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 belongs to J.K Rowling, I am just playing in her sandbox for a while.

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

Language Note: "I'm speaking a different language or to myself."

Black family Etiquette : Note as someone pointed out in the Black family tree (I have a lovely copy of it) how technically Narcissa and Andromeda are not Alya's Aunts, you are correct. However, in many families including my own, it is common to call older cousins, usually those near our parents age Aunt and Uncle. Members of the Black family do the same.

If you have the time, I would love to hear from you. Once again, thanks to all for reading!

"So do you think Harry's going to be there?"

Ron looked at her sister with disgust. She had been quite annoying all summer with 'Harry this' and 'Harry that'. It was bad enough to have to deal with it when they were growing up.

"No idea, Ginny," Neville commented as the three made their way to the Room of Requirement. "She did say, Alya Black would be there."

Neville had been pleasantly surprised to find that he wasn't an object of scorn or laughter after what happened on the train. Although, it did appear that the Snake Pit seemed out of sorts this year. It's not that they were any less annoying, it just seemed that their attention was directly elsewhere.

"Great."

"Oh don't make a face Ron, you met her over the summer." Ginny rolled her eyes at her brother's antics. "Harry stayed with her all summer, so she would know his whereabouts."

"Hermione said that she more or less runs Slytherin, just like Malfoy," Ron commented as if trying to validate his feelings.

"Don't be daft, she didn't say Alya was like Draco. Remember what Dad told you, grandmum was in Slytherin and apparently a Black as well."

"I guess so, still would be nice to see Harry," Ron shrugged not entirely convinced.

He knew he had damaged his relationship with his best mate during their fourth year and then made it worse by blaming Harry for his dad being by Voldemort's snake. If Ron were honest with himself, he probably wouldn't have forgiven himself either, if the situation were reversed. Sure, the two were friendly but that old bond that carried them through the dangers of the Chamber of Secrets had faded.

Sadly, one of the things he assumed that without him, Harry would have no friends. So no matter what he did, he could just walk back into best mate's life at any time. Unexpectedly, others quickly took his place and of course Hermione never left Harry's side.

At the start of the year, Ron thought about moving forward with is feelings for the bushy haired girl. Especially after hearing rumors that Hermione had been seen with one of Alya's cousins, some sort of healer that worked with the Hit Wizards. However, typically that was horribly squashed.

Hermione had given him some sort of crazy explanation about only being interested in him because she was afraid that Harry's girlfriends would see her as a threat. But as the girlfriend of his best friend, she would never be. She, of course, still wanted to be friends.

Mental that one. Some good had happened this year though. He and Neville had become real friends and that Lavender Brown appeared to be generally interested in him. Admittedly, being dragged into a broom closet cemented that feeling.

Ginny had to giggle as both boys stumbled seeing Luna cuddling up to Alya Black. Her old childhood friend was, of course, unfazed about the whole thing giving them a happy finger wave as the three entered the room.

"Oh good, right on time," Hermione turned to Alya, who continued.

"Right, so Ginny how was the rest of your summer."

"Good." The red headed girl smiled then looked around the room uncertainly.

"Ron, forgiven me yet for being sorted into Slytherin?" Alya asked with a mischievous smile.

"I guess so, I mean they're all evil slimy snakes. " Ron grumbled then suddenly looked wide-eyed. "Not that I think your slimy or evil. I mean you get along with my parents and seem friendly and all."

"Good one mate." Neville grinned. "You might want to stop there before you make it worse."

"Weren't Longbottoms all Gryffindors?" Ron grumbled. "I mean don't you feel the same way?"

"No, and no," Nevile replied with a chuckle before giving a small bow. "I would like to apologize once more for what happened on the train, Miss Black. And I assume this is about Harry?"

"Please call me Alya." Motioning the group to some couches that suddenly appeared, she said. "And don't worry about the train. But your right, this does have to do with Harry."

"Is he OK?" Ginny was surprised as Hermione sat next to her.

"That's a complicated question."

Luna reached over and grabbed her girlfriend's hand. "Are you sure you want to do this?"

Alya nodded. "Yes, but they will be the last."

"What?" Hermione turned around. "You're not going to tell Ron or Ginny's parents?"

"Alright, what's this all about?" Ron frowned. "I don't like the sound of it already."

Alya took a seat before answering. "As I said, Ron, it's complicated."

"Well, whatever it is, I wouldn't tell my mum." Ginny shrugged. "She's horrible at keeping secrets."

"It's under a Fidelius charm, so it's not a problem," Hermione replied.

"Blimey! It must be important." Neville looked at the group concerned. "Are you sure you want to tell us?"

"Doesn't matter, if it's about Harry I want to know." Ginny insisted.

You might regret that. Alya thought to herself.

When she was Harry, the young girl's feelings for him weren't as apparent. It could be that as a girl, Alya was more in tune with other people's emotions. Of course, with Harry absent, Ginny was probably more overt about it. Didn't matter, either way, Alya knew that her friend wasn't going to be happy.

"Alright, them, let's start with what happened in the Department of Mysteries."

"Wait, how do you know what happened?" Ron asked, still not entirely pleased with what was going on and part of him still not trusting someone who would be sorted into Slytherin.

"Harry told her evidently."

"Doesn't matter," Ginny growled. "Both of you shut it and let the poor girl speak."

"Thank you." Alya smiled then began to talk about what happened to their friend inside the Department of Mysteries.

"Wait, Alya said that he had no memories of what happened after we all split up?"

"I did." The raven-haired girl replied, apparently confused.

Since entering the room, Alya had a slight headache, nothing new. She had been experiencing them most of the summer. However, she thought perhaps it now had more to do with the stress of revealing the truth to her friends.

Placing a hand on her forehead she frowned. "He took a Cutting Curse to the arm, there was so much blood."

"Alya?" Luna's voice was full of concern.

"Let's split up, you guys go through that door, Ill see if I can lead them in this direction," Harry explained as they made their way through the Department of Mysteries.

Canopic jars and fragile Papyrus scrolls filled the room, along with priceless Roman snake armbands and even an assortment of golden Celtic torcs. At the back of the room leaning against the far war stood what appeared to be the standard for some forgotten Roman legion.

Hermione moved towards her friend as Alya stood up but then collapsed to the floor holding her head with both hands.

"Stupefy, Stupefy!" Harry called out, throwing several stunners towards the Death Eaters who followed him into the room. Bellatrix Lestrange in an incredible show of magical control actually captured the spell on the tip of her wand before contemptuously throwing it back. A second Death Eater, however, took it in the face causing him to fall to the floor.

Harry Potter had every intention of grabbing the bird and throwing it, but as soon as he touched the raven with a bloody hand, the world went white.

"Magic is all about intent." Alya murmured as she stood up.

"Oh sweet Merlin, she's bleeding from her nose."

"We need to get her to Madam Pomfrey."

"Stop," Alya shouted before wiping away the blood from her face. Looking at her bloody hand, she almost laughed. "I finally know what's bothering me about this place, follow me."

After a bit of an argument, reluctantly everyone exited the room.

"What's going on?" Ron asked as he watched the dark haired witch walk in front of the door three time.

As a new door appeared, Alya found her girlfriend grabbing her by the hand. "I'll go to Madam Pomfrey in a minute, luv, this is more important."

"It better be, or I'll stun your cute butt and carry you there myself," Luna said seriously not allowing, Alya to let go.

"Do you think that's wise? She's still bleeding." Neville stepped forward, ready to help.

The reason for the meeting had already been forgotten with concern for the young woman who had been kind to him, even though by all right she should be angry.

"Alya, are you sure?"

"It's alright, Hermione, Neville, this won't take long." The raven-haired witch gave the two a small smile before stepping into the transformed room.

"Amazing."

"Merlin, I haven't seen so much junk in my entire life." Piles and piles of broken items stood like columns around the massively large room.

"What do you mean; it looks a lot like your room, Ron." Ginny laughed, as she stepped forward to ask. "What are we looking for?"

"Don't be touching things." Hermione admonished a certain red headed boy who was drooling over a crate full of brooms.

"Why?"

"You might lose an arm, or worse."

Ron jumped back, looking around the room a little fearfully. "You're joking right?"

"Better to be safe than sorry mate." Neville chuckled.

"Alright, everyone, take a step back." Alya started a complicated wand movement, almost like writing in the air as she began to chant.

"What language is that?" Ginny whispered.

"Megálē Boulgaría," Hermione answered, and then rolled her eyes at everyone's confusion. "It's a type of ancient Bulgarian."

"Right a combination of Old Bulgarian, and what Macedonian," Luna said airily.

"Byzantine Greek" Hermione bit her lip in worry.

With a flurry of wand movements, Alya finished summing some sort of bird made of light which flew off down one of the corridors or junk. "Let's follow."

"What are we looking for?" Ron asked as nervously skirted around a small tower of books, apparently written by Gilderoy Lockhart.

"Well know it when we find it."

"Over there," Ginny called out, getting a glimpse of the bird circling around something.

"It's Ravenclaw's Diadem." Luna gasped.

"What's a diadem?" Ron asked.

"It's a kind of crown."

"Wit beyond measure is man's greatest treasure," Hermione whispered as she moved forward being drawn to the small circlet, with a blue sapphire at its center.

"Stop!" Alya's hand shot forward, grabbing her by the arm. "Don't touch it."

Ginny looked white as a ghost as she grabbed Luna as well, pulling her away. "Can't you feel it?"

"Feels like the diary, doesn't it?" Alya pushed Hermione into Neville's arms before conjuring a silk bag.

"How do you know about the diary?" Ginny asked.

Ignoring the red head, she levitated the diadem into the bag before passing it to her girlfriend. "This should keep it safe for now, please don't open it."

Hesitantly, Luna took the bag no longer feeling a need to place the circlet on her head. "Alya?"

However, as soon as the bag left her hand, the raven-haired witch's eyes rolled up into the back of her head and she collapsed to the ground

Peacefully floating along a familiar river inside her mind, Alya almost felt as if her journey had finally come to an end. With the last pieces of the massive puzzle falling into place, she understood the chaotic imagines that assaulted her in her dreams had been her attempt to organize her mind.

She knew now that The Raven statue was most assuredly a symbol of 'The Morrigan'. The great Goddess of Death and Guardian of the Dead as well as one of Life who transported the souls through their next rebirth. And when Harry touched that symbol, in a way he had died as surely as if Bellatrix had cast a Killing Curse at him.

One could argue that perhaps Harry Potter was never actually real. Since then she had discovered that she was nothing more than a magical construct in the shape of a male. Ritually created to continue the Potter line. To the Dursley, the poor boy was not a child, nor even in their eyes, human but a reminder of their own inadequacies.

For the Great Albus Dumbledore, the boy had been an object crafted to meet some uncertain end. Even going so far as creating the myth of the 'Boy Who Lived' which the magical community readily accepted. For a Muggleborn such a Lily Potter to have defeated such a powerful wizard was utterly absurd.

As Alya continued to drift in her memories, she mourned for that boy.

If not for a quirk of fate, however, Alaya Cassiopeia Black would never have come to being. Her birth or perhaps rebirth started in ages past. Long before the there had been a desire of to pass on one's knowledge to the next generation. In the nonmagical Egypt, it had been through song or perhaps even written down on mounds of papyrus or stone.

For the great Sorcerer Kings, a ritual had been discovered and written into the sacred Book of the Dead. Close to the time of their death, the witch or wizard would willingly sacrifice the last remnants of their magic and life to make a copy their Akh. One of five parts of the soul, which coincided with not just thought but of the mind.

However, Harry Potter soon discovered that it was impossible to completely separate the Akh and the 'Ba', the part that that composed the personality of the person. Unlike a Horcrux, though, which was a corruption of the ritual created by Herpo the Foul, the small shard of personality would not try to dominate the receiver of the knowledge. It lacked the vital piece of Ka, life, which creators of Horcruxes ripped from their own souls, much to their own detriment.

As Harry touched the Raven, he had already accepted the fact that he was broken. Because of that, he would never be able to reach his full potential. What he found in the magical container was a kindred spirit, a protector, who also had a tremendous capacity to love. Harry gladly accepted the magics and the 'Ba' of the powerful witch merged with that of the young man, repairing the cracks and making him for the first time in his life whole.

Fate was not finished. For the Raven had always been a symbol of House Black. In fact, that very object had been created hundreds of years prior by one of his ancestors. The same witch who once owned the daggers on Alya's legs.

Apparently she had not been a mere slave brought back from the Crusades, but a High Priestess of Imentet. The Egyptian goddess, much like 'The Morgan' helped ferry the dead to the afterlife. That former priestess would become one of the great Lady's of House Black, bringing new magics but also the ability of a Metamorphmagus.

At the time of her death, she had not forgotten her heritage, but the Raven artifact had become lost. Perhaps taken by someone in the family to study, ending up in the Department of Mysteries.

Although the actual ritual to retrieve the knowledge of the Raven had long been lost, blood and intent had always been a part of it. Harry's powerful magic called out to the family magics inside the container recognizing his true self.

Whether it was the goddess Imentet or The Morrigan or even lady magic itself, as the powerful ancient magic washed over the two members of House Black, the shackles of their former selves were shattered. And Bellatrix Black and Alya Black had been reborn.