Emeralds and Ashes

Harry stared at Arcturus for a long moment before finally asking, "Are you fucking serious right now?"

"Very serious. You will kill Voldemort before he could start his reign of terror. Only then can we save everything," Arcturus replied.

"How are you even going to do it anyway? Time turners send us back a few hours. You are talking about what? 20 years?" Harry asked disbelievingly.

Arcturus smiled. "Ritualistic magic is the most versatile branch of magic there is. You have no idea how much one can accomplish using rituals if one is willing to make the necessary sacrifice."

Harry frowned. "What sacrifice are we talking about here?"

"My life."

Harry's eyes widened.

"I have nothing to live for, and if my life can be used to change the fate of our families and the future that will surely come to pass, then it is an easy choice for me."

Harry sighed as he looked up at the ceiling. "And how will I get back once I've dealt with him?"

"You won't."

His face snapped straight ahead. "Pardon?"

"I said you won't be coming back. Once you travel to the past, it will create an alternate reality which will have its own future. The current timeline will wither away as if it was never there."

Harry's eyes widened.

"Focus, Potter," Arcturus hissed, and Harry took a few deep breaths, his Occlumency working to keep him calm.

"Sorry, I was overwhelmed for a bit."

"Understandable."

Harry frowned. "Still, not being able to come back… That is a big trade-off."

"Is it?" Arcturus asked. "What do you have to live for in this timeline? Name one thing and I will bury this plan right now."

Harry opened his mouth to reply but he couldn't say anything. Frowning, he realized that he truly had nothing to live for, apart from killing Voldemort.

"You do realize you can see your parents and Sirius again, right?" Arcturus continued, and Harry's eyes shot open. "Tell me you don't want to take the opportunity to save them. To live with them. To know what kind of people they were. Tell me you don't want to save your family."

"Stop it," Harry rubbed his face. "You don't need to manipulate me. I see what this is now. Everything you did for me was for your own ends. You needed a weapon to kill Voldemort before he could deal any damage to the world, and you truly found a perfect one. Parents dead, and now friends dead. What does he have to live for, right?"

Arcturus leaned back.

"You missed the prophecy."

Harry glared at the man who was looking at him with an even gaze.

"You are right. I never did this only out of the goodness of my heart. If I truly cared for you like a grandfather, I would have hidden you away so that no one could find you. Instead, I facilitated your training so that you could become the best damn wizard you could be. You are the grandson of Dorea and Charlus, but that is all. We never had any relationship, so don't expect me to have care or concern for you. And you are right. I was manipulating you so that you could become capable enough to see my plan succeed. There, is that all you wanted to hear? I accept it all. At least I am not doing it for myself and my revenge, but for the greater good of all."

Arcturus stood up and looked down at him with disdain.

"Listen and listen well, Potter. I have a cause, one I will see come to fruition. And I know you are a smart lad. So just accept it and stop with this melodrama, for I have no interest in hearing you whine about it."

Harry stood up and stared down at the old man.

"Fine, Arcturus. You get your wish. I will go to the past and kill Voldemort. You are right. I have nothing to live for, and the prophecy says that I am destined to kill him anyway. Now or 20 years in the past, it doesn't matter," He hissed, before looking at the man firmly. "However, before we do it, I want you to tell me everything else you've been hiding from me."

Arcturus looked at him and smirked.

"Let us start with how your beloved Dumbledore was raising you like a pig for slaughter."

Harry's eyes widened.

"What do you mean?"

"You remember that scar of yours?" Arcturus asked as he sat back and relaxed, looking at the young man who towered over him. "Dumbledore never told you what it was, right? Well, let me enlighten you. Voldemort created these vile little trinkets called Horcruxes. A Horcrux is an object which houses part of a person's soul. The soul is split by the remorseless murder of an innocent before it is stored in any object of the person's choice. As long as this object remains intact, the person remains tethered to the plane of existence and cannot die. When Voldemort hit you with the killing curse, his soul was already so volatile that a small chuck of it tore off and latched on to the only living host it could find, which were you.

"That is the reason why you could speak to snakes, see those visions you told me about, or feel whenever Voldemort was near you. A part of him lived inside you. However, when he hit you with the killing curse once again, the curse took away that piece of soul that resided inside you, leaving you all hale and hearty."

Harry stared horrified, and Arcturus continued.

"Dumbledore has known that you had to die for Voldemort to truly perish. That is why he never confided in you or made you a competent wizard. You have the proof in front of you. In only a few months, you have become a hundred times more capable than you were before. That is no coincidence. Dumbledore never envisioned you living for long."

Harry searched Arcturus' face for any lie or deceit, however, he could not find any. He gritted his teeth in rage. It seemed everyone in his life had made it a habit to manipulate him.

No more, he thought, seething.

"How do you know about these Horcruxes? And how many did he make? I cannot kill him without knowing that," Harry frowned. Arcturus sighed.

"I found one of the Horcruxes, the locket of Slytherin, in Grimmauld Place when I visited one day. That elf told me how everything happened and how he came to possess it. Another was the cup of Hufflepuff inside the maiden vault of my unhinged granddaughter Bellatrix. Those are the ones I know of. Both have been destroyed."

"How do you destroy these Horcruxes?"

"As proven by you, the killing curse works, at least on living beings. For objects however, I know Basilisk venom and Fiendfyre can destroy them. I used the latter to get rid of those two."

Harry nodded thoughtfully before his eyes widened. "I think I might know of one more. His diary. It was used to open the Chamber of Secrets in my second year. I destroyed it using Basilisk fang, and since it was stealing Ginny's soul to restore a young Voldemort to a corporal form, I am inclined to believe it was a Horcrux."

Arcturus nodded.

"You will have your work cut out for you. You need to find out how many Horcruxes he made, and also where they are. You can kill him only when you destroy them all."

Harry sighed. It was never easy. However, perhaps it was better this way. At least, he will have something to live for. He looked at Arcturus and nodded.

"I think Dumbledore might also know a fair bit about this, however, I don't know how willing he would be to part with this knowledge."

Harry looked thoughtful for a moment before he nodded to himself. His idea might work.

The older wizard stared at him for a moment before he rubbed his hand over his face.

"You are a very capable wizard, Potter, and I might have done this for my plan, but that doesn't mean I am an entirely heartless cunt. We will spend this week brushing up on whatever you will need when you go back, and you shall take everything there is in the Black family vault with you. Merlin knows it will see no use once I die and this timeline is obliterated. At least that way, you will have one less thing to worry about."

"How generous of you," Harry said, sarcastically. Arcturus ignored the tone.

"We will have to take care of a few more things. You cannot go back looking like this. You resemble the Potters too much, and it would be a pain to explain how it is possible. We will undertake another ritual that will permanently alter your physical attributes."

Harry sighed but nodded, understanding the need for such a measure. Arcturus continued.

"It is a given that you cannot go by the name of Potter once you travel back in time. The same applies to the Blacks. However, it's a relief that there is another house you can claim the lordship of. It helps that this house is revered all across the world and will give you a significant boost in the political sphere."

Harry frowned. "What are you talking about?"

"I am talking about the Peverells. The last daughter married into the Potter household. Since the Potters absorbed the line, you can claim the lordship."

"Won't that upset the Potters?" Harry asked with furrowed brows. Arcturus waved his hand.

"Your blood will be proof enough. No one will look too much into it once you prove that you have the blood of the Peverells and the connection is strong enough for you to take up the lordship. Everyone will assume that some son or daughter had left the family in the distant past and you descended from them."

Harry shrugged. "If you say so. Anything else?"

"Not that I can think of right now. You will be better off figuring things out on your own once you reach there."

Harry sighed and gave a short nod.

"If that is all?"

Arcturus nodded and stared at the back of the young wizard until he walked out of the room. He sighed to himself.

"One week more," he whispered, staring at the photograph of the two families.

-Break-

Albus Dumbledore was walking back to his office after a highly subdued Halloween feast. The situation outside the castle was worsening. People were disappearing every day and despite losing so many capable wands, Tom seemed to be encountering no resistance. Already, he had taken out Amelia Bones and had his forces wreak havoc across Britain.

He knew young Draco had been tasked with killing him, a task the terrified boy was desperately trying and failing. Albus understood the Malfoy heir. It was not easy to lose your father and have a madman threaten to kill your mother if you didn't do a certain heinous task. He could only hope Severus managed to salvage the situation. Already he had instructed to help Narcissa Malfoy relocate to a safe house if any member of the Order found the opportunity, and he hoped such an opportunity presented itself soon.

He sighed as his thoughts went to a certain emerald-eyed young man once again. It had been over four months since Harry had disappeared with Arcturus Black, and he had not been seen yet. Dumbledore didn't know what Arcturus was planning. However, he knew the man enough to know that it was nothing Tom would like. There was no other man Arcturus Black hated more than Voldemort, who he considered responsible for the destruction of his family.

He turned the corner that led to his office and abruptly stopped, eyes widening as he saw the faint simmer of the invisibility cloak Harry owned. It was a unique artifact, and the only reason he could see it was that he held power over another unique artifact himself.

Silently, Dumbledore walked ahead and opened the door to his office. He saw him walk inside and followed.

Taking his seat, Dumbledore stared at him expectantly, and his eyebrows raised when he got a good look at the young man.

"You seem to have undergone quite a transformation, Harry," Dumbledore remarked as he looked at him. He had grown a few inches and had bulked up considerably. His broad chest and arms were apparent under his robes.

Harry gave a faint smile. "Lord Black is a strict instructor," he replied.

Dumbledore nodded. "Take a seat, Harry. I believe we have much to discuss."

Harry sat down and looked around the office. His eyes fell on the phoenix who looked at him and trilled softly. Harry smiled.

"It seems Fawkes is still quite taken with you. Apart from me, he doesn't interact with anyone."

Harry nodded. "He is brilliant."

Dumbledore chuckled as the phoenix puffed his chest out before he looked at Harry over his half-moon spectacles.

"Where have you been, Harry?"

"At some property of the Blacks. Lord Black said it was unplottable and no one could get there without being invited. It was very secure, sir. Much more than the Dursleys, I must admit."

Dumbledore sighed. "I should have known you would be quite reluctant to go there, particularly after the events of last year."

Harry frowned.

"What have you been up to then? You said Arcturus is a strict instructor," Dumbledore asked curiously.

Harry nodded. "He certainly is. He has been training me so that I can fight when the time comes. I cannot change the past," he said with a small smile, "but I can surely change the future."

Dumbledore looked at Harry for a moment before he sighed.

"You could learn everything at Hogwarts too, Harry. I don't believe it was a wise decision to quit your studies like this."

"Believe me sir, I have learned more in these four months that I could've learned in four decades at Hogwarts. Also, grades are the least of my concern right now when our country is being torn apart by a madman who will stop at nothing until he kills me," Harry replied firmly.

Dumbledore sighed.

"Is there anything you have done apart from studying and practicing magic?"

Harry smiled. "Voldemort is four Horcruxes down."

Dumbledore's face shot up; eyes wide as he stared at him in disbelief.

"What did you say?" He whispered.

Harry pulled out a silk bag and dropped the contents on the table in response. Dumbledore stared at the destroyed trinkets in shock.

"Riddle's diary in my second year. Slytherin's locket from the cave. Hufflepuff's goblet from Bellatrix's maiden vault. The one in my scar. Four Horcruxes gone."

Dumbledore stared at the trinkets, waving his wand over them, before looking at Harry with an ashen face.

"Arcturus told me everything about this, and your plan regarding me."

"Harry I…"

"I understand, sir," Harry interrupted, and Dumbledore was surprised to see a small smile on his face. "For Voldemort to die, I needed to die. You did not have any choice in the matter. It hurt me a bit at first, but after I thought about it, I understood. Perhaps I would've done the same in your shoes, perhaps not. I hope I never have to make such a choice."

Dumbledore closed his eyes and sighed as he pulled his glasses off and put them on the table, and Harry's eyes immediately focused on his blackened hand.

"What happened to your hand?" He asked in surprise. Dumbledore chuckled in response.

"A consequence of my hubris," he replied, before taking out a gold ring with a dark stone. "Make it five Horcruxes. This is the Gaunt ring."

"May I?" Harry asked. Dumbledore nodded and he picked the ring up, staring at it intently. His eyes focused on the symbol on the stone and he frowned. He could swear he had seen that symbol somewhere, but he could not remember where.

"Where did you find this?" Harry asked as he put the ring back on the table.

"You may keep it if you want. I have no more use of it."

Harry looked at the headmaster, and he could swear he saw him staring at the ring longingly before he schooled his face quickly. Nodding, he put the ring in his pocket, resolving to look up that sign once he got back.

"To answer your question, I found it under the floorboard of the Gaunt Shack in Little Hangleton. Remember the graveyard where Tom was resurrected? It is nearby in the woods."

"How the hell did you even think of looking there?" Harry asked disbelievingly. Dumbledore smiled.

"I have found that memories often reveal things we might have either forgotten or have no inkling about. I have known about the possibility of the existence of Horcruxes for years, however I did not have the confirmation until you came with Tom's diary. That was when I started to gather every memory I deemed important enough that could give me a sign regarding possible Horcruxes and their locations."

Harry stared at Dumbledore, keeping his eagerness firmly in check. He had already discovered where one Horcrux was. Perhaps he could know where the others were if there were more.

"I can't imagine it was an easy task," Harry remarked softly as he looked at the old wizard, who sighed and nodded.

"I had hoped that you could help me this year with this," he replied, and Harry looked inquisitive.

Dumbledore sighed. "When Tom was a student, his head of house was the Potions professor, Horace Slughorn. Tom, charming as he was, quickly managed to become close to Horace. It was Horace who told Tom something that helped him decide how many Horcruxes he should make. I have the memory; however, it is a fake. I had hoped I could use your help in making him come back and somehow get the genuine memory from him."

"How would I fit in all of this?" Harry asked with a frown.

"Horace has this habit of collecting witches and wizards, for the lack of a better term, who he believes will one day reach places of position or fame in our world. With you being who you are, it is undeniable that Horace would have wanted to make you one of his collections. Furthermore, Horace adored your mother like his granddaughter, so that would have helped as well."

"And I would have somehow used this connection to convince him to give me this memory," Harry finished thoughtfully. Dumbledore nodded.

"Alas, in your absence, I could not get Horace to come back and that avenue seems closed now. It took me months to track him down to a vacant muggle house. Horace must have changed places numerous times in these months."

Harry nodded, filing that information away. It seemed he would need to get close to this Slughorn when he went back in time since he seemed to still be teaching when his parents attended Hogwarts.

"Do you have any guess as to how many he has made? We have already got five," Harry asked. Dumbledore frowned.

"The optimist in me is saying that we have got them all. Five is a powerful magical number. However, another part of me is saying that he has made perhaps one or two more. Seven is one of the most powerful magical numbers, so it makes sense. I dare not think of a higher number. Desecrating the soul even once is heinous."

Harry nodded with a sigh. "We cannot do anything unless we manage to destroy all these Horcruxes."

Dumbledore frowned. "We might not be able to kill him Harry, but we can still stop his advance. Protecting the lives of innocents is not something I would consider doing nothing."

"I didn't mean it like that," Harry shook his head with a frown. Dumbledore nodded.

"Do you have any idea what the other Horcruxes, assuming he had made more, might be?"

Dumbledore stroked his beard thoughtfully. "So far, we have found that he has used items from Slytherin and Hufflepuff. Godric's sword is infused with Basilisk venom, and it is the only artifact apart from the Sorting Hat that he owned, both of which are free from the taint. I believe he might have turned something that belonged to Ravenclaw into a Horcrux."

"Did Ravenclaw have any artifacts?" Harry asked inquisitively. He hoped with all his being that he could get some more answers. Dumbledore had been very forthcoming, and he would hate to have this opportunity go to waste. He looked at the headmaster who was staring at the table thoughtfully.

"There are rumors that Rowena had a diadem that could grant its wearer wisdom and intelligence. However, no one alive has ever seen it. I shall not put it past Tom to have somehow found it," Dumbledore replied. Harry nodded.

"Have you tried to look for it, sir?" Harry asked. Dumbledore chuckled.

"I spent my youth chasing mythical objects, Harry. I lost all interest years ago."

Frowning, Harry nodded.

"I do not know how capable you have become, but I hope you would not go seeking these artifacts on your own, Harry," Dumbledore warned. "I do not mean to blow my own horn, but if someone like me can be tricked like this…"

Harry frowned as the old wizard trailed off. He looked at the hand with a frown once again. He had not paid much attention to it, but now that he saw closely, he recognized what spell it was.

"How long do you have?" He asked softly. Dumbledore looked surprised for a moment before he smiled.

"Six to eight months."

Harry nodded.

"I should take my leave now," he said softly. Dumbledore looked resigned and gave a small nod.

As Harry turned around and walked down the dais for what was possibly the last time, at least in this timeline, the headmaster's parting words made him smile.

"Remember, Harry. Help will always be given at Hogwarts to those who deserve it."

Turning around, he looked at the headmaster.

"I like the amendment."

Dumbledore chuckled as he watched the young man walk out of the door, and leaned back with a sigh. He did not have long to live, and Harry's future was no longer set in stone. He had long given up on trying to control the life of the young man, and he could only wonder what choices he would make. Not for the first time, Albus Dumbledore pondered what the future of wizarding Britain entailed.

Looking down at the wand, Dumbledore wondered if he should have let Harry have it. The young man already possessed the cloak, and now he had the stone as well. Sighing, he stood up and walked over to his quarters to retire for the night.

-Break-

It was undeniable, and Arcturus had witnessed it during these four months, that Harry Potter was an extremely powerful and gifted wizard. He watched, fascinated, as the young man controlled a spell as volatile as Fiendfyre with pinpoint precision, molding it into whatever shape he wanted and even forcing it to become a concentrated ball. The bright red angry orb of light looked so volatile that Arcturus feared it might blow everything around them up if it exploded.

To his relief, the boy forced it down until it vanished in a puff of smoke. Never had he seen someone control this spell like this, and try as he might, he could not stop the respectful nod he gave him. The boy's face gained a smirk as he looked at him.

"I'm going to the library for the evening," he said once he was done with his practice for the day, and Arcturus watched him walk away. Since he had come back from that meeting with Dumbledore, the boy had been visiting the library a lot. Arcturus had wanted to ask the reason behind his newfound fascination for the library, however, he did not want to probe too much. It was a library anyway. What else would he be doing but reading up on spells?

Sighing he looked around himself. They would be performing the ritual the next day, and Arcturus could not help but feel apprehensive. Knowing that you were going to die made one feel like that.

He got up and went to the basement. The ritual room had mostly been prepared, and for the next few hours, Arcturus worked on it, crafting runes, and arranging the materials on the floor.

It was time for dinner when both emerged from their respective havens and met at the dining table.

"What is it you're reading?" He asked, looking at the thick tome the boy had in his hand.

The boy sighed. "I'm looking for everything there is to know about the Peverells. There is barely anything written about them. I have no idea why they were so secretive."

"Tell me you're joking," Arcturus asked, earning a raised eyebrow from the boy. He sighed, recalling that he was not raised in the wizarding world.

"Read The Tales of Beedle the Bard. They have a chapter dedicated to them."

"Can't you summarize it for me?" the boy asked, prompting him to sigh and nod.

The boy's mouth had hung open when he finished.

"What happened to you? It's a children's tale. Although the Peverells were mysterious, having artifacts crafted by Death herself is outrageous."

Harry pulled out his cloak and the ring in response.

"Invisibility cloaks last only a few years. This has been in my family at least since my father attended school. No way this is a normal cloak. The stone on this ring has the symbol of the Peverells. Who is to say this isn't the Resurrection Stone?"

Arcturus' eyes widened as he stared at the artifacts before he looked at the boy looking longingly at the Resurrection Stone and frowned.

"I hope you are not thinking about using the stone, boy," Arcturus warned. "The dead deserve their rest. Remember what happened to the second brother."

Harry blinked the tears away and nodded. He might have come to terms with their deaths but that didn't mean he had buried all the emotions. They were his dear friends, and he would always love them.

Perhaps he could create a future where they would grow up happy and loved, and would never have to worry about war again.

Nodding firmly, Harry put the artifacts back in his pocket before looking at Arcturus.

"The wand should exist too then," he said firmly. Arcturus shrugged.

"Possibly. I've never heard of it outside of these tales though."

Harry sighed and nodded before he got up.

"Alright. I'm heading off to bed."

"We will do the first ritual before lunch, and the main one in the evening. You should have no need of that now," Arcturus remarked and held out his hand, looking at him. He saw the boy glance at his outstretched hand before he unclasped the locket from around his neck and handed it over.

With a nod, the boy walked away, leaving him staring at the small hourglass with mystical sand suspended in one half.

-Break-

"This is it," Harry whispered, softly stroking Hedwig's feathers. His faithful owl nipped his finger softly. He had already lost all his friends, and now it was time to part ways with Hedwig as well. Gently, Harry held his arm out and looked at her.

"I will find you one day, Hedwig. I promise."

Her amber eyes stared at him unblinkingly before she nuzzled his face and took off. With a heavy heart, Harry stared at the white dot that gradually got smaller until she vanished from sight.

"Ready?" A firm voice asked from the doorway. Harry turned around and nodded.

Arcturus stared at the young man. They had undertaken the first ritual a few hours ago. Instead of emerald eyes, he now sported a pair of turquoise orbs. His hair had darkened a few shades, and instead of the messy locks, it was straight and cut short. His face had also altered, with higher cheekbones and slightly narrower lips, giving him an aristocratic look. With his build that was the result of the training regimen Arcturus had put him through, the boy looked like the heir of a powerful pureblood house. Arcturus nodded to himself in satisfaction.

"Let us go then," he said finally and walked off. Harry walked behind him in silence.

The pair reached the ritual chamber and Harry closed the door behind him.

"You've got everything? Wand? Trunks?"

Harry nodded, feeling the shrunken trunks full of galleons from both Potter and Black vaults inside his pocket. Arcturus began the preparations.

"Remember to confirm the time you arrive in. According to estimates, you should arrive in the summer of 1976. Go to the Wizengamot archives first thing and claim your lordship. Better consolidate your power at the earliest. You can be sure that word will get out about you once you do, so stay vigilant for potential allies. And finally, remember not to judge people on the basis of their future decisions. You might find that people were quite different from how you knew them in this timeline."

Harry nodded. Arcturus had already told him everything he needed to know.

"Good," Arcturus hesitated before he sighed. "For what it's worth, I am proud of how you have turned your life around. You are a true son of the House of Potter. Charlus would be proud of you."

Those words meant more than he let on, as Harry nodded firmly. "Thank you, for everything you did for me. And I'm sorry for any trouble I caused you."

Arcturus chuckled. "Just save our families and the wizarding populace by getting rid of this cunt and I'll consider your debt repaid in full."

Harry smiled as Arcturus started chanting. The runes glowed and Harry closed his eyes. He felt the ground start to shake and it grew more vigorous until he could hear the walls creaking. Right when he thought the house was going to collapse, he was yanked backward until he was floating into nothingness. Slowly, he opened his eyes and saw the inky blackness all around him with swirls of multicolored lights surrounding him. It was different from when he had used the time-turner.

Suddenly, he was yanked backward harshly and Harry immediately closed his eyes, trying with all his might to not throw up. A grunt escaped his lips as his back collided against the ground.

Blearily, Harry opened his eyes and looked around. He was in a massive field with nothing in sight apart from grassy plains as far as his eye could see. He quickly stood up and brandished his wand.

"Tempus," he whispered, frowning slightly when he saw the date.

July 31, 1975

"Well, happy birthday to me," he whispered and twisted on the spot, apparating away with a faint pop.

-Break-

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