Harry Potter and the Garden of Good and Evil
A.N.1: J.K. Rowling's and Neil Gaiman's and A.C. Clarke's work belong to the respective authors, anything you don't recognise might be original creation, but I couldn't guarantee it.
A.N.2: I will continue my first story 'Harry Potter, our Lord', but I just couldn't resist starting this story.
Prologue
There probably isn't a single witch or a wizard that hasn't heard the story of Harry Potter. And that's just what it is, a story told from the wizards' point of view. It makes quite an interesting bed time entertainment even if some parts or versions are perhaps not suitable for very young children.
Wizards were making stories about Harry Potter's heroic deeds even before he had started Hogwarts. Therefore, the so-called 'Epilogue' version should be taken with a pinch of salt, even if that particular author has much better reputation than Rita Skeeter.
A more profound investigation could show there to be more to the events than what is usually told about Harry Potter.
Chapter 1: The Beginning
The Exploration Device materialised itself on the outskirts of a planetary system orbiting a yellow star.
It was one among myriad others its creators had launched to roam the 'outer regions'. In the times long forgotten the creators decided to abandon their physical bodies and became energy. Their new form allowed them to thoroughly explore many dimensions and realities. However, they found there were places they couldn't reach – the 'outer regions'.
Initial probing showed the outer regions were exactly what their name implied: the outer structures in which existed the creators' universe. The process to adapt their form was too lengthy with too many uncertainties for the creators, and they decided to launch an exploration campaign instead. Creating probes that could explore any dimension and reality, and penetrate the outer structures was something they could accomplish easily.
Thus the quest of Exploration Devices had begun. The first command was to gather as much knowledge and information as possible, in as many structures as possible. The Devices were to establish a network for exchanging the gathered information without having the need to come in and go from the creators' original universe. The second command was to use the gathered knowledge to establish their evolutionary path on their own. The third command was to influence development of species capable of achieving interesting accomplishments.
Upon its arrival the Device adopted the form of a completely black cuboid. It was absorbing all particles and radiations without giving away any clue about its presence in this planetary system. Such precaution was almost an overkill considering the Device was surrounded by multitude of rocks and icicles of the size comparable to its own and that its arrival caused no detectable perturbation in the gravity field.
The Device had followed a very interesting trail, which ultimately led it to this universe. It was a form of unknown energy in the outer structure. The first observations showed this energy had potential to facilitate transformation of things and possibly even be used to change fundamental laws of any given universe. Through very complicated science the creators were able to influence their world as by magic, but this new energy made it possible for even the most rudimentary organisms to influence their environment if they could attune themselves to this energy. The Devices called this new energy 'magic', for it was the closest thing to the creators' mythology they had encountered.
At the end of the journey the Device discovered a vortex of 'magic' crushing and folding a four-dimensional time-space continuum, making this universe look like one gigantic lace or one gigantic crushed paper.
The part of time-space that was the most exposed to 'magic' contained a cluster of galaxies. For the Device it was easy to detect which one of them contained life. It started exploration where the density of stars having inhabited planets was the greatest and moved toward more isolated parts.
This ordinary looking yellow star in an isolated galaxy was the final stop in this universe. The first scans showed some promising results on the third and the fourth planets from the star and also some interesting but doomed life-forms on the largest planet.
The forth planet contained very interesting micro-organisms, showing great resistance in hostile environment and interesting capacity in biochemical transformation.
The third planet was a treasure chest. It was not only inhabited, the species on this planet were of all sizes and complexities. The planet even had several intelligent life-forms that could develop fabulous civilisations if properly guided.
The intelligent life-forms showed various aptitude with magic and it seemed that each species perceived only just a fraction of magic. The most attuned to magic were several species that seemed to have chosen not to develop more complex civilisations: like the great flying beasts, or the feathered creatures passing though endless cycles of birth and death, or like one-horned quadrupeds. There were also some species that seemed on good way to develop complex civilisations on their own, they too were greatly attuned to magic: tall bipeds with pointed ears and short bipeds with sharp teeth. However, the species that caused the greatest curiosity of the Device were several types of furry beings of various sizes and both walked on hind legs or moved on all fours. It seemed they were evolving toward less hairy form that would be similar to tall pointy eared bipeds.
For the moment the furry creatures were far from any sign of developing civilisation. They did have potential. Some of them looked to be more attuned to magic than others. They would be good subjects to receive gift of knowledge from the creators. As they have no civilisation of their own it couldn't be endangered by such gift, what might be the case if the gift was given to pointed ears or sharp teeth.
On several places of the planet the Device selected groups of creatures and started to emit information into their primitive minds.
During the teaching process the Device controlled the creatures' health signs and other biological information like their DNA. Some samples showed great evolution potential.
Somewhere deep in the most ancient parts of the Device, collected information was processed and applied to develop projects of potential interest to the creators. There like a blip in sub-conscience an idea came to the Device: those with particular DNA could be engineered to be attuned to all magic. Other Devices sent their voices: we could combine all gathered knowledge and start joint project to develop beings of this universe to become true bearers of our creators' heritage.
Some special individuals among creatures were selected and their DNA slightly altered. As time goes by, these alterations would produce special individuals, beings that would received the fruit of the Devices collective efforts and complete knowledge of the multiverse.
Chapter 2: The Evans family new home
Mr. and Mrs. Evans were feeling great happiness and excitement on that Monday, June 27, 1977. They felt they were exceptionally lucky that Grunnings, the company where worked Mr. Evans had such a great pension and bonus plan. After working 25 years at the company and having lived all his life in lower-class neighbourhoods, usually close to ruins of abandoned factories, monuments of British Industrial revolution glory, Mr. Evans was finally enjoying his moment of glory: a sizable monetary bonus and a possibility to buy a comfortable new home located in one of those new suburbs of the Commuting Belt, prized among middle-class workers.
They had also scheduled this visit to the company recommended Real Estate agency on this particular date, because their eldest, Petunia had just completed her secondary education. Next month Petunia would start her internship in Accounting Department of Grunnings. Their youngest, Lily was starting her last year of secondary school next autumn. The Evans wanted to mark and celebrate this moment in their daughters' lives.
Grunnings manufactured drills and similar mechanical equipment. They made all sorts of drills, from home tools to gigantic tunnel boring monsters. Two years ago, like other British companies in metallurgy sector, Grunnungs had entered difficult times. However, they had been bought and became part of Endless Inc. The personnel was afraid the new bosses would shred the company and sell it to the highest bidder, fortunately this kind representative Mr. Mayhew had been very understanding and capable. The business was again sane and the future bright. It is also thanks to being bought that Grunnings had been able to offer great bonus to its employees and offer the joys of being part of Endless Inc. like the possibility to buy a house in the suburbs.
Last week Mr. Mayhew's secretary had scheduled a meeting for the Evans with a representative from Teague Real Estate, a new company which became famous for building high-quality homes for low prices in the United Kingdom and the States.
At Woking railway station Mr. and Mrs. Evans were met by a pleasantly looking gentleman.
"Good day, madam, sir. You must be Mr. and Mrs. Evans." They nodded and Mr. Evans shook hands with the gentleman. "My name is Steven Freeling and I will be your driver for today." There seemed to be a flash of recollection, but Mr. Evans couldn't remember where he had heard the name.
After a short trip and exchanging some pleasantries they arrived to the outskirts of Little Whinging.
The pattern of similar looking houses and streets was spreading for miles around. Gardens were still black and waiting for grass and plants.
"You see the gardens have no plants or grass. Our motto at Teague Real Estate is to give the same basis to all with great possibility to accessorise your home and garden as you wish."
"But of course!" remembered Mr. Evans, "You are Steven Freeling, the architect who was dubbed 'the creator of middle-class man's dream'. Don't tell me we are receiving some special treatment. I hope Mr. Mayhew's secretary didn't schedule the meeting at an awkward moment."
"Not at all Mr. Evans, we are still in the finishing phase and I like to personally supervise and check the end result. As such I like to accompany the future inhabitants myself."
Mr. Evans let a calming breath.
"Here we are. The beginning of Privet Drive."
Mr. Evans started to get nervous again as he noticed the houses and the properties looking better than the ones they had seen at the edge of the suburb.
Steven seemed to had noticed and understood things from expression of Mr. Evans' face. "If you are going to make a comment that the properties in this part look better, you are correct. This is a VIP part of the suburb. Every middle-class man's dream must contain a VIP part where people absolutely want to get their place. The houses here are our newest model. If people like it here, we will use it back in the US for our new project – I'm quite excited about all of this actually as my new house will be in the new town we are currently creating there."
"Here Mr. Evans, my boss received this envelope from your boss and my duty is to give it to you."
Mr. Evans opened the envelope with his name on it, and inside found a letter and a key.
Dear John,
At their last meeting, the big-heads of the Board of Directors noticed our company employs a very competent and hard working man who for 25 years received barely any gratification.
We would like to congratulate you John, on becoming Director of our Training Department. We believe the new people can only benefit from being supervised by someone with your qualities.
Directors want you to enjoy your VIP place.
Good luck John,
Richard Mayhew
Rose Evans instantly fell in love with the house and later their daughters did too. Like all future inhabitants of Little Whinging, the Evans failed to notice proximity of their new home to the village of Brookwood, location of the world's greatest cemetery.
Chapter 3: Time of Happiness, Time of Sorrow
James Potter, the new Head Boy of Hogwarts, was currently sitting, of completely numb mind, in a private conference room in the depths of Gringotts. Apart of Goblins in charge of the affair, he was in the company of Sirius Black, in equally numb state, and Lily Evans, the new Head Girl, who volunteered to accompany two young men in their time of sorrow.
The last Thursday, September 1st, would be remembered as 'Black Thursday' among wizards for many years to come. It was indeed, on that day, the infamous terrorist Lord Voldemort chose to attack the Hogwarts Express.
From the point of view of strategy, the attack was a piece of art. It showed just how much Voldemort truly understood the defects of wizard society and just how much he was once more underestimated.
From the point of view of human drama, it was a massacre.
As the train was about 3 km away from the station, Death Eaters materialised at the next railway junction and boarded the train. Only three of them directed themselves straight toward the Prefects' car while the rest positioned themselves throughout the train enabling them to easily subdue students and defend the train against rescuers who would be coming any moment.
As the three arrived at the compartment door, the one who looked as the leader quickly scanned the room from the outside. The leader looked satisfied by the results and ordered the two others into action. They first blew up the door, the cast a wide area spells to create disturbance among surprised occupants. The leader quickly stepped in and cast AK toward Regulus Black, the Slytherin six year Prefect. Regulus fell without time to react.
The attack on the train happened just at the moment the Aurors and security left the station, leaving remaining families who were taking their time to sort their emotions a bit from all that excitement that is sending the children away to Hogwarts.
As the law enforcement were nowhere to be seen, the parents reacted and all who considered themselves good in Defence organised themselves quickly under the command of Charlus Potter and Orion Black, the two most respected pure-bloods.
As the rescuers engaged the attackers on the train, a second group of Death Eaters appeared, effectively encircling all those well minded people who were trying to free their children.
In just 10 minutes it took to the Aurors to arrive many prominent members of wizard community died: the Potters, the Blacks... Death Eaters sustained only minimal losses and quickly fled.
James was now the last of the Potters and Sirius only has his three cousins and an old demented uncle.
The circumstances of death were clear and Goblins offered to execute the wills the very next Sunday.
Sirius Black found himself in the role of the Black Lordship heir, the title he preferred to have nothing to do with, and he found himself being included by Charlus and Dorea Potter as their second son, which drew a quantity of emotions he wasn't aware being capable of.
After the Potter's will finished with the part related to Sirius, Goblins escorted Sirius and Lily, and asked James to remain for the highly confidential part of the will.
Our dear son,
If you are reading this part then something happened which put the stop to my plans of introducing you to the deepest secrets of the Potter family.
James, your mother and I are very proud of you, and if it seemed we were protecting you too much it was not because we did not find you strong enough or capable enough.
When your mother learnt of her pregnancy we were an old couple ready to accept the life without children.
Part of the Potter secrets is the strict process how we conceive our children. The fact you appeared suddenly was the sign that some higher forces truly wanted your presence and that both made us proud and frightened.
Goblins will give you the set of enchanted books and journals giving you details about the family past, origins of our fortune and through what channels it is presently managed.
By signing the contract Goblins will present to you, you will accept all duties and benefits that come with ascension to Potter Lordship. You must therefore understand what those duties entail and what is the darkest of Potter secrets: that our wealth is based on what one could consider prostitution.
Before you start freaking out, let me explain. There is a group of powerful beings of unknown origin, wizards in their arrogance and stupidity know nothing of them and are nowhere near to truly understand the meaning of power and magic. These beings call themselves the Endless and they choose to present themselves as embodiments of principles governing sentient life of both mortals and gods alike. Potters have rare ability (we are the only known people in this universe to have it) of being able to mate with the Endless and give them what is otherwise unattainable pleasure. We are also the only ones capable of producing vessels of their next incarnation.
If you are ready to accept Destiny beyond any Dreamed by wizards, then accepting the Potter Lordship will bring you great satisfaction and make your Delirium and Desire unleash Death, Destruction and Despair upon your enemies.
Live your life fully our son,
Charlus and Dorea Potter