ARC 2: Chapter 14: Wings
"What have you done?" The human croaked through the pain, reaching up to feel the stumps on his demon's back. The demon stayed silent as he held his dying master, chanting a healing prayer that he just learn from an ancient god.
"I saved you." The demon said, eyes shining with naïve devotion.
"You fool." The human muttered as he clutched his healed wounds. "You should've let me die and claim your freedom."
Despite having yet another ominous prophecy hanging over his head, Harry Potter handled it quite well for a boy his age. For one, he didn't spiral into yet another period of debilitating depression. After all, it's rather hard to stay in bed and brood all day with thirteen snakes slithering around his bed, hissing noisily for food.
He continued to live in the manor like always, even finding enjoyment in some of his daily routines. For example, the arduous task of excavating the Manor's endless rooms no longer daunts him. In fact, he now look forward to what each room has in store for him. A small diary about an old ancestor perhaps, or a curios assortment of potion ingredients that has fossilized under centuries of dust are enough rewards for his hard work. Not only that, his genie seems to enjoy spending time together with him like that.
The young lord has also taken great interest in his studies. Other than his weekly astronomy field trip, he makes sure that he set aside some time to read a tome or two from the Manor's massive library. While the language might be a little outdated, those books contained powers that even he wouldn't even dream of.
He found himself immersed in the art of rune chanting, which is a combination of drawing intricate runes and casting wandless magic that one of the Ancestor during the Greco-Roman period developed. While at it's rudimentary level it's quite harmless, the more advanced rune chanting requires him to recite the spells in one single breath, a feat, when unsuccessful could result in a horrible magical backlash that could incapacitate a grown man for months.
Then there's the little things that he enjoyed, like adding fire to the manor's magical hearth as it flickered shyly, or drinking tea in front of the massive windows overlooking the ocean, or even the simple act of working outside in the gardens with Firenze. From these humble everyday task Harry realized that his life doesn't have to be full of intense adventure for him to find joy.
He, however, is far for content, and his butler noticed it too. Steven felt the changes when Harry disappeared under the lake on that fateful night. While the boy is no longer as isolated as he is before he's more… distant. Hearing yet another prophecy about his future must've lit a fire in his heart. He practices his rune chanting with an urgency of a dead man, and when he pairs up with his genie to practice his dueling, he has this ferociousness that even Stevens is taken aback by.
"Sir," Stevens patted his back after a round of very nasty bout. "I think you should take a break. That jinx hit you rather hard on your side."
"No." Harry just shook his head and wiped the sweat from his furrowed brows. "Again." he demanded, his eyes lit up with a savage glint that would translate into his spells.
However, even with his days filled with rune chanting, dueling, and exploring, there are still days where he found himself daydreaming into the abyss of the lake. As much as he tries to fill his days with activities meaningful activity, everything still seemed… grey. Dull. Boring. Like he's disconnected from reality.
So he did everything he could to feel alive again, even if it means doing reckless experiments like tattooing a dangerous rune on his ribcage, or free diving in one breath of air and risk drowning, or commanding his genie to send him a massive fireball when they spar. Maybe, he thought, maybe if he overcome this next great adversity, he could finally feel alive.
Yet will every crowning achievements, he is still left feeling dead and dull.
AAAAAA
"Sir, while I appreciate you trying to learn the crafts of your ancestors, I really don't think that it's safe for you to tattoo a random rune onto yourself and risk a debilitating magical backlash.." Stevens said tentatively, hoping that he'll be able to persuade his master from hurting himself again.
"Oh? And why the hell not?" Harry raised his eyebrow, his makeshift tattoo gun just inches away from his skin. "Oh." He said, the "debilitating magical backlash" part of the sentence just sinking into his head
Before his Genie could lectures him to his heart's content, Harry murmured something about being hungry.
"Hungry?" Stevens ears perked up at the word. "Do you wish for breakfast now sir?"
Harry chuckled, laughing at how easily it is to distract his genie "Yep. And make it extra extravagant or something." Stevens gave him an overexcited bow and began to rush away to the kitchen.
After he escaped his overbearing genie Harry made his way to an abandoned section of the house, his mood dropping with every step that he takes. With no books or companions to distract him, the dark thoughts of his impending doom began to seep it.
"It's always like this." He murmured, frustrated with his own weakness. "Why can't I be alone and not be depressed for once!" Harry shouted to the empty halls, his angry echoes the only reply to his unanswered question.
Harry took a deep breath and centered himself, directing his thoughts to happier things. He might be mentaly broken beyond repair and his future might only hold death and destruction, but bleak futures aside, there is one thing that brings him true happiness. Well, thirteen to be exact.
"Nest mate!"
"Nest mate is here!"
"I missed nest mate!"
"No you cant miss him, nest mate is mine!"
"Carry me nest mate!"
Harry laughed as he buckled under the weight of a dozen or so large snakes curled up over his body.
'Settle down everyone! You're too heavy for me to carry now.' He hissed in parseltounge. The twelve male basilisk lowered their heads in disappointment but kept close to him anyways, arguing nosily for the chance to curl themselves on Harry's warm body.
Harry listened happily in the hustle and bustle of his familiars. He never thought that the same animal that used to bring him pain could bring him so much joy. His twelve male basilisks grew remarkably fast, reaching the length of a dinner table and the thickness of a wine bottle in just two short months. They no longer fit with him on his bed, their size demands them to have their own separate space.
Naturally, Harry decided to move them somewhere else. With the help of the Hextech witch Blanchett Prince, they managed to extend the outer courtyard to create a giant terrarium fit for royal snakes. Under the basketball court sized dome was dozens of caves hidden behind lush trees imported from exotic locales. Giant rocks scattered and threes were place just in the right spots to maximize the amount of sunlight they get from the water, perfect for the cold blooded animals to bask and relax on.
Right on the center of the terrarium was a magical pool that leads right to the lake outside. Making it was rather difficult, and if it were not for the combined magic and technology from both Blanchett and Stevens, the pool would have never existed. Even if he had to endure a week or so of Blanchet's gruff attitude and penchant for punching him out of nowhere, Harry was happy that he managed to make such a wonderful home for his familiars.
As solitary creatures, the individualistic basilisks usually kept themselves away from each other, opting to stay in their little caves than mingle with each other. The only time they managed to get along is when Harry is there with them. When it's time for their daily swim however, those moody solitary animals changed completely. With a gentle hiss or a gesture of his hand, they all swim in the same magical rhythm as the gentle waves, moving with one mind and one purpose as they followed Harry's directions.
And so, all of his snakes grew healthy and happily, all except one.
Stevens laid the morning's breakfast spread in the style of the old Tsar of old; with Bellini and caviars, crepes folded into fluffy golden triangles, an assorted of imported smoked meats cut paper thin and draped onto a wooden board, along with a medley of sliced fruit and cheeses arranged in a spiral for his master's convenience. As he laid the last of the dozens of small forks, he smiled in satisfaction. He loved it when Harry wishes for extravagant meals. It gives him the opportunity to show off his powers
Upon hearing the creaking of the great door, Stevens rushed over and greeted his master, pulling out the chair and began explaining each of the carefully prepared dishes. After putting a small sampler portion of everything on his master's plate, he stepped back and waited for the shower of praises that's surely will follow.
"…"
"…"
"…"
Ten minutes passed and the boy haven't looked up from his lap. Curious and slightly miffed, Stevens peeked over the high chair and saw that Harry was staring worriedly at the smallest of his basilisk brood, Cassandra.
"Is… something wrong sir?" Stevens asked tentatively. Harry sighed and shook his head, his worry for the little familiar draining his appetite. He reached out for a spoonful of caviar, offering it to the tiny basilisks who happily lapped it up. Cassandra flicked her tongue and nuzzled Harry's finger happily.
"I don't get it." Harry grumbled as he watched Cassandra eat her treat without a care in the world. "I talked to her more than I talk to the boys. I feed her the same food as them. I did everything right! I think... no, I know I did everything right, but why is she still so small? And why wont she talk to me?!"
"Hmm…" Stevens hummed, staring at the cute white reptile who's oblivious to the conversation "She doesn't look ill or unhappy to me sir."
"I know! I know… But with how weak she was when she first hatched, I'm so afraid that any second she's going to drop…" Harry sighed, shaking those horrible thoughts away. "Anyways, I just wish that she would talk to me, or gain some weight or something. She's still as small as the day she hatched."
Stevens frowned, an unknown emotion twisting his stomach as he watched his distressed master. Other than Regulus Black, Stevens never had a kind master like Harry, and it hurts not being able to do anything. Carefully, he recounted every single detail of the book that Master Bushwick gave about basilisk care.
"Have any ideas?" Harry asked hopefully. Stevens shook his head in disappointment.
"From what I remember from the book, you're doing everything perfectly sir. You can wish for her to be bigger so I could magically alter her. I'm sure that will ease your mind… but that would only be an illusion."
"I know… you told me about your powers." Harry said dejectedly. As powerful as Stevens could be, he could never create something without the knowhow to do so.
Stevens gave him a grim smile. "The best that I can do for her heath is to pray Ra, the giver of life and sustainer of all. May he bless her with his loving rays." Stevens murmured quietly.
"Wait," Harry looked up, his eyes twinkling happily. "The sun! Stevens you're a genius!"
"I cant believe we only thought of this now." Harry murmured in awe, entranced by the way Cassandra scales hum in the sun. "I mean just look at her, she's practically glowing!"
Stevens nodded happily and bowed towards the sun, whispering a silent prayer to Ra. His gesture didn't go unnoticed. Harry watched quietly as Stevens bowed in reverence to the sun. After living with this genie for a few weeks, he begun to pick up the small little quircks that he have. For example, the genie seems to have a certain type of belief system, but Harry never really pinned down to which one Stevens subscribed to.
"Are you religious Stevens?" Harry said nonchalantly, stroking cassandra's warming scales.
Stevens raised an eyebrow in surprise. This is the first time that his master was interested in his personal life and the gesture took him aback. "In a way." He said, turning away to fluff some old quilt he found in the manor. "It's not exactly a religion in the sense that most people associate it with… For one I don't pray for paradise or to atone for sins."
"Really now?" Harry turned to the genie, his interest in piqued. "Well what do you pray for? I know that you healed me through a prayer back in Grimmauld place, so you must draw some power from your god."
"Correct. Very observant of you sir." Stevens smirked proudly. "I pray to the ancient god Ra for healing and fortitude. My first master he…" The genie coughed, uncomfortable with the subject. "-My first master was a great man. He served under the pharos once, and he discovered many different things. One of them is the existence of gods."
Harry leaned closer, his eyes wide as galleons. "So it's true? Gods exists?"
"Yes… except they're not gods but old ancient demon whose fused together into nature. Some of them become great beings like Ra the sun god. Others became great spirit animals. Though powerful, these gods are always hungry to connect to this world. So they will exchange their power for something of this world.
"Huh…" Harry thought pensively. "What did you exchange with Ra then?"
"My wings." Stevens said pensively. "All demons have great big wings that let us live above the clouds. They were massive feather things, my wings was. They're so big that I could rip out tress when I fly close to the earth, and I can circle the globes from months and they would be strong enough to bring me back home…" Stevens sighed. "It's a shame I gave it away."
"Yes, they sound wonderful." Harry murmured, trying to picture his genie flying free up in the air, unbounded by his usual stoic demeanor. "Why did you traded your wings in to Ra? Weren't you happy?"
"Certainly!" Stevens laughed out loud, his voice sounding strained with each forced guffaw. "I was happy, young, and stupid. I didn't know how good I had it. I saw the wizards doing wondrous things with their wands and I wanted to be like them. So I bounded myself to a powerful wizard, giving him my service in exchange for the secret to magic. Then one day my master was injured by a curse. He was dying. So I traded my wings for his life. And that's how I'm able to heal."
"That's…" Harry sighed. " That's horrible! How could your master make you give up something like that!"
Stevens just chuckled and watched the boy getting riled by himself. It's nice seeing his master like this, passionate and alive. Most days he has this bored look on his face, even when he's training or doing something dangerous. After the second prophecy, Sevens almost thought that Harry was incapable of feeling anymore.
"-are you listening to me Stevens! I said if anyone makes you give up something that important then you should stand up and say no! You should miss out on flying with your wings just so some old dude can survive!" Harry rolled his eyes, clearly irritated by the whole situation.
"You do know that this happened centuries in the past don't you sir?" Stevens said in amusement, enjoying the change in color on his master's face.
"Yeah- well…" Harry opened his mouth and closed it again, embarrassed beyond belief. Without saying another word, he scooped up his basking basilisk and stomped away.
"Stupid demon. Always making fun of me. That story probably was made up. What a -"
Cassandra burrowed herself deeper into her grumbling nest mate, sad that they had to leave the sunny island so soon. Harry looked down and noticed how tightly Cassandra was coiled. It usually means that she's upset. Even though Cassandra was the only basilisk that was unable to talk, Harry still understands her better than the rest of the twelve basilisk boys.
"I'm sorry little one. I'll find ourselves a sunnier place to bask okay?"
Just as he said that, he found a small clearing just on the edge of the black forest, where the last rays of the November sun reached the ground. Cassandra bobbed her head happily at the sunny spot. Noticing her excitement Harry quickly went over to the sunny spot and laid down, letting his familiar uncurl herself on his chest to absorb the sun.
"Stupid genie." Harry hissed and yawned at the same time. "Always trying to fool me. Lets just stay here and make him worry shall we?"
The small snake flicked her tonged out in response, her body still as she bask in the remainder of the faint November sun. Harry grunted ns closed his eyes. It does feels good to be back in the surface again. He missed the feeling of wind combing through his hair, a sensation that's impossible to have when he's underwater. Harry sighed and decided to make the most of this trip. He closed his eyes and the ambient sound of nature took him into a restful slumber.
When you find something that you've lost, your first instinct would be to rush and grab it and to never let it go again. Those feelings rushed over Ginny Weasely when she found a stranger with a familiar lightning bolt scar on his head.
She had been fighting with Dean again, and stormed out of the great hall. She has a habit of doing that, running away when things gets alittle too overwhelming for her. It's silly and childish, bit she does it anyways. She would would always walk up to the edge of the school boundaries, right up to the Forbidden Forest. She would stand in the same small clearing that she found and cry her hearts out until she feels better enough to be able to face whatever problem she had.
But today, someone else already occupied her spot.
The man was laying leisurely on the ground where the sun shine through, not bothered one bit by the November chill. He wore an expensively tailored coat, and a banded handkerchief could be seen sprouted from his left pocket. On his hand was a half mask with holes and tubes, a disguise, Ginny thought, just like the one the death eater wore.
Her first instinct was to run away and report him to one of the teachers. After the ministry incident last year, tension in the castle has been on an all time high. Security has been tightened, and every student was instructed to report any suspicious individuals they saw. Ginny was going to do just that until she saw the faint lightning bolt scar on his head.
She fought the urge to gasp, suddenly needing to get a good look on the man's scar that's been covered by his long black hair. Cursing at the windy weather, Ginny took a step closer but failed to do just that.
The dried leaves and twigs scrunched under her feet, making Ginny froze in her step. The stranger yawned and stretched his arm out. "Stevens. Stop sneaking around and come out already." He drawled out.
She knew that there is only one way she could be sure that it's him. Mustering her confidence, she reached her arm out to touch the boy's shoulder.
Cassandra is a very smart basilisk. Even though she is smaller and weaker than her brothers, she is certainly smarter than the loudmouths whom she have the misfortune of sharing a den with. She noticed the human long before she was no where near them. She thought that it was just a passing animal so she ignored the human. She has no quarrel with a passing animal.
It was when she stalks closer to his nest mate that Cassandra began to sense danger. She hissed her nest mate awake, flicking her small tongue to wake him. Even after the female human stepped on a bunch of loud sticks her stupid nest mate didn't react quick enough. Thinking that she probably should protect him before he gets killed, Cassandra slithered her way up to his shoulder and waited, her fangs to strike at anyone that threatens the safety of her nest mate.
AAAAA
At first Harry ignored the shriek from behind him. Cassandra have a habit of scaring Stevens so he thought nothing of it. It wasn't until seconds later that he realized that the voice was too high to belonged to a man. Panicked, he turned around and found Cassandra latched onto a student's hand, her unmistakable red hair telling him who she was. Harry rushed forward with the intent of helping her, but when he saw that the young witch pulling on Cassandra roughly, something inside him snapped.
"Stop." Harry said, his voice shaking with fury. His deep growl caught Ginny's attention, whose hand pulled recklessly at Cassandra as if she was a piece of rope. He could feel his familiar's pain, and his anger only mounted when Ginny pulled harder on the snake. Harry seized her bitten hand on a painful grip, trying hard to keep his anger down that his hand began to shake.
"Don't. Stop hurting her." He said, looking into the eyes of the girl that he loves. Loved. The raw hurt in his voice petrified them both, and for a moment everything around them was still. Ginny stopped struggling and Cassandra unlocked her jaws, slithering back to the safety of his arm. As if she's in a trance, the young witch raised a hand to touch his cheek, forgetting about the snakebite on her hand.
"Harry…?" She asked, voice shaking like the dead autum leaves around them. The stranger's face was oddly familiar, but the expression that she saw on his face was not one that she recognized. His cheeks are gaunt, his eyes dull and defeated, and the lips that used to curl up mischievously now drawn into a tight frown. "Harry is that you?" Ginny asked, her voice shaking with joyous trepidation. Harry closed his eyes at her soft touch and pulled away.
"Go." He murmured, taking her hand and pulling it away from his face. He looked at the snakebite on her hand and let it go with a pained expression. "Go. Find Dumbledore and ask for phoenix tears. Tell him a young basilisk bit you. He'll know what to do." He murmured, turning away to pickup his breathing mask and began walking away. "She is still just a hatchling so her venom is weak, but you can never be too careful. Oh and Ginny?" He turned to the shocked witch. "Harry Potter is dead."
"Wha- Hey! Come back!" Ginny called after him desperately, his ominous words sending chills down her spine.
Harry stayed just beneath the surface of the water, listening until Ginny's muted calls died down into nothingness. When he thought she was gone, Harry bobbed up to the surface like a hunting crocodile to watch her retreating back. Somehow, the blurriness of Ginny's figure in the distance just made the whole situation sadder. A mere second ago she was just inches away from him, now she's nothing but a black dot in the distance. Watching her silhouette fade was like watching his old life dissipate. When she's gone, he's left with the painful comfort that he's once again alone.
He had been too naïve, thinking that people wouldn't find him if he keeps himself underwater. His new companions made him forget about how much he missed his old friends. His new home made him forget that he's inches away from his old one. His new dull life smothered the old feelings of hurt and betrayal, but try as he might, he knew that like his little white familiar, they both belonged in the surface, under the sun.
Cassandra doesn't like swimming in the lake. In fact, she hates it. Her body is too small to withstand the currents, the vast abyss makes her uneasy, and that hum in the distance scares her. So he stuck close to her nest mate, hoping that he would finish quickly and take them back home where it's safe.
Today, the humming was different. It cuts through the water and echoes inside her small skull. Something powerful was calling her, and it took all that she could to not swim away in fear.
Minutes past and her nest mate is still bobbing on the surface, watching the departure of the nasty witch girl she bit. Cassandra coiled in exhaustion, the act of pulling away from that sound seeping the last of her energy. Realizing that she wouldn't be able to ignore it any longer, he uncurled her body and relaxed, letting the lake's current gently lift her out of nest mate's pocket and carried her down. She could feel it's power humming through the gentle waves, pulling her somewhere alien and strange.
Then, she could feel the soft surface of a smooth rock. Deep inside it she could feel that very same power reverberating through the layers. Unable to keep herself conscious again, Cassandle curled up into herself and hoped that her nest mate would find her soon. She's getting colder by the second. As she falls into a deep sleep, the stone tablets surrounding her began to glow, the ancient runes carved into them burning through the sea debris to reveal a summoning circle brimming with power.
The small white basilisk did not know it yet, but she just unlocked the portals of the Lost Worlds.
A/N:
YAY FINALLY WE'RE IN THE NEW ARC XD but, ay-yai-yai, this chapter was so painful to write. I think it's such a struggle party because I didn't have enough time to sit down and write one whole chapter like I usually do. One other thing that I struggled was Harry's encounter with Ginny. At first I wrote a teary reunion but ended up scrapping it because it's so out of the blue and sappy. So I settled on an uneasy reunion instead, since it's going to set the tone of how Harry interacts with the rest of his old friends.
Anyways, hoped you enjoy that chapter ^^ see you in the next one!