and Lily Potter while Haley herself had only smiled before disappearing. In that time, I was able to get to know the Potter's and some things that I figured not even Harry himself knew in the original timeline.

Like how the Lordships actually worked and the importance of that role in this world.

It would be a way to help protect Harry and myself with the future that awaited us.

"I see that you've finally found your way," mused Luna Lovegood the second I had plopped down at the Gryffindor table in the Great Hall for the last meal. "The nargles were truly devouring your soul, so I find myself glad that you're clear of them."

What. The. Ever. Loving. Luna?

"You know," I muttered simply some of the weight crushing me leaving at that knowledge even as I could feel myself merging and becoming Haley. "How?"

"You're who you were always meant to become," answered Luna with a dreamy smile as she reached out to pat my hand before skipping back over the Ravenclaw table, but not before offering one last bit of advice. "It would be best to accept and truly embrace things, after all, this was meant to happen."

Always knew there was something special about Luna Lovegood.

She had always been, and would always be, my favorite female character from Harry Potter.

"What was that about?" wondered Ron as he plopped down on my right with Harry on my left leaving Hermione to sit across from me. "I didn't know you were friends with her."

"How come you didn't wait for me?" asked Hermione before I could even retort to Ron's words causing me to focus on the other girl. "Are you sure that you're feeling, okay?"

"Never better," I answered as I felt Harry slip his hand into my own to give it a quick squeeze before focusing on making himself a plate of food. "Though I should be asking you that, you're the one who had been turned into a statue for most of the year."

Truthfully, it was almost too easy being Haley Potter. But again, my thoughts didn't stay on that for long as I caught sight of one of the people that I needed to speak with.

Turns out that Harry wasn't the older twin as I had figured he would be and that played into a large part as to why both James and Lily sought to speak to me while they still could.

Because I would be the one who needed to step up as future Lord Potter.

The fact that I would be Lord, and not Lady Potter, had more to do with the way things were set up by our ancestors. They hadn't cared if the Heir was male or female as they would always become Lord Potter anyway.

This was also the only way to keep our history, seats, etc. safe if the Heir was female and had to take a husband. Not that many thought of this as an option since not many accepted a female option as Heir to their titles.

"Excuse me."

None of the three could offer anything as I gained to my feet and left the Great Hall after briefly meeting a specific set of eyes. This was the first move in order to gain power and freedom that Harry, and Haley, wouldn't have had until they were seventeen and in the middle of the war.

"You wished to speak with me?" mused the other as they easily joined me minutes later as I had led the way to an unused classroom. "What could the other half of the Boy-Who-Lived want with me, do tell."

"I, Heir to The Most Ancient and Most Noble House of Potter," I began while straightening my spine even as I took this necessary step. "Call forth upon the ties binding our Houses in alliance to help me gain my rightful Lordship."

The power that built at my words alone truly helped this sink in even further.

Even as that last bit of disconnection between myself and my body faded away.

"I, Heir to The Zabini House," began Blaise Zabini with gleaming wide eyes as he bowed before me with his hand clenched and placed over his heart, "hear the plea of Heir Potter and will do all in my power to help you gain your Lordship."

"So, mote it be," I breathed out simply completing the binding and oaths that the previous Lord Potter and Lord Zabini had made between our Houses. "I do apologize for not explaining first, but I cannot have any know what we spoke of."

He wouldn't be able to share this with anyone aside from the one currently in charge of his own House, likely his mother, and that would make sure no one could stop this from happening.

"I wasn't even aware that you knew about your Lordship," offered Zabini as he straightened back up and looked me over with a small smirk. "Though it is good to know that you're finally taking your duties as Heir to the House of Potter seriously."

If it meant actually living this life to the fullest, to allow Harry to live life to the fullest, then I would use any power and person needed to accomplish that. Not that I planned to become some higher figure or something, just someone powerful enough to not be used.

"The first thing I need your help with," I began knowing I only had so much time before Harry and the others sought me out, "is getting a letter to Gringotts, with my magical signature attached of course. For now, I mostly need you to play middleman."

Not that I thought Albus Dumbledore was some evil vile man, no, but he was the current Leader of the Light and would use Harry in order to deal with Riddle. He was a man that wasn't to be taken lightly nor one who would hesitate to let a few die in the place of many.

He never really had our best interest at heart, and while that might make him a 'good' man I was too selfish to allow him to get away with it. Not when it would mean Harry would have to go through so much before finally giving up his own life to take out Riddle's last horcrux.

It was why I wished to use all the alliances left to the Potter House along with speaking with the Goblin Nation to find another way.

A better way is that it wouldn't have just one person holding all the cards.

Not that this wouldn't take time.