PROLOGUE

Strange things happen at the small, but modest village. Books happened to appear, far from the bookshops; flowers bloomed when it was still winter; and sometimes that one rich man who came for the rent and no one likes, finds himself with many warts on his face.

In this village, a certain peasant couple began to fear as rumors of witch hunt began to circulate near their land. Sure not many people cared about such things other than surviving the winter, but it's a matter of time. Soon they would ask the right questions and link it to their little girl.

It came no surprise when they heard of the nearby king who sent a couple of his men to their village. The family decided it is time to follow the other rumor they heard whispers about. The new haven for those children with the Gift.

The mother sits down before her little precious girl who was giggling at the sight of her floating bowl filled with her breakfast, "Hermione."

The little girl turns to her mother with a toothy smile. The mother's heart broke at the sight of it. Her husband's grip on her hand gave her strength at the next words, "We are going on a long trip."

Years later...

"Come along, Harry," a voice rush next to the boy. Harold or Harry as his parents called him, ran alongside his cousin through the night. Behind them was his old manor was burning down to the ground. They passed by their relatives of his family castle, fighting among themselves. For what they are fighting for, Harry has no idea.

Fortunately, they are unseen by all thanks to the invisible cloak they were under. Normally Harry would be fascinated and would have asked his cousin how the young man came to have one. At the moment, he was in shock at the repeating memories of seeing his parents fall to the ground, never to stand again. He barely registered his hand pressing the cut on his forehead from a wayward unknown curse that he received before his cousin whisked him away. Everything was blur of how he made it outside of what once he called home.

"We must be at least outside of the signaling wards before we could Disapparate," Harry only responded to run faster even if he could barely breath. The least he can do for his parents was to survive this and then mourn for them later or so his cousin told him earlier when he entered a panic attack.

Lights flashed behind him as swords and staffs clashed. There were a couple of wand-less magic wizards and witches shouting. Harry barely saw his younger cousins in the lower levels fall as innocent blood was spilled and some did not even had a body left by the explosive spells. He barely stopped a sob while putting more pressure on the cut on his forehead.

Next thing Harry knew, he was picked up and hold in a tight embrace, "It's alright, Harry. It's going to be alright soon."

Yet Harry did not cry.

Soon they were outside of the destroyed gates. Harry and his cousin Disapparate with a crack.

A pair of twins, walked into a younger boy's small shack, who was staring very determined at a tall shelf, "Greetings, little brat—!"

"—still looking for that knight?" said the other twin.

Ronald, glares at the twin older boys that he thought for sure were much too busy being in an apprenticeship with the local blacksmith. Unfortunately the twins who were the only ones from the orphanage, he has contact with, were once again pestering him. He should've known to hope such things.

"Shut your mouth!" Ronald has been trying to levitate a cup which was out of reach for his breakfast. He is not sure how did that happened. Yet he cannot help suspect it could have been because of that.

"Oh so cruel—" one twin places a hand on his chest in mock hurt.

The other twin shakes his head in disappointment, "—so ungrateful—"

"Best we do not tell him then," they nodded to each other.

Ronald rolls his eyes, but could not help be curious at their smirk. George and Frederic were grinning like the pair of demons he knows they are with something in their excited look that was not there for the last years, was present. Ronald is not going to admit this to anyone of how he misses their unrestrained enthusiasm to annoy everyone in sight just for laughs.

He can barely remember their last stable home was living in an orphanage with other similar haired boys as himself as well as a girl, who was the youngest that he wonders maybe they were all related if it were not the fact the matrons explained them how they are from different mothers who dropped them off at different times. He had not mind what circumstances was of his birth, but living with everyone in a place without worrying when he is going to eat next, was all worth it.

That is when one day someone burn down the orphanage. It was then he met a man, which he may not remember his face, he did get his name.

Ronald shaking off the memories, he glares at them suspiciously, "What?"

"We found a great place for you," possibly Frederic, began to say.

"Wondrous really," one twin, which might be George, nodded in agreement.

"People with the Gift," both twins spoke in unison.

The red haired boy froze for a moment and looks up to see their soft look. Ronald scowls, trying to hide the bright red blush on his face and looks away. He knows how the rest of the orphans, including little Genevra, their youngest only sister even if not she is not by blood was married off or the older not-siblings went into something they did not completely dislike, as long as it would not jeopardize their life for the fact they had the Gift.

At the moment, only Ronald stayed in the same town where it was no secret of its people mixed of average people and those with the Gift such as Ronald himself. He is not ashamed. Instead proud when he has a chance to find that one wizard, (after all what kind of person could put out a large fire without use of buckets and only use of a stick?)

"Apparently there is a deadline," they ignored Ronald's dumbfounded look.

"When was it Forge?"

"I don't know, Gred, next month?"

"Fortnight?"

"Oh yes, tomorrow evening," they nod each other, only to break eye contact by a crash.

Ronald was going through his mess to pack a couple of clothes and food. Just as Ronald flew out the door, he growls when he was dragged back inside by his collar.

"What is the idea? I do not have much time!"

"Calm down, little Ronnikins," Frederic pats his head, while George checks his pockets. With an exclamation, George takes out a bag and a roll of parchment.

"You guys know I cannot read," Ronald growls while his ears were red at hearing his old nickname.

"Ah! But you know how to follow pictures?" Ronald scowls again and fixes his bag after hiding the bag of coins. Eyeing them suspiciously, Ronald warily walks out of his shack and out to the outer edge of the forest, near a worn road.

Once he was far enough, Ronald opens the scroll and chuckles at the cheesy doddle of the twins waving goodbye with moving ink drawing and all.

Looking up at the road, Ronald whispers, "At last we will meet, the great sword master, Gryffindor."

Distantly, there was rumble in the distance.

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A/N: This will be a different take of the Golden trio in the Founders' era with the fact that there is no Time-travel involved. I wanted to see how they were interact and what could have happened being born in such a time. So do not expect hard-core canon events or Voldemort, but there will be some familiar events. As for the title, I will leave it up to you to figure out what it means :3
Until next time, LaniAhava, out!