Disclaimer: I do not own Harry Potter nor the Fate series nor any other works created by Type-Moon
Story Start:
"Harry Potter!"
With these two words, the entire Hall fell silent. Mouths hung open. Almost all at once, shocked stares went towards the possessor of this name.
Harry merely stared back at the old man as he beckoned for him to come forward. Unlike before, there was no twinkle in those piercing blue eyes. It all felt too unreal. After all, how on earth could his name have popped out of the Goblet?
Unless he was able to somehow slip out of his bed in his sleep and slip through Dumbledore's Age Line without growing himself a beard, he had no idea how his name got in there in the first place. He did not even notice as he was led to the small antechamber where the other Champions were being held for a debriefing about the Triwizard Tournament, nor did he hear the yelling of the adults about how he was a cheater.
Doesn't he have the right to spend at least one year without his life being in mortal peril?
"I will not stand for zis! Zis boy is making a mockery of zis sacred competition! If 'Ogwarts is to have two champions, zen it is only fair for us to add anozzer as well."
"I'm afraid that is not possible. Once the Goblet has fulfilled its purpose, it will not be useable until the next tournament, centuries from now."
"But 'es jus a leetle boy!"
"The rules are clear on this. Those who have been chosen by the Goblet must participate, else they'll lose their magic."
"I wouldn't put it past Dumbledore to scheme something like this..."
"Isn't it amazing?! The boy-who-lived, the youngest Triwizard Champion in history!"
Harry started as he felt firm hands on his shoulders and found himself face to face with the wrinkled face of Dumbledore, his piercing blue gaze as unnerving as ever.
"Harry, did you put your name in the Goblet of Fire or ask someone else to do it for you?"
"No, Professor."
"But he's lying of course!"
With that, the shouts started again. Harry sank into the chair in a corner. This was all happening too fast. It seemed lifetimes ago that he was speculating with his friends who the Champions would be, and how he thought they must be really foolish to sign up for such a thing.
"...In the past, not one Tournament has there been no casualties among the Champions..."
Harry shuddered. Can't these people understand that no sane person would even think about putting in their names for such a competition where survival is not guaranteed?
"I... will not compete." He found himself saying.
Silence followed.
All conversations ended abruptly as all eyes turned on him once again.
"You are aware of all the consequences that your decision entails?" The man, Crouch if he remembered right, asked.
Harry nodded, resolve hardening. "Better to be alive and a squib than dead."
"Hmpf... foolish boy. To throw away a one in a lifetime chance for glory out of cowardice, you should be ashamed of yourself." The stunningly beautiful veela in the room said in a haughty tone, obviously looking down on him.
Harry clenched his fists as he remembered various near death experiences. "I wouldn't expect someone like you to understand. Every year here in Hogwarts, I've had to fight for my life, always coming within inches of certain death... You wouldn't know the terror of knowing that the next strike will surely end your life, only for some stroke of dumb luck to save your life to make sure you experience the same thing all over again. I've had enough. Is it so wrong to want to keep on living? Call it cowardice if you like but Death can only let me off the hook for so long. I wouldn't tempt him again."
And to the shock of everyone in the room, Harry glowed a brilliant golden glow. The light intensified before leaving the boy's body.
And before their very eyes, the boy-who-lived, Harry Potter, ceased to be a wizard from that day forth.
-Interlude-
Harry cracked open an eyelid. The smell of the sheets was very familiar. He spent most of his school year in this particular part of the castle after all.
That's right. He was once again in the Hospital Wing.
He checked the clock. It was midnight so what in the hell were those two whispering so fiercely about. It was their grave voices that had woken him up in the first place.
All he could remember was a golden flash of light before he lost consciousness. Someone must have levitated him to the Hospital Wing afterward.
Two beds away from him, the Heads of Houses, Dumbledore, Pomfrey, and two cloaked figures were talking.
"What do you mean his core is gone?" McGonagall demanded.
"It's not like we've never seen cases like this before but the only records in the Department of Mysteries that have any similarity with this one occurred a century ago. And even then, only part of their core has extinguished. But this boy looks as if he never had one to begin with!" One of the cloaked figures replied.
"Then the boy has definitely become a squib?" Snape asked in an impatient tone. He looked like he wanted nothing more than to get to bed. Harry pitied the students in his class for the next day.
The cloaked man shook his head. "Squibs still have magical cores, albeit one they cannot access or is in a really very diminished state equal that of a muggles'. By all rights, this boy shouldn't even be alive."
Harry's eyes widened at the revelation. He hadn't thought far ahead when he made his decision. It just felt right at the time and even if he were to regret it now, nothing would change.
"Then I'm afraid Mr. Potter would not be able to attend regular course curriculum in Hogwarts from this day forth. As it is getting late, I suggest we all discuss his education in more detail tomorrow." Dumbledore said with finality.
As the group exited, Harry saw something very frightening.
Dumbledore had a cheshire grin on his face.
It looked so wrong that Harry thought he must have imagined it.
After all, such an evil smile had no business on the face of the man who stood for the Greater Good right?
-The Next Day-
Harry Potter slipped out of bed early at dawn. Knowing the Hogwarts rumor mill, he knew that news of him declining the chance to participate in the Triwizard Tournament and losing his magic would already be spread throughout the school. By the time the morning feast is over, not one student, ghost, portrait, nor elf would not have heard about the incident. He also knew from previous experience that he would be once again be ostracized by his peers for his choice. It happened in second year and even when his status as the Heir of Slytherin was mere speculation, his classmates have already made him out to be the culprit.
But none of that mattered anymore. Starting from today, he no longer had to attend classes. His body was still weak and his joints ache, probably due to a side effect of losing his magic. Now that he thought about it, he would have to be a lot more careful from now on. It seemed only his magic was preventing his death from malnutrition and physical damage.
He spent most of the night after Dumbledore's group left last night thinking about the future. Losing his magic meant that it would be useless for him to stay on the magical side. He'd seen enough of the wizard's views of squibs and muggles so he knew he would just be treated as a second class citizen if he stayed.
But that begged the question: Where to go now?
Going back to the Dursleys was not an option. Now that he lost his magic, he would not survive a month in that hell. Returning to those abominable people would defeat the purpose of losing his magic in the first place.
It was at this time that he thought of his godfather. Sirius Black was a wanted criminal, wrongfully accused and a very kind man. Knowing Sirius though, he would not want his godson to be living the same kind of life he is right now: living in caves and eating rats. He would most likely ask Dumbledore to take care of him, who in turn would just send him back to the Dursleys...
Suddenly, an idea so crazy presented itself to his mind that he just had to like it. He knew that given time, his interest would just bring him into the magic side again and again. Now that he had learned of magic, he simply could not just throw it away. There had to be a way for him to use magic even without a magical core. The world is wide. He had noticed before but British wizards held onto their traditions too strongly, still using a wand to cast their spells when other countries have innovated their magical systems to fit the times. He had read in one of Hermione's book for example, that wizards in the New World could use electronic devices to channel their spells. It was mind boggling. After all, wasn't it common knowledge that all electronic devices would cease to function in an area saturated with magical energy?
What if other cultures have developed ways of performing magic without the use of a magical core? After all, a wizard's magical core is their life. Severe magical exhaustion can result in death so wouldn't it make sense that other people would have found a way to work around this problem?
Harry stopped. Since when has he been this interested in magic anyway? Throughout the years he spent in Hogwarts, he never had any deep interest in it. He instead focused more on his friends, glad that after all this time, he finally had people to forge bonds with. But now he would have to leave them too. Ron would definitely be mad at him. He was a good guy to a certain extent. They had been through a lot together after all but Harry had caught glimpses of a certain growing feeling in the boy.
He was getting jealous and knowing him, he'd probably be mad at Harry for turning down an opportunity that he would gladly give up an arm for.
And Hermione...
Wait, what about Hermione?
Now that he thought about it, he had to act on the same level of intelligence as Ron just to maintain friendship with her. He knew he could do so much more...
Be so much more.
The door creaked open as he was getting dressed in his muggle clothing. Dumbledore's voice spoke from behind the curtains.
"Good morning. I had a feeling that I would miss you had I stayed asleep a bit longer. How are you feeling Harry?"
Harry opened the curtains and faced the old man. Vivid green eyes met old blue ones. He held the stare for a minute before he spoke.
"Quite honestly, not very good sir. If I may ask, what will happen now?"
Dumbledore raised an eyebrow. "I was under the impression you have made preparations before you chose to go down this path, Harry."
Harry fought the surge of uneasiness at the old man's disappointed tone. "Nothing very concrete sir. Just... vague ideas and daydreams..."
"Ah, but great accomplishments often start with almost ridiculous dreams. When the first human dreamed about the wonders of flight, he was mocked by everyone in his village but as you see, if that one person did not question of the statement 'humans can't fly', then we would not have Quidditch, nor broomsticks for that matter."
Harry hesitated for a moment, picking his words as to convey what he wanted without sounding stupid in front of the Headmaster. "Even though I have lost my magical core, I... I don't think this is the end, sir."
Dumbledore looked intrigued and motioned for Harry to go on.
"I've heard that there are other ways of performing magic without the need for wands or a magic core and I... I want to learn. After learning about magic, I can't just abandon it like this. I... I want to know what lies beyond..."
Harry finished awkwardly. He knew he sounded strange but Dumbledore seemed to get the idea.
"Well, you are right, Harry. In ancient times, wizards were able to do magic that were akin to miracles but in search for ease and convenience, many of these ancient arts were lost to us. But don't misunderstand, Harry. Great magic often come under a heavy price. This, I know too well."
There was a change in the twinkle in Dumbledore's eyes but it was so brief that Harry thought he must have imagined it.
"But as it stands, you will not be able to continue with core classes such as Transfiguration, Charms, and Defense Against the Dark Arts."
"Does that mean I'll be expelled?"
Dumbledore smiled reassuringly at him. "Hogwarts shall always remain open to those who seeks its knowledge."
"But what if the knowledge I seek isn't here?" Harry wondered.
"Then I shall do my best to point you in the right direction."
Harry was taken aback. He knew the Headmaster had some fondness for him but would he do this much for any other student? And wait, was he really okay with just sending Harry away like that? Something was definitely off but Harry, for the life of him, just could not figure out what.
"Ah, that reminds me," Dumbledore reached into his robes and pulled out a very thick (thicker than an encyclopedia!), worn-looking book, "While looking through an old collection, I found something that would be more useful to you than it ever was for me."
Harry reached the book and looked at its title, then with a shocked expression, faced Dumbledore once again.
"Sir... this..."
Dumbledore's eyes were set at full twinkle, making it hard to look him straight in the eye. "Those who have experienced magic would never be able to forget its taste. However, remember that hard work will always be needed to achieve your goals. Dreams may set you upon your path but only through perseverance would you actually be able to walk in it."
And with that, Dumbledore left, leaving the young squib staring at the book left in his hands.
So you've lost your core? A step-by-step guide for noob squibs to get back on track by Nicholas Flamel.
-Break-
The library was quite an interesting place. At this time of the day, almost all of the students were at their classes except for those studying for their O.W.L.s and N.E.W.T.s. The atmosphere rivals that of a funeral's. All was silent under the watchful gaze of librarian.
It was because of these characteristics that made it the perfect place to just sit back and hide from people. The library had always been a sanctuary for Harry during his darkest hours with the Dursleys. Dudley and his gang never went anywhere near the place, making it the perfect place to pass the time before he eventually had walk back to that hell hole he had called his home.
The Hogwarts library was truly fascinating. Only that morning did Harry find out that the library itself provided privacy should a student with it. The place itself would shift so that the person would truly be able to concentrate.
Harry put aside his half baked plans of world travel for now, his interest occupied by the book given to him by Dumbledore. It was very thick and very old, with yellowing pages and a dog-eared appearance. Knowing that Flamel was centuries old, Harry put the book's age at about a century at least. The restoring and stasis charms placed on it were probably what was keeping it from falling apart.
Harry opened to the first page and raised an eyebrow.
"If you are reading this, then I am most likely dead, as no one in their sane minds during my lifetime would approve of the widespread publishing of this book."
Harry looked over his shoulders instinctively. That line sounded suspicious. It was as if he was holding some sort of illegal item. This came from Dumbledore though so it should be fine right?
"... Throughout the centuries I have lived, I have seen the creation and death of words. Many were uninteresting and are of no use to us. But one word in particular have remained for two centuries, unchanged in usage and in diction. This of course, is the word 'squib'.
What is a squib, you ask? It is a term commonly referring to one of magical ancestry but fail to exhibit standard magical prowess. These individuals are treated as a stain on to their families and are often disowned or killed outright.
However, throughout my years of research, I have found that the belief that squibs are unable to perform magic is wrong. All living beings possess a magical core, be they of magic or not. As such, in theory, all living beings should be able to perform magic. If something does not have a magical core, then it is most likely dead..."
Harry paused, thinking of the conversation he overheard last night. If he heard right, then wouldn't that mean he was technically dead?
With that thought in mind, Harry kept reading.
"...There are very few exceptions to this. One case in particular is an existence that was far beyond the comprehension of us mortal men. This creature, also called the Serpent of Akasha, is..."
Harry skipped the three chapter long details of that case, looking for one that fit him, six chapters later, he found what he was looking for.
"...Another case is when a wizard has been forcefully stripped of his magical core altogether. Of the seventeen cases I have studied, eleven of them died almost immediately. Of six that survived, only one was left alive until his natural death sixty years later. The others died within a week.
As you can tell, this is a very rare case, which begs the question of how this life was able to exist after losing the linchpin holding his life. To my shock, the answer to this question is that he was able to use magic.
After thoroughly investigating this case, I was finally able to find what he did to regain his magic. By bonding himself with a summoned elemental, he was able to keep a stable existence in this world. The magic shared between the two became the lifeline that kept the two alive. However, one must complete the ritual as soon as possible to survive.
The subject in question told me in rather simple words these seven steps:
Step 1: Summon the being of pure magic. The stronger the better.
Step 2: Copulate with this being.
Step 3: Finish the bonding ritual by reaching climax at the same time.
Step 4: Live with this being for the rest of your life, learning about one another and magic.
Step 5: …...
Step 6: …..
Step 7: Profit
Harry stared blankly at the set of instructions. He needed to do THAT?! The hormonal teenager blushed at the implications. He was a healthy young boy. It was normal for his imagination to run wild right?
The instructions however were too vague so Harry pushed aside naughty thoughts and tried to focus on the ritual mentioned.
"... These instructions made no sense whatsoever. When I asked for details, he merely said that he was given these instructions by a certain person.
Luckily this 'certain person' is an acquaintance of mine, quite the trickster I might add. He often spoke of bewildering theories and complicated magicks. When I asked him for the instructions, I was prepared to bargain with my life on the line but to my utter shock, he simply gave them to me with an amused smirk. The details are as follows..."
Harry looked over the instructions with a careful eye. It seemed very complicated but that was only because everything had to be precise.
However, he was cut off from his thoughts as classes ended and students began filing out of the classrooms. That meant that more people would be coming into the library after they finished eating lunch. He could already see some Ravenclaws that decided to forgo lunch altogether and entered the library.
The library might hide him from people but he could see them quite clearly. Knowing that he wouldn't get any more reading done, he put on his invisibility cloak and left, careful not to bump into anyone on his way out.
Harry trekked his way to the astronomy tower. Knowing how cruel his peers were in their remarks during his second year, he knew he would just feel like shit if he were to walk into the Great Hall now. It was the coward's way out but Harry found he didn't care. He didn't really want to deal with his friends at the moment but he didn't want to worry them either. With a sudden flash of inspiration, Harry called Dobby over.
"Great Great Master Wizard Harry Potter wishest to see Dobby sir?" The house elf squeaked excitedly, large, tennis ball sized eyes looking up at Harry expectantly.
That gaze just made him so uncomfortable...
"Dobby, didn't I tell you that just Harry is fine?"
"Ah, sorry Master Harry Potter sir! Dobby will go punish hisself n—"
Before Dobby could cause a ruckus, Harry quickly bodily wrestled the elf until it calmed down.
"Dobby is sorry sir. Dobby still not—"
"I—it's okay Dobby. I just... anyway, when Ron and Hermione are alone, can you tell them that I'm fine and want to be alone for now? There is just so much to take in so I don't want to talk to anyone at the moment."
The elf was practically bouncing in excitement and with a "Dobby be off then sir!", disappeared with a pop.
Harry sighed and opened the door to the Astronomy Tower. A cold breeze immediately hit his face, making him squint. As he gazed at the ground below, he felt a sense of peace settle over him, making him sigh loudly and grab a rocking chair nearby. Sitting upon it, he felt like an old man.
"Oh my, that is a bad case of nargle infestation if I've ever seen one," an awed voice said from behind him.
Harry jumped off the chair and immediately turned around, fight or flight instincts fully activated.
His first impression of the girl was that she was very odd, even among wizards. Dirty blonde hair, a butterbeer cork necklace, radish earrings, wand tucked behind her ear...
… and a dreamy expression that gave her the feeling that she was not all there.
"I'm sorry... I didn't know anyone else was here and..."
"That's quite alright, Harry Potter. With all those wrackspurts hovering around you, I wouldn't blame you if you didn't see me if I was right in front of you." The girl said casually.
"...I'm sorry?"
"Wrackspurts. They mess with your brain. You'll find it hard to focus with them around."
Harry's mind was screaming at him to get the hell away from this crazy person but morals won out in the end. That would be rude and besides, she was the first one to talk to him without first glancing over his scar to confirm his identity. God, he hated when people did that...
"Anyway... why are you here? Shouldn't your friends be looking for you?" Harry asked, changing the topic to something he had more experience with.
The girl just gave him an odd look. "Oh, I don't have any."
The casualness and ease in which she said those words made Harry feel a mixture of pity and embarrassment. Not good... the situation has gotten even more awkward.
No words were spoken for a good five minutes, both of them staring at the grounds. Finally, Harry was unable to bear it any longer and asked, "Aren't you going to ask me about the Triwizard Tournament?"
The girl tilted her head. "Should I?"
"Well... aren't you curious why I dropped out, even losing my magic in the process?"
"Why should I be?"
This question stopped Harry cold. Throughout his life on the magical side of things, people seemed to focus a spotlight on him one way or another. He had gotten the impression that he was always the center of attention. Finding someone who did not have an immediate interest in him like Ron when they first met, nor the instant antagonism of Snape, was quite refreshing.
"Because... people always seemed to want to know what I'm up to, always..."
The girl just stared at him as he trailed off.
"Oh..." She fidgeted anxiously. "I'm sorry I wasn't thinking about you until now. I don't have any friends so I don't know what my classmates always think about."
"Huh... wait, no! I didn't mean it like that. In fact, don't think about me at all!"
The girl frowned. "Are you sure?"
Harry nodded fervently. "Definitely."
"Well, if you say so." The girl agreed hesitantly.
Harry breathed out a sigh of relief. Why was it that after speaking just a few sentences with this girl, he already felt exhausted?
"So why were you up here?"
"I was making a potion to help attract a particular species of moonfrogs and I was told that the blibbering humdingers that was a key ingredient could be found up here at exactly noon."
"Er... it's quarter past noon now... I think you've just missed them... er... sorry."
"Oh... you're right. Well there's always tomorrow. Goodbye, Harry Potter."
-Break-
Harry couldn't help but think about the strange girl for the rest of the day. She was weird, too weird. Her words do not make any sense at all. In fact, she may just be the exact opposite of Hermione.
No wonder talking to her felt so refreshing.
If he didn't mind getting a headache.
Harry cursed as he erased the markings on the floor for the third time, his distracted thoughts kept him from working with precision. He had never taken Runes before but the diagrams in the book were easy enough to follow. His borrowed beginner rune book from the library actually had the runes in the first few chapters. They really were simple. One mistake however, would ruin the entire thing.
With a sigh, he started from the top for the fourth time.
The book told him that normally, a wizard would use his own magic to power up the runes. However, since Harry had no magic to speak of, he would have to harness enough magic from the magic-saturated environment of Hogwarts to activate the ritual.
Fortunately, Hogwarts was build upon a nexus of four ley lines. With a few additional circles, Harry was able to gather enough to suit his needs. After talking with Dobby, he was told of the 'Come and Go Room'. It turned out that the room transforms to suit the user's needs. Harry vowed to get Dobby another pair of socks the next chance he gets.
After six more failures, he finally got it right. Harry felt a small sense of pride at the accomplishment.
The incantation came next. Strangely enough, a lot of it was in German so it took a few tries to get it to sound right.
Finally ready, Harry began the ritual.
-Break-
The summoning circle glowed with life. The atmosphere was literally screaming.
Something powerful was coming. Harry could feel it.
A strange wind erupted from the summoning circle. The light then became so unbearably bright that Harry had to close is eyes in fear of getting blinded.
Then, as suddenly as it began, the light faded and the winds died down.
And in front of Harry stood a hooded figure wearing purple robes.
Her eyes were covered by the hood of her robes, showing only the lower half of her face. Her clothing accentuated every curve of her body without somehow being obscene. Her succulent lips... her...
With a snap of his head, Harry concentrated on what needed to be done. He could tell that the figure before him was extremely powerful. Hell, just her aura alone could have murdered a hundred lesser beings!
Harry felt the creature's gaze upon him as he began to take off his clothes. Now that he thought about it, the book said he would be spending the rest of his life with this powerful creature just so he could survive so wouldn't making a good first impression be pivotal in their relationship?
The head tilted to the side as if in confusion and Harry blushed madly as he finally removed his underwear. He hadn't thought about this before but now that he was finally at this stage, he found he didn't actually know what to do from here. The book didn't clearly give instructions about that act and Harry being a virgin, felt his confidence waver.
As he looked back at what he had summoned, he found himself stuttering, his hands shyly covering his privates.
"Er... it's my f—first time s—so please be gentle with me!"
-End Chapter-
A/N:
AU story. Some characters are a bit off but are somewhat still the same. If I give the reason as to why now, it would kill the future chapters.