Hey guys. Here's the second chapter. I hope to get more reviews, I need more feedback.

Thanks to Sylvie for the first review!

Chapter 2

Dumbledore's Office

Albus Dumbledore held his head in his hands. The blood wards had been breached. Harry Potter was gone, dead. He let a tear fall for the boy he had thought of like a grandson. How could the wards have been broken? It required such ancient magic…he shuddered at the thought of what Voldemort could do with it. He sat up, cold power in his eyes. He would only tell the press when he was ready. Harry would not die in vain. It was time to reconvene the Order of the Phoenix and contact young Mr. Longbottom. The prophecy might still work.

….

Eridane Manor

Harry slowly kept his wand down as klaxons sounded throughout the house. "Damn it!" The old man cursed as he ran out through the door and out of the manor. After a few seconds, out of curiosity, Harry followed him. What he saw stunned him.

Eridane's movement belied his age, as he duelled five griffins which had been attacking the manor. He cast a blitz of spells at once, a spectrum of colour hitting the griffins. Harry had never seen such power before. He sidestepped one's fire attack, and cast an unfamiliar grey curse at it. It roared in pain and stepped back. He cast a murky yellow curse at the other four. Three of them were hit, and shattered. But the other two were both getting closer. Harry raised his wand and yelled,

"Vulnare!" the dark red curse hit a griffin and caused a deep gash in its back. The old man nodded to him, and cast the same murky yellow curse at the rest. They shattered and Eridanus turned back to him. He had made it through without a scratch.

Harry just stared in disbelief.

Eridane dusted off his robes. "This forest holds a variety of dangerous creatures, boy. When you came in last night, it triggered a temporary gap in my wards."

Harry felt a little guilty. "Sorry."

"Eh, it is all right. The wards are closed now. Now, boy, follow me." He went back inside. Harry followed him to a study like room, holding dozens of hardcover books and a table holding obscure glass instruments. Eridane took out an envelope.

"Do not touch anything. Here, this envelope is a portkey. It will take you right outside the Hogwarts gates. You might even be on time for breakfast. Touch it."

"Wait! How do you duel like that?"

Forrest felt something akin to pity for the boy. So young, and having fate force him to be a killer. "Experience and training. Now, touch the envelope."

"Teach me!"

He froze and whirled around. "What did you say?"

"Can you please teach me?"

Eridane stared at Harry for a moment before regretfully shaking his head. "No."

Harry was shocked. "Why not?"

"This is not my war, boy."

Harry was desperate. Surely, if he knew about Voldemort…"Do you know that Voldemort is back?" Eridane snorted. "Do you take me for a fool? Of course I know!"

"Then why won't you help me?"

"I told you, this is not my war."

"It soon will be," Harry said softly.

"What did you say?"

His anger got the better of him. "I said it SOON WILL BE!" he started pacing. "Voldemort has just begun. When he's done with Britain, the whole world is next. You cannot run, you cannot hide. He is going to kill all the Muggleborns, he's going to kill the Muggles, and he's going to kill me. You are powerful. You and Dumbledore together could defeat Voldemort. You could help train me, you could teach me. But you won't, because you're scared, and you're selfish."

Eridane laughed softly, "Anyone else, I would have challenged them to an honour duel for that. Tell me boy, what do you have to fight for? Your parents are dead, your family is dead. You only have perhaps the few blood relatives you spent your childhood with. You could leave right now, but you're too much of a bloody Griffindor for that, aren't you?"

Harry thought about Ron, and Hermione, Neville, Dean, Seamus, all the Muggleborns and how horrible the world would be if Voldemort won. "I'm fighting for my friends, I'm fighting for the world, and I'm fighting for myself. That bastard took away any chance I had of a childhood, and plagued me throughout my school years. He killed the rest of my blood relatives yesterday. If anyone gets to take him out, I DO!"

He softened his voice. "But you weren't always like that, were you?" Chips of the green ice that were his eyes bore through the old man. "You fought once, for the Light. You were one of their best fighters. Voldemort was scared of you. Then, you lost something. Your family, perhaps."

He gestured wildly to the picture on the mantelpiece. It showed a younger, grinning, Forrest with brown hair, crouching down, his arms around a smiling blond boy and a taller black-haired girl, while a short blonde woman looked on, laughing. Eridane's mask cracked a little.

"My only question is, if Voldemort killed your family, why aren't you fighting?"

"Because I have ANOTHER LIFE NOW, boy! Right next to this manor is a village. I have a good Muggle friend there. I am the godfather to his one year old daughter. If I fight, Voldemort will find them, and kill them! I have a responsibility to them!"

"DON'T YOU UNDERSTAND, OLD MAN?! If Voldemort wins, he is going to kill them anyway, or worse! You could help. Just teach me so I won't die in the first five seconds of a duel! Just fight, help us!"

The blood slowly drained out of his face as he sat down. Whatever he might have said, the boy impressed him. The amount of magic in him, he could very well defeat Voldemort. But only if trained properly, that voice in his head said. It was true about Voldemort, though. Forrest had planned to take his friend's family into his protection, but Voldemort would find him. He always would.

Forrest nodded.

"I will teach you. But do not expect me to fight, for you will be sorely disappointed."

Harry nodded. One step at a time.

….

"Care for a spot of breakfast?" Harry nodded again. "Sandy!" With a crack, the house elf appeared. "Set the table for two, please."

"Yes master!" the house elf squeaked and Disapparated. Eridane motioned for Harry to follow him. He was led to an opulent, wood panelled room, with what looked like the crest of the Eridane family, a wand crossed over an eagle, painted on it, and where an ash-white table stood.

"Sit down," Harry complied and a variety of pastries appeared on the table.

Eridanus folded his bony fingers in front of him. "What do you want me to teach you?"

"Everything that will help me survive. Duelling, spells, fighting."

"What is the most advanced spell you know?"

"The Patronus Charm. Corporeal."

Eridane nodded. "Good, you might not be completely inept. What is the most dark spell you know?"

"The Bone-Breaking Curse."

"All right, we will have to fix that. You should not hesitate to use the darkest spells possible."

Harry was taken aback. "But, doesn't that make us like them?"

Eridane sighed. "Listen, boy, even the lightest of spells can be used for a dark purpose. With a strong Wingardium Leviosa, I can paint the ceiling with your insides. With a strong Lumos, I can blind you. There is power, the difference is intent. Dark spells are powerful, so use them."

Harry nodded.

"Do you know the whole prophecy?"

Harry was confused. "What prophecy?"

Eridane cursed. "Forget I said it. It does not matter."

"No! Does it concern me? What does it say?"

Eridane rubbed his head. "You better see it." He pointed his wand to his head and withdrew a silver substance that he jabbed at and presented in front of the room. Harry saw…Trelawney? She muttered a list of lines that Harry remembered, but only one struck him.

Neither shall live while the other survives.

He sank back in his chair as Eridane looked sadly at him. His voice came out hoarse and a little shaken. "So, it has to be me, hasn't it?"

"Yes, it does."

Harry's voice grew in desperation. "But, Trelawney is such a fraud! What if, it's not real…?"

Eridane shook his head. "Be that as it may, this is a true prophecy, Harry. It will come true, sooner or later."

"So, it's either me or him? He knows of this prophecy?"

"Yes, he does."

Harry put his head in his hands. It had to be him. Magical Britain's fate just had to rest on him. Voldemort would not win this. He couldn't. Harry's resolve hardened as his mind and heart accepted what his fate would be. He would have to win.

"So, what do I start with?"

"Duelling,"

Dumbledore's Office

After some rest, Dumbledore sat at his table, penning a letter to Augusta Longbottom, explaining the prophecy, as he stopped to think about what he would write next. How to say that young Neville would have to kill or be killed.

Fawkes trilled cheerfully as a golden eagle flew in through the window and deposited a red letter. A Howler. Dumbledore was just about to burn it when a deep, booming voice emanated from it.

"You have my Magical Oath that Harry Potter is alive and well. He will not come to any harm."

Harry was alive! He was delighted. It was lucky that he hadn't told anyone yet, and that he had, led, the Muggles to believe that it was a gas explosion.

Dumbledore knew that voice, and he knew that bird. He laughed loudly.

Forrest.

…

Ten Minutes Later

Harry gasped as he rolled to dodge a jagged black curse shot by Eridane and shot back a Stunner. He was barely a minute into the duel and he was already exhausted. He had already taken a gash to the arm but he knew that Eridane was holding back on the duel. He hastily conjured a shield that blocked the second black curse, as he cast a Bone-Breaking Curse to his opponent's legs. Eridane neatly side stepped that, at he shot a bright blue curse that caused his legs to give out from under him.

He crashed to the floor as Eridane Disarmed him.

"Well, I wager that the duel is finished now,"

"Accio!" Harry shouted, as his wand flew back to his hand. "Stupefy!" Eridanus dodged it quickly and cast a murky green curse that Harry couldn't avoid. It hit him and he passed out.

Forrest shook his head with a slight smile. He didn't expect the wandless summoning. It was a good move, provided he had the element of surprise. "Ennervate!" the boy opened his eyes and rubbed his head with a slight glare at him.

"First off, boy, why in the name of magic do you keep casting Stunners? You should have known it was a terrible curse when I dodged it at least seven times!"

"I was taught that it knocked your opponent out."

"There is a reason why most Aurors worth their salt don't use that, boy! It's one of the slowest curses ever created and it can be easily blocked. If you want to knock out your opponent, use the one I used. Maerens!"

Harry imitated the wand movements. "Maerens!" the murky green curse shot out and hit one of the training dummies present at the end of the room.

"Good. The wandless summoning was a smart technique, though. Do you know Occlumency?"

"Just how to clear my mind."

"Well then, young Potter, it seems we have much to do."

Hey guys, I hope you enjoyed that chapter! Please leave your feedback, It'll help me write the next chapters. Next update coming out on 28th June 2019!

Thanks,

TheCheerfulPessimist