Chapter 7: Whispers of Power
**December 20, 1980 – Godric's Hollow, The Potter Castle – Henry's Age: 4 Months**
**December 20, 1980 – Riddle Manor, Little Hangleton – Henry's Age: 4 Months**
The wizarding world of England was ablaze with whispers, the kind that spread like wildfire through Diagon Alley, Hogsmeade, and every hidden magical enclave from London to the Scottish Highlands. By late December 1980, the Potters' sweeping legal reforms had taken root, their impact rippling through the Ministry, the Wizengamot, and the very fabric of magical society. The Magical Heritage Protection Act, Noble Bloodline Restoration Decree, Magical Education Reform Act, Ancient Relic Preservation Act, and Magical Unity Accord had shifted the balance of power in ways few could have predicted, cementing the Potters as a force to be reckoned with. News of their actions—framed as protective measures but understood by the astute as a bid for control—reached every corner of wizarding England, from the bustling offices of the *Daily Prophet* to the shadowy gatherings of those who served a darker power.
At the Potter Castle in Godric's Hollow, the family had settled into a cautious rhythm, their ancient home a fortress of both magic and strategy. The castle's golden domes shimmered under a light dusting of December snow, its cascading waterfalls frozen into glistening icicles that sparkled in the pale winter light. Inside, the family chamber was warm and inviting, the massive hearth crackling with golden flames as the rune-carved walls hummed with protective magic. Henry James Fleamont Charles George Arthur Eliseo Elisheva Ezekiel Solomon Apollonius Potter Peverell IX—Imperator Aurelius Maximus Draconis Leonidas Augustus Septimus Valerian Ptolemaeus Aurelius-Peverellius—was now four months old, his green eyes bright and alert as he lay in his ebony crib, watching his family with a wisdom far beyond his age.
Lily sat by the fire, her red hair glowing in the light as she knitted a tiny scarf for Henry, her movements slow and deliberate. James paced nearby, his hazel eyes darting to the window as if expecting an owl at any moment. Charles and Dorea Potter were seated at a polished oak table, poring over a stack of parchments—reports from their allies in the Wizengamot, updates on the implementation of their laws, and whispers of unrest among both Dumbledore's Order and the Death Eaters.
"The laws are holding," Charles said, his silver-streaked hair catching the firelight as he scanned a letter from Augusta Longbottom. "The Magical Heritage Protection Act has already identified three children who were misplaced—noble bloodlines, all of them. The goblins are doing their job well."
Dorea nodded, her grey eyes sharp with satisfaction. "And the Noble Bloodline Restoration Decree has given us the Avalon Council. We've already started recruiting—families like the Longbottoms and the Abbotts are eager to join. They see the value in protecting our legacies."
James stopped pacing, his expression a mix of pride and unease. "It's working, but it's also making waves. The *Daily Prophet* ran a front-page story this morning—'Potters Reshape Wizarding Law: A New Era?'—and it's got everyone talking. Dumbledore's been quiet, which worries me more than if he were fighting us openly. And then there's… her."
Lily looked up, her green eyes narrowing. "Lady Voldemort?"
James nodded, his jaw tightening. "The Death Eaters can't ignore what we've done. They'll see it as a threat—or an opportunity. We need to be ready."
Henry, listening silently, felt a thrill of anticipation. His past life as Elias Kane had given him a deep understanding of the wizarding world's undercurrents, and he knew that their actions would not go unnoticed by Lady Voldemort—Vespera Riddle, as her true name was whispered among those who dared to speak it. He also knew something no one else in the room did: that Vespera was his soulmate, a bond forged by magic so ancient and powerful that even she was unaware of it. Henry kept his infant body still, his tiny fists curled against his blanket, but his mind was alight with possibilities. This bond could be a weapon—or a weakness. He would use it, in time.
Meanwhile, far from the warmth of the Potter Castle, in the cold, shadowed halls of Riddle Manor in Little Hangleton, Lady Voldemort—known to her followers as Lord Voldemort to maintain the illusion of her gender—sat on a throne of black marble, her crimson eyes glinting with a mix of fury and intrigue. The manor was a fortress of dark magic, its walls lined with ancient wards and portraits of the Riddle family, their painted eyes watching with silent disdain. A massive chandelier of twisted iron hung above, its candles flickering with green flames that cast an eerie glow over the gathered Death Eaters.
Vespera Riddle was a striking figure, her pale, serpentine features a stark contrast to the beauty she had once possessed as Tom Marvolo Riddle. Her transformation into Lady Voldemort had stripped her of her humanity, but not her cunning—or her femininity, though she hid it well. Her voice, high and cold, carried a strange, lilting quality as she addressed her followers, her long, skeletal fingers gripping the arms of her throne. She wore a black robe embroidered with silver serpents, her bald head gleaming in the green light, and a faint smirk played on her lips as she absorbed the news her spies had brought her.
"The Potters," Vespera hissed, her voice echoing through the hall. "They dare to challenge the natural order, to reshape the wizarding world with their petty laws. The Magical Heritage Protection Act… the Noble Bloodline Restoration Decree… the Magical Unity Accord… they think themselves kings, do they?"
The Death Eaters gathered before her shifted uneasily, their masks glinting in the dim light. Among them were her most loyal followers, each a name feared in the wizarding world:
- **Bellatrix Lestrange**, her wild black hair spilling over her shoulders, her dark eyes gleaming with fanatical devotion as she clutched her wand.
- **Rodolphus Lestrange**, Bellatrix's husband, a tall, broad-shouldered man with a cruel smirk, his loyalty tied more to his wife than to Vespera.
- **Lucius Malfoy**, his platinum blond hair impeccable even in the gloom, his silver cane tapping lightly against the floor as he calculated the implications of the Potters' actions.
- **Narcissa Malfoy**, standing beside Lucius, her icy blue eyes sharp with concern for her infant son, Draco, born just six months prior.
- **Barty Crouch Jr.**, a young, wiry man with a manic gleam in his eyes, his loyalty to Vespera bordering on obsession.
- **Antonin Dolohov**, a hulking figure with a scarred face, his wand hand twitching as if eager for violence.
- **Fenrir Greyback**, the werewolf, his yellow eyes glinting with hunger, his presence a reminder of Vespera's willingness to use any tool to achieve her ends.
- **Severus Snape**, standing slightly apart from the others, his black eyes unreadable behind his sallow face. Severus was a double agent, secretly spying for Dumbledore, though he kept his true allegiance hidden with Occlumency so powerful that even Vespera could not penetrate it.
- **Alecto and Amycus Carrow**, the sadistic siblings, their squat forms hunched together as they whispered to each other, their laughter a grating sound in the tense silence.
- **Walden Macnair**, a brutish man with a penchant for execution, his axe slung over his shoulder as he grinned at the thought of bloodshed.
- **Augustus Rookwood**, a former Unspeakable, his sharp mind already analyzing the Potters' laws for weaknesses Vespera could exploit.
- **Yaxley**, a tall, thin man with a pinched face, his loyalty to Vespera tempered by his ambition within the Ministry.
Vespera's crimson eyes swept over her followers, her smirk fading into a cold, calculating expression. "The Potters think they can stand apart from this war, neither with Dumbledore nor with me. They are fools. But… their laws are intriguing. They seek to protect noble bloodlines, to restore ancient power. Perhaps there is something to be gained here."
Lucius stepped forward, his voice smooth as silk. "My Lord—or, I suppose, my Lady," he said, bowing slightly, "the Potters' actions could weaken Dumbledore's hold on the wizarding world. The Magical Heritage Protection Act has already exposed several of his… indiscretions. Families are turning against him, noble and common alike. We could use this to our advantage—strike while he's distracted."
Severus Snape remained silent, his black eyes fixed on the floor. He had heard the same whispers in Dumbledore's camp—the Headmaster was furious at the Potters' laws, though he hid it behind a mask of calm. Severus knew the truth of Dumbledore's crimes, and he knew the Potters were playing a dangerous game. But his loyalty to Lily, his childhood friend, kept him from revealing too much to Vespera. For now, he would watch, and wait.
Bellatrix's voice cut through the silence, her tone dripping with venom. "Why bother with alliances, my Lady? The Potters are blood traitors—let me kill them! I'll bring you their child's head on a platter!"
Vespera's eyes flashed with irritation, and she raised a hand, silencing Bellatrix with a wave of dark magic that made the air crackle. "Silence, Bellatrix. The Potters are not to be underestimated. Their blood is ancient—Peverell, Avalon, and now Windsor, if the rumors are true. They are not mere prey. They are… potential."
As she spoke, Vespera's mind wandered to a thought that had plagued her for years, a whisper of magic she could not ignore. She had always wondered if she had a soulmate, a bond forged by the ancient magic she had studied in her quest for immortality. Her horcruxes had fractured her soul, but they could not sever the thread of destiny that tied her to another. Unknown to her, that soulmate was Henry Potter, the infant whose power was already shaking the wizarding world. The bond was dormant, hidden by Henry's age and Vespera's own darkness, but it was there, a ticking clock that would one day bring them face to face.
Vespera leaned back in her throne, her crimson eyes narrowing as she considered her next move. "For now, we watch," she said, her voice a hiss. "Let the Potters and Dumbledore tear each other apart. When the time is right, we will strike—and the wizarding world will bow to me, soulmate or no."
Back at the Potter Castle, Henry stirred in his crib, his green eyes opening as if sensing the distant pull of the bond he shared with Vespera. His past life as Elias Kane had taught him of soulmate bonds in fanfiction—powerful, rare connections that could shape destinies. He knew Vespera was his, and he knew the danger she posed. But he also knew the opportunity. For now, he would grow, he would learn, and he would wait. The wizarding world was changing, and he would be ready to claim it all.
The firelight danced across the room, casting shadows on the tapestries of Avalon's rise, and the Potter Castle stood firm, a beacon of power in a world on the brink of chaos.
---
Notes on the Chapter:
- **Date and Setting**: The chapter takes place on December 20, 1980, four months after Henry's birth on July 31, 1980. It briefly checks in at the Potter Castle in Godric's Hollow before shifting to Riddle Manor in Little Hangleton, where Lady Voldemort holds her meeting.
- **Henry's Age**: Henry is 4 months old, reflecting the timeline accurately.
- **Spread of News**: The Potters' laws have become a wildfire of news in wizarding England, reaching Lady Voldemort and her Death Eaters, who react with a mix of intrigue and hostility.
- **Lady Voldemort (Vespera Riddle)**: Vespera is established as the female version of Voldemort, hiding her gender behind the "Lord Voldemort" title. Her character mirrors Voldemort's canonical traits—cunning, ruthless, and obsessed with power—while adding the new dynamic of her wondering about a soulmate.
- **Soulmate Bond**: Vespera is unaware that Henry is her soulmate, but the bond is introduced as a dormant force, setting up future conflict and connection. Henry, with his past life knowledge, is aware of the bond and plans to use it strategically.
- **Death Eaters List**: The chapter lists key Death Eaters present at the meeting, including Bellatrix and Rodolphus Lestrange, Lucius and Narcissa Malfoy, Barty Crouch Jr., Antonin Dolohov, Fenrir Greyback, Severus Snape (noted as a secret spy for Dumbledore), Alecto and Amycus Carrow, Walden Macnair, Augustus Rookwood, and Yaxley, providing a comprehensive view of Vespera's inner circle.
- **Severus Snape's Role**: Snape's double-agent status is acknowledged, with his loyalty to Lily keeping him cautious, adding depth to his character in this context.