1 The Curious Lad
"Dementors are among the foulest creatures that walk this earth. They infest the darkest, filthiest places, they glory in decay and despair, they drain peace, hope and happiness out of the air around them."
"Children to adults, everyone knows of them but none dares to think about them. Their existence maintains the dark side of things, as the lights exist they dwell in the shadows. In the darkness of misery and suffering, they prosper and thrive."
"Everyone feels their presence, be it a muggle or a wizard… but none dare to approach them as if they try, they will be left with nothing but an empty shell of a body."
"Where did they come from, uncle?" Curious blue eyes bore onto a tired looking face, nose flaring in excitement as the voice questioned. "Did someone create them?"
The older face, smiling at the young lad's curiosity, answered. "No one knows how they came to be, there have been countless speculations but they all have been that… speculations without proof."
The boy was not satisfied with the answer so he questioned again. "Then who discovered them first?"
The man with greying hair sighed in amusement. He had not seen kids of such age being interested in such horrifying stories. Kids feared ghosts and spirits but the six-year-old boy had shimmering eyes as he asked the question.
"They have existed for a very long time. However many believe that they were created by the insane wizard, Ekrizdis. While others claim that they might have existed since the time of Merlin."
This got the boy curious. He has heard countless stories of Merlin the Wizard from his uncle. Said to have been one of the strongest wizards in existence, Merlin was known to be the Prince of Enchanters, one of the most well-known wizards to have ever lived. His glorious tales alongside King Arthur have been told to every child, be it a muggle or a pure blood.
However, it was the first time that he had heard the name 'Ekrizdis.'
"Ekrizdis?" The boy repeated the name. "Who is that, uncle?"
This question made the man's face darken a bit. Ekrizdis was a name well known by the older generation of wizards while it was kept a secret from the youngsters in the fear of scaring them.
"Known as the Insane Wizard and the creator of Azkaban, Ekrizdis was an evil wizard that tortured innocents using his dark arts. He was a powerful wizard as he created the fortress of Azkaban alone. The same Azkaban that is currently used as a prison for some of the most heinous criminals in existence." The man said with a frown. "Ekrizdis had put countless dementors inside Azkaban to protect it from intruders as well as to help him in his torture sessions."
The boy grew curious. He had heard of Azkaban and how it is said to be an impregnable fortress. And for a person to have created it alone, he wondered how amazing that person must have been.
"How strong was he?" His curiosity peaked with every question. "Was he stronger than Voldem—"
The man immediately placed his hand over the boy's mouth.
"Hush!" He frowned. "Do not take his name."
The boy nodded meekly. He didn't understand why saying the name scared many but he didn't want to go against the wishes of his uncle, so he nodded.
"The name is forbidden. Remember that."
The boy nodded again, at which the man sighed.
"But who was Ekrizdis, huh?" The man had a grim expression. "He was what you call a genius devoured by insanity."
The boy was even more confused at this. "Genius devoured by insanity?"
"He was someone that was able to hide his magic from the entire magical world, build an impregnable fortress and imprison countless. He controlled an insane number of dementors and was a master of charms… which to this day I believe no one can replicate." The aged man said. "But he was driven insane, most believe by his own powers while the rest believes it was because of being in the constant presence of the dementors."
The boy listened intently to his uncle.
"He kidnapped and brought in wizards and muggles and it didn't matter to him if they were good or evil, he would torture them. He was not someone that was power hungry, he didn't have any ambitions. Unlike Grindelwald and You Know Who, he was not interested in conquering the world. Instead, he loved torturing people for his own twisted interests."
"Why?" The boy couldn't understand why someone would torture a person just for their pleasure.
"He was a sadist. A person with twisted morals and interests." The man clenched his fists at the tales he remembered. "People say he was insane but that doesn't justify his wrongdoings. And do you know the worst part of all, little one?"
The boy shook his head.
"He was never punished for his crimes." The man frowned. "He passed away without being punished for his crimes, which makes him one of those that were successful in their evil ambitions."
This story made the boy curious about something.
"Uncle, out of all the evil wizards… Who was the strongest?"
This shocked the man. His nephew asked an interesting question.
"Let's see…" The man contemplated the accomplishments of all the evil wizards and dark lords. There were countless in history, many forgotten and many erased by the council. But out of those that were known, he wondered who was the strongest.
"If you asked who was the most evil, I would say it was… You Know Who. If you asked who was the most selfish, I would say it was the creator of the first Horcrux and if you asked who was the most psychotic, it would be without a doubt Ekrizdis." He paused. "But who was the strongest…"
The man took a pause, making his grandson curious. "For me… It has to be Grindelwald."
This made the young lad surprised.
"It wasn't Vol— You Know Who?" He corrected himself amidst speaking.
"He was without a doubt more cunning and selfish than Grindelwald. But he was known for his ability to brainwash the crowd through his charisma and for the countless traps he laid… rather than his duelling prowess. In a one on one duel, Grindelwald might have been superior. He was known to have bested even Dumbledore at times and that is not a small feat."
The boy listened with utmost focus.
"Grindelwald was a warrior, albeit he fought for the wrong purposes but he honed his skills through training and fighting. He grew up battling others while You Know Who was more skilled in coming up with traps and spells." The man paused for a second time before giving his final answer. "So in a one on one battle with no dirty tricks, I would say Grindelwald would have bested any dark lord."
This made the boy awe in wonder.
"Uncle, what matters the most in this world?"
His question confused the man.
"What do you mean?"
"Grindelwald, You Know Who, Dumbledore, Merlin… they are all famous. But some like Ekrizdis are not that famous. Some were good people and some were bad but everyone remembers them. So, what matters the most in the world, uncle?"
The boy was young and was unable to phrase his sentence properly but the man understood what the boy meant.
Good or Evil, Strong or Weak, Genius or an Idiot… What mattered?
Even the smartest of the wizards were forgotten but some of the dullest of them were remembered to this date.
Why was that?
The answer was simple.
"Accomplishments." The man answered. "No matter if you are good or evil, smart or dull, weak or strong… What makes you memorable are your achievements. It may be good or bad, but achievements… what you accomplish is what makes a person memorable."
There were wizards known for their bravery, their inventions, their crimes and their good deeds. But in the end, they were all their achievements.
The boy sat silent for a few seconds, deeply lost in his thoughts which made the man curious.
But before the man could ask what the boy was thinking, the boy loudly declared.
"Then I will become the most accomplished wizard! So that everyone will remember me!"
The sudden declaration made the man burst out laughing. He was wondering what the boy was thinking but for him to say such a thing… The man remembered that in the end, he was just a child.
However, he was a bright and curious child. And he knew that if the boy didn't change his personality and views, he would surely achieve something great.
"Yes you will, Ian. Yes… you will." The man said, patting the young boy's head. And as he did, the boy yawned. "It's late, you should get to bed."
The boy nodded. "Yes, uncle!"
…
…
[[Garrick Ollivander]]
It's been over four years since Ian had lost his parents and Garrick lost his brother and sister-in-law. Four years since tragedy struck and four years since the fall of one of the cruellest dark lords.
The Ollivander family was dwindling and if not for Ian, he would have lost all hope in the survivability of this ancient family.
Walking around the portraits, he felt his heart heavy as he looked at the portrait of his deceased brother.
Gerald Ollivander.
He couldn't bring himself to ask for forgiveness. It was his incompetence that led to such an outcome.
"If only you agreed to have a magical portrait, brother." Sadness swept him as he knew he could never talk to his brother. "I would have told you all about Ian. He is a bright child, curious like you."
Ian was far smarter for his age and while his magic was not something extraordinary, his talent for analysing complex theories was terrifying.
"He can be a great wand maker or maybe even a great scholar. His views on magic and its applications are shocking. And if he continues in this way, he will be able to achieve something great."
He steeled his heart. "I promise you, brother. I will impart all my knowledge onto Ian. I will make him someone worthy of carrying the Ollivander name… as he is the future lord of the house."
A small smile appeared on his face. "As the pure blooded Ollivander, he won't be looked down upon by the wizarding community either."
Unlike him.
"I promise you, brother. I will make him worthy."
Worthy of being the Ollivander Lord.
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[[A/N: Ayyyy, the first chapter. Do tell me how it is by leaving a comment and if you notice any error in the writing style, grammar or plot point... do let me know through paragraph comments or direct comments.
Amen.]]
