Chapter 1: The Other 'Earth'
Time: 11:06
Location: ?
Event: Towards a New World
"Harry? You alright?"
Harry sighed as he leaned away from the window, running a hand through his hair. The endless green trees was an exceedingly different sight than what Harry was familiar with; diminishing tall concrete buildings, stained monochrome streets, blaring loud automobiles, and an innumerable amount of metal lamp posts. Indeed, back at home, green trees only existed in small preserves that only a select few could visit in person. To see such an expansive forest was a major shock that had initially left Harry breathless.
'Remnant's industry must be very different from Earth's,' Harry thought with furrowed eyebrows.
Pulling himself away from his thoughts, Harry turned and addressed one of his best friends. "I'm fine," he assured. "Just, you know, taking in the sights."
Hermione's frown disappeared from her face and glanced out the window in awestruck agreement. "Yeah, so much green. It's like those old pictures or paintings depicting what Earth looked like back before we Industrialized."
Harry nodded and once again looked out the window. He was on an 'Airship,' flying over a vast, untouched woodland. He, and many others, were heading towards a certain city named after a certain continent, where a certain, famed school resided. It'd be odd, to say that he had never truly seen a forest, when about 75% of this planet was untouched. But Earth was very different from this place, Remnant.
Remant, an oddly named land that begs the question: a 'remnant' of what? A question Harry and many other Earthly scholars questioned but had yet to receive an answer to. Undeniably, it'd be easy to simply ask a person who lived on Remnant but people from both worlds were much more concerned with other things than the names of their respective world. After all, these two worlds have just been united after thousands of years of separation. Indeed, Earth and Remnant had been two separate worlds floating in space - out of both reach and communication - for centuries until a year ago, when the 'Crossroads' were created, the nearly transparent bridge that literally connected the once separated worlds.
In a frenzy, when the two worlds became connected, people were sent over to find out what was on the other planet. What a surprise it was when they found sentient beings also living on a world very much like theirs, with some immense differences but at the same time, undeniably human. The two worlds almost instantly started signing peace treaties and, over the course of a year, the Equal Realms; Peace and Harmony Act was set. In short terms, both worlds - Earth and Remnant - would send people over to see how said people could adapt to a different world, completely voluntarily of course. And Harry just so happened to be one of those people.
...
Though, Harry would be lying if he said that he had come here entirely voluntarily. At first, he had opposed the idea to going to an unknown world with equally uncertain and dangerous mysterious. It had taken the insistence of his Headmaster to change his mind. Of course, normally, this should have raised many eyebrows and it did, but Harry, after a rather lengthy explanation, completely understood why he need to go. The new world, Remnant, offered training that his world did not have nor had experience with, giving him an advantage. And he needed it. The history behind these reasons was immense but could also be easily summed up:
There was once a prophecy, one that stated that a child born on the end of the seventh month was destined to take down the dark lord at the time. Said boy just so happened to be Harry James Potter. And said dark lord just so happened to be Lord Voldemort, whose reign of terrorism and horror still bears scars to this day. Most believed him to be dead, and he should, but last summer showed everyone that he had returned, using the evilest and foulest magic to bring himself back from the beyond. Initially weak when he rebirthed, Voldemort was getting stronger with each passing day and soon would be back to his full strength as a malevolent monster that showed no mercy or humanity. Harry need to have some leverage if he wanted to have even a chance of winning.
Hermione Granger, on the other hand, had originally wanted to go to satisfy her curiosity and near obsession with knowing everything. Learning that Harry was going only amplified her desire, wanting to keep the boy out of trouble and be there when he eventually did. A friend of Harry's since he began school at Hogwarts: School of Witchcraft and Wizardry, the two had been through thick and thin. The two had another, good friend, Ron Weasley, but he was forbidden to take part in the Act due to his overprotective and overbearing mother who forbid any of her children to go on the other world and almost tried to do the same with Harry and Hermione. However, she had no say in what they do. Instead, there parents did.
Hermione's parents weren't exactly comfortable with the idea of sending their only child to another world but after much discussion and begging, Hermione was allowed to go. It had taken much more prods until Harry's parents caved in (the combined efforts of the elder Grangers, who reasoned that the two teens would need a friend on the trip; Headmistress McGonagall, who said that it'd be a great learning experience; and Headmaster Dumbledore, who expressed his concerns that Harry would need the advantage of Remnant's battle prowess to defeat Voldemort) and had been accompanied tearful begging from Harry's sisters that had been swiftly and easily denied. And within a month, Harry had found himself on this Airship heading towards a new world filled with new wonders.
…
"Harry?" Hermione asked, pulling Harry from his own musings once more by placing a hand on his shoulder. "Are you okay? You seem to be dozing off quite a bit lately."
The seventeen year old took a large breath before answering. "Yeah, I'm good. It's just that, well, Hermione, we're in another world! Totally different from our own if the reports are correct," he said with a slight tremble to his voice.
"Well," Hermione began, removing her hand and looking off before snapping back to focus. "True, there's not many reports on Remnant, and they're mostly about the government they have or the structures they have built. But it'll will be a new experience, one we should cherish and take in with an open mind. We're going to Beacon, which is suppose to be a very prestigious combat school that only the best have been accepted to go to."
"Then why are we going?" Harry rebutted. "We have pretty much no knowledge of this world or how it works, why are we going to an advance school?"
Hermione pursed her lips. "Maybe because we have real life experience with danger and life threatening situations?"
"Erm, can't say that for everyone here," said a familiar voice from Harry's other side.
A quick turn revealed Neville Longbottom, who looked much more nervous than Harry felt and more.
"Oh, right," Hermione said as Harry looked over at the others that occupied the same ship he was on. It was a private Airship, lent out for the purpose of transporting those that came from Earth to there destination. They ship was heading towards it's last stop, having dropping off everyone else from Earth earlier. This meant that the people currently on board were the students that were going to Beacon Academy.
Harry saw several familiar faces; Lisa Turpin, Terry Boot, Anthony Goldstein, Alexa Runcorn, Lavender Brown, Susan Bones, Hannah Abbott, (and sadly) Draco Malfoy and Gregory Goyle. Oddly, Malfoy's other goons, Vincent Crabbe and Blaise Zabini, were not present. There were eight other people he didn't recognize but he knew that they went to Hogwarts with him, as revealed by their robes.
'Twenty people. Wow, I thought that more people from Earth would've come to Beacon. And all from Hogwarts? Maybe others didn't get accepted? But what are the qualifications then?' Harry thought with a frown.
"Harry!? Are you listening at all?" Hermione scolded.
Jumping slightly, Harry sheepishly admitted, "Er, no. I got distracted."
Hermione scowled and pointed out the window. "Well, we're almost there. You can see Beacon's tower from here."
True to her word, when Harry looked out the window, he could see a large and tall tower just over the horizon. It was steadily growing bigger with each second. Soon, everyone on the Airship was pressing themselves against the glass to get a good look at the school they were soon to be enrolled in.
"It's magnificent!" Hermione said with wide eyes and Harry nodded in agreement.
The whole thing was on the edge of a high cliff over the city, with a circular landing pad jutting outwards off the cliff. The structure itself was in the shape of a crescent, with four rows of pillars and arches clearly showing the entrance to the academy, in the center of the crescent. Situated in the middle of the entrance plaza was a fountain, with a peculiar statue in the middle. In front of the doors of the school was another statue, but it was too far away to tell what it detailed about. Several other spires, towers and buildings surrounded the largest one, all varying in heights and design. Outside of the academy grounds, were several streams and a large forest that surrounded the entire school.
"It's a bit like Hogwarts, ain't it?" Harry said as his eyes roamed over the landscape once more.
Hermione nodded next to him but said nothing while Neville looked as though he would pee his pants.
Suddenly, all over the windows, a woman appeared. Everyone immediately jumped back, startled by the woman's appearance.
"The Hell!" Harry yelled as he stumbles back, almost tripping. Next to him, Neville fell on his bottom, rapidly crab walking away.
"Language!" Hermione scolded. She looked the least fazed by the blonde woman's appearance. Hermione turned and looked at the woman in awe. "A projection of some sort! Their technology is so advanced!"
Before more could be said, the woman began talking. "Hello, and welcome to Beacon. My name is Glynda Goodwitch. You are among a privileged few who have received the honor of being selected to attend this prestigious academy. Our world is experiencing an incredible time of peace, and as future Huntsmen and Huntresses, it is your duty to uphold it. You have demonstrated the courage needed for such a task, and now it is our turn to provide you with the knowledge and the training to protect our world." With that, she vanished.
"... What? 'Huntsman'? 'Huntresses'? What do those titles mean?"
Hermione rolled her eyes and crossed her arms over chest. "You haven't read all the reports, have you?"
Harry frowned. "I thought I did," he replied back with a shrug.
Hermione sighed and shook her head. "Huntresses and Huntsmen are pretty much the equivalent of our Aurors. They are the guardians of Remnant; their job is to uphold the peace, enforce the laws, protect the people and 'hunt' down Grimm."
Harry nodded, he already knew about Grimm; the soulless, human hating monsters that dominated most of Remnant. "Interesting," Harry said with a small grin.
"Harry," Hermione said disapprovingly. "Just because you can't become an Auror doesn't mean you can be a Huntsmen. They probably wouldn't let you become one as you're from Earth."
Before Harry could retort back, there was a sudden jump that shook the entire ship.
"We're here," Neville said nervously.
Preck!
Harry smiled as his first friend flew through a window and landed on his shoulder.
"Hello, Hedwig. Welcome to the new world!"
Time: 11:18
Location: Beacon's Air Docks
Event: A Simple Walk to Beacon
The walk to the large structure was mostly uneventful. The Hogwart's transferees couldn't help but admire the sights, taking in the new place they were to be staying at. But halfway to the school, just at the first fountain, a gray-haired man appeared from behind the fountain, holding a cane and white coffee mug. He wore a bright green scarf, a dark green suit and small, black wire glasses. The man took a few sips as the twenty former Hogwarts students approached him.
"Welcome," the man said as the group apparently came close enough. "To Vale, located amusingly in Vale. This is Beacon Academy. You are the representatives of Hogwarts, correct?"
"We are," Hermione confirmed as the group stopped. "Do you mind I ask who you are?"
The man smiled, an almost mischievous glint in his eyes. "Well, for the next year or so, I will be your headmaster."
As Hermione spluttered an apology, Susan stepped forward. "Hello sir, but you have yet to actually say your name."
The man continued to smile and took a light sip from his mug. "Professor Ozpin will do fine."
"Your first name is Professor?" One girl from the group asked amused.
"Indeed," Ozpin deadpanned with a perfectly straight face.
The Hogwarts representatives' jaws dropped, causing the Headmaster to chuckle.
"It truly isn't," he assured, drawing unamused looks from the group. "But it is unimportant."
Harry frowned but decided to not comment. It would not do if he got on the bad side of his new Headmaster. Hedwig nibbled on his earlobe in agreement.
"Come," he said and gestured with his cane to the school. "I will introduce you to Beacon's deputy Headmistress. She will then show you around the school. She will also be the one to begin training you so that you may be … combat ready."
Time: 19:27
Location: Beacon's Ballroom
Event: After Dinner Chats
"Gah!" Harry exclaimed as he flopped himself onto one of the beds. "Three weeks of absolute relaxations!" Hedwig flew from Harry's shoulder, up and out one of the open windows.
"Why are you saying it like it's a good thing!?" Hermione bemoaned as she sat on one of the other beds. "No school or work to do for two weeks! Why did we even come this early?"
"Who cares!" Harry threw his arms in the air. "We can use this time to explore more of Beacon and that city nearby, Vale."
"I get your point, Harry," Hermione reminded with a frown. "But I still would rather be at home than in some unfamiliar place."
Harry paused and cocked his head. "True," Harry replied. "It would be nice to see my family for a bit longer. My sisters especially."
Hermione nodded in agreement, looking at the ceiling in thought. Just then, the door opened and Neville entered the large room. He was dragging his trunk in one hand and carrying the tank for his pet toad - Trevor - in the other.
A wide smile appeared on his face when he saw the two. "Oh, hey guys!" He shouted with a wave. "You two finished dinner early."
Harry laughed. "Yeah, just wasn't that hungry." He stretched a bit. "I was feeling a bit time-lagged and couldn't eat anything."
Hermione nodded. "It will be a bit before we get used to the different … well, everything."
"Yeah," Neville agreed as he chose one of the beds close to Harry. "I just noticed it. I think I'm usually eating lunch by now."
Hermione glanced at the clock. "And it's only 7:30 PM. About a six hour difference," she said with a sigh.
The door once again opened. This time, the rest of the Hogwarts students entered. Some already had their nightwear on, collapsing onto their beds as soon as they chose one and placed their trunks at the foot of their bed. Other were still in their signature Hogwarts robes, though some were opening their trunks to pull their nightclothes out.
"We should probably change too," Harry advised to the two others.
Harry jumped off his bed and opened his trunk. Harry was a bit startled to see a sword and sheathe laying on top of his clothes, before remembering what it was. Pulling it out, Harry unsheathed the blade within the scabbard, revealing the magnificent blade of the Sword of Gryffindor. Dumbledore (and the Remnant reports) had told Harry that the people of Remnant used weapons to fight the Grimm, including things called 'grums'. He had suggested that Harry should bring the Sword to better relate to the students of Beacon and to fight Grimm efficiently.
"Harry!" Hermione exclaimed loudly, drawing the attention of the other students. "What is that?"
Harry grinned sheepishly. "It's the Sword of Gryffindor. Dumbledore recommended to take, seeing as … er, Hunters use weapons to kill Grimm."
Hermione shook her head and glared at Harry. "Doesn't mean that you should be drawing it nonchalantly! Your could cut or kill someone!"
"Hermione," Harry deadpanned. "I know how to handle a sword."
"And where did you learn how to do that?" Hermione demanded with a raised eyebrow.
"He probably 'trains' every night with the 'sword' in his pants."
Pausing, the three teens stared at the girl who appeared on the bed next to Harry. Besides black hair that was similar to Harry and bright blue eyes, she looked entirely unassumingly and ordinary. Really, despite being in Harry's year, he didn't think he had ever seen her.
"Shut your mouth!" Hermione scolded.
"Then how will I blow Pott-" The girl began.
"Don't! Finish that sentence!" Hermione growled.
The girl shrugged and turned to the two blushing boys.
"How do you do?" She asked with a mischievous smile.
"Er, good? How are you?" Harry asked with a frown, his red cheeks beginning to diminish. "And, uh, not to be rude but who are you?"
"Daphne Greengrass and I'm doing well," Daphne replied with a grin and slight bow.
"The infamous 'Dirty-Mouthed Pureblood'," Hermione spat with a scowl. "You better watch what you say, Greengrass. With no teacher here, I will curse you without restraint."
The girl giggled, seemingly undeterred by Hermione's threat. "And 'Steel-Wall Granger'. Or do you prefer 'The Know-It-All'? Or -"
In the blink of an eye, Hermione drew her wand and swished it at the girl. The girl sparkled for a bit but otherwise, remained seemingly unaffected.
Smirking, the girl opened her mouth to retort back, no doubt a dirty comment, but no sound came from her mouth. The girl stopped in shock before grinning and, staring directly at Harry, began mouth firing off comments at the speed of light. Harry could not read lips well, but apparently they were horrendously dirty, with how red from both anger and embarrassment Hermione was turning.
"-suck until it explodes," Daphne suddenly said, surprising all four.
"While I despise Greengrass, I can't have you usurping a fellow Pureblood," a familiar voice drawled.
Narrowing his eyes, Harry glared at the newcomer - or rather, newcomers. Malfoy and Goyle stood eagerly next to Daphne's bed, their wands in hand.
"What do you want?" Harry growled, drawing his own wand.
Before Malfoy could reply, Daphne interrupted. "He obviously wants to 'duel' with 'wands.'"
Malfoy stopped dead and glared at her. "Why did I unsilence you. You are literally the worst excuse of a Pureblood. Maybe just as bad as Longbottom and Weasley. Silencio"
Just as Draco waved his wand at Daphne, Harry muttered Protego and a bluish shield appeared in front of the black haired girl, surprising everyone. The blonde Pureblood turned to Harry, pointing his wand threateningly.
"Just leave, Malfoy," Harry demanded. "Before this gets worse."
Malfoy and Goyle glared at the bespectacled boy before sneering and stomping away.
Daphne glanced at Harry curiously. "Why?"
Harry shrugged. "Anybody Malfoy hates is good in my books. Even if you are 'Dirty Mouthed.'"
Daphne titled her head before grinning at Harry. "Does that mean we can fu-"
Hermione had never moved her hand so fast.
Time: 05:39
Location: Beacon's Ballroom
Event: Waking Up to the New Day
With a groan, Harry sat up in his bed. The time difference was really taking a toll on Harry, and when he cast Tempus, he saw that it was still several hours from when he usually wakes up. Though, glancing at the curtains, the sun had risen. Harry looked around the room and was surprised to see that he was the only one awake. With a soft sigh, Harry quietly got off his bed and tried to open his trunk as silently as possible. Grabbing a change of clothes and - after a pause - the Sword of Gryffindor, he slipped out of the ballroom and towards the locker rooms.
The halls were silent and still, a stark contrast from Hogwart's halls where the paintings and staircases were animate and alive. Harry was truly beginning to feel homesick, both for his real home and his pseudo home, Hogwarts. He missed his sisters - the twin's annoying 'twin talk', Iris and her overbearingness, Violet and her cold but warm authority - he missed them all; he missed his parents and their wise teaching with a hint of caring (even if others including his sisters said that their treatment towards him was definitely over the line of child abuse - he loved them and they the same); he missed Ron and his foot-in-mouth tendencies; hell, he missed his teachers like Binns, who would drone on with surprisingly useful information about battles and war. Sighing dejectedly, Harry shuffled to the locker rooms wondering what he could do until breakfast.
"A problem, Mister. Potter?"
Jumping, Harry dropped the bundle of clothes and sword and pointed his wand directly at the man staring behind him. Raising an eyebrow, the Headmaster sipped from his mug unfazed.
"Guh!" Harry shouted, quickly pulling away his wand. "I apologize, Professor."
"Not a problem," Ozpin replied with a small smile. "But it seems you have one."
Harry rubbed the back of his head. "I'm kind of at a loss on what to do with my time."
"Hmm," the Headmaster hummed. "What about training. This is a school for Hunters." The man paused. "If you know what that means."
The boy shrugged. "Hunters are protectors of the people, right? They 'hunt' the Grimm and stuff."
"'And stuff,'" Ozpin agreed humorously and Harry flushed. "Yes, 'stuff'" He chuckled into mug. "Well, to my knowledge, you are not acquainted to how we fight in this world and we have state-of-the-art training programs with animated automatons including robotic humans and mechanical Grimm that could teach you how."
Harry frowned and rubbed his head again. "Any chance that they will go haywire and try and kill me?"
Ozpin smiled. "No, they won't go haywire. They will still try and kill you, though. That was what they were built for."
Time: 07:11
Location: Beacon's Training Grounds
Event: Tutorial
"Combat Training beginning in thirty seconds."
Harry shuffled on his feet and glanced at his hands. He had wondered how he should hold his weapons. He usually held his wand in his dominant, right hand but it felt awkward holding a sword in his left hand. The weight in the sword made it hard to swing in his weaker left hand but he found that he couldn't accurately cast spells in his left hand either. So, after many trials, he just held his sword in his left hand and wand in his right. He reasoned that he'd be relying on his magic training more than his near-nonexistent skill with a sword. He had also chosen the lowest difficulty setting, at the Headmaster's request, just so he can see where he laid on this scale.
With a whirl of machinery, the floor opened and several humanoid robots rose from the floor, holding staffs, clubs and batons. A loud beep resounded and the machines came to life and began to stiffly walk to Harry with raised weapons.
Harry frowned. If they were moving like that, then he'd need to up the difficulty by several levels. Suddenly, to his surprise, they launched into a sprint and began to surround Harry.
"Well, damn," Harry cursed loudly and he began pivoting in place, trying to keep an eye on all his enemies. "This is gonna be harder than I thought."
One robot stepped forward and leveled its staff at Harry.
"Then again, this is a school for aspiring Hunters."
Two more stepped forward. Then three more. Then six. Then the rest.
"And they are suppose to be the perfect combatants, ready for anything."
The automatons charged.
...
Harry quickly shouted a Diffindo at one robot, splitting it in half at its waist, then quickly spun and Deprimo'd two automatons. Turning his wand, he fired three Reductos at a group of robots. But he had not been aiming directly at the mechanical men but rather, at their feet. The machines flew into the air and he turned to receive a club head to the face.
Glad that his magic mostly protected him, Harry rolled on the floor and stumbled to his feet. '... I am not read for this.' Harry thought, gritting his teeth. 'But damn, how are the others suppose to do this?' Harry managed to duck under a swing by a staff user but then received the other end of the staff and was set tumbling back. 'Most Purebloods barely lift their wand after they finish school, if what dad says is right.' A hard swing by a clubber sent him flying into a dual batons user, which unleashed a fast, hard hitting combo that sent him towards a wall. 'They'll get slaughtered. Can someone of them even control their magic to protect them?'
As he was getting up on his knees, a thought occurred to Harry. '... does Hermione? Does Neville? Hell, does Daphne?' Clenching his fists and teeth, Harry raised his head and scowled at the machines. 'What going to happen to them? With how hard these guys hit, what's going to happen if these guys get to them? I'm a bit more hardier from hand-to-hand training with Dad and Uncle Remus and dueling training from mom and Uncle Sirius. And my ass is still being handed to me.'
With a slight snarl, Harry got to his feet. 'Here's to my large magic core.' He thought with a slight, false cheer and leveled a fiery glare at the metal men. 'Damn, if the others can't fight for themselves.' He swapped his sword and wand and took a few practice swings. 'Then that means that I have to get stronger to protect them!'
With a roar, the green eyed warrior charged forward.
Time: 08:23
Location: Beacon's Training Grounds
Event: After Battle Report
Harry gasped and held his sides, his wand forgotten on the ground. The fist that held his sword was clenched and he was able to undo it, his hand seemingly stuck in place.
'Fuck,' the bruised and battered teen thought. 'I did it.'
Ripped metal and shredded technology surrounded Harry. The steel knights were barely recognizable, torn asunder by the enraged and determined mage. Even when they no longer moved - when they were totally beaten - the adrenaline and fury inflamed teen continued to tear apart the automatons until he grew tired.
A Tempus showed that he had been battle for over an hour, surprising Harry. He, while light footed and enduring, had found that he did not have a large amount of stamina so to be able to battle for an entire hour? Or, at least, swing his sword and use his wand for that amount of time. Perhaps … perhaps his magic had fueled his stamina? Heck, now that he thought about it, how was he able to cut through steel? The only thing he could think of was his magic, as amazing as it was. Despite the advanced training he had received and the countless hours of experimenting with his magic, the teen was still learning more every day.
Standing straight, Harry looked at his body and was amazed that he wasn't feeling any pain. He was covered in black and blue spots and he could not see out of his swollen right eye. Some bruises, particularly the ones on his arms, were gashed and bleeding. Looking closer at his sword arm, he saw that some fingers were crushed and pointing different ways. 'Well, my hand is broken … funny, I don't remember getting hit there.'
Chuckling, and wondering if he looked insane, the boy picked up his wand and began casting any healing spells he remembered, though he knew that it wouldn't do much.
'... if I'm this beat up on the lowest difficulty, then how am suppose to protect the others?' Harry bitterly thought, though his smile didn't leave his face. 'Then maybe, instead, I help train the others. So that they may be able to protect themselves.'
Time: 08:50
Location: Beacon's Cafeteria
Event: Breakfast and Woes
"Where is he?"
Hermione bit her lip and continued to scan the cafeteria. Her best friend and danger magnet was missing and the only reason she wasn't out and searching for him was that Neville and Daphne managed to convince her that Harry wasn't stupid enough to go out and get lost; though Hermione was beginning to think otherwise.
"Sit down Granger," muttered the still sleepy Greengrass. "I know you want to suck off Potter but this is getting ridiculous."
With blazing eyes, Hermione glared at the former Slytherin. "Must you always express your perverse thoughts?" She demanded.
The tired girl, instead of defending herself, just shrugged. "Don't worry, I want to do the same thing."
Puffing her cheeks in anger, the Gryffindor gripped her wand in her pocket. "So close, Greengrass. So close you silencing you."
When the girl shrugged again, Hermione added, "For good."
As Daphne looked amused and Hermione fumed with barely constrained anger, Neville saw his best and almost only male friend enter the cafeteria and, with a gasp and 'eep!', dropped his fork, drawing the attention of the two girls and most people nearby.
Immediately, whispers and loud exclamation were heard when the Hogwarts exchange students caught sight of the Boy-Who-Lived. Covered in bruises and possessing a black eye, the boy looked worse for wear, which did not match the grin on his face.
"HARRY!" Hermione shrieked, causing those close to flinch.
"Hey!" Harry yelled back happily. "No need to yell."
"What happened to your face?" Neville asked with a dropped jaw.
Harry shrugged as he sat next to the trio. "Robots."
"Robots?" Hermione asked. "What do you mean, 'robots'?"
"I went to the training grounds," Harry explained. "Instead of just motionless dummies, Remnant - or at least, Beacon - uses automatons to train students. Much more effective but, you know, really painful." He gestured to his body with a grin.
"Thanks so dangerous!" Hermione exclaimed.
"Again, effective," Harry repeated. "Remember, Hermione, this is an elite Hunter and Huntress school. We can't expect this school to help us with every step. Though, the training is pretty brutal. I got these injuries just on the lowest difficulty."
"What!?" Neville gasped. "But you're pretty much the most battle capable of us all! How are we supposed to not get slaughtered?"
Harry smiled and shrugged. "I suppose I could train you guys," he offered.
Hermione smiled in agreement. "Fifth year again?"
Harry laughed and raised a can of what looked to be a purple juice towards the trio. "You got that right!" He clinked his glass against his friends' and took a sip. "Bleh! What kind of drink is this!? I hate grapes!"
Time: 09:21
Location: Beacon's Training Ground
Event: Leading the First Battle
"Move left!" Harry advised to the large group of 18 students.
"Don't listen to him! Charge straightforward!" Malfoy demanded.
Harry gritted his teeth and glared at the blonde haired boy as the group split into two forces, the first charged between the destroyed remains of the simulation-created, hologram houses and straight into the mass of metal men. On the other hand, the other half listened to Harry and moved left around the houses and into the more defensive ground better suited for magic users.
Shortly after clinking his glass with his friends', word had spread quickly and soon, most of the Hogwarts tranferees had begun asking Harry for help. This, of course, lead to Malfoy to quickly follow the rest of the students to the training grounds. And Malfoy, being the absolute prick he was, decided he would try and forcefully take command from the recently experienced Harry into his own unpracticed hands.
"Left unit! Circle around and flank the robots. Right unit! Disengage the enemy and take cover in the blue house behind you!"
"NO!" Malfoy roared. "Right unit, continue to fight the metal pieces of junk! Left, fire upon the group!"
Luckily, it seems that not even the very injured right unit wanted to listen to Draco and everyone decided to follow Harry's advice.
"What the hell are you doing?!" Malfoy yelled as the left flank took the robots by surprise.
"Any uninjured fighter in right unit! Pincer the attacker! Take any reasonable cover!" Harry yelled to the closer 'right' unit.
Harry pointed his wand to his throat and amplified his voice. "Left flank! Any student that knows Protego cast it and move to the front lines! Crouch when you get there! Everyone else, fire upon the enemy! Beware of right unit in the blue house! Watch your aim!"
Ozpin hummed when he saw the students begin following Harry's commands while Malfoy fumed and glared threateningly at Harry. "Good strategy, Mister Potter," the Headmaster commented as the wand wielders down in the simulation began tearing apart the steel army. He was quite surprised to see that their magical shield were able to block the physical attack of the simulation soldiers; he would have expected that it would only be able to block magic attacks and maybe to a lesser extent, projectiles.
"Your 'magic' seems to be very different from my Semblance," Glynda added as she pushed her glasses up her nose.
Harry paused. "Semblance?" He questioned.
Ozpin chuckled in response. "We have much to talk about, no?"
Harry nodded before turning back to the battle to see that his 'soldiers' were victorious and had begun celebrating with their friends. Smiling softly, Harry waved at Daphne, Hermione and Neville, glad to see that if they couldn't fight efficiently alone, they were able to stand strong as a combined force.
Time: 14:34
Location: City of Vale
Event: Exploring the City
Harry breathed deeply as he stepped out the Bullhead, holding his stomach and trying to calm his body. Meanwhile, Hermione and Daphne were laughing loudly while Neville gave him apologetic looks.
"Youngest Seeker in history - adrenaline junkie - lover of Wonski Feints - and death - defying dives, getting - motion sickness!" Hermione managed to say between laughs while holding her sides. Daphne, using Hermione as support, just continued to laugh, barely taking any breathes.
"Shut up," Harry grumbled, then was forced to hold his mouth to keep the insides of his stomach back where it belonged. "Ugh, this is stupid. I wasn't sick in the Airship! Absolute bullshit."
"Bullhead, Mister Potter," Professor Port said as he climbed out said air vehicle. He slapped the back of the sickened boy. Normally, this probably would have thrown him to the ground but he managed to stay to his feet, and amazingly, found that he was no longer motion sick.
"Do remember or else I may need to give you detention." He winked at the bespectacled boy. "Then again, I may be able to tell you stories of my youth! Ah, such a great time! Indeed, I remember a time when I was your age, enrolled into Beacon Academy to begin my career as a full fledged Hunter!"
While Harry continued to listen to the portly man's story, enthralled by it, the other three began walking away, seeing that this man was another Binns, or at least in their opinion.
"Me and my team - and naturally, I was the leader - was sent deep into the Emerald Forest. We were to hunt down a rather savage and problem some pack of Beowolves. OH! I remember the teacher mentioning that an elite Alpha Beowolf was leading the group! If you did not know, an elite Grimm is one that has lived far past fifty years and their bony armor had grown to the point to where it had covered most, if not all, of its body. So you can easily imagine that my team and myself were quite excited to talk this mission!"
The three transferees had disappeared around the corner, not even shooting a glance at their 'fallen' friend. Said boy had conjured a pen and notebook, writing down notes.
"We landed in the middle of Emerald Forest - oh, I'm sure you know the Emerald Forest, right? The forest that Beacon separates from the rest of Vale. Nevertheless, we had first encountered a pair of Ursai." At Harry's questioning look, he added, "Ursai - Ursa in single tense - are large, four limbed Grimm resembling large bears. Earth has bears, correct?" Harry nodded and continued to write down notes. "Hmm, they are massive powerhouses, though very slow when standing up. However, do note that when Ursai get on all fours, they are much fast. Indeed, I have seen one reach speeds near 60 miles per hour!" Harry frowned. He didn't know what miles per hour was in kilometers per hour, Europe did not use nor teach customary system but he still wrote that down and made a mental note to ask Hermione for a conversion; no doubt she would know it. "But back to Ursai's abilities. As I said, they posses strength that can shatter concrete and cut through steel." The teacher tapped his chin, humming and Harry, for a second, thought that the man's eyebrows rose enough to where he thought he could see dull gray eyes. "Their main weakness lies in their speed while standing, their slow, predictable attacks and their rather large blind spots. Ursai have been found to be unable to turn their heads much so it is best to approach them from either behind, below or above. Also - and many Grimm like Beowolves - the back of their knees and elbows are mostly unprotected so it is best to target those spots, even Elites have this weakness. However, do not be fooled. Like many Grimm, their hides are very thick and hard to penetrate so do not let your guard down for a second!"
Harry nodded. "So, slow, strong, hardy brutes, right?" Harry summarized.
Port chuckled and nodded. "Precisely! Hmm, where was I? Ah, yes! My team easily dispatched the two Ursai and we quickly headed North, where the pack of Beowolf was reported to be seen. The terrain was rather nice. We, surprisingly, did not come into contact with any other Grimm on our way, probably fearfully to face a team such as mine! And I must say! Emerald Forest is a beautiful sight in the summer! You must see it!"
Harry frowned and glanced down at his notebook. He wondered if he should put that last part down.
"But to continue, we found the pack in a large valley. They had been traveling though, and we suspected that they were heading towards a nearby village - we would later learn that they had recently lost their chief and were mourning. We decided to engage them directly. With a thunderous! War cry and a motivation speech! We charged straight into the group. My own Blunderaxe must have beheaded a dozen Beowolves in my first, initial swing! Shortly after battling the soulless beasts, I saw that the Alpha Beowolf had retreated to the treeline and was slowly making way towards one of my partners! Of course, I could not let that happen! I charged straight at it, taking out as much Beowolves on my way! When I got close, I saw that, indeed! It was an Elite!"
"How different is an Elite Alpha from a normal Alpha?" Harry interrupted.
Taking it into stride, as though he was expecting it, Port asked in turn, "How much do you know about Alphas?"
Harry shrugged. "I would just assume that I know nothing about Grimm or really anything on Remnant."
The Professor nodded. "I'll keep that in mind," Port acknowledged. "Alpha's are the leaders of Beowolf packs and are usually described as bipedal wolves that large significantly larger than their normal counterparts. They are also more powerful, stronger, experienced, armored and are technically their 'evolved' form of Beowolves, created after years of experience gained."
"How does a Grimm change, exactly?"
"Grimm grow stronger the longer they live and the more battles they survive. In a sense, the more battles they live through, the more powerful, faster and armored they become. They also become smarter, able to learn human patterns, find weaknesses in defenses, lead other Grimm and form groups with them. Indeed, it is always advised that you never leave a Grimm alive, lest they come back more powerful and bloodthirsty than before."
"Why do the Grimm hunt humans?" Harry asked as he flipped a page.
Port paused and peered at Harry. "That may be best answered by Ozpin. I believe that you and Ozpin are going to have a talk tomorrow, no?"
Harry nodded. "Yes, we were going to talk about the differences between our worlds."
Port 'humf'd in response. "Yes, Ozpin should mention that to you. If not, do ask. It is very important to the history of Remnant."
"Noted," Harry replied.
"Where was I? Elites differ from normal Alphas in that they have lived, like I said, over fifty years and their armor covered their entire body. They also usually lead a much larger group, as other Grimm see how long they have lived and how strong they are. So, it is always safe to assume that an Elite Grimm is a pack leader and will never be alone."
"'Pack leaders'," Harry muttered, the cramp in his hands making it harder and harder to write.
"Aye," Port agreed. "Quite horrifying, it is reported that older Grimm are able to strategize similarly to humans, learning from us."
Harry frowned. "That is … worrisome."
"Hmm," Port nodded. "It is odd, almost taboo, to say that Grimm are similar to humans. Trust me when I say that you may wish to never, ever! Say that we have any similarities. It may end badly, either for you or the offended."
Harry just nodded, a far away look in his eyes.
"I believe that is all I can say about Elite Grimm," the teacher said. "Maybe, that they are larger? But that is usually assumed, no? Now, back to my missio-"
"AAAAAAAAAAAAHHHHHHHH! STOP!"
"OH!" Port exclaimed. "Come, Mister Potter. It seems that someone is in trouble!"
Time: 15:00
Location: A Particular Vale Street
Event: Towards the Cries of Distress
When Harry arrived, he immediately zeroed in on his three friends and anger began flooding into his system. A large group of people had surrounded them, anger and shouting. The bespectacled boy saw that his friends were frightened and scared; though a small part of him was proud to see that Neville had placed himself between the angry mob and the girls. But that small part was easily washed away by a fiery fury, a raging inferno that howled for blood. But before Harry could charge, a large, hairy hand was placed in front of him.
"I would advise against that, Mister Potter," Port said, stroking his mustache. "I will deal with this. It seems no one has informed your friends about Faunus."
"... Faunus?"
The large bellied man pointed at a nearby mob member and Harry was startled to see a rather large pair of goat horns on top of his head. "Half human, half animal. Go to your friends and lead them away. I will take care of the crowd." He cupped a hand around his mouth and shouted, "Miss Scarlatina!"
While the mob was distracted by Professor Port, Harry raced to his friends and began pulling them away. "C'mon," Harry said with a grunt. "Before they turn back."
His three friends nodded and hurriedly began following Harry.
Looking back, Harry saw that Port was addressing a rabbit 'Faunus,' patting her back reassuringly while the other Faunus looked on appreciatively.
Time: 15:02
Location: Another Particular Street
Event: Explanations
"What happened back there?" Harry asked as soon as they were out of sight.
Out of breathe, Hermione glanced at the other two before turning her attention to Harry. "We were walking down the street, window shopping when we saw something … bizarre."
Harry frowned, getting the feeling that Port was right. "Define 'bizarre'?"
Daphne shook her head. "The girl had bunny ears!" She exclaimed.
Harry sighed and ran a hand through his hair. "A Faunus."
Neville blinked. "Bless you."
"No." Harry shook his head. "That what they are called. Faunus. Apparently, they are half people with animal traits."
"Oh," Hermione said softly and shuffled uncomfortably on her feet.
"But, again, what happened?" Harry demanded.
He noted that Daphne shuffled back while Hermione began explaining, "Well, we were just surprised by the Faunus, since, you know, we never had seen one before." She glanced at Daphne, who retreated more into herself, before continuing. "Daphne didn't believe that the girls ears were real but Neville and myself thought they were. To cut out arguing, Daphne decided to check herself and walked up to the girl and pulled on her ears."
Harry groaned. "And then?"
"A large man, a big cat Faunus or something, came out of a nearby store and pulled Daphne's hand away. I think she was too shocked to do anything and the man pushed her roughly away. Neville and I managed to catch her before she fell to the group. But then, a large group had surrounded us, all angry and shouting."
"That is because Faunus have been subjected to centuries of oppression and harsh racism," Port cut in, leading a familiar bunny Faunus. "Come! We have much to talk about."