I'll trust again when the dead walk
Summary- An immortal Harry potter finds himself rather apathetic to the world around him. Mainly due to a combination of the death of everyone he cared about over the years and numerus betrayals by those he thought cared about him. Harry really thought he put his hero life behind him for a much more quite, human free life. But what happens when one of his rare trips outside the isolate life he met himself he finds the world has gone to hell. That the dead are walking and eating the living. Has Harry really put his saving people thing behind him and can he really leave the group he found to find for themselves?
I do not own Harry Potter or the walking dead nor do I make any money of off them.
This is most likely going to be slash, with Harry and Daryl.
This story is for AllOutOfGluesticks, DebsTheSkytherinSnapefan, and Sifshadowheart. Who gave me the inspiration, and plot bunny that would leave me alone, to write this story. Also I know that these stories aren't that far apart, but for the sake of this story walking dead happens many years after the Harry Potter story. Also this will be a story with really slow update, after I get what I have up.
Chapter one
Harry sat in one of the arm chairs he had in his manor staring at the fire in front of him trying not to once more get lost in thought. Which when you were over six hundred years old was a very easy thing to do. Not that Harry actually looked to be that age, not in the least bit. If he was luck Harry could maybe pass off as twenty three, perhaps twenty four, having aged a single year for every hundred years that had passed him by.
It seemed that luck was on his side this time as Harry was able to keep his mind in the present instead of being lost in the past, that most of the time Harry found himself wondering if it was better off forgotten. That is before Harry cursed himself for even thinking that he couldn't, he wouldn't, dishonor the memories of his friends and family like that. Even if said memories were tainted with a lot of death and betray.
Still Harry knew that now wasn't the time to get lost in memories, even if it was plenty safe enough to do that. Seeing as he was in his highly warded, highly protected, and completely walled in and bobby trapped manor. Say what you will but having six hundred years to do something and you come up with a lot of things that can be used for protection.
In fact no one has been able to even see, let alone get in, his home in over five hundred years. Which was the last time Harry had invited someone, besides himself and the house elves that lived with him, to come in his manor; and even they were in aww of how protect Harry had made his home. Though they did say he was a little over paranoid and that even Hogwarts or Grinngotts didn't have as many protections on them. But Harry figured with the life he had live he had the right to be more than a little paranoid.
Besides he had a lot with him that he felt that need to be protected, the animals he found and raised, the house elves that had become like family to him, the large, really large, farm he had out back, the forest that surrounded his manor but was inside both the walls and wards he had outside his property. Not to mention all the animals inside said forest that seemed to take him in as one of their own. Yes Harry felt that he had plenty to protect and if adding more ward and more protection was needed it was something Harry wouldn't hesitate to do.
All of that was something Harry found himself welling to fight for. Be it in a magical way or a muggle way it was all he felt he had at the moment. And while some may call it pathetic and tell him to find something more to live for Harry felt it was enough because he knew deep within his heart at least those things wouldn't turn around and stab him in the back like so many others had.
Shaking his head and cursing and muttering to himself about so much for not getting lost in his thoughts Harry reminded himself that today was one of the very few days he actually went out of his wards and into the world around him. If only so he could continue to learn and not remain bored out of his mind.
Besides Harry really didn't want to get so separated from the world he became anything like the purebloods of the wizarding world when they had to be around those they called muggles. Hence why Harry while not being a very social person, and very much what many considered a hermit, made sure to go out of his house every so often; even if it was only to learn and not socialize. At least not socialize much seeing as he was still human and did desire human contact every once in a while…as long as it didn't led to said human contact ending up in his true home; much to the disappointment of the house elves who wanted Harry to socialize a lot more then he currently was.
Still it was because these trips to the outside world that Harry was able stay reliably sane, not lose his mind to utter boredom and learned a lot of things he never thought he would actually learn; rather from lack of interest, lack of time, or just not even knowing about them previously. Things that before would really never of crossed his mind, besides a brief boost of fantasy or wonderment while bored; at least for some of the thing he had learned of the many years. Some of them Harry would admit he most likely would have learned at some point or other during his life, that is if he had learned a relatively normal life after Voldemort's defeat; which sadly Harry found he hadn't been able to.
Still over the years Harry had been able to learn a lot. Some of which he would have deemed usual in his teens, some he would have thought embarrassing to learn, or boring other he would have been very interesting in learning. Oddly enough it was the one that he would have previously though interesting and embarrassing that he found being the most fun while even those he would have previously thought to be boring ending up being entertaining enough for him to learn over the years.
Some of the thing Harry had learned over the years being, Wood carving, runes, engineering, metal working, Weapons, warding, spell crafting, gaining his mastery in defense magic, Potions, gaining his animagus form, hand to hand, sewing, crocheting, the art of making, repairing and strengthening cloths both by magic and normal means, Free running, dancing, healing again both magical and normal means, several different instruments, and of course given what most of the lands were a both farming and hunting. Hell in the memory of Teddy, his sweet little godchild he hadn't gotten enough time with, he had even learned to make teddy bears, wolves and even dolls. There were several other things Harry had learned but these where the things Harry spent to most time on and still continued to learn more about.
So yes, it could be said over the years Harry had learned a lot. A lot more than anyone ever thought he would learn about, let alone get to the level of skill he was with them. Harry could almost picture Snape rolling in his grave with how skilled Harry had gotten in potion when he always informed Harry that he had no skill.
It only took Harry a couple hundred years to reach the skill level he had now. Still Harry would admit despite the fact that it seemed that the wizarding world was dying out, or was really close to it the last time Harry check a good hundred years ago, that some of the potions and things they made, did make life a lot easier for him. Especially after he had learned to reverse engineer a lot of the things they mad e a learned just how to make them himself; sometimes even improving them if he would on it hard and long enough.
At the same time Harry could picture his father, Remus and his godfather Sirius cheering about the fact the had his Animagus form…even if they were probably a little stunned about just what the form was, and a little curious about the fact that staying in it as long as Harry did usually left physical signs in your human form; in Harry's case his eyes and in his godfather case his barking laugh.
Harry had learned to use a lot of weapons and found that by learning weapon he was weirdly enough able to control his tempter and anger better then every. He had learned a lot of weapons of the years both normal weapons and some rather odd one that he got in the mood to learn after reading about them in some rather interesting stories; all of which Harry made sure to at least get the basics when it came to using them as a precaution. He had learned to use his favorite twin blades because of this as well as his many throwing daggers; blades of any type really seemed to be his favorite type of weapon and come to him rather naturally. Now Harry never really went anywhere without his twin blades or at least one pair of daggers; even if he had to hide them under numerus spells so no one else saw them.
He had attempted to learn the bow and arrow as a reminded for the Centaurs in the forest and because they seemed rather interesting but had to put a stop to it sooner then he would have like because the instructor he had gotten got to grabby, and curious for Harry liking; though he did keep practicing with them and was pretty good with them if could say.
But he did admit the skills he had with the arrow, and more often the skills he had with his throwing blades made hunting a lot easier; especially considering he really didn't like using guns and only had a few in the manor and really only new a little more than the basics of using them or caring for them; and that Harry had only learned under protest. Harry really didn't like dealing with one of the things that caused him so much pain in the past and usually went out of the way to avoid remembering just what had happened to him because of guns, and the people who wielded said guns.
When it comes to wood carving, runes, metal work, warding and spell crafting these were all things he had learned earlier on and where things he constantly worked on both because it help work on the protection he had on everything and because with the innumerable things that could be done with any of these there was always something new Harry could learn or make; so it was a more constant source of work and entertainment.
When it comes to potions, healing, and even when it comes to running a farm and hunting. These are all things Harry did to remind himself of what is need to keep himself alive. To remind himself yes he is alive and no he shouldn't give up. Besides that he needed to know how to both farm and hunt considering just what was on his lands.
Behind the large stone gates and numerus wards that he had up was both a large forest that had numerous animals in it and inside that his home surrounded by another large farm that had a field full of different fruiting trees, vegetables, fruits and several different farming animals. All things Harry needed if he wanted to live completely on his own without any human company and all things that he needed to know how to run if he wanted to survive. Which Harry was able to do with the help of the house elves. Not to mention Harry always did love spending time with the animals on the farm and in the forest; all of which seemed to accept him in some way or another. Unlike what Harry knew most humans had done.
When it comes to making clothes, making teddy bears, stuffed wolves, and even making dolls, these where things Harry often did when his memories got too much and he wanted to do something to honor those he had loved and lost. It was like Harry could pour all the love he had for his family in these things and remember all the good times he had with them as he craft it was a constant source of comfort for Harry; especially when he started feeling depressed.
Finally when it came to things such as his music, free running, dance and even his animgus form. These where all things he did for the freedom of it and because they help Harry further express emotions. Though Harry had to admit that to him free running was similar to flying and that he loved it; even if he did have to adapt it somewhat given his place did have a lot of trees in it.
Dancing because well on he had been bored, and had been embarrassed about the ball in fourth year. And because the dancing helped with both his weapon use and hand to hand. Not only that but there were so many different type and styles of dance to learn and a lot of them were really good and expressing the emotion the dancer was feeling; often time Harry found himself feeling more than just physically exhausted after dance.
The same could be said for his music not only was in, now, pleasant to listen to, to both him, the house elves, and even the animals that stay around when he started playing, but it was a major outlet Harry had for his emotions.
As for his Animagus form it was a way to connect to his family, or at least his father and godfather. Not to mention shifting into his form and just running was one of the best feelings Harry knew the sheer freedom Harry felt when running was right up there with flying and free running in his human form.
Shaking his head to clear it once more Harry got up and grabbed the bags the house elves and set out, all three of them; all of which were protected, bottomless and made feather light since he had first gotten them all. One of them had a the usual mountain of protected food and drinks the house elves made him; which was like always way too much for him to eat by himself even if he was a glutton and did nothing but eat for a week straight. Harry had long since stop asking the elves to stop packing so much and just put it back once he returned, though he did wonder if the house elves where trying to tell him something when he noticed they looked slightly disappointed each time he came back alone and put a lot of the food back.
The second bag held his weapons, potions and medical kits, something Harry now no longer went anywhere without, having long since learned it was better to be prepared and not need it, then to really needed it and not have it; he literally had that lesson carved into through the scars his body now held.
The third bag didn't have anything in it, rather it was an empty bottomless bag that Harry could use to fill up with things that could catch his interest and leave him with something to do, something to read, or something that could at lease keep him moderately entertained until he went out again. Harry, after grabbing all three of these bags, opened his door and after going through the secret path he made to get passed the reinforced stone walls headed out, wondering all the while if he had been slightly insane all those years ago when he had decided to go and live in Georgia, America of all places he could have stayed. But then again Harry knew he was a hermit who got along better with animals then he did humans so he figured he out in the middle of pretty much nowhere had been a perfect spot for him after all.
Before he left Harry made sure to check a mirror to see that he had all the necessary things on him. After all it wouldn't be good to have his weapons showing, or to go without some important clothing like he had, much to his embarrassment, done before.
Looking in the mirror Harry saw his reflection and wondered slightly at how much he had changed over the years. Now he had dark, almost blue looking, black hair that was about shoulder blade length in honor of his godfather. He had the same green eyes he always had but now they seemed to glow and were silted because of his animagus form; they also no longer needed the glasses that had been a part of most of his younger years. He had a small afternoon shadow and now stood at a good six feet tall with a muscular almost gymnastic like build. Most importantly he had all his cloths on his weapons had been spelled and he had all his things he need to go out. Meaning he had wasted enough time and really needed to get out there or the house elves would start to wonder.
(a.n- I am not trying to make Harry perfect here or a Mary sue but he had six hundred years to do nothing but pretty much learn different skills so he is going to be skilled and he is going to be strong and he is going to have a lot of odd talents but because of this and because of the lack of human interaction Harry had he is going to be very people dumb, blunt and rather shy and very distrusting. He also really doesn't remember all the normal social norms and will be confused about things that normally people wouldn't until he remembers. Then he most likely will not care.)