I know its been a while folks, unfortunately had a health issue that could not be ignored for a while. Made me viciously sick.
Anyway while waiting had millions of ideas running through my head and this once insisted on coming out.
This is to understand what is to come. When I refer to weres these are ones that are made. Bitten like Remus Lupin was by Fenrir Greyback and so forth. They must shift at the full moon.
Shifters are those who are born. They can be magically inclined but do not require anything to learn to shift. They just do and they can shift anytime.
Prologue
A Letter from a friend
Albus Dumbledore,
When you think that I cataloged magic creatures for my book, you would believe that I got them all. I traveled, I searched. and I befriended everything I could until I did.
After all my book was to be accepted widely by the magic community, especially for school children as you yourself decreed as a professor of Hogwarts. But you see there was one group that I missed. One that apparently only Merlin knew about for eons till even they were forgotten in all but one way apparently. That is when one approached me….
Known simply as shifters, they were men and women who had the ability to turn into animals. Secretive and a tendency to travel in groups such as the weres you all know of. But unlike some of their descendants they could not only change at any time of the month or even day, they also had extremely large reserves of magic.
Why may you ask?
To protect their people the shifters would create wards. Barriers of a sort that would hide their homes from all that would seek them out. Always maintained through their Alphas the wards protected the clans from danger. For as we all well know humans or muggles as we of the wizarding world all them or afraid of what they do not understand. The desire to destroy for the sheer power they can wield was staggering as many hunted them for their power, their treasures and even simply their lives.
Shifters could travel through time, alter reality, and above all bind themselves with those who are destined to be with them. These bonds created a link that could not be broken as it connected each clan member to the Alphas or the strongest shifters as one would say. In fact the closeness, the sharing through the bond enabled these shifters to live hundreds of years. Because every time they would shift. That which was old and broken would heal anew.
Valuable for with the love and loyalty...one could live forever.
Merlin knew this and with the aide of one who had ventured outside the safety of his village and befriended. The two and many others would set about contacting as many clans as he could. The tribes at first reluctant, some agreed, while others had to be shown that they could be dominated into submission.
Knowing he has their aide and including that of many other magical creatures such as centaurs, unicorns. The spell would begin.
The Alphas all over the world would channel the power of those along side them. Their strength to power the beginning stage, the focus of the wizards the guide in the second, and the magical creatures of all kinds would be those who would take with them and extend it into reality hiding in a sense the magic.
When done albeit weak, all those who lent their strength and made for the trip home. They knew the spell had worked when those who had never been. They could not see the village or the people within unless those inside allowed them to. It was the same all over the world. Homes became hidden, villages seemed to disappear and even those that were seen, they appeared normal. Even muggle like to those who approached.
People would never know that they were in a magical community. They would only see what was meant to be seen by those within. And those within could only show them their world if they fully loved and bonded with one another.
Hence the magical world was born. Those who stayed within thrived and were at peace. Those who chose to be out, did the same but in secret and for some to spin tales of things that existed. And do so in such a way that in time, they become myth and legend.
I only tell you this now as one secret keeper to another….remember, for there will come a time when all creatures and all things magic must unite.
Newt Scamander
8-8-8-8-8
The Evans house, years later Surrey.
Watching the family inside playing with their adorable child, the cat looked down at the basket by her paws. Her fur color a deep red, the cat seemed to almost blend with the shadows as she waited for the night to arrive. Her large size making her seem like a panther, she was lucky that the bushes and trees hid much of her form.
Having run as fast as she could, she knew the woman and her husband were kind and loving. After all Jessica was one of them and her sister. At times in the clan there would be those unable to shift at all. Their powers granted by their animal spirits were locked within them, they could still do magic which was something that the cat knew well. But the pack would not allow them inside. Not without a mate to help bond them to the others.
Jessica was the type to find love on her own. And not when placed upon her. And she found one in wizard named Alex, who knew her family's secret as he was one of the few they could trust. It is why they were happy to let him know of the shifter's existence. They could come to their home for aide and for safety when needed.
Sniffing the air, a mournful sound erupted as a wolf came to stand by her. Black as midnight and larger then her, this wolf exhibited eyes that were of the brightest blue. A sadness to match her own within, he nuzzled her with a tenderness that made her even sadder as darkness overcame them.
Their bodies shifting, a woman with long red hair that curls ever so gently stands naked. Her green eyes soft and tender, she picks up the child in the basket, who curls up into her embrace. The man who hair was dark and to his shoulders stands beside her. Naked as well, he concentrated for a moment to clothe them both. Him in a simple pair of jeans and white shirt, and her into a dress of the brightest yellow. Both seemed to almost be breathing in the scent of the child they both adore.
"Why must we do this Jackson, she's our little girl." She cried sadly as she holds the baby close to her heart.
"You know why Elaine, that bastard did something to her. I don't want to let her go either, but the fact is that bastard did something to us. In turn doing something to her."
"Don't you think I know that Jackson!"
"Elaine, we already know he found a way to lock her animal spirit. We don't know what else he has done to her, and because of it the clan doesn't want to risk her becoming a danger to us all."
"it's not fair though, she's just a harmless baby! We could have handled it."
"You and I know that, darlin. But the fact of the matter is they still remember the issues with Grindenwald from years before. They will not let this go. That man nearly destroyed us and the barriers around the world. They are weak right now because he killed many of the Alphas. And those he didn't kill, you know what happened."
"Fenrir. He destroyed his sanity."
"Yes and we are lucky he still remembers his clan. That's what is keeping us alive right now. He was among the best of us. Whatever he did to our cubs as well as the others…. We have to figure out a way to restore him and the other Alphas before he finds us to bring our children home. You know the elders are wary."
"I know. But to give up our children?" Elaine said with a sorrowful gaze.
"It's the only way. They are better this way, where he or the others can not find them."
A silent nod and tears as he holds her and their child tight. "We have to save her and the other children he did this to. We are not the only one mourning, Elaine. Hopefully with the letter we have written, you know Jessica and her mate will protect her from him and the others. The fact they can not shift will keep them from being noticed. And even if they were his offensive magic will be enough for his people to come if need be, to reinforce should the packs attack."
"I know Jack….it is why we chose wizards for our little ones." She says quietly. Her eyes in a daze as she know what she must do and does not want to.
A soft loving gaze on the little girl, she walks slowly almost lingering as she heads towards the house. Her mate picking up the basket, her walks beside her moments later, a deep sadness between them both as they place the basket down, and with one last kiss to the little one. The child goes back in, yawning as she is tired and wakes up for a brief moment, her green eyes wide and so much like her mother's….
"Goodbye my little one" Jackson said with a soft growl that cause the child to smile happily he gently touches the little head as he fights back the pain in his heart. Tears in her eyes, Elaine puts a letter in with the baby and tucks the cover around her. A beautiful blue with embroidered stars and moons, her scent as well as her mates enveloped in it to help the child sleep, and to someday remember them if she ever does.
Placing one last kiss on the soft downy hair, Elaine whispers softly as Jackson becomes alert. Urging her to go and leave before anything happens. There was one last thought from both as they shifted and ran…. Shadows of something else chasing them...
"I love you, Lily."
8-8-8-8-8-8
25 years later, Godric's hollow
"Lily run!" shouted a dark haired man who looked at his wife with a mixture of fear and courage in his eyes. Their house shaking around them, the redheaded nodded reluctantly as she raced up the stairs. Hearing the shouts and the explosion of their wards finally being broken. She knew she did not have enough time.
Her sense, her need to protect her most precious bundle was making her move insanely fast. Hearing a thud as she makes it down, her heart at that moment seems to rip in half. Something within her mourning in grief, she knows her husband James is gone. Her tears trailing down her cheeks. It only renews her determination to get their treasure to safety.
Opening and then slamming the door closed she races over to the crib, in order to pick up the 1 year old boy in it. With black hair and bright green eyes, much like her own, the child made a sound as if wanting to sleep. But stirred as she tries to bundle him up as fast as she can.
"Harry baby, be a good boy for Mommy and hold on."
Knowing he is confused, somehow the child understands and clutches his mother tightly. But when the door slams open he is frightened as seconds later he is back in his bed. Her green eyes giving him a look of love and of sorrow. Valiantly turning around, the woman begins to plea not only for her life but for that of her baby.
"Please, I don't care what you do to me, but not Harry not my baby!"
An eyebrow raised at her from underneath that black cloak, that had desecrated the warmth of her home, she shivers as the voice speaks. Almost a hissing quality to it, she knows and hears clearly what he says.
Watching as he aims at her son, something within the woman wakens, a fierce roar of grief within, its need to protect and save as a green light heads for the child it adores. Time seeming to freeze for that precious split second and the spirit rebounds the light back as it hits her. Knowing that with its death, her human counterpart dies as well, the sentient animal within places one last protection on the baby. One that even now its spirit and its woman begin to cry in protest. But as the love and tenderness flow, so does the ward within the blood. One last nuzzle and its in pain as the child can sense its goodbye...
"Live Harry live for both your mothers" Lily said softly as she sees what was within her all along. The reason for her strong maternal instinct and of her protective nature. Knowledge breaking through of things that could have been and of thing that could come. A smile on her face as the animal spirit nuzzled the child with its snout, before it and her disappears with their death.
The rebound caused by its death striking both, soon all that remains are bodies and ash.
And a child, with a scar in the shape of a lighting bolt on his forehead.
Elsewhere at the same time...
Two people collapse, the animals within them roaring and howling with pain. Both clutch onto each other as the spirits that they share life with him scratch and claw at their insides to get out. To run in sorrow, and their message clear, the two start to cry with pain as they reach into the back of their minds. The small bond that they held onto, the one that allowed them albeit in secret check on their daughter they gave away...
It was gone...
Lily had died.
It had been so long since they had last seen her. They just knew from the paper and her sister in letters, that their little girl had gotten married. Her husband, this James Potter who Jackson had checked out quietly, behind the elders' back was a good man.
Elaine still in tears, he held on to his mate, his wife for eternity. "She's gone Jackson. She's gone!"
"I know, I know"
"What are we going to do! The elders aren't going to let us leave to say goodbye and even then what about our grandson? We saw the announcement in the paper that day in Diagon Alley, we cant just let him be all alone."
"You know what the council will say Elaine," He states as he looks at his broken hearted love. "they will not let us go."
"But you are an Alpha as well Jackson! After what Fenrir had done that made you the leader! You had to challenge him. You won! Just can we go PLEASE I beg you!"
"We can't Elaine, you know I hold the pack tenuous right now at best!" He roared in grief and anger, "I can't really bring anyone into the pack until we weed out what caused him to fully turn against us! He was getting better and you know it! But something changed and he killed his own mate and kids! He had so many others with him that could only be weres and when he did that so many got hurt or don't you remember!"
"Of course I remember, His wife Mari was friend! You know I tried! But he's our family! We have to do something!"
Sighing as she starts to hit him, her claws that started to form raking him to the point he winces in pain. He stops and holds her close, as she struggles. "We just can't right now my love. At least Harry has Jessica's daughter Petunia and her husband..."