James Potter, lord of a small land, was currently travelling, and found an injured eagle on the way. Being a decent sort, he helped the eagle, and nursed it back to health. As thanks, the eagle gave James a golden box, along with a warning not to open it on open road.
James was set to return to his home, but curiosity overcame him. He opened the box. Before unseen calamity immediately befell the land, and James did his utmost to close the box again, yet was powerless to do so. Finally, he begged for someone, anyone to help him. At that moment, there stood a mysterious man in front of him. He seemed old, yet powerful.
The man introduces himself as the ruler of all seas, and offers James to close the box for him. For a price. James agrees, and the man closes the box. And so James heads home, the promise he made weighing on him. He would need to give the ruler of all seas that which he would find at home that he was not expecting.
Years later, Harry, son of James and Lily, decides to honour the pact his father had made, and heads to give himself to the ruler of all seas. Yet, first he needs to find the ruler’s palace.
While wandering a forest, he meets an old lady, and helps her when he sees her stumble, and carries her to her home. Unknowingly, his polite kindness had earned him a boon from Baba Yaga herself. She tells him that the daughters of the ruler of all seas often bathe in a nearby lake.
There, he watches wild birds dance on the water, and notices a pile of discarded clothes on the shore. He steals some, and keeps watching. Each bird becomes a young woman, gets dressed, and vanishes towards the sea. Only the youngest one stands there, looking for her clothes. Harry returns them when she asks him to, and only asks her for the way to the sea ruler’s palace. [10:22 AM] Guided by her advice, Harry arrives there. The ruler informs him that to honour the pact, he would need to marry one of his daughters, but first would need to prove himself worthy.
One of the daughters, the one who helped guide Harry there, introduces herself as Fleur, and promises to help him.
And he would need her help, for the tasks facing Harry may just be beyond a mortal’s ken.