Chapter 17
Harry appeared in Diagon Alley in a swirl of snow and ice. As Lily and Luna appeared on either side of him, Thanatos stepped out of a shadow and beamed at them.
"Well done," he clapped his hands together. "You three have done far better than I thought you would. I'm very proud of you."
"Why are we here?" Lily asked. "We got our books weeks ago and we go back to Hogwarts tomorrow."
"This was just a test. Not so much for you Lily, but for Harry and Luna." Turning to the duo, he asked, "How are you two feeling?"
"Fine," Harry said. Luna nodded.
"Good," Thanatos said. "Come on, let's get back to the cottage. I want to test you on a few more things."
**ACC**
Back at the cottage, the trio sat down around Thanatos. The former god turned to Lily.
"How are you doing?"
"Me?" Lily looked surprised. "Fine. Why do you ask?"
"I've been teaching you seventh year spells. Conjuration and silent spellcasting won't be covered for several years. Harry and Luna have gone through this before. I wanted to make sure you weren't overwhelmed."
Lily's eyes widened. "Really? It's all come like second nature to me."
Thanatos nodded slowly. "That's good. It seems you are a prodigy in more than one way."
Before anything else could be said, a misty figure took shape. Thanatos stood, placing himself between the semi-transparent figure and the trio. As the shade came into being, his eyes widened.
"Ares," he gasped. "What happened?"
Ares looked down at himself. "Athena happened," he said sounding mildly impressed. "She killed me and gave my power to Zeus." He sighed. "It looks like we weren't immortal after all."
Thanatos shook his head. "Can't be considered an immortal if you're dead."
Ares looked down at the ground. "There was so much I wanted to do; so much I wanted to see."
"A lot of people feel that way," Thanatos said gently.
Ares looked up as if he heard something none of the rest of them could hear. "I could stay, but there is somewhere I need to be. I can feel it calling me. It's time for me to go. I just stayed around to say good-bye. You were the closest thing I had to a friend. I wish…" he broke off. "It doesn't matter now."
"Good-bye old friend. I hope you find peace."
"So do I. Look, Zeus got most of my power, but I'd like you to have what's left. It will restore at least some of what you lost in the creation of the Hallows."
Thanatos shook his head. "If it's my time to go it's my time to go."
Ares glared. "You have people to protect," he gestured at the trio. "Don't let your pride or desire to see your family endanger them."
"I, alright," Thanatos said reluctantly.
Ares floated forward and touched Thanatos on the forehead. Blood red light blazed from his palm. The light sank into Thanatos, and he gasped. Shadowy wings flared out from his back, and he stretched as if waking from a deep sleep.
"Woe," he murmured. "I haven't felt this good in centuries. You gave me most of what I lost back."
Ares smiled. "There's been a lot of wars this century and I can draw power from war. Fortunately for us, Zeus didn't get my domain, just a power boost." He turned to Harry.
"I understand you are in need of a new sword." A roman style Gladius appeared on the ground in front of him. "This was my sword back in the day. I think you'll find it an acceptable replacement for the one you lost. Use her for justice, not for mindless slaughter. Learn from my mistakes and be better than I was. Dumbledore was right about one thing. Sometimes there are worse things than death."
Ares faced Lily next. He stared at her for several seconds before smiling slightly. "You are powerful, but do not allow power to corrupt you. Power, fame, and fortune will not bring happiness or contentment."
Lastly, Ares faced Luna. "You are a seer, but remember, no future is set in stone. Use your visions as suggestions, not fact. No fae, immortal, or wizard has ever been given complete knowledge of the future."
His advice given, Ares faded away without another word.
"Well," Thanatos said quietly. "I was gonna test you, but after that, I don't think any of us are in the right frame of mind."
The trio shook their heads.
"Right then," he said. "Come on, let's get you inside so you can make sure your packed."
**ACC**
Voldemort leaned against his portrait, watching as his mother worked over the diary. He raised a shaking hand and wiped sweat from his forehead.
He hated delving into that things mind. Whatever he'd done to himself in the previous timeline, he was barely human anymore. His former self's mind was almost feral. It was cunning, but it was the cunning of a predator searching for a weakness.
That fragment of soul could think and plan. Somehow, that was the worst part. Voldemort had a feeling that the evil little soul shard knew what they were planning. He frowned as his mother straightened. As she turned to face him, she stopped.
"What is it?"
"I will freely admit I am a monster," Voldemort said. "I've killed men, women, and even a few children. I have lied, cheated, stolen, and broken every law of morality and decency all in an attempt to protect our world. Even so, I never gloried in what I did. Everything I did served a purpose."
"What's your point son?" the woman said softly.
"None of it bothered me," Voldemort said as if he hadn't heard her. "All the murders, the lies, everything I did was to better our world." He pointed at the diary.
"That thing bothers me. I've seen all of his memories. I've watched him torture, taunt, and terrorize just for the simple pleasure of holding power over others. He is a sociopath. I don't know if he was before he made horcruxes or after, but the point is he had no reason to torture people. He did it because he enjoyed it. He was insane by every definition of the word."
"We can use him," the woman said.
Voldemort shook his head. "Or he uses us. Insanity is not the same as stupidity. I don't know if it's because I'm so close to my sisters humanity or if it's seeing that thing, but right now, I'm questioning every decision I've made."
"Son," the woman said. "Tom, everything you've done has been for the wizarding world."
"Yes, it has, but somehow only the elites of pureblood society think so. Very few half-bloods have sided with us, and I have developed a reputation of hating muggle-born."
His mother stared at him, not speaking.
"I don't you know. I don't hate muggle-born. They are necessary, for breeding stock if nothing else. The fae, vampires, muggle-born, and maybe even the goblins. All of them can be used to keep the wizarding race alive."
An old woman's voice filled the room.
"Justify it anyway you like Tom, but you are a monster. Look at what you did to me to keep your life."
Voldemort winced. "Sacrifices must be made for the good of all. I sacrificed my body for what I believed in. You, however, unwillingly, sacrificed your life for the good of all wizards and witches."
"Hmm," Matilda hummed. "Interesting, being so close to you, I can see into your thoughts and feelings. Grindelwald's philosophy was anything for the greater good. I believe you have used those exact words in the past."
"Grindelwald had a point. He just never saw the muggle-born for the threat they were. If muggle-born want to be part of our society, that is fine, but they must break all ties to their muggle heritage as I did."
"Daddy never knew of you, not until you showed up and killed him."
"He abandoned my mother. His debt to me has been paid."
The flesh of the portrait roiled and bubbled. "Debt," Matilda hissed. "He owed you no debt. No one owes you anything. We only are owed what we are willing to earn."
When the flesh of the portrait stilled, Voldemort's expression was calm. "And I have earned my current existence. Whether or not I can get my body back still is to be seen."
"Enough!" the woman said. "Tom don't talk to her. She means nothing to us."
Matilda remained silent. Voldemort stared at his mother.
"I will go along with using the diary, but let it be known that I have my reservations. If that… thing is sentient, he will try and betray us first chance he gets."
"Perhaps, but we will do whatever we have to."
"For who? Are we doing this to fulfill Zeus's plan or to help our people? Zeus doesn't care about us. We are tools to be used and then thrown away. I know. I've used the same tactics before."
"If Zeus regains power…"
"He will ignore us. Best case scenario, you become one of his lovers."
The woman shook her head. "He will not abandon us. I have to believe that. He may not be a kind god, but he didn't lie if he could help it. Since all those that could threaten his power have been dealt with, he has no reason to lie."
Voldemort said nothing. He knew what Zeus was. Zeus was a monster. He was only interested in himself and his goals. Voldemort was honest enough to recognize parts of Zeus in himself. Zeus could not be trusted.
Voldemort scowled. Unfortunately, he had to obey the old god for now. In his current condition, he was in no condition to stand up to him.
**ACC**
"Kill the spare," the voice rang out through the graveyard. There was a flash of green light and a thud.
"Bone of the father," a squeaky voice called. "You will renew your son."
"Robe me," the high cold voice said again. "Bow to death Harry. It may be painless. I wouldn't know. I have never died."
**ACC**
Harry woke with a jerk and sat up in bed. These memories were getting more vivid by the day. Taking a shaky breath, he got out of bed and walked into the kitchen.
Pouring a glass of water, he took a long drink and sighed.
"Bad dreams," Thanatos said as he entered the room.
"Memories of my past life. This dream was more fragmentary."
Thanatos frowned. "Mm, I'd have thought that those memories would've faded by now."
"So would I," Harry said.
Thanatos leaned back against the wall. "Perhaps I should do some investigation while I travel."
"While you travel? You aren't staying?"
Thanatos shook his head. "No, I want to see the world. I'm going on a trip. I've been cooped up for too long."
He pulled a silvery cloak from his pocket. Harry noticed that this cloak was thicker than the one he'd taken from James.
"You made a new cloak," he grinned.
"Merlin helped. I didn't have to invest a lot of power in this one. Not only will it make the wearer invisible, but it will mask their footsteps and scent. Only a member of the Potter family will be able to use this cloak to its full potential. I'm taking this to James before I leave."
"When will you leave?"
"I'll be leaving as soon as we see you off on the train."
"I'm gonna miss you."
"I'll miss you to."
**ACC**
Harry, Lily, and Luna stood on the platform with their parents. Argante kissed Harry on the cheek.
"Be safe."
"No promises," Harry said with a grin.
Thanatos clapped him on the shoulder. "See you around kid." He turned to Luna and Lily. "Try and keep him from dying."
"We can't promise anything," Lily said.
"You can bring him back, right?" Luna asked, her eyes twinkling.
Thanatos rolled his eyes.
As the train whistle blew, the trio climbed onto the train. Argante leaned in through the window.
"Harry, if you have any more dreams, don't hesitate to call me."
"Mum," Harry began.
Argante raised a hand. "No arguments. Let me know if you dream anything else got it?"
Harry nodded reluctantly.
"Good," Argante said stepping back.
As the train pulled away from the station, Harry watched Argante and Thanatos grow smaller and smaller. Turning to Luna and Lily, he froze when he saw them glaring at him.
"What?"
"You've been having more dreams, haven't you?"
He winced. "Just one more."
Lily grabbed his arm. "Come on, you're telling us all about them."
Harry sighed as he allowed himself to be dragged down the hall. This was gonna take a while.
**ACC**
Merlin stepped out of his cave and stared up at the sky. The cloudless blue sky was a contract to his current mood. Trouble was coming. He could sense it on the air like an oncoming storm. He shivered. As powerful as he may be, he was no match for what they would soon face.
He wished he had kept in contact with Argante and Harry after returning from Elfame, but he was so used to doing his own thing. Time passed and he simply forgot to check in with them. He glanced back at his cave.
His draconic lover had left several days ago saying she wanted to find a nice place to lay her eggs. He grinned to himself. He was gonna have some very interesting children soon. Who knew half-fae could breed dragons with a bit of help. He straightened as a figure appeared in the distance.
As the figure approached, he recognized Autumn's snow white skin and black hair. She stopped a few feet away. Merlin nodded to her.
"Autumn," he murmured.
"Brother," Autumn said quietly.
"To what Do I owe the pleasure?"
Autumn stopped right in front of him and stared at him in silence for several moments. "I need your help."
"With what?" Merlin asked warily.
"With my daughter."
**ACC**
Fifteen minutes later, they were sitting in Merlin's cave with hot cups of tea and a plate of biscuits.
"So," Merlin said taking a bite of a chocolate biscuit, "What seems to be the problem with your daughter?"
"Not a problem, not really, but she's been acting odd."
"Odd? How so? Has she been cursed?"
Autumn shook her head, her black hair falling in a curtain around her face. "No. It's nothing I can put my finger on. It's just… a mother knows when something is wrong with their child even if there…" she broke off, looking uncomfortable.
"Absent?" Merlin said gently.
At Autumn's flinch, Merlin held up a hand. "I'm not judging. I should've been a better parent to Argante. After my wife died, I wasn't there in her early years. Morgana took it upon herself to be the mother Argante needed." He let out a derisive laugh. "My former rival raising my child. It's almost funny if it wasn't so sad. My point is, I don't have a leg to stand on here, not without removing the beam from my eye anyway."
Autumn looked down at the cup of tea in her hands. "Did Dad ever tell you about me?"
"Dad and I have never been as close as we could've been. By the time you were born, I'd already left the Seelie court for the mortal world."
Autumn nodded. "So, you don't know about my past."
Merlin shook his head.
Autumn took another sip of tea. "When I was born, my parents sent me to be fostered by a kingdom of wizards in a distant part of Elfame. It wasn't uncommon in those days. Some of the fae, like some of the Celtic tribes, used their children to form alliances with other tribes. I was sent to King Stephen for such a purpose."
"What happened?"
"While I was there, I was cursed by one of Dad's enemies to die on my sixteenth birthday. Stephen called Dad for help, but all Dad could do was lessen the curse."
Autumn took another drink of tea before continuing. "On my sixteenth birthday, I went wandering through the castle. I didn't no anything about the curse you see. Well, I came across this old woman at a spinning wheel. I tripped and the spindle went right into my eye." She touched her right eye reflexively.
"Dad's magic kicked in. It put everything in the kingdom under a stasis spell until my body could heal. Unfortunately, the very spell that kept me alive slowed my healing process. It took one hundred years for me to recover. By the time the spell was broken, Stephen's kingdom was bordered by another king that wanted to take his lands. They fought a war, many died, and it was all my fault."
Merlin shook his head. "It was the fae that cursed you that caused the trouble."
"But if Dad had let me die, none of this would've happened."
Merlin held up a hand. "Stop that way of thinking. Listen, A good parent will do whatever it takes to protect their child. Dad had a lot of flaws, but I believe he did what he thought was best at the time however misguided."
Autumn nodded. "That's not the end of the story." Taking a deep breath, she continued.
"I was engaged to a man named Philip. We'd grown up together. We loved each other very much and spent as much time as possible together. After my accident, Mother blamed him for not protecting me. To make a long story short, she cursed him with immortality so he could always watch over me. We tried to make it work, but the near fatal wound, the one hundred year sleep, and then the war. It was all too much. Not long after Siofra was born, I left. I didn't tell any of them where I was going. I don't think Philip ever forgave me for walking out on our daughter."
Merlin was silent. Finally, he looked into her eyes. "That was a selfish move. Like I said, I'm not gonna judge you for what you did because I flaked out on my responsibilities to, but other than showing that we are both sucky parents, what did you hope to accomplish by coming here?"
Autumn leaned forward. "Siofra inherited Philips immortality. So, over the passed seven hundred years, we've been able to repair our relationship to some extent. I know my daughter. Something is wrong. I tried to talk to Philip, but he doesn't seem to see it."
"When you say wrong, how so?"
"She disappeared for fifty years. When she showed back up again, she was different, secretive. I just have this feeling in my gut that something isn't right."
"And what do you want me to do?"
"Can you go to Hogwarts and watch over her?"
"Discretely of course," Merlin said arching an eyebrow.
Autumn smiled hesitantly.
"Fine, I'll need to check the wards anyway."
"Thank you," Autumn leapt forward and gave Merlin a hug.
Merlin nodded. "I'll be there tomorrow. I need to pack. I'll keep you posted on anything I find out."
**ACC**
"So, you've had more flashbacks?" Luna asked. "When were you gonna tell us about this?"
They were sitting in the train compartment with bottles of pumpkin juice. Harry had just finished telling the girls about his dreams.
"I wasn't planning on mentioning it," he said glaring at Luna. "There's nothing anyone can do. I just assumed it was old memories resurfacing."
Luna shook her head. "It's more than that. I think something is really wrong. I don't have those types of flashbacks and I lived through that hell to."
"Anyone who has gone through traumatic events has flashbacks," Harry argued.
"But you said it yourself. Before now, the memories were distant as if they belonged to someone else."
"They still are for the most part. It's only certain memories that are clearer than they used to be. It's almost like reliving events from my past life. So far, I've had two dreams. The first was a complete memory, but the second was more… fragmented."
Luna leaned back in her seat. "You dreamed of our Voldemort? The one with the red eyes and no nose?"
Harry snorted. "That's the one. I dreamed of him killing Cedric and taunting me."
"There has to be a reason," Luna said. "These types of dreams don't just happen without a trigger."
"So, what do we do?" Lily asked.
"For now, we wait," Luna said.
"We wait," Harry said. "I'm sure we'll find out what's causing the dreams eventually."
Luna nodded reluctantly. "That's all we can do right now."
Harry turned to look out the window. Luna was right. These flashbacks weren't normal and ignoring them wasn't going to make them go away. Something was causing these dreams. He had a bad feeling that when he found out what it was, he wasn't going to like it at all.
