The White Wolf Returns
AN: This challenge will be a Harry Potter and Game of Thrones crossover, though it will largely take place in the Harry Potter universe and the GoT elements can be from either the TV show, book series, or both depending on the preference of whoever adopts it. And just to emphasize this point, but unless this story is adopted it will NOT be continued, least of all by me. The plot for this challenge is this:
When faced against Voldemort in the Forbidden Forest in First Year, Harry is not saved by a centaur, but by an albino direwolf. After driving the weakened dark lord off, the wolf stays at Harry's side protectively no matter what anyone does. Hagrid assumes that the wolf had imprinted on Harry, and it is eventually decided that as long as the wolf doesn't cause any harm, he will be allowed to stay with Harry. Because of the wolf's white coat and silent nature, Harry decides to call him Ghost.
Later, Harry begins to notice he has strange dreams, ones of a world full of ice, steel, and blood. He then starts to notice that he seems to react to things on instinct more often now, as if some things are a long forgotten memory. And for some reason, one phrase keeps repeating in his head: Winter is Coming.
Basically, Harry is a reborn Jon Snow who is slowly regaining his memories and skills from his previous life. While I have seen many stories where Harry is reborn in the GoT world (usually as a Stark or Lannister), I have rarely if ever seen the opposite happen with Harry being a reborn GoT character. I also figured Jon Snow had some of the most common traits with everyone's favorite Boy Who Lived. Think about it: both characters were orphaned at a young age, were raised by their relatives (most of whom hate their guts), eventually join a school/order that while giving themselves a sense of belonging also is treacherous and can turn against them in an instant, both have died and brought back, and both have a great sense of destiny about them.
If the person who adopts this wants to, they can make other Harry Potter characters reborn GoT characters, like Ginny can be Ygritte, Ron can be Theon or Robb, Hermione can be either Sansa or Arya, Neville can be Sam, and Draco can be Joffery or Jaime, etc. Harry won't fully regain his memories until around Fourth Year, but his abilities will definitely improve and he might even have a goblin made blade commissioned for him (while I was originally thinking letting him keep the Sword of Griffindor, I doubt the Ministry would let him keep a historical artifact). Ghost will of course be by his side throughout all seven years, and Harry will even relearn how to skinchange with him. More details can be worked out later, but in the meantime enjoy!
Disclaimer: I own neither Harry Potter nor Game of Thrones.
Harry Potter was not having a good week to say the least. Between transporting Hagrid's illegal baby dragon to be taken to a colony in Romania, to being caught on the way back from Filch and losing an insane number of points in one go, and to earning the ire of nearly half the school, Harry had thought the week couldn't get any worse. Little did he know, Murphy was always listening. He, along with Hermione, Neville, and (worst of all) Draco Malfoy had been given a detention together which had them going with Hagrid into the Forbidden Forest to locate an injured unicorn. As luck (or lack thereof) would have it, Harry was eventually paired with Malfoy and Hagrid's enormous yet cowardly boar-hound Fang as the group split up. It was bad enough to listen to the spoiled Slytherin's constant whining, it was worse when they had found the unicorn.
Never in his life had Harry seen something so beautiful yet so sad as he stared at the dead beast. All those thoughts were driven away, however, as a cloaked figure came out of what looked like the darkness itself, leaned over the dead unicorn, and began drinking its blood. Naturally, Malfoy screamed and ran like the craven he was, Fang not far behind him. Harry would have joined them, if it wasn't for the blinding pain that seared through where his scar was located, causing him to miss his step and go tumbling onto the forest's floor. Though pain filled eyes, Harry watched the cloaked figure move like smoke or liquid as it drew closer and closer to him. As Harry prepared himself for whatever horrible fate awaited him, he suddenly saw a shape as white as snow leap out from behind him and barrel into the figure.
Whoever, or whatever, was wearing the cloak let out an inhuman screech as the white object attacked it with claws and fangs. Soon enough, the figure turned tail and fled back into the shadows from where it came, and Harry was able to get a good look at whatever had saved him as the pain in his scar faded. The being was canine in shape and was roughly the size of Fang. The fur coating it was pure white while the eyes were as red as blood, indicating it was an albino. Once Harry was able to get a good look at the shape of its head and snout, Harry was able to tell it was a wolf based off some pictures he'd seen of wolves back in primary school. At first, Harry felt a jolt of fear, remembering Draco's ramblings of werewolves in the forest earlier that evening. However, as time slowly ticked by, the wolf made no aggressive moves towards him. In fact, it just stared at him silently with those crimson orbs before slowly padding up to him and curling up like a tamed dog would at his feet.
Before Harry could figure out this turn of events, he heard the sound of hooves approaching. Turning around, Harry saw another centaur like Bane and Rowan he had met earlier, yet this one seemed younger with brilliant blue eyes and a palomino body. Before the centaur got too close, the wolf suddenly leaped to its paws and stood between the wizard and the man-horse, its lips pulled back in a silent snarl. Surprised by the protective nature the wolf was showing towards him, Harry figured that the centaur probably didn't mean any harm based on what Hagrid had told him earlier about the species.
Gently, Harry raised his hand and set it on the wolf's back, saying in a voice that hid his nervousness, "Easy."
Miraculously, the wolf obeyed him, getting into a sitting position though never taking its eyes off the weary looking centaur.
"It seems the stars favor you tonight, Harry Potter, for both protecting you from the evil that lurks in this forest and giving you such a fierce and loyal guardian," the centaur stated before introducing himself as Firenze. The centaur offered to give him a lift back to safety, and Harry gladly accepted, his legs weak from the ordeal he just went through. After a brief altercation with Bane and Rowan, the former looking ready to kick Firenze with his hooves for letting a human ride him like a common mule if not for the snarling wolf that suddenly came between them, the two made their way through the woods, the wolf silently following behind them.
As they walked/rode, Harry learned a startling truth from the centaur: the cloaked figure was none other than Lord Voldemort! Apparently, he was incredibly weak at the moment and was using the blood of unicorns to help his failing strength. However, the blood wouldn't restore him. In order for that to happen, he'd need a much stronger substance, the Elixir of Life, produced by the Sorcerer's Stone located within Hogwarts itself! As Harry learned this terrifying revelation, the odd group ran into Hagrid, Hermione, and Neville. Seeing Harry was safely in good hands, Firenze bid the wizard farewell and galloped into the forest, yet the albino wolf remained. It went to his side and stood vigilant like a guard dog as the other humans in the group looked at it with various expressions after checking to make sure he was all right.
Neville, naturally, looked terrified of the white beast while Hermione, though looking wary, nevertheless had an inquisitive expression in her eyes. Hagrid, meanwhile, looked as though his birthday had come early.
"Bless me soul!" Hagrid said in a tone that was almost reverent. "It can't be a direwolf!" He reached down and began to gently stroke the wolf's head with a trashcan lid sized hand after Harry gently calmed the beast.
Hermione's eyes lit up in recognition while Neville, though still looking terrified, relaxed somewhat. "Oh! I read about direwolves! They're originally descended from the original direwolves during the Ice Age, but ancient wizards kept them on as familiars for years. Eventually though, direwolves became endangered as some witches and wizards began to hunt them for their furs, which are said to have powerful magic defenses. Now, most direwolves can be found in magical creature conservation sites in Norway, Tibet, and Alaska. But," at this Hermione stopped her textbook explanation with a frown, "What is one doing so far south? Let alone outside one of their designated territories?"
"Dunno," Harry replied with a shrug, placing his hand behind the direwolf's shaggy head and began scratching behind its ear, causing it to pant happily. "Though I think it saved my life tonight," he added as he then told the group what happened, purposely leaving out the part about Voldemort and the Stone until he, Ron, and Hermione were alone later.
Afterwards, Hermione gave the boy a quick hug around the neck while Hagrid stood up and announced that they were heading back to the castle. As they started heading back, Neville piped up meekly, "Um, Hagird? The wolf is following us."
They turned and sure enough, the white wolf was right behind them. "He hasn't left my side since he saved me," Harry mused aloud.
Hagrid hummed, stroking his messy beard and said, "Well, I 'ave heard direwolves form bonds wit humans. 'S made 'em such great familiars back inna day. Maybe this one adopted 'Arry into 'is pack?"
"So what should we do?" Hermione asked.
Hagrid hummed before stating, "If'n 'Arry don't mind, perhaps that wolf c'n stay wit ye over the night. Then we c'n talk to Professor Dumbledore 'bout what to do wit 'em on the morrow."
Harry thought of it for all of ten seconds before he readily agreed. "It's only right since it saved me," Harry told a flustered looking Neville, smiling down as the wolf started to lick his hand. "Besides, I think he likes me."
Hagrid, after telling Harry to make sure the wolf behaved himself up at the castle and making sure to take responsibility for it, led the group up the rest of the way to the castle. They had found out Draco and Fang had fled all the way back to Hagrid's cabin and had barricaded themselves in, causing the Griffyndors to laugh at his expense. When they were able to get the pale boy out of the cabin, he began to make a snide comment regarding Harry's canine companion, only to let out a shriek of fear when the wolf snapped his jaws in the boy's direction. Afterwards, the children plus one direwolf made their way to their dormitories. Neville immediately went to bed after giving the wolf one last fearful glance while Harry and Hermione met with a still awake Ron in the Common Room to discuss what happened that night.
Upon seeing Harry's direwolf, Ron was at first nervous, but after seeing how tame it was around Harry he decided his best mate having a direwolf was, "Wicked!" This lightheartedness was only temporary as Harry told both Ron and Hermione the unedited version of what happened in the forest, the wolf meanwhile lying down on the rug in front of the carpet looking content. Naturally, both of his friends were terrified of the idea that Voldemort was lurking in the Forbidden Forest and was most likely having Snape steal the Sorcerer's Stone to regain his full strength. They were comforted by the fact though that as long as Dumbledore was there, the only man Voldemort ever feared, the Stone would be safe.
It was nearly dawn when the group tiredly began to make their way to bed, when Ron asked Harry a question seeing the wolf begin to follow them. "By the way Harry, you have any idea what you're gonna call him?" he asked gesturing to the wolf.
"Ron, Harry can't go naming wild animals! What if he has to return him to the forest, wouldn't that make it harder to let him go?" Hermione said in exasperation.
This quickly became another argument between the two friends as Harry tuned them out, looking at the wolf in contemplation. What should he call the direwolf? After all, he couldn't just keep calling him 'wolf', right? As he racked his brain for ideas, Harry noticed that despite all that had happened that evening, the wolf had yet to make a sound. Add that to the fact he has a pure white coat...the name came to him like a Bludger to the head.
"Ghost," he spoke aloud, halting his friends' argument. He looked down at the wolf, who almost seemed to be smiling at him in the way only canines can. Turning to Ron and Hermione with his own grin, Harry clarified, "His name is Ghost."
Later…
Days pass after the fateful meeting in the Forbidden Forest, and the presence of the adolescent direwolf had become part of the gossip mill in the castle. The following morning, Harry had received a letter from Professor Dumbledore saying that as long as Ghost didn't harm anyone (unless in self defense) and Harry promised to take care of him, Ghost could stay with the lightning scarred boy. Attached was a notice that apparently dated back to ancient times when direwolves were kept as familiars. While it rarely happened these days due to the wolves' protected status, certain circumstances allowed a witch or wizard to keep a direwolf as a familiar. Apparently saving said witch or wizards life and then bonding to them was one of these circumstances. So now Harry could legally keep Ghost with him, at least at the school (he wasn't sure what to do when he went back to his relatives' house, but he was sure they'd manage. Maybe have him stay in any local woods or something).
When the students and faculty learned of the giant wolf in their midst, the reactions were mixed. Some were wary and even scared, others thought it was the coolest thing ever, while others (namely the Slytherins) looked at the wolf with disdain. Unfortunately, Harry couldn't bring Ghost in with him to class, but the wolf seemed to anticipate this and would wait calmly by the door to the classrooms until class was finished. Poor Professor Quirrell nearly had a heart-attack when he saw the great wolf, while Ghost himself seemed to snarl at the man and it took Harry's touch to calm him. Personally, Harry thought it must be from all that garlic the DADA professor used messing with Ghost's nose. Professor Snape snidely asked him if he was supposed to be a wolf or a lion after the first Potions class, but Harry had long since learned to tune out most of what the greasy haired man said.
Hermione, naturally, went to the library to pull out all the books they had on direwolves, insisting that Harry was to read them, and for once Harry was in agreement with his Muggel-born friend. From the books, Harry learned that direwolves were extremely capable hunters and trackers, able to find anything by scent alone. He also learned that Ghost was fairly young, nearly a puppy, even though he was nearly the size of a small pony already. According to the books, direwolves would reach nearly the size of full grown horses! He also learned of their diets, behaviors, etc. from all the books he read. And ever since the incident with Norbert, Harry felt truly happy. Unfortunately, the ever present danger of Lord Voldemort cast a bitter atmosphere on this lighthearted time. And then, there were the dreams he'd been having…
Ever since the incident in the Forest, Harry had been having nightmares of cloaked, blood soaked figures chasing him along with the flashes of green light he'd been having since before he could remember. This wasn't the strangest thing about these dreams, however. No, the strangest thing was that halfway through the nightmares, the dreams would change. Instead of anywhere he was familiar with, Harry found himself in a snowy landscape, one filled with trees and looked untouched by man. Other times, he'd find himself at a snow covered castle that, while not Hogwarts sized, was still impressive none the less that had a white tree with red leaves and what looked like a face carved into the trunk. Most breathtaking of all was the Wall. Never before had Harry seen such an impressive structure: miles tall and even further across, the Wall seemed to be made of ice and snow, all while having a distinctive magical feel to it. And strangest of all was the fact that, while having never seen any of these places before in his life, they all brought forth a feeling of nostalgia and home. After a week of these dreams, a saying began to echo in his mind even while awake, one that sounded almost like a warning but at the same time brought forth the same feelings of familiarity as the dreams. The saying was this:
Winter is Coming.