Flowerpot

Bargains

Lily Potter was well aware that sooner or later Voldemort would come for her baby. She and James have searched for various ways of protecting their baby and have woven countless enchantments into him, meant to assure he would be safe. But she still felt it would not be enough. Who knew what Voldemort was capable of? So on one particular night she left their cottage and headed to the forest.

James never found out what Lily did that night, of her desperate plea to the Faeries that answered her, of her deal she agreed to with the bewitching Sidhe that was brought in by the lesser Faeries. A bargain was struck and Lily returned to her son, her husband, her cottage. And soon after, she died. Yet, when Voldemort turned his wand to her baby and uttered the fateful words, there was a flash and heat, as if the room was filled by flames, and Voldemort’s body became ash. Only a scar marred Harry’s forehead.

He grew up with the Dursleys, a particularly unlikeable people, but it seemed whenever they tried to hurt Harry, some misfortune seemed to strike them. Soon, they learned to leave Harry to his devices. From Midwinter to Midsummer, he was a cheerful child preferring to play outside and happily babbling about animals, flowers and faeries.

“Just fanciful childish tales,” the Dursleys always dismissed these, especially when talking to other people.

But, from Midsummer to Midwinter, Harry seemed to become more withdrawn, and even somewhat scared of going into parks by himself during winter.

When he arrives at Hogwarts, the elves seem to adore him, pampering him and playing games with him. The elves were not the only ones expressing joy at seeing him, however, Fawkes too quickly befriended young Harry. The Forbidden Forest, on the other hand, seemed to unnerve Harry much more than any park in winter.

Lily had struck a deal with the Summer Court which resulted in the Faeries of Summer protecting Harry from harm. Winter, on the other hand, always seemed all the harsher to Harry. The elves and Fawkes are all affiliated with Summer and protect him, but Winter too has agents within the castle, intent on seducing Harry into making a deal, into owing a favour to the Winter Court.

Things escalate even more during the Triwizard Tournament, since Fleur is also an agent of Summer sent to Hogwarts with a mission. And aside from the machinations of both Courts, the threat of Voldemort rises, his powers changed from the first war, strange, foreign.