Harry Potter sat quietly contemplating the still pond in front of him. The moon ahead was reflected perfectly in the small body of water and made it look quite inviting for the small boy.

With a sigh, Harry shifted his position on the soft ground and shot a look back at the dark house behind him. He found that no matter how hard he tried, he just couldn't fall asleep. He figured it was probably around three in the morning already. The room was perfectly comfortable, as was his bed, but he just couldn't stop his mind from racing long enough to embrace sleep.

So much had happened in such a short amount of time that he still found it hard to believe he was in the position he was in. In only a day he had been almost mauled by some strange animal, threatened to be executed, revealed to be some lost protector of some strange land, and adopted.

"Nothing normal ever happens to me…" Harry muttered as he skipped a rock across the lake, sending ripples throughout the water. Inexplicably, Harry found himself missing his home, if only for the sense of familiarity it would provide him at the moment. He knew he would be happier here, but his life was also going to be tougher. Cyrus had told him about all the training and lessons he would have to go through while he grew here. Not that he wasn't excited, but it was just another thing he had to add on to the list of things that was now expected to become.

"Harry?" A questioning voice behind him asked, pulling him out of his thoughts. "Not able to sleep, huh?"

"No, sorry." Harry muttered apologetically to Lyla as she sat down next to him on the ground.

"No need to apologize. I can imagine how many thoughts you have racing through your mind. I probably wouldn't be able to sleep either if I was you." Lyla replied as she copied Harry's earlier actions and skipped a rock across the water. "You know, I come out here a lot of the time to think as well. It really is a peaceful place."

Harry just merely nodded at her words, not trusting himself to talk while he was in such a vulnerable state of mind. Lyla watched him quietly for a second before looking around the grounds of the house.

"You wanna know something funny? This place was actually a gift to us from Cyrus' dad. He gave it to us as a wedding present. You'd think that the fact that it was from him would make it harder to like, but more and more I find it impossible to. It truly is an amazing house. Though Cyrus has joked more than once that Darius only gave it to us to get us out of his hair. 'Somewhere to escape to', he told us when we gifted it to us. Though I don't think he meant it so seriously when we actually did escape the castle and move here full time."

"Would he really do that?" Harry questioned, looking at Lyla through the moonlight. "And how come you live here, and not in the castle with Tyler and his family?"

"Well," Lyla started with a sigh. "It's no secret that Darius is usually at odds with us. I'm normally his number one button pusher too, but I try not to push him too far. He's an older man set in his ways. He led this land in a time of war with Tyler's father and he lost a lot because of it. I can understand that and I feel for him, but he needs to adapt with the times. His mindset since the last war ended is that we are always on the brink of another war, which has harmed us from growing as a society. That's why he's so weary of you, he's worried that you being here could throw the balance off and have us descend into the war he's worried about. I know he has probably come off as an evil tyrant so far, but he really has done a lot for this place. Try not to think too badly of the man, I'm sure he'll come around eventually. He usually has a soft spot for his family. As for us being able to live away from the castle, Cyrus is only a prince, and not a king like Tyler. Technically, we should be living in the castle but what's the point of being royalty if you can't abuse your power a bit."

Harry smiled at Lyla as she finished and sent him a wink. He found that her humor was helping to defuse the tangle of thoughts that were tangling themselves in his head only a few minutes ago. He knew that she was trying to make him feel better and comfortable enough to share what was on his mind. He supposed he owed her that much, seeing as she and Cyrus had done so much for him since he got here.

"I… I guess I'm just thinking about my home, honestly." Harry began as he stared down at his hands, too nervous to look at Lyla. "I know that things will be better here, a lot better, but I guess I just miss the familiarity of it. No matter what happened I could always go into my room and have my own sanctuary there and find peace. I guess I kind of maybe miss the people too. They didn't treat me well, I know they didn't, but they were still my family. I can't help thinking if they even noticed I'm gone or even miss me a little bit. I just don't know what to make of my thoughts."

Harry finished without pause, fearing that if he stopped he wouldn't continue. He was never really able to talk about how he felt to anyone other than Sirius and Remus, but he hoped that Lyla would be the same.

Sirius and Remus… How could I forget about them? Harry thought to himself in a panic, wondering how they had taken his absence.

"Harry…" Lyla whispered as she placed her hand on his knee, bringing his attention to her before he could further contemplate his two honorary uncles. "I know I don't have all the answers you're looking for. Maybe one day you'll know the answer to your questions, but I can tell you this. Cyrus and I will do anything it takes to make you feel at home here. I know we've only just met so it may seem weird to you that strangers care so much, but we do. You're only a boy Harry. I don't know if you had anybody to take care of you back at home, but the way you were treated isn't right. The marks on your body… they don't belong on any child. I promise while you're here we'll do everything we can to protect you and make sure you feel safe with us."

"Thank you, Lyla." Harry whispered back to her, fearing that she would notice the tears that were threatening to fall. He was still a bit skeptical at the freely given care Lyla promised him, but he wanted to believe it. He wanted to believe that he could have a real, loving family here that wouldn't raise their hand to him if he did something they didn't believe to be appropriate.

I guess only time will tell what this place holds for me… Harry thought as the two continued to sit with each other in silence, enjoying the company.

Cyrus Shade thought he had reached an age where very little things could shock him.

Well, his age didn't actually have that much to do with it. It was more of the fact that he had dealt with so many terrible and unexpected things in his life by now. He knew that ever since he was young, his family would be the target of many different types of attacks, whether they be physical, political, or emotional. Though he fuzzy on a lot of the finer details, he had lived through a war when he was younger. Hell, he had even lost his mother to that damn war.

However, nothing could have prepared him for what he found when he had traveled to Diagon Alley when he had gone on a search to find any type of information on what had happened to Harry. He thought he would have had to do some digging and pull a couple contacts in to find the information he needed. He knew that Harry had said his family was in hiding and on top of that, whatever had happened had happened almost eight months previously.

Imagine his surprise when the moment he entered Diagon Alley, he was assaulted by posters and other types of paraphernalia declaring the awe-inspiring act of heroism by one Ryan Potter, vanquisher of the Dark Lord.

Harry had told Cyrus enough this morning about his family and their situation so he could look out for different signs that would signal his family or something that could have happened to them, so he knew that this boy was supposedly Harry's brother. The sign didn't actually say much, just serving as a reminder for those walking by that they were free from the evil of the Dark Lord and who they should be thankful for.

Pleased that he had a lead, Cyrus made his way back to the Leaky Cauldron, dressed in a simple black cloak in order to blend in with the other patrons.

"I'll take one butter beer, please." Cyrus requested as he sat down at the bar, putting on his best American accent. "The name's Mike, by the way."

"Name's Tom." The barman replied gruffly, handing Cyrus the bottle he requested. "You not from around here, huh?"

"No. I'm on vacation here with my family from America. I've never been to England before. It seems I missed a bullet though with this Dark Lord being gone. We didn't hear too much about that back in the states." Cyrus sipped her drink as he watched Tom's eyes darken at the mention of Voldemort.

"Aye. Nasty business that was. My own restaurant almost got burnt to the ground a couple times in some of the attack on the alley. People were disappearing left and right, too. My pub was never as empty as it was with that bastard around, not even when Grindelwald was running about."

"That sounds terrible. Good thing for that Potter kid, eh?"

"Good thing is right. Don't know how much longer we could've went without surrendering. The alley is only just finishing up their repairs and new shops are finally opening up, almost eight months after he's been gone."

"What's his story? I can't imagine a young boy like that could take on this Dark Lord in a duel and survive."

"Nobody knows for sure what happened, 'scept for the family I suppose. I probably know a bit more than most, seeing as people never really have a problem telling a thing or two to their local barman. Apparently the family of the boy was in hiding from him, I guess the Potter's did something to really piss him off. Next thing you know, this last Halloween, You-Know-Who was defeated by the kid. I guess he found the Potters, broke in, and tried to kill their boy but he died trying. The boy supposedly survived the killing curse."

"Really?" Cyrus asked with a quirked eyebrow. That was certainly… interesting. If Harry had been involved in that at all, it would certainly explain how he had managed to transport to his world. A death experience was certainly enough to reawaken his dormant powers. "What about the family? Did they make it out of the experience without a scratch?"

"I heard they tried to battle with You-Know-Who, but none of their injuries were fatal." Tom admitted as he moved off to serve another customer for a second, before returning. "The family is actually in the alley today, came through about an hour ago."

"Tom, another fire whiskey." A black haired man barked out from down the bar, slamming his glass down. The man looked rather unkempt to Cyrus. His long hair appeared to not have been combed at all today and he was wearing a rather tattered cloak. He quickly glanced at Cyrus with seemingly dead eyes, searching the man for something before turning back to his glass.

"Right away, Sirius." Tom replied, giving the man an odd look.

"There was another son." The man said, quite suddenly as Tom was filling the glass. "There was another Potter son."

"Oh?" Cyrus asked, moving closer the man. He had recognized the name Sirius, but Harry had only mentioned him briefly and it had seemed like he didn't even mean to. "What happened to him?"

"He died. He's gone. For good. So yes, there were fatalities Tom." Sirius said darkly, almost as if talking to himself. He quickly drained his glass and threw down the money to cover it, before leaving the pub in a rush.

"Don't mind him." Tom muttered to Cyrus. "I forgot about the other boy. The family doesn't mention him much so it slipped my mind. I don't know much about him though. As I said, the family was in hiding. That man would know though, he's a family friend. Went to school with the family as a kid and is still close with them now."

"Quite the modern epic then, huh?" Cyrus said with a light chuckle, trying to distance himself from the dark feelings Sirius had given him. He couldn't help but give a small shudder at the look Sirius had thrown his way before he left. "Thanks for the info Tom, I appreciate your companionship. Maybe I'll see you around while I'm still in London."

Cyrus started to leave even before Tom could respond, wanting to get back to his wife and Harry and tell them all he had learned on his mission.

Harry couldn't remember a time when he was enjoying himself as much as he was now. Cyrus had left earlier this morning in order to find info, leaving Lyla and Harry alone together. After that, Lyla had proposed they take a walk around town and visit a few of the shops together. Harry couldn't help but stare at all the different vendors and the different things they sold.

"Do you want to stop at a clothes shop first? I think Nick's clothes might be a bit too big for you for now, he's really started to hit a growth spurt." Lyla contemplated as the two walked down one of the many brick roads in the town. Many people walking past were smiling at Lyla in greeting, which she returned happily. So far, Harry had avoided any of the more "conservative" citizens who didn't want him there.

"I don't have any money though." Harry answered as he continued to look around. There were just so many new things here! He could only imagine how much there was to learn about this place.

"Of course you do. Cyrus and I adopted you, so now that means our money is your money. Let's go!" Lyla said with a laugh as she grabbed Harry's hand and pulled him towards the nearest shop. Not only did vendors line most of the streets near the town circle, but the buildings themselves held shops too. Most of the shops were a bit classier than the vendors, or they just held enough merchandise that they validated a store instead of a shop.

The next few hours passed in a flash as Harry was ushered around and into different clothes, deciding whether or not he liked them. He was surprised by the modern aspect of many of the different choices. His mother had been subscribed to both magical and muggle magazines, some of which were dedicated to fashion. He occasionally looked through them whenever she received one and the clothes at the store matched most of it.

By the end of the shopping trip, Harry and Lyla both had their hands and arms full with all the clothing they had bought. Harry felt a little awkward at first at Lyla spending so much money on him, but he felt a little better when she bought something for herself as well. He was extremely grateful for the clothes, not even knowing when the last time he had received so many gifts at once was.

"I'm famished! Do you want to head back to the house and make some lunch? I would normally offer to go to a café around the corner, but Cyrus should be back soon." Lyla said as she readjusted the bags she held.

"That sounds good to me." Harry replied with a bright smile as they started to walk back home.

"Lyla!"

"Shit." Lyla muttered as she kept walking. She reached out her hand and grabbed Harry's pulling him along as the two continued to walk.

"Lyla!" The voice called out again as Harry heard footsteps quickly approaching.

"Keep walking Harry, we're almost home." Quickly glancing backwards, Harry saw that it was Aaron who was running up to them. He grasped Lyla's hand tighter as he started to walk faster, hoping the man wouldn't catch up to him. Unfortunately for them, Aaron quickly caught up and ran around to the front of them.

"What do you want Aaron?" Lyla questioned with a huff. She tried to keep walking but Aaron quickly stepped in front of her to cut her off.

"Taking the prisoner out for his daily exercise?" Aaron said with a smirk as he glanced quickly in Harry's direction. Harry quietly readjusted his stance so that he had placed himself behind Lyla.

"I won't have you talking about Harry like that." Lyla bit back. "We're out for a nice day that I won't have you ruin. If you want to throw a tantrum that you weren't able to kill a child, go do it to your men."

"Aw, Lyla, don't be like that. We were just having a bit of fun yesterday, weren't we Harry?" Aaron questioned with a predatory grin. Lyla grasped his hand for reassurance. "And I know just how much you love seeing me anyways, Lyla."

"The only time I'll be happy to see you is when they're lowering your cold, dead body into the ground." Lyla hissed. This caused Aaron to narrow his eyes and adjust his hand so it was closer to his sword.

"You better watch what you say Lyla. Your husband isn't here to protect you."

"And you better watch who you threaten Aaron. I don't need anyone to protect me. I'm more than capable of taking care of an insignificant cockroach like yourself. Now, if you'll excuse us." Lyla said as she pushed through Aaron, only to have him run to the front of them again.

"I heard about what you're planning with the others." Aaron said in anger. "If you think that this boy is really the Shadow Keeper, you're mistaken. And you're even more mistaken if you think me and my men will ever take orders from him."

"Thanks for your pointless input, as always. Last I heard was your men had trouble taking orders as it was. Real tight ship you run, eh? Either way, when you signed on to protect our lands, you became honor bound to serve the Shadow Keeper, if one were to ever reemerge. Now, good day."

Lyla once again pushed through Aaron and took Harry along with her. Harry sent a quick glance behind him as they walked away to see Aaron seething, glaring after them.

"You better keep an eye out Lyla! Wouldn't want you to get caught in any crossfire!" Aaron called out to their retreating forms. Lyla ignored the call and kept walking with Harry, although Harry noticed her grip had considerable tightened.

"Is he the leader of your military?" Harry questioned as they approached home.

"No, no. Sweet Merlin, no. I can't imagine how things would be if he was. Unfortunately, he is a pretty high ranking officer. He runs a special unit that most aren't aware of, even though he likes to parade his soldiers around like he's a king himself. Though how he got to his position is pretty questionable. Enough about him though, we were having a lovely day by ourselves. Let's go put our clothes away and we'll make some lunch, huh? We won't completely let him ruin our day."

"Sounds good to me." Harry said with a smile, still feeling a little off from their encounter with Aaron. Something about the man just didn't feel right to Harry. Of course, it could be the fact that he was trying to kill Harry yesterday. Either way, Harry was happy to get his mind off of it by helping Lyla cook.

Harry's face paled severely as Cyrus continued his story. He had only just returned home moments ago from his trip. The trio had moved themselves to the sitting room at the front of the house and listened raptly as Cyrus began his story. He had told Harry and Lyla that he had managed to find out information of what happened to Harry, and his family, that night. Though, it wasn't the best news.

"I died?" Harry croaked out. "Well, I obviously didn't die because I'm still here but everybody thinks I'm dead? What happened? Is everybody else alright?"

Cyrus put his hands up to placate Harry so he could continue his story. "To the rest of the magical world, yes, you are dead. I had an encounter with… a man at a bar. Apparently that night Voldemort came and attacked your family and he managed to kill you, while your brother managed to kill him."

"Well, I guess Ryan really was as special as everybody else said." Harry said with a hint of bitterness. "What about the rest of the family?"

"It seems that everybody else is okay. It appears that your family didn't really talk to the public about your supposed death. I'm sorry Harry."

"I'm not surprised." Harry laughed without humor. "They never wanted me. I'm sure they were only too happy to be without me. Not only did their favorite son Ryan kill the worst wizard ever, they managed to get rid of their other son."

"If you were hit with some kind of curse or anything dark, it would make sense how you got sent here." Lyla said thoughtfully, breaking the tension of the room. "Your innate ability could have been activated, and if the curse was really bad enough, it would explain the time loss. Your body could have been put in some type of stasis to heal you fully. For it to be a couple month span… you must have been hit with something truly dark…"

"I had the same thoughts." Cyrus said grimly. "Just for your information Harry, your brother is being hailed as a hero. After I left the bar I was going to come home but I decided to walk around first to see if I could gather any other information. I knew they were in the alley so I figured I would try and see if I could see them. I did, and the sight wasn't pretty. There were people crowding them on the alley, barely giving them room to breathe. They seemed to be having no problem with the fame and being in the spotlight, at first anyways. After a little bit of watching them it seemed that the mask was starting to slip. It was shameful, honestly, the way people were acting. They're calling him the Boy-Who-Lived and people are practically throwing themselves at his feet."

"It makes sense that after my parents treated him that way that everybody else would fall in line as well. I doubt Ryan would expect it any other way. Is there anything else I should know?"

"I'm sure there is, but nothing I know that I can tell you. Maybe one day we'll find out what truly happened in your house that night. Until then, we'll have to rely on our hunches."

"There's so much guess work. I don't like it." Harry admitted, frustrated.

"I know, Harry. It's a lot to take in at once." Cyrus agreed quietly. He seemed to stare through Harry for a few moments before shaking his head to clear his thoughts. "Unfortunately, that's not all for today. This news isn't bad though. Tyler and my father have talked and they set the ritual to prove if you do carry the Shadow Keeper bloodline in you for today. Tyler wanted to push it back a little bit to give you time, but Darius said it had to be for today so we could get it over with."

"Today? That's awful short notice." Lyla commented with a look to Cyrus.

"I know, we're expected to be at the castle in 3 hours, so that at least gives us time to prepare. I've read about the ritual they're going to perform but it hasn't happened in years so it might be different."

"Well, tell me what you know then." Harry said with a sigh.

"We gather here today to see whether the claim that the boy known as Harry Shade does in fact carry the long lost bloodline of our esteemed protectors, the Shadow Keeper. He carries the mark of our protectors on his right shoulder blade on his back, a fact which has been checked by our Kings, as well as the princes of our land. If Mr. Shade could step forward and lower his shirt to show the witnesses here, please do so now."

With a shock, Harry realized they were talking to him. He had momentarily forgotten that through the adoption, he had taken of Cyrus' last name. It was definitely different, but Harry thought he could get used to it. Taking a deep breathe, Harry stepped forward and lowered the black cloak he wore, as well as the shirt underneath, so those attending could see the mark that he himself had only seen today. It was about six inches in length and it reminded Harry of the fountain he saw in the town circle. It was the same sword with wings sprouting out of the hilt, folding over the blade as if protecting it. Cyrus had told Harry that the fountain in the circle was a tribute to the lost Shadow Keepers.

As he turned and showed the group of people in the room his marking, he heard a few gasp and some whispers break out. Cyrus had told him to expect this, as the people in the room had heard stories their whole life about the missing Shadow Keepers. Most of the people in the room were influential in some way, whether it be military, political, or influential community leaders. Harry noted with annoyance that Aaron stood with a few other that he guessed were also in the land's military. Harry covered his shoulder and turned back to the appointed speaker.

"Thank you, Mr. Shade. As those here have witnesses, Mr. Shade carries the mark passed down through the bloodline. These walls are impenetrable to any type of disguises and we have used other methods to verify it is a real mark. Are there any that wish to speak before we proceed to the ritual?"

This is the part Harry had been dreading. Cyrus had told him that this ritual was also used when a new Shadow Keeper ascended to their position, not only for proving that they were one. Apparently, it was customary for the person ascending to give a short speech to the assembled.

"I do." Harry said with his steadiest voice as he stepped forward once more. He gave a quick glance around trying to gauge the looks he was receiving before plowing on. "Though I have only been in this land for mere hours compared to many of you, my blood runs thick through these lands. I have been told a brief summary of my family's history and I do not intend to dishonor them. I understand that I am young, but I am willing to learn and to train in order to be the protector this land calls for. Though some of you may wish I not be here at all, this is my ancestral home. My ancestors have spilled blood to protect yours, and I only hope you accept me as your ancestors did once before. I promise I will not fail you or this land. Thank you."

Harry stepped back into the place he previously occupied, quickly feeling Cyrus and Lyla grasp his shoulders. He leaned into their touches, feeling his nerves trying furiously to settle down. Cyrus had told him that this was normally routine, but it would become a game of politics in Harry's case. Though the boy was young, he understood that this would help solidify his image in the public's eye. Many of these people would be returning home or to their communities tonight and telling their impressions of the strange little boy who found his way back home.

Many had seemed pleased by his speech, proving that Cyrus' speech writing skills were working. They had decided to keep it short and simple, also proving that he was loyal to the land. Though initially wary of the boy, many hoped that their legendary protector would return one day. If he could show he was knowledgeable to some of their customs already, they could only hope he could quickly adjust to the rest. However, there were the few in the crowd that fixed him with a steady glare. This was to be expected, of course. Even if he was originally still from this land, many of them wished the bloodline would have stayed lost. Searching around quickly, Harry saw Darius looking at him impassively. He still wasn't sure what to make of the man. His first impressions had been quite harsh, but with what Lyla told him, he was becoming a little more understanding.

"Once again, thank you Mr. Shade. Are there any others?" The speaker questioned. Harry couldn't help but look around, seeing if any would step forward. Cyrus had run through almost the whole thing with him and said that it would be extremely unlikely that any would come forward, knowing that it would be disrespectful to challenge their protector. Harry noted a few who looked like they wished they could speak, but knew better than that.

"Mr. Shade, if you could please step forward to the middle of the room and stand directly in front of the cauldron." The speaker said, indicating the bubbling cauldron in the middle of the throne room. Harry slowly walked forward. This was the part that Cyrus was the most in the dark about. He wasn't exactly sure what happened when one drank the potion, as it was considered a secret that only the Keeper knew.

"Please take this blade and use it to allow three drops of blood to drop into the solution. After this, the ritual dictates you are to drink the mixed solution." The speaker said, handing Harry the ornate dagger. As he passed it over, he whispered Harry a quiet good luck, to which Harry sent a small smile back at the man.

With a small grunt, he quickly sliced his palm and allowed the required amount of blood to drop. He quietly handed the man the dagger back, exchanging it for an equally ornate goblet. Filling it, Harry quickly swallowed the solution. He tried not to think about the blood in it and hoped the coppery taste was just his imagination.

Who knew what else was in that? Harry thought as he felt the liquid go down his throat. He stood in front of the cauldron, waiting for something to happen. After a few seconds, he turned to Cyrus helplessly, wondering if they had been all wrong about it after all. Just as he was about to speak, a piercing scream ripped its way through the room as Harry Shade feel to the ground.

"My child, awake now. We have much to discuss." A gentle voice called out, pulling Harry from his slumber.

"Cyrus? What happened? Did the ritual fail?" Harry questioned, rubbing the sleep from his eyes. Looking at his surroundings, Harry was shocked when he saw it was not Cyrus who had woken him. They were still in the throne room, only it was empty to except for the two.

"Not quite my boy." The voice replied, chuckling lightly. "And my name is Dante, not Cyrus. I was the first Shadow Keeper of this land."

"What happened? Did the ritual actually work?" Harry asked excitedly, hurrying to stand up and face the man. He looked straight out of a history book. He had long, blonde hair which was tied loosely behind his back. He had golden eyes with a pointed face and was dressed in a suit of leather armor with a bow slung on his back and a sword at his side.

"Of course it did. You're of my blood, are you not?" Dante asked, quirking his brow at the boy.

"I think so. I wasn't completely sure but now I know! This is so cool. I really do belong." Harry gushed, a bright smile lightening his face.

"I'm glad you feel reassured. I know not of what happened to my bloodline after my poor child was murdered. I take personal responsibility for all of my children who have suffered, including you Harry. I know of your memories and of what your parents did to you. It is quite alarming and confusing that they could turn against one of their one flesh, but I digress. You will find happiness here with Cyrus and Lyla, I know that for sure."

"How can you be so sure?" Harry uncertainly asked, letting some of his doubts out.

"I was the original protector of this land, and though I have passed, I know off all who still fall under my protection. Cyrus and Lyla will never do anything to intentionally harm you. You can trust them. Worry not about letting your guard down around you, as they will do the same."

"I… Thank you, sir." Harry said, quickly feeling those previous doubts wash away.

"You're quite welcome. Now, onto the technicalities. Most of the time, this chat I have with my children is to tell them of the great burden they must now carry. However, you are a little different. Though the attack on your family allowed some of the dormant abilities that lie in your blood to awake, they are still quite out of reach for you to use at will. That is why you felt such great pain after you had taken the potion. It had forcefully woken your abilities so you can accurately do your job."

"I don't even know if I'm ready to do my job…"

"You are not." Dante agreed honestly. "That is why I helped kick start your abilities, instead of forcing you to fight for them and reawaken them. Though by doing this, it has reawaken some of the physical characteristics that we share. You eye color, most notably. It will be the same as mine now. Some of your other features may have changed as well, but that is for you to discover. Now, there is still much for you to learn about many things. You will be taught, however. You will also have sole access to all of the records and personal items belonging to the previous Shadow Keepers of this land. Though I am quite old, and I have forgotten the location."

"Really?" Harry asked, blanching at the idea of having to search the whole place for the room.

"No, my child." Dante said with a chuckle. "The room is in the main turret, right below the glass room. It has not been opened for quite some time. It was sealed when the last of my blood left, and has not been opened since. Many will try and infiltrate the room, now that you are here to open it. It contains a great amount of secrets that others cannot know of. There should be a note there on how to lock the room and restrict access."

"Thank Merlin." Harry replied, running his hands through his slicked back hair.

"Now, I suppose I shall give you the usual speech. By going through this ritual, you have accepted your role in this society. It is not something you can run away from, like those in your past. Worry not, I don't blame them as it was the best option at the time. I won't lie though and say I'm not happy you have returned, my child. It will be good for the land. All of the people here are now your responsibility, even those that will actively work against you. You must protect this land with a fair hand, for without it the society will crumble. There are many duties you must attend to now, and you must try and be as much as a public figure as possible. I know you have been hidden for most of your life, but the people will want to see you and will be reassured by your presence."

"Should I be taking notes?" Harry asked nervously, hoping he could remember everything Dante was telling him.

"No, no, my child." Dante chuckled. "The notes left in our study will cover most of what you will want to know. I would advise in letting Cyrus and Lyla into the study with you to help you comb through it and help you understand, anybody else is up to you. But, I fear that our time is coming to a close."

"Is there any way I can reach you?" Harry asked, knowing the man could be a great mentor.

"I'm sure if the need is great enough, I will be made available for you. Help is always given to those who ask." Dante said with a small smile. "Now remember this Harry, your duty is to this land. However, don't let this get in the way of you finding love. Cyrus and Lyla will love you like parents, if you let them. They're hesitant now because they don't want to push you, so you will have to take the first step. You have seen horrors, my boy, now I want you to feel true happiness. Good luck."

"Thank you!" Harry shouted as the room started to fade to darkness.

"One last present…" Dante said, though to Harry it sounded like he was speaking underwater. Before Dante could finish his sentence, the room flashed brilliantly and he appeared back in the throne room with everything how he was before.

He felt a brief moment of disorientation when he realized he was in front of the Keeper's throne in the throne room. An even bigger shock came to him when he looked to his sides and noticed black wings sprouting out from his back, tipped with gold at the ends. A sword's hilt was clasped at his hands, the blade running to the ground with the tip touching the brick. He brought his gaze up and his new golden eyes shined brightly with power as he gazed upon his crowd, a simple black crown adorning his head. It was with an even more amount of shock when he noticed that they had all taken a knee to him, though some seemingly reluctantly.

"It is with great honor that I welcome the bloodline of the Shadow Keeper, our esteemed protector, back into our lands. Welcome home, my lord."

A/N: The first new chapter in years! It honestly feels great to get back to writing.