Once upon a time, in a land far, far away, there lived a beloved King and Queen. Their names? King Jamison "James" Charlus Edward Potter of Aeiour. Queen Lillian "Lily" Catherine Juliet Potter of Aeiour. Now, you see, they weren't some ordinary King and Queen ruling over ordinary people. They were magical. Their kingdom was hidden away from the muggle ones since they feared that it would start the dreaded Witch-Hunts that their ancestors spoke about.
Now, the King and Queen were nearing the time when they should have a child - especially in the Magical World. However, even though they tried their hardest, a baby wasn't born. This is probably the time when you start looking for miracles - or, in this case, a dark, forgotten, old ritual. The King and Queen travelled through the rough seas for three weeks and they finally reached the Kingdom of Gitrza, another Magical Kingdom. The Kingdom of Gitrza was ruled by a Queen who was King Jamison's best-friend's eldest cousin. The Queen Bellatrix Auriga Artemisia Lestrange, Queen of Gitrza. Her husband, King Rodolphus, had died a few years prior, leaving her as the sole ruler of the Kingdom.
The King and Queen walked towards the dark Castle where the Queen lived.
As the Queen saw them, she smirked a cruel smile which complemented the Queen's alluring but cruel face.
"So, my cousin finally recommended me, did he?" she asked.
"We would've never come if it weren't for the problem," James snapped back.
"Husband, do not. We came here to find help. Talking like this will not help us," said the ever-knowledgeable Queen in a soft voice. She came from the distant Kingdom of Corona which remained staunchly neutral in every war unless it affected them.
"Listen to your wife, your Majesty," Bellatrix cackled.
"Will you help us?" Lily implored.
"I shall. Just because I fall under your debt," replied the Queen. There had been a War between Aeiour and Gitrza which took the life of the late King Rodolphus. They didn't kill the Queen since they had the morality on not killing females. For that, Bellatrix had a life debt to the King and Queen of Aeiour.
"Fantastic. What shall we do now?" asked James.
After hours of chanting, drawing runes upon the ritual chamber floor and darkness encompassing both the King and Queen, Queen Bellatrix said,
"It is done, Your Majesties. I bless you with a baby upon the next full moon."
"Thank you, your Highness," replied Lily.
Sure enough, by the next Full Moon, it was discovered that the Queen was indeed pregnant. The Kingdom rejoiced the news with floating lanterns and firecrackers.
Nine months later, a healthy baby boy was born. His name was Prince Hadrian "Harry" Jamison Arthur Potter, Prince of Aeiour. The Kingdom celebrated his birth by calling all the royals and nobles from every Magical Kingdom. That is, every Kingdom barring the Kingdom of Gitrza.
In the middle of the celebrations, a distant rumbling of thunder was heard even though the sky was perfectly clear. Everyone ceased their celebrations at once, they knew that unnatural thunder and storms were not a good thing. A minute later, Queen Bellatrix appeared in all her regal beauty. The people in the Castle gasped, shocked. Most of the other Kingdoms had had battles against the Kingdom of Gitrza and didn't like what it would mean for them and their Kingdoms if Gitrza's Queen was here.
"Wha-? Bellatrix? What are you doing here?" asked Sirius Black, the Defence Against the Dark Arts Professor and the former Heir Apparent of the Kingdom of Galatea. One of the oldest Kingdoms in the History of the Magical World but treats its citizens much like Gitrza. He was one of the few who migrated from one Kingdom to another. Other notable people include Severus Snape from the Kingdom of Corona.
"How dare you not invite me?! When I am the reason that the Prince is here?" shrieked Bellatrix.
Everyone knew that the King and Queen had enlisted the Queen of Gitrza's help. So, they are not surprised.
"Queen Bellatrix of Gitrza, I demand you to leave my Kingdom," said James formally.
Bellatrix cackled again - some were seriously doubting her sanity-and said, "Oh! Your Royal Highness, I will leave! But after making sure that you are crushed forever!" She cackled again.
Lily said, "What do you mean?" in a harsh voice. Let it be known that while she is kind, she can be deadly when provoked.
"Too late, Queen of Aeiour," she bound everyone to their chairs.
Bellatrix pointed her staff (used in rituals) at the cradle where Harry was sleeping and said, "I curse you. I curse Prince Hadrian Jamison Arthur Potter of Aeiour. You will die the moment you reach seventeen!" A brilliant flash of white light and Prince Hadrian immediately awoke from his slumber and started crying. Bellatrix cackled one more time and disappeared into thin air after releasing everyone from their bounds.
Lily immediately rushed towards her still-crying baby. She watched in horror as the magic collected over his forehead and formed a deep cut. She tried to heal the cut but to no avail. So, she simply used a spell which made the area numb and whispered sweet nothings into his ear until he fell asleep.
"Can't you reverse it, Albus?" asked James to the head of the royal advisors, the Headmaster of Hogwarts and the most learned person among them all.
Albus Percival Wulfric Brian Dumbledore.
"I am sorry, m'boy but this is ancient Dark Magic. Only the person who cast it will be able to completely reverse it. I can, however, change the curse a little," the wizened wizard said.
"What will it contain after it's changed?" Lily asked.
"Prince Hadrian will fall into a deep coma the moment he reaches seventeen. However, he will wake up with a true love's kiss."
James and Lily looked at each other. It wasn't a perfect choice but it was still better than their child dying upon his seventeenth birthday.
"Fine. Do it," James ordered and watched in fascination as Albus chanted in the tongue of Magic and the deep cut knitted itself together until it was just a lightning-bolt scar.
"Everyone, I am deeply sorry but the party is finished. All of you will find rooms to spend your night in the guest room. Please follow the servants," Lily said, straightening up and nodding once to the servants. Most if not all of the people gave their condolences about what happened to the young prince.
Nine-year-old Harry was talking to the pictures on the wall of the muggle Gallery. He could be in the magical one but then it was boring for Harry to hear about their 'great feats'. It was one of his favorite past-times apart from flying with his dad or godfather Sirius. He didn't have any siblings, his parents were more often than not called away for the matters of the Kingdom - a Kingdom he would have to rule someday - and his godparents had their own duties. He was alone most of the time in the Caste. He didn't like the nannies his parents appointed for him. He wanted to go out and get himself dirty, not be stuck in the giant castle with plush toys!
Harry flopped into one of the sofas, pointed his finger at a picture of a soldier marching into war and said, "Hang in there, Jo!"
As Harry hopped about the different couches with unintentional help from his magic, his parents and godfather appeared. He was so surprised seeing all of them that he missed the next couch by a couple of inches and would've broken some of his bones if it weren't for the helpful intervention from his magic.
"Harry! Really, you could've been hurt!" Lily exclaimed.
"I'm fine, mother," Harry replied.
James and Lily shared a pained glance as they did whenever Harry called them 'mother' or 'father' because, honestly, Harry was a nine-year-old royal Prince and it would reflect badly if he was still calling his parents 'mommy' and 'daddy'.
"We have something to tell you," Sirius said in a serious voice.
"What is it?"
Half-hour later, little Harry Potter's mind was going to explode.
"So, this is the story of the cursed scar? The reason the castle doors are closed bar all the business that you do? The reason I have no friends? The reason I'm practically isolated?" Harry asked just to make sure.
"Well, yes. We couldn't do anything about it and we were afraid that if you met anyone who you liked then you would be very distraught when you heard about it," James said.
Lily sighed and said, "The point is, you were cursed by one of the most infamous witches of our time. Now, even though the curse has been...changed so that you won't die, it is something of concern and we didn't think that we should keep you from this."
"Can I please go to Hogwarts regardless?" Harry asked. He wanted to beg but he remembered his honorary uncle Severus' words, 'A Prince like you shouldn't beg, Hadrian. You should lock all your memories with the help of Occlumency. You are a Prince, you must bear the disadvantages of it gracefully.'
"Yes, of course you can! I can't wait to teach you!" Sirius exclaimed.
"You are actually allowing-? After closing the castle doors for nine years?!"
"You will succumb to this anyhow. I think it will be good for you to be able to interact with children, make friends, do everything normal children do," Lily explained.
"But you must tell no one of this, okay?" James asked.
"Of course, father,"
Two years later, Harry finally has the chance to go to Hogwarts-the best magical school in the world. Children from all the Kingdoms of Europe and sometimes even beyond, come to study at this prestigious school. Harry was very excited.
Most importantly, he finally had the chance to go out and explore beyond the Castle. Harry hadn't seen so many people in one place before.
So, of course, he tripped.
"Woah! Little easy there," said a bronze-haired, gray-eyed, older boy as he extended his hand to help Harry up.
"Sorry!" Harry said, blushing as he accepted the hand and stood up with gracefulness.
"Nope, it's fine," the boy said cheerfully, "Heaven knows that I tripped a fair few times myself during the first year at Hogwarts."
Meanwhile, Harry's sharp gaze dissected every bit of his persona and determined that there was no way that the helpful boy could be a Prince or from a royal family. Not that he minded, to him, people were people even though he had seen and interacted with a depressingly low amount of them.
"Thank you," said Harry in his sweet, melodic voice, "I am Prince Hadrian Potter of Aeiour but, please, call me Harry. Who are you?"
"So you are the supposed 'cursed Prince'? One with a scar and all?" the boy asked as he raised one eyebrow in scepticism.
"Yep!" Harry informed cheerily.
"Sorry about acting like that," the boy said a bit shamefully, "But you have been the talk of most Kingdoms. I am Cedric, Cedric Diggory of Kingdom Harmonia."
"Nice to meet you," Harry said.
"Let me introduce you to the royals of our Kingdom. Ron Weasley is of your age, I believe," Cedric mutters. Harry, of course, had memorised everything of the various Kingdoms (living eleven years alone in a Castle gives you little things to do) and the Weasleys were one of the kindest and most generous of the Kings and Queens out there.
No one noticed the curious quick-silver eyes following Harry.
Harry met and became instant friends with Ron Weasley - sixth child and Prince of Harmonia. He was a good guy, somewhat lacking in the confidence department though that could be understood with so many successful older siblings. He also met Draco Malfoy-Prince of Olodora, sister Kingdom to Gitrza. However, Harry didn't like Malfoy one bit who claimed that Ron was the 'wrong sort' to hang around with since he was not a Prince and sixth in line. Harry told him to mind his business. There was also a girl, Hermione Granger, who seemed to be engrossed in books and was thoroughly fascinated with Harry and the cursed scar since there were rumors of the scar out there. She came from Endor, apparently.
Harry was sorted into Gryffindor with Ron and Hermione while Draco Malfoy was sorted into Slytherin. There was another boy as well, Tom Riddle who was sorted into Slytherin as well. He didn't know why but something tugged at his soul as he saw Tom walking towards the sorting hat with his head held high like a Prince. Harry wouldn't be surprised to know if he were the Prince of some long-dead line.
Harry excelled in all the subjects but he simply adored Defence Against the Dark Arts and Charms. He liked History of Magic too, but since the teacher was a ghost who liked only to talk of Goblin Revolutions, he had taken it upon himself to self-study.
As Harry was exiting the Library, he saw Draco Malfoy and his 'bodyguards' (who needs bodyguards now? The time for bodyguards was when they were seven-and even that was a bit too long) bullying one of his own House members, judging from the victim's green-colored tie. Harry hid in the shadows as he came closer to the scene and saw that the victim was none other than Tom Riddle himself. He had become the teachers favorite - even McGonagall's and she was terribly hard to please - in the first few weeks. Extremely intelligent, well mannered, exceedingly beautiful.
"How dare you behave better than me? You are nothing but scum, Riddle! Just a commoner, an orphan child, I bet your parents left you because you were worthless," Malfoy spat out. His bodyguards laughed stupidly.
Harry couldn't believe the nerve of him. How can someone say something so derogatory about someone else just because they got better marks? Harry saw that Riddle's hand was itching for his wand, no doubt to hex Malfoy and his cronies to hell and back but he didn't. Smart boy. He would have to face severe repercussions from Lucius Malfoy if he so much as accidentally touched Draco.
Harry emerged from the shadows, walking like a predator with grace and said in a soft voice, "Why, Heir Malfoy, do I find that you have been harassing a student from your own house? I had assumed that the royals task was to make everyone else feel welcome? Something in which you are terribly failing?"
"But, you must see-"
Harry cut Malfoy off, "Remember, Heir Malfoy, about the contract made by my parents and signed by yours. My father wouldn't let this opportunity slide and your father would find no way to hide. I don't want you anywhere near Tom Riddle. He is under my and my Kingdom's protection."
"He lives in Olodora!"
"Then he would have to come to Aeiour," Harry said calmly-a stark contrast between Malfoy's rapidly reddening face.
Malfoy seemed like he wanted to say something but didn't. He motioned for his cronies to follow him and stormed out of the corridor.
"Are you okay?" Harry asked immediately after they left.
"Yes," Good Merlin! Even his voice was smooth and silky as velvet, "Thank you for your help. And, about me being in your protection? What does that mean?"
"It means that our Kingdom will be providing you with everything you need-including a place to stay for your life if you so wish. That is, if you want to," Harry said.
"Want to-? Of course I want to! There are so many days when I think that my family members would take me away from the hellhole they call an orphanage," Tom said as he shuddered.
Harry was angry. In Aeiour, any orphaned child would be provided with everything comfortable and would lead a happy life. However, it didn't seem to be the case with Olodora.
"Well then. Let's be friends?" Harry asked shyly because, even if Ron and Hermione were his friends, he felt terribly insecure when trying to make friends.
However, seeing Tom's brightened expression and a beautiful smile, Harry's troubles melted away.
"Let's be friends!" Tom exclaimed.
Nothing interesting after that happened. It appeared that Harry and Tom had tied for first at the end of the year with Hermione as the second. It took Hermione and Ron a bit of time getting used to Tom but they managed it.
Over the years, Harry started spending more time with Tom than his other friends. However, whenever he went to apologize, his friends simply brushed it off with a mysterious smile. Tom Riddle was someone who would be considered hot. Plenty of girls had asked him to date them but he had turned them down each time. Good thing he did, or Harry would kill the person who tried to date him. Harry wasn't in love! He wasn't!
Anyways, just the day before Hogwarts started for his fifth year, his parents were to go on a voyage to figure out the cure of the curse themselves. Harry quickly went downstairs where his parents were waiting.
"Do you have to go?" Harry asked as he looked at his parents.
His mother smiled at him tenderly while his father said, "I know that we are on the right path. We have to go."
"Don't worry, my dear, it is just for two weeks," Lily said softly.
Harry simply bowed and watched as his parents boarded the ship.
Sea voyages weren't good for the family. His great-grandfather, Fleamont Potter was the last one of their family to go on a voyage with his wife Eumphia. They never made it. The fact that his parents had already travelled through the seas once didn't do anything to soothe his nerves.
"Harry, why are you so jittery?" Tom asked softly. Harry and Tom had found out that Tom's mother had been Merope Gaunt, Princess of the Kingdom of Wiglta which had branched from the Kingdom of Slytherin. Salazar Slytherin had declared that only 'worthy' heirs would be capable of taking over. Tom had passed the test. He was very happy.
"Today is the day they should've come back from the voyage and yet I received no mail," Harry said as his eyes searched the Great Hall for any sign of Hedwig.
"Oh, Harry. Don't worry, I'm sure that it will be fine," Hermione said sympathetically.
A minute later, Sirius came towards Harry and said, "Heir Potter, I need you to come with me." He couldn't be informal in front of everyone.
Harry thought the worst.
"They are dead, aren't they?" he asked the moment they reached Sirius' private chambers.
Sirius simply nodded while trying to not cry.
Harry closed his eyes as memories of his parents washed over him. His mother's gentleness. His father's mischievous but stern persona. "It was all my fault. I got them killed!" Harry wailed suddenly.
"Harry, no, it is not your fault! You can't be held responsible for your parents actions."
"Just their deaths."
The moment he turned seventeen, he fell into a coma. The castle was put in a full lockdown. Ron heard about it since Harmonia and Aeiour did trade business and informed Hermione since Endor wasn't that far away. Hermione took it upon herself to visit Slytherin and inform Tom.
When Tom heard about it, he was terribly displeased. He went on a voyage to Aeiour to see Harry for himself. It took him nine months and three near-fatal experiences to reach Aeiour. When he saw Harry, he felt numb. Harry, beautiful, dangerous, sweet Harry, was a victim of a witch's spell.
"The only way he can wake up is by a true love's kiss," one of the Castle maids informed him quietly as if she weren't allowed to say it.
Tom went to Harry's bedchambers where they were keeping him. Tom caressed Harry's face. Then, on an impulse, he leaned forward and kissed Harry full on the mouth. A second later Harry's eyes snapped open as he saw who was kissing him. Tom thought that Harry would reject him but Harry only deepened the kiss. It was the first ever kiss either of them had and they loved every minute of it.
The both proclaimed their love for eachother which had been growing since third year and went outside the bedchambers.
"My Prince! You are awake!" some of the maids cried out.
Harry smiled softly.
The next year was hectic. Everyone threw a huge celebration since they were glad to see that Harry had awoken and banished Bellatrix from Gitrza which also contained Olodora. Harry became the King and gained control of both of them. Tom finally proposed after a year-and-a-half of courting. Everyone threw a massive celebration to see their favorite couple being married. Five years later, they adopted two children - a boy and a girl named Cepheus Hadrian Philip Potter and Asterope Lillian Victoria Potter.
And they lived happily ever after.
A/N- Have a wonderful day/night. Please review.