Harry got replies to all the letters he'd sent out early in the evening of Saturday. He'd been waylaid by Ronald and Hermione, who finally managed to sink their claws into him at dinner and prevent his escape. But Harry woke up sooner than either of them, feeling the tower before they could get him. He had an agenda to catch up on and keep, studying to do, and a meeting with Dante after dinner. He'd hidden all morning from Ronald and Hermione in the library, then hit the gym that was newly available to them to get a light workout in. He showered there, the house elves would bring his clothing to his dorm, washed and dried, neatly folded and left on his bed no doubt. He wandered down to the kitchens, ravenously hungry since he'd skipped breakfast and lunch. Tickling the pear to be let in, he basked in the amazing scents of the kitchen. He also spotted Hermione ordering the elves around, so he hid around the corner before she spotted him, motioning to the house elves to keep his arrival quiet. "Harry's food must have this poured into it! You want him to be healthy right?"
"Of course we want Mr. Harry Potter-sir to be healthy!"
"Then you will pour this into and over his food. That's an order."
"Yes, Mistress Granger."
She sweeps out imperiously, not noticing him in the shadows. He peels himself out of the corner once she's left. "You won't be putting any of those damn potions in my food." He states coldly.
"Yes Mister Harry Potter sir! We bes discarding them now!"
The potions are vanished with elf magic, leaving him satisfied. "I have a request of you all, could you do that for me?" He gets eager little nods and expressions. "I need all of my food prepared separately, and a warning if they manage to weasel potions to me. If you can, I need you to store the potions away with a record of when you were ordered to drug me with them, and by who. Can you do that?" "Of course wes can!"
"Good, good." "What would you like for dinner sir?" "Keep it light, less greasy, but please surprise me with your best." The eager, ecstatic expressions tell him he'll be eating very well unless he asks them to stop. "I will take my meals when I'm alone please." "Yes sir! Wes also provide refreshments whenever you ask!"
"Thank you very much. I'm going to eat dinner here if that's alright? Could you warn me if anyone comes towards the entrance?"
Dinner ends up being a lovely pasta dish served with a garden salad. And a piece of chocolate cake with jasmine tea for desert. His thanks get teary responses of happiness. He leaves the kitchens, using his cloak to sneak around. Thankfully bypassing Snape and Filch in the halls. He makes his way to Dante's classroom. The man is eating his own dinner, some rather long and numerous papers stacked on his desk, it seemed like he was marking them.
He'd study quite a bit in the next day here, he feels like those tests are going to be for every grade level here. "Come to see Nevan have you? Let me seal the room, and I'll let her out." Dante stood, he goes over to the door, waving his hand over it.
Some sort of red barrier crosses over it, it looks like the barrier is moving...how creepy. He's never seen a ward like that before. He looks around, noticing the windows have seemed to darken, gaining that same barrier over them. That's not worrying at all...
Dante moves over to the glass cabinet full of weapons, pulling out a wicked looking guitar that he'd spent a lot of time glancing at during class on Friday. Something about it just drew his attention more than the others, maybe it was the fact it exuded a much friendlier aura than the other weapons did. The guitar glowed white, then the white shifted shapes, the light faded to reveal a woman who was half nude. This last fact had him covering his eyes. "Oh? So prudish, I suppose he wasn't raised as I was though." The woman chuckles, her voice is sultry.
"Here, you can borrow my coat." Dante states.
"Mmm. I'll have to get clothes of my own to keep talking with my grandson."
"The lost and found will probably have clothes you can use, or you could just desensitize the kid in short amounts. I'll give you two some time alone, I'll be in my office."
"Have fun~" The woman purrs.
Dante just gives a sarcastic laugh, then a door opens and closes. "I have clothes on now sweets."
He carefully uncovers his eyes, in case she was lying. She wasn't, Dante's red coat hung off of her form, but was tight enough that she wasn't left with too much space in the cloth. "Mm, those eyes. Her eyes. Your grandfather's eyes. Aria was a beauty, one I was proud to have snared you know." This woman, Nevan, comments.
"Do I look much like him?"
"Oh yes, whatever human looks you had were largely pushed out by your awakening. These curls certainly belonged to the human side, thankfully they've been tamed into such a handsome cut."
Ah, what does he say to that? "Yeah, it was a total bird's nest before. So...you're Nevan, my grandmother, right?" Harry asks.
"Don't you feel the familial bond?"
"You mean that warmth?" "That's it honey."
"So, umm...I have no clue what to say or ask."
Nevan laughs. "How about I start with our lineage then? I am a full blooded lust class, magic type devil. Dante will explain what that means in class, or your could read through the full book of Entia ad Inferos. I'm known as the Lightning Witch, born of a succubus line. I drink blood as a form of sustenance, it gives a boost to my magic, though sex and eating regular food also give me energy. Each with its own benefits. I'm sure you'll be much the same. Evidently, your gorgeous red locks come from me, Aria's hair was golden, and I do mean it looked like spun gold. His wings were golden as well, a light type demon born from the pride class. Do you have demonic features at all?"
"I've got wings, claws, and fangs." He shows her.
"Black wings, but those feathers, just as soft as his. Here, sit, I'll groom them for you. You've done well on your own so far. How was Lilia, do you know?"
"No. My parents were killed when I was a baby, 15 months old. By the Killing Curse."
"What? Your human father I can understand. But your mother was a full blooded devil, sealed as she was by those damn Lowells. The killing curse couldn't have killed her, sent her into a state of unconsciousness, yes, but not killed."
"But Voldemort only cast three killing curses, and no other spells once he was inside the house. One for each of us...does the Killing Curse work on half-devils?"
"No, you just seem to fall into a death-like sleep for 15 minutes before consciousness begins to return alongside your breathing, after 25 have passed, you're up and moving again. For full devils, the unconscious state lasts for ten minutes, and 15 before they are up and attacking again."
"Someone deliberately killed her, after Voldemort's soul had been pushed from his body..." Harry realizes.
"Someone knew your mother was a full devil. Someone wanted you alone, fully alone." Nevan growls.
"But I'm not alone, by some weird stroke of luck, you're here now. Even if you are a...weapon right now."
"I'm currently what is called a Devil Arm. Dante treats us all nicely, sternly, but nicely. He has to be stern, to keep some of those trouble makers in check." Nevan points to the other Devil Arms.
"Are they all conscious like you are?"
"Yes and no. They are all aware to some extent. Some have their bodies still, but are just trapped in a weapon form. Others have their minds, but lost their bodies long ago. Alastor and Ifrit are two such Devil Arms, they can move themselves, and refuse wielders, but they are heavily restricted in their movements. Others are only semi-aware, able to exude their presence and communicate what they can do, but their actual devil forms and their minds are gone. This section here is made of those Devil Arms. Dante doesn't want to force our cognitions from us as was done to them, it's a blessing that he's so kind to us, most masters would not be." Nevan tells him.
"Was Aria a cruel devil?"
"Cruel? Not any more than I am. He only took what he needed, preferring to ride the winds. He didn't hold much of a grudge against Sparda, but when we headed to the surface to have a safer birth for our daughter, we were caught unaware by the first man to take the name Lowell and establish his line with that name. Lilia was stolen from the nest while we hunted, Sparda caught me not long after. Aria went searching for our little girl. Dante tells me, from the Lowell records, that Aria was killed fully, or he's currently a sealed Devil Arm somewhere out there, which would show up as dead on a lineage test."
"So there is a chance that my grandfather is still alive?"
"Perhaps. It is impossible to tell. As for Lilia, sometime in the last three decades, the seals broke and she was placed at an orphanage while the remaining weak Lowells went on the run from Abigail's servants. Do you have an idea of where she was placed?"
"Somewhat. She was adopted by the Evans family, renamed Lily Evans. Her older adoptive sister, Petunia, was jealous and hateful, and she hated magic. When mom presented with magic, Aunt Petunia began to treat her like she was...a devil. In the Catholic sense. That's what I know anyways, that hatred was transferred onto me, I had to have some extensive healing when I was unsealed." Harry tells her.
Nevan's expression darkens. "I see. First rule honey, don't call that hussy your aunt anymore, alright? She is nothing to you now."
"You don't need to worry about her for long, I've arranged for their arrest warrant to be served on October 31st, their trial on November 1st. The anniversary of the deaths of my parents, and my placement with the Dursleys." Harry soothes the angering demoness.
She brightens. "Excellent! Who else has been included?"
"That's a surprise. Dante might let you come along right?"
"Ask him to serve as a bodyguard, you may have to pay him a small fee, but he might just waive it entirely. His weapon of choice would be me, and Rebellion, of course." Nevan suggests.
"I heard ya'. It's a date."
The two in the classroom snicker. "That's settled. A bit too conveniently." Harry mutters.
"Yes well, Dante isn't once to mince things. Besides, this is entertainment for him as well. Think about it here for a moment, he's usually a very active person. Leaving almost every few nights for some new hunt, with a big catch turning up every once in a while. This teaching job is totally new to him, he didn't even have a formal education himself once his parents died."
"Did you know Dante's parents?"
"Mmm, yes. Not Eva, though from what I do hear about his mother from Dante, she was a very sweet woman who gave everything for her children. Sparda, on the other hand. I knew him well enough, he was handsome, and the twins truly took after their old man. I can't help but hate him for sealing me away in Temen-Ni-Gru so soon after my baby, and perhaps even a long time mate, were torn from me. On the other hand, I can't hate him. He produced Vergil and Dante, and if he hadn't sealed me away, I may have met the same fate as Aria. Unable to guide you now as you need. I wouldn't have met you. Lilia may have never met your father."
"You can call him by his name, James Potter. Mine is Hadrian, though I'm commonly called Harry."
"Hadrian, meaning dark haired...Latin?"
"Yes."
"Very astute of your parents. Naming you after a man who commissioned so many great structures of his empire. Dante's nephew is also named after a Roman emperor, Nero to be exact. Nero frowned upon luxury, reduced taxes, and was said to have sang and played music while Rome burned in those early days, 64 A.D. I think? In human terms anyways. He also committed many amusing political murders. Ironically enough, the current Nero Redgrave pretty much assisted in the destruction of his own home and the Order he'd known since birth."
Huh. Names have power, people say. What sort of power they hold varies from person to person, he believes. "Were you aware of the history outside of Temen-Ni-Gru while you were sealed inside?"
"Mmm. Not really. The tower was sealed around 2000 years ago, 70 A.D. to be exact. Sparda wanted an advantageous number, and while he likely would have preferred 7 or 13 A.D. there was truly no way he could accomplish that with Emperor Mundus' power so prevalent then." Nevan tells him.
"I have a lot of demonic history to catch up on, don't I?"
"Oh yes, but you have plenty of time to learn your history dear. Half-devils and Quarter-devils, especially those from such powerful lines like Sparda's, and myself and Aria combined, give you dears about half our life span. When you add the fact your body won't actually age past it's physical peak, and devils can live upwards of 10, 000 years on the low side, you have a very long life ahead of you."
He stared at her in shock, and he'd thought the 600 years Nicholas and Perenelle Flamel had lived to be extraordinarily long. "Oh, did you not know? Oh, what am I saying, you only just learned of your heritage, of course you didn't."
Something heavy drops from Dante's office. "I don't think he knew either."
"Dante? Are you alright?"
He comes out, looking rather stiff. "Oh I knew. I just don't like being reminded is all. You probably should have given the kid a few years before dropping that bombshell on him. I know I needed almost a whole year to come to terms with it when I found out, and I knew of my heritage from the start." Dante points out.
Nevan laughs nervously. "Oops?" She shrugs.
It's an odd movement, in that coat on her anyways. "I'm going to go get you some clothes, you two can sit here all pretty like."
He's gone before they can respond, and that barrier that briefly dropped is back in an instant. "What?"
Nevan laughs. "You'll get used to his quirks eventually. He's usually not so awkward about it, but this is a new situation for him entirely so I suppose he can be forgiven." She practically purrs, amused greatly by his actions.
"So, what sort of powers do you and Aria have? Do you think I've gotten any of them?"
"Well, let's start with Aria shall we? Aria could, of course, fly. He could use his feathers as blades, they'd just come right out and sharpen into razor sharp knives once he took them out. See your six now? Try and pull a feather out, don't force it if it doesn't come loose at will."
Harry gently ran his hand over a wing, then chose a feather at random. He didn't feel it, and as one was pulled out, a new one grew in after it quickly. "That felt strange, not bad, but strange. Wow, this is sharp." Harry accidentally cut himself.
Nevan plucked it from him, tossing it into a bat she conjured. It sliced straight through the construct into the wall, then dusted. "Just like your grandfather's. He could also control wind, compressing it as he pleased. But you won't be trying anything elemental until you've had some serious physical and mental training. Let's try flight shall we?"
"What do I even do?" Harry asks.
"Umm...let instinct guide you?"
Well. He was good at flight on a broom. Would that translate into wings to? It felt strange to exercise the new muscles in his back, effortless, but foreign. A few experimental flaps had him in the air, in which instinct did take over. Though wobbly. "You'll get better with practice dear, every baby bird had a rocky start. Aria had control over light...so hot and bright it could kill. I don't really sense that off of you, you'd have something glowing in you if you did. So you probably have some of my powers. I wonder if you've had any odd cravings as of late?"
"My classmates have started to smell appetizing...sweet under their...odors." Harry wrinkles his nose.
"Mm. That's their blood you're smelling. Open up."
"What?"
"Your mouth. Open up dear."
Harry does so once he's back on the ground, Nevan pulls his lip back. She grins toothily, showing a set of fangs matching his own. "Wait, you said I'm smelling their blood?"
"Yes. Blood drinkers fall under the lust class. Mmm, just wait until you've had your first bite. It gushes into your mouth like a ripe piece of fruit. When you get some training under your belt, we can start testing you for elemental based powers. You evidently have extremely strong magic, so I can begin to teach you about Demonic History, Hierarchy, and demonic magic. Oooh! And how to hunt and hypnotize, how to seduce any prey, male or female, for sex or for blood! And-" The door opens, stopping Nevan's delighted rant.
Dante is wheeling a large cart of boxes into the classroom, a smaller box on top. "That's quite the amount of boxes you've got there, Professor." Harry comments.
"These carry those tablets and styluses I was telling you kids about. Be in the Great Hall at lunch and stay for the demo. You'll get them then."
"This is going to be interesting. The really stuck up blood purist Purebloods won't shut up about 'disgusting muggle technology'. The lot of them are ridiculous, the benefits muggle technology offers once magically stable..." Harry trails off, seeing the professor's look.
"Yeah, I won't tolerate any of that shit. If they refuse to use the tablets, then they'll get harder to use paper copies. Let them struggle. But they don't own these until the end of the year, to destroy them during the year is to destroy school property." Dante grumbles.
"They'll likely see the light of the situation soon enough. Really, we've been stuck in the dark ages long enough." Harry snorts.
"Indeed. I quite enjoy watching the television." Nevan agrees.
Dante smirks. "Well, I suppose people watching won't be so amusing for you hmm?"
"Just put the TV and me in your office."
"Haha. Not happening. I need to keep Cerberus locked up, otherwise he'll freeze kids for fun. And you two just don't stop, rather vocally, arguing whenever you're placed together." Dante grumbles.
"We aren't that bad." Nevan waves off.
"In the last argument, Cerberus froze the couch, and you electrocuted it. While I was on it nursing the headache you two gave me." He deadpans.
Nevan sheepishly smiles at him, then puts on a sultry face. "I can make it up to you~" She purrs.
A box is shoved at her. "Women's clothes in the lost and found, cleaned by the house elves. I've got to put together the tablet packages, so behave." Dante orders.
She pouts, but sets the box down to take a look. Harry, being sensible, takes off his outer robe and transfigures it into a changing screen so he isn't seeing anything but Nevan's head. She pouts at him covering her up, but she starts going through clothing nonetheless. The first dress she comes out in is a stunning deep blue dress, with quite the low cut cleavage. But it did cover her up. The dresses continued for a short while before she settled on the ones she liked. She skipped along merrily in the blue dress when she was done. "Do you play any instruments, Harry?"
"Not really."
She sighs. "We really must correct that."
He gives her a curious look. "I'm a guitar sweetheart, music is apart of me. You'll have to learn something, modern or classical. We'll find something that suits you."
"It's getting close to curfew. You should head up to the tower now kid. Sorry Nevan, you know the drill."
She sighs. "Yeah, I know. Doesn't mean I have to like it."
She changes back into her guitar form, which Dante catches and puts back in the cabinet. The cabinet is then locked and sealed once more. Harry returns his robe into a robe, then leaves the professor. What a talk, it just seemed so absurd. And he really needed to take a look at the demonic classes and types.