Disclaimer: I do not own the Harry Potter franchise or any part of the Fate/stay franchise, each of which belongs to their own respective owners, J. K. Rowling and Type-Moon
When he was seven, Harry Potter had a wish, a desire born out of a life in darkness. And his wish managed to touch the edge of the heavens, it searched until it rested at the Throne of Heroes. Though he was given the tools, his wish had a condition, a new grail war. Four years later he gets a letter and a few visitors that by all rights he should have never seen again. But he's not just Harry any more, he's Hadrian and master to perhaps one of the bloodiest heroic spirits in existence. However he's still just an eleven year old child, so the question becomes, 'Where does he go from here'?
Rated M: There's going to be lot of dark stuff here, I'm putting this out there right now. Death, Torture, Abandonment, Child abuse, well you get the idea.
Beneath the Shadow of High Justice
Chapter 2
The Frozen Village
Hadrian Age 7
To say that Assassin hadn't been happy with Hadrian's chosen reading material would have been an understatement. A massive understatement. That is to say, he hadn't been happy a story that featured Heroic spirits had been turned into a manga.
To be fair though, Assassin had read the entire series before he'd burned it. It still had some information after all, someday it might be useful.
Hadrian looked around as he walked through the village of Ludlow by himself. Within the warmth of his new jacket he could barely feel the cold bite of winter even as the sun sunk deeper into the sky. The wind swirled about his body almost seeming to fight his advances. Particles of snow drifted and fluttered in the air.
It was different from Surrey, it felt older, more refined. There were plenty of Tudor style houses lining the streets. Other parts of the village were made entirely out of brick or stone. There was even the remements of an old castle to explore!
And to the west was the Mortimer forest, though Assassin had forbidden him to go there. He'd said that something felt wrong with the air there and to be honest Hadrian had to agree. Something was wrong with it, he couldn't explain it he just felt it.
Thankfully, the small market town was free of the ominous air that seemed to lurk in the forest. He turned down a less crowded street and entered a small deserted playground. It was little more than a few swing sets, a see-saw, and a simple metal slide.
Hadrian walked to the left and climbed up on the swing set. He thought about Assassin, he wasn't quite sure that to think about the man. At first he'd been thrilled to have not just a servant, but someone with him. Now a few months down the line he wasn't quite so sure.
Oh, make no mistake traveling with Assassin was definitely better than living with the Dursely's, it was just different. He was different. Assassin was a cold, hard existence. He'd adapted well to the modern world, but when it came to other matter, he was . . .restrained, unattached.
Hadrian just couldn't figure him out, he just felt blank most of the time. Rarely did he show annoyance and once or twice Hadrian thought he saw something in the man's eyes that could have been described as affection or amusement.
It wasn't the anger, or indifference he was so used to from the people of Surrey. It was-
"Wanna play?" Hadrian's world spun and turned as he lurched forward off the swing. He winched as mulch dug into his hands.
"Oh my god! I'm so sorry are you alright?"
Hadrian looked up to see a girl about his own age in a red sweater. "I'm fine."
She smiled. "I'm Cassie, and you?" She was slightly taller than himself with bright blue eyes and chocolate brown hair.
"Hadrian." He stood up and blushed himself off. It was a good thing Assassin wasn't around, he'd never live that one down.
They both climbed back onto the swing sets. "I've never seen you here before, are you visiting for the hols?" She asked.
"No." Hadrian struggled for a moment before deciding to tell her an abbreviated version of the truth. "I'm here with my . . Dad, just passing through."
"So you travel a lot then?" Hadrian faintly noticed that she didn't ask about his mum.
"Yeah."
Cassie frowned. "But what about school?"
"Well, when he's not busy . . Dad tutors me on stuff." It was pretty accurate as Assassin didn't want to enroll him in a school so soon. There was a slight chance that the Dursleys were looking for him, and they did move around a lot so Assassin could do . . . something. Hadrian never really looked too deeply into what he was doing. He most certainly did not want to know. Then there was also the fact that Hadrian was behind in most of his school work.
Before he'd go to school tired, bruised, sick, hungry, and sore. His old glasses (Assassin made him replace them) were next to useless as he couldn't even see the board. The teachers never believed that he was really having problems and just ignored him. It was an endless cycle that resulted in less than average performance in a classroom.
"No way! You're so lucky, I wish I didn't have to go to school."
Hadrian shrugged. "It's just different.
Cassie suddenly smiled, Hadrian was filled with a sense of unease. "So I'll bet you don't get much exercise do you?"
"Um, well no actually-" Nothing could really be further than the truth. And Hadrian really didn't like the blood thirsty smile that had crept on to Cassie's face.
"You have a five second head start, are you ready one, two-" Before she'd even finished Hadrian sprang off the swing and began to run.
"FIVE! GET BACK HERE!" She didn't even have the decency to finish. Cassie shrieked as she began to case after him. "Switch places with me!"
"No!" Hadrian dodged her and ran underneath the slide.
"Give me your body~!" Hadrian just continued running away, just what was up with this crazy girl? There was no telling what she'd do if she actually caught him.
"Stop running away!"
"Why should I do that?" Hadrian yelled back at her.
"I promise you'll have a good time!"
"No way!"
"Come on it could work for us, I heard about it in a book somewhere!"
Hadrian paused beside a tree and looked back. "You heard about it in a book?"
Cassie shuffled her feet and looked down. "Well, not really no, I mean I saw a movie that was based on a book about it." She looked up and her eyes seemed to swell to impossibly large proportions.
"Please? No one will notice! I wanna travel too!"
Hadrian just stared at her in shock. Suddenly the blood thirsty grin was back. Cassie gave a war cry and launched herself forward.
She knocked him off of his feet and pinned him. "You let your guard down! Ahahahahaha got you now!" She looked very smug and was giving a very bad impression of an evil laugh.
"AHAHahahahahahahahahah . . . . . . . . . . . . . So what do the villains do after they laugh? I mean it's kinda awkward silence."
Hadrian lurched to the side to push her off, and retreated *Cough*Ran*Cough* away from the crazy girl.
After a few moments he sighed heavily. "Why do you want to travel?"
Cassie stood up and grinned. "I'm going to be the best Pale-ento-gist!" She declared, though she stuttered over the last word. "To do that I need to go to a bunch of different places!"
Hadrian tipped his head to the side slightly. "And where did you get that idea?"
"A movie."
" . . . A movie? . . . Is that your answer to everything?"
She chose to ignore the question. "Yep, I'm gunna go and dig up dinosaur bones!"
" . . . Okay." Hadrian looked away. Just what was with this girl?
"Ehehehe, now I know what you're thinking, there's no way a girl from Ludlow could do that! But I'll do it! You better believe it! Someday I'll go all around the world learning about dinosaurs!"
In spite of himself Hadrian began to smile, Cassie was a hard person to dislike. "And you? What are you going to do? Come on think big! The sky is the limit, or maybe it's not for you!"
"Well." Hadrian blushed. It was something that had started before he'd even summoned Assassin, and had only evolved in the few months since then. If you'd asked him before, it would have been for a warm loving family, a secure life. He had that now, well to an extent.
But at the same time his young mind couldn't help but be influenced by Emiya Shiro, though the consequences of such a dream had promptly been beaten into his head by Assassin.
So yes, his dream was similar to Shiro's but different at the same time. There was more than one way to save someone. He realized that he couldn't have only have been the only child in an abusive environment. And his dream had grown from there.
He would be a doctor, a warrior, someone to listen to people who didn't have a voice. Someone who found those that were drowning in darkness. It was a standard that be he'd be reaching for his entire life. But that was okay, he didn't mind. It was a small price to pay.
He could never be like Emiya Shiro, but that was fine. He was Hadrian, and that was more than enough.
"I want to help people, so as far schooling goes, a doctor maybe?" At least Hadrian wasn't telling her that he'd be a 'hero of justice' or something, even if that was sort of his goal.
"Hmmm, so you're gunna go and join the scrubs?"
Hadrian grimaced. "Not exactly, I'd much rather be a free-"
"Oh, if it isn't Cassandra! What are you doing out here this late?" An older woman walked into the playground and focused on Cassie, though she gave a worried look to Hadrian as well.
"It's Cassie!" She snapped as she crossed her arms.
The woman just gave an indulgent smile. "Of course sweetie, and who's your little friend?"
Mentally laughing at her attitude, Hadrian saved Cassie the trouble of answering. "Hadrian ma'am"
"My, my, what manners if only Cassandra here shared them. I'm Mrs. Hughes."
"It's Cassie! Call me Cassandra again! I dare you! I'll unleash my minions upon you!"
"You have minions?" Hadrian questioned, he doubted that. They'd probably all run away in fear.
"Yeah, sure Clover, Suzie, and Jasper." Cassie replied with no small amount of pride.
"Oh yes I remember when your mother first bought them, it was such a wonderful idea. They were absolutely adorable as baby rabbits, and the perfect little playmates for you."
Hadrian raised an eyebrow and mouthed 'rabbits'?
"Don't underestimate them! They're pure evil I tell you!"
"Speaking of your mother, sweetie does she know you're out this late?" Mrs. Hughes asked sounding worried.
Cassie shuffled her feet. "Well, no, not that she'd really notice anyway." She mumbled.
The Mrs. Hughes sighed in disappointment. "I know that Sophia must be busy, but really not even looking after he daughter at a time like this?"
Something sparked in Hadrian's mind but it was gone before he could tell what it was, so instead he just asked the obvious. "What do you mean by that?"
"I take it you're just visiting Hadrian? You should go home as well, it's far too late for a child to be out alone. Honestly single mothers-"
"She's trying! Mum's just really busy!" Cassie looked as though she was about to cry.
"I know dear, but it really doesn't excuse this, not now." The Mrs. Hughes sounded frustrated. "I'll just have to walk the two of you home."
"I'm fine, Mrs. Hughes." Hadrian didn't like the idea of an adult knowing where he was staying. If word got out about his situation it could be trouble. They'd probably say something like, it's not healthy for a child to move around do much, why isn't he in school? Or even worse they could try to put him back with the Durselys.
While it was impossible as long as Assassin was around, Hadrian didn't want to take such a chance with an adult. After all they'd never helped him. And Assassin didn't count, not really.
But Mrs. Hughes was not one to give up easily. "Nonsense, we'll take Cassandra home, then I'll escort you."
"Really it's not necessary." Hadrian distantly noticed that Cassie had protested the use of her full name.
"Come along." She grabbed Cassie's hand and Hadrian by his collar, almost as if she feared that he would run off. He wasn't that rude.
Hadrian looked over at Cassie and noticed she still looked depressed. "Are you okay?"
"No, no I'm not okay." Cassie sniffed even as they were drug down the street. "My mum's amazing, what can't anyone understand that? She always does her best, it's not her fault."
"True she's usually busy with work, and doesn't spend that much time at home. But it can't be helped! She's always working hard! It's her dream!"
Hadrian stiffened, it wasn't as if he could give her any advice. He mulled it over for a few minutes before he responded, not wanting to upset her further. "Isn't that fine? You love her right? For you to love her that much she must be a pretty special person."
" . . You're right! Mum's great! No matter what anyone else says!
Both of the children missed Mrs. Hughes's amused and proud smile.
Twenty minutes later, Hadrian had said his goodbyes to Cassie with promises to meet up again soon. He'd also allowed Mrs. Hughes to escort him to his hotel, it wasn't as if he could ditch her without being suspicious. Upon getting back into his room he was greeted with the shock of, well not his life. But probably the biggest one Hadrian had since he'd summoned Assassin.
"Where were you?" Despite his hard voice Hadrian was surprised to find that Assassin sounded almost . . . worried.
"Just walking, then I played a bit in the park with a girl."
Something flashed through his eyes but Hadrian couldn't quite identify it. "I see, did anything of note happen?"
"No, why are you being like this, Assassin?"
The former executioner just shrugged. "It's not important at the moment. Tell me about your day."
Hadrian's face brightened and in a rare show of childish innocence he flung himself on the bed. "I met this really weird girl, her names Cassandra by the way. But she really hates it when you call her by anything other than Cassie. And do you know what she did? She-"
Far from that location of warmth with many people near, there was a room. Its sole occupant unable to even feel the sun's rays. No warmth, sound, or light penetrated her glass prison.
These days she couldn't even find it in herself to turn around and face her captor. She knew what he'd left on the floor outside her cage. And she couldn't bear it. The poor things had been left scattered, like broken dolls all around the floor.
The last time she'd dared the horror had nearly overcome what was left of her mind. And she could not afford to lose her sanity, not now after everything. She still had hope.
But the lifeless puppets still lay on the floor. Almost as if He was trying to mock her. Worlds could not describe the pure and utter despair she felt. They were insignificant to defend her actions.
It was all her fault.
"Why? Why don't you ever accept anyone I bring you?!"
She didn't answer she never did, not that she could. She regretted ever using her voice in front of him oh-so many years ago.
Her prison made by the forbearer of her captor did it's job well. The countless runes inscribed on the tank, contained her, her.
So she prayed, she prayed for a miracle. That someone with enough strength to resist her captor found them. She was running out of time.
I recommend listening to 'Moonlit Night' while reading this, I think it captures the mood perfectly. Sorry for those who wanted to see more of Assassin, it's coming don't worry. Over 700 views? 18 favs and 38 follows? And on the first chapter? Wow thanks guys, you're all awesome. Alright show of hands many people cried at the end of Death Parade? I know did, I mean it was the first time, well 2nd time I really, really wanted to change the ending. Normally I'm fine with sad endings but here? No, I knew what was going to happen, but dammit all I wanted a happy ending for them. For those of you wondering, yes this ark does have actual plot significance. That being said, should I divide this ark and post parts of it, while doing Hogwarts as well? Also yes, I'm aware that Ludlow is a real place, but that's easier to work off of. Until next time,