Chapter 11: Asytanax's Greatest Treasure
The first week of classes took much getting used to. Asytanax knew much about Muggles and being only a secondary teacher, taught mainly of Muggle history.
He became an item of fascination among the students, especially among the older girls. He was known to be only 20, was well-built, and was extremely handsome. A new Cedric Diggory in a sense. This did not amuse Asytanax though. His heart had been more than broken, destroyed, long before. He just ignored their interest in him but he did remain polite to them.
Harry had his first lesson with Dumbledore that Saturday. Asytanax knew exactly what they were looking at because Asytanax had seen it too.
Sunday night brought the first DA meeting of the year. The room filled slowly as there was no immediate time for dinner to end but in the end, everyone came.
"Welcome everyone. Now I promised that tonight your questions for me will be answered. We will start with you, Harry."
"What are Jedi, sir?" Harry Potter asked Asytanax.
"How many had that question?" Everyone raised their hands.
"I thought so. Well, Jedi Knights were an order of individuals who had the ability to touch and work alongside the Force. Shunning its dark side, the Jedi followed the light side of the Force, using their power for unselfish, socially beneficial and servitudial acts. I founded the first Jedi Order when I was about 200 years old after I developed enough knowledge of the Force to teach others who showed promise in it. Those with magical ability were far more adept learners but Muggles could also learn the ways of the Force with much study and practice. For over a thousand years, the Jedi Knights were the guardians of peace and justice in the Ancient World before the dark times. Before the Roman Empire. A young Roman Jedi named Antoninus Sulla, who was a pupil of mine before he turned to evil, helped the Roman Emperor Tiberius hunt down and destroy the Jedi Knights. Sulla was seduced by the dark side of the Force. That event is known as the First Great Jedi Purge for which I was the only survivor. Every single Jedi was declared an Enemy of the Roman "Republic" and were wiped from history. Next please. Hmmm, you. Your name?"
"Hannah Abbot, sir. How is it possible that you are 3200 years old?"
"I am afraid that it would be better if I did not answer that question now but that is also a good question and it as well as many others will be answered in time." Asytanax replied. "Now if you will all follow me, we will begin." He tapped on the wall and a secret stairway opened.
The whole group went down the stairs and ended up in a large room with a large pool in the middle. At the far end was another staircase.
"What's down there, sir?"
"That is the treasure room. I have collected many ancient and important artifacts in that room over the years. I used to keep them in the ruins of Troy but I found this is better, more secure. Don't go down there yet. We will soon." Asytanax turned to the pool. "Can anyone tell me what this is?"
Harry looked closely at the silvery liquid/gas and it immediately hit him. "Its a gigantic pensieve, sir. Used as large memory storage.
"Good, Harry. Very good. This pensieve hold all of my memories. 3200 years of history, right in here. Now, everyone gather in a circle around it." They did just that and when they were all ready, "Fasten your seatbelts."
They were all sucked into the pool and they disappeared.