Hey everyone,
I cannot believe this! I have been having these ideas where Muggles are right monsters, where Molly Bashing is of the ULTIMATE level, same for Ron, Ginny and Percy and where someone powerful travels back in time to save Harry, yet also destroy the world just like the Muggles did – and I missed this challenge COMPLETELY!
I CANNOT BELIEVE MYSELF! I love DZ2, I love all of his challenges, yet I completely missed out on this one and thought I was blocking myself with these ideas because I didn't think they could become reality – and here this challenge has been the entire time which more or less describes my ideas down to a T!
Seriously, it's crazy,
Venquine1990
Challenge #33
For The Future
19th of June 1996
Hogwarts Castle
Harry's POV
Last night was downright horrid. First I get a vision that feels as if my worst fears have come true, then I almost get tortured by the woman who has made my entire year a living hell, then I discover that my vision was meant as a trap and then – thanks to nothing but dumb luck – does my godfather get saved – by a misstep.
I still don't get how it happened as the whole event is still too soon for me to clearly remember, even though I do try, yet one minute my godfather and I are dueling, the next the crazy witch known as Bellatrix Lestrange tries to shoot a Killing Curse, yet for no other reason than dumb luck, does she misstep her landing as she casts.
To make matters even crazier, did the woman not just misstep just before she could cast what I can still clearly remember was her intention for a Killing Curse, but her misstep even made her wand slip out of her grasp in such a way that the wand turned to her as she finished the spell with a scream, killing her instead of Sirius.
It had shocked and astounded everyone in the room, yet Rabastan and Rodolphus Lestrange who had come with the witch had turned mad with rage and instantly Sirius and the others of the Order had grabbed me and my friends and had tried to Apparate out – only to bump into Anti-Apparation wards as they reached the Atrium.
There we all came face to face with Voldemort, who had actually felt both the death of his loyal witch as well as the anger of his other followers and apparently the madman had decided he should take this and the destruction of the so-called prophesy out on my friends and me – only for the Order to protect us and Dumbledore to appear.
The two had engaged into the most incredible battle I had ever witnessed, yet at the time I had still been too amazed with the fact that, had it not been for that misstep, I would have lost my godfather and then, during the fight had I actually felt as if I almost did as he had suddenly disappeared from my sight with a flash of green.
I had mistaken this flash of green for a Killing Curse, before Lupin had comforted me and told me it was the Floo and while I had stopped screaming at this, had I been proven that it was only better that the man had left as only a minute later, Voldemort and Dumbledore had to end their fight as the Minister himself had arrived.
The bowler-hat loving man had stopped in shock from his arrival by Floo to the sight of Voldemort battling who he believed wanted his position as Minister and while Voldemort had tried using his escape to make another attack on me, like he did in my first, had Lupin actually proven that he has lycanthropy right there.
The man had roared with the ferocity of an actual wolf, the power of his shout causing for actual sound waves to roll off him and push the spirit that Voldemort turned himself into to be pushed to the side and away from me before the specter fled, Lupin himself glaring at him with fury as we watched the specter vanish from sight.
Yet the night had not ended for me and while Moody and Kingsley had taken charge of the Order and while Tonks made sure that the others all moved over to where the Thestralls were waiting for us, did Dumbledore take me aside from the others, tell me he would speak to me later and then use a Port Key to whisk me off to his office.
The man had then used his sweet time before he came to my office, yet the news he had shared with me barely registered as it was only then starting to settle in with me that my own stupidity and lack of trust in my godfather had almost led to his death not to mention whatever injuries my friends had come across in this fight.
Dumbledore had stopped my thoughts there and told me that my friends weren't too badly hurt and definitely not as bad as they would have been had I not been training them for most of the year, yet this had not done me a lot of good. Something Dumbledore had proven me he didn't care for as he had then made my mood even worse.
He had told me an entire story that started just before I had been born and that went all the way to the night before. And while I had not really cared for most as I just wanted time to myself to go through my memories of the events and see where I could have done better, had the man then answered a five year old question.
To say that the answer is almost mind-destructive would be softly putting the case and while I can slightly understand why the man didn't want to tell either my twelve or thirteen year old self, can I just not understand why the man made the same mistake as he did last year when he made me relive the Graveyard on the same night.
"Why? Why did he do this? Why does he think it right for me to be told this now? Didn't he hear my scream when he was battling Voldemort? Doesn't he realize how I believed to have lost my godfather? Why does he think it right to drop this kind of information on me so shortly after I lost – or almost lost – someone close to me?
And – and this prophesy? Why? Why did Voldemort believe in it when he only had a part of it be told to him? Why didn't he think of getting the rest before attacking and killing my parents? And what is this crap about me being able to love making me be the Chosen One? Does that mean that people like Dumbledore can't love?
And what about Molly Weasley or Sirius or Lupin? Can they not love? Can they not care? Do they not constantly state that they care for me? How does that keep them from doing what I'm supposed to be able to do as the Chosen one? How does being able to have emotions make me be labeled as the so-called Kid of the Prophesy?"
Yet while I think this, can I not imagine how it would feel to see either of the three people I just thought of be in my position and while this makes it easier for me to accept what is my new role in life, do I suddenly hear a voice: "Wow, He send us back right at the right place and time. Didn't think He'd be this precise."
To this I turn my head and my eyes widen, my heart sinking down through my whole body and the floor under me – as well as the floors under the one I am on – as I see two people who look both very familiar and much older than they are supposed to be – while also looking as if they just escaped a Jewish Death Camp.
One of them is a man of at least 40 years old, yet who has the body of someone at least a decade younger and who has muscles from his neck all the way down to his ankles, the man's brown hair cut so short it only barely bends over the top of his head, while his short sleeved shirt and torn jeans show off tons of scars.
The woman next to him used to be a light-aired, soft-blonde haired girl with misty, dazed looking eyes, yet nothing is left of this as she now looks in her mid thirties, has a lean frame that seems to barely be able to hide strong growing muscle masses and whose soft blue eyes now look like the blue of her House's banner color.
Luna Lovegood and Neville Longbottom stand before me, both of them looking as if they have been fighting people like Hitler, Napoleon, Grindelwald, Voldemort and Salazar Slytherin their entire life and while I fear for the worst – particularly my own failure as the Chosen One – does Neville turn a stern eye to me as he says:
"Don't." Startling me as he goes on: "This is in No way your fault, Harry. If anything, this is fully the fault of people who should have never turned enemy on you, let alone even imagine the thought of what they desired to do to you. So don't blame yourself like I know you want to." Yet while his tone his hard, his words comfort me.
"What – what happened to you?" I ask them both and the two share a glance with each other, Luna's eyes widening proving me that, wherever they came from, they haven't seen each other in a while before the man turns back to me and shocks me right into my own grave as he says only one word with a harsh, deadly tone:
"Molly." I shake my head again, not sure if I can take any more info after any of this and then Luna says: "Nev, we should wait. I've just received info from Him and we're actually a few days earlier back than He planned. This is the morning after his passing." And while her words shock me, do I then ask: "Wait, his?"
The two turn to me and I ask: "Don't you mean, hers?" Shocking the two before Neville asks: "Who died?" And I tell them the story, or at least the part that still makes sense to me and Neville mutters: "I don't believe this. We haven't even arrived and time has already changed. But – but why?" Yet I shake my head and ask:
"Where are you guys from anyway? And – and what happened to you?" I then repeat my earlier question, but Neville seems to pick up on something from my questions as he shakes his head and says: "Later. Come to the 7th Floor tomorrow and we will explain everything. However." He then says sternly and goes on:
"Don't tell anyone that we are here. We have strict orders to only speak with you until we have set a clear path ahead for the world and until then we cannot be discovered by others. There are things we know that others are still guessing about and we need to settle those before anything else. I'm sorry, Harry, but – can you wait?"
And while everything he says has me greatly worried, do I also know that part of my emotions are only heightened thanks to everything that happened in the last 24 hours and I nod as I say: "I – I need some time to myself anyway. I – I'll see you there." And the two smile and nod at me before they dash off in a different direction.
Later
It definitely was hard to keep quiet about two Time Travelers who appeared from the future and looked as if they just came back from World War Two Magical Style, yet the fact that I needed some time to go over everything that actually happened after I almost lost my godfather helped me keep away from even my friends.
Another thing that helped was the fact that, while the others had gotten hurt badly enough McGonagall had sent them to the Hospital Wing, had I evaded her thanks to Dumbledore's Port Key and did I continue to do so as I didn't want to risk getting either chewed out by my friends or have them discover my new secret.
By now, I am much calmer and I have even discovered something that both made me feel like even more of an idiot as well as help me relieve the pain and fear that had gripped at my heart when I recalled what future Neville and Luna had told me about what actually happened in their version of last night's events.
Using the fact that Neville and Ron were in the Hospital Wing and Dean and Seamus enjoying the day out, had I snuck into my dorm and rummaged through my trunk, if only to have something to do while I organized my thoughts, and I had actually stumbled upon the gift Sirius had slipped me when we left London last Christmas.
Remembering both what Sirius had said about getting in contact with him as well as what Neville had said about the man's fate in the other timeline had made me call out on the Two-Way Mirror I had found within the package and to my utter relief Sirius had responded instantly, the man just as relieved to see me as I him.
We had talked for hours, me having a lot of trouble not telling the man of my secret, yet while Sirius had noticed that I kept something from him, had everything about the man's demeanor proven me he accepts this, which had made the secret keeping easier. By now, I am ready to face the two time travelers and their news.
An Hour later
"And I thought my future as a Chosen one was bad." Is the only thought that goes through my mind as I finish listening to the endless tale of my two friends. Sirius, in Neville and Luna's timeline, had died the night before and I had never forgiven myself for this, yet I had fully accepted both the prophesy and what it meant for my future.
However, both Dumbledore and Voldemort had understood the prophesy entirely wrong and that was because of two words they had believed regarded Voldemort when they really spoke of another person. For the true meaning of Dark Lord, is one who conducts dark acts of intention through the mask of a light-hearted soul.
And that description, even now I am willing to admit, fits Molly Anne Weasley née Prewett down to a T, but that two of her sons and her actual daughter, who I have grown closer to over the last year, are actually part of the whole plot is something that just makes me stagger, the fact that one of the sons is Ron being just mind-boggling.
"And just because, after the war with Voldemort, I didn't continue living up to people's expectations by listening to what they wanted for me, did they actually unite with the Christians of the world and make that the powerhouse of Muggle society before fully breaking down the Stature of Secrecy and betraying us all?
Add to that that the fight with Voldemort actually hampers our ability to keep up even a remote sliver of the Stature due to all his own Muggle Baiting, Hunting and killing and just the fact that everyone believed in me rather than fight Voldemort himself made the world go from one disaster of two years time – into one of 3 decades?"
"How do I stop this?" I ask myself and the two again share a worried glance before Luna says: "There – there is only – only one way, Harry. And while Death himself is – well, against it – does even He see for no other way out." At this I look up, the whole stuttering making me feel is unbecoming of the girl and she says:
"We have to rule." I look up shocked and Neville says: "Harry think, Fudge has now found out about Voldemort, but Percy is his assistant. He has only 2 years experience and has been called Fudge's lap dog for the past year. If they find any incriminating evidence that can lead to either of them, who will the public believe?"
And while I easily know the answer, do I ask: "Why are you asking?" And the man sighs as he says: "Because Percy has been intercepting Fudge's mail for the last year. And he hid it in the doorpost that separates his office from Fudge's. The perfect hiding place to make one wonder who hid it there, don't you think?"
And just this last question makes me give the man right and I say: "Okay, true there, but what does that have to do with us taking over and becoming rulers?" To which Luna asks: "If Percival is believed over Fudge, do you think he will have to lose his job? No, so he's still close to the Minister and with that close to his dream job."
"And he works hand in hand with Molly, which just automatically makes him a danger to society." Neville then says and while I hate to give the two right, do I still agree with them and I sigh before I ask: "So – how are we going to do this?" And while I have my eyes half-closed, do I still see them share yet another look.
This makes me groan and ask: "What? What's wrong this time?" And the two cringe before Luna says: "Harry, we – we discussed this and – we can't try and rule the country if Voldemort still lives.""But we can't have you play Boy-Hero either, as that will just result into the timeline we escaped from with Death's help."
"So really, the – uhm – the only thing we can do is – well, nothing." I look at them shocked and she says: "Not nothing about those we care for. Just – well, nothing about the war. Let Voldemort destroy it all, let Muggles find him and destroy him like they destroyed us, then have those we keep safe strong enough to destroy them."
"And then go and rule the country. Or – well, what's left of it, anyway." Neville cringes at the end and I can only stare at them before they suddenly grow as determined as I saw them when they actually arrived here and throw me an ultimatum I simply can't refuse as Neville says: "It's either that – or see all these people die."
And just by the list he then uses the Room to show me together with the fact that none of the names of the so-called traitors is on them until much, much later down the list makes me want to sigh and hang my head, yet while I slightly give into this urge, do I also nod at them, giving them a silent acceptance of this new fate.
And while I have my head bowed, my elbows resting on my knees and my eyes slightly closed, do I still see the two nod back at me, their eyes proving how little they want this as well, mostly because they themselves lived through such a terrible future before coming here and I can only think one thing: "It's for the future."
Hey everyone,
Okay, so in my versions it actually happened earlier. At the Hospital after the Third Task, in the summer before Fifth, at Harry's trial, as Harry and Hermione travel back in time, after Harry killed the Basilisk, during the Halloween of Harry's third, but this scenario worked just fine and I'm happy about it.
Also, if it weren't for all the stories I actually have, I might have changed this one into an actual story with several chapters and one chapter every month. Alas, maybe something for when some of my stories have finally been finished. Although I also have a few other plans for when that happens so – maybe not.
Oh well,
Venquine1990
Rules:
Okay guys, get ready for another random idea that's a little twisted, but fun too;
DZ2's 'For the Future' Challenge
Plot:Learning the prophecy was bad enough, but then, as he tries to come to terms with being the Chosen One, Harry meets a mysterious stranger...
Rules:Dark Harry but NOT Evil
The stranger must be someone from the future time
They reveal that canon-Harry's timeline actually DESTROYS the world rather than saving it
Harry can be paired with anyone EXCEPT Ginny
The stranger gives Harry the means to access real power and becomes a 'mentor' to him
The stranger knows Harry is a Horcrux and helps him safely destroy it
Sirius DOES NOT die
Guidelines:To save the world, Harry realises he HAS to destroy it and becomes a Dark Lord
The stranger IS Harry or one of his descendants
Crossovers
Slash
Time Travel involving Harry and the stranger together (they both go back and change things from day one or around that time...)
In a bid to save the world, Harry and Tom join forces
Forbidden:Light, Grey or Evil Harry
Harry/Ginny
Harry relying on 'love' to be the weapon against Voldemort
A weak Chosen One
Harry ignoring the stranger
Sirius dying
Other than that, it's up to you...