The Last Riddle

Prologue

When James Potter heard Albus Dumbledore say that one of his twin boys, Harry, was the child prophesized to destroy the Dark Lord Voldemort he thought he would faint, but his wife, Lily, went into hysterics.

"Prophesized child, Albus!?" she had screamed. "That's nonsense! Harry is only two months old! You can't just barge in here and-"

"Albus," James had interrupted, "Are you absolutely sure it's Harry? How do you know Alan doesn't fit into the prophecy? After all, they are twins. Not that I would like it any better if Alan was the prophesized child, anyway," he added as an after thought.

Dumbledore took a deep breath, preparing himself for the explosion that was sure to follow. "Alan," he said, "can not be the prophesized child because he was born a Dark wizard."

James and Lily stared at Dumbledore like he had grown a second head.

"WHAT!?" they both yelled.

Dumbledore raised his hands, silently asking them to stay calm. "I do not know how you came to have a Dark child, but when I saw Alan for the first time, I felt great amounts of Dark power emanating from him. It is this that makes me believe that Harry is the one and not Alan."

Lily and James remained silent. James had gone very quiet and was staring off into space, but Lily was thinking furiously. So Harry, the youngest of the twins, would bring down the Dark Lord? Alan was a Dark wizard? Were there any more prophecies concerning her family? These and many other questions that will not be written here floated around Lily Potter's mind, yet, she asked the one that was bothering her most.

"What exactly did the prophecy say, Albus?

Dumbledore sighed loudly. He had hoped the conversation wouldn't come down to this, but it had been all wishful thinking. James seemed to have snapped out of his daze.

"Alright," Dumbledore said in a defeated tone of voice. "You are the parents, you have the right to know..."

Dumbledore went silent for a moment, trying to collect his thoughts. Then, he began speaking the condemning words: "The one with the power to vanquish the new evil approaches... Born as the New Year dawns... He will have a brother to be his opposite... A twin who will either join him or lead his army against him... And the Dark Lord will mark The One as his equal... But he will have powers the Dark Lord has not... The one with the power to vanquish the new evil approaches... Born as the new year dawns..."

"As the new year dawns, Albus?" asked James. "But Harry and Alan were born in the middle of the year..."

Dumbledore grimaced. "Technically speaking, yes, they were born in July, but if you think about it you will notice that every day is the dawning of a new year."

Lily closed her eyes and sighed. "What... what can we do, Albus?" she asked, while her voice was threatening to break. "Harry's only a child... and Alan, Dark... oh, good Lord..."

James sensed his wife's distress and rushed to hug her, muttering comforting words in her ear.

Albus looked at the couple, his light blue eyes reflecting his sorrow at being the one to deliver such terrible news. Unfortunately it was not over. He cleared his throat, catching the Potters' attention.

"We will do the following," he said. "I will place your home under the Fidelius Charm, so your family is protected. You may tell your closest friends about the prophecy but make sure it does not spread from there. We cannot risk Lord Voldemort hearing it."

Both Potters nodded in understanding.

"What can we do about Harry?" asked James.

Dumbledore thought for a moment. "Well, protect him at all costs of course, and keep an eye on Alan. Make sure he does not develop his Dark powers. If at any point in time he starts showing them, owl me immediately. Remember what the prophecy says about Alan either joining Harry or leading an army against him, which makes Alan a crucial part of the war." At their nod, Albus regarded them carefully. "Alright, I have to go now. Let me know when you have chosen a Secret Keeper." Albus took a deep breath. "I know this is hard, and I can not possibly imagine what you are going through right now, but know that I am here if you need me."

Ten years and seven months later, Jack Akor Riddle woke with a start.