Harry headed west above the clouds. The wind was cold and he was sure his breath would have frozen if not for the warming charm he had cast. He was quite a bit worried. Apparently apparation was truly not a thing here. Not only north of the wall.

As soon as he had flown over mainland again, Harry had wanted to scout the surrounding sees flying forst, he had tried to apparate to his last position with Artos. After landing on the frozen ground Harry had turned on his heels expecting the uncomfortable feeling of getting squeezed through a tube, before he had dumbly fallen in the snow when nothing had happened.

For a moment he sat in the snow speechless. He stood up and tried again. Maybe he had done something wrong. Yet the results stayed the same. After a few more tries he could definitely say that he felt something when he tried to apparate. But it still only the small pinching sensation in his gut before it stopped.

Something stopped Harry from apparating. After a few frustrating kicks in the snow and a few more tries to different locations Harry had given up and mounted his broom again to search for Artos.

The smart beast had apparently known where to go. Harry started to feel his presence when he was only a few miles away from Winterfell.

He descended below the clouds and saw a road winding itself through an old looking forest.

Although it had not snowed for the last day there was still a thick layer of snow on the ground.

Harry landed on a small clearing near the road. His magical sense told him the immediate area was clear of any people or threats and Artos was waiting near the edge of the woods.

As soon as his feet touched the ground Artos came bounding over from the woods with his tongue hanging out. He almost knocked Harry over when he pressed his big head on Harry's side.

Harry laughingly stroked Artos fur under his chin.

"Yes I have missed you two boy. What have you been up to while I was gone?"

Before Harry could laugh about not getting an answer Artos ran back in to the dark of the woods, before coming back with another wolf in tow. This was clearly a direwolf too. It seemed to be quite a bit younger than Artos, but was a stark grey colour and obviously female. Her Belly was round.

She came warily and slowly on to the clearing, regarding Harry with a questioning gaze. She relaxed a little when she saw Artos begging for attention and pats from Harry like a puppy.

"You have no reason to worry. If you are a friend of Artos you are my friend too. I will not harm you or your future pups". Harry said in his most assuring and warm voice. He did not feel the connection he felt with Artos. But nonetheless what he had said was true.

The Grey wolf regarded him further for a few moments before laying down at the edge of the clearing. Artos went over and lay protectively next to her.

The Direwolfs must know a way through or around the wall Harry realized. Maybe Artos wanted to come south to see his Lady wolf, she was apparently already pregnant for a while so they must have met before. Harry scratched his growing beard and decided to let the secret rest for now.

Winterfell was still one day walking away. Harry started his march with his Firebolt safely stowed away. The direwolfs were trailing alongside him in the forest. While Harry was no genius he was by no means stupid. He was sure he could have thought of a faster way to travel than on foot. But he relinquished the fresh air and the peaceful silence around him.

As he came closer to Winterfell he started seeing some crudely built homes clustered around the surrounding fields. Since it was still Winter no one was actually working the fields. And many homes seemed abandoned for the cold season.

His two direwolf companions started to attract attention when he came close enough to see Winterfell and the adjourning Wintertown looming on the horizon.

A few passing travellers on the road jump frightened when they saw the beasts of legends trotting behind the lone man.

Harry did not enter Wintertown. He took the longer way to the Gate leading directly into the massive Castle. He marvelled at the structure before him. The Castle was almost as big as Hogwarts had been. The walls were thick and high. And the stone looked smooth. There were many guards patrolling along the outer walls.

The throng of people travelling to and from the castle parted when they saw Harry approaching with his companions. While he did not let his aura or the glow of his eye show, he still cut an intimidating presence.

Two guards in Stark livery were standing in the gatehouse and controlled the people coming and going from the castle.

They eyed the approaching strangers with the beasts in tow warily. Both guards lowered their weapons when the young man came close enough to talk to them.

"Stay there fellow. I will not have ye beasts in King Starks Castle" said the well built guard on the right, starring at the direwolfs.

Harry held up his hands and calmly said "I bear a message for King Stark, from his brother, the Lord Commander of the Nights Watch. These are direwolfs" Harry said gesturing at Artos and his Lady friend. "The Sigil of House Stark. I will leave them in your godswood." Harry said amiably but stern.

The two guards exchanged a quick look before the silent smaller one from the left shrugged his shoulders and said uninterested.

"This is for King Stark to decide. You wait here"

He turned around and walked back into the yard. A moment later three more guards appeared behind the gate and took position observing Harry.

They waited for a good while before the guard returned.

"King Stark will receive you. We will be escorting you and the wolfs to the goodswood to make sure they are kept in there." The guard said with a stoic expression. "You will leave your weapons here. You will receive them back when the King deems it necessary.

Harry nodded and gave Bane to one of the guards before following the apparent commander wordlessly through the Gatehouse. They soon passed another set of even thicker walls before coming into a big courtyard. To the right side there was a stable and a big smithy. Something that looked like a kennel to the left and the big keep in the middle.

Everywhere people were either working or training. Women were washing clothes and delivering food and water to the men. They passed the yard where the soldiers were training and attracted many a curious gaze.

One Soldier in particular was watching two young man sparring, and correcting them when necessary. The Northman was about 6 foot high and wore the typical northern mix of fur and boiled leather armour. On his chest he bore a sigil of a white Weirwood tree on a black Background. His hear and beard were snow white and his eyes were a piercing blue.

One of the young man was obviously the son or even grandson of the trainer. He looked like a younger and stronger version than him. He was of the same height but his hair was the same colours as harry. A raven black. Combined with his crystal blue eyes it made for a striking image.

The other adolescent being trained had a lean build and was slightly higher than the other two. He had a long face and dark brown messy hair. His eyes held the same striking grey eye colour the Lord Commander had had. He looked like a Stark as far as Harry could tell.

The young men stopped their sparring match to watch what caused the commotion.

The gruff looking man cuffed the boys behind the ears and loudly said

"I didn't tell ya to stop. Never let yourself get distracted while fighting. It could mean your death"

They both looked suitably chastised and returned to their sparring. Although not as ferocious as before, so they could keep throwing looks at the oddly calm direwolfs and the weird man walking Winterfell's grounds.

Harrys guide slash guard lead him through an open set of thin double doors in the inner walls, right beside the smithy. They entered onto a small path that led into an old looking forest inside the walls.

Harry stopped as soon as he entered the foreign place of worship and extended his magic senses. Artos and his companion bounded from his side right into the depths of the forest.

Harry crept further through the forest with his sense. Marvelling at the ground that was deeply saturated with magic. This place felt old. He could clearly feel the strong wards that extended from under the goodswood to protect the castle. They felt ancient. Older even than the one in Hogwarts had been. A lot older even. There were many spells and charms that made up the wards.

Even without seeing the ward stones and the runes Harry knew that this protection had been cast by a very powerful wizard or witch a long time ago. While studying the ward design Harry felt another stronger magical pulse coming from the white tree that Harry could feel at the middle of the small forest.

Before he could extended his senses even more to investigate the weird behaviour of the tree, he had never before seen a plant or a tree radiating such an amount of magical power, the guard tapped him on his shoulders and said impatiently.

"King Stark is not to be kept waiting. Come now I will lead you to the great hall where he will receive you." The Guard turned around and lead Harry through the entrance of the Castle in to a big hall with hearths on both sides of the hall. Different banners adorned the wall. With the biggest of a grey direwolf racing across a field of white.

There were quite a few people in the throne room. Most of the people waiting before the throne, in an orderly fashion, looked liked peasants with ill fitting and scrubby looking clothes. There stood a few nobles clad in fur and leather to the side surveying the happenings. Multiple guards lined the wall while two more stood behind the King.

On the far end of the hall on a raised stone dais stood a not overly grand throne intricately made out of white weirwood without any other adornments.

The Stark King sitting upon the chair looked the part. He was of an average height and had dark brown long hair that he had bound together. The King seemed to be about the same age as his brother, the Lord Commander. He wore finely made clothes of wool. Besides a grey jerkin with a finely stitched head of a direwolf adorning his chest, he also wore a metall gorget with the sigil of his house engraved. Laying around his shoulders he had a heavy cloak lined with thick fur.

On his head he wore a crown not too dissimilar to Harry's own, he had left his royal garb, armour and crown at Iron shore. The Crown of winter was made of iron and had nine long spikes in the form of swords protruding from it.

The King of the north had a clear-cut face with the typical grey eyes of house stark. Although harry thought they seemed to be a bit darker than the one of his brother.

He was settling a minor dispute between two farmers when Harry entered the Hall. Harry and his entourage of guards that had trickled down to two men stopped near the middle of the hall and waited for the King to finish.

It did not take long for the monarch to take notice of the mysterious looking young man. He raised an eyebrow at Harry and returned his attention to the case before him.

After speaking judgement the King raised himself up from the throne and said in a strong voice.

"The court is over for today. Any grievances that have to be settled today can be settled with my steward Verrick Stone. Now clear the room. My fellow nobles too" He gestured at a small thickly man holding a ledger standing at the end of the hall who gave a small bow and a nod, before sitting back down again.

Some of the nobles pulled a grimace before being grazed by the stone hard gaze of their King. They all averted their eyes and left the Hall.

After a few moments of silent shuffling only The King, a handful of his guard and harry were left in the hall.

The King slightly leaned forward on his throne and fixated Harry with a curious stare. The guard standing besides the door butted his spear on the ground before loudly anouncing.

"You stand before Edwyn Stark. The hungry Wolf of the North and Protector of the wall. The one true King of Winter."

The Guard behind harry pushed him forward with the butt of his spear and said with a hiss

"Kneel before the King"

Harry inwardly rolled his eyes and decided to make his position clear from the beginning.

He made one step to stand right before the King.

He stopped suppressing his aura and the glow of his eyes and let his magic shine freely. His Aura emanated power in its purest form. For the first time since Harry had the change in his eyes he pressed more magic through them to multiply the effect.

For a short moment his eyes seemed to be the only thing existing in the hall. It was not the kind of light a torch or even the sun gave off. Like an open door they promised an entrance to the afterworld itself. An abyss as dark and deep as the night sky itself. And like sparks flying in a smithy Harry's eyes twinkled round the bet with the stars themselves, captivating everyone in the room.

Even the guards who could only see his back could feel Harrys power penetrating their skin and bones.

Wasting away so much power was actually more tasking than harry had thought. Well it should not have been a surprise. After all he had almost laid his magical core bare and let his magic flow freely in his surroundings. He had to train that at some point. It would not do to fall unconscious in on of these moments.

Harry pulled his powers back until only a shimmer of his aura and a light comfortable glow in his eyes remained.

"I am Lord Harry Peverell. As I have told your brother before you. I am not here to harm you. I come bearing an important message. But I am not your subject. I kneel to no one. Only Death can make me do so"

The wizard said in a clear and neutral voice. He did not mentioned his title as King of Ironshore. He wanted it to remain a secret for now.

While all the guards in the room had fallen to their knees upon Harry's display the King remained impressively calm and unimpressed. He studied Harry with a careful look.

He raised his right hand and let his gaze wander over the kneeling forms of his guards before he quietly but clearly said

"Everyone leave this room. No word will be spoken of what happened today, or I will have your tongues" the King said sternly.

The guards first seemed to want to reason with the King, before his final words made them think better of it. They raised themselves from their knees and bowed before their king before silently leaving the hall with bowed heads. Not daring to cross harrys gaze out of fear of falling prey to the wizards terrible eyes.

When the thick doors closed behind them an eery silence took over the room with King Stark and Harry calmly studying each other. The King stood up from his thrones and walked down the few steps leading to Harry until they stood face to face. Harry had an inkling he should wait for him to speak.

The King gave a short bow and extended his right forearm before saying in a warm voice that lacked the commanding tone it had held before.

"It is an honour to meet one of the Elders. Your coming is a blessing of the old gods. There is much we have to talk about and something I have to show you" He said in an almost eager tone.

Harry was baffled. He had not expected such a reception. The Stark King apparently knew about him in some form. Harry urgently hoped there was no prophecy about him in this world.

He grasped the Kings extended forearm and let his magical barriers slip back in place.

"I did not know I would be expected. Your brother did not." Harry said.

The Kings face was grazed by a small smile before he said.

"My Brother left Winterfell for the watch when he was 14 years of age. My father deemed it necessary for a Stark to serve in the watch. And he was a third son with no prospects. He had never been privy to the family secrets."

The King gestured to a small side door behind the throne and said.

"let us adjourn this to my solar so we can talk comfortable. Forgive me for forgetting my manners as host. I will let the servants bring something to eat and drink as well."

They made their way for the solar with the king ordering food and drink be brought for his guest and him.

The Solar of the King of Winter was sparsely decorated. Only a large iron wood desk on one side of the room, with 2 chairs sitting on either side of the desk. Four comfortable armchairs stood on a thick rug in front of the crackling hearth with a small table between them. A big banner of house stark adorned the walls behind the desk.

Harry was pleased with how warm it was in the room. The King took place in one of the comfy chairs and gestured for Harry to take a seat in the opposite armchair.

"Before I shall tell my tale. I would like to hear this message of yours." The King said upon seating himself.

Harry did not hesitate and told him of the strengthening of the walkers. How it would take at least 800 to a thousand more years before they would truly awake. The North had to be strong and prepared when the time came.

Harry pulled the scroll sealed with the sigil of the watch from his pockets.

"This is a message from the Lord Commander, he asked me to deliver to you."

The King had listened with rapt attention to Harry's words. He accepted the scroll from Harry and unfurled and read it.

His right eyebrow rose upon reading the lengthy missive. His face held a stern gaze when he said.

"I will summon all my Lords to the Nightfort for a gathering. I will showthem the proof hidden there and remind them of our duty. I will make it a royal decree that such a gathering has to be held every 50 years, or when a new King is crowned. You truly did us a service when you uncovered the tomb. For that you have my thanks."

Harry nodded and made himself comfortable waiting for the King to speak again.

The King laid the message on the small table between them and started telling the legend of House stark in a gravely voice.

The King started to tell Harry how the main branch of the stark family had always known that wizards existed. When bran the builder had built the wall he had had help from a wizard hows name had been forgotten. The Starks and children of the forest had called him the Elder.

After the White Walkers had been beaten back in the long night The Elder had given Brandon the family name Stark and the eternal duty to conquer and hold all of the north to be better prepared when the others would come back and to never forget what was truly waiting far north. For they would return one day. The Heroes of dawn had only managed to beat the Others back to imprison them in the lands further north.

But over time the spells and magical chains would weaken and the next long night would commence.

The Starks had taken their given duty from the Elder to heart and had put this above all else. Everything was secondary to the one true goal. Dominion over the north. And so they conquered one kingdom after another. Even when the Andals arrived with their foreign religion in tow, the Starks resisted and in the end, were victorious. King Theon Stark did not see his duty fulfilled when he had killed Argos Sevenstar in the Battle of the Weeping Water. Nor when he had displayed the heads of his slain Andal victims from his revenge raid to Andalos. No the duty of the Starks would not end until the walkers returned again and were slain for good.

Ruthlessly crushing everything and everyone that stood in their way the Starks finally reached their goal and held dominion over all the north as the Kings of Winter.

The King stopped his narration when two servants entered with the promised food and drink. They both ate for a while in comfortable silence before the King dabbed his mouth with a napkin and slowly spoke.

"Our Ancestor Bran the Builder has left us with an artefact to never let us forget what is to come."

The King stood up and walked to the door with long strides. He locked it with a heavy key and turned to Harry.

"What I will show you now has never been seen by someone other than a Stark or an Elder."

He walked back over to Harry and came to stand in front of the roaring fire in the hearth. He brushed away the dust on the ledge atop the hearth and gestured for Harry to stand up. Upon closer inspection harry recognised a small chiselled symbol of a direwolf on the ledge.

He extended his magical sense and could faintly feel something originating from behind the wall where the chimney should be. The signature was barely recognizable as some form of old charm.

The King picked up his dagger he had used to eat and made a small cut on his thumb. After pressing his thumb on the direwolf four bricks in the wall vanished. Behind them was a small compartment that only held a dark black stone tablet. It looked like it was made from granite and was blank on the side facing Harry.

The King picked up the tablet reverently and walked over to his desk where he carefully placed it up side down on the wooden surface. Harry stepped up to the desk and kept watching the King and the tablet. When the king turned the tablet he immediately recognised the triangle with the crossed circle in the middle, engraved on the backside of the granite tablet.

The King was still standing when he turned to Harry and pointed at the same symbol that was displayed on Harrys chest.

"I have recognised you as an Elder the moment you stepped in to my hall."

"Whenever a Stark becomes King he has to swear on this tablet with his blood to honour the oath given after the long night. The tablet will show a message on the now blank side when it accepts the oath as truthful."

The King had a longing stare in his eyes when he continued.

"I remember it as if it were yesterday. The feeling when I swore my oath was incredible. I felt a pulse race through my bones upon acceptation. The words are still clearly embedded in my head."

"The Gods of old accept your oath. You are the sworn protector of the north, to stand united against the cold that is to come. And the evil it brings with it." The King recited in a reverent tone.

He continued "this is the first time I have spoken the word out loud. It is not allowed to speak of them except to an Elder."

Harry continued to examine he tablet without touching it. His sense told him that it was layered with many strong charms that were hidden well. They seemed to be some sort of blessings and good luck charms. It would explain how one family could have ruled continuously for such a long time.

He turned to the King before saying in a thoughtful voice.

"This is a very powerful artefact. You have don well protecting it for so long. It is important you and your descendants keep doing so." Harry knew they would have done so anyway. It was probably their most priced position.

The King did look a bit put out when he responded strongly.

"It is a gift from the golds and Elder of old. We will protect it with our lives if must be, until the end of time."

Harry simply gave another nod before saying with a calm voice.

"I plan to leave in a few days. I would like to study your goodswood a little more with your agreement."

The King seemed surprised for a moment before he said.

"Of course you must be weary from travelling. I will make sure the servants prepare a room for you. Although I am surprised you would not stay longer in Winterfell."

Harry thought about his answer for a moment before saying.

"You know what is coming and you rule the north with a strong grip. I will wander this world to spread the message and to prepare the rest of the world. I am not sure where my way will lead me to yet." He said in a warm voice.

With this they ended their talk for the day and a servant led Harry to a spacious room at the top of the Keep near the family wing. It was comfortably but sparsely furnished. A spacious bed on one side and two armchairs before a hearth on the other side of the room. A fire was cackling in the hearth.

It was dark outside and Harry was indeed a little weary, not from travelling but flying so long on his broom. He decided to call it a night, he could explore the godswood and the rest of the castle tomorrow.

He locked the door with a wandless spell and let himself fall on the bed falling asleep fully clothed a few minutes later.