Of the Sons of God
"And the Sons of God saw the Daughters of men and that they were fair and took to them wives as they chose. When the Sons of God went into the Daughters of men, they bore them children. They were the heroes of old and warriors of renown. And the Nephilim walked the Earth in those days and afterward." Genesis 6:2-4
Harry awoke early the next day and went to meet Dumbledore in the Great Hall for breakfast. 'What strange dreams last night,' he thought to himself. Upon arriving, Harry noticed that very few Professors were present. 'Well it is the holidays after all, perhaps they sleep in,' he mused. "Ahh, good morning, Harry," Dumbledore greeted. "I trust you slept well?" "Yes, quite well, Professor," he replied. "Now Harry, please, I told you to call me Albus," Dumbledore said, his eyes laughing silently. "Err, yes of course. Sorry Albus, it's hard to remember to do. I'm just not used to it," Harry replied. "Well Harry, tuck in and afterward, we will go to my office and have our little chat," Dumbledore prodded. Sighing in defeat, Harry filled his plate to overflowing much to the amusement of the other Professors seated at the table. "I must say Harry, if you keep eating like that, you may even give young Mr. Weasley a run for his money at the Dinner table," Dumbledore and the other Professors laughed at Harry's blushing face. Harry then smiled and said, "Well, I had some rather odd dreams last night and woke up very hungry."
"Not to worry, Harry. There's plenty of food and the house elves love to have something to do during the summer holiday," Albus smiled. Breakfast proceeded in a smooth and lighthearted affair, but it was soon time to go attend to business.
"Harry, if you are finished, please accompany me to my office," Dumbledore said, eyeing Harry's third helping of food. After stopping in front of the Gargoyle in front of the Headmaster's office and giving the password, Mars Bars, they continued up the spiral staircase to the main office proper. Fawkes greeted them both with a loud trill and flew over to rest on Harry's shoulder, while rubbing his head against Harry's.
"Hello Fawkes," said Harry and then began to stroke the Phoenix's feathers. "You're looking well," Harry said to the phoenix. Fawkes just stuck out his chest in prideful arrogance and trilled even more.
As Harry sat down, Dumbledore started. "Well Harry, after reviewing your letter, I'm afraid I have come to the same conclusion as you. It is time to start your real training." Dumbledore continued, "I have some things to tell you that are very important, but can no longer be delayed." Dumbledore suddenly looked very old and tired.
"Are you alright, Albus?" Harry asked suddenly noticing his change in posture.
"Yes Harry, just weary of what I have to tell you, and not knowing how you will respond." Harry looked at his mentor questioningly and gestured for him to please continue. "Tell me about your dream last night, Harry," Dumbledore commanded.
Harry complied and responded, "Well I'll tell you as much as I can remember." Harry continued, "I was in a sort of...I don't know, void I guess, and then he came up to me and looked me over and called me his heir, I think. He looked like me and at first, I thought it was my father, but in retrospect, I don't think it was. Then I woke up and thought I heard someone calling me, but went back to sleep. That's all sir, 'til I woke for breakfast."
Dumbledore nodded knowingly and silently thought, 'So it has begun, the change we knew was coming. How he will take it, I wonder. He has the weight of the world on his shoulders already, yet he must know. Harry is coming into both his powers and heritage.'
"Tell me Harry, when you bought you wand and it bonded itself to you, do you remember what color sparks shot out?" Dumbledore asked.
Harry thought for a minute and nodded slowly. "Yes sir, they were red and gold."
"And do you remember what I told you at the end of your second year when you pulled the sword of Godric Gryffindor out of the sorting hat?"
Harry nodded. "Yes sir, you told me that only a true Gryffindor could pull that out of the hat."
Dumbledore nodded, pleased. "Harry, it is my belief that you are the one true heir of Gryffindor. To further confirm my belief, I'll tell you the meaning of your dream last night." Dumbledore continued seeing Harry's confused look, "The quarters that I put you in last night are actually HEIR quarters for the descendant of Godric Gryffindor. Perhaps you noticed his picture frame over the fireplace?" Dumbledore asked.
Harry nodded but slowly replied, as if in deep thought, "But Albus, the frame was empty. What does that mean?"
"What it means is that, Godric has been gone for a long time searching the world over for his one true heir," Dumbledore said. "I'm sure that when you return to your chambers later, you will find him returned and waiting for you." However, Dumbledore continued before his young pupil could interrupt, "There is more to your heritage that you must know. Tell me Harry," Dumbledore prompted, "Have you ever heard of the Nephilim?" Harry shook his head and said "No, I've never heard of them. Are they some kind of magical creatures?" Harry asked.
Albus nodded his head in the affirmative "Magical they were, but as to whether they were creatures is a long held argument. All we know for certain is that were supposed to have disappeared from the earth around 13,500 years ago.
"There is a story in the Muggle bible, in the book of Genesis that alludes to existence of the Nephilim before a world wide disaster, a flood, destroyed much of the Earth." Dumbledore continued, "The Nephilim are also referred to as watchers, in some texts, and were likened to angels. They were both magical and powerful. At the time they are mentioned, it is supposed that magic or "divine" power did not reside with the human species of the time. However, it was apparently discovered that the two races were genetically compatible. It is during this time that we believe magic first entered into the genetic structure on humankind." Harry sat in awe as he listened to Dumbledore's account of how magic came into being.
But a sudden thought occurred to him. "But sir what does this have to do with me?" Harry queried. Then it suddenly occurred to him "Are you telling me that I'm a descendant of this race of magical beings?" Harry asked. "I mean, if they put magic into mankind, aren't all wizards descendants of these beings?" he asked, now thoroughly confused.
Dumbledore looked over at Harry and sighed, "Yes, in a way we are all said to be descended from these beings. You, however, Harry, have a direct link through both the bloodline of Godric Gryffindor, who was believed to be half Nephilim himself. However, most wizards don't manifest the power of the Nephilim because, for the most part, the gene sequence that carries their abilities mostly lies dormant. You, though, are different. It is my belief, that the killing curse that rebounded off of you, the night your parents died and Voldemort was vanquished, accidentally activated the full DNA strand of the Nephilim within you." Dumbledore stopped and looked over at Harry to gauge his reaction.
"Great, just bloody great," he fumed "I can't even be Bloody a "normal" wizard." 'But then again,' he thought, 'I can't really blame Dumbledore. After all, they only just suspected it and confirmed it last night.' And truth be told, this was what he needed to know. Now perhaps, he would have the tool he needed to rid the world of evil. "Albus," Harry asked, "I'm not sure I know what this means, is it the prophecy fulfilling itself? What does this mean for me? What are the powers of the Nephilim?" So many questions flooded his mind at the moment.
"Well Harry, I can't really answer all your questions for you. But I suggest we go ask your ancestor, I'm sure he has returned to train his heir and will be able to tell you more than I will," Dumbledore suggested. Harry nodded his consent and the two wizards left the office to meet Godric Gryffindor and perhaps get the answers Harry so desperately needed.
"And the Sons of God saw the Daughters of men and that they were fair and took to them wives as they chose. When the Sons of God went into the Daughters of men, they bore them children. They were the heroes of old and warriors of renown. And the Nephilim walked the Earth in those days and afterward." Genesis 6:2-4
Harry awoke early the next day and went to meet Dumbledore in the Great Hall for breakfast. 'What strange dreams last night,' he thought to himself. Upon arriving, Harry noticed that very few Professors were present. 'Well it is the holidays after all, perhaps they sleep in,' he mused. "Ahh, good morning, Harry," Dumbledore greeted. "I trust you slept well?" "Yes, quite well, Professor," he replied. "Now Harry, please, I told you to call me Albus," Dumbledore said, his eyes laughing silently. "Err, yes of course. Sorry Albus, it's hard to remember to do. I'm just not used to it," Harry replied. "Well Harry, tuck in and afterward, we will go to my office and have our little chat," Dumbledore prodded. Sighing in defeat, Harry filled his plate to overflowing much to the amusement of the other Professors seated at the table. "I must say Harry, if you keep eating like that, you may even give young Mr. Weasley a run for his money at the Dinner table," Dumbledore and the other Professors laughed at Harry's blushing face. Harry then smiled and said, "Well, I had some rather odd dreams last night and woke up very hungry."
"Not to worry, Harry. There's plenty of food and the house elves love to have something to do during the summer holiday," Albus smiled. Breakfast proceeded in a smooth and lighthearted affair, but it was soon time to go attend to business.
"Harry, if you are finished, please accompany me to my office," Dumbledore said, eyeing Harry's third helping of food. After stopping in front of the Gargoyle in front of the Headmaster's office and giving the password, Mars Bars, they continued up the spiral staircase to the main office proper. Fawkes greeted them both with a loud trill and flew over to rest on Harry's shoulder, while rubbing his head against Harry's.
"Hello Fawkes," said Harry and then began to stroke the Phoenix's feathers. "You're looking well," Harry said to the phoenix. Fawkes just stuck out his chest in prideful arrogance and trilled even more.
As Harry sat down, Dumbledore started. "Well Harry, after reviewing your letter, I'm afraid I have come to the same conclusion as you. It is time to start your real training." Dumbledore continued, "I have some things to tell you that are very important, but can no longer be delayed." Dumbledore suddenly looked very old and tired.
"Are you alright, Albus?" Harry asked suddenly noticing his change in posture.
"Yes Harry, just weary of what I have to tell you, and not knowing how you will respond." Harry looked at his mentor questioningly and gestured for him to please continue. "Tell me about your dream last night, Harry," Dumbledore commanded.
Harry complied and responded, "Well I'll tell you as much as I can remember." Harry continued, "I was in a sort of...I don't know, void I guess, and then he came up to me and looked me over and called me his heir, I think. He looked like me and at first, I thought it was my father, but in retrospect, I don't think it was. Then I woke up and thought I heard someone calling me, but went back to sleep. That's all sir, 'til I woke for breakfast."
Dumbledore nodded knowingly and silently thought, 'So it has begun, the change we knew was coming. How he will take it, I wonder. He has the weight of the world on his shoulders already, yet he must know. Harry is coming into both his powers and heritage.'
"Tell me Harry, when you bought you wand and it bonded itself to you, do you remember what color sparks shot out?" Dumbledore asked.
Harry thought for a minute and nodded slowly. "Yes sir, they were red and gold."
"And do you remember what I told you at the end of your second year when you pulled the sword of Godric Gryffindor out of the sorting hat?"
Harry nodded. "Yes sir, you told me that only a true Gryffindor could pull that out of the hat."
Dumbledore nodded, pleased. "Harry, it is my belief that you are the one true heir of Gryffindor. To further confirm my belief, I'll tell you the meaning of your dream last night." Dumbledore continued seeing Harry's confused look, "The quarters that I put you in last night are actually HEIR quarters for the descendant of Godric Gryffindor. Perhaps you noticed his picture frame over the fireplace?" Dumbledore asked.
Harry nodded but slowly replied, as if in deep thought, "But Albus, the frame was empty. What does that mean?"
"What it means is that, Godric has been gone for a long time searching the world over for his one true heir," Dumbledore said. "I'm sure that when you return to your chambers later, you will find him returned and waiting for you." However, Dumbledore continued before his young pupil could interrupt, "There is more to your heritage that you must know. Tell me Harry," Dumbledore prompted, "Have you ever heard of the Nephilim?" Harry shook his head and said "No, I've never heard of them. Are they some kind of magical creatures?" Harry asked.
Albus nodded his head in the affirmative "Magical they were, but as to whether they were creatures is a long held argument. All we know for certain is that were supposed to have disappeared from the earth around 13,500 years ago.
"There is a story in the Muggle bible, in the book of Genesis that alludes to existence of the Nephilim before a world wide disaster, a flood, destroyed much of the Earth." Dumbledore continued, "The Nephilim are also referred to as watchers, in some texts, and were likened to angels. They were both magical and powerful. At the time they are mentioned, it is supposed that magic or "divine" power did not reside with the human species of the time. However, it was apparently discovered that the two races were genetically compatible. It is during this time that we believe magic first entered into the genetic structure on humankind." Harry sat in awe as he listened to Dumbledore's account of how magic came into being.
But a sudden thought occurred to him. "But sir what does this have to do with me?" Harry queried. Then it suddenly occurred to him "Are you telling me that I'm a descendant of this race of magical beings?" Harry asked. "I mean, if they put magic into mankind, aren't all wizards descendants of these beings?" he asked, now thoroughly confused.
Dumbledore looked over at Harry and sighed, "Yes, in a way we are all said to be descended from these beings. You, however, Harry, have a direct link through both the bloodline of Godric Gryffindor, who was believed to be half Nephilim himself. However, most wizards don't manifest the power of the Nephilim because, for the most part, the gene sequence that carries their abilities mostly lies dormant. You, though, are different. It is my belief, that the killing curse that rebounded off of you, the night your parents died and Voldemort was vanquished, accidentally activated the full DNA strand of the Nephilim within you." Dumbledore stopped and looked over at Harry to gauge his reaction.
"Great, just bloody great," he fumed "I can't even be Bloody a "normal" wizard." 'But then again,' he thought, 'I can't really blame Dumbledore. After all, they only just suspected it and confirmed it last night.' And truth be told, this was what he needed to know. Now perhaps, he would have the tool he needed to rid the world of evil. "Albus," Harry asked, "I'm not sure I know what this means, is it the prophecy fulfilling itself? What does this mean for me? What are the powers of the Nephilim?" So many questions flooded his mind at the moment.
"Well Harry, I can't really answer all your questions for you. But I suggest we go ask your ancestor, I'm sure he has returned to train his heir and will be able to tell you more than I will," Dumbledore suggested. Harry nodded his consent and the two wizards left the office to meet Godric Gryffindor and perhaps get the answers Harry so desperately needed.
