Reviews:
Pyromania101: Yeah, only a few more chapters remain but I hope to keep them pretty lengthy so they're able to cover all beats and check-up on all ends. With the inclusion of Sirius, all three mages can still keep up with learning other spells and tricks and Harry is still looking to get the Patronus charm down. This chapter is calmer than the last one so we'll also be getting a look into the HP side of things and these last few chapters will hold something special for a battle. Happy New Year to you as well!
FuryJoe: Thank you! Glad that you enjoyed.
OBSERVER01: I tried giving every one of the cast a chance to pitch in as well to help make it feel more balanced out that way and I hope to incorporate that feeling once the final battle comes around as well.
Tero7323: Yeah, this chapter is going to be a lot calmer with that fight out of the way and several characters will get filled in on some additional information.
Necrogod: Not a problem! I hope you enjoy this one as well.
Greer123: Skull Knight and Guts do make a good team with the addition of the past/future element they both have. Hope you had a wonderful holiday.
Hairul The Nightrage Beast: We'll be getting a look into what Rickert, Erica, and Silat have been up to since we last saw them as well as the Bakiraka hideout while Skull Knight seeks to gather more allies.
Jpfcentralgmail . com: Thanks! As Harry ages, I've tried to add more layers to him through other experiences he has as well. Some of the earlier chapters do have more grammatical errors, but I did go back to some of them to re-edit and touch them up a little. Hope you enjoy the rest of the story!
Disclaimer- Harry Potter is owned by J.K. Rowling and Berserk is owned by Kentaro Miura. I own nothing.
"My, I'm surprised to see that you still remember me," the Kushan man said in mock surprise. "Frankly, I'm surprised to see you alive at all given your suicidal tendencies. Although..." Silat's obsidian eyes traveled across their entire group. "You seem to have picked up some new acquaintances since we last met."
"You're still sticking to yourself then?" Harry asked. "Can't be. You wouldn't just be out here without a reason. Rickert told you we might be here."
"Insisting is a more fitting word," Silat lightly tracked his way over. "Him and that little girl that follows him around all the time." So Erica was alive too. "I've been risking my life coming out to this rock regularly for the past couple of weeks now. They usually end with me having to fight for my life."
"Hey!" Isidro suddenly pointed an accusing finger at Silat. "You're that dirty Kushan guy!"
"Silat is my name, boy," his dark eyes narrowed. "And given the small state of your mind, I'm surprised you actually remember me at all."
Ivalera couldn't help but snicker at the remark which seemed to have gone completely over Isidro's head giving it all the more validation. "To be fair, I didn't recognize him," Puck mentioned as well.
"Figures," the pink elf gave a roll of her eyes.
"You've gotten stealthier," Guts greeted the Kushan assassin. "I barely heard you coming that time." Harry figured that could also be from his most recent usage of the Berserker Armor inside of the Sea God and the ringing he must be feeling in his one ear, but it was far better to make Silat more assured of his own skill. Given his prideful nature, stroking the ego wouldn't hurt their cause in this case.
Silat cast his narrowed gaze over to Guts now, eyeing him from head to toe. "Ah, Guts. You still have that impracticality of a weapon and... new armor as well. Encounter much stress on your travels?" Silat made a subtle gesture toward the white patch of hair above Guts' right brow.
"You would know if you had been there," Guts said back. "You manage to gain favor with your emperor after we parted ways?"
"If that was your idea of a jape, the humor is lost on me," Silat folded his arms. "Even with one eye, you can still see the state the world is in right now. As it stands, I really don't feel like going over current events with you."
"So why not just answer us one question then?" Casca began. "Where is Rickert?"
The Bakiraka assassin gave no answer right away. He seemed like he was studying her more than the question that she asked. "Well, this is new. Last I saw of you, you were a babbling mess no more coherent than a newborn child. Yet here you stand now in full armor complete with a sword." Silat took in her look. "Good. I would hate to think that my effort to rescue you from that cursed tower were in vain." Looks were thrown Silat's way, mainly confused ones. "Do not get me wrong, I harbor no feelings of camaraderie for our brief time spent. Part of it is mainly due to the visible Kushan ancestry that she shares."
Sirius seemed to find something familiar with that comment and whispered to Harry, "That sounds like something my mother would say."
If Silat heard that, he never addressed it. "To answer your question, the blacksmith known as Rickert of the Hawks is still very much alive - and unharmed," Silat added that last bit seeing the way Casca was eyeing him. "I came across him and the girl when they were staying at an inn within the city of Falconia. I saw the city for what it was due to my pursuit of an estranged Bakiraka member who has pledged his allegiance to the Hawk of Light. Once he realized the truth as well, we were forced to flee the city."
"So where is he?" Guts then demanded.
Silat's eyes flashed back over to Guts. "The only place that even has the most remote chance at staying hidden; the Bakiraka hideout."
"I thought your clan had no place to go," Harry scrutinized Silat's answer. "That's why you fought for the King of Midland, that's why you went back to Emperor Ganishka, you were always trying to get a pass or a pardon for what your clan had done in the past."
"I suppose I should consider myself grateful that someone actually paid attention to that," Silat mumbled to himself. "Yes, we were exiles, still are due to the fact that there is only one safe city left. Our hideout is just that, a hideout. Frankly, it is a risk for me to even be out here on the whim of your comrade."
"I can't imagine that this hideout of yours is close," Casca guessed. "How've you been able to come here without seriously risking your life?"
Silat's eyes briefly drifted over toward Harry ever so slightly. "You're not the only one in the company of a sorcerer. Tell me, have you ever heard of the name Daiba? He certainly knows you."
Memories surfaced of Harry's duel with the ancient Kushan sorcerer as they attempted to escape Vritannis. He also remembered cutting off one of his hands causing the older wizard to abandon the duel. "I remember him alright."
Silat only gave a small, "hm" before eyeing them again. "As old and disgraced as he might be, Kushan blood still pumps in his veins so he has a spot amongst us." Silat lowered the cowl that hid the lower half of his face and brought a few fingers to his lips. "Wheeeee!" Silat whistled.
From the air came the beating sounds of large, leathery wings. It was followed by a shrill cry. "Wrrkkkaaa!"
Tension filled them as a monstrous sort of airborne creature descended down toward them. The skin was pink and leathery. The head was that of a featherless bird but with razor sharp teeth poking out from the side of the beak. To Harry, it looked like a depiction of the prehistoric pteranodon. The winged creature nipped at Silat's hand as he reached into his pouch and threw it a piece of raw meat.
"Weapons away, please," Silat asked of them. "Daiba has found a way to magically tame these beasts to his will and I rather not have to explain to him that one of them died."
"That... sounds like a sort of warging," Schierke thought out loud as the winged creature eyed them warily like a hawk.
"You would certainly know better than I," Silat grumbled as he moved to mount the creature on the back.
"You're ditching us already?" Isidro asked in indignance. "We haven't even done anything dangerous yet."
"I thought you were here because Rickert asked you to search for us," Harry added before Isidro could say something that might offend Silat further. "Weren't you planning on taking us to see him?"
With narrowed eyes, Silat said, "By all means, if you believe that you all can fit on the back, I openly invite you to try it." His voice was heavy with sarcastic mockery. "No? Well, then I suggest that you wait here while I return with a few others that Daiba has under his influence. That is unless you plan on fighting for your lives the entire way there."
"How long will that take?" Guts asked.
"Longer if you plan on holding me up with useless chatter," Silat said as he made ready to depart. "The hut is clear for the time being. If you seek temporary shelter, do so. Just be ready for when they come again - this place is a nesting ground for those hairy beasts." Silat dug his knees into the side of the winged animal and with a shrill cry, it took off once again.
As soon as he was sure that Silat had left, Magnifico spoke up.
"Are you truly sure this is wise? The Bakiraka are notorious for being murderous outlaws. Not to mention it was their Emperor who was invading just a few months ago! Not just Midland mind you, Chuder as well. Every western nation was threatened by their army."
Sir Azan still had his face covered with his helm, but the doubt in his voice was evident enough. "While his actions may be seen as noble, the Bakiraka have a history of only valuing self-preservation. He could have just left us here believing us to be dead weight."
"With due respect, aren't we all concerned for our own beings?" Farnese asked. "Magnifico," her brother stiffened, "the entire time you were with us on the trip you complained what was best for you. Even my betrothal was a way to further your own stance within the family business."
"Y-yes, well, I at least came with all of you, didn't I?" he asked rhetorically. "I gave up safety with my best friend for this nightmare." There was that as well as the fact he was terrified to run into another sea beast like the Sea God again.
"Silat isn't the problem," Casca told him. "I don't doubt that he isn't a murderer or a hypocrite. If he does end up betraying us, at least it is to be expected and we'd be ready for it. He at least was telling the truth about the outside world being filled with all sorts of dangers." Some blood still clung to her boots from a nasty encounter. "And since he is self-preserving, we at least know he'd value safety in numbers and he isn't about to turn away people he sees as being useful."
"I still say he sounds like a Slytherin," Sirius said. "And if he is like those snakes, your assessment is pretty spot on. You all seem to know how to handle him better though so I'll follow your lead." He adopted a sly grin. "But if you need someone to discreetly hit him with a jinx, I'm your best bet."
"Well it would be best to wait for him to return then," Serpico brought them back on track.
Magnifico still didn't seem too convinced. "If we are to wait, I'll do it inside of that hut - ramshackle as it is." He looked around at the sky nervously like he was expecting something to come swooping down and snatch him in its talons.
"We could benefit from a little bit of rest," Schierke added. "There's no telling when Silat might be back. I doubt that he does mean us harm, but... just to be safe, I suppose."
There didn't seem to be any argument to be made so they followed suit into Godo's old home. Harry noticed that the old blacksmith's gravestone was still standing at least. That at the very least gave him a sense of satisfaction that no monster had trampled or defiled it since the world suddenly changed for the worst.
The inside of the forge house was practically the same as it had been before; the key difference being it was far less warm with the fire having died out, and no Erica running around playfully as the sound of metal on metal filled the air. It seemed like any number of homes they had passed on their way here, barren.
"I'll check the upstairs, make sure there aren't any more of those little bastards hiding up there," Guts said as he lumbered up the stairs to where the bedroom was, the stairs creaked and groaned from his steps. Harry heard no beastly cry of pain or the sound of metal splintering wood so it was safe to assume that the house was clear of threats for the moment.
Making his way over to the kitchen, Harry set his bag down as he spotted a worn piece of parchment lying off to the side of the table as if it had fallen off. Picking it up, Harry saw that it was a note.
Guts or Harry,
If you're actually reading this, Erica and I left the house. Things have been getting pretty strange here lately, not all at once, but it has gotten to the point where I can't keep Erica safe if we stay here.
The smaller ones aren't so hard to deal with, a few explosives and they're on their way again. I made sure that Erica has some on hand if she ever goes out to collect water or firewood and that she knows how to use them. Luckily, she hasn't had to rely on them.
I don't know how the rest of the world is doing right now ever since that wave of white blasted across the land, but I don't think we'll ever expect more business out here this far out into the mountains. If any person does show up, I don't think they'd have the courtesy of doing business and might just take to try and rob us blind. I'm taking what gold we can carry, but Erica made sure to hide a fair amount of silver inside one of her dolls - the one with red yarn for hair. Not sure what good it would do, but it's yours if you want it same with any weapons that are in the shed, though I can't imagine Guts parting with his sword any time soon.
We're all packed and ready to go here and thinking of trying to find any members of the Midland army, try and see if they managed to set any defenses up. If not, maybe we'll try the capital. Haven't been there since our Hawk days, but if the war with the Kushan is finished, it might be our safest bet.
You two just keep surviving anyway that you can and I hope that we can all meet up again one of these days. Erica really misses you all.
Best,
Rickert.
"Find anything lurking in the pantry?" Sirius' question tore his attention away from the spare piece of parchment.
"Well, I'm still alive, that seems like a good answer," Harry responded.
"Think I might help myself to a sword lying around here," Sirius said offhandedly. "Seems pretty fitting, don't you think?"
Raising a brow, Harry asked, "Have you ever held a sword before?"
"Held one? Sure! The Black family has dozens of antiques. Have I actually used one? Nope. But I also learned a long time ago that it isn't what you do, but how cool you can look while doing it."
"Who said that?" Harry asked and Sirius smirked.
"Well, your father mainly. You've never seen it played, but Quidditch is kind of a big deal back in practically all the magical world. When we were in school, your father was the single greatest seeker Hogwarts ever had. The attention got to his head at times," Sirius paused. "Well, practically all of the time. He used to show off quite a bit, doing different stunts and all the likes. Moony and I always thought he was doing it to get your mother's attention. It didn't work."
"If it didn't work how am I... well, here?" Harry asked, a bit curious as to how his parents actually did up together. He still had the photo book Sirius had given him so he did at least have faces to put when imagining them.
"Let's just say James wised up is all," Sirius said with teasing nostalgia. "Wanting to please your mother had quite a bit to do with it. When she saw him actually helping others instead of showing off, she decided to give him a chance - good thing too. We actually made bets to see if they would hold up or if Lily would shoot him down."
"And how are you holding up?" Harry suddenly asked.
"With being here and getting involved in all of this?" Sirius asked to which Harry nodded. "Bit confused, to be honest. The memories you showed before help fill in some of the gaps, but being here is looking far different from the muggle world back home, just more of how medieval England used to look. Can't say our magical ancestors ever had to worry about dealing with a giant fish called a Sea God - or even went against beings with the power of God on their side though. Or handle people who can turn into monsters at a moments notice." Sirius saw the look that he was getting. "That doesn't mean that I regret my choice. I'm still good for my magic and anything you or the two girls want to learn, I'll happily show you."
"Do you think that'll be enough?" Harry asked him. "Voldemort and some of his followers are here as well, waiting in Falconia, maybe doing some training as well. Even if our magic is stronger, they still have more."
"And I reckon our local dragon slayer will be too preoccupied with a few other fights to just kick them to the curb this time," Sirius inferred. "Good to know you're at least thinking of that fact."
"We still don't even have a plan yet," Harry confessed, a bit relieved to say that fact out loud. It was something that they all already knew but hardly ever openly admitted. It felt good to say.
Sirius gave a light shrug. "I can't imagine it'll be as easy as just knocking on the front gates and hoping that whoever will let you into the if they know your faces."
"Maybe not all of us," Harry muttered, a thought coming to his head. "Farnese and Magnifico are still the children of a well-respected noble and they haven't been at the forefront of many fights like someone like Guts." Not to mention neither Farnese, her brother, or Serpico were marked with the Brand of Sacrifice. "And you too, no one here even knows you exist or that you have magic. If you all somehow got in under the guise of wanting to attend the wedding, we'd have some shot, wouldn't we?"
"You sound like your mother," Sirius said with the ghost of a smile on his face. "But I don't think your pupil's brother is much of a fighter. A good actor maybe, but that would just leave three of us in a city full of demonic persons wanting to probably kill and eat us. I might not sound my age when I say this, but I'd feel better knowing if we could get some more help out of that."
"Unless we find a way to somehow convince Silat to help us out," Harry offered. "But knowing him, that'd be doubtful."
"Yeah, about that," Sirius acquired an inquisitive tone, "what exactly is the deal with him anyway? Your memory showed snippets of him before and I heard the word assassin being thrown around when he was here. You'd obviously know better than I would."
"Well he is from a clan of assassins, yes," Harry recounted what he knew of the foreign people. "Some time ago, one of their ancestors killed someone they shouldn't have and their entire people were banished and made to find a new home elsewhere. Silat kind of flip-flops on where his stance lies, really doing whatever is most convenient for him."
"Ah, so they're a bit like hit wizards," Sirius said out loud.
"What?" Harry asked.
"Basically like what you described," Sirius told him. "Wizard bounty hunters of a sort. Not really the most professional of careers, but it is convenient for some. Your father and I used to entertain the idea if we couldn't become Aurors. James insisted his cloak was the perfect tool for a job. Had it in his family for generations and it still held up. Surprising considering most invisibility cloaks only last a few years before showing signs of use."
"There's something special about the cloak?" Harry asked at the new topic. He rustled through his bag until he felt the soft, smoothness of the liquidity fabric. He had never encountered an invisibility cloak before so he had no idea how long they were supposed to last, but if this really had been a family heirloom so to speak, there had to be something about it.
"We had our thoughts," Sirius smiled in nostalgia. "None of them were probably right, but there's no denying the magic in that old cloak."
"So if there was really was something out of the ordinary about this cloak, do you think... it would be enough to sneak into a demon-infested city as well without being noticed?"
"I've never faced these apostles as you have, but, I would put my faith into what I do know. And what I know," he pointed to the cloak in Harry's hands, "is that we were only noticed when we wanted to be."
Harry felt a surge of gratitude toward the now deceased Hogwarts headmaster for returning this cloak to him when he did. All Harry had before were loose concepts of how things could have gone, but one thing was for certain, Falcoia was enemy territory and fighting there would not be in their favor. Stealth and discretion wee their allies for this and infiltrating the city just became all the easier.
It was possible for the likes of Sirius, Serpico, and the two Vandimions to be allowed entry into Falconia. It was even more likely that they would be able to get entry to the palace if they were there for the wedding which was still only a few months away. And if he had the cloak, he would be able to enter as well. With an appropriate amount of time, he could even locate Charlotte when she was alone and get her out of there before the wedding. At that point, Neo-Griffith would know for certain and he would come for them. He would come to where they were. If he did that, they could gain the advantage.
Harry was not going to try and lie to himself and give hope where he knew there was none, but if they could actually pull something like that off, they had a sliver of a chance.
It was very early next morning when the sound of wings flapping could be heard. Taking a peek out of the window, a somewhat welcoming sight greeted them.
Making true of his word, Silat had indeed returned, this time with a few more of the same beasts which were tied to his own with enough slack on the ropes so that each one had space for their wingspan to reach full length. They landed a bit awkwardly as some tried to nuzzle out of the restraints tied around their necks, but to no avail.
"Rest well, I take it?" Silat asked sounding a bit irritated. He had probably gotten little to no sleep on his trip there and back.
"We're all set and ready to go," Harry told him, picking up on his irritable mood. "No need to keep holding up here." He said that but still cast a glance over to where Godo's grave was and past the damaged mine to the horizon of the Hill of Swords. The light from the morning sun really did cast a soft glow up on this side of the mountain.
"Then let us be off already." Silat's cowl covered it, but Harry thought he saw his jaw move to try and stifle a yawn. "No more than four on each one."
Farnese, Serpico, Magnifico, and Sir Azan took one. Magnifico cowered away from the beasts beady gaze as he quickly mounted after Serpico, hanging onto the other man's waist despite not taking off yet much to Serpico's confusion. Siz Azan took a bit longer to mount up. "A beast from afar but a majestic animal from up close. I put my faith in you, winged stallion."
"I do not think it can understand you, Sir," Farnese said as she helped him climb up.
Guts, Casca, Isidro, and Puck took another one. The beast gave an indignant squawk at the additional weight that came with the Dragonslayer and Berserker Armor.
"So we're actually about to fly?" Isidro asked, excitement lacing his every word. "Guess I'll know what it feels like now, Puck."
"Savor it while you can," the blue elf advised. "Unless you have wings, this is a one-time thing." He fluttered his wings for emphasis.
"He's actually right for once," Ivalera sat on the brim of Schierke's hat as she, Harry, and Sirius mounted the same one Silat occupied. It would be better if they had someone riding with the Kushan just to be safe.
"Thankfully," Schierke said as she moved one hand from Harry's waist to hold her hat in place.
"We haven't even taken off yet," Harry told her, mildly amused by her reaction. Strangely, he was not as nervous as he thought he would be. Maybe seeing the reactions of people like Schierke and Magnifico helped to subconsciously put his mind at ease.
"I'm just preparing for the worst," Schierke bit the inside of her lip as she scooted closer to him. "Are you saying you're not nervous?"
"Somebody has to keep a level head," Harry told her.
Sirius laughed at that. "I think it has a bit more to do than just that."
"Meaning?" Harry asked as Silat used the reigns to get the beast into a formation.
"Flying is just in the Potter blood."
Harry didn't get a chance to ask what that meant as the ground below them grew faint as the beast gave a few beats of its wings to fully take off from the ground and into the air.
He squinted at first at the feeling of the air hitting his face, but the glasses helped to lessen the stinging feeling. Once the wings fully expanded and they began to level out, Harry opened his eyes fully and took in the full scenery before him. They were well above the treetops, not touching the clouds, but save from any dangers that awaited them on the ground. Every small turn or dip they made, Harry felt a growing smile begin to etch its way onto his face. When the creature started to bank to the right suddenly, Harry found he wasn't too surprised by it, he actually kind of anticipated it happening like he could feel the inner workings beneath him.
"Enjoying yourself?" Sirius asked with a smile, his longer hair whipping about his face but he did not seem to care.
"That makes one of us at least!" Schierke said as her grip on Harry tightened.
From the other winged beasts, Isidro had his mouth open like he was swallowing the air whole while Guts seemed entirely unamused by his antics.
Magnifico was in a state similar to Schierke was to him; gripping to the person in front of him which happened to be Serpico. The blonde youth had experience with winds Sylphs already so this was probably not too different from what he usually feels. He even sent a small gesture over their way to let them know they were all hanging on fine. For the most part.
"Annoying brat will catch bugs like that," Silat also spotted Isidro's display.
"You actually sound like you care," Harry said to the Kushan.
"I sound hopeful," Silat corrected.
For all of his bad attitude, Harry chose to overlook it. They would have to deal with the irritable Kushan once they landed. For now, he wanted to savor the feeling of flying.
"So flying runs in the Potter blood?" Harry asked.
"And apparently so does having no regard for safety!" Schierke clung to him tighter.
"Ha!" Sirius gave a mirthful laugh. "You know, Harry, you really are like-,"
...
"-like your mother."
"You think so?"
"Without a doubt in my mind."
Sir Laban smiled at the young woman in front of him. The queen's chambers were a hub of activity at the moment, a multitude of handmaidens and ladies in waiting fluttered about the place as they offered up different jewelry for Charlotte's approval. Despite the wedding still being a ways away, the Queen had was putting all her spare time into making sure everything was going just right. Her dress was already hand-made from what Laban had heard but she refused to let anybody see it until her wedding day.
Today was more focused on deciding what piece of jewelry she wanted to wear. She apparently wanted something to compliment her eyes, but not too flashy that it would distract from everything else. and if it was a necklace, it couldn't be too heavy as she didn't want to feel like her neck was being weighted down. It didn't make much sense to Laban, but it was everything to Queen Charlotte at the moment and so it was important to him.
That was why he had seen fit to present her with an heirloom from her mother's side of the family. It had not always been in his possession, but when Emperor Ganishka too the capital, he had managed to get a hold of it as he helped evacuate the city of its civilian population. The necklace was a simple silver chain with a sapphire in the center. Nothing too flashy and held sentimental value as well.
"I... recall my mother wearing this when I was very young," Charlotte brought a finger to the jewel in the center.
"She wore it on her own wedding day as well," Laban added. "It was before Owen and I were made into knights, but I still remember that day. Either way, it belongs to you."
A gentle smile graced the Queen's lips. "Thank you. I do believe I have made up my mind." She turned to the other ladies present. "You may all keep the ones you have presented to me."
If they weren't in the presence of their royal highness, Laban had no doubt in his mind that the entire room would be filled with ecstatic squealing so loud he would have bled from his ears.
"What real use is jewelry to me when I am about to already so blessed as it is?" Charlotte rhetorically asked as the girls took their pick of which piece they wanted.
"Are you sure you want to give them away like that?" Anna asked her friend the Queen.
"That includes you, Anna," Charlotte told her closest friend.
The blonde handmaiden seemed a loss for words. "M-me? W-well, I could never take advantage of your friendship like that. Although... Elize is not here to choose, I might just grab one for her. Or two, she is a sweet girl."
Laban and Charlotte smiled at the blonde girl's mannerism as she started looking through the boxes that had formerly been presented.
"Thank you once again, Sir, or, is do you prefer General Laban? That is your rank in Griffith's army, isn't it?"
It is," at least for the human side of the army, "but you have always known me as 'Sir Laban.' It makes no difference to me."
"Did you know my mother well then?"
"Not directly, no," Laban admitted. "But from what I always saw of her, she was the type of queen who made those around her want to do and be good. I see much of her in you."
"Do you think I would ever be able to see her then?" Charlotte asked. "When Griffith and the medium girl, Sonia do those summonings, citizens who have lost those they care about are able to briefly see a specter of that person. When they first did it, I hoped my mother would show up, but I did not see her. I thought I saw... someone I did not know. Maybe it was someone from the old King's side of the family."
Laban had seen some of those "miracles" himself. No ghost or spirit ever came to him, but it did help those who did get a sense of closure to what has happened.
"Perhaps," Laban entertained the idea. "Maybe he will have the medium Sonia put in a request for you as a wedding present."
"That would be a gift I would cherish," Charlotte admitted. "Griffith has been rather secretive of what he wants from the wedding. When I ask him he smiles and says that a dream is the best gift he can have and he is glad that I am a part of it."
"Well, that certainly is romantic of him." Cryptic as well, but when has Griffith even been normal? "Just so long as he values you for who you are, that is all any of us Midlanders can hope to ask of him from this union."
"Oh, I have no doubt that he will," Charlotte said a little too quickly. "The only thing I can hope for myself is to understand him as a person. When I first met him, I actually thought he was of nobility. I want to know how he did it all." She sounded like she wanted to believe that it held all the answers. "I shouldn't have doubt, but he is an enigma at times. I want-," she paused. " To not rely on his strength for my own." Her eyes were focused on the floor as if remembering something.
"Your Highness?" Laban asked in concern.
"Oh! It was just something that Z- someone told me before. I was just remembering it." Her cheerful demeanor vanished for a split-second before the warmth of her smile returned.
Laban had an idea of what she meant by that but would not push the topic if she did not want to. Queen Charlotte's nature was a contrast to some others who populated the city and he would rather she stay that way. But if she did want to embrace some facets of reality about herself, that was her choice to make.
"Begging your pardon, your Highness, but may I take my leave?" Laban asked. "Minister Foss was wanting to acquire my signature on a few documents for military resources."
"But of course," she easily granted his request. "Minister Foss always seems so stressed as of recently, I don't know why, but I fear the pressure is starting to get to him."
"A good a guess as any," Laban agreed. Although he suspected it had more to do with working directly under Griffith, a man of common birth. As safe as their city was, some still held onto past prejudices but were far more cautious about what they said now. With a bow of his head, "Farewell, your Highness."
"My, you're all holding up quite well. Far better than the last time." The soft voice of the cloaked Rakshas carried throughout the fighting pit. The shrouded apostle seemed to almost morph into the shadows nearing the edge as his multitude of opponents took their aim at him again.
Shouts and blasts of light all blasted their way toward the fully cloaked figure, decimating a large chunk of the wall as they did so. As the dust settled, a bone white mask could be seen lying on the ground without a body present.
That was until the shadows molded once again and Rakshas appeared on the opposite end of where he had been before, his cloak still intact. "Good. You have coordinated attacks down without uttering a word. Now focus on watching where your enemy will be, not where they are. Snakes are slippery like that."
Voldemort could sneer at the comment as he watched his Death Eaters be put through the wringer with their power. For some of his pseudo-apostles like Bellatrix, they were being told not to rely on their newfound power too much as their opponent had similar abilities and far more practice with using it. For those Death Eaters who didn't, they were being told to better manage their magic and adapt to new methods of fighting.
It was stupid in his opinion. What was the meaning of power if one didn't use it?
There were those in Slytherin who boasted of their family heritage and status, but how much did they truly know? Even the most ancient noble house was not exempt from the disgrace of having lesser blood mixed in somewhere down the line. It devastated him when he had learned of his father and what a waste he was. His ancestor, Salazar Slytherin had the drive for power however, he had understood what it all meant. He had taken fate by his own hand and sought to make Hogwarts and the rest of the magical community what it ought to be.
To deny them their power now was frankly just an insult. The Godhand disguised his power, but that was all for his own plan and ambition. And to add further insult, Voldemort suspected Rakshas was not even taking the sparring match down below very seriously at all. It was more like he was just toying around for his own amusement than anything else.
While Voldemort didn't think highly of some of these other War Demons, he at least thought they would put forth more of an effort. His thoughts drifted back to that cursed Black Swordsman and the way he had fought. He moved like a true demon, more so than what Rakshas was throwing at his servants right now. Voldemort brought a hand up to where his recently acquired scar was on his forehead. His followers should be learning how to fight that. If for nothing else, they could make for useful distractions before Voldemort finished him off before moving on and killing Potter after.
Most of the War Demons were absent for the time being. Apparently, the hunter they had amongst their ranks had secured a very desired kill and they were now clamoring to get a piece of the flesh before it was all gone. Disgusting animals. While he was among their ranks as well, he was still from a culture where poise and sophistication were valued. He would not deny he was a monster, he was just of a different breed.
His slit eyes drifted away from the fighting pit where Bella seemed to be getting especially worked up; her hair and magical aura twisting around her as she failed to hit the masked opponent. Instead, he chose to focus on the figure that was sharpening his sword to his left. Voldemort felt a sneer come across his face on instinct.
"Will you not be joining your followers?" the other apostle asked as he felt Voldemort's stare on his hulking form.
"When a proper challenge presents itself to me, I will happily oblige," Voldemort said as evenly as he could.
He continued running a whetstone across his massive blade. "I do not fight for sport. If I enter that ring with an opponent, only one will leave. Think carefully about what you want."
The reply was reminiscent of a Gryffindor attitude. "You presume much," Voldemort seethed out. "We are both here under the Godhand's guidance, are we not? Does that not make us loosely acquainted allies?"
He briefly paused in his pattern. "Serving under the same banner does not make an ally. In war, mercenaries switch sides on a whim. Yesterday's comrade is then tomorrow's enemy."
"You should be cautious of who you say that to," Voldemort felt himself gain an upper hand of sorts. "Others might think that sounds like a wavering conviction."
That almost seemed enough to warrant a cruel, toothy grin. "And coming from the mouth of a fledgling it would mean nothing. The Godhand is the strongest there is. I can admire that sole facet about him. And you should as well."
"What is there not to admire about power?" Voldemort rhetorically asked. "And so long as it is wielded the right way, it does not matter how it is obtained." I always find a way. A true Slytherin always finds a way.
"Hm." The War Demon Captain rose from his stoop. "Ambition can lead you to high places, just don't get torn in two over how high."
He left and Voldemort scowled as he left. Telling a Slytherin not to be ambitious was practically heresy. If given the chance, he knew exactly who he would dispose of if given the opportunity. That would lead a captain position open, not that he really cared about what the Godhand member really had planned. But it was still far better to keep his enemy close. A real snake in the grass.
It was a little past midday when Harry felt them start to descend from their altitude. The clouds had thinned out tremendously the farther they had flown, implying that they had entered a climate that was arider than the usual grassy regions that Midland consisted of. Looking over the side, Harry was able to spot a single river, but the surrounding landscape was brown, dry, and barren.
He doubted they had flown that far east in such a short amount of time. If anything, they were probably near the border of Midland's southeastern region. The whole landscape held traces of familiarity about it. Farther ahead there was a cliffside that faced the direction the river was in and Harry was able to spot a noticeable feature about the side of the cliff - namely the manmade structure that seemed to blend in and become part of the cliff itself.
"This... this Doldrey," Harry recognized the closer that they got to it.
Memories of the battle here started to surface. He and Casca had not been on the actual battlefield, they had been in the division that had infiltrated the fortress itself while Guts and Griffith had caused the distraction. It was also where he had had a brief conversation with Zodd who had been watching the battle unfold before he had given a warning about events to come.
Knowing what he did now, Harry would have taken that warning a bit closer to the heart than he had back then.
"It was Doldrey," Silat corrected as he had the winged beast make a steady descent for the innermost ramparts of the stronghold. "For the most 'impregnable fortress,' you Midlanders sure have a way of neglecting this place."
"We took this from Chuder, you know?" Harry didn't want the deeds of the past Hawks to be dusted under the rug and forgotten about.
"I meant after the war with that warmongering nation," Silat said, maybe in small to the look he was getting, not that he would admit that if it was true. "Emperor Ganishka's forces captured this easily enough without proper leadership stationed here. It seems he didn't even believe a garrison needed to be placed here. Then again, I don't think he believed that he would get turned into a giant tree, either."
Sirius cocked a brow. "Was that a joke on your end?" even if Sirius did not know the Kushan all that well, he could still appreciate a good joke when he heard one.
"Trees aren't funny the last I checked," Silat replied dryly. "Now hold on, we'll be landing soon."
"Oh thank magic!" Schierke let out a sigh of relief upon hearing that.
Ivalera smiled sadly at her human friend. "You powered through it."
"It wasn't that bad was it?" Harry cast a look over his shoulder at the purple protrusion that was now part of his back.
"Not all of us want to feel like they're about to die," Schierke said, clearly eager to get off already.
Her wish came true when the large, winged beast let out a loud screech before the body bucked a bit from the impact as it touched down on the inner battlements of the fortress. The two others followed closely behind them.
"A-ho ohh!" Magnifico all but cried as he willingly slipped off the side and onto the hard stone beneath. "We actually made it!"
"Some easier than others," Serpico lightly spoke as he rubbed at his ear. Magnifico must have screamed into it every ten minutes or so.
"Could I ask for your hand again?" Farnese asked as unlike Magnifico, Sir Azan seemed stuck to the back of the creature and Farnese tried to help him off. It had nothing to do with how much he enjoyed the flight; rather, he had just fallen asleep about half-way through and would not wake up.
One twist flick of his wrist and blade and a strong gust of wind lifted Sir Azan from his seat and carried him gently down to the ground.
"Bwa-huh? Ah, ah, ha!" Sir Azan guffawed as he finally woke. "Yes, truly an unforgettable ride! It was like entering a dream."
"Ah, stop trying to act cool," Isidro told the aged knight, still mounted on his. "Leave the dreaming for us youngsters, will ya? Besides you were passed out for most of it." He went to get off but found his foot tangled on one of the ropes to the saddle. "Uh, little help?"
"Now who was trying to act all cool?" Puck teasingly asked as he went about helping the boy get untangled.
"Doldrey, huh?" Guts' sole eye traveled down to the dry plain out beyond the walls as if he was recalling the battle that had taken place there those years ago. "Your people inside then?"
"Correct," Silat gave the winged creature a pat and let it fly off with its brethren closely following behind.
"Is it safe to let them off like that?" Sirius asked as he watched them fly up and away from the stronghold.
"Daiba has a strong connection with them. They will come back when summoned." Silat let it at that as he began leading the way down the stone stairs to the inside of the inner wall. Harry spotted a forge and almost expected to see Rickert there, but it was empty. No signs of activity were present.
Silat seemed to follow his gaze. "The one you call Rickert is inside as well. Credit where credit is due, a past Midland King actually knew how to properly plan properly. The inside fortress extends underground and is built with a small village intact for any civilians present to hide during an attack. It is complete with a forge as well as it is unsafe for him to work out here. If a dragon were to swoop down and nab him, we'd be out a pair of hands." He looked over his shoulder to give them a somewhat incredulous look. "You recaptured this fortress, shouldn't you know that?"
"We didn't exactly stay long after we did," Casca informed the assassin. "The Midland Standard Army came and occupied shortly after getting word of the victory."
"A wasted opportunity then," Silat commented as they neared a pair of doors built into the cliffside wall that Doldrey was built out of.
"I think he's just used to living underground and that's why he likes it," Isidro whispered to whoever would listen.
"I think you're used to believing that you can only be heard by those that you wish," Silat shot back making Isidro flinch.
We have thought transference, you know, Harry mentally spoke.
'Too little too late now,' Isidro responded back.
Once Silat was at the door, he gave a few light taps with his knuckles. When nothing happened, he began speaking in a strange yet oddly fluid language that Harry could only assume to be native to the Kushan. As fluid as it sounded, it also came off as a being a bit scratchy and dry, almost like he was hissing at the same time as he was talking to a snake. And as someone who talked to snakes before, Harry guessed that this is what it must have looked like to others.
There was a rumbling grinding noise as the door scraped against the hard stone ground as it began to open just wide enough for a large man covered in muscle and wearing a hooded shawl to poke his head out. "Young Master," he greeted as he saw Silat standing there. "You have returned safely?"
"I have, and so have our newest 'guests.'" He spoke it like it was the most polite word he could think of. The seemingly hollow eyes of the guard drifted toward all of them. "I cannot guarantee we will stay that way if we are left out in the open for too long." Silat's tone was implication enough.
"I beg your forgiveness, young Master." He pushed the door open fully for them all to enter into a dimly lit stone corridor beyond.
Once it was closed behind them, Harry squinted as his eyes adjusted to the darkness. He had never really gotten the opportunity to explore Doldrey before and it didn't seem like he was missing out on much. A few side halls jutted out from where they were now, one had a spiral stone staircase at the end which led upwards, presumably to the lord's chambers and the actual higher end class accommodations.
"Mind if I give us a little light?" Sirius asked but didn't really wait for a response as the tip of his wand lit up with a small ball of white light.
The action was met with little regard from Harry and the rest, but Silat's bodyguard jumped in front of his master and readied himself into a defensive position.
"Not a fan?" Sirius asked although he didn't sound too concerned.
"You can relax," Silat said, putting his hand on his bodyguard's shoulder and giving a squeeze with added pressure. "Do we not have one wizard in our company already?"
"My apologies, young Master." He relaxed and bowed his head.
"So you've said," Silat lessened his grip. His eyes darted back over to the rest of them. "Daiba might be a powerful sorcerer, but do expect skepticism if anyone sees you doing that."
Sirius was going to respond, probably with a witty comment, but Schierke intercepted before that could happen. "We understand. The last thing we want is to startle any of your people. Just know that magic can be a powerful ally as well."
Silat seemed to regard her with a tint of acknowledgment. "I would hope so. But there is no need to remind me of what magic is capable of if that was your intention." He looked over to Harry. "But enough talk about that for now. Our destination lies beneath."
They followed closely behind Silat as he and his bodyguard went further down the darkened corridor with only Sirius' wand providing light for their walk. After passing a few more branching corridors, it began to feel like they were starting to walk down a slope of sorts. The air was getting a bit cooler as well, confirming that they were indeed underground. At the end of the hall, two sources of light were visible and Sirius dimmed his wand as they neared the pair of torches next to a heavy iron door.
The bodyguard gave a resonating knock which carried through the otherwise empty hall.
Then there was the sound of a lock being undone and the door slowly swung open to reveal a second bodyguard dressed identically to the first. "Welcome back, young Master Silat. Was your-,"
"My trip was fine but my patience is thinning," Silat interjected the greeting. The bodyguard looked down almost dejectedly. "Now, would be so kind as to allow us entry?"
No verbal response was given as the door opened fully for them to enter.
Beyond was the layout of what could simply be described as an underground village. Silat had not been exaggerating at all it seemed. People wearing clothing befitting of the desert were milling about. What women were present were wearing light hoods over their heads to keep the sun off, but had them pulled down seeing as the only source of light came from the torches. Harry was even surprised to see a few Midland women and men present as well, maybe by choice or not. Some had adapted to wearing the lighter clothing, mainly the women, while the men stuck to basic breeches and tunics and even thrown together pieces of plate armor.
"You don't just have Kushan," Casca noticed same as him.
"Some came from neighboring villages as we relocated here," Silat explained. "With the war over, does it really matter who lives where anymore so long as its safe." A group of kids ran past, some Kushan, others not. "Besides, Midland women seem to enjoy a change in lifestyle and so forth." Harry heard him mumble something like 'slave-driving woman.'
"So where's the forge then?" Guts asked, looking for perhaps some smoke rising.
Silat was about to point in the direction before an ear-piercing scream rang out.
"Guuuttttsssss!"
Faster than the wind, a light blur broke away from one of the groups of kids to run directly at them, jump and attach itself to Guts' armor covered leg by wrapping its arms around it.
Guts looked down at the small shape staring back up at him with large, innocent eyes. "You get taller, Erica?"
The young maid nodded her head vigorously, the hood she had on her fair-colored hair nearly falling off with her movement as she seemed to be wearing a combination of Midland and Kushan clothing. It would have normally looked ridiculous on anyone else, but Erica seems to have pulled it off.
"Uh-huh! Uh-huh! I did! But I'm still not as tall as you or my brother or even-!" Erica detached from Guts' leg as she ran toward Harry now. "Harry!"
It was impossible for him not to smile. "Hey, Eric-of!" Erica dove at him, her head colliding with his lower abdomen, making him falter, but Erica seemed completely fine.
"You're back too!" she exclaimed as she began tugging at his sleeve. "Where've you been all this time?"
"We've-,"
"Brother and I have been here!" Erica bounced on the balls of her feet. "They actually have some kids here too! Do you like my outfit?"
"It looks very nice on you, Erica."
It was not Harry who spoke and Erica turned her attention over to who had. "Cas...ca?"
She gave a small smile. "Guts was right, you did get a bit taller."
Harry felt the weight of Erica's small arms leave him as she instead rushed over to the swordswoman, her smile getting even bigger with every step that she took. "Casca! You're talking!" She latched herself around Casca's waist only muttering a faint "ow" as her head bumped with her armor.
Casca held steady and patted the young girl on the top of her head. "It's nice to officially get to meet you, Erica."
"You're actually talking," Erica nudged her head further into the armor, not caring if it hurt. "You have a really nice voice."
Silat watched from the corner of his eye, irritated they had been stopped but not daring to interrupt Erica. Maybe the young girl had been making everyone in the Bakiraka camp a softie.
"Bit of a rushed reunion, but not mine to judge," Silat finally spoke. "The girl's brother is currently in the forge over there." He pointed to a sheltered roof. "I'd lead the way, but hours of flying back and forth require a bit of rejuvenation in-between."
Erica was eager to bounce at the opportunity, finally separating herself from Casca. "Oh! I can take them there, mister Silat!"
Silat shrugged. "Do as you want, girl, just don't disrupt the others." He left before anyone could see his mouth turn upward as he put his cowl back in place.
Erica nodded enthusiastically, grabbing Guts' large finger in her small hand and leading them through makeshift roads lined with clay homes and shops.
"The laughter of a pure-hearted maiden, is there anything as pure as that?" Azan asked sounding like he was misty-eyed as Erica led them.
Some Midlanders gave their group a curious stare as they walked by, particularly Guts' sword and the three mages with their staffs. The stares generated from the Kushan inhabitants were far more suspicious. They whispered in their foreign tongue as they stared but they quickly went back to what they were doing before as Erica waved at them.
Sirius chuckled. "So it seems assassins are afraid to get on the bad side of a little girl. How old is she, nine?"
"I'm eleven!" Erica said with a smile, hearing everything he said.
Puck fluttered over. "I don't know, she seems she can be pretty scary if she wants to be."
Erica opened her mouth to show her teeth. "I have fangs!" she pointed to her canines.
Magnifico made a face. "Quite an energetic little thing, isn't she?"
"I think it's quite refreshing," Serpico smiled down to the young girl.
"I'm so glad you're all back!" Erica exclaimed for the umpteenth time. "I have so many questions for all of you! Where did you all go? How'd you heal Casca? Where did you get those sets of armor? Papa didn't have those back at the forge." Before any of them could even properly answer one of her questions, she held up a hand to silence them. "Wait! Don't tell me. Wait until we see my brother."
One of the groups of kids rushed past, stopping only when they saw Erica. "Erica!" some of them cried.
"Hi, Rana! Hi, Sanji!" Erica greeted back.
Having been living up in the mountains her whole life, Harry was happy to see Erica managed to make friends easily given her personality. He also noticed that while the two Kushan girls seemed incredibly at ease around Erica, their stares told a different tale when they saw who she was with. And it was not distrust. Instead, it was akin to admiration.
"Erica!" they exclaimed. "That huge sword, is that the one you told us about? The one your papa made?" getting past just saying a name, they seemed to have a good understanding of language outside of their own as well. If they were full Bakiraka kids, they probably would have to know other languages seeing as they would have been constantly moving around.
"It sure is!" Erica nodded. "And this is everyone too."
Their wide, volcanic black eyes widened. "Then he really fought a horned beast outside your house?"
"Those are magic staffs?"
"Sure are. But you can talk to them later." Erica stated. "They have to meet with my brother first. He knows them better than I do."
They both nodded obediently as they rushed off.
"You might still be a pipsqueak, but you matured," Guts noted how she had spoken with an underlining authority. "Keep that up and Rickert won't have to scare any of the boys away from you when you grow up."
And like a flick of a switch, Erica's expression turned into a confused smile. "Huh? What do you mean?"
"Nothing you need to worry about. Just lead the way."
"Aye!" Erica saluted as she marched on toward the sheltered forging area.
The shelter was built like a funnel of sorts with the shaft going up to the ceiling where the smoke would supposedly go so it wasn't clouding up the entire underground. The walls were pretty much open with the exception of one that held the smelter and the opposite end where a black curtain had been draped to make a makeshift door for the privacy of sorts. But with two additional walls missing, Harry was able to spot the sole occupant before even entering.
He had his head low, not seeing their approach, but Harry was able to take in some of the details about him. His blonde hair had grown longer, a fact he consolidated for by tying it back but left a few locks loose at the side of his head. On his chin, he seemed to have started to grow out some stubble, but the rest of his face was left clean-shaven. Rickert also seemed to have filled out a bit more as well, no longer exactly as scrawny as he had been when they first met. Then again, neither was Harry.
Rickert was seated at a grindstone as he sharpened the edge to a curved Kushan-made sword. He ran his finger across it to test the quality of the steel once he was done and let out an "Ah!" as he accidentally pricked his finger on the curve.
"Brother! Brother!" Erica ran through the curtain.
Rickert sat up straight and licked at his newest cut. "Don't worry about it, Erica. It's just a scratch."
"No that's not it at all."
Rickert let out a dry humorful sigh. "Wow. Way to show your concern."
She pouted. "Take a break and turn around! You'll see what I mean."
Shaking his head, Rickert said, "Fine, I'll humor you, but just know that even the tiniest cuts can-," he was cut off by a resonating clang! as the sword he had been holding fell from his grip at the sight of the people standing in the threshold of his workspace.
His eyes were wide, but still, not blinking as they swam over all of them but always being drawn back to three of them in particular. "G-Guts... you're actually back."
The swordsman in question tilted his head slightly. "And you're still working a forge. Gotta say it seems to suit you."
Rickert walked on shaky legs over to them. All the while, Erica bounced lightly on her feet as her eyes went from Rickert to the rest of them.
"And... Harry." Rickert stood up a straighter as he made his way over to him and held out a hand marred with various callouses. "It's... really - wow it is good to see you just about now." Harry gripped the extended hand and gave a firm shake as he felt the blisters from the other boy's palm. "You look so different."
"Me?" Harry asked. "What about you? Facial and long hair?"
"It's more of a whisp," Erica teasingly interjected.
Rickert felt his own chin like he was unaware of himself. "I guess I do look different. But I guess appearances don't really matter when you don't really know anyone here."
Erica seemed to take offense to that. "The girls here all think you're cute."
"You would know, wouldn't you, Miss Popular," Rickert teased back.
"I don't know, I think there's plenty of truth to her words." The voice alone was enough to make Rickert do a double take on who had just spoken.
He had seen her with everyone else, sure. But hearing her voice again for the first time in so long made him truly look at her this time. His mind just now seemed to process her new look and the fact she was no longer wearing those brown rags she had been before.
"Cas...ca?"
She tilted her head up a notch. "You too? Am I shrinking?"
Rickert seemed to forget about everything else as he weakly managed to walk over to his superior and loosely wrap his arms around her. His chin rested on the shoulder of her armor.
"This is... you're really... th-this..." words seemed to be failing him so he finally just settled with, "this is fine armor."
It was enough for him and it was enough for Casca. But it wasn't enough for Erica.
"Huuuuh?" she tilted her head to an almost impossible angle. "That's all you say, brother? I bawled my eyes out!"
"Oh I want to, believe me, I do," Rickert fully admitted. "I just... if I do, I think I might wake up."
"This isn't a dream, Rickert," Casca laid a hand on his shoulder. "I would know if it was."
"How?" Rickert's eyes scanned hers for any deceit.
Casca took a look over to Guts and to the mages as well. "We're not bothering you from work, are we?"
"If you were, I wouldn't care."
"Good. Because a lot happened."
The pensieve seemed to weigh heavy in Harry's bag. "I have a way that might save us a fair bit of time if you're up for it."
"A new trick of yours?" Rickert asked, eyeing what Harry was pulling out.
"Uh? Is that magic?" Erica pointed to the basin with swirling contents.
"A type of it. Let's just say you'll see instead of listening and-,"
"Let's do it!" Erica was more than eager to participate. "You will too, won't you, brother?"
It was impossible to say no to that face. "Just tell us what to do."
"So, wait, hold on - can you run that by me just one more time?"
Neville knew Luna by reputation to be one of the quirkiest and patient students attending Hogwarts, but he had a feeling even she had a limit to just how patient she could be sometimes. The days following Professor Dumbledore's death were some of the gloomiest Hogwarts had ever seen. Professor McGonagall had assumed the title of Acting Headmistress and made preparations for the funeral which would be held later today. Seeing an opportunity after breakfast, Neville had pulled Luna aside to an empty classroom to continue the conversation they had been discussing since that night.
"I'm sorry if I'm coming across as being a bit slow on the uptake, but just...how?"
Much to his relief, the blonde Ravenclaw smiled. "That's alright, Neville. You're one of the few people who does talk to me so I don't mind the conversation." That was sure a relief. "Besides," Luna continued, "frustration is something I find myself lacking so I'm glad I got to experience it through a friend."
Yeah, definitely quirky.
"Although, I do get a bit frustrated when Sonia doesn't listen to what I have to say." And just like that, they were back to the topic at hand.
"And Sonia-," Neville found it hard not to add in 'you're imaginary friend,' when he now knew that was completely false. "She's the one who is a medium under that Griffith guy-,"
"The one we saw that night by the lake," Luna nodded. "That was him."
A shiver went down his spine at the memory of it. Although the white-clad figure had done nothing to either of them beside abandon a dark-haired child, Neville got the impression he could have done unspeakable acts from how polite he had seemed but had a pair of dead eyes.
"And this Griffith character can turn into a monster like those... war demons?" with a title like that, it didn't leave much implication to what it was trying to hide. According to Luna who had heard from Sonia, the war demons included; a wolfish hunter, a shining centaur-like knight, a mighty crystal dragon, a cloaked shadow, and a lionel-chimera warrior as captains.
"I don't even know what he really is," Luna admitted, sounding more serious than he had ever heard. "Whatever it is, he's more powerful than all of them. He's just good at hiding it."
Good at hiding it?
Neville had been able to tell there was something off about him the second he laid eyes on him. "And Sonia believes he's just a normal human even though you told her otherwise?"
Luna adopted a different sort of dreamy expression. "She believes he's something beyond a normal human, but I don't think she really knows what to really think of him either. I suppose it's that way for everybody living in Falconia. They were being invaded and they looked for a savior to lead them. Griffith came and gave that to them. Now he has a city, an army, a fiance," poor girl, Neville thought, "and pretty much everything."
So, he was starting to get a better picture now. Part of it came down to power, as it had with wizards like Grindelwald and even Voldemort. But it seemed more than that as well. From what Luna had described of this paradisal city, it seemed to offer a safe haven to whoever no matter of any previous standing status. That hardly seemed the actions of a villain, but having seen this "Griffith" in person, Neville wasn't so sure on that either.
"Alright..." he nodded to assure himself that he understood. "And what about this... Skull Knight? Is he one of those war demons?"
Luna seemed to ponder that question. "Sonia never mentioned him whatsoever. But, no, I don't think so." She seemed to know what he was going to ask so she continued. "Why else would he have talked to him so disrespectfully?"
Yeah, that was a fair a point as any. "And, you think he'll be back? Him or Griffith?"
"I think anything is possible," Luna replied, sounding more like her normal dreamy self. "I believe that I'll get to see Sonia, but I don't know how yet. I believe that what separates our world from theirs doesn't make us different where it truly matters. Things just feel like they're all merging toward one point in time."
"I... don't follow." What was she talking about now? He had been struggling to wrap his head around some of the more bizarre aspects of this other world and kingdom were known as Midland, but it at least then Luna had been upfront and straight with her answers. Now, it just seemed like she was talking in a riddle.
His lackluster reply was met with a smile. "That's alright, Neville. I don't really know what it means either."
"Oh. That, uh, helps. I guess."
Her smile grew. "I'm glad I could help you understand then."
Luna made her way to skip out of the empty classroom when Neville halted her with a final, "Wait!"
"Yes?" Luna craned her neck backward to look at the Gryffindor.
"Have you told anyone else about this? I don't just mean students, teachers, too?"
"Well, of course, I have," Luna gave a closed-eyed smile. "You're just the first to actually believe it."
He felt a twang of sympathy for the Ravenclaw girl. "Well, if you wanted, I could tell some other people too." Neville knew he wasn't the most popular student by any means, people still took him more seriously than the girl considered to be a loon. He still did have those he considered friends like Susan Bones whose auntie was close with his gran. The Weasley twins could be surprisingly understanding when they weren't goofing off - which they usually were. Then there was even the Slytherin Tracey Davis who was always a bit aloof when it came to what she actually wanted but still talked to him - even if it was in secret.
"That's kind of you to offer," Luna said not saying no. "They might think you're as loony as I am."
"You're not-," she cut him off.
"That's alright. The most interesting people are the ones who aren't normal." And it was on that note that Luna exited the empty classroom.
It wasn't until after lunch that the flocks of witches and wizards start to gather at Hogwarts. This was the day that Dumbledore was to be laid to rest on Hogwarts grounds as was his wish. As the passing of the most powerful wizard of the time, it was to be no small turnout. Rows of chairs had been conjured up by Professors McGonagall and Flitwick out near the lake, ending with a raised alter where a white marble casket was present.
The entire school was open to attending, students and faculty alike. Then there were the journalists like Rita Skeeter with her sharp outfit and quick notes quill out and scribbling down the answers to various questions she was asking guests.
Parents of students were attending as well. Neville spotted the likes of Seamus' mother, the entire Weasley clan with their bright red hair, The Greengrass parents were talking in quiet, respectful tones to their two daughters. Tracey and her parents were next to them, having a small conversation of their own. She would occasionally glance in his direction, but never approached him.
Luna's father was present as well and he and his daughter practiced some hand motions together that Neville could only process as being some sort of gesture to grant safe passage for a soul. He didn't really know, but it seemed like something Luna would do.
He saw Susan hugging her aunt before the older Bones left to take her seat at a higher row than her niece. Susan left to sit next to Terry and Earnie.
Even Malfoy and his mother were in attendance. The two of them had been spared too harsh a punishment as Lucius claimed only he had to do with Voldemort's plan when he was questioned in Azkaban. All their assets were seized, however, and Draco had been absent from school since. They were actually in attendance with a woman who bore a striking resemblance to Bellatrix Lestrange but held no hints of evil in her eyes. It seemed Narcissa had gone to live with her sister Andromeda Tonks since having her home claimed by the Ministry.
Andromeda's Auror daughter was seated just ahead of her mother. Her hair was in a state of changing between pure black and a rainy blue as reflective of her metamorphagus emotions. She was, strangely enough, sitting next to Professor Lupin of all people with her head resting on his shoulder. The professor looked more than a bit uncomfortable at her actions but didn't make a move to try and move out of it.
To their left sat Mad-Eye Moody - the real Mad-Eye Moody. The grizzled ex-Auror looked even more paranoid than ever before. His electric blue eye was spinning around in its socket, gazing over each and every attendant.
A few well-known authors were in attendance as well. Well, they looked like they could be authors as Dumbledore did have a number of books written about him. But there were also people from Hogsmeade village in attendance as well. Then there were the various wizards from the ICW as seen by the type of robes they wore to reflect their cultural status. And seated closest to the casket was members of the Mugwamp, the school governors, and Minister of Magic himself.
Fudge had the decency to look sad. It was somewhat common knowledge that he and Dumbledore had been at odds on several topics, but at the end of the day, Fudge could still rely on the older wizard's advice for guidance - if he wasn't being bribed otherwise, of course.
The one who made no show to hide her evident anger was the Minister's secretary and former Hogwarts High Inquisitor.
Neville could say he was a bit pleased to see Umbridge looking so frustrated. No one liked the woman be it, student or teacher, except maybe Filch. If Neville had to guess, it all had to do with Umbridge viewing Dumbledore as having one-uped her one last time even after death.
It was well known by now that the night Harry Potter and company disappeared as mysteriously as they had arrived, Umbridge had set out to take them into custody now that Dumbledore was gone. This backfired massively as a huge tidal wave of water had completely decimated their boats and left them treading water in the Black Lake. But the biggest tragedy of that had been that the Creevy brothers had not gotten a picture of it. That would have been something every student could have come to enjoy.
There was just one other person that Neville was concerned about, and she was sitting beside him with her vulture hat and stuffed handbag.
"I swear, the season seems to think that it's summer," his gran complained. "I might be the one dying next."
"Gran! Don't say that!" Neville whisper-shouted to his caretaker.
"Well it's true," she affirmed as she pulled her wand out to conjure up a hand fan. "Besides, I've known Dumbledore longer than you have and I don't think he'd be opposed to a little humor at his funeral. The presiding mage certainly didn't know him very well."
The speaker was an old wizard who Neville did not know. He had an ancient voice and was using words like "prestigious, magnificent, honorary," as he described Dumbledore. These were words being used to describe a man whose opening speech one year had consisted of the words, "nitwit and blubber." Maybe his gran was on to something.
A few more speakers came up after the first and said a few words, but none seemed to have any sort of real meaning that Dumbledore always tried to project to the people of Hogwarts. They seemed more intent on praising the man that they thought Dumbledore was rather than who he really was.
An image of that Griffith character flashed to his mind after all Luna had told him.
It was unfair to think that way. Dumbledore was nothing like that. People just... believed what they wanted to believe.
Many tears were shed and the ceremony concluded as Dumbledore's phoenix, Fawkes flew overhead. His song had been that of lament.
Gran had insisted that she stay around to talk to some of her old associates and Neville stood by her side as she did so. He would have continued to do so if he had not been distracted by a sudden hand on his shoulder.
"Huh? Luna?" he said as the Ravenclaw approached him. He didn't know how Luna shows grief, but the dreamy expression was replaced by a more serious one.
"Can you come with me for a moment?" she asked. "It's about what we talked about earlier."
Oh. That's why she looked so serious.
"If it's okay with my gran, I-,"
"You don't need my permission for this, Neville," the old witch said from beside him. "What kind of friend would you be if you didn't spend time with them. Go on."
Luna led him by the hand away from the crowded funeral guests, but not toward the castle. She instead led him down toward Hagrid's hut and to the edge of the Forbidden Forest.
"Luna, what is it?" Neville asked as Luna began to enter the forest. "Why are we going in there?"
"I had a feeling." Well, that was assuring. "I felt it before. It was the same as that time, it has to be." She led him a bit deeper.
"Feeling? Do you mean that-?"
Clop clop.
The sound of hooves put Neville on alert. He thought it was a centaur at first. They were known to be extremely territorial and despised humans coming on their land. But this was different. There was a sudden chill to the air and a pair of glowing eyes could be easily seen as they approached.
The rider was as imposing as he had been before. His helm gave away no expression as to what he was thinking or feeling. Actually, Neville wondered if there was an actual body underneath. He didn't hear the rattling of bones from the inside, but aside from the eyes, the rest appeared so hollow.
"You sensed me coming, Seer?"
Luna nodded as she was addressed. She did so calmly as if giving the answer to a question from a normal teacher. Neville was a little less composed.
"Y-you're back."
"Indeed. You are present again as well." Those glowing eyes regarded him. "It matters not. Unlike our previous meeting, I do not come with a choice - rather, a warning."
This was starting to resemble a story from the Tales of Beedle the Bard.
"Your world has long remained sheltered, undisturbed by those of the Hand. But when cornered, any animal will lash out violently. I have an understanding of what my cohorts plan on doing to kill what is transcendental. It will not come without repercussions."
"I don't really understand," Luna said. That was reason enough to worry. Luna was supposed to know all about this crazy stuff going on.
The Skull Knight gazed down upon her. "The seasons here are near identical to those below. The months of summer, how far away are they?" it was his turn to ask a question.
"June is close," Luna answered. "The first day of summer happens that month. July comes next and is usually the hottest." She said that like she wasn't talking to a giant suit of armor on a skeletal horse. "And August usually marks the beginning of summer ending."
Skull Knight pondered that information. "Then it will be around your second of August. That is the day the last of Gaiseric's blood will join a union with the Wings of Darkness. If all else fails, if my cohorts are unsuccessful in their endeavor, your world will be that of a turbulent violent whirlwind from the sacrifice. Those who survive will find your lives complete subject to causality and their forces. Be warned."
He spoke with such conviction that Neville dared not say otherwise. It sounded no different from what Voldemort would have made of the muggle world. "And... you want us to stop it?" The glowing gaze shifted over to him.
"If you want to live, you will be prepared. Warn those who are close and prepare. This fight is not your own, but you will feel the ripples. Once the water has been disturbed, it will take time to settle. And my cohorts have jumped from the pond."
A/N: Sorry about the delay. Been busy lately. Big choices are on the horizon. Thank you for reading.