As I settled into the recliner, I brought up the VR headset and placed it on my head even as it fit snugly while the visor covered my eyes.
I leaned back and activated the screen for the game, even as I brought up my character screen. The Virtual reality game KAVA was one of my guilty pleasures and I used it to relax on weekends. Unlike the other games in the market, in this one, the users had the opportunity to create their own characters from various genres, and could cross over into other fandoms.
For example, a character for World of Warcraft could enter into a scenario of Command and Conquer, a character from the Naruto world could enter the One Piece World, and similarly a character from the Bleach world could enter the Nasuverse and various Fate games.
I was particularly a fan of World of Warcraft and played a lot in those worlds. I was a grandmaster character in the latest expansion pack, and it was a matter of pride for me. I had chosen Medivh, and after nearly four years of playing, I had maxed out on most of the character stats and brought him up into the grandmaster level.
I noticed that the other players had come online and I readied my character and entered the VR world when everything went black.
(3rd PARTY POV)
Salem, Oregon, - Reuters; 15th Feb, 2020, - due to a freak lightning strike, the transformer on the electric grid near the Willamette University area suffered a blowout, and the resultant surge wiped out all electric devices and appliances within two blocks. This freak accident resulted in a single fatality where a Mr. Johannes Rabaul who was playing a VR Video Game was killed as the headset he was wearing shorted out.
As I came to my senses, I felt a weird buzzing sense and tried to gather my bearings. For some reason, my body felt weirdly tense, as if I was buzzing with energy and it made me restless.
I tried to gather my bearings, and then, I paused as I felt the pain. Minor, but stinging and yet, it petrified me. This was a VR game. We were not supposed to feel pain. When injured, we lost HP and not …
Suddenly, the pain intensified and rose to unbearable levels, and I sank to my knees in a moan, even as a virtual screen descended in front of me.
ERROR …. ERROR … CONNECTION LOST… REROUTING ….
CONNECTION STILL LOST … CHANGING ROUTINE …
SUBROUTINE DETECTED …. ALIGNMENT MISMATCH …
DATA CORRUPTION DETECTED … REPAIR COMMENCING …
WORLD OF WARCRAFT SUBROUTINE PATCH TO LITERATURE SUBROUTINE COMMENCING …
ERROR … DATA INSUFFICIENT …
ALTERING HIDDEN QUEST ROUTINE TO PATCH PROGRAM …
CONNECTION REGAINED … REPAIRS COMMENCING …
REPAIRS COMPLETE … HIDDEN QUEST PORTAL ACTIVE …
DOWNLOADING CHARACTER PROFILE …
PATCHING CHARACTER SKILLS …
MATCHING ENVIRONMENTAL COMPATIBILITY …
QUEST NOW ACTIVE ….
As I finally sat up, I noticed the HUD blinking in front of me.
CHARACTER PUBLIC NAME: MEDIVH
CHARACTER REAL NAME: (HIDDEN)
ALIAS: (HIDDEN)
SEX: MALE
AGE: 95
DISABILITIES: NONE
AFFILIATION: CURRENTLY NEUTRAL, BEAUXBATONS ACADEMY OF MAGIC (PAST)
At that I paused, even as my mind went
what the fuck?
Harry Potter … how the hell did I end up here? I was in the Warcraft game center, how the fuck did I end up here? What was going on?
LEVEL: 49/51
ACTIVE ABILITIES:
HP: 500000/500000
ANIMAGUS: RAVEN FORM (DIVINE FAMILIAR, GRANTS TOTAL IMMUNITY FROM ALL THREATS)
ARCANE RIFT (50/50)
FORCE OF WILL (50/50)
PORTAL (50/50)
POLY BOMB (47/50)
LEYLINE SEAL (49/50)
RE-ABSORPTION (48/50)
TEMPORAL FLUX (50/50)
ARC 1: RECLAIMING IDENTITY ARC
BIO: YOU ARE MEDIVH ALSO KNOWN AS XXXXXXX (HIDDEN); FORMERLY OF LYON, FRANCE. AFTER CERTAIN EVENTS IN YOUR PAST, YOU LEFT YOUR COUNTRY AND ARE CURRENTLY A WANDERING HERMIT. HOWEVER, THE PAST IS NOW CATCHING UP TO YOU AND YOU CAN NO LONGER ESCAPE YOUR FATE. BUT NOW, THE TIME HAS COME FOR YOU TO RETURN AND RECLAIM YOUR LIFE.
MAIN QUEST: THESE ARE DARK TIMES AND THE TAPESTRY OF MAGIC INDICATES A GREAT TIME OF CONFLICT IN THE NEAR FUTURE. THERE ARE RUMORS THAT A NEW DARK LORD HAS ARISEN AFTER GRINDELWALD AND THAT HE IS BUILDING HIS FORCES. THERE IS A SENSE OF UNEASE PERMEATING THROUGHOUT THE MAGICAL WORLD, AND BRITAIN IS TO BE THE EPICENTER AS REVEALED BY THE TAPESTRIES OF FATE. RETURN TO BRITAIN AND SEEK OUT YOUR OLD FRIEND ALBUS DUMBLEDORE AND PLAY A PART IN PREVENTING THE ONCOMING THREAT!
ACCEPT: Y/N
REWARDS: UPON ACCEPTANCE, ALL OF YOUR CURRENT ABILITIES WILL BE UNCONSTRAINED TO FACILITATE YOUR SEAMLESS INTEGRATION INTO THIS MISSION, AND YOU WILL BE GRANTED THE USE OF THE SPELL-BREAKER TO BREAK ANY ONE SPELL IN EXISTENCE AS AN ADDITIONAL REWARD.
(THE SPELL-BREAKER CAN BREAK ANY SPELL IN EXISTENCE REGARDLESS OF ITS STRENGTH! USE IT WISELY!)
Well shit, this was something else, I mused even as I emptied an entire bottle of Chardonnay wine to tide me over this clusterfuck that I found myself in. After three months of moping and trying everything within my possible power to escape this fucked up version of the world that I found myself in, I had finally thrown in the towel as it sank in. This was real, it was no longer a game, and this was my life. And it was a doozy. The person I was in this life, was someone that did not exist in Harry Potter lore, but like all literary creations, this world had taken a life of its own. For every named character that you read about in a fictional world, never forget that it is still a world that contains millions of beings, beings that you know nothing about who are just side characters. In the books you read from the perspective of the protagonist, but if you remove the main character, then the book itself becomes the protagonist and takes a life of its own.
That is a frightening thing. Reading such things in various things like web novel's and fanfiction is one thing, experiencing it personally is something else itself.
My previous life was gone, hell, my parents were just toddlers who had been born. This was the 1960's and the first wizarding war was about to begin in earnest. Tommy Riddle, the sociopath man-child known as Lord Voldemort was about to begin a rampage of terror which would soon make Grindelwald's action pale in consequence. Considering that in this life I had faced off against Grindelwald and survived, according to my new memories, this was no hyperbole.
As dangerous and terrible as he had been, Grindelwald had a plan and a purpose, no matter how demented, and he did not revel in barbarism for the sake of it unlike Tom. Things were about to get very ugly in the future.
I frowned as I began to think of the consequences. My battles with Grindelwald had been fought with a level of ferocity matched by only one other person, Albus Dumbledore. The fact remained that both of us were the only ones to beat him, although my victory over Grindelwald was not known to the public unlike that of Dumbledore's, and it had made a point very clear. The Hallows existed, but they would not answer to anyone but a Peverell. The Elder Wand amplified Grindelwald's spell casting to the absolute pinnacle of his abilities, but it did not bring him absolute victory considering that Albus and I had both defeated him. Even today, although Dumbledore held the wand, it still did nothing but enhance Dumbledore's spellcasting to its maximum potential. It would work its magic only when its chosen wielder would arrive into the world. But considering that it would take more than a decade and a half before Harry Potter could even be conceived, it was a moot point.
My options were now broken down into three paths:
- Start laying the groundwork for building up your own forces, again, and then once Voldemort reveals himself, launch an all-out war against him. Pros: Too Little. Cons: Too many to count.
- Go to Britain and meet up with your old friend and warn him of the war to come. Start laying the groundwork for preparing for a protracted war. Pros: Early start of preparations for war. Cons: Total lack of surprise as Voldemort will definitely learn of it via his spies making the efforts tame and useless.
- Go to Britain and establish yourself in advance. Use option Teacher and launch your preparations in Britain and make a name for yourself forcing the Dark Lord to react instead of allowing him to take the initiative. Pros: I will become 'The Light Lord™'. Cons: Voldemort will focus on me like mice on rice, and I will become his primary target above even Dumbledore. Also, Politics™ will rear its ugly head and make my life miserable.
Looking at all the options in front of me, I grimaced. There were no good or bad choices, only ones with proportionally increasing consequences. Fuck it, if I am to get a job done properly, then I had better do it myself. If I was going to be the Light Lord regardless of my opinion on the matter, then I would become the fucking Yoda of this world if that was what it took. I was of the age anyways! Now, all I needed to do was set up my own Jedi … sorry Wizarding Order, and my past held the key to it. This was going to be fun.
HOGWARTS CASTLE,
HEADMASTER'S OFFICE,
As he was holding a scheduled meeting with all of his four heads of houses, Albus Dumbledore nearly felt the weight of his age. Nearly. It had been nearly thirty years since that fated battle with Gellert, but Albus still felt morose at the direction of his life. So much loss, so much destruction, and yet, he persevered, for he had the duty to guide the next generation, so that they would not emulate the wrong steps taken by their predecessors. It was all he could do. That was why he remained here in this school, because he knew that the children in this school and their welfare would be the greatest responsibility he could bear, greater than the many offices that had been shoved upon his shoulder.
He was brought out of his musings as Minerva spoke out in a rather frustrated town, "Professor Ogden has communicated that he will not be returning to teach Defense against the Dark Arts after his accident. Albus, this is becoming serious! He is now the fourth professor we have lost in a row! If I didn't know better, I would say that somebody has cursed that position!" she exclaimed in a huff.
Albus narrowed his eyes, even as he heard his deputy's words. He had suspected, but now he was beginning to think that his erstwhile student had indeed cursed the position out of spite when he had been refused that job.
"Come now, Minerva!" Horace Slughorn spoke out with a chuckle, "It was an honest accident, there is no need to jump at shadows now! It is true that we have not had good luck in the last couple of years, but to suggest that somebody could curse a position in Hogwarts no less, is preposterous!" the potions master replied back, while Minerva frowned.
"Perhaps … and perhaps not," came the voice of Filius Flitwick, "Once is a happenstance, twice is a coincidence, but thrice and now a fourth time in succession; there is a limit to how far coincidence can influence a series of events, Horace," the head of Ravenclaw pointed out, while Slughorn frowned.
"But that raises more questions than answers, does it not?" Pomona Sprout spoke out in an unusually serious tone for her.
"Indeed, if we take Minerva's words at face value, and consider the possibility that the position has been cursed … then …," Horace spoke out slowly, even as a heavy atmosphere permeated the room. If the position had been cursed, then that would mean that someone had managed to infiltrate Hogwarts and place a curse on one of its ward lines, while under Dumbledore's watch. The sheer thought of it was … galling. For thirty years … Dumbledore was the unquestioned titan of magic in Britain owing to his victory over Grindelwald. For someone to subvert Dumbledore's authority in his own domain without his knowledge … the implications if it became public would lead to chaos.
"This is of course … speculation at the moment, disquieting though it may be," Albus interjected in an attempt to lighten the mood.
At that moment, there was an unexpected flash of light, and they all turned around, only to see a phoenix, and then … they all froze as the phoenix in front of was most definitely not Dumbledore's phoenix, Fawkes.
As they all observed dumbfounded, Fawkes flashed into the hall and trilled melodiously and began to titter deferentially to the obviously larger phoenix, which possessed golden plumage as opposed to the red of Dumbledore's own phoenix.
"Albus! What …," Horace asked in wonder only to freeze as he saw the look of absolute shock on Albus Dumbledore's face.
Suddenly, a small howler detached itself from the phoenix's claws and a voice could be heard permeating the room. Rife, Majestic and old, it forced a sense of deference from those listening to it. "
Albus, there have been new developments that have forced me to come out into the open. I wish it were not the case, but the situation is dire. I shall be returning to Britain finally to take up my duties and bring the order back in public view. Await my arrival in Hogwarts in four days!"
Then the howler burned itself to ashes, while the majestic phoenix gave a bow to Albus and flashed out even as Fawkes followed it.
"Albus, who …," Horace asked in wonder again, even as Minerva reddened in anger at the fact that someone dared to send a howler to Albus Dumbledore of all people.
Albus Dumbledore felt flummoxed as he heard a voice that he had not expected to hear again in his lifetime. The voice brought in old memories, memories that he had forcibly repressed, and now in the twilight years of his life, to hear that voice again…
Suddenly, he paused as he recalled the words of his friend, and he froze as the implications of the words hit him like a thunderbolt out of the blue.
He swore in shock, which led his colleagues in the room to look at him with a dazed look in their eyes as they witnessed a rare occasion where Albus Dumbledore was caught off guard and lost his composure.
"Headmaster," Minerva asked with a hesitant tone, even as Albus leaned back in his chair and took a deep breath. Given what they had all heard, hiding the source of his current vexation was no use, as the source would be arriving to Hogwarts soon.
"Apologies, Minerva, and you too, Horace, Filius and Pomona, the voice we just heard brought back some very old memories, of an old friend, one whom I had presumed dead till today," he admitted, while the four heads of houses looked at each other.
"Headmaster … who is it? If I may ask?" Minerva asked again, even as Albus looked at them all and sighed. Given the choice he would have never revealed it, but the howler and its contents left him no choice. They would know, either through him or through his old friend once he arrived.
"You have all just had the distinct pleasure of hearing the voice of Lord Medivh, the most powerful wizard alive in the world today," Dumbledore spoke out in a soft voice, which resonated like a thunderclap in the ears of the others.
"I … beg your pardon?" Horace looked aghast and rather curious as well, while Filius, Pomona and Minerva looked similar.
"Headmaster, forgive me, but it is known universally, that you are one of, if not, the most powerful wizard alive today," Minerva spoke in a very controlled tone, even though her voice trembled. The others looked at Dumbledore with an intense gaze, even as Albus got up and began to pace around the room.
"As flattering as your belief in me is, Minerva," Albus sighed, "I am afraid it is not true. If my old friend is alive … no pardon me … as he is still alive, owing to who he is, he is now by default the most powerful wizard alive today," Albus concluded while the others stared at him in unbridled curiosity.
"Albus, I know that you have never lied to your friends," Horace spoke out softly, "but if what you say is true, then how is it that none of us knows about this person? Surely, a person of this caliber cannot remain hidden from the world!?" he asked hesitantly, while Albus nodded.
"It is as you say, Horace, but the reason why the world knows nothing about Medivh is by his design and owing to his duties," Albus took a deep sigh as he prepared to reveal some of the greatest kept secrets of the magical world. Considering that he would have to explain all this again to the Board Members of Hogwarts as well as the Ministry, he might as well use this as a practice run.
"His duties?" Filius asked in a curious tone while Albus took a deep breath.
"Lord Medivh, also known as Grandmaster Medivh, is the head of the Order of Light and is the current Light Lord," Albus spoke softly, but to those who heard those words, the impact may well have been the equivalent of a nuclear detonation.
"The Light Lord?" Pomona squeaked, uncharacteristic for her, but that showed how much the news had imbalanced her.
"But … but …" Horace spluttered as he looked at Albus in shock, while Filius gazed at him with a questioning look.
"Headmaster, even though you do not claim that title, we all assumed that you are the …
Light Lord," Minerva whispered, while Albus shook his head, even as he conjured four glasses and poured out a drink to all of his colleagues who gratefully accepted it.
"I do not claim that title, Minerva, because I have no right to it," Albus whispered, "Though I was a candidate for that position along with Medivh, when I was chosen as an apprentice along with him by Nicolas Flamel, who held that title in the last generation," he concluded, while those in the room recoiled with whiplash as they heard the words.
"You … what?" Horace whispered, even as Albus looked at them all, and then looked at the portrait of Armando Dippet, his predecessor, who had been listening to the conversation and nodded.
"Tell them, Albus, if Medivh is about to declare himself, then there is no need to hold it a secret anymore," Dippet spoke out, while Albus nodded.
The other heads of houses looked unnerved.
"As the heads of the four houses of Hogwarts, you have a right to know about certain secrets of the wizarding world, and chief among them is the position of the Light Lord, which has its origins in Hogwarts," Albus spoke, even as the four professors looked at each other pensively.
"The order of Light Lords has existed for over a thousand years and was founded at the end of the battle of Camlann, when the final battle between the forces of King Arthur and Mordred ended in a pyrrhic victory for both sides. The Order of Light was founded by the surviving members of the Knights of the Round Table, and the first Grandmaster of the Order of Light was none other than Rowena Ravenclaw, who founded the order in the memory of her fallen student, Merlin, who perished in that battle. For the last one thousand years, this line of succession has been unbroken. At any given time, there are always two members in the Order, a master and an apprentice. And the Light Lord at the time of my youth was Nicolas Flamel, and when the time came for him to choose an apprentice to inherit his mantle, he selected two young men whom he deemed worthy. One was myself, the other was … Medivh," Dumbledore finished while the others looked at him in wonder and incredulity.
"By the founders …, this … this is incredible! Why is this not known? Why is this part of our history not taught to anyone?" Filius asked in excitement, even as Minerva and the others seemed similarly excited.
"Because of the threat of the Order of Dark Lords, which was founded by Morgana and the survivors of Mordred's army from the battle of Camlann, which came into existence around the same time as well, and as such, the Order of Light has always worked in secret and the Light Lords have never made themselves known to the public unlike the Dark Lords," Albus replied, even as the four heads of houses sobered at the term.
"Tell me, what do you know of Koldovstoretz?" Albus asked after a moment, to which everyone was puzzled at the sudden non sequitur.
"Well, it is the most secretive of the eleven wizarding schools in existence, apart from that, I have not much knowledge about it," Horace admitted, while the others gave similar answers.
"Indeed, and it is by design, for it was founded by the survivors of Mordred's army who fled to Russia and founded that school there eventually as a means to rebuild their ranks. The Order of Dark Lords was founded by Morgana who became its first Grandmaster," Albus informed them, while they all were shaken from the news.
"Remember, if there is a school which is our destined rival, it will be Koldovstoretz, we are bound by destiny. Anyways, similar to the Order of Light, the Order of Dark works accordingly as well. One Master, One Apprentice at any given time. But their way of succession is a bit different. When the Grandmaster of the Order of Light deems that his apprentice is ready, he retires and hands over the mantle to his successor, who will then take over and eventually pass on his duty to the next generation. The Order of Dark Lords however, believes and operates on the principle of strength. Once the apprentice learns everything he knows, the apprentice then kills his master and takes over. This is expected, and if the apprentice fails to attempt this, then the master will kill the apprentice and choose another, for no other means of succession is allowed. For one to become a Dark Lord, he has to kill his master and assume his mantle. That is the way it is," Albus finished, while his fellow colleagues seemed shaken to the core.
"That is … barbaric," Minerva spoke out aghast, while Filius and Pomona nodded in agreement, while Horace was deep in thought.
"I think I understand why their order of succession is set up that way," the Head of Slytherin spoke out, even as he sighed. He had believed himself knowledgeable in the ways of the world, but what he had learned today had shattered his world view.
"And this now brings us to the crux of the matter," Albus continued, "The Dark Lord who was the contemporary of Nicolas Flamel was Paracelsus von Hohenheim," here the rest were startled in shock even as Dumbledore went on, "And the young man he would choose to succeed him was one Gellert Grindelwald," he finished, even as everyone looked at Dumbledore in profound surprise.
"And yet, the one to cast down Grindelwald was you … Albus, was it not?" Horace spoke after a moment's silence, even though his eyes belied his thoughts. The others remained silent.
"Indeed, I was the one to cast down Gellert in our final battle, but the only reason why I could do so, was because he had been considerably weakened and was convalescing from his earlier defeat when Medivh broke him in the battle of the city of Dresden," Albus revealed one of the greatest secrets of the century to his fellow colleagues.
Often times, the human brain at times when it becomes too overloaded with information cannot process it in time, leaving the listener in a state of fugue. This was one such time.
"I … I …," Minerva appeared flabbergasted as she looked at Dumbledore in shock, while Horace took a deep breath. Filius and Pomona were no better as they tried to come to terms with the magnitude of the information that had been revealed.
The Battle of Dresden had been an infamous affair, when the forces of Grindelwald as well as the detachment of War Mages from the ICW had met in the city of Dresden. The battle had been marked for its ferocity as the main forces of both sides had clashed in an all-out battle disregarding any notion of maintaining the statute of secrecy or collateral damage. Over 3,000 wizards and witches from both sides had perished in the battle until Grindelwald had arrived and cast a humongous spell of Fiendfyre and razed the city to the ground in retaliation. Both sides had called for a truce after the battle to ensure the obliviating of the survivors of the city to ensure that the statute remained unbroken in a truly herculean effort after the battle.
Now though, it seemed that there was more to that battle than meets the eye.
"The truth is far more different than what was revealed to the world, and this was part of an agreement reached by the various ministries that constitute the ICW," Albus continued, in a way that he would never have before, given a choice. By revealing these truths, it truly felt cathartic to Albus for the moment and his mind felt lighter than it had been for years, though he was a bit annoyed at his old friend for forcing him into this position. There would be quite a few pointed questions to his old friend once he arrived.
"Gellert was and remains the undisputed master of the art of casting Fiendfyre, indeed he possesses a gift for utilizing that spell which is near god-like," Albus admitted, even as he took a deep draught from his glass, while his audience listened spellbound. "Before he began his war publicly, Gellert once attempted to raze Paris to the ground during an altercation with the Aurors of MACUSA who had come to Paris to apprehend him, and in the course of that battle he had cast the same spell then, but fortunately for us and the world, Nicolas Flamel personally stepped in and dealt with the threat," Albus admitted with a sigh, while the others listened riveted to the story.
"At that time, Gellert had yet to reach the pinnacle of his power, which he had during the battle of Dresden, where he wiped out both the invading battalion of war mages as well as his own followers whom he used as bait to lure them in. It was at that point when the situation went out of control that Medivh stepped in," Albus finished, even as the eyes of the others lit up in curiosity.
"I was there of course, but my assistance was neither needed nor warranted, for Medivh had officially ascended to the position of the Light Lord and he brought his full might to bear. At that time, the Fiendfyre casted by Gellert had taken a life of its own and was growing unchecked and uncontrolled. So Medivh … did the impossible and broke the leylines of magic over Dresden … permanently, thus depriving the Fiendfyre of any magic to use as fuel and it stopped. Afterwards, he and Gellert engaged in a battle, which if I must honestly say, makes the battle I had with Gellert later pale in comparison. It took a year for Gellert to recover from the injuries that Medivh inflicted upon him, and he was never the same man afterwards. And apart from me, Medivh, Gellert and Lady Seraphina, who was the head of the ICW at the time, no one knows of this fact. The world believes that Grindelwald razed Dresden, but no one knew that the foundations of his defeat were laid down that day. The fate of the wizarding world was fought over that day between the Lords of Light and Dark Magic, and it was the Light Lord who prevailed…," Albus finished his story as his fellow colleagues listened enthralled at the vision of what they had just heard.
"This is …" Horace struggled to find words to describe what he had just learned, considering that his very world view had been shattered by the magnitude of the hidden knowledge he had gained today. He was not the only one.
"But you are still worried, Albus," Filius pointed out after a moment, at which they all sobered up.
"Indeed, Filius, you heard Medivh speak that he is making the order's existence public and that the situation is dire, but the question is, who or what is capable of making him worry to that extent where he is being forced to come out in the public?" Albus sighed deeply, as he looked forlornly towards Fawkes who had returned while they were all talking and was now dozing off on his perch.
Author's Note: After a bit of a break, I have decided to return to writing in whatever spare time I can find. In this story, I intend to create a world which vastly expands on the world created by Rowling and have it intermesh with other elements to try and create something new.
The behaviors of certain characters in this story will therefore be significantly different from canon, please do not expect adherence to canon lore. Canon will be a guide at best in determining time lines, but it can change depending upon the needs of the story.
