Season of Change by: Elsbeth There were only a few things in Harry Potter's life that never changed, he was the son of Lily and James Potter and that he was born a male. What happens when he discovers the truth.

Disclaimer: I own nothing, all of it belong to J.K Rowling, I am just playing in her sandbox for a while.

Authors Note: AU: Its not my first fanfic but its my first Harry Potter, so I hope you enjoy it. The story starts at the end of the 5th Book.

Alya looked down at the letter in her hand, addressed in her new flowery script. If going by the handwriting, one who knew Harry Potter's chicken scratch wouldn't believe he penned it at all.

"You still haven't sent it?"

Alya nodded to her uncle. "It just didn't seem to be the right time." She had already written three letters to her friends, one to Luna, one to Fleur but the third she never sent. Now, as the proposed time for the meeting passed, she would need to write another one.

Ted crossed the room taking a seat next to the troubled young niece. "Want to talk about it?"

Slumping in the large chair, Alya couldn't help but be thankful that she had managed to come across a person like Ted Tonks during this crazy period of her life. From what Tonks had said her father had simple tastes, he was a fan of both Manchester United and the Chudley Cannons, going to the pub with his mates and spending time with his family.

Admittedly he was rather plan looking, someone; you might miss on the streets. Ted would even tell anyone who would listen, how fortunate he was to have such a beautiful woman be his wife. However, she knew he was much more than that. When he first found out about her plight, his eyes glowed with passion, that same passion that pushed him to be a solicitor to help those in need. Overall, Alya had found him to be a very dependable person who would do anything for his family and friends.

"Nerves I guess. I mean…maybe I'm just afraid of being pinched again." She gave a humorless chuckle.

Leaning over, her uncle looked at the letter. "Hermione Granger." From what Alya had explained, the girl had been her first friend, her best friend. "So what are you afraid of?"

Straight to the point, she thought. "I don't know. What do I tell her?"

"The truth," Ted replied.

"It can't be as simple as that?" Alya frowned flipping the letter over and over in her hand. True, a part of her was looking forward to Hermione trying to figure it all out; but still, the other half was still angry with her best friend. "Plus, can I really trust her not to go off and tell Dumbledore?"

"You were going to require her to take an oath."

Alya nodded, she wouldn't tell anyone without them taking an oath on the secret. "But I'm afraid afterward; she will hate me. Remember what I said before, how we had a falling out during our fourth year, mainly because of her overly obsessive need to believe in authority."

Bringing up other instances such as when Hermione decided to tell the teachers about Alya's new Firebolt didn't help. Merlin's beard, she loved that bushy haired girl like a sister, but she was so bloody infuriating at times.

As for Ron, who she couldn't help but think about when she thought of Hermione, her relationship with him had more or less imploded during their fourth year. True, she had tried hard to overcome her anger for what she felt was a betrayal, and would forever be grateful for him joining her in the Department of Mysteries. However, explaining to Hermione or Luna about her transformation was one thing, explaining it to Ron or any other guy her age was something else entirely.

"I think you owe it to her to tell her the truth, Alya," Ted said kindly. "Plus, I know you miss your friends."

"I do, but I'm still a little angry at them. They should have written."

"I thought they had?" Ted remembered Alya getting numerous owls.

"No, only after I disappeared. The only one who sent me a letter before was Luna."

Alya hadn't written anyone else back since she found it impossible to duplicate her old handwriting. She didn't think that would go over particularly well.

"I'm positive the only reason why they mailed me was that Dumbledore told them to. Even Dora mentioned that the Headmaster didn't want others to contact me over the summer. If they were true friends, they would have figured out a way to get around Dumbledore. Hermione has a phone for Merlin's sake. Frankly, this wasn't the first time either."

"Do you think it's fair though that you take out your frustrations about Dumbledore on your friends, is it?"

"No," Alya grumbled, realizing she needed to speak to Hermione.
Surprisingly, Alya found herself leaning against her uncle's shoulder. "Thank you for all of this. Since my transformation began, I felt as if I am trying to rein in a runaway goblin mine cart, twisting and turning, out of control. Little of my life right now makes any sense."

Ted nodded in understanding then looked towards the meeting room door worried. "Are you up for this?"

Alya sat up, straightening out her dress. "As much as I'll ever be." Turning, she looked at her new uncle worriedly. "I'm sorry for all of this."

"What do you mean?"

"Tom and his minions aren't going to be happy with us very soon. Crazy as it seems, I'm used to it; however in no way did I mean to pull you and Aunt Andi into this madness."

Patting Alya on the hand, Ted smiled. "Don't worry about it love, we'll stand by your side through all of this, that's what family does for one another."

++++++++++

Alya flipped a few pages of parchment without looking up, implying that whatever errand Mrs. Malfoy was on, at least in the eyes of the Black Head of House, was not very important. In addition, the platitudes of the House of Malfoy weren't worth listening to either.

All true, at least how Alya believed. The Gryffindor side of her wanted to get it over with, get to the point and then throw her Aunt out. Harry Potter didn't have any particular love for the Malfoy's, any Malfoy however, Alya had learned a hard lesson in the Department of Mysteries. Charging forward without a thought, with high emotions would most likely have unforeseen and unwelcome consequences.

Passing the parchment to her uncle with a nod, Alya looked towards Andromeda.

"Alya, may I introduce Narcissa Malfoy."

"Andy…please…I will take the oath." Narcissa gave a slight curtsey trying not to show the wide range of emotions she felt. When she walked into the room, she wanted to burst into tears, realizing how Andromeda must have felt when being torn away from the House of Black.

Was there a black letter for her in her future, casting her from the family? Hadn't she always been a good girl? She followed what she thought her mother and father wanted. She married into a powerful family.

However, she knew that becoming the bride of a fervent follower of the Dark Lord would eventually come back to haunt her. Narcissa just didn't know it would come from her own family.

"Please…" With her head down, she slowly slipped to the ground.

For a moment when she had entered the room, Alya had thought she saw hope in the eyes of the obviously troubled woman. Alya studied Narcissa for a moment, coming to understand a little of the letter she had found in Sirius' trunk. With a nod towards Tonks, Narcissa's wand was back in her hand. Then the entire room was shocked when Narcissa gave the ancient loyalty oath for the new leader of House Black.

Letting out a long breath, Alya said. "Aunt Andi, let's get a more conformable chair for…Aunt Narcissa." She didn't know exactly what was going on, but the loyalty oath was totally unexpected.

"Come on Cissy, take a seat," Andromeda whispered, helping her shaken sister into the chair.

"Tonks, why don't you join us?"

After Nymphadora had conjured a comfortable looking chair, Alya said. "So I take it, Aunt Narcissa, you have more to tell us than the command for us to join your master Tom on his crusade."

"Tom?" Narcissa looked up confused.

Alya tried not to roll her eyes. Really, how could one not research the person they planned on following without question? She then took back that statement, having been guilty of just that the last few years. "

"Tom Marvolo Riddle also known as Voldemort," Tonks replied.

Alya smiled at her, proud that her cousin managed to say the name without flinching.

"The Dark Lord is not my master," Narcissa replied with a little heat in her voice rolling back her sleeves. Sitting back, she straightened out her skirt. "I take it that you already knew of my errand."

"Tom, if anything, is predictable."

Narcissa opened and closed her mouth a couple of times, shocked that someone could speak of the Dark Lord with such disrespect.

"So, Narcissa Malfoy, do you speak now as the wife of Lucius Malfoy or a child of the House of Black." Alya thought she already knew the answer; the loyalty oath was quite specific. If Narcissa carried the Dark Mark someplace else, her magic would have already made her pay for it.

"Alya Black, I request sanctuary from my Head of House as I refuse to give succor to our enemies."

"Morgana's breath," Tonks whispered.

"Cissy." Andromeda shifted towards her sister. "What's going on?"

"She not wrong, the Dark Lord demands loyalty from House Black, but if our new Head of House is anything like Uncle Orion, that won't happen. My husband..." Narcissa said with contempt. "never insisted I take the mark because he knew what I would have said."

"But…you married him," Tonks said surprised.

"I was a naive, stupid little girl. Like a good wife, I silently said nothing while my husband and his friends plotted the deaths of many of my old classmates." Narcissa said sadly. "I followed my father's orders without question. For that, I am also sorry, Andi. I should have spoken to you, but father and Lucius was quite adamant about not talking to you."

"However, you talked to my father often when you visited your sister in Azkaban." Alya leaned forward. She had been shocked when she came across it in some of the paperwork Sirius had left for her. "You even bribed the guards on occasion to get him extra food and clean clothes."

"Sirius was your father? I thought as much." Narcissa gave a half smile. "He was family, and I honestly believed that he never betrayed cousin Jamie."

"I will say that my first impression of you was entirely different until I came across this letter." Alya reached into robes before passing a small white envelope to Narcissa. "Frankly, I didn't know what to believe, however; I guess that you might have spoken about this with him before?"

None of the other looked surprised as she handed Narcissa the letter. The letter had been unexpected, offering Narcissa a way out of her marriage. For older families, divorce was rare in the wizardry world; however, most of those same families left an out in their marriage contracts.

As Narcissa looked over the letter, Alya could see the stress of the meeting fall from her. Still, she had some reservations about the entire thing.

"You're speaking of an annulment." Andromeda looked at her sister who nodded.

"I know I have a copy in my office at home, but Uncle Ted, will you please request the original Malfoy marriage contract from Bogrod…"

"And Bellatrix."

"Why would I want to do that murdering bitch any kindness?"

Narcissa sat back startled at the venom in the young girl's voice then remembered her sister's last victim. "I understand."

"Do you? Voldemort and his minions murdered my grandfather, uncle and my father and that doesn't include a number of our other cousins. Right now, I count Bellatrix Lestrange among the enemies of House Black."

"You plan on disowning her, don't you?" Narcissa Malfoy said unhappily then asked. "Were you planning on disowning me as well?"

Alya reached into her robes and withdrew a small black envelope stylized with three ravens and a skull. Both Andromeda and Narcissa shivered at the sight of the envelope for it meant the loss of one's family and house.

"That will destroy her," Narcissa whispered.

"Then convince me why I should not send this letter right now," Alya said directly.

"She is not the same person that she was before she was married."

"You mean other than bat-shit crazy." Tonks murmured.

"Spend thirteen years in Azkaban and see how you turn out. No, something changed before then."

"By Morgana's tears, you have to do better than that," Alya growled, her voice not losing its venom.

"Please Milady." Narcissa turned towards Andromeda. "Andi, you know how Bella was before she was married. While in school, she refused to spend any time with Lucius much less the Lestrange brothers."

Andromeda shrugged. "She hated the pair, but it didn't stop her from marrying one of them, though. She wouldn't be the first to marry someone they hated for the family."

"Right, however, she wasn't the same person afterward." Narcissa tried to explain. "Something about her was different, almost as if the spark of who she was had vanished."

"Like she was under the Imperius Curse?" Ted Tonks asked.

Andi scoffed. "She was a master Occlumist; it would never happen."

"Correct" Narcissa nodded. "However, I always believed it was something like that. Since her return from the Ministry, something changed again and right now, that Bellatrix is carving into the Dark Mark on her arm with a knife."

"She still sounds like she's bat-shit crazy," Nymphadora said, as she too had faced her Aunt's wand in the Department of Mysteries.

"Dora." Ted admonished his daughter.

"Alright." Alya sighed she too had reservations having looking through those photo-books and reading her grandfather's journal. "Note this; I will give Bellatrix Lestrange no quarter; however Bellatrix Black is another story."

"I'll ask for the Lestrange contract as well, Alya."

"For this, you will help me capture her. We take care of our own." The raven-haired head of house looked at Narcissa. "That is not negotiable."

"I understand."

Alya closed her eyes, not pleased she was going to have to ask. She so hated the stupid ferret. "Tell me what you wish to do about Draco? Has he taken the mark?"

"No not as of yet, although I know it will be in the next few days." Mrs. Malfoy said unhappily. "The Dark Lord has some plan for him. Can you help?"

"You could offer to send him to a school on the continent or even America?" Nymphadora said helpfully.

"As long as he is away from the Dark Lord's and Lucius's influence, I don't care where" Narcissa explained.

"There will still be some legal difficulties we will have to work through as he is the heir of House Malfoy. However, as the current head is in prison, you Narcissa can make some decisions on your own. I would suggest that you make Alya his guardian."

The new Head of House Black tried not to groan at the thought of becoming responsible for Draco. Alya sat back on the chair, deep in thought. What should she do? Getting Draco away from Tom would be in her best interest.

"We have things to discuss Aunt Narcissa. As much as I appreciate the oath, it will be actions, not words that will be the true test."

Narcissa looked at Alya trying not to shiver at the almost glowing green eyes. "Familia primum, familia semper." She whispered the former ancient motto of the Black family.

Alya nodded. Family First, Family Always. "Uncle Ted, if you would collect whatever paperwork we will need, Aunt Narcissa and I will arrange for Draco's transfer to another school. I'll assume we need to make sure we this in place before we break the marriage contract."

"Will you go with Draco?" Andromeda asked.

"No Andi, I will remain and help my House."

As Alya put the black envelope back into her robes, she wondered if the mine-cart was ever going stop.

*Edited 4/14/17 Elsbeth*