The Prince in the North

Chapter 2 – A wolf pup

By Jamnaz79

Beta: (TBD)

Note: I do not own Harry Potter, Game of Thrones (Song of Fire and Ice) or anything associated with it. I can say that I would never be able to write a masterpiece like Mr. Martin does and I hope you forgive my horrible try. Then again I hope I don't do a chapter every 5 years like Mr. Martin too. But, the books are always worth the wait!

~~~PotN~~~

"Bran come on, we need to hurry or your Lord Father will be upset. We need to catch up to him." Harry called from atop his horse back towards the stables where his cousin was getting ready.

"I am coming Harry." The younger Stark rode out of the stables on his own mare. The dark haired and brown eyed boy gave a bright smile to his cousin as he walked his mare next to him. The two of them spurred their horses to catch up to Harry's Uncle, Lord Eddard Stark. They did not want to miss today. A wildling had been caught over the wall supposedly and Lord Eddard was going to give the King's Justice.

The morning dawn was cold and clear, a crispness that hinted at the end of the summer rushed against the pair as they rode to catch up. Harrison Rickard Stark, known as Harry to his kin, loved the feel of the wind rushing through his thick black unbound hair. He had been born in the winter fourteen years ago. It may have been a light winter but still he always felt an affinity for the cold nights when the windows would freeze over. He turned his striking lilac eyes to check on his younger cousin to make sure the boy was keeping up. Bran was his charge today, which was why he had to wait in the stables with him after the boy's mount had thrown a shoe.

The pair came to a stop and dismounted at the freehold. The captured man was tied to the wall with Lord Stark's party already there ahead of them. Harry dismounted alongside Bran taking good hold of the reins of the horse. He watched the man whispered to him, "Whatever you do don't look away Uncle will know."

Harry watched silently as the man was led forward and forced to kneel against a stump. The man was not the impressive sight, but normally they never were. The man must have been a deserter as he wore the full black clothing and cloak of the Night's watch. The clothing was torn, greasy and faded. The man had lost both of his ears from frost bite and a few fingers. He watched his Uncle whisper something to the man before motioning Harry forward. He walked to before his Uncle and held up the scabbard of Ice. The sword was the family blade, a Valyrian steel sword passed down for generations through the Stark family. Someday it would be given to Robb when he became Lord of Winterfell.

Once his Uncle took hold of the sword, Harry stepped back a few feet holding the scabbard. He watched the ancient blade rise over his Uncle's shoulders then slam downwards slicing cleanly through the man's head. It rolled from the stump to before Theon who kicked it away with a grin. The Greyjoy boy always was the sick bastard. Harry on the other hand was sickened on the useless loss of life. He knew very well why the deed had to be done. But, that doesn't mean he couldn't hate it. He accepted back the Stark Greatsword cleaning it before sheathing it again before turning back towards his mount as Lord Eddard motioned that he wanted words with Bran.

Back at the horses he gave a smile to his younger cousin; the boy was pale as a ghost but had not torn his eyes from the sight. Quickly Harry leapt up on the mount, pulling the reins to bring the mare next to Robb. Harry smiled towards his cousin; both had been raised like brothers since they were the same age, "Race you back to the bridge."

"You got it, last one back has to rub down the horses when we get back." Robb grinned back at Harry before spurring his horse into a sprint. Harry took off right after him. Robb always was the better horseman and today was no different as he beat Harry to the bridge. But it was Harry who spotted something unusual. He turned his mare off of the bridge towards the sweet scent of death lingering in the air. He felt a twinge in his stomach, something he always did around the weirwood, certain religious ceremonies and heart trees. He trotted his horse over and found something he did not expect to see.

The largest she-wolf he had ever seen laid there dead in the high grasses. Harry's eyes scanned over the body, he had read about the creatures but never expected to see one. That was one of the unique things about Harry, he was always a scholar, and he would read anything he could find. Actually he rarely used to go outside and play, except the godswood. The boy had always found and felt the godswood was like home to him. If you didn't know where Harry was he would either be in the Library reading books like they were candy or the godswood.

One thing he didn't share with other was the fact that he always remembered. He seemed to always remember whatever book he might read or story he might have been told by the Maester or Old Nan. Harry always felt different; he always had strange things happen around him. When he was younger he really wanted a toy and it flew off of the shelf to his hands. He was upset one morning as a baby and supposedly his old wet nurse knew that she needed to come to him despite being out. When he was five years old a man snuck into the castle. He actually killed a guardsman and came for the purpose to kidnap one of the Stark families, or at least that is what Harry was told. He remembered the incident like it was yesterday.

Flashback

Harry was in bed, Old Nan had just left after telling a story about Brandon the Builder and how the wall was built to keep back the Others. It was a scary story for a child to hear before bed, although it was one of Harry's favorites. Still this night it had Harry jumping at shadows instead of sleeping. It was because of that fear that the boy noticed the door opening slowly. He saw the man, all dressed in black like a Night's Watch member step into the room. The glint of steel reflected the moonlight from the window. Harry kept quiet as a mouse as he didn't move just watched the man. Still the man knew that the boy was awake his eyes betrayed him. Harry's eyes were a soft purple, like a lilac. They were the eyes famous for one family in the Seven Kingdoms. A family that was destroyed in the last war, and though the boy didn't know about it and Lord Eddard had gotten agreement from the King that the boy would be raised just as Lyanna's son, it was obvious whose child he was.

"You are awake little dragonbrat. No need to hide, I like it better when they know I am here for them." The man spoke softly as he started to walk forward.

"Dragonbrat? I am a Stark!" The young boy called out as he pushed slightly away from the man in his bed. His legs curled back ready to try to jump away even though he knew there was no chance.

"You are a dead dragonbrat, a pitiful insane offspring that caused my family to die in the last war child. Now, die." The man spoke then quickly he lunged at little Harry. The boy dove off of the bed onto the hard stone floor as the knife sank into the mattress of the bed where he just was laying down. Still he did not get fully away as the blade slid down his calf causing the boy to scream.

Harry pushed away from the assassin, placing his back to the corner of the room. The boy was terrified, his entire body shook with fear. The man slowly stood up on the bed with a growl moving towards the trapped child ready to end the bleeding brat. What happened next was unconscious and not understood. Harry raised his left hand to try to ward the man way, but in doing so he felt warmth flow through his body. A neon green light flashed from the boy's fingertips and shot out of the palm of his hand directly into the assassin's chest. The man was flung backwards against the wall before falling down dead with sightless eyes.

Flashback end

Harry shook off the vision from so long ago and dropped off of his mare. His eyes glanced towards the bridge and saw Robb with Jory, his Uncle and the other sixteen riders. He knelt down next to the dead dire wolf and frowned at the sight. Lodged in the neck of the great beast was an antler from a stag. That sight caused a sudden chill to seize the young teenager's chest. While Harry normally wasn't much for portents this was a dangerous one if taken serious. What more he found five pups trying to nurse form the dead she-wolf. A sigh escaped his lips as the sight of the cute little creatures, knowing the hard life they would have without a parent.

Harry was so intent in studying the wolf he missed the others talking at first. He was brought out of his thoughts as he heard Greyjoy call the wolf a freak. The word had always been one that bothered Harry, perhaps partly because it was the favorite nickname that the Kraken spawn often called him. He resisted the urge to growl as he turned to look at his Uncle, "My Lord Uncle, a dead dire wolf killed by a stag. There are five pups, three male and two female."

"It is a sign." Jory Cassel, Captain of the Guard and nephew of Lord Rodrik Cassel the Castellan of Winterfell, spoke up with a bit of fear.

Hullen, the master of the hunt for Winterfell called out, "I don't like the sight of these beasts in the realms after so many years my Lord. Winter is coming."

A slight smirk touched the lips of Lord Eddard at hearing his own House words spoken. His grey eyes turned to linger on the pups, two of which had found their way into the arms of Robb and Bran. He could see already that they were taking to the creatures. Still, they were dangerous animals.

"Lord Uncle, I think the gods want your children to have these animals. Like Hullen said, Winter is coming and what better guardians for the Starks then our sigil." Harry spoke up as he noticed from the look of his Uncle he was leaning away from keeping the pups. He motioned towards the three pups left with a small smile, "There were five pups, one for each of your children. A guardian for each Stark child from what might come in the future, I plead for you to let them keep them."

"Please father, I promise to take care of him. I will raise him well and treat him proper." Bran spoke up turning his adoring eyes to his Father.

Robb added in quickly, "It would teach us all responsibility Father."

Eddard looked between the children then back towards Harry. The boy had put forth a good argument and even though he was not a man that believed in signs and portents the fact that there was one for each child seemed fitting. "Very well, but you will raise them and train them proper. They are wild animals not dogs to be fed at the dinner table. You will be responsible for them and only each of you. Remember a dire wolf if mistreated will be brutal and need to put down. They could as easily rip a man's throat out as you rip apart a cooked hen. Are you sure you want this responsibility?"

"Yes Father," Robb and Bran quickly spoke up at the same time.

The group mounted up and started to depart towards the bridge. But again Harry felt a pull towards the beast still and didn't move. Instead he released the reins of his mare and stepped into a few trees. The others he noticed had stopped on the bridge awaiting him. A few moments later he found her curled up around in a bush. The pup was smaller than the others obviously the runt. But, she had beautiful white fur instead the normal grey and blood red eyes already open unlike his brother and sisters. He smiled down at the creature as he pulled her gently into the folds of his leathers and mounted up to join the others.

Harry reached the others as his Uncle looked at him in confusion. He returned the look with a smile, "I found one more, the runt of the litter."

The pale head perked up from the leathers of Harry glancing around silently. He heard offhand a comment from Greyjoy, "A runt and freak that one will be the first to die off."

Harry turned his violet eyes at the boy with a fierce glare but kept silent. The group took to reins and headed back towards Winterfell. A strange thing happened along the way, Theon's saddle buckle came loose when they were in a full gallop. The boy was tossed off of the horse as the saddle was flung from the back once the straps fell free. He tumbled backwards till he landed on his backside, his ankle still stuck in the stirrup twisted in his boots in a direction the ankle was not made to twist. A few in the party could hear the crack sound as the ankle broke for the young man. The party learned that day that the boy's lungs were strong as he cried out in pain. To Harry though it was music to his ears, after all it wasn't every day that you get to hear a Kraken sing.

~~~ PitN ~~~

It was an hour after they were back at the keep. Harry had slipped away from his cousins go to the godswood with his new pup. There he knelt down in the foliage near to the heart tree. He often came here to settle his mind. He had to admit today had been something that would trouble him. Not just the fact of seeing someone dead but the fear that seized his heart when he saw the antlers stuck through the throat of dire wolf. Were signs and portents true? Did divinations like this really mean anything? Why did he get the sudden chill in his chest when he saw the antler?

It was like the strange dreams he would sometimes have. He was himself but he was different in those dreams. Sometimes the dreams were amazing; he would be flying on a broomstick among the clouds. Still at other times Harry's dreams were filled with pain and torture. There were a few times that he awoke a few of his cousins when waking up from a bad dream. That was part of the reason for the dislike between him and Greyjoy. The boy always teased Harry about his bad dreams, teased him about him crying out in the night.

He kept out of sight in the foliage with his dire wolf pup. He knew that Lord Eddard always came to the heart tree after he performed an execution. While his Uncle knew he would be here in the forest, they would both be quiet normally and leave each other in piece to worship the gods. There were a few times that his Uncle would call him over to talk to Harry while here and tell him stories about his mother. Harry's father was never spoken about. Instead by agreement and order of the King he was Harry Stark and only the son of Lyanna Stark.

The boy could sense that this day was not one of those times that his Uncle would thank him for company. There was hardness in the eyes of Lord Eddard today during the execution, weariness in the man. Harry knew better than to be around at times like that. So instead he stayed a few yards into the trees away from the heart tree. He was actually up in the branches this day seated on a sturdy oak tree branch holding his snow white pup.

"What do I name you?" Harry asked softly to nobody. He stared at the beautiful white wolf pup and rubbed gently against the ear with a soft scratch. The pup stayed silent as a ghost as Harry watched.

He opened his mouth to speak again but instead he heard his Aunt and Uncle's voices. He didn't want to be there and ease drop but on the other hand he didn't want to move and make them think he was trying to ease drop on them. So instead Harry just stayed there and kept silent as his pup.

He tried not to listen to his Uncle and Aunt talking instead concentrating on names for his new pup. Still he couldn't help but overhear a few things. After all it was hard not to pay attention when he heard talk of the King beyond the wall. Every child of the north grew up hearing the tales of the land beyond the wall. It was a land without laws and order, where men roamed with demons and fought against giants. Harry was enraptured by the stories of old Nan about the lands beyond the wall, still he tried to not listen, he wanted to be polite.

Harry did a good job of tuning out the conversation again till he heard Catelyn tell of the King coming to Winterfell. Now instead of joy and longing Harry felt a dull ache in his chest of fear. It was well known that King Robert hated the Targaryens for what they did to Harry's mother. King Robert had been in love with Lyanna Stark and even promised to wed her but Prince Rhaeger took away. It was said that the man kidnapped her and forced his way with her. Hell the assassin was not the only individual to ever look down upon Harry for his birth. Though it was never spoken he knew who his father was. It was obvious what had happened. His Uncle had fought three of the Kingsguard. Why else would Ser Arthur Dayne, Ser Hightower and Ser Whent at the Tower of Joy if not for his birth. The dark haired boy thought back to the time when he talked to his Uncle about his mother's death.

Flashback

Harry was nine years old, and it had taken him two weeks to work up the courage but today he would do it. It was the monthly trip into the crypts with his Uncle. They would go down there together with a bouquet of blue winter roses. Normally his Uncle would tell him a story of growing up with his mother. Still this time it would be different he would ask of his father and her death.

They walked down the long passage filled with the ancient Starks. Each of House Stark's Lords was buried down here going back centuries to the time of the first men. Each Lord Stark was buried with an iron sword on top to keep the souls at rest and away from the living. Harry liked to believe that the Lord Starks would rise up from the grave as ghosts to defend the Castle if need ever. The walk was long and cold even in summer since they were underground. But, eventually they would reach statues of Uncle Brandon and Lyanna.

Harry knelt down before the stature of his mother. Even though it was just a statue he reached up and ran his fingertips against her cheek softly. A smile brightens his lips as he looked up at her. "Hello Mother, I hope you are sleeping well."

"When you smile like that Harry, I can see so much of her in you. You have her hair, her cheeks and chin. You look so much like her." Harry heard his Uncle say as he felt the man's hand on his shoulder giving a small squeeze.

"I wish I had her eyes too." Harry whispered softly but just loud enough for Lord Eddard to speak.

For a moment Lord Stark kept silent, he had always told Harry nothing about his father, but he knew that eventually the boy would figure it out. He was too smart not to. He gave a squeeze to the shoulder of the boy, "Harry, you know who your father is. We cannot speak of it because I gave King Robert a promise. But, your father was a good man and a good Prince. He was said to be very studious like you but he also became a great knight."

Harry turned his gaze away from the statue of his mother towards Eddard at first. He almost didn't dare to speak as tears touched his eyes; his Uncle had never spoken of his father before. He whispered softly, "But he was a bad man. He raped my mother."

Lord Eddard shook his head slowly and gave a squeeze. His eyes looked distant for a second almost as if he was reliving the past. The man's lips moved but no words came out. While the boy wasn't trained to read lips he could almost make out the words 'promise me Ned'. His Uncle though snapped out of the past thoughts before he spoke softly, "That is not true. You cannot speak of this to anyone understood?"

The Lord of Winterfell stopped speaking and starred at Harry till the boy nodded his head fiercely, "Your mother married that man before having you. She chose to become his second wife and have you out of love. Lyanna was a spirited girl, she was a she-wolf. You know one time she saw a group of squires picking on a man at a tourney. She became so angry that she picked up a practice sword and beat them up?"

"She loved you so very much that you were her last thoughts. She died asking for your life and you to be raised a Stark. When he looked on you and saw how much you looked like your mother King Robert agreed to it. He named you a Stark and here you are now at home safe in Winterfell." His eyes became distant again then slowly shook away the thoughts giving another squeeze to the shoulder of the boy. He whispered one last thing, "Just please remember Harry, your blood is that of the first men, you are just as much a Stark as my sons. Someday in the future you will become a knight and a Lord of a Holdfast here in the North. You will help Robb guard and protect our people and I expect you to do it with the same spirit as your mother."

The young Stark met the gaze of his Uncle with the brightest smile of his life. The boy's eyes sparkled brightly as he looked at him, "Thank you Uncle. I promise you that I will make you and mother proud."

"You always do Harry." He gave a last squeeze of the boy's shoulder then stood up slowly. "Come, I am sure she wouldn't want you to stay down here so long that you would catch a cold."

Flashback end

Harry stayed still till Catelyn left his Uncle. He was frozen in place in worry. The King was coming here, would he change his mind now and decide Harry was a threat? Would King Robert decide to name him no longer a Stark? The boy frowned as he sat there in silence at his tree in deep thoughts of stress.

Perhaps it would be better if he stayed out of the way and away from the King. Perhaps he should keep back in the shadows away from the family and play sick during the visit. If he wasn't seen then maybe he would be forgotten.

The dark thoughts were chased away from a nip at his fingertips by the wolf pup. The nip at it reminded him of his dreams. He had dreamt of a beautiful owl of all white feathers. In his dream the owl would nip at the fingertips of Harry for pieces of bacon. The wolf pup now nipping at his fingertips brought back the memory and a smile to the boy's lips. "I know what I will name you. You will be named Hedwig."

Author Note: I was going to wait on this chapter for a little bit. But it was already written so I figured I would release it since the previous one really was just a warm up for the crossover portion of the story. I will have to back and edit the chapter still. I know it pretty much was close to cannon for Game of Thrones book one but will change slightly at first and a lot eventually. I am still debating if Harry will stay with Robb or go south with Eddard. He will not be joining the nights watch like jon snow did. As I showed here Harry does get memories here and there from dreams for his previous life and little pieces will come through especially for his magic. But, he will not remember things like cars and non-magical things from his old world. Please toss me some reviews. I really would like to hear thoughts on the story, if you all feel it is worth writing up.