AUTHOR'S NOTE: I made some changes in the previous chapter about Harry's duties as Death's Hunter. Please re-read the previous chapter before reading this, to avoid any confusion. Thank you.
Previously on Defiance…
"And the dark lord?"
"Did not step out of the ritual chamber ever since the battle. I wonder how things will turn up, but trust me on this Snape. If the cloak is involved, as I fear it will, I fear the results might just go way beyond mere fucked up, both for us and the wizarding world."
The wards of Hogwarts shimmered momentarily as a mysterious energy seeped through its' layers of wards, passing through the ancient barriers effortlessly, tearing its way down on to the Quidditch pitch, causing the entire area to be covered in a miniature dust storm. The students could see from the corridors as Harry Potter, stood on the Quidditch pitch, his eyes focussed on the Headmaster's office window. Even from this distance, he could clearly see Albus Dumbledore standing up at the window to his office, staring at him silently. Harry batted an eyelid, and he was gone, transporting himself instantly into the Headmaster's office. Whether it was apparition or something else, no one could say, since the anti-apparation wards of Hogwarts did nothing to stop his traversal.
"Harry…" Albus Dumbledore breathed, before correcting himself, "I am sorry, I mean, Ignotus, if that is your name, I suppose?" He stared at the young man who had suddenly appeared in front of him.
"I am Harry Potter, born to James and Lily Potter in 1980. I am also Ignotus Peverell, high priest of the Peverell clan." Harry stated, somewhat imperiously.
Dumbledore felt his hands slowly move around, find support on the table, as he felt himself sit down. Somehow, the movement eased the feeling of anxiety rising within him. It was almost as if watching a dream come true, only in the most unexpected and unbelievable sort of way…
"Ignotus Peverell… I mean, the Ignotus Peverell? Brother to Cadmus and Antioch?"
Harry nodded slowly. "My brothers, yes."
"The Master of the Deathly Hallows?"
Harry raised an eyebrow. He knew that Dumbledore had held ownership of the Elder wand for decades, and even though the wand would only truly work for him and him alone, it still remembered Albus Dumbledore and how he had never really fallen to the temptations of the wand.
"Yes."
"That is so… surprising, but also, exciting and almost… terrifying in so many ways… I am uncommitted." Dumbledore confessed, as he stared into the grey eyes of the boy standing in front of him. "I would very much wish to know about how this came to exist, this… fusion of souls across space and time, if you could tell me…"
"Professor Dumbledore…" Harry considered for a moment, "I know it's a little confusing, but it's me. I mean, I'm still Harry, or at least, a part of me still is. There is also another part of me, one belonging to Ignotus Peverell, my name in another life. Both memories are now a part of me now."
"I... see."
"As for why and how, I am not sure if it would be for the best if you were privy to that kind of information. The truth, as you well know, is a powerful and terrible thing, and must be treated with great caution."
Dumbledore held back a retort, finding the young man in front of him throw his own words at his face. Then again, this was not just the fifteen-year-old that he knew and taught; this was also a near-ageless entity whose knowledge and experience spanned over horizons he himself could never even imagine.
"I completely understand, however- you must understand that it is important for me to know where and what you stand for, now that you are more than Harry Potter."
Harry's eyes glanced towards the bookshelf, his eyes perusing the old tomes on the shelves- so many developments must have happened over the years in the magical arts—things about which he had no idea about. Perhaps the apprenticeship to the Guild wouldn't even be such a bad thing, academically speaking, of course.
"I am the Master of the Hallows of Death, and am her… employee, should you call it." Was Death a his or a her? Perhaps it was a fool's errand to try distinguish such entities in terms of human frames.
"Death's… employee?"
"In a fashion. My employer… for reasons, cannot tinker with the mortal world directly, and thus, does so, through me. I am what, you might call, an extension of her presence, into the mortal world, doing things according to Her will."
"And what exactly do you do?"
"Hunt." Harry answered simply. "I am a hunter. Death's personal bounty hunter, catching the ones that try to flee from her clutches. Death is universal, and comes for all. I am simply the enforcer."
Dumbledore's left hand found its way towards his seat, as he slid down, sagging onto the comfort of the chair, as his right hand held the table before him for support. This was all too supernatural, too fantastic, and yet, it did simply some… curiosities that he had had, over a long time.
"Voldemort… you are here to catch him. Are you not?"
"It's not so… simple. My presence is… nearly eternal, at least until the termination of my contract. Some… situations caused me to force my own demise back then, and now, I have been reborn. One might say that it is because this is the time when the rules of Death are being broken more than they ever have been- to be honest, I do not know for sure."
"But you will catch him." Dumbledore stressed.
"I will, but before that, I- need to take care of certain… issues." Harry stared at Dumbledore in the eye. "For certain reasons, I am at a loss when it comes to finding a certain artefact, for which I need your help."
"Of course." Dumbledore promised. If what Harry-Ignotus was saying, then it was of the highest priority for all of them as well. "What do you need?"
Harry considered the question. "I need to find out the Resurrection Stone."
…
…
…
"The… the Resurrection stone?"
"The very same. The other Hallows are with me, as you well know. I thank you for returning what is mine to me without any ill will, and applaud you for not falling into the temptations of my willy Deathstick."
"I just wanted to use it for protection. To tame it, and keep it away from prying eyes." Dumbledore muttered softly.
Harry nodded. "My senses tell me that Voldemort converted my stone into a horcrux, and thus, it is essential that we find it."
Dumbledore looked alarmed. "If it has indeed been converted into a horcrux, it needs to be destroyed, and Fiendfyre wouldn't-"
"The Fiendfyre is of no concern. I need to find it." Harry retorted.
"But, we did not mark the Stone as one of our potential possibilities as horcruxes." Dumbledore mused, "—perhaps, we need to reanalyse the information we have on them." His eyes lit up with a thought as he looked at Harry, "—There is one thing that could be done, though."
"And that is?" Harry raised an eyebrow.
"From what it seemed, your powers overwhelm Tom's by a considerable extent. Couldn't you use your powers to sense Tom out?"
"You want me to find Tom Riddle out and beat the knowledge of the Stone out of him?" Harry asked, almost surprised that the venerable wizard was opting for such a brawn tactic.
"It's an idea." Dumbledore quipped. "Slightly brawn-ish, I fear, but it could work, considering everything."
Harry sighed. "As good as it could be, it is not applicable. I have not been able to sense them since some time ago."
"A Fidelius, perhaps?"
"A location-based Fidelius hides a person's presence, not his existence." Harry corrected. "I should have been able to sense their magical essence, Fidelius or not. There is something, that is masking their magic, not unlike my own Cloak of invisibility."
Dumbledore did not know whether to be exhilarated or mortified, that an item existed beyond the Deathly hallows, that could create a similar effect as the third Hallow. The idea of Voldemort in possession of such an artefact, was troubling indeed.
"Although, I must admit, my knowledge of magic is archaic at best, and there might be something invented after my… demise, in the modern world, that could help you find it." Harry explained. "My knowledge of modern magic is limited to whatever I have learnt as Harry Potter, and there are quite a number of things that I did not initially know."
"I will see what I can do. Perhaps I could actively search for the… Stone if you could take over and guard the castle in my absence?" Dumbledore offered.
"That would be a good idea." Harry agreed, before pausing for a moment. "I would like you to keep my true identity secret, Professor Dumbledore. Another thing- I wish you to know, is that I am dissolving the House of Potter and revitalizing the ancient House of Peverell. Harry Potter I might be, but it would be wrong for me not invoke my own true House instead of a made-up name."
"Harry…"
"Peverell. Harry Peverell. If nothing else, Professor…" He waited for a moment for the old man to shake his head in denial, as he shifted away, vanishing away from the office.
Amelia Bones sat in her office, poring through one file after another- the incident at the Department of Mysteries had hit Magical Britain hard, especially her own Department. The fact that the Dark Lord was now officially back from the dead, had made Cornelius Fudge bend to her wishes to enlist more volunteers for temporary Auror-corps, as well as get a significant funding for her Department. The fact that Harry Potter had butchered over a hundred Death eaters back there in the department hadn't helped matters either.
At least the public opinion is on Potter's side, what with the Dark Lord being spotted publicly. At least Fudge sways in the direction of mass opinion.
She had lost Shacklebolt in the battle. For all of his flaws, the man was one sturdy Auror, and was dependable where it mattered. Emmeline Vance was another loss- she was a rather good hit-witch, with a commendable take-down quotient. The fights all across Britain had miraculously ended in a positive manner, with the number of losses on the Ministry side being very insignificant compared to the Dark Lord's forces- a phenomen0n that had turned out only due to the intervention of one single person whom the public was now regarding as a messiah of some sorts.
Harry Potter.
"Fergusson reporting." A disembodied voice echoed from one of the crystal, spherical communicators on her desk.
"Report." She barked.
"Dementors have left Azkaban, Director. The Warden confirms that there is not a single dementor left to guard the prisoners there."
Amelia sighed. It was almost expected. The treaty between the Dementor population and the Ministry of Magic was on shaky grounds either way. In the previous war, the Dementors had broken the treaty to join on Voldemort's side, although with the events of Halloween 1981, they had been back to Azkaban before any serious actions could be taken against them. This time though, things didn't seem similar. Even when they had sided with the Dark Lord, they hadn't left the cursed island- something that was enough to cause a frown on her face.
"There has been another report, Director. A huge contingent of vampire population has been vanishing all across the continent."
First dementors, and now vampires. What is wrong with the natural order of things?
"Anything else?" Amelia questioned.
"Nothing of priority, Director." Fergusson returned, before cutting off communication.
Amelia sighed. Her secretary Samantha had sent in a letter earlier, claiming that Albus Dumbledore had summoned an emergency session in the Wizengamot due the next day- in all possibility, to legalise efforts against the Dark Lord. She would have to consult with the Headmaster about the issues beforehand. Maybe Potter's presence could aid in passing the bill faster.
After all this is over, I am taking a year-long vacation to the Caribbean.
In an unplottable location in Little Hangleton…
"What do you mean our vampire stronghold has vanished?" An irate Rookwood asked, as Travers looked down, unable to look at the ex-Unspeakable in the face.
"Answer me!"
"I don't know, sir. The entire vampire community who had promised us support have vanished overnight. It's almost like they and the Dementors planned to duck out together."
"What do you mean?"
The other death eater looked up in confusion. "The Dementors have done the same, they have vanished from Azkaban. The Ministry has been in a fury since then."
"That's… disturbing. And the Transylvanian community?"
"Absent. It seems like the vampires and the dementors all across Europe have vanished away overnight. Even some of the werewolf packs are showing signs of unrest."
"Is this… because of the defeat of the Dark Lord?" Rookwood asked slowly.
Travers shook his head. "Greyback has been having a tough time, controlling them. From what Lord Nott told me, they are angered by something… some kind of phenomenon. Something is causing them to run underground in clusters… Some of the ones that are still sticking around are…. they are afraid of being… hunted."
"Hunted? By whom?"
Travers shook his head. "I don't know, sir."
First Vampires, then dementors and now werewolves… why are the dark creatures behaving this way? If all of them disappear on us like this, we will lose two-thirds of our army. The Dark Lord will be furious.
Rookwood glanced towards the north-eastern wing of the manor- the ritual chamber, to be precise.
Scratch that, he will skin me alive.
"Bring me one of Greyback's people. Ask Nott to come, meet me. I need to control this… erratic behaviour before it goes out of hand." Rookwood commanded, motioning Travers that it was his cue to leave.
Harry Potter slowly materialised in front of the grand, white edifice that was Gringotts, the most magnificent building in the entire Diagon Alley. His newer memories didn't really have too much information about Gringotts—except for Nagnok, who was not really a part of the banking foundation. The one, rare interaction with his Vault manager was the only thing that really came to mind.
Hopefully it wouldn't be asking for too much.
In his other life, goblins were nasty, territorial creatures who collected gold and other shiny metals, and hoarded it in their caves. The only interaction they had with wizards was during the invasions and random attacks between the two species. How such a species had morphed into becoming the financial pillar of modern wizard society was beyond him. He remembered Nagnok, who had been especially helpful in ways more than one- a goblin like that was beyond imagination back in his original life. Back then, finding a goblin meant a preparation for fight at best, and a total battle at worst. Now though….
He stared at the two goblin guards standing on either side of the cavernous door, glittering with decorations, and engravings all over them. He could see the columns of teller stations from the outside. He took a deep breath.
When in Rome…
Hogwarts' Hospital Wing.
Daphne sat on her bed, as she served herself to treacle tart, that her sister had smuggled in for her from the kitchens. The nurse was nowhere, and it was a perfect opportunity for her to serve herself to something that felt more… satisfying beyond the frustrating but edible nutrient soup that Pomfrey had recommended for her. Tracy and Astoria were sitting in chairs just beside her, watching their best friend gulp in the dish in the most unladylike manner. Daphne had been through a lot recently, what with losing her father, and then getting possessed by that… locket, and then getting kidnapped and possibly tortured. It was almost a miracle that she retained enough sanity as it was. The fact that she was yet able to live through it all and try to enjoy the smaller things in life was a testament to her mental strength.
"Where is Harry?"
The sudden question from Daphne shook Tracey out of her thoughts. He's…. well, to be honest, I don't know. Haven't seen him since…" She discontinued her words… Harry had yet to be seen after he had sprinted off, leaving Malfoy paralysed and half-dead in the Slytherin common room.
"He's… with Dumbledore, probably. I don't know." Tracey replied truthfully.
"Have you seen him?" Daphne asked seriously, eyeing her friend.
"No." Tracy admitted with a frown.
"He came back from the dead." Daphne spoke in a monotone, "Harry came back."
"What do you mean?" Astoria pegged.
"They… the Dark Lord… he threw Harry through the Veil, and said that he died. Even Dumbledore said he died." Her eyes suddenly became cold and almost devoid of emotion. "Harry was already defeated, but then he used up everything he had to save me, and then the Dark Lord… Voldemort, he threw him through the Veil."
Tracy gasped, her hands moving up to her mouth automatically. Astoria's reaction was similar.
"Then he came back." Daphne continued, her weird monotone still continuing, "-he came back, and defeated Voldemort. He didn't- he didn't see me after that."
"Daphne-", Tracy began.
"Do you think he resents me?" Daphne asked, "It was because of me that he lost initially, and because of me that he was there in the first place."
"Daph, that's no right. You know Harry would never-"
"How would you know?" Daphne continued, her tone filled with self-resentment.
"Because I don't blame you," floated in Harry Potter's voice, from the doorway.
"Harry-"
"I'm here," Harry answered, a little unsure of himself. His relationship with Daphne had been through a lot of strains this year, most of which had been his own fault, and the other- a series of coincidences. No one could have ever foreseen Daphne coming in contact with the locket Horcrux- he still remembered the changes he had seen in her after her had returned from the Guild. That calm, emotionless, ruthless face- it had haunted him for days. Now though…
I am betrothed to her. She deserves to know. If she refuses, I shall honour our arrangement and break the betrothal- after all, there is no way anyone would want to tie in a bond with someone who was at Death's beck and call.
He walked towards her, his eyes only for her, as he walked up to her bed. Tracy and Astoria looked at each other, and nodding, slowly got up and left the room- Tracy thumping her hand on Harry' shoulder supportively as she walked out.
"How are you now?" Harry asked finally.
"Still here," Daphne shrugged.
"It seems that my proclivity to attract danger has contaminated you as well." Harry tried to joke. "This was… what… the fourth attack since we met?"
Daphne frowned, reading between the lines. "Harry- you know that I don't blame you. If anything, I am angry at myself. You taught me so much, and despite it all, I failed once again, when it mattered. Seems I am a bloody loser." She hung her head down.
"Hey!" Harry's hand moved up to Daphne's cheek. "Live and learn, right?"
"I suppose." Daphne returned, "Where were you all this time?"
"I- had some… things to take care of." Harry replied evasively. Fortunately, Daphne didn't seem to question any further down that line. "I can understand." Her hands intertwined around his, as she looked at him frightfully. "I watched you die. He…. He threw you through the… veil."
My fists clenched.
"Daphne…"
"Yes?"
"There is… something that I need to tell you."
"What?" Daphne asked slowly, fearing the worst. Surely Harry had not decided to forsake her, not after all of that.
"Daphne… you remember the moments this past year, when I told you things about ancient magics and history, that I shouldn't have known?"
Daphne nodded.
"It's like…" Harry paused, trying to gather his words.
"What's wrong?"
"Daphne… thousands of years ago, there was a man, a man who did a deal with Death to protect all those that he cared for. A man who… who gave up his life and his choices to become a hunter for Death, hunting Dark witches and wizards for the rest of his life… A seemingly immortal, dark-wizard hunter."
Daphne nodded, trying to understand where it was all going.
"His name… back then, was Ignotus Peverell, the last of Peverells…" Harry paused, as he stared in her eyes, "—that man was me."
Daphne stared back at him in confusion.
"For some reason, when I fell through the Veil of Death- I should have died, never to return. But- by some fashion, my past life and my… well, this life, mixed together… and I returned back, still bound by the laws that bound me to Death in my previous life."
Daphne opened her mouth, then closed it back again.
"Daphne," Harry replied, "I am Harry Potter. And at the same time, I am also… Ignotus Peverell."