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PROLOGUE
The stars were beautiful in the night sky above the Astronomy Tower. They twinkled majestically in the heavens, celestial pinpricks dancing across the blanket of darkness. Even the moon tonight was exceptionally bright, shining with all the robust glory of the Queen herself, glowing over her dominion. The dark blanket of night hung across the heavens like a canvas splashed with dark blue ink, the faintest hues of red dripping along the edges like burning flames licking the blue paper. Albus Dumbledore stared up at the night sky, with his eyes closed, his pale, half-moon spectacles reflecting the bright light of the shimmering stars. The wind played across the grounds of Hogwarts and a small ripple ran across the pale lake, the dancing reflections twirling in their splendid waltz of celestial wonder. Even the massive squid in the lake seemed to slumber peacefully. Dumbledore sighed and bowed his head, his white beard shining as bread as the stars themselves. While those wrinkles seemed as peaceful as ever, something twinkled slighty in his eyes, something odd. Something was not right this night...
“Albus?” asked a voice from within the castle, and he slowly turned to face the black silhouette of an inky black cat. Golden eyes glittered in the night as the feline stared up at him, affixing him with a glare that could move him as only one person could.
“Minerva,” he sighed, striding from his place at the Astronomy Tower and settling alongside the dark feline, “It is growing late. Tell all the teachers to head to their beds. There can’t be that many detentions in our second day of term.”
“All the teachers retired long ago, Albus,” said the cat in a strict, serious tone, and the subtly black feline billowed into a smokey darkness before reforming into the shape of a stringent looking witch. Even as the smokey dark tendrils came together to form her constantly pursed lips, she spoke, “I only came because I noticed you up here. Is their a problem?”
“Not a problem, Minerva” sighed Dumbledore, turning his pale eyes back to the glimmering heavens, “I am simply watching the stars. I had a feeling tonight; a feeling of something heading upon us.”
“Well there is always something heading upon us with those two around,” said Minerva McGonagall disapprovingly, her emerald green robes shining in the moonlight, “Certainly today is no change of that!”
“I am not referring to the Weasly twin’s prank this morning,” replied Dumbledore, a familiar twinkle in his eye, “And if I was unaware of it, I would have found it much less amusing then I did. As you saw at breakfast, I was very flattered by my beard’s new shade of bright pink.” McGonagall blushed as scarlet as Dumbledore’s prior beard, and continued briskly on as if nothing had happened.
“Well if it is not those two that keeps you up this late, than what does?” she interrogated further, staring up to where Dumbledore continually stared, the bright stars twinkling like diamonds in the skies, “Astronomy has never drawn you so much as to keep you away from your Order work?”
“Ahh, and there you have it Minerva,” said Dumbledore, turning his gaze from the sky to stare at her pointedly from behind his spectacles, “It is true that the fight against Voldemort fights my need for sleep most of the time, yet tonight, I had the strangest attraction to the heavens that you see tonight. However, I have no idea of why this might happen now, and I doubt Professor Trelawney might be of service in deciphering my apparent attraction to the stars tonight.” McGonagall snorted at the mention of the fanciful Divination professor and Dumbledore smiled before looking back to the heavens, his half-moon spectacles glinting once again as a particularly bright star shone down from the sky.
“Yes Albus, but maybe it is time stop staring and start dreaming about the stars a little. After all, we don’t want the first years to be scared of you after a night of no sleep- ” But she was cut off suddenly as Albus brought his hand up, silencing her with a single gesture, his eyes fixed upon the shining star, which seemed to outshine all the rest.
"Minerva, would you mind asking a few of the teachers to join me? Severus, Hagrid, the usual please."
"Albus," Minerva said, her voice obvious surprised at his tone, "It's late. Half the teacher's are in bed by now..."
"I'm sure they will understand," said the Headmaster firmly, his eyes still fixated on this glowing star, the bright blue light seemingly growing brighter and brighter his time went on, "I have a feeling they will want to see this."
“But Albus..."
"Go, Minerva," he said softly, his quiet, aged voice layered with a subtle, yet strong sense of command, and the Headmistress stood promptly, only pausing to give a single quizzical look to the Headmaster before making her way quickly back into the castle, green robe billowing behind her as she disappeared into the darkness of the Tower... Professor Dumbledore reached into his pocket, slipping out a slim, aged wand, before pointing it to the side, a few quiet words escaping his lips.
"Accio Telescope"
The long black instrument shot towards him from inside the building where it was kept, and with a single whooshing noise, he caught it in his hand, extending them long tube as he placed the smaller end against his right eye, a small curious smile gracing his aged lips as he stared up into the sky.
"And from the heavens would come a falling star," he murmured to himself, smiling as if reciting a nursery rhyme, while watching the pinprick through the telescope, "Carrying it's messengers from worlds afar..."
CHAPTER I
Obi-wan Kenobi stared frustratingly at his hyperspace map, the pale blue holographic lines hovering in the air like celestial spider webs. A blinking red dot moved silently across it, and Obi-wan sighed, and closed the device with a solemn click. As he stroked his semblance of a beard slowly, he closed his eyes, his mind slowly easing itself as he meditatively calmed his anxious thoughts. Easy... we are not lost... simply following...
“Getting anywhere, Master?” Obi-wan turned to see his fellow Jedi Knight and former apprentice, Anakin Skywalker, walking up to him from the rear of the ship. Anakin was becoming more skilled Jedi everyday, and the Obi-Wan had no doubt that the Council would make him a Master soon. Yet with his strength, also grew his impatience.
“No, my friend,” chided Obi-wan, reminding Anakin of his position, “The signal is too weak for us to get a transmition and we are that last hyperspace jump took us far off course. I’m not even sure I’ve ever been to this galaxy. Anakin took a look at the spiral rendition of the galaxy they were currently, the spiraling white clouds and gas an unfamiliar sight to his voyages in space.
“So we’re in Wild Space?” sighed Anakin, collapsing in the chair next to Obi-Wan, “Great, now are we not only with a broken hyperdrive but we also are stranded in unknown regions of endless space.”
“Patience, Anakin,” said Obi-wan smiling, patting his former apprentice on the shoulder, and turning back to the controls, “We will make it out of here eventually. The Force will guide us.” Anakin sighed again, and turned to his panel, busying his hands with some broken circuitry. He always tinkered with things when he was bored, or angry. It kept his mind focused and away from straying thoughts. As Obi-wan stared at his apprentice, it occurred to him how much Anakin had actually grown. Anakin was the same height as him, and nearly as strong. Although he was still young, his curled brown hair fell menacingly over his eyes, the scar running down his right cheek a startling reminder of his past battles. All though he was barely 22, Anakin was at the height of his Jedi power, and although it never came up, he was the Chosen One, with a midi-chlorian count of over 20,000, and he never failed to live up to it. Obi-wan on the other hand seemed to be very plain, with pale brown robes contrasting to Anakin’s dark black ones. He seemed older and more mature, as if he was slightly past his prime. But anyone who saw him would instantly recognize his natural poise and balance, and his speed and defense were legendary among the Jedi. But up in space, these qualities would help him none. He sat back in his chair and rubbed his temple in frustration. They had been out here for weeks and they had yet to see any signs of life at all.
"So we wait," continued the young Jedi Knight, sitting back in his seat, rubbing his eyes as he glanced at the endless void of space in front of him, "We wait until we find a planet to land on. If there's even one out here. You do realize what the calculated odds of that are, don't you?"
"Do not remind me," muttered Obi-wan, placing the circuitry down as he turned to face his former apprentice, "But do not fear. The force will guide us..."
"I do not fear," replied Anakin quietly, barely audible as he leaned back in his chair, dark eyes glinting as he watched the monitors. Obi-wan glanced up at him, a single look of worry clouding his eyes before he shook his head, striking it from view. Anakin made such statements occasionally... but Obi-wan had grown to ignore such detriments. Or at least, he tried...
"Master Kenobi!"
The familiar chorus of voices filled the cockpit, and Anakin and Obi-wan exchanged a look as the bay doors slid open. A scant frown vanished from Obi-wan's face, and he let out a sigh, before turning around, his eyes alighting on two familiar figures, scrambling to get through the doorway. In an entangled mess of limbs, they fell through the door, pushing as their voices rose, echoing throughout the small cockpit.
"Master Skywalker, he hit me in th-"
"It was an accident! We were sparring and she goes an-"
"That was no accident, you tell him to keep his lightsaber to hims-"
But the voices stopped suddenly, and the figures each were silenced, levitating a few inches off the ground, their robes instantly being smoothed and straightened by an invisible force, before gently lowering them to the ground. They were young, each looking roughly 16, or 15, and even as they were lowered o the ground, the held their tongues. One was a girl, with flaming red hair, tied back in a simple bun, her only particular features, besides having quite beautiful features, was her pointed ears and slightly elongated face, marking her species. The other was a simple brown haired boy, who's height and skinniness complimented the grin he could not help but let escape from his lips. They stood their a bit sheepishly as Anakin lowered his hand, eyes blazing slightly as Obi-wan shook his head, a faint smile tracing his lips as he glared at the two of them.
“Agustusia, what does the first line of the Jedi Code state?” he promptly asked, knowing they would both respond instantaneously.
“There is no emotion; there is peace,” they answered, still glaring at each other angrily as Obi-wan continued.
“And what is the third line say?” he said, staring at them forcefully as they mumbled along.
“There is no passion; there is serenity,” they grumbled and Obi-wan stared at them intensely.
“Listen my young ones,” he said to them, “I know you have been through a hard time. We have been aboard this ship a long time, and since the… event, it has been tough on us all. But you must not let your anger or sadness get the best of you, do you understand? That is the path the dark side and you must stray from it.” Anakin approved, nodding his head, but there was a strange look in his eye that Obi-wan failed to notice. He just patted the two of them slowly on the shoulder, and turned away. Agustusia and Laxus turned to look at each other before turning and walking away, and as the thin metal door slid between them and Obi-wan, Agustusia rounded on Laxus, hissing,
“If you ever get that lightsaber near my butt again, I will rearrange your midi-chlorians so you are just as dumb as you look, and even Master Kenobi won’t stop me!” Laxus just grinned and leapt off down the hall, and Agustusia just sighed, and rubbed her buzzed rump. Why did teenage Jedi boys still have to have Force-enhanced hormones? She wondered, as she walked down the metal hall, tying her flaming red hair back in a ponytail as she followed Laxus’s fading footfalls.
“Do you think they’ll be all right?” asked Anakin, staring back at the closed door and sensing the conversation within, “They seem too passionate for Jedi Padawans.”
“They’ve been through a tough time,” said Obi-wan, sighing as he sat back down at the controls, “After that situation before the hyperspeed jump, they’ve been growing more and more reckless and tense. They actually remind me of you when you were a Padawan.”
“I wasn’t that bad,” said Anakin, scoffing, but Obi-wan saw his eyes laughing inertly, and Obi-wan stared out the window.
“But Laxus, he is a problem,” continued Obi-wan, staring out the front window, “He is too loose, too flirtatious. A true Jedi shall not know anger. Nor Hatred. Nor Love. Without his Master, he is slipping even further.” Anakin shuffled uncomfortably and grew silent, his fingers moving automatically within the broken circuitry he was working on. “Well?” said Obi-wan, probing, turning to look at Anakin, “Aren’t I right? What do you think we should do?” Anakin’s face instantly went blank and he nodded to Obi-wan, and turned his head down to look at his circuitry.
“You are correct Master,” he said, looking down at his circuitry, “You should take on the role of his Master for now and confront him before it is too late.” Obi-wan frowned, and was about to inquire further, but suddenly the console beeped, and Anakin instantly spun to check it, and interrupted his Master suddenly. “Master, there is another solar system coming up,” he said quickly, and Obi-wan sighed, bringing up the scan on the main screen, “The data shall be coming quickly.”
“It is probably another dead system,” sighed Obi-wan not eager for another false hope, “The chances of finding life out here are zero to none.” But Anakin was too eager to stop, and they both waited until the computer let out another beep, and data began popping up instantly.
“We have ten planets,” announced Anakin, although Obi-wan could obviously see it, “First one is dead, all ice. And so is the second one… And the next one…” Obi-wan could see where this was going.
“Negative,” he sighed, staring at the list of planets rushing toward them, “Negative again. Negative. Nega-” but suddenly he froze, and Anakin quickly brought up the data onscreen.
“Looks like we’ve got running water,” read off Anakin excitedly, pointing at the image of a swirling blue, white, and green orb, “It has a fairly balanced climate, and white cloudy atmospheres. Oxygen and Carbon Dioxide mostly, and vegetation everywhere. This might be it! And wait,” he tapped the screen excitedly, and Obi-wan stared at it as Anakin read off the data quickly, “Masses of radio signals! There is life down there!”
“Hmmm, maybe the chances were zero to slightly more than one,” muttered Obi-wan thoughtfully, and Anakin quickly activated the ships thrusters and set the course for the planet, “But don’t you remember the course of action of investigating new planets?”
“I know, be subtle, and don’t worry, we will be,” said Anakin, and he turned to the controls grinning and activated the rear engines, which slowly ground to life after a long time of silence, “But we also want to make an impression don’t we?”
“I don’t like where this is going, A-” but Obi-wan’s voice was suddenly cut off by the rush of gravity that blasted him against his seat, and Anakin’s whoop of triumph rocketed through the ship as they shot toward the newfound planet.
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"Useless Wormtail! Useless!"
"Please forgive me, Master," cried the pathetic man, cowering in his knees, tears streaming down his face, mingling with the blood dripping from his snivelling nose, "I know this is not what you desired, but it reveals much informat-"
"Fool," hissed another voice, this one as dark and sinister as a venomous cobra about to strike, "I need not prophecies of speculation and myth. I need something real... something to destroy those that stand against me. You have brought me nothing... absolutely nothing..."
"Please Master," whimpered the man, quivering on the rug, firelight dancing along his face as he cried, "Please, look at some of these prophecies... I have sources that say that they hold valuable informatio-"
"I do not care what your sources say, you worthless ingrate!" whispered the man, his dark shadow enhanced by the flames of the fireplace behind him. The room was dark, but even as he paced, the firelight caught those slitted eyes, and the quivering, snake-like nose. Wormtail seemed to cower even at the sight of those bloodshot, evil eyes. They glazed over slightly, as if mulling over a thought, before he turned to the fallen man, a single, spider-like hand reaching into his robes and pulling out a single, pale wand. Wormtail cried, covering his face as the Dark Lord pointed his wand at his cowering servant, lips twisting into a cold smile as he pointed at him. "Crucio..." he whispered, his voice like a cold breeze had slipped into the room, and Wormtail let out a scream, his entire body convulsing as he thrashed about in agony, limbs flailing as a hundred torturous screws felt like they were being driven into his entire body. He rolled on the ground, howling in pain, one of his limbs reaching out and smashing against a table, dislodging something from the top, where it rolled over and smashes against the ground with a crack. Suddenly the pain was lifted, and Wormtail cried out, gasping for air as he felt the agony die away suddenly, his eyes tearing as a shimmery white figure caught his eyes. A single ghostly white figure had risen from the glass ball that had shattered, and even as Wormtail shivered, curling into a ball, he felt the Dark Lord's gaze return to him once more, this time, a hint of a real smile crossing those cold lips. He could hear words coming from the figure, but even he in his pained state, felt himself slipping into unconsciousness. And even as the surroundings faded to black, the words of the Dark Lord slipped like steel against his mind...
"It seems you have delivered once more Wormtail..."
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Just a reboot of an idea I had for a fanfic a while ago. I think it'll be interesting if this goes anywhere, but let me know what you guys think. This takes place in an alternate HP world, during our pal's fifth year. So an alternate Order of the Phoenix if you would.
