u/hlanus

One day while pulling weeds in the garden, Harry sees a shadow fall onto him. Looking up, he saw the silhouette of a man with a very tall top hat looking at him.

"Hello," he said, jovial and curious much to Harry's surprise.

"Hello sir," Harry replied, anxious.

The man then knelt down to Harry's level and Harry caught a glimpse of something swishing behind him, something long, thin, and furry. Looking back to his face, Harry gasped when he realized the man was covered in black fur, had whiskers, white gloves, and a face with an uncanny resemblance to a cat.

"What are you doing here?" he asked.

"I'm doing the garden," Harry replied, backing away slightly.

"All by yourself?" the man asked, taken aback. "Where are your parents?"

"They're...they're dead sir," Harry answered.

"Oh, I'm sorry to hear that," the man said sadly. "But still for a child your age to be doing this."

"I have to sir," Harry insisted. "My aunt and uncle say I have to."

"Well if it must be done, we can help with that," the man declared, pulling off his top hat to reveal...a smaller identical version of himself who then pulled his hat off, revealing another one, which revealed another, and another, and another.

Picking up a pipe from a cheap Muggle music shop, he made his way into the Scottish Highlands.

Shortly after, the school was haunted by a horrible, chaotic screeching sound from the Forbidden Forest.

'Maybe I SHOULD have practiced more as a kid,' Sirius bemoaned. 'Who would have thought my mother's music lessons would actually have been useful?'

Undeterred, Sirius kept playing and practicing, much to the chagrin of everyone around him.

A massive burst of flame forced him to duck behind a rock. Panicking at the sound of the lumbering dragon, he cast his spell at a large boulder, putting everything into the Transfiguration spell as he thought of a powerful creature.

The boulder shuddered and began to increase in size, growing larger and larger as dark fur sprouted everywhere. Soon arms and legs emerged, along with a head but no tail. The fur grew a patch of silver on the side facing the audience as the head and limbs became more defined. The head featured a heavy jaw and a conical head with a strangely human-like face. The arms and legs ended not in claws but fingers, complete with nails and opposable big toes.

The creature stood easily 25 feet tall when on all fours, towering over the Chinese Fireball which simply paused in shock and surprise at the sight. Meanwhile the audience stood transfixed by the spectacle of two massive creatures in the arena at the same time.

"Uh, what the bloody hell is that?" Ron asked, his voice barely a whisper.

"I...I think I know..." Hermione whispered back, as though terrified to provoke it. "But...I cannot believe it."

"Well, what is it?" Ron urged.

"I know," Dean Thomas and Seamus Finnegan interjected. "It's Kong, the Eighth Wonder of the World."

The giant ape, Kong, let out a roar and charged at the dragon while Cedric ducked behind a wall of rocks, his mind racing to how to survive this clash of the titans.

Rather than trying to force the truth out, Harry gently prods the House-Elf with questions to deduce the plot and those behind it.

"Did someone send you?" he asked.

"No sir," Dobby replied. "Dobby is here of his own free will. If his family knew what Dobby had done..." he shuddered at the thought.

'Could his family be behind this?' Harry wondered. 'If so, who might they be?'

"How many people are in your family?" he asked.

"Three sir," Dobby answered. "A man, a woman, and a boy."

"A boy about my age?" Harry asked.

"Yes sir," Dobby affirmed. "Young master will be entering his Second Year at Hogwarts soon."

"This boy, does he have many friends?" Harry asked.

"Two sir," Dobby replied. "Young Master is always hanging around them but Dobby doesn't understand why. They seem so...slow and thick. Young Master should really pick better friends, like Harry Potter."

'A boy about my age, two stupid-looking friends, an only child,' Harry mused. 'Doesn't really help me narrow it down. Wait! Could it be?!'

Pulling off a large, moldy blanket, he discovered a leather case with brass buckles. Curious, he opened the box and discovered a doll in a green dress with a white collar holding a golden watering can. Her long brown hair was curly at the ends and her head bore a white bonnet.

Entranced, Harry picked her up and found a key in her case. Thinking it was one of those wind-up dolls, he searched for the hole and began winding her up. As the key began resisting, he felt something clicked within him before the doll's head threw itself back. Alarmed, Harry held her at arm's length as her eyes opened, one green and one red. She tilted her head side-to-side, looking him over before saying "Such a dirty, little master, desu! That will never do! I, Suiseiseki, can't have such a dirty master! Get yourself cleaned up this instant!"

"But I can't," Harry stammered. "Aunt Petunia sent me to clean this attic and I'm not allowed back down until I finish."

"Boy! Who are you talking to?!" Petunia yelled up from below.

"No one," Harry replied, eyes darting back fearfully.

"Well stop talking and get back to work!" she yelled furiously.

"Yes Aunt Petunia," Harry affirmed. Turning back to the doll, Suiseiseki, he found her angry tone replaced by a more sympathetic one. Sighing, she turned to the nearby boxes and said "Well, it will go better if we both do it. Pay attention master. You've a lot to learn."

Harry, stunned by what he was seeing, simply nodded and got back to work. But inside, he was brimming with joy for he had something he had never had before.

A friend.

Meanwhile, a young man was laying a leather case in front of his daughter.

"I saw this in an antique shop in Diagon Alley," he explained. "The owner said it was a one-of-a-kind artifact but wouldn't or couldn't say more. For some reason I felt it would suit you very well. I hope you like it."

"Thanks dad," she replied. Excitedly, she opened the box and found a doll with short brown hair dressed in a large black hat. This one had dark blue pants and a black corset over a white shirt, and a large pair of golden scissors lay atop the doll.

'What a find!' she thought to herself. Picking up the doll, she found a key and decided to wind up the doll. Before long, she felt the key click and the doll shift in her hands. The doll stretched its arms over its head and arched its back, almost like it was waking from a long rest. Turning toward the girl, the doll smiled and said "Hello, my name is Souseiseki. What is yours?"

"Uh, I'm Cho Chang," the girl stammered, taken aback.

"Nice to meet you Master Cho Chang," Souseiseki smiled, her red and green eye locking onto her.

"Wait, master?!" Cho asked, stunned and confused.

"Oh, do you prefer a different address?" Souseiseki asked.

"Um, I would prefer if you just use my name," Cho answered.

"Very well Cho," Souseiseki nodded. "I'm sure we have a lot to get around to but I do have one question: do you know where my twin sister might be?"

"I don't think so," Cho answered sadly. "My father found you in an antique shop but said you were a one-of-a-kind."

"That's alright," Souseiseki reassured her. "We can start there and maybe find some clues. I do hope I see Suiseiseki soon, before the Alice Game starts."

"The Alice Game?" Cho asked confused.

"It's a long story," Souseiseki shrugged. "But for now, how about we get to know each other better?"

A flash of light engulfed them, blinding Voldemort and knocking him unconscious. When he came to, he was lying on the ground with Potter standing over him. Snarling, Voldemort raised his wand and cast his signature spell "Avada kedavra!"

But nothing happened.

No green light came streaming out.

Incredulous, he tried again, and again, and again but nothing happened.

"Impossible!" he hissed. "I am Lord Voldemort, the greatest sorcerer who ever lived!"

Inspecting the wand, he realized it felt off somehow. Physically the wand felt the same, but he felt like he was missing a sense, like a painter who had lost color vision.

"What have you done?!" he demanded, turning toward the Potter boy.

"I gave you what you wanted," he replied. "Eternal life. I gave you a body that will never age nor decay. I gave you a body that will never need food, water, or even air, a body that cannot be destroyed by heat, cold, tension, or compression. But at a price; your magic."

"What?!" Voldemort gasped, incredulous. "That's not possible!"

"Says the man who came back from the dead," Potter sassed before he took on a pitying look. "I hope you enjoy your eternity." and he Apparated away.

"Come back!" Voldemort demanded and tried to follow, but nothing happened. Furious he ran off into the night, determined to break whatever Potter had done to him no matter how long it took.

He never did.

Over the millennia, he saw the world completely transform. He saw the rise and fall of empires, corporate conglomerates, religious and political movements. He saw the expansion of Muggle technology and Wizarding magic. He even saw the extinction of both races, their grand architecture crumbling as nature retook it. Strange, exotic beasts roamed where skyscrapers once stood. He even saw mountains rise and ebb like the tides.

Then, the sun went bright red and consumed the sky. He felt the intense heat burn away his garments and scorched his flesh. He even felt his feet leave the planet's surface as the exploding sun propelled him into the void.

And yet he lived. Spinning head over heels, he caught a glimpse of the earth right before it was consumed by the sun. He felt his lungs burn from the lack of oxygen, his skin tingle as cosmic radiation peppered his exposed flesh.

And yet he lived. Flung out into the void between stars, he lost track of time and space as he spun helplessly, naked as the day he was born. He tried swimming or kicking but to no avail. He tried Apparating once more but nothing happened. He even tried using bodily functions to change...something anything. But with no food or water, his body had no fuel or materials to use.

'Potter! Potter!' he cursed impotently as he spun on toward eternity.

Millions of years earlier:

"What happened to Tom Riddle?" Luna asked the Golden Trio. "It's been so peaceful since you entered that Forest."

"He wanted to live forever," Harry replied. "So we made sure that he did."

"Regulus," Sirius said, venom in his voice.

"Sirius," Regulus replied, stunned into silence.

"What is nasty master doing here?" Kreacher croaked, glaring at the mutt.

"Listen here-" Sirius hissed but Regulus stepped in.

"Sirius wait! Kreacher's not himself," he insisted. "He's been through a horrific ordeal that nearly cost him his life."

"What?" Sirius asked, his fury turning to shock and horror. "What sort of ordeal?"

"The Dark Lord used him as a guinea pig," Regulus replied, ashamed. "I-I had no idea he would."

"Didn't I tell you he'd do something like that?" Sirius hissed, angry at his younger brother.

"You did but I was too young and stupid to realize it," Regulus admitted ashamed. "But I'm going to try and make things right."

"How?" Sirius asked, curious yet cautious. "What can you do?"

"Master Regulus has found the Dark Lord's secret," Kreacher croaked proudly before Regulus could reply. "He has found the secret to immortality, a Dark object laced with the foulest of magic."

"I've no idea what that could be," Sirius said. "But if I'm hearing Kreacher correctly, you're going to steal or destroy something that Voldemort himself holds."

"Yes I am," Regulus flinched. "And don't say that name Sirius."

Just then, Sirius slapped Regulus hard across the cheek yelling "Are you mad?! Whatever it is you're planning it'll never work! Voldemort is just too bloody dangerous!"

"Don't say that name!" Regulus flung back, clutching his reddening cheek.

"You gotta go to Dumbledore!" Sirius insisted. "He'll know how to handle this!"

"Great idea," Regulus replied sarcastically. "Except, I'm a Death Eater. Am I supposed to just traipse up to Hogwarts and ask for a cup of tea?"

"I can arrange things," Sirius said. "Compile all the info you have, and I'll arrange for Dumbledore to meet you at a later date."

"And my safety?" Regulus pressed. "If the Aurors see me I'll be arrested."

"How about a Muggle cafe in Edinburgh?" Sirius offered. "They make delightful pastries there and no one will suspect a Death Eater of frequenting a Muggle establishment."

"Kreacher will scout it first," the House-elf croaked. "Kreacher will stand guard and ensure no one interferes except Dumbledore."

"And me," Sirius added. "I want to be there when you meet him."

"Very well," Regulus agreed. Thrusting out his hand, he said "Meet me here tomorrow morning and we'll go together."

"Agreed," Sirius said, shaking it firmly. "Together."

Meanwhile back in Japan, a high school girl asked her mother if she had seen any shooting lights.

"Yes Kagome I believe I did," she admitted. "It shined a bright pink and shot off toward the west, far, far to the west."

"Oh great," Kagome sighed. "Inuyasha's going to be furious. I hope he can stand sitting on an airplane."

"They went...where?" Lucius asked, his voice strained as though he were struggling to hold himself in check.

"The moon father," Draco affirmed. His smirk, however, quickly died as he saw the look in his parents' eyes.

"How did they..." Narcissa trailed off.

"Rockets," Draco answered, eyes furrowed.

"And those are..." Narcissa pressed.

"They're like fireworks only bigger, much bigger," Draco replied, confused as his parents gave a small, almost imperceptible sigh of relief.

"Oversized fireworks," Lucius said, a small smile crossing his lips. "Of course."

"Father, you...believe it?" Draco asked.

"Of course not!" Lucius snapped, his eyes flashing with indignation. "I just thought they-"

"Lucius!" Narcissa snapped. "He's just a boy. There's no need for...THAT."

"Yes of course," Lucius agreed, turning back to dinner.

The next day, Draco began researching everything he could about the moon, astronomy, and space. Sneaking into the Restricted Section, he uncovered a research journal about a team of wizards and witches who attempted to reach the Moon two centuries ago.

Just as he was about to chuckle at the idea, a parchment fell out of the book. The parchment was old, about as old as the text itself and written by the same hand as the journal, but the text was far different, shakier and stiffer. The tones were also polar opposites; the journal exuded pure optimism and excitement, the parchment absolute terror and dread.

"So many went," it read. "Only one returned...but not...alone. What came back was...unspeakable."

In the feudal era humans like Tokajin and Bankotsu featured enhanced durability and strength respectively, but would that be all? Or are those just what those humans favored or wished for above all?

Suppose a modern era human like Hojo acquired one. Would he understand what it was? Would it simply boost his overall physical abilities? How would it affect his mind? Shards can be corrupted but given Hojo's....Hojo would that happen? Or would it be more subtle?

Two years of unmitigated labor, two years of reading obscure, forgotten texts, two years of tinkering with forbidden magic, two years of tracking down ancient relics that might help, two years of gathering memories from those that knew her.

He forgot to eat, he barely slept, he grew pale and thin. His hands twitched and trembled uncontrollably. But it was all worth it. He had done it! He had constructed her a body, one more formidable and powerful than her old one had been. He had knitted together a tapestry of memories from colleagues and former classmates. And thanks to that Stone, the Stone encased in a Ring in that filthy hovel, he found a link to her very soul.

On Halloween night, when the barrier was thinnest and magical energy strongest, he brought her to life! The eye opened, her chest heaved hard, and her limbs convulsed.

Oh the horror of it all! Her skin was thick, almost waxy in appearance. Her hair was the same vibrant red, her eyes that vivid green. But those familiarities only contrasted all the more with her strong limbs, her sturdy build, her twitchy movements, more bird than human.

Disgusted, he fled just as the...the...thing he created locked eyes on him and tried to reach for him with inhuman swiftness. He had just barely slipped through her broad fingers and he fled like a man possessed to his chambers. Transfiguring the doors into solid brick, he collapsed onto the floor and passed into a wretched sleep.

The next morning, he found the Staff had undone his Transfiguration and were looking in on him. Terrified, he confessed all to Dumbledore, who led the Staff into the dungeons where that creature had breathed life.

But when they arrived, it was empty. The creature was gone.

But she was still alive. Thanks to Lily's memories, she navigated her way through Hogwarts easily. Stumbling onto the Grounds, she drank from the Black Lake and memories flashed through her, memories of a black-haired man with circles around his eyes, and a baby in her arms.

Consumed with fierce, maternal love, she began searching for her lost child. Armed with only Severus's memories of a black-haired baby boy with a lightning-bolt cut across his forehead, she wandered toward Godric's Hollow. Finding a ruined cottage, she then remembered Petunia Evans and her husband Vernon Dursley, and turned toward Privet Drive.

'I'm coming Harry,' she resolved. 'No matter what, I'll find you, my baby boy.'

A.N. Yeah, basically Snape decides to play Frankenstein.

"Excuse me," a voice, a boy's voice cut in. "I'm new here. Can you show me around?"

Harry looked him over. The boy was slightly older than him, with a head of dark hair and grey eyes. What stood out to him was this boy was not looking at him with disdain or anger, but curiosity, maybe even kindness.

"Uh, sure," Harry replied. "Where should we go first?"

"How about...the library?" the boy asked, shrugging.

"Right this way," Harry beckoned. Heading down the hall, he quickly darted his gaze left and right, almost like he expected something to jump him...or someone.

"Is everything all right?" the boy asked concerned.

"Just...keeping an eye out," Harry replied.

"For what?" the boy pressed. "A Lethifold?"

"A what?" Harry asked, confused by the strange word.

"A...monster," the boy replied after a notable pause.

"Oh, the new kid's friends with my freakish cousin!" a loud, boisterous voice called out. Turning, they saw a very fat blonde kid jeering at them.

"My cousin," Harry groaned.

"Your cousin?" the boy repeated.

"Yeah," Harry affirmed, pressing them forward.

"Does he...hurt you?" the boy asked as they entered the library.

"Yes but don't tell anyone," Harry whispered.

"That's not right," the boy whispered in turn. "You should tell a teacher or someone."

"I tried, but they don't listen," Harry explained.

"Oh I'm sorry," the boy said, genuinely sorry. As Harry led him down the bookshelves, he felt a hand touch his shoulder. Stiffening, he slowly turned to see the boy smiling comfortingly.

"How about we be friends?" he offered, much to Harry's surprise. "I'm Cedric Diggory. I just transferred with my parents for work."

"Nice to meet you," Harry replied. "I'm Harry Potter."

"Remus, you-you-" Snape stuttered, face flush with fury.

"Good to see you again, Professor," Remus smiled. "I believe you're here for the ingredients."

"Yes," Snape gritted out incredulous.

"Well, I'm here as the procurer of exotic flora, fauna, and fungi for Hogwarts," Remus announced, grinning ear to ear. "It was Dumbledore's idea. Given my werewolf physiology, he believed I was uniquely suited for some of the more....risky ventures. Not to mention my experience with Dark creatures, wilderness survival, and making do with very little. And the legal baggage associated with my condition means I have contacts that even YOU could not manage."

"How...fortunate," Snape all but spat out. "So...how often will we be..."

"Oh we'll be seeing each other quite regularly," Remus answered. "And not just you and me. I'll also be making deliveries for Hagrid, Flitwick, Sprout, and our latest Defense against the Dark Arts Professor. And if circumstances permit, I'll also be a substitute from time to time."

"How...delightful," Snape managed to hiss out. "You have the goods?" he asked, turning to the crates.

"Definitely," Remus smiled, beckoning him forward. "Take a gander. I'm sure they'll be to your satisfaction."

Struggling to contain his fury, Snape inspected the crates, peering so closely Remus thought he was trying to smell any impurities. 'Not that that will do much good,' Remus thought to himself. 'I already took care of that.'

"It is...adequate," Snape admitted, standing straight so quickly Remus thought he heard his spine crack.

"Excellent," Remus beamed. "Well, I best be off. But I'll be back with another shipment before too long."

Ron, realizing how close he came to her death, decides to put in more effort in his studies. Rather than the easy electives, he chooses Ancient Runes and Alchemy and discusses opening a Chess club with Professor McGonagall.

Percy, realizing his neglect, decides to shelf his ambition to focus on protecting his family.

Fred and George reorient their business goals from jokes and pranks to practical defense and Dark magic detection.

Arthur, seeing Lucius walk away from the whole ordeal, starts gathering new allies in the Ministry and considers transferring to Magical Law Enforcement.

Researching the deepest mysteries of magic and the universe is a very dangerous and often unpredictable prospect, so the Department is reinforced to the hilt to avoid accidents or spillovers. Centuries of containment have concentrated the magic and imbued the Department with elements or manifestations of the powers under study, from Space to Time to Thought to Prophecy to Love to Death and beyond.

When the Death Eaters attempt to steal the Prophecy from Harry Potter, the Department reacts against them. It grants the Hogwarts Six a critical boost in their abilities and wrecks havoc on the Death Eaters' efforts.

Hermione finds her spells flying faster and the Death Eaters reacting slower, like they're moving through molasses or quicksand.

Ron catches glimpses of Death Eater spells and Apparition seconds or minutes before they happen.

Death Eater hexes and curses seem to hover in mid-air, almost like the distance to their target extends endlessly.

What are some other ways the Department could fight back?

Instead of waiting for the Mandrakes to mature, he procures the restoration draft from Herbologists and Potioneers to ensure a steady supply. Instead of relying on Prefects and teachers, he reaches out to the Aurors and Department of Magical Law Enforcement to investigate the matter properly.

Basically he's far more pro-active than he seemed to be in canon. What steps may he have taken to resolve the crisis sooner? And how might this have changed things going forward?

"What do you mean?" Hermione asked, looking up from her book in the library.

"Secrets is plural," Luna replied. "That means there must be more inside it. If it was just a secret chamber, they'd call it the Secret Chamber. And it can't be just because there was a monster inside, or they'd call it the Chamber of a Secret Monster."

"What brought this about?" Hermione asked. "I mean...it's been a while since the Chamber was opened."

"I was just curious," Luna answered dreamily. "Maybe there are multiple monsters inside? Maybe it's a whole menagerie of them? Or maybe the Monster is simply guarding the real secrets? Maybe a library of sorts? Who knows?"

That thought made Hermione pause and wonder. Thinking it through, she broached it to Harry and Ron. After some arguments and planning, they descended into the Chamber under the Invisibility Cloak. Entering the Chamber, they skirted around the dead Basilisk toward the statue of Salazar Slytherin.

"Speak to me, Salazar Slytherin, Greatest of the Hogwarts Four," Harry hisses in Parseltongue. The Trio raised their wands and bolted toward the pillars in case anything emerged. But rather than movement, they caught something glint in the dark, something metallic.

"I'll check it out," Harry decided and entered the statue's mouth. Moments later, he yelled out "It's safe! Come on in!"

"Are you sure about this?" Ron asked Hermione.

"It's Harry, I trust him," she insisted. Carefully, they entered the statue and stared in wonder at the interior.

A.N. This is just a fun thought about the whole thing. Feel free to imagine what you like.

Anyone think about what holidays the Four Nations celebrate? What they represent, when they occur, and how they were celebrated?

I'd imagine the lunar and solar cycles would be clear contenders for the Water Tribes and Fire Nation respectively. How about the Earth Kingdom and the Air Nomads? Are there holidays the whole world celebrates together? Peace Day, the end of the Hundred Year War, would be my fanon.

Anyone think about what holidays the Four Nations celebrate? What they represent, when they occur, and how they were celebrated?

I'd imagine the lunar and solar cycles would be clear contenders for the Water Tribes and Fire Nation respectively. How about the Earth Kingdom and the Air Nomads? Are there holidays the whole world celebrates together? Peace Day, the end of the Hundred Year War, would be my fanon.