Hello everyone and welcome to chapter 27 of The Glacial Ones!
To start off with, reviews!
Imperial warlord: I have to admit that I agree. There was a tiny bit of foreshadowing when Tatsumi turned into the Tyrant by the guy with Perfector, but other than that she just mysteriously got back up in super powered mode. Thanks for your opinion!
Aku No Kotei: Yeah, it was kind of pathetic. Not as bad as her death in the anime, but still pathetic. You'd think merging with Lionel, which is known for regeneration ability, would fix a few pistol shots to her stomach.
Froper98: Don't know about Leone just yet. I may actually have something happen like Prime Minister Honest trying to obtain Harrys powers, since Dorothea works for the Jaegers and thus won't be upgrading the Imperial Teigu. I think we all know how that would end. In the case of multiple worlds, I have no intention of over complicating things by doing more than one world at a time.
As for not curb stomping the wizards, I am going to say here that Harry is on a level where he could take on Dumbledore or Voldemort and possible win. Esdeath is a fair way above him. On the same note, Esdeath, despite her homicidal tendencies, is highly intelligent and an excellent general for a reason. She won't be just charging in a crushing to Wizarding society.
Sehnde: I agree entirely. The original reason why I was so leery about rescuing Bols is because I felt it didn't fit with the show. I did it anyway, because in the end I'm a kind hearted (sometimes) fool who gets too emotionally attached to his story. As for the attack on Bols family, I am aware that I lost a lot of the impact. Sorry about that. And with Harry's exhaustion and all that, good point. I recall him breaking some ribs at one point, but never really went back to it. I should have changed it a little by the time this chapter is out. Thanks for your opinions!
Matthew Gemm: Read the start of chapter 25 again. You know, the bit where Cosmina isn't pissed off by Harry and Ran and so hides behind Izou while scared shitless? I may not have been clear enough with that, and I honestly forgot about Izou and Cosmina until the end of the fight. Sorry!
Tsunashi777: On your comment about Budo, if I let everyone I like survive, the only major casualties would be Wild Hunt. And then it simple wouldn't be Akame Ga Kill. So, sorry, he'll probably die. For you suggestion about the Philosophers Stone from Flash, I actually had to look it up and can only say two word. Nightmare Fuel. Though it would be amusing having Harry collecting different Philosophers stones from every world he went to. I doubt I'll do the Vaporization Freezing Technique, but it is certainly something I'll leave to the side just in case. As for the Horcrux, I won't be giving Harry his memories, though to be honest I don't know what I will be doing full stop. Anyway, thanks for the suggestions and support!
Silent Lurker: Firstly, thanks for the support! It's most appreciated! Secondly, yes, Harry is becoming more like Esdeath, at least in combat. Considering that he spends pretty much all his time around her, it's not that surprising. AS for your P.S note, poor, poor Harry doesn't quite understand human behaviour enough. A bird that's released from its cage every night is still a bird who lives in a cage. Not that Harry is really trapped, but the principle remains. Thanks again.
Wildman90: It seems I updated the wrong chapter. Sorry about that, and thanks for pointing it out1
And a thanks to everyone else who reviewed!
Now that that is out of the way, let the story begin!
I do not own, in any way, shape, or form Akame Ga Kill or Harry Potter.
-T.G.O-
Chapter 27: The Gates of Shambhala
War was not a kind thing.
It never has been. It never will be.
It is brutal and bloody, merciless and cruel, caring not for who it crushes in its path, nor for the families and countries it left in ruins in its wake. War was a monster, a beast of human creation.
A beast that, as Harry had learnt long ago, Esdeath had long since tamed. Esdeath was a monster in combat, but at the head of an army, as its leader, she became a virtual goddess of war.
And she had yet to fail even once.
Of course, Harry paid very little attention to details like that. His job was to stay at Esdeaths side and obey orders, not worry about what others were doing. That was not to say that he wasn't aware of whatever plan was being cooked up, but that he didn't care. Like now.
Esdeath had been redeployed to the West less than four days ago, Harry following her there as always, with Air, Fal and Luna tagging along behind. Esdeath thought it would be a good chance for them to get proper combat experience. Harry agreed. Though, then again, most people agree with Esdeath on such matters.
It tended to hurt otherwise, and though Harry could get away with it, agreeing with Esdeath was kind of ingrained into him anyway.
Currently however, Harry wasn't doing anything related to the messy business known as war, as was instead standing in a field not far from the central western imperial army camp holding Shambhala, Esdeath and the three girls watching from a few metres away.
He glanced over at Esdeath.
"According to Cosmina and Dorothea, I should be able to set a marker by placing Shambhala against the ground and activating that feature. Do we actually know HOW to use said feature?"
Esdeath just grinned widely.
"What data we have on Shambhala mostly describes what it can be used for, not how it is used. I imagine it responds to thoughts and intentions though, and if that doesn't work, try using it like you use you power."
Harry nodded, crouching down as he visualized the marker they had seen on the abandoned island.
He pushed the Teigu lightly into the ground.
There was a flash of light as a small symbol appeared on the ground before fading away as Harry stood, grinning.
"Well, that was easier than I expected. Now we just need to see if it works properly."
Without another word, Harry walked away from where he had placed the marker, stopping just over ten metres away as he help the Teigu towards it, focusing.
"Alright then, let's see how this works…"
There was a moment of nothing as Harry focused. Then he vanished, consumed by a blue light that rose from the ground before reappearing back at the marker he had set a moment later in another flash of blue light.
He grinned over at his observers.
"This is interesting. When I teleport, I can go anywhere within range, but it feels like someone is pushing me through a straw to get there. When I use Shambhala I can only really go to one of the markers, but there is not in between state like with my teleportation. I just kind of appear there."
Esdeath nodded thoughtfully at his description before giving a slightly cruel smirk.
"So do you think you will be able to make it back home with it?"
Harry looked thoughtful.
"I honestly don't know. When I fought Syura and he went berserk, he started teleporting without setting out markers. I also have the advantage of my powers, so it still seems like a possibility. I'll have to get more experience using it first."
Across from him, Esdeath nodded.
"Understandable. This was the first time you have ever used it. Hmm…"
She looked thoughtful again.
"What if you try pushing your energy into it? Like you said you do when you try making copies of Susanoo's core and the broken Philosophers Stone?"
Beside her, Air piped up.
"Or can you try using both methods of teleportation at once?"
Humming thoughtfully, Harry began to throw the Teigu from hand to hand.
"It shouldn't hurt to try putting my power into it. Probably. Hopefully. Not sure about using both at once though, it could, I don't know, transport one half of my body with one method and the other half with the other method and split me in two… I think I'll come back to that idea later, after I have more experience and understanding of both."
Catching the Teigu in his right hand, he grinned.
"I'll see if I can use my power on Shambhala then. Where's an interesting place I can go to?"
He looked around the area before shrugging and grinning at his audience.
"May as well just give it a try."
He focused, pushing his power down his arm and into the Teigu in a steady stream.
Then he activated Shambhala.
Gasping painfully, Harry buckled over, gasping for breath as he felt something savagely jerk at his core without mercy.
He had a moment to glance up at the worried looking group rushing towards him and think 'well, fuck, that wasn't smart' before vanishing in a flash of blue light.
-T.G.O-
With a flash of light, Harry collapsed to the ground with a thud, feeling hard wooden planks beneath him as he gasped for breath, blinking his eyes blearily as he gazed around.
Blinking the spots from his eyes, Harry stretched out his body, still gasping for breath as he noted that he was in an enclosed space as his eyes finally started to adjust.
He swept his eyes through the confined space.
His eyes widened as he realised that he was in a small room with a sloping roof.
Like a cupboard.
Like a cupboard under some stairs.
A grin stretched across his face as he used his power to augment his vision slightly to compensate for the lack of light.
The cupboard was empty, and it had been cleaned out, with a layer of dust showing that no one had used it in years, but it was most definitely the cupboard he had grown up in those first nine and a half miserable years of his life.
His grin widened until he was practically beaming, ignoring his previous exhaustion.
While he certainly had no kind memories of this particular room, the significance of him being here right now did not escape him.
Shambhala, with a dash of his own power, had crossed the dimensions.
Still grinning, Harry complimented taking a look outside to see if the Dursley, if they still lived here, household had changed at all before shaking the thought out of his head as he remembered that Esdeath and the three girls were waiting for him.
While Esdeath wouldn't worry, probably anyway, Air, Fal and Luna all would, so he needed to try get back as soon as possible.
Reaching into his core once more, noting that he had used up just under half his energy in his last jump, as he prepared to use Shambhala to travel back.
He stopped as a thought occurred to him, his eyes glancing down at the Teigu held in his right hand before placing it against the cupboard floor.
There was a flash of blue light as he created another marker. Harry figured it was better safe than sorry. It would have been tragic if he made it here this time on accident and couldn't get back.
Watching the symbol fade away, Harry reached back into himself, only to stop once again as he realised that he was over complicating things. Why use the method from before and use up the last of his energy and possibly appear anywhere, when he already had a marker where he wanted to go? Though, to be honest, it may not work, but it was worth a try.
Clutching Shambhala in his hand, Harry reached out to the marker he had place, which was a rather odd sensation since the marker wasn't in this dimension, before grasping it and activating Shambhala once more.
Nothing happened.
Then there was a flash of blue light as Harry vanished out of the cupboard under the stairs and back to the marker he had set, unaware of the chaos he was leaving in his wake.
-T.G.O-
With a flash, Harry reappeared at his marker, the symbol at his feet fading away as he looked up in time to catch Luna as she wrapped him in a flying hug, Fal and Air only moments behind her as Harry feel backwards laughing.
"Ouch! I'm fine, really! Stop worrying!"
Fal stood up, giving him a stern look, not even bothering to hide her relief.
"Don't ever do that again, okay Harry. You have no idea how much that scared us!"
Luna and Air nodded as they stood up Esdeath walking over with an amused look on her face as Air spoke up.
"Yeah, even Esdeath was worried."
Harry cocked his head to the right as Esdeath stopped in front of him, offering a hand down to him. He took it with a perplexed expression.
"Really?"
Esdeath just pulled him to his feet and, much to Harrys shock, into a tight hug.
"Of course I was, Harry. You just vanished somewhere unknown following my suggestion after looking as though you had had your chest torn open."
Harry relaxed slightly into the hug, slightly confused at the physical show of affection. While Esdeath showed plenty of affection, especially lately, it was rarely physical and he couldn't recall a time where he had ever been hugged. Outside of when they slept and Esdeath got clingy of course.
He decided to just ignore the thought and enjoy the oddly pleasant physical constant until Esdeath let him go.
He glanced around at the four females.
"Sorry…"
Esdeath shook her head.
"Don't be. It was my suggestion. Just don't go doing it again for a while. Where did you end up?"
Harry's grin suddenly reappeared on his face as he practically beamed the sun out of his face at her.
"Back in the cupboard under the stairs where I used to live."
Air, Fal and Luna looked slightly uncomfortable at the comment about the cupboard. While they had seen and heard of a lot of bad things, many of them far worse than what Harry had been through, it didn't change the fact that they didn't like it.
Esdeath on the other hand instantly understood what it meant.
She grinned wickedly.
"So Shambhala managed to cross the dimensions after all. Excellent."
Fal, Luna and Airs eyes all widened as one as they realised what Esdeath was talking about even as Harry nodded.
"Yup! I even set up a marker there, though I'll have to move it at some stage since it's in the cupboard, because I wasn't sure if I would be able to return to the same dimension each time. Also, once the marker is set up, it didn't take any extra energy to use the marker here to get back."
Nodding, Esdeath turned towards the army camp a few hundred metres west of them.
"Alright then, come on. We should celebrate now since we will be at war tomorrow. We can start experimenting after we finish in the West."
Harry nodded as he walked beside, grinning at the three girls as they fell into step around him with small smiles in their faces.
He failed to notice how they seemed to be trying to get a close to him as possible.
Just as he never noticed the sheer frustration he left behind in the world he no longer saw as his home.
-T.G.O-
12 Grimmauld Place, 1993.
The last three years, approximately three years anyway, had been frustrating for one Albus Dumbledore. Not difficult, well no more than normal, just frustrating. The disappearance of Harry Potter and the knowledge that he had been abused by the muggles that Dumbledore put him with had weakened his position with his allies, though not enough to destroy it, and was a constant point of rallying for the 'reformed' Death Eaters, led by Lucius Malfoy.
The loss of his position as Chief Warlock of the Wizengamot had been a bit of a blow to his control over Britain, but retaining his position as Supreme Mugwump of the International Confederation of Wizards as well as the even more important position as the Headmaster of Hogwarts helped lessen it.
The fact that Augusta Longbottom got the job, despite many large 'donations' from Lucius Malfoy made sure he didn't feel particularly bad about the loss of the position in the end.
On the other hand, the last few years had still be rather frustrating in the fact that no matter what he did, no matter what ancient magic and rituals he dug up, no matter where he looked, he could not find the boy that was meant to be moulded into the next Leader of the Light.
Right now though he was sitting in the main lounge of 12 Grimmauld Place, ancestral home of the Blacks and current home to one Sirius Black who, up until just over a year ago, was a much hated criminal rotting in Azkaban for the supposed betrayal of James and Lily Potter.
Just over a year ago the Weasley twins, Fred and George Weasley, had used the Marauders Map in order to try find the beast that was petrifying the students of Hogwarts.
Instead they found Peter Pettigrew in his rat animagus form sleeping near their youngest brother, despite the man having been supposable dead for the last twelve years.
Unsurprisingly, the two Weasleys were less than ecstatic about this revelation and had automatically brought the map to Dumbledore, who had taken one look at it and, after making sure they hide it away so they could continue using it for their rather amusing pranks, stormed off to find Pettigrew with a thunderous expression on his face.
Suffice to say, the proof of Peter Pettigrew's continued existence, on top of the evidence released soon afterwards proving that Sirius Black hadn't had a trial, had the public into a frenzy that had resulted in Sirius Blacks trial, despite the efforts of the many former Death Eaters who would have very much liked him to stay in Azkaban, and his resulting freedom.
Which lead them to now, where the Order of the Phoenix, reactivated to try find Harry, was having a meeting in order to pool their findings.
Dumbledore gazed around the assembled members of the Order of the Phoenix as he began to speak.
"Has there been any news in any of your searches?"
There was an uncomfortable silence as the various assembled members of the Order shook their heads, before Sirius spoke up from Dumbledore's right.
"No luck so far. Lupin also sent an owl saying that he was having no luck in the United States and will be returning to Britain soon."
He gave a small glare at Dumbledore as he spoke. Relations between the two had been strained after Sirius learnt that not only was Harry missing but he had also been abused by the Dursley family after Dumbledore placed him with them.
To be honest, Dumbledore really hadn't thought that the Dursley household would actually abuse him. Keep him ignorant and malleable for Dumbledore's plan to turn him into the next Leader of the Light and defeat Voldemort, but certainly not abuse him.
He open his mouth to respond when suddenly a screeching racket filled the room as a small device off to the side began to spin at break neck speeds, screaming out in a shrill wail as it did.
Jerking to his feet in shock, hope painted across his face, Dumbledore rushed over to the device as the rest of the Order of the Phoenix rushed from their sets, Ms McGonagall speaking their minds for them.
"What is that for, Albus? And why is it working now?"
Dumbledore glanced up at her in hope.
"This is something I made with some of Harry's blood. If he enters Privet Drive then it is supposed to inform me. Like it is right now."
The eyes of the members of the Order widened in hope as Sirius rushed for the door, preparing to apparate.
"So what are we waiting for?! Come on!"
The members of the Order of the Phoenix snapped out of their dazes and apparated after him, Dumbledore already vanishing in a flash of fire.
In moments the main lounge of 12 Grimmauld Place was empty.
-T.G.O-
At Privet Drive, Surrey, multiple pops broke the peaceful silence of the street at the same time as Dumbledore appeared in a flash of fire, the wizards and witches present all firing off notice me not charms and sleep charms to make sure the street didn't wake up, even as Sirius rushed towards 4th Privet Drive, wand waving.
"There's a strong magical signature over here, inside the house!"
Instantly, the Order of the Phoenix was moving, several members surrounding the house from all sides as a couple more remained on lookout in the street in case someone showed up.
Or in case someone made a break for it.
Dumbledore stepped up to the front door, Sirius a step behind him as he cast a simple unlocking charm on the door. Pushing the door open gently and stepping forwards, Dumbledore glanced backwards at Sirius, McGonagall, and Mad-eye Moody behind him.
"Remember, we don't know what has happened to him, nor how he may have been brought up after he left the Dursley household, so we don't want to startle him."
The three behind him nodded, two of them eager to look for the missing Harry Potter.
Turning back around and casting another sleep charm reserved for muggles over the house to make sure they didn't wake up, Dumbledore stepped into the house, casting a Lumos as he did.
"Harry? Are you in here, Harry? We mean you no harm, we just wish to talk."
Only silence answered and a pit formed in his stomach as Dumbledore realised that he may no longer be in here. Casting the Humanio Revelio charm, Dumbledore began to examine the house, the other three fanning out behind him as he did before Sirius spoke up, his wand moving in intricate patterns as he did.
"The magic signature is coming from over here. God, it's massive!"
Nodding absently, Dumbledore turned to follow Sirius as he lead the group of four down the hall towards what was probably the most infamous cupboard ever to exist.
The group stopped for a moment, already aware of what they were, or rather, weren't, going to find. Sirius flicked his wand, the bolts on the door clacking open to reveal an empty cupboard.
He cursed violently, McGonagall for once not reprimanding him for it as Dumbledore did the same thing in his head. Mad-eye Moody just pushed Sirius out of the way, examining the cupboard as his wand danced.
He stood back up and turned to face his three companions, speaking in his gruff tone.
"Well, he was definitely here. If you look close you can see that there is a layer of dust everywhere except where he landed, where it has been moved recently."
Dumbledore nodded, reigning in his frustration as he slicked the Elder Wand in a series of intricate patterns, his brows creasing in confusion.
"This is definitely Harry's magic signature, but I don't know what was used here. It seems a bit like apparation with a little something… else. Some form of magic travel I don't know about?"
Behind him McGonagall creased her own brows in thought.
"But why would he appear in the cupboards of all places? He can hardly have pleasant memories of it, and if he wanted to get to Privet Drive, there are easier places to appear?"
Beside her, Sirius spoke up, directing his attention towards Dumbledore.
"You said you didn't know the method of transport, right?"
Dumbledore nodded.
"Maybe it's a new form of magical travel and he didn't intend to come here. Or maybe it was a fit of accidental magic? It's rare, but it can happen to kids his age as well."
Dumbledore nodded thoughtfully before flicking his wand, closing the cardboard door and locking the bolts on the outside before turning away.
"It doesn't matter right now. What matters right now is that he must have used it to leave after the alarm sounded, so we just missed him. At least we have proof that he is alive."
Without another word, Dumbledore swept from 4th Privet Drive, Surrey, with the three following behind him as he went.
Well, he realised, if he was really desperate then he could use the Goblet of Fire and the Tri Wizard tournament to draw him out. It was rather risky though, so he would prefer not to.
But he would do what he had to do.
For the Greater Good.
If only the poor wizards and witches knew what it was that they were inviting into their little world.
Poor, poor fools.
-T.G.O-
And that is chapter 27 complete!
To be honest, I expected to be able to start the war this chapter, but I didn't have the time, so, sorry!
Anyway, as always, and likes, dislikes, ideas, advice or constructive criticism re all welcome and accepted!
Please Review!
Finally, I hope you enjoyed this chapter and have enjoyed The Glacial Ones so far!
Goodbye and see you all next time!
