Harry the reaper ch.2 re-edit
Last time on Harry the Reaper:
'Death, is something the matter?'
"Grell, the wizards are making their move to summon you back."
'What? How did they manage that? My body has been changed completely, the only thing that remained the same would be my soul.'
"After they had failed using your blood, which really makes no sense since you old body is dead, they then decided to use a very old and powerful ritual. One that calls upon the magic and soul of the deceased. By your ministry's standards, it would be considered a dark ceremony as it often has the requirement that a sacrifice be offered. But as you said earlier, only your soul remained the same as your magic is now classified as that of a reaper and not a human wizard."
'Then how are they able to summon me specifically?'
"The ritual also has a fail-safe that if the one the summoner wishes to bring is not available, then it goes for a candidate with the closest match. But you must hurry Grell, I will try to hold them off for as long I can if you choose to bring help." Feeling the disconnection, Death left his mind.
Grell laughed darkly to himself. 'Oh, how the mighty have fallen.'
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"Knowing wizards, I will need some help," 'To keep from killing them. It's a good thing I planned ahead in case they ever decided to bring me back. Fat chance they would leave me alone, even in death, Grell thought. Grell continued on his way through the trees, wondering how he was supposed to call everybody he needed.
He could hear William sneaking far behind him through the trees on the way to the Phantomhive mansion. 'Well, that was one down five more to go.' And headed off.
Sitting in a tree outside the dining room window, he saw blondie and his pet demon. Then he saw that Undertaker was also there. 'My, how convenient but seriously, was this meeting set up?' Getting into character, Grell launched himself through the window. Heading straight toward the demon butler in a tackle he knew would miss.
"Bassy! It has been too long! I finally managed to escape from that dreadful paperwork!" Sebastian just sidestepped away from Grell's 'tackle of love.'
Due to the sidestep, Grell ended up landing on top of Undertaker but ignored it for the moment. "But Bassy, you were supposed to catch me whilst spinning me in your arms in a loving embrace as we stared in each other's eyes and proclaim our undying love to each other!"
Sebastian shuddered in disgust. Claude just smirked while Alois giggled at the red headed reaper that he met earlier Undertaker then made his presence known from under Grell. "Would someone kindly get this red menace off of me?"
Grell jumped off of him and mentally apologized to him. "How dare you treat a lady like that? I am not a menace, I am a gift among single men! To feast their starving eyes upon my beauty!" Grell yelled out. He heard William enter through the window he crashed through earlier but didn't bring attention to the silent entrance.
"You wouldn't be treated as such if you weren't a lazy, egotistical, annoying pest." Came the cool reply from behind him.
Grell pretended to jump in surprise and spun around to face Will. "W-Will! How did you find me? Wait, don't tell me, it was those reapers I threatened to cover for me! Argh! Why is it so hard to find good minions?!" William just pushed his glasses up with his ever present spears. "Nonsense, I saw you escape through the window and followed you through."
'Yeah, you weren't exactly quiet when following me on the way here.' Grell ran to hide behind Claude. "Now, W-Will, I only have one thing to say. Not the face!"
Alois snickered at the position his uptight butler was in, Sebastian smirked, happy that it wasn't him for once. Claude didn't know whether to be amused at the prospect of a beating or annoyed at being used as a meat shield.
It was then that Grell felt a pull on his navel and knew it was the summoning at work. 'Looks like Death couldn't stop them for long.'
Grell held on from being called upon which in turn caused him pain as it caused the magic to pull harshly at his soul. Grell let out a shriek of pain and collapsed on his knees. Everyone turned to look at Grell wondering what caused him to scream in agony.
Grell panted harshly. "Dang it! I thought I had more time than this!"
"Grell, what's going on?" Undertaker asked, concerned for his friend. They then looked at Undertaker wondering what caused the change in his behavior toward the red menace.
William frowned, "If this is another one of your jo-" Grell interrupted, "This is not a joke! Not even your attacks would cause me this much pain!" He glared harshly at William.
'Grell yelling at William?!' Was the intriguing thought that Ciel and Sebastian shared; Alois and Claude merely watched the exchange as they didn't know the red headed shinigami well.
"Grell! Just explain what is going on!" Ciel yelled frustrated at the lack of information.
"I'm being summoned back." He gritted out.
Both demons and reapers and reapers frowned at the information, wondering why anyone would anyone would summon a reaper, especially since it was Grell. He wasn't exactly the most helpful or competent reaper around. 'But back to where?' Was the shared thought.
Black symbols started appearing on his hands and slithered over Grell's body. He let out a harsh muffled scream as he didn't want Undertaker to worry from the torture he was feeling. The strain of keeping himself in his dimension was wearing on him. Now everyone was starting to get a little bit worried over the screams they were hearing. Not to mention the strange symbols that appeared all over Grell. They must have been really persistent over bringing him back.
"Grell, why are you being summoned back?!" Ciel questioned.
Grell panted, "There was a hidden community of wizards in the dimension that I used to live in where I was considered their savior even though I was only a boy with no experience. I later died at the mere age of 14 in a war that broke out. Those lazy no-good wizards are bringing me back so I can do their dirty work again. The longer I resist being summoned back, the more it pulls on my soul as you could probably tell already how much it hurts."
Ciel sneered at this to hide the very small amount of worry he felt, "There are no such things as wizards." Seriously, he could believe demons and fallen angels, even reapers but wand waving, broom stick riding, potion making wizards? Now you were going a little too far. Grell's patience was wearing thin considering the strain to his body.
"Now listen here, little lord! Don't you dare tell me that people capable of using magic cannot exist! You have dealt with demons, reapers and angels, so what's so hard believing that wizard's exist?!"
Ciel merely stared at Grell in shock. "What do you want us to do," Undertaker asked seriously. "I'm going to need your help when I get there so I was planning on asking others to join me but seeing as we are cut on time, I am going to ask that those who wish to come to grab hold of my arms," Grell replied in a rush, gritting his teeth. He took deep harsh breathe to try to alleviate the pain. Undertaker and William grabbed hold as they wouldn't want to leave their friend and subordinate to fend for himself. Not to mention the trouble he might cause if he was left alone.
Alois joined as well. "No way am I missing out of this much fun," he giggled. Claude sighed at Alois' recklessness but reluctantly followed behind. Ciel hesitated before joining, mostly to satisfy his curiosity about wand waving wizards and wondered if he could use them in his quest for revenge, Sebastian trailed after his master.
Grell sighed in relief that he could finally let go. The rest of the group then felt a pull in their navel before they were whisked away in a flurry of colors.
Wizarding world
"Albus, are you sure this will work?" A stern looking woman with hair tied back into a severe looking bun asked. An old man with a silver beard to his waist and color clashing robes reassured her.
"Of course, Minerva. We worked everything out and it was said to work because no two souls are the same."
What Albus didn't tell them was that this ritual was considered dark for requiring a sacrifice that he had already offered before the teachers had arrived, all for the greater good after all.
A hook nosed man with black hair and tunnel black eyes asked, "Can we please move on with the ritual?" Albus turned to answer.
"Yes, yes let's get down to business. Everyone, in your places please."
The three former people were joined with a couple aurors; namely Kingsley Shacklebot, Mad-eye Moody and Nymphdora Tonks, to make sure that the ceremony went according to plan.
As the ritual began everything went smoothly until it got to the actual summoning, they felt the magic become taut as if the person on the other end was resisting.
"Albus, what is happening?" Severus questioned.
"He seems to be resisting over being brought here. Pour more magic in."
The three wizards poured more magic into the runes on the floor causing it to glow brighter at the added power. With a harsh bang; everyone were thrown back into the walls as the light died down.
In the middle of the rune circle were not the one wizard they had planned on but instead a pile of limbs where they could make out five adults and two young children in outdated muggle attire.
"Albus, we didn't summon this many people. And none of them look remotely like maybe one of the boys but they are too young." Minerva pointed out.
"Yes, it seems that the resistance was due to the tag alongs with the summoning but I am positive that one of these people is our Harry Potter."
With the Black Butler gang
After the horrible landing along with the nauseating travel method, they realized that they had been dropped into another room. Grell stood up from his position first as the rest followed. Brushing off the dust from their outfits as they observed the room they had landed in.
The butlers stood beside their charges while Undertaker and William stood on either side of Grell who was in the front. They wearily glanced at the people who seemed to be pointing sticks at them from all directions.
'Wizards. Can't believe I'm back in this damn world again,' Grell thought as he let his fake personality take over as he whined over the state of his clothes and hair.
"Who are you?" Demanded a man with heavy scars on his face and a bulging fake eye that was darting around the room. The eye caused Ciel and Alois to become a little unnerved.
William replied coldly, "I assume that it is considered polite manners to introduce one's self first. Unless this world has occupants who behave like heathens and cannot display simple common courtesy." Moody growled as he aimed his wand at the reaper's face. Grell tensed minutely at the threat causing the rest of them to tense themselves as well as only Grell seemed to know how much of a threat those sticks really were.
The reapers reached for their scythes, the demons reached for their knives and the young lords reached for their hidden guns.
An old man dressed in eye bleeding robes of bright pink and mud brown stepped forward next trying to diffuse the tense situation.
"Now Alastor, put the wand down please." Turning his attention to the tense group.
"My name is Albus Dumbledore. You gentlemen are in the lower levels of Hogwarts, school of witchcraft and wizardry. You have been summoned here on the accordance that one of you is Harry Potter." The old man now known as Albus introduced the rest of his fellow wizards.
Albus sensed that the adults in the redhead's group had ambient magic around them while the children had very low levels of magic that they could be classified as squibs. Therefor felt no harm in letting them now about magic as they, mainly the men, seemed especially powerful so they should already know about the powers they had.
"This is the deputy headmistress, Minerva McGonagall." Gesturing toward the oldest women in the room in emerald robes. "Here is Alastor Moody an auror. Sort of like the magical police in our world." Pointing toward the man from earlier that had pointed his wand at William.
"This madam here is Nymphdora Tonks also a part of the aurors." A nervous looking women with pink hair nodded at them. "And finally the last two gentlemen here are Severus Snape, potions teacher at Hogwarts, along with Kingsley Shacklebot, last in the auora trio." Toward the last gentlemen, Severus who sneered at them, and Shacklebot who smiled tensely.
Albus then simply waited for the others to introduce themselves.
Grell seeing his reapers seemed hesitant, introduced himself first. "I am the fabulous Grell Sutcliff! The gift to all single men in the world! But don't go falling for me for I already have someone special." Leaving off with a blown kiss to Sebastian, who simply shivered in revulsion.
The rest of the group followed in their introductions. "I am Lord Ciel Phantomhive and this here is my butler, Sebastian." Sebastian merely smiled politely as he stood behind his little lord.
"I am William T. Spears." Nodding politely though somewhat coldly to the group as he fixed his glasses with his shears. The wizards wondered why he was carrying around a pair of shears.
"I go by the name Undertaker. My, my some of you would look lovely in my coffins," he observed while munching on a bone cookie that he produced from somewhere. The wizards shuffled a little bit away from the creepy person, not to mention the comment he made from putting them in coffins.
"I am Lord Alois Trancy. I only have one warning for you, don't touch what is mine or ~you will suffer the consequences~. But other than that let's have lots of fun together." Alois finished darkly.
Claude cleared his throat bringing the magicals' attention to him, "I am Claude Faustus, servant to the Trancy family." Giving a shallow bow without a hint of a smile.
"Alright old man, now tell us what we are doing here." Ciel demanded.
"Now, see here young man, you will show proper respect to the headmaster!" Minerva cut in.
"Now, Minerva," Albus soothed. Alois stuck his tongue out at her, commenting about old hags. Minerva fumed at the disrespect from the boy, lord or not.
Albus proceeded to explain to the group, "You have been pulled along to our dimension due to us looking for a boy by the name of Harry Potter, but clearly none of you are the one we are looking for. So one of you must be his reincarnation so we can perform some tests later on finding out who ended up as."
The wizards sincerely hoped he would be Sebastian as he was the only one they either didn't disapprove of or scare the wits out of them.
"I would like to question why a young boy would be of importance to you." William stated.
"Harry Potter is important to our world for he is the only one that can defeat Voldemort, an evil wizard, as has been prophesized."
Grell's group snorted at the reasoning they heard.
"So you mean to tell me that you bunch of people who have magic in your hands with limitless possibilities, need a boy to save you from this big bad wizard, when you all clearly have more experience when it comes to wielding this magic. It sounds to me like you're all a bunch of cowards." Alois taunted.
All but Albus, Severus and Kingsley pointed their wands at the blonde in irritation as Claude stood in front of his master.
Grell snickered along with the rest, 'Should have known, the only reason they cared at all was because of some stupid prophecy. Prophecy my arse, they can deal with their own problems. No way am I revealing myself to them.'
Alois yawned, "Now I don't know about you old geezers but it seems like its pretty late from all the excitement that is going on so lead us to our rooms."
"That's great! I was feeling pretty tired myself and I so do need my beauty sleep. Can't go getting wrinkles of all things on my beautiful skin, wouldn't want to end up looking like some dried up prune, now would we." Grell stared pointedly at some members of the wizarding group.
The group reddened in embarrassment.
"That is assuming that we would be getting rooms, after all it is considered polite since you did drag us here." Sebastian commented with a catty smirk.
"I for one wouldn't mind sleeping in any coffins you have. You do have coffins here right?" Undertaker asked.
"Unfortunately all our coffins currently are rather occupied." Severus answered.
Albus cut in to focus their attention on him and not the coffins, "Yes, yes. We can have the rooms arranged right now as you follow me, and we can pick up our conversation tomorrow gentlemen." As he strode out of the room and up toward the hallways of the school.
"Mr. Dumbledore, earlier you said this was a school, a marvelous sight but where are the students?" William questioned.
"Ah, the students are still with their families sleeping late in bed like all children." Alois and Ciel both shook their heads at that. The laziness of the children in this world. Everyone in their group woke early every morning for work besides Grell who woke up early merely to get his beauty routine done.
"The students aren't due to return till September 1 and that is a week away. So we still have time to get ready for the new and old students who will be entering Hogwarts halls." Dumbledore continued.
Grell took the momentary lapse of silence to begin flirting with Kingsley, it would help disguising information gathering while flirting.
"So, Shacklebot was it?"
Kingsley glanced wearily at the eccentric red head, "Yes?"
"And you are considered a police officer in this world correct?"
He wondered where Suttcliff was going with this but still answered hesitantly, "Yes, I am though we are called aurors."
"Ohh, that's so dashing! I just love a man in uniform, bet you have all the ladies at your feet."
"Well not really, all we really do is patrol, record disturbances and watch out for death eater sightings. And not many women really find me attractive."
"Really? Surely you must be jesting, you are so exotic looking. Compared to all these cardboard cut outs."
Kingsley blushed lightly at the complement and chuckled, "Well thank you for the compliment. Its nice to hear every once in awhile. You have nice bright red hair. A beautiful color, is it natural?"
Grell scoffed though he wasn't offended. "This is all natural I assure you, I wouldn't ruin my lovely hair with chemicals. Of course if you don't believe me, you can come check for yourself." Waggling his eyebrows at a deeper meaning.
Kingsley blushed harder and tried to stammer out a response. Grell laughed lightly at him.
Undertaker overheard their conversation and started to get jealous when the flirting started to sound genuine.
"Grell, we should really be going. We are almost at our rooms now," he interrupted pulling Grell by the wrist to the front of the group.
"We really should set up a meeting later, it was nice talking to you." Grell said over his shoulder as he winked back toward Kingsley.
As the duo walked away, Tonks walked up next to Kinsley. He turned toward her in a silent question.
"So… you like red heads?" She teased. Kingsley groaned at the remark, he know he was going to get teased for this once it spread around the office at work.
"Ah here we are. Your rooms, I hope you find them to your liking." Dumbledore informed as they stopped in front of a portrait with a deer herd in a forest scene.
"Now just choose a password and say it to the herd with a tap of your magic." The others glanced at each other, as they didn't want to alert the wizards that they had no magic to use.
Grell took this chance to stride forward and lay his hand on the painting while he whispered the password. The stag in the painting stared at him before bowing as the door swung open.
The wizards walked off to their own rooms for the night. The demons and reapers explored the room. It had its own common room leading to three hallways with their own rooms. The rooms were done in rich creams and browns with hints of blue and dark purple every now and then.
It was quickly cleaned up by the butlers to their little lords' satisfaction. As soon as the room was clean to perfection, they rounded up on Grell.
Grell was sitting on one of the two chairs besides the beige couch, filing away at his nails. Ignoring the stares being drilled into his head.
Seeing they weren't going to speak until he acknowledged them, he asked in a slightly bored tone "Yes? Is there a reason you are currently trying to metaphorically drill a hole into my head like it will suddenly give you the answers you seek?"
Undertaker snickered behind his hand at the annoyed looks that Grell received from the group. William responded, "We would like for you to further explain exactly why you were brought here. Though from what we heard from the wizards and what you told us before you transported us with you here, we have connected that you are this Harry Potter they seek so feverishly."
Undertaker but in before Grell avoided the question in an annoying way that would end up with his face in the floor. "Grell, don't you think it's time they found out about the true you; after all they have already connected that much."
The group looked puzzled at the conversation between the two before they Grell respond in a smooth, dark voice unlike his usual high pitched and whiney one.
"It would be more beneficial for them to know now what they are getting into instead of letting them find out as we go. If they are going to be of use to me."
Ciel gaped while Sebastian and William were more reserved in showing their surprise, by the slight widening of their eyes, at the red head's 180 turn in personality.
"The reason that I was pulled was, as Dumbledore said earlier, I am basically the reincarnation of Harry Potter in simple terms. And they called me back to get rid of the evil wizard Voldemort."
"And what would be the longer version?" Claude asked.
"The long version would include everything that happened since my first birth and I am pretty sure that we don't have enough time for that nor would the others like to hear it." Grell responded as he lounged on his chair.
"I think I'll be the judge of that." Alois interrupted as he got comfy on the couch. Everyone stayed standing before they all settled into their seats.
Grell sat their stunned for a moment before he sighed in exasperation. "Might as well get comfy, this is going to be a long story."
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"I thought wizards were fools before but now I'm certain that they are lazy, spineless, pathetic group of people." Ciel commented.
"And all of this, over a prophecy?" Alois remarked in disgust. Undertaker just sat next to his friend on the arm chair, he already knew of Grell's past.
"Wait, you're telling me that you are Death's infamous left hand man. One of the oldest reapers in existence and with a one hundred percent successful mission rate? The Red Phantom?" William exclaimed.
Grell snorted, "Honestly the names they come up with."
Undertaker giggled, "I remember those days. They were the best back when we were partnered up and your obsessive need for completing the mission. You've relaxed since then."
"And both of you are friends? What happened to all the hate from earlier?" Ciel interrogated.
Undertaker responded surprised, "Well yes. Didn't you hear me earlier? We were partners for a time and friendship evolved; though we did hate each other for a time till we had that mission where Grell-"
Grell slapped his hand over the ex-reaper's mouth. "Not. Another. Word." He hissed. The clique of people were bemused over the mission but saved their questions for another time.
Claude cut into their little moment, "From what I've heard from the others, why do you act like a different person?"
The others leaned forward in attention.
"Obviously I didn't want others to be looking at me in awe or jealousy, I had enough of that the first time. I was content with the anonymity. Then I decided to blend in with the other reapers once everyone assumed I was a legend. That way no one would ever think it was me. But it was a major nuisance to act as an unintelligent buffoon, not to mention wearing those ridiculous heels while on the job. I loathe whoever created those horrid contraptions."
William was still astonished that Grell was one of his heroes that he had looked up to back when he was still in training.
Grell simply continued ranting, "Don't even get me started on the affection I was supposed to harbor for Sebastian."
It was Sebastian's turn to be stunned at the revealed information. Grell noticed the look on the demon's face and felt the need to explain.
"I have nothing against demons and you are aesthetically pleasing but you could use an attitude adjustment."
Ciel was trying to keep himself from snickering at his butler while Alois had no problems showing his laughter. Undertaker was already rolling on the ground cracking up, while both Claude and William were smirking at the typically smug demon being brought down a peg.
The red headed shinigami waited for everyone to quiet down. "Now that I have explained my 'tragic' past and answered your questions, I have a request." Folding his hands in front of his face.
"Why would you need our help? We currently consist of two young lords with our own pet demons who do our bidding, and a mortician who sounds like he's lost his marbles. Though I can see how Mr. Strict over there could be useful."
Undertaker decided to answer for Grell, "Well I am an old, powerful ex-reaper. You, little lords know your way around politics and talk your way around stuffy nobles with too little brain cells. And you pets have a high capability of accomplishing hard tasks that could get normal humans killed, not to mention their information gathering ability."
"That is true but from Grell's what we know of the real Grell, he is more than capable of doing all of that himself." Sebastian contributed.
"Yes, and I don't doubt Grell's abilities but he can't be in more than one place." Undertaker replied as he patted said reapers head. Grell swatted away the hand.
CLAP. "Well, I think that's enough talk for the night and it's already later than I expected we would be with this talk. And we did talk about everything of major importance even though it could have until tomorrow. So off to bed with all of you." Grell said, shooing them to their rooms. All of them followed his order for rest as they did have to explore the castle for quick getaways and secret passages.
The following week spent at Hogwarts were chaotic to say the least. The teachers had no way of dealing with the troublesome trio, mainly Alois, Undertaker and Grell. The butlers, they kept away from as something from their subconscious alerted them that they were dangerous and the handsome young men they posed as.
Dumbledore had also taken the chance to ask if any of them would like to take the position of DADA professor, where Grell and Undertaker had volunteered for. Albus simply sighed but decided to the lesser of the two evils as he did not want a ministry official at the school, who knows what they might do to usurp him.
Grell kept his pseudo personality so as to have the wizards underestimate him when he was around. Didn't want them to get suspicious.
'I simply cannot wait for the new school year to start, the wizards will regret ever messing with me.' An evil grin on his face.
Dumbledore felt a shiver go down his spine, he had a feeling that he just made a grave mistake.
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Author's note.