Deveraux's School for Magical Beings

Chapter Four

~Harry Potter~
The next few days were spent getting to know the Snape family. Eiris was much like her father in attitude-she could scare the socks off you if you made her angry, but I also found she was incredibly protective and had a hilarious sense of dry humor. When she found out exactly what had been happening to me over the years, including at Hogwarts, she had nearly set the room on fire, causing her father to have to rush in and put out the curtains that had caught on fire. She was quickly becoming one of my best friends, despite our two year age difference.
Augustus, or August as he asked me to call him, was the non creepy version of Collin Creevey-he was quick, vocal and playful, but not obsessed with me thankfully. He was also becoming a good friend, like a little brother I never got the opportunity to have. Severus, as I had been told to call him, explained about his former status as spy and how many of his Slytherin students reported any acts of kindness to their parents to use against him.
Winona, however, was like the most wonderful aunt-figure to me. She had told me about being a member of the Marauders until she came into her inheritance and had to leave Hogwarts. She had been friends with not just my dad, but my mom as well. After leaving Hogwarts she had cut off contact with everyone, worried how they would treat her for being one of the inherited. It wasn't until their final year at Hogwarts that she had gotten back in touch with them and through that, found her soul-mate, Severus. They had left for France before my mother had contacted them, specifically Severus, begging him to protect me. Unfortunately, due to interference from Dumbledore, he had been unable to help me. By helping me now, he was essentially quitting his job and going into hiding in another country with his wife and children.
It was the fourth day when Eiris woke me up, helping me place my glamor on, and helped me to the dining room, telling me we had guests. I was infinitely grateful that I had been told to get dressed when she came in-otherwise I would be meeting people in only my pajamas. I was shocked to see Professor McGonagall and three other people sitting and chatting with Severus and Winona.
Eiris cleared her throat lightly, helping me to a chair between her mother and brother before sitting herself down next to her father.
Severus turned to look at me and said, "As I have explained, most wizards are prejudiced against the Inherited. These people are from that school I told you about. This is Aloysius Deveraux, the headmaster. Aloysius, this is Harry Potter."
The man with dark brown hair and brown eyes, not that dissimiliar looking to Severus, reached across the table to shake my hand. I reached out, shaking his hand, and said politely, "A pleasure to meet you sir."
Aloysius smiled amicably, "The pleasure is mine, Mr. Potter."
Severus gestured to the other two people and said, "These are Iris and Nathaniel Harrison. They are a bonded pair. Iris is a witch while Nathaniel has an inheritance called Beast Blood. He can transform into two different forms, a full bird form and a hybrid form where he has wings and if angered, talons."
We all shook hands, exchanging polite greetings, and Aloysius said, "Severus and Minerva expressed a worry about going to Gringotts without an escort, which is why I brought two of my professors. Iris is more of a diplomat, but she is still a force to be reckoned with when angered."
I nodded, "So we'll be going today, then?"
Severus spoke before Aloysius could, "Yes, after you eat breakfast and Minerva and I make sure you're completely healed. Also, I believe Aloysius has come to try and sway you to agree to come to his school. Aloysius, if you would?"
"Well, Mr. Potter, Deveraux's School for Magical Beings is a special school for what we, ourselves, call The Inherited. We gain an inheritance, usually a magical being inheritance, from either your bloodline or Lady Magic herself. Most wizarding governments see us as a secondary citizen or even sometimes a creature, not worthy of the title of human. Inherited have been unjustly kicked from magical schools since there was a school to be kicked from. That, Mr. Potter, is why I started Deveraux's School for Magical Beings. I think we have a right, Mr. Potter, a right to a good life and a good education. A safe haven, in some cases, like yours. My wife and I also have a ward, Erin Michaelis, who is born from two inherited and as such has been a magical being since her birth. When her parents died her family attempted to kill her, to get rid of the stain on their family once and for all. However, her abilities got her to safety. When my wife and I found out, we immediately became her legal guardians, although we are unable to legally adopt her."
I frowned, "That's awful. How old was she when it happened? Shouldn't something have happened to the family? Gotten time in Azkaban or something?"
Aloysius smiled sadly and said, "Erin is nine years old right now, but she was only three when her parents died, and three when her family attempted to murder her. The only thing her family had to do was pay a fine and give her a vault filled with galleons in an attempt to make up for it. They're a fine, upstanding family and of course, above the usual laws for attempted murder. As I said, we're secondary citizens."