First of all I wish to begin by saying that not a fan of Harry Potter. Additionally you will not find none of the characters or events from the franchise in this story, so read at your own risk. Principle characters are unnamed and supporting ones named after the Zodiac signs. Long time ago, I guess must have been 2, 3 years by now. I had a nightmare in which I was the evil wizard's son or heir. I don't recount my dreams or nightmares so I have no idea how I recall this one especially after such a long time. Anyway the following story is based heavily on these experiences.
Long ago a battle took place between the most powerful warlocks ever to exist, one good, one evil. Before the battle began it was foretold that the defeat of the evil one would usher in a centuries long golden age of peace, prosperity, tranquillity and harmony. Likewise the defeat of the good one would make the beginning of a centuries long dark age.
The warlock of light was defeated by the warlock in all of darkness. As prophesised an era of untold repression and suffering began. Over the course of the next few decades billions, perhaps trillions of people lost their lives in genocides unparalleled in the history of existence itself. Their crime they simply had no place in the dark warlock' vision for his new world order. The most basic and fundamental rights were abolished such as the ones right to self-determination even the right to read books. Freedom was only a myth.
Education and books were tightly controlled entitled only to only the favoured few. The Academy of Wizardry and Warlocks was seized and a few selected students taught in the arts of darkness and black magic. As a direct ancestor of the evil warlock I myself was one those privileged students.
Despite a comfortable upbringing and having known only the ways of evil and darkness for my entire life, I had deep misgivings about the way how the world and everything in it worked. My inquisitive tendency often got the better of me. Since it is never is healthy to ask too many questions. It could cause me much trouble.
It wasn't uncommon to find monuments dedicated to the warlock of darkness everywhere. In every school each class had a portrait of him. There were horrible stories of students or teachers disappearing if any of these were treated in a manner that were deemed as defacing or disrespectful. For instance once there was a teacher who had tuned a picture of the warlock around to face the wall during a lesson, in another example a girl had drawn a smile on the warlocks portrait because she thought he looked sad and wanted to make him look more cheery, In both cases they disappeared never to be seen again. Send to slave labour camps? Definitely! Executed? Most likely!
An exception was that in the main square outside the academy there was a statue of the warlock of light. Rumour had it that it was the Warlock of light himself. Long ago upon the moment of his defeat he was turned into stone statue when the warlock of darkness struck him with a beam from his wand. Student of the dark arts whose loyalty was assured were told it serve seven key purposes.
* The celebration of his triumph.
* A testament to his victory.
* A tribute to his strength and greatness
* The indisputable superiority of evil over good
* To commemorate the first step in the beginning of his reign
* A testament of the supremacy of tyranny above all else
* The assurance of the eternal reign of tyranny
As part of general knowledge, test and preliminary exams the trivia of what does the statue serves for came up quite frequently. In the worst case student could be dismissed for getting even one of the answers wrong.
At the advance level of wizardry and sorcery a common substance used in spells, brews and potions was life giving powder. It has many applications. As the name suggests its purpose was mainly to bring life to inanimate objects, of course they would return to the original form after a few hours. The more powerful the spell the longer the object or entity remained animate. If a living entity was turned into stone or any other solidified object, then the life-giving powder can be used to reverse the spell, thus reverting them back into normal form. In such cases it usually does not require combination with other substances or compounds in order to be effective.
As a student of magic I couldn't help but muse over what would happen if one were to sprinkle life-giving powder on that statue. It would surely bring him back to life but what good would such a feat accomplish anyway. But by now such was the strength and power of the warlock of darkness that any alternative ideal to his rule was detected and intercepted before it could even manifest itself as a seedling never mind taking root. As for rebellion or resistance, before the flame can even ignite the ember itself would be extinguished. As the ancient prophecy foretold before its fulfilment the key to destiny of good and evil lay in the battle which the two warlocks fought decades ago.
I love reading and books despite that their use was restricted even banned. Not much to do in a world of death destruction apocalypse and eternal darkness.
With the help of three of my best friends Leo, Taurus and Gemini we broke into the forbidden library what we found there was a gold mine of books and literature. Trying to stay undetected we had a blast in reading all sorts of books and material on a variety of subjects including spells and magic we even experimented together. There was so much here even our studies couldn't cover it.
I had already learnt the story about my ancestor's victory, when upon the defeat of his opponent my ancestor struck the warlock of light with a beam from his wand and turned him to stone before placing him as a trophy in the main square outside the academy.
Accessing the texts in the forbidden library I made an astonishing discovery, it appears that my earlier hypothesis about sprinkling of life powder of restoring the warlock of light was not only correct. If that were to happen not only would he be brought back not just back to life but at the exact moment he was turned to stone centuries previously at the exact moment when he was defeated in battle.
I'm wondered further if that could happen maybe the outcome of the battle itself could be changed. The defeat of darkness and the victory of the light. It certainly would allow the golden age to arise and allow room for alternate ideals which could never happen in the present. Here it was crushed before it had even a chance to begin. My ancestor reign and his legacy were secure. Most importantly if the timeline could be altered and the warlock of light emerges victorious it would certainly ensure that millions perhaps billions of innocents would still have their lives. I may be someone who has been taught in the ways of darkness my entire life but do you believe in something better? Do you believe that there is a better way somewhere out there?
I don't know if good can be born out of evil but I understand this much my decision was based on conscience the lives of billions in exchange for mine. When I made up my mind to begin this quest the first thing I knew is that I wouldn't be coming back whether if I succeeded or failed. That is something I knew I could live with. The price of the defeat is nothing short of my execution and of all those who had lifted their fingers to help me.
But the rewards to be reaped for victory were far greater. Victory would ensure that billions who lost their lives would have the most precious thing that matters in this universe. The right to exist, I cannot be sure but, If the Warlock of light had won the battle all these centuries ago then whatever the outcome it, It would have been better than the reality everyone lives now. There has to be something better than this, there has to be something better than this.
Having made up my mind and now with the dark warlock's forces watching our activities I sprang into action and prepared to implement my scheme. To protect my friends I told them to disassociate with me at all cost and keep a low profile. Their response was to wholeheartedly come to my aid and stand my side to the bitter end.
With our plot unravelling at the last minute under a hail of fire we managed to steal the required quantity of the powder of life, race to the statue in the main square and pour the dust over it.
The plan worked, the Warlock of light managed to defeat the Warlock of darkness altering the timeline. Now instead of an age of darkness there would be golden age instead. I expected to die but I was alive, body and soul flesh and blood I couldn't understand it much less believe it. How could I exist when my biological ancestor was dead?
My presence drew the attention of the warlock of light and I told him my story, my origins. He listened attentively. I wondered out loud how I could be alive as he had just destroyed the man who was my direct ancestor, the man without whom I cannot exist. When I finished he told me that because the choice I made was a noble self-sacrifice, time itself granted me the most precious gift. Life! I was alive I would live but without the need of biological parents.
What a wonderful gift billions who were destined to die would be alive now. I myself who would have to trade my life was safe and alive. What greater privilege to live in an upcoming golden age.
Even so I was now indefinitely stranded in an unfamiliar past. I worried about my friends, would they be all right? Would I ever be able to see them again? Surely now in this alternate timeline they wouldn't even know me anymore.
The Warlock of light comforted me and assured me they would be fine. He took me to the crystal pool, through whose water and mist I would able to gaze into the now altered future. Through this I saw my friends in the most beautiful of all settings, a gold autumn. They were all there, Leo, Taurus and Gemini. They laughed, they played, they ran, they were happy and so was I. For whatever lies ahead I won't have to worry about any harm coming to them.
The Warlock of light assumed control of the Academy of Wizardry all students that had proven themselves to be hardworking and promising were enrolled with no regards to background. As such they were taught the ways and disciplines of light magic. As for myself well I just reached the end of one journey and stood at the beginning of another. In this unfamiliar reality I would have to carve a new life for myself and leave the old one behind.
For a start I knew I had to renounce magic. As a student of the dark arts I knew how much harm and misery it is capable of. Dark magic is a force that can never be allowed to let loose.
Perhaps I can start with something to read. I love books which were forbidden where I had come from. Here they would be in plenty. Who knows maybe one day I may be worthy to enrol at the wizard academy and learn the ways of the light.