Chapter 4
Harry sat in the Defense classroom more nervous than he'd been when he was crowned. So much depended on the decisions he made from this point forward. He knew that Severus Snape would take the mark, believing no one on the light side wanted or cared for the shy, abused child. Harry also knew that by this summer, Peter Pettigrew would be approached by Lucius Malfoy and be persuaded into taking the dark mark also. Together, those two boys would damn a small child to a life of hell. While one would repent, the other would continue to condemn that boy for the crimes his friends had perpetrated on him within the wall of this very school.
Harry had already made his choices about what needed to be done. Now he hoped he had the cunning, intelligence, bravery and work ethic to pull off the great stunt of his life. He would need all the traits of Hogwarts to fix the broken future he'd come from. He may have to become King, but he'd be damned if he was going to rule the wasteland he'd seen after the battle. Now if he could just convince two boys that life would not get any better and that in fact it was worse in the dark. Hopefully, his opening speech would start them on a path to redeem sins not yet committed.
The sorting hat had thrown the school into chaos for over ten minutes, before the staff was able to restore order. Harry was still tempted to do away with the blasted thing.
Memory
i Ah, Mr. Potter, you are hiding many things. But I see it is for good reason. I will not tell anyone who you are, nor shall I say who you become. Now, where should I put you? You have a strong mind and are creative as Rowena was. Your heart is truly pure as was Godric's. Yet, you have more cunning than even Salazar. And let's not forget you will work yourself to an early grave before you give up, much like Helga. You also have Merlin's powers. I see you going very far, my young King. You are needed to heal the breech caused by past and present headmasters of this school, and the actions of some of the Alumni. I have no choice but to say
"HEIR TO HOGWARTS FOUNDING FOUR, HOUSE AFFILATION SLYTHERIN AND GRYFFINDOR," The sorting hat yelled. Harry closed his eyes, his shoulders slumped in defeat. He pulled the old tattered hat from his head before looking to the headmaster. The man's eyes were not twinkling; in fact they were twin chips of cold sapphire filled with rage. In an instant the sorting hat had usurped the power of the headmaster. Harry's contract- just two weeks old- was now void. There was no power in the entire wizarding world that could keep Harry from claiming what was his.
After a few moments the silence of his sorting was broken by screams, mostly coming from the Slytherins and Gryffindors. It may have been tradition to sort professors that never attended Hogwarts, but never had a non alumni professor caused such strife. /i
End Memory
The sounds of grumbling students pulled Harry from his thoughts. He was startled; the room filled with his seventh year Slytherin and Gryffindors without him noticing. "Well, here goes nothing.'
In a quiet voice that had the students straining to hear him, Harry began his opening speech.
"Today is the first day of a difficult path. Today you must answer a simple question. But as with many things in life, that answer is going to take you down the path that you must walk for the rest of your life. There is a war raging outside these sacred halls, and at the end of this year you're going to have to choose. Now, for some of you that choice will be made easily, for the path has been laid before you for generations past. And like all children, you strive to make your parents and mentors proud. Following meekly in their footsteps, never once questioning whether the path is in your best interest or not. Others will have a harder time. These are the ones I'm hoping to reach. The ones that struggle with the answer are the one with the most hope. For it's these students that have chosen to have a mind of their own, with thoughts and feeling not dictated by those who supposedly are out for the betterment of all or the greater good." Harry paused as he looked at the students; many were now looking far less confident than they had just a few short hours ago.
"This class is I suppose /I to teach you to combat the forces of darkness that are now trying to overcome our world, and make those hard decisions for you. Until now your teachers and parents have all said that you're children, and you should be protected from the world around you. Well, in my class that is not how it will be. In my class, you're adults in my eyes and will be treated as such. You break the rules, I will break you. Do not be under the impression that the headmaster, your house heads, or the governors will save you. This class is dangerous and what I have to teach you can be deadly if it were taught to children. But luckily, I see none in this room. I'm going to open the floor for questions. You can address me as Evan, I am not your superior, for there are none in this classroom, we are all equals here."
Harry leaned back against his desk and waited for the questions to come.
"Which side of the war did you chose, sir," came a small voice from the back that Harry couldn't identify.
"Well, that's another of those simple questions with really hard answers. I wasn't given a choice as you have been. Earlier this summer I spent 32 days in a healing coma for telling Voldemort to fuck himself." Many gasps filled the air; Harry didn't know whether it was because of his called the wanker by his name, or his language. He really didn't care.
"Why would you do that? The Dark Lord gave you a chance to join his noble cause," Narcissa Black called out. Sirius snorted.
"Ah yes, his oh so noble cause. To preserve magic by killing off the muggle-borns, the half-blood and the muggles. Tell me, Miss Black, how many marriage prospects do you have?" Harry asked in return, not answering the question set before him.
"I am to marry Lucius Malfoy at the beginning of July this year. A strong I pure /I match," Narcissa preened as she spoke.
"Yes, but that's not what I asked. I asked you of prospects, not your betrothal. Isn't it true your prospects are limited to the Lestranges, the Malfoys and the Crabbes? You are to closely related to the other families to marry successfully. For those raised by muggles, that means to produce an heir or pure breeding. In a few short generations the pure families will not be able to marry pure for they will all be first cousins. And I mean a few, I mean three. You'll all survive to see the wizarding world come to an end if Voldemort wins."
"Those are all dark family. Why should we care if they breed themselves out of existence?" James Potter yelled out.
"Tell me, Mister Potter, what would happen to the light families and those like your friend there," Harry pointed to Sirius, "If Voldemort wins? He will be killed, as will you and your parents, and most of your friends. I was marked as a blood traitor, not because I don't believe in securing our culture, for I am a traditionalist. I am also however a historian and a seer. Voldemort wanted to use me to fulfill his psychotic desires of revenge. I have traced back all of the families in this room. And yes, I do mean all, pure, half or muggle born. I came up with a theory long ago that muggle-borns weren't truly muggle-born. Tell me, Mister Black, what happens to a squib child born to pure bloods."
Sirius shifted uncomfortably but did not answer.
"They are disinherited and disowned, then being cast out to fend for themselves," came the answer from Severus Snape.
"You would know Snivallous."
"20 points from Gryffindor, Mr. Potter. I will not have you berating students in my class. He answered the question. Yes and where do these squibs go? I'll tell you, they go to the muggle world. Where they marry and have children, after awhile these children find another squib descendent and marry producing a magical child. But this happens after so long, that most do not remember their magical roots and hence a muggle-born. You're killing off purebloods every time one is slaughtered. I myself am a half-blood by such a union. As is Albus Dumbledore, and Tom Marvolo Riddle." Harry moved to sit at his desk waiting for the students to ask.
"Who the hell is Riddle, and why should I care." Harry fought hard not to laugh at Narcissa Black's hotly expression.
"Oh, I was sure that you, who are so proud of the Dark Lord and his goals that you'd know. He is nothing but a Half-blood trying to play that he is a pureblood. His muggle father left his mother, a witch, alone and pregnant to die giving birth. Tom Riddle was raised in an orphanage, where he was ridiculed every day for being different in their eyes, a freak. Then he came to Hogwarts and excelled, in fact he became Head Boy. But not before finding out that he was a descendant of Salazar Slytherin. He found that he liked some of the ideals of Slytherin, and decided that he would follow in his forefather's noble quest to rid the world of all muggle influence, they were both short sighted. If you rearrange the letters, I am Lord Voldemort; you will get Tom Marvolo Riddle. A once handsome man, who chose a dark path and now he must walk it. Just as you will have to walk yours. Riddle was belittled and teased by both the muggle world and the wizarding world. We created Voldemort, now we're dealing with the consequences. When powerful people get hurt, they hurt back, usually it is not the perpetrators that feel the pain, but the innocents." Harry was looking at James, Peter, Remus and Sirius as he spoke. "Now for the next class, I want you to think about what I said here today. On Wednesday I want you to answer the question, what makes a wizard dark. Class dismissed."
As soon as the students were gone, Harry sat back hard in his chair. He hoped he reached some, at least to get them to think. But from the looks he got from the Marauders, he doubted it.
A/N: Ok there has been some confusion about the title of this story that I want to clear up. Cronos does in fact deal with the Titan. The Crono-magi of my story are the rulers of time as well as its protectors. Much like Cronos or Kronos in ancient Greek was the ruler of the titans. Cronos was the divine son of Gaia and Uranus the master of the universe. As such the Crono-magi took their name from him.
Also the name was chosen by Salazar Slytherin. He did not want to name his new race after a god he did not want to be one but he didn't mind naming the race after a Titan King albeit a cruel one. Cronos in Mythology was very powerful and cunning. Also He chose a Homonym (two words that mean different things but sound alike) for the name. he was ambitious after all. Just not greedy. Hope that clears up the problems with the title if not… Deal or quit reading
Evan James