Garo Knights and Magic
ESKK: Well here we go let's do this my readers.
(Start Chapter)
Harry sat alone in the bedroom he had occupied so long ago in the Dursley household. He was grateful that a chance encounter reunited him with a brother he never knew about. The reason Harry was here was to take advantage of the Blood Ward for as long as it lasted. Since Lance was also blood related to Harry his presence should in theory double its power despite its power weakening. It was Dumbledore's idea and Lance had no choice but to accept it. Needless to say Lance did not receive a warm welcome from Vernon that Harry nearly giggled when he saw it. Harry didn't think pale white would be a color his uncle could turn into when Lance threatened him. Anyway Lance was asked to stay here as well to keep an eye on Harry until members of the Order of the Phoenix and the Makai Order arrive to transport them to a safe house till it was safe for them to leave.
Speaking of despite Lance's clear dislike for his 'uncle,' he was still duty bound to protect them so he and Harry were here making sure they would be taken to safety. Harry's eyes returned to the Daily Prophet as it seems to be worse than ever these days. Apparently Rita Skeeter had gotten her job back and was writing nasty things again. As Harry sat alone he wondered of how his life would have been if his and Lance's parents never separated them... perhaps he and Lance would have a better relationship when Lily and Petunia did despite Lance being a Squib. Honestly Harry didn't know but if things were different he'd probably had never gotten to meet his brother.
Harry had agreed to stay in Pivot Drive to make sure the blood wards held strong for as long as they can as Lance educated Harry on defending himself. As Harry began to pack more of his stuff he soon heard a knock on the door as Harry looked to it. "Come in." Harry said as he saw it was Lance holding a tray in his hand as Harry saw this.
"Lance." Harry greeted as Lance nodded.
"Hey Harry." Lance said as it seems he grew his hair out a bit to a small tail. "Their almost done packing down there you know." Lance said as he looked to Harry. "And it seems that our tub of lard cousin left this for you." Lance said passing the tray over to Harry who saw it. "Don't worry." He began as he took a cup of his own. "It's not poisoned." He said as Harry nodded and took the tea.
"Dudley made this for me?" Harry asked as he looked at the cup.
"Surprised me as well despite my earlier grievances with him and his family I think the Dementor was just what he needed to get his act straight." Lance said as he sat down as Harry chuckled a bit.
"Yeah wonder what horrible memories they showed him." Harry joked as he smiled.
"Maybe he saw the memories of those associated with him how they viewed him." Lance said as he drank his tea a bit before gagging a bit. "Geez why didn't they have Soda instead?" Lance asked and thus Harry chuckled a bit.
"Bloody Hell." Harry said as Lance looked around the room.
"So this is where you grew up then." Lance said as Harry nodded to him.
"Yes it may be small but it's better than the Cupboard." Harry said as he looked around the room.
"I can agree with you there." Lance said as he looked around the room. "Anyway the others should be here soon. Laura's been working on our escape plan and Crow has been seeing to any safe houses in the country." Lance said and thus Harry had another question.
"What about Vernon?" Harry asked as he looked to Lance as despite everything he's done Harry wanted to at least make sure he was going to be ok.
"Changed his mind one too many times so I gave him the ultimatum he can either stay here and be either killed by Death Eaters or eaten by their monsters and reminding him with his size he was an all you can eat buffet to them. That shut his fat ass up." Lance said as Harry chuckled as he knew Lance was right on the money there.
"Come on lets go see them off." Lance said as Zaruba then spoke up.
"Don't worry Harry they'll be ok." Zaruba said as he looked to Harry.
"I hope your right." Harry said as despite his life with them they were still family regardless.
(Later Downstairs)
Lance and Harry arrived at the main part of the house and saw how empty it all was now as Lance looked around it as did Harry. "Well looks normal enough to move into." Lance joked as he looked around the house.
"Yea… for 15 years I stayed here, seem more like a far off memory now… the first 10 may have been hard, but when I came to Hogwarts, things may have just gotten more difficult, but I still remember it all," Harry said as Lance told him, "Maybe, but at least you can new memories, as after this war, and everything that will happen, gotta stand tall."
Harry nodded as he said, "Right… but not everything was bad I still have some fond memories as well… I just wondered what happen to make it so bad."
"Jealousy is a strong drive that would make anyone do bad things to another, sometimes even to push others away," Lance said as a voice spoken up saying, "I wish it didn't have to be."
As the two boys heard it as they walk around and see into the living room, they soon saw Petunia as she stood there in the middle of the empty living room as she remember all the good and bad memories that happen in that house as she said, "I have lived in this house for 23 years, and every single night I never expected to leave."
"Aunt Petunia..." Lance began as the worlds left his mouth like they were forced. "It may be hard to let go of things, but you have to understand your life is endanger if you stay here," Lance said as Harry went on saying adding his 2 cent, "He's right, they will torture you, even for a moment they believe where you think I'm going, they will stop at nothing."
Petunia turn to her adopted nephew as she had a bit of an upset look as she said to the two boys, "Do you think I don't know what they are capable of?"
Thing gotten quite a bit as Petunia said to harry, "You boys didn't just lose a mother that night in Godric's Hollow, I lost a sister… and regret my last words to her before we split apart… despite all she could do, the perfect child she was… I may hate her for that… but I never stop loving her as a sister too… now she gone... and I cannot take back my last words to her."
Harry look to his aunt and for the first time… he didn't know what to say with Lance spoken up as he said to her, "Maybe too late to say what you want to her… but it not too late to make things right… after this war, You can tell what story you had of her… keep her memory alive, ether to your son, your husband… or to your nephew, it's all about the soul, so if you wish to make it up… make it up to harry."
Petunia look to the young Makai knight as she heard his words and understood them… as she turn towards harry, her thought of mind, she gave a nod as she agrees, as she could tell the true story of lily to harry… and hope her sister can forgive. "What about you?" Petunia asked as she knew Lily was Lance's mother as much as she was Harry's, magic or no magic.
Lance stayed quiet for a moment which was all the time he needed. Vernon Dursley, who was waiting outside, honk the car horn to tell Petunia things are ready to go, as she soon walk out of the house, and shut the door behind her.
After that Lance turn to Harry as he said, "Want to say goodbye to them before they leave?"
"I guess… I do have to give them that," Harry said as soon enough as the two soon left the house, locking it up before they left. "What about you?" Harry asked repeating Petunia's earlier question.
"I hardly know them not my place." Lance said before Harry sighed and turned to say his goodbyes. But as he left Lance then saw Zaruba giving him the look and thus sighed. "Dammit." Lance said as he then followed after Harry as he rather skip the argument and just went straight to Zaruba getting his way.
(Outside)
As Vernon waited outside the car for his son, and his wife sitting in the car hugging herself to help comfort herself as it was still scary for her to leave, but even more so if she stayed, as the twins walked out as Vernon saw them and said to Harry, "This isn't just goodbye boy, is it? This is Farewell."
As Vernon was about to get in the car as his son Dudley stand outside and look to harry and said, "I don't understand. Isn't he coming with us?"
"Who?" Vernon ask without thinking what his son meaning as he said, "Harry."
"Absolutely not," Vernon said as he open the door with Dudley asked, "Why?"
"Why-wh-wh-why, Becau-because he doesn't want too, do you boy?" Vernon said as Harry said, "Absolutely not, no. I'll be going with Lance anyways, and beside I was a waste of space, isn't that right Vernon?"
Vernon didn't have any resort to that as he just shrug it off as he said, "Come on Dudley, we're going off."
"And good riddance." Lance was heard as he walked out with his hands in his pocket glaring at his uncle. "Try to lose some pounds but hearing about you I doubt it." Lance said as Vernon glared at Lance in pure contempt. Ever since the boy got here in June he had been a constant thorn for him.
"Listen here boy since we will never see hide or hair of each other again after this." Vernon began as Lance was facing him after making his way across the lawn. "If you had been raised with him." He continued gesturing to Harry. "I would have put some respect into you." Vernon growled but Lance smirked at him.
"Respect is earned fatty not demanded so beat it." Lance said as he was not in the mood to deal with Vernon's crap today. "Which reminds me I'm going to reconnect with my British routes and do a trick." Lance said as he wiggled his fingers and stuck up his index and middle fingers of both hands at Vernon. Vernon would have lost it if he wasn't short on time and thus let it be and went back to his car.
As Vernon was about to get into his car, Dudley step away for a moment, going around and over the trailer hitch, and over the small chain fencing of the house as Dudley walk up as the two boys were confused of what he was doing as he walk up to them, and stood in front of harry as it took a moment to raise his hand in a form to shake his, as harry accepted it as they shook hand with Dudley said to him, "I don't think you're a waste of space."
"Thanks," Harry said to him while giving a small nod, with his face seem a bit surprise by this as Dudley let off and turn to Marcus and did the same thing as Lance shake it with Dudley saying to him, "It was... nice meeting you."
"Wish I could say the same." Lance said as it wasn't the best meeting but it was interesting as he shook his hand and let off. Dudley then nodded and soon went back to the car, as it was kind of awkward as he left as he stop and turn around for a moment doing something with his finger like a wave salute as Harry whisper, "See ya, big D." Soon enough as Vernon got into the car with Dudley at the same time, the car was started and they drove off.
Lance walked up to the cupboard and then looked between it and Harry as he compared and contrast. "What?" Harry asked as he notice Lance look.
"How did you fit in there?" Lance asked as Harry looked confused. "I mean you look like the only way you could sleep there is by standing." He added as Harry saw what he meant as he then sighed a bit.
"I spent a good unhappy years in there." Harry said as Lance looked at the cupboard.
"If I was forced to live in there for 9 or 10 years I'd bail out the first chance I got." Lance said as Harry chuckled a bit as he saw this.
"Well I suppose it won't be much longer now." Harry said as he and Lance got ready for what was to some.
"Yes the winds of fate blow this night as once you step out... you cannot turn back." Zaruba said as he looked to them all as Marcus shrugged a bit.
"Zaruba you know me better than that." Lance began with a sigh before he continued on. "The choice of turning back ended the day I took the sword." Lance said as he looked to his Madou Ring in question.
"Of course." Zaruba said as Lance then looked around as he then sighed.
"Well might as well get comfortable this may be a while." Lance said as he then leaned on the wall while Harry sat on the stairs.
"Lance... are you certain that those Horrors are..." Harry began and Lance nodded to this.
"Kind of hard not to see it even Zaruba can confirm it." Lance said as he knew those Horrors were Voldemort's Horcruxes. "Do you still have your cloak?" Lance asked as Harry in turn nodded to this.
"If Ophiuchus wants it she's going to have to take it by force." Harry said and Lance understood the sentiment. "But why does she want it?" Harry asked as Lance remained quiet to this.
"I'm not sure." Lance admitted as he looked away from Harry on this.
As time went on the twin brothers kept their minds occupied as they waited for their escorts to arrive. Day made way for night as Lance had explored the house a bit more. What had once held pictures on the walls and mantel were now bare of any life. The Kitchen was cleared out of any major belongings even the safes where they kept the money was moved to a safer location. As Lance did this Harry walked over to Lance and knew that once they both turned 17 the Death Eaters will be on this place like moths to a flame. As Lance walked he rubbed his hand across the kitchen counter and then looked to the stove and began to picture his mother Lily there.
"You know Harry I'll be honest." Lance said as he looked to the empty house getting Harry's attention. "In a perfect world there wouldn't be Voldemort or Horrors." Lance began as he looked around the home. "Maybe after the war mom and dad decided London wasn't safe for the family anymore what with all the bigotry against mundane born and... squibs and decided to move to the States." Lance said as he looked around the home. "Dad, Sirius, and Remus fell in love with Football, mom helped me embrace my mundane blood, and you and I were close." Lance said as Harry smiled a bit.
"I see that's your perfect world but in mine we're still in London and major quidditch nuts." Harry said as he looked to Lance.
"Can you really blame me? I was raised in the land where the ramparts went off." Lance said but Harry laughed a bit.
"Yes but I grew up in the sweet land of liberty." Harry said as both brothers made jokes of their home countries national anthems.
"When this is over I suppose we'll have to figure out what to do." Lance said and thus Harry nodded to his brother.
"Yeah." Harry said and in turn they simply waited for their allies to arrive and if not their allies then their enemies.
"Yeah but if we were raised by them... I'd probably end up offing them if I can't get the cops involved." Lance said as he in turn went to the house to wait for their escort. "And I'll bet there will be no court on earth that will convict me for it." Lance said as he felt he'd be doing the public a favor getting rid of the Dursley's.
"And depending on when it happens I'd probably either let you do it or try to stop you." Harry said as he followed after Lance knowing full well he would do it if given the chance.
(Later Inside)
Needless to say that as the twins walked inside the now empty house their shared summer at Privet Drive had been unremarkable, thankfully so. No inflating aunts, no World Cup, no Dementors, no visitors, and no Horrors. Then again all Lance had to do was threaten Vernon with a royal beat down and show evidence he would do it and the fat tub of lard was mewing like a kitten. Besides the occasional letter from Hermione and the Order, delivered by hand thanks to Dobby, communication had been kept airtight. Hermione at first decried sending him back to his relatives, after what happened in previous years but to her surprise, Harry had no objections. It gave him plenty of time to prepare for the months to come, as well as plan his new escape route from Privet Drive.
Lance was along for the ride to both provide Harry protection from the Horrors and to protect Lance himself from the Death Eaters. Though Lance was impressed they didn't realize Horrors always found a way around certain protections unless said protections were of the Makai Orders creation. Of course Laura was still able to send the twins messages and damn is she colorful with her words. All she said was that when she arrived she would have a much better and safer plan then whatever Frankenstein's Monster and the Team of Fried Chickens had to use. She didn't go into detail except that it would require some wheels and some doubles.
Lance knew Laura had the pieces in play so now all that was left was to wait for them to fall into place. Still Lance couldn't help but wonder just what Ophiuchus and Lupus were up to with all of this. With Ophiuchus tripe of Eden and recreating the world it didn't make sense for her to side with her father whose schemes were opposite to what she sought out. Right now they had to put their plan into action and hopefully keep Ophiuchus from gaining the Hollows.
"So we got time... wanna share tales." Lance offered as he took a seat in the kitchen.
"I suppose we have time to spare." Harry responded and in turn Lance got one.
"Well I got one, it's the story of a hero turned dark lord, a Knight turned Fallen; a manmade monster." Lance said as Zaruba heard this.
"Lance you know his tale tends to be taboo." Zaruba warned and thus Harry was interested.
"Yeah but it's to tell Harry there are worse things than Riddle out there." Lance said and thus Harry wanted to hear.
"Well we got time to spare and we've already shared enough of each other's stories as is." Harry said and thus Lance saw Zaruba was outvoted here.
"Ok... this is the tale of Mordred Pendragon the First Dark Lord the one every Dark Lord who came after have been trying to imitate without even realizing it." Lance said as he then told the story of Mordred. "Mordred was once a boy much like you or I once was but he was born into a world of suffering and evil and he sought to be the light that shines through." Lance said as Harry was intrigued. "Mordred was the last Dragon Knight but his cruel mother Morgana Le Fay had plans for Mordred. For unknown to Mordred he was of royal blood his father was Arthur Pendragon wielder of the armor of Ohga and his mother Morgana intended to use her son to destroy Arthur." Lance told and thus Harry could almost see or hear the tale.
"Mordred was manipulated from the very moment of his birth guided and directed to a goal not his own." Lance told as he spoke of Mordred. "His strength and nobility shined through it all but with each battle he endured suffering bit by bit." Lance said as he told the tale. "He saw the worse mankind had to offer many times over and each time he did a part of him broke." Lance said as he continued the tale. "But what no one knew was that Mordred had one light in his life the one thing that kept him in the light, the love of his wife and mother of his child." Lance told and thus Harry was surprised by this.
"Mordred loved his family more than anything in the world and it was thanks to his family that he never fully broke to humanities darkness and evil." Lance said but Harry had a good idea where this was going. "Morgana though wanted a bastard she wanted her weapon and knew that so long as Mordred's wife and daughter her granddaughter lived then Mordred would never fall." Lance said and thus Harry understood.
"Morgana... she killed them didn't she?" Harry asked and thus Lance nodded to this.
"Yes Mordred was away at Camelot when he had received word of the attack on his domain and thus he raced home with all he could muster but... he wasn't fast enough." Lance said and thus Harry couldn't believe this as he didn't know if this story was true or just fairytales. "Finding the remains of his family there broke him beyond repair just as Morgana intended and worst of all she left things to point as Arthur being the blame the one man whom he was loyal beyond hope to and whom he hoped to succeed one day making it seem like Arthur betrayed him." Lance said as Harry was shocked to hear this.
"In turn Mordred swore bloody vengeance upon Arthur and the Order whom they both served and gathered a following of not only his loyal but of monsters and beasts of darkness. Using his mother's connection to the dark he had discovered magic and spells forgotten to time and even dark and unholy magic's that should never see the light of day." Lance explained as Harry felt like this was some sort of ghost story. "With his following Mordred waged war and Morgana at long last got her weapon. But her mistake was that her plan worked too well when Mordred learned the truth and struck her down after Merlin and Arthur had weakened her." Lance said to which Harry though in a way it was poetic justice.
"But... Mordred didn't stop did he?" Harry almost felt stupid for asking that.
"No... He didn't, he blamed them all for his suffering, his callous father who would never acknowledge him, the Knights of the Round drunk on their power or complacent with the world, Merlin for knowing Morgana's intentions and not stopping her from murdering his family, and even the Makai Order for allowing such a rot to fester in humanity." Lance said as the story was clear Mordred became a beast of vengeance a monster born of both suffering and manipulations, the first True Dark Lord. "He made Dementors out of unicorns to force his suffering upon others, he twisted the hearts of the noblest of Knights, and it was all out of a vengeance he could never quench." Lance said and thus Harry saw this tale reaching its apex.
"Thus when the fated Battle of Camlann Garo and Ogha faced the Fallen Dragon Mordred and his armor of Edel." Lance said and thus Harry felt there was more. "But they had an unlikely ally that day... an ally in Kiba." Lance said surprising Harry with this.
"Wait a moment are you saying Kiba used to be a Protector? Or did Garo use to be a destroyer?" Harry asked shocked to hear this and a bit worried of what this might entail for Lance.
"I'm honestly not sure, Harry... all I know is that the three together with Merlin's aid and the aid of a Makai Priestess slew Mordred at the cost of Arthur's life." Lance said and thus Harry knew this well enough that Arthur and Mordred ended up killing each other on that fated battle. "Mordred was punished even further, his name was erased from time, his body was mutilated, his lands and homes desecrated all to ensure nothing of Mordred's wrath ever escaped into the world, and to top it all off he was even stripped of his name as far as the order saw it, he was forever to be named The Fallen." Lance said and thus Harry knew this wasn't the end.
"But some say... Mordred never truly died, his soul his wraith still lingers swearing both vengeance against the world, and his return should the world be deemed irredeemable of salvation that he would return to protect the world and its people from themselves." Lance ended the story as Harry felt an eerie silence surround them. "In then end though, many more Dark Lords would appear but regardless of this they are all just doing the same thing, chasing after The Fallen's shadow hoping in some way they are his true successor some not even realizing it." Lance said as Mordred was the pinnacle of power and to this day no Dark Lord had appeared that came close to Mordred in terms of raw power.
"Bloody hell, I've heard of Mordred but I didn't realize he was that bad." Harry said as it seems Mordred was so hated that even the magical world didn't want him to be remembered. From the sound of it the small foot note he found on Mordred one day in the Library with Hermione was starting to make more sense, another Mordred would be the equivalent as the rise of the Antichrist to many and for once Harry was actually glad it was Voldemort their society was suffering from and not Mordred, or the Fallen as the Makai calls him.
"Lance... Dumbledore's plan." Harry finally asked as he looked to Lance. "Am I really going to...?" He trailed off but Lance cut him off.
"No you won't... I won't let anyone else die if I can help it." Lance said as he's already had to many people die around him he wasn't going to add Harry to the list.
"But the Horcrux." Harry began but Lance cut her off.
"Laura is already working on that, last I heard she may have found something that can help." Lance said to which Harry had some hope in what Laura was working on for him.
"I guess." Harry began until they heard someone knocking on the door. The two looked and got ready for whatever was waiting on the other side. Lance and Harry looked to each other before they got moving in on whatever it was. Lance grabbed the handle of his weapon ready to activate it while he kept Harry behind him. He couldn't use his wand until midnight where he would be of age in the magical world since it would be July 31 the day of his birthday.
Lance also knew this and knew that the minute the clock struck midnight Harry would be wide open for attack. Regardless the duo made their way to the door ready to defend themselves from whatever was waiting for them. They also knew this was the last chapter in their tale in a way. But for them the question remained who was their true enemy, Ophiuchus or Voldemort.
Regardless the group was ready to do what needed to be done to claim victory. And they would face the darkness around and inside them with the hope that they would conquer it.
(Scene Break Ophiuchus)
As Ophiuchus was preparing for their departure she smiled at the image of her crowning jewel. Her Eden which from the image appeared to be some sort of floating fortress. As she looked upon it she saw her Eden where the worthy would be gods and those below would be bugs finding comfort in the light. Unaware to Ophiuchus a shadow formed behind her as it looked upon the image and grinned.
A much grander game was being played one as old as history and myth itself. The question remained who is the true mastermind. Who is the one playing chess with this world and who were the pawns and pieces in this game? Only time and struggle can reveal this truth but when it is revealed... who can truly be trusted in this eternal war between light and dark. Only time will reveal this all knowing truth.
(With Lupus)
Lupus stood in the darkness as he had his eyes closed. As he was seemingly resting he looked to the small cot being prepared in his mother's quarters. He was overseeing the build in a way as a silent observer and glaring down upon the bed being made. Just then the door opened and from it Ophiuchus walked in as she looked to her brother. They'd be leaving in an hour to attack Harry's home so until then they had time to kill.
"Remarkable isn't it brother?" Ophiuchus asked as she stood with her twin looking upon the cot. "That despite everything our father's body is still able to reproduce." Ophiuchus said scoffing at the mere thought of her father reproducing. "Mother will be due soon and we have to make sure she does not interfere with us if and when she learns the truth of our ambition." Ophiuchus said and thus Lupus glared at his twin.
"YOUR ambition." He corrected as he did not seek what Ophiuchus wanted.
"Of course." She agreed knowing how her brother can be. "Tell me though... do you think Harry will enjoy the child?" She asked but proceeded to clarify for her brother. "Do you think he'll enjoy inflicting his suffering upon the child of his mortal enemy, the child of the man who destroyed his life robbing him of his parents and thus returning the favor?" Ophiuchus said as she made it sound like Harry would in fact do that. "I suppose we shall have to wait and see dear brother." Ophiuchus said until Lupus finally spoke.
"A girl." He said surprising Ophiuchus. "The child is a girl." He added and thus Ophiuchus smirked to this.
"Well then... I look forward to welcoming dear Delphini into the world if only to be the servant of her betters and most of all servant to the man whom our shared father had wronged." Ophiuchus said and thus took her leave as Lupus looked like he didn't agree but let it be for now. After all the only thing Lupus cared for was to face his rival in a battle worthy of warriors of their stature. But until the war ends the battle to come must wait. Regardless it will come even if he had to begin it with his own two a hands.
(TBC)
ESKK: Well here we go another chapter done at long last. Sorry for taking so long but I had a lot of delays for this one. Anyway don't expect any immediate updates for this one and until next time leave reviews before leaving and again ja-ne.