They missed something very obvious. So obvious that Natalia wanted to throttle the next person who pointed it out. The Romanov clan walked onto platform 9 ¾ and within minutes were swarmed by witches and wizards alike eager to meet the Boy Who Lived. It took all of four seconds for the group to face each other and immediately turn back, heading towards the gateway. Her face was aristocratic and masked, beautiful and shocking, but inside Natalia was fuming. James could hear every word she was screaming mentally, and left through the barrier with a smirk on his face. When the other three made it as well, he grinned widely at his soulmate. She sent him a deadly glare. Hadrian inhaled slowly, tugging at Elena's hand, before quietly speaking up.

"Well that didn't last long."

James couldn't stop laughing even when Natalia cuffed him over the head.

Despite all her planning, they hadn't accounted for any images of Hadrian that may have been taken over the years. Despite the lack of permission, violation of privacy, and having no magical interaction, the Daily Prophet still managed to get their hands on photos of the Boy Who Lived, Harry Potter, complete with the horrific scar. Honestly, Hadrian didn't care for the Potter name. He just wanted to make friends with Elena, learn lots of magic, and race brooms with classmates. As far as he was concerned, the Potter name was wholly Natalia's, and he certainly wasn't going to take it if she offered. He only wanted to learn, no matter where they were.

James was the one that came up with this specific back up plan. If they couldn't make it to the train, they'd simply portkey to Hogsmeade and walk up to the castle earlier than everyone else; more than likely, they'd have to talk with the staff at the same time, but all that meant was that they'd be confronting Dumbledore a little earlier than planned. Natalia wasn't eager to go toe to toe with the man, but as the Head of the family, she was required to be the face of the disputes.

"James?" Elena grabbed the sleeve of his leather jacket, the side hiding his metal arm, as she tried to gain his attention. He gave a half hearted grunt.

"They're gonna duel before we get dinner. Just so you know."

Oddly enough, she could feel his metal arm tighten, as though the muscles were squeezing themselves together. That's silly, she thought to herself. Vibranium doesn't have any muscles!

She gave herself a small smile, and leaned back into Hadrian, both watching curiously as the adults of the group greeted the Deputy HeadMistress at the gate.

Deputy Headmistress Minerva McGonagall cut an imposing figure. She was tall, with a pointed yet cool face, a severe bun tightly controlled at the nape of her neck, and eyes cut from steel. Dark red robes draped themselves cleanly off the shoulders of the older woman, and remained closed from the bottom of her neck down to her boots. Despite all this, and her thick Scottish brogue, Elena and Hadrian thought the woman wasn't nearly as scary as she was attempting to be. Scary was Natalia when the two kids goofed off - scary was Maman when they weren't paying proper attention to their lessons. This woman was a kitten compared to what they were used to.

Still, they silently agreed they weren't going to cross this woman.

"Typically, the students take the Express to arrive." Minerva McGonagall quickly glanced at the children before focussing her tight stare back on the two adults. The woman was clearly the leader of their little group, manners similar to many of the noble families that studied in the halls of Hogwarts. Her blonde hair had not a single strand out of place, and her posture demanded respect as she stood half a foot in front of the others. Minerva had seen those eyes for over eight years, a carbon copy of Lily Potter nee Evans' own, and staring into them made her nauseous. Looking back over at the children confirmed what she was thinking.

Harry Potter has arrived at Hogwarts. But if that was little Harry, how did this woman have the exact same eyes? There was no possible way for her to be the Girl Who Lived, she would have been only 13.

The woman lifted her chin ever so slightly before she spoke, mirroring Lily Potter's mannerisms very eerily.

"Typically, the students have no issues boarding the train either. I suppose Hadrian's fame was too much for the crowd to keep their composure." A small lie, Natalia thought, but built on truth so it counts.

The Scottish woman narrowed her eyes slightly. "We don't have any incoming students by the name of Hadrian." The closest was Harry Potter, he HAD to be Harry Potter…..

"I did send owls regarding the name change, yet never received a response."

The blonde woman left the words open to suggestion by the professor. If there was never a response, they could claim they simply never received the letter asking for the name change, forcing the boy to remain as Harry Potter during the seven years of schooling.

"Well. I'll personally handle the change myself to make sure it happens. I'm Minerva McGonagall, transfiguration professor and deputy headmistress here at Hogwarts." She offered to the group.

The blonde woman confirmed herself as the leader. "Natalia Romanov, Lady of the House of Potter. This is James, my husband," The dark haired man nodded respectfully, quickly showing the neatly braided top of his head. "And these are your students, Elena and Hadrian Romanov." The petite blonde smiled widely at the professor, and the boy tightened his hand on the girl before nodding respectfully, hair shifting further into his face.

"I recognize Elena's name, so fortunately there was no issue with her registration, however it is Hadrian's I am unfamiliar with."

Natalia's cheeks flinched into almost a small smile, relieved at least one of the two was spared from inquiry during their education, before gesturing towards the young boy.

"Perhaps you are more familiar with his past name then," Hadrian's pale hand swept his hair back onto his crown, revealing a jarring scar splitting his forehead in half. "Harry Potter."

Realization was easily read across the professors face before she composed herself. "Yes," she murmured. "I can see why you would want to change your name."

Stepping towards the family, Minerva noticed that despite the power radiating from them, there was an empty space where James stood. No magic housed itself in the man, and nodding once more mostly to herself, she invited them up to the castle.

"How about we have an early lunch, and sort out Hadrian's file after then, hmm?"

Natalia took the first step forward. "Yes, I believe that would be best for us all."

The other three walked in sync towards Natalia, and once in line with their Head, continued to walk through the wards of Hogwarts and the beginning of their headaches.

Natalia wasn't terribly surprised to confirm that it was Albus Dumbledore who chose to disregard her letters. He claimed it was due to the validity being in question and had no reason to trust the stamp, or the blood quill, or the Potter owl sending it…. Really, he had no good reason to go against the wishes of the House when it was a House matter to begin with. With all his titles (Headmaster Albus Dumbledore, Chief Warlock of the Wizengamot, Supreme Mugwump of the International Confederation of Wizards, Grand Sorcerer, and Order of Merlin First Class recipient, thank you very much), Albus Dumbledore knew specifically what an official letter looked like. The opportunity for Natalia to sue the man was sitting in her lap, and as much as she wished to ruin his reputation, she had had to try to get along with the warlock.

Albus Dumbledore was a walking contradiction to his Deputy - where her eyes stared deeply into others, demanding their best without a word, his eyes twinkled merrily behind half-moon glasses reminiscent of the ones he wore when he dropped the little Potter children off at Privet Drive. His beard was tied neatly above his outrageous robes (dark blue with twinkling silver stars), and his aged face sat wrinkled below a simple matching wizards cap. Gnarled fingers were adorned with rings signifying his many positions, further proving he was no idiot and did not make a mistake when it came to her letters.

Minerva introduced Natalia to Albus as Lady Potter, and Albus to Natalia as Headmaster Dumbledore. Both of them threw propriety out the window when he first regarded the woman as "My girl! So wonderful to meet you."

And to think Natalia held hopes for their meeting at all.

No longer was the grand and great legend of a wizard a possible ally. Instead, the man became an irritant in the Romanov family's plans. There was not a chance in hell that Natalia would agree to work with him, despite the plan James, Natalia, and Madame Viknei spent weeks going over.

The thing about plans, especially ones as long term as this one, was that right after you start, everything becomes unpredictable. Despite their plan for Hadrian to lay low, despite their plan to use the Headmaster to ascertain more information about the horcruxes, despite their plan to send Albus Dumbledore to his death (that one still held merit), everything had gone tits up since they first approached Platform 9 ¾ .

James held Natalia's hands as she flexed her fingers in silent warning, itching to throw something sharp through the Headmaster's damned eyes. Faintly, James remembered what Elena had said earlier, and had to flex his own hands once he realized how much of a tool the wizard was.

The lunch went by quickly, and soon enough the six of them were in the Headmaster's office.

"Your father would be proud of you," mused Minerva. "Being in the headmaster's office before even the start of term." She stood unwavering next to Albus, who was sat behind his disastrously messy desk.

Hadrian tightened his lips thinly and replied, "I don't know the man, I have no need for his opinion."

The two teachers looked mildly shocked at his declaration, causing Natalia to smirk silently before picking up the conversation.

"That would be another issue for us to discuss in a moment. For now, let's get started with why my letters were disregarded."

Albus drew in a small breath before beginning. "My girl-"

"That would be Lady Potter to you, Dumbledore."

The twinkle in his eyes faltered for a moment before he began again. "Miss Potte-"

"Lady Potter, Dumbledore. I won't allow you of all people to treat this family with total callousness like in the past."

"Lady Potter, I'm sure there was a misunderstanding in -"

"In how you purposely ignored formal letters from the House of Potter, who you were once allied with in the past? Or was the misunderstanding about the standing of my family, which is a matter that does not concern you. I am sure that whichever it is held no solid reasoning within your decision."

Natalia leaned back into her chair, one personally conjured so as to avoid the uncomfortable chairs meant to pressure students (she was well aware of his tricks thanks to the intensive file Madame Viknei had on him). James placed a hand on her shoulder to show support, and she unconsciously relaxed under his touch. Harry sat on the other side of Natalia, in a chair of her creation as well, allowing Elena the cushioned part of the seat having opted to sit on the far armrest instead. The family of four cut an imposing image, each member carefully positioned to best protect their group.

Minerva stared at Albus with scrutiny in her eyes, clearly disgusted with how casually he addressed the family Head. For being such a dignified man, he sure has screwed up, she thought to herself.

The wizard leaned forward on his desk, delicately crinkling parchments before he began speaking again with more carefully chosen words.

"My apologies, Lady Potter, I promise not to disrespect you in such a manner again. As for the letters, like I mentioned during lunch, I had no reason to believe the letters were sent from the House of Potter," Hadrian snorted at this, leading to James sharply shaking his head at the boy and Elena smacking his arm for good measure. "- and I promise, I did not intend to bring into question the integrity of your standing. I merely wondered if your Headship of the family is rather a position of stewardship, seeing as the direct heir sits in front of us both."

Despite the disgusting and quite frankly rather rude implication, Natalia merely flashed the ring signifying the Headship of the House of Potter to shut him up.

"Believe me, I am no steward."

Minerva and Albus both opened their mouths to start talking, and she held her hand up again to quickly stop them, temper flaring.

"Here is how this is going to work. The Boy-Who-Lived is not within this school walls. You are going to make a statement supporting my announcement in this evenings edition of the Prophet, and you are going to fix Hadrian's names in all of the formal documentation. If Hadrian or Elena hear anyone referring to him as 'Harry Potter' or the 'Chosen One' or any ridiculous title, it will be you I drag into the Wizengamot with charges." Albus was too shocked to realize his own carefully made plans were being destroyed, and let his occlumency slide in place of new found disappointment. A quick mental nudge to James let him know to take control of the conversation briefly while she performed legilimency on Albus.

James spoke in a mildly threatening tone. "Despite what preconceived notions you have of the House Potter, we are not a House to be trifled with. You may have known the former Head, and they may have allowed you to have certain items or regard the family in a casual manner, but that was not us. We ask for respect and distance between ourselves and your Houses, and we ask for our familial items back."

After having flicked through Albus's mind, Natalia knew that unless they provided a full list of what was rightfully theirs, they would not receive it. She left her soulbond to James open so he could quickly go over what she just discovered as well.

Both assassins were deeply angered by what Albus Dumbledore had planned for Harry Potter.

Sitting primly with barely restrained power left Natalia looking every inch the Lady Potter Albus denied her being, and with a disturbing stare into his eyes, she spoke quietly.

"Really, we are willing to play nice as long as you are too." She tilted her head slightly towards the children. "Are you?"

When the four Romanovs and Minerva stood to leave the office an hour later, they did so still missing familial items that had been mere feet away from them. Despite the tomes and invisibility cloak that were given back, they still were silently denied the unmentioned Potter grimoire and pensieve.

(Albus recognized the threat and still kept items to himself. A quick thought with James left Natalia confident in their decision on where they will next see Albus.)

The wizard bade them farewell in an attempt to have the last word. Natalia, being herself, gleefully denied him that and dangerously smiled at him.

"We'll see you in court, Albus. Ta."