FOREWORD

Much of the following, I wrote when I first came to write what was then Harry Ashford and the Philosopher's Stone. Times have changed since then, but I am leaving much of this foreword intact to reflect my thoughts going into this story, long before it became this one.

Many Harry Potter fanfics start with the supposition, what if Harry was adopted by someone other than the Dursleys, either within the Potterverse, or else by some other fictional character or characters? I've had more than a few ideas along these lines, but perhaps my craziest was Harry being adopted by one of the villains of Resident Evil. Namely Alexia Ashford.

Alexia is unique amongst Resident Evil villains in many respects. Number one, she is one of the rare female villains, and is certainly the only one who wasn't being brainwashed or manipulated, unlike Excella or Carla (I don't count Annette Birkin, as her motivations are mostly to protect herself and her daughter, albeit laced with an unhealthy amount of paranoia, and Lisa Trevor is a tragic creature, not an actual villain, while Ada is very ambiguous, but ultimately apparently good). Certainly she was one of the better elements of Resident Evil: Code Veronica, which I frankly didn't like, partly for gameplay reasons, and partly for Alfred and Steve. And her relationship with her brother, while highly disturbing, was rather touching in a perverse way.

But what if Alexia Ashford, by accident, found herself being a mother towards Harry? What if he was sold by the Dursleys to Umbrella shortly after he was found on their doorstep, and Alexia acquired him as an experimental subject? And what if her obsession with her experimental subject aroused the ire and jealousy of Alfred, and changed the events of both Resident Evil and the Potterverse? I hope you'll enjoy the results.

Of course, after the above foreword, which was originally written for Harry Ashford and the Philosopher's Stone, I have to intervene here, and add some reasons why I changed it. There were a number of reasons.

I like to keep my fanfics relatively fresh, with my Harry Potter fanfics starting at various times in the canon. My Cetra Heritage Saga, as well as Is Your Great-Aunt an A.I?!, start more or less at the beginning of the series, something I intend for my next 'pure' Harry Potter fanfic, still yet to be written. Others, like A Third Summoner, Lux in Tenebris Lucet: Renovatur, and Sins of the Father, start long before the series begins, though Lux in Tenebris Lucet: Renovatur will definitely go through the stations of canon. In Spite of Obstinate Men begins at the start of Year 3, the original version of Lux in Tenebris Lucet begins (proper) in Year 4, Harry Potter and the Blue Haired Angel and Heather Potter and the Legacy of Alessa have their origins in Year 5, and Broken Tools is set in an alternate version, post-Year 7.

I decided, given how much the relationship between Harry and Alexia would be like that between Harry and GLaDOS in Is Your Great-Aunt an A.I?!, I needed to start it later to distinguish it from that work. In addition, Spencer's project is renamed, originally being called Project Hecate, a name I used in the later-written but earlier published Lux in Tenebris Lucet: Renovatur.

Those who have read the original Lux in Tenebris Lucet will know what will happen to bring Harry and Alexia to Hogwarts. I'm using the same trope.

Some disclaimers. Firstly, this is an M-rated work for various reasons. While the relationship between Harry and Alexia will be disturbing, it will be that of a mother and son, or a sibling relationship, nothing more. That being said, there will be many disturbing themes, potential violence, horror, and the like. It is Resident Evil, after all. You have been warned.

Secondly, I will be fiddling around with the timelines of the Resident Evil series. And elements of the Resident Evil characters will be taken from both the games proper, and the Chronicles games. Annotations will make things clearer.

Thirdly, there will be spoilers for both the games and the Harry Potter books. However, there will be no bashing, or at least a bare minimum at most. The Harry Potter characters have their bad points, sure, and these will be highlighted. But they also have their good points.

Finally, this is a fan-written work. Resident Evil, Harry Potter, and the characters and scenarios are property of their respective owners. Please, support the official release. Otherwise, Alexia will use you for a test subject…or set you on fire. Whatever takes her fancy.