Author's Note:
This is a highly unusual story. I know I put "Harry Potter" as the book this is based on, and it is. But I have also incorporated aspects from other works into my story. In addition to featuring characters, places, names, etc. from Harry Potter, I have also included similar things from Lord of the Rings, Sabriel, Inu Yasha, The Lost Years of Merlin, Dark Angel, The Legend of Zelda, Star Wars, Magic Knight RayEarth, Ella Enchanted, Spirited Away, Sailor Moon, even Gundam Wing, a little bit, plot wise. All this is just my attempt to write a story to go along with a really cool dream I had. Harry will have the same dream in a future chapter, so stay tuned if you're interested.
I have changed a few things to try and display some originality, but if you see something that reminds you of an outside story, chances are it's from an outside story. I'm not going to try and say what belongs to whom every single chapter, so this is my detailed disclaimer.
One final note, when you read this fanfic, the world you are entering is not the same one as the original Harry Potter. This is another Earth entirely. And no, the Middle Kingdom here is not China.
Thank you and enjoy. Indigo Dragon
~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~
Prologue
Always, there are three. Three levels of society. Three countries in the world. Three languages. Three Heads of the Council. Three forms of magic. Three golden Goddesses. Three Gates, each protected and guarded by the three Temples, and the three Sacred Talismans, and the three Gate Keepers.
Star Gate, doorways to Valinor, home of the gods. The Gate itself is housed in Heaven's Temple. Here, the Gate Keeper stands watch, the Tenseiga, sword of Life, in hand, ensuring that only the few who were worthy would pass to Valinor. The Temple is a castle, same as the others. In the glow of the sun, it gleaming white walls shone like a second moon.
Middle Gate, as the name suggests is the middle ground between the other two Gates. The Middle Portal, as it is sometimes called, is guarded by the Temple of the Sea. The Gate Keeper oversees the surrounding ocean from the guard towers enclosing the Temple. Deeper Cut, the double-edged sword of the Temple, prevents trespassers from wandering where they are unwelcome.
Lastly, is Hell's Gate. Fortified deep in the Shadow Temple, it shields the world from its greatest evils. Hell's Gate seals the only entrance to the fiery innards of the world, where demons and the dark warlords were banished by the gods. The Gate Keeper here has the greatest duty of them all. Never can they leave their post, except under the gravest of circumstances, lest the seals be broken, and the path to Hell thrown open. Therefore, the sacred talisman of the Gate has power equal to that of the responsibility to wield it. The Silence Glaive has strength enough to destroy the Devil himself along with all him minions. But to destroy the Devil, the Glaive must also destroy the world. Hence, the Gate Keeper must forever stand watch, lest their absence lead the end of everything.
The names and the deeds of the Gate Keepers are worshipped and remembered as if they were gods. To be in the presence of one is honor above meeting a king. The sacred weapons at their sides elongate their wielder's life, making it possible for entire centuries to pass under the same Keeper. Even so, times must change, as must the people in them. Age gives way to youth. The old is replaced by the new.
This is the story of the new. A story of good and evil, light and darkness, hope and despair. A story of how three sworn brothers were put thru the worst their world had to offer, and stuck together to beat it all. A story of change.
This is the story of a boy, his brother, and his best friend.
It all started with the birth of a single child at the break of dawn.
A tall man with glasses and untidy black hair paced outside the bedroom door. On the other side of the narrow panel of wood, his wife was in labor with their first child. After a difficult pregnancy, the day, or night, rather, had finally come. The man was more than ready to welcome his offspring into the world, but he worried about his wife. Complications had surface early on, and despite the healer's most powerful magic, survival would depend on the strength of the mother, and the babe.
The man stopped his pacing to run a hand down his wrinkled brow. He could hear muffled sounds coming from inside the bedroom. What was going on? Was everything all right? Shouldn't he have been called in there by now? It had been over eighteen hours since the labor began. Shouldn't something have happened?
A hand on his shoulder interrupted his mussing. A second man, also with black hair, though a lot neater, stood facing the other. "Relax," he said.
The first man looked at his friend, and sighed. "Relax." That's all he had heard for the past eighteen hours. But how could he? The love of his life was in labor in the next room, possibly dying, while he was out here in the hall, scuffing up the marble floor enough to give it a new coating. All attempts to calm him seemed rather tactless right now.
The second man seemed to know what the first was thinking. However, he also seemed to be at a loss for words to say that could be of any comfort to the anxious father-in-waiting.
The minutes crawled by like centuries. Numerous times, either man had looked up to the magical clock that hung on the wall, convinced that hours had gone since he consulted it last, only to find meager minutes had passed. Both courted the idea that the damned thing was broken.
Actual hours later, the second man, unable to bear the tension radiating from his companion, walked down to the opposite side of the hall. He moved to sit back down again in front of the large window there when an orange glint on the horizon caught his eye.
Then the door of the bedroom opened, and one of the midwives came out. "Sirius!" the first man shouted as leapt to his feet. He need not have bothered; his friend was already sprinting back down the hall. As Sirius skidded to a halt, he burst out, "How are they?"
"Your son is perfectly fine, Mr. Potter. You should be very proud," she said, smiling. The other man let out a sigh of relief, but James's worries were only half over. "And his mother?" he asked, dreading the answer.
The midwife paused, her smile fading. "We've done everything we can," she said, not quite meeting his eye. "But she's not going to last much longer."
In that instant, his entire world came crashing down. Sirius caught him as he staggered backward. It was a moment before James had collected himself to demand, "Let me see them."
The woman looked as if she was going to say something, but then thought better of it. She nodded.
James took a deep breath, braced himself for the worst, the followed her inside.
Lily, his beloved Lily, lay propped up on the bed. She was singing to a bundle of blankets with a mop of jet black fuzz nestled in her arms. The babe appeared to be fast asleep.
Lily had looked up when her husband had entered. James took a moment to marvel at how, even as she lay dying, weak from giving birth, she was still his beautiful Lily. Tired, anxious, and terrified though he was, the sight of his wife and their infant son forced his face into a smile. James walked over to the bed and sat down next to his newly extended family.
Another midwife was packing up supplies beside the bed. She nodded to James, then she and the last two exited the room, leaving the Potters alone.
James watched them go, then he turned to his wife. He bent over and kissed her on the cheek. "Hello, beautiful," he said, trying to sound like the loving husband he normally was. James hated to see Lily so weak, hated the fact that he was about to lose her forever. He wanted her last moments to be good ones. He was failing miserably.
Lily saw the tears that were threatening to fall from James's eyes. She reached up and brushed them away. "Don't be sad," she whispered.
James grasped the hand on his face. "Why?" he asked her, his voice, and his entire body shaking. "Why did you have to go through with this? You knew that you could die."
Lily took a deep breath before answering. She was alarmingly weak. "I wanted to have your child. I love you, James." Now, it was his turn to get a kiss on the cheek. Correctly interpreting his sigh, she added, "And I love you because you are charming and sweet, and kind. and too persistent for me not to." Lily's bright green eyes, though they were clouded over with pain, still twinkled as she smiled at her husband. James gazed into them as he had so many times before. "I love you, too, Lily. I will always love you."
The tears really did fall this time. A few splashed onto the forehead of the still silent baby, tucked away besides his mother. The infant stirred, however, as the salty water trickled down his face. "That reminds me, James," Lily whispered. "You still have to meet someone."
Carefully, very carefully, James took his son from his wife's arms and cradled him in his own. Minding to keep the boy's head up, he examined his offspring for the first time. Sad and grief-stricken as he was, James couldn't help but be amazed by the little miracle in his arms. "He's so tiny," he said, breathlessly.
"I'm happy you like him."
"I love him."
".I'm glad.Raise.and love him well...Good bye.James."
Still in awe, it took a moment for Lily's words to sink in. But when they did.
"Lily!"
James's attention shifted back to his wife just as her eyes closed.
"Lily! Wake up, love! Please don't go! Lily!"
It was useless. No matter what James did, his beloved wife didn't move.
James sobbed. He couldn't help it. ".Open your eyes, love." he pleaded softly.
But even as James spoke, he knew; Lily Evans Potter was dead. He had lost her. The very idea ripped him apart so much, he felt he would crumble into dust. James pulled himself together enough to wish her spirit safe passage to the Eternal Gardens, the final resting place. "Good bye, my Lily." James croaked. "Good bye.love."
He kissed her on the forehead, breathing in her sweet scent for the last time. He couldn't believe that she was gone, couldn't believe those shining green eyes were closed forever.
The baby in his arm let out a soft cry. James looked down at his son. He knew he should try and calm the child, but how could he when all he felt like doing was crying himself. Lily's lullaby played softly in his head. He had heard her sing it to their son while he was still in her womb. Perhaps that would work. So James sang;
"You are my sunshine, my only sunshine." "You make me happy when skies are gray."
The baby's cries grew louder. James gently stroked his cheek.
"You'll never know how much I love you."
James rocked his son slowly back and forth in his arms.
"So please, don't take my sunshine away."
The cried quieted, then ended in the smallest yawn James had ever seen. The infant seemed to fall asleep again as his father continued to rock him. Somewhere in a corner of James's mind, he realized that, somehow, by comforting his son, the pain of losing his wife had lessened, even if it was ever so slightly.
There was a gentle knock at the door. James paid no attention.
"James.?"
James tore his eyes away from his son's face to look at his best friend. Sirius appeared more strained than James had ever seen him. Sirius looked from James to the baby to Lily's body to James again. For a long while, neither really knew what to do. Finally, Sirius, who seemed to be in a state of determined calm, said, "C'mon, James. You need to rest now. And we need to take care of him." Sirius motioned toward the baby.
Still halfway in limbo, James looked back at his wife's beautiful face. "Yeah." he said.
Sirius took James by the shoulder, and led him into the hall. Sunshine was streaming in thru the window now. It all seemed so unreal. As they walked past it, Sirius said tentatively, "So. Did you decide on a name for him?"
James stopped. He shifted the baby slightly, so he could see him better. Perhaps it was the movement, perhaps it was the light shining on his face, but something woke the newborn. James watched as he yawned again, stretching his arms in a babyish sort of way. He didn't cry this time, but he did open his eyes, looking straight at his father.
James gasped. "What is it?" Sirius asked, alarmed.
"His eyes! They're so much like. How?"
Sirius moved behind him. Both men stood transfixed, staring open mouthed at the tiny boy in James's arms.
Lily's eyes, Lily's beautiful, brilliant, emerald eyes looked up at them. James couldn't believe it. He thought he was cursed to never see those eyes again. Yet here they were. Light from the sun was shining into the baby's eyes, making it seem like they were glowing with a light of their own. The first line of Lily's lullaby echoed in his mind, "You are my sunshine."
"Ohiri." James whispered.
"What?" said Sirius, looking up.
"Ohiri," James told him. "Harry. That's what I'm going to call him."
"Ohiri. Harry." Sirius repeated in an awed sort of voice. Then he smiled. "It suits him."
Harry giggled at them. He lifted one small arm and reached for his father's face.
James extended his pinky to meet his son's hand. The boy's tiny fingers just barely managed to wrap around it. A great feeling of warmth was growing in James's chest. It made him smile. "Harry," he said again. "My little Harry."
Then he bent down, and kissed his son.
This is a highly unusual story. I know I put "Harry Potter" as the book this is based on, and it is. But I have also incorporated aspects from other works into my story. In addition to featuring characters, places, names, etc. from Harry Potter, I have also included similar things from Lord of the Rings, Sabriel, Inu Yasha, The Lost Years of Merlin, Dark Angel, The Legend of Zelda, Star Wars, Magic Knight RayEarth, Ella Enchanted, Spirited Away, Sailor Moon, even Gundam Wing, a little bit, plot wise. All this is just my attempt to write a story to go along with a really cool dream I had. Harry will have the same dream in a future chapter, so stay tuned if you're interested.
I have changed a few things to try and display some originality, but if you see something that reminds you of an outside story, chances are it's from an outside story. I'm not going to try and say what belongs to whom every single chapter, so this is my detailed disclaimer.
One final note, when you read this fanfic, the world you are entering is not the same one as the original Harry Potter. This is another Earth entirely. And no, the Middle Kingdom here is not China.
Thank you and enjoy. Indigo Dragon
~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~
Prologue
Always, there are three. Three levels of society. Three countries in the world. Three languages. Three Heads of the Council. Three forms of magic. Three golden Goddesses. Three Gates, each protected and guarded by the three Temples, and the three Sacred Talismans, and the three Gate Keepers.
Star Gate, doorways to Valinor, home of the gods. The Gate itself is housed in Heaven's Temple. Here, the Gate Keeper stands watch, the Tenseiga, sword of Life, in hand, ensuring that only the few who were worthy would pass to Valinor. The Temple is a castle, same as the others. In the glow of the sun, it gleaming white walls shone like a second moon.
Middle Gate, as the name suggests is the middle ground between the other two Gates. The Middle Portal, as it is sometimes called, is guarded by the Temple of the Sea. The Gate Keeper oversees the surrounding ocean from the guard towers enclosing the Temple. Deeper Cut, the double-edged sword of the Temple, prevents trespassers from wandering where they are unwelcome.
Lastly, is Hell's Gate. Fortified deep in the Shadow Temple, it shields the world from its greatest evils. Hell's Gate seals the only entrance to the fiery innards of the world, where demons and the dark warlords were banished by the gods. The Gate Keeper here has the greatest duty of them all. Never can they leave their post, except under the gravest of circumstances, lest the seals be broken, and the path to Hell thrown open. Therefore, the sacred talisman of the Gate has power equal to that of the responsibility to wield it. The Silence Glaive has strength enough to destroy the Devil himself along with all him minions. But to destroy the Devil, the Glaive must also destroy the world. Hence, the Gate Keeper must forever stand watch, lest their absence lead the end of everything.
The names and the deeds of the Gate Keepers are worshipped and remembered as if they were gods. To be in the presence of one is honor above meeting a king. The sacred weapons at their sides elongate their wielder's life, making it possible for entire centuries to pass under the same Keeper. Even so, times must change, as must the people in them. Age gives way to youth. The old is replaced by the new.
This is the story of the new. A story of good and evil, light and darkness, hope and despair. A story of how three sworn brothers were put thru the worst their world had to offer, and stuck together to beat it all. A story of change.
This is the story of a boy, his brother, and his best friend.
It all started with the birth of a single child at the break of dawn.
A tall man with glasses and untidy black hair paced outside the bedroom door. On the other side of the narrow panel of wood, his wife was in labor with their first child. After a difficult pregnancy, the day, or night, rather, had finally come. The man was more than ready to welcome his offspring into the world, but he worried about his wife. Complications had surface early on, and despite the healer's most powerful magic, survival would depend on the strength of the mother, and the babe.
The man stopped his pacing to run a hand down his wrinkled brow. He could hear muffled sounds coming from inside the bedroom. What was going on? Was everything all right? Shouldn't he have been called in there by now? It had been over eighteen hours since the labor began. Shouldn't something have happened?
A hand on his shoulder interrupted his mussing. A second man, also with black hair, though a lot neater, stood facing the other. "Relax," he said.
The first man looked at his friend, and sighed. "Relax." That's all he had heard for the past eighteen hours. But how could he? The love of his life was in labor in the next room, possibly dying, while he was out here in the hall, scuffing up the marble floor enough to give it a new coating. All attempts to calm him seemed rather tactless right now.
The second man seemed to know what the first was thinking. However, he also seemed to be at a loss for words to say that could be of any comfort to the anxious father-in-waiting.
The minutes crawled by like centuries. Numerous times, either man had looked up to the magical clock that hung on the wall, convinced that hours had gone since he consulted it last, only to find meager minutes had passed. Both courted the idea that the damned thing was broken.
Actual hours later, the second man, unable to bear the tension radiating from his companion, walked down to the opposite side of the hall. He moved to sit back down again in front of the large window there when an orange glint on the horizon caught his eye.
Then the door of the bedroom opened, and one of the midwives came out. "Sirius!" the first man shouted as leapt to his feet. He need not have bothered; his friend was already sprinting back down the hall. As Sirius skidded to a halt, he burst out, "How are they?"
"Your son is perfectly fine, Mr. Potter. You should be very proud," she said, smiling. The other man let out a sigh of relief, but James's worries were only half over. "And his mother?" he asked, dreading the answer.
The midwife paused, her smile fading. "We've done everything we can," she said, not quite meeting his eye. "But she's not going to last much longer."
In that instant, his entire world came crashing down. Sirius caught him as he staggered backward. It was a moment before James had collected himself to demand, "Let me see them."
The woman looked as if she was going to say something, but then thought better of it. She nodded.
James took a deep breath, braced himself for the worst, the followed her inside.
Lily, his beloved Lily, lay propped up on the bed. She was singing to a bundle of blankets with a mop of jet black fuzz nestled in her arms. The babe appeared to be fast asleep.
Lily had looked up when her husband had entered. James took a moment to marvel at how, even as she lay dying, weak from giving birth, she was still his beautiful Lily. Tired, anxious, and terrified though he was, the sight of his wife and their infant son forced his face into a smile. James walked over to the bed and sat down next to his newly extended family.
Another midwife was packing up supplies beside the bed. She nodded to James, then she and the last two exited the room, leaving the Potters alone.
James watched them go, then he turned to his wife. He bent over and kissed her on the cheek. "Hello, beautiful," he said, trying to sound like the loving husband he normally was. James hated to see Lily so weak, hated the fact that he was about to lose her forever. He wanted her last moments to be good ones. He was failing miserably.
Lily saw the tears that were threatening to fall from James's eyes. She reached up and brushed them away. "Don't be sad," she whispered.
James grasped the hand on his face. "Why?" he asked her, his voice, and his entire body shaking. "Why did you have to go through with this? You knew that you could die."
Lily took a deep breath before answering. She was alarmingly weak. "I wanted to have your child. I love you, James." Now, it was his turn to get a kiss on the cheek. Correctly interpreting his sigh, she added, "And I love you because you are charming and sweet, and kind. and too persistent for me not to." Lily's bright green eyes, though they were clouded over with pain, still twinkled as she smiled at her husband. James gazed into them as he had so many times before. "I love you, too, Lily. I will always love you."
The tears really did fall this time. A few splashed onto the forehead of the still silent baby, tucked away besides his mother. The infant stirred, however, as the salty water trickled down his face. "That reminds me, James," Lily whispered. "You still have to meet someone."
Carefully, very carefully, James took his son from his wife's arms and cradled him in his own. Minding to keep the boy's head up, he examined his offspring for the first time. Sad and grief-stricken as he was, James couldn't help but be amazed by the little miracle in his arms. "He's so tiny," he said, breathlessly.
"I'm happy you like him."
"I love him."
".I'm glad.Raise.and love him well...Good bye.James."
Still in awe, it took a moment for Lily's words to sink in. But when they did.
"Lily!"
James's attention shifted back to his wife just as her eyes closed.
"Lily! Wake up, love! Please don't go! Lily!"
It was useless. No matter what James did, his beloved wife didn't move.
James sobbed. He couldn't help it. ".Open your eyes, love." he pleaded softly.
But even as James spoke, he knew; Lily Evans Potter was dead. He had lost her. The very idea ripped him apart so much, he felt he would crumble into dust. James pulled himself together enough to wish her spirit safe passage to the Eternal Gardens, the final resting place. "Good bye, my Lily." James croaked. "Good bye.love."
He kissed her on the forehead, breathing in her sweet scent for the last time. He couldn't believe that she was gone, couldn't believe those shining green eyes were closed forever.
The baby in his arm let out a soft cry. James looked down at his son. He knew he should try and calm the child, but how could he when all he felt like doing was crying himself. Lily's lullaby played softly in his head. He had heard her sing it to their son while he was still in her womb. Perhaps that would work. So James sang;
"You are my sunshine, my only sunshine." "You make me happy when skies are gray."
The baby's cries grew louder. James gently stroked his cheek.
"You'll never know how much I love you."
James rocked his son slowly back and forth in his arms.
"So please, don't take my sunshine away."
The cried quieted, then ended in the smallest yawn James had ever seen. The infant seemed to fall asleep again as his father continued to rock him. Somewhere in a corner of James's mind, he realized that, somehow, by comforting his son, the pain of losing his wife had lessened, even if it was ever so slightly.
There was a gentle knock at the door. James paid no attention.
"James.?"
James tore his eyes away from his son's face to look at his best friend. Sirius appeared more strained than James had ever seen him. Sirius looked from James to the baby to Lily's body to James again. For a long while, neither really knew what to do. Finally, Sirius, who seemed to be in a state of determined calm, said, "C'mon, James. You need to rest now. And we need to take care of him." Sirius motioned toward the baby.
Still halfway in limbo, James looked back at his wife's beautiful face. "Yeah." he said.
Sirius took James by the shoulder, and led him into the hall. Sunshine was streaming in thru the window now. It all seemed so unreal. As they walked past it, Sirius said tentatively, "So. Did you decide on a name for him?"
James stopped. He shifted the baby slightly, so he could see him better. Perhaps it was the movement, perhaps it was the light shining on his face, but something woke the newborn. James watched as he yawned again, stretching his arms in a babyish sort of way. He didn't cry this time, but he did open his eyes, looking straight at his father.
James gasped. "What is it?" Sirius asked, alarmed.
"His eyes! They're so much like. How?"
Sirius moved behind him. Both men stood transfixed, staring open mouthed at the tiny boy in James's arms.
Lily's eyes, Lily's beautiful, brilliant, emerald eyes looked up at them. James couldn't believe it. He thought he was cursed to never see those eyes again. Yet here they were. Light from the sun was shining into the baby's eyes, making it seem like they were glowing with a light of their own. The first line of Lily's lullaby echoed in his mind, "You are my sunshine."
"Ohiri." James whispered.
"What?" said Sirius, looking up.
"Ohiri," James told him. "Harry. That's what I'm going to call him."
"Ohiri. Harry." Sirius repeated in an awed sort of voice. Then he smiled. "It suits him."
Harry giggled at them. He lifted one small arm and reached for his father's face.
James extended his pinky to meet his son's hand. The boy's tiny fingers just barely managed to wrap around it. A great feeling of warmth was growing in James's chest. It made him smile. "Harry," he said again. "My little Harry."
Then he bent down, and kissed his son.