Trial of Time: A Hogwarts Legacy Story

(P2) Chapter 1 - A Ripple in Time

8 years later

Time is a mysterious thing.

It seems it was only yesterday that I was sealing the ancient magic repository underneath Hogwarts castle. Was it only yesterday that Professor Fig died? That I unknowingly saved the wizarding world from Ranrok's merciless rule?

I glance over at the grandfather clock in the corner of my office. It's a quarter till eight, and probably already dark outside. I let out a sigh, standing up from my desk and walking over to a small mirror on the wall. My eyes are bloodshot, with bags underneath that seem to keep getting darker with age. I haven't slept well in what seems like forever.

I walk over to the frame hanging just behind my desk. A certificate of completion for Cirilla Fiona Clarke, licensed Auror of the British Ministry of Magic. I entered the program immediately after finishing Hogwarts and completed my training almost a year earlier than the recruits I'd entered with. I'd been working as a fully independent Auror for almost 4 years now.

The job comes quite naturally to me, I suppose. After all, I'd been hunting Dark wizards since I was only a fifth year, and none of the issues I deal with currently could ever compare to the magnitude of threat that I once faced. Surprisingly, I'm still assigned to capture stray Ashwinders and Loyalists here and there. Most of them are still trying to drudge up the little support left for their respective movements, in efforts to dominate the wizarding world.

I still talk with a lot of my Hogwarts friends pretty regularly. Poppy runs a large sanctuary for wounded and orphaned magical creatures. She writes to me often, and I worry about her because there are lots of poachers out there who are after her. Poppy has already found herself in several conflicts with them. She's grown to be quite a powerful witch and I know in my heart that she has the full capability of defending herself and those she loves. As I think of her, I smile at a small Hibredean Black dragon figurine on my desk that she gave me as a gift when I finally got my Auror certification.

Natty works at the Ministry, so we often talk as well. After finishing Hogwarts, she was hired as a Standards Assessor in the Department of Magical Education. Her role mostly focuses on ensuring that Ministry regulations of British magical education are consistently followed and reviewed on a regular basis. Natty took on her new role with apparent ease, and people definitely listened to her. She wasn't afraid to speak up and advocate for students and their families. You can tell how much she cares about the future of our children.

Ominis and I remained friendly throughout our final years in Hogwarts. We reconnected around the beginning of sixth year, and he seemed to forgive me for my role in Sebastian's descent into the Dark Arts.

Sebastian.

We'll get to that later.

As much as he hated his family, Ominis was given quite a lucrative option to establish his own life after Hogwarts. His father laid out the terms rather simply: Ominis would take a consort (chosen by his father) from the Sacred Twenty Eight pureblood families, marry her, and produce a child to ensure the continuance of the Gaunt line. His consort in question was Elliara Greengrass, who's currently a sixth year at Hogwarts. Thankfully, under the agreement, they wouldn't be married until Elliara comes of age and finishes Hogwarts. If the terms were followed, Ominis would continue to have access to his family's wealth and endless resources. If he walked away or chose to marry outside of the approved families, he would be disowned forever and left with nothing.

I was quite surprised at Ominis's decision, but I never really questioned it. I can understand how hard it would be to give up the lifestyle that one is so accustomed to. The Gaunts allowed him to purchase a store in Diagon Alley, selling and trading rare books, parchments, and scrolls. From what he's told me in his letters, it seems he does a lot of trading with Tomes and Scrolls.