Chapter 1
There are a lot of things that people think they understand when, in fact, they have no idea what is actually happening. One such example is that of the 31 of October 1981, in Godric’s Hollow. What the entire population of the Wizarding World of Great Britain thought had happened when Lord Voldemort attacked the Potters was that he had been mysteriously vanquished by the infant child of the elder Potters, one Harry James Potter. What actually happened, well that was more complicated.
Understanding the danger that Voldemort posed to her family, Lily Potter decided to start researching a specific topic in the months leading up to the attack. She was researching ritual magic, using the resources of some contacts in the Department of Mysteries. Now, most of what she had read disavowed ritual magic as a remnant of a bygone era when wands had yet to be made. She did find one thing that gave her hope, however. It was a reconstruction of an obscure ritual that was intended to make contact with some form of greater power.
So it was, that on that fateful night, if one were to spy on the nursery, one would have found Lily Potter on her knees, with circled symbols drawn in blood under her son’s crib. If they had been privy to her words, they would have heard her impeach something called “Hermaeus Mora” to vanquish Lord Voldemort, for the cost of her life and knowledge, which he would accept. The further ramifications of these actions would lie in wait, unrealized for 10 years.
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Harry Potter had always been a rather… odd child. He and everyone else knew that. He had a tendency to know things he couldn’t have known, as well as not blinking as often as would make people comfortable. His relatives, the Dursleys, were of the opinion that it was because of his nature as a wizard. Harry was of the opinion that he was normal, bar the occasional instance of feeling like something was suggesting something to him, with him usually agreeing with it. Both were right, in a way, yet wrong in another. The reason for Harry’s oddness would only be revealed to him later, which is where we’ll pick our story back up.
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Now, an eldritch entity that seeks knowledge is, as a principle, rather cosmically indifferent to the mortals that will occasionally seek them out. This, however, is not a rule that is set in stone, it has exceptions, much like any other rule. One such exception was when one Harry Potter encountered the Mirror of Erised, which was finally enough of a hook to attract the attention of his unknown patron.
Sitting in front of this seemingly innocuous mirror, Harry was gazing at his parents when he heard a voice in the back of his head, one that was not his own.
“Now this is interesting. Hello there, mortal. Unaware though you were, you have been acting as a form of anchor in this realm for myself and my ilk, though they’ve yet to find it. I wish to strike a bargain with you.”
Shocked as he was, Harry yelled out “Who are you, who’s there!”
“Ah yes, I suppose the appropriate introductions are necessary here, at least on my part. I am Hermaeus Mora, the Daedric Prince of Knowledge and Memory. As to where I am, that is neither here nor there, as I am not in your realm of existence, now, shall we discuss the deal once again?”
“How are you talking to me?” Harry asked thinking he might be losing his mind.
“You aren’t losing your mind, and before you ask, yes I have access to your thoughts. As for how I am able to commune with you, a bridge of sorts was formed between the three planes of my realm, and your realm when your mother sought out the power of a greater being to protect you. I, in return for your mother’s soul and memories, struck a bargain that would vanquish the soul of one Lord Voldemort, known otherwise as Tom Riddle.”
“My mum… sold her soul?” Harry whispered, almost to himself.
“Yes, though it was for what she deemed noble reasons” Mora replied, though Harry hadn’t noticed it, spiraling as he was, not only over the casual confirmation that souls well and truly existed, but that his mother had sold hers to some kind of… demon god to save his life.
Eventually snapping back to reality, Harry asked “How do I know you’re telling the truth? For all I know you’re lying to me to try and use me.”
“Ah, critical thinking, very good. I’d hate for a potential champion to not be smart enough to question things. In return for the eight minutes we have spoken, I will give you eight memories of your mothers.”
After being fed the eight memories, as well as being left to absorb them and internalize them, Harry asked Mora a question. “If I were to give the mirror to you, what would I get in return?”
“A valid question. This world has progressed since your mother’s deal with me, and there are things that she did not learn. Thus, I propose that we have an ongoing… agreement of sorts. For every bit of information, or each artifact, that I acquire via you, I will grant boons, large or small, that would be equivalent in size to your banked… “points” I suppose we shall call them.”
“What could you tell me?” Harry asked.
“I could tell you who Nicholas Flamel is, and what is hidden in the forbidden corridor.”
“How many boons would the mirror be worth?” Harry asked, hoping that he would perhaps have found a more… private source to talk to.
“Three minor boons. In addition, I tend to be more of a silent observer, collecting knowledge, though I suppose I may acquiesce, your emotions would be a delicious snack from time to time.”
“Okay. How do I send you the mirror?”
Whilst exuding a sense of smug satisfaction, Mora led Harry through the process of performing a ritual that a previous champion had devised, with the express purpose of sending things to his domain of Apocrypha. It might have taken an hour and a half, but by the end of it, Harry saw the mirror disappear and then be replaced by what he assumed was a replica of the mirror. On his end, he received the knowledge that Nicholas Flamel had created the Philosopher’s Stone, which was hidden on the third floor, as well as a book explaining what a Daedric Prince was, and details about all of the Princes.
The only problem he was having was trying to come up with an explanation for how he figured out both bits of information.