CHAPTER 4:
THE DOLL
Over the next couple of days, Harry, Hermione, Andromeda and the kids began settling into the Roundtable Hold, as well as meeting the various residents. Gideon was not exactly welcoming, but he was better than a few of the other residents of the Roundtable Hold. His offsider, Ensha, was a mute (or at least quiet) man wearing armour seemingly made from bones, and his very gaze was intimidating. Hewg was rather gruff, though Harry caught him being nice to Delphi and Teddy. The blindfolded Brother Corhyn seemed more than a bit snobbish, especially when he noted their lack of enthusiasm in learning Incantations or about the Golden Order, at least from any source other than himself. And Diallos seemed rather pompous.
But other residents were better. Harry did find Fia to be better on further acquaintance, and as long as she didn't try to sap his lifeforce, or anyone else he cared about, she was a decent enough conversational partner, holding forth on the various cultures of the world. The man known only as 'D', while a bit fanatical, still proved to be polite enough, more than Corhyn, and through him, Harry learned of Those Who Live in Death, another name for undead creatures in this world.
When Hermione met her stepsister, Nepheli Loux, there was little confrontation or awkwardness. Despite Nepheli being very much a warrior born (and dressed in skimpy animal skins), the dark-skinned fighter reached out quite quickly to Hermione. Indeed, out of the entirety of the residents of Roundtable Hold, Harry felt that the closest he could come to trusting any were Nepheli and Hewg, though Melina came not far behind, as did 'D'. Then again, Melina was not a resident of the Hold.
While Hermione soon fell into the role of a researcher and scholar under her birth father, the two debating and comparing notes about the disparate and contradictory works they consulted, Harry decided to apply his hand to cooking meals for the residents. Of the residents, the only ones who did any real cooking were Fia and, surprisingly, Corhyn, though the former admitted she wasn't fond of domestic tasks, and the latter, while a competent cook, only knew how to cook monastic food. Harry's food, albeit taken from the supplies here, swiftly got considerable praise, even when it was grudging.
Of course, that changed one morning, soon after their arrival, when he was woken up by Delphi…
"…Delphi, what is it?" Harry asked.
His daughter was looking rather anxious and fearful, holding that weird doll of hers, the one she called Renna. She was already dressed, too. "…Dad…please don't get mad, but I've been hiding something."
Harry stared at her, before he pinched the bridge of his nose. Don't get mad was usually the prefix to a conversation that would get him angry. Also, it was entirely too early in the morning for this. "…Delphi, if you've…if you've wet the bed again, I've shown you the spells," he said. "I'm not going to be angry because of that."
"No! I haven't done that since the last time!" Delphi snapped, before returning to her solemn state. "It's just…I…look, I'll leave Renna with you while I go see Teddy and Aunty Andromeda, okay?" She plopped Renna onto the bed next to him, before hurriedly fleeing. "DON'T GET MAD!" she called back as she retreated.
He stared, wondering why she left her doll, a doll she loved fervently, in his bedroom. True, it was a weird little thing, what with the blue skin and four arms, but it was kind of beautiful. Well-sculpted, really. And clad in robes that seemed both shambolic and yet elegant.
He sighed, and picked the doll up, holding her around the waist. "…What am I going to do with her?" he asked the doll. It was strangely quite cold to the touch. "I mean, seriously, I'm a little worried why she would do this? I know Delphi can be a bit furtive at times, but…usually, she keeps you with her. I wonder why she left you with me?"
"Because I wished to speak with thee."
The voice was a cold, regal rasp, not unlike Melina's, though certainly not the same voice. This one was more solemn, with a sharp edge, and yet, gentle. It also came from the doll he was holding. He froze, before looking at the doll more closely.
It was watching him, peering at him with a single eye, the other closed and with a marking not unlike Melina's over it. A strange spectral mirror of its face, outlined in azure light, was bound to that closed eye. Two of its hands were steepled together, while the other two were gripping his hand, as if to hold on.
Years of dealing with inanimate objects that were animated anyway, to say nothing of paranoia dealing with Horcruxes and the various cursed artifacts of 12 Grimmauld Place, meant that Harry's reaction was panic. He dived out of bed, and flung the doll into a corner of the room. Or at least he tried to, but he soon realised that the damned thing was holding on with two of its hands. He shook his hand violently, up and down, trying to dislodge it, but to no avail. It held on for grim life, though its hat was dislodged and flopped to the floor.
After he finished, the doll, looking rather put-out, said, "Art thou quite finished with thine conniption? I am not thine enemy, nor do I hath any intention of making thee an enemy."
"That's what a Horcrux would say!" Harry snapped. "And/or a homicidal killer doll!" He tried to dislodge her with magic, but it didn't have much of an effect.
The doll harrumphed. "So, it seems the Roundtable Hold's Grace holds true even in these expanded trunks, and to my person. Prithee, cease thine efforts, and allow me to speak."
"Bite me! I'm not falling for that! I'm having flashbacks of Dudley watching Child's Play!" Harry yelped, trying to fling it off, only for it to bite him. Not hard enough to draw blood, but enough to cause pain. "OW! You actually bit me!"
"Of course I did, fool!" the doll snapped. "Twas the only way to get thy attention, especially given thine poor choice of words! Now, prithee, calm thyself this instant, or I shall cool thee off by force!"
"I'd like to see you try!"
The doll rolled its eyes, before it made a gesture. Suddenly, icy cold water drenched Harry briefly, and he gasped. "What the fuck was that?"
"A spell of my devising, or at least derivation. I am reliably told it feels like a cold shower," the doll said. As he sat down heavily, shivering, it let go of his hand, and hopped to the floor, striding over to its hat, and putting it on its head. "I hath used it on my brothers on many an occasion. Given thy relation to notorious pranksters and japes, I would hath thought thou would appreciate something meant for mostly pranks. As it did not harm thee much, the Grace of the Roundtable Hold did not stop it. Now, if thou would attend carefully, I will explain who and what I am. This doll is not what you call a Horcrux, from what Delphi once told me on the matter. I am merely possessing it. However, I hath a doll body much like it, which my soul is bound to. My entire soul, mind, not a fragment of it. This doll was conceived as…a back-up, of sorts, before it was stolen by one of the Black family long ago, one who travelled to the Lands Between long ago. I maintained a link with this doll, and with it, I cursed that foul wizard."
"Oh joy, more meddling with things they shouldn't," Harry snarked. "Typical Black family bollocks, messing with dark forces. What have you done to my daughter?"
"Nothing a friend or confidant should not do," the doll said. "In fact, thou could show thy gratitude. When she learned of her parentage, as the daughter of Lord Voldemort, or rather, Tom Marvolo Riddle, it was I she turned to, and it was I who persuaded her to reconcile with thee. I observed thee for some time, and while there was a little that I found wanting, thine parenting ability is nonetheless of a high standard. Thy compassion for the child of thine enemies, thine protective nature…" Her face fell. "I envied her that. My mother was a good person, but my father…everything about him was a lie. But I did not envy her so much as to rob her of a father out of spite, or to rob thee of thy daughter."
He had to admit, he was feeling a bit calmer now. Maybe it was that impromptu shower the doll had inflicted on him. Or maybe it was the futility of doing any damage to the damn thing. Oh, he was still angry with it, and with Delphi, for keeping this secret, despite all his warnings, including that shit with the Diary. He had reminded her of Arthur Weasley's warning, to never trust something if you couldn't see where it kept its brain.
But the doll was being at least courteous and polite, despite what he did in his panic. True, it had bit him and used a spell on him, but he had the feeling that, paranoia about killer dolls aside, it could actually do worse, a lot worse. And while its words could be lies or twisted truth to manipulate him…Delphi did partly credit her reconciling with Harry to the doll.
So…he'd find out what it wanted. And hope that he could get rid of it as soon as possible. Calming himself with an effort, he asked, "Let's cut to the chase. Why, after so long, have you decided to speak with me now? Given your words, you come from this world."
"A moment. Prithee, seat thyself, and I will endeavour to ensure this discourse is easier for us both."
Harry obeyed, albeit reluctantly. And then, in a flare of blue light, the doll grew until she was the size of a person…though he was amused to note that she was still a little on the short side. There was no denying that she was utterly beautiful, despite the now-noticeable cracks in the surface of her body, but there was also a mournful quality to her beauty, a sadness.
She then moved to sit in a nearby chair, peering at him as she steepled two of her hands once more. "I decided to speak with thee because I hath a request of thee. Nothing too arduous or perilous. I hath discussed this with Delphi since thine arrival in the Lands Between. I wish for thee to return this doll to me, the one stolen from me by that odious sorcerer of the Black bloodline. In return, thou may receive from me any boon within reason I am able to grant. Whether that be weapons or armour, or information on the Lands Between, or to even track down any person, it will be granted, perhaps with conditions, perhaps not. I may ask for further boons myself, if 'twere within thine abilities to carry out."
"Like what?" Harry asked suspiciously.
"…My mother hath succumbed to an ailment of the mind," the doll said solemnly after a brief pause. "I hath tried aught in my power to heal her broken mind, but to little avail. Either thee or thy learned friend Hermione, or perhaps Andromeda, may know some cure I hath not or cannot consider. Should thou succeed, then I shalt be in even greater debt to thee."
"…Okay, so why ask me?"
"…Leaving aside thy guardianship of Delphi, she spoke to me about thy life, and I eavesdropped on thee discussing it with others, like Hermione, Andromeda, the Weasleys, the Longbottom lad, and that Lovegood girl. That one is a most canny one, and I believe she suspected my true nature before. Thou doth remind me of my eldest step-brother, albeit dimly. A self-sacrificing fool who nonetheless was a far greater paragon than so many who claim such a title for their own. I…I did not deserve a brother as loving and as giving as he. He gave his life willingly to further my plans, and those of my stepmother."
Harry wasn't sure what to say to that, but the doll filled the silence she left before he could think of anything to say. "I tell thee this not because I truly trust thee, but to earn thy own. Like thee, I doth not trust easily, but thou hath had the displeasure of dealing with allies who keep secrets from thee. I doth not tell thee everything, but while I walk a dark path that will see me called a villain to many, I am not thy enemy."
"And how do I know this? Hell, I don't even know if Renna is your real name."
"Nay, 'tis not. The name belonged to my mentor, on whom this body was modelled," the doll said. "In truth, I am Ranni the Witch, firstborn child of Lord Radagon and Queen Rennala, and Lunar Princess of the House of Caria."
Harry, after a moment of gaping, eventually found what he was going to say. "…I'm not bowing, you know…"
CHAPTER 4 ANNOTATIONS:
Oh dear. Still, I hope you found that amusing. Part of it came from discussions with Dis Lexic, but I was inspired by the tone of the fight between Austin Powers and Mini-Me in Austin Powers in Goldmember, and while the fight itself isn't the same, I felt there was a similar tone.
Also, Ranni is laying down the groundwork for Harry to trust her. She's brought up Godwyn and what happened to him, albeit obliquely. Ranni is a master manipulator, but she's not being malevolent. She just knows which cards to play, and she has come to care for Delphi and, to a lesser degree, for Harry and his party.
Review-answering time! Crimson Reiter: It'll be hard to pet Leonard when he's coming down at you at terminal velocity…though technically, he has been pushed underground, according to a recent video by Zullie the Witch. That attack, thanks to a comment made on a video, can't help but remind me of a certain meme involving a crazed blonde vampire and steamrollers.
As for how Harry reacts to Ranni…well, no doubt you've read the above scene.
ZLC genesmith: It really depends on the story how many Potterverse characters I tend to throw in, at least if it's set in a crossover world. Also, adding more in at the right time can help give the story continuing momentum. Sometimes, Harry is at best when he's on his own, trying to start anew. Other times, it helps if he has an entourage, or at least a partner.
BlaszczeM: He won't take the place of the playable Tarnished until much later. I have literally only just written the chapter where he's given the dubious gift of Grace. And I think he's less powerful than he is pragmatic. He also has high Endurance. If you think otherwise, remember all those games of Harry-Hunting he went through thanks to Dudley.
As for the mechanics of having sex with Ranni, don't forget, Ranni is a master illusionist, on a par (in terms of technique at least) with Gwyndolin from Dark Souls. Witness her ability to conjure up a very sturdy illusion of Rennala in her prime. So it wouldn't be out of the question for her to create a copy of her body as it was before she slew her flesh for a marathon sex romp. Also, we don't see her doll body unclothed until after she slays her Two Fingers, and while that is technically the same model as her body when it actually is clothed (as demonstrated by one of Zullie the Witch's videos), I think it's safe to assume that was mostly for the developers' convenience. For all I know, she is, while a bit mangled given all the cracks we see, anatomically correct.
As for how the ending will play out, I have a few ideas. Ranni will be going through some character development, which may yet change some elements of her ending.
No numbered annotations this time.
