Declaration: I write for my own pleasure and not for profit. I do not own Harry Potter Universe.
Three to Triumph
Chapter 14
February 1991, Forested Area, border between Albania and Macedonia
Quirinus Quirrell was a very ambitious young man. He grew up and attended Hogwarts school of Witchcraft and Wizardry during the times of strife and being a pureblood, his family was largely left alone when the lesser beings were purged. After the war things settled back and everyone who supported the late Lord Voldemort either begged temporary insanity or pleaded coercion for their role in perpetuating the violence and ultimately led a life of luxury and freedom. Quirrell was not delusional; he knew that they would turn back to their old ways when a new champion of their cause would rise again. He intended to be that champion, not because he was a supremacist of the pureblood philosophy but because he craved the power that went with being a dark lord. The masses feared power more than they feared punishments for their indiscretions in a peaceful world and the dark arts reveled in the power of fear.
Getting to the top of the ranks of the beleaguered death eaters was not easy, he knew that he had to be strong in his own right and cultivate an aura of intimidation around him. Threats would only work if he had the power and gumption to carry them out, a few would rebel initially but then the headless followers of the previous dark lord would flock to his banner. To rise above the masses he needed power but more importantly he needed knowledge and where else than the renowned library of Hogwarts would be better for his quest.
The only position available for him was to teach Muggle studies, even with his disdain for non magicals threatening to throw up the bile in him he accepted the position with enough candor not to raise the suspicion of Albus Dumbledore. However secretive he tried to be, his propensity to pour over books pertaining to less savory aspects of magic caught the attention of Severus Snape. Quirrell learnt that though Dumbledore trusted Snape and believed that he was the poster boy for his redemption card, very few knew where his loyalties truly lied. Quirrell was fortuitous in finding the ideal fount for his thirst of knowledge and through him learnt the darkest of all secrets. The Dark Lord Voldemort was not dead; he was in fact alive but banished as a wraith. The only reason that his loyal followers did not flock to him was because his whereabouts were currently unknown.
Quirrell's priorities changed after hearing that; being a feared dark lord did not hold much excitement anymore, he coveted the ultimate prize, Immortality. Lord Voldemort must have done something that allowed him to survive being disembodied. He wanted that secret for himself; if he played his cards right he might get the milk and the cream too, he could kill the dark lord and take over the reins while being immortal too. His eyes gleamed at the prospect of such a life.
Here he was now with a year of leave of absence granted by the headmaster, searching all around southern Europe. He spent the last few summers gathering intelligence and ultimately narrowed his search to this area. Finally, he hit pay dirt in the forested area near Lake Prespa on the border between Albania and Macedonia.
The sight of the eerily floating grey amoebic form of the most feared dark lord sent shivers of revulsion down his spine. Even in this grotesque incarnation Lord Voldemort managed to look menacing with his red eyes and their serpentine slits. Gritting his teeth, Quirrell put on the most elated expression he could manage while tempering his loathing for the wraith and addressed Lord Voldemort, "My Lord! At last I have found you." He managed to get down on his knees just in time to ensure that he did not come across as a fraud.
If the dark lord was surprised he did not show it, he never knew this man who came out looking for him; then again there were a lot of pure blood children who would have grown up to follow their parents' footsteps. Managing to look threatening while being unable to cause any harm was not easy at the least but Lord Voldemort managed to pull it off with élan. This was not an opportunity to be missed, but he could not come across as being desperate; he thrived by fear and he was not going to refrain from it now.
"Who are you? I have never seen you in my circle of death eaters before. How did you find me?" Lord Voldemort questioned Quirrell imparting a 'hiss' to his words. The quickly gathering darkness and the menacing eyes lent a theatrical import to the hissing tones and thoroughly cowed the man. Quirrell contemplated turning tail, but he knew that the dark lord was not forgiving and he remembered that he was better suited to defend himself compared to the dark lord who could not even carry a wand.
Gathering his waning courage he addressed with a pronounced stutter that always crept into his voice when he was terrified, "My name is Quirinus Quirrell My Lord. I have never been a member of your followers, but was always fascinated by your ideals and power. It was only recently that I learnt about you being alive and so began searching all around the globe; with my position as a professor at Hogwarts, it was easy for me to gather intelligence" the distaste when he mentioned his position at the school was evident even through his stutter.
Lord Voldemort was pleased but the uncharacteristic reference to power gave him pause. Keeping the hopeful man taking he used 'Legilimency' to dwell into his thoughts and garner his deepest secret. Unlike other wizards, Lord Voldemort did not need the use of a wand for some of his favourite spells. Though he was from the line of a daughter, he was still the descendant of Salazar Slytherin and could access some of his teachings that dwelt in 'wandless casting'. He was not a patient man and even though he would be no match or nearly half as proficient as the prophesied three, he could use enough spells to surprise others.
"What do you want in return?" He growled out.
Quirrell was ecstatic he managed to convince the feared one, "Nothing much My Lord. All I want is a place at your side and a chance to learn from you."
Lord Voldemort was distracted a bit as he was dwelling deeper into the mind of Quirrell. The man knew a bit of occlumency, but his shields were no match for the dark lord, 'Ah! You have a slippery tongue but you forgot that I am Lord Voldemort' he thought in glee.
Quirrell took it as hesitation on part of the dark lord and tried to offer up an incentive, "The headmaster has plans to bring the Philosopher's Stone to the castle as bait in an effort to trap you. He plans to use the traps and obstacles set to guard the stone as training for the Longbottom boy."
Lord Voldemort was surprised, "Longbottom? What happened to the Potter boy?"
"What about the Potter boy, My Lord? He is dead, killed by his muggle relations no less; isn't young Longbottom the one who thwarted you? Apparently Dumbledore spread the false trail to provide anonymity to the savior and safe guard him from all threats. He is being called 'The True Boy-Who-Lived' because of that."
"Yes! Yes" Lord Voldemort spoke distractedly but inside he was jumping for joy. 'So the old fool is trying to deceive the world of the death of the one spoken about in the prophecy. Let him try to stop me, I will crush him like a flobberworm that he is. Pity! I was hoping to face the Potter boy and get to know the power that thwarted me, but it's all for my benefit with him dead no one can stop me.'
The dark lord turned back to the expectant Hogwarts professor. 'This fool has thoughts of grandeur but a very feeble mind. He is not as powerful as I would like but is the best option available to me now. Oh! What's this? He knows about Severus' true loyalties and is friends, well as much as Severus allows anyone to be a friend, with him. I can easily overpower him and use the body to get back to Britain and Lucius; with help from Severus and the Philosopher's Stone I can get my body back.' With that he agreed to Quirrell's proposal of using a containment field in a box for transport.
Quirrell was overjoyed and began taking the box out of his ever expandable bag. While Quirrell was distracted, Lord Voldemort flew at him and immediately wrapped himself around his head. He could not possess the body that was Quirrell, only poltergeists and to some extents ghosts could do that, but with one as powerful as him and his expertise in the mind arts, Lord Voldemort took over the control of the body very easily. Lord Voldemort was only a hitch hiker, but Quirinus Quirrell was left as a mindless husk with the face of the most dreaded wizard protruding from behind his head.
"You fool! You thought you could overpower me; no one can control the greatest wizard of all time. Now take me to Severus" Lord Voldemort thundered.
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At about the same temporal space, Scotland in the making, 1998 BC
All the twelve adults responsible for taking care of Harry and the girls were situated in the parlour of Schlakett Manor as it was his turn to play host. Since the duties of administering the magical kingdom were relinquished to the next generation, they were all free to indulge in anything they wanted and so the erstwhile heads of the 'First Four' families opted to stay with the three children. There were gatherings that involved all their own children and grandchildren, but they were deliberately kept few and far in between so as to prevent any awkward moments when others were around to meet the current rulers. They wanted to keep the identity of the three children and their visitors from the future as secretive as possible.
Harry, Hermione, and Luna had a rare two days off from their lessons and opted to go horseback riding and visit the nearby highlands known for their picturesque beauty. This gave the adults an opportunity to frankly assess their progress and do it without their tutors being present.
All the three were making excellent progress in their studies, magical or otherwise but there were still a lot to be desired especially when it came to the girls. "Oh! Do not be mistaken, they are doing excellent for someone their age but they did not move an inch forward when it comes to their special gifts" Rowena exclaimed.
"Yes, Luna is unable to connect to the 'Life Force'; she apparently has trouble to even talk to the trees sometimes. She told me that it never happened before and almost broke down in tears. If not for Harry, I am sure she would have been catatonic and I believe it was the same with Hermione too" Helga Hufflepuff interjected.
Fitzwilliam sighed deeply, "That boy is a wonder; he is stretched thin sometimes not only with his own training but also with the troubles the girls are experiencing but he never complains. He may grouse over the training but never about the girls." Everyone was proud of the three children; even with the troubles they had in their lives, they were extremely loyal to each other, showed a thirst for learning and were determined to prove themselves. This lack of progress in what could be wonderful abilities was proving to be a very frustrating aspect not only to the girls and Harry but also to their tutors.
"May be it was not meant to be, doesn't it look strange that abilities that have never been associated with humans were seen in the two girls? It might have just been what they call 'accidental magic' that caused those incidents to happen" Fiona was hesitant when voicing her concern.
Everyone wanted to deny that, deep in their hearts they desired their descendants to have such awesome powers, but that honest assessment gave them pause.
After a few moments of thought Rowena, considered to be the brightest witch of her generation came to their defense, "No I do not think so. The incident where Hermione interfered with the two Ministry employees might have been accidental because they were in clear danger of being found out and they did not want that. But Luna had been communicating with trees nearly all her life. That can no way be accidental, no, there's something else going on."
"Now that you mention it, I've heard all the three complain about their bond" Helga Frairwood was interrupted by cries of astonishment and protests by the others. She silenced them with a glare, "If you will let me continue…" when the others looked sheepish at her she continued, "Nothing bad, I assure you, only that they still feel as if there is some kind of block that is not allowing them to access each other's magical core."
"Yes! I was of the opinion that they could draw magic from the others without much problem. You say that they are unable to do that?" her husband questioned. It was rhetorical but she answered in the affirmative again.
That brought some relief to the gathering and knowing what the problem was, they could now research for a solution if needed. "You know it may just be an issue with age. I mean they are only ten and going to be eleven in a few months but still, their magical cores are not developed yet. They were forced to use their magic for survival and so might have suppressed most of their raw talents. Maybe it's just an issue of time and they would be alright in a few years" Julian speculated.
That was the best possible explanation anyone could think of and was the most probable one to their dilemma. Salazar however threw a spanner in the works with his next comment, "You know it is strange that Harry does not have any special powers like the girls do. He is powerful, more than the average full grown wizard but still he is nothing special. I cannot imagine the 'prophesied one' not having an edge at beating evil."
Before anyone could comment on that, Harry entered the parlor sipping his juice with Hermione and Luna. The girls were glowing with happiness, no one had seen them so relaxed in a very long time; the ride had certainly done wonders for their stress. Harry was also looking very pleased with himself; it was after all his effort to fight tooth and nail to get two continuous days off from their lessons, intending to spend some time with the girls away from all the talk of training. His idea to go horseback riding certainly paid dividends, judging by the wide smiles on Hermione and Luna's faces.
"Prophesied One? What prophecy?" Harry asked settling himself in between his girls on the settee, who immediately latched onto the drinks he brought for them. That comment brought the atmosphere of frivolity crashing down.
Guilt ridden looks were liberally exchanged among the adults. They wanted to wait till the end of their training before burdening them with the prophecy that named the three of them as the saviours of the entire magical world. They now had no escape but to let them know about the prophecy given by Laya less than a hundred years ago; they hoped that Lady Hedwig would at least be present when the time came. All eyes turned to Rowena while she took a deep breath and centered herself to begin the tale told by Lady Hedwig herself when she brought the prophecy from the realm of the gods to the land of mortals.
Three born at the stroke of three…, Forged in the kiln of adversity…, The bonds of friendship strong…, The Being Supreme arisen of the three…, Bring forth the light smothered by the dark…, Unite will all the magic and the living…, With the Triumph of the Three…
She recited with emotion trying to convey them the emotional turmoil they themselves felt when they heard the prophecy. She tried to portray the support and unconditional love they have for the three children amidst them in spite of the clear and present danger.
Harry was shocked and the girls were troubled hearing the prophecy; knowing that the fate of the entire world depended on you was overwhelming to them all. Those assembled did not know about the existence of the second prophecy given just before Harry's birth that pointed him as the one to kill the dark lord. If he knew that he might have been inconsolable, still he was barely keeping it together as he feared for the safety of his girls. He did not want them to be in any war, they knew that there was a dark lord and they might have to defeat him, but the prophecy put them squarely in the middle not as a part of an overwhelming force. Harry could handle himself being in danger but never in a million years had he wanted Hermione and Luna to be a part of it all.
Slowly but surely the realization set in and Harry was angry and lost his sense of propriety, "Wow! All this time I thought that you were doing all of this, helping us and training us to make sure that I was fit to govern the magical world. I never knew that this was preparing me to either kill or be killed. Thanks a lot!"
Everyone was shocked at the accusation, yes he acted mature than his age but he was still a child, well going to be eleven in a few months but still his insecurities regarding the adults in his life briefly reared its ugly head at that moment. His actions upon hearing the grim future were totally warranted though inappropriate, for a change he was acting like a kid that he was.
Before he could continue his rant, Rowena recovered her senses and tried to placate him, "Harry we all love you; all of us here want to help our own flesh and blood. Yes I admit that the prophecy kind of forced our hand but even if this prophecy was not there we would have still helped you if we knew about the state you were in and if we had the chance to help you."
The males wisely kept silent lest they utter something which would worsen the situation and so it was left to the ladies to take the initiative. "Harry, you have to understand that the prophecy was a shock to us also; we never dreamt that our families would be involved in such a situation. You have to realize that we are as concerned as you are regarding the danger you three were placed in, you may very well be the last of our families, our heritage" Elizabeth implored her grandson and was relieved to see that their words were getting through to him.
Lady Frairwood took up the cause, "It was foretold by the gods themselves Harry. Lady Hedwig brought the prophecy to the world of the mortals from the eternal land."
Harry deflated immediately, he knew he was irrational in venting his ire on his grandparents but he needed the outlet. Besides, how can you be angry at the gods! He dared not voice his displeasure lest he got a thunderbolt hitting his backside. He stormed outside and the girls forgot their drinks and darted after him to catch him by the waist in the corridor. They guided him to a bench in the garden, letting the cool evening air wash over them and provide momentary relief. Setting him in the middle, Hermione from his right side and Luna from his left wrapped him in a tight hug refusing to allow him to suffer alone. Harry lost the battle with very little effort on his part, how could he stay angry when he had his two lovelies upset on his behalf?
Hermione and Luna were upset too, but it was not fair for them to take it out on the adults who were doing their best to not only train them up but also provide comfort and a loving home, an effort which Harry never had directed at him for as long as he could remember and definitely not before coming here. But what was upsetting to them more was that Harry shut himself and his thoughts from them, and that meant that there definitely was something more than just the prophecy and its implications as the cause for his anger and despair.
"Harry?" Luna asked tentatively and aloud in English. They never had to talk out loud whenever they were alone as they were used to the intimacy the ability to talk non-verbally allowed them and it was the only time they reverted to English. This was done out of courtesy to their guardians who were from two different eras and so chose to use the Elvin Tongue as a common mode of communication.
Harry could never refuse anything to his two girls, "I love you both." He started hesitantly, "I would die to protect you two, but heaven forbid, I survive and you do not make out of this impending war, I have no doubt that I would not live to see the next day. Even this short time that I was unable to feel you was torture to me; I know people may think that we are too young but I need you both so much that it hurts to even think about a life without you in it. It's not the potential for my death that really worries me, although I do not want to leave you alone in a hostile world, the thought of an eternity alone devastates me."
"Harry, war is an uncertain event; you can predict neither the outcome nor the survivors. Do you think that Luna or I want to live in a world without you in it? You are the center of our world Harry! Even when we were out on the streets being by your side, able to cuddle into you at night was enough to keep me safe. That is all the world I want to live in, I do not care for some nameless faces Harry, I care for you. But to live in that world, we have no choice but to fight, and what help we are getting now will make sure that we come out whole."
Luna chirped in, "Don't you think that the best way to ensure that we are safe is by your side, even in a war?"
That brought a laugh out of Harry, "You do have a twisted sense of logic My Luna girl."
All the three knew that it was a tacit approval of the idea, what better way than being in the presence of your loved ones to ensure their safety? Harry did not know the answer for that. They sat for a few minutes more, mainly enjoying the cool air but also to give Harry time to compose himself; being a ten year old and in the embrace of two lovely girls did wonders and he was back to his normal self in no time.
Entering the parlor, Harry felt a little trepidation at the unwarranted outburst but he had to suck it up and do the right thing. Every eye was focused on him the moment he entered the room but amazingly he did not find any hostility or even disapproval in them, only unconditional love. His heart swelled in pride at his amazing heritage, he had a tough legacy to live up to; he thanked his girls when they chimed in through their bond, "We are proud of you too and will stay with you all the way Harry!"
Before he could say anything though, they were startled by the sudden arrival of Lady Hedwig in her characteristic rainbow hued flames. Greeting the eternal messenger, they settled down and returned to their abandoned drinks, waiting for the Lady to state the reasons for her visit.
She did not disappoint, "I sensed some discontent among my favourite children…"
Harry blushed a bright red when he came under scrutiny; he understood that it was time for him to own up, "I am very sorry for my irrational anger, I should not have shouted at you when you were trying to make the best of an impossible situation" he completed a formal bow and sat down to beaming smiles from all those around. His girls latched onto him, showering him with praise through their bond while kissing his cheeks simultaneously from either side.
That cute gesture raised everyone's spirits and gave them the confidence that not everything was lost; as long as these three were happy with each other nothing could faze them.
Lady Hedwig beamed at him, "Do not apologize for saying what your heart tells you young Harry. Despite what master Grimjaw told you, it is better to let your hurt out especially in the company of loved ones. It heals the heart."
Harry was grateful that the situation he found himself in did not turn too troublesome for him. Yes letting out all the anguish and frustrations he felt when his girls failed at their goals despite their best efforts was good. He felt surprisingly lighter and the tension that accumulated through the days seemed that much lessened.
All levity however ended when everyone saw the unusually grim face of Lady Hedwig. She gave a wry smile when she saw the expectant faces of her audience, "I am afraid, I do not bring glad tidings. The darkness had managed to take root again." Pausing to gasps of horror she continued, "The Dark Lord Voldemort had managed to coerce a Hogwarts professor into taking him to the castle in a bid to manufacture a new body for himself. I am sorry to say that he would succeed too."
This was a very bad blow to their preparations, they always thought that they had enough time to get the three trained and up to speed with their duties as king and queens of the magical world in the Isles. Now they were in a quandary, they have to not only continue with their unfinished training but also hope that as they grow and develop so would their magical core too and allow them to access their amazing abilities, in Harry's case maybe something that has not been unlocked yet. Would that mean that they would have to allow the events to take place, let Lord Voldemort stake his claim over the land?
Godric voiced the thoughts of them all, "Surely there is something we, rather you could do? What about taking these three to the time before all this madness started? Let them stop the professor from going to get the dark lord or better yet follow him and snuff him off where ever he was staying?"
"My dear Godric Gryffindor, if they were to go to the time you specified, how old would they have to be?"
Confused as to where this was going, Godric answered uncertainly, "They would have to be just short of eleven years old."
Lady Hedwig gave him an indulgent smile, "Yes! But how could they look like say twenty year olds when they were only supposed to be eleven?"
Everyone could understand what she was trying to say but surely time could be bent to accommodate them. Unfortunately, Lady Hedwig dashed their hopes, "Time is linear my children, the time you spend even in the past would be counted in the future too. If you spend five years here and now, you would have aged those years even when you go back to your correct time period. The flow of time cannot be altered, and neither can the rate of the flow. The laws of time are not to be trifled with; even the gods are bound by them. Brining the three children here should not have been possible; it was only at the discretion of the gods that this event happened and a onetime dispensing too."
Learning the truths about time and its unhindered flow left them reeling. It meant that however hard anyone might try anything that had already happened had to happen, as time was always flowing. Events could not be undone and they would have to let the dark lord regain a body and hope that Harry, Hermione, and Luna could complete their training before their world would come to much harm.
Lady Hedwig interrupted their thoughts, "Think about it this way, if they have to look like eleven year olds, then they will be eleven year olds both physically and in their abilities too. If they trained for seven years to be the best they could be then they will have to train for seven years again to get to that point" Lady Hedwig hammered her point home ensuring that even the dullest of the lot would understand her.
If they want the three to look like eleven years olds, then they might send them back right now. All the training and preparation would be a waste if they opt to send them to a time before the start of the second rise of Lord Voldemort after spending an enormous amount of time to get them to be the best at what they needed to do.
"Do not fret my children, the warriors of the light have enough on their side to see that the dark lord would not take complete control of the land. If everything goes well and as anticipated, then these three will arrive at the opportune moment to turn the tide of things and end the threat forever." It was not needed to specify who the one was doing the anticipation, as the supreme rulers of the universe, the three embodiments of natural order would know the entire script of the play even though the mortals could do nothing to change it. It would take something catastrophic and unanticipated to really surprise the gods and one such event brought about the birth of these three children of prophecy.
Everyone was lost in contemplation after that discourse and so were startled when Salazar exclaimed, "I know what the problem is."