CHAPTER 3:

OZPIN

Harry was avoiding his father for the time being, being more content to stay outside and talk, and even play, with Hermione and the two other girls, along with an excitable Corgi called Zwei. He was a bit more civil with Taiyang, but the sardonic blonde was also bringing Sirius and Lupin up to speed, and in any case, Harry wanted to get to know Yang and Ruby. Yang was showing off what looked like gauntlets…which somehow had shotguns built into them. "…Does every weapon have a gun in it?" Hermione asked flatly.

"Not all of them, but most Hunters wield weapons with dual functions," Yang said with a smirk. "We start weapons training next year at Signal…well, I do. Poor Ruby has to wait until later, but I think Uncle Qrow's going to teach her to use a scythe like he does. Dad's a teacher there, and Qrow teaches there too when he isn't abroad. These babies are called the Ember Celica. I like to get up close and personal, punch my problems till they go down. They also work as ranged weaponry too: I could probably hit a Nevermore from a hundred feet away at least."

"A Nevermore?" Harry asked.

"Think a huge bird Grimm, Harry," Hermione said. "Like an oversized crow or raven."

Ruby nodded. "There's a lot of different Grimm. Beowolves, for example, and there's Ursas and King Taijutus and Death Stalkers…that's why we need the cool weapons."

"But where do they come from?" Hermione asked. "I looked through those books last night, and none of them said anything about where they come from. They disintegrate when they die, they only attack humans and Faunus…"

"Faunus?" Harry asked.

"People with animal features," Hermione said. "Like cat ears, or a fox's tail. I know, I found that strange myself."

"Yeah. A lot of people treat Faunus like crap," Yang said. "There's some movement called the White Fang, turned violent recently. I'm fine with Faunus, and so's Ruby and our family, but a lot of people out there treat them like dirt, especially in Atlas. That's one of the kingdoms, by the way. The Schnee Dust Company apparently treats Faunus like slaves, so the protestors claim. Jacques Schnee claims they're full of it. Anyway, Hermione, believe me, I dunno where Grimm come from, and I don't think anyone knows. They had Professor Port do a guest lecture at Signal not so long ago, and he doesn't know. And he's one of the leading authorities on the Grimm in the world. Well, so he claims."

"Jesus, this is a lot to take in," Harry muttered. "So, Signal is where they train Hunters?"

"Sort of. It's more of a school with a Hunter academy attached. Like high school coupled with Hunter kindergarten. If you do the Hunter courses there and do well, you're pretty much guaranteed a slot at Beacon, which is where the full-on Hunter training begins," Yang said. "Beacon's probably one of the best of the academies that train Hunters: people come to Vale just to attend Beacon, even from as far afield as Anima and Atlas, even Menagerie. And unlike Hogwarts, from what Hermione told me, it ain't in a castle." As Harry scowled, and looked away, Yang said, "Sorry, didn't mean to remind you that things have gone south."

"No, it's not your fault, it's my so-called father and aunt," Harry said.

"Yeah, I know the feeling. Raven may be my birth mother, but she's not the one I called Mom. That was Ruby's mother, Summer," Yang said, cuddling her sister close. "Raven left us shortly after I was born. That's the first time I've really met her. She didn't have much to say, really, and I know it's tearing Dad up inside. Uncle Qrow's all right, but there are times when he embarrasses us, really. I can understand why you're angry with him. Just…cool off for now. Hopefully, we can find a way to get you back home, even if only to visit."

Before Harry could give any response to that, they heard a car come up the road leading to the house. "Is that a taxi?" Hermione asked.

"Yeah. You usually don't have people going this far out," Ruby said, as the taxi pulled up, and a man stepped out. A man that Yang and Ruby clearly recognised. "Is that…?"

"I think so, but what's he doing out here? Did Uncle Qrow call him out here or something?"

The man was of an indeterminate age. His handsome face seemed to show him as being in his 30s at the oldest, but he had a shock of grey hair, and walked with the aid of an elaborate cane. He had a pair of tinted glasses perched on his nose. And his attitude seemed to have a general sense of age, of sheer ancientness about him. There was something about the man who reminded Harry a little of Dumbledore.

"Good morning," the man said. "My name is Professor Ozpin. It's a pleasure to meet you all…"

After some preamble, and Ozpin getting Taiyang to make him a mug of hot chocolate, of all things (Harry would have pegged him as having tea or coffee), Harry was led outside by the silver-haired man, who was apparently the Headmaster of Beacon Academy. "Now, I'm sure you're wondering why I wanted to talk to you specifically," Ozpin said.

"Qrow probably tattled on me," Harry snarked.

Ozpin smiled sadly. "He did, yes. I brought you out here for a couple of reasons. The first is to say…I truly am sorry, Harry. Not just about what Qrow and Raven did, though that in itself was foolish. Yes, they rescued you from a dangerous situation, but they also tore you and Miss Granger away from everything you knew. However, I also sincerely apologise because I was somewhat responsible for what happened to your mother, and thus yourself. It was I who sent Gretchen to investigate something very dangerous…and caused her to be captured. If I had known what I did now…unfortunately, hindsight is 20/20, as they say."

Harry didn't know what to say to this. This calm, dignified man was apologising to him, and with what seemed like utter sincerity. Dumbledore had never really apologised for sending him to the Dursleys. After a moment, he said, "Look, I'm still trying to process what the hell is going on, Professor. But…I do appreciate the truth."

"I'm sure you do," Ozpin said. "I will tell you the truth, but I will need to emphasise that this is something that shouldn't be repeated willy-nilly. I presume that you have learned of the creatures of Grimm that haunt our world?"

"Yeah."

"The Grimm are led, for want of a better term, by an entity, a Queen if you will. She was human, once, centuries ago, but pain and betrayal led her on a quest to gain power at all costs, even to her own humanity. Nowadays, she goes by the name of Salem."

"…Salem…my mother, my birth mother…she repeated that name, along with Qrow's, as she was dying."

"That's hardly surprising. In all likelihood, Salem captured her. She is not normally known for taking prisoners, though. Your uncle on your mother's side was once a friend of mine and a powerful ally, until the death of his sister drove a wedge between us, and he vowed revenge. We had no idea of your survival until now. However…well, there is really no easy way to say this. Qrow spoke of your transformed state, the one he witnessed when he first saw you. He said you resembled a male version of Salem, but with a partial Grimm skull mask obscuring part of your face. A human Grimm, he called you. Though I would not use such a term for you."

"And why is that?!" Harry snapped irritably, annoyed at Qrow sharing such things so readily.

"Grimm have no souls," Ozpin said bluntly. "And while not all Hunters have the ability to sense Aura and thus souls, I do. You most definitely have a soul, and a partially-awakened Aura to boot. In any case, I doubted you would have the use of your other ability." He took a sip from his mug, before he said, "Did you notice Ruby's eyes? Silver irises, a rare trait. When awakened, they allow for a power that can harm, even kill the creatures of Grimm, as well as certain dark traits."

Harry stared at the older man, thinking back to the times when he felt something burst forth from his eyes. The first time had been against Quirrelmort, and the second time had been against the Dementors. "But I don't have silver eyes."

"Your eyes have silver flecks. You shouldn't have green eyes either, as your mother had hazel eyes, and Qrow, as you know, has red ones. While Silver Eye powers tend to manifest in family lines, they sometimes spontaneously appear. The genetics involved are rather complex, and it may just be that you either got the right genes from both parents, or else the right mutation occurred at the right time. Of course, awakening the Silver Eyes often requires emotional trauma or stress of some kind. I shudder to think what sort of experience Ruby would have to undergo to awaken her own."

"But she doesn't know?" Harry asked.

"Not yet. I'd prefer to wait until she joins Beacon before I tell her," Ozpin said. "In any case, your Silver Eyes are powerful weapons against the Grimm. But using them can be draining when you're first using them, and Salem and her forces are aware of the dangers of them, and have been working around them. That's another reason not to discuss things with Ruby. She's a good girl, but from what I know, she's very like her mother, and needs to learn the meaning of discretion. She'd boast about her powers out of innocence rather than arrogance, not knowing that if it reaches the wrong ears, she could be targeted for assassination. Or worse. Remember, we believe that Salem performed experiments on you while you were in the womb."

"…But why? Why did she do that?"

"Experiment on you? I can only speculate. The most likely explanation is that she wanted a sleeper agent, a human with the power of a Grimm. For all I know, you are the first successful experiment into that. If I did know, I would tell you, even if only part of the story."

Harry began to shiver. He had a monster inside him, and he couldn't get it out. But then, he felt a hand on his shoulder. "Harry…I don't see a Grimm in front of me. Monsters living in human skin have existed for as long as humanity has, without the Grimm coming into play. I see a boy, nearly a young man, with vast potential, but lost in a world he knows little about. If I can find a means to send you back home, and I can't promise I can find such means, I will let you know promptly…if you want to go back."

And that's when it hit him. What did he really have to go back to? The Dursleys? He'd been able to move away from them after his first year, moving into the Tonkses' house. Nymphadora and her parents were nice…but it hadn't been long enough to make much of a connection, especially as Nymphadora (who didn't like being called that) was joining the Aurors (and he hoped she wasn't with those who were with Fudge when he tried to arrest Harry and Sirius). Ron had been a friend, true…but with the revelation that he wasn't even a Potter…Harry had to admit, he had found himself increasingly disillusioned with Magical Britain. And if Fudge had tried to have him executed for destroying the Dementors…well, it only went to show. Dumbledore had stated that he was almost certain that Voldemort was dead after Harry used these Silver Eyes on him.

Hogwarts, admittedly, had been more like home than the Dursleys, or even the Tonkses, though the latter was more due to the fact that he barely knew them. But then again, Hogwarts had been filled with peril and contempt from his peers when they weren't adoring him. He remembered when he accidentally revealed his Parseltongue abilities in his second year, and much of the school shunned him for weeks afterwards, some even calling him the 'Heir of Slytherin' or the next Dark Lord.

After a moment, he said, "Thanks."

"You're welcome, Harry. Should you elect to stay, I should warn you in advance, I may not be able to accept you into Beacon with your condition. You must understand, to become part-Grimm in the way Qrow described to me is an ability that will provoke fear. If that ability is exposed, many will seek to kill you…or to take you away for experimentation. But I know many people who will teach you in spite of that. Your biological father is one of them: for all his faults, Qrow is a good man. When you feel you are ready to be taught by him, know that there are few better teachers."

"And Raven?" Harry asked, scowling a little at the reminder of his biological father and his aunt.

"Raven…she has issues with me, Harry, and many of her grievances with me are admittedly genuine," Ozpin said, sadly. "She is a strong woman, but one of strongly-held views about the world and her place in it, viewing it to be a world of the weak dominated by the strong. Your birth mother's disappearance was one of the many causes for Raven parting ways with Qrow and Taiyang, not to mention myself. But, from what Qrow told me, she cared enough about you to bring you here, to your family. That is perhaps the most heartening thing I have heard about her since she parted ways with us."

"That's not reassuring," Harry said.

"Perhaps. No matter what Raven may have told you about me, one thing she may have told you is correct above everything else: I have made many mistakes in my life, and other people have paid the price I should have," Ozpin said solemnly.

A silence fell between the two, before eventually, Ozpin said, "In any case, I came here partly as a chance to get away from paperwork for the day. I might use that as an opportunity to meet with Ruby and Yang, along with the others Qrow and Raven brought here."

"Just be careful with Hermione, Professor," Harry said, with a wry smirk he felt only numbly. "If she wants to ask you something, she'll talk your ear off with questions."

Ozpin chuckled. "Believe me, I knew Professor Port and Doctor Oobleck when they were young, and they were similar. And I'm always up to teaching…"

CHAPTER 3 ANNOTATIONS:

Well, despite being at odds with Qrow and Raven, Harry is not only bonding with Ruby and Yang, but also with Ozpin. Unlike Dumbledore, I think Ozpin would be more willing to divulge secrets. It would still be on a need-to-know basis, but he will explain why he wants things secret, unlike Dumbledore. I think Harry likes him better than Dumbledore because Ozpin actually starts off by apologising to him about what happened to his mother, and that Ozpin bluntly states that he has faults, whereas Dumbledore, even at his best, doesn't admit his faults until called out on them.

This isn't to say that canon Dumbledore is a villain by any means: I prefer to think of him as a deeply flawed but fundamentally decent person haunted by his past and with some poor decision making skills, and I try to reflect that in my non-bashing works, like this one. Ozpin, while similar to Dumbledore in many regards, especially where his flaws are concerned, is still better at sharing information and more personally compassionate (an achievement in of itself, given that Ozpin is at least one or two millennia old). He takes a more hands-on approach to dealing with his charges, despite being in an ivory tower, while Dumbledore is more hands-off.

No numbered annotations this time.