For a moment, silence echoed through the kitchen of Grimmauld Place before it was replaced by a cacophony of noise. Everything and everyone seemed to want to say something. Voices upon voices rose and overlapped, creating a commotion from which nothing emerged clearly.
"I didn't think I could cause such chaos," Harry thought amusedly. "I don't think I've ever seen these people go so mad."
With a bang of the headmaster's wand, the room fell silent.
"Harry, my boy..." "I've told you, headmaster, I would like to have a word with you in private. We can do it here or go directly to your office."
With a hint of amusement, Harry noted that the remnants of the horcruxes had disappeared. Surely the old man must have preserved them; heaven forbid the others discovered his plans.
"It would be better if we moved to my office then," the old man responded resignedly. "Fawkes?" At the professor's call, a phoenix materialized in an explosion of flames. It was a splendid bird with red and gold plumage, large and majestic as a swan. Its black eyes turned to Harry, and with a quick flutter of its wings, it landed on his shoulder.
The boy could clearly see the sadness in the bird's eyes. Phoenixes were very intelligent, after all. Harry wouldn't have been surprised if Fawkes somehow knew about him.
After the phoenix's actions, the slight worry well-hidden in the headmaster's eyes disappeared, and with a particularly evident twinkle, he stood up and approached the younger wizard.
Both humans grabbed a tail feather of the phoenix and disappeared in a flash of fire.
As soon as the headmaster was gone, the spell that had brought a certain tranquillity to the room vanished, and chaos resumed.
Shouts, counterarguments, insults, and accusations filled the air. Sirius was firmly on Harry's side, defending him vehemently against the accusations of others. With him were Remus and Tonks, although the metamorphmagus had not actively entered the conversation; she seemed pale from shock.
On the other side, the most tumultuous was the eternally paranoid Moody, who was already insinuating that the boy Potter was an impostor come to destroy them. Mrs. Weasley, on the other hand, was a force of her own. She was screaming like a banshee, ranting that Harry was too young and shouldn't be allowed to participate in the Order's meetings.
The only comfort was that Harry hadn't removed the Imperturbable Charm on the door, thus preventing the commotion from attracting the attention of the other teenagers in the house and having them join the fray, which would surely have created a ruckus three times as intense.
From his hiding place in the cupboard, a chuckling Kreacher had watched all the commotion unfold, and for the first time in many years, he had fallen to the floor as hearty laughter shook his small body. His new fantastic master had indeed disrupted this group of Mudbloods and blood traitors.
Break
The two wizards reappeared in the headmaster's office. It was a large circular room. Numerous tables covered with mysterious instruments, shelves, and a desk characterized the place. The walls were dotted with seemingly sleeping portraits. Harry knew better.
Looking around, Harry immediately noticed the absence of the headmaster's portrait behind the desk; after all, Dumbledore was still alive. Also absent was Severus' portrait, which had been arranged after countless discussions.
One thing that was there, however, was the glass case containing the Sword of Gryffindor. Now that the horcruxes were gone, the blade would no longer serve the purpose of destroying them. Harry thought it would still be a fascinating historical relic that should be displayed for all Hogwarts students and visitors. Perhaps in the entrance hall?
Harry would mention that thought to the headmaster later.
The old wizard sat wearily behind the desk, soon followed by the younger one who took a seat across from him.
"Professor," Harry began, "what do you think about time travel?"
"My long approach to magic and my extensive knowledge of it have led me to think it is a truly immense and fascinating thing. No matter how much we might know about it, we have not succeeded, and I don't think we will ever manage to explore all its facets. Are you telling me you have experienced such an event?"
"It's not a true time travel like the experience with the Time-Turner loaned to Hermione for attending all her classes during our third year. It's something different. First of all, I wasn't this age when I came back; I was several years older. I think what travelled was my spirit along with my magical abilities."
"Fascinating, I've never heard of such a phenomenon. Can you tell me more, my boy?"
"There was another noteworthy thing. When I woke up in this adolescent body a few days ago, I found myself with Tom's soul fragment again when I had already gotten rid of it in my first life. Which leads me to imagine that I didn't take the place of the Harry of this period but that my soul literally merged with his. Even my magical power, along with my core, expanded slightly as if I had absorbed those of my fifteen-year-old self."
"It would be interesting to study this phenomenon with you, Harry. However, I understand that this is not what you wanted to talk to me about; otherwise, you wouldn't have shocked me so much." The headmaster gave a small smile as if understanding a particularly brilliant joke.
"I admit that I partly did it to get your attention, Professor; but I also had other purposes in mind that will emerge in due time."
With a small laugh, the headmaster continued, "I see you have also started speaking in riddles, my boy."
"I respect you very much, Professor. In my timeline, you didn't survive the war. Your loss weighed heavily on my soul, and I wanted to honour you somehow."
The old wizard's eyes slightly moistened. "I'm truly moved, Harry. I can see the determination in your eyes that led you to become the man you are today. Yet, I see something else. Could you help me understand what happened to you?"
Harry was tired and didn't want to hide in front of the professor anymore. Letting goes of all the masks with which he constantly suppressed his painful emotions, he stared at the headmaster with a gaze blurred by his heavy loss.
The wiser wizard was literally stunned by what he found in the younger one's eyes. There was a suffering he had never encountered in his life and doubted he would find again. "W-what happened to you, my boy?"
"I... let's talk about it later. First, I'd like to discuss the war. As you saw, I found and destroyed all the horcruxes, and I also got rid of the one in my scar. You can check if you want. Now Tom Riddle is completely mortal."
With the young wizard's consent, the headmaster pointed his wand at his forehead and began murmuring an incantation. Immediately, a wide smile spread across his face as he confirmed the absence of the horcrux. "I'm glad, my boy, you are no longer afflicted by that abomination."
"Me too, Professor. I found it really reprehensible. Returning to what we were discussing earlier, I find it very difficult to talk about. But I can show you; after all, you have a fantastic Pensieve."
"Of course, I'll retrieve it right away!" With a wave of his wand, one of the many cabinets opened. The heavy stone basin surrounded by runes and symbols that Harry now recognized slid quickly through the air, landing gently on the desk between the two men.
Harry didn't want to draw the headmaster's attention to the Hallows yet, so he simply retrieved his holly wand. Placing its tip against his temple, he proceeded to draw out a long string of silvery memories made of a substance not quite liquid nor gas.
After what seemed like an eternity, the entire cluster of filaments was deposited into the Pensieve. Looking the headmaster in the eyes, Harry said, "Prepare yourself, Professor. What we are about to face is a long and tortuous journey with happy moments and sad ones. This is the story of my life from my fifth year at Hogwarts."
Break
Everything began at Privet Drive when the Order's vanguard went to pick up Harry to take him to the headquarters. Among them, a particular girl with pink hair caught the attention of our protagonist. Every time he looked at her, talked to her, or thought about her, something warm awakened inside him.
Something he had never felt before. There was a particular feeling of attraction that overwhelmed him, pushing him to get closer to her and form a bond. Unbeknownst to him, the same thing had happened to the girl. In her more than twenty years of life, no one had ever caught her attention so much. Indeed, partly because of her metamorphic powers that made her desired only for their abilities and partly because she herself had never felt feelings for any boy she had met, she had never formed romantic relationships with anyone.
The weeks Harry spent at number twelve Grimmauld Place before his fifth year were spent with Dora. On every occasion, the two met and talked, sharing stories about themselves and strengthening their bond. All without attracting too much attention from the other inhabitants of the house, as they mostly did it in groups and rarely met alone.
Everything, however, remained within the bounds of a normal, albeit deep, friendship. With the start of the new school year at Hogwarts, separated by a great distance, the two friends continued to exchange letters.
Things began to complicate. Umbridge started torturing Harry, making him write sentences with his own blood; Voldemort sent him visions that caused him intense pain; Mr. Weasley was injured at Christmas, and Harry blamed himself for it all and more.
Guided by the headmaster, Harry watched the battle in the Department of Mysteries unfold before him. The terror, the hope with the arrival of the Order, and the despair with Sirius's death. The memories continued with Harry discovering the prophecy and the final days of his fifth year at school.
During the summer, Harry's relationship with Tonks took the next step. Seeking solace in each other after the loss of their beloved godfather and cousin, the two young people shared their first kiss. The event changed everything. Harry and Dora were enveloped in an ethereal glow, causing the headmaster's mouth to fall open in astonishment.
A soul bond had been formed!
Soul bonds are as extraordinary as they are rare. In the history of magic, those recorded can be counted on one hand. These bonds are a blessing from magic itself, gifted to people who are literally perfect for each other. So much so that they feel no romantic interest in anyone else but their soulmate.
These bonds are so pure and significant that the magical world admires and appreciates them. Even though Harry was underage at that time and Dora was not, no one could legally oppose their relationship because of the bond. However, the two lovers decided to keep it secret. Voldemort would otherwise have another significant leverage against Harry.
The sixth year at Hogwarts was more tense than the previous ones. Tom's return was now known to all, and fear and malice reigned in the magical streets of Britain.
The young wizard revisited the lessons about Tom's childhood with the headmaster, recalled the numerous encounters with Dora, who had started working as a guard at the castle to be closer to her Harry, and relived the silver-bearded wizard's final battle: retrieving the fake locket, being disarmed by Malfoy, and being struck down by Severus on the Astronomy Tower.
Harry didn't show the headmaster's funeral but focused on his summer. The boy trained constantly with Dora, both in magic and physically. Once his trace disappeared upon coming of age, the Death Eaters attacked Bill and Fleur's wedding. Harry, Dora, Ron, and Hermione were on the run, ready for an immense quest—the hunt for the Horcruxes.
The memories of the hunt unfolded before the two wizards' eyes. The fights and escapes, the relationship between Harry and Dora cementing more and more, Ron and Hermione's arguments leading to their union as a couple... all culminating with the discovery of the Deathly Hallows.
Finally, came the Battle of Hogwarts. Swift, brutal, and deadly. Harry hated it. It was the battle in which he lost everything, where his world was shattered.
The scene of Dora's death, immediately followed by Harry's explosion of grief, deeply saddened the headmaster.
As Harry's pain erupted in all its fury, his counterpart, witnessing the memory with a voice devoid of any emotion, turned to the other wizard: "Losing my soulmate was truly heartbreaking. The pain I felt, and still feel, is the most terrible thing I've ever endured. It's so terrible that I wouldn't wish it even on Voldemort. You know, in his memory, Slughorn said that committing murder tears the soul. This is something that shreds it. If I had wanted to, I was sure that at that moment all the conditions to create a Horcrux were met, not that I would ever delve into such abominable magic. The thought of existing forever without my Dora frightens me more than anything. Tom Riddle fears death? In that sense, I embrace it."
Harry summarized the following years of training in a few memories, also showing the headmaster the moment, he became the Master of Death.
Break
The two wizards emerged from the Pensieve. Dumbledore was incredibly saddened by the fate of his young companion. "I... I have no words to comfort you, my boy. In over a century of life, despite losing many dear to me, I cannot comprehend what you are feeling."
"Don't worry, Professor. I've found my path now. I know I won't live long; after all, losing a soulmate is practically a death sentence. But since I've come back, the desire to end it all has somewhat lessened. Now I think about ending Riddle; I'll deal with the rest later."
Changing his expression, the old wizard extended his wand: "This... I am sure it will find its rightful place in your hands. I have borne this burden for many years now and wish to leave it to you. I know it will be safe from those who would misuse it for nefarious purposes, and that you will take appropriate care of it."
"You know, Professor, I ask you to keep it a bit longer. I have an excellent idea regarding it; if you want, I'll explain it in a moment. I'm sure you have another question for me."
"You're right, my boy, and I am sure what you have in mind will please me. What would I like to ask is why you revealed the prophecy in front of everyone?"
"You know, Professor, I won't stay out of this war, not like in my timeline. Every chance for a happy childhood for me has vanished, as you well know. I'm sure many Order members will vehemently oppose my involvement..." Harry's mind briefly focused on a screaming Mrs. Weasley. "Knowing the prophecy instead will make them realize keeping me out is a bad choice. I still don't know how to approach the other kids of my apparent age, but I have to figure it out quickly. Maybe, to explain everything that happened, we could say you revealed the prophecy to me some time ago and that we have been training together in preparation for my battle with Voldemort."
The headmaster nodded in agreement, and Harry began explaining the further details mentioned earlier.
Break
In a flash of fire, Harry and the headmaster materialized at Grimmauld Place. Immediately, all the discussions ceased as Dumbledore resumed his place at the head of the table.
Harry, meanwhile, sat casually across from him. Crossing his arms, he firmly placed them on the table, letting his gaze slide around the room.
"Harry, what's going on?" asked Sirius. "Harry James Potter, what are you doing here?" shrieked Mrs. Weasley. "Potter always seeking attention..." Snape muttered from the corner.
Harry ignored the commotion, leaving it to the headmaster to handle. Clearing his throat firmly, Dumbledore began: "What you have just heard is the prophecy from the Department of Mysteries. As you have understood, it states that Harry is destined to kill Voldemort."
Once again, chaos exploded, but the headmaster firmly interrupted it: "None of you here know that Harry and I have been preparing for this for some time, and I feel he can join the Order."
More protests from Mrs. Weasley: "He's too young!" Remus seemed equally dismayed, while Sirius was interested.
Even Moody was quite involved, his magical eye spinning wildly. Ensuring Harry wasn't an impostor, he seemed intrigued by what he and the headmaster had prepared.
"You know..." Harry spoke for the first time. "Many of you think I'm too young..." he looked at Mrs. Weasley, "too inexperienced..." this time his gaze fell on Remus, "or something else."
He paused briefly to better capture his listeners' attention before continuing: "And I don't blame you. I would do the same if I had your awareness of the events. But the headmaster is very wise, and you all trust him, correct?"
Everyone nodded or made signs of agreement, some more quickly than others, but Harry ignored them: "Then listen to this. Sirius, as Professor Dumbledore told me, this is the ancestral home of your family, the Noble and Most Ancient House of Black. I imagine it has a dueling room?"
"Of course, Harry," his godfather replied. "If we leave the kitchen, there's just another door that leads to the dueling room. Why do you ask?"
"I'll show you how much you underestimate me. Professor Dumbledore, would you care to duel with me?"
Author's Note
And that's another chapter done!
Sorry for the delay in posting; I've had a bit of writer's block lately. But last night and this morning, inspiration struck. I can't wait to write the next chapter; it will be my first-ever duel scene!
Thank you so much for following, favouriting, and reviewing my story!
Regards from Landar!