Path to Power: Book I: Training

Chapter 4: Of Powers Unknown, Of Magics Old

Elsewhere, Unknown

The place was misty white. In the centre of it, was a bundle of silken white thread, some parts of it tied into a knot, some parts of it having tributaries, some part of it having distributaries. Currently, a single white thread was growing a kink. A figure sat on front of the bundle, watching it. The figure was not discerned to be either male or female. It just watched the thread folding, twisting and turning. The figure was adorned with a white gown, waist level hairs flowing freely in the non-existent wind of the place. The figure's eyes were glowing a pale silver and a known serene smile on its face.

For in all eons of its existence, an event was going to take place, an inevitable event. But what made this event special? Different from the other inevitable events? It was because this event was going to be witnessed by two others which has never been done before. So it was waiting for the right others to come. And patience was something it had it spades.

It was musing on its thoughts when it felt the presence of two others. It looked up with a smile to nowhere in particular. The almost inaudible tapping of toes came from the other end. Two figures of contrasting auras were coming towards it. One was clad in a black robe whose periphery was shrouded in black mists making it impossible to gauge where the exact robe ended. It's eyes, a shining black, stared at the other two. The aura surrounding it reeked of destruction, decay and death. No visible energy was coating it, yet, there was a tangible thrum of unfathomable power surrounding the figure. The second figure was wearing a golden cloak, its presence palpable with the lively aura which was flaring around it in a golden mist, the energy around it incredibly dense and its eyes glowing golden.

"The Chosen One's destiny is about to take a definite turn", spoke the white gowned figure with an ethereal voice, recognised to be feminine. As anyone who could have guessed, the figure was Fate, one of the Endless entities, responsible for the events, casualties and decisions of the mortals.

"So will he be knowing of his lineage? His connection to me? Will he prove himself worthy of the artifacts forged by his ancestors and both blessed and cursed by my touch?" asked the black robed figure Death. Death was one of the oldest of the Endless to have ever existed, his existence almost equal to that of Time.

"And what about his other lineage? The gifts given by me to the oldest families the last I visited the mortal realm?" asked Magic, the golden gowned figure. She used to visit the mortal realm frequently a couple of millenia back when the concept of magic was still new to wizards and witches. She had given gifts to the families at that time, namely the Potters and the Blacks, gifts which helped them consolidate their reign as the ruling monarchs of wizardkind since ancient times.

"You both do know that whatever will happen in his life will be based on his decisions. For all my power, I cannot break my laws and interfere, lest I cause an imbalance by keeping free will away from the mortal. And now he could go either ways, either triumphing above all, leading to his greatness or spiralling down to his doom", answered Fate. She continued, "For now, we shall witness this definite point in his life."

08:00 P.M.
Potter's Cottage, Godric's Hollow
31st October, 1981.

Time slowed down to a crawl as the sickly green curse traveled to Hadrian. Voldemort watched with glee at the supposed child who was destined to vanquish him about to die. When the curse reached within a meter of Hadrian, his skin glowed a red hue. The red hue took on a deeper colour and with a gong, a deep red shield encircled his whole body.

Voldemort watched in extreme astonishment and unadulterated fear that the killing curse of all spells rebounded back to him. The shock of it was such that his body could not comprehend to dodge. Instead it took on the curse filled with extreme hatred. Voldemort gave a shrill scream as his soul was getting ripped of his physical body. The magical backlash of having a killing curse rebounding and his soul getting torn off from his own curse, his body disintegrated.

From the dull black ashes, rose two things. First was a ghastly wraith looking around and screaming vengeance. It fled the scene quickly. The second was a black mist dosing around confusedly when it noticed the living body in front of it. Filled with an insurmountable need to inhabit a body in order to assure its existence, it tried to bind the soul inhabiting the body.

However, Hadrian's soul fought back. Combined with the shock of the soul even attempting to fight back and Lily and James' protection coursing through his body, the soul leech from the dark lord was subdued to a great extent and a lightning shaped scar was left behind on Hadrian's forehead. The soul leech recessed to the back of Hadrian's mind, broken and volatile.

There was a bang. Whatever was left of the cottage's entrance door was blasted to smithereens. One haggard looking wizard entered the nearly destoyed house.

"No! no, no, no! James! Lily!! No! This cannot happen!! Why?!! Why?!! Why did you have to die?!!" Sirius took on the damage of the Potter's cottage and knelt beside the two unmoving bodies of the Potters, crying hoarse from the grief coursing through his body. He got up, hate abundant in him towards Wormtail. He looked painfully at Hadrian and said, "You wait kiddo, wait till I catch the rat and then I'll come back for you."

Jumping down, there was no longer the haggard wizard present. In his place, was a large black dog. The Grim has appeared. Padfoot sniffs the ground, faintly picking up Wormtail's scent. With a strangled growl, he ran following the trail of the scent.

-Scene Shift to Elsewhere, Unknown-

All the three entities looked at the events unfurling in front of their eyes. The silk white thread having a tight definite glowing knot. A white glow emanating from it entered a book kept in the place. Fate understood this as signifying the start of the Prophecy. Death and Magic were looking at the child who has suffered such a great tragedy. She was pensive for a moment, when an idea came to her mind.

Smiling inwardly, she left a tendril of her touch and directed it towards the mortal realm. It traveled, going past the wards of the designated place, like hot knife through butter. Deep inside, it entered a mortal, who looked confused for a moment, before his face was marred with concern and he took out his wand.

Death and Magic perked up at they felt Fate do something. Soon they diverged their attention to the Potter's Cottage as another man entered the place.

"You do know you shouldn't have done that? While not exactly breaking the rules, you still interfered with his actions", said an amused Death.

"Oh it's nothing, just a minor loophole I exercised. I did not create or destroy any emotions, I just tweaked one lying a bit dormant. Besides, I did not directly interfere. It was well within his choice whether to go or not", answered Fate.

"You always were smart", smiled Magic.

-Scene Shift to Potter's Cottage, Godric's Hollow-

"What in the hell happened here?" asked Dhiraj looking on the scene. Looking around, he saw James and Lily lying, dead, unmoving. 'Did you have to die Lily? Really? Was there no other way? Nevertheless, I will keep my promise. You have been a great friend and it is my time to prove myself so.' Looking at James, he vowed, 'I may not have known you personally James Potter, but I'll look after your son. Worry not, he'll triumph above others and would grow up to be a powerful wizard.'

Giving a firm nod and with a resolute look in his eyes, Dhiraj picked up Harry and apparated silently from there.

Elsewhere, Unknown

'So one path for the chosen one is set. Now we just have to watch what happens as he grows and begins to take responsibility for his actions and decisions' thought Death. Giving one last look to the child, he turned to the others.

The silk thread started becoming transparent and it joined the bundle of threads in the place as it was previously.

Fate and Magic turned to him. "We shall meet again when a major event about him is about to take place, or, he starts to begin with our tests", said Death.

They both nodded. The entities then started glowing in a twirl of power. Their power dancing to their will, all three disappeared in their respective mists, Fate taking on a silver glow, Magic on her golden halo and Death on his liquid black shadows.