THE GREAT WAR | HARRY POTTER

Prologue

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IN AUGUST OF 1980, Lorelei Hugo was brought into a world that, at the time, felt uneasy to wizards and muggles alike. Lord Voldemort, then at his prime, was on a mission to eliminate any threats to his throne of power, including that of the innocent lives of those who were not of pure blood.

The next year, Voldemort learned of the prophecy detailing his downfall; the child, born at July's end, of the parents who defeated him three times would be marked as his equal. Frantically, he began a series of planning to destroy the boy-- later revealed to be Harry James Potter. Every loophole was explored, every asset he possessed was accounted for, and in the end, he vied for a scheme based on two possible scenarios.

The first entailed the version of events that you and I both know like the back of our hands. The second, on the contrary, was to be enacted if and only if the previous had fallen apart at the seams.

THE HUGO ESTATE, September 1981

NICHOLAS HUGO was known for his extravagant parties at his upscale mansion in northern England. He was a handsome man, and his skills were beyond average. Not much is known of his love for thrill; perhaps it was because he was a social, eccentric man, or perhaps it was because he felt inclined to keep the clan tightly knit. After all, his devotion to Lord Voldemort seemed to be undeniable.

The night of September 12 was no different than any other of his countless affairs; his close friends and fellow dark wizards and witches were in attendance, littering the estate with laughter and glee.

The pianist played loudly while his audience swayed and chattered over his tunes. Nicholas was entangled in a conversation by the bar  with Lucius Malfoy, who was rambling about the new politics of the ministry. Nicholas was only half interested in what he had to say; Lucius's talk about work seemed insignificant. Nicholas was the one who actually worked in the ministry. 

Before he could mentally roll his eyes, he noticed a tall figure standing before him. His eyesight hadn't been the best lately, a thing with age, he assumed, but he was fairly sure just by the dark aura that it was the Dark Lord gliding towards him. 

He took a sip of the whiskey in his glass, taking a gulp to reminisce the taste. He bowed his in a greeting to his superior. "My Lord. A drink?," he grabbed a second glass. 

He smiled and pushed the glass back to Hugo. "I reckon I'd better not, Nick. I actually was meaning to talk to you," he paused, looking around the ballroom, "in private."

Nicholas nodded, leading him to his study through the maze of the hallways. He stopped at the glass doors, holding it open for Voldemort to enter. He quickly cleared off his desk, which was littered in paperwork. Being the head of the Department of International Magical Cooperation had its perquisites, allegedly. 

 He motioned for Riddle to take the leather seat opposite of him. There was no need for formality, for the pair had a trusting bond of sorts. Not only had Nicholas worked his way to the top of the ministry, he had also worked his way up Lord Voldemort's ranks. 

"Alright," Hugo crossed his legs in anticipation. 

"I do hope you recall the prophecy that Severus had brought to our attention?" Voldemort asked.

"I do."

"I've decided on the Potter boy; Pettigrew has ratted out on his friends's location. The boy will be eliminated in the coming weeks, on Halloween night..." his stare seemed to turn into an intrigued glare. 

Hugo furrowed his eyebrows, "you don't sound so sure."

"I will admit that I am slightly worried of my success. You see, that's where you come in." He leaned in closer, to a whisper. "I have also become aware of some certain circumstances in your life which may be of benefit to me."

Something in chest snapped. "Pardon?"

"Your daughter." 

The room grew hotter. 

"It's a shame you didn't tell me of her existence, she is sure to be a very powerful witch. Beyond what you and I can imagine, being that her mother is..." Voldemort trailed off, raising an eyebrow.

Nicholas kept a straight face, yet on the inside, he wanted to kill the man sitting in front of him. This was the side of him that he took an oath to protect. He knew he'd set after her. He had a gut feeling from the start that this would be his first act of resistance. Every precaution was taken to put a barrier between her and the world. He thought it was invincible. 

But now he was at a loss for words.

The Dark Lord smiled sinisterly. He was enjoying every minute of this torture. "If the boy does not perish, I will be forced to go into hiding until I can strike again. We won't have to worry about him defeating me before his Hogwarts years I assume, that's when our fun will begin.

"To spare us some struggle, we can use her as a trap. She will befriend Potter, lure him in with perhaps something as ickle as a close friendship--something that will gain his trust. She'll be our spy; she'll tell us everything that we need to know. And more."

"And if she fails?" Nick took a sip of his drink, trying to act as tranquil as possible. 

"Lets just say the consequences will not be in her favor."

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A NOTE FROM THE AUTHOR

JULY 2023 UPDATE: if you got notified about this chapter being updated like five times, I am so sorry (insert sobbing emoji here). Formatting errors, yo. 

Anyway, looking back, this is one of my favorite chapters, so ignore what past me said. I was reading back and was like, "zamn, I really ate." Anyway, differences wise, I changed up some of the dialogue. I also removed the conversation with Eleanor, Lorelei's mother, because it feels out of place. I don't know how I am going to characterize her significance just yet, but she really is only going to be briefly mentioned until at least fifth year. Haven't decided yet tbh. 

That's all. Proceed to my former A/N. 

I do not know how I feel about this chapter. She's here. It is what it is, it'll get the job done for now. Voldy is a little wacky, but meh.
I would love to point out that I have just finished The Great Gatsby. Hence the party. Part of me wants to go back and add more imagery but homegirl is tired. I want to get this fic on the road.
I also really hope that the flow between his perception of being a devotional follower and his longing to escape flows well enough. It will make sense once more is revealed about the characters and such.

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