Hello my dear readers.
I know it's taken me a bit longer to start this new story than I originally thought it would, but I am happy to say that I am now ready to begin sharing it with you. This will begin Harry and Ginny's second year at Hogwarts. In this tale we shall follow them as they deal with the events dealing with Tom's diary. Ginny shall begin her time at Hogwarts, and Harry will learn more about his destiny.
This will be a darker vision of the second year at Hogwarts, and although it is still based upon canon. Then again, the original story is pretty dark if you think about a psychotic madman wanting to kill a small boy. The thing is, it's going to be a wild ride and one that I can't wait for you to take with me.
One of the reasons that this has taken me so long to get this to you is the fact that one of my beta readers has been having some personal problems. For that reason, I am bringing you this first chapter after only one beta has seen it. I am currently looking for a second beta. At this point I do not know if I will need the new beta permanently or just for a few chapters. Whichever the case, I should tell any hopefuls that I am not looking for a co-writer for my story. I just need someone that knows their grammar, and their canon. Most importantly, you must be fast, because I don't like keeping my readers waiting if I don't have to. Previous beta work is a plus.
Enough of that. Let's tuck in…
Chris
Prologue
Three men sat comfortably around a large round wooden table, drinking tea and talking amongst themselves. The room they were in, a mixture of creamy white marble and rich golden wood, was filled with sunlight that poured in through dozens of large windows. The table itself, large enough to fit twenty or more people, was surrounded by comfortable looking chairs, arranged in such a way that anyone who sat at it would feel equally important as they talked.
"Is there absolutely no other way that we can do this?" asked the oldest-looking man at the table.
He was a kind looking old man, with short silver hair and a neatly trimmed beard and mustache. He gave off a feeling of comfort and safety mixed with a sense of wisdom that might make anyone who saw him feel that he was something of the ideal grandfather. It was his eyes, golden brown behind silver reading glasses, which seemed to radiate a timeless quality that could either have been great age, or great loss. Whatever the case, Nicolas Flamel was not currently happy with the way things were going.
"You know that I wish it didn't have to be this way, Nicolas," soothed one of the other men at the table. "I've looked at all the possibilities, multiple times, and this is the only one that does not lead to utter chaos and destruction."
This man was a leader, in every sense of the word. From his sapphire blue eyes that seemed to see everything, to the way he held himself with such confidence and quiet power, everything about him demanded respect. Yet it was his gentle voice and concerned expression that conveyed most clearly that he cared for the people around him, and everyone he considered friends. Yes, he was a leader in every sense of the word, but he would not ask anyone to go where he was afraid to lead them. That was the type of leader that Arthur Pendragon, or Mr. Knight as he often called himself, was and no one knew it better than the two men sitting with him.
"I don't really see a problem with this, Nicolas," sneered the third man. "So the girl suffers a bit. Arthur, you even said it yourself; she survived it in the original timeline. I see no reason to believe that she would not survive the experience this time as well."
If the other two men in the room radiated wisdom and warmth, this third man radiated ice-cold logic bordering on indifference and contempt. His greasy jet-black hair framed a sallow face from which dead-looking jet black eyes looked out. His expression, more a facial tick than anything else, was more of a cruel smile than any reflection of worry about the young girl in question. Yet it was obvious from the nervous way in which he played with the ice in his drink that something was bothering him.
Sounding like he was trying to talk to a petulant grandchild more than an adult, Nicolas tried to explain his concerns again. "Severus, that's not the point and you know it. We are trying to save them from their fates, not force it upon them. Why can't you understand that?"
"If you are so worried about protecting them from their fates," hissed Snape, a sneer on his lips, "then stop trying to coddle them and help them fight so that they will become strong enough to win the battles that really matter. This is nothing compared to what they will face in the future, and what I can't understand is why YOU can't understand THAT."
Mr. Knight ran his fingers through his wildly unkempt hair with a sigh. "Nicolas. This time he's right. We can't protect them all the time or we just make them weaker in the long run. This course of action, painful as it will be, is the only one that assures us of a positive outcome."
"I just cannot accept that, Arthur," protested the ancient alchemist. "You might as well have never changed anything if you were just going to let this come to pass. I have never believed in the foolish notion that sacrificing one life is justified if it means saving another. There is always another option."
Snape laughed mockingly as he looked up at Nicolas. "Then tell us, oh greatest alchemist in history, tell us what you would do to save them? Better yet, how about we have Arthur tell us what the possible outcomes are if we do not allow this to play out?"
Mr. Knight stood and began pacing back and forth as he thought of what to say. "Nicolas, no matter what you might think, I have looked for a different path. If she does not get the diary, we are all in trouble. At the very best, we will have Voldemort returning within the year. At worst, we have two Voldemorts, the original and the one from the diary. The two Voldemorts would then fight it out over who would be the true Dark Lord, and in the process they would utterly destroy civilization as we know it. In all the variations, Harry ends up dead along with everyone he knows, and Avalon falls shortly thereafter. Only by allowing Ginny Weasley to use the diary can we be assured that Harry will be able to stop these tragedies from happening."
"Alright," sighed the defeated looking Nicolas. "I accept that it must be done, but I demand that we do everything in our power to protect her and the others."
"I'm already seeing to that," Mr. Knight replied with a smile.
"What he means is that I'm seeing to it," Snape added with a vicious laugh. "Always the spy, I will watch over her and do what I can to protect her."
"Your idea of protection leaves much to be desired, Severus," mumbled Nicolas.
Mr. Knight laughed as he walked over to look out one of the large windows in the room. "This time he's perfect for the job though. Where we would tamper too much, causing more harm than good, Severus will only step in when there is no other choice. And while he watches over the girl, we will be free to help Harry and the others."
"So, Severus," laughed Nicolas, "I see that being a sneaky bastard will finally pay off for you."
Snape was about to say something rather nasty to the innocently smiling old man, but just at that moment the main door opened. A saintly looking old woman, her silver hair done up neatly in a bun, stuck her head in to the room and smiled at the three men. Nicolas could not help but smile at the love of his life.
"I hope I'm not disturbing you boys, but lunch is ready," she said with a grin.
Mr. Knight chuckled as he watched Snape fight his natural instinct and remain silent rather than finish his reply to Nicolas. In all his years of existence, Mr. Knight had only ever met one other woman that demanded as much respect as Perenelle Flamel did. If Molly Weasley was the perfect example of a motherly figure, Perenelle had been the model that Molly had strived to follow. Together the two women could probably intimidate entire nations, and send world leaders to bed without supper.
"That woman positively radiates an aura of motherly emotions," Snape had told Mr. Knight after meeting Perenelle for the first time. "It's a bit overwhelming actually."
Mr. Knight had to agree with the former Hogwarts Potions Master. His own experience with mothers had been limited to his own, and even then it was not that extensive, but even he had to admit to being influenced by Perenelle's presence. Oddly enough though, he rather liked it.
"What are you boys up to today?" Perenelle asked as she led them to the dining hall. "Are you still arguing over that poor little girl and that horrible diary?"
Mr. Knight barely managed to keep from laughing as he watched Nicolas and Snape hang their heads like school boys caught smoking. The former king did not feel ashamed of his role in their discussions, but that did not mean that he did not see Perenelle's point of view. He also was not fool enough to lie to the woman that cooked his meals.
"She might not make that Sheppard's pie for me again if I did that," he thought before answering her. "We are pretty much agreed that she must take possession of the diary, but Nicolas fears for her safety even with Severus watching out for her. It is true that there is only so much that he can do without revealing himself, but Severus is our best option at the moment."
"Well if that's all you're concerned about, it's easily remedied," sighed the slender woman. "If you had just asked me earlier, I could have solved this silly little problem for you ages ago."
"You have a solution then, dear?" asked Nicolas, a knowing smile on his face.
"Of course I do," she said in a smug tone of voice. "They do need a potions professor at their school, don't they?"
"I cannot return to teach," began Snape, but Perenelle quickly cut him off.
"Who said anything about you returning teach, Severus?" she asked as she opened the doors to the dining hall. "I know of another potions master that is available to take the job."
Nicolas stopped dead in his tracks as he watched his wife of over six hundred years start slicing bread for their meal. Six hundred years with someone was bound to affect how you reacted to them, to their slightest inflection of speech or nod of their head. This was no exception because he immediately knew who she was talking about, and it was not him.
"You can't be serious, Perenelle," croaked the immortal alchemist.
"Who is she talking about, Nicolas?" Snape asked, curious as to who could alarm Nicolas so much.
"You don't live with the alchemist who created the Philosopher's Stone without picking up a few things," answered Perenelle. "I never could make my own Philosopher's Stone, but potion making always reminded me of cooking. I followed the recipes long enough that eventually I learned how to make my own. In fact I got rather good at it, if I do say so myself."
Snape looked as if someone had just slapped him in the face as he took in what Perenelle had just said. "You're a Potions Master?"
Handing the stunned man a plate, Perenelle smiled at him warmly. "Severus, dear, I was the very first person to be officially recognized by that title. If you had studied harder in school, rather than playing with all that silly Dark magic, you would have known that already."
Mr. Knight, doing his very best not to laugh as Snape's world crashed down around him, thought it was actually rather fitting that things should turn out this way. Perenelle was the perfect person to watch after Ginny Weasley this year, there was no doubt about that. Still, no matter how he looked at things, it was going to be a very interesting year for Harry and Ginny. He only hoped that he and his companions would be up to the challenge.
"Let the battle commence," he thought to himself.
And he was right.