The Dance of Death


Summary: Harry wished for a way out of time where he could forget the prophecy and all that came with it. Unfortunately, he got his wish.

Now he's in the middle of a medieval war helping in a plot to overthrow an evil king. Alongside his nervous teenage ancestral grandfather of Merlin knows how many greats, a Knight with serious Damsel issues, a Damsel with serious everybody issues, and a demon with serious thrill issues.

It's up to them to save the kingdom from eternal damnation and despair. That is, if they can save themselves from each other.

But every cloud has a silver lining, right? Right?

Disclaimer: I don't own anything that is already vouched for. Everything else on the other hand... . They're all mine, mine I say, MINE!!!

Author's Note: Ok folks, this is my renewed attempt at another story which I might be able to keep and interest in and complete. I have planned a skeleton of the main points of what happens, from start to finish with some occasional ideas and details thrown in. Now I just have to write it all out for you all.

Hope you enjoy it.

Please Review to let me know if you like it. (I tend to write more and faster when I get reviews. !Hint Hint! )

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Chapter One

Harry's head pounded, his ears rang, muscles and bones ached, he felt as though he had been taken apart and put back together again, badly. Beyond the ringing he could hear soft voices, both male and female. His mind began to sluggishly panic as he tried to move to discover that nothing would respond to his brain's commands. He couldn't suppress a groan which tore its way out of his raw throat.

"He's awake" A voice announced. The other voices stopped suddenly, and Harry heard several footsteps move over to him. Muscles tensed painfully as Harry tried to move again. Then someone grabbed him under his arms and lift him into a sitting position.

"Careful" the same voice which had spoked earlier muttered.

"I got him" Answered another from behind Harry. He assumed it was the one who was holding him up. He groaned again and struggled to open his eyes.

"Give us that," said the first voice and then something was pressed to his lips.

"Here drink this."

Harry wanted to demand to know what it was first but he couldn't talk. He felt the object move and he tasted cold water. He drank eagerly, still trying to open his eyes. The water was pulled away and Harry coughed once, feeling his raw throat ease slightly. Finally he managed to open his eyes and struggled to bring a blackish blurry object into focus. His glasses were missing.

"Oh wait, uh, here, you had... these, um..." The voice trailed off and he felt his glasses pushed into his hands. He quickly pulled them on and everything came into better focus. Before him was a young man, who appeared to be not much older than he was. His hair was black and despite the fact that it was pulled back into a pony tail it still managed to be messy. The figures eyes were dark as the only light came from a small campfire nearby and the moon above. The man's face was filled with a mixture of nervousness and curiosity.

"Are you going to be steady on your own now?" Asked the voice behind him and Harry turned his head to see the person that was supporting him was a brown haired, muscular man who looked to be in his mid-twenties.

"Yeah I'll be fine." Harry replied. The man nodded and released him, Harry shifting so he was better balanced, he then looked around to see a black haired woman, watching him with a stern, hard face, from the other side of the fire, and stretched out under a nearby tree another man with shoulder length hair that appeared to be auburn, this man watched Harry carelessly, as though Harry was something not very interesting but more interesting than anything else in sight

"Are you alright?" Asked the man in front of Harry. Harry turned to look at him, "Only there was a loud bang and a brilliant flash of light, and then you were just there. You came out of nowhere."

"I think so." Harry replied stiffly. His brain struggled to work out what in the name of Merlin had happened. He remembered pacing furiously outside the Room of Requirement, despereately hoping for a way out of his situation. Wishing he could leave behind the prophecy and being The-Boy-Who-Lived, and everything else horrible and inconvenient that happened to him because of these factors of his life. And then the door had appeared, he had walked in and then...

Nothing.

Just a bang and blinding light. And now this.

"Where am I?" Harry asked finally, seeing the other boy watching him worriedly. Harry realised he must have been silent and distant for a while.

"Just outside of Redwood." Replied the large man, standing now, he was very tall as well as muscular.

"Yeah, you're lucky we found you before a scout group did. They would have thrown you into prison for sure."

"A scout group?" Harry asked puzzled.

"Yeah, you know, the soldiers who patrol these areas, 'to keep the peace for us all'" When this was said the woman snorted in disgust. Harry heard her mutter, 'swine' under her breath.

"Why would they throw me into prison, I haven't done anything."

The woman laughed outright this time. "You don't have to do anything boy." Harry heard the scorn in her voice as she said that.

"What?" Harry demanded.

"The king wants anyone who might be a threat thrown into prison, and you're unusual and appeared without reason, which therefore makes you a threat."

"But that's not right!" Harry protested furiously, thinking of the ministry back home. Wherever home was anymore.

"This is war, Lad. War's all about not being right." The large man snorted.

"So these scout groups just arrest whoever they want?" Harry found himself asking. He knew he should really find out who these people were and where and when he was but he was too shocked by what they were telling him.

"Pretty much" The large man started, but was interrupted by the man under the tree who had been silent until now.

"Speaking of the scouts, it might interest you to know they just detected the wards and are about 5 feet from us."

The large man cursed, and leapt over to a number of bags near the fire, drawing a sword from amongst them, the nervous one leapt to his feet, his face paling slightly, the woman had drawn two daggers, her face focusedm her eyes narrowed. Harry stumbled to his feet and felt his pockets for his wand, to his relief he found it and raised it. His mind screaming questions the main being 'What in the name of Merlin is going on here?!?!?!'

Suddenly six men walked out from the trees into the small clearing. All of them wore the same red and black uniform, a dragon silhouette emblem on the right side of the tunic they wore. Each of them carried swords.

"What do we have here" sneered the man who Harry guessed was the leader of the half-dozen.

"If I didn't know any better, I'd say they were renegades, Sarge" snickered another.

"I'd have to agree." 'Sarge' stated and then drew his sword, his companions following suit. "You're under arrest" He barked, cruelly.

"No we're not. At least not until you arrest us." The man under the tree said with a yawn. Harry noticed the large man close his eyes with a sigh. Looking briefly like he wanted to strangle someone.

The man under the tree got slowly to his feet and stretched. He was several inches shorter than Harry with a mischievous air about him, though Harry had a strange feeling that this guy was not one to underestimate.

The man bent down and picked up a long, smooth looking staff which was a fair amount taller than it's wielder. In another time, Harry would have found that vaguely amusing.

"You can try arrest us if you like." The man continued. "I wouldn't advise it though. It could be painful."

The soldiers chuckled nastily.

"We'll see about that" 'Sarge' smirked, "Men, bring 'em in with force"

The two groups moved into action. The soldiers lunging forwards, those Harry stood with meeting the attack. Harry dodged the man who had jumped at him, his body still struggling to respond causing him to stumble and fall, he rolled out the way of another swing from the blade. Harry cast a cutting curse, which sliced deep into his opponent's sword arm causing his to drop the blade with a yell. Harry the stunned the man, rolling away before he got crushed by the falling man, he looked up to see the large man fighting 'Sarge'. Another soldier lay motionless on the ground. The shortest of their group circled another soldier, rolling the staff in his hands, a bored expression on his face. The other man was unarmed and dodging a soldier's attacks. Harry raised his wand to stun his opponent but he didn't have to. The young black haired man threw his hands out in front of himself and his opponent flew back into a tree, connecting with a crack. Roots then sprung up from the base to bind the man to the trunk. The woman snuck up behind 'Sarge' and swiftly drove one of her daggers into his back, he dropped his sword and followed it soon after. The was another crack and Harry turned to see the short man pulling his staff away from the man, Harry could see blood running down between the man's eyes before he fell face first into the dirt.

"Anyone else around, Obie?" Asked the man who Harry realised must be a wizard.

"Not that I can tell" 'Obie' stated, idly examining the man on the ground.

"Good. Is everyone alright." There was a 'yes' from the large man and an unladylike grunt from the woman.

The wizard then looked at Harry,

"What about you?"

"I'm fine, just sore" Harry replied, slightly awed by the simplicity in which this man had performed magic wandlessly AND wordlessly.

"Good" the wizard cheerfully replied.

The large one walked over to the man Harry had stunned.

"Nice work." He praised, examining the arm which had been badly severed by the cutting curse. "You didn't kill him though"

"Should I have?" Harry felt slightly sick at that. He didn't want to kill anybody, at least not without reason.

"If you want to live you do." The woman sneered. She walked over the man who was still bound to the tree knocked unconscious by the impact, she quickly slit the man's throat. Harry fought the urge to be slightly sick. A hand touched his arm, the wizard looked symathetic.

"As unappetising as it is, if we let them live, they'll report back to their master and we'll get unwanted attention drawn to us. It's hard enough trying to sneak across the country as it is, without being followed by scouts who want to arrest us for murder and treason."

"In other words, it's them or us, Boy." The woman said scornfully.

The large man had already cut the stunned man's throat while they spoke.

"Let's move the bodies; there shouldn't be another scout group for a few times, which gives us time to finish resting and then get a distance away."

The act was done quickly. Harry staying to rest under the wizards orders. When the group returned they covered the bloody patched with dirt and settled down. Looking at Harry curiously, and in once case, contemptuously.

The wizard suddenly chuckled.

"Perhaps an introduction wouldn't go astray here." Harry joined in the chuckle.

"I'm Harry" Harry decided not to give his last name, not until he was more sure of these people.

"I'm Tynan." The large man said, placing on hand on his chest, "Well, Sir Tynan, really. Only I had my titles and lands stripped when I refused to fight for the King."

"Sir? As in a knight?" Harry questioned puzzled. The others blinked.

"I'm not from around here." Harry added hurriedly.

"You must be from somewhere far away if you don't have knights." Tynan said slowly.

"Much farther than you think" Harry muttered to himself, none of the others heard him but the short man. Who said nothing, but mentally filed it away for another time.

"This is Princess Bryana." The knight continued, "We rescued her" he added proudly. The Princess rolled her eyes, looking severely agitated.

"For the last time, you did not rescue me, I was doing fine on my own. I did not need you to stumble in and do your so-called 'rescuing' Oaf" The last word was muttered under her breath, but loud enough it could be heard. Tynan flushed slightly, but otherwise gave no sign he heard her.

"Over there, is Obereon." Tynan's voice held an undertone of resentment and dislike. He gestured over at the short man who was back under his tree. He wiggled his fingers in a delicate wave to Harry.

Finally the knight got to the last member of the group; the young black haired wizard.

"And this is Marcus Potter."