Harry Potter: Dungeons & Dragons

I have completed my goal of five thousand words! Yippee!

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My chapters will NOT go below two thousand five hundred words.

KD

Harry Potter: Dungeons & Dragons

Chapter 03

My world will be referred to as 'Maboroshi.'

Try and look it up what it means. You'll be surprised héhéhé

H&D Ruby's Tower

Several weeks had passed since they had arrived here. They were very lucky that the water and food had been in a stasis of sorts. It would do for now but fresh would was still healthier. The thought that the meat, vegetables and water was centuries years old...

Harry and Dudley had found themselves struggling to define their relation. They were still friends but there was a tension between them that neither could define. Dudley felt like Harry could order him around and he would be helpless to resist and yet... He knew that Harry wouldn't do that but Dudley couldn't help but fear the possibility that it could happen.

Harry on the other hand sensed the same thing. He knew instinctively that he could give his cousin commands. The situation was hard to define. Dudley had referred to Harry a lot of times. Except when they were 'home' it was the other way around. But only as pretend. While Dudley would give Harry orders it was only when his parents pressured him to do so.

Harry and Dudley knew that they couldn't leave the situation as it was but neither knew how to end it. Or how to change it. So they left the situation as it was and both were hoping that the tension would just go away.

Ruby was helpless to do or say anything. She was a magic tower and not a psychiatrist for crying out loud. The very reason that only the closest friends entered in a Mage warrior kind of relation was because the trust was there. It had been tried before with younger members and it had always resulted in failure. Or at least ninety percent of the time.

It was exactly two months later that Dudley was sick and tired of the tension and the fear. He gathered his courage and confronted Harry with it. He wanted them to return to their old friendship. He wanted to go back to when he could really trust him. Dudley needed confirmation that Harry would not abuse the power he held over him just like Dudley needed to prove that he would never do the same to Harry.

X

"We need to talk." Dudley said calmly when the two of them prepared for lunch.

"Can't it wait until we finished Dudley?" Harry half whined. Dudley could feel the suggestion and almost agreed but he forced himself to ignore it and pull through.

"No. We need to talk about the tension both of us have been feeling. I want us to return to how things were. I can... feel that you can tell me to do things and I wouldn't be able to refuse. That's... You KNOW that's like..." Dudley trailed off, trying to think of the right word.

"Like a trained pet." Dudley finished.

Harry looked at Dudley and both could see the fear and pre-teen angst in the other's eyes.

"Why not just promise to not take advantage of it and see if there is a way to enforce it?" Harry proposed. He had been reading books that Ruby had judged him ready for. Which wasn't much at this point. The most basic things. How to feel your magic, how to connect to it. How to recognize how much magic you are using. That sort of thing.

And one thing that Harry had learned was that nothing was impossible as long you had the intent behind it.

"It can't be that simple." Dudley denied. "Can it?" He added uncertainly.

"I..." Harry began. "I think it is." He said simply. "Remember what I told you last week? Magic is all about intent. And even though your magical potential has been ruined by..." Harry trailed off. Neither had a clue who it had been that had ruined Dudley's potential.

"Well, whoever was responsible counted on long term goals. While your potential is too low to do any of the more powerful spells, you still have enough magic to do things like magical oaths or promises."

Dudley seemed to relax in his chair. "Then we write an oath together and use that after it is finished?" He asked just to be sure.

Harry shot his cousin a smile. "That's exactly what we will do." He agreed.

Both boys relaxed now that the issue had been dealt with. They could work on it so that neither could ever abuse it.

A week later...

Dudley and Harry had worked on the contract for a week. Dozens of variations had been proposed and rejected until they both agreed to keep it as simple as possible.

I, Harry James Potter promise to never use my power over my warrior for no good reason.

Dudley repeated the oath but replaced it with his own name and referred to Harry as 'his Mage' instead. After all was said and done, Dudley and Harry never felt closer. They knew now that neither could or would ever abuse the trust of the other. And that was that. It took about a week for both boys to relax. But after that it was like it had never happened at all.

Harry and Dudley spend their days outside exploring. The island was big enough that they could take walks for hours and not reach the edge of it. Ruby did warn them not to go too far. There were various magical creatures that lived on the island. And while they were 'loyal' to the master of the tower, it had been centuries since there had been anyone there.

It was better to just stick within three hours of the tower and let the magical creatures come to them instead.

The weather they were having was just perfect. The only problem was that the island was floating on the wind currents and they had no idea where it was going. There was only one way to anchor the island to a location and that was to go down and bury the special ward stones. These particular stones had identical twins that needed to be buried on the island as well. The moment that Dudley buried them at random spots and Harry did the same below the island they would become the anchor that kept the island at the same location.

If Dudley removed the twin stones on the island, the anchors would disappear and the other half would teleport themselves to the island again. This way they could never be stolen.

Six months after H&D arrived

"I can't believe we've been here a half a year already." Dudley said to Harry. The boys were relaxing in chairs on the top of the tower. It was the first time in months that they could go outside without having to rely on Ruby's protections to keep the cold out. Right now it was a bit chilly, but the sun was just warm enough to enjoy the first sunshine.

"Neither can I." Harry agreed. "Especially considering the stuff we both learned in so little time."

"I still can barely believe my eyes when you do those magic tricks." Dudley said after a moment.

"Yes Dudley I know." Harry muttered. "You've told me that a dozen times already... Today alone. Believe me when I say that I BELIEVE you.

"Yes well." Dudley muttered. "I'm..." He took a deep breath. "I'm jealous all right?" Dudley admitted. "It's been annoying me for a while now and I know that I will never do most of the tricks you can do. I feel useless knowing that I can't defend myself against an enemy that can use magic. Not like you can at least."

Harry was surprised to hear it. "First that issue with the command thing and now THIS. Can't we catch a break?" Harry whined in the privacy of his thoughts.

"Why don't you just master the few magic spells you can do and master them to levels unheard off?" Harry asked him. "It would be a very nice ace in the hole." Harry added to sweeten the deal.

Dudley wasn't at all happy with that. But then his conscious got the better of it and he seriously gave it some thought. Dudley realized that he had to say something.

"You are right of course!" Dudley admitted.

"So you aren't completely helpless are you?" Harry pointed out. "But you might make it seem like you are." Harry hinted subtly.

"I might hint like I am..." Dudley repeated with a frown.

"That way you can surprise our enemies." Harry nodded as if it was Dudley's idea all along..

'oh' Dudley said after a moment. 'Ooooh' Dudley said again. This time he realized what his cousin was talking about.

"That's brilliant!" The bigger boy exclaimed.

Later...
Dudley

Dudley stood up and hurried to the Heart Room. It was how they referred to the place where Ruby's 'brain' was located.

"Ruby, we need to talk. But I can't put it in words so could you..."

Ruby was already sending her heart from The Vault. It contained everything that her former master had decided was way too dangerous to use. Or to destroy. Ruby was under orders not to reveal any of it unless it was an emergency.

+You know you shouldn't ask this on a whim you know.+ Ruby warned him.

+I don't really mind but just remember that if something happens to my heart that I'm gone permanently.+

"I know." Dudley agreed. "But this is something I can't put into words. Besides, I want it to be a surprise for Harry."

Dudley made himself comfortable in the chair and secured the stone. That way it couldn't possibly fall onto the ground without undoing the safety belts.

Dudley opened his eyes to find himself in the familiar but still unsettling space of white nothingness. It reminded Dudley about that special room of an anime that he remembered. One day in 'normal' time was one year within.

Ruby sensed Dudley's thoughts and added a building. It was a mere illusion but it was something to orient you on.

"It isn't much, but it isn't as unsettling any more." Dudley said to Ruby. It isn't what I wanted to ask, but is it possible to do? Building a room where you can spend a year inside but that's actually only a day outside it?"

Ruby seemed to consider it for a while. "I'm not sure. It wouldn't be easy and it would no doubt take months if not years to even design the blueprints... Let alone actually built it." Ruby's voice came from everywhere at once. She wasn't comfortable in a human skin, despite it being only an illusion. And if she did she was naked. It wasn't something that Dudley or Harry was comfortable with.

"You mentioned the other day that you had a lot of vaults that were sealed because they held dangerous artefacts right?" Dudley questioned. "I'm not asking what's in them." He assured. "I just wanted to ask a few... reborical questions."

"I think you meant rhetorical Dudley." Ruby corrected gently.

"Rhetorical." Dudley repeated again. "Right, I got to remember that. Rhetorical, rhetorical..."

"I remember this game that was about to come out on computer." Dudley began slowly.

"It was about a secret project of course since it was a game and all. But what this did was that it gave the main character some incredible powers. I realize that I wouldn't be able to do most of them... But since Harry told me so many times that there aren't many limits when it comes to magic..." Dudley paused for a moment.

"I figured I might see if I could... Copy some of it."

"Such as? Ruby prompted.

"See, the reason I thought of this is because between harry and myself I am a warrior of sorts. You drilled it in our heads that the world outside the island is a really violent place. It's why you are teaching us combat first and the rest later." Dudley began.

"The main character had some awesome abilities. First he could change his hands into nasty looking claws. The character could change his entire arm into a blade too, and shift the other into a shield if it was needed. Since Harry covers me from a distance with magic, I am the only one left that can go personal if we have to fight." Dudley reasoned.

Ruby didn't know what to say. On one hand she could tell him that what he wanted was already covered... Should he activate it. On the other, she didn't know for sure what it actually did. Then there was that project that her old Master had forbidden her from ever activating again. But her old Master was dead. If Harry or Dudley ordered her to activate it... Then she would not have the choice of saying no.

It had been a pet project of her when she was younger. Much younger in fact. It had succeeded mostly except that it required you to pay a very high price.

It gave you a weakness to magic while at the same time blocking magic that would help. A low level fire spell would hurt the one as much as a high level spell and only the most powerful healing spells would only heal as much as cuts and bruises. Not only that but healing potions simply did not work. At all.

But her old master's commands were still valid. As long as Dudley or Harry did not tell her that all her old master's commands were invalid... She decided to act ignorant.

She would see how much Dudley wanted it and if he understood that everything had a price. No exceptions.

"What else?" Ruby asked again. "Or is this all you would want to have?"

"No. Not really." Dudley admitted outright. "This main character was very powerful. A front line fighter. Exactly the sort of character I should be here. He could go into a crowd of dozens of enemies and come out without a scratch. And since close combat is Harry's weakness... I want to be the person that will balance Harry's weakness out. Undo it so to speak." Dudley explained.

"Why not sum it up for me?" Ruby suggested nervously. She never was able to hide much from her previous master too. If Dudley got even a hint of THAT before he was ready...

Dudley was oblivious to it though. He was still too young and inexperienced to pay much attention to who he was talking too. Something that Ruby would have to change sooner or later. But right now? Most definitely later.

Ruby focussed her attention back on Dudley and what he was saying. Thankfully she hadn't missed too much.

"Like I was saying: limited shape shifting to make your own body parts into weapons. The main character was able to use his power to make throw able weapons too. Only they destroyed themselves after a while leaving no trace of them whatsoever." Dudley continued.

"It allowed the hero to use his power to change his clothing in a blink of an eye." Dudley explained in excitement. The thought of being able doing that excited him like nothing else.

"There were his weaknesses of course." Dudley said after a moment. "You can't have a perfect hero or the game would be boring. There wouldn't be any challenge. The hero was weak to high sounds and water." Dudley snickered.

"It's the best excuse to have when you don't want to take a bath I suppose." Dudley added. "I suppose I should add that the source of the hero's power was a sympione-"

"A what?" Ruby interrupted.

Dudley frowned for a moment and repeated what he said. "The source of the hero was a symbiont. A living being that needed to err bond with a human or a being in order to survive. Doing this it could hide itself within the hosts body so I suppose that the bath excuse wouldn't be valid after all."

"Bath excuse?" Ruby blinked. "What are you-" But then she remembered what Dudley had said earlier.

"Oh right. Never mind that." She interrupted herself sharply.

"Do you realize that there is a price too pay for the sort of power you are talking about master Dudley?" Ruby questioned cautiously.

Dudley didn't answer at first but eventually he nodded. "I think so. The heroes of the cartoons I used to watch had to pay all sorts of things. They didn't look like a human any more or their powers were dangerous to humans in ways they couldn't help." Dudley explained.

"But this would be real." Ruby reminded him gently. "It wouldn't be pretend at all. It could be a weakness that could hurt you very easily as well as those around you. Like master Harry for example."

Dudley was still a child. Younger than eleven years old just like his cousin. The last six months had forced him to grow up. Very literally. He didn't look younger than eleven years old at that moment. He looked like a young teenager instead. Probably thirteen or fourteen years old at least.

"I realize that Ruby." Dudley told her seriously. "Now, I want to stop using words and send you my idea. I know you don't like to do it, but it's the only way I can think of to do it properly."

"Very well master Dudley. Just remember that it's because I don't liketo do it but because of the risks involved. You are still only human."

"And I won't be if what I have in mind is possible." Dudley reminded her. "As it is, I'm going to age like a normal human and live seventy to eighty years at best. Harry will be able to live for centuries without magical enhancements. Double that with magical enhancements and even longer with potions and a few rituals here and there. And that's without looking at enchanted equipment."

Ruby realized then and there that Dudley wasn't as stupid as he made himself appear. She activated all the safety measures she could think of and then activated the direct link with her oldest charge.

Harry

Harry watched Dudley leave with a frown. What was his cousin planning now? Harry shrugged and tried to ignore his curiosity. His cousin had just as much right at plotting as he did.

Wait.

Where had that thought come from?

Harry shook his head. Now wasn't the time for this sort of thing. It still amazed him how much he had changed in only six months time. Considering he wasn't even eleven years old and he actually looked like a teenager made him wonder if this meant he was aging a lot quicker too?

+You aren't aging faster master Harry.+ Ruby offered.

"Then why do I look so much older than I really am?" Harry wanted to know.

+I can't really answer that because I don't know. The best I can do is tell you my best guess.+

"oh?"

+Magic is in everything and anything. But in this tower, magic is a lot... Thicker or heavier. It's stronger. More powerful. More... Effective. And because you are a Mage, you suck it up like sponge and your body used this to its own advantage.+

it took Harry several long minutes to understand what Ruby was saying.

Harry shrugged. He would get it sooner or later. It just took a while sometimes. Harry still remembered the pride he felt when Ruby told him he could call himself a tenth rank in magic. Of course he felt a bit silly when she told him he could call himself that but only barely. It meant that he had the most minimal skill and knowledge in magic at the moment.

Knowing that he still had to rise three ranks before he could get to the official recognized ranks underlined just how far he had to go.

Harry lost interest in relaxing. He checked that Dudley was still busy and he was indeed. He went into the corner of the roof and touched three stones in a specific order revealing a secret passageway. Harry always had loved the secret doors and that sort of thing. To think that he now had the genuine thing! He was the proud owner of a true lair. It actually made him think he was a villain instead of a hero. A hero didn't have a lair after all. But an officially recognized headquarters.

Most of the time at least.

Shaking such thoughts away Harry refocused back on his studies. He would rise another rank before his next birthday in six months. He and Dudley had decided that their new birthday was the day they had arrived here.

"Does that mean I'm technically six months old?"

The thought of having to wear a diaper and such made sure he rejected the thought immediately.

"It might be amusing to prank Dudley like that though." Harry mused.

Harry thought about what Dudley's retaliation would be and decided that he wouldn't do that. Dudley had a vicious bone in him a mile wide. If he pranked Dudley that way he would no doubt retaliate. Either by joining the game completely or doing the same to him.

Considering that Dudley was a LOT stronger than than him it would mean he was virtually powerless to stop his cousin if he tried something like that.

Drap

Two months after Naruto arrived

It had been an exhausting few months. The cold viscous winter season had arrived and already he was in trouble. His gathered supplies had been meant for him alone. Having a second person with him had drained a third of his supplies already and there was still another three months to go before the weather would begin to get warmer.

Drap was lucky that the Earth Mother had considered his request for aid valid. He was very reluctant to call on her aid again so quickly after the other. But Drap was determined if nothing else. He had been spending hours each day hunting for the last good berries and hunting for as much animals as he could.

He was lucky that his friends the wolf pack were such good hunters themselves.

Secret Mage Headquarters

"You are certain that The Artefact has reactivated?" And old man demanded.

"Yes sir." The one that made the report told him. "It means that either HE has been reincarnated or..."

"I know that the older man retorted. Tell our people to check all the new born babies within the last six months. Test them how much skill they might have and take the ones that have the most."

"What about the parents and the family? Not all of them will be willing to let their children go."

The elder man sneered at him. "Do what you wish. Kill them, tell some fake story about the devil for all I care. I just know that we CANNOT let HIM grow old enough to..." Here the elder man sneered like there was something he knew that the other didn't.

"We cannot allow him to join our guild." The elder man repeated.

"And should it happen that we miss him? The world is a big place after all."

"He will be attracted to the artifact in our possession. So one way or another he'll end up here. And when he does, he won't get the welcome he'll think he'll get. We'll make sure that he will never reincarnate again."

"B-but sir, That would mean- You would have to-"

"Don't tell me what that would mean or what I would have to do." The eldest man interrupted."You have your orders. Dismissed."

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Kingdark: I have reached my first goal of two thousand five hundred words. I have at the moment I'm writing this, exactly that number. Let's see if I can reach five thousand this time around.

The ranks are based on Oblivion and are like this:

Unofficial:

10, 9, 8, 7

official

Novice, apprentice, journeyman, expert, master and Grandmaster.

Updated & Edited on 16/11/2011

KD