A/N: Gah! The last chapter was probably the worst one... so filler-like and short and boring and... stuff... ugh. I hate myself.
However... ta-dah! Shadow Link! Wasn't expecting that, did you? Anyway, this will mainly be a Link chapter. After all, he's the main character.
Telron: Ah, maybe you mean Kakariko (or Calbarico, in the Italian version). Are you Japanese? Maybe that's the original name of the village... you know, the western-like village. I love that place, almost as much Snow Peak, that is my favorite place in all the game... Hem. Yeah, right. Back to the story.
XhikariSoraX: Yep, Shaddy's here too, and, without spoiling much, I can tell you he'll have a fairly big role in this story.
Reader314: Your comments made me giggle like a schoolgirl. I swear. I was chirping in delight, when I read your enthusiastic reviews. Thank you, it's wonderful to know that someone likes this story so much! (P.S: I'm a big zelink shipper too!)
Chapter three:
A pointy eared professor?
Some weeks had passed, and, although he had in the end managed to got off the bed, Link's mental confusion still hadn't gone better.
Nothing serious, of course, but his hand-eye coordination was kinda... off. He kept slipping, missing objects, missing the doors (ouch) and, sometimes, he even found himself trailing off during a speech because he didn't remember what he was saying, something that had never happened to him. Back in Hyrule, he wasn't exactly much of a talkative person, but, when you conquered his trust and/or friendship, his speeches were extremely smart, never boring and always on subject. It was funny that most people thought he was just a single-minded pretty face. Even Ilia, who was supposed to know him better than everyone else, had, for years, thought of him like he was some kind of doll.
Actually, aside from Rusl, only after the start of his journey he'd met people willing to see past his "cute but dumb guy" facade. Ashei and Shad were some of those people, then there were Telma, Renado, Midna (though she would never admit it), and the Princess herself, with who, after the castle had been rebuilt (with the court's mages' help, it took roughly half a year), had started a beautiful friendship.
There he go, he was trailing off again. What was wrong with him?
Anyway, when he could focus (and he wasn't slamming face-first against a wall or a door), he was internally debating wherever focusing all his energies in trying to found a way to return home, or taking the unique occasion and live what was happening to him like an adventure.
He'd talked with good ol' twinkle-eyed man, who, he discovered, was named Dumbledore, too, who was, he textually said, "thrilled to have such a guest in the school of Hogwarts", and gave him permission to remain as much as he wanted, teaching him their language with a quick spell too.
He liked the idea. As much as he missed his friends, being into another world was exciting and new. He hadn't been able to be excited the time he went into the Twilight Realm, as the place was just so creepy and sad. Also, he had more important stuff to do, at the time, that sightseeing.
Hogwarts was different. Really different. Aside from the fact that the building was incredible, the whole place was full of awesome things and creatures.
He spent two whole weeks just wandering around, reading in the library and chatting with the teachers (he'd become friends with Cat-la- uh, I mean, professor McGonagall), the ghosts, and even the giant squid in the lake.
Though, it was obvious he couldn't spend all his time like this.
Finally, the headmaster wanted to talk to him.
"So, Mr. Link. I heard you are in good terms with most of the castle's personal."
He smiled nervously. "Well, yes. Most of the people I met are really kind."
"And, from your accounts, I dare say you are an expert in dealing with ill-mannered creatures."
"I... guess so?"
"And you like dealing with younger people..."
"Headmaster, what do you have in mind?" Asked Link, hesitant.
Dumbledore smiled, an impish smirk that remembered him Midna's one and set him on edge. "Well, let's say I have an offer you can't refuse."
xxx
Professor Link.
No, that wasn't right, something was missing... oh, yeah, the second name. That was kind of important, wasn't it?
What about...Oak? Nah, that was kinda childish. Professor Oak, come on... what kind of professor would have a name like that?
Hero? Wow, very humble.
Wolfe? Nice, it sounded so... feral-like. But it was better avoiding any connection with wolves. Some of the students still missed Professor Lupin, and he certainly didn't want to look like an usurper.
VanHellsing, Kurosaki, Alabarn, Komor... no, they simply weren't right.
...Avalon?
...
Professor Link Avalon. Defense Against the Dark Arts teacher.
That sounded good.
He smiled at the mirror, looking at his new outfit: nothing special, just blue jeans and a white shirt, but they fitted perfectly. Not like his old tunic, but still...
When Dumbledore asked him to become a teacher... well, at first he'd started laughing, to be completely honest. He'd thought it was a joke. He'd never even been to a school, not even as a student! How could he be a teacher?
But then, he had thought about it.
Teaching kids? He'd done it before, in Ordon.
Teaching about defense against monsters, wizards and black magic in general?
...He could do that. Sure he could! He knew everything, or almost, about that kind of stuff! He had taught soldier about swordsmanship, he'd taught mages about what kind of magic they had to use against certain demons, he'd taught normal people what they had to do when incurring into a Deku Baba or a Bokoblin...
He could manage that.
He could be a teacher. A good one.
Besides, where he couldn't suffice with experience and books, like wand magic (since every wand he tried to use always ended up exploding... for some reason), there was another professor to help him.
Yes, he could do that.
Xxx
The doorbell rang. Shadow groaned, opening lazily an eye and looking at the timekeeper. 8:00 o'clock. How annoying. At this hour of the day, every respectable (and sane) shadow-demon should be asleep. Why were humans so incredibly sun-loving? It made no sense, to him.
Looked like the Potter guy had taken a liking in him, because no day passed without him disturbing. Every. Single. Day.
What was wrong with the dude?! Didn't he, like, have some friends to pass the time with?!
He slowly got out of the bed, as the doorbell rang again.
"Yes, yes, I heard you..."
He put on a random pair of shorts and a long-sleeved shirt (the boss had provided him, other than some books about normal life in England, a set of clothes, all in black or purple, obviously).
Another ring.
"I said I heard you! I'm coming, geez..."
He opened the door. There he was, smiling like an idiot.
"Not a morning person, uh?"
"No. And you already know that." almost growled Shadow.
Harry's smile only grew wider, making him feel the urge to strangle him.
He shook away the idea. As much as it would've been nice, to round his bony neck with his hands and squeeze until no air could pass, It wouldn't have been nice to have a corpse in front of his house, so he limited to growl darkly to the boy.
Harry chuckled, amused, and Shadow sighed. "Whatever. Now that I'm up, I might as well go for a walk."
They walked around aimlessly for a while, complaining about insufferable uncles (that was Harry) and sassy part-time chiefs (that was Shadow).
Weirdly enough, the young demon found the walk being kinda... relaxing. Almost enjoyable. Just hanging around, talking about his petty workmates... it was nice.
Just them, an owl and the wind that made the swings screech sinisterly.
Wait.
An owl? What was an owl doing, awake at that hour? Had he been roughly woken up like him?
Before he could feel a wave of sympathy toward the nocturnal bird, it flew toward them, letting go a letter on Harry's head.
Weird way of delivering a letter.
Xxx
Harry shot a worried glance toward his new friend, as he took the letter from the ground. He didn't want to have to delete his memories. Thankfully, Shadow didn't look much freaked out, just mildly puzzled.
"Who's from?" He asked, curious.
Harry looked at it. Hermione's sign was clear on the missive. "A friend of mine. I know her since I was eleven."
"Well? Read it."
He complied.
"Dear Harry
Knowing your uncles, I'm sorry I had to send the letter by owl, but as we lack stamps and you lack a mobile phone, it was the only way. Don't ask how I got the owl.
Anyway, I'm writing just to say hi and inform you that you must buy another DADA book, as this year we're having two of them. I have no idea of who should they be, but it can't be worse than the second year... can it?
However. The book has been promulgated only three weeks ago, and it's named "Demonology, Xenodemonology and wandless defense". The author is Cassandra Portale, some Italian researcher I've never heard of. Oh, well.
See you at school!
Love- Hermione"
"What's a... DADA teacher?" Asked Shadow, perplexed.
Harry gulped. He'd almost forgotten the guy was there. "It's an acronym, though I don't know what it stands for. It's... well, let's say we study ancient myths." He lied, guilt clutching at his gut. He didn't like it, but what could he do?
Surprisingly, however, Shadow's only reaction was: "You look happy about having to go to school. I thought fourteen years old didn't like having to go there."
What did that mean? He talked like he'd never been to school, or like he wasn't a fourteen years old as well.
Well, actually, the first one wasn't totally incredible. Shadow had told him that his mother died giving birth to him, and that his father had died two years before of a car accident. After moving several times from a bad foster family to one even worse, he'd been given emancipation, and moved there.
What a messed up story. Not like his, never like his, but still... kinda messed up, for a muggle.
Maybe he'd been studying at home. Some people did that.
He smiled. "My school is different. Besides, I'm not exactly a good friend of my uncles. Every moment I spend away from them can't be anything but beautiful. Or, at least, thrilling."
"I see." Shadow frowned, thoughtful.
"Harry?"
"Yes?"
"How come the owl knew you were here?"
"Uh..."
A/N: Explanations. Again.
Second name: In Hyrule, only royalty has more than one name (example: Zelda Harkinian Hyrule), so Link searches desperately for a fake surname. Cake to those who found all the quotes in this chapter! (Warning: the cake is a lie.)
Knowing everything about monsters: Though Link is certain there are different monsters in England, he'd read about them a lot, in the two weeks he spent in the castle. Also, he thinks that, if he could arrive there, the monsters from Hyrule should be able to as well, so he plans to teach about those kind of creatures as well.
Exploding wands: Into the wands there are magical cores, to amplify the magic of their human owners. An Hylian, who has way more magical strength than a human wizard, doesn't need a wand to perform his magic. Remember what happens in Soul Eater when Black Star tries to use Soul? His soul wavelenght is too strong for the poor scythe, and Soul spits blood. Something similar happens with Hylians and wands.
Harry's "obsession": No, Harry is not gay (neither is Shadow) and there won't be yaoi in this story. I can't stand when people randomly changes a canon character's sexuality just to write some creepy gay porn novel. It's just that Harry doesn't have any friends in Little Whinging, and so he takes any possibility to make new "allies" against the Dursleys.
Cassandra Portale: OC. Don't worry, she's just the author of the book. She won't appear (after reading lots of fanfictions with Mary Sues, I've taken a deep dislike toward OCs as main characters). Her name is a joke: Portale means portal in Italian, (a hint to the portal that brought Link in England) while Cassandra was the name of a Greek prophetess, who could see the future but was never believed. I gave her that name because she's supposed to be so eccentric that, though her hypothesis are usually right, no much people believes her.
Shadow's fake story: Shadow had obviously to formulate a fake story to cover his real identity, so after a quick research he decided for that one. He never had a mother (being a creature created into a lab), so he said to Harry his mother had died of childbirth. His father had been put to death during TP, but he couldn't say that, could he? So, there. Car accident, the most common lie you can think of. Notice the irony: what did Harry think his parents had dead of, before Hagrid's arrival? Exactly.