Prologue
It was twenty-four years after the great wizarding war that took place in the grounds of a children's secondary school. Hogwarts School of witchcraft and wizardry had been the main battle field, for both sides were attacking with full force along with the aid of magical beings and the help of magical beasts. The losing side, the darker side, suffered a great many deaths and casualties as well as desertions and suicides. When law finally returned most of the living dark survivors were sent to Azkaban, wizard jail, where they were to wait and receive the Dementors kiss, a fate worse than death many say. Their leader, the Dark Lord, was a vile inhuman being that had once held the name Tom Marvelo Riddle, only to refashion it to Lord Voldemort. This 'Lord' died at the age of ninety in the very place his childhood had held dear for nine years. Forty-two years earlier the man had in theory died while splitting his soul into two pieces, one holding a greater portion of it than the other. Love is the most powerful magic of all had caused the killing curse he had fired towards and unprotected one-year-old child to ricochet and collide with him. This had caused his soul to split again, the larger portion hoping to cling to life, attached itself to the only source of life available, the one-year-old child. This severing of souls created a horcrux, a powerful form of dark magic that replicated eternal life, one cannot die if their soul is not intact, but the fragments of that soul can be destroyed. The reason the one year old was attacked, magical prophesy, first uttered from the lips of a drunk woman in the middle of the night 'neither can life while the other survives'.
Before he died at the age of ninety the Dark Lord attempted to murder the child again, the child now young man had been prepared for death. The killing curse the Dark Lord had fired at him this time succeeded it killing part of him, the part the Dark Lord had placed there in the first place, and only managed to knock the young man out for a while. When the young man awoke he slaughtered the Dark Lord with his own rebounding killing curse again, only this time for good. This feat created the wizarding world's saviour, the most powerful wizard of his time and only seventeen. The chosen one, the one who lived, the master of death, the boy who rose again. Harry James Potter, age seventeen.
But all that, that was twenty-four years ago. Time changes a person, people age over time.
Harry Potter now aged forty-one, lay reclining into the soft confines of the old battered and bruised crimson red couch that lay beneath the window in the living room of his holiday home now turned permanent residence, he could see the sun setting now throwing shades of red across the room. Setting down one of the many tattered and torn books that littered the room the man opted for one of the many magically reinforced glass bottles that lay to the side of the couch. Tipping his head backward he allowed the last few drops of the fiery elixir to scorch down his throat, the burn to him was now almost familiar. Harry went to stand up, then thought better of it, there was at least five and a half bottles worth of alcohol now flooding through his system, and there were glass bottles and knee high coffee tables in the current room not to mention door handles should he decide to go to bed, lying down here seemed to be a safer option. Harry stared at a random point on the ceiling, toying with the neck of the bottle in his hand. He listened to the sound it made as it hit against the other bottles as well as the sharp sound it made as his ring finger struck it. The tell-tale 'clink' of metal on glass, Harry sighed happily dropping the empty bottle to the floor and letting it roll away. Harry lifted his left hand to hover in front of his face. Two silver bands on his ring finger reflected the setting light from the open curtains causing small rainbows to scatter throughout the room. The one set lower on his ring finger was more detailed and expensive than the one above it. The top one was a simple silver band with a single emerald embedded into it. Its partner on the other hand was gold and had a blood red ruby encrusted into it. Both rings had the same carefully chosen words etched and embossed into them 'together forever, no matter the price'. Both the precious stones in each the rings glowed with trapped power, encased magic to strengthen their promises'. It oozed magic, so much so that if you were to purposely reach out to feel magic you would feel it running over your skin like water.
Harrys' bottom ring was also silver, though it was an old wizarding family bonding ring, but had been used as an engagement ring by his bonded. Wizarding bonding rings had two main uses, to seal a marriage like contract such as generation old arranged marriages or as an engagement ring when a wizarding or muggle wedding was not acceptable. There were only a few occasions when this use for the ring could be applied such a when one or both members were of a creature inheritance or as an engagement ring during a proposal to royalty or nobility, there are also a few other uses' for it but they were seen as unimportant as well as frowned upon by the higher class wizarding families, events such as a proposal to a muggle or on the occasion that both parties were of the same sex. The binding of both parties must fulfil the binding oath truthfully as well as self-willingly, when this happened there were several abilities or states that could happen the most common being 'ownership markings' and magical ability increased and some least common ones such as telepathy and the restoration of free willed magic in the beings. Harrys bonding ring was silver ring with a four panel crest adorning it, the crest contained a large 'M' and the crest itself was bordered by two dragons, at the very bottom under the embossed crest and dragons was the motto "Sanctimonia Vincet Semper" or in English "Purity Will Always Conquer", in a highly cursive handwriting that made it impossible to read. Harrys bonded on the other hand had a golden bonding ring that held the Potter crest, the deathly hollows, the triangle halved by a straight line with a circle within it that touched the three sides, each representing its own hollow, the invisibility cloak, the elder wand and the resurrection stone.
This was Harrys' second marriage; the first was to a childhood sweet heart. Ginevra or more commonly, Ginny Weasley, his best friends little sister. And after a few physical and verbal duels Harry and Ron had come to an agreement, no touching in my presence, I want to think of my sister as innocent. They had been married for nearly fifteen years marrying a few years after the second wizarding war. Months after they married Ginny retired from her place as chaser and captain of the Holyhead Harpies, a "job" she got from being scouted during her last year at Hogwarts. The Quidditch house cup final match, Hufflepuff versus Gryffindor. Gryffindor winning by 240 points to 100. Once retired she then applied and got a job at the Daily Mirror, working as the chief Quidditch correspondent. She worked stories for the big games and would have tested all the latest products. She got family tickets to major games once James, Albus and Lily were born, not forgetting the adopted Teddy Remus Lupin. Ginny died two years after the 2014 Quidditch World Cup, a "freak" accident during a routine test trial. She had been testing a broom made by the Nimbus Broom Manufacturing Company. The broom was the latest in the Firebolt series , or more correctly Firebolt 1500, it had the ability to travel faster and higher than the original Firebolt and even had a greater turning efficiency than it, though it paled in comparison to the Firebolt in its aesthetics. It was the all-new Thunderbolt, due to be released during the peak of Quidditch sales, later the next year in time for the Australian cup. It was 60% Elm wood chosen for its lightness and durability, 30% Goblin forged steel for its ability to absorb magic and the other 10% was the magic that held it together as allowing for its quick movements and wind resistance. At a height of 700 meters approximately equal to the Eiffel towers height the broom became, what muggles call and electric aerial, something that attracts large amounts of electricity for their use. Ginny was dead within a millisecond of the accident, her body basically unidentifiable due to her merging with the broom. Aurors had to be brought in to trace her magic signature, this too was near impossible as both her wand and her only power crystal were destroyed during the accident. This left the only Aurors able to identify her as Harry and Ronald, and both were unable to work on this case due to Auror rule 30.27.13 – family preceding's'.
Harry in the middle of the panic and madness of the case quit, he filled the application to remove all Auror ranks and titles from his name. He then apparated home to collect the kids in the middle of doing their homework, for once as it was the summer, leaving them with his mother-in-law Mrs Weasley, and after a few too many drinks in the Leaky Caldron. Then he jump apparated up across England, to the advanced wizarding medical school over in Northern Ireland, after all Harry always had respect for care givers. He handed in a resume, and signed up for a course in creature healing, in the hopes of becoming a practiced wizarding healer. A course majoring in the healing arts that apply to creatures, and or part creature beings, such as Veela, Vampires, Animagi, Werewolves, as well as the more non-human but human like ones too. Examples being Giants, Fᴂ, Centaur or simply put anything with human, or a "near-human" understanding. Most creatures range from Ministry of Magic rating X to XXXXX. Harry then finished his Doctorate training in two years before deciding on taking up a mastery course in it lasting there years, which in the end lead to him being the UKs highest-ranking Doctrine of Creatures.
Harrys bonded had also worked at the ministry as an Auror, qualifying at the same time as Harry thought quit near two years later, due to a lack of public understanding and appreciation. They had since then worked as a one of the very few publicly known Unspeakables, majoring in the theory of Dark Arts, Time and Memory, also doing a bit of potions work on the side. Harrys bonded was widely known for their advances in the human memory, more specifically the return of it and or its restoration. They managed to produce the charm that countered spells such as Obliviate, as well as the much stronger ones that destroy memories or alter them. Their most proud accomplishment had been three years ago, it was the restoration and return of the memory, as well as sanity of both Frank and Alice Longbottom. The prolonged exposure that they had under the Cruciatus curse had resulted in a major amount of scarring to their brains. When treating the scarring with a series of potions, as well as the odd spell here and there, their motor as well as communicative skills of both patients had repaired and advanced. Harry himself often referred to it as the Rett's cure, in reference to a muggle chromosome disorder he had learnt about in his training. When both Frank and Alice where diagnosed as mentally and socially 'fit' weeks later, the mediwizards didn't trust Harrys bonded to of actually helped someone. However, their son Neville Longbottom Professor of Herbology at Hogwarts and husband to the owner of the Leaky Cauldron, he was happy to finally be able to have a conversation, to be recognised by them after thirty-eight years nearly.
It was now nearly eleven at night, the sky was pitch black with soft wisps of grey or blue, and the only source of light was the settling flames of the fireplace. Harrys bonded still was not home! They had left some time after dinner yesterday and they still were not home! "For Merlin's sake, get home!" Harry Moaned to no one in particular, while throwing an arm over his face. They were at a meeting in Sydney, discussing the effects of time travel and its effect on the mind. Harry knew they would not be back to late, and like the child he was he insisted on staying up to wait for them, hence the Firewiskey as Harry knew he couldn't sleep with its burn in his stomach. MOM or Ministry of Magic where hosting this conference, discussion thing a ma gig, why Sydney Harry had no idea.
The conference was in set up by a section of the Unspeakables, it was a collaboration between the historical influence team and the time and matter team. They were looking for a couple, or a team of Aurors, that would be willing to leave their life here and travel back in time. It was for a newly developed time turner, being nicknamed the Leap-Year. So called for the fact that it returned the user to the past in groups of four years. There was a lot of information about it that was being withheld. Information that would probably be released to whoever gets the time turner. It was a luck of the draw, Harrys bonded referred to it as "muggle", like the lotto rollover events on T.V. . But besides the luck of the draw, they had pure luck on their side. Not only in the form of "Harry Potter the Dark Lord Slayer", but quite literally too. Three spoons of Felix Felicis, brewed to perfection and stored in a crystal vile, and drunk right before they pick the "winner".
At some time just after midnight, a soft snoring filled the dark air in the living room, the snores quite often accompanied by a soft murmuring or sudden wine. Harry had fell asleep on his living room couch, in a position that would defiantly hurt his back in the morning. Harry Potter had fell asleep to the symphony of the crackling of the fire, soft lapping of the waves on the shore outside and dripping of the loose faucet in the kitchen. At half past one the last of the embers in the fire were starting to die out, their soft orange glow barely clinging to life. Yet they sprung to life in mere seconds, casting a sinister emerald green hue over the walls in the room. The giant flames reached upwards leaping up, and suddenly the fire spewed out a person, dressed head to toe in cotton and silk black clothes.
They landed quite gracefully and quietly for the suddenness of their arrival. The only noise made was a soft tut of disapproval as they nudged one of the glass bottles on the ground away from their feet, then turning to a content sound as they notice the sleeping form of Harry on the tattered couch. The dark form of the person walked gently across the room, turning to casually flicking their wrist, resulting in the books floating upward and rearranging themselves neatly onto the bookshelves, and the empty Firewiskey bottles to clink together and disappear. The person walked down the hallway, fondly leaning against doorways and checking in four separate rooms on the way, all of them were empty all the beds were made, starchy unslept in for ages. Three of the rooms were male while the last female. They enter the second to last door at the end of the hall, carefully checking all of their pockets, they pull out a purple velvet box the about the size of a ring box as well as a tiny wooden one the size of a packet of matches, placing both on a tidy tray on the dresser. Turning they walked to the left hand size of a bed toeing off shoes kicking them under the side of the bed, peeling layers of clothes off as they go, tossing them into a woven basket by the door until their pale form was only clothed by shadows and the soft glow of the full moon outside of the window. Opening the top drawer of the dresser on the left hand side, they pulled out a top and two sets of pyjama bottoms tossing a pair of bottoms and the top to the grey duvet covered bed, quickly dressing themselves in the longer pair of bottoms. They raised their arms above their head in a stretch, they turned and walked back the way they came down the hall. Returning to the body of the sleeping Harry. Sighing they lifted the sleep-heavy Harry from the couch bridal style, bringing him back to the bedroom and tossing him to the bed, stripping the alcohol soaked clothes into the basket. Redressing dressing him in the other pair of bottoms and tugging the top over his head before pushing him under the duvet, then walked around to the other side and slid into the bed to lie beside the dozing form of Harry Potter.
Harry awoke the next morning with a thundering headache, he quickly shut his eyes again and groaned, lifting an arm to cover his eyes too. He could hear the Seagulls outside screaming murder, the drip of the just flushed toilet sounded like a waterfall in the bathroom and the whistle of the kettle followed by the rattling of ceramics on each other and the pounding of footsteps down the hall towards him like a marching band, oh Merlin in he needed silence now! Harry shot up out of the bed in a moment of shock, he fell asleep on the couch! Why was he in the bed, who's in the house, why was he in his pyjamas? Harry opened his eyes to stare down the intruder, before smiling and grinning like a lunatic, Draco Malfoy had just walked into the bedroom.
A pair of worn grey pyjama bottoms were hanging dangerously low on his hips, just revealing a dusty line of pale hair. A pedicured hand pushing the door softly open, the other holding a metal tray into his side to allow him to carry it. Silky straight blonde-grey hair tied up messily to the back of his head loose strands hanging by his ears and in front of his eyes, stormy grey eyes hidden behind hair and clenched eyes as the man yawned showing off his bleached white pointed teeth. Harry looked fondly at the man as he walked towards him only to clench his head in his hands as the other 'accidently' shook the metal tray, resulting in several 'bells' to sound in Harrys head. Draco looked down at the black haired man in the bed apologetically, nudging the mans by the knees to the middle of the bed before placing the tray across his knees, and handing him a small 15ml vial.
Draco sat on the edge of the bed looking to Harry. Ink black hair that could rival a birds nest, edged closer to the just shagged look. Emerald green eyes that shone, but were dulled by sleep. Tan skin covering his body, missing only a small boxer sized area. The two sizes too big top that was sliding down one arm to reveal more of the deliciously tan skin that was tattered in scars.
"Morning Love." Harry took the offered vial, listening to the echoing voice in front of him, then looking down at the vial that held a pearly yellow liquid, he looked to Draco questioningly. "It's a sobering potion smart ass." Draco got slowly off the bed, and stretched allowing the pyjama bottoms to slip further down his hips. Bending foreword he lent in close to Harrys ear, "Eat up Love, you need it." He smirked as Harry gave a slow shiver, then bent in and nipped playfully on the tip of his ear before turning and walking towards the door.
"Oh and Harry by the by" Draco and turned, one hand on the door frame to see Harry. A slice of toast in his hand, setting a glass of orange juice down with the other and a piece of toast just hanging out of his mouth by the corner he looked to Draco, still eating.
"Happy birthday, Mr Harry Potter-Malfoy." Draco turned and walked down the hall, the sounds of Harry choking on the piece of toast he had been destroying following him.