KenderCleric's Challenge #21: Harry Potter - Schattenjäger

Summary:



It is said that the strength of a secret is inversely proportional to the number of people that know it. This is a well known fact, and even the most arrogant, or trustworthy, people will agree. So why then, did the Magical Communities of the world, believe they could keep their existence secret?

The world was never as blind to the existence of magic as most Wizards and Witches would like to believe. While the majority of the muggles did allow themselves to forget, to let truth pass into fiction, others knew the risk of doing so. Though eventually called derogatory names for their continued belief in magic, those who wielded it and mythical beasts these stalwart people refused to ignore such a potential threat.

Soon these few men, women, or families grew to simply be part of the legends. The brave muggles who devoted themselves to the defense of the non-magical world from the magical became just as much a myth as the forces they combated. However, even in the 20th century one truth remains: All legends and myths have a basis in reality.


In 1981 when Voldemort attacked the Potter family the consequences were further reaching than anyone knew. Albus Dumbledore had informed the Ministry, and by extension the magical world, that Voldemort had been struck down by a sacrifice made by the Potter Family. “It was an ancient and most selfless magic they invoked; truly I do not even know how they came about the knowledge,” the Headmaster had said in an interview. “They each willingly allowed Voldemort to slay them to protect their son. This invoked the ancient magic, but sadly it was not strong enough to keep the boy alive when struck by a Killing Curse. It was enough, however, to invoke the ritual’s wrath and strike down Voldemort.”

Sometimes half-truths can have interesting consequences.

Harry Potter had survived Voldemort’s attack. The Killing Curse was rebounded on the Dark Lord as Dumbledore had said, but the child’s exposure to the curse had consequences. The ancient magic wrought by James and Lily Potter had done the impossible, but at the cost of most of Harry’s magic. The child was left barely more magical than a squib, and Albus couldn’t wrap his mind about it. If the child truly was the one of prophecy then he could not be a squib – or could he?

The mystery gnawed at Dumbledore, but one thing he knew all-too well was that Witches and Wizards would not accept a squib as their savior. Thus, he fabricated the lie and hid the child away with his maternal aunt to allow himself more time to study the problem. Dumbledore soon became so engrossed in his search for an answer to the riddle of the prophecy that he never thought to look in on the Potter child. If he had the elder Wizard might have realized that the boy’s Aunt hadn’t kept him long.

Petunia Dursley was a woman who knew her priorities in life. The care of her precious son Dudley and her devoted husband Vernon always came first. Thus, when her year-old nephew was discovered on her doorstep her world’s foundations were shaken badly. The letter that accompanied the child stated that Petunia’s only sister had been killed along with her freak husband and that Harry was to be left in her care. The problem was that in Petunia Dursley’s jealous and hardened heart there was no care for the child. Harry Potter did not fit into Petunia’s priorities.


Philip Knight and Margaret Knight nee-Templeton had been enjoying their vacation in London with their 2 year old son. It had been a spur of the moment decision to travel abroad for their Christmas vacation that year, but neither could imagine a better holiday season. They had enjoyed the sights of a snow-covered England over Christmas and New Years, but now a tinge of sadness was encroaching as the last day of their break loomed on the horizon. Little did the trio of American tourists know how much that final day would change the course of things to come.

Philip Knight had always known his family was a little…odd. His grandmother, Rebecca Knight nee-Wright, had always complained about the crazy ideas that the Knight family held. The family was open to the idea that magic and supernatural creatures existed. In fact, some of the more colorful members of the family’s distant past were said to have been “in the service of the Light” and warriors who fought the “supernatural darkness”. In most cases the members of the family simply considered themselves to be more open minded, but to a few the truth had always been known.

The Knight family was the lesser branch of the Ancient and Nobel House of Ritter. The significance of the Ritter family had long passed from the Magical world due to the family line descending into only squibs. However, just as the family had declined in the muggle world, they had risen in the muggle. The family had devoted themselves to protecting the muggles from the true threats of the magical world.

In time, the Ritter family came to be known as Schattenjägers. The family investigated, hunted down, and destroyed anything of the magical world that threatened the muggle world. It took dedication, skill, patience, daring, and cunning for a line of squibs to overcome the dangers of Vampires, Werewolves, Banshee, and even the occasional Dark Wizard or Witch. However, the family was firmly set in their ways and so the tradition passed from one generation to the next.

Yet, as the 19th century had dawned the threat presented by the magical world had retreated into seclusion finally. The occasional werewolf or vampire was still a threat, but for the most part the “family business” had dried up. Soon the youngest generation began to loose interest in the calling of the Schattenjäger and move about to find a new place in the world. So it was that the truth of the family’s origins and path were nearly lost save for one thinning branch.

The day that the Philip Knight, his wife Margaret and son Gabriel were set to leave London the family’s course was forever altered. A whirlwind of events had landed them in the center of a scandal they had unwittingly exposed when Margaret had seen a horse-faced woman slap an infant in the airport. Philip had watched his wife closely that day as the authorities became involved. The young man could tell by the glint in her honey-colored eyes that their involvement wasn’t going to end with the depositions they had provided the police.

True to Philip’s resigned fears Margaret had insisted they remain in London longer to follow the child-abuse scandal they had uncovered. When the news revealed that the child, Harry Potter, was an orphan left to his horse-faced aunt’s care he began to get a sinking feeling. That feeling had only been reinforced when he saw his wife’s face as she watched the report…over and over.

The young husband didn’t even bother to wait or ask his wife before contacting a local solicitor. She was going to want to adopt the child and he didn’t see any reason to argue it. There had been something about the kid that Philip was drawn to as well so he decided to just give in to the inevitable and avoid the headache of a fight.

Thus, Harry Potter was adopted several months later by the Knight family and became the “Unofficial Twin” of Gabriel Knight.

When the boys were 8 years old tragedy struck when Philip and Margaret were killed in a mysterious car wreck. Their grandmother, Rebecca Wright, took them in and did her best to comfort the grieving children. While the events were hard on Gabriel, Rebecca had to admit they were worse for Harry. The boy had only recently been told of his adoption and what little they knew of his family. Now, as far as Harry knew, he had lost a second set of parents to a car wreck. After that day it nearly took an act of Congress to get Harry to set foot near a car, much less ride in one.


The years passed and both the magical and muggle worlds moved on. Darkness, however, had begun to stir and soon it would be time for the legacy of the Schattenjäger to return. This time though the legacy of the Ritter family would have a new chapter: one written by the Boy-Who-Lived, Harry Potter.


The Challenge:

Write a fic based on the summary above. This is a story inspired by the classic video games set in the Gabriel Knight world. However, this should be an AU to both HP and GK. Adapt the events of both the HP books, and GK games, to fit into a new world of rising darkness and long forgotten mysteries.

The important thing to keep in mind for this challenge is that the story should be written in a noir/super-natural mystery style.

The Rules:

1. Harry Potter is not truely a squib, but neither is he truely a wizard any more. You figure out exactly what this means and how it will affect his eventually joining Gabriel in being a Schattenjäger.
2. Gabriel is, for all intents and purposes, a Squib from a long, long, line of squibs.
3. Voldemort should be less of a homicidal loony with rage issues and more of a cunning, cold, and dangerous Dak Lord. Adjust him to fit the style of this fic.
4. None of the obvious taboos such as: Harry/Ginny, Slash, the use of the word "soul bond", Vampire!Harry, Werewolf!Harry, etc etc.
5. Dumbledore is not evil, but he is a manipulative SOB.

 

Just one little thing from me "Schattenjäger" is singular and plural so no "s" at the end.

 

Ahh. Good to know.

 

A very intriguing and quite unique challenge. You definitely did a great job on providing a detailed background story. I hope someone takes it up!