Harry Potter and the Heir of Gryffindor

Book Seven of the Harry Potter series

By Rougue

Inspired by the song "Right Here" by Stain'd

DISCLAIMER: I do not own Harry Potter (unfortunately) or any of its established characters. This is not the official story of the seventh and final Harry Potter novel. This is a kind of "alternate universe" story.

The song "Right Here" is owned by Stain'd, one of the best rock bands around today. I don't own the song, though I wish I did. This song was my inspiration to write this story. You'll see what I mean.

I have no problem if you decide to reference my story if you are inspired by it. Just remember to give me a shout-out!

This story is for nonprofit purposes. So, please don't sue me, J. K. Rowling! Consider this free advertising (though I'm sure by now everyone in the civilized world knows who you are without my help).

SUMMARY: Harry Potter skips his seventh year at Hogwarts, leaving everyone he knows and loves behind to save the world. His friends return to school to prepare for the inevitable final battle. But Ginny just can't focus on anything but the young man she loves more than anything else in the world. And a controversial figure, whose very name strikes fear in the heart of even the worst Death Eaters, is about to come forward and take his place among the defenders of good. The Harry Potter against Lord Voldemort saga begins to end now. Hang on for the ride. Buckle up. It will be bumpy, but nothing like the ride Rowling took us on in the real seventh book. HPGW pairing.

Oh, and one more thing. Since J. K. Rowling is British and is a known Monty Python fan, every chapter in this story will contain at least one reference to Monty Python, so be on the lookout for that and try to identify what they are.

And now, to the story!

Prologue: Undying Grudge

Geoffrey Gryffindor was strolling casually through the halls of Hogwarts in the evening hours of January 2, 1975, bored as usual. Not even Professor Slughorn could keep him busy very long with work, and so he searched through the school for the marks left behind by his predecessors. For Geoffrey Gryffindor was a 52nd generation descendant of Godric Gryffindor, one of the four original founders of Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry more than a thousand years ago. And at least six hundred Gryffindors before Geoff had walked down these halls, most with surnames other than Gryffindor, but still carrying the Gryffindor blood in their veins. His family lineage was something he was very proud of. It meant something to be a Gryffindor to him. And he had the classic Gryffindor look. Tall and lean (he was 5-foot-6) for his age (11 years old), with medium-length, shaggy brown hair and brownish-hazel eyes. In time, Geoff would become one of the most popular (and by female consensus, most handsome) young men in Hogwarts.

Geoff (as he was called by his friends, the closest of whom was fourth year Slytherin House student Severus Snape) was now walking near the gargoyle that blocked off the stairwell up to the Headmaster's office. Geoff enjoyed a good relationship with Headmaster Albus Dumbledore. Then again, who doesn't? he thought to himself as was about to walk past the gargoyle whose eyes he could swear were following him. Even for him, Hogwarts continued to hold great mysteries and surprises.

Suddenly, Geoffrey stopped on the spot. He felt a cold chill running through his entire body for no apparent reason. But for Geoff, he knew it spelled trouble, for this was the way his mind told him trouble was coming. Geoffrey Gryffindor was born with telepathic powers. He knew that something dangerous was coming from behind the gargoyle. Geoffrey pulled out his wand immediately and faced the stone figure, pointing his wand at it.

Slowly, the gargoyle jumped aside and the wall behind it split apart. Geoff watched as a tall man came into sight. He was wearing a long black cloak, which made his face, pale as the snow that fell outside the castle, stick out. His face appeared waxy in some way, as though it was burned and blurred somehow. His eyes also appeared to be slightly bloodshot. Geoff felt nothing but bad news coming from this man who stood before him. His mind was screaming for him to run or disarm him, but it seemed like the man's gaze froze him where he stood.

"Are you going to use that wand or will I have to snap it?" the man asked briskly. He had a high-pitched and raspy voice that put Geoff even more on edge.

"I'm sorry," Geoffrey apologized as he pocketed his wand. While he did that, a gold chain around his neck was momentarily visible to the man, "What is your name?"

"You can call me Voldemort," the man responded as he held out his hand, "And you are . . . ?"

"Geoffrey," Geoff said as he gripped Voldemort's hand with his, noticing how unearthly cold it was, "Geoffrey Gryffindor."

"Gryffindor?" Voldemort asked, now very interested in this boy, "Are you, by any chance, a descendant of Godric Gryffindor?"

"Fifty-second generation descendant," Geoff answered proudly, "Do you want to see the proof of my lineage?"

"Gladly," Voldemort responded as he looked at Geoffrey.

Geoffrey reached under the collar of his red long-sleeved shirt and grabbed the gold chain which Voldemort had seen a moment earlier. Geoff pulled the chain up until a medallion came out from inside the shirt. Voldemort saw the medallion's small diamonds and rubies creating the outline of the Gryffindor lion, which was reared up on its hind legs and roaring as it was about to strike. Voldemort knew exactly what the medallion was.

"May I . . . see it?" Voldemort asked hesitantly, stretching out his right hand expectantly.

Geoffrey's mind told him that to let Voldemort anywhere near his medallion was a mistake. There was something about those eyes . . . they seemed to be glowing a dull red instead of just appearing bloodshot. But he realized that they were right next to the Headmaster's office and that if Voldemort tried to steal his family heirloom, Dumbledore would be out in a moment to stop him. I guess it's okay to let him hold it for a few seconds, Geoff thought as he took the medallion off his neck and handed it over to Voldemort.

Voldemort's hand quickly closed around the medallion as he brought it closer to his face and looked at it. Indeed, it was the Gryffindor Family Medallion, passed down through the Gryffindor family from father or mother to favorite son or daughter. It proved that the boy standing before him was indeed a descendant of Godric Gryffindor himself. Voldemort already had a relic of three of the four Hogwarts founders already. If only I could have this one . . . Voldemort thought greedily.

Geoffrey saw the red in Voldemort's eyes suddenly glow bright. This scared Geoff very much. "I'd like it back now, please," he asked briskly.

"I'll buy this from you," Voldemort said quickly, "Name your price."

"I'm sorry," Geoff replied, "It's not for sale. My parents would kill me if I lost this in any way, if I didn't kill myself trying to get it back first."

Voldemort let the medallion slip out of his hands and into Geoffrey's. "I didn't think you would sell it," he informed, though Geoff had a feeling he was deciding whether he should try to take the medallion by force.

At that moment, the gargoyle jumped out off to the side again and the wall parted. Both Geoffrey and Voldemort looked at the door and saw Professor Dumbledore walk out. Like always to Geoff, he had the inextinguishable twinkle in his eye. "Trying to swindle Geoffrey out of his family heirloom, Tom?" he asked Voldemort with a smirk, but Geoff could see that the Headmaster was sad at something about the very pale man who stood before him.

"Of course not, Dumbledore," Voldemort replied, "I must be leaving now." He then walked down the hallway, his black cloak fluttering behind him.

"Sir, who was that man?" Geoff asked Dumbledore.

"His name is Tom Riddle," Professor Dumbledore responded, "And he used to be a student here at Hogwarts back when I was teaching Transfiguration. He was a very intelligent student, a prodigy in fact, but he was taken by dark forces inside him, I'm afraid."

"Why was he here?" Geoff inquired.

"He wanted to see if he could get a teaching job at Hogwarts," Dumbledore responded, "The Defense Against the Dark Arts job."

Everyone at Hogwarts knew that Professor Yeats would be retiring from that position at the end of this year. Geoffrey had many more questions about this mysterious man named Tom Riddle, but he had a feeling that Dumbledore did not want him to ask any more questions about him. And it wouldn't do him any good to try to read the Headmaster's mind; Dumbledore had learned how to block Geoffrey's mind probing almost immediately after school began. But Geoffrey Gryffindor had felt enough from Voldemort's presence to realize that he was a very dangerous wizard, with evil intentions for the world. And Geoffrey knew that one day, he and Voldemort would face each other in a battle to the death, with the fate of the world in the balance. It was always a Gryffindor's responsibility to fight evil, and he had just seen it.

"Is there anything you wanted to talk to me about, Geoffrey?" Dumbledore asked, that twinkle again in his eyes.

"No, not really," Geoff replied, "I was just taking a walk around the school."

Dumbledore smiled. "Well, you might want to get back to your room, or else someone may catch you in the hallways and may be very curious as what you may or may not be up to," he said, "Like dueling with a blancmange."

Geoff had a good laugh at that one. "Yes, Headmaster," he replied as he started walking back toward the Gryffindor common room, knowing that his mission in life was now clear. Like many other Gryffindors before him, Geoffrey would fight against evil to save his world. And there was no doubt in Geoff's mind that he would be the one to destroy Voldemort.

--

Geoffrey Gryffindor went through a doorway just four days after his fifteenth birthday on June 23, 1978, in the Gryffindor Manor in Great Yarmouth, England. The Gryffindor Manor was a magnificent mansion that had been originally built by Godric Gryffindor shortly after the founding of Hogwarts as a "summer school" of sorts for certain students to continue their education during the summer months. Later, it became a graduate school for wizards and witches to finish their education on teaching magic. From 1123 to 1495, the Hogwarts School of Teaching Witchcraft and Wizardry trained new wizard and witch teachers and professors, most of whom would go on to teach at Hogwarts, though it was famed throughout the Wizarding world as producing the best of the best teachers. In 1495, it was decided by the Ministry of Magic in England to move the Hogwarts Teaching School to Bangor, Wales. And thus, the Gryffindor family turned the former school into their home, handed down with the Gryffindor Family Medallion. That meant that Geoff would one day inherit the manor himself . . . provided he lived that long, which was no longer a certainty in this time.

"Hey Mum. Hey Dad," Geoff said as he came into the living room of the manor from a day with some friends from Hogwarts, "You wanted to talk to me?"

"Yes Geoff, we wanted to talk about your education plans for next year," his mother, Teresa Gryffindor, explained.

"My plans?" Geoff asked rather confused, "I plan on going to Hogwarts, like always."

"Son, you realize what it means to live anywhere in Great Britain right now," his father, Frank Gryffindor, replied, "What with this Voldemort going around killing good people."

"What are you trying to tell me?" Geoff asked, "Just get to the point."

His mother sighed as she handed a piece of parchment to Geoffrey. Geoff knew immediately that it was some sort of official form. He took a look at it. "The Worcester Wizard's Academy?" he asked, "What is this?"

"We want you to transfer to Worcester," his father explained calmly, "Your mother and I feel that it's too dangerous for you to stay in Britain now. With all the friends you have on both sides of this war, we don't want you getting caught in the middle of it. You'll be safe in the States and while Worcester is no Hogwarts, it's still a good school. Great Quidditch team, as well, from what I've heard."

Geoff's response was anything but calm. "So you want me to be the first Gryffindor in almost 1,200 years to not finish his or her education at Hogwarts?" he asked quickly and sharply.

"Geoff, you have to understand that your relations make you especially vulnerable," his mother pleaded, "You have to understand that we're just trying to do what's best for you. To keep you safe."

"My friends aren't things I can just shed from me when it's not convenient," he said as he took off the Gryffindor Medallion and handed it to his father, "Here, in case I do die, you can give it to Gina." He then walked out of the manor.

"What was that all about?" Severus Snape, who had just graduated from Hogwarts, asked as Geoffrey slammed the door behind him.

"Nothing important," Geoff replied as they walked away from the manor, a look of grim determination on his face.

Seeing the medallion back in his hand, Frank Gryffindor began to cry. Geoff would get the medallion back before returning to Hogwarts for his fifth year, but he had drawn a line almost five years ago. He would not be scared by Lord Voldemort in any way. He had stared the man in the eye and knew he was still human. He could be defeated and killed. And Geoffrey Gryffindor wanted to prove it. But right now, he had to catch up with another group of Hogwarts friends at a wedding. Unfortunately, Severus wasn't invited to this one.

--

A 17-year-old Geoffrey Gryffindor, Head Boy at Hogwarts now, was working on his speech for the June 20 graduation ceremony at Hogwarts on May 16, 1981 when all of a sudden he heard large cries from the Gryffindor common room. Immediately, he dropped his quill and the parchment he was holding and rushed downstairs to find his ex-girlfriend, Charity Burbage, crying her eyes out. There was a copy of the day's Daily Prophet at her feet where she sat in a chair.

Geoff walked over and said, "Charity? Is something wrong?"

She looked up at Geoff and replied, "Just read the paper," then started crying again.

Geoff bent over and picked up the paper while the other girls comforted her, looking at the page that Charity had been reading.

"...Reginald and Samantha Burbage disappeared yesterday. They were last seen in a gift shop in Diagon Alley, presumably searching to find a gift for their daughter's graduation from Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry on June 20 . . . ," Geoff read to himself, Oh heavens above! Her parents are missing! This is awful!

"Charity," he said to her, "I'm so sorry. I'm hope your parents are okay."

Charity stood up and slapped Geoff's face to the shock of everyone else present. "Geoff, just shut up! You know they're dead! You-Know-Who killed them! Stop trying to cheer me up! You always treat these things like they're nothing, it sickens me!" she shouted as she stormed away crying her pretty blue eyes out.

Geoff felt genuinely hurt by those comments, more than by the slap. He walked back into his room slowly, picked up his stuff, and laid down on his four-poster bed face up, staring at the ceiling. Why does everyone fear him so much? he asked himself, It makes no sense. He's only a wizard, nothing more. I will defeat him. No matter what anyone does to stop me, I will defeat him.

What Geoffrey Gryffindor did not see coming was that the young baby boy of two of his former schoolmates would "destroy" Voldemort just five months from now, and that his mission in life would no longer be to defeat the evil wizard, but to make sure that the baby boy, Harry Potter, would fulfill destiny one way or another. But before another year would pass, Geoffrey Godric Gryffindor would come to learn just why everyone feared this dark wizard. Voldemort would soon hurt Geoffrey Gryffindor in a way that would nearly kill him. But his survival would create a monster to rival the Dark Lord himself.

--

Author's Notes: Well, there's the beginning. I hope you liked it. Sorry for posting so late today, but I honestly thought today was Thursday and not Friday. But I posted the start of this story on time.

By the way, this story has gone through quite a few changes through its life so far, mostly due to Rowling filling in a lot of empty spaces with Deathly Hallows that I felt were much better than things I came up with. You'll notice a lot of things that I picked up directly from Deathly Hallows over the course of this story. It's not meant to be filling in for a lack of originality, but as it makes my story as a whole better with Rowling's explanations instead of my own.

With that in mind, however, there may be a few discrepancies within the story, such as different versions of the same story. A few of these will be intentional, but most of them will probably be things I overlooked in the editing process. So if you guys notice anything that just doesn't seem right or is different from what is said elsewhere in the story, please let me know through a review or a message of some kind.

The story is only a bit past the halfway mark in terms of being written, but I have a good idea of how the whole story will go at this point. It's all a matter of putting it down into words, which is harder than it sounds. But as I go through that process, things may have to change in prior chapters (which is why I don't enjoy posting stories until they are finished). My apologies for this, but I need to start posting this thing now. It's waited too long at this point already, but I didn't want to just leave behind a half-finished story.

Like in my prior story posted on this site (which is strongly recommend that you check out in the Zelda section), the writing quality will get better as time goes on. Keep an eye out for that.

Well, I think that's all I have to say for now. Until then, read, review, look for the Monty Python reference(s), and enjoy.