Author's Note: Lots of research to keep early characterization and quest stuff intact as I get used to writing a slew of new characters and settings. Probably going to be weekly on my days off that I get new chapters of this out, and pepper chapters of the other stuff I don't have to do as much research for inbetween.
Chapter 23: Settling In
Tolfdir's tour had taken Harry throughout the majority of the rest of the College. He had been taken through the rest of the Hall of Elements, which had multiple chambers branching off of it based on each of the main magical elements of Fire, Frost, and Shock. These were training halls for testing and practice of various spells, but in particular those pertaining to the relevant elements.
The Arcaneum, the library, had reminded Harry a little bit of the Hogwarts Library. Magical light motes decorated the walls, little nooks for reading everywhere, and stacks upon stacks of books of all types, designs, and materials all over the tower. The librarian had not been in so Tolfdir hadn't been able to introduce Harry the way he had planned to.
The Hall of Countenance, where the professors lived, was also pointed out to him as Tolfdir had elaborated some on the history of the College. Particularly how the lower levels now referred to as the Midden had been damaged by the Oblivion Crisis and later the Great Collapse and still had yet to be repaired.
"Oh it used to be our main area for the more elaborate experimentations, there was an Atronach Forge down there for example. Some ill-prepared students occasionally try and venture down, but we typically catch them before they get too far. The back-side of the lower levels fell out and exposed it to the Sea of Ghosts and some odd things have wandered in. Nothing that can break the seal of course!" The elderly mage calmly reassured Harry.
"Are we talking ice wraiths or are we talking heretofore unknown weird ghostly entities that can suck out souls and destroy all joy of an individual?"
"Uh...trolls and ice wraiths mostly, yes. I assume that last part was a joke? Though I have heard of some creatures from the Soul Cairn and their strange masters who may actually fit your description," Tolfdir added conversationally.
Harry paled, he'd only read about the Soul Cairn once in passing and the idea that there could be something akin to a Dementor even on another plane of existence (an admittedly much closer and more accessible one than his even) struck a fearful chord within him.
"Yes," The professor said, noticing and misinterpreting the reaction, "Nasty place that, best we avoid any dealings with them,".
Harry simply nodded in understanding and they moved along out of the Arcanaeum tower.
As they walked back out into the courtyard Tolfdir pointed to the tower opposite the Hall of Attainment, "That's the Hall of Countenance, five levels for us professors. We sleep, eat, experiment, and sometimes do private tutoring there, and that finishes our tour. Any questions, Harald?"
"Umm...No I think you covered everything, I'm just curious about the scheduling. Things seem a bit...loose here," Harry inquired.
"Ah, yes! Well planned lectures for the week will be posted in the Hall of Attainment. We're pretty focused on self-study here so any of them not labeled mandatory are optional. And even then mandatory lectures are only so for students that have never attended a similar lecture in the past, a way to get new students grounded essentially. Other than that you can arrange private tutoring with the professors, study groups with your peers, and some students even take on tasks from staff or students for favors or experience using their magical talents out in the world like you have already!"
Harry nodded along, it seemed rather informal but from how Harry had managed to improve his magical talents best through actual real world use it made a lot of sense.
"I see! Well thank you, Professor Tolfdir, for both the tour and the friendliness. I look forward to learning more from you! Alteration is a school that while I do not dedicate a lot of time to in a pure form I do use constantly with my hybrid spells and am excited to learn from a master!"
"Ah, flattery will get you everywhere, my boy! You seem talented both from what you have shown and what Farengar has said, so I look forward to mentoring you," The elderly man patted his shoulder and headed off towards the Hall of Countenance.
Harry was immediately as he entered the Hall of Attainment to actually unpack his things accosted by three of his fellow new students.
It was the Khajiit, the Dunmer, and the Nord who had spoken during the lecture.
"J'zargo has seen that Tolfdir likes you, and that you know some very strange and powerful magicks!" The Khajiit began, "Perhaps you could describe how you came about such spells, yes?"
"I am also curious, you mentioned to the professor that your...Perma shield used theory similar to Bound Weapons in conjunction with the other schools?" The dark elf woman asked.
Harry held up his hands, "Ah, okay one at a time. I don't suppose we could move this over to my room and I can field questions while I unpack? I had only just had time to drop my pack before I attended that lecture,".
The three students gave variations of shrugs and nods and they moved over to Harry's room and he began to elaborate as he unpacked from his enchanted bag.
"So these are all spells that I and my father came up with together during some experimentation, and particularly in attempting to recreate old spells we found mentions of in texts but no instructions for, the Protego-line of spells are more my creations than his however. They combine aspects of Flesh, Ward, and the ancient Damage Shield spells and techniques along with in the later versions the Dragonskin ability I and some other Bretons have and for the more static version the Bound Shield spell. I've used them to great effect against Hagravens, draugr, and even a werewolf in the past!" Harry was a little proud of some of those battles, having had some of the Companions' glorification of adventure rub off on him.
"J'zargo must have misheard, you fought a werewolf and are still amongst us?"
"It was a rough fight, and I wouldn't have survived being ambushed by it had I not been joined by a Spellsword from Craglorn who was hunting the beast himself!"
"Wait a moment," Onmund Harry thought his name was, the Nord, said, "You are the mage that helped that Faisal fellow slay the werewolf that was harassing our hold?"
Harry blinked, "You're from Falkreath?"
The young man nodded, "Aye, my family runs a mill a bit outside the city! I'd like to thank you friend, that beast had been terrorizing the area for almost a fortnight! And that poor little girl…"
Harry nodded, "Yes...he was unfortunately too far gone into the mind of the beast. A vicious curse lycanthropy. Or at least it can become such quite easily,".
"I've heard stories of the Hounds of Hircine that ran rampant on Solstheim in the previous era, color me impressed that even two warriors could take on such a beast!" The Dunmer, who Harry thought was named perhaps Brianna or Breyela or something similar, added.
As Harry hung his third staff up on the hooks on the wall he turned back to them, "So that's the basics of your questions, before we address anymore could we perhaps do introductions? I am Harald Secret-Fire, and as you may have heard Tolfdir mention, I am an adventurer and the half-Breton half-Nord son of Farengar Secret-Fire a former student here and Court Wizard of Whiterun, and whom might you all be?"
His three classmates all gave off varying signs of being a bit bashful and not introducing themselves properly at first.
The third-person speaking Khajiit recovered first however, "J'zargo is J'zargo, he hails from Elseweyr, Skyrim could not possibly be more different, but magic is magic wherever one goes. J'zargo is here to become a more powerful mage!"
The Nord followed, "I'm Onmund of Falkreath, I explained what my parents do out there. They're a little distrustful of magic but I want to prove to our people that magic is not to be feared!"
The dark elf went last, "I am Brelyna Maryon, I am of House Telvanni, but I left to try and help continue the tradition of Dunmer studying at the College of Winterhold and to specifically learn Conjuration magic from one of the greater masters in Tamriel here, unfortunately the Arch-mage does not do much teaching nowadays,".
Harry smiled at them, "Well it is a pleasure to meet you all! I look forward to studying with and getting to know each other!"
They weren't Ron and Hermione. Or even Neville, Ginny, and Luna. But Harry thought that maybe he could have some new friends here. Even if the idea was a little bittersweet in a setting that reminded him so much of home.