CHAPTER 6:
POST-MORTEM
Harry's brief appearance had made a splash, and he was glad he gave a frustratingly elusive name as he considered things in the main office of Ainz Ooal Gown. Amongst other things, The Daily Prophet was trumpeting for his arrest for murdering so many 'fine scions of Pureblood society', despite the fact that they were wearing the cloaks and masks of the Death Eaters. Sadly, it seemed like Lucius Malfoy either wasn't one of the rioters, or else had the good sense to flee when Harry started killing the Death Eaters. If he had been killed, it would definitely be all over the headlines.
And the strange thing was, Harry didn't feel all that powerful while doing so. He felt like how Albedo and some of the other denizens felt about attacking humans…like they were crushing insects. It disturbed him a tiny bit to realise he felt nothing for killing those Death Eaters…and unless you counted Quirrell, they were the very first people he had killed. What was more, if he didn't feel like he had tapped into his full power while fighting them…what would actually make him feel like he had exerted himself?
What was more, when they discussed the incident afterwards, Harry and his people realised one thing: whoever cast the Dark Mark was a hardcore Voldemort sympathiser. Even the rioting Death Eaters would be afraid of the rise of Voldemort, if only because they renounced him, or claimed to be under the Imperius. Sirius and Remus doubted that it was Pettigrew's work: that wasn't his style at all. Harry and Albedo had the odd suspicion that whoever was under that Invisibility Cloak that Shalltear had smelled was the culprit…though if they were a Death Eater…why hadn't they gone for Harry?
"My lord, forgive the intrusion," came the unctuous voice of Demiurge as he entered the office. Out of all the prominent denizens of the Tomb of Nazarick, Harry was wary of him, and Demiurge certainly wasn't liked by Sebas Tian. Harry trusted the old but powerful butler. That being said, Demiurge was the spymaster of the Ainz Ooal Gown organisation, and he was something of a necessary evil. He was superlative at his job, and as vicious as the demonic being was, he was useful.
"What is it, Demiurge?" Harry asked as courteously as he could manage. Albedo stood nearby, with Shalltear going to supervise her floors for the time being.
"My lord, two of our human contacts has arrived, Miss Luna Lovegood and her father, Xenophilus," Demiurge said. "Would you like to meet them?"
Harry looked over at Albedo for confirmation, and the Succubus nodded. We can trust them, Harry, wholeheartedly, she sent via their ring link.
"Very well, show them in."
The pair shown in were rather an interesting duo. Both had somewhat dirty blonde hair and rather dotty expressions and colourful clothing. The girl had earrings in the shape of radishes, and a necklace made of Butterbeer corks, he realised. The girl skipped over and hugged Albedo. "Albedo! Oh, it's been too long!"
Albedo, who usually recoiled from humans, even when disguised as one while walking amongst them, actually laughed and hugged the girl back, her wings wrapping around the girl affectionately. "Luna," she said warmly. "Yes, it has been."
"Yes. You used the Time Chamber, didn't you?" Luna said. She then turned her attention to Harry. "And you're Harry Potter."
The simplicity of the tone she spoke that statement in was interesting. It wasn't like she was noting he was the Boy Who Lived, or, as he was now, the inheritor of the title of Ainz Ooal Gown. She was simply identifying him. "Yes. Luna, was it? They've spoken about you. Albedo and Hermione and the others. It's a pleasure to meet you." He stood and offered his hand, only to be promptly hugged by her. She would have been in the year below him, so she was, what, fourteen at most?
Albedo cleared her throat pointedly, and as Luna released Harry, she said to Demiurge, who was lingering, "Thank you, Demiurge. Please return to your duties." The demonic monster bowed and left.
"Would you prefer a more formal or informal introduction, my lord?" Xenophilus asked.
"Informal's fine, and call me Harry," Harry insisted.
"Normally, I would object," Albedo said, "but Xenophilus and his daughter have been stalwart in their loyalty to our cause for years. Like Hermione, Luna was asked to keep an eye on you during your time at Hogwarts, albeit purely in the form of a spy. She, along with her father, are two of the few humans allowed in the Tomb of Nazarick."
"I like playing with Aura and Mare," Luna said. "And Albedo and Shalltear are good friends. So is Hermione, though she is a bit rigid with her thinking."
"The Lovegoods run a magazine of sorts in the magical world, The Quibbler," Albedo explained. "The content, however, runs to what would be considered tabloid-style conspiracy theory articles. The readership is relatively small. However, that is, partly at least, camouflage for its real purpose. The articles are actually encrypted news items for monsters with links to Ainz Ooal Gown, as well as a means of sending messages."
"I married into the business somewhat," Xenophilus confessed. "My wife, Pandora, was originally a spy for the people here. I was brought on board when I proved my trustworthiness. Sadly, Pandora died not that long ago, about a year before my little radish was to go to Hogwarts. Magizoology is a passion of mine, as are the magical beings of the world."
"I see. At the risk of sounding rude, why are you here? I presume this isn't a social visit," Harry said.
The Lovegoods didn't seem offended. Instead, Luna got right to the point. "Shortly before the Quidditch World Cup, Daddy and I went on an expedition to Eastern Europe to find interesting magical creatures," she said. "While we were there, we heard rumours about a mysterious entity feeding off animals, even people. Not a vampire, though. It was more like a sort of possession. We also encountered a Ministry employee called Bertha Jorkins in Albania."
"Albania," Harry muttered, thinking back. "Quirrell encountered Voldemort in Albania. And I remember hearing something about Jorkins going missing while we were at the Quidditch World Cup. Sirius said something about her, that she had a good memory, especially for gossip, but not that bright."
"True, but some time ago, Bertha began to have severe memory problems," Xenophilus said.
"Too many Wrackspurts," Luna remarked. "Or maybe the Nargles stole her marbles."
On Harry's bemused look, Albedo shook her head. "She is like that, Harry. Wrackspurts are creatures, she claims, that affect mental clarity, while Nargles are thieves that steal objects like shoes and books and the like."
"Or maybe she was hit with a powerful Memory Charm," Luna added, unfazed by Albedo's assessment of her.
"Maybe it was Lockhart who did that," Harry muttered snidely. Though that was at least something to keep in mind. "Anything else?"
"Few things of relevance, Harry, but we have heard strong rumours, likely to be true, that the Tri-Wizard Tournament is going to be revived at Hogwarts," Xenophilus said.
"Uhh, the what?"
"The Tri-Wizard Tournament, a competition theoretically designed to promote cooperation between the three big magic schools of Europe: Hogwarts, Beauxbatons, and Durmstrang," Xenophilus explained. "The last one was held in 1792, and was cancelled after the death rate became too much to stomach. I believe a Cockatrice went on the rampage."
And here I was hoping for a quiet year at Hogwarts, Harry thought sardonically.
"I believe Ludo Bagman and Barty Crouch Senior are working to make it safer, though that's a relative term," Xenophilus continued. "It would be restricted to those of age, that is, 18 years old at least. That being said, I have heard rumours of dragons being prepared to being shipped in from Romania."
"Pitting school students against dragons," Harry said, flatly. He pinched the bridge of his nose. "I'm glad I don't have to deal with that."
"It would be a great demonstration of your power, my lor…I mean, Harry. But perhaps it would be best to allow these cretins to wallow in their ignorance before you strike," Albedo said.
Harry nodded. "If we're right about Dumbledore shaping me up to be a weapon, we can't let him see too much, lest he feel threatened. In any case, I would rather be as inconspicuous as I can."
Albedo then spoke up. "Luna, Xenophilus, you live close to the Weasleys. As Hermione is staying there as to avoid suspicion until it is time to head to Hogwarts, her ability to report to us is a little limited, beyond ring communication. And as you are neighbours, you may know things Hermione may not spot. Is there any unusual activity at the Weasleys, any indication that they know of us, or else are working against Ainz Ooal Gown? Any attempts to ensnare Harry with Amortentia, for example?"
"No, no," Xenophilus said. "As much as Molly jokes that she used a love potion to ensnare Arthur, it is exactly that: a joke. At her worst, she is a harridan who henpecks her husband. The rest of the family are fine, their only true faults being their faith in Dumbledore, which is virtually absolute."
"Ron is a little jealous of Harry, though," Luna said. "Both of his fame and his fortune. I am not sure how he would react to Harry being Ainz Ooal Gown, though, or to Hermione being a Gorgon."
Harry leaned back. "Then we will give him a chance. However, if he forfeits it…well, at the least, I will break off our friendship, as much as it saddens me to do so. What about Ginny? The Twins?"
"The Twins would most definitely be allies. Ginny…maybe not. She has lost a bit of the infatuation she has with you, but she would not react well to you being Ainz Ooal Gown."
Harry nodded. "Very well…"
After more discussion with Luna and Xenophilus, the two were escorted away to see Aura and Mare, and then Shalltear, Cocytus and the Pleiades. "So she's really friends with a lot of those here?" Harry asked.
"Luna is rather non-judgemental for a human," Albedo said. "She has a unique way of looking at the world, and is admittedly amusing. In any case, Harry, I would make a suggestion. We need a bridgehead within Hogwarts, somewhere where we may put a waystone discreetly."
A waystone was what they used for using the Ainz Ooal Gown rings to teleport between the Tomb of Nazarick and other areas. "The Chamber of Secrets, perhaps," Harry mused. "It's underground, you need to be a Parselmouth to open it, and we could even store things Hermione and I may need down there."
Albedo pursed her lips, considering the idea. "Yes…Hermione finished making her modifications to the wards of the castle last year so that our people could enter undetected. Now all she needs is a basic glamour rather than the transformation that locked her abilities away. And as we learned Occlumency while training…"
Harry nodded. "I'm going to sit for my OWLs and NEWTs this year, and so will Hermione. I may arouse some suspicion for being a prodigy, but I don't want to be under Dumbledore's thumb for any longer than I have to. If Dumbledore questions me, I'll just point out how unsafe Hogwarts has been during my time there. Though the problem is being able to declare myself of age so I can get out of his influence completely: the Time Chamber is not something you'd find in many places in the wizarding world, and while I am physically of age, I'm still fifteen on my birth certificate."
"We'll figure something out, Harry," Albedo said, leaning down and kissing him. And once more, Harry was struck by the strangeness of the situation. He was effectively Lord of the Monsters, he had three lovers willing to share, and he was now one of the most powerful mages in the world. Oh, and he was kissing a Succubus with beautiful golden eyes. He actually thought, despite her wonderful figure, that serenely beautiful face, and those gorgeous black wings of her, those eyes were her best feature. In fact, he found the eyes of his lovers to be their most beautiful features, inhuman though they were…though everything else wasn't far behind, he thought, as he gently stroked part of one of her wings, prompting her to moan into his mouth.
Her mouth tasted strange and exotic, cool, but with a vaguely spice-like edge to it. His lovers all tasted different: Shalltear, obviously, tasted of blood, as well of wine. Hermione had a slightly sweet taste, with a slight tang, like a citrus-flavoured ice cream. The tang was from the (harmless) remnants of the venom in her fangs.
They broke off the kiss, and then smiled at each other. "Do you think we'll have any other business soon?" Harry asked.
"No. Are you thinking what I'm thinking?"
"Maybe. But if you're thinking about bringing Solution in on it, remember that she's close to Shalltear, so I think we should wait until Shalltear's free before we bring her in out of courtesy."
"No! Although…that's not a bad idea for later," Albedo mused with a smirk. "No, my idea was you, me, and nobody else."
"…Okay, but I'm going to have to make up for it later with Shalltear and Hermione," Harry said.
"Oh, don't worry," Albedo said. "I'll make sure they get their turn with you. But for now…" She giggled as she pulled him out of the office, heading to their bedroom. The privacy wards would certainly be tested out…
CHAPTER 6 ANNOTATIONS:
What? Were you actually expecting a lemon? Yeah, no. It'd turn out crap. Anyway, the Lovegoods have shown themselves to be allies of Ainz Ooal Gown, and there's some foreshadowing.
Incidentally, I've just posted the first three chapters of another Overlord crossover…only it's with a franchise I've been meaning to do a crossover for for a while. It's with Red vs Blue, it has Church (the Alpha one) taking the place of Momonga, and it's called Xenagogy for Belligerent AIs and Dungeon Denizens. Go check it out!
Next chapter! The Deadliest Hug in the World! Someone's gonna get the Clementine chiropractic treatment!
Review-answering time! Tenzo51: We're NOT having a zombie Hedwig. She was too far gone for Harry to do much, and in any case, Albedo and Shalltear basically made 4 Privet Drive her Viking funeral.
Rebask: Harry was just trying out his abilities.
Duskrider: Wrong Nemo. I'd guess that Nemo was named for Captain Nemo from Jules Verne's books.
DZ2 and Reishin Amara: I wasn't deliberately channelling Lelouch. Hell, I haven't even watched Code Geass, or even read the manga beyond the first volume. If anything, I was probably having Harry channel the characters calling themselves Nemo in Victorian literature. There's Captain Nemo in 20,000 Leagues Under the Sea by Jules Verne, and there's the copyist calling himself Nemo in Bleak House by Charles Dickens (who is ALSO a captain: his real name is Captain Hawdon).
agnar: That's your call, but if you don't like, don't read.
I've already answered imortal333's question in correspondence, but if you want to see Overlord Abridged, I've posted the last part of the URL (after the YouTube dot com part) here:
watch?v=vEwFDH3M57g
No numbered annotations this time.
