Harry Potter and the Life Unlived

By

Vulpine Nox

Underlined is writing

Italics is telepathy

Bold is parsel

Bold Italic is the Serpent of the Sky speaking

'thoughts of those not telepathic'

Last Chapter

Silver opened the gate quietly, it was late in the evening, and quietly made her way up the path to the old Victorian home, pondering what the next day would bring.

This Chapter

The door to Fox's Den swung open quietly, as it always had, the interior was dimly lit with softly glowing orbs hovering near the ceiling. Shutting the door behind her, she made her way up the stairs and entered her bedroom and laid down not bothering to change her clothes. Sleep quickly claimed her and released her just an hour later.

Sighing she got up and changed her clothes, she was now wearing a short sleeved black t-shirt and black shorts, her short black hair up in a bun with a hair stick that had dangling silver charms. After grabbing two silver bangle bracelets, Silver quietly padded downstair into the weapons room slipping on them on as she walked. She had a decent collection of weapons, not anything to brag about, but enough to have a varied selection. She grabbed a large bag while she walked over to the darts and picked up a few dozen dipped in paralyzing solution and tracking potion. Dropping them in the bag she then grabbed twenty odd ropes with two small metal balls attached to the ends. Silver held out her right arm and called her scythe, it appeared in an instant, shining darkly in the low light. It was very simple the only decoration on was three rune inscribed into the blade, life, death and control and a little piece of cloth wrapped around the middle. Silver lifted it over her left shoulder and the clothe suddenly became longer and snaked around her shoulders creating a sort of harness for it, the bottom of the scythe on her left shoulder and the blade hang down on her right. It was a nifty little charm used by many large weapon users.

Silver concentrated for a moment and reappeared on a small hill next to the mountain town, a spiral staircase leading down into the earth. She walked down stairs for at least thirty minutes, the walls around the stairs stopped, but the stairs continued down for a least another 500 feet into a huge chamber. The chamber, most commonly called the Summoning Hall, was a colossal circle. The Hall's walls were at least twenty stories high and four times as wide. The walls, smooth and black, were covered in runic protections, looking almost decorative. The ceiling was a giant half dome with the constellations, appropriate for the time of year, on it, glowing softly. Magic thrummed through the air, so much so you could almost taste it.

It took Silver only a few more minutes to finish traversing the stairs, there were a few white haired people scattered about doing various summonings, a few accepted and novices and an adept in black were watching the proceedings. An Apprentice hurried over when he saw Silver approach.

"What do you want?" the boy asked rudely, a streak of white hair in middle of his head. He appeared to be about fourteen.

"I would like to schedule the use of a Circle tomorrow around ten." She replied skimming his mind. The child thought she was just another Apprentice, mistaking the bangles as an Apprentice's bracelet, and one below him because she didn't have the white in her hair that came when handling death a great deal. As a necromancer handled death more and more their hair slowly bleached white. The pattern in which it happen depended entirely on the person.

"Do you have an Adept's permission?" He sneered.

"I hardly need it." Silver replied hoping the fool would get a clue.

"All apprentices need permission from their master's or another Adept to use any circle in Summoning Hall." Stating one the main rules that governed the Hall.

Silver raised an eyebrow, "I do not see the problem."

"Look rookie, you can't use a Circle you don't have permission."

"I grow tired of you blather, please bring your Master over here."

He shrugged and walked off to retrieve his Master. After a moment the master arrived, a woman in loose purple clothes that Silver didn't recall seeing before, and asked what the problem was.

"She doesn't have permission to use a Circle, but she won't listen." The boy stated annoyed.

"You need permission to use a circle sweetie." The blonde said, thinking that the girl hadn't understood her apprentice.

"May I ask you name and rank?" Silver asked politely.

"Christine Summer Day, Adept Necromancer."

"Nice to meet you Christine," the woman frowned, it was rude for anyone to use a superior's first name. "My name is Silverfox, and I am a Master of Runic Necromancy. Now please schedule the use of the Greater Circle tomorrow, from ten to twelve, it doesn't matter if it is public or private."

Both adept and apprentice stood stunned and very embarrassed, Silver saved them from further embarrassment by leaving as soon as she finished speaking.

–

Silver was fairly sure that Neville's odd magic bramble was unknown to anyone at the Gardens. But she wanted to be sure in any case.

As soon as she was on top of the hill she once again disappeared and reappeared in knee deep water next to several surprised, previously sleeping, wild aquala. A half moon hung in the sky, seemingly cradled by the few clouds that rested under it. The moonlight shown gently down on the surrounding water, the outline of Shadow Isle was visible in the distance. She had willed herself to teleport next to a healthy flock of aquala, and she had she appeared next to one on the Shallow Sea. The Shallow Sea began several miles from Shadow Isle, and a favorite of fishermen. Hundreds of kinds of fish inhabit the waters, which never exceeded four feet in depth, all the way to the edge of the barrier that separated the Isles from the rest of the world.

Silver quick withdrew her darts and threw them at the now charging aquala. The two dozen females ran off with the few fledglings and the dozen males were attempting to attack her. Five of five darts found their marks and the hit birds froze mid step, and fell over into the water. Silver once again disappeared just as the largest male, at least six feet tall at the shoulder, kicked where she had been standing.

Silver reappeared near the fleeing females and darted three, the males screamed with anger when they discovered their prey had escaped and was attacking their females. The female and fledgling birds, now throughly panicked, fled it all directions, most toward the charging males. Silver once again disappeared, this time right behind the males throwing the darts at their unsuspecting backs and at the approaching females. Nine birds fell into the shallow water, five male, four female, the feathers on their still forms dully reflecting the half moon's light. The females once again fled from Silver, but the two males stayed, staring at her, daring her to attack again.

Silver turned her back on them and walked over to the first five bird she felled, unconcerned about the other birds she had darted being underwater, aquala could hold their breath just shy of an hour. She could feel the eyes of the still standing avians on her back, trying to defend what was left of their flock. Once she was a great distance away, they ran in the direction most of their flock had headed.

The water plane was quiet except for the lapping of the water on Silver's skin and the bodies of the aquala. Once she had reached the aquala that were first to fall she examined them closely. When standing, the average aquala was anywhere from four to five feet at the shoulder. Their wingspan was around thirty feet, and like all birds had hollow bones. Their colors varied as much as a horse's, they could run swiftly and fly faster. Unlike the ostrich they were in perfect proportion, making them quite large and able to fly. Their most deadly weapons are their talons, four toes tipped by razor sharp talons and they could kick harder than a horse. The scales on their legs were incredibly hard and couldn't be cut with a normal weapon. On the Isles they were used for food and labor, they could pull several times their weight.

The aquala that Silver had caught were lean but healthy, they would suite her needs perfectly. She first removed the darts and put them back in a pocket. She then withdrew the ropes with two small metal balls attached to the ends and approached the nearest bird. She looped the rope around the bird's leg and twisted it slightly. She released the rope and said in a clear voice "merge, transport," the metal balls at the end of the rope seemed to melt and surround the rope evenly, creating a sort of smooth grey anklet that fit snugly on the bird's leg. The band started to glow then the aquala disappeared, if the transport anklet worked properly it would transport itself to her house. Silver repeated the action with the other downed birds, finishing in under an hour.

Silver then teleported back to her house near the pile of oddly postured aquala, the paralyzing solution still working. She teleported back inside her house in the healing room, the wards around the property didn't allow direct transportation into the house unless otherwise specified by her ahead of time. The healing room contained four cots and the walls were cover with shelves filled to the brim with various potions. Silver walked over to a small empty shelf across the room and touched an odd rune inscribed into the wood.

"Nineteen paralysis solution cures, nineteen muscle relaxant potions and nineteen compliancy potions. The cures in easy apply darts and the others in quick release gel spheres, purple for the muscle relaxant, and green for the compliance ones. All potions are being used on aqualas, adjust portion appropriately and all potions are to have verbal release. All potions are to be in a bottomless bag." She then removed her fingers from the rune and stood patiently. After a moment a soft glow accompanied by several soft pops issued from the previously empty container, a small velvet bag now occupied it. Silver grabbed the bag and teleported out the aquala still life.

The side yard stunk of fear, so much so it nearly made her gag, she opened the bag and felt around the three compartment in the bag. She grabbed a plastic cylinder and withdrew it, she walked up to one of the aqualas and put the white cylinder on the back of the birds neck and said "Release." A hollow spring loaded needle pierced the back of the bird's neck, the avian in question collapsed in a twitching heap, its muscles cramping to badly for it to move. Silver reached into her pouch withdrawing two golf ball size gel balls, one green the other purple. She quickly bent over and open the aquala beak and dropped the two ball in its mouth and said "Activate." The bird stopped twitching and seemed to fall asleep. Silver repeated the action with the other aqualas, soon all of them had fallen asleep. The compliancy potion could take anywhere from a few second to six hours to work, it depended on the will of the recipient. The downside of the potion was that it would kill if it was used again a month after the first dose. The potion was only effective for forty-nine hours after the first dose.

When this thing makes a noise you are to go to Summoning Hall and wait around the greater circle.

Silver thought to the aquala using pictures rather than words, and she summoned a clock from the house and set the alarm for 9:57.

Her job done she reappeared inside her house and changed her clothes again, this time to show her status. Loose black pants and short sleeved shirt, with a black robe that opens in the front and the sleeves stopped halfway down the forearms, a typical necromancer outfit. Necromancers had little use for fancy or extravagant outfits, preferring simple clothe that wouldn't get in the way of summonings, but they did wear the identifying jewelry of the Isles.

Once someone achieved a higher position they received a new piece of jewelry but still wore the ones from the previous position. Anklets for Potential, the lowest position on the Isles, normally only held by young children, Potentials also had to wear only white. Next came Accepted, who wore earrings, and could only where tan. After that came Novice who wore rings, most Novice were over thirteen. Then came Apprentices, who wore bracelets. Then the adepts, most everyone stopped at this level, and they received necklaces. Only Master could wear circlets. There was a great variation of styles in all the jewelry, the only limits being the imagination.

Silver picked up her anklet from her runed cast jewelry box, a simple thing black with a few purple designs on it. Hold the anklet up to the light of the sunrise it sparkled merrily. A thin silver chain with faceted amethyst teardrops hanging delicately off it. It hummed with stored power, it was her first energy store she had started it when she was four, adding more teardrops as the others filled. Silver gently clasped it around her left ankle, feeling energized after she did, amethyst was most commonly used as a healing stone, but it also guarded against illness. It was her family's stone as well as her personal one. Next she slipped on her ring, a simple silver ring that had a plethora of rune engraved next to the skin, but it was untouched on the top, making it look very plain. Her armlet came next, engrave with the rune for death and life, two of the most powerful runes in existence. It rested on the upper forearm, the souls of several animals and one human inhabiting it. They were used mostly for spying, but could become physical if summoned with enough power. Her necklace was made of a thin sheet of mica attached to a chain, and was used to see what wasn't visible to the naked eye and what was hidden. Her circlet was again simple silver but had tiny runes engraved all the way around it.

After everything was adjusted properly she sat on her bed and entered a light trance and put a sort of lockable gate in the dams in her magic, so she would have easy access to her magic. Her job done she left the trance slowly, checking all of the magical dams were intact.

Slipping her wand out of her Hogwarts robes Silver murmured 'tempus' gold numbers emerged form her wand 7:56. Humming a quiet tune she slipped her wand into one of the many pockets inside her robe and grabbed the sphere of Neville magic and teleported out.

–

She reappeared at the entrance to the Gardens, a small chain of islands a few miles from Wildwood Isle. The Gardens grew all kinds of rare and endangered plants, many of which were thought to be extinct to the outside world. If anyone on the Isles knew what Neville's plant was it would be someone in the Gardens.

The waiting area, the place Silver had teleported to had a gazebo next to a small pond. She looked around once she sat in it, the Gardens were beautiful, everything was green and healthy, various birds could be seen eating the fruit of nearby trees. None the less Silver could sense that the plant life was wary of her, drawing a bit of magic from the teardrop amethyst and tweaking it a bit she released it into the surrounding area.

"That is very wise of you Death Wanderer, the plants are always weary of those who have touched the afterlife." A little old man emerge from the forested path that led away from the gazebo and into the forest. His back was bend from years of labor, his skin was tan and leathery from working under the sun, his face seemed to be made of wrinkles. A rough green wooly tunic sat lightly on him. The plants around him seemed to reach for him, straining to touch him. He was a Keeper of Life, a defender of Mother Nature, one sworn to preserve life. Keepers were a thing unique to the Isles, though other people have taken similar oaths elsewhere, they were famed healers and most often lived at the gardens. They ate no meat and only plants, and never killed anything, they would take aggressive action toward someone unless they were threatening them.

"I am Honored by your presence Keeper, I have two questions, but please join me here."

"Thank you young one, you have achieved a great deal for one so young, tell me your story and I will answer your two questions. I will of course keep what you tell me silent."

The request was a common one for Keepers, they liked to know about a person before doing anything for them. They kept records of everyone on the Isles, a history of all the lives that had touched the Isles.

"It will have to be the short version, I'm due at Summoning Hall in two hours. First I will ask my questions though." Silver answered as she pulled out the sphere. "Have you ever seen this plant? If you have where can I get it?"

"I am sorry Death Wanderer I haven't seen it before, it looks to be related to the blackberry bramble though."

"I didn't think you would, but I wanted to be sure. My story starts when my mother and fathered died." For the next hour and forty minutes Silver told an abbreviated story of her life, giving practically nothing away. When she finished the Keeper had an odd smile on his face.

"I expected nothing less from a Necromancer, dancing around everything and telling nothing. I look forward to more talks with you. Come see me anytime, and bring the child who's magic formed that plant, he seems interesting. An off Islesman with an unknown plant totem, connected to you somehow. If you need anything for him send word. Farewell Silver Death."

The Keeper stood and wandered back into the forest, disappearing as soon as he entered it.

Silver sighed and put the sphere back into one of her pockets and teleported near the top of Summoning Hill, a few people could be seen making their way towards the stairs. She followed and quickly descended the stairs. The Greater Circle was the largest in the Hall and used only by Adepts and Masters, a crowd almost always gather when it was used, today was no exception. Hundreds of people had gathered in the Hall around the Greater Circle, mostly Novices and Apprentices had assembled, but a smattering of Adepts, Accepted, and Potentials had also come. Silver saw no other masters but that wasn't surprising.

As soon as she left the stairs she was hindered by the crowd, Silver opened her connection with death and let it float in an aura around her. Unnoticed at first the crowd quickly parted when the felt the aura and when they saw the circlet. As she neared the Circle a path appeared that led straight to it, the crowd backing away from the Circle slightly as she approached, and quieted down. Silver could hear a commotion in the back of the crowd, the aqualas had arrived. She had finally reached the edge of the Circle and waited for the aqualas to catch up. Stop at the edge of the circle, do not enter it. Murmurs swept the Hall when they saw she had brought so many offerings for what she was summoning.

Silver gathered her power and fed it to the pattern on the floor, the design was a huge circle with a pentagram inside it, line flowed off the points making a slightly smaller circle inside the larger on, runes of sealing and binding were carved between the two circles. The pattern soon started glowing black, as soon as it did she stopped feeding it her power, it was a half summon because she hadn't called anything yet, but it was still a one way portal to death. She grasped her armlet and pulsed a little power into it, soon two misty shape appeared in front of her, in the Circle. The first was a large horse brown and plain looking the only thing that was different about it was a fancy saddle that had the rune of binding on the side of it. The other shape formed into a small boy that had red hair and grey eyes, a plain collar sat on his neck, it could be nothing else as it had a thick chain coming out the front of it that fell his chest, the collar also had the rune of binging on it.

How may we serve Master? The boy's mental voice was heard throughout the Hall.

"Go and tell Serpent that his presence is required and I will summon him in soon."

As you wish Master.

The boy mounted the horse, the circle pulsed once and they both disappeared. The crowd broke out into murmurs again, they didn't know who she was summoning but they had to be powerful to give him an advance notice. While the crowd was whispering Silver withdrew Neville's sphere and threw it up into the air slightly when it came back down it stopped suddenly between her outstretched hands. Runes were becoming visible around it and after a moment a larger, basketball sized sphere appeared around the smaller one. She bit her thumb and smeared a bit of blood on the top of the larger sphere, the blood collecting in the shape of two runes, invulnerability and binding.

The child reappeared on the horse just before the runes finished forming, It is done Master will you require anything else?

"I shall, wait outside the circle please." A small amount of room was made for the ghost child and his horse in the crowd. Silver closed her eyes and once again lent the Circle magic, making it glow brighter.

"I call for your presence here Serpent of the Skies. I call for your obedience, heard and heed me."

Words weren't necessary for summoning spirits, but they could help concentrate the speaker power. Silver spoke in parsel to make the summoning flow easier, and to prove her identify to the summon. As soon as she had finished speaking the Circle throbbed and a shadow seemed to emerge from the center of it. A man emerged from the shadow, four large angelic white wings hung closely around him like a cloak, and a green tunic hung loosely from his shoulders. Orange eyes stared at the surroundings, brown bangs slightly obscuring them. At least this what everyone without a seeing stone saw when they looked at the being in the circle, its true form was a huge serpent coiled around itself floating in the air, colossal white wings supporting it. It orange eyes lazily staring at Silver, an unidentifiable emotion in them. Those with seeing stone quickly sought out those without and touched them, enable them to see the immense serpent.

"What do you wish of me, little Silver Death?"

Silver frowned, that was the second time today she was called Silver Death. She had no idea why they would be calling her that, Sky Serpent knew that she went by Silverfox on the Isles. It unsettled her greatly, they knew something about herself that she did not.

"I require you to find me the plant that resides in this sphere, as well as anything that is compatible with the magic. I also require a bag of sand from the Final Pond. Chal and his horse will accompany you incase something needs to be handled with care."

A rumbling laugh reverberate throughout the Hall, "You have found the Grasping Blossom, though it blooms late it is powerful. No it isn't that little bramble in that ball, that bramble has been dead for so long it has lost it's name to time. I will do what you ask Silver Death, I look forward to soon seeing your full potential. My reward will be those luscious birds will it not?"

"You are correct about the birds, I don't suppose you will tell me, Sky Serpent, about Grasping Blossom?"

"I shall not, it is not my story to tell. I will go now Silver Death and I shall return shortly."

With the Serpent's final word the circle glowed, a shadow swallowing both the boy on the horse and the flying titan. After the Circle stopped glowing loud conversation broke out, the few parsel speakers repeating what they heard the Sky Serpent, Silver had spoken to quietly to hear. Several more minutes of this continued until the Circle glowed once again, Silver was unsurprised that such a short interval of time had passed between the leaving and coming of Sky Serpent. Time passed differently in death, normally much slower.

"I have returned Lady, I bring four things from death, the child help greatly. I shall leave them whilst I return, I shall be shortly expecting your feathered friends."

"Of course, I cannot help but keep my word."

As soon as the serpent once again disappeared Chal spoke up again, Is that all you will be needing of me Master?

"Yes, thank you Chal." As soon as she said yes both horse and boy dissolved into mist and dispersed completely. Silver walked into the circle and picked up the sphere, a angry bramble bristled inside, obviously trying to get out, the odd thing was it seemed to have no roots. She dragged a hand across the air next to her and it seemed to ripple after a moment a square darkness appeared. She gently placed the sphere in it and picked up the bag of sand, she could sense two foreign objects in the stillness of the sand, she also place it gently in the odd square. She wiggled her fingers at the square which shortly vanished and resumed her previous position outside the Circle.

"Enter the Circle aqualas and once you reach your destination run in different directions after disengaging the compliancy potion." The Circle had yet to drain all of the power it was given so it was a simple task to send the aqualas to Death. It glowed and flashed brightly once as the birds were banished, along with the remaining power in the Circle.

A quiet applause swept through the crowd as Silver headed towards the stairs, as soon as she left the spectators broke off in little group to analyze the summoning.

As soon as Silver reached the top of the stair she 'ported home and fell into a deep sleep easily, sleeping for a record three hours, because she had used up a lot of energy. When she awoke she once again stoked the air and the odd square appeared, she grabbed the bag of sand and opened it to find what would undoubtably be Neville's familiar and a focus for his magic.

AN Hi people please review! I still need a beta.

How did you like this chapter? All Silver, fun to write, longer than normal too.

Next chapter Shade, Nev, Ronald, Dean, Malfoy and Seamus venture into the forest and you find out what else was brought from Death.

Thanks to a reviewer I know McGonagall taking so many points last chapter seems cruel, but all will be explained next Chapter.

The story is a wee bit slow right now, but during summer everything will change drastically. Big Big changes! How long is HP summer? Two months or three?

Thanks to:

Princess Star Neko, darkforces, bandgsecurityaw, Ansela, Archean, solara107, tricia13, donna ficfan, the anonymous reviewer and Rodsmart.

And thank you reviewers, so much.

Eh, here is the Isles jewelry thing and the approx. age that they achieve it by.

Master- circlet 30

Adept- necklace, 20

Apprentice- bracelet, teens

Novice- ring, teens

Accepted- earring(s),children for the most part or newcomers

Potential- anklet, children for the most part or newcomers

Toodles peoples