Chapter 464: A New Sunrise

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22 June 1995, Athens, Greece

Now, that would be an extremely awkward conversation with her family, one that she was definitely not looking forward to having. No, she would worry about that later. Today, she would celebrate.

Harry woke up with a hellish migraine, hearing yells and screams on the other side of the door. It took him a few minutes to gather his thoughts, as he remembered what happened to previous day. A part of him still thought that it was a dream, the fact that he'd just killed Dumbledore and Grindelwald, alongside their patrons, that he'd gotten rid of humanity's enemies, and Fate's chain with them. He had fulfilled the prophecy of Ragnarök in his own way and was finally free of it, as well as Solomon's visions.

Freedom.

That was the main feeling Harry felt, not the relief of a dead enemy, not the conflict of what he did, the people that perished to make any of that happen; he knew that there were always going to be casualties, especially given that losing would have resulted in billions of deaths or just enslavement. Yet, it was the feeling of freedom that remained, like being in the air in his raven form.

It was the realisation that he could now live his life however he wanted. He wasn't constrained by Destiny or battle. He could finally stop fighting and go back to rediscovering the wonders of magic. It was such a wonderful feeling, the possibilities before him.

In a way, people thinking that he'd died was a good thing. It would have been another chain, specifically, the expectations of the public, much like Dumbledore had been chained after his victory over Grindelwald, despite the power and influence that was granted to him being his goal in the first place.

Yet, while what he had accomplished was beyond legendary, Harry knew that a lot of people across centuries contributed, if marginally. Even Ekrizdis, who was nothing more than a pawn and had almost caused Nidhogg to invade the material realm, had help in a way, even if he didn't mean to.

Someone yelled again, and Harry's headache grew once more. Why did he drink so much the previous night? He definitely let go of his inhibitions in his feeling of freedom, and now he was paying the price for it. He didn't drink a lot of alcohol, and his tolerance was obviously horrible. Damn Arcturus and his Firewhiskey.

Groaning, he stumbled out of bed, shirt half-buttoned and hair looking like he'd been electrocuted, and made his way to the door with the grace of a wounded thestral. The closer he got, the louder the shouting became, and the moment he cracked open the door, the sound hit him like a Blasting Curse.

"—You didn't tell us that you were planning a bloody war!" a familiar female voice, which Harry just couldn't place, yelled out, sharp and furious. "Do you have any idea how shocked I was this morning? We thought you were dead!"

"Well, I'm not," Daphne's voice rang, "And I told you that it was dangerous out there. It's why we even arranged for you to be here."

Harry blinked at the sight. Daphne's mother, Anastasia Greengrass, stood in the middle of the room, dressed impeccably, radiating barely contained rage, glaring at her daughter with a fire that could melt goblin steel. Her father, Cyrus Greengrass, looked obviously angry, but was controlling his features more, while Daphne did look somewhat on the defensive. Beside them, Astoria sat stiffly in a chair, wide-eyed and silent.

Unfortunately, his entrance wasn't exactly subtle, and everyone turned to him, glaring, including Daphne, obviously blaming him for facing this together. Instead of arguing, he raised his hands, "Can you please keep it down? Or if you want to keep yelling, please get me a hangover potion or something."

They all rudely ignored his request, and Daphne's mother hissed, "This is your fault."

"Um, what is exactly?" the last Potter responded, getting an idea that Daphne's parents realised what they had both been up to the previous day, you know, fighting a war and whatnot. That was odd. They were planning on broaching the subject later today, but it didn't seem to be. Did Daphne decide to tell them pre-emptively? Very few people actually knew what happened in Nurmengard, in the mansion at least.

Of course, their answer was a newspaper with his face on it. This wasn't good.

ASHES OF NURMENGARD: THE BATTLE THAT CHANGED EVERYTHING

By Rita Skeeter

In a shocking turn of events that left the magical world shaken to its very core, what began as a quiet conclusion to the International Magical Tournament ended in fire, magic, and an explosion of truth that may echo for generations.

Yesterday, during the closing moments of the final task, a magical surge unlike anything seen in centuries rippled across Europe, originating near Nurmengard. Witnesses from every major magical capital reported unnatural light phenomena, scrying interference, and—most disturbingly—a projected illusion of what many now call the Battle of the End.

Sources from within the International Confederation of Wizards have confirmed that Albus Dumbledore, former Headmaster of Hogwarts, engaged in a cataclysmic battle with none other than Gellert Grindelwald—the infamous Dark wizard who once brought Europe to its knees.

But that was not the most shocking revelation.

In the final moments of the battle, the figure of a third combatant emerged—Harry Potter. Eyewitnesses describe him cutting down Grindelwald in a single strike. What followed was a display of spellcraft and power that dwarfed even Dumbledore, ending in what magical theorists are now calling "an artificial containment collapse," which obliterated the ritual powering the cataclysm, but left no survivors.

According to Amelia Bones, Head of the DMLE, "Whatever protections Mr. Potter prepared… they saved us. Had he not intervened, there may not have been a continent left to write this article on."

Experts agree: the sheer amount of unbound ritual magic present in Nurmengard should have annihilated everything within hundreds of kilometres. Instead, thanks to Potter, the damage was minimal. Hogwarts remains standing. Nurmengard, however, is no more.

And so, we are left with only one conclusion:

Harry Potter is dead.

But in dying, he may have saved the world.

The Ministry has confirmed that no trace of his body has been found. Yet numerous scrying efforts, including those sanctioned by the ICW, have failed to locate him. Inquiries into the arcane residue left behind have revealed an unfathomable truth: the boy orchestrated the entire duel, from turning Dumbledore and Grindelwald against one another, to ensuring that the event would be divinable—so that no one would forget what was said, what was done.

And what was revealed?

Dumbledore, once hailed as the saviour of Britain, admitted to working with Grindelwald on a ritual of unprecedented power—one that would have reshaped the world to their image. And Harry Potter stopped them both.

Furthermore, the Department of Magical Law Enforcement has also confirmed new details surrounding the disappearance of Daphne Greengrass, a known close companion of Harry Potter. Sources within the DMLE state that, during the final task at Hogwarts, Miss Greengrass vanished under mysterious circumstances. Initially assumed to have withdrawn, further investigation revealed signs of abduction during the task itself, sparking speculation that her disappearance may have been an intentional act of intimidation or silencing.

Attempts by the Unspeakables to locate her have failed. Department of Mysteries operatives, under strict ICW oversight, have noted that every known scrying or tracking method yielded no result, leading some officials to quietly admit that she may have perished during the conflict at Nurmengard.

That fortress, once Grindelwald's personal stronghold and later his prison, is now little more than dust and ruin. ICW investigators dispatched to the site report that signs of a devastating magical battle are evident. Aurors found melted stone, magical residue too volatile to safely approach, and what few artefacts remained were drained of all magical power. One Unspeakable—who requested anonymity—called it "the most violent unravelling of a ritual structure ever recorded."

While the full truth of what transpired in Austria may take months to unravel, one fact is becoming increasingly clear: the world may have come within a hair's breadth of ending—and Harry Potter stood in the way.

Ministry officials have begun planning a memorial in his honour in Hogwarts. Already, magical communities across the globe are holding vigils and lighting enchanted candles with his name.

Wherever you are, Mr. Potter… thank you.

May your name never be forgotten.

The rest of the article continued this way, essentially praising Harry as some sort of martyr who saved them all and Britain's role in averting Dumbledore's and Grindelwald's plans from finishing their ritual and even containing the backlash.

Harry could see through all of the bullshit. Britain was essentially scaring the rest of the world shitless and showing the ICW's idiocy when they gave back power to the former headmaster, especially after he was exiled from Britain. Yes, Fudge was obviously trying to get as much political pull as he could, cementing Magical Britain's independence from the ICW and planning to use Harry's 'grave' in Hogwarts as some sort of tourist attraction to help reignite Britain's economy through foreign investments.

All in all, it wasn't especially surprising, since it would likely work. To be perfectly honest, Harry was mostly taken aback by how quickly they were to figure out what happened. Sure, he had essentially given them breadcrumbs and the divination equivalent of a gigantic glowing arrow pointing at what happened to Dumbledore and Grindelwald, but he still expected the ICW to wait a week or two before making something like this.

Either way, Harry was glad to have faked his death. He would have been hounded everywhere, and he definitely wouldn't have been able to hide at all. Still, he turned towards Daphne, "How did you get a newspaper through the wards. I think Marinakis put them on lockdown before he left."

The blonde shook her head, "Perseus let go of a lot of restrictions after he woke up. He said something about this being a safehouse, not a prison, and the threat having passed. He's still angry at his father knocking him out during the battle, but he hasn't left his bedside since he found out what happened."

Nevertheless, Cyrus Greengrass growled at him, "Explain. You asked us to stay here for a few weeks because you said that there might have been another 'Olympus incident' in Hogwarts and didn't want us to stay in Britain. Despite my best judgment, we agreed. You did not say anything about a battle against Dumbledore and Grindelwald, and some apocalyptic event. You definitely did not mention the world thinking that you both had died."

Harry gave him an awkward smile, "Well, we weren't exactly lying, but we kept a few things to ourselves. Let's just say that over the last year or so, I gained the enmity of Dumbledore and Grindelwald, and given the scale of what they planned to do, we thought that it would be prudent to get all of our friends and families to safety. This place is likely the safest place in the stronghold. Now, I won't bore you with the peculiarities, but we heard of a plan to abduct Daphne, and so, we replaced her to be used as bait. She was never in danger in any way, just hidden from everyone, just in case we had traitors in the manor. Since Nurmengard blew up with her being obviously taken during the task, if anyone tries to look back, and the fact they can't scry her while she's under the wards of this place, they assumed that she died. And you know how the press is. They found a headline and stuck with it."

Well, that was a big fat lie, but it was obvious that the Greengrasses wouldn't have been happy with the news of their daughter fighting in a battle against vampires and an army of darkness, despite how capable she was.

Thankfully, they bought it, given the fact that they calmed down slightly and Daphne gave him a grateful smile. Cyrus, though, spoke up with a firm voice, "Fine, we'll go back to Britain tomorrow. We'll make a press release that you and Daphne are still alive. This should raise the prestige of our family a lot, since we obviously participated in Grindelwald's downfall."

Harry shook his head, "I'm sorry, but I don't think this is a good idea. I have no plans of being paraded about like a puppet. Daphne revealing herself will be her choice, not yours."

That seemed to vex the man a lot, obviously not liking having Harry's support in his political ambitions squashed before his eyes, "I do not need your permission to do anything…"

Harry raised an eyebrow and let his magic create a bit of pressure, making the man gulp. The young mage let go immediately and spoke up in a cheery tone, "You can, of course, do what you want, but I left a little trick just in case someone tried to announce to the world of my survival, a magical effect that reinforces the idea of our deaths. If you try to say anything else, you will be ridiculed, treated a bit like the Lovegoods. It will be like you're denying a fact of life, and well, your house will lose a lot of respect if you act like a lunatic. I can remove the effect, of course, and will only do so if Daphne wants to."

Harry didn't mention the whole thing being constrained by Time, and the fact that the world needs to believe that they were dead. He didn't feel like explaining everything to them, since the whole thing was complicated enough for someone who studied time extensively to understand.

As expected, Anastasia spoke up, obviously angry, "And what kind of life would she have as a dead person. You're asking her to ruin her future for you."

"What kind of life would she have if they knew that she was alive and only remembered as my girlfriend? She will be hounded, judged, and maybe even persecuted by the sick Dumbledore and Grindelwald loyalists out there. I am offering her freedom. I could get Sebastien Delacour to arrange for her to go to Beauxbatons. They will not recognise her, even without an illusion, my magical effect would make their minds unable to refute it."

"And what kind of life is that?" Anastasia protested.

"The one that I chose," Daphne retorted heavily, "I chose him, mum. This is as much my decision as it is Harry's. He would remove the enchantments if I just asked him to, but this is for the best, and you know that."

The Greengrass matriarch opened her mouth for a second but closed it after she failed to find an argument. Her husband, however, had gotten even redder, "You are depriving me of my heir, Potter. I have trained her since she was barely able to walk, and I will not have this effort go to nothing."

Daphne responded for him, "You don't even care, do you? You don't care that I'm legally dead, you just want your precious heir. I'm not even the only choice anymore. Astoria is healed and well. She will be a great Greengrass Matriarch one day, I know it. You need to accept that I get to live my life however I want to, and that I can have other ambitions than succeeding you, dad."

And just like that, the blonde stormed out of the room, angrily, and Harry followed her, trying not to roll his eyes at the family drama. He just turned towards Cyrus Greengrass and spoke up, "I'll try to calm her down, but that was very badly done on your part."

He followed her to a small garden. She sat down on the grass, which kept swaying around her despite the lack of wind, showing how upset she was, "I can't believe he still refuses to let me make my choices. I fought a bloody war, killed more vampires than he could count, and he still treats me like a child."

"No offence, Daph, but he's still your father and you're not seventeen yet. Like it or not, you have him by the balls. He literally can't do anything to stop you from making a decision, and he really doesn't like it. Like it or not, as his heir and with your public history with me, you'd have a lot of political pull, and I'm understating things. Your house's influence could easily skyrocket, and he's angry that the potential is being squandered away. He'll need to accept that there's nothing he can do to stop you, and he'll calm down."

The blonde growled but took a deep breath, "I hoped that with Ragnarök behind us, things would get easier. You'd think that the bloody apocalypse would be simpler than dealing with my family."

Harry snorted and stayed silent. The fact that she was joking was a good thing. Despite himself, his mind wandered to his journey since first stepping foot in Hogwarts to battling gods and defeating entities beyond human comprehension.

Looking at it from an outsider's perspective, he had to admit that it was too neat and not nearly messy enough. Things always seemed to go his way. He blamed it on Solomon, who had planned this whole thing from the start, but something niggled him the wrong way.

Daphne obviously noticed it, "What are you thinking about that's making you think so lost in your own head?"

"Nothing, really. Just a thought. The battle against Dumbledore and Grindelwald went too perfectly. Dumbledore arrived at the exact moment. Grindelwald lost much of his flexibility with his decision against the Dark, which would have made it a lot harder to hold him off. Dumbledore being gone after destroying Excalibur was a boon since the battle in Nurmengard could have gone a lot worse if he had come back early. And when he came back, Nurmengard was destroyed, and he was so filled with order with the Light spear messing with his soul, that he barely did anything but attack directly. For all their increase in power, they were perfect opponents for me."

"And what's wrong with that? You said that Solomon arranged for all of this."

"Yes, but divination shouldn't have worked. To be able to predict this, Solomon would have been able to pierce through uncertain Fate and even see through the Light's and the Dark's decisions, thousands of years in the past. Time and Fate were in flux. It should have been impossible. Every decision could have changed anything. Something else was holding the strings, something that wanted the Light and Dark gone."

"Who?" Daphne asked.

"I have no idea, but I have a feeling I won't like it."

"It's a mystery," the blonde replied, "Don't drive yourself crazy with it. You won, Harry, and it's time for us to celebrate. Now, let's get some breakfast. I'm famished."

Harry nodded, "Why don't you go ahead. I want to stay in the silence for a bit. I'm expecting the rest of the mansion to have seen the newspaper, and I'm not looking forward to explaining things to her."

The blonde gave him a kiss and left, "Ah, the bane of success. Don't take too long."

And so, Harry continued to think of what could have possibly been seen through something as the aftermath of a broken prophecy and came up with nothing. Daphne might be right. Maybe it was better to leave things be.

He was about to leave and murmured to himself, "Just who are you?"

And just like that, a familiar fractal portal opened in front of him. This was his magic, one that he had invented and honed himself, and yet this portal had opened without saying anything. Then he looked around and saw that everything stood there frozen, and it took a small application of his Arcane Hearing to realise that time had stopped for as far as he could perceive it.

He knew exactly what this was: a statement, a proof of power. The portal flared slightly, obviously someone stepping through it. Harry conjured his scythe, ready to confront an attacker, until a familiar voice stopped him cold, "There's no need to panic. I simply believe that it was time for us to have a little conversation."

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AN: Sorry about the cliffhanger. I was honestly tempted to reveal exactly who this is, but I thought against it. When I wrote it, I realised that the reveal was a bit confusing and clearing everything up would have almost doubled the chapter's length, and I just didn't have the time to write it all (Sorry, no more spoilers). Still, I'm excited about the next chapter, to be honest. It should explain a few hints I left all over the story. As for the fight Daphne had with her family, I mostly did it to show the newspaper article and how Fudge is spinning things for his administration's benefit. As usual, please let me know what you think and if you have any suggestions.

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If you want to support me check out my patréon at https://www.patréon.com/athassprkr

I tend to upload drafts of early chapters on there to get people's opinions of them so you can read up to 20 chapters ahead as a bonus.

Thank you guys for your support in these hard times.