FEBUARY 2nd 1998 – Calcott. North of Canterbury.

The Buzzing from the WWN wasn't very loud but farmhouse was so small, it echoed throughout. The tiny fireplace, that was big enough to hold maybe two logs at best was nevertheless warming the whole place. The two-floor house was probably built back in the eighteen hundred and was surrounded by aches of wheat and barley fields. It looked truly lonesome and isolated during the day, but now, at night, it looked downright eerie.

There was only one occupant of the house. A man in is early twenties, but with the wisdom of someone twice his age. He had seen things. He had done things. Things most people wouldn't entertain in their worst nightmares.

But that's the thing about war. Imagination just isn't enough.

You have to see it.

And now, here, this was whole different kind of war. But one he intended to fight.

He was hunched over the hissing device, using a pair of pliers to fiddle around with the back of it. Nothing but a few scraps of paper, tools and an ashtray were sitting on the desk around him.

"…before we hear from Royal and Romulus, let's take a moment to report those deaths that the

Wizarding Wireless Network News and Daily Prophet don't think important enough to mention…"

The man snorted with contempt.

"Royal and Romulus?" he said with an angry laugh to the wireless. "Would that be Kingsley Shackleboth and Remus Lupin by chance? God, you people are shit at code names!"

"Meanwhile, in Gaddley, a Muggle family of five has been found dead in their home. Muggle authorities are attributing the deaths to a gas leak, but members of the Order of the Phoenix…"

Sick bastards! Murdering defenceless families, just because they could. He had seen much of the atrocities of war and it proved that many times, muggles were no different from Death Eaters, sometimes worse. But, still, their history was made up of incredible struggles and conflicts with good triumphing over evil.

In World War II it was the Nazi's and the Japanese Empire against British, French, Belgium, American, Canadian, Australian and more, all united to fight against them. Hell, even members of Hilter's own Reich tried to assassinate him. Where was that in the wizarding world?

Where was the united front against Voldemort? Nowhere.

The Ministry had fallen and everyone else was too afraid to fight. No foreign allies were coming. Now great leaders like Churchill and Roosevelt had risen to the challenge. There was nothing but a crumbling resistance known as the Order of the Phoenix.

"'The Boy Who Lived' remains a symbol of everything for which we are fighting for: The triumph of good, the power of innocence, the need to keep resisting." Lupin said from the wireless.

"The power of innocence? I thought you were a teacher? Try teaching them something real. Innocence is only powerful when there is peace!" he yelled at the wireless but didn't stop his tinkering. He was almost done.

"…supporters against following Hagrid's lead. 'Support Harry Potter' parties are unwise in the present climate."

"Yeah, and where is your saviour now?!" he barked. "Nobodies seen him in months, not since he did a runner from the Ministry!"

It was absurd. 'Chosen one' or not, expecting a seventeen-year-old kid to show up and save the day. No, one way or another, this was going to end in a fight. A big bloody, brutal fight and there would be a lot of corpses littering the ground before it was done.

The man stood back from the wireless. His work was done. He pulled a pack of cigarettes of his pocket and lit one. One thing was missing though. He looked around the table the wireless sat on a quickly found what he was after. He grabbed a pencil and scribbled a single word on a piece of paper and then stuck it to the back of the wireless.

Muggle-borns were being hunted like game. Muggles were being slaughtered like cattle, and as for squibs like him, well, no one even talked about them.

Whatever Harry Potter was doing, it sure as hell wasn't making a difference right now. But he knew ways to fight. Ways the wizarding world didn't seem to understand.

He took one more lung full of the cigarette before placing it carefully in the ashtray, making sure that it pointed directly at the wireless.

He headed towards the door of the farmhouse, opened it, then paused as the threshold.

Taking a breath, he cleared his throat then spoke out loud. "Voldemort!"

He rushed out of the farmhouse, shutting the door as he went and dashed into the wheat fields beyond.

There was barely ten seconds before the tell tale cracks! began.

Five Death Eaters disapperated on different sides of the farmhouse and quickly closed in towards the door. Black cloaks and silver masked shone in the small light coming from the windows. One of them raised their wand to the keyhole of the door but lowered it when he realized it wasn't locked. They entered without hesitation.

Inside, only the crackling fire and music coming from the wireless muffled out the Death Eaters footsteps. They began searching the house. One of them noticed the cigarette, still burning in the ashtray.

"Somebodies here," he growled and the others started smashing the place up, as if it would reveal someone hiding.

The same Death Eater turned to the wireless. It was pretty clearly the only wizarding object in the house. Then he noticed a piece of paper stuck to the back of it. He reached for it, turning it around. It said only one word.

Hungry?

BOOM!

The entire farmhouse exploded, killing the Death Eaters instantly and reducing the structure to nothing but tiny pieces of broken brick.

From the field the man watched. Smiling.

August 27th 2024

London. The Big Smoke. Crown dung heap of the UK. An ever-convulsing metropolis of eight million people from every walk of life imaginable. Glittering towers of glass and steel housed the highest of the high class while drug dens and alleyways contained the lowest forms of criminal scum. And Albus Severus Potter loved every inch of it.

London couldn't really be called a city at all. It was more like another planet. Maybe even Albus's home planet. It certainly felt that way sometimes. He was more at home here than anywhere in the wizarding world. It wasn't surprising really.

If he had a lightning bolt scar and had to wear glasses then he may well have been his father's clone. He was the only one in the family to inherit Lily Evans famous piercing green eyes. He was almost the same height, had the same untameable black hair. Even his voice sounded the same. But all of that was superficial. Their similarities were skin deep only.

The truth was that in many ways, Albus was Harry Potters polar opposite. Harry had grown up in a miserable, lonely muggle house, half-starved and tormented often. When a gigantic hairy and kind Rubius Hagrid had arrived to tell Harry that not only was he a wizard but that he would soon be leaving that horrible place, nothing had made him happier. At Hogwarts, Harry had found the world he truly belonged in and he had longed for that day he'd be able to leave the muggle world behind forever.

Once he had defeated a certain Dark Lord of course.

Albus, on the other hand, had grown up in a truly wonderous, loving environment. Well feed and cared for since the day he was born (No wonder he was a lot bulkier than his father). But when he had arrived at Hogwarts, everything had changed. Hogwarts was not the site of incredible wizarding education and adventure that it has been for his parents. It was the place of Albus' pain and misery. Because, on the day he had arrived, the sorting hat had been placed on his head and in that moment, he stunned the entire wizarding world by becoming the first Potter in the history of the blood line to be placed in Slytherin.

Combined with the friendship he had struck up with the most unlikely person in the world, Scorpius Malfoy, Albus first year at Hogwarts soon became a nightmare. The teachers and students watched as he failed to show even a hint of his parent's talent in magic, flying or incredible and dangerous adventures.

He and Scorpius became the best targets for bullying and hatred and Albus was given the new nickname of 'The Slytherin Squib'.

It wasn't until his fourth year that everything changed. He had tried to be more like his parents. He and Scorpius had set off on their own adventure and the horrific consequences had changed them both forever. In the two years that followed, Albus had turned inwards. His thoughts and feelings guarded more closely than ever. Scorpius remaining the one person in the world he could confide in.

Now, as he sat looking out at the murky River Thames, he couldn't help feeling a small sense of relief. His seventh and final year at Hogwarts would be starting in one week. One more year is all he had to endure. He would turn seventeen on January seventh and would no longer need his parent's permission to do anything. He would have full access to his Gringott's vault. He would be his own man.

He stayed on that bench, looking out at the London skyline, drinking it in one more time before he would return to his home. One year from now he would be free.

And then he would leave quietly and never return.

…..

The Sun had almost set when Albus walked through the front door of the Potter home. It was a large but modest house in Kensal Green. Comfortable enough for a family of six or seven even though there were only five Potters. Of course, Teddy Lupin had more or less lived with them when not staying at his Grandmothers so maybe six. It was far more modern than the rustic aesthetic of the Burrow but still had some of the same homely features. Pots and plates were scrubbing themselves clean in the sink and Kreacher, the ancient but still spritely house elf was scurrying around the place keeping everything tidy.

"I think it's conspiracy, don't you, Fred?" James Sirius Potters indignant voice said.

"Definitely. A Ministry plot against us!" Of course, George Weasley's son would be there as well. James and Fred had been attached at the hip ever since they'd started at Hogwarts together.

Albus sighed to himself and decided he might as well find out what was going on. After kicking off his shoes he headed for the lounge where the voices were coming from.

"Don't be such a drama queen, James," Ginny's slightly annoyed voice said just before he got there.

James and Fred were standing together and seemed to be accusing none other than the Minister for Magic herself, Hermione Granger-Weasley. She had her usual patient but slightly exasperated look, with her hands on her hips and her chin up. She was still dressed in her fine pinstriped Ministry skirt and jacket and looked like she definitely hadn't finished work for the day. Harry was next to her already lazing in his favourite armchair. He hadn't bothered to take off his Dragonhide trench coat yet and looked like he simply wanted to rest his weary legs for a bit. Ginny was walking over to them levitating two mugs of tea with her wand one of which drifted into Hermione's hand while the other plonked itself next to Harry.

Albus stopped, leaned against the door frame and decided to just watch for the moment. No one had noticed him yet.

"I'm being serious Mum, I know I could have gotten better NEWT results and me a Fred think we should go back this year and repeat them!" James said. He was taller than everyone in the room except Fred. They both had same lanky build as Harry but James's hair was slightly lighter and he had Ginny's brown eyes.

"Yes, I'm sure that's why you want to go back to Hogwarts," Hermione said dryly.

"I thought you'd be encouraging us," Fred said accusingly. He was a spitting image of the man he was named after. Tall, ginger and full of freckles.

"If I thought it really was about getting better results, I would, but we both know why you really want to go back and it's not going to happen," she stated.

"Why do you want to go back?" Albus asked causing everyone in the room to finally notice him.

"You were supposed to be back an hour ago," Ginny said crossly.

"Train was delayed," he said. These days Albus could lie with such ease that even a sneakascope was useless around him.

"Freddie and I are trying to broaden the prospects of our futures and the Ministry is trying to stop us!" James said dramatically.

"I thought you were trying out for the Tornado's next month?" Albus asked with an eyebrow raised.

"We could do that next year," Fred shrugged.

"James, you're not going back to Hogwarts just so you can meet the new Defence Against the Dark Arts teacher," Harry groaned getting bored of the conversation.

"Has Professor Bayem had the baby then?" Albus asked. Professor Klara Bayem had been the Defence Against the Dark Arts teacher for the last four years. She was kind and understanding but nevertheless drove her classes to work incredibly hard. The news that she was pregnant had come out shortly after the new year which meant she was have to take maternity leave before the next school year started. There had been a lot of speculation about who would be filling the post for the year.

"Not yet, another week or two," Hermione said.

"I thought you got that French guy from Beauxbatons to cover her for the year?"

"We did, unfortunately, Professor LeBrau had a bit of a cauldron accident," Harry sighed.

"Is he alright?"

"Well…mostly. The explosion didn't actually cause that much damage, unfortunately, he inhaled a lot of the fumes. St. Mungo's has cleaned up his burn marks, now if they could just stop the fructose plants from growing out of his ears, he'll good as new," Hermione explained. "We had to find a last-minute replacement for him though."

"It's not fair!" James whined.

"Would you rather Hogwarts didn't have DADA teacher this year?" Hermione huffed.

"Who's the replacement?" Albus asked.

"Alexandria bloody Bonde!" Fred said looking dreamy.

That certainly explained it. James and Fred had pretty much ruled Hogwarts while they were there but nevertheless, they were excited about leaving to pursue professional Quidditch careers. And in their eyes, there was only one thing that measured up to Quidditch. Women.

"Name rings bell," Albus said.

"Rings a bell?!" James suddenly tackled his brother, pulling him into a headlock and ruffling his hair. "I know you're the most antisocial person in the UK Albus, but read the bloody paper occasionally!"

"James, get off him," Ginny groaned for what must have been the twenty-second thousandth time.

He let go and Albus pushed him away, putting some distance between them. His brother was difficult to tolerate at the best of times but when he was excited about something, it got so much worse.

"She's only the duelling champion of the wizarding world!" James declared. "And voted sexiest athlete three months in a row by Witch Weekly!"

"You read Witch Weekly?" Ginny ask with her eyebrows raised.

"Only for the pictures," James grinned.

Albus nodded without enthusiasm. Defence Against the Dark Arts was easily the subject he failed at most of all, followed closely by Transfiguration and Charms. But he could see why James and Fred were acting like overly excited Labradors. A woman and a famous athlete. What more could they want?

"But isn't she really young?" Albus said trying to remember what he had read when he'd last skimmed over the Daily Prophet.

"She's twenty-two. Right in my age bracket," James winked.

"We were a little bit concerned about her age, but after her performance in the final…well, no one can say that she doesn't know what she's doing. And using a Patronus to defeat Mikael Blomfist! Ingenious!" Hermione said excitedly. "It's never been done before!"

"Wish I had known that a Patronus could do that," Harry agreed.

"How did she win?" Albus asked despite feeling uncomfortable. Harry was well known for his Stag Patronus that he had mastered way younger than anyone else at Hogwarts. Albus, on the other hand, had never been able to produce one and probably never would.

"She commanded it to fly around him so fast that the vapor basically obscured his vision. Then she nailed him with a stunner," Harry grinned. "Wish I could have watched that fight. They said she was disapparating so quickly it was like she was everywhere at once. I've gotta remember to book tickets for next year's final."

"I'm glad Klara was able to convince her to do it," Ginny said. "You wouldn't want someone underqualified."

"I thought you asked her to teach?" Fred asked Hermione looking confused.

"Of course, I didn't. And I couldn't. I'm the British Minister. Alexandria Bonde, or Professor Bonde rather, is Swedish."

"Professor Bayem is Swedish as well!" James exclaimed suddenly caught on.

"Brilliant James," Albus dolled with enough sarcasm to paint the walls. "Why you didn't want to become an Auror, I'll never know."

"Least I could have been an Auror!" James spat. "What would you fight a dark wizard with? Numerology? It's one of the only subjects you passed isn't it?"

"And it's one of the ones you failed," Albus quipped. "Never mind James, maybe numbers just aren't your thing. We could always have a spelling contest."

James reached for his wand.

"Don't even think about it!" Harry warned.

James let his hand go loose. "Come on Fred, let's go to the shop. Maybe we can still meet her during one of the Hogsmead weekends."

He shot Albus one more ugly look before leaving the room. They heard the tell-tale crack of a disapparation a few seconds later.

"I've got to get back to the Ministry and finalize the change in staffing with Headmaster Torrens. Thanks for the tea, Gin," Hermione said using her wand to send her cup to the kitchen sink. "If I don't see you before, I'll try to get here early on Sunday for the party. It's going to be so wonderful!"

It was one of those very rare moments when Hermione reverted back to an excitable little girl before realizing she was supposed to be conducting herself with the dignity and confidence of a Minister. "I still can't believe Teddy is getting married!"

"We've known this was coming for a long time," Harry chuckled.

"I know, I know, but still," she gave one more squeak of excitement before disappearing on the spot. Now that it was just the three of them, Albus knew his reprimand was coming.

"Why do you two always have to antagonize each other?" Ginny asked crossly.

"Because we're related? Although James would never admit that," Albus scowled.

"I know your brother can be a bit of a handful at times, especially when it concerns Quidditch but…" Harry tried but was interrupted.

"Don't worry, dad. I have my own method of trying to teach James some humility," he said pulling a small brown object from his pocket, throwing it in the air and catching.

"Wait! Is that – Is that James's wallet?!"

"Yes. I pickpocket him when he's being annoying," Albus remarked as if it was a completely natural thing to do. Well…natural for a Slytherin.

Crack!

"Gimmi back my wallet you little –"

"James! Put that wand down!"