Descendant of the Challenger: The Power of Blood

Descendant of the Challenger - Chapter 1

By: Star of Faith

September 1, 1976

King´s Cross Station

Rhiannon Delaney gulped nervously as she looked around the train station, anxiously hoping to find a fellow magical friend. She was standing there with her obvious foster parents, Alec and Leann Delaney. She hoped to see someone else with a pile of luggage and an owl... or at the very least, a twig resembling a wand. While her foster parents were good enough company, the time was nearing 11:00 am, and if she didn´t figure out how to get to platform 9 ¾ soon, she would miss the Hogwarts Express.

It would´ve been such a shame, too, Rhiannon thought. She had spent eleven years thinking she was a normal child, and when the letter from Hogwarts had arrived in its green-ink-and-parchment splendour, excitement had raced through her veins. She desperately wanted to go, but it was suddenly looking near impossible. A frown created small creases on her forehead, her pale skin becoming, if possible, even paler.

"Mum!" she hissed, tugging on Leann´s sleeve, "I´m going to be late!" Her pale green eyes looked up imploringly. The woman sighed exasperatedly.

"Rhiannon, you´re the witch. What am I supposed to do?" She questioned affectionately. Rhiannon shrugged, tucking a strand of sleek black hair behind a delicate ear.

"I dunno, find another wizard? I´m only eleven, you know, Mum," Rhiannon shot back lightly. Alec smiled at his adopted daughter.

"Well, there´s one," he said, pointing to a young boy with long white-blond hair. "He has an owl. He´s got to be a wizard; I can´t imagine anyone else having such a pet." He winked at Rhiannon, and nudged her in the boy´s direction. Rhiannon nodded weakly and began her short trek, looking brave, but feeling desperately nervous on the inside.

Clutching her newly acquired metal cage containing her pet owl Swoosh to her side, Rhiannon tapped the shoulder of the boy lightly. He turned around, and Rhiannon gasped. Staring into her own pale eyes were a pair of luminous gray eyes, presently held in a disdainful gaze. He had a uninterested, polite smile upon his face, lips full and curved slightly at the ends. He had an aristocratic nose, defined facial features. He looked like old money.

"Yes?" His voice was still young, the voice of a boy not yet on his way to manhood, but it still held an air of power, and a worldly attitude of boredom. "What would you like?"

"Ummmm..." she squeaked, hitting a note high in the register. Embarrassed, she quickly regained her composure and cleared her throat. Trying again, she softly asked, "How do you get onto the platform?"

The boy´s upturned mouth turned into a full-fledged smirk as he questioned her in return: "You don´t know how to walk onto a train platform, little girl?"

Rhiannon huffily rolled her eyes and replied, "No, I mean Platform 9 ¾. I mean, you are a wizard right?" She was worried for a moment, when he didn´t reply, that he thought her a lunatic. But then, of course, she noticed a wand peeking out of a pocket of his long coat, and she impishly continued, "Of course, that is a wand in your pocket, right? Not a twig?"

The smirk all but vanished for a second, then reappeared in full force. He let out a dry laugh. "Of course," the elegantly cold tone in his voice confirmed her beliefs as he turned towards the wall. "Just watch." He swiveled and grabbed her arm lightly. "Only, next time, not so loud. The Muggles might hear."

Rhiannon nodded obediently as she waited with bated breath. This was it, her first display of magic, aside from that one trip to Diagon Alley. The boy was at the wall, almost touching the brick exterior with his things. He turned for a second, and then he simply-

Vanished. "He´s gone," she whispered in awe. She turned to where Leann and Alec stood. "Mum, Dad! He´s gone!" She ran back to where they stood, and Leann looked at her watch, did a double take, and looked up with wide eyes.

"You´ve only got two minutes, Rhiannon. You´d best hurry!" Leann told her, grabbing her cart of luggage and shoving it to the little girl. "Go, now!" She gave her a hug, and Alec did too. They placed their hands on their foster daughter´s back, and lightly pushed her toward the brick barrier. "I don´t know how he did it, but maybe you should do it quickly. Do not get nervous, you´re just like him. Magical." Rhiannon gave them a big grin, throwing her arms around them one last time.

"I´ll miss you. I´ll write!" she whispered.

"Go, sweetheart!" Alec told her. "We love you." Rhiannon turned from them, grabbed her cart, and determinedly ran towards the barrier. She cut off a group of Muggle tourists, who screamed at her to slow down and watch where she was going, but she didn´t hear them. She was through the brick wall...and gone.

"Whoa." In all her life, Rhiannon had never seen anything as amazing as the Hogwarts Express. Shiny, scarlet red, and larger than life, it was the vessel that would carry her to a new life. She bit her lip. The only obstacle keeping her from this train and her new-found existence was the tall, tow-headed boy in front of her. "Not another one," she sighed. The boy turned and regarded her with a appraising look.

"Yes?" he asked, his head cocked as he bent to pick up his valise and adjust his glasses. "May I help you?"

"Actually...you´re in the way." she said, smiling benignly. "I kinda have to put my things onto the train. The one that´s leaving in..." she checked her watch, "One minute?! Move!"

The boy raised his eyebrows and a mischievous look came into his eyes as he replied, "A bit bossy, are we?" She sighed and tried to swerve around him, but he quickly moved in front of her cart again, this time on purpose. Becoming frustrated with the boy, she swerved the other way, to be blocked yet again, this time by another dark haired preteen. His eyes were blue to the other´s brown, and just as roguish.

A blonde head appeared over the first boy´s shoulder with a wry grin on it. "You two, always playing the evil-doers. Who are you torturing you now?"

The second boy replied wickedly, "Fresh meat!" just as the first one chimed in, "Our own fair maiden."

The blonde told the first one, "James, you have Lily!" James gulped, as the blonde continued. "And you, Sirius, have the rest of the female population!"

"Does that include the ugly ones?" Sirius asked in a small voice, a fearful look upon his face. The blonde shook his head.

"Sirius...yes." Sirius brightened.

"I still got it!!" he whooped. He rounded to catch up with James, who was already scanning the crowd for whom Rhiannon assumed to be Lily. She gave the blonde a half smile as he helped her cart her luggage onto the train. He hopped down from the compartment and offered her his hand.

"Hi," he said good-naturedly. "Just ignore those two, James and Sirius. I´ve known them for all of five hours, and I´ve already figured out that I´m the smart one." he laughed. "My name is Remus, by the way." Rhiannon took his hand and shook it firmly, noting the dark circles around his gray eyes and the laugh lines around his wide smile. He´s a bit like the other boy, she decided, Except he´s...lighter somehow. Nice.

To him, she said, "Rhiannon. Rhiannon Delaney." Their eyes met, and Rhiannon shivered slightly. She was drawn in. There was something familiar about him...looking into his eyes made her feel like she had just come home. Suddenly a shrill whistle made them both jump in surprise, both a bit embarrassed to have been staring.

He grinned slightly, the look not quite reaching his eyes. "That´s...our signal." Rhiannon nodded, and they deftly jumped onto the train, closing the door just as it started to move. Rhiannon heard Remus say something else, but at the same time, the words were no longer words, just sound... and she was suddenly falling into a nightmarish abyss, her surroundings gone and a new world coming into play.

***

Northern Scotland

It was sunny. The light from overhead was almost blinding, and if not for overwhelming feeling of being blotted out of the world, the weather would´ve been almost pleasant.

But it wasn´t. For the sun indeed did lend a feeling of unstableness to three of the four youths gathered in a small square area of grass in the Scottish Highlands. There were two women, two men, each adorned in ornate robes and radiating power. Helga Hufflepuff, with her dark red hair and ready smile. Rowena Ravenclaw, with her affinity to Transfiguration and wise blue eyes. Godric Gryffindor, brave and fool-hardy, with his boyish charms. And Salazar Slytherin, with his stormy dark eyes and ambitious plans.

They were a powerful group, and as they sat watching their dreams being built, it was obvious that their dreams would affect the world. Rowena and Helga sat by themselves, watching the two men argue between themselves.

"Godric is going to make Salazar very angry one day, I fear," giggled Helga, her eyes sparkling as she took in the scene in front of them. "If he cannot keep his opinions to himself, perhaps Salazar will have to beat them out of him."

"Hush!" Rowena regarded the younger girl with a suppressed, if affectionate, smile. "They are just...two different men, that is all, Helga. Boys will be boys." Helga nodded.

"Yes, but I wager they´ll kill each other before Hogwarts is built! And then where will we be? No one to dance with when we rejoice its opening!"

"I call Helga as my partner." The girls smiled as Godric looked up from his argument, throwing them an impish smile. Rowena batted her eyelashes, for once caught up in the euphoria of what they were doing.

"But who will be my partner?" she asked coquettishly. Godric gave Salazar a nudge, recoiling when he received a dark look.

"You´d do well to consider the important things concerning Hogwarts opening," Salazar said shortly. His eyes softened. "But if forced to choose, Rowena." He ducked his head and continued to work on the piece of parchment below him.

Rowena colored and cleared her throat. "When will the spell be done, Salazar?"

"Tonight," came the reply. " That is when the construction will be done for good, and only then can we invoke our protection onto the final product."

"Then tonight it will be." Rowena glowed with a wide smile. "Tonight is when the fruits of our labor will pay off. Tonight is when we make Hogwarts, history."

For a moment, Rhiannon felt herself start to drift into reality, before feeling the heat of her vision engulf her. She moaned weakly, but let it take her...

It was night, and the fire the four had built roared high and hot. Godric slept soundly on the soft lush grass, his head propped up lightly with his hands. Helga sat next to him, absent-mindedly twirling her wand in her fingers. Only Rowena and Salazar worked feverishly. Only Rowena and Salazar had the knowledge to invoke centuries-old spirits to this site on this day, when the stars were aligned just so, and only they could make Hogwarts truly happen.

"Rowena," Helga called, her eyes bored and hands restless with barely restrained power, "Are you two almost quite done?"

"Almost, quite." Rowena sighed and wiped her brow. The parchment the two had been laboring on contained every spell that they knew necessary to call Protection onto the grounds. They needed to be prepared, if they were to fulfill their plans.

"We´re done." Salazar looked up, his eyes bright. "We´re finally done. We can do it. Now." Rowena looked indignant.

"Now? Are you sure?"

"Yes. It´s time, and we mustn´t let it slip by. Manes de Vetustes will heed our cry only once every 1000 years."

And so they converged, Rowena, Salazar, Helga, and a sleepy Godric. They touched their wands to the brittle parchment, glancing up at the formidable figure of a castle . And then they chanted, watching with eager eyes as the power shot out of each wand, twining and twisting to form a pillar of energy.

"Infinite robur, manes de vetustus, nos quattuor invocare tu, donare Hogwarts in fidem recipere. Donare nos Auctors legatum!"

The words were powerful, and as they pronounced the last word, a feverish pitch invaded Salazar´s voice. "Spirit of Old!! We call on you! Arise and heed our call. Feast on the power we offer, take our souls as vessels and make us great!"

Rowena trembled as her wand jerked. "Salazar," she whispered.

"Don´t break the circle, Rowena!" His eyes were huge, crazed even, as his wand twirled madly. Godric looked pale, his own wand dancing of its own accord in his hand, pale red energy shooting from it. Helga just looked stiff, her eyes scared and her hair messy.

Rowena nodded and gripped her wand. And then she blanched. For standing where a whirlwind of energy had once been stood a pillar of- nothingness.

All was calm. Nothing stirred, and all that could be heard was silence. Rowena was fearful at first, but then an aura of calm pervaded her body. All four were taken by a similar entity.

"Ravenclaw," the disembodied voice intoned. "Wise and skilled. Your spirit is knowledgeable. You will be the House of Wisdom, home to the eagle." She felt a waft of something kiss her brow, and she fell to the grass with a soft thump, touching a slim wand that spouted fiery energy in her hand.

"Hufflepuff," the voice hissed. "Eye to tomorrow. Patience never-ending, friend to all. Your House will be one of Loyalty. Your Spirit houses the badger." Helga seemed oddly at peace as a yellowish light surrounded the small gold cup of water she held in her hands.

"Gryffindor," here the voice almost laughed, "Brave and fool-hardy, you are the hero that should not be, but is. Chivalry and nobility are your House traits, imbued in the Lion. Treat your soon-to-be-heroes well, Gryffindor." Godric looked almost dazed as he grasped a ornate sword in his large hands, a reddish wind ruffling his hair.

"Ah, Slytherin." The voice floated in the wind, becoming almost fetid and hot as it touched Salazar´s face. "Cunning and ambitious, your House is the dwelling of the Power-hungry. These are traits that can kill, or help you prosper. Choose your legacy well, Serpent, for it shall set the tone of the Final battle." Salazar alone remained upright as a small coin bounded from nothingness into his hand. It gleamed green and silver, a pentacle that was covered in dirt and soil.

"And now I leave you, Founders four, to your own devices. With the knowledge given to you and the gifts the Spirits have imparted, choose wisely your course of action. History has been made tonight, know this well. Your castle is awaiting."

And with that it was gone.

And so it was. Helga was the first to awaken from her stupor, holding the water gently. "It´s done! Oh, all of you, look! He-she, oh,

it finished our castle!" They all turned to look, and indeed, the castle was done. In all of its glory. Lights burned in every window and the founders smiled.

"Come then!" Godric yelled, waving his sword madly, already running to the castle. "It´s time for dinner!"

"Godric!" Rowena smiled and gave Helga a hug. "We´ve done it,´ she whispered, scarcely believing it. "Salazar," she said softly, turning to her friend. "Let´s go rejoice."

But Salazar was not listening. "It could not have been so easy," he muttered. "Elements from age-old spirits giving us this in all of two seconds? No, there is something else we must sacrifice."

Rowena shook her head. "Nothing! Nothing else, Salazar. For five years we have slaved over a school to educate others like us; other

wizards and witches. We have given our blood, and our tears, and our sweat. Do not say there is anything else." Her eyes pleaded.

Salazar looked at her for a moment. "No." he said softly. "Nothing else, then." He flipped the coin sub-consciously, catching it. He pocketed it in her robes and gave her a small smile. "Let´s go, Rowena. Destiny awaits us."

But as they trekked to the castle, Salazar had to wonder. Muttering various protection spells and charms to himself, he allowed Rowena to lead him after the others. There would be nothing to destroy his dream. Their dream. Not if he could stop it.

It was done. Their dreams had started to take hold.

They had a legacy.

***

Remus stared out the window, watching little raindrops catch hold on the windows, rolling down until they slipped away to be suddenly gone. He looked over to the other couch concernedly, looking upon the face of Rhiannon. She was in a dead dream world, had been unconscious for nearly an hour. He could wonder what made her sleep so soundly, to have just collapsed in the hall outside the compartment. Whatever it was, it had hurt. Just before she had fallen, a strangled cry had escaped from her throat, and she had grabbed her head in pain, as though a sudden, excruciating headache had taken place. Even now, her hands were still in place; she had a death grip on her skull.

The compartment was silent, but they were not alone. Sirius and James were there. Sound asleep, yes, but there. Lily Evans was also there, pacing back and forth in front of the compartment door, worrying over the girl that she never got to meet. She was perplexed as to why Rhiannon had fainted, but more concerned than anything. Remus found that his friends´ presence was comforting in a way, as though Rhiannon were a close relative on the brink of death, soothing his worries. He knew it was weird, but he had a feeling that he would get to know the girl much better at Hogwarts. A light groan from Rhiannon´s couch startled both Lily and Remus, and they moved to her side.

"Lily? What´s she doing?" Remus asked.

"How am I supposed to know?" Lily retorted, her green eyes flashing as wild red hair tumbled down into them. She brushed it out of her way, and then smoothed back damp tendrils from Rhiannon´s sweaty forehead.

"You´re a girl," Remus stated, as though it would explain every problem in the universe, even world hunger. Lily rolled her eyes and heaved a sigh, and was about to reply nastily, but a weak voice cut her off.

"Remus... where am I? Who´s that?" the voice came from the couch.

"A bit nosy, isn´t she?" Lily joked. Upon seeing Remus´s evil glare, she hastened to add, "Just kidding... That is Lily," she told Rhiannon. "You´re in a compartment aboard the Hogwarts Express, I think number seventy."

"Remus...what happened?" Rhiannon asked, opening her eyes to look to him, and closing them right away, wincing at the harsh light in the compartment.

"Great to know I´m thanked for my information," Lily grumbled before Remus answered.

"You... I don´t know. Fainted or something. In the hall, held your head like you hit it or something," he told her softly, brushing away a stray curl that Lily had missed.

"I don´t know what happened either..."

The weak statement was followed by a scratchy overhead voice: "We are now pulling into Hogwarts Station. Please be ready to depart at any minute." The train began to slow, and a mumbled voice could be heard on the far side of the compartment.

"James, what are you doing to my robes?"

Rhiannon smiled. Vision or not, Hogwarts was going to be interesting all on its own.