Soul Magic. The rarest and most powerful of the ancient magical arts. Lost to time due to mankind's jealousy in their inability to use it. Soul Magic is said to be able to convert ones own soul into a magical battery, recharging itself from natural energy and making itself stronger with continual use. One family, saved the last of the knowledge of Soul Magic. The Crowe Family. Through time, however, the Crowe's magical line started dying out, particularly in the last two Great Wizarding Wars against Gellert Grindelwald, and the Dark Lord Voldemort. The last remaining member of the Crowe Family was residing in America when news of his last remaining relative's death reached him. After meeting a seer, Elijah Crowe goes to England, to a small wizarding village known as Godric's Hallow.
Using his Soul Magic, he saw passed the veil of a powerful concealing charm known as the Fidelius Charm. Walking up to the door, Elijah knocked, sensing two potentially powerful practitioners of Soul Magic. Elijah waited for a few seconds before the door opened and he was being held at wand point by two people, a man with short brown hair and brown eyes, and a woman with long red hair and vibrant green eyes. "Good evening." Said Elijah. "Do you mind if I come in? It's kind of cold out."
"Who are you," asked the man.
"Ah, forgive my poor manners. My name is Elijah Crowe, I am an instructor at Ilvermorny Academy over in America. I came here looking for remnants of a powerful line." He looked at the woman and nodded. "And it appears I have found one of them. May I please come in?"
"First, tell us how you got passed the Fidelius Charm!" said the man.
"It's not something I can discuss out in public, ears everywhere, you know." The woman looked him over and met his silver eyes. She stared at them for a while before turning to James.
"I think we can trust him, James," She told the man, now named James.
"Lily, are you sure?" He asked her.
"Yes. James trust me." She lowered her wand, and, after a few seconds, James followed her example. "Please, come in, Mr. Crowe."
"Much obliged, ma'am." Elijah took off his hat, revealing hair as white as snow and stepped in. James felt the Fidelius rush back up behind him.
"How did you do that?"
"Ah, yes. That pertains to why I am here. You see, I am the last of my line. A very old and powerful family from the time of Merlin and Morgana."
"An Ancient and Noble line," said James.
"Yes, and no. My line choose not to stick to such titles. While we could claim and prove as such, we do not like boasting of familial deeds, grand though some might be. 'Do not rely fully on the words of the past, only your actions in the present matter.' Those are words my father told me as I was growing up."
"You said you were the last of your line," said Lily. "and that you were here looking for remnants of a powerful line?"
"Yes I was, miss…"
"Sorry. My name is Lily Potter. This is my husband, James."
"Potter. As in the last descendants of the Peverell line?"
"Yes," said James. "Not many know that. How did you?"
"I'm afraid the Crowes and Potters had an ancient feud centuries ago. It has long since been concluded, though. And I must say, I am grateful it has. Otherwise one of us would be dead on the ground right now."
"That's a relief," said James.
"As for why I am here, about a week ago, I received news of the death of my dear uncle, the next head of the Crowe Family. I was told that if I ever found myself as the Last Crowe, to seek a seer who would tell me of my destiny. The seer I met told me that it was my job to resurrect my families ancient magic. And that if I came here, I'd find two powerful potential practitioners to pass my knowledge onto. They would be the last of an ancient bloodline that once had the same proficiency of my families magic."
"And what magic is this," asked Lily, clearly intrigued.
"Soul Magic. The most powerful of magic."
"Soul Magic is a myth." Said James. "No one has been able to perform it for millennia."
"That's because the mages of old wiped out all of the Soul Magic families except two. The Crowe's, and a second family that I thought was dead as of around 400 years ago. We'd lost contact with the family around that time when we came to America. I'm afraid I do not remember the family name, but I do know the characteristics of the line. Vibrant green eyes, and the women were named after flowers."
"I'm one of the line?"
"Yes you are, you and one other I felt in this house." Lily and James shared a look before Lily stood up and went up the stairs. When she came back down, she was carrying a small bundle in her arms.
"This is our son, Harry." She showed Elijah the child and he gasped. Harry was more powerful than his mother, and Elijah gazed at him, his silver eyes shining.
"Your son is powerful, and it seems his soul has already achieved the first stage of Soul Magic, a partial Awakening. His soul is slowly absorbing natural energy from the world around him. He is already more powerful than you, Mrs. Potter. And it appears his strength can be thanked to you as well, Mr. Potter. Those of the Peverell line have always had exceptionally strong connections to magic. And the Potter line has been full of pure hearted souls. It's no wonder your son is as powerful as he is." Lily hugged her son with pride and James beamed.
"I want you three to come with me to America. There I can properly teach you two Soul Magic and you can perfect the craft before young Harry is required to go school!" At their somber expressions, Elijah faltered. "Did I say something wrong?"
"No," said James. "We're just afraid we cannot go with you. The Dark Lord is hunting us."
"You mean that Voldemort I've heard about?"
"The very same," said Lily. "Nice to meet someone who isn't afraid to say his name."
"Moniker, not name." said Elijah as he held a small charm in front of the boy who wanted to play with it. "If it were a name, more people would know his first name. Not just the name he gave himself. 'Runs from Death', foolish. And his followers are even more so. Flocking to him because he claims he is the 'Heir of Slytherin'." He spat at the ground.
"He's not?" asked James.
"No, what is his only claim, parseltongue? The magical art of speaking to snakes?" He spoke in said language and chuckled when Harry giggled.
"You know parseltongue?"
"Of course. One of the perks of Soul Magic is being able to learn arts thought lost or forbidden as long as they have an example of it. I met a snake charmer in India a while back and learned how to speak it from him. Took a while, but I got the hang of it. Learning languages was never my forte." Elijah was then distracted as he looked around the house.
"What's wrong?" asked James. Lily looked nervous.
"A very complex ritual. A self-sacrifice ritual designed to save one. A last resort in case Voldemort manages to get in somehow. Ingenious. But, there's a runic matrix out of place, one that affects the target soul's luck." He turned to Lily. "Very good. But I can make it better. I may not be able to save all three of you, but I can save two souls instead of just one." He dug into his pocket and pulled out two necklaces. He windlessly shrunk one, to the Potter's amazement, and placed it around Harry's neck. He giggled and started teething on it.
"Wandless magic," asked Lily.
"Yes. Soul Magic, because you are using your soul as a power source and body as a focus, a wand is not required unless you need a more precise aim. As for these necklaces, they are quartz crystal necklaces with a spell cast on them. The wearer of one will have their soul saved in the crystals, the body will then be placed in immediate stasis until the soul is returned using an advanced ritual."
"Lily, you wear the necklace," said James.
"James!"
"No, Lily listen. You've been right about everything so far. And if Voldemort arrives, you should be the one to raise Harry. I'll just screw up and make him into a carbon copy of me before I met you. Harry should be better than I was." Lily and James shared a private conversation as they looked into each other's eyes. Lily sighed before she hugged him.
"You stupid, stupid, wonderful man." Elijah fixed the runic array while they spoke and turned to them
"I am sorry for the fate your family is under. I know the Fidelius Charm well. Who is your Secret Keeper?"
"One of my best friends. Peter Pettigrew."
"I shall commit that name to memory then. In case things go wrong either way. For now, Lily. Hold out your hand." When she did, he placed a wand in her hand. "This wand will start the Awakening of your soul. It'll protect your mind from any external mind magics."
"How do I activate it?"
"Just act like you're doing the Levitation Charm without the incantation." She did as instructed, and James covered his eyes as a brilliant silver light engulfed her. When James saw her again, her hair had streaks of white, and her eyes had flecks of silver.
"Wow. Lily, you look beautiful."
"And I didn't before?" she asked with mock hurt. James stumbled over his words trying to apologize until Lily laughed and kissed him. Elijah smiled at them before he felt something and closed his eyes. He focused on Harry's soul and felt it reaching out for five others. Four as old as himself and one a year younger. Elijah smiled as he felt a sense of familiarity from two connections. He turned to them.
"I see you have set up marriage contracts, have you not?"
"Is there anything you can't see?" asked Lily.
"The invisible man without the wrappings." He chuckled at his joke and went to the door. "I felt your sons connection to two souls, and his soul is attempting to reach three others. This is more than a soul mate scenario, this feels more like you two. A minor soul bond. Their souls are connected on a very small level that will grow with time. I am going to track where I felt the other souls. See if I can convince the parents to allow me to teach them as well. Despite what I have said, anyone can learn soul magic, the younger the better. It just becomes more difficult for others as they grow older because it becomes more difficult to control. It's why the other mages hunted us down. If I can convince the others to come with me, I may be able to save Soul Magic in more than a grimoire to be forgotten with time."
"I can save you the trouble of tracking down two of them," said James. "The two families we made contracts with were Greengrass and Bones. Both families are old friends of the Potter family. Their daughters are who Harry has contracts with. Their names are Daphne and Susan respectively."
"Daphne Greengrass and Susan Bones. Got it. Now, all I have to do is track down the other three. I shall return when I have news." He shook their hands and gave Harry another necklace for luck before smiling. "I wish you luck, my new friends."
"Good luck to you too, Elijah." Said James. Elijah left and made his way to where he felt the closest soul was.
A quaint little home that doubled as a dentist's office. "'Granger's Family Dentistry.' Harry is reaching out to a no-mag girl. How exciting!" Walking up to the door, Elijah knocked on the door.
"Coming!" called a female behind the door. Soon the door opened revealing a woman with dark brown hair, and a mess of baby food on the front of her dress. "Hello there. I'm Dr. Emma Granger. How can I help you?"
"Hello, Dr Granger. My name is Elijah Crowe. May I come in?"
"Of course." She let Elijah come in and led him to the guest foyer where her husband was playing with their one-year old daughter. "So, how can we help you, Mr. Crowe?" Their daughter turned to the stranger and stared at his eyes. She pointed, drawing her father's attention. He did a double take as he saw the silver eyes.
"Oh, wow." He said. "Emma, look at his eyes, they're silver!" She looked and gasped in surprise.
"Oh my. How did I miss that?"
"Most people tend not to look others in the eye out of habit. Something I'm somewhat glad for at times. May I sit down?"
"Oh, of course." Said Emma, gesturing to the chair by him. "Oh, Mr. Crowe. This is my husband, Dr Daniel Granger."
"Pleasure to meet you, Dr. Granger."
"And you, Mr. Crowe. Now, can I ask why you came here?"
"It is about you're daughter. She has a great opportunity at hand right now. Tell me Dr. Grangers, do you believe in magic?"
"What are you on about? You mean card tricks"
"No sir, actual magic. Observe." He raised his hand towards one of their daughter's toys and lifted it into the air using a levitation charm. Both Dr. Grangers watched in shock and fascination, their daughter merely squealed in excitement and reached for the toy, not a care in the world. The toy changed color several times before going back to normal and lowering to her arms. She hugged it and tossed it into the air, trying to make it fly again. "That is real magic, not the illusions magicians use in Vegas and house shows."
"Impossible," breathed Emma.
"No ma'am, merely improbable. Your daughter here has the potential to do that and so much more. Just by looking at her, I can tell she has an aptitude for the rarest and most powerful forms of magic. Soul Magic." He made his eyes glow for emphasis.
"You're saying, our daughter is a…" said Emma, trailing off.
"A witch, to be frank. And a powerful one for her age. She has such a great potential, it drew me here. I felt her soul, felt her magic. It was singing, for lack of a better word, and the notes and tones drew me here. I'm a professor at a prestigious magic school in America. I'm here to ask you to move there and allow your daughter to be taught magic."
"You want us to drop everything, leave our practice, and move to America just so that Hermione can learn magic?"
"No, I'm asking if you'd like to come. I can easily move here to teach her, and the other children I have found how to use magic."
"Frankly, " said Daniel, arms crossed. "I don't believe you. You'll have to give me proof that our Hermione is a witch."
"All you have to do is observe, because, through sheer determination alone," he gestured to the one-year old girl. They turned and stared as Hermione was making not only the toy from earlier float, but other toys as well. "She has figured out how to make her toys fly. Your daughter is a brilliant prodigy. A one in a million. Not teaching her, her craft, would almost be a crime. Dr Grangers. Please. I promise you, nothing horrible will happen to your daughter. I will make sure of it." Daniel and Emma both mulled it over before they looked at each other and nodded.
"Alright, Mr. Crowe," said Daniel. "You have permission to teach our daughter magic."
"You will not regret this, Dr. Grangers. Are you coming to America, or will I need to move here?"
"What about your job over there?"
"I can take a vacation at any time. It wouldn't be the first time, I did when I was called to service."
"You're a soldier?"
"Yes sir," He saluted then showed a tattoo on his shoulder. "United States Marine Corps." Daniel smiled and pointed to a glass case. Elijah looked at it and saw a decorated uniform and an RAF beret.
"British Royal Air Force." The two soldiers shook hands once more and Elijah turned to Emma.
"I will return when I have things settled. If nothing else, I'll be able to move here and begin Hermione's studies when she is old enough to remember them."
"Wait," said Emma. You said there is a magic school in America. Is there one in Europe?"
"Yes, ma'am. Hogwarts. One of the best in the world. Second only to Ilvermorny, but I may be biased on that subject." Elijah chuckled. "If you do not hear from me, feel free to send Hermione there. She may not learn Soul Magic, but she will get a decent magical education. Just try to keep the magic secret from other people. The magical community is very reclusive and does not want to be outed to no-mag, or muggle here in Europe, people. They tend to wipe peoples minds if they know about magic."
"And if Hermione starts using magic in public?"
"The magical government has monitoring systems in place in case of such a thing. Do not worry. I will be able to teach her when and when not to use magic. And if I can't the British magical community will track it, wipe the memories of anyone who witnessed it, and inform you that your daughter is magical. Try to act surprised. There are prejudiced people in the magical community that do not like mundane born witches or wizards."
"We'll be careful," said Daniel.
"Good. I must be going now. I have other stops to visit."
"Have a good day, Mr. Crowe," said Emma.
"You as well, Dr. Grangers." Elijah left the house, and apparated away, startling both of them. Hermione, who was in her mothers arms, just waved at where Elijah once stood.
Elijah apparated in front of a humble mansion and was pleased to feel two of Harry's bond mates in the same building. Elijah went up to the door and knocked. The door was immediately opened by a house elf. He smiled down at it. "How can Mimsy helps you sir?"
"Hello, Mimsy. Is this the Greengrass residence?"
"Yes sir, it is. How can Mimsy helps you?"
"I would like to speak with Lord Greengrass, can you get him for me please?"
"One minute, pleases, sir." Mimsy snapped and disappeared. Elijah waited patiently for the house elf to return. Mimsy appeared a minute later and gestured for him to follow. She led him to a meeting room where a man with blonde hair and light blue eyes was sitting next to a man with black hair and dark green eyes. In the room next to them, two women were chatting as two one-year old babies were playing with a magical toy set. "Sir, this bes Lord Greengrass, the man to his left bes Lord Davis."
"Thank you, Mimsy. You may go back to your duties." Mimsy curtsied and disappeared. He turned to Elijah and became more formal. "I am Lord Cyrus Greengrass, Head of the Most Ancient and Noble House of Greengrass. This here is my friend and business associate Lord Richard Davis. I'm afraid you caught us at a strange time, Mr. …"
"Forgive me, I sometimes forget my manners in these settings." He stood up and bowed. "I am Elijah Crowe, last living member and now Lord of House Crowe. A pleasure to meet you both."
"Now that the formalities are over with, How can I help you Lord Crowe?"
"It actually pertains to your daughters. Both of them in fact."
"If you're asking to establish a marriage contract with my daughter, I'm afraid you're too late, and too old for that matter."
"No, no, no. Nothing like that, I assure you. It's actually pertaining to your daughters magical education."
"There's nothing to discuss there either. I can tell you're American by your accent. If you're trying to get them to attend Ilvermorny, I'm afraid we're already sending them to Hogwarts."
"It's not about that either. Tell me, my Lords, what do you know of Soul Magic?"
"A lost art," said Richard. "Wiped out centuries ago by muggles, according to folk tales."
"Actually, the families who primarily practiced Soul Magic were wiped out by other mages out of pure jealousy. They wanted that power for themselves and when it wasn't taught to them, they wiped out the all of the families, all except for one, mine."
"You're telling me you are one of the Soul Magic families?"
"The silver eyes and white hair should be a dead giveaway, if you're familiar with the stories."
"That could easily be done with illusion charms or a metamorphmagus, it doesn't mean a thing. Prove to me that you are who you say you are, then we'll believe you."
"Alright then." He stood up and turned to the two lords. "Fire any spell at me, any at all. It could even be the Killing Curse, I do not mind"
"You can't be serious."
"Oh, I am very serious. Go ahead. You want a demonstration, I'll give you one." Both men were hesitant. Finally Cyrus stood up.
"Mimsy," he said. The house elf appeared next to him and awaited instructions. "Take a note that Lord Elijah Crowe has given me permission to use the Killing Curse on him. Also take note that I agreed to this reluctantly, and that I will submit a memory to the Head of the Department of Magical Law Enforcement as evidence after this event." He turned to the women who were watching what was going on with worry. "Martha, keep the girls away from seeing this." He pulled out his wand and aimed it at the American wizard.
"You are aware of the consequences of this, correct?"
"I would not be telling you to do this otherwise."
"Very well then. Avada Kedavra!" The green bolt of magic left the lords wand and sped towards the American. Elijah held up his hand. Without an incantation, a golden magical shield appeared in front of his hand, stunning everyone watching. The green bolt hit the shield, and was absorbed into it, making it glow brighter, and drawing the attention of the two baby girls. They crawled over to it giggling and babbling. Elijah dropped the shield and knelt down to them smiling.
"Hello you two." He reached into his jacket pocket and pulled out two baby toys. They took them and started playing. He stood up and turned to the lords and their ladies with a smile. "I hope that was enough to convince you of my claim." Richard and Cyrus nodded dumbly as their wives just stared at the silver haired man.
"Cyrus," said Martha, Cyrus' wife. "What was that?"
"That, my love, was Soul Magic. Honest to God Soul Magic."
"I thought that was a myth," stated Richard's wife.
"As did I, Rosa, as did I." Elijah smiled and took his seat again.
"Now about your daughters. I can see they have a great potential for Soul Magic."
"I thought only the families could learn Soul Magic." Said Richard.
"No. That's actually a common misconception. Anyone can learn Soul Magic, even No-Mag."
"No-Mag?" asked Rosa.
"Sorry. I mean the Muggles, as you call them."
"Muggles can use Soul Magic?"
"Of course. If the ancient mages hadn't killed our families we'd have taught it to multiple mundane people. We wouldn't teach them every secret, just the initial stuff. As you can imagine, there were mages that didn't like the thought that muggles could be given magic of any kind. Particularly a magic they were denied themselves."
"So the families were wiped out, out of anger and jealousy." Said Rosa.
"I am the last one left, well, one of three."
"Three?" asked Cyrus.
"Yes, a few hours ago I met a descendent of the only other Soul Magic family that survived. One my own family lost contact with about 400 years ago. Her and her son are the last descendants of that line. I believe you know them, Lord Greengrass. Young Daphne is part of a marriage contract with the son."
"Lily?" asked Martha. Elijah nodded and smiled.
"They're both strong, regarding Soul Magic. Harry even more so than Lily, thanks to being part of the line, and being a Potter. He's more powerful now than most children are at age 6. And your daughters are not far behind. Not surprising considering they, along with three others, appear to be soul bonded to young Harry." Elijah saw their shocked faces and smiled. Don't be surprised. My eyes allow me to see one's soul and it's connections, a perk of Soul Magic." Richard's daughter crawled to him. He absently picked her up and looked at her. She babbled and hit his face with her toy, laughing.
"Tracey is soul bound to Harry Potter?"
"No sir, not bound, bonded. Large difference."
"Do you know who the other bonded are?" asked Rosa.
"Just two. Susan Bones, and a muggleborn named Hermione Granger. The last girl appears to be a year younger."
"Susan as well?" asked Martha. She turned to Cyrus who nodded.
"It seems the plans me and James had set in place will have to advance a bit faster than normal. In fact, it plays more into our favor."
"What do you mean?"
"Dumbledore's way of fighting this war is not working, the Dark Lord's forces continue to kill his while his Order of the Phoenix does nothing to stop them. Dumbledore has adopted a wait and see mentality, and it's costing him lives. Lives of good men. My family has remained neutral, but I'm afraid I might be pressured into joining either side. That's when James came to me. Proposed we set our children up in a marriage contract and the Potters turn from the Light Alliance to the Neutral Alliance along with the Bones, Abbots, and Longbottoms. House Davis would turn from the Dark Alliance to the Neutral Alliance as well. Including my own House and the other Neutral Alliance Most Ancient and Noble Houses, Parkinson, and Bulstrode, that brings the total number of Neutral Alliance Most Ancient and Noble Houses to nine. That, including the lesser houses that would vote with us instead of Dumbledore would bring us to a majority. I believe James called this the 'Dragon Alliance', called as such because practically nothing can beat it."
"Smart. And it could turn the tide against Voldemort, politically, at least."
"You just said his name and didn't activate the Taboo," said Martha.
"That's another perk of Soul Magic. It has a latent anti-magic effect, that's why the Killing Curse did not work. I actively turned the anti-magic into a shield and absorbed the magic into my own reserves."
"Incredible. If your family had been around to help fight the war, the Dark Lord would be the one on the ropes," said Rosa.
"If, being the major word. My family primarily practiced pacifism. I was one of the few exceptions, opting to join the No-Mag military. I don't know if they would've joined the war." The lords and ladies sat in quiet contemplation, considering their options. Cyrus stood up, followed by Richard. They made their way over to Elijah. Cyrus extended his hand.
"Lord Crowe, you have my permission to teach my daughter Soul Magic."
"The same goes for me," said Richard. They both shook his hand as he stood up. Elijah smiled.
"Great. Now I know for sure fate is on my side. It was not coincidence that both of you should be here when I expected only one." He patted Tracey on the head lightly and turned to the lords and ladies. "I will contact you when I have things properly set up. I will be moving to London for ease of access for all families involved." He made his way to the door. "I must be off! I have two more houses to visit, and a path to unlock. Fate has shown me that this will lead me to my destiny. Something I have searched for, for years. Have a good day, Lord and Lady Greengrass, Lord and Lady Davis." Elijah turned on the spot and disapparated, leaving the two families to make preparations.
Elijah arrived at a manor that seemed quite old, but still magnificent. He went and knocked on the door. A second later, a house elf answered the door. "Welcome to Bones Manor, I am Dippsie, the Bones Family elf. How can I help you?"
"Hello, I would like to speak with Lord Bones, if that is at all possible."
"Come right in. I will go tell Lord Bones, and he will join you shortly. Elijah waited patiently, practicing a difficult capoeira kata to pass the time. When he finished and got into a resting position, he heard clapping. Turning, he saw a group of people. Four people were standing nearby. Three of the adults had red hair, the fourth was a man with black hair and a scraggly beard. Elijah bowed and smiled.
"Capoeira, right?" asked the younger woman.
"Yes, learned it during my time in the American military." He bowed to them. "Elijah Crowe, last living member and current lord of House Crowe, at your service." The red-headed man smiled and shook his hand.
"No need for formalities. I am Sebastian Bones, these lovely ladies are my wife, Cynthia, and my eldest daughter, Amelia. The pain in the ass next to her is her boyfriend, Sirius Black."
"Hey, I'm not that bad."
"Sirius," said Amelia. "Shut up."
"Yes dear."
"Now that introductions are out of the way, what can I help you with, Lord Crowe?"
"It regards the girl in a marriage contract with one Harry Potter, Susan Bones, I believe?"
"What do you want with my granddaughter?"
"I wish to teach her Soul Magic. And before anyone says it, no, Soul Magic is not a myth. It's very real and my family is currently the last living practitioners of it. I've met James and Lily potter and seen that Lily and Harry are from a line thought exist that survived the eradication of Soul Magic several lifetimes ago. After observing Harry's soul, I found his soul reaching for five other souls. A minor soul bond, if you will. One of which, is young Susan."
"Five girls huh," asked Sirius. He whistled and grinned. "Kid's only a year old and he's already beaten me to my dream. That's my godson for ya."
"Oh, really, Sirius." Said Amelia, glaring at her boyfriend.
"Uh… just a joke, darling."
"It better be."
"Soul Magic," said Sebastian. "Are you telling me Susan could learn a lost magic?"
"Yes sir. I'll be moving to London to easily be near each of the children to teach them."
"I can't speak for my younger son, but I'll talk to him. Considering James is involved with this, I'm sure he'll agree."
"Thank you Sebastian. I will contact you when I have things set up. Their training will begin when all of the children are old enough to remember it."
"If you don't mind my asking," said Amelia. "Who are the others?"
"One is a muggleborn girl, named Hermione Granger. Two are Daphne Greengrass, and Tracey Davis." Sirius smirked as he heard the familiar names in James' 'Dragon Alliance' idea. Elijah wrote down something on a piece of paper and handed it to Sebastian. "This is the hotel I'm staying at. When you get your answer, please, find me. I'll be staying in London until I need to return to America and finish working at Ilvermorny."
"I'll be sure to remember that. How long?"
"About 2 or 3 weeks, depending on how long it takes them to find my uncles will." He shook their hands and went for the door. "Until we meet again." Elijah left, leaving them excited and confused.
Elijah apparated to a large field, next to an odd shaped building that resembled a rook piece in a game of chess. He went to the door and was about to knock when a woman opened it and smiled. "Oh, is it 4:33 already? I must say, I wasn't really looking at the time, too busy looking after baby Luna, you see?" Elijah then noticed she was carrying a small bundle. A small girl with grey eyes, platinum hair like her mothers, and an odd expression on her face, also just like her mother.
"You must forgive me, Mr. Crowe. Raising little Luna has made me lose track of time far too often."
"I'm sorry, I didn't give you my name. How did you…"
"I am a seer, much like little Luna will be when she grows up."
"Ah. That explains it. Then I'm afraid you have me at a disadvantage Ms. …"
"Ah, forgive my manners. My name is Pandora Lovegood. This bundle of joy in my arms is Luna. You don't need to explain anything to me, Mr. Crowe. I've seen everything. Luna will be joining the other girls when she gets older, she wouldn't be a Ravenclaw if she didn't pursue any sort of knowledge she can get, now would she?"
"I guess not," he replied, smiling. "Fate must be smiling down at me. To find all of my new students in one day, and to find a seer as well! Hahah!" He heard someone upstairs and looked at the steps nearby. A man with wild platinum hair came down, he appeared to be covered in ink.
"Pandora? Who's here?"
"A new friend, Xenofilius! This is Elijah Crowe."
"Of the Crowe Family?!" Xenofilius scrambled over to the American and vigorously shook his hand. "A pleasure to meet you! A practitioner of Soul Magic! In my very home!"
"It is a pleasure to meet you too, Mr. Lovegood."
"Bah! Call me Xenofilius! All my friends do! Listen, I run a local newspaper, The Quibbler. I was wondering if I could get an interview with you about Soul Magic?"
"Not at this time, I'm afraid. There are still many secrets I cannot disclose until I formally become an instructor. Once I begin teaching Luna and the other children, then I will do an interview."
"Thank you, Mr. Crowe! Thank you!"
"Please, call me Elijah. All of my friends do." Pandora smiled as the two men shook hands and looked down at Luna.
"You will have a very interesting future, my little moon." Luna smiled and giggled at her mother. Pandora smiled and turned to the two men. Xeno, I'm afraid Elijah needs to leave. He has plenty of things to do in the next few years."
"Oh, alright. Again, good to meet you, Elijah. Your welcome here at the Rookery any time!"
"Nice to meet you as well. All three of you. But I'm afraid, Pandora is correct. I must be off! If you two wish to join in their studies, you are more than welcome to when the time comes."
"Oh, before I forget." Said Pandora. "May I see your wand, sir?"
"Ah. Of course." He pulled out the same wand he handed to Lily Potter earlier that day and handed it to Pandora. After going through the motion, the same silver light engulfed her. Pandora's eyes now shone silver much like Elijah's. He smiled as he took the wand back, only for it to turn a sickly pale color. He looked at it sadly and sighed. "Rest, old friend." He placed the wand back in his robes.
"What happened?" asked Xenofilius.
"This wand was old. Good for only 2 more uses. Earlier today I allowed Lily Potter to use it. Pandora using it just now has exhausted its reserve. I must return it home so that I can retire it properly. I'm sorry to not have been able to grant the gift of Awakening to you, Xenofilius."
"Worry not. I am a patient man. I can wait a few years." Elijah smiled at him and turned to Pandora "I'm sure I don't need to instruct you on what to do next, Lady Seer?"
"No, you do not. Goodbye Elijah."
"Goodbye Mr. and Mrs. Lovegood! And may fate have our paths cross again."
"It will, Elijah," said Pandora with a smile. Elijah bowed, turned on the spot, and disapparated away. Pandora smiled as Luna reached for her now silver eyes and laughed.
Elijah returned to Godric's Hallow and knocked at the door of the Potter Cottage. James checked who it was and opened the door, smiling. "Welcome back, Elijah. Everything went well?"
"Yes it did. All of the children, except young Susan have been given permission. Susan's parents were not present, nor was Susan. Her aunt and grandparents were, however."
"Was a man named Sirius there?"
"Yes, he was. He even mentioned to me he was Harry's godfather."
"He is," said Lily, carrying Harry in her arms. Harry smiled, seeing Elijah, and reached for him. "Much to my annoyance. At least his other godparents are better role models."
"Who are they?"
"The Longbottoms," said James. "They've got a young boy named Neville who's just a day older than Harry."
"Ah, right. Cyrus mentioned they were a part of your 'Dragon Alliance' plan in the British Ministry."
"Dammit, Cyrus. Can't even keep that a secret."
"To be fair, I think he was still in shock from my demonstration of Soul Magic, and a successful block of the Killing Curse."
"Soul Magic can…" started James, before Lily calmed him down.
"I take it, this has something to do with the anti-magic phenomenon I encountered earlier? One of Harry's toys went haywire and was shooting small magical fireworks that fizzled out before they even hit me, unlike everything else."
"Yes, it is something my family learned early on as well. Soul Magic has anti-magic properties. Allowing us to drain magic from spells cast at us to power ourselves. One of our techniques turns the latent anti-magic into proper shields for things, especially the Killing curse, or even Fiend Fire."
"That's a handy technique."
"It is, it's how my family survived. We'd heard word of the other families being attacked, that's when the shield was developed. It has since been perfected."
"So," asked Lily. "When do lessons begin?"
"As soon as the children are old enough to remember. As for you, for now, try focusing your soul for basic things, beginner level magic without incantations. Also, try looking into one's soul. You'll be able to know instantly if it works as it will relay information to your own soul and mind. Great for rooting out deceivers. And good for telling if your husband is lying." Lily cast a sly look over to James who started sweating. Elijah chuckled.
"I'll do just that."
"You're going to get me killed," said James, jokingly.
"Not killed, just horribly maimed," replied Elijah. He gave them the address of the hotel he was staying in, conjured a new toy for Harry, and disapparated.
A few days later, Voldemort attacked the small the cottage in Godric's Hallow. James had managed to hold the self-proclaimed Dark Lord off long enough for Lily to get her ritual ready and place the necklaces on both her and her son. When Voldemort killed James, he made his way up the stairs to the bedroom. Lily stood between him and her son, the ritual complete. "Stand aside," he told her.
"No! I won't let you harm him!"
"Avada Kedavra!" The Killing Curse hit her, and instead of killing her completely, Lily's soul was stored in her necklace. She made sure that a piece of paper with directions was in her hand when she was hit for someone to find. Voldemort turned his wand to baby Harry, who was crying and reaching for his mother. "This is the boy destined to kill me? Pathetic. Avada Kedavra!" The green curse struck Harry but did not kill him. Instead, a runic array lit up, absorbing the magical energy, and redirecting back at the Dark Lord. Voldemort's cloak and wand were all that was left as his body was disintegrated. The resulting magical backlash caused the crib to break and a piece of shrapnel strike Harry in the head making a lightning shaped scar.
Voldemort's soul did not return to the void, instead it fled, or rather what was left of it fled as a small fragment managed to find itself embedded in Harry's scar. Roughly an hour later, a man with shoulder length greasy looking hair came into the home and saw the aftermath of Voldemort's attack. "No, Lily!" The man hugged the woman's body to him, not knowing her body was still alive, only in stasis.
"James!" sounded a voice downstairs. The man cursed internally and hid in Harry's closet The man he heard ran upstairs. "Lily! Harry!" Sirius Black ran into the room and found Harry crying. He was making his way over to him when he noticed something in Lily's hand. He pulled out a piece of paper and read it. He pocketed the paper and went to Harry. "I'll be back, Pup. Don't worry." He kissed Harry's head, and disapparated. The man in the closet came out, cast one last look at Harry and his mother, and disapparated as well. Minutes later, a giant of a man came into the room.
"Oh, Lily. I'm so sorry." He went and gently picked up the now sleeping Harry. "Come on 'arry, Professor Dumbledore will want to see ya." The man went outside, found a motorcycle that belonged to Sirius Black, climbed aboard and took Harry to where Dumbledore said to meet him.
Sirius Black apparated in an alley next to the hotel Elijah Crowe was staying at and went up to the room. He knocked repeatedly and vigorously. Soon, Elijah opened the door. "Mr. Black? What are you doing here? If you're looking for Amelia, she left not too long ago after telling me of her brother's decision. Susan is now part of the plan, so you know."
"I'm not here for that. It's James and Lily. They were attacked. I found a piece of paper in Lily's hand telling me to find you if it seems they're dead."
"Damn. Alright. Let us go then, my friend."
"You go, I've got a rat to sniff out!" Before Elijah could ask what he meant, Sirius disapparated away. Elijah cursed and disapparated to the Potter Cottage. He found James' body and closed his eyes.
"I'm sorry, my friend." He closed James' still open eyes and went upstairs. The first thing he noticed was that Harry was nowhere in sight. He tried tracking him and found a large signature of a half giant had been here before taking him away. Deciding to focus on the immediate task at hand, Elijah channeled magic through the quartz crystal and into Lily's body. He could see her soul reenter her body and waited. After a minute, Lily shot straight up, gasping for air. "It's alright. Breathe, Lily. Breathe."
Lily got her breathing under control after a few seconds. She turned to Elijah. "I don't ever want to do that again."
"Then don't get killed." He helped her up and his expression turned grim. "Harry is not here. He was gone before I arrived. I tried tracking him and found the presence of a half giant had been here not too long ago."
"That must've been Hagrid. He's the Keeper of the Keys and Grounds at Hogwarts, and loyal to Dumbledore. You said you tried tracking Harry, how?"
"I got a small peak at his soul when I was first here, it's how I found the girls. You will have a much better time tracking him. The connection between a mother and her child is strong. You just need to know how to feel for his soul." He gave her a calming draught to help her relax. "Close your eyes. Remember your sons soul. Babies are the easiest for a mother to find because they express their souls all the time. Remember his laughs and his cries. Those are his purest expressions of the soul."
Following his instructions, Lily Potter remembered her son's soul. Her reach extended beyond Godric's Hallow and brought her attention to Little Whinging. To a rather normal house on Number 4 Privet Drive. Lily felt her son's discomfort and opened her eyes, furious. "That bearded bastard!"
"What is wrong?"
"Dumbledore, is what is wrong. What was he thinking?! Bringing Harry there of all places?! And without proper protection from the cold!"
"Where is Harry?"
"Dumbledore has taken him to my sister's."
"Then let's go get him." He was about to disapparate away with her only for her to stop him.
"Stop. I don't think I am in any condition for magical travel just yet."
"Right, sorry. We'd better get out of here soon, aurors will be arriving at any time."
"Why haven't they arrived already?"
"Perhaps Voldemort has people inside the ministry delaying deployment."
"Or perhaps Dumbledore hasn't seen fit to notify the DMLE about the attack yet."
"Do you really think so?"
"Dumbledore sent Hagrid here. Hagrid doesn't know how to fight, just follow orders. He's a lovable man, but he is gullible as well. And for Hagrid to take Harry and not leave him here for aurors to find, means one thing to me." She turned to Elijah, her expression grim. "Dumbledore knew Voldemort would attack tonight."
"If that is the case, then we need to be careful." He looked at her. "You have magical vehicles here in England?"
"Just the Knight Bus."
"Oh, I've heard stories of that. It's a nightmare to ride isn't it?"
"You have no idea, but it's our only option." Elijah led Lily downstairs where she saw the body of her husband. She hugged him and sobbed over him for a few minutes. Elijah let her grieve before they made their way to the road. Lily stuck out her wand and the red double decker bus sped up to the curb. Lily told the driver where to go as Elijah grabbed onto a metal pole in the bus. Lily grabbed one next to him and both braced themselves for the ride. The bus sped off, heading towards Number 4 Privet Drive. They got off, both feeling very uneasy as the sun rose behind them.
"You people need a better transport system."
"Try telling the Ministry that." Lily went over to the House where she found an empty basket. "Damn. Petunia must've taken him inside." Lily was about to knock when Elijah stopped her, looking over the house. "What's wrong?"
"Powerful runic array. Blood tracking, physical monitoring, there are a few I don't even know how to describe." He stepped in front of her. "Let me knock, the anti-magic will negate the tracking and not alert whoever cast it." Elijah knocked at the door and both waited. A second later, a whale of a man answered the door.
"Yes can I help…" he spotted Elijah's white hair and silver eyes, then he saw Lily, and his anger grew. "You?! What's this all about?! The letter said you were dead!"
"Vernon," said Lily sternly. "Unless you want to make a scene with your nosy neighbors, I suggest you let us inside." Vernon looked back and forth between neighboring houses before he grudgingly let them in. Lily saw Petunia fretting over her own son, Harry left crying in a ratty old basket on the kitchen floor. "Petunia!" Her sister jumped and looked at her.
"What are you doing here?! I thought you were dead!" Lily ignored her and went over to her son. She picked him up, and he instantly stopped crying, seeing his mother alive. Harry hugged her as she glared at her sister.
"How long were you going to just let him cry like that?! You thought I was dead, and this is how you treat my son?! Do you hate me that much for something I could not control?!"
"Was this some kind of trick?!"
"No, ma'am," said Elijah. "Far from it." He looked at Vernon and scowled. "Your soul is dark, darker than most No-Mag people I've encountered. You're more spiteful and filled with hate than anyone I've met." He turned to Petunia. "Whereas you are conflicted. Your own feelings are clouded and jumbled. They are also being suppressed by fear." He looked at Vernon again then back at her. "I suggest you leave this man. He'll find ways to vent his frustration when things do not go his way. No doubt he'd direct his anger at your nephew rather than you or your son, were he to stay. But with Harry going back with his mother, I fear neither you, nor your son, will be safe." He then started walking out of the house, Lily close behind. Elijah disapparated the three of them away.
"Would Vernon really have done what you said," asked Lily.
"Yes. His soul told me so." He turned to her and paused when he looked at Harry. He stared at the scar and backed away, startled.
"Elijah? What's wrong?"
"A vile magic has taken hold of Harry, or at least, has clung to him." He pointed to the lightning shaped scar. "There, a rotten piece of an evil soul." He dug into his pocket and pulled out a black crystal. "Keep Harry still, this will hurt him." Elijah placed the crystal on the scar. Harry screamed and cried when he did. Elijah slowly pulled the crystal away, drawing what was in the scar out. Lily heard an unearthly scream and saw a black mass leave the scar and flow into the crystal. She saw red eyes flash before it was fully consumed by the crystal.
"Voldemort…"
"What a ridiculous fool! He dabbled in that magic?!" Elijah growled as he slid the crystal back in his pocket. "For a man to stood so low as to use that! Bastard!"
"What is it?"
"Voldemort is alive. And this was the proof. He has committed an unspeakable sin. He has split his soul, a number of times if the size of this one is of any indication. Created infernal items known as Horcrux's in an attempt to make himself immortal."
"So that's why we could never kill him."
"Damn this man, no. He's not a man anymore. He is a monster."
"A problem for another day. Right now we need to find a safe place for Harry. Maybe Sirius can help us."
"Sirius, oh! I'm an idiot! I forgot! Sirius was the one who brought me to you! Before I could bring him along he said he was going to hunt down a rat."
"Peter. Peter was the secret keeper. He gave Voldemort the location!"
"How do you know that's where he is going?"
"Peter is a rat Animagus. That's what Sirius meant by hunting down a rat. Can you track Sirius?"
"Yes. Stay here until I return." Elijah closed his eyes and tracked Sirius' soul, finding it a few blocks away. Elijah disapparated away and arrived outside a room. He snuck in as he heard a man shouting.
"How could you Sirius?! How could you betray Lily and James like that?!" said a man with rat-like features. Elijah snuck up behind him, slowly, using his military training. Sirius spotted him and knew to keep Peter distracted.
"Don't you dare speak their names, traitor. James will be avenged." Peter's only response was cutting off his finger and smirking as he aimed his wand at a gas line. Elijah knew what he was planning and cast an anti-magic barrier around it. Peter fired off a blasting curse and stood stock still as it dissipated against the barrier.
"No clever tricks from you, traitor." Said Elijah. Sirius stunned Peter as he turned around. Soon several Aurors arrived investigating the use of magic in a muggle area. Sirius sighed as Peter was being tied up by Elijah. Sirius turned to them.
"What took you guys so long?"
"Police never arrive on time Sirius," said Elijah. He turned to them. He handed the lead Auror two vials with a silvery substance inside. "These two vials are memories of mine. The vial marked with red is a memory of James Potter telling me who the Secret Keeper was. The second is of myself and Sirius Black apprehending Peter Pettigrew."
"I've already charged him, Senior Auror Shacklebolt," said Sirius. "Last night, Public Enemy 1, Dark Lord Voldemort attacked the Potter residence. Killed James Potter and attempted to kill Lily and Harry Potter. Both are still alive, but Voldemort is in the wind, all that was found was a cloak and a wand. I knew Peter Pettigrew was the Potter's secret keeper and went after him, not under orders I know, but time was of the essence." He clapped Elijah on the back. "This is Elijah Crowe, a friend of the Potter's who also knew of Pettigrew being the Secret Keeper. He followed me and assisted in the apprehension of Peter Pettigrew." The Auror, Shacklebolt kept a wand on the stunned man.
"He's an unregistered Animagus," said Elijah. "James informed Lily Potter of this some time ago, and as I was leaving to assist Mr. Black, she warned me. I don't believe anyone else was aware." Shacklebolt turned to a man next to him.
"Auror Savage, take Peter Pettigrew in for questioning." He turned to Sirius. "Junior Auror-in-training Black, I expect a full report on my desk first thing in the morning. Be glad it was me that responded and not Senior Auror Moody."
"Please, he'd have given me a medal." The Aurors disapparated and Elijah let out a sigh. He turned to Sirius.
"Fate is on our side today, my friend. Had I arrived later, you'd probably be rotting in a cell in Azkaban."
"Guess I owe you a drink then."
"Come on, we need to meet with Lily." The two men disapparated back to Elijah's hotel room.