The following is the original author's note by shadowkass101.
AN: Reading of Miranda Flairgold's A Second Chance at Life, as Miranda states 'If you want to use any of my ideas in your fics you may, just please note where the idea comes from.' However I am to take this literally and use the actual story in a 'reading of' set-up.
Sadly it looks like Miranda is no longer updating the series she has created masterfully. And due to it being my favourite fiction on this site I thought I might honour it by applying it as a 'what if' X-over reading.
Special note to Crossoverpairinglover for the concept of the story I hope you don't mind but the idea is amazing and I had to write one for this.
All uses of characters belong to either Miranda Flairgold or JK nothing in this story is owned by myself apart from some O/C's that direct.
Please note as well that while I am using spell checkers and all that, I am Dyslexic and without a Beta reader, for that you have my apologises for any bad grammar or spelling.
End note
Do note that this fanfiction will be removed if Miranda Flairfold return from her hiatus (and no one can convince me otherwise) and disapproves.
Disclaimer: I do not own Harry Potter and the ASCaL Trilogy belongs to Miranda Flairgold. And this plot belongs to shadowkass101.
Since it's just before Christmas, the attack with Arthur and Nagini didn't happen.
Chapter 0.5 – A Toad, a Titan, and a Vampire Walk Into the Great Hall
Christmas was fast approaching the cold wind blasted castle of Hogwarts. Soon, children and adults would embark on their trips back home on the comfy—and most importantly—warm Hogwarts express. Many of the children were looking forward to this Christmas in particular; they thanked the stars for a chance to escape from She-Who-Must-Not-Be-Named. From whom, you might ask. Well, that's simple, really; it can only be the giant pink toad in disguise, over bloated and with the fashion sense of a blind leprechaun drunk on firewhisky.
That wasn't the worst of it, though. No, this toad had a name, a name that, unfortunately, had power within the wizarding world. Dolores Umbridge, Senior Member of the Ministry of Magic, Defence Against the Dark Arts Professor, and to some, a poor excuse of humanity.
The night before term ended found Professor Umbridge inside her shockingly pink office, sitting on a high-backed, hot pink, plush chair. On her lap was a cat one would assume was dyed pink, with a look of 'End it now! Please!' plastered on its face.
"Oh! Mrs. Fluttersworth! We have that disgusting half-blood now!" She stated to her cat in a deep butch accent. "That little attention seeking brat's secrets will all be mine! But can I?" She pondered.
She looked at her fireplace, wondering if there were any laws against this sort of thing. Yet as hard as she wracked her tiny brain, she could not recall any laws against this unheard-of magic. Not that it really mattered; she was sure that the Minister would give permission for its casting anyway if she simply asked. He did, after all, give his consent for the Blood Quills. What was the use in being Minister if you couldn't get rid of a few pesky laws? She stood up, placed Mrs. Fluttersworth onto her desk, and walked to the fireplace, grabbing a handful of floo powder as she went.
Umbridge threw some floo powder into her fire, "Office of the Minister for Magic." She called out, switching back to her unnaturally high voice. She waited for perhaps half a minute before a face appeared.
"Ah, Madam Umbridge! I'm afraid I'm rather busy at the moment. You see, Amelia is currently in my office with a few Daily Prophet reporters in regards to your newly acquired position." Minister Fudge informed her.
"Oh, but Minister, this is a perfect time then! I have here a way that we can use to expose all of that Potter boy's lies in a way that not even he can talk his way out of!" Umbridge announced, grinning like, well, a cat (but that's only because toads don't grin)."The fact that Madam Bones is with you is wonderful news! I have found a way to create a book that is 100% accurate regarding a selected person's life. Every thought, action and little secret all written down neat and tidy." By this point, Umbridge was practically dancing with joy! Oh, how she loved it when things worked out.
Minister Fudge himself looked like a child on his very first Christmas, "Are you certain?" He asked, "Truly, an account of all his actions?" He turned away from the fire and Umbridge heard him call to the others in his office "Lady, gentlemen, there are urgent happenings at Hogwarts that you might be interested in. Please follow me through the Floo."
At this statement, Umbridge backed away from her fireplace as the forms of Minister Fudge, Madam Bones and two reporters from the Daily Prophet appeared.
"Ah, Madam Umbridge. Please explain this wonderful way you have found of showing the public that we, at the Ministry, value the truth." Minister Fudge all but demanded as he took a seat at Umbridge's desk.
"Of course, Minister! I have been looking through some of the past Defence Professors' books that have been left in the office, simply to see how low the level of teaching at Hogwarts has fallen. When reading one of the older, more battered books, I found this nifty spell that would allow for one person's life to be written into a book. It must be read out within one week of its creation and within close proximity of the subject. No secrets can be hidden and the subject's very thoughts are transcribed for us to read!" A gleeful Umbridge explained. "Furthermore, due to the subject in question having a high level of popularity and importance to our society—and being a half-blood—our Minister here can allow for us to perform such a spell on the individual."
"You mean to tell me then," Madam Bones demanded, "That the 'subject' in question would be one Harry Potter? A person that Professor Dumbledore would protect with all his power?"
Madam Umbridge looked worried for a moment before Minister Fudge tried to placate her, "Ah, Madam Bones, we need not worry about that. As Minister, I can allow this spell to be cast. After reading over it, we can do it before Dumbledore can attempt to stop us. Now, as your Minister, I must demand that you act within your official capacity under my directions until after the reading is complete."
Madam Bones looked furious—no, she looked downright murderous. "I will see to it that the rights of people are protected, Minister. I will, in accordance of your will, do this, but then I will resign. I cannot and will not be part of a Ministry that condones such an act!"
"Hem hem, alright Madam. We will take your resignation request after this has been done." Madam Umbridge stated in a sickly sweet tone of voice. "For now, however, please follow us and help escort our friends from the Daily Prophet to the Great Hall."
~o0o~
"ATTENTION! ALL STUDENTS AND PROFESSORS ARE TO REPORT TO THE GREAT HALL FOR AN END OF TERM ANOUNCEMENT. ATTENDANCE IS MANDATORY, THOSE WHO DO NOT ATTEND WILL BE PENALIZED WITH 100 HOUSE POINTS AND A WEEK OF DETENTIONS FOR EACH HOUR THAT THEY WILL BE MISSING. YOU HAVE UNTIL 10 PM TO BE SEATED AND SILENT."
In the Gryffindor Common Room, Harry abruptly sat up in his seat near the fire. His hand made a splash as he jolted up from the wonderfully soothing Murtlap Essence that Hermione had made for him.
"I wonder what that miserable old toad wants now." He asked his friends.
"No idea, mate, but we better get there fast;" said a groggy Ron, "There might be more food." Personally, Harry really didn't think so, but he couldn't think of any plausible explanations of his own, so he went along with it.
"Haven't you just eaten? You can't still be hungry." Questioned Hermione.
"Oh, I'm not hungry, but I won't say no to more!" Ron grinned.
With that said, the trio joined the rest of their House on the way to the Great Hall for what they were sure was a horrible announcement.
'I have a really bad feeling about this.'
~o0o~
As the students filed into the Great Hall, the staff was already sitting at the head table–minus Professor Umbridge, of course.
Bathsheba Babbling, the Ancient Runes Professor, leaned across to Charity Burbage, the Muggle Studies Professor, "Well, I wonder what this is about; no more changes to our school, I hope." She said. "There really isn't much more about Hogwarts that can be changed other than what already has," Babbling paused and amended her statement, "Well, other than if she wants to start redecorating. I swear, next time she 'hem hem's' me, I'm going to draw a runic circle under her desk in the Defence classroom that makes her chair croak when she sits down."
Professor Burbage giggled softly into her glass of orange juice—she simply couldn't stand pumpkin juice. "Now, now, Bathsheba," she chided gently, "She might hear you. We never know when she might hop in."
As both ladies giggled to each other, Professor McGonagall looked towards Dumbledore with worry in her eyes, "You don't think she will try to gain more control over the school, do you Albus?"
Dumbledore turned his head to face her, "Not yet my dear; I understand that she has brought guests."
Over at the Gryffindor table, Harry was getting worried. 'What does the old cow wants with us now? She can't do much more, can she?' He thought, looking at his right hand with a grimace. Yes, a voice in his head said, she can do much, much more. After all, it's not like any of the professors stopped her from doing what she has so far.
"Cheer up, mate! You look exactly like Ginny did when she first found out that Santa Claus isn't real." Ron stated.
Ginny looked over at Ron with a scowl and threw a bat-bogey hex at him. "Arse! It was your fault I found out when I was 4!" Ron, however, showed his Keeper's reflexes born from playing a lot of Quidditch at home and caught the hex in his hand, closing his fist around it.
"RON! What did you do? How did you do that? That shouldn't be possible!" Hermione exclaimed frantically, looking as if she was ready to dash off to the library at any moment, and the only thing keeping her in her seat was the potential point loss and detentions.
"I..." Ron stopped, looked at his hand, which he was struggling to hold closed. Turning white with worry, he opened it with trepidation. "A BAT! I HAVE A BAT GROWING ON MY HAND!" He waved said hand over his head, trying to shake it off, oblivious to the laughter of the rest of the table.
"Oh, of course! The hex targets the bogeys and grows from them" Hermione deducted, then she realized something, "RON! Did you pick your nose? You must have. Ugh, your disgusting sometimes!"
"I don't care! JUST GET IT OFF!" Ron exclaimed, and gave an almighty wave over his head. The bat came free and flew off, but not under its own power.
"ARGHHH!" BANG!
The Great Hall went deadly silent as Professor Severus Snape slowly rose to his feet, blood pouring from one nostril and a bat trying to crawl up the other. With one hand, he yanked the bat free and looked at it. The bat shrieked and fainted from the power of his glare.
"Mr. Weasley," he started, walking slowly towards the Gryffindor table, "Congratulations! The house elves are sure to thank you for kindly volunteering to scrub their chamber pot's until they say they are clean." He turned and stalked up to his place back at the head table. "Oh, and Mr Weasley? I'm going to treat them tonight to vindaloo."
"Hermione, what's a vindaloo?" Asked Ron. Hermione paled then turned green
"Oh Ron, oh poor, poor Ron." Was all she managed to say.
Before he could question anymore as to why it was poor Ron, the doors to the Hall opened. In its entrance stood Minister Fudge, Umbridge, Amelia Bones, and the two reporters from the Prophet.
"Ah, splendid; it looks as though everyone is here!" Minster Fudge remarked, "Shall we proceed, Dolores?"
"Certainly, Minister." She smiled, "I'm sure that we can arrange for five more seats at the head table." With that, the five walked down the hall.
Minister Fudge paused next to Harry on his way. Not for the first time, Harry cursed the fact that the Gryffindor table was one of the middle tables along with Ravenclaw—then he cursed himself for sitting in the middle aisle.
"Now, Harry." He said, placing a hand on Harry's shoulder, "I'm sure that everything will be settled soon and the truth will come out." He walked off, grinning like a madman, missing the look of disgust Harry shot him.
"I've got it Dolores, a single fresh hair." He mumbled to her under his breath.
Upon reaching the head table, Umbridge looked at Dumbledore with a triumphant look on her face, "Headmaster, I require some more seats for the Minister, myself, Madam Bones, and our two guests here." She said with her sickly smile still in place.
"Professor Umbridge, Minister, Amelia, may I ask what pleasure brings you all to Hogwarts today? And to call such a gathering." He said eyes twinkling. His twinkle faded slightly as Amelia shot him a 'Stop this! Now!' look.
"That will be revealed shortly, Dumbledore." Said Fudge. "Our seats, if you please."
Looking curious now, but still somewhat worried, Dumbledore swept his wand to the side and five chains zoomed towards him, swerving at the last moment to place themselves at the end of the head table. "Your seats." He said.
Minister Fudge, Madam Bones, and the two reporters sat down while Umbridge turned to address the hall, "Hem hem!" She cleared her throat, causing the hall to fall silent. Umbridge inwardly grinned, thinking that they had finally learned that she was their better. "Students and staffs of Hogwarts, I have called you here today to offer you a chance to see the truth," she announced dramatically, "A chance to see why we, at the Ministry, do not follow the lies spread by some... unmentionable people." She said glaring at Harry. "Minister, if you please?"
Minister Fudge placed the hair he had stolen from Harry onto the table and looked at Madam Bones. Reluctantly, she sharply clapped her hands twice and two Aurors entered the hall, each taking their station on either side of the doors—but not before they closed and locked them. The only thing that prevented Harry from suspecting that it was a Death Eater plot and start shooting curses was the fact that the two Aurors were Tonks and Shacklebolt.
The action caused much to the alarm of the staff.
"What is the meaning of this?" Dumbledore asked in an icy tone of voice.
"From now on, no one is to leave this hall without my direct permission." She turned to the hair and pointed her wand pointed at it. Then, she spoke, "Praeteritum prodere, abscondit, praesentibus post ostendit oculis hominum. Nunc iter ad merge in futurum. Quaerimus intellegere ante peccatum. Ostende nobis Titan ostendit nobis quae desiderari." As the spell ended, there was a big bang.
~o0o~
Darkness, unending darkness greeted Harry.
"Son of a—! That stupid, idiotic—!" A voice exclaimed.
"Hello?" Harry asked tentatively.
The light came back on, but instead of being greeted with the by now familiar Hogwarts Great Hall, Harry was instead greeted by a giant. No, more than a giant. This man, and Harry seriously hesitated in calling him one, could make giants cry out in fear. But he shrank, down he came, down to just above Harry's height.
"Mr. Harry Potter?" the now not-so-giant man asked.
"Yes, that's me, sir." Harry said, thinking it would be best to be polite to this unknown.
"Mr. Harry James Potter of World 2488754? Otherwise known as Rahkesh?" The man continued his questioning.
"World of what? And who? I'm Harry and um… I'm from Earth?" A now very confused fifteen year-old said.
"Not Rahkesh, then. Damn! Damn! Damn! Damn!" The man started to pace. "She has no fucking idea how much work it will take to fix this goddamned mess!" the man ranted.
"Um, excuse me, sir? What mess? Where am I?" A confused Harry asked.
The man turned towards Harry and visibly calmed down. "Harry, there exists an infinite number of possibilities, and within each, at the very least a single individual has chosen a different action. Every action is a choice. Think of time like a pair of trousers; you can go down one leg or the other."
Harry looked lost, "You mean that there are more worlds? More... Voldemorts?"
"Yes." The man stated "However, as I said, each one is different through choices. Why, in one, Voldemort is a dance teacher at Hogwarts School of Classical Music. That ended with an alternate you using a nuke on the place." All Harry could do was catch flies. "Close your mouth, boy. As I said in my little rant, I now have to fix a mess caused by that Toad. Again."
Closing his mouth, Harry asked tentatively, "Again, sir? And what exactly happened?" He chose to ignore a dancing Voldemort.
The man looked at Harry and drew himself up, "That spell the toad used can only be cast once a year using the fresh hair of the target person. The moon must have just fully left an eclipse, and on top of that, the spell must be cast by someone proven to be pure of heart. Sadly to say, the hair wasn't fresh, there was no eclipse, and I've seen hardened criminals more pure of heart than she is. The toad also left out a key sentence to bind the spell, safe to say. Hell, she wouldn't even have succeeded in getting a spark out of the spell if it wasn't for the ambient magic lingering around Hogwarts. Your world is currently dust; each memory, each person floating in the in-between. And it just happens to be my duty to fix things like this."
"Sir, did you say dust?! My friends! Everyone! You can fix it can't you? Please say you can." Harry cried.
"Definitely no Rahkesh, then. Yes, boy, I can fix it. I will need the starting point of the spell and a task must be done. You hear me? It must be completed if I am to fix this mess."
"I will do anything, sir." Harry vowed, "Anything."
"It's simple. I send you back with an anchor to the other reality that you had been blown into. And the anchor, a story, must be read. Do you understand me, boy?"
"Yes, sir. I will make sure that the story is read." Harry promised.
"Good, I will send you back now. I will be with you shortly."
Before Harry's world went black once more, he was sure that he heard the man mumbling, "Now, A Second Chance at Life should be enough, but all the good bits are in Changes in a Time of War. Guess I'll just let them decide."
~o0o~
The Great Hall of Hogwarts greeted Harry once he opened his eyes again. It looked like everyone was either knocked out or thrown from their seats. As far as he could tell, he was the only one awake so far. Not surprising. After all, if a giant of a man who can bend the rules of everything wants you awake, you wake.
Looking up he noticed that the night sky was missing; it was just blackness, a pure consuming black that would welcome him with open arms and never let go. Harry shivered, not wanting to look at the not-sky anymore.
He heard from groaning all around him; it seems like everyone was now waking up, looking around them wondering what had happened.
"MADAM UMBRIDGE!" Yelled Dumbledore, you didn't need to look at him to hear how angry he was—you could feel it in the very air itself. It was crackling with barely controlled magic.
Minister Fudge and Umbridge seemed to feel it, "Y-yes, Professor?" She squeaked. "Explain to me what was going through your head when you cast an unknown spell without researching it thoroughly and without permission on one of my students." Dumbledore ordered, making everyone in the room feel 12 and under.
"I needn't explain to you, Headmaster." Umbridge stated, "I am no longer a student of yours, nor am I under any obligations to explain to you why we, at the Ministry, felt that this was a calculated risk. Furthermore, since the target of the spell is a half-blood orphan, we are allowed to do as we wish to him under Ministry Laws 1917-1945 Orphan Reforms." Shock ran through the hall at this proclamation.
"You WHAT?" Harry yelled, beginning to see red.
"What indeed, Mr. Potter." A voice boomed around the hall, "In all the universes I have seen, of all the laws I know, that is one of the most... disgusting."
"SHOW YOURSELF! I will not discuss Ministry Laws with an unknown nor shall I discuss them at this time!" Shouted Umbridge.
"Very well." The voice said. Out of nowhere, a giant of a man appeared. He was dressed in a metal unknown to most, a golden hue reflecting from its very surface as if alive.
"I am a Titan, a Master of Creation, Order and Reality, and you," the Titan paused, "You, Toady," He said pointing a finger at her, "You are a complication. I have never had anybody shatter as many realities as you."
As purple as Umbridge was in the face, it almost looked as though she would explode on the spot. "There is no such thing! I will have you arrested!"
"SILENCE!" The Titan yelled, "You will be silent; you have no idea what you have done, no idea of the monumental task that now befalls myself and some others. You have destroyed this reality with your half-arsed, half-baked plan to show lies that only exist in your feeble little mind."
"..." Umbridge couldn't say a word.
"Excuse me, what is a Titan? What business do you have in my school and what do you mean regarding our reality?" Asked Dumbledore.
"As I stated, a Titan is a creator and defender of realities. My business is thus; this... woman, by mistakenly using a spell left here in times of past, has destroyed your reality. The blackness you see outside is the end of everything, the end before its time. It needs to be fixed, and for that, I needed the place and subjects of origin to carry out the repair. The way it was destroyed was simple; through a spell to read the alternate life of an individual that was butchered so badly you can't tell the up from the down." While he was talking, he began to shrink to a normal-sized man next to Harry.
"To fix it, we need to untangle the threads of your time from the other. Thankfully, we are practiced at this and it can be done by simply reading the alternate so we can see the entangled moments and analyze the differences." Resting a hand on Harry's shoulder he continued, "This young man is your catalyst. I have already received his approval for it—both him and his alternate—no one else has a right to object. Now, I will lay out some rules for you. One, I will invite guests to join this reading. They are NOT to be harmed in any shape or form. Two, the reading will be done magically, automated, and if someone speaks out above a certain volume, the reading will pause. Three, the reading must be completed or else this reality will shatter once and for all with no chance of recovery."
"I understand. Mentions of your race are told within obscure texts around the world, I will make sure it is done Lord Titan," Dumbledore agreed and bowed. With a smile, the Titan waved a hand, silencing Umbridge who was about to protest. "Keep them in check, Headmaster Dumbledore." The Titan faded away.
The doors to the hall blew open with a bang, a figure standing at the entrance. A very tall, very handsome, dark-haired, silver-eyed man who had a small scar running through one eyebrow walked towards the head table without a sound. The doors closed behind him. Clicking his fingers, an ornate chair appeared at one end of the table, next to Charity Burbage. The woman blushed as he looked at her.
"Identify yourself." said Dumbledore
The man looked amused, "I am Tristan Namach." he said, and sat down.
Dumbledore paled. The two reporters at the other end of the table tensed, then relaxed and Tristan sent them a brief look. "Tristan Namach? Of Akren?" Dumbledore asked, clenching his wand.
Namach grinned, showing the pointed teeth of a vampire. "The very same, tasked by a Titan to help fix your mess and have a little holiday from the war in my reality. You need not worry young man," he said to Dumbledore, "I'm not here to harm a fly, a toad maybe, but not a single living being otherwise." 'But that's not to say that I won't if they annoy me.'
Umbridge yelled, "Filthy, disgusting, less than human MONSTER!" She threw a curse at Namach.
Namach casually moved his head to the side, dodging the spell. His power came to the forefront of his mind and the hall coated itself in ice. When he spoke again, his silky smooth voice did nothing to hide the threat underneath. "Though I understand that toads aren't the smartest of amphibians, they should at the very least be in possession of the most basic survival instinct. Do you require me to teach you why exactly they are necessary?"
"Forgive us, Mr. Namach, she is a bit slow but will now comply with every word the Titan said, isn't that right?" Dumbledore said, looking at Umbridge.
"Y-yes, headmaster." She replied, sinking into her seat.
"Very well then... commence the reading." Namach said.
A Second Chance at Life - written by Miranda Flairgold a voice said from everywhere and nowhere.
~o0o~
And that's the end of chapter 0.5. It was mostly written by shadowkass101, I just did some edits.
In this story there will probably be a lot of assumptions about Miranda Flairgold's work, otherwise it won't make much sense. There are a few inconsistencies in the trilogy. Off the top of my head, I can think of three. 1) Ally was in the bloodmagic class, but then she wasn't. 2) Italy apparently doesn't exist. 3) Atlantis was destroyed by the elves or by the demons.
If anyone else has noticed other mentionable things, I would appreciate it if they could tell me. And if they have any ideas for the story, those would be appreciated as well.
I'm bad at writing character interactions, so a lot of people will probably be out of character. A good portion of the student populace will be mute.
And this fic will contain lots and lots of spoilers.