The Peverell Descendent

DISCLAIMER: I, Harbinger of Order do not own Harry Potter and the following story. It is related to the works of J.K. Rowling but I claim no ownership to Harry Potter in any form whatsoever.

The stones stopped glowing after a few seconds. Harry began to blink rapidly as his eyes tried to adjust to the sudden darkness.

"Professor what was that?" asked Harry.

"Ah! Must be the first time you witnessed the reactivation of a Physically Anchored ward?" said Dumbledore.

Harry nodded.

Dumbledore smiled at that and said "Normally when we cast a ward around something it is our will that decides the boundaries and of course the amount of magic you put into it. That is what you call a Free-Floating ward. It is a relatively strong ward that can be resized or changed according to the will of the caster even after casting the ward. But sometimes if the caster wants a more specific ward around a finite area and also want the ward to be stronger than it usually is, that is when you opt for a Physically Anchored ward. It is a type of ward that uses magic conducting materials to anchor the ward on its outer boundary. If you place magically conducting materials in a closed shape, usually circular, and channel a spell through it then the ward that the spell channelled through the Physical Anchor, in this case, the wardstones, forms a much stronger ward than a general Free-Floating ward. Once the ward is cast, the ward stones bury themselves deep underground and become invisible until the ward is broken or the original caster cancels ward. These days, Physically anchored wards are used to protect a wizard's dwelling. Even the wards around Hogwarts are Physically Anchored. This area right here was where Rowena Ravenclaw used to experiment with spells or rituals. It is a place which is saturated with centuries of protective magic that I am hoping to borrow for today's ritual. Now, where was I? Ah! Mr Potter, Have you heard of Gubraithian fire?"

Harry nodded and said "I came across the term in an obscure book in the forbidden section. It is supposed to be a spell that conjures everlasting flames. Going by your earlier statement headmaster, it must be an ability rather than a spell that allows users to produce everlasting flames." as he stroked Aetheria's plumage as she trilled happily.

"Correct you are Mr Potter," said Dumbledore as he pointed his wand towards the stone circle. He gave Harry a smile as moved his wand in a circular motion leaving a trail of white light behind. One by one, glowing letters appeared on the surface of the stones in the circle. Fawkes glided down from Dumbledore's shoulder, landed in the centre of the stone circle, and let out a cry. Immediately a semi-transparent blue dome rose up with the stone circle as its base and then faded away along with the stones which were now deep underground. Fawkes trilled happily and flew back on to Dumbledore's shoulder.

With a satisfied nod, Dumbledore turned towards Harry and said, "Thank you, Fawkes. Harry, this right here is a containment ward. The ritual that bequeaths the ability to summon Gubraithian Fire is a test of fire. A test of fire is a very volatile ritual, usually performed out on an abandoned island to minimize casualties. The ICW controls most of the sites used for a test of fire because of the secretive nature of the ritual we cannot ask them to lend us an island for a day. Instead, we will be using a containment ward. This is a ward powered by a wizard and a phoenix. One of the strongest wards ever known to man. It was designed to absorb destruction caused inside the ward circle, minimizing the destruction outside. Whenever you are ready please step into the circle and I'll begin the ritual." Said Dumbledore genially.

Harry did not move. He stood there staring at the ground, contemplating. When he looked up, the smile on Dumbledore's face was gone.

"Mr Potter. Harry. Is something wrong?" asked Dumbledore. Dumbledore felt uneasy. He was not sure that he would like the answer to this question but he had to ask anyway.

Harry gave a rueful smile and said "Professor, I admit what you are planning to give me is much more than what I expected. I expected a few tips here and there or a new spell, but this is too much! Headmaster, we were never the closest of people. The, most we spoke over the years were during Christmas gatherings of after Mum and Dad come back from their…. Trips" said Harry. He swallowed hard and continued, "I would have believed it if you gave this ability to Andrew but you chose me. I just... I just can't help but wonder why? What made you choose me over Andrew?"

This question hit Dumbledore hard. Mostly because Harry was right. It was his fault that Harry's relationships with his parents and with him were strained.

A few months after the tragic Halloween night, Remus approached him and told him about his plans to visit other countries and find a little more about his affliction and maybe try and find a way to maintain sanity when he transformed. Initially, Remus had planned to go alone but Albus insisted that Remus invited the Potters to accompany him on the trips. Albus told Remus that he had a few theories regarding Andrew's curse scar and would like a second opinion. Remus liked the idea and agreed to it immediately.

It took some time to convince them but Dumbledore eventually managed to convince Lily and James too. He also managed to convince them to not bring Harry with them on the trips they will be visiting dangerous places and bringing two children along with them would increase the chances of tragedy striking. Lily eventually relented but James was still reluctant.

Many trips later, the party of four still could not find anyone who could identify the scar. James and Lily became frustrated at the lack of progress. They still had a few locations left. By now they had risked everything and would not return without a second opinion or at least not without finishing the list. After a few more months of no progress, Albus was almost ready to give up hope on ever obtaining a second opinion when Lily and James contacted him and told him about an incident that occurred when they were visiting India. James had mailed a vial of his memories of the event. Albus did not tarry and immediately summoned his pensieve, intending to view the memory immediately.

Memory

He had to call in a few personal favours but Dumbledore managed to draw the attention of a very reputable magical healer in the Himalayas to Andrew's curse scar. Lily, James, Remus and Andrew visited the ashram of the healer along with an Indian Ministry Official named Ravi. Before Remus could open the door, the Ravi stopped him and told them that unlike monasteries in the Orient, in India it is considered rude to open the door of an Ashram by somebody who is not a part of the place. Remus backed away as the official continued to walk towards an object hanging in front of the Ashram. It was a brass bell. The official hit the clapper, which hit the lip of the bell emitting a pleasant "ding". They did not have to wait long, a disciple clad in saffron opened the door and welcomed them in.

It was a modest place with a row of kutcha houses (Houses made from mud, thatch, or other low-quality materials) surrounded by a large tract of land. The ashram was busy with students and teachers practising mantras (spells) and rituals. Ravi signalled them to wait there and followed the student back into one of the bigger houses. A few minutes later, he came out of the house followed by a man who he introduced as the healer.

The healer was a thin old man with long unruly grey hair that flowed with the wind; his forehead covered with sacred ash and on his right hip hung a utensil filled with water that magically did not spill out of it. The healer first approached Lily and James, Folded his hands and bowed to them. They mimicked his actions and bowed back. Then he and Ravi conversed animatedly for a few minutes. The then hurried back into the house as he shouted orders to his disciple.

Ravi walked towards the three of them with a smile and said "Guruji has agreed to see Andrew here. He said the ritual will be a little painful and but will not cause any injury as long as nobody disturbs him. As for you Remus, Rishi here will guide you to one of the Gurus who he thinks might be able to help you." Remus nodded and turned to Andrew.

"Good luck Andrew," said Remus as he ruffled Andrew's hair. Andrew pouted trying to straighten his now unruly hair. Remus gave a small laugh at that and left with Rishi.

After warning Lily and James against disturbing the healer while he performs the ritual, Ravi ushered them into the big house. The house was much bigger on the inside compared to its modest outer appearance. There were a few disciples on the further end of the room reading ancient manuscripts. They briefly glanced up to see the newcomers and continued what they were doing.

The sage stopped Lily and James and pointed at two chairs near the door and said "Sit down. You are not to move or speak during the ritual."

Lily and James were shocked. They looked at each other and then looked at the Healer "Do you know English?" asked James.

The Sage laughed and said "No. Neither do you know Sanskrit. The ashram we are in right now is thousands of years old. The main prayer hall was constructed in an area with high concentrations of ambient magic. The sages used this magic to power a language translation ward. We tried replicating it for daily use in any location, unfortunately, any attempts so far have been unsuccessful; but we still haven't lost any hope."

"If you don't mind, could you please explain the specifics of what you are doing to our son?" asked Lily

The healer smiled and said, "Ever since your group stepped into the ashram, I have felt an ominous presence. It could be due to him surviving the killing curse or it could be something else entirely. I will be using an ancient ritual to try to unravel whatever it might be, identify it and possibly even try to purify it. It is a combination of a few ancient rituals that individually were used for different purposes but our ancestor found a way to use them in a way that allows us to identify and even potentially cure magical diseases. I must warn you that it is a very sensitive and powerful process which once begun has to have an end. You will understand this in a minute. The main backbone of the ritual comprises of two rituals, one is performed at the beginning of the ritual and the other at the end. These rituals put simply are opposite in nature. The name of the rituals used are the Ambient Magical Absorption and the Magical Expulsion rituals. Speaking in layman's terms, Ambient Magical Absorption and the Magical Expulsion rituals are temporary conditioning rituals. The Ambient Magical Absorption ritual as its name suggests it enables a body's magical system to absorb the ambient magic around it to stabilise itself in case of emergencies, the latter, Magical Expulsion ritual allows the magical system to expel magic in case of a magical overload in the system. The effects of the ritual last for approximately a day, that means that the body will continuously absorb magic for a day or the body will continuously expulse magic for a day. Once the ritual starts and is not stopped, the body will continuously absorb the ambient magic. After the point of saturation, the magic inside the body will fight itself and the person will die of magical failure. Normally these rituals should not be performed within five kilometres of a ley line which then minimises the risk of magical failure since there is no way of stopping the magical absorption once it starts but for our ritual to work, we need to harness the magic of the ley line. Fear not. If something goes wrong and I cannot stop the Ambient Magical Absorption ritual then take Andrew to the smallest tent in this row and present him to one of the elders there. They will take care of him. Any further questions?"

James and Lily looked unsure but shook their heads no. They were desperate and if this man was highly regarded as they were told he was then they will not question him.

The healer then approached Andrew and applied some sacred ash on his forehead. He pulled Andrew gently to the centre of the room and said, "Sit".

Andrew sat down on his knees.

"Do not move at all."

Andrew nodded yes.

The healer conjured a small flat stick and placed it near Andrew's mouth.

"Bite onto this and don't let go of it. Understood?" said the Healer. Andrew nodded and bit onto it.

Then he drew a circle around him using the sacred ash, moved his wand in a circular motion, and soundlessly muttered something. A few seconds later, a thin translucent greyish magical shield to rose from the ashes and surrounded Andrew. A few seconds later it faded away.

The healer the tested the strength of the shield by poking it with the tip of his wand which was glowing a brilliant white colour. As the wand tried to pass the circle made by the ash, a flexible greyish membrane stretched and then stopped stretching. The healer tried to apply more force but the shield wouldn't budge. He repeated this in a few other places on the shield. The disciples continued reading as if nothing had happened.

He prodded the surface of the shield using his wand. The surface of the shield bent when the tip of the wand tried to pierce it but it did not break. He repeated this action at other parts of the shield for a few minutes and then nodded in satisfaction. The tip of his wand stopped glowing causing the room to be filled with darkness once again and. He then passed through the shield and crouched in front of Andrew. He poured some water on his palm and wiped the water on the scar causing it to redden and bleed. Andrew bit the stick hard as he tried not to cry.

The healer stepped back, pointed his wand at the scar and cast a spell. A flash of golden light escaped the wand and connected with the scar Andrew's forehead. The area around the scar began to glow gold. The healer then muttered another spell and a white thread emerged out of the wand. It hit the scar and penetrated it. The area around the scar slowly transitioned to blue. This continued for some time. The healer was about to cancel the spell when the area around the scar began darkening. The Healer who initially looked expressionless now looked on in horror as the black colouring around the scar began spreading and soon Andrew's entire face was coloured black and his eyes were as red as hot lava. The expression on Andrew's face changed. Instead of looking like he was in pain, Andrew now looked like he was enjoying this. He looked up at the Healer and gave a bloodthirsty grin with the stick still in his mouth. He put his palms together and concentrated. The grin still on his face. Slowly the golden coloured beam began to glow black and was almost about to reach the Healer's wand. The healer tried to break the connection between them urgently but it did not work.

He had given up hope and the black beam was about to enter his wand when suddenly the water in the container on his hip jumped out and splashed on Andrew's face. Andrew hissed in pain as the darkness began to rescinded back to his scar. More and more water escaped the container and now had bound Andrew. The healer used the distraction to stop the ritual and finish it.

The Healer collapsed on to the ground once he finished sealing the entity back into the scar. The two disciples rushed to his side and carried him away as they shot glares towards Lily and James who by then had rushed to Andrew's side.

The memory fades

Andrew's room in the Medical Wing of the Ashram

Andrew sat on the bed, nursing his head while the inhabitants of the room listened to Ravi. Apparently, the Healer was okay physically but was severely magically exhausted. It would take a few days for him to recover. He meanwhile suggested that that Andrew rest for a few days too and that they would talk once the both of them were well rested.

The Memory fades into a new location

A few days later

Lily, James and Andrew accompanied Ravi back to the hospital room where they saw a tall young man sitting on the floor outside the Healer's room. He had long raven hair that was tied in a loose bun. The moment he looked at the group, he got up and rushed towards them. Before Lily and James could do anything, he bowed in front of them and in a thick accent said "Honoured Guests, my name is Chandra. I am master's eldest disciple. Master is awake and well rested. He would like to talk to all of you."

Lily, James and Andrew stepped through the curtained doorway into the room of the Healer. He looked pale and gaunt. He was sitting upright on his bed and was reading an ancient manuscript. When he saw the group walk in, he closed the manuscript carefully and put it back inside a bag that was hanging on a nearby bedpost.

"Chandra." Shouted the healer.

"No translation ward. No English" he said turning towards the group.

Chandra entered and bowed to the Healer. Chandra and his master had a small but heated conversation. By the end of the conversation, Chandra looked horrified and disgusted.

Chandra composed himself, turned towards the group and said, "Master knows what is wrong with Andrew." He was interrupted by a jubilant 'yes' by James. He glared at James causing James to shrink in shame.

"As I was saying" continued Chandra "Master knows what is wrong with Andrew. Unfortunately due to reasons known only to him, master refused to let me tell you what it is. He insists that there are higher forces at work and you will get to know about it in due time. Nevertheless, let me warn you. It is not something that can to be taken lightly. I would suggest you start introducing him to mind magic slowly and possibly teach him occlumency in the future. Also, please tell Dumbledore to not disband his Order completely. Its purpose is not yet complete.

End Memory

Although, this incident did not shed any light on to Andrew's cure scar but did point Albus towards a few possibilities that did nothing to quell his fears. Meanwhile, Harry grew up feeling neglected as Lily and James spent more and more time away from him with Andrew and whenever they visited they were all were tired, frustrated and as a result, spent less time with him. Of course, the letters they sent while they were on the move kept them in touch but Harry missed the presence of his family. He missed his mother's hugs, he missed playing Quidditch with his father and even though he even missed his brother although they barely spent enough time together.

"Mr Potter," began Dumbledore as he finished contemplating, "There is something that I did not tell you. Something that is essential for somebody to inherit the Gubraithian fire. Something that only you and I share in Britain. The only way somebody can inherit the ability to command the Gubraithian Fire is to have a phoenix familiar. It's the duty of anybody who possesses this ability to pass it down to a witch/wizard whose familiar is a phoenix to and does not possess the ability. So Mr Potter, are you ready."

Harry breathed in deeply and took a step into the circle of stones. He was ready.

AN: Well, been busy and a lot of things came up both personal and professional. Better late than never eh?

Anyway, people actually liked the excerpts regarding Historical Events that took place in this universe so from the next chapter onwards I'll try to include them, but no promises.

Look out for the next two chapters. Harry meets Luna in one of the two chapters. I will also try to wrap up the Chamber of Secrets fiasco in the next two chapters, so stay tuned!

PS: As of 09/01/2018, 1262 followers, 846 favourites and 142 reviews! Thank you!

Edit 1: 5th September: Little edits here and there. Also introduced Free-Floating and Physically Anchored wards.