Disclaimer: I own nothing.
This is really only the intro, getting Harry to Skyrim basically, and providing some back story. Also, this is all completely unbeta'd, expect some typos.
Chapter Zero
Famous Last Words
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So I set sail in a tear drop, and escaped beneath the door sill,
'Cause the smell of her perfume, echoes in my head still...
¿
It all started with a recurring dream, which from my experience, was a worry in itself. It was the kind of dream that seemed to block out all others, consuming them in its oddity. If you've ever had recurring dreams, you might know what I mean; mine was like that, only, more.
I dreamt of silver towers, like luminous beacons in the night, shifting and changing. I dreamt of a mountain so tall it seemed to pierce the sky, dark clouds brooding at its peak. I dreamt of a woman, more beautiful than any I'd laid eyes on; she held the sun in one hand, and the moon in another. I dreamt of stars like glitter in an unfamiliar sky, twin moons beating to a nameless rhythm. I dreamt of dragons, rising from the earth, and speaking to me with words I could not hear.
I'd been having the dream for at least a month, each night progressively more vivid than the last.
At first I chalked it up to stress. I mean, things hadn't been going all that well for me, and what else could it be? All the significant dreams—the visions—I'd had before, were because of Voldemort, because of the Horcrux, and the link we'd shared. But Voldemort had been dead—actually dead, for over five years now; those days were in the past.
And yet… these dreams felt so real, like they were more real than my waking life.
An uncomfortable shiver danced down my spine, and I tried to shake out my sudden anxiety, rolling over on the plush mattress I was sprawled across.
Sunlight was streaming through the blinds, the first break of snow in weeks, and it created a mottled effect over my blankets. I sat up, grabbing the Elder Wand from under my pillow, and waved it in the general direction of the kitchen. My apartment was pretty small, but I made up for it with copious amounts of Transfiguration and Space Expanding charms.
To be honest, life hadn't gotten much easier after killing the Dark Lord. It wasn't lack of money, or anything like that, I lived in this apartment because I chose to; I didn't want to stay anywhere I hadn't earned myself, and most of the places I'd been offered held history for me anyway. No, it was expectation that I was burdened with. Every person on the planet seemed to want something from me, for good or ill, and I'd grown tired of it. I grew tired of everything.
Two weeks ago, I lost my job. No, it wasn't because I was bad at it. Teaching at Hogwarts had been like a dream come true, and it started out well enough. In fact, I'd taught there for nearly four years, since I was nineteen. Hogwarts' youngest professor, hah! Of course, the press had a right field day with that one.
I just couldn't bring myself to care anymore. After Voldemort and the war, the deaths I'd seen...
I was purposeless. Nothing seemed important, not even teaching. I finally cracked. I'd spoken to Minerva, knowing I couldn't continue, and shortly afterwards I was living in the city, top floor of a relatively cheap apartment complex.
So really, I hadn't lost my job. I resigned.
All the same, I was unemployed, uninterested, and utterly bored of life.
A chime sounded from the kitchen, and a bowl of what looked like rice floated over to me from the door. The spell I'd used a moment ago tended to prepare extremely simple food.
Rice for breakfast, I thought. Well, it could be worse.
As I ate, I considered my options on how to handle the strange dream. I needed help, that much was obvious. Every morning I woke up feeling closer to some kind of epiphany, an answer that was just out of reach. It was clear that was somehow important, and as appealing as simply taking a Dreamless-Sleep potion sounded, I knew I needed to unravel what I was seeing. I'd go crazy if I didn't.
But who could help me? It was a difficult question. My first thought was of Hermione, but after a moment, I realised she was out. I didn't want to make her worry, which is exactly what she'd do. I'd get results, sure, but it'd be way too much of a hassle.
McGonagall might have some information, and she was also the Headmistress… but Minerva hated Divination, and all things related. She would probably dismiss me out of hand.
That didn't really leave many options for me. Dumbledore's portrait might have some insight, but speaking to him was the last thing I wanted to do. Just thinking about him was painful enough.
The only other person—or, well, thing that I knew of, which had any chance of helping me, was the Sorting Hat. It wouldn't be the first time I'd spoken to the Hat, the damn thing was actually rather talkative once you got it going. It was bursting with knowledge of the arcane, and it had memories from hundreds of years of history.
My fork hit china instead of food, and I Vanished the empty bowl. Magic was good like that—you could always conjure a new bowl.
At least I had a plan now, though it wasn't much of one. I'd have to ask McGonagall to let me talk to the Sorting Hat… hopefully she'd be accommodating.
I shook off my musings and cast a Tempus charm. Ten thirty-seven, New Year's Day.
Right then Harry, time for a fresh start? I thought, grabbing my cloak and heading out into the snow.
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The halls of Castle Hogwarts were the same as ever, warm and friendly, with house colours decorating a large majority of the walls. A sense of nostalgia swept over me. I was home.
Except… it wasn't home. Not anymore. I didn't have a home, just a place I lived in, the same way I felt when I was young.
I let out a sigh, shaking off my depressing thoughts. I could worry about that later, for now; I had a Sorting Hat to talk to. McGonagall had agreed to my request, though I hadn't told her any details, and the Hat was tucked under my arm.
The school was practically silent as I walked, my footsteps being the only sound as they echoed loudly on the stone floors. The holidays had come and most students were back home with their families. Soon I found myself in front of the Room of Requirement. A good a place as any, I figured, pacing back and forth in front of the wall. I stopped and a wooden door shimmered into existence.
Inside was simple room, somewhat reminiscent of my old dorm in Gryffindor Tower. A single chair was situated in its centre. I sat down and placed the Sorting Hat on my head.
'Ah… and this, of course, would be Harry Potter's mind. I had thought you'd resigned, child. Disappointing news indeed, that was. You know, you're about the only one that speaks to me these days,' it rasped, the words echoing in my head like an old tape recording.
'Sorry to disappoint you Hat. You're right, though. I quit. I guess I just couldn't do it anymore.' I paused, sighing. 'But that isn't why I'm here. I've been having, well, dreams. For at least a month, now. Weird dreams—like from when Voldemort was alive.'
Like from when Sirius died, I thought to myself.
'Oh? Mm, indeed you have. Let me take a quick peek—oh my. Yes… yes, very interesting. That certainly isn't normal…'
'Uh—'
'Oh. Yes, I see… well, now…' It trailed off, the tone of its voice deepening subtly. 'I'm sure you've realised this is no normal dream, Harry. Alas, though I've no idea what's causing it, or indeed what it means, I do know this… You'd better prepare yourself. I can feel the same pull you feel when you're in those dreams. I've never felt anything like it. Something is coming for you, child, and you'd do well to get ready for it.'
I was shivering uncontrollably by the end of its impromptu speech, its viewing of my memories bringing them to the forefront of my mind.
I hadn't even noticed the pull.
But now that the Hat mentioned it, and the memory fresh in my mind, I could hardly believe I was able to stay sitting. Something was literally pulling me, it felt like a hook in my chest, and though I couldn't figure out which way I was being tugged, I knew it was no where I'd been before.
I was still shivering, my hands clenched tightly in my robes, when the Hat spoke again.
'I notice you are still in possession of the Deathly Hallows, no, I don't fault you for it. In fact you should keep them with you at all times. I don't know if the rumours are true, that uniting all three makes one the Master of Death, but I do know that any advantage will be a good one.' It paused, as If considering something.
'When you leave the castle, take me along with you. Tell no one, for they would not allow it. Tracking Charms? Child, honestly, who would steal the Sorting Hat? Though just in case, we should leave through the tunnel to Hogsmeade. I am sure we will only be gone for a week at most, you can return me then. Whatever is coming, it's close.'
'Uh—not to be rude, but, why exactly? What do you expect to do?' I was sceptical. I knew it had a huge repository of magical knowledge, but…
Actually, that was a good enough reason for me.
'Never mind. Will do, Hat. What's the plan after we get out of here?'
'In answer to your first question; if something is coming for you, I am but another advantage. And child, mark my words. It will come. What will happen? I can't be sure of that. Perhaps you will be spirited away!'
It was said in jest, but somehow, the thought of leaving my shitty apartment and mindless life behind didn't sound so bad at all.
A sudden tug in my chest nearly pulled me out of the chair, and my hand shot up reflexively to clutch at my heart.
Fuck. That was starting to get annoying.
The Hat was speaking.
'…for a plan. I think it prudent to gather any items you believe are important. Stuff them all into my opening, I will keep them safe. You should begin fortifying your house, I can help you with some spells for that… I am torn on whether to tell others—'
'Torn, are you?' I interrupted, laughing. An exasperated sigh echoed back to me.
'…Yes yes, very funny, now if you're quite finished…' If the Hat could glare, it would've been. 'It might be wise to tell your closest allies, there is a large amount of magic at work here, after all.'
Its words made sense, but still, thinking on it, I wouldn't be telling a soul. I didn't want to put anyone in danger, not again. Not after I already had, so many times before.
I'd deal with this on my own.
'No. No, I think I'll keep this to myself. It's just better that way.'
I cast a Tempus. Two fifty-two. It was time to get out of there.
I'd be fine. After all, I defeated Voldemort, right? What could some stupid dreams do to me?
¿
The door to my apartment swung open, and I stepped inside, Sorting Hat perched on my head.
I found the Invisibility Cloak and Resurrection Stone still stuffed in the enchanted locker I'd hidden under the floorboards. I chucked them into the Hat. A silver pipe Dumbledore had given to me while he was alive went in after them, and a handful of Galleons that I found in my robe pockets. My trusty Firebolt was shrunken down and tossed in too.
'So… what do we do now?' I asked, once the Hat was back on my head.
'Defences, that's what. We build up the defences.'
So we got to work. The Hat would tell me an incantation, and show me a memory of how to cast it. I'd practice it—some coming faster than others—until the Hat deemed me successful, and then I'd cast the spell. It took me four hours all up, and I only managed three protections. At least the Hat was satisfied.
'Just those three are enough for now, I'd hope. Those are some powerful spells there, deep warding magic, lost near an age ago.'
I hadn't noticed anything unusual about the spells, other than their difficulty, but I took the Hats word for it.
The sun was long past the horizon, the Lumos charms on the ceiling having activated some time ago, and I sat back on my mattress, staring out of the window at the city lights below me. The pull had all but faded away, and the Hat was quiet upon my head.
'Thanks Hat. I might even be able to return you as soon as tomorrow, maybe after you show me a few more spells. Looks like whatever's coming—at least isn't coming tonight.'
Famous last words.
¿
I was falling, that much I knew with certainty. It wasn't an unfamiliar feeling, or an entirely unwelcome one, but in my mind I felt it registering as strange, as being somehow wrong. I considered that for a moment, enjoying the wind rush past my face, my eyes still shut tight.
I'd just been on my bed, falling asleep, when… oh.
Oh fuck.
I'd been asleep on that mattress, when out of nowhere, the roof had been torn clean off of my house, plaster and wood raining down. That woke me up very quickly, and I remember jumping up, Hat still on my head, my eyes darting around the room, searching frantically for some possible explanation to the chaos erupting around me.
Then I'd looked up.
Oh sweet Circe—I'd looked up.
And there, staring back at me, had been the woman from my dreams. The most beautiful woman I'd ever seen. Except… she was huge, enormous—maybe taller than Hogwarts, and somehow, standing over my apartment.
I remember looking up, into her eyes, which seemed like twin gold-silver galaxies. She'd smiled softly, and whispered something, like a secret. I'd travelled through those galaxies, through the billions of stars, down into the clouds, where I could make out snow capped mountains, and—
And suddenly, falling was no longer an appealing activity. I opened my eyes.
There aren't really words to describe how I felt at that moment.
It was vast. That was the first thing that struck me. A massive landscape opened up below, white snow plains stretching for miles in every direction. Blue lakes dotted the plains, and small patches of forest, like emeralds and sapphires on a bed a diamond dust.
I squinted as the wind rushed into my previously wide eyes.
I could see buildings now, towers and towns, and a large city far to the north, grey walls somehow looming even at my distance.
It was like nothing I'd ever seen. I'd been flying before, of course. Flown as high as my old Firebolt would take me, and watched the people of England become smaller than ants…
Now I was higher than I'd ever thought possible, and below me lay a land that was certainly not England. That land was rapidly growing as I hurtled towards it, and I was glad that I'd thought to pack the Firebolt, glad that the Hat had even suggested the whole packing idea in the first place.
I grasped at my head and my heart almost stopped when the familiar fabric of the Sorting Hat was nowhere to be found.
Fuck.
Fuck-fuck-FUCK! You fucking moron, Harry!
I'd never applied a Sticking charm to it, never even thought of it, and now my lapse in judgement was going to cost me.
My hands found my wand holster and I let out a sigh in relief. Both wands were still there. I quickly released the Elder Wand and tried a Summoning charm on the Hat, but there was no luck to be had. It'd probably be sailing far and away in these winds, never to be found again. I sighed again, but not in relief.
The land underneath was growing ever closer, and I braced myself, intent on timing a Levitation charm to break my fall. It was a poor substitute for my broom, but you do what you can, right?
Suddenly I heard a noise, faint at first, like a distant highway, but it was growing louder and louder every second. My eardrums began to ache, and I desperately shoved my hands against the side of my head.
It was a dark sound. A consuming sound—it was viscous, and filled with hate.
It was fucking terrifying.
I felt more than saw what happened next.
There was a rush of wind, stronger than the others around it, and a dark shadow passed over me. The hairs on my arms and neck stood up, and I spun around wildly—flailing, really—as I tried to find the incoming catastrophe.
A huge shape slammed into me, like a bus at full throttle, and I cried out in wordless agony. The clouds above spiralled continuously as I fell through the air like a rock, the edges of my vision darkening.
Yet just as the world disappeared, I thought I glimpsed a pair of gold-silver eyes.
Just over 3k words. The next chapter is on its way. Cheers.
