Note:

So, this story randomly disappeared and a reader alerted me to it. I don't know if it was a site glitch or if it was because someone reported it (for what I have no idea). Whatever the case, the only thing that I can do is repost (and hope it doesn't happen again). I'm not really happy about that because you were all so great and really helped me along the way with your reviews and I would go back to them when I was stuck. Writing does not come easy to me and you have no idea how much it meant for that support. And I was almost to 100,000 views, which just blows my mind because I never expected to get that far when I started. To be honest, I didn't even know that was an option when I started.

I guess with that said, here is Soul Magic version 2.0. If I am going to repost, then I am going to edit every chapter before I do. It only makes sense since I am a different writer now because of the critiques and learning about what works for me and what doesn't. I can only say thanks in advance for your patience and hope I am back to posting new material shortly once everything is back up.

For any new reader, I just wanted to provide a brief overview so you know what you are getting yourself into:

Pairings: Harry/Cedric

Warnings: language, character death, violence, adult content, and brief nudity (was it this that got it taken down? Because it was a simple joke that makes it painful if I have to explain it).

Summary: This will start Halloween 1981 and continue from there. I intend to explore an inquisitive Harry as he learns about magic and his role in the wizarding world. I am really drawn to this series because of the rich world that JK created and I wanted to expand upon some of her spells, which, to me at least, seem to involve the soul. The first 10 or so chapters will be a little heavy with the action to get things started, as they are necessary for the direction I want to take this.

Harry and Cedric will be getting together at some point down the road and if you don't like that then don't read. My Harry will be a little more studious and somewhat advanced for his age. My entire premise for this story is what if Harry had asked certain questions or people behaved slightly differently (namely The Dursleys didn't outright abuse him).

Author's note: I hope you enjoy this but understand if you don't. Feel free to point out errors or inconsistencies because I may have missed something important. Feedback is always appreciated and I take the good with the bad and just ask that it is constructive so I can do something about it. I am writing this because I love fanfiction and Harry Potter and have read so many amazing stories that I kind of felt guilty for not contributing anything. I started this in January of 2015 and have 250k words written so updates will come as quickly as I can edit the chapters.

I thank you in advance for your time with reading and reviewing this because it really helps.

Disclaimer: I own nothing in the way of Harry Potter! JK is amazing for giving us this gift and I can't thank her enough. She gave us characters that we all have something in common with.

Soul Magic: Prologue

It was a quiet Halloween in Godric's Hollow. The late autumn air was crisp and crackling fires were burning away in some of the homes, keeping their occupants cozy and warm. The small and magical village was made up of mostly the same families who had lived there for generations.

Which was exactly the sort of place where James and Lily Potter had wanted to raise their own child. Inside the small cottage that James had preferred over the country estate where he had been raised in, the Potter family had just sat down to eat a simple meal. The young parents were currently enjoying the antics of their child, Harry Potter, who had more spaghetti on his face than in his mouth.

The carefree moment was interrupted when a magical pulse rippled through the air, providing the family's only warning that the wards had fallen. Which could only mean one thing: Pettigrew had betrayed them and he was coming for Harry. The magic of the Fidelius Charm was useless to them now.

James and Lily had always known that they couldn't hide forever with the prophecy saying what it had. This was one fate that they simply could not escape, and it did not matter how hard that they tried to keep Harry safe. They had just hoped they would have had more time to prepare, to live. But that was not to be.

Lily and James shared a last, brief look into each other's eyes. Years of love and trust between them had brought them to this moment and they didn't need to speak to tell the other how they felt. Both knew that this was the end and that this was their goodbye, but it would be different for Harry. They refused to die in vain.

"Go, Lils. I'll give you as much time as I can," James said in a loving but determined expression as he stood resolute between his family and the door.

"Give him hell, James," Lily replied while taking a last look at her beloved husband.

She then turned and immediately began to chant softly under her breath as she ran up the stairs with Harry under her arm. For their plan to work she would need every second in which to cast her spell.

And James knew this, so he immediately started to lay charms and curses on the stairs. He would set as many traps and delays for Voldemort as possible. However, it hadn't taken long for the Dark Lord to dismantle the remaining protective enchantments before blowing the front door clear across the room.

James took a deep breath and faced the man who had come for their death. He had never been more focused in his entire life. James knew he would die tonight, but that didn't matter. He had something more important to fight for than himself: the longer that he delayed the Dark Lord – the greater the chance that Harry would live.

A fierce duel erupted as James began transfiguring furniture into lions and smaller objects into spears for Voldemort to deal with. His mind didn't register half of the spells that erupted from his wand before he had then needed to go on the defensive in the hopes of surviving Voldemort's volley for as long as he could. Sweat was pouring out of him as he did everything that he could think of to prolong this battle.

Eventually, He-Who-Must-Not-Be-Named cast a curse that James could not dodge or block, and he was thrown backwards into the wall with such force that his neck snapped upon impact. The last thoughts that had flickered through his mind were of Lily and Harry and hoping that he didn't fail them.

Once finished with the elder Potter, Voldemort worked quickly to undo the magic on the stairs before ascending the final steps towards the eliminating the threat that could undo all of his plans. However, he entered the child's nursery just after, and therefore unaware that Lily had succeeded in splitting her soul. His eyes were shining with unholy glee as he looked upon his victims and he wasted no time in disarming the woman that stood with the child in her arms. But Lily didn't need her wand anymore, and she moved to seal the protection she had just given her son.

"Not my Harry. Take me! Take me instead!" she repeated several times with her hands held in front of her in a defensive manner that completed the ritual. She felt when the protection took hold. It was ancient magic, soul magic, and it would protect Harry from the evil man in front of her.

The gift that she had just given her son worked very much like a Horcrux, except that it was the complete opposite. Instead of using murder and hate to split her soul, she had used love and her desire to be a sacrifice. Lily had given up a part of herself to save Harry and it had drained her of her magic, for there was always a price to be paid for using this form of magic.

The safeguard that Lily had just enacted would only be activated if she willingly sacrificed herself in this moment. If Voldemort killed her now, the part of her soul that now resided in Harry would protect him from her killer. Her soul would be sacrificed so that Harry's could live and it would take the Dark Lord's in retribution. When she died, Voldemort would not be able to touch Harry.

This is what James and her had planned so that their son could live.

And she could only smile when the green curse shot from his wand and she knew no more.

Let me know what you think! Again, sorry for those who have been following this for the past year.

Reposted 1/16/2016