Heirs of the Founders

Heirs of the Founders

Chapter One

Harry's Wish

It had taken nearly eight years but it finally happened. Voldemort was gone for good. Harry defeated him in one last battle. His scar burned one last time and in that short moment, Harry felt every feeling Voldemort was feeling. He felt all the guilt, the anger, the hate, the sorrow, the agony of defeat. He felt every emotion, great and small.

Yes, Voldemort was gone but Harry's scar remained as a reminder of everything Voldemort put him through. So many people suffered because of him. People were dead. Families were torn apart. Friends were betrayed. People spend years in Azkaban because of him. Harry lost so many close people to him. His parents, his godfather, even his two best friends became victims to Voldemort. Harry hated Voldemort for it. He hated him with a passion beyond explanation. Regardless of all this, because of those emotions Harry felt from Voldemort when he defeated him, Harry began to pity Voldemort. It was just a little bit but it was enough to make him think.

Voldemort had once been an ordinary boy just like Harry. He hadn't always been Lord Voldemort. He hadn't always had those red eyes and inhuman body. A little more than half a century ago Voldemort was just an orphaned boy named Tom Riddle. Whatever caused Riddle to become the monster Voldemort? Harry knew he was the heir of Slytherin and that blood made him a Parselmouth, a sign of a dark wizard. He had the qualities of Slytherin but Slytherin once one of the founders of his school. He couldn't have been evil too, could he? It didn't make sense. Monsters were created, not born.

Harry knew Tom's muggle father left Merope Gaunt before she gave birth to him. Tom's mother finally told her husband the truth about her. Merope had to be very desperate to fall for a Muggle. She must've thought that no wizard would want her. She wasn't a good enough witch, like her father expected her to be. So Merope gave birth to her son at a Muggle Orphanage. Why did she do that? Did she really give up on magic? She could have gone to St. Mungos. Perhaps the Healers would have done something to keep her alive. How was she even to see herself through the pregnancy?

Tom was raised in a muggle orphanage and Harry could've imagined he didn't have many friends. As he had witnessed in the Penseive Tom was a sort of a bully. He discovered his abilities before Dumbledore came for him. He even admitted the kind of things he done and it sounded like he had no remorse for it.. Why on Earth did he do that? Just to show them that he could? Harry didn't like his cousin Dudley much either but would he had gone too far? But was all of this enough to drive someone to the edge? When Tom first came to Hogwarts did plan to become a murderer? What was life for Tom Riddle really like?

These thoughts made Harry kind of wished he hadn't killed Voldemort. Perhaps there was another way to get rid of him. Perhaps put him in Azkaban or somehow get him to know that power wasn't' the only thing. It was too late now. Harry really hadn't much of a choice. Voldemort had gone too far. Voldemort had to die.

Harry thought about this all the time. When he finally became an Auror, he hoped every bad wizard he caught would change their lives around. There was more to life than just power. So much more. One day, Harry decided not to apparate to the Ministry of Magic. He wasn't sure but the weather was quite nice. He thought it'd be good for him to walk there. He glanced over the muggles. Harry only knew of a handful of muggles that knew about magic and Voldemort. The rest thought there was no such thing as magic, his aunt and uncle included--even when they knew he was a wizard and everything.

Harry came up to a large fountain in the middle of the high street. Three teenagers were standing next to it, talking as a little kid threw a fifty pence piece in the fountain and walk off with his mother.

"You know what?" a boy said to his friends, watching the little boy walk off. "I put about thirty pounds worth of change in this stupid fountain and none of my wishes came true!"

"Did you tell anyone what you wished for?" the girl asked with a grin. "It'll never come true if you tell someone."

"No, of course not," the boy replied with a frown. "Doesn't matter anyway. Wishes don't come true. It's just an old tale people say so they can get donations. All this money is going to the hospital or something."

Harry stepped to the side and watched them. He wasn't sure who started the legend about throwing coins into fountains, muggles or wizards. The Ministry of Magic had a fountain itself and Harry fondly remembered the moment when he dumped his sack full of money in it when he was cleared from his hearing a few years back.

"Carl," the second boy said softly, "how did you make the wish?"

"What do you mean," Carl demanded, turning his head to him. "How did I make the wish?"

"Did you just stand in a random spot around the fountain and throw a coin in?" he asked.

"Well, yeah," Carl muttered, "so?"

"You mean there's a 'proper' way to make a wish?" the girl asked skeptically.

"There is," the other replied replied.

"You've got to be kidding me, Robert!" Carl groaned. "It doesn't matter where you throw it!"

"It's more than just where you throw," Robert said casually. "Here, let me show you how it's done. You've got to first believe it can come true."

"I'm sure no one doubts it will come true," the girl stated.

"I know that," Robert nodded, "but you've got to believe in magic."

Harry sat down on a bench to watch. He found this conversation pretty interesting.

"There's no such thing as magic!" Carl exclaimed. "That's for little kids."

"Oh, I'm sure even adults believe in it too," Robert insisted, "let's ask someone."

"Rob, don't!" the girl pleaded.

"Cathy, come on," Robert insisted, "it's just a simple question...let's ask this guy over here. Excuse me, mate!"

Harry saw Robert point at him.

"Yeah?" Harry asked.

"Can I ask you a question?"

"Sure," Harry replied.

"Do you believe in magic?"

"Oh please," Carl groaned.

Harry grinned. "Sure I do."

"There, you see?" Robert said to his friends. "He believes in magic."

"He only said that because he was watching us," Carl told him. "He doesn't want you to feel stupid."

"He sounded sincere to me," Robert stated, "now I'm going to show you how to make a wish at this fountain. You can't just walk over to it, make a wish and drop a coin in."

"How do you know this?" Cathy asked.

"I figured out the way to do it," Robert answered.

"No you didn't," Carl stated

"Sure I did," Robert insisted, "I asked my grandmother why my wishes weren't coming and she I wasn't doing it right."

"So you didn't figure it out," Cathy corrected him, "your grandmother just told you."

"Not really," Robert told her, "she said I had to try something new. So I used to come here all the time and figure out how to make this thing work."

"No wonder you're broke," Carl groaned.

"Right," Robert walked around to the fountain so he was eye level with the statue in the middle. "You have to come to this point, where the statue is and wave at it." He waved at the statue as if expecting for it to wave back at him. His friends laughed.

"Then you walk around the fountain three times, clockwise."

His friends watched him circle the fountain, voicing their doubts and how much he looked like a git.

"You don't have to dance in it next, do you?" Cathy asked.

"Of course not," Robert replied, "I already tried it."

"You've gone nutters, Robert," said Carl.

"Please don't interrupt me," said Robert, "I'm trying to think of a wish. You have to have a wish in mind by the third time you walk around or you'll have to start over again."

"Oh, sorry," Cathy groaned.

With a wish in mind, Robert stopped in front of the statue. It looked like a woman in a cloak leaning on a staff. Robert reached in his pocket, pulled out a two pound coin, closed his eyes, kissed the coin and winked at the statue before dropping it in the water.

"Now wait," said Robert, "if she winks back she'll grant my wish. She's considering it."

Cathy and Carl stood next to Robert, staring at the woman's face. A minute went by and they didn't see any movement. Carl laughed.

"Maybe she'll wink if you smack her on the bum, Robert!"

"Carl!" Cathy shouted in shock, though she was close to giggles herself.

"There!" Robert pointed at the statue. "She winked at me, just now."

"I didn't see anything," said Cathy.

"Well, it's just the person that makes the wish who'll notice her winking," Robert explained as they turned back around and walked away from the fountain.

"So what did you wish for?" Carl demanded. "A thousand pounds?"

"I can't tell you," Robert muttered, "but you'll see."

Harry got a sudden urge to talk to the teenagers. He got to his feet and followed them. "Oy!"

They turned around.

"It's that guy," said Cathy, "I wonder what he wants."

"You kids want proof magic is real?" Harry said, pulling his bangs back. "Then look at this!"

"How'd you get that scar?" Carl asked.

"An evil wizard tried to kill me when I was a baby," Harry answered.

"No way..." Cathy breathed.

"I'm a wizard too, you know."

"No you're not!" Carl shouted. "You probably got that scar by falling and hitting something."

"I don't know, Carl," Robert said with a grin. "I don't know anything that would leave a perfect lightning bolt like that..."

"Fine, you want more proof?" Harry challenged. "Well, here's my wand...and this here is wizard money...would you fancy an acid pop? I bet you can't find that anywhere else!"

Robert started laughing as Harry brought out more wizard things. Carl turned to him.

"Oh what's so funny?" Carl demanded.

"That's what I wished for!" Robert answered. "Proof that magic is real!"

"I've got a flying broomstick too if you want to see it," Harry added, "All I have to do is a summoning charm."

"I can't believe this," Cathy breathed.

"This has got to be a dream or something," said Carl.

"Now do you guys believe me?" Robert asked. "Want to make a wish now?"

"Maybe later, mate," Carl said tiredly, "but I think I'll try this acid pop thing. Sounds interesting."

"All right then," Harry gave him the wizard treat. Carl walked off sucking on it with Robert following him saying, "I told you! I told you magic is real!"

Cathy remained staring at Harry. "Wow, you're pretty good looking! Are you single? You can show more magic! I want to believe!"

"Well, I--," Harry began.

"Cathy, come on!" Robert called. "We've got to get to school. Unless you expect to borrow the wizard's broomstick, we'd better get going!"

"Oh, right," Cathy moaned and she looked at Harry. "It was nice meeting you. What's your name by the way?"

"Harry Potter."

"Will I ever see you again?"

"Cathy!!!"

Cathy turned around and ran after her friends. When school let out she knew what to wish for.

"How could we ever doubt you, Robert?" she wondered aloud once she caught up with them.

"You know, this magic sweet is pretty good," said Carl. "I wonder why it's called an acid---yow! My tong! Burning! Ow!"

"Looks like that answers your question," Robert grinned.

Robert and Cathy laughed while Carl tossed the wizard sweet away and began spitting.. Harry put his wand and things back in his pockets and approached the fountain. So it could grant wishes? If it worked for a muggle, could it work for a wizard too? Only one way to find out.

Harry followed the procedure just as Robert did it previously. He waved at the statue and began walking around it clockwise. There were dozens of things he could wish for. For his friends to be back, his godfather, his parents. He could wish that Wormtail didn't run off to find Voldemort in Harry's third year. He could wish that Crouch didn't smuggle his Death Eater son out of Azkaban. Maybe he should wish that Sirius managed to stop Pettigrew before Pettigrew got away. Then that way Harry could have stayed at his Godfather's instead of the Dursleys? Or perhaps he should wish that his father had managed to stop Voldemort. Then instead of Harry being known as "The Boy Who Lived" his family would be famous. They'd see him with his parents and they'd say, "there goes the Potters--the family who lived."

But there'd still be the chance of Voldemort coming back. What if he wished that Pettigrew hadn't turned his parents to Voldemort? What if he were brave enough to refuse? What if someone had found those horcruxes and destroyed them before Voldemort killed his parents? What if Professor Slughorn never told Tom what horcruxes were? There were too many options.

Harry had to admit, he had quite a few adventures and he was the hero but he was tired of it. He wanted just a normal life like everyone else. It would've been nice to watch Cedric come out of the maze carrying the Triwizard Cup instead of watching him die. What if he wished that Cedric and Harry managed to stop Voldemort then, before Wormtail finished the ritual? There were so many ideas. Harry couldn't decide. What should he wish for?

Then on his third time around the fountain it came to him. What if Tom Riddle was caught when he had opened the Chamber of Secrets? What if Tom Riddle never became the most feared wizard but remained just the way he was? Tom wanted to be great. Maybe he became a great wizard in a different way? Like becoming Minister of Magic or something? It was the thing Harry thought about after defeating Voldemort. He wondered what kind of life Tom would have if he didn't become Lord Voldemort. He wanted Tom to know there were more things than just power. There were things like friendship and love and courage. Tom deserved a chance like anyone else, even if he were the Heir of Slytherin. He couldn't have been evil his whole life. He was just a misunderstood, angry soul. Harry couldn't make a wish for himself. Tom Riddle was the one who really suffered from all of this, not Harry. Harry wanted to make a wish for someone else. He had to.

Harry stopped in front of the woman and he sensed that the statue was a witch. But why was this fountain in the middle of a muggle high street instead of a wizarding town like Hogsmead or Diagon Alley? Perhaps this fountain was a way to get muggles to believe in magic.

Concentrating on his wish, Harry pulled out a Galleon and kissed it. 'I wish Tom Riddle never became Lord Voldemort.'

He winked at the statue and threw the Galleon in the water. After watching it sink to the bottom, he lifted his eyes to the statue and waited to see if the statue would wink back. How long did the statue have to consider on a person's wish until she refused? And if she did, what should the person do? Try again using a different coin? Perhaps he should've asked that Muggle boy how this thing worked.

The statue's left eye closed. Harry couldn't believe it. Harry smiled and walked away from the fountain. The Galleon he had thrown in began to glow. The witch already started working on it. She was working on a way for Tom Riddle to stay Tom Riddle. What was she planning on doing?

To Be Continued