Prologue
"Lily He's here take harry and run!" the dark haired man cried as he lunged toward the door, intent on halting or at least delaying the menace that now advanced upon his family. The hooded figure smirked at the father's foolish bravery as the green jet of light hit the father in the chest, ripping his soul away and casting it into the void.
Like a poison in a wound he glided slowly up the stairs, certain in his coming victory. In the small nursery upstairs an auburn haired woman cradled a small black haired infant as she muttered an incantation. A small circle of candles flickered around her, a pitiful barrier against the coming storm. Yet it was this ritual that caught a beings attention.
Far removed from the plane of existence a presence stirred intrigued with the plea that reached its ears. it extended its consciousness to two different worlds "what are you willing to give?"
It asked the desperate mother "all that I am or could be" she replied "if it will save my son I will give all that I am." The presence paused for a moment, time was such an elastic thing really, and an eternity to the being could be the merest fraction of a moment elsewhere.
Its mind touched another woman's "would you accept a deal young one?" It asked, from another plane a small ebony haired elf cocked its head to the side "will it save a life?" she queried the being assented and directed her thoughts to the mother.
"Please save my son." The mother pleaded a tear rolling down her cheek "I am running out of time" the being considered for the briefest moment before assenting. The door opened to reveal the hooded man.
"Give me the child" he commanded striding forward with his wand pointing at the mother's back. "No" the mother snarled curling her body around the child in an instinctive attempt to shield him from the figure.
"Stand aside you silly girl" the figure he commanded again "Not harry. Take me instead but not harry." The woman pleaded, praying her child would survive this night.
The figure made no sound for a moment before jabbing his wand at the woman shrieking "Avada Kedavra" a bolt of green light shot from his wand and sped toward her back, a glowing purple and black portal swirled into existence and a pair of hands took the child as the bolt hit the mother.
The hands in the portal quickly withdrew as a second curse flew at the portal. Two magic's that should never mix, encountered each other, and the resulting explosion destroyed the house, the hooded figure and attempted to attack the child. A barrier warded it off except for a tiny sliver that was too close, this sliver of power struck the child in the forehead and burned a lighting shaped rune into the boy's skin, forever marking him. The portal sealed behind the child and left no trace of its ever existing.
Hours later a man in long black robes and greasy black hair appeared in the scene. The sight of the smoldering wreckage made him cry the mother's name as he sprinted into the ruins. He found the father's smoldering corpse first, laying at the bottom of the stairs where he had fallen. Up the stairs the remains of the mother's body smoked, an unrecognisable husk lying next to a pile of ash and charred black cloth. The man fell to his knees beside the mother's body and howled like a wounded beast, gone, she was gone.
The roar of an engine cut through his grief, he had to flee. Others were coming. With a pop he vanished as another black haired man nearly killed himself jumping off the still moving motorcycle that had just landed. He too ran into the smoke and ash, crying the family's names desperately and came upon the same scene as his predecessor where he halted in horror before digging through the searing rubble crying "Harry!"
A wild looking giant of a man appeared too and joined the man in the ruins, tears were pouring down both their faces "my fault, all my fault" the man kept murmuring "wadda ya mean yur fault" the giant rumbled turning on the man with rage beginning to kindle in his normally kind gaze.
"I told them not to use me and they paid for my mistake" the man wept burying his face in his hands. "I was the decoy, everyone would be chasing me and keep them safe." The words came out muffled and the giant took a step back "If not you then who?" he asked, the man gave a broken sob and whispered one word "Pettigrew."
In the darkness between worlds, beyond even Oblivion, a woman held a child. The woman was clearly not mortal though, tiny pinpricks of light swirled around her form like a dress and her eyes held the eternity of the cosmos.
She was a sentinel, a guardian of the balance of existence, daughter of energy, even gods feared her. "I am sorry little one" she whispered to the child who know cried in her arms. At the soothing sound of her voice, one filled with the sound of a mother's pure love, the child stilled and looked at her with solemn emerald green eyes.
The woman took a handful of steps forward, and with those steps, slipped past the layers that surrounded another world and into the world of an elf. "Silandra" the woman whispered to the elf who knelt before her. "I am Stillness, Guardian of worlds. I heard a young mother's cry to save her child and did so."
The elf looked up at the being curiously "You have also performed many deeds and sacrificed much to save this world from destruction." A small tear slipped from the elf's deep amber eyes as she swallowed hard and nodded before looking away. "Then take this child, I make him yours in blood and spirit. A child to carry on your legacy as you sacrificed your hope for children to slay the darkness."
The elf's head jerked up and her eyes filled with hope. The woman held the child out to her "take your son and name him well young mother." Gently the woman stood, her tiny five foot three frame barely reaching the woman's collar bone as she reached out and took the infant.
As her skin touched his, a shimmer appeared over his form, darkening his pale skin to a similar shade of bronze as his mother's, a pair of overly large pointed ears took the place of his rounded ones and his face took on a leaner look. The change ended and he rested in her arms, a small Bosmer child that was obviously her son, save for his now dark forest green eyes that had darkened from their original emerald.
Tenderly she lowered her lips to his forehead, avoiding the scar and kissed him. Her gratitude and love filling her body "my little Aralas" she murmured before lifting her head to look at the woman who nodded "a fitting name, precious gift."
Silandra nodded "from the bottom of my heart I thank you" she choked.
The woman frowned ever so slightly "though he is yours there may be a chance that those from his old world will seek to claim him again. Be on your guard and be prepared to decide, should that day ever come. Farewell Silandra Dragonborn Stillglade." With that the woman vanished in a swirl of shadow and a spray of stars.
Silandra looked down at her new son who shivered slightly in the thin night clothes he was dressed in. "come little Aralas, let's get you inside." She giggled as he yawned widely "and too bed" she smiled at him and turned into the large manor that she had just finished.
"Serana Come in!" Silandra greeted her old friend at the door. The beautiful vampire smiled and embraced her Bosmer friend tightly "Silandra it's been too long. So what was so urgent that you sent one of you birds to find me?" She asked as Silandra lead her deeper into her house.
"I had a visit from a god" Silandra informed her casually. Serana stopped and looked at her friend incredulously then laughed "and what kind of quest were you given this time?" she asked "not a quest." Silandra said firmly "A reward" Serana looked at her in confusion and the Bosmer Dragonborn elaborated "you know that I gained a lot of power in my search to destroy Alduin." Serana nodded "Well all that power had a price, I gave up my ability to have children in order to gain the strength to destroy the world eater. At the time it seemed like a worthy trade, but lately."
She trailed off and Serana finished the statement "you've started to want what you could not have?" Silandra nodded "then Stillness gave me him."
They had arrived upstairs and Serana now saw a small cradle that was made from dragon bones, filled with soft fur pelts and one small black haired Bosmer child. Serana was still for a moment before she whispered "he looks just like you." Then she looked up at Silandra "can I hold him?" she pleaded, her fiery eyes soft and hopeful.
Silandra laughed softly and gently picked the child up from his nest and after cradling him for a moment handed him to her best friend. As she watched the centuries old vampire holding her son she had an idea "Serana" she said quietly, the vampire looked up "Would you be his godsmother?" shock registered on the woman's face before she smiled brightly "of course Silandra. I would be honoured."
Silandra smiled broadly "I plan to head to the temple of the divines in Solitude to have him blessed, as his godsmother would you come with me?" Serana grinned "Wild horses and dragons couldn't stop me" she informed her friend.
Several hours later saw the two of them sitting in a carriage bound north to the capital city. Little Aralas jabbered at them in an unknown language but quickly began to pick up words like mama and Ana which he began using to identify the two women at their prompting. It took three days to reach the capital but on the way they purchased several much needed items for little Aralas's care and both quickly learned how to feed and change the small child.
It was twilight when they reached the city, Silandra was singing a Bosmer lullaby to the yawning child while rocking him, and Serana had lost a running battle with sleep as well. The carriage drew to a halt and she nudged he friend with her foot.
Serana jerked awake with an undignified snore before blinking and seeing that they had arrived. They dismounted from the carriage and paid the driver before walking through the darkening streets to Proudspire manor where they all fell into an exhausted sleep.
At dawn the next morning Silandra was up and in the temple of the divines arranging for the ceremony to happen, a quick stop by the market to gather food for her son and she was back at the manor where a bright eyed Aralas toddled around between Serana and her housecarl Jordis and shouting chortling random sounds as the two women played with him. "My lady you have returned" Jordis said startled to see her thane standing near the stairs watching them "yes I have and I just managed to arrange his naming day ceremony, tomorrow."
Serana smiled "that's wonderful I'll need to find some proper clothes" Silandra turned too Jordis "I would be honoured if you would be his protector should Serana or I fall." The housecarl's jaw fell open "I….I would be truly honoured my Thane" she stuttered.
"wonderful" Silandra smiled "Now to take my son to radiant raiment's" she bent and scooped Aralas up and strode out the door toward the market district.
"We are gathered here I this sacred space to welcome a new soul to mundus." The priestess of Akatosh intoned. Silandra was standing in a beautiful green velvet dress holding her son who wore a deep green child's tunic of fine linen and brown pants.
Serana stood to her right in red Velvet and Jordis on her left in her finest ebony armour that Silandra had given her.
"Who brings this child forth?" the priest of Julianos asked, Silandra stepped forward "I Silandra Stillglade of Valenwood, Dragonborn, thane of all of Skyrim, Arch-mage of the Collage of Winterhold, champion of Mara, Harbinger of the Companions, and Legate of the imperial legion bring forth my child." She replied firmly.
"And who have you chosen to raise your child should you fall?" a priest of Arkay asked her. "She who is my sister in all but blood, Serana Volkihar will be my child's Godsmother." She replied and Serana stepped forward to join her again.
"And who shall protect him should you both fail?" the Priest of Stendarr asked quietly "Jordis Shield-Maiden shall protect him should this occur" Serana told them her eyes blazing at this question. Jordis stepped up to join her thane.
"Then let us see what sign your child was born beneath" Kynareth's priestess said, her hands glowing with light that she let flow over the child. The symbol of the apprentice formed in the air above the child "What shall be the child's name?" the priestess of Dibella asked smiling at the now gurgling child "His name is Aralas Parthunax Stillglade, son of Silandra Stillglade, born in Skyrim." Then we shall place the blessings of the Divines upon the child" The Akatosh priestess said and each priest took a step forward one at a time to bless the child.
"May Akatosh grant you long life"
"May Julianos gift you with his wisdom"
"May Dibella grace you with her beauty"
"May Mara aid you in finding love"
"May Kynareth grant you freedom"
"May Stendarr gift you with Mercy"
"May Zenithar bless your work"
"May Arkay grant you peaceful rest"
Each priest touched the child's brow and with each blessing the scar grew fainter and fainter until it was almost completely invisible unless you knew to look for it.
"We welcome Aralas Parthunax Stillglade, son of Silandra Stillglade to mundus. May he live a long and full life under the guidance of the gods." The head priestess finished and drew the symbol of the Aedra on Aralas's forehead with oil. "So mote it be" intoned the others "So mote it be" echoed Silandra Serana and Jordis. "Go in peace Dragonborn" the priest of Stendarr told them after they had finished signing all the relevant documents that made Aralas an imperial citizen of the province of Skyrim and legally recognized him as the child of Silandra. Thanking the priest the trio of women and the child left.
Far away in another world a name in a book shimmered. Alarms blared and Dumbledore sprinted towards the book of names that held the names of future students for Hogwarts. He tore the book open and saw something that made him gasp. The name of Harry Potter was gone as if it had never existed. In its place in the same neat script as thousands of other names read Aralas Parthunax Stillglade.
A/N
I must truly thank Sins of the Fallen for the inspiration for this story. I read it and rather fell in love with the idea of a Mer Harry. This is a test, if people like it then I shall continue if not then I will keep it to myself. Thank you to Mystborn for all the encouragement to post this story and for betaing. So please read and tell me what you think. To forestall comments about the formatting please don't talk about it, I want feed back on my story not on how your computer or mobile device processes what I put out.
Thank you all, let us journey forth into a new story together.
Safe travels, Trojan Seeress