A/N
Hey everyone, this is just a quick chapter I whipped out. As this is my first story, all advice is welcome. Enjoy!
Harry slowly opened his eyes and glanced lazily around the dark room. Water droplets could be heard echoing off the empty chamber, creating streaks through the grimy stone. Harry slowly got out of his bed and began walking to the ritual room located within Salazar's mouth. For 12 long years, Harry had remained hidden from the world since the battle of Hogwarts, isolating himself within the depths of the ruined castle. His footsteps echoed around the chamber, as he calmly strolled up to the mouth and placed a calloused hand on the cold brick. A familiar jolt shot through him as a metal door shimmered into view. Without a second thought, Harry pulled out the Elder wand and tapped out a pattern similar to the one required to enter Diagon Alley all those years ago. Quickly and silently, the door opened to reveal a huge white room comparable in size to the Great Hall. Gazing about, shelves containing almost every potion and ritual ingredient sat patiently waiting to be used. Like every other day, he approached the centre of the meticulous room and sat, meditating. However today was the day things changed.
Images of the final battle sprung out from behind his Occulemency causing him to shiver in sorrow. He saw his and Voldemort's wands connecting in Priori Incantatem before Harry's red stunner overpowered the Dark Lord hitting him squarely in the chest, sending him hurtling backwards into the castle door. Staring in shock at Voldemort's unmoving form, Death Eaters began to portkey to safety followed by almighty cheering emanating from all parts of the castle. Smiling in relief, Harry turned his back on the Dark Lord's form before a scream of pure rage silenced the celebrations. Rising from the debris, the air around Voldemort began to shimmer and crackle.
"You lose Harry!" he cried before an explosion rocked the Earth.
Flying through the air, Harry glanced up to the sky in shock before he collided with the cold lake and knew no more.
Only months later did he awake in the care of mermaids to discover the true ramifications of Voldemort's actions. In one spell, the millennia old Hogwart's castle was destroyed along with everyone inside.
"I'm sorry," Harry murmured to the empty room.
Voldemort had then gone on to conquer the wizarding world with almost all the resistance defeated that day. With the option to follow him or be killed, his ranks swelled and eventually went to war with the muggles. Nuclear bombs rained from the sky as whole continents were wiped off the Earth. All survivors of the human race now lived underground in fear of extinction.
After leaving the mermaids care, he returned to the castle and searched for long, arduous days for any signs of life. Even the ghosts seemed to have fled their home. His search uncovered another secret entrance to the Chamber of Secrets, and, to Harry's amazement, it was completely undamaged. Stumbling into the room he currently resided in, he encountered Salazar Slytherin's private research involving hundreds of rituals that could be completed using the contents of the room. Swearing an oath to avenge the fallen, he underwent almost every procedure outlined in the book. Light, dark or grey, Harry methodically enhanced his body to almost godlike status. Multiplying his core tenfold, he now had complete control over his magic and no longer required a wand to perform even the most difficult of magic. Stronger, fitter and more agile than humanly possible, his list of new powers and enhancements were almost endless. Delving deeper and deeper into the darkest magic known to mankind, his eyes began to shift from the famous green, to the luminescent blood red.
Sighing, he carefully opened Salazar's last ritual entry and began to gather the necessary ingredients. Floating them down from the shelves, he began placing them in four large circles surrounding a small centre point slightly elevated above the ground. Expertly and methodically, he drew Slytherin's long lost emerald dagger from his belt and started carving the required runes into the sides of the platform. With the sun dipping low in the charmed window, he stretched his aching back and stepped onto the platform. It was time to begin. Wandlessly summoning a final jar from the other end of the room, Harry reached in and grabbed the preserved heart that lay within. This ritual was different from the rest. Salazar designed it for any of his descendants as a last resort to enact revenge on those that took everything from them and change things for the better. Halfway through its completion, Salazar's was taken by Death yet over the years, Harry finished what he started. With the desired targets heart at the focal point to direct the magic, the descendant would then travel back into the past to kill their nemesis. Harry smiled and sat up straighter, eyes focused on the organ in his hand. With the death of Voldemort, the others would be safe; his death would bring peace to the world and save the human race from destruction.
Looking around the room fondly, he closed his eyes and began to chant. The torches blew out and the runes began to glow deep red, the same colour as Harry's eyes. His chanting increased in volume and speed as the ambient magic of the ruined school began to flow into the room. The walls and floors began to rumble and large cracks appeared causing some jars to fall and shatter on the stone ground beneath them. With a large explosion, a pitch-black bolt of lighting barrelled through the roof striking Harry squarely in the chest and he Harry knew no more.
Harry slowly opened his heavy eyes and groggily sat up. Disorientated and bleary eyed, he started to massage away the painful black bruise on his chest caused by the lightning. After shaking his head clear and focusing on his chest, he noticed purple tendrils emanating from the point at which he was struck. Grimacing in pain, he pinched the bridge of his nose and focused his magic to envelope his shaking body. Slowly but surely, the pain subsided and the fog clouding his thoughts dissipated.
Gazing around at his immediate surroundings, he appeared to be in a hospital of some kind. Potions and other healing materials surrounded his narrow bed and early sunlight was streaming through the open window. Where was he? How did he get here? According to his calculations, he should have appeared in the same location he left. Did he make a mistake, was his ritual flawed? Thinking back to Salazar's journal, he re-read the passage in his head, "…This ritual is a work in progress that should, if my research is to be trusted, send the essence of someone back in time. This will provide any of my descendants with the ability to fix the future as they know it. CAUTION: This ritual is to be completed as a last resort as any change in the timeline could lead to unforeseen consequences. YOU HAVE BEEN WARNED."
No, Harry thought, he should be in the chamber right now in his younger body. What went wrong? Swinging his legs off the hospital bed, he immediately noticed he was much taller than he ought to be. Was he not sent back far enough? Wandlessly conjuring a mirror, he stared into his at his own reflection for moment. "What is this," he yelled out loud. His jawbone was chiselled and defined. His face was very mature and signs of obvious stubble was irritating his face. According to his reflection and physicality, he would place himself around the age of 18. He came back much too late. So many had already perished by this point in the timeline.
Anger coursing through his veins, he transfigured his hospital gown into casual muggle attire and opened the door almost running into a teenage girl wearing glasses and holding an armful of what appeared to be homework.
Noticing the shadow cast on her petite figure, the girl's head snapped up and Harry stared deeply into green eyes almost as luminescent as his own. Letting her books and paper clatter to the ground she screamed "Harry!" before slamming into him almost winding him. Holding on to him as if he was her lifeline, she began to gush excitedly.
"I can't believe you're ok," she began. "Everyone thought that you were…"
Frightened, Harry pushed the girl harshly into the doorframe causing her to cry out in surprise. Breathing heavily, Harry straightened up and looked her in the eye once more. Spending years in solitude with only the portrait of Salazar for company, the Boy-Who-Lived had learnt to hide all emotion under a neutral mask. After endless hours of practise, he had perfected the art of the Slytherin mask however his reaction to the sudden physical contact with the girl was something unpredicted. Berating himself for his carelessness, he eyed her up and down, his calculating gaze memorising every detail. Looking at her closely, he couldn't help but compare her to his mother. Everything from her flaming red hair to vivid green eyes forced his brain to draw parallels between his few memories of Lily Potter.
Maybe I went further back than I thought, mused Harry.
Finished with his observations, he made his way to the door before being blocked once again by the red head.
"Harry?" she asked nervously. "It's me, Rose, your sister, don't you remember me?"