Hello everyone!
Since everyone liked my Interlude in "I'm a What?" I've decided to make it into a full length story! But one thing I have to say before this story starts.
I CANNOT PROMISE WHEN I CAN UPDATE. I have to go through my writing from two years ago *shudders* and try to figure out what I was writing as well as rewrite most *cough*all*cough* of it. I do hope though, that you'll all be patient with me and stay with me throughout this story.
Hope you all enjoy the first chapter!
~Snow.
I don't own Harry Potter, or Final Fantasy, all characters are owned by their respected owners.
Harry smiled weakly as Mrs. Weasley hugged him tightly and wished him a safe trip to Hogwarts, and how she was sorry that Mr. Weasley wasn't there to escort the kids along with her. "Thanks for everything, Mrs. Weasley." Harry told her honestly.
He smiled a bit weakly again as Bill grinned at him, giving him a "Have a nice year" And Harry followed the Weasley Twins – Gred and Forge, even though their mother insisted and told everyone it was Fred and George (Though Harry knew the truth) – onto the train along with his best friends Ron Weasley, and Hermione Granger.
It wasn't long before Ginny – Ron and the Twins' younger (and only) sister – hurried off to find her friends, Fred and George leaving soon after while Harry, Ron and Hermione settled themselves into an apartment alone.
Harry sighed quietly as he glanced out the window of the compartment, resting his chin on his hand, leaning towards the window itself. He ignored Ron and Hermione's confused glances that they shot at him. He focused instead on trying to count how many trees passed the window.
Ever since the incident with the hundred Dementors at the end of the school year – along with Sirius' escape. Harry had been acting strange – in their opinion – anyway. At first, the two supposed it had something to do with losing a new home. They both knew Harry's home life wasn't the greatest, they just didn't know how horrible it actually was.
Since the incident, Harry had not just changed mentally, but physically too. His hair was longer and tame for once, and it had changed from the dark – almost black – brown to a surprising shade of auburn – it seemed almost red.
His skin was a faint bit tanner, and he had gained some muscle, though he was as skinny as ever. Harry's eyes too, were no longer the emerald green they had always been, but now they were an almost glowing shade of blue. His speech, the way he talked… It seemed almost too old for Harry, as if he was an adult who had seen things that they couldn't imagine.
Which was true. Harry had changed, but… They didn't know why.
But he did.
He knew why he had changed, after all… Remembering a past life; it wasn't always the greatest thing for a person to remember. But thanks to the Dementors nearly sucking out his soul, he remembered his past life.
Harry remembered his life as a Commander, of his childhood growing up in a small town out in the country, with adopted parents who cared for him – spoiled him even. He remembered his childhood friend who joined SOLDIER with him, he remembered their days spent at his parent's Dumbapple Orchard, teasing and playing and messing around as boys did when they were young. He remembered the day that they had joined SOLDIER, and how they swore that they'd be promoted at the same time, or they'd deny the promotion until the other was offered the same thing.
He remembered how hard they worked to stay on top of their classes, how they nursed each other through their Mako shots – and he remembered how much Mako burned as it ran through his veins – and how tired they were after each and every hard training session. He remembered how they had been promoted first to Third Class, then Second, and then First. How they had made Commanders at the same time during the Wutain war, how they spent hours making plans to invade the small country in the dark of the tent they had been given.
He remembered the nights under the stars as they traveled, for work or for the rare vacation. How they had met their General and how they had practically bullied him into being their friend – poor man hadn't grown up with any friends, or even knew the meaning of the word – and how they had fit together like pieces of a jigsaw puzzle, how they had all gotten along rather well. He also remembered when the Puppy joined their group, and how he had been upset at first, when his childhood friend had ended up paying more attention to the bouncing teen than to him. Though, he remembered the other Commander cornering him one afternoon a few weeks after 'adopting' the Puppy and sitting him down and giving him a firm talking to, getting the him to admit that he was jealous of the Puppy and he remembered how his cheeks burned as the other Commander laughed and corrected him, telling him that even though he had taken the Puppy on as a student, he would always be more important.
Unfortunately, he also remembered the accident in the training room, how the General had cut his shoulder and how it didn't heal, no matter how many things he tried, magical and natural. He remembered how the Degradation gripped him and how it had made him go insane. How he had fled Shin-Ra and SOLDIER, how he had kidnapped SOLDIER Seconds and Thirds to have tests ran on. He remembered how the other Commander had fled shortly after he did. He remembered hours spent looking for his childhood friend, how many hours he spent looking for a way to be cured, he and his friend. He remembered the pain of slowing Degrading, he remembered the madness that followed and the mere thoughts of those memories nearly drove him insane again. As it was, Harry had nightmares of them.
He remembered hearing of his friend's death at the Puppy's hands. He remembered reading the lies of the General's birth inside Shinra's Mansion. He remembered telling the lies to the General, making the man too, slowly go insane. He remembered the four years of waiting for the Puppy and the Chocobo to resurface. He had heard rumors that the Chocobo could possibly heal him. He remembered engaging the Puppy in a battle underground; near the Goddess Materia. He remembered seeing the Goddess he loved so, and her healing him. He didn't remember much afterwards, only the faint muscle memory of being dragged to someplace, and how he had slept for years before an accident awakened him and how he had spread his wing and flew.
He remembered stumbling across the other Commander's beloved sword in a Church, the same one he had heard that the Puppy had fallen through the roof of. He remembered meeting the Chocobo, of taunting him – taunt that had actually been meant for himself. He remembered of hearing of the General's many deaths by the hands of the Chocobo.
The most recent thing he remembered was his name, his friends' names as well.
Ignoring Ron and Hermione's looks of surprise, Harry pulled stood up a few hours later and opened his trunk, pulling a book out of it. The book that he had found – to his surprise and utter shock – in an old book store and he had bought it the second he had recognized the beloved book that had been a gift from his childhood friend.
Harry smiled softly as he sat back in his seat – the lid of his trunk thudding closed quietly as it was dropped – and he ran his fingers softly across the book's cover. Flipping the book open, his gaze lingered on his old name for a moment – which was written on the first page – in the upper corner of the page and his fingers once brushed against the page, running them comfortingly over the name written there.
Genesis Rhapsodos.
Genesis raised an eyebrow slightly as he took in the sight of the horseless carriages that carried the Hogwarts students above First Year up to the school… Expect, the carriages weren't horseless this time; they seemed to be being pulled by a horse-looking skeletal being with large, leathery looking black wings.
"Please tell me that I'm not the only one who can see them..?" Genesis asked hopefully, turning around to face Hermione and Ron, who looked at him in confusion.
Damn, there went that hope.
"See what mate?" Ron asked; no small hint of worry in his tone as he looked at Harry in confusion before trading a (slightly) scared look with Hermione.
Genesis pretended not to notice their exchange and waved a hand at the horse-like things. "These. You know, large, black, skeletal…"
"There's nothing there Harry." Hermione said quietly, as she and Ron boarded one of the carriages, "The carriages are pulling themselves, like always."
The red-haired teenager merely hummed thoughtfully and shot another confused look at the horses when a voice spoke from behind him, – causing the Ex-Commander to jump slightly – and Genesis inwardly frowned at himself for being snuck up on and whirled around to face the newcomer.
"I can see them too…" Neville Longbottom spoke nervously, looking at Genesis in worry. "They're called Thestrals… Only someone who has seen someone die can see them, they're known as bad omens in the Wizarding World." Neville paled slightly at mentioning that.
"Ah…" Genesis trailed off, a frown playing at the corners of his lips but he nodded in understanding and turned away from Neville as he boarded the carriage and sat down, Neville following him after a moment.
Hermione and Ron exchanged looks of horror and shock at the conversation.
"Who've you seen that died?" Ron demanded to know, looking between Genesis and Neville.
"One of my Uncles…" Neville offered shyly as an explanation while Genesis raised an eyebrow as the carriage started to move.
"That is none of your business, Ronald." Genesis said smoothly, turning his head to look out of the carriage, ignoring Ron's noise of confusion and distress.
"How's your summer been, Neville?" Genesis turned to look at the dark-haired boy, who looked at him in surprise. While he and Neville had never been exactly as close as he had been to Ron and Hermione, he knew they were at least on some odd sort of friendship level, and Genesis was determined – as he had once been when it had come to Sephiroth – to be Neville's friend by the end of the year. Genesis had noticed over the last few weeks of the last year's school year that Neville was usually by himself, Dean and Seamus had each other, and the other two girls in their year had each other. Genesis himself had Hermione and Ron, but Neville? He had no one…
"It was good, I suppose." Neville eyed Genesis in surprise, "Gran took me to see the Magical Greenhouses in France, instead of the Quidditch World Cup, she didn't want to go…" Neville didn't look too disappointed as he mentioned that but before Genesis could answer Ron had interrupted – much to Genesis' annoyance.
"What? That's unthinkable! It was awesome Neville! Krum caught the Snitch but Ireland won! We got to go and sit in the top box with the Minister and the representatives for Bulgaria, and we got to see Krum himself!" Ron started to ramble and Genesis rolled his eyes.
"It was alright, I suppose…" Genesis shrugged off the subject – once again ingoring the surprised and shocked looks of his best friends – and turned his attention to Neville. "Magical Greenhouses in France you said?" He asked curiously and ignored Neville's slightly dazed look as the dark-haired teen nodded.
"You have to tell me more after dinner, if that's alright with you? I love gardening; I've been doing it for years." That was true, Genesis supposed. Aunt Petunia had always forced Harry – who had grown to dislike gardening – to do the gardening, while Genesis himself had loved gardening – he often loved to blame Angeal, who had been worse than him when it had come to gardening, Angeal's apartment had been stuffed practically full of plants – it had taken a while for Genesis' personality to merge and sort itself out with Harry's, and one of the things Genesis had gotten back was his love for gardening and cooking – though, Harry himself had loved cooking too.
Neville nodded his head eagerly, the slightly chubby face – Neville really had grown over the summer too, having less puppy-fat and more of a shape – almost glowing at the thought of discussing plants with Genesis.
"Wonderful." Genesis grinned at Neville as he stood up – the carriage had just stopped outside of the Hogwarts' large front doors – and glanced out the window with a grimace. "Rain." He muttered unhappily, stepping out of the carriage – after making sure that Loveless was tucked safely in his robes – and into the downpour.
He and his friends hurried into the Entrance Hall, where the other houses and the rest of their house were attempting to dry off before entering the Great Hall. Peeves cackled above them, throwing water balloons full of water at the newly dried students.
"PEEVES!" A voice boomed and Genesis turned his head slightly and watched as their Deputy Headmistress and Head of House stormed over, Professor McGonagall's ears nearly steaming as she yelled at Peeves. "What do you think you're doing!?"
"Whaaat?" Peeves cackled, throwing another water balloon. "Students are already wet!"
"I'll get the Bloody Barron!" McGonagall threatened as she took another step towards the poltergeist – who stuck his tongue out, threw the last of his water balloons at the second years and took off through one of the walls – and slipped on a wet spot.
Genesis had moved before he had time to register what happened, lightly pushing Hermione out of the Professor's attempt to catch herself on something – which would've been Hermione's neck – and caught the Professor in his arms – one arm wrapped isetlf behind her back, the other lightly grabbing her shoulder – before he pulled her up properly and helped her back to her feet.
Professor McGonagall's eyes were wide slightly as she looked at Genesis, who smiled sweetly at her. "Are you alright Professor?" He asked on concern, a frown playing on the corners of his lips at seeing her staring at him.
"Erm… Yes, thank you Mr…" Professor McGonagall raised an eyebrow slightly as she looked over the red-haired teen with blue eyes that she had never seen before – though his voice seemed a little familiar…
"Potter, Professor." An amused smiled made its way onto Genesis' face at seeing his Professor's eyes winded further
"Mr. Potter?"
"That's me, Professor." Genesis nodded, "I got colored contacts over the summer, if that helps explain the eyes… I wanted regular, but the my Uncle took me to, only does color." Genesis faked a sad sigh, in truth, now that his veins once again had Mako in them, they had changed back to his perfect and "He wanted my glasses gone, said they stood out, being old and ugly." He rolled his eyes before running a hand through his hair. "And my hair color changed on me… I don't know why… Though I have heard of other people's hair changing as they got older…" He mused, tilting his head slightly and frowning as if he was deep in thought.
"I see…" She didn't, really. Though, Professor McGonagall supposed it was a Muggle thing.
"Oh! By the way, while you're here… Is there any way for me to change my classes, Professor?" Genesis asked hopefully, he had decided half-way through the summer to see if he could drop Divination in the hopes of being able to take on Arithmancy and Ancient Runes instead.
"Depends on the classes, Mr. Potter." McGonagall said a bit sternly, pushing up her spectacles to look down at the slightly small student, who was almost brimming with joy. She too, was silently happy. Hopefully Mr. Potter would choose a better class than Divination.
"I'd like to drop Divination and take Arithmancy and Ancient Runes." Genesis said, "You don't need to worry about the fact that I didn't take those classes last year, I bought the books I needed and this year's for those classes too, I read last year's and they were very interesting." He stressed, looking up at the Professor with a pleading look.
"I'd have to talk to Professors Vector and Babbling, but I'm sure they'll be able to make room for you in their classes, Mr. Potter." The usually stern Professor gave him a rare smile, "I'm glad to see that you want to drop Divination, which is usually a fickle thing and hardly any prophecies made ever come true… Now, off to the Hall with you, Mr. Potter." She shooed him away as the nervous First Years made their way into the large Entrance Hall and only then did Genesis notice he was the last person – besides Professor McGonagall – in the Hall left and without another word he quickly darted through the doors – they closed right after he entered the Hall – and snuck over to where Neville was sitting close to Lavender Brown – yet there was a spot free between him and Lavender – at the Gryffindor table.
Nodding slightly at Neville in thanks, Genesis slipped into the seat between the dark-haired teenaged boy and Lavender – who was whispering excitedly to Pavarti Patil – and ignored Hermione and Ron's confused looks as he turned his attention to the dusty old hat that was sitting on a stool right in front of the Teacher's Table in the Hall.
Genesis watched as Professor McGonagall led the First Years into the Hall and to the Sorting Hat, he listened to the Hat's song as its brim opened up and it sang, he listened as Dumbledore made a small speech before dinner appeared on the gold plates and drinks filled the golden goblets.
He made polite conversation with Neville, and joked with Dean and Seamus, talked to the confused Ron and Hermione, and chatted lightly with Neville again. He watched in amusement when Hermione had found out that their dinner and all their meals were made by House-Elves, and she refused to eat anymore that night. He listened in slight boredom as Dumbledore stood up at the end of dinner – when all the food had disappeared and the Hall filled with silence – and started to make a speech. Genesis tuned the old man out until he heard the words 'Tournament' and he focused his attention back to the speech, listening in slight awe at hearing about the TwiWizard Tournament.
The red-haired Ex-Commander made his way back to the Common Room with his House-Mates, his head filled with the (better) battles he had fought as Commander and Genesis' heart tightened for a moment as his thoughts drifted to Angeal and Sephiroth. He missed them, and he knew that no one, ever, could fill their shoes, or their spots in his heart.
Sighing inwardly, Genesis smoothly made his way through the emptying Gryffindor Common Room behind the picture of the Fat Lady, and sat himself in one of the comfortable armchairs right in front of the fire, Neville joining him momentarily and they started to talk about the plants they knew, the plants they had encountered, both Magical and Muggle.
Genesis' lips twitched upwards into a gentle – for him, anyways – smile as he watched Neville talk excitedly about plants and his hopes for Herbology that year.
While Neville could never be Angeal, he was pretty close… But his own person too, and Genesis knew that he'd enjoy Neville's company, and hopefully friendship, as the year went on.
Hope you all enjoyed the first chapter of "Rot, Braun und Silber." And hope to see you guys soon!(Hopefully).
Please Read, and maybe Follow and Favorite too? Possibly Review if you have time! Reviews feed muses and muses help me write!
See you next chapter!
~Snow.