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A New Hope

Chapter 1: Alone

By Jamnaz79

Notice: I do not own Harry Potter. I do not claim to make any money nor would I expect to ever be paid for my writing. I do it merely for enjoyment for myself and others. While I don't like all that Ms. Rowlings has done I love he works and am amazed by the world she made. So I write for fun and enjoy playing her in sandbox. I also do not own High School DXD nor any of the characters from the light novel, manga or anime. I merely am using them for a bit of fun.

Harry stared at his former best mate in surprise at the boys words. He had argued with him, fought, laughed and cheered with Ron Weasley but he never expected this to happen. Not now, sure the boy had abandoned him for jealousy in their fourth year but after that he had been by his side through thick and thin. But here he was now in the middle of the Forest of Dean just the three of them trying to stop Voldemort. It was them against the world and he wanted to quit?

"You what?" Harry spoke out in question actually dumbfounded by the statement of the red head.

"I quit. I give up. I no longer want to do this. You don't have any clue what you are doing. If the bastards want this place let them have it." Ron Weasley snapped back at Harry.

"What will you do go home to the Burrow?" Harry almost growled back in anger.

"Maybe." Ron shrugged as he spoke, "You don't know what you are doing so what is the difference?"

"I warned you ahead of time. I gave you all of the information I had. What do you want from me Ron? I am doing the best I can do!" Harry turned angry ass he almost growled at the red head.

"I want to have a plan. I want to be doing something, to make a difference. I want to... I give up Harry. I don't think we can do this. We would be better off getting away from this place." Ron's anger still filled his face but it was now marred by a frown.

"Again Ron, where would you go?" Harry asked more quietly since the boy seemed to calm slightly at the end.

"To Australia where Hermione's parents are. We would start over and live our life." Ron offered up as he glanced towards the beautiful brunette.

"I can't do that. I have a job to do." Harry frowned as he crossed his arms over his chest. "I need to do this Ron. I won't leave. I can't not after everything."

"After everything? What have they done for you? What have they ever given you Harry? Think about it? Every bloody year at school something came up to try to kill you. Almost every year you were turned into enemy number one for something. They are my people but they are fickle and now they don't fight. Why should you?" Ron strangely spoke sense for once, normally the boy was all passion but it was obvious he had been rehearsing this speech over or perhaps had help.

The last Potter in England turned his gaze towards the brunette who was being silent, "He has taken everything from me. My godfather, my life and freedom and most of all my family."

"I can't understand that because my family is alive but I can understand wanting to get him back .Sirius was a good bloke but we are doing nothing." Ron frowned at Harry returning the earlier argument, "I am leaving and so is Hermione."

This did cause the emerald of the teen to widen as he looked at Hermione. He could see the look of despair starting to spread over her face. The worst part was the fact that she refused to meet his eyes. It was that single fact that made him realize that they had given up. They had decided enough was enough. Could he ever give up? Could he ever let that bastard live? He lived with him in his head, no matter what he did Tom would follow him. He would hunt down Harry to the ends of the earth. There was no escape for him. For a brief moment he hated them for running away. But a part of him loved them like his own family. That same part started to reason that he would do it himself, that they would be safe and no longer a distraction. He would find a way. "Go both of you."

Harry raised his hand upwards to forestall what they might say, "I am not upset. I understand, you are cashing out your chips. But, I want you to be safe. Get away from here, don't come back to England till it safe. It is me who he wants not you. If you get away he will forget about you. Just get out the muggle way to safety."

Harry then walked to his bunk to settle down into it picking up one of the books from the black library. He didn't look at them, he couldn't bare to see them leave. He didn't want to watch his best mate and best friend walk out of his life.

Out of the corner of his eyes he could see Hermione turn away and he noticed the droplets of water falling on the floor from her tears. Her voice sent chill down his spine as she whispered, "I am sorry Harry."

"Go, and be safe." His voice was horse but he was sure that they heard the words. Ron gave a nod towards his direction before grabbing the hand of Hermione. She took her bag and the two of them left the tent.

It was not till they had exited the tent that Harry looked up despite knowing it would hurt he watched them apparate away. It was then that it hit him that he was truly alone. But, wasn't he always alone at the end of the year no matter what? It seemed that he always had to face the final challenged alone.

~~~ NH ~~~

It had been two weeks. Two weeks that Harry had restored the wards, read the books there and tried to think of anything he could do to further his quest by himself. Most of all it was two weeks that he spent far too many times looking towards the entrance of the tent hoping for them to come back. At the end of the two weeks he discovered one simple fact, he didn't know enough. There was only one way he was going to come up with ideas in order to beat this bastard. If he was going to defeat Tom he was going to need more power, more strength and more skill then he had now.

Luckily he happened to own a place that was still under a Fidelius charm. A charm had been incorporated into the wards by Dumbledore. They actually transferred the secret keeper to himself after the death of the Headmaster. A place of safety that only he could access that was filled with books of dark and dangerous nature. There would be a perfect place to go for now.

He quickly scribbled a note, just in case they returned. He would leave up the wards, they were empowered by a small ward stone that could keep them up for months on end. He would be back before that time to renew them easily. But first he would go get some books and see what else he might find. So with a crack Harry Potter apparated away from his tent to start finally onto the path for the future.

The house was old, it was dusty and dirty despite the work done by Ms Weasley in the past. Nobody had been here since they had gotten Kreacher to get Mungdunlus. The place had been locked up, strangely enough it had closed up and everyone but Harry, Ron and Hermione had actually forgotten about it. A fact that he never mentioned at first because he wanted the place to be closed up for only himself to look through. This was Sirius house, his home and it felt right that he would be the one to reopen and explore it.

And now he was here. He stood in the entryway the place filled with darkness as all of the windows were closed up. He looked slowly around the place with a frown, "Kreacher."

A pop sounded before the house elf appeared before Harry. "Pitiful Half-blood master called for Kreacher? Kreacher no see half-blood master's friends did they die Kreacher want to know?"

"They are gone. I sent them away to safety." Harry frowned after saying those words, "Kreacher you are to talk to nobody except myself. You are to answer the call of nobody but myself. Understood?"

"Pitiful Half-blood Master is smarter then nasty former blood traitor master was." The ancient elf said with a snort.

"Am I so pitiful when I have found this again?" Harry reached down and lifted up a small bag opening it up he pulled out the locket of Slytherin letting it dangle before the house elf.

The eyes of the elf lit up as he saw the Horcrux. "Half-blood Master found it. Half-blood master will destroy it like Master Regulus wanted Kreacher to do?"

"Yes Kreacher, I am here to look at the Black Library to learn what I could do to destroy it and find others like it to destroy them too." Harry slowly rolled back up the chain before putting it into the pouch. "Kreacher you have lived here a long time correct?"

The ancient, wrinkled beast nodded his head at his master's question. Harry continued, "You know I do not know how to properly lead the House of Black. I saw on the Tapestry that my Grandmother was Dorea Black. If Sirius left me in charge of the Black Family then I would need to learn what they did when growing up. Do you know of anywhere in the House I should go to learn besides the library? Anywhere special?"

Kreacher stared at him for long moments as if judging him. "Half-blood Master will destroy it?"

"I will destroy it. I swear as Head of the House of Black." Harry stated for the little new minion.

"Lord of Ancient and Noble House of Black. Kreacher will get ring." The elf said moments before it disappeared with a pop.

It only took a few minutes for the House elf to pop back into the room. It looked exhausted but it looked at Harry and did the creepiest thing possible. It smiled, it looked like a drunken hobo that was missing teeth and it's other teeth had been filed down into little points. But the House Elf had it, "Kreacher has it. Kreacher took it from where Malfoy Senior had it in his office since old Lord Black died."

Harry blinked in surprise at the fact that the Malfoy's had the ring. But, the fact that Draco's mother was a Malfoy did make some sense that he might have it. It brought into question, was he supposed to be Lord Black? Dumbledore did say that Sirius had willed the house to him, which meant he must have been named to be the future Lord. But, Sirius had never been Lord of the Household. He had just been the heir of it supposedly. But, could he trust Dumbledore? His belief in the man had been shaken to his core recently, there was too many things looking back over the past few weeks that didn't make sense. Not to mention the Dursley family or Sirius death. Still nothing ventured nothing gained. Harry held out his hand slowly for the House elf.

Kreacher carefully placed the ring into the middle of Harry's palm. The ring was solid gold with a coat of arms on the seal. The House Black coat of arms was a sword raised on a field of ruby with three ravens below and the saying Toujours Pur. The Latin words for always pure. It was ironic that now a half-blood would have it. Unless perhaps it meant something else than pureblood.

Harry slowly lifted it up before slipping it onto his right hand ring finger. He expected something special to happen spirits to rise, a power to fill him. For a moment he felt nothing, it was rather disappointing.

Kreacher frown at the half-blood who didn't know the proper customs. He summoned a knife out of the kitchen then moved quicker then his old blood would expect as he slashed at the finger cutting it lightly. The blood of Harry spilled over the ring.

That was when the ring did finally react. It started to glow and warm up. He felt it in his hand, it then spread to his arm and chest, before he knew it every part of Harry's body felt on fire. It was only his years of youth and education that kept him from screaming at the intense fiery pain that filled up his body. He felt his magic start to brim and boil before all of a sudden it became too much and he collapsed onto the ground in a heap.

~~~ NH ~~~

Harry's eyes flickered open as he looked up at the ceiling. The first thing he noticed was that the room was filled with ancient furniture. He was in a bed that appeared to be carved from ancient wood but the mattress was very soft. The second thing he learned was that the room was very clean, unlike the rest of the house this room was perfectly kept up. There was ancient furniture that looked extremely expensive. Harry saw three doorways from the bedroom as he swung his feet over the side.

His emerald eyes glanced down as he saw himself in his boxers. But across the room was a open closet with a number of fine expensive robes pulled out in different colors. It He slid his feet into comfy green slippers and walked over to the closet. His fingertips ran over the black robes trimmed in silver before sliding it on. It was only then that he realized he wasnt wearing his glasses. For the fist time in his life his vision was perfect. "Kreacher."

A pop signaled the arrival of the house elf who was carrying a cup of tea. "Here Master, Kreacher brought tea."

"Thank you Kreacher, I will take it in the Lord's study." Harry was surprised when he realized where that was located. He not only learned that but he also knew many things now. It was as if the ring had implanted the knowledge directly into his head. He knew of the history of the House of Black. The words Toujours Pur meant always pure to oneself. They would never surrender their strength to anyone. He knew that the Blacks had seven properties around the world including a tropical island that Sirius had once mentioned recovering at. It was in the Caribbean. He knew now where the Lord's private study was and how to enter it. It was there that he might find his answers.

Harry walked through the second door from the private Lord's bedroom. It wasn't always in the past that they would sleep with one of their wives. It was not always safe to sleep with one of them after all. He pressed the ring against the door that had no knob and it swung open. Inside was a large desk carved by hand with numerous runes covering it. There were a dozen small bookshelves that were lined with volumes of knowledge. The library downstairs was impressive for it's size and depth. It was made to impress those that came to visit the Blacks. This place was different, this was where the true power of the Blacks was found. This was where he would find his answer.

~~~ HP ~~~

It had taken a month to read the different books of the Lord of the Black's library. It was shorter than Harry expected but he learned something. When he was not forced to do it he rather loved to read. It had never been something he could really do when he was a child, and at school it was often about trying to keep alive. Sure, he had a motive now too but he actually enjoyed learning. He learned a number of things interesting.

He did not know that the Black family invested the Fiendfyre spell? That was how their dark reputation had started. The family had invented it to help drive out the Vikings when they raided the lands around what would be England. In fact while they had eventually released how to cast it they never released how to properly control it. It was a family secret that all members of the family were bound to never be able to speak while alive.

In fact in the ancient books and scrolls dating back to Roman times Harry had discovered many interesting things. But what he found most important was what he thought was the answer. The answer came in a pair of scrolls from Roman times. They were of a subject that would not be found or taught in modern day. They were for a summoning.

The first scroll talked in Latin about the summoning of creatures from the Underworld. It spoke of a trade for the power of these creatures for a time. That depending on what is offered what they might do. That they were powerful enough to even destroy the Egyptian Wizards and priesthood. They destroyed the containers of their souls freeing them from their mortal coil. It explained in a place of wilderness to unleash the request with a touch of the blood.

His eyes traveled down the second ancient parchment. It was written in red ink on parchment so old if not for magic it would have crumbled to dust ages ago. It started with four circles, the largest two apart before the closest two almost overlapping. It had a red rose in the middle. He could feel the magic within the parchment almost calling to him.

Harry slowly rolled them up and frowned, he would have to research everything he could before performing this ritual.

~~~ NH ~~~

Three months later and he was back at the tent. It was sheer luck that over the past few years he had been borrowing Hermione's runes books over the summers to read for fun. It got boring in the Dursley prison, err household, so he had started to read about rune and wards. The idea of becoming a curse breaker always appealed to him more than becoming an Auror. He had fought a Dark wizard all of his life why would he want to chase more of them? At the same time traveling to distant places away from Britain where his name might not mean as much as his actions seemed much more appealing.

So here he was back at the tent, it had remained undisturbed over all of this time. The note he had written before laid bare on the table. Looking it over now months later he saw the desperation in it. Then again he was about to try to summon a Devil for god sake perhaps he was desperate now? He vanished the note with a wave of his wand. Then he started to carefully setup the summoning wards. He had found over the past few months ways to setup runes and wards to stop the creature that he summoned from escaping. It seemed that in ancient times normally the wizard would summon the creature and bargain for it's release for a favor. Typically they would also provide a bribe to it as it doesn't make sense to anger a demon, devil and powerful creature and release it. That seemed to be an idea for it come back to haunt you, or just kill you.

He studied the work after it was completed. It was said that his mother had been a genius at wards and charms. It made Harry smile to think that perhaps he got more from her than just his eyes. A silver dagger was lifted up and pricked against his palm. He reached downwards to carefully grasp the scroll. When he was just about to touch it he noticed the light coming from outside of the tent.

There glowing in the darkness of the night was a patronus. Not just any patronus but a patronus that supposedly his mother had. A doe, a female deer, glowed in the night waiting outside of the tent flap. It had somehow passed the wards in place which meant it meant him no harm. He stood there a silent sentinel as if the dead was waiting for him. Harry distracted by it picked up the scroll, smearing his blood on it unnoticed as he stuffed it away into his robes. He emerald eyes were locked onto the creature as he whispered, "Mother..."