Deveraux's School for Magical Beings

Chapter Twelve

~Harry Potter~

Several hours later, I pushed the quill away from the last of the paperwork, rubbing the scales on the back of my hand that had become irritated from signing with a blood quill-it was the only acceptable to use them on official paperwork that would be filed with both Gringotts and the Ministry of Magic.

Severus grasped my hand lightly and gently prodded it before he nodded, sighing, and stated, "I've got the potions you'll need for the magical exhaustion and the scarring-which will show up once your scales have retreated-at my house. Are we bringing them straight to the house, or to mine?"

Looking over the well-kept but clearly used clothing worn by all the kids, I shrugged sheepishly and stated, "I'd like to at least get them each an outfit, and underclothes, and pajamas. I know that one of the first things I wanted when I really got into the wizarding world was my own clothes, because I'd been wearing hand-me-downs since I was a baby."
Atlas shook his head, "We can make due with what we have, Harry. You're doing enough for us just getting us out of here and giving us a place to live."
I shook my head, "No, Atlas, you're all my family now. I'm going to fully care for my family."
Atlas looked like he wanted to protest again, so I stated firmly, "My whole life I've been alone, Atlas. No family that cared for me, abused by the people who were supposed to love me. That was the family I was born to-this is the family I'm choosing. The Potter's have been saving their fortune for generations, I have plenty of money to keep us all clothed and fed until we die. Not a single one of us would have to work if we don't want to. I have eight vaults, just under my Potter inheritance. From the Black line, I have even more, and my godfather made me his sole heir. Please, let me take care of you guys."
Grudgingly, Atlas nodded, and stated, "Very well, but I don't want expensive stuff. I'm fine with the basics."
Shrugging I turned to Severus and asked, "Would it be rude of me to try and find a tailor to visit instead of bringing everyone to a store? And do magical babies wear the same as muggle babies? Could we go to a shop for those? I remember seeing some really cute ones once when Aunt Petunia brought me along to carry her bags."
Severus chuckled slightly and stated, "They can indeed wear the same as muggle babies. We could go shopping for clothes for them in the muggle world, as I would suggest we do for most of us as well."
He turned to the woman and stated, "Have they had any magical training?"
She made a disgusted face, "They're not witches or wizards they have no business learning our magic."

Growling under my breath I turned to the group of teens, now my family, and said, "Let's get out of here. Is there anything any of you want to bring? Let's go grab the babies. We'll need to grab supplies for them from a store, too, and probably soon."
Freya, Atlas and I each carried one of the triplets, Atlas informing me I was holding Branwen, as we all got ready to go.
Severus approached and stated, "I have sent a patronus to the others, and Iris tells me that she has contacted several other trusted people who can apparate."
Shrugging I asked quietly, "Why don't we take the knight bus? It would fit all of us."
Severus tapped his chin with his finger a few times before he nodded and admitted, "I did not even think of that as an option."
Shrugging,  I replied, "I took it in the summer of my third year after I accidentally blew up my aunt like a balloon. It wasn't exactly comfortable, but I think getting us all away at once is more important."
Freya came up, leaning up to whisper, "There is a child you signed for but that she doesn't know is here. I've hidden him with the help of some others. His grandfather tried to take him and kill him-he made it back here but I didn't want him to try it again. Elliot-he's like you. A dragonette."
A deep anger filled my chest along with a possessiveness that surprised me. "Bring him to me. I want to-I need to see him. I-I'm feeling quite angry and I feel like seeing him and making sure he's okay will be the only way to get rid of it."
Freya passed her triplet, Whimsy I believe, to me and headed out the door. Almost ten minutes later she came back, this time with a child I felt an overwhelming desire to clutch to my side and growl at anyone and anything that threatened him.
Severus laid a gentle hand on my shoulder and stated, "As a carrier, it is natural for you to be possessive and protective of children, especially those of your own species. However I believe you should greet him without growling at him-I doubt he has met another of his kind."
Handing Whimsy back to Freya, I handed Branwen to Leander and knelt, getting to almost the same height as the dragonette in front of me. He was shaking, clearly terrified, and so I gently reached out and pulled him into a gentle hug, "It's alright, Elliot. You've been adopted, and you're grandfather has no chance whatsoever in getting you away from me. We're the same, almost. We're both dragonettes just as I'm also a faerie. We're leaving here and you'll never have to come back, do you understand? Never again."
The young boy clung to me, obviously trying very hard not to cry, and murmured, "I-I don't know why I trust you. I-I don't trust any adult. Adults only hurt me."
Pulling back to look him in the eyes, I spoke sternly, "I will never hurt you, Elliot. I know how it feels to be hurt by the people who should love you, and how much it wrecks your abilities to trust in people. You don't have to trust me all at once. I'll prove myself to you, to all of you. I may only be a stranger now, but to me, you guys are my family. My chosen family."