With love, Harry
Summary:
In which Harry goes back in time, adopts his arch nemesis and pulls one infamous Dark Lord into his madness somewhere along the way.
"Surprise! Tom, meet your grandfather!"
"Harry. That's Gellert Grindelwald."
"I know. Isn't it exciting!? And he'll be tutoring you to be the greatest Dark Lord ever!"
"What?"
Disclaimer: I do not own Harry Potter. J.K. Rowling is the boss of it all.
Warning: Grammar, perhaps?
A/N: Dark Lord with a capital G, ayyyyy. Also hope people still remember the plot, lmao
Ten
"Is there a reset button to this?"
Septhis pinched the bridge of his nose.
"Harry?" The young vampire voiced out his concern.
"The more attention you give him now, the more drama he'll end up stirring." Septhis told the boy. "So just ignore him, for the sake of all our sanity."
"No, really." Harry shook his head as he tore his eyes away from the view before him and turned to face Septhis. "Like, we really need a reset button for this." He said as he pointed to what lay in front of them.
Massive black grilled gates in the middle of what appeared to be an island which was covered in snow— and to top it off, surrounded by water that had ice sheets floating about on all sides.
The gates honestly seemed out of place, simply appearing to be standing on its own with no walls or boundary around. It wasn't wise to judge too quickly though, because there was a strong and ancient magic that encased the entire area from behind the gate in a dome.
Sometimes when the sun managed to shine through the mass of clouds, one would catch sight of the faint golden glow of the said dome which usually remained unseen to the naked eye.
In a considerable distance away from the island stood the Durmstrang institute; a castle though one not as big and old as Hogwarts.
"What's the problem?" Sanguini asked innocently as he blinked, not finding any fault in what lay before them.
"They've got no color." Harry whispered harshly, managing to keep away all the nasty words that sat at the tip of his tongue.
"Don't be so prejudiced just because you're fond of Hogwarts."
"It's not about prejudice, Septhis." Harry shook his head. "It's more about the need for a student friendly environment which this place obviously lacks. I would've mistaken it as Nurmengard Prison, I mean just look at how dark and ominous this institution meant for the education of children is!"
"It's regarded as Nurmengard Castle at present, Harry." Septhis reminded the man in a low voice. "Don't go about casually spouting out bits of the future."
"But it's so dreadf—"
"My father's castle looks almost the same," Sanguini absentmindedly said as he observed the place. He tilted his head to face Harry, "though it's slightly bigger. Do you have a problem with dark and ominous places, Harry?"
Harry paused, before taking a deep breath and continuing on as though he hadn't just been in the midst of dissing Durmstrang's appearance. "I mean, where is the color in this? Nothing against dark and ominous places, just, just color." He stressed on his words.
Septhis sighed, was there even any difference?
"Color?" Sanguini echoed.
"Everything's just white and cold, and the castle looks like it was carved from a dull rock. Couldn't they put something more, I don't know, yellow and summery?"
"I pray that was not an attempt from you to quote Olaf."
Harry spun around, jabbing a finger of accusation right at Septhis's chest. "Ahah! Stop butting in whenever I try and watch movies. I hate it when there's someone breathing down my neck and even though you go invisible, I can still feel your presence."
"I'm just keeping a track on the activities you do behind everyone's backs." Septhis slapped his hand away. "And we're being watched so tone down your volume."
True to his words, more people had started appearing around them after being transported over by the portkey provided. And a good number of those people were staring in their general direction.
What had attracted their gazes was undoubtedly the "sophisticated aura" that wrapped around the trio like a thick blanket.
"Regardless, I still stand for the notion of hitting the reset button and sending Sanguini to a better school." Harry sniffed.
"Harry, sometimes, you just have to learn," Septhis knocked the back of his Master's head with his knuckles, "to. Let. It. Go."
Harry only had time to look bewildered at the pun before being shoved forward by the pale man.
"And stop being so childish. Get it together. It's about time the gates open."
Harry pulled Sanguini closer to him by the arm. Partly because it wouldn't do good to have the boy get lost in the crowd that turned up, and mostly because of his parental instincts kicking in.
Also, there was this one time he ended up losing Lily in the crowd—
Harry shook his head.
Somehow, memories of his first life kept on revisiting him more frequently than the other lifetimes. He believed it was to do with the fact that his first life was the only one wherein he was a parent; and being a parent once again after a long time, it was only natural for him to be reminded of his past.
The gates slowly creaked open to reveal three people who had definitely not been standing there a second ago; a stern looking woman flanked by two other men on her sides.
Yordanka Volchanova, headmistress of Durmstrang.
Harry involuntarily shuddered at the sight of the Bulgarian witch. She stood as tall as the men beside her and held a staff in her hands. The hood of her fur cloak had been drawn back as she scrutinized the people before her with her cold blue eyes.
She offered them a smile which was anything but welcoming.
If Harry was a student, he was sure he'd have just upped and left by now. He could only hope the woman wasn't as fierce as her great-grandmother, founder of the Durmstrang institution— Nerida Vulchanova.
She even looked like her!
(And that would be a story to tell for another time.)
"Welcome, to Durmstrang." Yordanka spoke, her voice loud without the need of a sonorus charm.
"I will lead the students myself. There is no need for parents or guardians to guide their wards into the institution's premises." She continued, getting straight to the point without wasting time. "This is where you will say your goodbyes."
Harry opened his mouth to protest but was simultaneously jabbed in the stomach from both sides by Septhis and Sanguini.
Neither of them needed the green eyed man to make a scene now.
The woman before them, after all, did not seem like someone who would entertain voices of dissent. Everyone around them as well did the same, wisely keeping shut.
"Ow," Harry whispered harshly as he rubbed the sore spot.
"Five minutes." She said. "Five minutes before the children will be escorted into their new...home."
The stifling blanket of silence lying upon the crowd dissipated once she turned around. The crowd grew a lot noisier as parents and guardians began bidding farewell to their children while loading them with instructions.
"What is this!? A military school!?" Harry whirled around to face the two, having completely lost it now. "How— I'm— and why can't I drop Sanguini off to the doors of the castle at least!?"
"Harry—"
"And, and what was with that pause before saying 'home'?" Harry continued in full throttle of a mental breakdown before grabbing Sanguini's arm. "Okay, this is it! We're leaving. You're going to Hogwarts. I'll make sure you do, even if it means killing a few people—"
"Harry!" Septhis growled.
The few people that had been in the vicinity of the trio suddenly gave them a wide berth. Septhis was, after all, a frightful man when angered.
Even the green eyed male who had been really bold just a second ago couldn't help but cower. "W-What?"
"One more word of from you and solitary confinement is where you'll find yourself to be in for the next week."
Harry gaped but held his tongue.
Because Septhis was not one who liked to joke.
Sanguini, on the other hand, just huffed with a fond smile. "I'll be fine, Harry. Thank you for your concern."
Harry's stiff demeanor melted at the child's words. He pulled the young vampire into his arms for a warm hug. "I'll miss you so much." He said. "Don't forget your promise to send me letters every two days."
"I might be busy with the beginning of the term, but I promise I won't forget." Sanguini replied, relishing in the warmth of the hug.
"And don't hesitate to tell us if there's anyone bothering you," Harry said, "Septhis will take care of them if you just give the word."
The pale man simply raised a brow but didn't refute. He offered a small nod. "They'll wish they were long dead."
Everyone within hearing range shivered at the threat. And the few students who had been among them memorized Sanguini's face, writing him off as a person not to be trifled with in their hearts.
"I don't doubt it." Sanguini smirked, noticing the change in the temperament of the crowd. "But I can handle myself well enough. Besides, I'm not going to lose to Tom by being so easily intimidated."
Harry laughed.
By the time five minutes were up, the students were made to line up in front of the gate as their parents and guardians watched on.
The headmistress, Yordanka, nodded in approval before turning around and waving the wand at the lake before her while muttering a few words.
The water from the icy lake rose up, twisting around in the air before solidifying into a beautiful ice bridge which stretched out, connecting the gates to the entrance of the castle.
Harry couldn't help but gasp as he turned to Septhis with an awestruck expression. "Did you see that!? Her skillful manipulation of the ice reminds me of El—"
"Enough with your movie references. I will rip those memories from your mind if I have to."
Harry bit his lower lip in disappointment.
A few moments later, and much to Harry's chagrin, the gates were abruptly shut in their faces after the students had gotten on to the bridge.
"How are we supposed to leave?" Someone in the crowd asked.
The whole area was cloaked in an anti-apparation barrier and multiple other charms that all but allowed free movement in and out of Durmstrang's surroundings. With this, it was obvious that the founder of Durmstrang was hell-bent on keeping the exact location of the school a secret.
Even the portkeys they'd used to transport to the area had long dissolved in their hands after they had arrived.
Harry glanced up to shoot Septhis a questioning glance at the question.
"There's a ship that will take us on to another island." The pale man softly supplied. "A special memory erasing shield exists in between which will ensure no one remembers where the institute is or how to even get there."
"That's sneaky." Harry replied. "Oh, look. There's the ship."
A large vessel, seeming surprisingly modern and almost muggle-like appeared in the line of everyone's sight. However, it traveled at a speed that was all but ordinary. In a few seconds, the ship was already on the bay of the island, lowering down its stairs for people to board.
"It's a cover to prevent muggles from realizing something is amiss." Septhis nodded.
"Looks fun!" Harry grinned. "Come on. Let's not be the last ones to get on—"
"And we are not going to board the ship." Septhis pulled his Master back by the collar.
Harry spluttered. "What!?"
"I'll be taking you back myself."
"But I thought—"
Septhis frowned. "I will personally get a ship for you to reenact the whole Titanic scene, so be quiet." His eyes narrowed at the ship. "It is not safe in there."
Harry struggled out of the other's grip. "For the love of— stop being so paranoid when it comes to staying around humans!" He huffed as he straightened his collar. "And even if you do get me a ship, there wouldn't be anyone on it. Where's the fun in that? And besides, you're the Septhis Mortimer, what's there for you to possibly be afraid of!?"
The pale man still had his eyes fixated on the large vessel, eyebrows furrowed as he tried to figure out what was wrong. It would be much easier if he could only bring out his true form. But Harry would not allow him to.
(Being human for quite some time now had regrettably dulled his senses. That, and having to constantly stress over his Master's well-being added to his problem.)
"I sense deaths." Septhis said, an eerie tone to his voice—
Only to realize the person he had been talking to was already halfway up and boarding the ship, an idiotic grin plastered on his face as he waved at Septhis.
Septhis felt a vein pop while furiously cursing in Latin.
He quickly followed after the man, hoping not to lose him in the crowd while his senses prickled with an ominous feeling.
If Septhis had actually paid attention, he would have undoubtedly noticed the presence of another contender for the title of the 'Master of the Deathly Hallows' on board the ship.
But because of bloody fucking Harry—
Harry laughed at the particularly murderous look on Septhis's face. He wasn't going to be forgetting that anytime soon.
It had been such a long time since he had actually ridden on a ship so he was excited. And not the least bothered that he had run off from the pale man's side. After all, Septhis needed to learn how to "live a little" sometimes.
Even though he was, well, technically Death.
Harry snickered at his own joke because, how was Death supposed to know how to live a little?
Well, that aside, Harry soon found himself standing on a partially deserted hallway filled with cabin doors on both sides. It seemed that the people who had boarded the ship had already taken up their own cabins.
Despite the ship's outer appearance, Harry discovered that the interior of it appeared to be that of a very luxurious cruise ship.
Talk about sending people off in style, Harry thought as he strolled down the long hallway, beginning to feel a little lost.
"Okay, maybe I should've just waited for Septhis." He belatedly regretted.
Harry turned the corner while wondering whether or not he would just wait in some corner and hope for Septhis to find him— when he bumped into a man. The collision caused the other to drop his luggage followed by an irritated click of the tongue.
Harry immediately retreated to avoid accidentally stepping on the contents that had spilled out from the other's luggage.
"Oh Merlin, I'm so sorry!" Harry apologized. He had felt a sense of familiarity from the man but before he could pause to ponder or even place a finger over it, the other let out an annoyed huff.
The man, ignoring Harry, drew out his want to sort out the mess when—
"Here, let me help you!" Harry exclaimed with guilt as he too brought out his hand, instinctively summoning his Elder Wand.
—things went terribly wrong.
The wand in the other's hand disappeared in a wisp of black smoke only to reappear in Harry's possession in the next second. And the two, having witnessed this strange sight before their very own eyes, slowly lifted their heads to lock gazes with each other.
Bright green clashed against heterochromatic orbs which were once an electric blue.
Gellert Grindelwald.
Harry felt a chill run down his spine as he instantly recognized the Dark Lord despite the altered appearance courtesy of a powerful transfiguration spell. Even the magic that was used to hide the identity of the Elder Wand had vanished after coming in contact with its true master.
(And this time, Harry did not feel as bold as that one afternoon when he had confronted the man face to face with a smile.)
There was a beat of heavy silence...
"Me— I!" Harry threw the wand back to the other as though it had burned him while blurting out the first thought that came into his head, "I don't have any chocolate on me this time!"
Grindelwald narrowed his eyes as he caught the wand, quickly drawing conclusions.
Who would have thought the mysterious man he had once met on a battlefield was the same one who kept on stealing his wand!
"You." A feral growl left the Dark Lord's lips.
"Look, it was a misunderstanding," Harry gushed as he slowly stepped back with all intentions of turning tail the next moment, "I didn't really mean to…"
He trailed off because didn't really mean to what? Summon the wand that he was the actual owner of?
Even the other seemed to be waiting for him to complete his sentence with a raised brow.
Harry gulped before turning around as fast as he could, "I'm sorry but I'm getting late for a prior appointment! Bye!"
Unfortunately for him, Grindelwald was faster. The man painfully clamped down his hand on Harry's arm in a deadly vice grip. But in the same moment, an icy hand with an even more painful grip came down on the green eyed youth's other arm.
"Let go of him."
Harry would've never thought there'd be a day when he would very gladly welcome the owner of the other hand, "Septhis!" He had even gone to the extent of ignoring the pain as he was ripped away from Grindelwald's grip.
"Good thing you just got here. Where did you go?" Harry gushed as he wrapped his arm around the other man's. "Let's leave now, like, like right now."
Septhis said nothing. He only threw a cold gaze at the Dark Lord as though in a warning before instantly vanishing with his master safe in his arms.
It had barely even been a few minutes before the chaos shifted into one where Grindelwald was left all to himself, staring at the spot where the two mysterious individuals had just vanished.
A hollow chuckle escaped his lips, turning into a full blown roar of laughter that echoed throughout the hallway.
"I will find you." He solemnly promised between gasps for breath as his hand dangerously tightened around his wand. "I will find you, soon."
That evening, splashed upon the evening edition of wizarding papers around the world was the tragedy of a sunken ship tied to the institute of Durmstrang which resulted in the deaths of several witches and wizards. It came as a surprise and a sudden shock because weren't they capable of saving themselves from a sinking ship?
The survivors whispered in terror of a mad man, a wanted terrorist far from the reach of aurors and the like, who had dueled the ship's security alone without breaking a sweat before bringing down the whole vessel in a rage.
The terror attack was condemned by multiple leaders; promises and vows were made to catch the one who everyone knew was responsible for the crime.
And in the corner of a cozy office, one Albus Dumbledore stared at the paper with a slight frown.
Things were slowly growing out of hand.
Very soon he would need to do something about it.
A/N:
Thank you D C JoKeR H S, Gurgaraneth, Chilli8U, tecachan, hentai18ancilla, girlwhoslept, BleckBlah5956, Lucy Gaol and Blinded in a bolthole so much for all the reviews! :)
In reply to girlwhoslept, there are no pairings planned :') And even if pairings do happen, Tom/Harry is the last thing that's going to happen here, lmao.
Thanks for sticking with the story, putting it up in your follow and favorites lists!
And thank you for reading!
[Edit: 03-04-2019] Okay, I'm finally and officially done with the whole "rewrite". Thanks for being patient and sticking with me through this! New chapters begin with the next update!
[Edit: 29-10-2019] if you're still sticking around here after all those months, wow, thank you so much! :')