Aside from Raynare, the other pairing I've been raring to do for a High School DxD crossover, as some of you may know already, is Rossweisse. I personally feel that she goes through a hell of a rough trot in DxD canon. And as she is also one of the later additions to Issei's harem, well, that doesn't help matters.

Of course, there are even more problems with such a pairing than there are with Raynare. Leaving aside ensuring Harry has a power on a par with the characters of High School DxD, as well as a lifespan to match, Rossweisse is younger than Raynare, which does cause some trouble with decent pairings. What's more, you need a justification for the Norse Pantheon specifically to take an interest in Harry. It's easier bringing in the Grigori for various reasons, or the Devils for that matter.

I've made more than a few attempts over the last little while, but I've finally managed this one. Time will tell whether this or my previous Harry/Raynare fic get big enough to be posted as a standalone fic. However, enjoy what I've posted so far...

ÓSKMEY

CHAPTER 1:

INVESTIGATION

Valkyries. The term is derived from the Old Norse term valkyrja, meaning 'the chooser of the slain'. In this regard, they were considered to be psychopomps, beings who ferried the souls of the slain into the afterlife, in this case, Valhalla, the hall where, according to myth, the warriors chosen by the Valkyries feasted and revelled by night, while by day, they prepared for the final battle of Ragnarok.

Of course, the reality is somewhat more nuanced than that. While Valkyries were indeed psychopomps, that only formed a part of their duties. They were an elite all-female special forces unit, at least by modern reckoning, established by Lord Odin, the chief god of the Norse Pantheon. In theory, they were to be amongst his elite soldiers, to act as shock troops, black ops, recon, and even acting as somewhat redundant bodyguards to him.

That being said, they were also formed because Odin really wanted some eye-candy to perve on.

It was a sad fact of life in the Norse Pantheon that raw power, physical or magical, counted for more than intelligence or cunning. This wasn't to say the latter weren't counted as virtues, as Odin and other deities of the pantheon were noted for their wisdom and knowledge, but the Norse Pantheon came from a culture that had a rather brutal, pragmatic and straightforward approach to fighting. It was little different in the Valkyries, most of whom were derived from Vanir stock. Beauty and battle prowess counted for more than intelligence. That, and having a boyfriend, with an Einherjar, a companion resurrected from the dead, being most-prized.

Amongst the younger of Valkyries was one of noteworthy lineage and ability. Her grandmother was none other than Gondül, one of the most famous of all Valkyries. And despite her failing to inherit the Seiz-style magic of her family, due to an inability to learn it, she nonetheless studied hard, learning all kinds of magic. Such was her admirable dedication to her studies that her peers, out of contempt for her intelligence and tenacity, dubbed her the Spinster Valkyrie, even though she was in her mid-teens.

It wasn't that she didn't want a boyfriend. In truth, she did. But she also prioritised hard work over romance, and felt that getting a boyfriend could wait until she had proven herself. Some part of her knew that it may not matter, as no matter how hard she tried, others would sneer at her work.

For her, though, her destiny was about to change. She would find someone who could understand her, and accept her for what she was. And in striving from tragedy, they would find fulfilment.

After all, there was another name for a Valkyrie: Óskmey. In English, this deceptively simple word meant 'wish-maiden'. Though this came from the wish all who followed this pantheon to be taken to Valhalla upon their deaths, here, it was particularly apt.

The Valkyrie wished for someone who would understand her. A young man wished for salvation from a life that had gone horribly wrong. And a confluence would lead to them finding each other…

The first thing Rossweisse noticed as the light from the teleportation circle faded away was the cold. Not that she wasn't used to such a thing, what with her growing up in Norway. But she knew almost instantly that this cold was caused by magic. Magically-created ice seemed to sap the very heat from the surrounding areas in a way normal ice and frost and snow didn't.

But even so, the next thing that she noticed was, despite being only fifteen, a smell she was already familiar with. Her nose had been assaulted by the squalid stench of death. Blood, viscera, excrement and urine.

It was easy to see the cause, too. Strewn around them were the bodies of various wizards. You'd think a graveyard would have bodies to spare, but these ones hadn't been interred in their graves, and they had only been recently slain. And in nasty ways too. Some were encased in ice, their faces locked forever in horrified expressions. Some were impaled with icicles in ways that would have made Vlad Tepes proud, including right through their alimentary canals. Others had been frozen and shattered, as if dipped in something like liquid nitrogen and then broken.

Rossweisse fought down a surge of bile up her gullet. It was only her second time to such a scene of carnage. The first time had been when she got caught up in a train crash not far from Oslo. For many of her squadmates, it was their first time seeing this, and at least two of them, she noted with some schadenfreude, were vomiting copiously.

"Enough! Stop vomiting on the scene, you two," Brynhildr snapped. Though normally the head of the Valkyries, she was also a teacher for the newcomers. "Did you think finding Einherjars was all about fun and games? We are here on serious business, and if you can't stomach dealing with carnage like this, then you'd best drop out."

One of the Valkyries, Sanngridr(1), someone Rossweisse hated, unwisely sneered as she rubbed the back of her comrade. "No wonder you can't get a boyfriend like Rossweisse," she muttered under her breath. But not quietly enough to escape Brynhildr's sharp hearing.

"And you've just volunteered for latrine duty, Sanngridr," Brynhildr said icily. "Thank you for your enthusiasm. And toothbrush only, no spells. This is a serious mission. Remember, Lord Odin himself sent us out here to discern the exact cause. Jotunn magic has been used here, and rather wildly. If we're lucky, this wasn't just some sadistic Jotunn getting his kicks. Though to be frank…" She looked down at the ground, picking up a dismembered arm. "…I'm not convinced we need to fight whoever it is."

Rossweisse peered at the dark tattoo on the arm, of a snake emerging from a skull. "That's the Dark Mark, isn't it?" she asked. "The Death Eaters."

"Voldemort's little group of sycophants," Brynhildr agreed.

"Hey, look, Chief!" another Valkyrie called out, beckoning them over. "This one's pretty much intact, and holding onto a trophy!"

Brynhildr and Rossweisse came over to find another body encased in ice, only the trophy they were holding onto intact. The ice was considerably clearer too, and the robes on this one was different, more colourful. A boy, some years older than Rossweisse, dark hair and handsome features, his face open in an imbecilic gape of surprise. Brynhildr suddenly slapped away the hand of the Valkyrie who called them over when she reached for the trophy. "Ow, what was that for, Chief?"

"Didn't you scan the trophy for any enchantments?" Brynhildr snapped. "Rossweisse?"

Rossweisse nodded, and began scanning the body and the trophy with a runic array. "Trophy has a Portkey enchantment, linked to here and to a location I suspect to be the grounds of Hogwarts. Male, late teens. Cause of death, the Killing Curse, around an hour ago. The ice was used on him afterwards. It's definitely Jotunn magic, ma'am."

Brynhildr frowned, before looking at the other corpses. "And yet, those are more recent, I know it. We got the alert from Lord Odin fifteen minutes ago. So, this boy, possibly with another, was taken from Hogwarts, at a guess. He was killed with the Killing Curse." She looked up, and seemed to notice something nearby. "Wait…Rossweisse, with me. The rest of you, set up a perimeter, and leave that boy's body alone for now. Don't even think about trying to make him an Einherjar without my leave, or latrine duty will seem like Valhalla by comparison."

Rossweisse soon followed her superior, ignoring the sneers and grumbling from her squadmates. While Brynhildr was hard on them all, she was hardest on Rossweisse. But she also gave Rossweisse more opportunities to prove herself.

Still, Rossweisse had to wonder exactly why a rookie squad had been sent here. Brynhildr was the most senior member here by a long shot, after all. Then again, most ordinary humans, let alone most human wizards, couldn't hope to do much harm to even rookie Valkyries. True, Jotunn were another matter, but Rossweisse could tell that this was no seasoned Jotunn. The ice magic on display was powerful, but she realised it was mostly out of control.

They stopped near a melted-down cauldron, an even more mephitic smell than the bodies wafting from it. Brynhildr did the scanning this time, and grimaced. "Traces of rather vile alchemic ingredients…someone used this as a ritual, and I think I know what kind. A re-embodiment and enhancement ritual of a particularly dark kind."

"If the Death Eaters were involved, maybe somehow Voldemort was?" Rossweisse asked. "Maybe this was to bring him back from the dead?"

"…Not quite the right ritual, Rossweisse, but I think you're not that far off the mark," Brynhildr said. "It may be that he cheated death, but was reduced to a state where he needed to have his body restored. Except…" She went over to a nearby head, that even now looked to be in an advanced state of decay, despite being frozen in a small block of ice. Half of the face was a rotting ruin, but the other half was ophidian, with a crimson eye that had a slitted pupil like a snake. No nose, no hair. "I'm willing to bet this is what Voldemort turned himself into." She then began scanning the head. "…Well, whatever it is, it was born from the ritual that cauldron was used in. Traces of…" Her eyes widened. "Extensive Horcrux usage?!"

"What are those, ma'am?" Rossweisse asked.

"I'm a little surprised you didn't come across them in your own studies, Rossweisse. Then again, your studies were more towards offensive and defensive magic, not this kind of vileness," Brynhildr said. "A Horcrux is a kind of phylactery, a soul-container, something that anchors your spirit to the material plane. Except…from what little I admittedly know of them, you actually split your soul with a particularly vile ritual and a murder. You place the resulting soul fragment into an object. I only know about this because I had to deal with a rather nasty wizard who had two of them. Of course, Voldemort is just the sort of person who'd use them."

"But is that Voldemort?" Rossweisse asked.

"Good question. I'll take the head back for analysis later, but honestly, given the Death Eater presence, if it isn't him, then they've found a new leader who is as vile," Brynhildr said grimly, before looking across the carnage. "…Someone left the scene. Running. Look over there. Footprints in the frost that had formed. Rossweisse, with me." Raising her voice, she said, "And the rest of you, maintain your positions until we get back. If any humans come onto the scene, notify me immediately, especially if they're Aurors or other wizards. If any hostiles engage, retreat if they're too powerful, but notify me. And don't try to bring back that boy, or anyone else here, as an Einherjar, understood?"

"As if we'd bring back Death Eaters as Einherjars, Chief!" called back another.

With that, Brynhildr took to the air, soon followed by Rossweisse, using flight magic innate to the Valkyries. "Rossweisse, follow me, but keep an eye out for any hostiles while I track the trail of whatever did this."

"Yes, ma'am," Rossweisse said, even as she followed.

As they flew, Brynhildr said, "Hopefully, the others won't do something stupid. We have a rogue Jotunn or someone with Jotunn blood, possibly scared, certainly upset. Hopefully, they're otherwise friendly. Whoever did this wanted those Death Eaters dead. Hopefully, they're willing to listen to reason. Note where the trail is going: whoever this is fled, and not towards the village. I think they were chasing something or someone. Or maybe they had an attack of conscience."

Rossweisse shivered. Despite it being summer in Britain, the air felt cold, and the Valkyrie uniform, little more than an armoured leotard, didn't offer that much protection from the elements. True, she was a Valkyrie, semi-divine, and was resistant to temperature, but still…maybe it was anxiety.

They soon ended up near a decrepit and seemingly-abandoned mansion, which the blood trail entered. "Rossweisse…if things go wrong, get out of here. Tell the others to withdraw. I know they're unlikely to listen, but cite the emergency withdrawal codes."

"Understood."

The two Valkyries gingerly entered. As they moved through the house stealthily, they heard a snarl from a distant room, the hoarse voice of a teenaged boy about Rossweisse's age. "Do you feel that, Wormtail? Imagine how Sirius felt when he was in Azkaban, with the Dementors sapping at his happiness and warmth. You don't get a second chance to escape, not this time! You're lucky I need you to prove Sirius' innocence, or I'd do to you what I did to the rest of them!"

Brynhildr and Rossweisse shared a look. Now this was something. Whoever had slain all those Death Eaters had a captive…and it seemed that captive was someone who was needed to prove the innocence of someone else. A brief unheard communication passed between them, before Brynhildr decided to move on, though not before putting up a ward that prevented escape, at least to anyone but the Valkyries.

They traced where the voice had come from, looking at the wet footprints, before they came to a room. Brynhildr eventually decided to knock gently on the door. "Excuse me, can we come in?" she asked.

A brief gasp, before the voice asked warily, "Who are you? Are you with them?"

"We mean you no harm as long as you don't attack us. I can assure you, we're not with the Death Eaters, or the local DMLE," Brynhildr said. "Well?"

"…No tricks."

Brynhildr entered, signalling Rossweisse to follow soon afterwards. Rossweisse stopped and stared at the surreal sight. It appeared to be a boy about her age, looking haggard and harried, his robes tattered. He was staring at them warily, his emerald eyes bloodshot behind glasses. His hair was matted with blood. He was holding a rather fat rat in his hands, a rat that was currently encased in ice. Oddly enough, his left arm was covered in what looked like a crimson and gold gauntlet, with an emerald gem in it. Not the Boosted Gear or a Twice-Critical, it looked altogether more elegant than those Sacred Gears. Something else?

But now, Rossweisse recognised him. True, the infamous scar was impossible to see with his hair like that, but the face was the same as one she had seen in the papers over the last year. And while she didn't pay that much attention to the goings-on in Magical Britain, who hadn't heard of this guy?

Still, what she saw was not some belligerent Jotunn, but a boy about her age, angry and frightened, though he was staring at their outfits in understandable confusion. "Are you angels?"

Brynhildr merely gave him a reassuring smile. "No. But…are you okay?"

"…No, no I'm not," he admitted. "Look, before we go any further…this rat is an Animagus, you know what that is? This is Peter Pettigrew, the man who betrayed my parents to Voldemort. Whatever happens to me…you need to make sure that he confesses what he did, so my godfather can be exonerated. But who are you guys?"

"Believe it or not, we are Valkyries, the elite soldiers of Lord Odin, the ruler of the Norse Pantheon. I'm sure you would find it hard to believe, but that is the truth. We had learned of…an incident, though we weren't expecting to find a bunch of dead Death Eaters. I do have a few important questions before we go on. Firstly, that boy we found…what was his name, and who killed him?"

"…Cedric. Cedric Diggory, and…I dragged him into this." He glared at the rat. "This rat bastard murdered Cedric on Voldemort's orders, but…"

"I think I get the picture. We'll need to debrief you and see what the truth is, but I personally believe you. I didn't think you, of all people, would willingly use the Killing Curse. Secondly…" She brought out the bag containing the snake-like head. "Can you identify this?"

"Yeah, that's Voldemort, what's left of him. I…I barely remember what happened, but…I killed them, didn't I? I killed them all."

The bleak tone of voice got through to Rossweisse, and she stepped over, squatting next to him. "…We're not blaming you. I'm Rossweisse, a rookie Valkyrie. This is our commander and Chief of the Valkyries, Lady Brynhildr. And we're here to help you, Harry Potter…"

CHAPTER 1 ANNOTATIONS:

Well, the battle of the graveyard has gone very differently to canon. But what the hell is up with Harry? And what is that Sacred Gear he's wielding?

1. Sanngridr, fittingly, is an actual name of a Valkyrie that means 'very cruel'.