Harry died. Voldemort won. The world burned. A foreign magical nation sends a message into the past to rewrite the future. However, meddling with time always has consequences, and doing things again doesn't necessarily mean a happy ending. AU, multi-xover. Contains SLASH. This story is not for Dumbledore fans. independent!powerful!dark!Harry! Harry x M!dragonborn. And of course, Harry raised differently!
Again, in case you skimmed or skipped the bit above, there is SLASH in this story, as in, boy on boy, wand on wand. If you post some sort of rant/bash/flame, then there is no hope for you. Flames will be shredded and removed. Period.
The time line has been moved forward ten years to account for technology and a few events that I wish to cover.
Finally, expect lots of spoilers for all seven books in the Harry Potter series, and lots of spoilers from The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim. Additionally, expect lots of spoilers from the STARZ series "Spartacus: Blood and Sand". Elements from the "Resident Evil" universe are also referenced—though I should note, since the story is told from Harry and his friends' point of view for the most part, in-depth knowledge of the crossover universes are unnecessary.
Still with me? I present, then, Part One of the Chronicles of Valicadia: The Orb of Magnus...
PROLOGUE
February of 1435
THE FOUNDING OF THE ORB: Part History, Part Prophecy
by Marcas Gervais Braccius, Royal mage-scholar to HRM Justin I
18 February, CE1535, Royal Library and Archives at Eoforwin
It is known the Orb of Magnus is not of this world; nothing witnessed here could ever come close to the power and beauty it radiates. To know where it originates from requires visiting a time just before the Third Servile War; a time when Rome was a republic rather than an empire.
It was here that we see a great mage, schooled in magic beyond that of this world, assisted by a group of four mundane friends, cast a portal into the void, and draw forth the powerful magical artefact. It is unclear as to what hand moved them to purpose, but the artefact was simply buried beneath the cliffs on the southern coast of what would be Britain, where it remained for nearly a thousand years.
Our Commonwealth was born of that great magical artefact, as it showed us the way to harness its immense potential, tame the land, carve out our great cities from beneath it, and protect it from those who would bring us harm. It has allowed us to build additional cities right under the nose of Rome itself, places which exist long after the end of the Roman empire. It has shown us the way to ensure our navy will stand unchallenged, should it be tested.
Yet, it has equally foretold that it would be our undoing. For, a thousand years after its discovery, great and unfortunate things will befall us all. It is not written exactly what sort of misfortune will fall on our soil, but all indications bring only the worst, and perhaps the gravest of all, the end times themselves.
Peering into the void of the future has revealed several possibilities, some more likely than others. It is noted that at least two dark mages will bring about chaos in the latter part of the twentieth century, with the second being perhaps the worst. Though our great Commonwealth has only been in existence for half of a millinium, may those reading this in the future take note and take caution, that grave events will be shaped by those dark forces.
And lastly, I should speak of the great and powerful mage responsible for introducing the Orb of Magnus to our world. His descendants should be viewed as the birth-parents of the Commonwealth, and treated as so. Our great king has saw fit to enact ruling in that effect, to ensure the respect is given where demanded. This must be so, because we owe him a great debt that can never be repaid.
The elderly wizard put down his quill. The Commonwealth was still young, compared with other places, and yet, this text spelled out its future. The latter part of the twentieth century and the beginning of the next would bring dark times, if his visions were true. A great wizard would rise to meet the threat, this was equally certain. Would he actually succeed in defending against and eliminating the threat, though? His visions revealed not the result. The wizard would be surrounded by a powerful circle of friends, some of them magical, some not. And perhaps, that would make all the difference in the world.
1: A DIRE WARNING
May 2008 – March 2014 / January – July 1996
"Those who try to hasten the end, may delay it. Those who work to delay the end, may bring it closer."
- The dragon Paarthurnax, master of the Greybeards, 4E201
Early hours of May 2, 2008
Hogwarts
"Harry Potter is DEAD!" Voldemort cried, gleefully, as a sobbing Hagrid was led out into the middle of the ruined courtyard of the castle, cradling the broken body of their saviour in his massive arms. The Dark Lord's overwhelming force of Death Eaters had swelled in behind, backing out onto the debris-riddled stone bridge—all of them leered at the remaining staff and students still half-defying their master.
There were several shouts and cries from them, but that of Miss Ginny Weasley drowned them all, as she attempted to break free from her father's grip, denial written all over her face. "NO!"
"SILENCE!" And a slashing motion from the Elder Wand was all it took to force the captive audience to obey. The wand was working wonders now that he was truly its master.
"Foolish girl."
He turned around in a circle, to survey the opposing forces.
"Harry Potter is dead," said Voldemort, evenly and softly this time, and pointing a finger at his chest, proclaimed, "From this day forth, you put your faith... in me."
From face to face, the defeated carried the look of shock and horror, as this macabre scene unfolded. They had fought with valour, but still hung their hopes on a boy barely of age—a boy saddled with a destiny since his mother gave birth to him. And in the end, it was all for nought. The dark side had won.
Hogwarts lay in ruins, its turrets and towers sustaining near catastrophic damage. The shattered Great Hall was littered with the bodies of the dead and dying, the battle being a terrible butcher to the light. The Dark Lord had attacked with overwhelming force, and while Harry's closest friends had destroyed all but one of Voldemort's special items, it was not enough. Harry lay dead in Hagrid's arms, and the monster before them was still very much untouchable.
Everything had hinged on ancient magic, cast by a powerful young witch, intent on protecting her son from certain death. Sure, it had worked for a while, but a certain ancient wizard had failed to take into account three factors. Three factors that resulted in a tragic end, and a nightmare future.
One. The ancient charm placed on young Harry Potter required love to keep it alive, not just a living relative. It is without a doubt that the protections were significantly weakened by the time Harry began his magical education.
Two. Tom Riddle used Harry's blood during his resurrection at the end of the Tri-wizard tournament, and in doing so, brought the same powerful protection within himself, negating what little protection remained. Had he known, he could have dealt with Harry much sooner.
Three. The most important point here. Even if the protection had survived intact, it expired the moment Harry turned seventeen and became an adult.
So, when Harry walked into the clearing in the dark forest, the Dark Lord easily murdered him using the same green blast of magic which claimed his parents. It was an absolute victory.
Far worse, Tom also know Harry's friends were aware of his Horcruxes. Knowing that only Nagini remained, he placed her under the Fidelius charm, with Tom himself the keeper. It did not matter if he were to die, since really, no one else needed to know the location of the Horcrux. As long as it existed, Tom could always return to the living.
Over the next few years, the world fell into a terrible nightmare. At first, it was written up to terrorism. Yet, as more and more incidents happened, with magical government agencies unable to keep a lid on the situation, word began to spread of supernatural evil at work.
Finally, during the 2012 Olympic games in London, the Statute of Secrecy was utterly shattered once and for all, as Death Eaters stormed into Wembley Stadium during an event, and began killing participants and spectators indiscriminately. It resulted in thousands of deaths, and the carnage being broadcast live to the world. When all was said and done, the Dark Lord stood in the middle of the ruined and bloody field, declaring, "Behold, filthy Muggles, the might of magic. Declare yourselves to me... Or die."
March, 2014
Magnus Chamber, Trevelyan
Commonwealth of Valicadia
Of all the magical nations, the Commonwealth of Valicadia outlasted the onslaught of the Dark Lord and his overwhelming army the longest. It had only been in recent months that the hidden magical nation at last began to fall, and only now did Voldemort close in on complete victory.
They were nearly as old as England, having been truly founded as a separate Commonwealth sometime around 900 CE. More recently, the Commonwealth had settlements on every continent, and up until a few days prior, boasted a population of 120 million citizens. Like the rest of the world, non-magical citizens severely outnumbered those who were magical, but unlike the rest of the world, there was no segregation. It had worked in the beginning, and so it was not changed, even when the Statute of Secrecy was introduced by the International Confederation of Wizards in 1692.
In fact, that piece of legislation became the sole reason for the Commonwealth's withdrawal from the international body the day it became law. It was, by their view, a form of discrimination. Valicadia's government spoke for ALL of its people, and that wasn't about to change.
That brings us back to the present, and the dire circumstance unfolding within the most vital chamber in the Commonwealth. It was a massive room with a vaulted ceiling. At its centre stood a raised platform and a shallow cradle, where upon a medium-sized sphere roughly five feet in diameter rested, or hovered. It gave off a powerful green-blue glow, being covered in symbols no one could place. The Orb of Magnus, as they had called it, was an immensely powerful artefact, the key behind some of the Commonwealth's greatest achievements. But it was also something quite dangerous, if it were ever to fall into the wrong hands.
The remainder of the room was divided up into numerous work stations, as this was a working laboratory. It was in this room the government continued to unravel the mysteries of the powerful orb. Those conducting research included non-magical scientists, as well as those from the Arcane Sciences Division—a department akin to Britain's Department of Mysteries. Just because someone wasn't magical didn't disqualify them from helping out. It was a learning experience for everyone, and that's what mattered in the end.
A set of elevators were the only way into or out of the room, requiring special government clearance to do so. The toughest security in the known world had been placed on it by goblins hired from Gringotts when the chamber was first built. Up to this point, it was impenetrable.
But this was the Dark Lord. A wizard who had done unspeakable things to become the most powerful person alive, something that was now indisputable. He'd crushed most of the opposition, whether they be magical, or not. Many places had been reduced to scorched ruins.
"Madam Guardian. They've brought down the wards," a woman dressed in black military fatigues warned.
"HMS Arminius is ready, Madam Guardian," spoke an individual at a nearby workstation. Guardian Elaine, the mistress of the Order of the Magnus, had known for some time this day would be at hand. The destruction of Erwin had been a terrible blow only hours before. And then Edmund fell. A terrifying warning had been dispatched just before the city was destroyed, warning the HMS Gideon had charged its main weapon over top of them. Somehow, one of their great ships had been turned against the Commonwealth. Realistically, it was the only thing that could truly destroy a city belonging to the Commonwealth, with the terrible firepower it possessed.
Now, Guardian Elaine was forced to order a similar act be committed against the Commonwealth's capitol, in the interest of preventing the Dark Lord from taking possession of a dangerous artefact.
"They're coming!" the soldier in fatigues warned again.
"Arminius is at a full charge, waiting your word, Madam Guardian. Her Majesty and critical government officials have been moved aboard the Ragnar."
"Good to know," answered Elaine, grimly, "The package is ready, it just needs action from the Arminius."
The elevator doors parted, and Voldemort calmly strolled into the room, a throng of Death Eaters following behind him.
"My last conquest. You've done well to keep us at bay up until now. Surrender, and you may be spared."
"Why would we do that, Tom?" Elaine answered calmly, "You will kill us anyway. No, you've simply made a mistake coming here today." She gave a nod to the individual at the nearby workstation. He spoke, "Arminius go."
"Copy," came the reply.
"Whatever you might have planned, it will be of no consequence," said Voldemort, brandishing the Elder Wand in front of him, "Now stand aside, woman, so I may claim my final prize."
"My lord... do you feel that?" A blond-haired man standing just behind him questioned.
"Curious—" It was the last thought that raced through the Dark Lord's mind, as the room and everyone in it was rendered dust by a blast of white light with the power of the sun.
The light and intense heat had not even begun to dissipate, when the Orb of Magnus simply vanished, a powerful magical enchantment having been triggered with the blast of raw power unleashed by the Arminius. It hurtled backward through time, bringing with it a message from the future... a dire warning of things to come, if certain things were not changed.
January, 1996
Magnus Chamber, Trevelyan
Commonwealth of Valicadia
It was the same room, with the same faces, discounting the eighteen year difference. Madam Elaine, mistress of the Order, was at that moment seated at her own workstation close to the centre of the room. Though several different departments conducted research within the lab, it was truly her domain, or that of the Order of the Magnus. Just about everything done with the Orb had to be approved by the Order first, meaning it had to receive her stamp of approval. It was one of numerous safeguards put in place that ensured the Orb would not be used for inappropriate activities.
"Madam Guardian!"
"Merlin's beard, what the?!"
That came with shouts from several other workstations and consoles scattered across the room, as the Orb of Magnus shimmered a brilliant orange. Then, everything seemed to come to a stand-still, as a ghostly figure began to take shape.
Elaine let out a gasp, realizing she was seeing an image of herself, from sometime in the future.
"Listen and listen well," she proclaimed, gravely, "The Dark Lord thus far silenced at your end has returned, bringing forth destruction of all things, in an attempt to claim the Orb."
Her figure became partially transparent, as the scene at Hogwarts replayed for them all.
"Merlin. He was destroyed!" another Guardian protested, "It was all over the news."
"Yes, he was vanquished, but not for good. He has taken steps to ensure his spirit remains tethered to this world."
"And this Harry Potter. Who is he?"
"The boy is alive here and now, but not well. This is what must change, if we are to have a chance. If not..."
A ghostly memory began to play, showing the destruction of numerous population centres across the globe, ending with satellite imagery of a smoking ruin above what would have been Erwin. The destruction had been so complete, the cliffs of Dover themselves had been destroyed, the waters of the English Channel having flooded the gaping chasm that had been created.
Silence reigned for nearly a minute, before the younger Elaine finally found her voice. The notion of what had been shown was inconceivable! Yet, it had to be so. Her future counterpart had no reason to lie.
"What would you have us do?"
"See to it that Harry is equipped with the knowledge and tools he needs to do the job he's been saddled with. Our connection with the College of Winterhold in Tamriel may come in handy here," answered the ghostly figure.
"We will make it so. This must not be our future."
"The government must also be aware of the situation. We'll need everyone on board if this is to work," spoke a third Guardian, as the ghostly figure began to fade. Time and space were at last returning to normal, and the room became a flurry of activity.
"I will speak to Her Majesty at once. Guardian Danielle, please get in contact with the Department of Information, and get them up to speed with what has happened here. We'll want to begin an investigation into the boy's home life as soon as possible."
"Yes ma'am."
With the information at hand, the government quickly began an investigation into the home life of Harry Potter. Naturally, this was done discreetly, with the help of Her Majesty's Special Operations Unit, or SOU for short. They were the elite of the Commonwealth's military, on par with England's Special Air Service.
Quiet inquiries were also placed with Gringotts, through their branch in Erwin. Unfortunately, even with the Commonwealth's better relationship with the goblins, they were unable to provide any information, citing client privilege. That was somewhat expected, though it had been worth a try.
Members of the SOU, meanwhile, began conducting surveillance at the Dursley residence in Little Whinging, a small suburb in Surrey. It was quickly learned a squib by the name of Arabella Figg lived not far from the Dursleys, and it was suspected she was placed there to keep an eye on the boy. The team had also discovered a number of wards placed on the property, all of which designed to keep dark wizards or creatures away from the Dursley residence. They stopped short at the street, and realistically, it wasn't enough to prevent someone from doing harm, if they were creative.
Preventing the SOU from entering the residence, though? The wards would not cause them any trouble. Again, a flaw in the plan, the team all agreed. Had this been a Commonwealth job, the wards would have been cast by the goblins, and extended over the neighbourhood. They would be triggered by any witch or wizard crossing them, and if the intent were to cause harm, they wouldn't gain entry at all. As thing were set up at present, a lot was being left up to chance.
A second team of SOU members were sent to the English Ministry of Magic, to search Department of Records for details on who was supposed to be looking after the boy. A magical child being placed with non-magical people? It just wasn't normally done in the magical world. The Commonwealth was somewhat the exception here, but really. What were they playing at? It was a recipe for disaster.
A search of the Department of Records turned up very little, other than what was already known. Harry's parents had been murdered by Tom Riddle on October 31, 1991. The baby had been placed with his only living relatives, which luckily hadn't been listed in the public record. Though Riddle had disappeared, his followers were still most certainly around. It is again said, even with the wards in place, if someone were creative, they could have still finished what Riddle had started.
There were also references to a few other names. Remus Lupin, Peter Pettigrew, and Sirius Black, the three of them being very close friends with James Potter. The file on the Blacks was a rather extensive one, but the Commonwealth had their own file about that particularly dark family. It was no surprise to learn Sirius had been responsible for what had happened to the Potters. He was now locked away in Azkaban. Remus was in the wind somewhere, and the government began conducting another rather quiet enquiry as to his whereabouts, if only for him to answer a few questions. Peter Pettigrew received the Order of Merlin posthumously, for attempting to stop Sirius Black from murdering a number of non-magical people somewhere in London. He'd died, and very little had been recovered of his body.
The surveillance continued into the summer, with the team learning some disturbing truths about the Dursleys. When all was said and done, it wouldn't just be the monsters living at Number Four, Privet Drive who would have a lot to answer for. After all, someone was responsible for placing young Harry in their 'tender' care.
While that was going on, the Order of the Magnus was in contact with a far away place, thanks to the power of the Orb of Magnus. The discovery had been by accident, nearly forty years prior, when Elaine was still only a senior member of the Order.
The Orb had created a portal to a distant planet they learned was named Nirn. More specifically, the portal had opened near a place called Saarthal, and what looked like some sort of archeological dig. That led to cautious introductions, and a meeting with the leader of a College: the College of Winterhold. Guardian Elaine and Savos Aren became good friends over the next few years, as the two worlds began to share information with each other.
The government knew the astounding ramifications in such a discovery, but equally, they also knew the danger in revealing it. The world they had made contact with was magical in nature, and revealing such information would still violate the Statute of Secrecy. Sure, they did not inherently follow the policy within their own borders—the reason they weren't a member of the ICW as it was, but the Commonwealth most certainly adhered to it when dealing with outside nations. Revealing a magical alien world most certainly qualified as such a violation.
So it was, that on an afternoon at the beginning of June, Guardian Elaine was once again having lunch with Savos Aren, as they discussed the possible grim future, and the boy capable of preventing it.
"He is magical?"
"Very much so," Elaine answered, "Though he doesn't know it yet. A witch or wizard doesn't really start to come into their magic until they're ten or eleven."
"So you have said already. And your plan is to remove him from those who might interfere or hinder his development?"
"Exactly."
"Magic is magic. Though the way magic works in Skyrim is somewhat different—we don't use wands such as you do—he could still be schooled in it. I doubt you could send him any further away than to Skyrim."
"I agree. He would be there until he turns eleven at least. However, the government wishes to also ensure he's receiving a non-magical education. The ministry is already setting up a number of teachers and tutors to see to that end of things. All we would require is permission for them to travel to your College."
"I don't see a problem in that. Though I would expect that access be limited. I would rather not the problems of this world coming into ours. There is more than enough going on within Tamriel as it stands. What with so much anger over the White-gold Concordat. The Nords are up in arms about it."
"The people would have a right to be angry, Savos. Having something forced on them and all that rot. But I do agree with you, we will limit those who visit Harry."
"Good. Though you should also be aware, the boy will likely be the youngest person in the college. The closest to his age will be a young Breton boy, but he will turn eleven in Hearthfire—September. I can have a word with him, see if he wouldn't mind having a roommate."
"That would be wonderful. I think Harry will appreciate that."
"How soon will we expect him?"
"We're aiming for the beginning of September. The plan is to remove him from his relatives at the end of July. That will give us a month to take care of a few issues, and prepare him for the journey."
"And when he turns eleven?"
"Well, at that point, it will really depend on what Harry wants," Elaine answered, "We're divided on whether to let him remain with the College, begin his magical education here in the Commonwealth, or at Hogwarts, the school his parents attended.
"In the end, we're all in agreement that it should be Harry's choice. He's had decisions made for him since his parents were murdered five years ago."
Savos leaned back in his seat, and sipped on a glass of wine. He set it down, and said, "It shall be rather interesting, seeing a boy be raised in both schools of magic."
"More than a few people agree with that sentiment, Savos. And a certain number of people will be in for a rather rude awakening."
That drew a smirk from the ancient Arch-mage. "This 'Dumbledore' character you've mentioned being one of them?"
"Meddling old fool, by account of our Department of Information. And yes, most definitely, he will be in for a very rude awakening, should Harry decide to attend Hogwarts."
"Indeed. I should also note that, Harry will always be welcome at the college, even if he should decide to attend his magical schooling in this world."
"That would be appreciated. He can keep his options open."
"Like he's receiving his lessons from here even while he's at the college, it's quite likely we can also come up with some sort of plan so he continues to study his lessons from the college while he's here."
"We'll cross that bridge when we get to it. As it stands, being a magical student, he'll have a large course load. Magical students within the Commonwealth receive schooling in both magical and non-magical subjects."
"The reason for tutors and teachers from this world."
"Exactly," Elaine answered, "Though at the beginning, his tutors will likely only be covering the very basics—Math, language skills, reading, spelling. We'll introduce other subjects as he gets older; history, science, and so on."
"That would make sense. The final issue, then, is to find a way of moving the portal. Having it open up at the college would be far easier than landing at Saarthal. It would also be more secure. Bandits have been known to frequent the ruins at Saarthal. Last thing we would want is for an unfortunate accident."
"Yes, agreed. And on that, the Arcane Science Division has been working on a solution. Care to take a look?"
"By all means."
July 24, 1996 / 24 Sun's Height, 4E191
College of Winterhold, Skyrim
With the combined efforts of the Commonwealth's Arcane Sciences Division, and mages from the College of Winterhold, a method was at last devised to move the portal. With a tremendous crack, and a blast of wind that sent the snow scattering, the portal vanished, only to reappear in the courtyard of the college.
With that final adjustment, the Commonwealth was at last ready to set the plan in motion. The hope of the Wizarding world would have the tools needed to do the job he'd been saddled with. One way or another.
AUTHOR NOTES: Those following The Wizard, the Thief, the Captain, and the Cube, please note that that story will be removed, either 1 or possibly 2 weeks from now, since the material there follows a similar plot line.
Additionally, I should mention that, this story has been written completely, beginning to end, meaning that, it won't end up in the dreaded 'hiatus', or 'abandoned' category. Part of this has already been posted on Archive of our Own, and I will likely maintain a similar posting schedule, a chapter every few days.