Chapter 39: Explanations

Chapter 39: Explanations

I would like to thank my beta, AvidReader2425, for his help in this chapter.

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20th of December 1994, Hogwarts

Hogwarts looks at me a bit in fear and a bit in gratefulness. Then she shakes her head and frowns, "How are you still alive, and how come you didn't contact me before? You knew I was alive, even back then you treated me like a person, so why did you never come to see me?"

I gulp, this was gonna take a while and I hope she accepts my explanation.

"For you to understand, who I am, you must keep an open mind about who I am?" I start. Follow current novels on novelb((in).(com)

"I don't understand? You're my mother, Helga Hufflepuff. You founded Hogwarts, you created me, gave me life and purpose." She said, confused.

"I am Helga Hufflepuff but I am also so much more. I'm far older than I look, dear. Even when I created you, I was older than most civilizations on the planet."

"But how have you lived so long? The average magical human lives for at most two centuries."

"There are many ways to increase your lifespan, but I didn't die because I was part of a time paradox. I didn't die because I couldn't die."

"I don't understand. Who are you, really?"

"I was born Jasmine Potter in 1980. About a decade later, I was accidentally sent back in time. Thousands of years into the past. It was then that Jasmine Potter died and the Morrigan of Atlantis was born."

I neglected to say to her that I was the one that sent my younger self to the past. She's already having issues with time travel; I couldn't let her handle time continuity by herself. I guess no one researched time magic when they were in Hogwarts. Chronomancy is a lost art. Though the department of mysteries is still researching time sand which is used when creating time turners. It was just some stone that was near a temporal anomaly for a few thousand years. Some of the energy from the anomaly left an imprint on the stone, which is later ground up into time sand. It was relatively harmless to be honest, if you ignore the pressure on the mind and magic of the user, there is no chance of a paradox existing because time sand is not enough to override fate. The universe is powerful enough to manipulate the probabilities to avoid that.

"But why didn't you die in the past, mother?"

"I didn't die for the simple reason that I couldn't die. I was stuck in a loop, and I had to take the long way to come back to this time. The loop must be closed, if it wasn't then the universe itself would unravel, killing ever living being inside. To prevent this from happening, the universe prevented me from dying and restricted some of my actions."

"I still don't get it."

"Alright, let's look at this this way. In 1980, you existed, Helga Hufflepuff existed. Now imagine if I didn't travel back in time, or that I traveled back and died after a normal human life. Then Helga Hufflepuff never would have existed and you wouldn't have existed. But before I traveled back in time, I knew that you and Helga existed and that's what we call a paradox, and the universe doesn't like those. I couldn't die because I am unknowingly part of events. The world changes with every action we take. If I were to disappear, the world would be different than if I stayed here. So, I had to keep living until the loop is closed."

"But doesn't that mean that you're going to die now?"

I chuckle and wandlessly conjure a knife in my hand and made a cut across my palm exposing the silver blood under my skin.

"After living for so long, I'm not technically human anymore. I may not be fully immortal anymore, but I will never grow old and die of old age. Someone would have to kill me for me to die and trust me, there is very little chance of that happening; I am extremely resilient. But don't worry, even if I lost my immortality, I couldn't be happier. I am not constrained by the events of the past anymore. The chains of fate have no hold on me. Never underestimate how precious free will is."

"So, tell me about yourself. Do I know you from any history books?" my daughter asked eagerly.

I laugh at her childishness, I guess castles take some time to mature. "Of course, dear. Well, like I told you I the Morrigan of Atlantis. That is my true name everything else is just personas. My most known persona I ever took wasn't actually Helga Hufflepuff, it was Morgan Le Fey."

"My name is Evanshade and I didn't," I answer him.

"I don't quite get that. How could you not have learnt it?"

"I didn't learn it, I created it."

Every adult in the room was rendered speechless at my statement. They could not believe that a fourteen year old girl could invent something like that. They're right, of course, but they don't need to know that. From what I could glean from Dumbledore's mind, he wants to recruit me to work as his apprentice / underling before the tournament is over.

James and Lily are just proud of me. I really feel bad for them but they would always consider themselves my parents and I just don't need parents anymore and even then, they're very bad ones. They projected their grief onto Nathan and Rose, something that caused the children a lot of issues as they grew up. James and Lily Potter didn't truly survive Voldemort's attack. I remember them from before the attack and they are now a shell of their previous selves.

"If you are indeed the creator of such a wonderful technique, can you explain to us the principals involved."

"No."

"What do you mean no?" James interrupted for the first time.

"As the creator of this type of magic, I have added to the grimoire as branch of the Sayre family magic. I'm afraid that asking me about it is quite the taboo in society. So, it is quite understandable that I choose not to share it with you." I answer.

I can fell Dumbledore gritting his teeth in anger, but he suddenly changed his expression back into the jovial old man. "Now, Ms. Potter, we need to speak about your absence during the Yule ball."

I stay silent once more. I can feel he's getting frustrated, now. This is fun.

"Care to explain yourself?"

"My name is Evanshade, I just chose not to come."

"I'm sorry, Ms. Evanshade, Champions are required to attend the Yule ball."

"No, they're not. When the goblet was first used, the tournament didn't have a Yule ball and since you have admitted that the goblet contract hasn't changed ever since the first tournament, it was not required for me to attend. The contract is magically enforced and I can assure you, my magic is fine."

Of course, we both know that I wasn't really part of the tournament since I wasn't magically bound to compete. Dumbledore used the summoning function of the Goblet not the contract binding one. He had to agree with me or he knew I would figure out I wasn't magically bound to stay in Hogwarts.

"Alright, I guess you caught me. It's just a custom in the tournament and I have always valued traditions. Now, onto the most pressing matter. How were you able to enter and leave the castle without me noticing? The wards are still powered, I checked. There was no breach. This is a security concern. If you could enter the castle, then other people could infiltrate and attack my students."

Yeah, like the death eater you hired as a professor, I thought sarcastically. I inwardly smile at the answer I just thought of.

"I asked the Nargles."

Dumbledore looks dumbstruck at my answer. He definitely didn't expect that. He seemed to understand what the Nargles are. Who would have thought? Dumbledore is a Quibbler fan.

"If that's our conversation done, professor, I would like to take my leave." The man didn't even answer me and I got up and left the office. Lily looked like she wanted to say something but refrained from doing so. I guess they planned to talk to me about something. It was fun keeping someone who's used to be in control like Dumbledore on his toes. I guess this round goes to me.

I spent the next month spending as much time as possible with Nathan and Rose. Well, mostly Rose because of her lessons and I like her more. She has a lot less negativity. Before I noticed it was time for the second task. I just hope that they won't needlessly endanger the hostages. Damn, time flies when you're as old as me.