Disclaimer: JK Rowling owns Harry Potter, and I don't.
Koldbones: Well, "ok" is not that bad I guess hahaha. But more seriously, I understand why you think that, but let me be clear... That's the point! Harry has been constantly fighting since he's 11 years old. Back in his time, he saw his parents, wife, children, friends, godfather and much more die in front of him. So, even if he is not totally heartless, you can understand why is not anymore the warm kind little child he was. Thanks for the review, take care and have a good day !
InfinityMask: He is not evil, so he wouldn't have captured someone random just to test himself. However, I will use your review to explain something further below, so thank you. Have a great day, and take care !
gv100: Thank you ! That feels awesome to read hahaha. I hope you will also like this one! Good vibes to you, and take care of yourself!
JohnMonty: Glad to see you back with your long reviews my friend! I'm happy that you love the fight scenes. That's what I like to write the most. If it was up to me, I wouldn't even write a scenario, just fight, and... more fight. About Dumbledore, let's say that I agree with you, but not Hadrian. Hadrian is more like "If he can be useful to me alive, then let's keep him alive". He is manipulative, and know that if Dumbledore is still alive, he can at least protect Harry (well, keep him alive let's say), when is he not here. Don't feel the need to excuse yourself for the rant. Even if I'm not going to change what I did with Dumbles, it's always great to exchange with another Harry Potter fan. Finally, don't worry, young Harry will grow, and will even have his own arc at some point. I hope you'll like it. Take care of yourself, lots of love, and have a good day!
CaskettFan5: I see your point about the smoke. I still don't see it as a very big issue, but I can understand you don't like it. About owls, I need to develop on that part. To be frank, I'm not that stupid. I know they don't go that fast. But I like to joke with my friends on it. So that's more of a private joke. Like try to picture an owl with a turbo. I don't know, but that shit makes me laugh. Then, about Hadrian being too passive, I have two answers. The first one, I am going to tell you here, and the others one a little bit below, as some people don't seem to understand a big part of the story. Hadrian has lived through it all as Harry. So in his mind, he is a little bit like "I did it alone, he is better, has more friends, and can contact me anytime. So how can he fail?". Furthermore, he has also a lot on his plate, with wars and dark wizard around the world. For the second answer, read below. Finally, yes Hadrian isn't almighty. He has a lot of power, but he is not perfect. Even he can fall if he is not careful. Voldemort was far stronger than Harry when he lost against him. Anyway, take care, and I hope you will continue to read the story.
Starstrider: Glad you enjoyed the story. In terms of raw power, he is one of the strongest, if not the strongest. However, he is not perfect. So that's why you'll see him sometimes take extra care before entering a fight. No one's truly perfect in reality. That's what I like about that Harry. Anyway, thanks for the review, take care !
Spacey: Hey ! While I see your point, I don't really agree. I think that Dumbledore wouldn't care that much. He doesn't know the guy, and is about to lose Harry's guardianship to him. If he dies, it's not like it would be a big issue for the old man, as he already has his plan for Harry's future. So to force him to make a vow, so he is a hundred percent sure that Harry will be safe, weither it's with Hadrian or the Dursleys, doesn't change a lot for him in my opinion. But, well, you know what, let's agree to disagree on that hahaha. I hope you enjoyed the story so far, take care and have a great day !
So first I would like to thanks Arias254 and ManaLarkinson who kindly gave me their help with the translation of this chapter. Hopefully, there will be less mistakes in it, and it will be easier to read. Thank you, both of you !
Then, I would like to explain something that people don't seem to get. I've gotten, both here and on AO3, a lot of "why didn't Hadrian did that, or that...". You need to remember one thing: he doesn't really know what to do. He wasn't ready to be sent back, and has A LOT to do. I don't know for you all, but if I was sent now back in time, I would be like "Fuck... What was I doing back then!". Furthermore, he doesn't know everything. We, as reader, are almost omniscient. But he is not.
I know that it might be frustrating sometimes, because you would want him to be perfect, and to fix everything. But he won't, because he is not a god.
Anyway, that being said, I love you all. Thanks for all the reviews. That's my first fanfiction, so I will make mistakes. Take care, I love you all !
04/18/1992, 11H13, Guaymas, Mexico:
The oppressive heat of Guaymas, Mexico bore down on Hadrian Potter's shoulders. His usually calm face was contorted in rage.
Forming an impenetrable circle around him and what remained of his unit was a hundred or so wizards, clad in black robes and brandishing menacing wands. A stifling silence reigned, broken only by the voice of the massive man facing him.
"I didn't expect this. You are a powerful wizard, I will give you that. In that case, let us fight, Hadrian Potter. I am Deos. Mark my name, for it will be the last you will hear!".
The sun struck hard like an avenging star, accentuating the palpable tension in the air. After his short speech, Deos raised his wand and cast a killing curse at Hadrian.
A green flash shot out but Hadrian, agile as a snake, dodged the attack. His wand drew an arc in the air and cast an explosion spell that hit the ground in the middle of the crowd surrounding him, like a bomb dropping from the sky.
The remaining black-clad men, seeing what had happened to some of them, began to shower Hadrian with spells. The latter, already preoccupied by his fight against Deos, swept his wand around him. Black flames shot out, devouring the dry air and creating a wall of fire between the Englishman and his enemies.
The other wizards, taken aback, retreated surprised by the power and speed of the riposte. Taking advantage of the confusion, Hadrian slipped between the flames using the hot wind as a shield. His rage was palpable, causing him to unconsciously compress his core, projecting his monstrous aura into the surroundings. This alone was enough to make the last soldiers of his unit faint due to their proximity.
Crossing the flames like a bat out of hell, his piercing eyes fell on each enemy facing him. The headband covering them long since burned. His head was pounding, the amount of magic being used around him overloading his senses. Deciding to worry about the consequences later, he slammed his occlumency shields and sent death curses, bone-breaking and cutting spells left and right, pulverizing the enemy troops.
His wand twisted in all directions, sometimes parrying the dangerous curses aimed in his direction, sometimes retaliating. He did not emerge unscathed from all this, but managed to avoid any immobilizing or fatal injuries. Shouting in anger after being hit in the shoulder he propelled the flames around him, burning five black mages who were surrounding him.
Chaos gripped the circle. Some were screaming, trying to protect themselves from Hadrian's spells. Sand and earth rose under the effect of the explosions, creating a cloud of dust that made viewing his enemies difficult. Hadrian, like a bewitched warrior, had transformed into a force of nature. He used the elements to his advantage, summoning wind to disperse his enemies, earth to trip and pierce them, and fire to push them back.
Finally, as Hadrian cast spell after spell, he was violently struck in the chest. He quickly surrounded himself with a shield before his body crashed violently into a house. When he looked up, he saw a terrified man standing before him, a woman and a young boy hidden just behind him. Hadrian didn't take the time to think and stunned the three Muggles before hiding them under a concealment spell further away. He made sure to erase their memories, and limped out of the debris.
Deos looked at the destroyed stone house with a slight apprehension. He was very strong, at least magically speaking, but the Englishman was much more powerful than him. If the man Hadrian had met in his time had smaller magic reserves, he had much more experience and knowledge. The current Deos, while strong, was sorely lacking in this area. Indeed, with nearly a hundred men, they had not managed to bring him down. Deos shuddered, whispering to himself "Can I beat him one-on-one?...".
Only an explosion spell at the peak of its power had managed to send the man flying. He continued to watch the debris, before heaving a sigh of relief and lowering his guard when he saw no one emerge from it.
Suddenly, a green flash shot towards him. He ducked at the last moment, taking one of his men who was standing behind him by surprise. The latter was violently propelled backward by the spell before falling to the ground further away, dead.
Deos then saw Hadrian limping out of the rubble, the rage on his face seeming to have intensified even further, which he didn't think possible. The stranger cast another unknown spell and Deos, caught by surprise, could not dodge it. In desperation, he cast a powerful shield spell. A translucent dome appeared in front of him, blocking the potentially fatal spell.
The impact caused a shockwave that shook the ground and threw his nearest men back.
The street had changed significantly since the beginning of the fight. Initially empty of souls it was now in ruins, with the corpses of men and women of all ages strewn about.
There were few living souls left in the area. Indeed, only a few Muggles who had hidden themselves, Hadrian, Deos, and less than a dozen black mages were still standing after the violent exchange.
Hadrian and Deos stared at each other intensely. Both seemed outwardly unshakeable. Internally, however, the story was quite different.
If Hadrian's sanity was crushed under anger, the only emotion Deos felt was fear. After all, in Mexico, he was the most powerful wizard. But the magical community in the country was not very developed. Unlike countries like France, the United States or Great Britain, Mexico didn't even have a magic school. The majority of wizards living there had learned magic from their parents. Only some nobles and the military had been properly trained.
This had been one of Deos' arguments for gathering men and attaining power. He had promised that if the ministry fell, he would take power and build a school where magical education would be free for all Mexicans witches and wizards. However, Hadrian knew the truth. In the future, the man had kept none of his promises. On the contrary, he had hoarded all the resources for himself.
Finally, after the short staring battle between the two magical powerhouses, the battle continued. The remaining mages, clinging to their lives, decided to flee immediately. Unfortunately for some of them, they did not have time to escape before being killed by the time traveler's spells.
Hadrian, wielding his wand with fierce precision, repelled every attack. His face was a mask of anger, his eyes gleaming with a determined glint. It was obvious that Hadrian was stronger, but fatigue weighed on his body. Deos was counting on exploiting that.
04/19/1992, 23H13, Hogwarts, Scotland:
Harry, Hermione, Neville, and Daphne slowly lifted the cloak that covered them, making sure to make as little noise as possible. They had crossed paths with Filch and Mrs. Norris several times during their journey. Fortunately, the cloak had managed to conceal them from the cat's piercing eyes.
"Thank you again, Daphne. I don't know what we would have done without you for Peeves," Hermione whispered, taking out her wand.
The Greengrass heiress simply nodded. Indeed, the poltergeist had heard them and had threatened to expose them. As Harry and the others prepared to run, Daphne elegantly emerged from the cloak and coldly suggested to the ghost to leave them alone and that if he did not comply with her order, she would call the Bloody Baron.
Apparently, this was enough to scare the ghost into fleeing. Harry thanked all the gods that his uncle had introduced her to him at that moment. He knew that neither he, Neville, nor Hermione had any better solutions.
"Alohomora," the young Gryffindor whispered before entering the room, closely followed by her comrades.
Daphne and Neville jumped slightly when they saw the monster in front of them. Harry and Hermione had already seen the beast with Ron several months earlier. For the other two, it was a different story. Although the two Gryffindors had already explained the situation to them, the reality of what they were about to do hit them hard.
"Bad news, he's asleep," Harry said, pointing to an enchanted harp playing a lullaby.
"W-W-What's b-bad about that?!" Neville squeaked, his voice tinged with fear.
"I agree. I don't want to know what would have happened to us if he was awake..." added the Slytherin, looking at the animal with fear.
"Remember what I told you," Hermione began, shaking her head. "The only way to put him to sleep is to play music. If he's asleep, that means someone got there before us. This enchanted harp probably belonged to Snape. Let's hurry up!"
Harry, not waiting for Hermione's explanation, had already approached the trapdoor. Helped by a pale-faced Daphne, he did his best to move the beast's paw, revealing the hidden trapdoor underneath.
Without wasting any time, he opened it. Neville, trembling with terror, approached the hole. "I-It's very deep!". He took a deep breath, apparently regaining a semblance of composure, before adding: "Do we have to jump?".
"Yes, I guess. I'll go first, don't worry. My uncle taught me a spell to slow down falls. I didn't have time to master it perfectly, but I should be fine," Harry explained, stretching his shoulders.
Daphne stared at him, and for a moment he could have sworn he saw concern in her eyes. Nevertheless, nothing came out of her mouth. Harry approached and let his legs dangle in the void. He took his wand in hand and shrank his cloak into his pocket. "See you soon, everyone," he murmured before dropping silently.
The fall didn't last as long as he thought it would. When he saw the ground approaching, he concentrated as much as possible and, with a feverish flick of his wand, exclaimed: "Arresto momentum!".
His body slowed down, and he landed in what he thought was a kind of strange plant. "It's okay! The ground is soft, you can come!" he shouted towards his friends. Shortly after, he saw Hermione fall next to him, then Neville who from the look on his face must have been pushed against his will, and finally Daphne who didn't hide her disgust when the unknown plant started to move.
"So, what now, Potter?" Daphne snapped at the Gryffindor. He stopped struggling for a moment and shouted, "I don't know! Can we try to burn it?"
"And burn with it? No thanks! Do you have any other smart ideas like that, Potter?" the Slytherin exclaimed in return, worry resurfacing on her face.
Suddenly, as Harry was starting to lose hope, they saw Neville disappear. "Neville!" Hermione cried, visibly worried about her friend.
"I-I'm fine! I know this plant! It's a Devil's Snare. Don't move, stay calm, and it will leave you alone! Trust me!" Neville reassured them.
Harry had to admit that he sometimes had reservations about his Gryffindor friend. Neville lacked courage and had very low self-esteem. However, if there was one thing he was sure of it was that when it came to botany, you shouldn't doubt Neville.
Therefore, he concentrated and stopped moving, something that was quickly followed by the two other witches. The three young wizards then fell through the plant and landed next to Neville who was waiting for them. "Great Neville! Thank you, you saved us!" Hermione warmly thanked the young boy whose cheeks flushed.
"I agree, we owe you one, Longbottom. But for now, we have to move on. Let's go!" Daphne commanded softly.
Harry nodded and gave Neville a friendly pat on the back, silently thanking his comrade before following the blonde.
They passed the next test with relative ease, Harry managing to catch the key while flying on a broom without any problem. It seemed that the months spent undergoing Wood's infernal training were finally showing benefits. They then arrived in a large room whose floor looked strangely like a chessboard.
"It's a wizard's chess game. I've played it so much with my father and sister that I would recognize this board and these pieces anywhere," Daphne explained as she stepped onto the board.
"I see. But isn't there a major problem?" Hermione asked before putting her hand in front of her mouth, seeming to have understood something."Wait! We're going to play a game by becoming the pieces!".
Daphne nodded distractedly, indicating to Harry who was the only one who had remained calm to approach. "I'm going to show you the pieces to replace, and how to play them. You will have to obey each of my orders, understand?" the heiress asked, giving Harry a look that meant "Obey without question."
Fortunately for him, he agreed and explained the short plan to the others. They all took their places, and the game began. At first, Daphne tried to sacrifice a pawn, trying to see what might happen to them. When he saw the pawn being pulverized into pieces, even Harry, who had trained magically to face Voldemort, was trembling.
"Alright. Well, on I go, I guess," she muttered before launching into the game.
Against all odds, the game went rather well. Daphne seemed as good at chess as Ron is, and Harry was delighted. Without her, they would probably be dead by now.
Finally, after several long minutes, the young girl slowed down in her orders. She stared at a piece in front of her before taking a deep breath. Seeing her face, Harry understood that she had had to make a decision that he was not going to like. "I'm going to sacrifice myself, and Longbottom will just have to take the king," she declared firmly, her eyes scanning the board again.
"What? You won't do that! I'm going to blow this damn piece up and we'll all get out of here together!" Harry retorted, taking out his wand.
"Shut up, Potter! We don't have time to be sentimental. If Snape really wants to give the stone to Voldemort, you won't be the only target. My whole family will be wiped out for having accepted an alliance with the Potters. I won't allow that. So Neville, get ready!"
The Potter heir had nothing to say to that and reluctantly sheathed his wand. Neville nodded timidly and mentally prepared himself to act. Harry's heart pounded, watching helplessly as Daphne's body flew off the board and landed with a sound that did not reassure him at all.
Neville made his own move, ending the game and giving them the victory. They immediately ran towards the Slytherin's motionless body to find her unconscious, but alive.
"Damn it, Daphne. You're braver than most Gryffindors I know, you know that?" Harry murmured softly. He had grown attached to the girl over the past few months. But seeing her sacrifice herself to protect her family – to protect them – touched his heart.
"Neville, go with Harry. I'll watch over her," Hermione suggested, checking the other girl's wounds.
"N-No Hermione, you should go with Harry. Let's be honest, I'm much weaker than you when it comes to magic. I would be m-more useful staying here and watching over D-Daphne than following Harry," Neville refused, kneeling down in front of the girl.
Harry, pressed by worry, agreed to the idea and pulled Hermione with him, nodding at Neville to thank him. 'Good luck Harry!' Neville thought as he watched his friends leave.
He knew he wasn't the best asset to the group but despite his shortcomings, everyone listened to him and accepted him as a friend. Even Daphne, who wasn't officially part of their group, didn't ignore or mock him. For that reason, he wouldn't abandon his friends. No matter how much the whole situation scared him.
Harry entered an empty room with Hermione. The two, in silence, searched the room for any threat. It didn't take them long to come face to face with the corpse of an adult troll, similar to the one they had faced in the girls' bathroom on Halloween.
"This was probably Quirrell's test. If the troll is already down, then maybe Snape has already reached the stone," Hermione murmured with concern.
Harry didn't reply, choosing instead to glare at the troll for not stopping the wizard before crossing the room and arriving at a table.
On the table were several potions. In front of it was a riddle that allowed you to find a certain potion. As the duo stopped in front of the table, a wall of fire rose from the ground, encasing them. Harry immediately understood the purpose of the riddle. Only one potion allowed you to move forward, the others being surely traps.
The two took the time, despite the stress, to take notes and turn the riddle over in their heads, until Hermione let out a small cry.
"There you go, I got it! Harry, this potion should let you move forward, and that one lets you go back. D-Do you think you can handle it on your own?" she asked, worried about the turn of events.
"I'll be fine. I've put you in enough danger already. If I leave you alone to face Snape, Voldemort, or any follower of that madman hiding in this room, then I'll regret it forever. You're a great witch, Hermione. Just take care of yourself."
"It's me who should be telling you that, you idiot," she retorted, hugging him. After a final nod, each drank their potion and plunged into the fire.
Hermione understood Harry, and even if she didn't approve of it, she could see his point of view about the headmaster. But they needed him today. If Voldemort was really hiding around here and Professor Snape was about to meet him, then they would need his help. "Forgive me Harry, I have no choice," she thought before running through the rooms they had crossed.
Harry, meanwhile, arrived in a large room. In it stood a large mirror, in front of which was... Professor Quirrell?!
"Oh, the famous Harry Potter has joined us. I must congratulate you on making it this far," the man said distractedly, his trademark stuttering completely gone from his voice.
"P-Professor Quirrell? But how? I thought-," he began before being cut off.
"You thought you'd see Professor Snape? That's understandable. After all, who would suspect the p-p-p-poor p-p-professor Q-Quirrell?"
Harry shook his head, rejecting any incomprehension from his face. Uncle Hadrian had prepared him for this kind of situation. He had explained to him that plans rarely go perfectly well, and that being prepared for anything was what made the difference between a good and a bad plan.
He had also told him that villains often enjoy their voices, regularly launching into long monologues. He should then act at that moment.
It was for this reason that when Quirrell bragged that he would have killed him if Snape had not cast a counterspell on his broom, he pulled out his wand and cast a disarming spell on the man.
Quirrell turned abruptly, shocked by the speed of the young boy, and blocked it. He quickly tied Harry up and disarmed him. Once that was done, he started staring at the strange mirror again.
Harry had never seen this mirror before, but the magic that emanated from it wasn't reassuring. Holding back his anger at being defeated so easily, he crawled to his wand and managed to discreetly pull it into the holster hidden in his sleeve.
"Quirrell, bring the boy!" a cold voice suddenly ordered, making Harry's hair stand on end. He knew that voice. He had nightmares about it for almost his entire life.
"But master, in wh-" the turbaned man replied before falling to his knees.
"Just obey!" spat the voice that seemed to come from Quirrell himself. The man removed his turban, and Harry could then see a horrifying image. At the back of the professor's head, was engraved the face of another man – no – monster. "Voldemort!" Harry exclaimed.
The Dark Lord, as his uncle had predicted, began to monologue trying to draw Harry to his side. The young Potter simply ignored him, instead focusing on easing the pain in his scar.
Suddenly, the professor removed the ropes that were holding him and pulled him in front of the mirror. "What do you see?" he asked.
Harry stared at the mirror, curious about its effects. However, what he saw shocked him abruptly. The strange mirror did not show him his reflection. Well, not exactly. In the mirror, he saw himself, as he was. However, his face reflected a smile that was not present on his current face. He saw the other Harry reach out a hand in front of him. He then opened it, showing that he was holding a strange red stone on which the light was reflected. 'The Philosopher's Stone!' Harry thought in astonishment.
The other boy then slipped the stone into his pocket. The action was followed by the appearance of a weight in his own pocket. Harry was no fool, he knew very well what would happen if he put his hand in his pocket and took out the unknown object.
"I... I see myself," Harry lied.
"Is that all?" Quirrell insisted, pushing him away from the mirror. "Yes, that's all," Harry continued, taking advantage of the man's distraction to put some distance between them.
"The boy is lying, Quirrell. The mirror doesn't just show a reflection. If you want to lie, Potter, at least try to be inventive," Voldemort sneered from the back of Quirrell's head.
Harry indeed lacked information about this strange mirror. "Give me the stone, Potter," Voldemort ordered menacingly. "Your parents were fools who thought they could win against me. But if you give me the stone and come to my side, we can accomplish great things. I can even bring your parents back. What do you say, Harry?"
"I will never be on your side, Voldemort. I'd rather die!" Harry cried, pulling out his wand. He knew he was much weaker than the older man, but he refused to go down without a fight.
"So be it. Quirrell, kill him!" Voldemort ordered. Quirrell lunged at Harry, obeying his master's command. Harry gripped his wand tightly in his hand, scrutinizing his adversary whose face was distorted by Voldemort's presence at the back of his skull.
Quirrell cast the first spell, an "Avada Kedavra" shooting from his wand. Harry saw the green flash and managed to narrowly dodge it, retaliating with a "Wingardium Leviosa". The spell was deflected onto a more distant debris without causing any problem by the man who cast spell after spell at Harry who was doing his best to dodge. He saw himself again in the training room with his uncle.
He got up, and took advantage of the brief respite to cast the chain of spells his uncle had taught him: "Expelliarmus", "Incendio" then "Flipendo".
The possessed professor dodged them easily, blocking the fire with a shield spell. Harry, meanwhile, concentrated on the debris onto which Quirrell had deflected his spell earlier, and made it fly towards him.
When his shield fell, the Dark Lord saw the young boy use his wand, seeming very concentrated. "Quirrell, above!" his master exclaimed. He suddenly raised his head, and saw a rock of a certain size floating just above him, ready to knock him out. He cast an explosive spell immediately, destroying the stone but projecting himself backward.
He got up as best he could, feeling insulted that a young boy could stand up to him, and chained attack after attack on Harry.
The duel intensified, Harry being largely dominated but doing his best to gain as much time as possible. The Gryffindor used everything he had learned, thanking his uncle again for his training without which he would already be dead many times over.
However, despite his efforts, Quirrell remained more powerful and his spells were much more accurate. Harry was cornered, his breathing became labored.
"It's over for you, Potter. You fought well, I must admit. But you're just a child. Goodbye!" Voldemort mocked from the back of Quirrell's head. The man's wand rose towards a distressed Harry, a green light appearing on the tip, just before a powerful explosion sounded from behind them.
He then saw Albus Dumbledore cross the room at a speed that would put a young man to shame, magic escaping from him in terrifying waves. He saw Quirrell's face decompose with fear before the man was thrown back.
"Harry! Are you alright?!" Hermione cried, running in behind the old man.
The boy, too tired to speak, nodded.
"Tom... I almost feel saddened to see you in this state," Dumbledore admitted, his calm voice reflecting the opposite of his tumultuous magic.
"Tch, Dumbledore. You always have to interfere with everything, old man! I'm taking control, Quirrell. You're an idiot, an incapable fool who can't even get rid of an eleven-year-old boy," Voldemort snapped. Harry could see the man's body shaking as the Dark Lord's face sank into his body. All of a sudden, everything stopped, and the man's wand arm came alive, firing a volley of powerful spells at the old headmaster.
"I did everything I could," Harry assured himself, limping to a corner and leaning on Hermione. The duo, frightened, watched with concern the duel between two of the most powerful wizards who had ever existed.
04/18/1992, 13H00, Guaymas, Mexico:
The duel between the two mages of terrifying power continued, Hadrian far outclassing his opponent. However, he had to admit being surprised by Deos' magical reserve. He knew that the man had probably delved into dark rituals. But, unlike him who had the reserve of a dragon, the man had only a human core, undoubtedly corrupted by dark magic.
Deos was again thrown back, creating a powerful shield in front of him to catch his breath. 'I have no choice. This spell exhausts me very quickly, but it's my only chance,' the man thought to himself as he watched the inexhaustible monster continue its advance towards him.
The time traveler saw the mage drop his shield. He prepared to re-launch his chain of spells, when he suddenly saw Deos, the tip of his wand glowing purple. The man grabbed his wand, rotated it vertically and slammed it into the ground. A shockwave resulted, and Hadrian felt an inhuman force crush him to the ground.
"What is that? His magical aura? No, it's different! He manipulates...".
"I manipulate gravity indeed, Mr. Potter," the Mexican explained, approaching the struggling Englishman. "I prefer not to show this spell to my enemies, but against you, it would seem that I have no choice. It was a very beautiful fight, I congratulate you."
Hadrian watched the man approach, and focused on finding a way out. His wand arm couldn't move. So casting a spell on the man was an impossible act. He had to get out of the area. He had an idea, but if it failed, he would die. "I have no choice anyway," he thought to himself, hating the fact that he was powerless.
As the dark mage, exhausted, pointed his wand at Hadrian, ready to finish him off, Hadrian pressed his wandless hand against his body and protected himself with the best shield he had. He then cast a powerful explosion spell with his wand pointing at the ground, propelling himself violently away from the gravity zone.
He felt the heat of the explosion burn him violently, but the shield protected him enough from any fatal injury. "It's fixable, that's all that matters," he thought to himself as he got up.
He emerged from the rubble again and prepared to cast a spell with his wand. He raised his hand and... "Where is my wand?".
Indeed, during the explosion, his wand also flew away, landing on the other side of the road. He saw Deos notice it too and move slowly between him and the wand. The man was exhausted, but a satisfied smile adorned his face. He raised his wand again, but before he could speak, was shocked by Hadrian speaking.
"You're magically exhausted, Deos. I'm not an idiot, even with your wand, you cannot do anything to me," Hadrian said confidently.
In reality, he had no idea if that was true. He assumed after seeing the absence of a shield around the man when he had cast his explosive spell. "Any last words?" Hadrian asked, taking the man's lack of response as confirmation.
The Mexican suddenly started laughing. "You think you can kill me without your wand? Don't make me laugh-". The powerful English Lord didn't give him time to finish his sentence. He immediately drew his revolver, Revenge, and fired six shots at the man's body. Two bullets hit him in the chest, one in his wand arm, and one in the head, with the other two sinking harmlessly into the debris of a house behind the dark mage who collapsed, dead.
"Farewell, Deos. You fought well," Hadrian declared as he approached the man's corpse. "But no one will be able to stop me. No one will be able to stop my revenge."
He delicately wiped his handgun clean before magically reloading it and holstering it. He stepped over the numerous bodies that littered the street and picked up his wand, which he also put into its holster.
He took the time to look at the carnage around him. His eyes, once bright, were now empty, cold. They seemed both present and absent at the same time.
After a few moments, he pulled a pain-relieving potion out of his pocket and drank it. He took advantage of its soothing effect on the pain in his head from the overuse of his magical sight.
He stared at the corpse of his enemy once more, seeing the man's soul flying above his body. The soul in question looked more like a mass of dark magic than anything else. 'That's what happens when you do too many rituals, unfortunately,' he thought, shaking his head.
Drawing his wand again, the time-traveler decided to experiment. Hadrian was very interested in the man's gravity manipulation spell. Taking a deep breath, he whispered, "Legilimens," his wand pointed at the mass.
He immediately relived the man's last moments, but this time from Deos' point of view. He had never been able to test the spell since the rituals, and decided to take the opportunity to see how limits of what he could do have expanded.
He quickly understood what had changed since he had obtained his new core. The spell itself had not undergone any modifications, but the ease in which he tore through the mental defenses of the man's soul was terrifying, even for him.
'I guess as long as I'm not actively trying to break through people's defenses, I shouldn't cause too much damage,' he thought, as if to reassure himself.
He searched the man's memories, retrieving any useful information, as well as anything concerning the gravity spell.
Once done, he left the man's mind and burned it with the Fiendfyre spell.
"What a hell we live in..." he concluded, looking up at the sunny sky. He had avenged all the deaths Deos had left behind, both in the past and in his future. But his revenge was not over.
"I'm just a soldier after all," he thought. "A soldier seeking revenge... A vengeful soldier."
04/20/1992, 00H50, Hogwarts, Scotland:
Harry watched the old man and the Dark Lord exchange spells for what seemed like hours. The fight seemed endless, the adrenaline pulsing through his body being the only thing that kept him conscious.
"It's over Tom, surrender," Dumbledore declared, pushing Voldemort back once again.
The body of the former Defense Against the Dark Arts teacher recoiled, his breath knocked out by the violence of the spell hitting him. He fell to one knee and stared at the headmaster venomously.
"You're lucky, old fool. This weak body can't contain all my power," the man began, remaining on one knee. Dumbledore lowered his guard slightly at his former student's admission of defeat and approached.
Voldemort didn't miss the opportunity, and with a maniacal grin raised his wand one last time and cast two killing curses in quick succession. One towards the older man, and the other towards...
"Hermione! Look out!" Harry cried, pushing his friend out of the way of the spell.
Dumbledore immediately snapped his wand up, protecting himself from the attack on him and retaliating with a violent stunner that killed his ex-colleague on the spot. A black mist rose from the corpse, and took advantage of the smoke in the air to slip away with a satisfied smile.
The second killing curse, however, continued its path, passing by Dumbledore who tried to stop it in vain.
"HARRY NO!" Hermione screamed, seeing the green flash hit her best friend full force, his body flying up and crashing into the mirror under the wide eyes of terror of the young girl and the headmaster.