After many heartbreaks and many losses, Aster Potter now has to go on a journey to the past to save her ancestors from the very man who is out to kill her. What better way to do it than to go back to the beginning, where their magic hadn't yet evolv...
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The collective shock was palpable. The Vikings, who had been sceptical or merely curious about their visitors, now viewed Aster with a mix of awe and newfound respect. Even the most hardened warriors found themselves grappling with the implications of Ragnar's words.
Aster's face was pale, the shock of the revelation still coursing through her. This wasn't how things were supposed to go. She had planned to protect her ancestors from afar, never to meet them face-to-face, and certainly not to be recognised by them. Protecting them from a distance had felt safer, less intrusive. But now, standing before the legendary Ragnar Lothbrok and his sons, she felt exposed and vulnerable.
"Excuse me?" Aster whispered, her voice barely audible. How had he found out? She hadn't separated from her group the entire day, just as they hadn't left her side. Nobody else knew she had arrived.
"What she means to say," Enzo interjected, his tone more forceful, "is how exactly do you know who she is?" His hand twitched, ready to reach for his wand if necessary.
Ragnar smiled, his blue eyes twinkling in the light of the fires as he leant back in his seat. "I have known you all since you were eleven years old," he began, his voice resonant with a blend of authority and familiarity. "The gods have given me dreams of you, Aster. I have journeyed with you through your adventures, felt your grief and anger. I have been by your side throughout your years at Hogwarts."
Aster's eyes widened in shock. "What?" she whispered, barely able to comprehend what Ragnar was saying. Her friends were equally stunned, exchanging bewildered glances.
Ragnar's smile softened. "The gods have shown me visions of your life, your bravery, your struggles, and your triumphs. You may not have known it, but I have been a silent witness to your journey."
Draco stepped forward, scepticism etched on his face. "How is that possible?" he demanded. "How could you have seen all of that?"
"The gods' ways are beyond our understanding," Ragnar replied. "They have given me dreams that connect our destinies. It is through these dreams that I have come to know you."
"Why would the gods show me to you?" Aster questioned, confusion etched across her face. She knew why she came back, but she didn't think she was important enough for the gods to warn her ancestors. It seemed she didn't know that the Ragnarssons were highly favoured amongst the gods.
"Because as the prophecy states," Bjorn interjected, stepping forward, "you are the only one who can defeat Tom Riddle. The gods knew we couldn't defeat him alone with magic on his side. He can't defeat you, but he can target your family line before magic evolves into what you possess now. Your family line means us. And our line is favoured by the gods."
Bjorn descended from his seat, his footsteps heavy and resolute as he approached his many-times-great-granddaughter. His presence was imposing, a living legend standing before her, his eyes fierce and filled with the weight of their shared bloodline.
