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 3

Three Sets of Footprints in the Snow

Hadrian age 7

"So let's see, five across is also five letters and is the word for hired thugs."

"That one's almost too easy." Hadrian replied to his friend. "It's goons." Dudley and his gang certainly qualified. And come to think of it, his uncle also had a goonish look. Huh, it must run in the family. At least Hadrian didn't look like a hippo, or a giraffe.

"Mm-uh, it's your turn." Cassandra looked up from their shared crossword puzzle.

It'd been a fun week and sometimes they actually did normal activities. They'd gone exploring, built forts in the snow and created a small base in the park, it'd been surprisingly warm. Hadrian had learned that if you got rid of the snow, layer down a few branches and kept out of the wind, you could be warm outside during the winter.

The Dursley's had certainly expected him to come up with something to avoid freezing all the times they locked him outside or in the shed. Well actually they hadn't they'd probably counted on him dying of hypothermia or something.

He's quickly learned that Cassie was an inexplicable ball of energy. She'd find and drag him out for the weirdest things at the oddest times. And that had only increased when she'd discovered where his hotel was. Sometimes they'd sit on a bench and snark about the people who passed by. Other times they went into stores, trying out various things. Usually they made such a racket they were asked to leave. Cassie's crowning achievement had to be convincing him to fish though. Yeah, she'd convinced him to fish in the winter, at a drain with bark and leaves for bait.

Hadrian would probably never live that one down.

But today they were doing something slightly different. Assassin had thrown a book of puzzles at him earlier, saying something about his brain. Yeah, Hadrian really didn't get that part either, but he was willing to do the crossword puzzles. Provided he had help of course.

And what better place than a library? They were fortunate that it was pretty much empty, although the lady at the children's desk was acting weird. She'd check in on them every five minutes or so.

"Five letters again, begins with a T. Means one-tenth."

Cassandra pouted. "Ahh, come on I gave you an easy one." She looked over at the dictionary the Librarian had given them. "How can I even look it up, if I don't know what it is?"

"I think its tithe, actually." Hadrian replied easily.

" . . . What? That makes no sense!"

"Mmmm, actually it used to be the money that people had to pay to the government. That's why it's 'one-tenth' they had to pay a lot."

Cassandra gave him a vicious smile. "Okay then Mr. Smart guy, what's six letters and means light headed?"

"Well, it can't be 'dizzy' can it?" He paused to think, trying to think about anything that could be a match. "Don't we have any other hints?"

"Well nine down is sleigh, so I guess it starts with an 'H'."

"An H really? What fits?"

Cassandra suddenly started looking very smug. "Tsk, tsk. I don't think you're taking it literally, Hadrian."

"Okay then, what do you think it is?"

"It's haloed, obviously!" (No joke I did a crossword like that)

"There's no way –"

"Hah!" Cassandra exclaimed as she wrote the word in the blank.

"Seriously? Come on! You know what? Fine! My turn, five letters, third one is 'O'. To crumble to the sea."

"Now you're just being a spiteful baby Hadrian." She twirled a pen between her fingers.
"Well you would know all about that right Cassie?" Hadrian couldn't resist the jab. He was after all still just seven years old.

"Alright that's enough out of you two. Try to keep it down." Ahh there was the Librarian again, right on time.

"I'm sorry Ma'am." Hadrian apologized. He glared at his friend until she wilted and gave in.

"Me too." Cassandra consented. Now that was an accomplishment from her. Hadrian had certainly never heard her apologize.

The Librarian just smiled kindly. "The sun's going to set soon, you both should probably head home." She glanced outside to the gently fluttering snowfall in the evening sky.

"But the Library doesn't close for a few hours yet!" Cassandra argued.

A firm gleam entered her kind brown eyes. "Come on now, let's clean up your things together okay? You can always come back tomorrow. In fact why don't you come every day until school starts again?"

Hadrian frowned. Just what was going on with all the adults in the town? Even Assassin had been getting a bit jumpy these past few days.

"Sure that sound like fun, right Hadrian?" Cassandra quipped.

"My, such a big girl. What year are you?" (Sorry if this isn't right, but I think you'll get the idea anyway)

"I'm seven, so year three."

The Librarian nodded. "And you, young man?"

"The same." Hadrian shuffled his feet. School. He could still remember his first day. The Dursley's had screwed up big time in his opinion that day.

Flashback

Hadrian age 5

"Good Morning class!"

"Good morning Miss Ellis." The children chimed back automatically.

"Then let's start with roll call! Andrew?" The young teachers' peppy voice rang through the excitement filled classroom.

"Here!"

It hurt. The dark haired child whimpered and sunk deeper into his seat at the back of the class room. One tiny hand clutching his head, and the other wrapped around his caved in stomach.

It hurt so much. There were some days when he wondered what he'd done to deserve this. His aunt and uncle liked to say it was his mere existence. But he didn't believe them. He couldn't believe them.

Though saying it in front of them did have its perks. Why only last week his aunt had given him two slices of bread when he'd agreed with her. Though his uncle was a different matter. He'd tried, he truly had to find a way to appease him. But no such luck.

Dear Uncle Vernon's favorite pastime seemed to be beating his nephew until he was blue and purple. He's claimed it was a great stress relief. Then again he also said that the cause of his stress was his nephew. Naturally daddy dearest had let darling Duddy-kins join in on the fun.

The weakened child slumped over onto the cool desk. He sighed, the temperature did wonders for his arching head. It was almost too relaxing to stay awake.

The child wondered sometimes though, just what had aunt Petunia been thinking when she'd named her son Dudley. Jeez, what they called him. Even what they called him, 'freak' and 'boy' were better names than that. And that was all he had. He'd asked before but they'd always said the son of useless wastrel and a drug addict whore wasn't worth a name. Then after that he'd been smacked a few times for asking questions.

That was the number one rule of living with the Durselys don't ask questions. Well that and, slave away working until you drop dead. Don't make too much noise, don't eat too much. Punishments were usually carried out by his uncle and cousin. Aunt Petunia rarely joined in, but that was probably because she'd break her boney wrists if she smacked him too hard.

It was also the father and son duo's fault he was in this condition. Honestly they'd beat him up worse than usual the night before his first day at school. His uncle had even said that the school wouldn't care about what happened to him, but went ahead and threated him not to say anything.

None of the neighbors ever seemed to care, and his condition was pretty obvious. For some reason the people of Privet Drive were all convinced that he was an incarnation of the devil. The work of his loving relatives no doubt. Honestly a five year old as a delinquent? Obviously something was very wrong with people.

Or maybe there was something wrong with him. That was what he was always told, after all who would care about him? No parents, no friends, not even a remotely kind relative or neighbor.

There was a tiny voice inside him that said they were wrong. That there was someone out there who loved him. But with each beating the voice grew fainter. But the child refused to give up. He would not give his relatives the satisfaction of seeing him break.

"Harry? Harry Potter?" The teacher's worried voice called out. She looked around the classroom searching for her missing student.

Finally she spotted a dark haired child slumped over at the back. She sighed. Yet another problem child this year, and it seemed like it was going so well.

She reached out to shake the boy awake, ignoring the way he flinched underneath her fingers. It was a natural reaction Ms. Ellis had seen in children that she'd woken up before.

His bright green eyes snapped open and locked onto the teacher in confusion. "Huh?"

"Harry, we'll have nap time later. Try to stay awake until then okay?"

The child looked around the classroom and the other children started laughing. Dudley was snorting like the piglet he- oh, excuse me that's an insult to pigs.

Harry, huh. Well it was better than Dudley at the least. So much for being a freak, he had a surprisingly normal name.

Flashback end

"Come along now."

Hadrian blinked and returned to the present. Cassie finished shoving the rest of their stuff into her bag and took the Librarian's outstretched hand. "Let's go Hadrian."

He nodded and followed the two outside into the cold. Thankfully there wasn't much snow on the ground, more of a light dusting. It'd be a bit of a problem to walk back with any more snow.

"Take care and hurry home you two, okay?" The Librarian looked around in worry as she sent them off.

As the two rounded corner, Cassie finally spoke what was on both of their minds. "That woman was acting a bit odd don't you think?"

"Yeah. She kept checking up on us the entire time we were there."

"It's not only that." Cassie persisted. "I wouldn't expect you to know since you're just visiting, but everyone's been acting weird! Even my mom's been strange these past few days."

Hadrian shrugged as they walked along. "I don't know."

Cassie frowned then suddenly lit up. "My mom got a promotion a few days ago!"

"Really, that's nice I guess." Dear uncle Vernon had certainly been happy when he got one. And after gorging himself on the feast that Hadrian cooked Vernon celebrated by beating the shit out of his nephew.

"Yeah, hopefully she'll be home a bit more." Hadrian smiled at her. He may not have understood it, but he did know that Cassie loved her mother a lot. And that even though she loved her mother and always wanted to see her, that Cassie would put her mother's work about her wishes. It was actually kind of sweet, and very noble coming from her.

After all this was the girl who repeatedly seeked him out (Stalked) and dragged him around for stuff.

"I wish I had flowers though."

"Oh, to congratulate her?" Hadrian asked.

"Yeah I was watching this sitcom the other day. And this man gave his wife a whole armful of flowers."

"Well that's nice-"

"Yeah, but I really didn't understand the part after when she put them down and dragged him off. Maybe there's something better than flowers?"

Hadrian shook his head at her. "Well it's winter anyway. You can't get good flowers unless you pay for them. How much do you have on you?"

"Let me see." Cassie began to search through her coat pockets. Before long she's pulled out a few mints and two pounds. "I forgot I spent all my allowance on candy!" She wailed. "What am I going to do!?"

"Well maybe I can-" Hadrian sighed he usually didn't ask Assassin for money, but. . .

Hadrian jerked his head to the side in amazement as Cassie ran over to a nearby flower pot and kneeled. "I just need things a bit warmer right? I can do that! So please grow for me!"

Hadrian smiled and gave a half-hearted sigh at his friend's behavior. "Even if you do that-"

"It's . . . working?" Cassie exclaimed.

Hadrian's jaw dropped as slowly the frost retreated from the pot. Several thin green stalks sprouted out of the soil and began to climb towards the cloudy sky. First small little buds appeared, but as the children continued to watch they gave way to violet colored petals.

Hadrian stared at the plant in wonder then back at Cassie. This meant, this had to mean . . He wasn't alone after all! Cassie could do magic too! Hadrian couldn't contain his broad grin, turning to congratulate her he finally looked at her face.

There was a mixture of horror and shock. She was looking at her hands as if they didn't belong to her. That wouldn't do, there was nothing wrong with magic. Hadrian wanted to make sure that she understood that.

He quickly grasped her shaking, not from the cold, hands. Looking directly into her eyes he spoke, "It's alright. Really it's fine."

"Hadrian, just" She whimpered. " . . .Why? How c-ould I? I mean-it was joke!" Cassie looked terrified.

"Listen, just listen to me okay? Wait here I'll be back in five minutes." Hadrian had to go get Assassin, he'd be able to help her understand. The Hotel wasn't that far away anyways.

Hadrian released her hands then swiftly stood and turned to run back to his hotel. He understood exactly how Cassie must being feeling right now. The self-disgust and hatred, the fear. His poor friend was probably still trying to wrap her mind around the fact that she caused the impossible to happen. And she knew that it had been her.

When Hadrian had been younger he'd never connected the accidents caused by magic with himself. It had only been after meeting Assassin and having him explain everything that Hadrian finally realized that his magic had likely been the reason he's survived so long at Privet Drive.

Hadrian was about to run around the corner when he heard a quiet gasp, followed by a light thump. He quickly turned around and his bright green eyes widened at the sight.

There was his friend face down in the snow with a large man dressed in a long trench coat towering over her small, frail form. Dread pooled in Hadrian's stomach as the man began to giggle and he froze in place.

"Heheheheheh, finally. . . . .Finally! This one will do!" The man had a hysterical and high pitched voice. He leaned down and stroked Cassie's rosy tear stained cheek with a gloved hand. "Yes, you'll do nicely, won't you sweetie?"

Hadrian stood frozen at the sight, legs locked in place. That was his friend. His first and only. The girl who dragged him out with ridiculous ideas. The girl who probably shared his gift, the burden of magic. The first person to offer out a hand to him. The seven year old boy grit his teeth and a fire began to blaze in his eyes.

Absolutely not. No way was he allowing this man to take his friend and do who knows what to her.

With some semblance of a plan he sprung forward, grabbing several golf-ball sized rocks from the ground. He pulled back his arm and flung the first rock forward in a near perfect arc that struck the man in the face.

The man flinched slightly as the rock hit him. Then his gaze swept around towards Hadrian, searching for the person who'd thrown it. The man's sclera swelled and almost seemed to overtake his pupils. And he smiled, his lips curled in a dark mockery of a smile. Mouth stretched impossibly wide that barred his white teeth.

And in a haunting, deceptively sweet voice he called out. "Hello kid. Nice weather we're having isn't it? Why don't you and you little friend come with me?"

Hadrian took a quick step back and the man frowned. "What's wrong? I promise I won't bite. I already have quite a collection of toys at home, perhaps you'd like play with me?"

Hadrian froze again for a moment as the man began to walk over, madness gleaming in his eyes. This wasn't a drunk angry, but predictable Uncle Vernon. There was something about this man. A sort of darkness, sadness was secreted from him. Like a mad, blood craving predator.

Hadrian gave a quick glance to Cassie. She'd be alright if he could just lure the man away. A quick fierce smile flashed over his face. He was plenty fast, he had to be to out run Dudley's gang all day.

But sadly it wasn't to be. What Hadrian forgot was the fact that Dudley and his lackeys were still just children. They weren't adults with all the reach, strength and stamina that came with growing up.

Hadrian didn't even last twenty seconds, when he started to run the man sped up as well. Covering far more ground that Hadrian's short legs could. One large hand grabbed him the scruff of his collar trapping him, the other went directly for his face.

Hadrian's world faded to black as the man pressed a piece of cloth over his nose and mouth.

"Well, I can't just leave you alone and out in the cold now can I? Hmm perhaps the other girls will want some company."

Sophia Graham ran through the streets of Ludlow with what little energy she had left. It'd had already been a few hours, at first she'd thought that Cassie was just late. But as time slowly crawled by it became apparent that something was wrong.

Even now it was hard to push the worst possibilities to the back of her mind and focus. She should have never let this happen. It was all her fault, Cassie was just seven. How could she, her mother let have let her child roam freely? Especially when she'd known there'd been other disappearances.

If Cassie was one of them . . . . . . .

No, no Sophia couldn't even bear the thought. Cassie was all that she had.

She'd already called everyone she knew and the police, and now she was running towards her last hope. Sophia had been ecstatic when Cassie had told her she'd made a friend. Her boundless energy usually scared the other children away.

Lately even Sophia had less time to even talk with her own daughter. She was such a wild thing, always getting into something or going somewhere. It was hard for her to keep up with Cassie, beside the new promotion would make sure that Cassie would have everything she ever needed.

Hadrian? Wasn't that the boy's name? Either way fortunately, Cassie had told her where he was staying. Cassie had to be there, she was just playing with that boy and lost track of time. Sophia would be grounding her when they got back. Really Cassie had the bad habit of giving her continuous heart attacks.

"I'm sorry Ms. Graham." Assassin carefully kept the worry out of his voice. "But Hadrian hasn't come back either."

"You're just kidding right?" She watched the other man in disbelief. "She's in there isn't she?" Sophia grabbed his shoulder and leaned forward to gaze into the hotel room. "Cassie? Come on it's time to go home."

"Ma'am"

"Come on dear, stop hiding and come out!" Assassin could feel her hands shaking, and sighed. He carefully pried her off, and began to guide her towards the lift.

"Stop! Where are you taking me?"

"To the lobby." He needed to set out immediately, there was no telling what had happened to his young, naïve master.

"It's you," Assassin looked down at her hysterical tone. "You took my daughter away from me! Where is she?" Sophia began to struggle desperately in his firm grip.

"I'll find them."

Well that escalated pretty quickly, I sure love to write cliffhangers don't I? Both kids are kidnapped and Cassie's a witch. Did anyone guess that would happen? I'll probably be dropping another bomb next chapter. BTW 2,300 views? Thank you sooo much, I'm glad that everyone seems to be enjoying this story. Next time, s*** gets real. I've been building up this part since the first chapter. I've already got Hadrian's weapon picked out, I'll give you all a hint. It was a weapon featured on 'Forged in Fire', try guessing which one! Until next time, please leave a review on your way out.