Disclaimer: I own nothing…simple as that.
Chapter 1 – The Duel
Through the centuries there are a number of legendary figures that have come to us from the time of the Dark – figures, such as Ith, the horrific Rag Man, Vervamon the Elder, and Tivadar of Thorn. Yet one figure is an enigma among these enigmas. Time and again throughout the period of the Dark – and up to the end of the Ice Age itself – there is reference to a folk figure known as Jodah. It has been suggested that Jodah is the surname of a family of sorcerers, or a honorific title of respect, or that Jodah is a previously unknown Planeswalker. The fact remains that Jodah (be he one or many) is today regarded as one of the founders of magic as we now know it.
Harry held his breath as he felt his feet slam into the ground, letting out a hiss of pain as he landed on his already injured leg. He collapsed to the ground and lay there as he attempted to gather his wits, and catch his breath. Slowly he raised his head and looked around, seeing a foreboding and overgrown graveyard. The Triwizard Cup was a portkey! Is this part of the Third Task? Harry was jerked from his silent thoughts as he heard a grown coming from his left side. He glanced over and noticed that Cedric had been pulled into this strange new place with him.
Harry rushed over to Cedric's side and shook him, "Cedric, are you alright?" Harry only received a grown in response. Harry shook his head and drew his wand, "Aguamenti". A jet of cold water hit Cedric in the face and he jerked awake.
"Harry? Where are we, do you think this is part of the task?" Cedric stood up and glanced down at the Triwizrd Cup, "Did anyone tell you that the cup was a portkey?"
Harry shook his head. "I think that we should keep our wands out, I don't like the look of this place." Cedric nodded and withdrew his wand from his sleeve. Harry couldn't shake himself of the feeling that they were being watched. But by who? Slowly Harry began to walk forward, towards what he assumed was the center of the grave yard. Cedric followed behind the young Gryffindor and kept an eye for any enemies that might have approached them from behind.
Both boys suddenly spun to their right as they heard a twig snap and raised their wands at an approaching figure. This figure was short and squat, covered in a dark robe and cloak. The hood was drawn up over the figure's head and he was carrying a small bundle with great care. The figure continue to walk between the graves with slow, deliberate strides. As he got nearer, Harry was certain now that it was a he for the bottom half of his face was visible beneath his cloak now, the object being cradled in his arms became more clear. It was a bundle of robes. Harry and Cedric slowly began to lower their wands, and for a short time no body moved.
Suddenly, and without warning, Harry's scare exploded with pain. Harry felt a agaony that was beyond anything that he could ever have imagined. The pain was radiating from his scar throughout his hid and down throughout his body, he felt every muscle in his body tighten up and he collapsed to the ground. "C…c…cedric, you h…h…have to get o…out of here. V…o….ldemort is here, take the c…c…up and go!" Harry managed to ground out a few short sentences to his friend, before the seizure prevented even that.
Cedric looked at his friend in horror as blood poured down his face from the scar on his forehead. He hesitated but Harry shouted at him to leave again, and quickly he spun raising his wand and shouted "Accio". The Triwizard Cup flew across the graveyard and just before he caught it he caught a glimpse of the cloaked figure raising his wand and shouting "Avada Kedavra". Cedric watched as death approached him, felt the pull behind his navel, and was whisked away. The Killing Curse passing harmlessly through the air where he had been and turning a gravestone to dust upon impact.
Slowly the pain in his scar began to recede and Harry was able to open his eyes. He felt himself being dragged to his feet as the cloaked man tied him to a headstone. In a haze Harry noticed that the name upon the tombstone was TOM RIDDLE. As the man was busy tying Harry to the tombstone, Harry caught a full glimpse of the man's face. Wormtail. Harry began to struggle with rage and screamed at the traitor, "You! Your lying two faced bastard! When I get off this rock I'm going to rip you head off! I should have let Sirius and Remus take care of you when they had the chance!"
But Wormtail did not respond, he merely looked at Harry and as the young boy opened his mouth to continue his tirade, Wormtail roughly shoved a roll of black cloth into the boy's mouth. Without a word Wormtail then walked behind Harry and headed off into the cemetery. After a few minutes Harry heard Wormtail returning and saw him pushing a large stone cauldron as he came into this line of vision. The contents seemed to simply be water, not some sinister potion, although due to his lack of prowess in that particular field Harry was unable to be sure. Harry was also quite sure that this was the largest cauldron he had ever seen, he easily could have sat down inside of it and had room to spare.
The creature that had been wrapped in the bundle of robes began to twitch, in either excitement or fear Harry was not certain. "Hurry Wormtail, I have waited 15 years for this moment, I do not wish to waste anymore time." Harry's eyes widened in shock as Voldemort's voice came forth from the…thing. Harry looked back to the cauldron and saw that the water had begun to boil, Wormtail had apparently lit a fire underneath it using his wand. Harry heard a high cold laugh from the creature and once again it shouted "Hurry".
The surface of the potion looked as if it were glass, except that it was black. It looked as though it were covered in black diamonds. "It is ready, Master" Wormtail said as he bowed and picked up what was left of the Dark Lord. He slowly carried him to the cauldron and placed him inside. Let him drown, please, for the love of Merlin, let him drown. Wormtail began speaking, "Bone of the father, unknowingly given, you will renew your son!" The ground at Harry's feet split open and a cloud of dust rose from the ground and settled on top of the liquid in the caldron. The liquid hissed and turned from black to a neon blue. Suddenly Wormtail began to sob as he withdrew a long and sinister knife from within the folds of his robes. His voice broke into sobs, "Flesh of the servant, willingly given, you will revive your master." He extended his right hand out over the cauldron, and with a quick upward stroke cut his hand from his arm. The potion turned from blue to the color of blood, and emitted a sickly glow. By this point Wormtail was moaning in agony and barely able to stand up due to blood loss, however he still managed to stumble his way to Harry. "Blood of the enemy, forcibly taken, you will, resurrect your foe."
Harry watched in horror, and he could do nothing to prevent it, as Wormtail took the knife and slice his arm from elbow to wrist. Wormtail took a vial from within his robes and collected Harry's blood in it. The traitor slowly staggered back to the cauldron where be poured Harry's blood. The red liquid instantly turned to a blinding white. The cauldron began to spit and simmer, shooting sparks out in all directions. White light bathed the area surrounding it with the light of a thousand suns. Then it stopped, everything ceased to move and the light ceased to glow. Let it have failed, Harry hoped, Let him have drowned. And then, slowly, through the mist that was in front of him a tall skeleton of a man with snake features and glowing red eyes rose from the cauldron, Lord Voldemort had risen again.
Voldemort looked around the graveyard, and without glancing at Wormtail lazily said, "Hold out your arm." The rat did as he was ordered and Voldemort pressed his finger against the Dark Mark that was branded upon the skin. Silently he summoned his Death Eaters to him, wondering who would return, and who would be foolish enough to stay away.
The air was suddenly filled with loud cracks has wizards apparated in from all sides, and began to surround the trio. Voldemort began to speak to the assembled Death Eaters but Harry was unable to pay attention to what he was saying due to the pain in his scar. Suddenly Voldemort trailed off and trained his wand upon Harry, "Crucio". Harry writhed in pain against the gravestone. "And now we duel, young Harry Potter. You shall not defeat me again, there is no escape." Harry's bindings were severed and he collapsed to the ground and withdrew his wand from his pocket.
"We bow to each other, Harry," said Voldemort, bending slightly at the waste but keeping his bright eyes focused upon Harry. Voldemort raised his wand and paused, "You will never bother me again young Potter, I will not kill you, but I will dispose of you." Before Harry could comprehend what the Dark Lord had said Voldemort shouted out "Expulseo ab terra Harry Potter!" A sickly yellow beam of light surrounded by black bolts of energy shot from his wand, and Harry, unable to move was struck in the chest.
The Death Eathers watched in fascination as, Harry Potter, in a bright flash of yellow light, was no more.
A body fell from the sky, a height of around five to six feet, and landed hard upon the ground. The figure slowly stirred and sat up looking at the landscape around him. It was harsh and barren. The sky overhead was covered with dark clouds and no trace of sunlight could be seen. The landscape was covered with destroyed trees, and dirt. No living plant life could be seen. The boy stood slowly and looked around, then looked down at himself. He was wearing black robes and his vision was being blurred by the device that was in front of his eyes. He took them off and suddenly his world came into focus.
The boy spun around as a screech echoed through the hills. Suddenly from previously unseen holes four small creatures came tumbling out. They were small, only two to three feet tall, but they were stocky….and green. The boy looked at these things with blatant curiosity, until they all drew rusted swords from their belts and began to close in on him with a practiced ease. The boy fell down in his haste to get away, scurried to his feet and began to sprint away as fast as his legs would carry him. But no matter how fast he ran, or how many fallen trees he jumped over the creatures continued to gain on him.
The boy sprang over a fallen log when his foot caught on a tangle of branches and he crashed forward into a pool of crystal clear water. The boy felt energized as the magical energy of the pool invaded his body, and mind. Quickly the boy climbed out of the water and continued his flight from the green creatures. As he was running down a wooded hill his foot caught a large rock and he tumbled end over end down to the bottom. The creatures began to close in and stood around him, looking. The largest of the four raised his knife and the boy closed his eyes, when suddenly there was a flash of red light and the creature let out a cry of pain and burst into flames. The other three creatures turned around and ran as fast as they could towards their holes. The boy looked over his shoulder and saw a man walking towards him with his hand raised.
The man wore blue robes with a brown leather satchel hanging over his left shoulder. He slowly lowered his arm and ran over to the boy. "Who are you? What were those things? Where am I?" The boy asked.
The man looked towards the fleeing figures and replied, "I am Voska, a traveling mage. And as for your second question, those were Lesser Goblins. Deadly to those who are unarmed and unprepared, but otherwise merely an annoyance once you know how to deal with them. Finally, as for where you are, you're in the land of Terisiare in the time of the Dark. You should also be thankful you tripped where you did, boy, that pool you landed in was a Fountain of Youth. According to legend they appear to those who subconsciously call to them, and they only appear once every few millennia. You can tell them by the rune stones surrounding them. But it's gone now, and I know I'll never see one again. Enough of an old man's ramblings, what's your name boy?" Voska looked down at the boy expectantly, with kind and patient eyes.
The boy looked down at his hands, and then stared up at Voska in horror, eyes wide, "I can't remember."
There's the first chapter of the story. Let me know what you think. The next chapter will be Jodah growing up till his mid-twenties, so it will cover ten years or so and will be relatively short because I know that I hate stories that go into excruciating detail about filler years and take forever to get to the actual plot. Anyway, let me know what you thought. If you hadn't guessed the boy is Harry Potter, but will take the name Jodah. Throughout the next few chapters he will remember who he was and will learn the art of magic from Voska.
Review please.
