A/N: All right. I'm going to be honest. I'm not a writer. I tried to write fanfiction back in the day when I was younger and more foolish, and honestly it wasn't great (check out the few stories by chubsXofXtheXfrozenXstates if you don't believe me) However, I've been kicking this idea around in my head for a while and thought "Eh. Why the heck not." So this may not go anywhere, may become a multi-story series, who flippin' knows.

Anyway, thanks for taking the time to check this one out. Sorry if it's of abysmal quality.

Harry Potter (including the idea of magically altered windows) or any other properties mentioned in this fic do not belong to me. Also, I may intentionally/unintentionally screw up the overall lore and for that I apologize a thousand times over. Please don't hate me.

The Harbinger

-Year 1-

August 1st, 1991
Ministry of Magic, Department of Magical Law Enforcement

Pat...pat...pat pat patpatpatpatpat.

Jacob Rawlings looked up from the report he was reading to watch as the raindrops splattered on the magically altered window in his office in the Department of Magical Law Enforcement. It wasn't uncommon for the window to show rain, but most of those occasions usually signaled that trouble was brewing or a reminder that it was one of those particular Thursdays where the windows magically decided that the forecast for the day would be wet.

And it wasn't a Thursday.

Jacob sighed and rubbed his face with his hands. "Well that doesn't bode well," he muttered to himself. He leaned back in his chair and continued to stare at the window. It hadn't rained on an off-Thursday in quite some time, nor this hard. In fact, he hadn't seen rain like this since that fateful night almost a decade ago. Jacob closed his eyes and took a deep breath before exhaling loudly. He hadn't thought about those events in quite some time – most people tend not to dwell on unpleasant memories after all – but he couldn't help reminiscing on them now.

-TH-

October 31st, 1981
Ministry of Magic, Department of Magical Law Enforcement

Pat...pat...pat pat patpatpatpatpat.

Jacob's ears perked up as he heard the water droplets begin to rap against the window in his office. His brow furrowed as he checked the small calendar sitting next to the desk lamp. Definitely not a Thursday he thought to himself.

Before he could continue to ponder on the peculiar choice of weather, the door to his office burst open. The office secretary rushed in, white as a sheet, an envelope in his hand.

"Jeffers, what's wrong? You look like you've seen a ghost." Jacob asked.

Jeffers took a shaky breath. "I-I'm sorry sir. It's just that there have been reports coming in of Death Eater attacks happening all across Britain. The Aurors are deploying as we speak, but they're spread too thin. A-and then this came for you." He held out the envelope and Jacob took it. His name was written on the front of the envelope, and he turned it over to inspect the wax seal that held the letter shut.

DD

Jacob directed his attention back to Jeffers. "How bad?" he asked.

"Pretty bad." Jeffers replied. "We won't know the full extent of the damage, but last I heard it doesn't sound good."

"Understood. Thank you Jeffers." Jeffers nodded and stumbled out of the office, catching his foot on the lip of the doorframe and tripping slightly. With a wave of his hand Jacob shut the door and turned his focus to the letter. It wasn't often that he received written correspondence from Albus Dumbledore, despite being his man inside of the Ministry. He broke the seal, pulled out the parchment and began to read.

Good evening Jacob,

By now I am sure you have heard of the troubling news of the attacks being carried out by the Dark Lord's forces. While it saddens me to say, I am afraid there is very little that the Order can do in response to this outbreak. I am confident that the Department of Magical Law Enforcement and its resources can handle it. We have a far more pressing matter on our hands.

As you might expect, these attacks are merely a diversion – a way for the Ministry to be drawn away from You-Know-Who's actual target: the Potter residence in Godric's Hollow. He attacked them in their home earlier this evening. I am afraid that there is very little left of the structure that is still standing.

I need you on-site as soon as you receive this letter. Bring your apprentice. I will explain more once you arrive.

Yours,

APWBD

A chill ran down Jacob's spine. He immediately pulled out his wand.

"Expecto Patronum."

A white wisp shot from the end of his wand and swirled around in a tight circle, eventually taking the form of a raven. It hovered expectantly in the air, its corporeal head cocked to one side.

"Find Ewan and pass this message along to him. 'Come to my office now. There's been an incident.'" The raven opened its beak in a silent caw of acknowledgment before taking flight and phasing through the wall of the office.

Jacob collapsed in his chair and ran a hand through his dark brown wavy hair. This was by far the worst case scenario. He gritted his teeth. They knew about this, they should have seen this coming! The Order was aware that the Dark Lord had some unknown vendetta against the Potters and their newborn son and had done everything in its power to protect them. And yet, despite all of the precautions that they had taken, He-Who-Must-Not-Be-Named still found them.

There was a loud crack and Jacob looked up to see a young man stumble into the open space in front of his desk. His messy jet black hair hovered just above his eyes and the beginning of a 5-o'clock shadow was evident on his face. His grey eyes were bright with anticipation mixed with a hint of fear. Jacob's apprentice, Ewan Calahan, straightened up and smoothed down his robes.

"Howya Gaffer? Got your summons and came as soon as I could. What's this 'incident' that you spoke of?"

Ignoring the nickname, Jacob stood up from his chair and walked by Ewan to grab his coat from where it was hanging on the rack by the door. "There was an attack earlier this evening. Godric's Hollow. Potter's house."

The color drained from Ewan's face.

"We're going to meet Dumbledore there. Come on."

Ewan nodded and reached for Jacob's outstretched arm. The two men apparated to Godric's Hollow.

-TH-

Albus Dumbledore stared silently at what remained of the Potter's home in Godric's Hollow. A little smoke still rose from the recently extinguished fires that had been burning when he arrived. He could hear Hagrid sniffling not far from him as he wept for the loss of his dear friends.

I failed them.

It was his plan to move the Potters to Godric's Hollow. It was he who had assured them that the Fidelius charm would hold. He was the one who had suggested that Sirius be made the secret-keeper.

Now they were both dead and Sirius was nowhere to be found.

It was a miracle that their son had survived the carnage. When they had found him sobbing in the burned out remnants of the upstairs bedroom, bleeding from a fresh wound on his forehead, Dumbledore had detected a hint of a powerful ancient magic flowing off of him. He could also feel the lingering remnants of You-Kno- Voldemort slowly fading from the room. That had been an hour ago.

A loud crack behind him drew his attention away from the wreckage to the newcomers. Jacob Rawlings and his apprentice Ewan Calahan had arrived. Ewan emitted a slightly audible gasp upon seeing the destruction before him. Dumbledore gave them both a sad smile, his eyes lacking any of their normal twinkle. Jacob returned it with a grim expression of his own.

"Jacob. Ewan. Thank you for coming on such short notice. I only wish that we were meeting under better circumstances." Dumbledore said.

Ewan appeared to be frozen in shock. Jacob moved to stand beside Dumbledore. "Any survivors?" he asked.

"Just one. Their son, Harry." Dumbledore replied. Jacob's eyebrows shot up.

"Really? Why would You-Know-Who spare the kid?" he asked.

"I'm not sure that was his original plan." Dumbledore replied. "Harry was injured when we found him, and Voldemort was nowhere to be seen. However, I could sense his presence fading from this world. Upon further examination, it appears he had attacked Harry with a very dark curse, and it somehow rebounded off of Harry and struck him instead, thereby destroying him. It was most likely the Killing Curse."

Jacob's eyes widened. "But that's... that's impossible. No one can survive the Killing Curse, much less deflect it."

A small twinkle returned to Dumbledore's eyes, though only briefly. "I think young Harry would beg to differ."

"What will happen to him? Harry I mean." Jacob asked.

"Hagrid will be taking him to his closest next of kin. Lily's sister and her family live in the Muggle suburb of Little Whinging in Surrey, not far from here. I will meet him and Minerva there shortly. Once we have secured him with his relatives, we will set up blood wards to protect him from anyone wishing to do him harm. I can only imagine that Voldemort's followers will not take kindly to the defeat of their master at the hands of an infant."

Jacob nodded. They both resumed surveying the damaged structure in front of them. Silence hung in the air for a few moments before Jacob spoke again. "What happened, Albus? I thought the Fidelius was supposed to guarantee that the Potters stayed hidden. How did the Dark Lord find them?"

Albus sighed. "I can only think of one possible explanation, and I hope I am incorrect."

Jacob glanced at him, eyebrow raised. "You don't mean..."

"Given how close of a friendship Sirius had with James, I had assumed that he would be the most ideal candidate to be the Potters' secret-keeper. I figured that he would rather die than give them up to Voldemort." Dumbledore looked over at Jacob. "It would appear that I was mistaken."

Jacob shook his head. "I have a hard time believing that Black would betray them like that. Maybe there's more going on here than we realize." Dumbledore's sad smile returned.

"I hope and pray that your intuition proves true once again, my friend. However, at this time I am afraid we must assume the worst. In the meantime, you may need to see to your apprentice. I can imagine how painful this must be for him." Jacob turned his attention back to Ewan, who had yet to move from where Jacob had left him.

Since being brought into the Order of the Phoenix, Ewan had immediately taken a liking to Sirius and James and had quickly grown close to both of the older men. He eventually came to view James as an older brother and a role model. James likewise considered Ewan the younger brother that he never had.

Jacob made his way back over to Ewan. The young man was even more pale than he was when they arrived, and his knuckles were turning white from how hard his fists were clenched. His eyes were red, holding unshed tears on the verge of falling. Jacob gently placed a hand on Ewan's shoulder.

"Ewan."

Ewan was silent for a few moments. "The Fidelius." he mumbled. "Did Sirius..."

Jacob sighed. "It would appear so."

"I'm gonna kill him." Ewan turned to look at Jacob. The tears began to trail down his cheeks now. "I'm gonna find Black, and when I do, I'm gonna kill him."

Jacob suppressed the urge to shudder as another chill ran down his spine. He had never heard Ewan speak like this, much less in that tone. It was harsh, quiet, and menacing. "Leave Black to the Aurors. It will only be a matter of time before they track him down and take him into custody. Right now we have a job to do." Ewan looked away and said nothing. Jacob frowned. "Hey," he said a little more harshly, tightening his grip on Ewan's shoulder and shaking him lightly. Ewan looked back at Jacob. "Remember Crouch's orders. We can't allow the Order or any of its members to be traced back to the Harbingers. We need to go in there and sweep the place before the rest of the DMLE shows up. Any documents, photos, correspondence, anything that connects us to the Potters has to be destroyed. Understood?"

Ewan closed his eyes and took a deep breath. He exhaled and wiped the tears from his eyes before nodding.

"Good." Jacob replied. "Now follow me." Ewan turned to follow after his master as they both approached the remnants of the house.

-TH-

A rumble of thunder shook Jacob from his reverie. He concentrated on his reflection in the window. Over the past ten years his hair had lightened considerably, and patches of gray were beginning to show near his temples and in his beard. I'm getting too old for this.

He scowled as his thoughts turned to Ewan. The years had not been kind to him. While he still maintained a semblance of his former jovial personality, he had become increasingly cold and serious. His eyes had lost the youthful glow they once held. His desire to make a name for himself among the Harbingers was replaced with a burning drive to hunt down and eliminate all manner of dark witches and wizards as well as the remnants of Voldemort's followers. He dove headfirst into his work, taking on more assignments than any of the other junior members. He had achieved his mastery in Defense and a Senior operative rank within the Harbingers in record time. It wasn't unusual for him to go days without sleep, and it was only Jacob's timely interventions that brought him back to reality and got him back on track.

The bell attached to the fireplace in his office began to ring, signaling an incoming Floo arrival. Jacob's brows furrowed. He wasn't expecting visitors today. Not many fireplaces were attached to his office on the Floo network, which could only mean one thing.

His suspicions were confirmed when the fireplace blazed with green flames before dying out, revealing the elder wizard standing within. He wore silver robes and his beard hung to his waist, a single gold cord tied near the bottom of it. He exited the fireplace and entered the office.

"Good evening, Jacob." the wizard smiled, his eyes twinkling behind his half-moon spectacles.

"Albus." Jacob replied, returning the smile. "Wasn't expecting to see you today. What a pleasant surprise."

"Indeed." Albus said. "Although I'm sure by now you have deduced that this is not a social call."

Jacob nodded. "I suspected as much. Have a seat." He gestured to one of the empty chairs in front of his desk. Dumbledore thanked him as they both sat down. Jacob leaned forward, hands folded on his desk. "Now, what can I do for you?"

Dumbledore removed his glasses and polished them on the sleeves of his robes before putting them back on. "I have an assignment for you. I've already contacted Amelia and she has agreed to re-assign you to my case until the situation is resolved."

Jacob raised an eyebrow. "Oh? That's news to me. What's this 'case' you speak of?"

He could see the twinkle in the older wizard's eye. "One that is of the utmost importance." Dumbledore smiled. "And secrecy."

Jacob raised an eyebrow. "I'm intrigued. Go on."

"Forty-two years ago, a very old and dear friend of mine entrusted a magical artifact to my care. An artifact that is so powerful that, were it to fall into the wrong hands, could bring about the end of life as we know it."

"So, a weapon then, is it?"

"Not a weapon, no." Dumbledore replied. "Something much more powerful." He leaned forward slightly in his chair, his lips twitched into the faintest hint of a smirk. "Immortality."

Both of Jacob's eyebrows were raised now. "Immortality? Albus, you're joking."

Dumbledore leaned back in his chair, the grin now present on his face. "Oh I assure you, Jacob, this is no joke. My friend is an alchemist - well, he was until he retired 268 years ago - and his research into the ancient origins of magic led him to the discovery of a most ancient and potent magic which would allow the user to prolong life itself. He spent most of his years gathering the necessary reagents, and using his skills in alchemy, he was able to create a method for combining and containing the magic in a physical object. The object creates a type of potion, known as the Elixir of Life. Anyone who possesses the object will be able to harness the magic within, and so long as they have access to it, they will be able to craft the Elixir, thereby allowing them to live forever until the end of time. He called it 'The Philosopher's Stone'."

Jacob rubbed his temples as he tried to process the information that Dumbledore had shared with him. "So you're telling me that you have had the key to immortality in your possession...for forty-two years?"

"That is correct. Although I will say, I only held onto it for safekeeping. I have never used the artifact itself or the Elixir to prolong my own lifespan. I understand if you find that hard to believe, given my age."

Jacob chuckled. "Believe me, Albus, I never would have guessed. You don't look a day over ninety."

Dumbledore chuckled as well. "You are too kind, my friend. Now, in regards to the Stone: Up until recently, the Stone has resided in a private, highly secure vault at Gringotts. However, I have decided to relocate the Stone to a different location. One of the most secure locations I know. It will reside there until the matter at hand is complete."

"And what exactly is this matter, Albus?" Jacob asked, folding his arms. "I'm not sure how exactly I fit into this picture."

Dumbledore smiled. "Last night, someone attempted to break into the vault where the stone was previously kept. Thankfully, the stone had already been moved before the attempted robbery, but I fear this speaks of something much darker." His tone became serious. "There are many who crave the powers that the Stone provides, however, only a few know of its existence or its abilities."

Jacob grew tense at that. "I'm not sure I like where this is going."

Dumbledore's expression turned grim. "Indeed. You and I both know that not all of Voldemort's followers were caught and prosecuted after his fall. It may be that one of the former Death Eaters or a coalition of sorts may be trying to acquire the Stone to bring him back. If they are successful, I dare not imagine what horrors are in store for us. We barely survived the last war. I fear we may not survive another."

The color drained from Jacob's face. "But… that's not possible. You said so yourself that night at the Potters' house that you couldn't sense his magic. He's gone, the Potter boy destroyed him!"

Dumbledore held up a hand. "Yes, I admit, at the time I did not sense his presence on this plane of existence. However, Voldemort was an incredibly powerful wizard. He delved further into dark magic than anyone I ever knew. There's no telling what he was capable of. It may be that perhaps a part of him did survive that night, and has been hiding ever since, biding his time until he is strong enough again to return to the Wizarding World."

Jacob closed his eyes and pinched the bridge of his nose, feeling a headache coming on. Voldemort, returning to the Wizarding World? For over a decade, he had been confident that they were safe from the former Dark Lord's threats, save for the remaining Death Eaters scattered across Europe. However, Ewan and the other Harbingers had been tracking them down and incapacitating them before trouble could begin again. To think that the peace they had all fought for so long could come crashing down. It was too unbearable to comprehend.

Dumbledore was silent for a few moments before clearing his throat. "Although, this all could be the ramblings of a paranoid old man. Perhaps there is nothing to worry about, and this is nothing more than a simple break-in." Dumbledore stood up then. "Regardless, it would put my heart at ease if you could track down the culprit and confirm if my suspicions are correct. I hope that I am wrong."

"Forgive me, Albus, but why can't the DMLE handle this matter? Tracking down burglars is a little under our paygrade." Jacob smirked. "Much less burglars who are bad at their craft."

Dumbledore smiled as well. "I did not want to bother the DMLE with this request due to the sensitive nature of the item as well as my fears regarding the purported culprits. I know how capable the Harbingers are in all matters pertaining to dark magic and wizardry."

Jacob nodded. Dumbledore had a point there. The Harbingers were a secret order within the Department of Magical Law Enforcement created during the First Wizarding War by request of the Minister for Magic. Only a select few knew of its existence - most of the DMLE were unaware that some of their colleagues belonged to the order. Tasked with hunting down the darkest witches and wizards as well as being prepared to counter another threat such as Voldemort, the Harbingers had been tracking down the remnants of Voldemort's operation for the past decade. They had managed to capture or eliminate a large number of his followers, but some still managed to remain in hiding.

The twinkle returned to Dumbledore's eye. "Besides, I believe young Master Ewan could use a break from his current daily operations. One can only hunt former Death Eaters nonstop for so long."

Jacob scoffed. "I agree wholeheartedly with that. I swear, Albus, that boy will not stop. I'm afraid if he doesn't slow down soon, it'll be the death of him."

Dumbledore smiled again. "That sounds eerily similar to someone else I know."

Jacob gave him a knowing look. "You know I've put fieldwork behind me. And unlike Ewan, I eventually learned how to take a break."

Dumbledore chuckled, then began to make his way to the fireplace. "I leave this matter in your very capable hands, Jacob." He reached into the small bowl on the mantle and extracted some floo powder before stepping across the hearth into the fireplace. "Oh and do stop by the castle sometime. I am always available in the afternoons for a cup of tea." His smile turned into a mischievous smirk. "Or a large brandy."

Jacob chuckled. "I'll look forward to it. Good day, Albus."

"Good day, Jacob." Dumbledore returned. "Hogwarts!" He said, tossing the powder down into the fireplace. With a roar of green flames, Dumbledore was gone, and the office was silent again, save for the pattering of rain against the window.

Jacob sighed before flexing his wrist, his wand disengaging from the holster attached to his right arm and resting comfortably in his hand. With a muttered Expecto Patronum, a white wisp shot from the tip of the wand and hovered above his desk.

"Fetch me Tara. Tell her it's urgent."

The wisp flew off in silent acknowledgement, morphing through the closed office door and taking off in search of its target. Jacob returned to the various reports on his desk. His brow furrowed. It was true that the Harbingers had seen an increase in dark magical activity across the country. Most of his operatives were out searching for a small group of dark wizards who were creating some trouble out in the Moors. And then there was Ewan. Jacob sighed. It appeared he was out of the country, hunting down another one of Voldemort's lieutenants. As for which country he was in at the moment, it was unclear. Amelia had been giving Ewan a lot more freedom lately. Jacob knew she sometimes valued results over protocol.

And Ewan definitely provided results.

A crack signaled the arrival of the witch that Jacob was looking for. He looked up to see a young woman with cropped, layered auburn hair standing in his office. She adjusted her black robes before standing to attention, hands clasped behind her back. "You wanted to see me, Jacob."

Jacob smiled internally. Tara MacDonald, Ravenclaw, Outstandings in Defense, Ancient Runes, and Potions. One of the best agents he had at his disposal. Jacob had brought Tara into the Harbingers' ranks after the defense of Ottery St. Catchpole. She along with Ewan had held off an entire platoon of Voldemort's forces while the rest of the Order evacuated the town. Her actions help save dozens of lives.

"Yes." Jacob replied. "I need you to track down Ewan and bring him to me."

"Understood. Do we have his location?"

Jacob summoned a map of Europe from the corner of his office and laid it out on his desk. "I believe he's…" He waved his hand vaguely over the continent. "...here."

Tara looked at Jacob, then down at the map, then back up to Jacob, eyebrow raised. "You just pointed to all of Europe."

"Yes, well. He isn't exactly prompt with his updates. Let alone letting me know where he is."

Tara chuckled. "Same old Ewan. Who's he hunting this time?"

Jacob rolled up the map on his desk and set it off to the side before picking up Ewan's last report. "According to his last check-in a few weeks ago, he was tracking someone from Voldemort's inner circle. A Death Eater named Adler."

"Ah." Tara said. "I think I've got a good idea where he is then." She smirked. "Guess I better brush up on my Bulgarian." With another crack, she was gone.

Jacob sighed again. He was sighing too much these days.

And with that, this chapter is complete. Please let me know what you think and if I should continue. Ideally, I'd like to cover each of the books' events in this story, but even I'll admit that's rather ambitious.

Please feel free to review and let me know how I can improve. Or don't. It's still a free country after all.

Thank you for reading!