The world had changed.

It was inevitable.

The Change had nothing to do with blood, race, magic or power. It was simply Mother Nature reflecting the final will of the fallen god. Not even the advanced technology of the muggles could do anything.

It had originally started out small, small enough to be ignored by the governments. Temperature rose, increase in floods, more droughts, but people ignored them in favor of denial, money, and ignorance.

Then it struck.

Rapid increase in temperatures by the double digits, lakes drying up within days, and the spread of multiple epidemics across the globe. The markets crashed, buildings were razed to the ground, and nations fell.

The magical communities were not exempt.

Muggleborns started dying first because they did not have the protection of wards to hide behind like the purebloods did. The purebloods had originally celebrated when they heard the news. They thought it was magic that was finally 'cleansing away the filth' and rejoiced. But then their children started dying. Some lost their magic first before falling ill and withering away. Others just fell dead, no signs, no warnings, nothing. Parents screamed and cried while holding their children. They begged their children to open their eyes but no miracles were granted. The purebloods threw their money and themselves into research, trying to find something, anything, that will prevent their children from dying but all attempts were in vain.

Not long after, adults started loosing their control on their magic. The elders started to rapidly age, decades of wrinkles that were kept at bay by their inert magic appeared overnight. Some were burned from the inside, their magic betraying them and assimilating back into nature.

In the midst of all the chaos, one structure still held on, standing tall and serves as a sign of hope for all, magical or not.

Hogwarts.

It stood for a thousand years before and it continued to stand through all the chaos that erupted around it. The land surrounding the castle remained as green as ever and the wards around the haven stood strong, letting hum of its' magic to be felt by all.

But people were unable to enter. No matter how much they scream, cried, bled, they were denied entrance. Within a day, there would be a mountain of bodies outside the gates but by the next morning, they would be gone. The bodies crumbled to dust during the night and blown away by the time the sun rose.

Then one day, that all changed.

But it wasn't desperate humans who managed to enter nor was it some form of machinery that finally managed to breach the ancient gates.

No.

It was a small cluster of children, all below the age of six, led by a pair of young teenagers who could not have been older than sixteen. Somehow the children were able to maintain the innocence in their eyes, their brains unable to comprehend the full blunt of hardship that they had gone through since their birth. The teenagers were the opposite. Their eyes were cold, hard, and jaded. They had been abandoned by their parents who had fled to, unsuccessful, save themselves. So they starved, they fought, and they stole for survival. And yet, when they had stumbled upon the children, who were abandoned in the orphanage and left to die, the pair took them in and cared for them.

Then the group started heading toward Hogwarts, led only by the whispers in the wind. When they approached the gates of the castle, they were not disheartened by the mob trying to force their way in, nor did they lose hope when they saw the piles of dead bodies. They continued trudging forward, ignoring the sneers of the adults around them.

The small group stopped right before the iron gates and stared at them as if waiting for something to happen. And for the first time in a decade, there was a response through the screeching of the iron gates as they slowly swung open. Silence fell on all those who had been previously screaming themselves hoarse.

Determined, the children stepped forward and entered the legendary grounds, breathing in fresh air for the first time in years. Only then did the pair of teens let themselves collapse to the ground and cry, for once letting hope fill their hearts. After crying and being consoled by the children who were unable to understand the full situation, they collected themselves and continued to walk forward towards the doors of the castle.

Behind them the mob saw this and rushed forward, all pushing each other, trampling on the fallen and ran as if possessed. But they disintegrated as soon as they reached the opening that the gate once blocked. Those that had yet to reach the gate halted in their rush, starring with dismay, madness and hate in their eyes. Seeing the bodies turn into ash was the final nail for those watching to fall into insanity and die before the sun rose the next day.

While death claimed them, the children had finally walked through the grand entrance of the castle. The children were huddled together as they stared around in wonder whilst their protectors stood at the front, leading them through the castle and towards the Great Hall. They did not know where they were walking to. They only knew that wherever or whatever they were walking towards was emitting warmth and magic.

They heard it before they saw it. Laughter and chatter. The protectors looked at each other as if trying to confirm with the other that what they were hearing was real. After all, it had been years since they have heard laughter.

Finally they stood infront of the doors of the Great Hall. As the doors opened, the laughing and chatter halted and fifty pairs of eyes turned towards them. The newcomers stared in awe at the sight before them.

The ceiling high above mimicked a clear night sky. Hundreds of candles floated in the air, lighting up the entire hall. In the middle, there was a single round table and the seats surround it were occupied by people of all ages. Amidst all of them, there was one who seemed to draw in their attention. Seeing the group standing frozen at the entrance, he stood up and made his way towards them. Whist he was making his way over to the group, the two teenagers took this time to observe this mysterious male.

He wasn't a large built man nor was he a petite male with boyish charms. He was average and yet he was the definition of unique.

Black hair, like so many of the others in the world. But his fell in soft waves to his shoulders.

Green eyes, that on other would cause people to turn around for another glance and yet his eyes, his gaze, held on forever.

His very presence emitted the feeling of power and protection. But it was like the sea. Vast, deep, yet hidden beneath the calm waves that people ignorantly chose to see.

Once he reached the children, the man fluidly knelt down onto one knee and looked straight at the teenagers who were using their bodies as a shield for the children behind them. The male took notice of this as his eyes passed from their faces to the children huddled behind. Their faces were filled with curiosity as they looked shyly from behind their guardians. Bright, old, green eyes looked back at the two children who were forced to grow up before their time.

A few more seconds, which felt like an eternity to the children, passed and the mysterious male finally spoke.

"You must be tired. In here you will be safe, and in here you need not worry about your past burdens."

With that, the children were welcomed into the castle, joining the rest of the people at the table to eat their first proper meal in years.

As they ate, the only thing they were able to comprehend and understand was that here, they would be safe and will be able to live in peace.

What they did not know what that the moment the male had accepted them, the two teens names, specifically their last and middle, were erased and replaced. This was not the simple action of burning a few identification documents and replacing them with new ones. This was deeper, much deeper. The teens would be able to remember their old names, they would be able to say their old names, but they would no longer accept them. Their very soul and will had reject the old and accepted the new. They were now like the rest who had taken it upon themselves to protect the innocents and pass through the gates and to be accepted by the strange male. They now all shared the same middle initial.

D

This chapter: You finally posted me. I've been sitting in your OneNote for the past year!

Me: I'm sorry! But in my defense, I totally forgot that you existed until this morning.

Me: Anyways, please leave a comment or even a critic, no flames please:)