Existence is boring
Well, that is, infinite existence is. After a while, everything has happened, and there is nothing new to experience. When that happens, what is there left to do? This was the predicament currently facing Harry James Potter, the Master of Death.
While he looked about seventeen, this was not the case. Harry had stopped counting his age after a few hundred years, as it started to lose its significance. What did it matter if he was 452 instead of 451? It made no difference to him.
Harry used to frequently curse his old self, until that too got boring. He hadn't meant to collect all of the hallows and achieve a mastery over death, it just sort of happened. What could he have done to stop them from merging with his body, causing him to stop aging and altering his physical form. While he didn't mind the latter, as it counteracted the malnourishment he had endured throughout his 'care' in the Dursley household and made him fit, but his inability to age often caused Harry grief.
He often lamented that it was a curse, to watch everyone you meet and love grow old and eventually perish, leaving nothing but sadness and anger. But Harry couldn't simply distance himself from others so he wouldn't feel bad, because that just invited pain to consume him. He needed to stay busy so he wouldn't go insane. But perhaps he was insane, he mused. He would do just about anything to end the boredom he was currently feeling.
Well, not anything. Harry tried to integrate himself into society often, so as to not become apathetic to humans. Other humans. He gently corrected himself. Losing his sense of humanity wouldn't help him either. The thought that he might one day become so bored or insane that he would start to negatively interfere with the lives of mortals was a worrying thought. Taking over the world might not seem very enticing now, but if he stayed this bored for a few more centuries, Harry wasn't sure if he'd be able to stay idle.
Please Death, anything new! Harry pleaded to the only entity he knew could hear him. Just after he thought that, a glowing green portal appeared in the middle of his modest apartment bedroom. Leaping out of his bed, Harry strode quickly towards the floating circle. After only a seconds hesitation, he decided to go through it. It didn't matter what it did, anything would be better than this. Even if the circle caused extreme pain, he would've gone through it just to feel something different.
Thank you, Death. If this is interesting, you can consider that favour paid. With no more fanfare, Harry purposefully stepped through the portal, hopes high.
Louise de la Vallière awoke with a start. Today was the day, the day she would either gain a lifelong friend, or the day she would be expelled and forever shamed by her failures. If she was unable to summon a familiar, Louise would be never be considered as a real mage, no matter what she did.
With a determined face completely unnecessary for the task, the youngest Vallière daughter got herself ready for the day. She tried ignoring her nerves as she roughly brushed her hair for 10 minutes longer than normal, and only stopped when her pink hair started to clump up in her brush. Louise then gathered everything she could think of that she might need, and stood staring at he bedroom door as she went over her summoning spell again and again, like a mantra.
My servant that existed somewhere in this vast universe, my divine, beautiful, wise, powerful servant, heed my call, I wish from very bottom of my heart and add to my guidance and appear.
This became her prayer, her only thought as she moved about the halls on the way to the great hall. Louise was so dedicated to the repetition of her edited spell, that she failed to notice her arch nemesis walking out of her room, likely to head to the same destination.
Still deep in thought, Louise accidentally walked straight into Kirche von Zerbst's breasts with a small 'oomph'. After recovering, Louise quickly backpedaled and glared.
"Watch where you swing those udders, you sow!" After properly admonishing her mortal enemy for 'attacking' her, Louise made for the direction of the great hall. Kirche swiftly stepped into her path, cutting her off.
"Such a temper you have, Zero. You should be excited. After all, your going to meet your familiar today. Weren't you telling me last night about how 'powerful and majestic' yours is going to be?" Louise felt her face heat up, part because of anger and part because she felt embarrassed by what she had said.
It was true that the previous night, she had said some things she regretted now. In her anger of the teasing she was subjected to, Louise had arrogantly proclaimed that she would summon a familiar more powerful than anyone else in her year. Now that she was more clear-headed, she realized that even if she managed to summon a familiar, she would still be teased if it wasn't the most powerful. Some of her confidence in herself started to wane at that point, which only made Louise more outwardly angry.
Huffing indignantly, Louise showed no weakness as she tried to deflect the conversation. "I can't imagine that your familiar is going to be very powerful, especially since we all know it's going to be as stupid as you!" Von Zerbst smirked at the stammered insult, and turned away down the hall, sniping over her shoulder as she left. "Good luck, Zero. Try to at least summon something, or else you might seem too pathetic to tease!"
With that parting shot, Kirche turned the corner, leaving Louise fuming in the middle of the corridor. While the Zerbst harlot (as she liked to call her) had always had a talent for getting under her skin, her comments had hit a little too close to her thoughts. Everything she said was something Louise was genuinely worried, and it caused her nerves to jump to another level. Finally, Louise started her way to the great hall, paying even less attention than before, bit somehow got there uninhibited.
Breakfast was a bustling affair, but Louise did not join in on the excitement, as she was still to wrapped up in her own thoughts. This stopped her from noticing when the other students in her year started to file outside through the large doorway on the other side of the hall. She only realized that her peers were gone when one of the third years bumped their bag against her chair.
"Wha? I'm going to be late!" Louise rushed out of the hall and turned right. A few seconds later, the students left in the hall erupted in laughter as they saw Louise run past the entrance again, having gone the wrong way. About a minute later, Louise caught up to her classmates, huffing, and put her hands on her knees. Professor Colbert noticed her arrival and gestured in her direction.
"Ah yes, thank you. Now that miss Vallière is here, we can begin." Louise's cheeks, already tinged pink from exertion, flushed red as she tried to casually integrate herself into the crowd, to moderate success.
"As you all know, today is the day where you will summon your familiars. Your familiar will be valuable to your magical education, and will hopefully be a lifelong friend." As he said this, professor Colbert stared into the distance wistfully. No one said anything as he continued. "Their increased lifespans should allow them to live as long as you will. But I would like you all to keep in mind that while they are your protectors, you are also theirs. I myself have lost my familiar, and there is not a day that I don't miss her…"
No one dared make a sound, afraid of breaking the trance professor Colbert seemed to be in. He then suddenly tapped his staff against the ground, causing everyone to jump. "Alright then. Tabitha, as the student with the highest academic standing, you have the privilege of going first. Please, step over here. I will be at hand to subdue any summoned creature if necessary. While they will not likely be hostile, there is always a chance. Whenever you are ready, miss Tabitha."
As Tabitha stepped forward, everyone started whispering excitedly. It was well known that Tabitha was a powerful mage, and was likely to summon a rare familiar. While the summoning ritual wasn't that long, it was still the longest most of the gathered students had ever heard Tabitha speak for. The blue haired girl spoke barely above a whisper, and at the end of the incantation, a large green circle appeared on the ground. Rising slowly out of the circle was a blue creature that most students recognized on sight as a wind dragon.
Everyone started exclaiming in surprise, no one had expected such a rare and powerful creature to be summoned, a creature that would likely only appear once every thousand times. Louise heard Kirche's loud shout and turned toward her, seeing that she was staring directly at there through the crowd. "By the founder, such a powerful creature! I'm sure no one will beat that!" The confident smirk adorning her face made Louise angry.
After recovering from the shock, the students started going one by one up to the assigned area to summon their familiars. When it was Kirche's turn, Louise hid among the students finished the summoning, not wanting to hear the gloating of her enemy. Fortunately, Kirche was too excited with her success to seek out Louise, who sulked at the salamander summoned, another rare creature. She was sure that Kirche would take the time to extensively thrust her success in her face later.
Professor Colbert, who had been silent until now except to congratulate each student on a successful summon, yelled over the gathered students. "Alright, if that's everyone, you are all free to go spend time with your familiars!" No on took more than a few steps away before Kirche shouted out. "Excuse me sir, but Louise hasn't gone yet!" The students and familiars parted to give an uninhibited view of Louise, who stood awkwardly at the sudden attention.
Everyone just stared at her as she slowly walked to professor Colbert. Louise mentally kicked herself for waiting so long. If she had gone halfway through, most of the students would have been too preoccupied with their familiars to watch her go. Now, everyone was watching, and they started to whisper (not so quietly) as she made her way through them.
"Go ahead, Zero, let's see what you've got!" One of the more adventurous students shouted from the back. This kind of heckling would've normally made Louise angry, but she was too nervous to feel anything but apprehension for what was about to happen. 'Come on Louise, get it together!' She admonished herself to no effect. 'You must do this right! You are bringing shame on the family name.' This last thought made things even worse, imagining her mother's disappointed stare that she always seemed to give her.
By the time she made up to the front, Louise's mind was a jumbled mess of thoughts. She just stood there while everyone stared at her, the moment stretching out. Finally, professor Colbert broke the silence as he asked with a concerned look if she needed him to repeat the spell. A few snickers broke out in the crowd, and she immediately declined the offer, afraid that everyone would laugh. Too unfocused to remember the words, Louise just said whatever came into her mind. The confidence in her voice not at all reflecting her mental state.
"My faithful familiar, who is loyal and powerful, appear before me my beautiful and wise partner, protect my honour and serve me!" After finishing her incantation, Louise swung her wand in a seemingly random pattern before pointing it forward. To no one's surprise, an explosion happened a few feet in front of her.
Many students dropped to the ground, expecting smoke and dirt to fly from the epicenter as usual. This however, was not the case. The ground remained unharmed, and the smoke that appeared was blacker than night, localized in an invisible cylinder 7 feet high. All the students watched the smoke swirling in awe, until the same person from earlier spoke up from the back.
"What kind of spell was that? Looks like the Zero screwed it up again!" This caused all her classmates to burst out in laughter as Louise hung her head. She had failed to summon her familiar, and could only hope that her mothers punishment for expulsion would be lenient. A faint pulsing sound that started emanating from the smoke got Louise's attention, and as it started to grow in volume, the other students stopped laughing.
The smoke then started spinning rapidly, still contained by an invisible barrier. A wind spell cast by professor Colbert had no effect. Eventually, the smoke started to compress into itself, and took the shape of a boy. Many of the students gasped at the dramatic appearance. He appeared to be about 17 years old, with shining wind swept black hair and strikingly green eyes hid behind spectacles. He was about 5'7", and wore a burgundy shirt and black pants made of strange materials.
"Who has summoned me?" The boy spoke with confidence and power, and everyone looked at Louise, who just stared at the stranger. A lot of feeling were warring in her mind, and she wasn't sure how to feel about this development. She was happy that she managed to summon something, but was worried about the consequences of summoning a person. She was even more worried about how said person might react.
Consumed by her thoughts, Louise had failed to notice the stranger approach her, and was startled from her thoughts when he stopped right in front of her. Apparently, her earlier assessment of his height was false, likely due to the way he was holding himself. In actuality, he was barely taller than herself, who stood at an embarrassing 5'1. Professor Colbert interrupted their staring match by whispering fiercely.
"Miss Vallière, you must finish the ritual." The professor also seemed to be out of his element, and wary of this new development. Louise felt her brain shut down as she autonomously started the second half of the summoning ritual. "My familiar, I bind you to my service." With that simple sentence complete, she stood on her toes to help her reach his face.
To her surprise, the boy leaned down and cupped her cheek with his hand. He then sweetly brushed his lips against her gently, causing Louise to instinctively lean in to deepen the kiss as he pulled away. She then felt a sudden energizing rush as something flowed through her body. The moment stretched as she stared into his (literally) glowing emerald eyes.
When they separated, the boy gracefully leaned forward into a kneeling stance, keeping his head lowered. "My name is Lord Harry James Potter, I am at your service." His voice was as gentle as his kiss, and no one made a sound as he continued, despite their collective shock at his reveal. "And what might I address you as, My Lady?(1)" When he looked up at her, there was no discernable emotion on his face. It wasn't that he looked cold or that he was hiding his emotions, he just looked genuine, as unhelpful as that description was.
"M-miss Vallière." She stammered out. The Lord looked down again, and Louise was left not knowing what to do. Someone shifted behind her, and that seemed to signal everyone else to start moving. Most of her fellow students started to whisper fiercely, yet no one spoke out. Louise realized that the Lord had no intention of standing up. While the man claimed to be a lord, she felt it might be best to treat him as a familiar.
Louise cleared her throat and tried to adopt a commanding tone. "You may rise, uh, Familiar." She was unsure how to address her new familiar, so she called him by his new role. Calling him by his title of lord would make him above her station, and would give him a sense of authority over her. Likewise, addressing him by first name would imply a familiarity between them, or an equal standing of ground. If she called him by his family name, it might too formal or cold, so she simply called him by his new role, as if she was talking to a working commoner.
Her familiar stood, but kept his eyes downcast, like one of the commoner servants did when awaiting orders. This behavior reinforced Louise's beliefs that no matter what he was before, he was now her familiar and should be treated as such. Louise was unsure what to do now. The only thing she knew was that she should not stand around and wait for everyone to come to terms with what had happened. If that happens, she would be subject to a crowd of indignant nobles either shouting questions at her, or laughing at her for a (somewhat) failed summoning.
"Follow me." Louise commanded her familiar, and started to walk off in the direction of the students living quarters without waiting for a response. It was the only place she would be able to hide out for the time being, even though it wouldn't last. Her familiar followed without question, and they somehow got all the way to her room without interruption. Louise let out a sigh of relief when the lock slid into place, and then rounded on her new familiar.
He was standing between her one of her bookshelves and her table, the only position in the small room that would allow another person to walk around without being in their way. Back straight with hands clasped gently in front of him, his face was schooled as he looked passively at her, waiting patiently for something. Louise was slightly unnerved by this behavior. His clothes (while mono-coloured and of simple design) looked high quality and his manners belayed a cultured upbringing. This theory contrasted with the quick acceptance of his new role (an aristocrat would never allow themselves to be bound)
Their staring match continued for a few minutes. Her looking him up and down, assessing him, while his casual stance continued to unnerve Louise. Finally, Louise decided to test him. "You are now my familiar. This means that you will assume the role of servant, and if necessary, guardian. How you act will effect me and my reputation. Therefore, it is imperative that you follow my orders and act accordingly as a representative of the Vallière name," Louise tried to speak with confidence and authority. She was aware that in order to retain control, she needed to be forceful with her subservients. This lesson was learned through careful examination of her mother's dealings with her estate staff.
The boy expressed no emotion, and responded only when it was obvious Louise was waiting for a response. "Of course, Ms. Vallière," Louise was happy with this response. The unquestioning acceptance and short reply was exactly what her mother looked for in a servant. She often lamented that some servants would go beyond the cursory reply. Louise continued, determined to keep this strange familiar from ruining her reputation.
"You will speak only when it is necessary. I will address you as Familiar(2). I expect that any order I give to you will be carried out swiftly and without mistakes, do you understand?" This was a precaution. Setting down rules and expectations before needed would likely prevent her from becoming embarrassed by him. A simple, "Yes, Ms. Vallière," followed the orders.
Louise was left with nothing else to say. She had no orders for him now, and the expectant way he looked at her made Louise feel compelled to do something. Her stomach decided to break the silence, grumbling loudly. Louise blushed lightly and turned her head slightly. The boy, however, did not smirk or taunt her as she was used to. It struck her that she hadn't eaten in almost a whole day. With the complications of last night (where she blew up half a classroom, causing her to miss dinner), and her nervousness at breakfast (where she didn't eat anything), she was left starving.
After a few moments deliberation, Louise decided to venture out for food. She couldn't hide forever (especially once classes started again), and it might be a good idea to get the confrontation out of the way before anyone had time to think about it. "Follow me," Louise commanded for the second time that day, and quickly fled the room. She could hear her familiars light footfalls behind her as she made her way through the halls.
The school was built in a way that forced students to walk through the courtyards if they wanted to leave the dorms. In the time she'd been gone, a large number of tables and chairs had been set up. Louise had forgotten that the second years would be eating outside today. The reason was that today was supposed to be a day of bonding between familiar and master, and the main hall doesn't accommodate familiars of some sizes. Louise decided to stay outside, simply because there would be more people in the main hall.
Louise quickly navigated herself to a table at the edge of the group. Her small stature made hiding in the organized chaos easy. A servant noticed her lack of food and made their way over. Before they could ask what she wanted, Louise whispered vehemently at them. "Just get me some eggs and toast," The female server looked startled, but swiftly escaped in the direction of the kitchen.
While she waited, Louise noticed that her familiar was standing behind and slightly to the right of her. The positioning seemed intentional, as she'd seen others take the stance before. It was likely for protection. She did not ponder on it for long before her food was brought to her. A large tray complete with over-easy eggs, toast, butter and jam was placed on the table in front of her. She was so preoccupied with the meal, she failed to notice as her familiar walked up behind her. Louise only noticed him when he plucked her fork out of her hand as she went to eat the eggs.
"Hey!" She shouted before quickly lowering her voice to an outraged whisper. "What are you doing!? I'm trying to eat!" The boy looked her squarely in the face and replied with a hint of concern in his voice. "Apologies, my Lady. I was simply concerned that it may have been tampered with," His mild tone only added to her shock at his response. She blinked at him. Tampered with?" "Poisoned," he elaborated.
His voice now took on a matter of fact tone. "You are a person of great importance, you have told me so. It would be foolish of me to trust that it is safe without inspection. May I inspect your meal?" Louise stared up confusedly at her familiar for a few seconds. "My mother doesn't have her food looked over." The boy adjusted his glasses. "Normally, it would be improper to have a servant check at a dining area. It would convey a lack of trust in one's staff or their host. If I may be so bold, I would assume that your mother has employs her own staff who she deems trustworthy. This," He gestured to the tray, "Has been handled by many people you don't know."
Louise continued to stare at him. She was dumbfounded that she hadn't thought of something like that. Her mother had told her when she left for school that as a Vallière, she already had enemies. Simply by carrying the name, Louise would need to be wary of those she didn't know (and even some she did). It was a lesson Louise had forgotten. Snapping out of her stupor, Louise quickly consented to his earlier question.
She watched as her familiar first examined the egg already on her fork. He then leaned over her tray to inspect the rest of her meal. His inspection didn't last very long. It consisted of breaking open the yolks and smelling the remaining un-buttered toast. After giving a content nod, the familiar leaned back. "Everything seems to be in order. Though, I would recommend you avoid the jam. It's sharp taste and dark colour allows for more potent poison to reside undetected."
Louise once again blinked up at him. His curt and professional response along with his knowledge had her thinking. Who was this boy? He had claimed to be a lord, and while his behaviour belayed something of the sort, his quick acceptance of his new position threw her off. Maybe a servant of a lord? Louise thought. But that didn't line up either. A servant with such mannerisms wouldn't claim to be a lord. He hadn't been fazed by the acute attention of the many mages in attendance at the summoning ritual, as most servants would be.
"Thank you, Familiar…" Louise said faintly as she returned to her meal, much less focused on the food. As she pondered on her strange familiar, Louise looked around for another servant nearby. The one who had brought her meal had quite incompetently forgotten to include a drink. Spotting none within range, Louise sighed before speaking while still looking forward.
"I require a tea, Familiar. I would ask that you oversee it's preparation." A prompt "Of course, Ms. Vallière." Was the given reply. As she watched him walk away, Louise had no idea what such a simple order would cause.
AN: just an idea I had come up with. What if the infinite power of the MOD was in the hands of the most incompetent mage at the Tristain academy of magic? Expect infrequent updates. Next chapter is a Harry POV to explain some of his actions.
1 Harry is NOT brain washed into being obedient. He is simply choosing to offer his services to Louise because he's bored.
2 I'm personally not a fan of stories where the author completely strips Harry of his entire personality, including his name. Louise is choosing to call Harry 'Familiar' now, but that won't be his name for the whole story.