A/N: I have recently published chapter 30 and wanted to give new readers some warnings. This is a war story filled with politics and violence with povs from many characters and when I say many I mean like only Arcturus Black can really be considered a main character as of now. I try to stick as close to canon as I can but will use the butterfly effect as the chapters progress so the story becomes slowly more and more AU as time goes on. As a review has pointed out this story can be rather depressing at times. TTW:AR comtains topics such as murder, torture, rape (non explicit), cussing, depression and suicide. If these things bother you or if you simply dislike them then I urge you not to read it. Also my writing style may change as time goes on because I am a new writer. Reviews and suggestions are always welcome. Thank you for reading.
Prologue:
Death sighed, it had become a lot more busy recently and while it didn't feel time like humans did, this increased influx of souls was becoming quite annoying. It looked at the next soul:
- Miranda Shafiq,
- 18 years old,
- death occured on 27th December 1973 on the human planet of Earth in the nationstate of England,
- killed by the so called killing curse.
Honestly couldn't those humans name their magic spells a little more creatively?
„What to do with this one?" Death thought for a millisecond before deleting the soul's memories of it's past life and deciding that it would just let the soul reincarnate as a Squashswab, an intelligent being somewhere else in the galaxy. But that isn't important for this story, what is important that around the same 'time' (if time flows in the domain of death like it does in the mortal domain that is) something humans would later call a 'glitch' occured and two souls appeared on the edge of death's domain that didn't quite glow like the rest of their kin. Busy with deleting more memories and reincarnating more souls, death didn't quite catch those two souls floating around in it's domain, if it had given attention to these two it would have noticed that they weren't supposed to end up here for another 27 years.
And so they stayed there for a while, which just so happened to be the while that fate searched for a few souls to have some fun with. Seeing these two souls just floating around fate rejoiced and decided to do a 'funny' like it did with two souls just some time ago... it thought about the mayhem it caused with... what were they called again? Ah yes Albus Dumbledore and Gellert Grindelwald. Fate thought about the mayhem it caused when it decided to link those two future's together. Looking at these two souls however it didn't quite know what to do. Seeing that these two souls had lived as so called muggleborns in their past life ('or rather future life' snorted fate), it decided to let them experience the magical world from the opposite view while letting them keep their memories.
Fate then threw the souls back into the mortal domain quite eagerly, watching the first soul reincarnate as the son of a married couple who already had 2 sons while the other one reincarnated as the daughter of an unmarried couple, this one being special as the mother was married but would become pregnant with another man's child. Hah what a scandal that would have been... if the father was anyone else that is. This one would just sweep the birth of his daughter under the rug, with forced compliance with the mother's husband of course.
Author's note: Engage those brains of yours and write comments, I want you to guess who the parents of the children are gonna be. ^^ And yes I have already decided the parents. But dont worry you are going to get a few more hints later in this chapter.
27th December 1973, England, Shafiq Manor:
Miranda Shafiq was fiercely battling with two of her masked enemies who had entered what had once been her family's home and what now layed in ruins. Just around a month earlier during Samhain, her grandfather had spoken out against the upstart Dark Lord that called himself Voldemort who had been increasingly terrorising Britain since his coming out 3 years earlier. By now Assasinations roughly occured every month, with murders of regular people even more common.
'Well I guess it is working. People are starting to become afraid of evening saying the name' she thought morously. She didn't want to know how many families had been killed off so far. She didn't want to know how many of the dark and grey families had already flocked to Voldemort's banner either.
And it seemed like her family was now next. 3 weeks ago her grandfather had mysteriosly died during a business visit to the Fawley Manor which all but confirmed their suspicions that the Fawleys had joined Voldemort. But that didn't matter anymore now, did it?
Anyway, her dear uncle, at the young age of 31 years and totally unprepared, had become the next Lord Shafiq. House Shafiq despite her grandfather's death, being a family that was part of the Sacred 28, was still standing strong at that point but perhaps it hadn't been a good sign when her uncle's best friend Augustus Rockwood had approached him a week ago. Her uncle had been pressured into joining the Death Eaters. Now Saul Shafiq was known for fiercely hating muggles and mudbloods but Voldemort was dumb for thinking that House Shafiq would join him after killing her grandfather who had been loved by the entire family. Naturally her uncle refused to become a terrorist and they probably should have expected retaliation, they didn't since they refused to believe that Voldemort would attack a dark family that additionally was an Ancient House. They were now paying the price.
The battle had only been going on for around 10 minutes but she could already feel exhaustion to set in. Her two opponents were doing their reputation justice, she was the best duelist of her Hogwarts year but she was constantly on the defensive. Miranda dodged another killing curse and shielded against a blood boiling curse. She cursed and retreated into the floor above, on her way she saw her 16 year old sister laying motionless on the staircase. She had no time to grieve however as the wall besides her exploded after being hit by another killing curse. The terrorists certainly weren't pulling any punches, were they? Her thought process was interrupted as an incarcerous hit her from behind which left her defenseless against a reducto that was heading her way.
In another area of the manor, Monteban Shafiq was running for his life. He had just seen his cousin Miranda get obliterated by a spell he didn't recognise. The 12 year old had started his second year just a few months ago and knew that he was immensely outclassed by his enemies. His father had sacrificed himself for his son a few minutes earlier and Monteban knew that since he was the next in the line of succession he would likely be captured and forced to do the Dark Lord's bidding. He would have done that anyway however since he greatly admired the Dark Lord unlike most of his family.
He ran around a corner and came to a halt as his aunt Milbina went down in front of him. He froze in shock and the last thing he saw was a green light heading his way. Before he died he thought of Regulus, his best friend whom he had befriended during their first year. Now in another timeline fate would have intervened and the killing curse would have narrowly missed Monteban Shafiq. In another timeline he would have joined the Dark Lord and trained under the tutelage of Augustus Rockwood who would become his mentor. In another timeline, following his father in becoming an excellent duelist, he would have eventually been the one to kill Lord Fleamont Potter in 1979.
In another timeline James and Lily Potter wouldn't have found anybody to babysit their son during the infamous Halloween of 1981 since James' parents were dead.
In this timeline however fate had just gotten two new playthings and had no interest in gaining another one. And so in this timeline Monteban was accidentally killed by a deatheater with a killing curse that was meant, sowing the first doubts in his best friend and altering the timeline even further. The deatheater who just happened to be one Qeldon Greengrass, younger brother of Flawius Greengrass the heir Greengrass, would have in turn failed his initiation and been tortured by his master as a punishment since the two goals of the attack were the capture of heir Shafiq and the death of the rest of the family. Qeldon Greengrass would eventually succumb to his injuries, incensing his brother who in another timeline would have been sympathetic to the Dark Lord's agenda.
31st December 1973, Scotland, Hogwarts:
Shafiq Manor destroyed, entire family presumed dead!
Albus Dumbledore looked at the Daily Prophet with deep sadness. The Shafiq family had been a dark family, sure, but the late Melvin Shafiq had proven with his speech in the Daily Prophet that they were indeed not allies of Voldemort and thus, being a family part of the Sacred 28, their death was an immense loss for Wizarding Britain. He looked up to see Philomena Bitterwood, Hogwart's divination professor, sit down which allowed him to start the teachers' conference as she was the last one to arrive.
Before he was able to however Cassy Albatross, the new Ancient Runes professor, said:
„Are you feeling okay Philomena? You are looking kind of pale".
And indeed now that she had mentioned it Philomena was indeed looking quite sickly. Being the kind man he was he decided that the meeting could happen without Professor Bitterwood, the health of the teachers came first of course.
„If you aren't feeling well Philomena I assure you that you are free to stay in your room. You can always tell me the important things at a later time" Albus said but Philomena just waved her hand.
„I am fine Albus, it is probably just my age" Philomena replied.
„Now now Philomena you aren't even old, you still have quite a few decades of life before you, I am sure of that" Albus said with a wink. Despite being 84 years old Philomena was looking like she was in her 50s.
„Ever the charmer Albus, aren't you?" asked his long time friend with a smile. „But no, don't worry about me, I am sure that I will survive this meeting" she grinned at him.
„Let's just get this over with alright? I have things to do" huffed Oakaster Yaxley, the current DADA teacher.
Albus was sceptical about Oakaster's loyalty but the man was a competent teacher and knew his stuff unlike the last one who had been a severe disappointment. He unfortunately had to replace his DADA teacher every year for the past couple of years, Albus hoped that this wouldn't continue and that Professor Yaxley would actually last longer than just a year.
And so the meeting started. His employees had a few interesting things to say about the last term. Apparently James Potter had begun to actively pursue Lily Evans who interestingly was a muggleborn and wanted nothing to do with the troublemaker. Young Mr. Potter was quite insistent however and shrugged off Ms. Evans rejections, if Mr. Potter wouldn't leave Ms. Evans alone something may have to be done in the future.
According to Horace, Regulus Black, a second year Slytherin, would likely need a mental healer once he returned since he had just lost his best friend.
Albus' heart went out to the young Mr. Black.
Eda Bilshwick, a third year Ravenclaw continued to be ahead of the other students in her year and Filius proposed that she'd be allowed to skip a year which Albus accepted under the condition that she passed the 3rd year exams once she returned after the winter holidays.
That wasn't what had his attention however. No both Horace and Minerva along with most of the other professors reported a growing rift between the houses especially between Gryffindor and Slytherin. Tensions in general were rising, Muggleborns were increasingly bullied and a second year Slytherin who was a muggleborn had even decided to leave Hogwarts and to enroll at the Salem Institute in the United States.
During the meeting he absently noticed that Philomena was looking even paler and stopped participating completely at some point. The meeting had just ended and it seemed like Cassy had also noticed Philomena's worsening condition as she once again inquired if Philomena was feeling alright.
Philomena wasn't replying however and didn't seem to have heard her friend.
„It's like she is in a trance or something" mused Minerva and Albus began to have a sinking feeling but before he could call an elf to notify Madam Pomfrey , Philomena opened her mouth.
„ Two souls have been linked, two souls that were astray,
Ignored by death, they became fate's chosen,
One will change the fate of the prophesized son,
One born to darkness will set events in motion,
And when an important event is done,
The two will start to lead the third side's way"
Author's note: I hope you can appreciate the 50 minutes I put into this prophecy
Dumbledore, McGonagall and Cassy who hadn't left the room yet were left speechless.
A few seconds later Philomena fainted and crumbled to the floor.
Cassy not quite realising what just had happened and concerned about Philomena immediately went to her friend and checked her health status.
„She seems to be fine but I will take her to the hospital wing, just in case" she said and after no response from Dumbledore she huffed and left the conference room with her friend floating behind her.
A minute later McGonagall finally found her voice and asked her friend and mentor: „Albus... was that just a prophecy?"
And boom first chapter done, I hope I have given you enough hints as who the two sets of parents are. I also hope you enjoyed this one :D
**End of Chapter**
Characters in this chapter (and the amount of chapters they have been in so far):
- Miranda Shafiq (1)
- Monteban Shafiq (1)
- Flawius Greengrass (1)
- Albus Dumbledore (1)
- Minerva MacGonagall (1)
- Cassy Albatross (1)
- Philomena Bitterwood (1)