Harry Potter Fanfic: A Fighting Chance
Chapter 1
x-x-x-x
London, 2005
Lord Hadrian 'Harry' James Potter-Black was a man who many would think ten times before attacking him. Despite his age, he gave off an aura of nobility and a regal quality that many could not show. He also gave off an aura that exuded a level of magical strength that was practically unheard of. He was a tall man at the height of six feet two inches. His raven black hair cut into a neat lump on the left side of his head. His glasses glinted at the sunlight as Hadrian regarded the two people before him.
Both of them had wands in their hands so that ruled out the possibility of Muggle thugs. They both had covered their faces and were wearing very drab clothes. Hadrian snorted. Gauging them by their magical aura, these two were basically school dropouts and yet they were here to assassinate him? The audacity of his political opponents were sometimes astounding, even to the man who killed the Dark Lord.
His hand gradually went to his trusty phoenix core wand as the two men tensed. Judging by the widening of their eyes they had heard about his legendary magical skills. Well, considering the fact about who he was, he would be more surprised if they didn't know about him and his magical prowess.
"You two have two options. You can run away and leave in peace. Or your scattered remains will paint this muggle alley." Hadrian spoke coldly.
The first assassin who seemed to be much braver than his companion swallowed the lump building in his throat and said "I think you forgot another option. The option about killing you."
Hadrian shrugged. At least he wouldn't feel guilty for what was about to happen to the assassins, considering he had given them a choice. In a second his wand was out of his holster as he softly whispered "Baubillous."
A searing hot white lightning bolt left his wand as the second assassin hastily set up a shield around him and his companion. However the shiled proved ineffective as the lightning bolt seemingly broke through it however the two assassins dove out of the way and the first assassin recovering fast shouted "Confringo!"
Hadrian regarded the incoming spell with annoyance as he simply caught the spell with his wand and threw the explosion spell to the side blasting a muggle garbage can. He quickly aimed his wand at the first assassin and whispered "Obrigescunt"
The spell was too fast for the assassin as the petrification curse hit the assassin fully on the chest as his full body started to freeze. The second assassin's eyes widened seeing his companion being petrified. He shook slightly as Hadrian turned his attention to him.
"Tell me who sent you and I shall spare you."
The assassin gulped as he said "The Traditionalists! They wish to eliminate you! Please that's all I know!"
Hadrian furrowed his brows in thought for a second before he looked at the assassin and said "I hope you said your goodbyes."
"Why?"
"Cordis Subsisto."
The assassin started to choke before the assassin's heart stopped completely and fell to the ground dead. The second petrified assassin simply stared at him frozen, however Hadrian could make out the look of horror in his eyes. Hadrian then spoke to him. "You will stay here as a message to your employers. Have a good night sir, I have some business to attend to."
With that Hadrian quickly repaired the damage on the alley and started walking towards the Muggle entrance to the Ministry of Magic. After sometime Hadrian entered the Ministry of Magic. After the Second Magical Civil War of Magical Britain, the Ministry of Magic had changed drastically. The entrance was guarded by at least 3 aurors and the magical charms present at the entrance detected any disguise. The main hall was also redesigned into a much more humble manner with many stone sculptures depicting key moments in Magical Britain's history like the Roman Invasion, Celtic settlement, King Arthur and the Knights of the Round Table, Merlin, the Viking Invasion, the Founding of Hogwarts, the rise of Emeric the Evil, the witch trials, the International Convention of Magic of 1815, the Great European Magical War against Grindelwald and the wars against Voldemort.
However Hadrian had other business to attend to in the Ministry than simply admiring the change. He quickly took some floo powder as he entered the floo fireplace and shouted "Department of Mysteries!"
After some seconds Hadrian felt the familiar rush of the floo before slowly clambering out of the fireplace. He stared at the door that would lead him to the Department of Mysteries. This very door had left many memories. None of them were good in Hadrian's opinion. His hands slowly clenched the doorknob as he slowly opened the door. A feeling of familiarity greeted him as he remembered entering the department when he fifteen nearly ten years ago.
He smiled softly before heading towards the office of the Head Unspeakable. This was why he was at the Ministry. The Head Unspeakable Croaker had requested him to meet him at his office by 8 p.m. For what reason, Hadrian had no idea. However he knew Croaker to be a man who did not simply ask for social calls such as this and knew that he would have a good reason to call for him.
He finally approached the door to the office of the Head Unspeakable and knocked the door.
"Come in." A muffled voice replied.
Opening the door, Hadrian was greeted to the sight of the Head Unspeakable. The Head Unspeakable was wearing the Unspeakable's trademark hood upon his face. His hood was of course colored royal blue indicating his status as Head Unspeakable. He wore the standard robes of an unspeakable. Despite his hood, Hadrian could make the old wizened face of Croaker.
Croaker offered as his hand as Hadrian accepted it and shook it. Croaker quickly indicated the chair beside him and Hadrian soon made himself comfortable on the chair. Croaker too took his seat at the chair behind his desk. Croaker then started to speak.
"Lord Potter-Black, I must apologize for the extremely abrupt way with which I invited you today."
"It is of no consequence. Knowing you, you would not have called me in such a short notice if it were not important." Hadrian replied waving the apology away.
"Indeed. What I need to discuss with you is of much importance." Croaker said as he looked at Hadrian.
Hadrian suddenly felt the familiar probe upon his mind as his occlumency shields snapped up to place to stop the invader. Croaker looked satisfied as the probe faded away. "Good. Your Occlumency shields are still strong as ever."
"Stop beating around the bush Croaker, why is it that you have called me here?" Hadrian asked a little irritated at the legilimency probe.
"Humor me for a second will you? Can you tell me a brief yet detailed history of Magical Britain?" Croaker asked.
Hadrian curiously peered at Croaker. What was he up to? Hadrian knew that using legilimency on Croaker was not a good idea lest he wanted his entire mind in entire fragments. Asking Croaker would bear no fruit as he would twist his own words to make no sense at all. He had no choice but to humor him.
"Well, the history of Magical Britain dates starts before the Roman Invasion of Britannia when tribal Celtic and Anglo-Saxon wizards roamed around the isles. Shortly after however the Romans invaded England and added England to the Roman Empire. Because of this many magical families from Gaul, Iberia, Greece, Anatolia, Illyria, the Alps and the Italian Peninsula migrated to the British Isles. During the time of the Roman Empire, the magical families of Britannia were given the title of 'Ancient and Noble Houses' as these houses wielded immense political influence among the magical population in the Isles. These were the Families of Slytherin, Gryffindor, Hufflepuff, Ravenclaw, Greengrass, Black, Potter, Longbottom, Abott, Macmillan, Bones, Davies, Ollivander, Peverell, and Pendragon. After the fall of the Roman Empire, the Vikings invaded the British Isles. The Viking Wizards wished to convert the British wizards into following their gods of Odin, Thor etc, however the Ancient and Noble Houses either believed that the people had the right to choose their religion or they believed that their god was absolute. So the Ancient and Noble Houses temporarily settled their disputes with each other before waging war against the Viking Wizards as their muggle counterpart's waged war against the Viking muggles. About some decades before the Vikings were driven out, the heirs of the Slytherin, Ravenclaw, Gryffindor and Hufflepuff houses joined together as a group of hit wizards against the Vikings. However once they observed that many young wizards were dying needlessly and because of lack of proper instruction these four wizards established Hogwarts, the very first school of Witchcraft and Wizardry in the world in 946 AD.
After the Vikings were driven out, the kingdom of England, Wales and Scotland and the many other kingdoms of Ireland started to fight amongst each other for power. However since England was the most powerful amongst them, the magicals made a pact with the English government called the Pact of King Arthur in which King Arthur and the Magical society of the Isles allied with each other. King Arthur swore not to harm the magical society whereas the magicals swore the national allegiance to the crown. Soon after that came the legendary battle between Merlin and Morgana in which Merlin came out victorious. Morgana was banished to an unknown fate. Soon after the Hundred Years War began in which the Wizards were hired as mercenaries by the crown against the French wizards present in the French army. After the Hundred Years War the War of Roses began in which the Wizards decided to remain neutral as both parties claimed the crown for themselves. Years of indefinite peace happened before the witch trials started to happen in which many muggleborn and half-born magical children were started to become executed by the church of the muggles. Because of the volatile environment the Magical Society of the British Isles (MSBI) as it was known then convened at the Conference of Cardiff in 1605. After three years of debate and many amendments in 1608 the Ministry of Magic of the British Isles was formed. Immediately the magical society went into hiding.
After years of peace with the occasional dark lord, the first International Magical Convention was held in London in 1815 at the end of the Napoleonic Wars. The following countries were recognized as sovereign Magical countries at the time: British Isles, France, Spain, Portugal, Germania, Italy, Austria, Poland, Illyria, Sweden, Denmark, Norway, Magical United States of America, Nepal, Turkey, Egypt, Morocco, Tripolitania, Mesopotamia, Algeria, Persia, Siam, China, Japan, Russia, Tibet, Mongolia, Korea, Belgium, Luxembourg and Netherlands. It was in this convention in which the Statue of Secrecy was signed in London. After about 100 years of peace the muggle First World War began. Many wizards were caught in the crossfire as bystanders and many magical countries had to create muggle-security teams. In the interwar period, as the muggles called it, a wizard by the name of Grindelwald, a half German, half English wizard started to gain power in the Ministry of Magic of Germania. In 1931, he seized control of the ministry and helped a muggle puppet of his named Adolf Hitler take power in the Muggle german government. In 1939, the Magical Government of Germania under his control declared war on the Magical Government of Poland. Upon this declaration of war, Poland enacted the Treaty of Edinburgh calling Magical France and Magical Britain in the war. Because of this Magical Italy, an ally of Magical Germania declared war on Magical France, Britain and Poland starting the European Magical War. The European Magical War ended in 1945 with Grindelwald's defeat at the hands of Dumbledore and the annihilation of the entire Germania Magical Army at the Battle of Berlin by the Russian Magical Army.
In the mid 1960s Voldemort started to gain power and in 1966 he declared war upon the Magical Ministry of Britain marking the beginning of the First Civil War of Magical Britain. After his defeat at my hands as an infant in 1980, he disappeared. Then in 1996 he again declared war on the Magical government of Britain starting the Second Civil War of Magical Britain. With the help of the French Ministry of Magic, the war ended in 1998 when I killed Voldemort and the joint French and British Aurors defeated the Death Eaters at the Battle of English Channel."
Croaker nodded as he heard the entire tale. "Tell me Hadrian, how many pureblood families were there at the beginning of 1966?"
"The original number of Wizengamot familial seats-225." Hadrian replied.
"Now as a member of the Wizengamot tell me how many familial seats are active today?" Croaker asked once again.
"68 families active. 7 families not active due to underage heirs. 75 in total."
"Exactly!" Croaker said. "Exactly 150 pureblood families have been wiped out because of Voldemort. And out of the total 75 families we have today many families only have one or two family members. At maximum they have six or seven family members."
"I see. And what does this have to with me Croaker?" Hadrian asked intrigued. When he had recited the history of Magical Britain, he had not known what Croaker was looking for, but now he had an inkling of what was about to be discussed.
"As you know, Muggleborn wizards are simply wizards descended from squibs who married with muggles. However since their magical heritage is slightly weak, in a few generations their magic disappears once again. Because of this purebloods and in extension half-bloods are required to 'rejuvenate' the magic in the blood. Because of what has happened in the past few years Hadrian, I believe that in the next one hundred years, the population of Magical Britain will be absolutely nil." Croaker explained.
The silence that ensued was so deafening that Croaker had to cough to break Hadrian out of his stupor. Hadrian widened his eyes as he looked at Croaker and asked "Is what you said true?"
"Immediately after you killed Voldemort we the unspeakables conducted a study. We repeated it two times. It is guaranteed." Croaker confirmed.
Hadrian slumped slightly in his seat as he asked "What do we do then?"
Croaker smiled. "I believe the solution is something that you did in the end of your third year."
"End of third year?...You can't mean that!" Hadrian asked mortified.
"Yes. Time travel."
"But how?"
"A huge time turner that is stored in the department of mysteries can send a person anywhere in time." Croaker replied.
"And you wish to send me." Hadrian said. It was not a question, but it was a statement.
"Yes." Croaker admitted.
"And if I do not agree?" Hadrian threatened.
Croaker smiled as if he were saying joke.
"Believe me Harry-"
"Hadrian."
"Alright Hadrian. Believe me you will. You will get a chance to save your father, your mother, Sirius, Remus, Nymphadora, Ron, Hermione, Ginny, Fred, , Hagrid, Mcgonagall, Dobby and many more. You could give Teddy his mother and father. You could see your best friends alive once again. You could save Dumbledore. You could end the problem of Voldemort early. Is the temptation not great?"
Hadrian looked at Croaker with a stunned expression. He closed his eyes for a moment. He remembered the time when Hagrid had introduced him to the world of magic, his first meeting with Hermione and Ron, the troll incident, going after the philosopher's stone, flying all the way to Hogwarts, Opening the chamber of secrets, killing the basilisk, learning the Patronus charm, learning the truth about Sirius, The Quidditch World Cup, The Triwizard Tournament, Cedric, the graveyard, the Dumbledore's Army, his fling with Cho Chang, Sirius's death, sixth year, Dumbledore's death, hunting the Horcruxes, the horrific moments when Ron and Hermione were murdered by Voldemort and the Battle of Hogwarts where Ginny was killed and Voldemort was killed. He opened his eyes as he looked at Croaker who was looking at him inquisitively.
A grin spread on his face as he asked "When do we start?"