Thank you all for all the reviews fas and follows. It does motivate a lot :-)
I am not sure for how long I want to write out the time before the canon starts. maybe only a few chapters which desrcribe what Harry does, or I write them out fully in a lot more words. Tell me what you guys would like more. thanks thunder for the many comments.
supergodzilla: yeah he probably will. there will be no slash since I am not a fan of it. But because of Harrys immortality I will have to think of a good way to do it. And it will ony happen later when some centuries have passed, and he has established his reputation.
Mr. Shade : you are totally right thanks. corrected.
The Wall
After waiting for 20 minutes Harry had knocked twice more. This time strengthening his arm with magic. He almost tore down one of the Gate Doors. Another 5 Minutes later a small hatch, at about eye height in the gate, opened and the face of a gruff looking man came into view.
"Give me one good reason why I should not have ye and that beast studded with arrows boy". Said the man in a raspy voice.
Harry tried to give his voice a strained note "I was captured by wildlings after I washed ashore when my ship sank. I managed to flee when another tribe attacked them. The direwolf helped me and has stayed with me since."
The man behind the gate scratched his Beard. "You don't look like someone whose been taken as prisoner. Be gone from where you came"
Harry internally cursed and with a flick of his hand cast a mild confundus charm on the weak mind of Man of the Nightswatch.
Harry spoke in a commanding voice. "You will bring me to your leader now"
The watchmans eyes became glassy and he said in a monotone voice
"I will bring you to the Lord Commander."
He activated some sort of contraption and the gate started to lift itself up in to the wall.
As soonas the gate was completely open the man turned around and began walking along the ice tunnel. "follow me" he said in his voice void of emotion.
Harry followed him through the tunnel, while the gate behind him started closing again.
Shortly before exciting the tunnel he stopped and cast an invisibility charm on Artos. Harry stroked the Wolf and spoke low.
"you have to hide for the time I am talking with the Lord Commander. You are invisible, but stay hidden in the tunnel, otherwise you are gonna spook the poor horses" Artoses growled low.
Harry made sure through the bond that Artos understood before he excited the tunnel into a courtyard where many men were working on different tasks.
The castle was massive. There were many buildings, stables and barracks attached to the courtyard. Horses were being prepared, loud hammering sounds echoed from the smithy. In the middle of the yard were about 30 recruits being trained by very big man.
The Master at Arms must have giants blood Harry thought. He was at least 7 foot high. With grey hair and beard, a scar that ran from the bottom left through his right eye over his forehead and a large broadsword in hand that seemed to be the same size as his wielder, he made an intimidating impression.
While Harry climbed the steps leading to one of the stone towers, he felt the stare of the scarred man following him. He wanted to ask the soldier who this was but did not dare. It would be unfortunate if the question led him to overcome the confundus charm. Better wait for now.
Through a thick wooden door and up a narrow staircase they came to a stop in front of another heavy weirwood door. The Watchman knocked three times before he heard a deep voice bid them enter.
The solar of the Lord Commander of the Nights Watch was spacious and yet sparsely fitted. The were two doors in the back that must lead to the bedroom and maybe another solar. Harry was not sure. There were two bookcases next to the two doors filled with all kinds of ledgers and dusty old tomes. Behind the desk sat the Lord Commander reading a missive on parchment.
The Man looked just like Harry expected a northern Lord to look. Dressed in Leather armour and heavy fours, he wore a metal gorget over the armour, with the Head of a direwolf adorning the plate. His face was weathered and wrinkled, but he did not look a day older than thirty.
He looked up when they entered and Harry could see piercing grey eyes staring at him.
For a few seconds seconds no one spoke. Before the commander levelled his gaze at the watchmen and barked
"Bootle out with it, why are you here? Should you not be on gate duty?" The Lord gave his man a withering stare that must have broken stronger men before. The Watchman Bootle reagined his sense and started to sputter.
"ehhm.. this man was a prisoner of the wildling. I made sure to bring him to you Lord Commander Stark, so you can confirm his story." Bootle was shaking when he told his story.
Lord Starks gaze stayed on Bootle for a few more seconds before he switched to Harry and said. "Bootle we will discuss your behaviour later in depth. For now stay here to listen to this mans story."
The Lord Commander kept staring at Harry and noticed the bone like hilt of a blade on his back. He tensed slightly and his hand went to the pommel of his sword. His gaze switching shortly on Bootle to see if treason was afoot.
Harry had totally forgot about Bane. He held both his hands slowly up in the air and sad.
"You can take my weapon from me. I do not wish your harm. In fact, I am here to help you. And to deliver a message."
Harry kept his hands in the air while the Commander gestured for Bootle to take the sword and search for more weapons. They would find none. The rest was safely shrunk and stored.
Bootle took Bane with a slight apprehension, after seeing the Handle on the sword made out of Bones. Harry almost expected something bad to happen when the man touched the sword. But the sword stayed still. For which he was thankful.
The Lord Commander relaxed slightly and took his hand from the pommel of his sword.
"Alright since you are already here I want to hear your story. And don't try lying on me. If I find out you did, I will string you up."
Harry thought about telling the truth, that he was sent by a god to prepare for the second Long Night, but was wary of doing so. How would he prove it?
Time seemed to slow before stopping completely around him. The wizard first thought someone else had cast an unknown spell, before a voice like the wind in the night sky vibrated throughout the room.
"There is no spell that can truly stop time itself. At least not for mortals."
Harry recognised the voice as the deity death. Bootle and the Commander were as still as statues.
The windy voice took on a raspy note "I prepared for this moment in the last long night. There is proof, hidden in this Castle. The Nightfort. There is a hidden room behind one of the walls in the basement. You will know which one it is. Use a drop of your blood to open the hidden door."
Harry extended his magic sense to its fullest and started to explore the giant castle with it. There were many people in the Nightfort. From the highest tower near top the wall to the lowest basement people were working or in some cases sleeping.
And there a few feet behind one of the rooms in the cellar was a dark presence. Harry had never felt something the like. Not even Voldemort had been this evil. Harrys instinct told him to retract his sense and flee, but he was curious. The being was definitely in a coma or stasis. He had to see this in person. The wind picked up again.
"Do not underestimate it although it is shackled and can not use its abilities. Use this to give claim to your story. Keep it safe, so as not to loose the proof before it will be needed the most. A lot can go forgotten in the next 800 hundred years"
The wind settled down and time started to flow normally again. The two other persons in the room did not seem realized the chat between Harry and Death. Harry did not miss a beat.
"What I told Bottle was a lie. I was never a prisoner. But neither am I a wildling. I am a man just like you. And I was sent by the Old Gods with a purpose, and to deliver a message to you."
Harry was bending the truth slightly. Surely Death himself was one of the Old Gods. He said himself he was as old as time itself. And Harry did have a purpose and kind of a message to deliver. So even if this man could somehow detect a lie, he was in the green.
To underline his statement he unleashed all of his magic power freely, contained to this room. His eyes glowed and started to twinkle like the stars themselves. He emitted an Aura of pure power. He had dimmed all the flames at the start of his speech.
He held all this for a second after his statement and then let the effects fade.
Nightswatchman Bootle fell like a tree. Apparently Harrys show had been a little too much for the man.
Lord Commander Stark was pale and his Hand had went back to his sword. But he did not show any signs of fear.
"While your show was impressive, I am not easily fooled by a bit of magic. If you cannot prove your statement immediately, I will throw you off the wall. The Old Gods are not invoked easily."
he said with clear fury in his voice.
Harry lowered his hands to his side and in a steady and clear voice said.
"I do have proof for my claim. And I will show it to you to ease your worries. What we seek is hidden in the deepest bowels of this castle. Left here in the last long night to serve as a warning and a reminder for when it would be needed."
Harry stayed calm after his statement and waited for an answer.
The Lord Commander kept staring at the wizard while he slowly stood up and walked to the small window.
He barked down to the courtyard "Rickon grab 4 good men and come up here. Now"
Harry tensed slightly but could not feel any malice coming from the Commander. He was probably just wary. They waited for a few moments, with the Commander giving, the still unconscious, Bootle a sneer.
The ruff Northman directed his gaze back to Harry and forcefully said. "Don't you move a muscle till my men are here. We'll get to the bottom of this. And if this is the hoax I think it is, I will take your head myself for lying to me". He was definitely angry.
Harry did only nod and held his hands at his side.
A few moments later 5 men came into the room. Four of them were ordinary looking Watchmen. And the last one was the grim looking Master at-Arms from earlier. The Man threw Harry a piercing stare, before he slightly nodded his head in the direction of the Lord Commander and respectfully said.
"Lord Commander"
The Commander walked away from the window to the middle of the room and said in a grime tone.
"We will check upon something in the cellar. Your will keep an eye on our guest here and make sure he does not do anything stupid. If he does, lop off his head. And be careful, he is capable of magic."
The master at arms and his men watched Harry, who stood calmly in the middle of the 6 men, warily but did not say anything except a short "of course my Lord" from the commander.
They made their way down multiple stairs and through many weirwood doors. Before coming to a dimly lit cellar that held multiple barrels of wine and ale, and many stacked sacks of grains. Walking to the wall furthest away from the entrance door, Harry was looking for something that helped him find the entrance.
After searching for a while, Harry moved an old rotting barrel of wood, and saw something being chiselled in the wall behind it. He did not want to use any magic here with these wary men, so he moved the rest of the barrels and sacks until he stood in front of a 6 foot wide part of the back wall. The stone was damp and mossy. It felt old. Harry brushed his hands along the engraved symbol, which was about the size of his palm in the middle of the wall at 5 foot height, and cleared it of the gathered dirt and moss.
He recognised it almost immediately. Here in a castle that was thousands of years old in a frozen wasteland, was the symbol of the deathly hollows engraved on to the wall. The edges of the symbol were as clear as they day they were made. While the wall itself showed some tear, the symbol was without any decay.
Harry traced his fingers along the edges and called out.
"I have found it. Does anyone of you recognise this symbol?" He did not think that they would know it. But it was worth the try.
The commander and his men came closer. He himself and the Master at arms inspected the chiselled symbol, while 2 of their man guarded the entrance. And another 2 watched Harry.
The Commander scratched his chin and said. "I think I have seen this before. Somewhere in my youth in Winterfell. But I cannot exactly remember where." he said with a thoughtful expression on his face.
"Never seen this before" grunted the master at arms.
Before they could chastise him for wasting their time Harry cut his finger on the sharp edge of the symbol, and smeared it on the stonewall.
For a second nothing happened and the Commander and master at arms looked at Harry weirdly.
The symbol on the wall soaked up the blood and started to glow. The Wall before them split open with the bricks moving and rearanging themselves to an open archway 10 foot heigh and 5 foot wide.
Stairs were leading down somewhere behind the archway. A damp grey mist cam forth from the cave hugging the ground. The escaping air was not stale, as expected from an 8000 year old tomb, but fresh like on the highest mountain in the north. With an icy gust of wind from the cave the fog dissipated and cleared the entrance.
"Well my proof is waiting down there" Harry said only a little smug.
The Lord Commander his master at arms and his men were all gaping with open mouths. The first to regain control over his facial muscles was the Commander.
"You four guard the door and let no one enter. Under no circumstances. Don't talk a word about what you have seen here." He directed his words at the four guardsmen. They obeyed immediately and left the cellar.
He unsheathed his sword and said.
"go ahead. We will see if you were truly sent by the old gods." Harry felt that he started to believe him. But the man still held a steely resolve in his grey eyes.
"Rickon stay by my side" He ordered his companion.
The addressed man nodded but still kept looking wearily at Harry with wide eyes.
Harry grabbed a torch from on of the pillars in the cellar and started to make his way down the stairs. Only a few steps later the group reached a cavern like room which was completely dark with something stone like softly glowing in a soft white.
Harry walked with echoing steps up to the stone dais in the middle and looked upon, what looked like a stone sarcophagus. His two watchers were following him warily a few steps behind. When Harry was only a few steps away he could see the lid of the sarcophagus was made out of some sort of crystal or glass.
He recoiled. In the Sarcophagus lay the form of a man. He was completely white like snow and ice. His hands had five fingers. But they were claw like. His eyes were closed. Harry felt from the dark presence that he was imprisoned in a magical coma.
He stepped closer despite his senses telling him not do. He had to get used to these creatures to be able to fight them. The coming of the Walkers was still around 800 years away according to Death. Harry had enough time to prepare.
The stasis and binding spell around the walker were still pristine. Death himself must have cast the spell. No human could have had that much power.
As soon as the northmen were close enough to see the Walker they both recoiled strongly.
The Lord Commander cursed and gripped the pommel of his sword harder. His master at arms startled a cry and took a downwards swing with his sword on the glass lid of the sarcophagus.
Harry reacted fast. He transformed one of his fingers to living steel and blocked the sword blow with a loud clang.
"We need this. This is the proof to win over the realms that the real enemy is coming. It is bound and in an unbreakable sleep. See reason man." Harry pressed between clenched teeth.
Transfiguring ones own body parts was never the best solution. Harry returned his finger back to normal without any damage though.
Rickard starred at him with open eyes and let his sword hang down limply.
"How… why...HOW? He stammered.
"As your commander said, I'm capable of magic." Harry said a little annoyed.
Harry inspected the body and its case a little further without minding the other two men. All the while the Lord Commander just stood there with a stormy look on his face and determination started to take hold.
"You have spoken the truth. Tell me your message" he spoke grimly.
Harry turned to him and answered "Worry not. The old enemy will not wake for another 800 years. I am here to warn you. The watch has already forgotten its true purpose. You are the shield of men. The Watcher in the Darkness. Remember your true purpose. Prepare and make sure the watch will be ready when it comes to shove."
He could see the expression of the commander and the master at arms harden.
"The Watch has declined, yes. Yet we still stand strong. But I can see your point. I will make sure the Watch stands solid and understands its purpose. Would you tell me your name harbinger?"
said the commander in a strong voice.
Harry nodded "my name is Harry of house Peverell. An old forgotten house. I will entrust you with the safe keeping of this tomb. It will stay open so everybody can confirm the truth for himself. Guard it well."
The tomb itself could not actually be destroyed with swords and hammers. Harry still thought it could not hurt for them to be careful.
The Commander nodded and spoke "Lord Peverell I thank you for the warning. I will keep my word. Now let us leave this forsaken place" he spoke the last words with disdain while looking at the walker.
Harry stayed for a few more hours to talk a bit more with the Commander. They retreated back to the solar. The Commander told him of his family, the Starks. His brother was the Winter King in the North, with his seat at Winterfell, and he could gather all the northern Lords to witness the abomination in the crypt. Harry accepted to deliver a letter to the Commanders brother and to stand as witness to the truth of what was written.
He spent the night in a room with a small hearth that had a fire going. Before going to bed he went outside and fed Artos some scraps from the table. He was not happy that he couldn't hut. But bore it with dignity.
Harry declined the offer of a Horse saying he had his own means of travelling. And made hiy way out of the castle next day. He felt Artos slipping by him when he walked through the south gate.
He would come back here at one point.
Harry walked comfortably, Artos in tow, for a few hours before he made a stop a good few meters of the road, blocked off from view with a few trees and bushes.
He took his suitcase and enlarged it. After a bit of rummaging he found what he was looking for.
He pulled out a small Broom. After enlarging it Harry held probably the last existing Firebolt in his hands.
Before he took off he whistled for Artos who ways laying near him under a tree guarding the area. Artos stood up lazily and trottet to Harry. He nuzzled his Head on Harrys theigh and gave of a low howl.
"You have to stay in these Woods for a few days. I will come back soon. I trust you to look after yourself." Harry said with a small smirk to the massive apex predator.
Artos stared at Harry for a few moments, not appreciating the joke, before hey lay back down on his resting place.
Harry had decided to look for this mysterious island first before visiting the Starks and travelling further. It was time to get the Goblins to a safe place and out of stasis.
Harry shrunk his suitcase, mounted his broom and took off.