Disclaimer: This disclaimer spans the entirety of this story. I do not own Harry Potter, or Hakuouki, the stories from which I received my inspiration for this tale. I am making no money from the writing of this. It is purely for fun and entertainment. Thank you.
Summary: This story takes place in an alternate universe in which Voldemort was not defeated at the Battle of Hogwarts, but neither was Harry. Instead, the two forces are practically at a stalemate, but as the war rages on with no sign of stopping, desperate measures may have to be taken. Lines may have to be crossed. But at what price? Is losing one's humanity worth it if it means winning the war? How far will someone go to ensure victory?
Characters: Hermione Granger, Harry Potter, Ron Weasley, Remus Lupin, Severus Snape, Minerva McGonagall, Draco Malfoy, Blaise Zabini, Theodore Nott, Viktor Krum, Terry Boot, Anthony Goldstein, Ernie McMillan, Luna Lovegood, Nymphadora Tonks, Voldemort, Lucius Malfoy, Bellatrix Lestrange (There are others mentioned, but who do not play any role as of now.)
Warnings: For now there is little in the way of warnings. However, I am giving it a rating of M in case of future chapters. There may be themes of dealing with unexpected disabilities, brief depictions of gore and/or death, as well as sexual situations in the future. Please bear this in mind. For anything major that may occur, I will try to give further warnings as applicable.
The Water of Life: Prologue
Things were different than anyone could have predicted; than anyone had predicted, in fact. People on all sides of the war had thought that things would have ended that fateful night at Hogwarts Castle over five years prior. However, when the battle had ended and the dust had settled, neither side could confidently claim victory over the other. Both had suffered numerous casualties and sounded the retreat when dawn neared; neither could even remember which side fled the scene first. And so, the conflict raged on.
Everyone had predicted a mass of violent altercations, spanning all of Wizarding Britain, but even those seemed to trickle to nothing shortly after what had been dubbed "the Battle of Hogwarts." The Order of the Phoenix continued to command the majority of the resistance; the Death Eaters still answered to Voldemort. But battles seemed relegated only to shadows soon after, where most of the public weren't even aware they occurred.
At one time, many thanked Harry Potter for that. He and his companions had successfully destroyed all of Voldemort's Horcruxes over the years; he was decidedly more mortal than before. No longer did he make public appearances to strike fear in those who remained neutral. No, Voldemort was aware that he was as mortal as the next wizard; he had to hide.
And hide he did, even from his own followers. Only his most trusted and loyal subjects had even laid eyes on him since the Battle of Hogwarts five years before, and apparently he had long decided to share his secrets of stealth with them. No one had seen much of Bellatrix Lestrange or Lucius Malfoy in almost three years.
The last time they had been in public was when they had led separate, but simultaneous, attacks on the two most populated, civilian thoroughfares in the magical community of United Kingdom. Both Diagon Alley and Hogsmeade Village had endured heavy losses. The Death Eaters had seemed utterly indiscriminate about who was caught amid their schemes, so desperate they were for a win – and an end to the war.
Many innocents lost their lives that day, and the numbers of witches, wizards, and even magical creatures had been seeing a steady decline since. In a desperate attempt to protect those who remained, the Order of the Phoenix created a stronghold in Godric's Hollow. Rather than focusing on frontlines or aggressive warfare, their tactics switched solely to defense. The land was made Unplottable, and magically expanded to fully house all occupants, as well as shops and a makeshift school. The village had been founded to become self-sufficient.
In an effort to preserve the future of the magical population, many precautions had to be taken. No one was allowed to travel outside of the magical community, beyond the few who doubled as agents of the remaining Ministry of Magic, as they would not be protected beyond its surrounding wards. The wards had been placed by the strongest members, but relied on the magical energies of the residents to be ceaselessly sustained without draining the casters themselves.
But it was determined shortly after the founding of the new Godric's Hollow that those measures still weren't enough. More precautions, and therefore more restrictions, needed to be taken to ensure the future of their world. At first, there was much resistance. Outcries against the old-fashioned limitations the Order was attempting to enforce, but eventually logic and reason won out. As long as life could return to normal after the war, and this was only a temporary arrangement, they could all agree.
Just over a year ago, the decree was set in place, with Pureblood women leading the charge. Under the new laws, women had been forbidden from holding combative positions within the Order. The Order of the Phoenix was relegated to defending Godric's Hollow, patrolling the outer perimeter of the wards, and standing in defensive positions in watch rotations. Because the community had lost so many citizens already, they did not want to further risk the future, or the women who were necessary for continuing the magical legacy.
Instead, women who had previously been Order members were given tasks such as Healer or Educator – they were trusted with keeping the general population happy and with preparing them for a long-term stay in the bubble of Godric's Hollow.
Few women avoided such a fate, and the ones who did were beyond their child-bearing years. Minerva McGonagall, Amelia Bones, and Molly Weasley were the only three members who continued to hold their leadership titles. Or so everyone thought…
At the same time as the edict was being carried out, within the Order of the Phoenix, a specialized task force had been created. Its purpose not only to protect their new society, but also to fight the most dangerous battles. To avoid the risk of capture or infiltration of spies, their identities and the organization were kept absolutely secret. While the majority of the Order of the Pheonix was led by Minerva McGonagall, she had turned the reins of the Elite Phoenix Corps, as they were called, to her deputy chief: Remus Lupin. As the chief of the Elite Corps, his name was the only one still known to the community beyond it, and only by the upper echelons of the remaining Order itself.
Of course, it had been no easy task to make an entire society forget some of its strongest members once the Order had unanimously voted to make it an anonymous entity. So secret that almost none were even aware of its existence. Almost a year prior, they had finally succeeded.
It had taken three of the Order's remaining, most brilliant minds to finally master what they sought to create. The spell had been designed so as not to fully erase the memories, as an Obliviate would. Once the war was finished and victory ensured, the intent was for the Corps' members to return to their lives from before. Yet the spell was still powerful enough to create an impenetrable block on the memories in question. The fewer the collective memories of the community, the easier it was to lock them away.
For this reason, the task force was composed almost entirely of younger wizards. The exceptions were Remus Lupin, who had lived as an outcast due to his werewolf status – so fewer had recent memories of him. Likewise was Severus Snape. In the minds of most residents of Godric's Hollow, he had played a role no greater than an annoyance – most already wanted to forget him, so locking their memories was much easier. Victor Krum had been recruited as part of the Elite Phoenix Corps shortly after moving to Britain as a permanent resident. Although many knew his name as a star Quidditch player, the fact that so few had any personal interactions to recall made it easier as well.
The remainder of the Corps was composed of the most skilled young adult wizards who were still available and willing. Most young men had chosen to stay within the community, known and remembered by their peers, and defending the immediate perimeters. But some, called foolhardy before they were forgotten, were less eager to stand on the sidelines in such a manner.
Unquestionably, Harry Potter was made third in command behind Lupin and Snape. It had been the most difficult to make their small society forget him, but at last they had succeeded. No one could fathom having the Elite Corps without him. As a leader of the group, he was trusted to assess the skill levels and choose some of his peers, mostly those within his same year at school. Thus Ron Weasley, Terry Boot, Anthony Goldstein, and Ernie McMillan were the first to join the ranks. Neville Longbottom had wanted to join as well, but he was asked by McGonagall personally to stay and help her lead the defense ranks within the village itself.
Severus Snape had managed to convince many of his prime students to secretly join the fight against Voldemort, unlike their fathers, while they were still in school. Draco Malfoy, Blaise Zabini, and Theodore Nott had been working as spies with their former Head of House until the fateful attack against the magical community. Due to their low level of interactions with most of the community at large, it was easiest to block the memories of them.
Of course, having had a great hand in both the conception of the Elite Phoenix Corps and the spell used to ensure its secrecy, it was a given that Hermione Granger be a part of it as well. Her friends had objected fiercely, at first; concerned for her safety always. The Slytherins were largely indifferent, but also complained of the inequity, as no other females were being allowed to even work in the defense ranks.
Despite the resistance from the younger men, however, Lupin and Snape quickly silenced their dissent. They reasoned that she was an invaluable asset, especially with the expansive knowledge of restorative magic she had at her disposal. She often argued that she was no certified Healer, by any means, but she had made learning as many healing spells a priority from the time war had begun to loom all those years before. Since she was also partially responsible for the Corps' successful inception, they further reasoned that she deserved a place among its ranks far more than most of those protesting her inclusion. Reluctantly, they agreed.
Soon after, they were housed in the reconstructed cottage the late Potters had once called home, on the outskirts of the village, placed under multiple Fidelus Charms for added protection.
Author's Note:I know, I know. I haven't yet uploaded the next chapter of Search for the Cure but here I am posting this?! Please, understand! I actually wrote the first bits of both Search for the Cure and The Water of Life at the same time. Both plots jumped into my head at once, so I've been trying to tackle them concurrently.
Well, that's not entirely true. I tried to prioritize Search for the Cure, but then this one refused to be set aside. So I may try to stagger updates between the two. We'll see how well my busy life lets me do that, especially since I'm trying to maintain a work blog, finish a revision of a story I wrote a long time ago (that isn't being posted here), and get enough sleep every night. All while trying to balance my job and my personal relationships, too!
So, I appreciate your patience and understanding that, while I absolutely want to see both of these stories through to fruition, I cannot make any solid promises on the frequency of updates. If only desire were all it required! ^^;;
That being said, reviews certainly do tend to motivate me and keep me on task. If for no other reason than making me feel guilty that there are folks waiting to see what happens next…