From the Stars

Chapter 4

Setting his feet on the floor, Harry raised one hand to his face, rubbing it along his jaw, even after all these years he could still remember the touch of his mother's soft hand on his face. He missed that touch along with his father's advice. Rising to his feet, he stretched, his spine releasing a satisfying crack.

Turning around, he waved his hand. The white sheets of his four-poster bed became taught. Its fluffy Grey comforter flew up. The pillows shimmied into their cases and within seconds his bed was fully made.

Moving over to a Bureau, he grabbed a black dress shirt, jeans, and a pair of boxers and headed into the bathroom. His bare feet slapped against the cool tile. He turned staring into the mirror above the sink, there were light circles under his eyes and just a hint of stubble along his jawline.

With barely a thought, he shifted his face banishing the stubble. Reaching out with his mind, he pulled on the magic stored in the manner to energize his body, the circles beneath his eyes faded away.

He didn't need to sleep, his body could function on energy, but he found if he wanted to blend into humanity then it was better to get into the habit of sleeping. After a while, his mind tricked his body into thinking he needed it.

Starting the shower, he adjusted the water, and stepped inside, letting the warmth wash away his nightmares. It'd been twelve years since his parent's deaths, and still he dreamed of that night, scenarios of what he could've done differently passed through his mind. Hopefully, today would move him along on that path.

Curing the werewolves would change the world. For better or worse he didn't know, but that was for the people he cured to decide

–XX –

Fifteen minutes later, Harry strode down a narrow staircase, the sleeves of his dark button up shirt rolled up to his forearms, his blonde hair slicked back, his dark shoes thumped on the crimson carpet covering the stairs.

Reaching the bottom of the stairs, he edged out of a small doorway into the entrance hall. Perenelle met him in the middle of the hall, emerging from the kitchen, her white hair tied back in a knot at the back of her head. A pink apron wrapped around her slender waist, "Come on," she waved a spatula at him, "it's time for breakfast."

"I don't really need to…"

Perenelle moved with blinding speed gripping him just above the elbow and steering him towards the kitchen, "You worked all night in your lab doing only Merlin knows what. You will sit down and have a nice breakfast."

The kitchen was not as grand as the rest of the house, magic made up for not having a lot of tools.

It was a simple room with white tile floors. A granite counter in the center with a stove top in its middle, a tall stainless-steel fridge sat in one corner. Pots and pans hung on a rack over the sink beneath a window that looked out over the large grassy plain that was the backyard.

A small divot set in its center, a reminder of where his ship landed all those years ago.

Perenelle led him over to a circular table. Sitting him down, she moved around to the stove, "What would you like for breakfast?"

"I really don't need," Harry tried again.

Perenelle raised a hand, "Save it I know you don't need to eat, but this will give us a chance to talk. You can tell me your plans for the day."

Exhaling, Harry resigned himself to the fact that he was going to have to eat something, "Some eggs will be fine."

Minutes later, Perenelle moved over with liquid grace, placing a plate of eggs in front of him before sitting down beside him, her fingers wrapped around the handle of a coffee cup, "So, what do you have planned for the day?"

"Remus will be coming by earlier this morning to get his cure."

"How exactly does the cure work?"

"My cure will change Remus's curse. Once injected with it, he will be able to transform into a wolf, and also a wolf human hybrid form. The cure has the added benefit of spreading whenever he comes in contact with someone that has the same affliction is him. This will spread the cure, so that I don't have to make an individual dose for each person that is afflicted with this particular strain of werewolf virus."

Perenelle took a sip of her coffee, "Aren't you worried about what the werewolves might do, and that still doesn't explain how they're going to control their change."

"The cure will place the werewolf into a meditative state the next time they sleep. Once they either conquer, or accept what they are they will be able to control the change."

"What happens if they do neither of those?"

"Honestly, I don't know."

"As for what the werewolves might do once they're cured," Harry stretched out his hand, a butcher knife flew from the block beside the sink and into his hand, he showed it to Perenelle, "Does the maker of this knife worry about what the buyer is going to do with it? All I am doing is giving them a chance for a better life."

"Fair enough, but some people aren't going to see it that way."

Harry placed a spoonful of egg in his mouth, closing his eyes at the mixture of cheese and red peppers, "People don't always see the truth of a matter."

Perenelle shook her head, pride shining in her eyes at the wisdom her surrogate son was showing. Taking another sip of coffee, she watched him finish the last of his egg. "What are you going to do after your meeting with Remus?"

Grabbing a napkin from the holder in the center of the table, Harry wiped his mouth, placing the napkin and fork on top of the plate. He waved his hand over both. Energy pulsed from his hand, banishing the food particles from the plate and disintegrating the napkin into less than ash.

With a wave of his hand, the fork and plate flew back to their proper places.

"With Grindelwald emerging again, I need to look over his history, make sure I know it."

"Are you sure he's returning?" Perenelle asked both hands clasped around her mug.

"I saw him in Severus Snape's mind, or at least his face. I know they plan to go after Lily Evans. They want her to join the cause, but for what purpose I don't know."

Perenelle inclined her head, "Well if it's history you want to go over. Go over it with me," she spread her arms wide, "I'm living history."

Harry snorted, but mentally considered the idea. Perenelle had lived through the majority of Grindelwald's history, her husband was Albus Dumbledore's Master maybe she knew something he didn't.

He cleared his throat, "Alright."

"Gellert Grindelwald was born in eighteen eighty-three to Esmeralda and Percival Grindelwald. In eighteen ninety-four he attended Durmstrang Academy of magic. It was during his first year there that his parents died in an accident."

"After this event, Grindelwald threw himself into magic as a coping mechanism, studying all branches."

Harry held out his hand, the fridge opened, and a bottle of Coke flew into his hand. Twisting off the cap, he took a sip. "He was expelled in eighteen ninety-nine for experimenting on students. With nowhere to go, he traveled to Godric's hollow to live with his aunt, Bathilda Bagshot. It was here he met a young Albus Dumbledore."

Harry took another sip, spinning the bottle's metal cap on the table, "The two boys hit it off, both having the mentality that having magic automatically made you better than everyone else. Giving you the right to rule them."

"Together the two traveled, learning the secrets of hidden away magical societies. In 1904, both returned to Godric's hollow. It was during this time. Ariana Dumbledore confronted her brother about the changes she was seeing in his personality. A fight broke out between the three, a fight that resulted in Ariana losing an arm."

"It was in this moment Dumbledore realized their actions could hurt others, so he turned his back on Grindelwald, deciding that teaching and staying with his family was a better way to ensure the prosperity of future generations."

"After splitting away from Dumbledore, Grindelwald left England to use what he and Dumbledore learned during their travels to conquer Europe. In nineteen thirty-six, Grindelwald returned to England after conquering most of Europe."

"Albus met him on the battlefield again after thirty-two years. The two fought. In the end Dumbledore died, but not before taking off Grindelwald's arm and cursing his blood. After that battle, he went into hiding not appearing again until," Harry stopped spinning the cap, "nineteen sixty-five, when he started killing those of the previous war."

"You know pretty much what most of the world knows, what you don't know is that Ariana Dumbledore was actually my apprentice when she graduated Hogwarts at the age of fifteen. I helped her make her prosthetic arm. After her friendship with me, she went on to join the magical law enforcement office where she eventually rose to become head of the department until retiring to become the minister of magic."

"Aberforth Dumbledore is now the head healer of Saint Mungo's, having apprenticed under Cassandra Black he was able to give his brother enough time to say his goodbyes after his battle with Grindelwald."

Harry finished his Coke sitting the bottle down, "That is all very interesting, but how does it pertain to our Grindelwald situation?"

"History is always relevant. You just have to figure out how to use it. It's Ariana Dumbledore and the way she changed the magical law enforcement office that has made Grindelwald hesitate all these years. Aberforth Dumbledore was able to come up with many counter curses throughout his career for many nasty spells, and quite a few cures for magical disease."

"Grindelwald may be an evil man, but his actions helped shape our world. Remember that as you go forward, Harry. For your actions I have no doubt will change the world in a far greater way."

Harry stared into his aunt's purple eyes, wondering not for the first time if she had a bit of the sight, and if so, just what did she see in his future?

Perenelle rose to her feet, "Now, I believe you have an appointment with Mr. Lupin."

The sound of a bell echoed through the Manor.

Rising to his feet, Harry exited the kitchen. As he made his way to the front door, he thought about when he made the promise of a cure to Remus Lupin.

–XX –

It was 1971, twenty-one-year-old Harry Julius Potter strode between the long tables that made up the desk in his classroom, eyeing the alchemical circles his students were drawing on the tables weathered wood. He paused behind a particular student, his nostrils flared as he inhaled, breathing in the scent of blood, dirt, and wolf.

He turned his attention to the boy the smell came from. He was tall for his age, 5'2" light brown hair that lay limply on his head. Dark circles spread out beneath his green eyes and his pale skin had a sickly quality to it.

Shaking his head, he made his way back to his desk. He had a werewolf in his class, a child werewolf.

Sitting behind his desk, he watched the sun move through the arched window of his classroom, letting his mind mall over the problem.

The sound of a bell brought him out of his thoughts.

Students began moving towards the door.

"Mr. Lupin, stay behind will you."

Lupin stopped in front of his desk, running a small hand through his honey colored hair, his gaze flicked to a group of three standing near the door.

"Mr. Potter, Mr. Black, Mr. Pettigrew, you may go."

The three boys hesitated, but eventually slowly shuffled out of the room.

Nodding, Harry flicked his finger.

The door to the room swung shut with a click.

Blue energy flared along the walls as a silencing spell encased the room.

Turning to the boy before him, he watched his eyes rove around the room, looking for possible escape routes.

"Relax Mr. Lupin. I didn't think you would want the other students to hear our conversation."

The boy tensed, frightened eyes zeroing in on him.

"Tell me Mr. Lupin, how long have you been afflicted with the British version of the werewolf virus?"

The boy's eyes widened his hands curled into a fist, his legs tensing in preparation to run. "How did you know?" He asked softly his voice barely above a whisper.

"You're not the only one that's different Mr. Lupin, but if you must know," he tapped the side of his nose, "it was your sent."

Lupin leaned forward, a light appearing in his eyes a hint of eagerness on his face, "Are you like me?" He asked.

Harry cringed at the desperation in the boy's voice, even without reading his mind, he could tell Lupin long for a connection with another, a kindred spirit who knew what it was like to be different. Slowly, he shook his head, "No Mr. Lupin, I am something entirely different."

Lupin shoulders slumped.

"I can honestly say. There's not someone like me in the entirety of the known universe."

Lupin's head snapped up, "What do you mean?"

Harry interlaced his fingers, "Today, is not about me Mr. Lupin. Today is about you. How long have you been afflicted with the British version of the werewolf virus?"

Lupin relaxed slightly, his head cocking to one side, "Why do you say it like that, why say the British version of the werewolf virus?"

"Our cousins across the pond do not have the problems with the virus that we do here. Those afflicted with the change in America, can control themselves, so I'm wondering what changed."

Remus looked away, "According to my father, I was bitten when I was three," he looked back to Harry, "why?"

"Tell me Mr. Lupin, what subject do I teach?"

"Alchemy."

"And what is alchemy?"

"Magic?"

A grin split Harry's face, "Yes Mr. Lupin, alchemy is magic, but it is also a magical science. Alchemists study to uncover the secrets of magic. With your permission, I would like to study a bit of your blood. In order to see if I might be able to come up with a cure."

–XX –

Harry paused before his front door; his right arm extended towards the handle. He told Mr. Lupin he would search for a cure, but what he ended up creating was the beginnings of a new race. He took a deep breath. He could only hope that was enough.

Opening the door, a smile spread across his face, "Welcome Mr. Lupin."