A/N : I'm really sorry for this huge delay. What with exams and all , I just didn't have any time to write in the last few months.

A huge thanks to my beta Miz636 . Without her help, this story wouldn't have existed

THE MYSTERIOUS DUO

"What did you say?" hissed Voldemort, his voice deathly quiet.

The figure in front of him trembled in fear but answered in a shaky voice, "That's what I heard, My Lord. The Ministry is in an uproar as no one has any idea who those two could possibly be."

"Crucio."

As the figure in front of him writhed in pain and agony, Voldemort didn't even bother to spare him another glance.

Who were they? How did they possess so much power?

The fact that they had literally flattened the entire of Voldemort's forces in no more than a few seconds greatly troubled the Dark Lord.

And as if that was not enough, they had destroyed the Dementors and killed Bellatrix, his most faithful servant.

The more he thought about this remarkable incident, the more his anger towards them increased.

Who had ever heard of a Dementor being destroyed?

The fact that they could not be killed was essentially what had attracted the Dark Lord to turn them into his allies.

Voldemort knew that for him to incapacitate a bunch of Death Eaters in a moment was nothing, but he refused to believe that there could be any wizard or witch alive on this earth who could be his equal.

That thought was just laughable.

But how did they achieve such an extraordinary feat? Voldemort had never heard of any kind of fire that was capable of destroying the Dementors.

Oh, yes, he had of course heard about the elementalists. Elementalists were very rare, perhaps born once in a century, but even a fire elementalist's power was not strong enough to wipe out the Dementors.

Who could these 'idiots' be who had dared to oppose the Greatest Dark Lord the world had ever seen?

Were they foolish enough to believe that they could defeat him?

Could it be Potter and that Weasley girl? But as the Dark Lord thought about it, he became certain that there was no way that they could possibly be his two powerful opponents.

The last time he had faced Potter in that duel in the graveyard, he was just pathetic, and then in the Ministry of Magic, he was a coward hiding behind his protector Dumbledore.

And anyway, wherever Potter was at the moment, he was probably wallowing in his grief for that blood traitor Godfather of his.

No there was no way Potter could be one of those two.

What about the Weasley girl?

He had, of course, extracted whatever he needed to know about her from Malfoy, and it was clear to him that the weak and pathetic girl would never be able to face him.

No, these two powerful witch and wizard must be somebody else.

And he, Lord Voldemort, would get to the bottom of this.

For as much as he tried to deny it, The Dark Lord was scared for the first time in his life.

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Two hooded figures walked through the empty streets of Diagonal Alley towards a tall, white building. The few people who were still in the alley did not even notice them, nor did they feel the raw power that was clearly crackling around them.

Without a word, they crossed the security and entered the Wizarding bank, Gringotts, and strode determinedly towards one of the goblins.

"We wish to see the manager of the branch," one of them said calmly. His voice disguised by some sort of spell.

Not even bothering to look at the stranger, the goblin replied, "The Manager is busy; he doesn't have time to see anybody at present."

"We are here to talk about vault number 777," said the other figure in an equally calm voice as if they were expecting to hear this reply.

The goblin's head snapped up, and he stared at the two strangers, his eyes widening ever so slightly. After a few seconds, he regained his composure and then walked briskly out of the room.

Within a few moments, he returned and gestured the strangers into a side room that had two sofas, a chair, and a table.

"The Manager will see you in a moment," he said before walking out of the room.

The two figures sat down in one of the sofas and waited.

Within a few minutes, a very old goblin walked into the room. He gave a toothy smile towards the two strangers and then said, "Lord Gryffindor, Lady Hufflepuff, it is an honour to finally meet you both."

"It is an honour to meet you as well, Graphokk," the taller stranger dressed in red and gold replied with a bow while the other stranger dressed in dark yellow curtsied.

The goblin seemed slightly surprised that they knew his name but replied, "I see that you have come for vault number 777.

"I'm sure you know that the vault was set up, once upon a time, by Godric Gryffindor and Helga Hufflepuff for a certain purpose. Only those who were their true heir will be able to enter the vault. "

Lord Gryffindor nodded.

Graphokk said, "Then allow us to proceed to the vault and see whether you fulfill the requirements or not."

After a long ride deep within the heart of Gringotts bank, the two heirs and the goblin stopped in front of the closed doors of a vault.

"Not even goblins can open or enter this vault," he said. "All you'll have to do is smear some of your blood on the vault door, and if you are the chosen heir, then the vault will open for you." With that, he stepped back into the cart and waited.

Lady Hufflepuff stretched her hands in front of her and a knife appeared in one hand. She made a small cut on her other hand and handed the knife to the Gryffindor heir. Together, they smeared the blood on the vault's door.

Without a sound, the door of the vault opened. As they entered the vault, the door behind them closed noiselessly.

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Albus Dumbledore was worried. In the last few months, it seemed to him as if his world had turned upside down. First that strange prophecy, then the sudden disappearance of Harry Potter and Ginny Weasley, then the attack of the Death Eaters on the Hogwarts Express and their unexpected defeat in the hands of two strangers and now the equally sudden reappearances of the two missing children.

As he sat in the Great Hall, waiting for the new first years to arrive, Albus thought how the day had begun today.

Albus Dumbledore was sitting in his office at Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry, thinking as he had for the last few weeks about the two missing students.

"Where could they be?" he thought.

Albus knew for certain that, since even his Phoenix had failed to find them, they must be under extremely powerful wards, possibly the Fidelius Charm.

That did nothing to calm Albus.

All of a sudden, his thoughts were interrupted by a flash of fire in front of him.

Albus jumped up from his seat and pulled out his wand only to find a piece of parchment lying in front of him.

After inspecting the parchment to make sure that there was no curse on it, he picked it up and found a small letter on it.

ALBUS DUMBLEDORE,

THIS IS TO INFORM YOU THAT AN ATTACK HAD TAKEN PLACE ON THE HOGWARTS EXPRESS DURING IT'S JOURNEY FROM LONDON TO HOGSMEADE TODAY .

NO STUDENT HAS BEEN HURT, AND WE HAVE SUCCESSFULLY CAPTURED THE DEATH EATERS EXCEPT FOR BELLATRIX LESTRANGE. SHE HAS BEEN KILLED.

WE WISH TO MEET YOU AND TALK TO YOU ABOUT MATTERS OF UTMOST IMPORTANCE. KINDLY MEET US IN YOUR OFFICE AT HALF PAST NINE TONIGHT.

YOURS SINCERELY,

FIRE AND AIR

P.S : YOU LIKE CHOCOLATE FROGS

Dumbledore stared at the parchment, gob smacked. They even know the password to my office, he thought faintly. But then something clicked in his head. The Hogwarts Express had been attacked!

He jumped out of his seat for the second time and rushed out of his office, calling the other faculties and members of the Order. Within a few minutes, they had reached the train, only to find that they didn't have much left to do.

The Death Eaters were sill bound by the rope made of fire, while where there once stood hundreds of Dementors, now there were only piles of ashes.

Very quickly, he was informed of what had happened by the students and Aurors.

Dumbledore could barely believe his ears.

How could you make yourself transparent so that the killing curse would just pass through you without doing any damage? How was it possible to have such amount of resistance to the Cruciatus Curse so that it won't hurt at all?

And how in the name of Merlin could you destroy a Dementor?

Question after question spiraled in Dumbledore's mind, but he had no answers.

How weird could a day become? If Dumbledore had thought that the weirdness of the day was over, then he was greatly mistaken.

The moment he had returned to the castle after ensuring the safety of the students for the rest of the journey to Hogwarts, he had been summoned by an agitated Madam Pomfrey to the Hospital Wing.

Harry and Ginny had returned to Hogwarts, but they were unconscious, and whatever Madame Pomfrey tried, she could not wake them.

Albus was broken out of his thoughts by the arrival of the first years. As the sorting progressed, he could barely concentrate on what was going on around him.

He felt a slight nudge to his side and realized that it was time for his speech.

"Welcome, welcome to another year at Hogwarts. Before we begin the feast, I would like to remind all of you that magic is not allowed in the corridor, and the Forbidden Forest is still Forbidden.

"I would also like to welcome our new Potions Master, Professor Horace Slughorn, while Professor Snape will take over the position of the Professor of Defense Against the Dark Arts."

There was a collective groan from most of the students of Hogwarts while the Slytherins cheered enthusiastically. Professor Snape looked entirely too pleased with himself.

"On a happier note, I would like to inform all of you that the two missing students, Harry Potter and Ginny Weasley, have returned and are currently in the Hospital Wing."

At this, the students erupted in joy, and the maximum amount of clapping could be heard from the Gryffindor table.

Ron, Hermione, Neville, and Luna joined the clapping, but they were still concerned about their friends' and sister's health. What were they doing in the Hospital Wing?

As the feast came to an end and the students were shuffled towards their house dormitories, the four students approached the Headmaster and asked if they could go with him to the Hospital Wing.

Dumbledore nodded, and the five of them, who were quickly joined by Professor McGonagall, went on their way to the Hospital.

As they entered, they could see Madame Pomfrey bustling around the two beds where Harry and Ginny lay. Their faces were so pale that Ron shuddered to think what could have happened to them and unconsciously sought out Hermione's hand for comfort.

"I just don't know what else I can do," said the nurse. "There is nothing wrong with them, no physical or mental damage at all. They just won't wake up." Her tone was clearly showing the frustration and distress that she felt.

"It seems that we will have to send them to St. Mungo's."

As Hermione opened her mouth to say something, Luna shrieked. Turning their heads to where she was pointing, they gasped. Harry's fingers were twitching ever so slightly while Ginny's eyes were fluttering.

Immediately Madame Pomfrey rushed to their sides. "Mr. Potter, Miss Weasley, come on, open your eyes; I know you can do it."

As she continued to encourage them, slowly and steadily, the boy and the girl regained their consciousness.

"W-what happened?" asked Harry confusedly. "Where am I?"

"You are at Hogwarts, my dear boy," replied Dumbledore.

"But, the last thing I remember was that I was at Privet Drive and... and the room had caught fire and then... then I can't remember anything," the boy concluded lamely.

"Hmm..." the old Professor thought. "What about you, Miss Weasley?" he asked.

"It was as if a cyclone was blowing through the room… but then I remember nothing, sir, nothing at all," she concluded sincerely.

"Fire and Air..." Dumbledore murmured, thinking about the strange prophecy and the upcoming meeting. Could it be in any way related to Harry and Ginny? Could Harry and Ginny possibly be Fire and Air?

"Excuse me, Professor, but what did you mean by that?" asked Hermione.

"Nothing, nothing important, Miss Granger," replied Dumbledore absentmindedly.

Looking at the two bewildered teens in the two beds, he suggested kindly, "Why don't you two take rest in the Hospital Wing tonight under Madame Pomfrey's care so that you can be fit for tomorrow's classes?"

When Ginny opened her mouth to say something, Dumbledore replied, "And don't worry, Miss Weasley, I'll inform your parents that you two have returned."

With that, he swept out of the room.

"How long were we gone?" asked Harry after a while.

"A full month," replied Hermione. "Today is the first of September."

They just sat there chatting with each other. They were glad that Harry and Ginny had returned, though they didn't seem to remember anything of what had happened in the month that they were missing.

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"Chocolate Frogs," said Dumbledore as he entered his office.

He was so deep in thought that he never noticed the two figures lurking in the shadows.

"If I were a Death Eater, you would be dead, Dumbledore," said a soft voice.

Dumbledore spun around and pulled out his wand as he saw two hooded figures standing in front of him.

"Who are you?" he asked, clutching his wand tightly.

"My name is Lord Gryffindor," replied the taller one.

"And I'm Lady Hufflepuff," replied the other.

"But you can call us Fire and Air," they added simultaneously.

Dumbledore lowered his wand slowly. "I see," he said.

He remembered the prophecy that warned him he needed to work with them as they were the 'Leaders of Light.'

"Won't you even show your faces?" he asked after offering them the customary sherbet lemon, to which they politely declined.

"I'm afraid not Headmaster," replied Lady Hufflepuff. "We'd like to keep our hoods up."

"We like the air of mystery that it gives us," added Lord Gryffindor with a smirk.

Dumbledore chuckled.

"So what brings you here?" he asked. "I've heard that you've already impressed the students and the Aurors on the train with your dueling skills." He paused. "Might I ask how you destroyed the Dementors?" he added curiously.

"I'm afraid not, Headmaster," replied Lord Gryffindor. "After all, a wizard – ow! What was that for?" He glared at his companion. She just smiled sweetly at him and again poked him in the ribs.

"Alright, alright, I meant a wizard AND a witch have the right to keep some secrets, Headmaster," he grumbled.

Dumbledore, who was smiling at the display, sighed.

"We are aware that you know the prophecies, Dumbledore, both of them," said Lady Hufflepuff.

Dumbledore looked shocked at this and then nodded.

"We want to know if you are willing to cooperate with us in the war against Voldemort," Lord Gryffindor informed him firmly, implying the obvious question.

Dumbledore nodded. "I will. But what about Harry? I thought that, according to the first prophecy, he was supposed to be the one to defeat Voldemort?"

"He will," replied Lady Hufflepuff, "but his chance will come at the end. The prophecy doesn't say that he will have to do it on his own."

"Do you want to join the Order?" the Headmaster requested after a pause.

"No," replied the two, much to his surprise. "Forgive us, but we wish to work independently."

"That doesn't mean, however, that we won't join the meetings sometime or another," Lady Hufflepuff added with a smirk.

"We will contact you when needed, Albus," said Lord Gryffindor. "You may inform the Order about our alliance," he added.

"And train the boy, Albus," said Lady Hufflepuff. "It also won't be a bad idea for him to reopen the 'Dumbledore's Army,' either. The students have a right to fight in this war as well," she advised.

"It's their future as well, you know," added Lord Gryffindor.

"Until we meet again, Albus." With that, the two simply vanished into thin air, leaving Albus gaping at where they had stood.

Suddenly, he jumped up and went to the fireplace, threw the Floo powder, and called out, "Hogwarts Hospital Wing."

"What is it Albus?" asked Madame Pomfrey.

"Poppy, what are Mr. Potter and Miss Weasley doing?" he asked.

"Sleeping," replied Madam Pomfrey. "Their friends left a while ago. Why?"

"Nothing… nothing…" was all Dumbledore said as he withdrew his head from the fireplace.

So Fire and Air were not Harry and Ginny?

Then who could they be?

As Albus Dumbledore prepared to sleep, he never knew that a very important meeting was taking place deep within Gringotts.

Neither he nor Voldemort realised that the world as they knew it would soon change forever.

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A/N : Ha Ha , Surprised ? Well, just remember, things are NOT always as they seem to be.