Phoenix Ascending: Rising from the Ashes

Chapter 2: Unravelling Fate

Harry sat there patiently and listened to Lady Death as she explained how Tom and Harry were related and how Dumbledore feared Harry. Dumbledore conspired to kill two birds with one arrow and manipulated Tom into believing the prophecy was about him and you. And since he was the defeater of Grindelwald, no one questioned him, not even you. He was the one who killed your parents that night, attempted to kill you and failed and was also responsible for placing you with the Dursleys so that you would grow up weak and be easily controllable. Now, you might be wondering why you had the fragment of Tom's soul inside your body when he didn't attempt to kill you, and Dumbledore was responsible for everything. Tom was there that night but not to kill you. He just wanted to see if he could strike a deal with your parents in which he was successful.

Things went awry when Dumbledore got its wind and took things into his hands. He tried to kill you, and Tom placed himself between you and him to save you. And that is when his soul fragment got attached to you. Since there were no spectators except you, he spun the truth to suit his needs, created this divide between good and evil, and became the self-proclaimed leader of light, The Great Albus Dumbledore. He was responsible for the imprisonment of Sirius Black and made Remus Lupin leave the country.

To say that Harry and Hermione were shocked will be an understatement. Hearing that their life depended upon a lie fabricated by someone they looked up to left them speechless. Indeed, it was time for the truth to come out. But what left them perplexed was the motive behind telling these things after dying, when they have no control over anything. Their queries answered with Lady Death's words. "You two are assigned a task. You will travel back in time, correct the timeline, and fulfil the prophecy. There is a reason you are chosen for this assignment, which you will know soon. Don't worry, you will have help when needed. Now, you will sign this document to ensure you will retain your memories when you arrive in the timeline you decide. But remember, the first thing you should do when you reach is to visit Gringotts and request an inheritance test. They will provide you with answers to all your questions. And you have an audience with me when you call me."

They look at each other, a silent conversation flows between them, and they agree. They signed the agreement together, and everything became pitch black. When they regained consciousness, they were feeling a little disoriented. It took them some time to realise they were in Diagon Alley, shopping for their books for the second year. Harry was not in the mood to go through the Lockhart debacle again, so he pulled Hermione aside. "Mione, I think this is the perfect time to visit Gringotts, as everyone else is busy shopping. They will not notice our absence. Let's go."

Hermione followed Harry silently to the bank. The silver inner doors feature an ominous warning engraved across the doors,

Enter, stranger, but take heed

Of what awaits the sin of greed,

For those who take, but do not earn,

Must pay most dearly in their turn,

So if you seek beneath our floors

A treasure that was never yours,

Thief, you have been warned, beware

Of finding more than treasure there.

It was the same one Harry remembered from his first visit to Gringotts with Hagrid. They approached the nearest teller, and Harry greeted him. "Greetings teller, I am Harry Potter and wish to speak to Potter's accounts manager." Hearing him, the teller rushed inside and emerged after a few minutes. He asked them to follow him. The teller led them to a room with large bronze double doors and knocked at it thrice. The doors opened to reveal the office of the director of Gringotts, and they went inside. "Greetings, King Ragnarok, Hier Potter, as requested", he said while bowing low. Harry followed suit and bowed his head in respect. "Greetings King, to what do I owe this pleasure of a personal meeting with you?" "Heir Potter, this meeting has been pending since you turned 11. And to answer your question, you requested a meeting with the Potter Manager, but I asked for your presence as there are some crucial matters to discuss with you."