Warning: Canon divergence.
Fandom(s): Code Geass/Harry Potter.
Shell
In 1984 a.t.b , Harold si Britannia is born to Prince Charles zi Britannia and Princess Lillian si Britannia.
Harold was the firstborn to the now Britannian emperor, and - in later years - the least interested of all his children in the battle for the throne.
Princess Lillian remained to hold her child in her arms, then passed away due to her frail health worsened by his birth. Thus the responsibility of the first prince fell on the shoulders of the late Princess's lady-in-waiting, Nina Standstill.
Over the years, Lady Nina noticed that the first royal prince was a quiet, peaceful and a keen minded person. He didn't have the urge to please his father or the previous Emperor of Britannia like his other siblings and neither did he try to establish himself in the Royal household. He never sought to his half siblings for petty fights nor did he attend every ball thrown by the nobles, he was almost never seen except in the most formal and mandatory gatherings ordered by the Emperor.
In 1998 a.t.b, the previous emperor of Britannia was overthrown, and Charles zi Britannia became emperor and married Empress Marianne vi Britannia.
As soon as the royal prince passed his 14th birthday in that year, he was summoned to the throne to stand before his Royal father and almost all of the Britannian nobility. It was there he abdicated his right to the throne in favor of his half brother Prince Odysseus eu Britannia.
All was shocked and in disbelief of his action, though the Emperor granted him his request, stripping him of all his titles except his right as a Prince for his bravery - or foolishness - to ask such a thing, the Emperor would say so later in amusement to his first Knight.
The line of si Britannia was livid and mortified that their own card in the imperial family was crushed, and withdrew their support for the first - in name only now - prince. Though Lady Nina saw that prince Harold was never bothered by the fact that his mother's family abandoned him, and somehow managed to get a nice villa in the farthest land from the Palace, and lived in a peaceful environment away from the bloodthirsty and backstabbing blue bloods in the motherland.
Although the prince now doesn't hold any political seat and in no need for noble support, he never turned any sibling that came upon his door, he was noted for being the middle - neutral - ground between all his half siblings, to the ire of most nobles.
Schneizel never knew what to make of his oldest brother, Harold.
He was the enigma in the whole imperial family. He was never a mediocre prince like Odysseus, an ambitious one like him nor a narcissist like Clovis and he was definitely not bloodthirsty like Cornelia.
He was always calm and provided interesting subjects to discuss whenever he came uninvited to his half brother's villa, and there was never a dull moment with him, even when they sat in silence and gazed at the glistening stars in heaven, it was always a relieving moment from the stifling atmosphere of the royal court.
Harold was the only one who managed to best him in chess, a fact that always bothered him, and he was almost thankful for his half brother's lack of interest in the throne, for he would have been a very formidable opponent to fight.
.
.
V. V. knew from the moment his gaze fell on his nephew, Harold si Britannia, that he was not to be trifled with. His twinkling emeralds eyes only hid the predatory knowing gaze lurking beneath, and his Geass code always tingled whenever that gaze was directed at him.
Come closer, the voices crooned, images of what may and what could be flashing before him, and dread filled him as darkness snarled at him; thief, abomination, damned.
The emblem of blood keeps chasing him in his nightmares, and he always fled a mere moments from standing before that abnormality.
When he grew too jealous of Marianne and decided to assassinate her, his actions were met with a dark smile and a threat; "I never liked Empress Marianne, dear Uncle. But I am quite fond of her children."
He was certain that Nunnally vi Britannia was now a useless member of the vi line, and was alarmed when the doctors he specifically chosen for her announced that a miracle occurred and the young princess regained her sight, though her legs could not be saved. He expected no miracles to happen under those conditions, and a shudder went through him when Harold came unannounced to take care of his half siblings, the unforgiving gaze he was unable to meet had him abandoning the idea of completing his crusade against Marianne's children, and leaving to hide in the Geass Directorate.
.
.
Lelouch vi Britannia marched to the Emperor and accused him of abandoning his mother to her death, and went on to renounce his entitlement to the throne.
The Emperor was not amused, and Lelouch's fate was almost sealed when the court's doors opened and a herald announced the arrival of Prince Harold si Britannia.
The prince beseeched the Emperor to forgive the eleventh Prince's foolishness, ill-considered actions due to grief, he reasoned, and asked the Emperor to give him the guardianship of the two children of Empress Marianne.
To the bafflement of all, the Emperor forgave the young prince, and granted Prince Harold his request.
Soft spot for the firstborn, they thought. Or maybe a boon for the least troublesome of the imperial offsprings, they reasoned.
.
.
Contrary to his twin brother may think, Charles zi Britannia knew what occurred at the night Marianne was assassinated.
He planned to banish the two children of Marianne away from the sight of V.V., but then his strange firstborn gave him another alternative option. Charles knows that V.V. isterrified of Harold, although C.C. is also wary of Harold, it was not to the extent of his older brother.
Thus he was confident that his brother would be unable to reach his children if they were in the care of his firstborn.
To this day, Charles never figured out why does the two Geass givers fear Harold, even when he does have some apprehension of him, an unknown piece in the world's chess game, aloof and avoided from the flow of fate.
Harold, Harry, Henry or Harvey and other meaningless names he never cared for was amused.
Geass, a bastardized attempt at playing the game of immortality. These mortals never got tired of trying to be something they will never be.
Destroying the gods? Reuniting all humans? He laughed hard at hearing that rubbish uttered by his current shell's parent, and decided to take no actions against the play happening right in front of him, he merely donned his mortal mask and thought that this realm was far too interesting to pass on early.
He will see it to the very end.
.
.