The House of Dreadmore was once a name renowned throughout the British wizarding world, known for generating generations of elite duelists. For generations, they earned their prestige through raw combat and magic instead of money and politics.
But as generations passed, the fame of the family began to wane. Not because of weakness in magic but through choices made in desperation.
The father of Alaric Mordain Dreadmore, believing in the return of glory and prestige, gave his unwavering support to Grindelwald both financially and politically—speaking in favor of his twisted vision.
When Grindelwald fell, the consequences were devastating. The already weakened family came to the brink of destruction. Their name was spoken in disdain instead of the once awe-filled voice. A family once known for their strength was now mocked for their foolish decisions.
From a young age, Alaric Mordain Dreadmore listened as his father spoke proudly of the DREADMORE name, recounting the legendary feats of their ancestors, only to witness the same father tarnish that name further than it had already fallen.
His father left the world, leaving behind a crumbling legacy, which he promised to bring back to its former glory.
From a young age, Alaric was determined to break the cycle. He trained relentlessly and excelled both magically and academically. His dueling talent was said to rival the greatest of duelists.
At Hogwarts, he was known for his quiet intensity, for excelling in Defense Against the Dark Arts, Charms, and Dueling.
It was in Hogwarts where he met Nyx.
Nyx—the pure-blood beauty from the dark-leaning Rosier line. She wasn't expected to mingle with the likes of Alaric. Yet, somehow, their friendship turned to love.
They married young, against her family's wishes.
He became a master duelist and a great businessman and was on his way to making his family great again. Nyx was a master potioneer, and she also helped him in his potion business.
Together, they built a beautiful family, and soon a child was to be born.
But the peace in the wizarding world was going to shatter soon.
A name was being spoken in the underground and darker corners of the wizarding world—"The Dark Lord." A being said to surpass even Grindelwald, he was gathering forces, pressuring the neutral and dark families to take his sides. Some of the ancient families already supported him. And when they saw a name like Dreadmore—a family that once supported the last Dark Lord, and a man like Alaric—a wizard whose magical strength could not be ignored, they came calling.
They offered him wealth, prestige, and a position beside the Dark Lord. Alaric declined. Politely at first. Then firmly. But they would not stop. The Dark Lord wanted him, not only because of his name but because of the danger he posed if he ever stood against them.
And so, they decided to act.
On a cold autumn evening, as Alaric returned from an important secret meeting, just miles from his ancestral home, he was ambushed. More than twenty-five dark wizards, some of them seasoned duelists, others hastily recruited dark wizards, were brought there to overwhelm him by numbers.
Knowing running away might attract these wizards directly toward his home, he prepared to face them head-on.
The duel that took place shook the nearby land and devastated the entire forest. He not only used the advanced magical dueling spells he was known for but also forbidden dark magic to take them down. His battle changed the nearby terrain and even changed the color of the sky itself.
He used the elemental magic with such mastery that it devastated the enemy ranks. The ground shook, roots tore free from the soil, and animals fled in terror for miles.
The people of the nearby town claimed the sky turned colorful, and they felt earthquakes for hours. They were able to witness colorful auroras usually present in the north.
The Aurors arrived—too late.
The scene they witnessed shook them to the core as miles of land were scorched, affected with devastating elemental magic. The ground scorched, with few barely recognizable corpses around the lone figure of the dead Alaric Dreadmore, who died with serious injuries all over his body.
The report concluded that he was ambushed by 25 dark wizards.
He killed 17 of them before he fell, and the rest likely fled grievously injured. They hastily fled without even being able to take their people's bodies back, knowing the Aurors were apparating to their place.
The images of the aftermath of the battle shook the wizarding world, not knowing that the duelist was capable of such destruction.
Alaric Mordain Dreadmore died knowing that he had protected his wife and unborn child.
Sadly, Alaric didn't know that his wife would soon follow him to the afterlife. Unable to survive the grief of losing her husband and the strain of childbirth, Nyx passed away just a few months later, leaving their child, Thorne, to be born into a world of loss and darkness.