22nd Feb 1993
Arcane Club
The soft scratching of pens on paper could be heard as the group of friends sat around the table doing their howork. A cursory glance would suggest nothing awry. But every few monts, their gazes would stray towards the darkened portion of the room bordered with semi see-through glass walls.
With a sigh, Hermione turned back to her half finished essay on the properties of moonstone. Yet her eyes remained unfocused, her pen held loosely in her grip.
"Constantly worrying about him isn't going to help, you know," Tracey gently pointed out to her friend.
"I know," Hermione agreed with a wry smile. "I can't help it, though. I just wish he had told us where he was going," she said in a frustrated voice.
"Don't we all?" sighed Daphne. "Still no news of him?" she asked Rachel, who shook her head.
"Dad's constantly monitoring the Magic Detection Board at the Ministry, but there has been no unusual activity in the UK," she said dejectedly. "He even reached out to his contacts in southern Europe, Asia, Arica and Australia. Nothing."
"Can't say I am surprised," shrugged Harry. "With his wandless magic skills and those portals, it would be very difficult to find him."
"Still, where could he be?" frowned Hermione. "It's already been a week."
"A week?" I said aloud.
I had just gotten back from Westeros and erged silently from my workshop, to find my friend's talking about . On one hand, I felt terrible for making them worry. But on the other hand, I felt glad knowing how much I ant to them.
Heads whipped around at the sound of my voice. Before I knew it, I was being pile-hugged by the lot of them.
"Ben!" they chorused.
"Where have you been?" asked Rachel.
"Are you okay?" said Hermione, looking up and down.
"Welco back," Luna said with a smile.
"It's great to see you all as well," I smiled, watching their frowning faces from a mont ago turn into relieved ones. "You said it's been a week since I left?" I asked Hermione.
"Yes," she confird. "We saw you last on Tuesday evening, and today is Wednesday. Why? Were you in a different ti zone?" she asked in confusion.
"In a manner of speaking," I said vaguely, my thoughts going back to the 17 days I had spent in Westeros.
Ti dilation, of course! I should have seen that coming. Still, it's not like I had much of a choice in the first place. I suppose I should just be glad that I didn't co back to find years had gone by and all my friends had moved on with their lives.
"So now that we know you are all well and good," began Daphne, once the reunion was over, "Where have you been?" she asked what was on everyone's mind.
"That my friends, is a tale like no other, and one that you will find extrely hard to believe," I laughed. "Give a few minutes to freshen up, and then I will tell you all about my latest adventure."
Forty-five minutes later, I was back in the club, seated in my favourite armchair, freshly showered with a cheeseburger and a slice of pizza in . My audience had grown from just my friends to include Professors Dumbledore, McGonagall and Flitwick, as well as my parents, who had all been promptly inford of my return.
"I believe I should start from the beginning," I comnced. "By now, all of you are aware of the existence of an infinite number of universes around us, as well as my ability to look into so of them." I had already told Daphne, Tracey and Astoria the sa story I had told the others, not wanting them to feel left out. "What I didn't tell you...is the reason for it."
"You knew?" said Neville.
"Not at first," I said, putting my hard-earned skills in the noble art of bullshiting to good use. "You see, a few days after I turned 8, I dreamt of a world so amazing that it made wonder how great it would be if I were there. The more I watched, the more I subconsciously yearned to go to that world."
"The first clue I received that sothing was amiss was when the dreamscape started shaking a little bit. But I was so deeply imrsed that I foolishly ignored it...and kept ignoring it until I couldn't anymore.
By then, the dream felt like it was about to rip itself apart. This had never happened before, so I was reasonably terrified. Then all of a sudden, the shaking stopped and everything went back to the way it was. Before I could taphorically sigh in relief, I was abruptly pulled out of the dream."
"I jerked awake to find a stranger in my room—an old man with grey hair and a long beard. He carried a staff made of so kind of silvery tal and was dressed in robes made of pure starlight. He didn't give his na, but said that he was one of the Pris, as was I."
"Pris?" said Hermione.
I nodded. "In the vast omniverse, no two universes are the exact sa. But there are certain primal existences that are present in every universe," I explained. "Life, Death, Creation, Destruction, Destiny, Dream, Infinity, Eternity and others. These Entities together guide the past, present and future of every universe."
"Most of the ti they are subtle, bringing events into fruition through centuries or even millennia of soft nudges. However, so situations require a more hands-on approach.
That's where the Pris co in. Every once in a while, a Conceptual Entity selects an unborn soul to act as its agent. Once selected, the individual is granted limited access to the Root of all Creation."
"What's that?" Harry asked curiously.
"The Root refers to the fundantal aspects of existence—such as space, ti, soul, matter, energy etc." I said. "Those chosen are given the ability to control and manipulate these elents to a certain degree.
For instance, soone with a talent for Space manipulation could easily view other universes and with enough focus, even cross over to them." I pointed to myself.
"Apparently, that's what was going on with ," I shrugged. "I was about to cross over to another universe unintentionally. He happened to notice the familiar energy spike rising in our world—so he ca over and pulled back. He then left, but not before telling to exercise caution while World viewing and to use a dium for World hopping."
"World hopping?" said Professor McGonagall.
"Travelling to other worlds," I clarified.
"Is that where you were?" Neville asked unbelievably. "Another world?"
I nodded. "The very first week I ca to Hogwarts, I started building a dium—a doorway that will allow to control my space manipulation powers," I confessed. "I only finished it last week, then powered it up by connecting it to the network of Ley lines via the school wards."
"Wasn't that dangerous?" frowned Professor McGonagall. "That kind of power surge could have very easily damaged the school wards," she said in a disapproving tone.
"I understand your concern, professor. However, let assure you that I made certain not to direct any additional power to the wards, only to the artifact," I promised. "Besides, I had a weird feeling that I was on a schedule. I was proven right when re monts upon completion, the Door activated on its own."
I extracted the Anywhere Door from my ring and placed it in front of us. Everyone looked curiously at the legendary artefact capable of travelling across universes.
"Help will always be given here to those who deserve it," Professor Flitwick pronounced examining the runic script on top.
"Words I borrowed from soone much older and wiser than ," I give a nod to the Headmaster, who smiled in return. "As I was about to power it down and call it a day, it connected to another world by itself.
I wasn't dragged through it against my will, thank rlin. But I was given a clear choice. Soone on the other side was in mortal danger and needed help quickly. It was up to whether to provide it or not," I explained. "I chose to go. Having only monts, I couldn't inform anyone about this and a hastily carved-out ssage was the best I could do under the circumstances."
I raised my hand and created three illusory figures in the likeness of Elia and her kids.
"This is Princess Elia Martell and her children—Rhaenys and Aegon Targaryen. They were mbers of the royal family of the kingdom I showed up in," I said. "All three of them were about to be violently murdered in a bloody coup that was going on at the ti. I dispatched the enemy soldiers sent to kill them and escorted her and the kids back to her ho city."
"And you think that these entities...that fate wanted you to save this family?" asked mum.
"I don't think so—I know so," I said, showing them another mory.
An illusion ford of a rugged coastal outpost in a land of ice and snow. It was packed with thousands of people dressed in furs—n, won and children, all looking tense and uneasy.
"Where is this?" asked Rachel.
"Hardhol," I answered with a heavy voice.
As we watched, an ominous storm descended upon the area, dense mist enveloping the settlent. The people outside the walls made a desperate bid to find refuge within, but the wooden gates slamd shut on their faces, stranding thousands of people outside the barriers. Their cries for help abruptly disappeared and a growing silence spread. And then chaos erupted.
"Oh my God!" Hermione uttered in horror, the others mirroring her shocked look with wide eyes.
"rlin's Beard!" cried out Professor Flitwick, while Professor McGonagall gasped sharply and Dumbledore kept watching the scene with a grave expression.
Undead corpses with rotting grey skin and glassy blue eyes crashed through the outer barriers in a massive wave. They ca from all directions—over the cliffs, through the forests and even climbing the walls. The brave n and won scrambled to defend themselves, but the sheer number and relentlessness of the undead was staggering.
Everyone watched distressfully as the living were routed and forced to flee, all the while the leader of the undead army kept watching the carnage calmly from above. He did not fight but commanded from a distance, his presence alone provoking dread.
"Please stop," begged Luna, as we watched the brave woman who had bid farewell to her children at the dock monts ago, being besieged by hollow fleshless bodies of undead children. She froze at the sight of them, which proved fatal as she was quickly overwheld by the little monsters.
The swift, brutal massacre that left less than half of the thousands of people gathered at Hardhol alive, brought feelings of great sympathy and sorrow from those of us who watched it. The survivors looked forlornly back at the burning devastated wreck of their city. And yet, the worst was still to co.
A chill ran through our veins, even mine, as the Night King finally entered the fray. He stood at the dock and watched apathetically as the surviving humans scurried away over the water.
The terrifying abomination silently raised his hands, and in one of the most frightening scenes of Ga of Thrones, all the dead humans rose as wights. Their eyes were now blue—a sign that they were forever bound to the will of the Night King.
The illusion faded, yet everyone continued to stare ahead in horror. I was certain that the last scene displaying the Night King's power will remain forever embedded in the minds of my friends, just as it did with .
"What was that?" Dad asked in a clearly shaken voice.
"A vision," I said. "The first night I was in that world, I saw it. The thing that you just saw is called the Night King. It commands an army of undead numbering close to a million, and it can easily create more.
They are in deep slumber right now, but will begin to wake up after about a decade. If they are not stopped, they will wipe that world clear of all that is living and turn it into a frozen hellscape."
"The children that I saved are of magical blood, and in ti they will rise up to lead others against this grave threat," I explained. "Yet, even then their chances of victory will be slim at best. Which is why, I will be returning there before all hell breaks loose, to help prepare them against this calamity."
"Is that the mission you were given?" Dumbledore asked, looking at earnestly.
I shook my head. "I was not given any quest or mission. I was simply shown how things will go without my intervention," I said simply. "I can choose not to do anything about it—just live my life and not care, and I don't believe there would be any repercussions for .
All I would have to do...is live with the knowledge that I could've helped, but didn't; that I could've saved innocent lives, but chose not to. And that, I can't live with." I shook my head.
Pensive expressions settled on their faces, so worried, so proud and others admiring.
"Alright, that's enough doom and gloom for today!" I declared, getting up. "I am alive, I am here, and I saved about ten people from dying. I would say that's a win. So where's Teddy?" I asked my friends. "Poor guy must've missed terribly, and I really need so quality ti with my best bud."
---
1 month since Ben's departure
Winterfell
Even though he had given his word to Ben, as Winterfell finally ca within sight, Ned started having second thoughts about telling Catelyn the truth about Aeron and Lyanna.
It just seem so perilous. What if she let it slip in front of soone—her father, her brother or even a friend she trusted? So consud by his own thoughts, he didn't even notice when he entered the Keep, only to be welcod ho by his beautiful wife.
Then she placed a bundle into his arms and said with a smile, "My lord, this is your son, Robb Stark." Ned gazed at his firstborn's features—bright blue eyes and a tuft of auburn hair.
A smile rose unbidden on his face and for the first ti in months, Ned forgot all else—the deaths, the fear, the weariness of the war. All he felt in that mont as he held his son in his arms, was joy and the promise of brighter days.
Yet, all that joy seem to co crashing down the mont he introduced Aeron as his own.
A hush fell over the gathered crowd as they ca to realise what that ant. But what unsettled Ned most was the way Catelyn's eyes hardened at the sight of the infant bearing the traditional black hair and grey eyes of the Starks.
As her gaze travelled upward to et his own, Ned could swear that he saw the hurt and bla Ben had warned him about. He could see the tears threatening to pour down her face. But Catelyn Tully was a strong woman who would never display weakness in public.
"Of course, husband. Please co in and take so rest," she said coldly and went inside.
Ned knew then that he had no choice. He had to tell Catelyn the truth. Doing otherwise would only bring pain and suffering to those he loved.
Knock! Knock!
The door opened halfway and on the other side stood his wife. Only instead of the bright look that she had welcod him with, her eyes, now red and puffy, held him with an accusing stare.
"Is there sothing you need, my lord?" she asked stiffly.
"My lady, I know that I have wronged you," Ned said gently. "But things are not as simple as they appear. Will you please allow to explain myself?"
"Explain what?" Catelyn almost yelled in anger. "Explain why you suddenly have a son when you promised your wife that she would be the only woman you ever love?" she said tearfully.
"Please." was all Ned said in the face of her mounting fury.
Catelyn looked at him angrily for a mont longer, before retreating into the room. Taking the open door as permission, Ned entered along with his companion. Catelyn turned around at the sound of the door being locked, then froze in surprise.
"What is she doing here?" Catelyn said in a dangerous voice, looking at the young woman who had co to Winterfell along with her husband.
"She...has as much to do with this as I," said Ned. Disregarding Catelyn's betrayed look as if her worst fears had been realised, Ned looked at his sister and give her a nod.
Lyanna looked at them both with a complicated gaze before taking off her necklace. Her sharp transformation elicited a gasp out of Catelyn, yet Ned remained unfazed.
"What...what is going on?" Catelyn asked Ned, her eyes now full of confusion instead of anger.
And so Ned told her everything. He told her about Lyanna willingly leaving with Rhaegar; her marriage with the Crown Prince; as well as Aeron being Lyanna and Rhaegar's trueborn son.
He told her about the Wizard; about how he had saved Elia and her children from a grizzly fate; as well as Lyanna from dying due to birthing fever. He told her about Ben's parting gift that allowed Lyanna to walk around looking like soone else.
By the end of the tale, Ned had been forgotten and Catelyn and Lyanna were hugging each other, his wife consoling her good-sister regarding all the misfortunes she had to experience.
Ned shook his head and quietly went to the side of his son's crib. He was just grateful that his wife seed no longer mad at him.
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