HARRY POTTER - THE LEGACY CHRONICLES: CHRONICLE 1 - BEGINNINGS
(Disclaimer: The use of places, objects, characters, etc. of the Harry Potter saga is the property of J.K. Rowling and Warner Brother Inc. No infringement intended, for entertainment purposes only. All original characters, objects, places, etc. are the property of SeverusGirl360.)
PROLOGUE: A STRANGER COMES CALLING
EXT. GODRIC'S HALLOW - EVENING (AUGUST 17TH, 1998)
As the last rays of sunlight began to fade into the red, blue and amber hues of early twilight, evening began to draw its curtains around the sleepy English village of Godric's Hallow. Located in the West Country of England, it was a quaint little village; its streets lined with street lamps and quaint little cottages. Though it had a village square, a few retail shops, a small pub, a church and a post office, its streets were unusually quiet and empty for a late summer's eve night.
Ever since the village had been damaged in the Battle of Hogwarts nearly four months ago, parts of the village were still being rebuilt and new cottages and shops were being added, including a small wand shop. Near the village square at the center of the village was a small inn known as the Three Lions Pub and Inn, which was owned by a Muggle innkeeper named Dorothea Windbellows and her wizard husband, Alexander Burr.
In a second floor bedroom of this inn, Harry Potter tried to fall asleep after a long day house hunting while his soon-to-be fiancée Ginny Weasley was away playing for the Holyhead Harpies Quidditch Team. But the oppressive summer evening heat and the terrible memories of his past which seemed to haunt Harry's every waking moment refused to give him any comfort or peace of mind.
Hanging in the open window of his bedroom there was a set of shimmering sliver wind chimes that had been infused with a special protective spell. This special protective spell caused the wind chimes to ring only when something or someone magical entered the room, an early warning sign to Harry if he needed to fight off something sinister or some evil dark magic of some kind.
Out in the street beyond this inn the streets were silent and barren, with not a soul or creature in sight. Unbeknownst to Harry however, his restlessness was soon to become ever more restless when out on the street below Harry's shuttered window, a mysterious, pale and beautiful witch walked slowly up to the front of the Three Lions Pub and Inn.
Dressed in her iridescent dark blue robes and holding her wand in her left hand, she continued to walk closer and closer to the inn silently. Suddenly in front of the inn, she stopped and then looked up towards Harry's bedroom window. She then lifted her wand over her head and spun it around, producing a brilliant streak of blue light in the air above her and encircled around her.
"Expecto...Patronum!" the woman uttered forcefully as the streak of blue light transformed into the ethereal image of a wolf which started to howl and then run across the sky before entering into Harry's bedroom through the open shuttered window. As the streaking blue light entered through Harry's bedroom window, the wind chimes ran out, causing Harry to leap up in his bed and grab up his wand from off the dresser nearby.
"What is it? Who's in here?" cried Harry, pointing his wand out in front of him and staring around nervously. From the vantage point on his bed, he began to look cautiously all around into the darkened space surrounding him, seeing nothing but the wind chimes ringing and the four walls of his bedroom. Seeing and hearing nothing, Harry cautiously lied back down in his bed again but with his ears and eyes wide open and his wand held closely to his chest as if trying to listen for something or someone moving about in the darkness of his bedroom.
Harry had a nagging and biting suspicion that whatever magic had entered his bedroom wasn't there to engage in petty small talk. As Harry continued to listen cautiously and silently, the room began to get quieter and quieter as Harry became more and more cautious and alert. Then a strange howl entered Harry's ears as if it was coming from someplace very far off.
Harry then felt the compulsion to look down at the end of his bed and near his feet, where a misty cloud of blue light suddenly appeared out of thin air, transforming into the ethereal image of a wolf before it leapt onto the end of Harry's bed. Harry quickly sat up in bed and began frantically backing himself up on his hands and wrists towards the wall behind him as the ethereal image of the wolf suddenly howled and charged towards Harry, enveloping Harry in shrouds of ethereal blue light.
Alarmed, Harry tried in vain to knock off the spectral as it continued to howl and run circles around him. Then after a few seconds more, the ghostly wolf suddenly leapt off the bed and flew into the air, dancing around Harry's bed a couple times before flying out the window from which it came, howling sorrowfully and trailing wisps of ethereal blue light behind it as it left. Harry quickly got out of his bed and ran towards the open window, trying to see where the beast had gone.
With his hands firmly to the window sill Harry leaned out the open window and looked down at the street below, where his eyes soon met the eyes of the mysterious woman, who looked up at him mischievously and smirked. Without hesitation Harry quickly rushed out through the door to his bedroom and quickly ran down the second floor staircase, then out the front door of the inn.
Once out onto the street he began looking around intensely for any sign of the woman, but all he saw was an old hag pushing along a cart full of Wizard wares across the street and could hear nothing but a gentle breeze blowing and the wind chimes ringing softly in the window above him. The mysterious woman and the ghostly spectral was seen no more.
CHAPTER 1: SNAPE'S FUNERAL
EXT. HOGWARTS CEMETARY – AFTERNOON (SEPT. 17TH, 1998)
Over five months had passed since the Battle of Hogwarts claimed the lives of hundreds of wizards, witches and magical creatures, including the life of Severus Snape. Even now the memories of the battle continued to haunt and linger in the minds and hearts of those who survived and remained.
In the small cemetery which lied within the looming shadows of Hogwarts Castle, a group of people watched and listened as a black casket was lowered into a grave on ropes and a man of the cloth continued to recite from a small bible over it, with the sounds of quiet sniffling and gentle sobbing lingering in the air around it. This however was no ordinary funeral as this was the funeral of one Severus Snape; a wizard, former teacher and former Headmaster of Hogwarts School. Severus Snape was also a former and much loathed teacher of Harry's.
Unaware to those who were present at Snape's funeral, Verena, who had ran into the Boathouse and saved Severus Snape over five months earlier was now hiding herself behind a large oak tree that sat on the Hogwarts School grounds. The large oak tree stood just beyond the entrance of the small cemetary and the old, vine covered wicker fence which surrounded it. Verena watched on closely and silently as the funeral progressed, looking out from behind the tree at everyone who was there and at everything that was happening.
Standing in the front of the group amongst the other students, teachers and onlookers who were present at Snape's funeral, there was Harry Potter, Hermione Granger, Ronald Weasley, Luna Lovegood, Seamus Finnegan and Neville Longbottom, dressed in their finest funeral clothes and robes.
Neville had recently become the new Herbology teacher at Hogwarts and was taking some time away from his class to be at the funeral. Neville had also recently got engaged to a young woman named Hannah Abbott, who was soon to become the new landlady of an old wizard's pub known as The Leaky Cauldron.
As Snape's funeral was nearly concluded, Harry and his friends continued to watch and look on silently with glaring looks of sorrow in their eyes as two men entered and climbed to the bottom of the grave in order to guide the casket down into it, placing it upon the floor of the grave.
Suddenly, Harry felt a soft tug upon the right sleeve of his robe. Looking over, his eyes soon fell upon the sight of a young girl in long and flowing school robes. She appeared to be no older than 13 years old, with long black hair, gray eyes and with a light complexion. With her green and sliver striped scarf and her robes bearing the insignia of a snake, it was clear to Harry that she was a student of House Slytherin.
"Yes?" said Harry softly, as though trying not to disturb others at the funeral. Hermione and Ronald however could hear Harry talking to the young girl and looked around Harry to see who he was talking to, wondering who she was and what she wanted.
The young girl suddenly spoke softly to Harry, "Harry Potter, Hermione Granger and Ronald Weasley? I'm sorry, but I've been ordered to collect you three from the funeral."
"Whatever for? We haven't done anything wrong," said Harry, who was trying to keep one eye on the girl and one eye on Lucius Malfoy, Lucius's wife Narcissa and their son Draco, who were also present at the Snape's funeral. It was no surprise to Harry to see Lucius and Narcissa there, as they were two of the very few friends that Severus Snape ever really had in life. Draco on the other hand was simply there to keep his parents company.
"Please, sir," said the young girl gently, "You, Ms. Granger and Mr. Weasley must come with me immediately. There's someone who wishes to see you…follow me."
Apprehensively, Harry, Hermione and Ron began to follow the young girl away from the funeral and towards Hogwarts Castle, walking through the main entrance and into the castle beyond it. They didn't know who the young girl was or why they were being brought into the castle. But never the less there had to have been a reason.
INT. HOGWARTS CASTLE, FIRST FLOOR CORRIDOR – AFTERNOON (SEPT. 17TH, 1998)
Upon entering the castle, the young girl quickly led them down a long and narrow hallway, with its stone walls covered with portraits and flanked by lit torches on both sides. Those moving within the enchanted portraits continued to look on, talking amongst themselves and looking around the edges of their picture frames at Harry, Hermione and Ron, who were led towards a small room which sat at the end of the hallway.
"Merlin's beard! Is that...the famous Harry Potter? Going into Groset's office?" said one of the portraits of an old wizard, who was sitting in an armchair and staring out.
"Yes, I think it is! That's Hermione Granger...Ronald Weasley." said the neighboring portrait of a woman, who was sitting in an armchair accompanied by a border collie that was sitting and panting next to her.
The woman in the neighboring portrait soon got up from her armchair and walked into the portrait of the old wizard and stood behind him, leaning over him and pointing. Her border collie followed her into the portrait, sat down on his haunches next to the old wizard and panted, whimpering softly.
"That is the famous Harry Potter...Yes it is...those are his friends…They're going into Groset's office." said other neighboring portraits and another portrait of a wizard, who had a yellow canary in a hanging sliver cage sitting behind him.
The yellow canary fluttered its wings and tweeted disagreeably as a black and gray spotted cat in a neighboring portrait jumped off a window sill that was decorated with a vase of flowers and preceded into the portrait that the yellow canary inhabited in.
The cat then reached up and began batting at the cage of the yellow canary with its front paws, causing the yellow canary to flutter and tweet even louder. Undeterred, Harry and his friends quickly walked through the door of the small room at the end of the hallway and vanished inside, the door slowly closing shut behind them.
INT. GROSET'S OFFICE/STUDY – AFTERNOON (SEPT. 17TH, 1998)
Inside, Groset's study was flanked by elegant glass windows framed with long emerald green drapes, which were quickly pulled open by the young girl in order to let sunlight in from the outside.
Amongst the fine wood paneling and the wooden bookshelves full of old, dusty books and parchment, there was a lit marble fireplace and three armchairs, which sat on top of an elegant, finely woven rug which sat in front of a long rosewood desk covered with other books and other old parchment. There was a small unlit lantern on the desk, which was quickly lit by the young girl. The young girl then walked towards the door to the room, walking past Harry, Hermione and Ron in the process.
"Wait here, please." said the girl softly, closing the door behind her and vanishing back into the corridor beyond it. Harry and his friends soon sat down and waited.
After a brief moment, Harry and others stood up from the armchairs upon hearing the sound of a man entering the room and closing the door behind him. The man appeared to be in his mid 30s and was tall, skinny and with light skin and an average build. He had dark brown hair and gray eyes and wore the black suit which was hidden underneath long and flowing dark gray robes. Moments later, the man was sitting behind the desk talking to Harry, Hermione and Ron, who were once again sitting down in the armchairs that sat in front of the desk. The man had a silky and eloquent voice which was both not that dissimilar, but was yet unfamilar from Severus's voice.
"My name is Edward Groset. I am the new Potions Master and the Head of Slytherin House. First of all I must express my deepest condolences upon this most terrible day. I know I speak for many when I say that Severus Snape was a courageous man and a great wizard." said Edward as he was leaned back in his armchair, glaring on and fidgeting with his fingers.
"Thank-you, sir, I'm sure Professor Snape would have liked that." said Harry with an innocent smile running across his lips while Hermione and Ron looked on silently, though on the back of Harry's mind, Harry knew that Severus would have thought otherwise since getting praised by someone on any level had never really been Severus's cup of tea as far as Harry knew.
Then again what would Snape be thinking right now if he knew of all the praising and apologies that he was getting now? Would Snape even accept their apology for not realizing what he was doing and for not trusting him? Or even accept Harry's own apology for that matter?
In truth however, Harry really couldn't speak for Snape even while Snape was still alive, though Harry always wondered if Snape would have ever wanted him to speak for him in the first place since they never really got along. But after seeing the memories that Snape had given him inside the Pensieve, Harry now had a much greater respect and deeper understanding of Snape.
Severus Snape however was more than capable for speaking for himself without anyone else's help, so whatever Snape would have thought about all the praising and apologies was well beyond Harry's words and comprehension for the time being.
Edward leaned forward, clasping his hands and sitting them on his desk as he continued, "I also must apologize for the secrecy of this meeting, as it is a bit of a delicate matter. I told my daughter to bring you here so that I may talk to you in private."
"It's alright," said Harry, "There's obviously a good reason for why you've brought us in here."
No longer able to contain her silence, Hermione began to speak, looking on in utter confusion, "I'm sorry but why are we in here?"
Edward paused slightly and began to glare briefly at Harry and his friends before he spoke once more, "As all of you are here to know, I am the holder of some very important documents and items that Severus had left in my possession just before he died. It was Severus Snape's last wish that I should give what was left to Harry in Severus's last will and testament."
A still silence suddenly fell upon the room as Harry, Hermione and Ron looked at one another, shocked by what they just heard.
"I'm sorry...What?" said Hermione, stunned.
"Professor Snape left some things in his will...for me?" said Harry, unsure of what to think.
"Blimey Harry, you're in Snape's will!" said Ron with a surprised look upon his face.
"We never even knew he had a last will and testament." whispered Hermione at Harry, looking over at him and then back at Groset again. Harry looked at Hermione and Ron in utter astonishment and silence once more before looking back at Groset again.
Edward began to speak once more, "I know this comes as a bit of shock to all of you. But as Severus's will holder it is my duty to give to Harry what Severus has left for him in his will."
"But sir, we thought that all of Snape's personal belongings had been placed in the casket since his body is still missing from the Boathouse." said Harry puzzlingly.
There was a brief moment of silence as Edward paused and glared coolly at Harry and his friends before he slowly leaned back in his armchair once more.
"Apparently not, Mr. Potter." said Edward softly and coolly as a small sneer upon his pale pointed face quickly turned into a curling smile of mischief. Harry and his friends continued to look on and at each other in defining silence.
INT. THE MINISTRY OF MAGIC, SORINSLEY'S OFFICE – MORNING (MAY 3RD, 1998)
"This is an outrage!" screeched Alistair Sorinsley, the Head of the Department Of Mysteries at the Ministry of Magic, as he held up the morning edition of the Daily Prophet newspaper in front of him to the man who was standing in front of his desk.
He showed the article as follows, with the enchanted title of the article pulsing red and an enchanted picture of the inside of the Boathouse beneath it, which showed the place where Snape had died:
BODY OF FALLEN HOGWARTS TEACHER MISSING!
'According to the investigation done by The Hogsmeade Police, they concluded upon examining both the inside of the Boathouse and in the examination of the outside grounds that the body of former Hogwarts teacher and former Headmaster of Hogwarts, Severus Tobias-Liam Snape, had been taken from the main room of the Boathouse sometime before 5:18am of the morning of May 2, 1998.
'It had been reported earlier by three students, whose names will remain anonymous, that Severus Snape had died in the Boathouse earlier that morning from fatal snake bites to the neck.
'According to the students who witnessed the death of Severus Snape said that Severus Snape, just before his death, had given some of his memories to one of the students who witnessed his death just before he died. These memories were later examined by this student and later by the Hogsmeade Investigations Unit by use of a Pensieve.
'Severus Snape's body was originally left to be recovered later by members of the Hogwarts School faculty. The student who had examined these memories has recently spoken out about what he had seen in these memories.
'Upon entering the Boathouse, members of the Hogwarts School faculty went to where the body of Severus Snape was supposedly left to be collected. There, they found no sign of either Snape's body or trances of his blood. With no eye witness accounts to verify the whereabouts of Severus Snape's body or to tell who or what could have taken it, the case has been officially closed pending further investigation...'
Sorinsley slammed the newspaper down upon the desk in front of him, revealing the face of a light skinned man with dark brownish blond hair and hazel-green eyes. Sorinsley wore a dark brown suit that was hidden underneath brown and gray robes. He was a man of average height and average build, but was also skinny. From the look on Sorinsley's face, the man Sorinsley was talking to clearly knew that he was cross.
"What is wrong with your department these days?" hissed Sorinsley, who continued to glare angrily at the man in front of him, whose name was Chief Inspector Harold Treston, the Head of the Hogsmeade Investigations Unit.
Of course, Sorinsley had a reason to be cross since he was Deputy Head of the Ministry of Magic while the newly appointed permanent Head of the Ministry of Magic, Kingsley Shacklebolt, was away on duties elsewhere. And with Snape's body missing from the Boathouse, Sorinsley had great concerns as to what may or may not happen if Snape was found to still be alive.
Treston, who was best discribed as tall, dark and handsome, with light skin, black hair and blue eyes, also had some weighing concerns, though nowhere near as many as Sorinsley had. Unlike Sorinsley, Treston, in his snappy black suit and dark gray and green robes, appeared calm and unaffected by the situation as he stood in the middle of Sorinsley's office with his hands behind his back.
As Treston stood in front of Sorinsley's desk, a couple enchanted quill pens on either side of Sorinsley hovered and moved about on their own, scribbling away on some parchment that was on top of Sorinsley's desk. It was as though they were writing down everything that was being heard and said in the room.
Sorinsley's office looked like any other office that would be seen in a government run establishment. But apart from Sorinsley's desk, the armchair that Sorinsley was sitting in, a large skylight in the ceiling above and a half hidden away coat rack, the room was virtually blank and empty of furniture. The walls were covered with nothing but filing cabinets from the floor to the ceiling, filled with almost nothing but files.
Some of the visible filing cabinets were locked while other filing cabinets were tucked away behind secret spaces hidden within the walls, containing various secret files and other confidential information. The top of Sorinsley's desk, apart from a couple oil lamps, was covered with short stacks of files, several books, some parchment and a couple ink wells filled with two different colors of ink.
"The body of the most wanted man in the Wizarding World ever since the recent demise of Lord Voldemort?" hissed Sorinsley as he was staring down Treston, "The body of the man who killed Albus Dumbledore, one of the greatest and wisest wizards that this world has ever known? Missing? And no one in your department seems to have any idea as to where his body could have gone!"
It was at this moment that one of the enchanted quill pens stopped and pointed its nose at Treston while the parchment it was writing on flipped over to the side, revealing a blank piece of parchment underneath. The enchanted quill pen quickly dipped its nose into one of the ink wells and then went back to writing on the parchment that was sitting in front of it again.
"We've looked everywhere sir. All throughout Hogsmeade, The Shambles, the local trade villages," said Treston calmly, "We even looked thoroughly throughout Hogwarts School to see if he might have found his way back up there somehow. We've found nothing sir...it's like he's just disappeared."
"Disappeared?" snapped Sorinsley as he slammed his fist once on the top of his desk. "Disappeared, Treston? The body of a wizard doesn't just disappear into thin air without leaving some trace of magical presence behind! Magical traces will last for at least 48 hours embedded within the local ether before they vanish completely! Surely you should have picked up on something by now! And where on Earth is Snape's wand? Surely you could have found that!"
"Sorry sir, but we've found nothing," said Treston calmly as he paused briefly and then continued to stand in front of Sorinsley's desk with his hands behind his back, "Perhaps magic wasn't involved in the removal of his body sir? Perhaps his body was carried away by some other means and taken somewhere to be buried in secret. Or perhaps he is still alive somehow and is now being held for ransom."
Soon the other enchanted quill pen was doing the same thing that the other enchanted quill pen had done just moments earlier and also soon went swiftly back to writing on the parchment that was sitting in front of it again. Both enchanted quill pens continued to write frantically while Sorinsley and Treston continued to speak to one another.
"Conspiracy? Blackmail? Oh, for heaven's sake, Treston!" said Sorinsley, "What would possibly be the point in that?"
"Well he is as you say the most wanted man in the Wizarding World at the present time. Perhaps someone thinks they will be well paid for hunting him down and then holding him for ransom. Perhaps the local bounty hunters are involved in this. They do fly past Hogwarts and the Boathouse on their dragons now and again and manage to get word of such things before everybody else does. Or perhaps the Accusers are involved sir." said Treston.
"The Accusers? God I hope not!" shuttered Sorinsley, who glared at Treston with a brief look of dread upon his face, "God help us if we have to deal with them! Those creatures are just as bad as Dementors if not more so! Thank heavens we don't use Dementors anymore. And I wouldn't even imagine having the Accusers involved in something like this, not even the reformed ones!"
"Being that Accusers are half-Dementor/half-wizard sir, being involved in such matters is there specialty despite any disapproval or loathing that other wizard folk may have against their methods and uses. Though I can see why they would want Severus Snape. He is after all a former Death Eater," said Treston, "Though God help him if he has been caught by them. Would the Accusers, if they have caught him that is, hurt Severus in any way?" asked Treston.
Sorinsley scoffed, "I wouldn't know with those creatures and their warped sense of justice, though God knows what they would do with Severus if they have caught him," said Sorinsley, who leaned in towards his desk, "But what I do know Treston is that Severus Snape must be found and caught before all hell breaks loose! If he is not found, dead or alive, God knows what will happen!"
"I can imagine sir and hopefully nothing will happen. And I do have your best interests at heart," said Treston calmly once more, "But you do realize sir that after talking with those who witnessed Snape's death and after having reviewed the information that was given to us about Snape by the Pensieve, it is clear that Dumbledore was suffering from a deadly curse and ordered Snape to kill him. I believe sir, that if Snape is found alive, he should be commended and seen as a hero of the Battle of Hogwarts rather than as a dangerous wanted criminal."
Sorinsley narrowed his eyes, standing up as he leaned in closer, leaning over the top of his desk, "If Snape is found alive Treston, he will be treated and brought to justice like any other dangerous wanted criminal," hissed Sorinsley, "And I don't care if Severus Snape had saved the bloody whole Wizarding world! Find him...now! Do I make myself clear?"
"Yes sir, as you wish," said Treston, glaring at Sorinsley coolly, "But don't expect him to be given the same type of justice and treatment that you are seeking out for him...Good day sir."
And with that, Treston nodded his head respectfully at Sorinsley, turned and walked out the door of Sorinsley's office as Sorinsley slowly leaned back and sat back down in his armchair, looking into space towards the door. Sorinsley was now left alone, hearing nothing but the harsh, frantic scribbling of his enchanted quill pens.
CONTINUED…CHAPTER 2…