Morning at the Addams mansion was anything but ordinary.
Harry awoke not to the chirping of birds, but the shrill screech of a banshee outside the window. It faded quickly, replaced by the low rumble of thunder, despite the clear sky.
He sat up slowly. The silk sheets slid like water off his skin. For a moment, he waited—instinctively—for shouting, footsteps, the clatter of plates thrown in anger. But the house was quiet. Peaceful, in its own twisted way.
A soft knock came at the door.
Wednesday entered, dressed in black as usual, her eyes unreadable.
"Breakfast is mandatory," she said. "Unless you prefer to fast. Fasting can be fun. It enhances hallucinations."
Harry blinked. "…Okay."
In the dining hall, a long gothic table stretched beneath a chandelier of twisted bone. Morticia presided at one end like a queen of shadows. Gomez sipped absinthe from a crystal glass and read a newspaper in upside-down French.
Harry was seated between Wednesday and Pugsley. A plate appeared in front of him—scrambled eggs, toast, and something black and wriggling.
"It's a delicacy," Pugsley whispered.
Harry poked it. "It's moving."
"Then it's fresh," Morticia replied with pride.
He ate everything. He didn't dare not to. But as the meal continued, he found himself smiling—truly smiling—for the first time in memory.
Midway through, Gomez slammed his fist on the table and declared, "We must adopt him properly!"
Harry froze. "What?"
"You deserve a name that means something," Gomez said, standing. "Harry Potter is a name for orphans and martyrs. But Harry Addams? Now that has flair."
"Gomez, darling," Morticia cooed. "Let the boy choose for himself."
Harry stared at his plate. He couldn't remember ever being asked what he wanted. Not by the Dursleys. Not by anyone.
"…Can I keep both?" he asked, quietly. "Harry Addams-Potter?"
Wednesday raised a brow. "Hyphenated. Subversive."
Gomez grinned so wide it nearly split his face. "Perfect!"
A thud sounded beneath the table.
"That was Thing," Morticia said, sipping her blood-red tea. "He approves."