AUTHOR'S NOTES

Hello everyone, I've been on FF for almost ten years, and I've always wanted to write a story, but until today, I wasn't sure I could do it. First of all, English is not my first language, in fact, it's been a while since I last studied or spoke it, and I hope to practise it with the story, just the same as the writting. Which I hope it will get better with time.

This story is going to be built around the incredible world created by Rowling, but I will try to dig deeper on it. This story is heavely inspired in the works of geniuses of the Epic Fantasy like George. RR. Martin and Brandom Sanderson are (In fact, I'm going to adapt his allomancy system from Mistborn into a biggest magical system related to the HP world.)

There are going to be more than one main characters in this story, but it will have many POVs, both from my OCs and from those that Rowling created but sadly didn't got much screen time because the story was more Harry centred.

This is mainly going to be a Ron centric fic, but like I said before, there is gonna be a few very important characters apart from him.

At the beginning of the story, there would be more chapters from the OCs. That's because I need them to develop some subplots and to do a bit of worldbuilding. But after that, the chapters will be much more Ron cantric and following the canon (kind off) storyline.

There is not going to be unnecesary bashing or Mary Sues (I will try it at least), no one is perfect and all the characters all complex people that can change and be shaped because of different experiences. Remember: the higher you get, harder is the fall

Finally, this story was also inspired by other great Ron centric fics that you will find on my favourite stories, but I have to give a special shoutout to one of them.

Fate (by TheTrueSpartan): Is the best story I've ever read on this site, and it's not even debatable in my mind. If you have yet to read it, I don't know what are you waiting for. The author's dedication was the main reason why I decided to finally start this story, so the minimum I can do is to give him props.

I'm writting this story for me, as a challengue, but I would be happy and honoured if this story gets into someone even if it is only a 10% of what I felt reading Fate.

DISCLAIMER: Harry Potter is intellectual property of J. K. Rowling, and I do not intend to get any economical profit from this story. This is just a hobby.

Scala ad Caelum

Chapter 1: Aftermath

Sirius Black POV

Sunday 1st November, 1981 (Godric's Hollow) - Past midnight

Padfoot was on hunt duty tonight.

The exact moment he had remembered where James and Lily lived, he had known that his life was about to change completely, and he had only hoped for it to not be as awful as he thought it was going to be; but, his hopes had been completely crushed at the moment he reached where the Potter's house was supposed to be.

That fucking rat had betrayed them.

In the first seconds after reaching the house, he had been confused. His lifelong friend, one of his three brothers in all but blood, could not have done this. This was a mistake; there was no way this was happening.

Then, the only two feelings he could feel were despair and blame. He had been the one to suggest Peter as the secret keeper, after all; he was the only culprit.

Who would have thought that the most cowardly and weak of the four marauders was the one with the knowledge to change the entire course of the damned war; to change Sirius' world.

Sirius had not seen it coming, but now, it was as clear as water, and that rat was going to pay for it with his miserable life.

He had been waiting for hours, but that fucking bastard had to appear at some moment. He was a traitor, but he couldn't live with no regrets, could he? He had to come to see it with his own eyes. How his actions had killed the man that accepted him into the Marauders when nobody wanted to be his friend, the man that acted like a brother to him since they were just eleven years old.

And when he appeared, Sirius was going to kill him. He would have to live with the feeling that he had betrayed his brother and Lily, and he couldn't do a shit to change that; but, he was taking that bastard's life even if it was the last thing he did.

Now that little Harry was safe with Hagrid and Dumbledore, he had no worries; he was a man on a mission, and he was not going to fail; not this time.

Then he saw him. There he was; he had come to see the price of his actions just as Sirius had supposed he would.

Sirius left Padfoot to turn into a human, and casted a disillusionment charm to get closer to him; he also silenced the noise of his footsteps with a silencing charm.

He was about to kill him, when he suddenly heard his own voice coming out of his mouth. "What have you done, Peter?" Sirius found himself asking with a low voice. "Why?"

That made Peter jump instantly, grabbing his wand with a trembling hand. He looked everywhere, but he couldn't see him; he was still invisible after all. "He was going to win! And he was going to kill us all!" Peter exclaimed. "I had to do it Sirius! I have never been as brave as the three of you. I don't want to die this early!"

Hearing the confession from Peter's mouth made something shift inside Sirius' body. All the memories from all those years together at Hogwarts were quickly forgotten. Now, the only thing he could feel was rage and bloodlust. "Betraying them was your first mistake, Peter," Sirius said, with a cold voice as he turned visible. "Thinking that I wouldn't kill you the moment I saw you, was the second; and your last one."

"Sirius... Please, wait," the rat begged, as he aimed his wand at his old friend's face.

Sirius didn't think twice about what he was about to do, he just let his magic do the talking. "Avada Kedavra!" He shouted, with rage.

But, Peter was quick enough to turn into a rat, barely dodging his death sentence. He started running from him, trying to escape, but that wasn't going to happen. Sirius transformed himself into Padfoot, and started running after him; but, Peter was a coward, and they sure knew how to run.

The persecution continued for some minutes, Peter was barely able to dodge his claws and bites, using his small form and the obstacles of the street to dodge them. The muggles were trying to let the huge dog do his thing, moving aside so they wouldn't get knocked down by his huge strength.

Finally, they ended in some kind of square with no exits but the one which was at Sirius' back. Both Peter and Sirius knew that there wasn't more running to do, so they both regained their human forms, not caring about the muggles who were watching them with horror and bewilderment in their faces.

"This is it, Peter!" Sirius exclaimed, looking right at his old friend's eyes. "I shouldn't have told James to make you the secret keeper. I failed them, and I will live with that my whole life. But you won't have to live with that."

"I see," Peter said, with his high pitched voice, his eyes starting to swell and tearing up. "I'm really sorry, Sirius, believe me. I wish things hadn't turned into this."

Just as Sirius was starting to cast the killing curse, Peter moved his wand way faster than he had ever done before, and shouted: "COFRINGO!"

He was barely able to cast a powerful shield on time, one that blocked the explosion, but he still was thrown into the wall he had behind him, making him feel a bit dizzy and confused. When he regained his senses, he found hell itself. The little square was filled with the dead bodies of those poor muggles that had been caught by the huge blasting curse.

And where Peter last stood, there was nothing but one of his fingers. He couldn't believe it. He had been bested by Peter fucking Pettigrew. He had escaped right under his nose.

Sirius fell to his knees, and started to laugh maniacally. That rat had really escaped. He had failed once again

After what seemed like an eternity, he started hearing voices getting closer. He was able to recognise Gawain Robards among those who came.

"Merlin..." the auror muttered. "What happened here"

Sirius was then surrounded by aurors, who were making him questions about what had just happened there. He was able to recognise some familiar faces, brothers of war who had fought many battles with him and the Order.

But, he couldn't answer their questions, his mind was completely blank. He had failed. And James was dead. The world had never been as black as today; despite that, he wasn't right on that last thing; it could go way worse; and he knew it as soon as the words came out of Cornelius Fudge's mouth: "Aurors, seize him immediately."

Sirius was hit by a hex that bound his hands and ankles, and when he was about to shout at them what the hell were they doing, he was hit by a silencing charm.

"Sirius Orion Black, you are arrested and sentenced to trial under the Wizengamot's eyes," Fudge announced. "You are framed for the murder of twelve muggle and Peter Pettigrew's death. The surviving muggles have already given their testimony."

No. It can't be possible; this can't be happening,Sirius thought. He was trying with all his might to break the silencing charm, so he could tell them the truth. But it was useless, whoever had hexed him, had done it with well.

"Gawain, look at this," Gerard said, while showing the auror the rat's finger. He wasn't an auror, and neither a member of the Order, but he had fought many battles with them. "If those muggles were right with the descriptions, this is all that remains of Peter Pettigrew."

No. Please. Listen to me. Let me explain. Gerard, Gawain, you can't be serious, you have to trust me. Sirius exclaimed in his mind. This can't be the end! That fucking bastard was still alive. He knew it. He wouldn't have done it if he had known he would have ended up dead; and yet there he was, Sirius Orion Black, bested by Peter Pettigrew.

James, Lily, Harry... I am sorry. That was his last thought before he was hit by a stunner right in his head.

Lord Elend Shawn POV

Monday 2st November, 1981 (Shawn Manor)

It was a cold morning, colder than usual at least, or so Elend thought. The winds of November were always a signal that the winter was close, but for Lord Shawn, it had been too long since he remembered other feelings but coldness and despair.

He was reading a book called 'The Way of Kings', one of the most ancient manuscripts he had in his manor's library, when one of his elves, Jiru, called him.

"Master, Lord Covan is here," Jiru said, after bowing.

"Let him in," Elend sighed, while closing the book.

Lord Covan Redfield didn't take more than one minute to get to his main study, he stormed into the room, sweating and breathing heavily.

He was a man in his early thirties, with brownish hair that almost reached his shoulders, he was tall and broad of chest, result of many years of training and battles, but like almost every man on these hard times, he had prominent bag under his eyes, making him seem older than he really was.

"Tell me, Covan, Is what Dumbledore said?" Elend asked, with hope.

"Yes, I just came back from Godric's Hollow," Lord Covan answered. "The house is in ruins and almost burned to the grounds, like it was struck by lightning, but there was no sign of his body. It was like he hadn't been there."

"That is odd indeed," Elend muttered. "But if Dumbledore says that it was a work of very ancient magic, we must believe him; he would never announce the Dark Lord's demise if he wasn't completely sure."

"That is not everything, Elend," Covan continued. "The baby, little Harry Potter, survived the killing curse like nothing happened; he only received a little scar in the forehead, with the shape of a lightning bolt, but other than that, he was completely fine."

"Yeah, I've already heard it from Dumbledore," Elend whispered, remembering his conversation with the Great Sorcerer. "That has to be related to that Ancient Magic which Dumbledore talked to you about." Then, an idea came to Elend's mind. "Wait, how did you find James and Lily Potter?"

Lord Covan took a moment before answering. "James Potter was found dead in the staircase, my guess is that as soon as he felt the Dark Lord presence, he tried to hold him for as much as he could; but, he must have grown confident that the Fidelius Charm would protect them, because he didn't even have his wand close at hand."

"What about Lily?" Elend asked.

"She was found dead in Harry's room," his friend answered. "Right in front of the baby's crib, as if she had tried to protect the child with her own life."

"That is…. interesting, and certainly unexpected," Elend muttered, now deep in thought. "Tell me, I know that Dumbledore mentioned something about an ancient and powerful magic, but… did he really elaborate anything about it? What could have been? How was it possible?"

"Yes, he did," Covan answered instantly. "He muttered something about the power of sacrifices and love as soon as he saw Lily's corpse. But I didn't really give those words a second thought, you already know how he loves to talk about the power of love."

"That is a kind of magic that I've only read about once or twice in very ancient books," Elend commented, sighing tiredly, but then he quickly regained his composure in order to continue the conversation. "But, as saddened as you can be about the Potter's fate, I guess that you did not come to talk about their demise or how Lord Voldemort really died."

Many wizards weren't able to pronounce the Dark Lord's real name, even those who excelled among the rest, like Lord Covan Redfield did; but, Elend could understand why. Only those who had fought in the war had really known what Lord Voldemort and his followers were willing to do in order to crush the resistance and the Ministry.

Elend would never forget the first time he saw the Dark Lord in action. How easy was it for him to kill seasoned wizards that were very talented and experienced in battle and duelling.

"You are right," Lord Covan answered solemnly, wincing very subtly after hearing the taboo name. "Do you really think he is gone for good, Elend? Do you really think that the most powerful dark wizard in history could be defeated by a baby when even Albus Dumbledore himself couldn't?"

Just as he was about to answer, the office's door suddenly opened with a loud thud, and his wife, Lady Athena Shawn, formerly known as Athena Black before their wedding, came into the room with the strength of a gale.

"Lord Covan, I was not informed that you were already here," she said, with little exasperation after realizing the presence of the other man in the room.

"My Lady, I came here as soon as I confirmed the news," Lord Covan said after bowing down a little.

After hearing the confirmation from Covan, Lady Athena's exasperated facade turned into an exhausted one, the one everyone adopts when they realize that they have just solved one big problem, just to find another one even more mind troubling.

She turned to her husband. "Elend, what are we going to do now?" She asked. "You do know that we can't stay in England for any longer, the surviving loyalist Death Eaters will not stop. I know my sister Bellatrix very well, they are not going to believe the demise of their hero and saviour, they will try to kill us all in his name." Athena said raising her voice, and then she muttered:
"I will not risk our son's life, we need to get out of here, he needs to live in a place where he will not have to hide all the days, in a place where he could go outside and breathe fresh air without us having to be watchful all the time."

"I know. I have already considered everything," Elend answered. "I have been living a war for far more time than I would have ever wanted. Even though I have done horrible things... all the people I have killed and tortured... I would do it again without much thinking. Do not get me wrong, it was them, or us." He took a moment to regain the composure, looking to both his old friend Covan, and his wife, to say:

"I won't let my son and heir Alexander pay for the things his father did in the war, it is time for us to move and carry on with our lives, like a family."

"Thank you Elend." Athena sighed relieved, her eyes swelling with more tears moment by moment, then she turned to Covan. "You should do the same, Lord Covan, it has been too long since you last saw your wife and children. It's been too long since you last took a rest from fighting."

"Yes, it has certainly been a long time..." Covan answered, now smiling lightly. "I can't believe it has been more than a year since I last saw my son, I haven't realized how much I have missed Denmark until this exact moment."

While both Covan and Athena were exchanging words, Elend rose to his full height, finally getting up from his chair. He was deep in thought and he did not realize that he was just in front of the window until his wife talked to him.

"What is the matter, Elend?" Athena asked worriedly. "I know you very well, and I don't like it when you get lost in your thoughts like that."

Lord Elend sighed exhaustedly. It had been too long since they all had a break, and after Lord Covan's news, his two companions might have started to think that they were finally going to have that break they both strongly desired. And now, he was going to shatter their illusions with just a few words.

"Before you interrupted us," Shail started to explain. "I was about to answer one of Lord Covan's questions." While saying that he turned to look at his old friend before continuing. "I do not think Lord Voldemort is completely dead, something tells me that he is not gone for good, it might be my instincts, or it might be Magic itself, trying to warn me against being a fool. But I've learned to trust my instincts, and I won't let my guard down ever again."

"But Dumbledore said-" Athena exclaimed.

"Yes, I know what Dumbledore said, and he told everyone in the Order that Lord Voldemort had been defeated, not that he was dead," Elend cut in. "I have yet to talk to him face to face, but do not stress ourselves for nothing. I do think that Lord Voldemort is going to be gone for a long time at minimum, but we cannot pretend that he is gone for good." Shail took a moment to choose his words before continuing:

"We should carry on with our lives until we hear more of what Dumbledore has to say. For now, I think you should go back home my friend," Lord Shawn said to his friend Covan. "And we, my love, we should get ready to leave England as soon as possible, I do not want to be here longer than necessary." He finished, now looking at his wife.

As soon as those words left his mouth, Athena walked out of the room, leaving the two friends alone once again.

"Have you really decided to leave England?" Covan asked. "If it is because of the loyalists, they will all end up in Azkaban or dead, it is just a matter of time. They will just destroy themselves looking for the one to lead them."

"It is not them why I want to leave as soon as possible, Covan," Elend answered. "The ones who worry me the most are those that are not that loyal. Pure bloods like Lucius Malfoy will claim they have been victims of the Imperius, and they will be excused for their crimes because money is what is needed the most after a war."

"Yes, but I don't think that Crouch will allow them to walk away like that. That man's life is his duty towards the Ministry and the people of England."

"Bartemious Crouch is a good leader in times of need," Elend said. "But he won't be able to make those filthy Death Eaters rot in Azkaban, nobody can do that. The Wizengamot are corrupted, all they'll have to do is pay a great amount of money, nothing more."

"Fuck them too then," Covan said with a bit of rage. "What are they going to do, Elend? We have dealt with way worse. Malfoy, Yaxley, Nott, we will end them all if they try something, but I don't think they are bold enough to try something on you, my friend."

"They won't try a thing, not in the near future, at least," Elend stated. "But in a few years, people will have forgotten what they did in the war, and they will have the same influence in the ministry as they've always had. And that is way more than what I have, Covan."

"Don't be stupid, Elend, your lineage is far more pure than most of theirs. That has to mean something for the other pure blood families that weren't on the Dark Lord's side."

"I wish it could be like you are saying, my friend," Elend sighed. "But my family is not part of the Twenty-Eight Sacred, and that means a lot to them. It doesn't matter if House Shawn is part of the Ancestral Council like House Malfoy or House Black are. In England, the Twenty-Eight will always be more important than my family, and that is why I have to leave this country."

"I get it, Elend," Covan said. "If that is what you have decided, I can only hope the best for you, my friend. I'll be looking forward to our next meeting. If you need something from me, you know I will be there, Elend. Our families are more than friends and allies, you are like a brother to me."

"Thank you, Covan."

Severus Snape POV

Tuesday 3rd November, 1981 (England)

Drinking was the only thing that allowed Severus to keep going.

He had always used his great Occlumency to keep his mind out of those thoughts that could make him lose his focus at important moments, especially at those moments when he acted in the name of the Dark Lord. Those were definitely the most dangerous times to lose composure

Unfortunately, after the events of the past days, Occlumency was no longer an option.

He had already experienced many moments throughout his life that helped him to become a powerful wizard and an important member of the army of the Dark Lord. His life at Spinner's End, the hate of a muggle that was supposed to be his father, that look of disdain expressed so well in Lily's face...

Oh, Lily, what have I done? Snape thought while taking another shot of the bottle.

Right now, he was at one of the properties that belonged to the Dark Lord, donated by some pure blood wizard that wanted to ascend in the ranks of the army. Those properties were mostly used by the snatchers to meet and rest.

It also was their torture chambers and cells, of course, in the end that was everything they were good for.

In fact, some of them happened to be there when Severus came. Now, their bodies were left on the floor, lifeless.

He had been looking for a place where he could be alone, a place where no one would find him. He didn't need the company of those lesser men. And they were no longer on the same side, so the killing had been very easy to do. In any case, who was going to mourn some filthy rapists and torturers?

Everything was so good between us, and I had to fucking left her for scum like those men. I'm truly the stupidest man in history. Those kinds of thoughts had come to his mind since the moment he knew it was over. The moment when some stupid man had dared to announce the demise of the Dark Lord in front of Bellatrix. Said man was more than that dead, of course.

He was as drunk as he had ever been, but that didn't stop him from summoning his wand in his hand while turning around at the moment he felt a new presence coming into the hideout.

He was starting to cast the killing curse when he found himself totally blinded by a bright golden gleam, so he tried to shield himself the best he could in his current state. Whoever the intruder was, he was far more dangerous than those snatchers whose bodies lay on the floor. He could feel traces of his magic in the room with a great intensity, and that was something that only two wizards could do, so that meant Albus Dumbledore had finally come for him.

Severus found himself smiling after the realisation. So this is how it ends. I wish he had killed me that day. That day when I realised that I had sentenced her life.With those thoughts on his mind, he lowered his shield. What was he going to do against Albus Dumbledore in his current condition?

No, it was better to go in peace, before he could do something to remind himself once again of the failure of a man he had become. But the final he was waiting for didn't come.

"You are quite difficult to track, Severus," Dumbledore stated, "This has been just another time in which I had to remind myself how lucky I am to have someone like Fawkes as a friend."

There he was, the great sorcerer. Some people said he was the only man that the Dark Lord ever feared. They were obviously wrong.

He did not fear a single man.

"But I have to say that I'm terribly disappointed about the security wards of this hideout," He continued. "Those men you've killed were the ones in charge of this place, snatchers if I had to guess. Am I correct, Severus?"

"What do you want?" Severus asked. He had no time for the old man's nonsense. "Just get it done, Dumbledore. I want none of your pity and moral speech."

"What am I supposed to get done?" He answered. "If I had come to take your life, you would already be dead. But that is not the case, I'm here because I wanted to know how you were doing."

"How... am I doing?" Severus repeated with a little bewilderment in his voice, and then he sneered. "So you had to torment me a little before you got it done. I can't complain, this must be what I deserve after all I've done."

"That was not my intention, Severus. I've already told you I'm not here to kill you," Dumbledore said. "I know you are in great pain, and you need some time to soothe it, but there is no time for that I'm afraid. You have always been a very intelligent man, you must have already figured out that Lord Voldemort's loyalists are going to hunt you down once they finally realize that their lord's demise was true, and not some false information we spread."

"They are very welcome to come and try, that would be a fitting ending," Severus said. "Killed by the very same people for whom I left everything I had. That would be a very poetic end for me, wouldn't it?"

"Wouldn't that be such a shame? I still think there is more good in you, Severus, think about it. Like everyone, you have committed mistakes, but there is still a chance for redemption. I am a firm believer of second chances, my boy. I think that Lily would have agreed with me."

"Don't dare to pronounce her name!" Severus exploded "You promised me that she would be safe! That you were going to protect her! But she is gone, and I won't ever get to see her again!"

"They trusted the wrong person," Dumbledore muttered, now with evident sadness in his voice. "But you can still do something for Lily. Her son, Harry is still alive, the rumours are true, somehow, the baby survived Voldemort's curse, and he will need protection. I would be very glad to have someone as talented as you helping me, Severus."

"Protection?" The young man asked. "The Dark Lord is gone, and with him out of the game is just a matter of time for his followers to either get themselves killed, or to claim that they were just under the Imperius. I'm sure that Lucius is already talking in the Wizengamot."

"You know as well as I do that Lord Voldemort has many more followers out of England, that would be very happy to kill those responsible for his masters' death," The old man said. "Besides that, I truly hope to be wrong. But I don't think that Tom is gone for good, something tells me that, and I have learned to trust my instincts."

"How can that be possible? If he was somehow alive, he wouldn't be hiding. He would even be more sure of his victory than he had ever been." Severus exclaimed. That couldn't be true. That demon couldn't be alive.

"Tom has done things no wizard believed to be possible," Dumbledore explained. "If there is someone in history who can survive the magic that turned against him, that one would be Tom. But that could be the best scenario for him, the most possible outcome is that he could be as weak as a soul can be, so we may not see him ever again, at least not like a man. But if there is something that I have learned over the years, is that it is better to be prepared for the worst possible scenario."

Those words made Severus crumble in fear. That was not possible, this had to be some old man nonsense. But that was not nonsense. Those kinds of thoughts were the ones that followed the ending of a war, the ones that made you a war veteran.

But deep inside him, he knew that Dumbledore could be right. You couldn't say that there was something impossible for the Dark Lord. He almost was one with Magic, he understood it better than anyone has ever done before him, no one, maybe not even himself, knew the limits of what he could archive.

"You could be right, old man," Severus said. "But I'm not the man you are looking for. I'm sure you can get someone like Alastor Moody or Elend Shawn to protect the child." With that being said, Severus got up from his couch, and started walking towards the door. There was nothing for him to do here. He would have to look for another place to be alone before Bellatrix or someone else found him.

Just as he was getting out of the room, he heard Dumbledore's soft voice. "The boy has her eyes, Severus, think about it, this may be your last chance. You can be a better person, just like she wanted."

Ashram POV

Sunday 8th November, 1981 (Greece)

Ashram was waiting for Xaladir to make his appearance. He was standing near the border of a cliff, looking to the calm sea and the waves colliding with the rocks that formed the bottom of the cliff.

"You have finally come," a voice said.

Ashram turned to the voice, knowing very well who it was. "Xaladir, it has been a long time," Ashram said in response.

It was true, it had been more than two years since he last saw Xaladir, and he was exactly as he remembered. A tall man with short greyish hair that almost resembled a shade of dirty silver, with a short cutted beard that seemed to be freshly shaved.

The man's bare presence demanded respect. He was a very powerful wizard, one of the Five Masters that formed part of the elite of the Order of Merlin. Most people and countries might have forgotten their existence, and it was not strange.
The Order of Merlin had been acting in the shadows for centuries, following their own agenda, and only a few people seemed to remember its existence.

"The Dark Lord has fallen," Ashram announced. "Nobody knows how, all the people I have asked tell me the same. That they do not know how it could have happened."

"I have my own theory," Xaladir said. "But I have not summoned you here to tell you why I think the man who called himself Lord Voldemort died." Then, he started to walk towards the border of the cliff, next to where Ashran stood.
"I am here to end our partnership, you are no longer of use to me." He said while looking at Ashram dead in the eyes.

To be honest, this was what Ashram expected after receiving the summoning, and quite frankly, this may be the best possible outcome for him. Xaladir and his kind were very dangerous people to play around with, but before the ending of the meeting, he had some questions that needed answers, so he decided to push his luck a bit.

"You do not seem very disgusted about the Dark Lord's death," Ashran stated. "I thought you were trying to use him to fulfill your own agenda. What made you change your mind?"

Now Xaladir was looking at him once again and Ashram started to fear that he might have pushed his luck too much, but then, the Master answered him. "I understood that he was way out of my control. At first I thought that I could manipulate him, but this whole time I have been keeping an eye on him." He took a moment before continuing. "He was powerful, maybe more than anyone has ever been, but he was a fool and he became mad in his search of power."

After saying that, Xaladir just turned around and started walking towards the centre of the island, just to disapparate with a loud 'pop'.

So that was what happened...Ashran thought. Xaladir realized that he was playing with powers way beyond his reach, and he got scared.

Ashram smiled, there were not many wizards who could make one of the Five Masters to coward like that, throwing away many years of plotting and planning. That was why he thought that Lord Voldemort was the one. The chosen one to clean the world of those who owned it, to clean it from the men that allowed the decay of the magic. The same magic that was feared by every living muggle and creature in the times of the Ancient Wizards.

Ashram suddenly felt an icy presence right under him, getting closer and closer. He was also here.

A few seconds later, a dementor that was around one metre tall, appeared rising over the border of the cliff. He wasn't a real dementor, and you could see that if you observed how the end of the creature's body was almost faded, like he was an ethereal creature. But the moment he saw one of the Azkaban's guards, he liked them enough to adopt their forms.

He called himself Kadir. Ashran found him five years ago, in a Rumanian forest while he was in one of his expeditions in his search of knowledge and power. He would never forget that day.

Kadir told him that he was an Essentia, a creature made of magic in its purest form. There were others like him, with different purposes and powers. But his dementor-like companion was an Essentia Vindictam, or that was what he told him. He had no way of knowing if it was true or a lie Kadir had invented.

It was him the one who told Ashram to join the Dark Lord ranks.

Kaidir understood what the real objective behind his search for power and knowledge was, and he shared it, which was the most important thing.

In the past five years since their encounter, the Essentia had helped him a lot on how to really understand Magic, and he had shown him magic that was long forgotten. Some of that said magic was far above Ashram control and capacities, but he had learned some magic that had been really helpful in the past.

"He spared your life in the end," Kadir said. He had a deep voice which fitted very well with the appearance he had. "His mind was weaker than I thought. He got scared of the Dark One like every other man has. He wasn't as special as you believed him to be."

"You may be right," Ashram answered. "He may not be as special as I believed him to be, but he was as intelligent as I told you. He wanted to use the Dark Lord for something, but he didn't put himself in danger, he had us for that. And now that his plans won't be possible, he only has to break our partnership and walk away like nothing happened at all."

"He doesn't deserve to be considered a follower of the Ancient Wizards. He is like every one of your people. The Dark One was the only exception, but he got carried away by a prophecy. He ended up failing like everyone before him."

Kadir hated the way wizards behaved in the present. According to him, the Ancient Wizards were focused on the constant development of their magic. They were feared both by muggles and magical creatures. They were the kings of the world.

But in the present, wizards had turned into weak men that preferred to play a game of power to obtain control of the society and the politics. Most of the time, the only thing they archived was to kill themselves in their silly games, provoking the loss of very precious magical blood.

They needed a true leader like Lord Voldemort was, but unfortunately, he had ended up failing because he wasn't able to control a prophecy, one of the most ancient and dangerous branches of Magic.

Ashram didn't care too much about the purity of the blood like some of the loyalists did. He was a half-blood after all. But the purity of some lineages was something that linked the wizards of the present, to the ones of the ancient times, and that was something that had to be preserved.
But if some muggleborn had the talent and the ambition to become a great wizard, they had to be respected, at least that was what Ashram thought.

"Come on, it is time to go," Kadir announced. "We have a difficult mission to complete. The Dark One's demise is a very tough complication, but we shall not give up. Change is an accomplishment that only those who seek it harder than the rest can reach, and we are above those men who are ruining what the Ancient Wizards did. We will be the change itself, Ashran the Wizard."

Yes, the Essentia was right. This was not the end. Ashram had already spent many years trying to change how the wizards acted with his numerous travels around the world before Kadir found him.

This was just the beginning of his destiny.