StormCrown
Chapter 1
Lightning flashed overhead as raindrops the size of arrowheads beat against the walls and door of the Hall of Attainment, the rhythmic sound echoing through the Hall, ignored by all but one of the Apprentices.
That Apprentice was Hadrein StormCrown, once known to the Wizards of Terra as Harry James Potter or The Boy-Who-Lived, who was currently reading a Terran text on the Warding Techniques used by Terran Wizards and was trying to adapt the principle into a series of Rune spells instead of having to rely on the large Ward stones the Terrans relied on.
It was slow going but Hadrein had managed to adapt the more basic wards (Fire-proofing, structural integrity and the like) into a usable system of Rune spells that were semi-permanent, but was now coming to the conclusion that the large Runes Nirn Wizards used as traps simply weren't stable enough.
An idea came to Hadrein, the next few minutes were spent furiously altering the formula and calculating equations.
The rain was drowned out by the scratching of a quill for several minutes, before stopping suddenly again.
Hadrein turned away from his desk, he held out his hand and drew on his magic, the familiar dark purple/blue orb forming and then contracting as he charged the spell and then he released the magic in his palm, casting his new spell.
He was shocked by the sudden appearance of a weight in his hand and dropped the object, causing a loud clang that woke both OnMund and J'Zargo.
"What the hell?"
"Let us sleep, Hadrein."
Hadrein apologised and waited until the two dropped off again before picking up the object, it was about the size, shape and weight of an Olympic discus, was a smooth blend of marble and titanium…
And had the entire Rune set for an Anti-Dark Mark ward etched into both the upper and lower surfaces.
He placed the Ward Stone on his desk and tidied away his notes before locking them in a secure chest he'd bought from the Terran goblins after he ran away five years ago, placing the conjured Ward Stone on top and then closing and locking the chest.
He removed his shoes and got into bed, as he settled down to sleep he wondered how this breakthrough would affect his old world as he planned to share his discovery with the Terran goblins, an arrangement that had proven very lucrative in the past few years with the other hybrid spells and enchantments he'd invented..
He woke to find that his dreams had once again involved a pretty, brown eyed, bushy haired girl who appeared to be an older version of someone he once knew… and loved.
The strangest thing was that he remembered the dreams, right down to the fine details like the small birthmark on her right…
Hadrein shook his head, 'I shouldn't think like that', he scolded himself.
But she kept haunting his dreams and most of his nightmares involved Alduin or Harkon killing her or worse, he'd run away from that world shortly after the fight in the Chamber of Secrets, he just couldn't take the way his life had turned out there or how he had been manipulated anymore or what certain people had done to his family, leaving her behind had been his greatest regret.
He rubbed his chest, over his heart as the feeling from the hole in his heart became more pronounced as he thought of her, he'd never been the same after he realised he loved her. That day, a part of him died just before that bitch Captain slammed his head onto the block in Helgen, in that moment he saw her face clearly, undiluted regret and sorrow flooded him and he longed for a chance to see her again… to say goodbye…
…to tell her how he felt.
When he'd escaped Helgen with Hadvar he'd sworn he'd find her and tell her, but had never done it. He knew the way back, he'd used it several times to reach the Goblins and to pick up books to study a wide variety of Terran Magics but had never worked up the courage to find her or even tell her he was still alive.
'So much for that Gryffindor courage' he'd thought the one time he'd seen her in Diagon Alley a year ago, 'No problem facing the Worst Magical Terrorist in history, but can't pluck up the courage to walk within fifty yards of the girl I love, never mind tell her how I feel.'
A loud bang accompanied by a blast of snowy wind blowing off the Sea of Ghosts, brought him abruptly from his thoughts.
"Hadrien?"
He sat up as Mirabelle Ervine entered the Hall of Attainment, "Hadrein, I need you to take Faralda's place on the bridge today."
"Guarding the bridge?" Hadrein asked the older Breton, "Alright, let me get dressed first."
Thirty minutes later, after a quick shower and Breakfast, Hadrein was standing in the alcove under the arch at the mainland end of the bridge to the College, freezing in a blizzard coming off the Sea of Ghosts.
'Thank the Nine I was bothered to learn Terran weather-proofing Charms,' Hadrein thought as the wind thundered through the arch for the Gods only know how many times already, the triple layered warming charms and snow repelling charm barely coping with the fierce Skyrim weather.
He couldn't help but wonder how his old friend would have coped in his place, and then wonder where she was now, and if she was happy.
Hermione Jean Granger was anything but happy right now, she was angry because one of her former best friends, Ron Weasley, had started, not very quietly, spreading nasty rumours about her being into girls, which was a complete lie as she did like boys, just that there was one specific boy she liked.
She was also very sad because that particular boy was… had been, her other best friend Harry Potter, who hadn't been seen in over a year, he was last seen running in terror from the dungeons talking incoherently of the potions master, desecrating graves and necromancy.
She was one of the three people who went into the dungeons to investigate later, the others being the Ravenclaw Prefect Penelope Clearwater and one of the Hufflepuff boys in her year Justin Finch-Fletchely. Together they'd found the bodies of Lily and James Potter, Harry's parents, on a pair of tables each prepared for a terrible and dark (but somehow not illegal) ritual.
Both were trapped between life and death, by examining the twisted professor's notes Hermione and Penelope deduced that both had left a part of themselves behind, connected to Harry by the blood protection Dumbledore kept talking about. Through this connection, the professor was able to retrieve their souls and return them to their bodies.
But it was here that the professor's true and terrible nature revealed itself; he was intending to bind Mrs Potter to him as little more than a slave or concubine with Mr Potter being a prisoner in his own body, totally aware but unable to interact with the world. The two were thoroughly disgusted by the almost gleeful tone of the professor's notes as he described in graphic detail what he was going to do to Mrs Potter while making her husband watch without being able to stop him.
Luckily they found that the binding ritual had to be performed immediately prior to reviving the subject and that the professor had not begun the binding ritual. In fact, the couple were essentially 'asleep' waiting to be awakened.
She made the decision to complete the ritual without activating any bindings; asking Penelope to help her while Justin fetched Madame Pomfrey and Professor McGonagall.
The two began and were done just before Madame Pomfrey and Professor McGonagall arrived, the two adults were horrified by what their colleague had been doing and nearly done, and were shocked but pleasantly surprised by the girl's success in safely completing the resurrection without harming the Potters.
Later, after the Potters were taken to the Hospital Wing, Hermione was asked to find Harry and bring him to Professor McGonagall.
But he was gone, he'd fled the castle leaving no trace of where he was, where he was going or if he'd come back. Finding Harry gone had left her feeling like her heart was torn in two, she didn't fully understand until she talked to her mother later, it was then she realised that she liked harry more than as a friend.
The following summer had been hard, the first cracks in her friendship with Ron had grown when the Potters met the two of them to find out what their son was like and Ron had exaggerated his importance in their adventures and even told a lot of lies to cover his own mistakes and to blame Harry for them.
The last straw was when he said Harry had spoken parseltongue regularly in front of them to scare everyone into leaving him alone.
She'd slapped him and demanded to know why he was lying, why he was saying nasty things about his best friend.
Ron had launched into a rant about how he was supposed to be popular and rich, how he was meant to have people fawning over him especially girls, but instead he's stuck between being ignored in Harry's shadow or hated by association and instead of hot girls around him he was stuck with a plain, bucktoothed, know-it-all that no-one else wants.
Mr Potter took Ron by his collar to the floo while Mrs Potter wrapped Hermione in a hug as the girl broke down in tears at her friend's words.
Hermione and her parents had been visited by Lily and James the next day, and were present when Molly Weasley sent Hermione a Howler declaring her Persona Non Grata.
The following day, the Potters sent Mrs Weasley a letter declaring her and Ron Persona Non Grata with a copy of the letter being published by the Daily Prophet.
Ron was still feeling the backlash, and he had the nerve to blame her.
Fortunately her friendships with her dorm mates had grown since Harry went missing so she wasn't alone like she was afraid of, in fact Lavender and Parvati enjoyed putting Ron in his place when the idiot did step out of line and the girls had supported her the following school year.
Sirius Black had escaped from Azkaban Prison, shortly after the Potters had begun legal proceedings to get him a Trial, which unfortunately reinforced the view that he was guilty of betraying the Potters.
Ron had tried to use the crisis to his advantage, claiming that everyone should listen to him as he was Harry's best friend as Harry was likely to talk to him first, but the Potter's declaration and Hermione founding new friendships across their year quickly eroded his efforts.
Black was captured in Gryffindor Tower shortly after taking Ron Weasley's pet rat from him, fortunately the defence professor, Remus Lupin, recognised the rat as the animagus form of someone he thought Black killed and cast the charm to force an animagus to turn back into a human, revealing Black's target to be a man he was imprisoned for murdering, Peter Pettigrew.
Pettigrew escaped the following day, but not before he confessed under Veritaserum to giving up the Potter's to Voldemort and framing Sirius in front of the head of the DMLE Amelia Bones, the head of the Auror Corps Rufus Scrimgeuor and Mathieu Robards the Marshall of the Hit Wizards, which prevented Fudge from sweeping it all under the carpet.
Sirius was publicly questioned under Veritaserum and exonerated, which was followed by a tearful reunion with his best friends.
Hermione had returned to school to find that Remus was still the defence professor, with Sirius and James as his assistants, Lily was taking over the position as Potions Mistress and Professor Sinistra was the new Head of Slytherin House.
But the big surprise when the students returned two months ago was the reinstatement of the Tri-Wizard Tournament, a contest between the three Premier schools of Magic in Europe: Hogwarts, Beauxbatons and Durmstrang.
She, like the rest of the students from the three schools, was waiting for the impartial judge, The Goblet of Fire, to choose the three Champions to represent the schools.
"Who do you think will be chosen?" whispered Lavender Brown.
"I hope its Angelina," Fay Dunbar replied.
"I think it'll be Cedric Diggory," Hermione whispered.
"Ooh, Hermione," Parvati Patil whispered conspiratorially, "I thought you were a one wizard witch?"
"I am," Hermione retorted, her face going crimson before a brief pained expression showed, "but I know Cedric from helping him tutor the first years last year; he's intelligent, knowledgeable, thinks outside the box and is quite powerful. He's an obvious choice."
"When you put it like that," Parvati mumbled.
"Better Diggory than Warrington," Fay said.
"Yeah," Lavender said, Warrington was one of the Slytherin quidditch team's Chasers and very much in the mould of Crabbe and Goyle, "If it isn't a Gryff, at least let it be someone with a brain."
"I bet you two Galleons that the Durmstrang Champion is Krum," Hermione whispered.
The other three girls gasped while several surrounding students stared in shock. "Hermione Granger are you trying to gamble?" Lavender whispered in mock horror.
"Harry introduced me to poker and I miss playing with him, so I'm not that innocent," Hermione whispered before pulling out two gold coins, "Two Galleons on Krum."
Fay and two others placed their bets, Fay with and the other two against while Lavender and Parvati politely abstained.
"Shush!" someone whispered as Dumbledore stepped up to the Goblet.
"Good evening everyone," the aged wizard greeted, "the time has come for the selection of the Champions, now I must remind you, once chosen you cannot back out."
Just as he finished speaking the flames on the Goblet's rim turned from blue to red, the flames remained low on the brim for a few seconds before erupted in a tall plume which briefly held a small, slightly charred piece of parchment on its tip before receding and leaving the parchment to flutter away.
Dumbledore snatched the Parchment out of the air, "The Champion for Beaubatons… is Fleur Delacour."
There was enthusiastic applause and cheering from the Hogwarts and Durmstrang students as the beautiful silvery-blonde haired girl rose from among the blue clad Beauxbatons students, who were either politely clapping or glaring at their classmate. As the young woman crossed the hall, Hermione noticed that many of the males were staring at her with slightly unfocused eyes and a dazed expression.
"Congratulations," Dumbledore said to the girl as she passed him and followed her headmistress through a rear door and into the lower Trophy Room.
The Goblet flared again and spat out another charred parchment, once again Dumbledore swiftly grasped it, "The Hogwarts Champion… is Cedric Diggory!"
The Hufflepuff table roared in pride as Cedric left his classmates and followed his head of House to the room Fleur and Madame Maxime went.
The tension in the room was now thick enough to cut with a knife, it would have taken a jackhammer around the fourth year Gryffindor girls though, as all four betters were now sweating in anticipation.
The Goblet flared a third time and another piece of parchment was ejected. Again, Dumbledore caught it swiftly, "The Champion for the Durmstrang Institute of Magic… is Viktor Krum."
The two girls groaned as they gave Fay and Hermione their winnings as Krum stood up and shouted "Durmstrang!" before following his headmaster, Igor Karkaroff.
Dumbledore raised his hands for silence, which took several seconds to fall, "Now, we have our three Champions, the First Task will…"
Everyone glanced around to find what had made the venerable headmaster stop, so all eyes descended on the furiously burning Goblet of Fire. Dumbledore took two steps towards it, but jumped back when the flames flared angrily, burning higher and hotter than before as it spat out a final parchment.
Dumbledore grasped it and read it, his mouth formed the words twice before saying the name aloud, "Harry Potter," he whispered.
"Harry Potter?" he repeated, louder this time but still a normal volume the entire hall was silent so everyone heard.
"What?" Hermione whispered, staring in disbelief, her rational mind short circuiting and irrationally rejecting what she'd just heard.
"It can't be possible," Lavender whispered.
"He wasn't here to enter," Fay agreed, but she, Lavender and Hermione were briefly snapped out of their funk by Ron Weasley's muttering ("Attention seeking bastard… always flaunting his fame… never…"
The girls were about to hex the idiot when the Goblet came alive as Dumbledore shouted "HARRY POTTER!"
The flames erupted and swirled in a wild vortex around the pedestal but remained blue, the vortex calmed and moved upwards to the brim, light shone from the body of the cup, forming into ancient runic patterns alien to even Dumbledore.
Harry muttered obscenities under his breath, even though Malfoy Senior and his cohorts had passed into the College twenty minutes ago. He'd managed to get a glimpse of their memories when Malfoy demanded entrance; they were looking for information on the Eye of Magnus.
Malfoy's Occlumency shields may have been able to hold the likes of Snape or Dumbledore, perhaps even Riddle himself, but they were designed to defeat ONE form of Legillimency, the two older variants were much more subtle and powerful and therefore harder to block, Harry had learned to guard his mind against each type to different degrees, he was by no means a master but Snape and Dumbledore would give themselves the mother of all migraines if they tried to read his mind.
"I pray to the Nine a dragon shites on him," Harry muttered, turning round as he sensed Tolfdir approaching.
"Harry!" the aged wizard greeted as he reached the Foci Font on the last turn, "I take it you know about our visitors?"
"Of course," Harry replied as his aged mentor and friend settled into the sheltered alcove opposite him, Tolfdir was the only person who knew of his previous identity, "I let them in. they're looking for info on the Eye."
"I know, they've been bugging me for twenty minutes," Tolfdir confirmed.
"They want to use it to bring back Riddle,"
"WHAT!"
"Yeah, I took a peek into his mind. He thinks that if he can tap his master into the Eye it will grant him the power to defeat … well?" Harry glanced around to make sure no one was listening, "Me."
Tolfdir's response died in his throat as a white light engulfed his student. "Tolfdir!" Harry cried before the light brightened to the point where it hurt the older mage's eyes before suddenly disappearing.
Everyone could only stare as the runes glowed brightly with a bluish-white light, then they projected the light outwards forming a cocoon of light, the light shifted several times as strange sounds came from it until it expanded and the silhouette of a figure appeared, the light brightened again, then died, the flames of the Goblet extinguishing as the runes faded instantly.
The figure standing where the light dropped him was clad in pale bluish-grey robes that seemed to be worn over some kind of scale armour and a metal breast plate with a pauldron on the left shoulder on which was a dragon design shield with the roman numeral IV, he wore armoured greaves and boots and leather bracers, on his hip was a strange sword while on his back was a staff with two parallel nine inch long single edged blades framing a hexagonal cross-sectioned blue gem, his face was shrouded by a dark brown hood.
The figure looked around the hall, his gaze lingering on several students and the Beauxbatons and Durmstrang delegations; he then turned around and levelled an unblinking gaze at Dumbledore.
"You summoned me?"
The figure's voice was deep, masculine, a man's voice, not a fourteen year old malnourished and abused boy's, a sense of power and authority filled each syllable, as well as an Ancient and unknown power.
"Harry?" Dumbledore asked, earning a glare from the man.
"You were my Headmaster, nothing more. You have no right to use that name," the figure stated dangerously.
"Of course, Mr Potter," Dumbledore replied hastily, very aware that this man possesses the power to destroy him in a single breath, "However, the matter remains that your name has been selected by the Goblet of Fire."
The figure looked to the extinguished artefact, "And how does this affect me? Why am I here?"
"Any name chosen by the Goblet is the name of the chosen Champions to compete in the Tri-Wizard Tournament," Dumbledore explained.
"Which hasn't been held in two centuries," the figure retorted dismissively.
"The Tournament has been reinstated," Dumbledore replied exasperatedly.
"As a school Champion or separately?"
"To my knowledge, separately,"
"Then why should I compete? I haven't been on this plane of existence for over a year,"
"Because if you don't you'll lose your magic, if not your life, it's a magically binding contract!"
"The World Eater himself couldn't kill me!"
That declaration stunned the Durmstrang students, more aware of Nirn legends than their counterparts; it also broke the stillness that settled as everyone watched the argument.
"Headmaster, Mr Potter," both men turned to the tiny Charms Professor, "There is a spell to check whether the contract is valid and binding," Professor Flitwick suggested.
"By all means, Professor, the floor is yours," Potter replies, gesturing for the professor to begin.
The tiny professor stands on his chair, and starts making complicated movements with his wand while reciting a spell, it sounds like chanting but you can hear the structure of the incantation if you listen carefully, when he finishes there is a tightly woven silver rope of magic around Mr Potter.
"I'm sorry Mr Potter, but the contract binds you to compete," Flitwick announced sadly, a brief cursing is heard before a flash and the thump of a red haired body hitting the floor.
"Very well, but I now attend the College of Winterhold, If I must compete I compete as a College Apprentice," Potter declared.
"Considering there is no school name on the parchment ejected from the Goblet, I think we can arrange that," Dumbledore said, he then led Hadrein to the right door.
The entire Hall burst into frantic whispering as two professors went to check on the stunned and hexed red haired boy and four Gryffindor girls pretended to appear (convincingly so too) angelically innocent under both professors questioning gaze.
Hadrein entered first, descending the stairs to find three students in their late teens waiting around a lit fireplace.
The young woman in fine blue robes sitting in a chair on the left had flawless pale skin, a thin face, striking ice blue eyes, a very curvy figure that would put most muggle models to shame and long silvery blonde hair that reflected the fire light in shimmering waves, Hadrein could also sense a powerful natural aura tugging at his senses.
The second was a handsome young man in Hufflepuff robes, he was tall, powerfully built and had his black hair swept back like he'd just stepped off a broom.
The third Champion was taller than the Hogwarts boy, broad as a Nord with short black hair, tick bushy eyebrows and a surly face, wearing heavy blood red robes like an old soldier's uniform and was staring into the fire.
The girl was the first to notice Hadrein, or at least someone entering, "What iz eet? Do zey want us back…" she trailed off as her sharp mind processed Hadrein's attire.
"There has been an incident involving the Goblet," Hadrein replied diplomatically drawing everyone's attention, "My old name came out of the Goblet a few minutes ago and it forcibly summoned me here, it seems I am bound to compete with you."
"This is OUTRAGEOUS!" Karkaroff roared.
"And 'ow do we know zat you didn't entair your name?" Madame Maxime asked.
"How would I manage it from Winterhold?" Hadrein retorted.
There was a dead silence before a deflated Karkaroff spoke, "You attend the College? Did the Goblet summon you from there?"
"Yes and yes," Hadrein answered, "Although how it can do so is beyond me."
"Perhaps," Karkaroff mused quietly, not noticing Madame Maxime's stare or those of the three Champions.
"So you're being made to compete?" the Hogwarts boy asked.
"I have no choice, the only thing I can do is compete in College colours so no school has an unfair advantage," Hadrein replied, stepping to one side as Dumbledore and two officials entered.
"Well, this is a remarkable turn of events," the younger of the two men, a blond man with a crooked nose and a slightly large belly said, "I take it Mr Potter has informed you of the… incident, just now?"
"He has," the Durmstrang Champion said, like his Beauxbatons counterpart carefully drinking in Hadrein's appearance, "so he must compete?"
"Yes," the young official confirmed, "Now, we have a few announcements, Barty?"
The second man, who resembled Hitler with his rigidly cut toothbrush moustache and slicked down hair, stepped forward, "The First Task is designed to test your skill, cunning, initiative and ability to remain calm in a dangerous situation; it will take place on the 24th of November. You are not permitted to accept help, advice or material to assist you in any task from any member of staff from any school, Mr Potter is the exception due to the way the College of Winterhold teaches."
"Apprentice system," Hadrein explained, "My mentor will probably arrive tomorrow, so you may be able to hammer out any relevant details with him."
"That is agreeable," Crouch confirmed.
"Very well," Hadrein said, "And where shall I be staying? I presume the Durmstrang and Beaxbatons students will stay with their classmates and Mr Diggory in the Hufflepuff dorms, but it would be inappropriate for me to enter Gryffindor Tower as I'm no longer a student."
"Quarters will be provided in the Diplomat's Tower," Dumbledore assured him.
Hadrein nodded as the other Champions left with their Headteachers, Harry, Dumbledore and Cedric were met by Professor McGonagall in the Great Hall.
"Minerva, Due to him being an apprentice of the College of Winterhold, Harry is…"
"Hadrein."
"Excuse me?"
"My name is now Hadrein StormCrown, it has been since the Watch tower battle outside Whiterun," Hadrein explained, "I only allow my old name to be used by those closest and dearest to me."
"I understand, as I was saying," Dumbledore continued gently, "Hadrein will need to reside in the Diplomat's Tower until further notice, as he is no longer a student."
"Of course, you will need to open the wards," McGonagall replied, she then turned to her former student, "If you would follow me I'll show you to your rooms."
McGonagall lead the way out of the hall, the two walking in complete silence until they'd reached the Fourth floor.
"It feels odd to be back," Harry said thoughtfully, "I haven't been here for nearly four years but I can nearly remember everything."
McGonagall looked at Hadrein oddly, "You've only been gone a year and a half."
"Time flows differently in Nirn, a year here is two years there," Harry explained, earning a surprised look from his old teacher, "so I've not only grown up but learned more than I thought possible when I was last here."
"Your friends were very upset by your departure," McGonagall mentioned, "we all were, I suppose, but Miss Granger in particular was hard hit."
Harry stopped on the stairs leading up to the short landing off the Hospital Wing, "Can I see her tonight, in the Diplomat's Tower? As long as she's back by curfew of course," he asked.
"I think it can be arranged," McGonagall replied as they continued on, "as long as she returns to her dorm before curfew."
They continued along the disused landing until they finally reached the guardian of the Diplomatic Tower, a large statue of a Roman Legionary holding a carved staff instead of a pilum.
"This is Quintus; the guardian for the Tower, as you will be residing in the Tower you must set the password for entry into the Tower and a separate password for the guardian of your rooms," McGonagall explained.
"Semper Fidelis," Harry said to Quintus, the Roman nodded and stepped aside, "I take it Quintus' password will be known to all the staff?" he asked McGonagall as they stepped into the Tower.
"Yes, but the password to your rooms is private," McGonagall replied as they studied an old map of the Tower, "I approve of your choice of password for Quintus, by the way."
"I thought it appropriate, considering both the spirit of the Tournament and… other things," Harry replied, McGonagall sent him a curious look but said nothing.
Harry glanced around at the doors on this floor but stopped at a single painting.
In the centre foreground was a pond with several lilies on the bank, an old oak tree stood just behind the pond and slightly to the left, beyond the oak and filling most of the picture was a green meadow in the far left background was an oak forest and to the far right was a small farm.
Harry could only watch, mesmerised, as a stag and a doe left the forest and pranced around the meadow, while a massive black dog bounded from the farm and tackled a timid looking black wolf that was hiding in the long grass, the two chased each other for several seconds before settling next to the stag and doe who were lying down at the crest of the bank above the lilies.
Harry turned to Professor McGonagall, who appeared to be blinking away tears, "I think I'll settle into these rooms, professor," McGonagall nodded.
"Prongs rides again," he said clearly to the painting, the stag sat up straight and stared at him as the doe nuzzled him lovingly before sending the same loving look to Harry, while the wolf and dog stared at him incredulously before smiling proudly at him.
The portrait swung back, revealing a large room the size of the Slytherin common room, "You are welcome to visit Professor," he said as he stepped in, turning back to his old professor.
"Thank you Mr Potter, and goodnight," McGonagall replied.
"It's Harry, Professor,"
"Thank you, Harry,"
"And Professor? Could a landscape version of this painting be made for my rooms?"
"I think that would be a wonderful idea, Harry, I'll ask one of the elves to attend to it," McGonagall replied, smiling at her former student, she then turned back to the corridor and left.
Harry searched the rooms to find a master and guest bedrooms with a large bathroom that was connected to the master bedroom, he took out the large chest he'd shrunk and placed it next to the window, he then took out several of his possessions including maps of Cyrodiil and Skyrim, weapons, trinkets, a miniaturised dragon skeleton, several fur rugs and a shrunken armour stand.
It was several minutes after setting his armour onto the stand and leaving his sword and staff in a similarly shrunken weapon rack that Hadrein settled into an armchair beside the fire, that a house elf named Mipsy appeared with a portrait three quarters his height tall and as wide as he was tall of the portrait guarding the entrance, he asked her to place it next to the fireplace directly opposite the master bedroom door.
He repositioned his chair to watch the occupants of the painting, losing himself for a time as he watched the animals playing with each other, he could almost imagine standing in that meadow or ankle deep in the pond as the furry ball of a tussling wolf and dog rolled past or even into him, soft fluffy fur between his fingers as he scratched their ears.
He was so immersed in what he was seeing, he didn't notice the door open and the pretty, bushy haired girl who'd haunted his dreams step through nervously only to stop as she saw him staring at a copy of the same beautiful painting she'd just passed. She watched a myriad of emotions cross the scared and weather beaten face, but it was the frequent look of saddened longing that made her approach, made her want to comfort her old friend.
"Harry?"
The scarred soldier spun in his seat, a hand raised, palm open with a ball of furiously burning flames suspended in the open palm, the fierceness in his eyes fading with the fire in his hand when he recognised who he nearly attacked.
"Talos! I'm sorry Hermione, you surprised me."
"You can do wandless magic?"
"It's not so hard, the problem is that there is a specific method of channelling your magic for each spell, you can't just pull on your magic and use wand movements and an incantation to shape it, you have to shape it yourself, once you learn to shape your magic it's easy to do," Harry explained standing up and walking over to her.
He stopped just in front of her, for several moments they stared into each other's eyes before Hermione broke, rushing forward and engulfing her friend in the tightest hug she could.
"I missed you," she whispered as Harry slide his arms around her and started rubbing gentle circles into her back.
"I missed you too," Harry whispered back, "I thought I'd never see you again… "
"Where did you go? Why didn't you write? Or come back?"
"I wound up in a country called Cyrodiil, on Nirn, it's an alternate plane of existence to this one, well… parallel would be more accurate, I don't remember anything between entering Snape's office and waking up some time later behind a crate on the waterfront of the Imperial City, Cyrodiil's Capital, I spent several months working around the docks before I headed north into Skyrim, but that's another story. I couldn't write, because owls can't cross Oblivion and… I wanted to come back, but I couldn't. At first it was because of the war and my commitments to the Legion or the Dawnguard but later… so much time had passed, once I even saw you in Diagon when I left the bank but I couldn't bring myself to come over, I felt that too much time had passed… that I'd changed to much…" Harry explained.
"It's ok, I understand," Hermione said, and she did as she'd had the same doubt herself over the summer.
"So, what was Cyrodiil like? And the Imperial City? Are there other Cities in Cyrodiil? What's Skyrim? What are the Legion and the Dawnguard?" she fired off the questions and more in rapid succession, making Harry blink then laugh as his mind flashed back to a very cute, bushy haired firstie with twinkling chocolate brown eyes and an insatiable thirst for knowledge firing dozens of questions at Professor Flitwick on the first day.
He sat down in his arm chair, pulled her down to sit on his lap, and spent the night answering all the questions he could.