So as yaboi, I've been doing some thinking. Recently I've been playing Persona 5: Strikers because, well, I have it for PC. As I've been playing, and beating the missions for it and getting to the new guy's persona getting unlocked I started to do some thinking. However, this idea just sat in the back of my mind for a while not really doing anything. Then I had started to read a couple of Persona fics again and I got another idea, let's just hope that this one pans out better than some more recent ideas.
What am I thinking of doing? Well, I've read a couple of fics where an adopted Harry is actually Ren/Akira and since that has already been done, I started to do some thinking on that, how can I make it unique? Well, how about a Harry who is a 3rd-year student as someone who moved from the UK during his younger years? The way I'm thinking of treating his new existence to the story similar to how Kasumi or Zenkichi were treated in the stories of their respective games. But that would also sort of be boring too, now wouldn't it? I mean for Kasumi her entire story is built up in side content up until the final semester and Zenkichi is with the crew the entire time but isn't playable until the final third or so of the game. Here's what I'm thinking: Harry is there from the beginning inside the Phantom Thieves and during his Palace encounter (as all of the Thieves have a Palace associated with them; Ann and Ryuji have Kamoshida's, Makoto has Kanoshiro's/Sae's, Futaba has hers, Haru has her father's, Yusuke has his master's, Morgana has Mementos, Kasumi has hers, Akechi has Sae's, and Ren/Akira has the finale) the crew find out about Harry's past home life that he's spent a lot of time and money to hide from.
So, what's his Persona going to be? Well, looking through Wikipedia for ideas, I think I've narrowed it down for the name: Black Bart. Now, a quick history lesson. Who is Black Bart? Black Bart is the misnomer of Charles Earl Boles, an English-born outlaw active in the 1870s to 1880s in the Northern California and Oregon region. He would leave poetic messages at the site of his robberies and was considered a gentlemanly bandit with style and sophistication. It was either going to be Bart or DB Cooper who vanished after his robbery which sounds a lot like magic, but I liked the Black Bart idea better. Next comes the element(s) that he has an affinity for. Looking through the game characters, there isn't really a curse-oriented character permanently. Sure, the P5 protagonist has Arsené but he can flip between whichever persona he wishes to be for combat. So, I'm going to have Black Bart be a curse and range oriented – specifically heavy rifles (meaning big caliber) – persona.
Now, for appearance. Since Harry is British, I started to think about how to do the style of his thief attire. Taking inspiration from another source, I think I have the best attire I can do for this. I'm going to take inspiration from the attire that Jacob Frye wears in the cover art of Assassin's Creed Syndicate. That being the Victorian-era suit with a trench coat on top. The exceptions to the attire that I will take are the removal of the hidden blade and the hood. The reason for the latter is because he'll get a mask like the rest of the Phantom Thieves. Now for his persona's appearance. As Boles was a stagecoach robber and the area, he was active in would be considered the "old west", I'm thinking a man with an overly exaggerated handlebar mustache in cowboy attire akin to many John Wayne films on top of a stagecoach of braying horses. The classic 10-gallon hat would be larger hiding the man's face and would be holding a classic Winchester lever-action rifle, firing it when the persona attacks. As for the ultimate Persona? I have no idea though it may be called Merlin maybe?
Now, for weapons as each character specializes in different weapons outside of their persona. Harry himself would specialize in swords of western origin as opposed to Yusuke who uses primarily katana-pattern swords. His initial persona weapon would be a cane-sword and his ultimate weapon being the Excalibur and its appearance would be as portrayed in Merlin. I just like the appearance and simplicity of it. Single hand/hand and a half sword with a runic engraving on the flat of the blade. Elegant. Now, for his ranged weapon. Since it will be heavy rifles he'll be equipped with a Lee-Enfield SMLE, to begin with, and will get an M107A1 as a rifle for his ultimate (though it will be named differently because Persona ultimate weapons always get that). Somewhere down the line, he'll get his hands on an AWP and he'll tell the tale of its adoption by the British Armed forces because it's a hilarious story. Look up "Zach's Gun Rants" by mikeburnfire on YouTube and skip the AWP part.
Now for magic, as I know that some were going to ask about it. Magic will not be used in the Metaverse as it would be a bit of a copout. Now, outside of the Metaverse that will be a different story. Speaking of "outside the Metaverse," October/November will be the big clutch moment as that's when the Triwizard Tournament happens. That's right, I'm bringing back that trope. Hogwarts is going to have a Palace, a Ruler, and a Treasure. And as for the Palace owner? It's going to be an extremely manipulative Dumbledore. Been a while since you've seen me do that trope, hasn't it? The big challenge of this Palace? They're going to have to speed clear it once it is discovered. IE: less than a week. If anyone has cleared Persona 4: Golden, you'll recall that Marie's dungeon crawl is a one day only, optional dungeon (well, optional for completing the game with a good ending, required for the true ending) which has quite the challenge that you have to prepare for in terms of items and the like. This is the way this will also play out in a similar vein.
Finally, before I actually get into the story idea, the timeline. Everything in P5R happens normally up until October 31st, the day that the choosing ceremony happens for the Triwizard Tournament happens. Per that day, Sae's palace becomes first accessible the day prior so I'll make some kind of retcon to make sure Harry gets there for when his name shoots out of the cup. The First Task would happen the day before Shido's palace becoming first accessible so there are no "scheduling conflicts" there. Now, the Yule Ball is the first instance of a "scheduling conflict." December 24th is the day that the crew is locked inside of Mementos and has to deal with the final boss of the base game. However, there is one grace with this: time zones; we have an 8-hour difference between the two. Meaning, if the Yule Ball happens at night of 12/24 (hinted at being dinnertime so 6-7 pm) until after midnight, this would be between 2-8+am Tokyo time on the 25th. So, the final battle would happen in the extremely early morning or late morning in London. The day of 2/24 is good for the Second Task as well outside of school stuff. The finale happens on 6/24 of which if Harry graduated from Shujin he would be in college at this point or taking time off to finish the whole Triwizard thing or just going into the workforce. If we use the game's calendar, Ren/Akira leaves on 3/20 right before the start of his third year and the events of Strikers start slightly before 7/24 (actual player interaction starts on that day outside of a text conversation of unknown date other than being before 7/24). So, it wouldn't be too out of the question for one final gathering to see their friend compete before meeting up for a summer vacation.
But with all that out of the way, let's get into it.
Title:
Summary: Harry Potter is a 3rd-year student at the prestigious Shujin Academy. He hails from Britain and doesn't talk much about home. Deciding to take a walk on a rainy day rather than take a taxi will change his life forever. Meanwhile, halfway across the world, another plot thickens as other players in the "great game" are plotting their own plots.
Rating: T+. Expect language, swearing, maybe some graphic stuff, and sexual innuendo but that's about all.
Pairing(s): For this, I will be going with Ren/Akira x Haru and Harry x Makoto.
Disclaimer: I own nothing except my copy of MS Word and my desktop. Harry Potter belongs to JK Rowling and Persona to ATLUS. I only own this idea's concept. See the forward for the full disclaimer.
XxXxXxX
A pair of green eyes snapped open in terror, pupils shrunken and heart-rate racing. He sat up quickly as he breathed heavily. The eyes scanned the room with a wand in hand, looking over the room. When he was satisfied with the lack of murderous people, he swung his legs over his bed and placed his wand on his bedside table. He took deep breaths and started to calm himself. He rubbed the bridge of his nose with one hand and once satisfied with this motion he glanced at his digital alarm clock on the same bedside table. It was 5 am. He sighed in annoyance, there was no point in going to bed again for maybe an hour when he knew he wasn't going to get any sleep.
He walked to the light switch and turned on his lights. The brightness at this time in the morning blinding him. He grabbed the TV remote and turned on the news and listened in as he performed a light morning workout to wake himself up further.
"Today's top story," the reporter on TV started. "A large accident yesterday involving a runaway subway car has claimed the lives of seven and left dozens of others injured. The perpetrator, the conductor of all people, was found to be in a drunken-like stupor at the scene and doesn't recall any of the events leading up to nor the events of the accident. The police are still looking into the matter but are reassuring the public that the public transit system is safe. The wreckage at the station is still limiting travel for the following areas," the reporter went on to list several stations. "The metro transit authority has advised those that take these routes normally to consider this unfortunate inconvenience while planning commutes in the coming week. They do promise to have the wreck cleaned up and the station operational in the next week or so."
"Hmph," the green-eyed boy thought as he finished one rep and started another. This wasn't good, not for him and not for the locals. He had been reading various articles online as well as discussion boards and IRC chats. One term kept popping up over and over until the normies in real life got their hands on it: mental shutdowns. They had started with a suicide here or there; from the perspective of the families they left behind, they came completely out of nowhere. Then the accidents started. A month or two ago a taxi driver had gone off the deep end accelerating to well over 120 kph on the freeway and slammed into an offramp's split, killing both him and the occupants – a husband and wife on their way back from the airport – instantly. Then there was a bus crash but luckily no one was injured mortally. People were getting worried and worry leads to uncalled-for actions.
"The weather for today is going to be overcast with a 20% chance for rain," the weatherman took over. The green-eyed boy turned the channel to a different station, specifically to an American sports station that was talking about Spring Training currently.
He finished his workout and showered. Seeing that he still had time on his clock as he emerged from the bathroom, he decided to make himself breakfast. Nothing too fancy, just fried eggs on toast. Easy and you can finish cooking them in less than ten minutes. Breakfast finished, he got dressed in his uniform and got ready to leave, his hand holding his book bag to keep it slipping from his shoulder. As he looked at his dresser, he saw the picture that he could have sworn that he placed face down a while ago. It had four people in it. Two adults and two children. The older male appeared to be in his older twenties with shaggy black hair; on his shoulders was a child with shaggy black hair like his and piercing green eyes. The other adult was a woman who was about the same age as the man; she had piercing green eyes and fiery red hair. In her hands was an infant whose wispy hair had yet to show any coloration. Considering the infant was asleep, the other three wore almost comical smiles. They were a typically happy family.
"Typical. Happy. Family," he muttered bitterly. His hand not grabbing his book bag reaching over and setting the photo face down. "Maybe, in another life." He started to walk out of the room and grabbed his phone off the charger. He turned off the lights and grabbed his umbrella by the door remembering the chance for rain.
The first train he was on was scarcely filled, but on the second transfer, it was completely full. In fact, he had to wait for five different trains before he could get in one. He finally got off at Aoyama-Itchome station and walked up the stairs to get to the street level. As he saw the rain outside, he popped open his umbrella and started to walk the rest of the way. The thought to take a taxi did pop into his mind, but for some reason decided against it; some kind of mental argument about groceries or something. He watched as Ryuji Sakamoto ran down the street in a feeble attempt in chasing a white sedan.
"Dammit, screw that pervy teacher," he muttered in disgust.
"Pervy teacher?" a new kid, dressed in the Shujin uniform, muttered in question.
This was when Ryuji noticed the glasses-wearing boy and approached him. "What do you want?" he asked. "You plannin' on ratting me out to Kamoshida?"
Ah, it suddenly made sense now to the green-eyed boy. "Kamoshida?"
"Huh? In the car right now. That was Kamoshida," he explained. "He does whatever the hell he wants. Who does he think he is – the king of a castle? Don't you agree?" he asked the new student.
"The king of a castle?"
This gave Ryuji some pause. "No… I mean. Wait, you don't know Kamoshida? Are you for real?" he scoffed. "You're from Shujin, right?"
"You go to Shujin too?"
"What? No other high school's got a uniform like this." He looked at the boy. "A second-year, huh? We're in the same grade then. Never seen you before though."
The green-eyed boy was in speaking distance and made himself known. "Sakamoto-san, it's not nice to interrogate new students," he said.
Ryuji noticed him and waved. "Potter-senpai, you're running late?"
"Unfortunately, with the accident the other day it appears morning commutes will require more time than normal." The green-eyed boy, now identified as Potter, looked over the new kid. He never had a perfect memory, but when it came to people he'd pass daily he'd remember if he'd at least seen them or not. He held out his hand to the boy, "Greetings, I'm Harry Potter. And you are?"
The new boy took his hand and shook it in greeting and introduced himself, "Ren Amamiya."
"A pleasure. So, you're a second-year?"
Ren nodded. "I'm a transfer student," he added.
"That would explain why blondie and I didn't recognize you."
"Blondie!" Ryuji exclaimed in annoyance. "And why he didn't recognize Kamoshida," he added after regaining control.
"Ah yes, our illustrious resident former Olympian," Harry revealed with barely withheld disdain.
"This rain ain't too bad. We better hurry up, or we'll be late." Ren nodded in agreement. Seeing as Ren was new, Harry decided he would tag along. Ryuji meant well, but he was a troublemaker. Before they could walk very far, a massive migraine hit the three of them. "Ugh, my head hurts… Dammit, I wanna go home…" The three started to walk and idly chatted.
"You aren't from around here, are you?" Ren asked Harry.
"What gave it away?" Harry mused before shaking his head in the negative. "No, I'm not. I'm what the Americans would call a transplant."
"Transplant?"
Harry nodded. "Yes, it's hard to tell with my Japanese but when I swap to English my origins are pretty obvious. Born and raised in England."
"Why'd you leave?"
Harry's mood soured. "Personal reasons." In a snap, it returned to the cheerful mood that he had presented when they met. "But enough about me. What about you. It is sort of odd transferring in the middle of your schooling. Did your parents move or…?"
"Personal reasons," Ren parroted Harry's earlier response. Though for Ren it was more out of annoyance or disappointment with past events rather than with Harry. "Are you a second-year?" he tried to change the subject.
"Third-year," Harry corrected. "Practically an adult."
"Third-years are usually thinking about careers. Have you considered what you're going to do after graduation?"
"To be honest? I haven't really thought about it. Considered going back to Jolly ol' England and joining up with the Royal Airforce or Marines. But considering the current situations with the Middle East and growing tensions with China and North Korea? Chances are I'd be deployed in a heartbeat if something went down."
"Have you considered other-?"
"Hey, guys!" Ryuji called out. "I have a shortcut." This got their attention to where Ryuji was, an alleyway that if Harry's mental map was correct, it would cut a block straight to the school.
Ren looked to Harry. "Onward," Harry urged.
The three of them walked down the slim alleyway as the rain continued to fall. If Harry was going to be honest, it was kind of creepy and he usually wasn't creeped out by anything. There was just something that felt… off. Ren turned back to look at him after stepping in a puddle.
"Something wrong?" Harry asked.
"No, I…" Ren dropped off.
Before he could add what, it was, Ryuji interrupted his train of thought. "Wha-!?" Ryuji called out. The two of them wasted no time meeting up with Ryuji. In front of them was a European-style castle with a drawbridge and everything. Harry, being someone who lived in Europe saw major inconsistencies with the construction. It didn't adhere to any specific architectural technique that would help identify which country of origin it may have been based on. If he was going to go with a gut feeling though, it felt like something out of a fairy tale. To be made into something so absurd to highlight different features. On the front of it were banners, but there was something off about them. Something about volleyball and scoring 2 points or something. "We didn't… come the wrong way though…" He looked behind them and was convinced this was where they needed to be. "Yeah, this should be right…"
Out of the three of them, only Harry was calm. He had seen strange things all his life. He grew up around the strange and absurd. Magic was just that, strange and absurd. One moment a lump of metal was just that, a lump of metal; the next it may just be transfigured into a beast of burden of equivalent mass. But this, this was something completely different. This wasn't like the magic that he had been used to.
"What's going on here?" Ryuji asked. He looked to Ren who shrugged. "I guess we'll just have to go in and ask."
"I got a bad feeling about this," Harry muttered. The three of them started to walk, Harry following close behind feeling a sense of duty to at least get his 'kouhais' back to school in one piece.
They walked up the drawbridge and entered the castle. Inside it was lavish and decadent. Frankly, it felt like Buckingham Palace. In the foyer there was a double staircase and one level up behind the stairs was a portrait of Kamoshida in golden armor holding a sword aloft. It was gaudy. A large crystal chandelier sat above them and sconce candles were on the pillars and walls. Standalone candleholders helped light the area. Every once in a while, they could all catch the light just right where the school would appear, but as their eyes started to focus on it the castle interior would return. There was something definitely messed up here.
"That's weird, where's the school?" Ryuji asked.
"Where are we?" Ren asked.
"This SHOULD be the school… I think…"
"He's right. Dimensionally this should be the school, in fact, I can catch glimpses of it in the corner of my eye," Harry confirmed. He looked at Ryuji and deadpanned. "You aren't dealing in 'shrooms, are you?"
"What!?"
"I know that some of the staff calls you a delinquent, but-."
"No, I did no such thing! How the hell would I pull that off?!"
There was an uncomfortable pause before Harry relented. "Alright, I believe you."
Ryuji sighed and pulled out his phone. "Out of service? Where'd we end up?"
"Either the school has decided to replay April Fool's two weeks later and put up cell phone jammers, or we're somewhere else," Harry offered an answer.
"The sign was for the school, right?"
"I know my kanji reading skills can be rusty at times, but yeah."
"Yeah," Ren agreed.
"Right, you saw it too!" Something caught their attention in the corner of their eye and drew them towards it. In front of them was a person in plate armor holding both a kite shield and sword. But the odd thing is that they wore a blue mask. Harry felt an oddly chilling feeling, a feeling that felt hollow and dangerous. "Geez, you freaked me out… Who are you, a student?" He started to approach the armored figure. "Man, that costume's impressive… Is that armor real?" He crossed his arms in annoyance. "C'mon, don't just stand there. Say somethin'."
"Guys, you know that bad feeling? It's become full 'get the fuck out of here' feelings right now," Harry stressed. Ryuji was surprised, the British Shujin student never swore.
The immediate red flag was fulfilled as another armored figure just like the last came up. "…H-Hey, what's going on?"
"Is he school staff?" Ren asked.
"Dude, I don't know."
"No, very much so no," Harry answered as he backed up.
"…This shit's real," Ryuji said as he also backed up with Ren. "Calm down, time out, man." He looked at Ren and Harry, "We gotta run!" Neither said anything but started to run, only to be cut off by two more of the armored figure. Harry grits his teeth; he really didn't want to have to do this. He flexed a particular set of muscles, essentially cocking the hammer of a gun. "Ugh, what's with these guys!?" One shield bashed Ryuji in the back and he fell to his knees in pain. "The hell you think you're-! Argh!" They attacked again which knocked Ryuji out and bashed Ren also.
Seeing that his company was currently unconscious, Harry made the last motion he needed to and summoned his wand. He rolled out of the way of another shield bash and pointed his wand in a duelist's stance. "Confrigo!" he called out. But his wand sputtered with a few sparks. "Expulso!" he called out next. All that happened was a small pressure wave in front of the wand tip. Something was definitely wrong and Harry didn't like it. He pointed one more time, "Colloshoo!" The target he aimed at appearing to slow for a moment but resumed full movement. "Shit," he muttered and hid his wand. It was the one thing that he couldn't lose. Just as it slid away into its hiding place, another armored figure snuck up behind him and hit him squarely in the head.
As he started passing out, he could hear, "Take them away!"
Time passed, it didn't seem like a lot of time passed, but there were loads of darkness. Harry woke up with a splitting headache. Looking around, he found himself in a dungeon. It had that weird distortion feel to it, and as he brushed his hand against a hanging chain it certainly felt real enough. "Well, shit," he muttered. He checked his person and found his wand still on him. Whatever those armored men were didn't search him, that's for certain. He stood up and walked over to the cell door and pulled out his wand. "Alohomora," he incanted. He heard the lock rattle but it didn't do anything. 'Shit, magic isn't doing anything. But why?'
He heard Ryuji stir and immediately put his wand away. "Welcome back to the land of the living," Harry said.
"Potter-sempai-," Ryuji started.
"Listen, while we're in this shit situation you can just drop the honorifics and call me Harry." Ryuji nodded. "Told you that I was getting a bad feeling about this."
"Sorry I didn't listen."
Harry waved him off. "Heat of the moment and all that. Neither could have seen this coming though."
"For real." He looked around seeing the dungeon décor. "So is this a real dungeon."
"I've never seen a real one myself so I can't use prior knowledge, but this sure as hell looks real," Harry said as he jingled a chain dangling from the wall. He proceeded to point at the lock as well, "Lock sure as hell is secure. Already tried to pick it."
"You, mister prim and proper Brit tried to pick the lock." Harry nodded. "Now I've heard everything."
'No, you haven't; not that you'll ever find out,' Harry thought. "Try waking up Ren. I'll try one last thing."
"Alright." He walked over to Ren and started to shake him. "Hey! Wake up!" Ren slowly got up and looked groggy as all hell. "You alright?"
"Yup. You?" Ren asked.
"Yeah, more or less."
"Could be better, to be honest. But no worse for wear," Harry replied.
"Looks like this really ain't no dream…" Ryuji reported to Ren. "Ugh, what's going on?!" he let out a frustrated growl. He ran over to the door which Harry had vacated and pounded on the bars. "Hey, let us outta here! I know there's someone out there!" He walked back to Ren. "Dammit, where are we? Is this some kind of movie set!?"
"Lock seems real enough. Cold wrought iron. Unless one of you is a pyromaniac packing thermite, we aren't getting out of here without a key," Harry replied while sitting on the other bed. There was screaming from down the hall, echoing off the stone walls.
"T-The hell was that just now?" Ryuji asked as he ran to the cell's only exit with Ren. "Woah… Woah, woah, woah, woah… You're shitting me, right?" he asked as he looked to Ren.
"That definitely is not fake or acted," Harry commented. He was calm but extremely disturbed. Panicking would serve none of them any good.
"This is real bad. Isn't there some way outta here?! Come on, we gotta do something!"
"There's no way out except through that cell door," Harry pointed out. "Even with these kinds of locks and hinges, we don't have the kind of leverage we need to sheer off the lock outright, plus the hinges are on the outside." Both looked at him like he was insane. "You didn't watch Pirates of the Caribbean?" They both shook their heads in the negative. "That's the one thing that they got right. There's even this trick you can do with handcuffs to outright break the linking chain on-."
"Huh, you hear that?" Ryuji asked. As the two leaned against the bars, the sound of armor marching on the stone got closer.
It was at least 4 of the armored figures. The first of which spoke, "Be glad that your punishment has been decided upon. Your charge is 'unlawful entry.' Thus, you will be sentenced to death."
"Say what!?" Ryuji exclaimed.
"No one's allowed to do as they please in my castle," a distorted male voice said as he approached. It was Kamoshida… and he was only wearing a cloak and boxers with hearts on them. It was quite disturbing.
"Huh? Wait… is that you, Kamoshida?" Ryuji was genuinely confused.
"Kamoshida?" Ren asked, clearly confused at the attire as well.
"I thought it was just some petty thief, but to think it'd be you, Sakamoto…" the yellow-eyed Kamoshida said with annoyed disappointment, almost like it was feigning a father's disappointment in a child. "Are you trying to disobey me again? It looks like you haven't learned your lesson at all, huh?" He proceeded to look at Ren and Harry. "And you brought friends this time… because you can't do anything for yourself."
Ryuji rattled the door in a feeble attempt to try to get himself free. "This ain't funny, you asshole," Ryuji shouted angrily.
"Is that how you speak to a king? It seems like you don't understand the position you're in. Not only did you sneak into my castle, but you committed the crime of insulting me – the king. The punishment for that is death." He gestured in grandly which showed off the fact that he was barely wearing anything. "It's time for an execution! Take him out!"
"That's how you speak to a despot," Harry rebutted as he leaned away from the wall he had been leaning against. "Killing someone for insulting you? What kind of spineless, jelly-legged, cowardly bitch are you?"
"What?!" he called out in anger at the new target of his ire.
"How pathetic must you be if that's your first reaction?"
This really got this 'Kamoshida' to really stew. Anger flowing off of him. "Do you know what, screw Sakamoto? You're first!" he pointed to Harry.
"No, stop it," Ryuji said weakly as the door opened and the armored men entered. They filed them into corners, separating them. Harry started calculating his odds, they weren't good. But you know what they say about a cornered animal. "Dammit!" He rushed one of the guards which caught them off guard, knocking them to the ground. Harry did the same, but whereas Ryuji didn't pick up the massive spear, Harry grabbed the massive one-handed sword and was ready to strike. The odd thing about it was that it was much heavier than anticipated. "I ain't down for this shit! C'mon, we're outta here!" Before Ryuji could actually run, the soldier that Harry had disarmed pushed him aside with little difficulty and punched Ryuji knocking the air out of him. Ryuji was knocked down and was writhing in pain. Ren had attempted to push the massive entity, but it didn't move. "Just go! Get outta here! These guys are serious!"
Ren's eyes peeked at the opened cell, something that didn't miss Kamoshida's gaze. "Oh? Running away, are we? What a heartless friend you are," Kamoshida taunted.
"He ain't a friend," Ryuji gasped. Harry knew that he was trying to save him. "C'mon! Hurry up and go!"
"What's the matter? Too scared to run away?" he taunted once more. Seeing no reaction from Ren, he harumphed. "Pathetic scum isn't worth my time." He focused on Harry. "I'll focus on this one's execution," he then looked to Ryuji, "and then his." The guards hoisted Harry up and Kamoshida started wailing on him. "Take this, you pompous British bastard!" He punched again, "Lowly scum! Useless pest!" The last punch caught him weird as he fell to the ground which caused Kamoshida to spit at him. This action only got Harry to laugh, which got Kamoshida's attention. "What's so funny?"
"You've fucked with someone you truly shouldn't have fucked with," Harry said maliciously.
"What?!"
"You dumb motherfucker just assaulted and are attempting to execute an Ancient and Noble house member," Harry said as he pulled out a signet ring which he placed on his pinky. "Do you have any idea how much trouble you are in?" Kamoshida made no motion to respond. "My family's been around since England's founding well over a thousand years ago. Served in office, served in her military. My great-grandfather served aboard the HMS Belfast as one of her commanders, my grandfather on board one of the nuclear missile-equipped submarines during the Cold War. Do you really think they won't hunt you down to the ends of the earth to make you pay?"
"They'll never know!"
"Yes, they will," Harry smugly grinned.
"How?!"
"Magic is a wonderful thing. Every ancient house has a family tree marking the day they're born and their death. Funny thing, if they're killed by someone it says who did it as well if it was under the orders of a specific person and where it took place. Any magician with a tracking spell would be able to find you in a day. I wouldn't be surprised if my family called in every favor to put a multi-million pounds sterling bounty on your head." His eyes widened. "That's right, you'd be signing your own death warrant. And I'd doubt that you'll be given a quick killing either. They have ways of extending your life well beyond when you should be dead," he laughed. "You're fucked!" Ryuji and Ren were in shock as well. Magic? And it seemed like Kamoshida was buying it!?
"Fine! You'll be kept alive," he said after relenting but his eyes turned to Ryuji. "But your family won't care about this peasant." He kicked Ryuji who was still on the ground from when the air had been knocked out of him. "Where'd your energy from earlier go?" he asked as a guard picked him up by the back of his collar. "…Hmph. A peasant like you isn't worth beating. I'll have you killed right now."
"Stop it!" Ren called out pleadingly.
"What?" Kamoshida said as he slowly turned around. "Don't you dare tell me you don't know who I am." He leaned down to get eye level with Ren. "That look in your eyes irritates me." He proceeded to 'spartan kick' Ren which caused him to fall into a heap at the wall from the sudden movement. "Hold him there," he ordered, "after the peasant, it's his turn to die." One of the armored people had reclaimed his sword and approached Ryuji. Ren charged forward but was held back by two large armored hands.
"No… I don't wanna die," Ryuji called out hopelessly which only caused Kamoshida to laugh.
Ren seemed to look at something, but it appeared to a blue… butterfly? Only Harry had been in a position to see this in particular. It disappeared just as fast as it had appeared. Ren appeared to be having a mental argument. As he did, Ryuji was lifted by the throat and one of the armored goons was about to skewer him. He started to struggle harder before crying out in pain from something that could not be seen. Harry could feel some kind of… pressure building up in the air, but couldn't put his finger on it.
"Execute him!" Kamoshida called out.
"That's enough!" Ren replied. Something in him had changed.
This gave Kamoshida pause who looked at Ren with shocked contempt. "What was that?" The guard released Ryuji and started to approach Ren. "You desire to be killed that much? Fine!" He nodded and a guard shield bashed Ren which caused his glasses to fall to the ground but he remained standing. He was pinned to the wall by two polearms while the goon with the sword squared up for his strike. And with a signal moved to do as such. Before the goon could strike, a blast emerged from Ren which knocked all of them back, wind whipping all around them. The pressure that Harry had been feeling before had been unleashed. When Ren raised his head, he was wearing a mask he clearly wasn't wearing before. He grasped at the mask and tugged at it, but it seemed to be glued to his face. He screamed in pain as he ripped it away, his face bloodied as he did. He had yellow eyes when he looked back up and blue flames started to erupt around him before it engulfed him, an eerie laugh cackling that didn't match Ren's voice.
Kamoshida stepped back as well as the guards. The flame solidified behind Ren, forming a lanky man with a deformed face dressed in red and a top hat. It was connected to Ren with chains. He gestured only once and the guards all flew back in heaps, but Harry and Ryuji were unaffected. Kamoshida, the coward he was, scuttled away like a rat.
"W-Wha… what the?" Ryuji muttered and he took the words right out of Harry's mouth.
'The hell is going on here?' Harry thought.
"I am the pillager of twilight, Arséne!" the ghostly figure announced.
"What the-?" Ryuji asked, not really to anyone.
"I have no idea either but I'll take anything I can get," Harry replied.
"I am the rebel's soul that resides within you. If you so desire, I shall consider granting you the power to break through this crisis," Arséne continued.
"Give me your power," Ren requested.
"Hmph, very well."
"Who the hell are you?!" Kamoshida asked, standing right at the entrance of the cell. "Guards! Start by killing that one," he commanded, pointing to Arséne. The two armored men erupted in liquid-sounding explosions which reformed to shape… floating jack-o-lanterns? "You'll learn the true strength of my men!"
Ren took an offensive stance and prepared for battle. "This power of mine is yours! Kill them however you want. Run wild to your heart's content!" Arséne encouraged Ren.
Wasting no time, he pointed to one of the lanterns and commanded, "Eiha!" A blood-red shot out from Arséne and exploded on the lantern, destroying it instantly. Its now empty corpse dissolving onto the stone-like ashes. The remaining lantern rushed him and struck Ren back, but he recovered and stabbed the knife that he suddenly had now into the eye socket of the lantern which killed it. Its body too dissolving to ash when it hit the stone floor.
"What… what was that?" Ryuji asked. Ren finally came to his senses and whatever high he was riding ended because he now realized that his clothing had changed. He was wearing a vest underneath a trenchcoat, had red gloves, striped pleated pants, and dress shoes on. Definitely not the Shujin uniform that they all were wearing some variation of.
"You little-!" Kamoshida angrily said as he strode up to Ren.
"Cup check!" Harry said, seizing this opportunity and wound up a kick that one would see from Pele or an NFL field-goal kicker. The very hard leather shoe connecting with Kamoshida's wobbly bits, the instant that it did his eyes widened in instant pain which caused him to double over. Ryuji joined in and threw a wild fist which connected with Kamoshida, knocking him to the ground.
"You like that, you son of a bitch!?" Ryuji gloated with satisfaction.
"The key!" Ren said.
"On it!" Harry said as he grabbed the keyring off the floor and rapidly exited the cell, Ren, and Ryuji quickly on his heels. Harry slammed the door shut and locked the cell, making sure as he did to sheer off the key into the lock. The iron of the key was remarkably brittle.
"It's locked," Ryuji reported.
"Damn you!" Kamoshida cursed them, though his voice did get a little higher for obvious reasons.
"Hey! What was that just now?!" Ryuji proceeded to observe the outfit Ren was wearing. "And… your clothes…" Blue flames emerged again and the outfit disappeared. "Woah, it went back to normal!?" Ryuji had been shocked and Harry had to feign shock as well as he had seen transfiguration on clothes before, but this was definitely something else. Kamoshida rattled the cell door which caught Ryuji by surprise and returned their attention to the very irate teacher in his boxers.
"You bastards!" Kamoshida cursed once again.
"No, the words you're looking for are 'you meddling kids,'" Harry rebutted.
"God, this is effing nuts! Anyway, let's scram. You lead the way," Ryuji recommended, pointing to Ren for the latter half of his suggestion.
"Not going to let your 'senpai' lead?" Harry prodded. They looked at him but started to run, he followed close behind them.
"You goddamn thieves…" Kamoshida muttered. As they left the cell, Harry felt an odd compulsion to keep the keys and stuffed them in his pocket. "After them! Don't let them escape!" he shouted to the darkness, hoping that one of his guards would hear him. "Damn you! You think you can get away with doing this to me!?"
"Yes!" Harry simply responded. He turned to look at his two underclassmen, "Time to go. Since Ryuji seems to trust you, lead the way." Ren nodded and started to lead them along the path running alongside the water 'feature' dividing the cells.
They walked at a quickened pace until they reached a door. "It's locked," Ryuji observed. "We'll need to find another way."
"Like that?" Harry suggested, pointing to the other side where a bridge once stood but was vacant now. It appeared to be a five-foot jump at the maximum.
"That will work," Ren agreed. The three jumped across the gap and continued towards a small waterfall where at the top there were two submerged cages. Ren pointed them out, "We can get across there."
"Yeesh, you think we can make it across? Then again there is nowhere else we can try."
"Just be careful with your footwork and we'll be golden," Harry encouraged him. Sure enough, they were able to cross it quite easily. Almost too easily. Harry wasn't super athletic, but he felt odd… floaty. Like gravity just wasn't quite right.
They continued to walk down the other side, passing a small water wheel. "All that execution shit… is he serious?"
"Seemed to be pretty bloody serious, if you ask me." They passed completely empty cells.
"You know, something bugs me, all that stuff you said about Ancient and Noble houses and magic, it real?" Ryuji asked, curious about their British upperclassman who no one really knew that much about at Shujin other than he appeared one day during his first year there and had been there since and had decently high grades.
"Promise me on your mothers' lives you will not mutter a word unless I give you my consent to do so." Both of them paused mid-step to process that.
"Are you serious?"
"Dead serious," Harry replied. "This is my secret, and it is mine to tell to whoever I want so long as they can keep the secret." Both of them nodded and Harry continued to walk and they followed close behind, there wasn't any other way to go. "My family's been around since the first kings of England and since then have amassed vast wealth and political power in the British Isles. But, the part of my family hunting Kamoshida down? They wouldn't do that."
This shocked the two younger boys. "They wouldn't?" Ren asked.
Harry shook his head. "No, they're too self-absorbed with my younger brother to give a shit about me. This is why I decided to move halfway around the world several years ago. But that's a story for another day."
"And the thing about magic?"
"Magic is real," Harry simply replied.
"What do you mean?" Ryuji asked.
"That thing where Ren here manifested some kind of ghost and fought with some kind of spell that I have never seen before. This entire realm is different from ours in so many ways that it feels off. Sickening even. Makes you dizzy the more you try to focus on it." They reached a dead end, "But I guess that will have to be something we'll have to talk about later."
"I'll hold you to it," Ren replied.
"Remember though, you both swore. I expect you to keep your promise." They both nodded.
Ren pointed out a hole in the wall, "That looks like it will get us through."
They crawled through the hole which was just large enough for them to pass through and emerged in another empty cell, but the door on this one was wrenched open which allowed them to proceed further. The path seemed clear, so they continued further. But as they came close to a crossing, Ryuji noticed something. "Look!" he whispered. "There's some guys in armor over there. They'll probably call for backup if we try and take 'em on. We should go the other way."
Wasting no time, they crossed the only way out, a drawbridge, and ran down the path to hide behind some crates. As they just hid behind the crates, the figures in armor started running towards the still calling out Kamoshida. "Over there… They're looking for us, right? I ain't playing along with this anymore! We gotta find a way outta goddamn this place!"
"Agreed, we should be clear for now though," Harry concurred. The only other way out was via a spiral staircase which led up probably five floors.
Ryuji was panting and Harry was almost out of breath. He was feeling much more exhausted than normal, it wasn't good. "I-Is this… the exit?"
"Probably not."
"Let's get the hell out of this place." They burst through the door, making sure to close it behind him as well, and saw more of the same. "This ain't the exit!? What the hell is this place!?" They continued down the only path that could be taken and found students dressed in Shujin uniforms in hanging cages, they were reaching out for help. But there was something off about them. They felt both half there and half not there. Sort of like specters. "H-Hey… look!" Ryuji called attention to them. "We really did hear people screaming… So, we ain't the only ones who got captured! Uh… does he look ok?"
"Something feels off about them," Harry announced.
"What do you mean?" Ren asked.
"I'll tell you later, for now, we have to get out of here."
They continued down the path a few yards but saw a withdrawn drawbridge. As they observed it, there wasn't any way to lower the bridge. Looking behind them, they saw more Shujin students stuck in cells. That same feeling as before was there for Harry. They reached the end of the path with no way across.
"Another dead end? Dammit! How the hell are we supposed to get outta here!?" Ryuji made his frustrations known.
"…Hey, you there!" a boyish voice called out. But none of them saw anyone. "Blondie! Frizzy hair! Glowy green-eyes! Look over here!"
They looked down to see… a bipedal cat with an oversized head wearing a scarf? "What is that thing?" Ryuji asked.
"You're not soldiers of this castle, right!? Get me out of here!" it pleaded. "Look, the key's right there!" He pointed to a key hanging on the wall.
"We're trying to get the hell out of here! I mean, you obviously look like an enemy too!"
"I wouldn't say 'obviously,'" Harry rebutted. "But he's right, we've been seeing some strange things over the last few hours."
"I'm locked up here, so how can I be your enemy!? Help me out!"
"Quiet down," Ren attempted to hush him.
"I'm begging you; you have to help me!"
There were sounds of metal on stone again. "They're catching up already!"
"That or another squad's been dispatched," Harry suggested.
Ryuji pulled out his phone. "Shit, there's still no service. Ain't there any way to contact someone outside!?" Ren did the same with his and nodded at this assessment. "How the hell do we get out!?"
"Hey, you three! Want to know where the exit is? Let me out and I'll take you there. You don't want to get caught and executed, right?" the cat creature asked.
"Can you really help us?" Ren asked.
"I never go back on my word!"
"This thing sounds like it's all talk," Ryuji commented.
"However, it's the only thing that hasn't tried to kill us. Plus, if we help it, it will owe us a life debt," Harry rebutted.
"Yeah, what he said!" the cat agreed. "But if you think you can get out on your own, be my guest!"
"What do we do?" Ryuji asked Ren. The footsteps started to get closer. "Are you seriously not messing with us?"
"If you don't hurry, they'll catch you."
"Nothing ventured, nothing gained," Harry suggested.
"Fine," Ryuji relented. They proceeded to unlock the cell and swung the cell door open freeing the cat creature.
"Ah… Freedom tastes so great…" the cat purred.
"Yeah, well let's get out of here first before celebrating," Harry commented.
"Now where's the exit, you monster cat?!" Ryuji demanded.
"Don't call me a cat, I'm Morgana," the cat called Morgana spat back.
"Morgana, his point still stands," Harry broke the two up. "Where's the exit?"
"Follow me, and stay quiet." He started and the four followed to the draw bridge.
"What are you doing?" Ryuji asked.
"What does it look like, I'm lowering the draw bridge," Morgana answered. He looked to both Harry and Ren. "Hey, you two. It seems like you pick up on things faster than Blondie here." He looked at Ren specifically. "Try looking around the mouth of the statue, ok?" Ren reached out and pulled the jaw down which stretched comically like the stone was rubber. The eyes lit up and the bridge lowered.
"How were we supposed to know to do that!?" Ryuji exclaimed in frustration. The answer to the puzzle seemed so obvious now to all of them.
"Hmph, amateur. Come one, let's keep going!" They ran down the hallway after the bridge where a door opened revealing another one of those 'knights.' "A-Aah! Shit… Shit, it's them!" Ryuji said as he had to suddenly stop else, he'd run into them and fell backward instead.
Morgana jumped off of his shoulder and landed. "Tch. You amateur. Stay still!" he commanded. He looked to Ren. "Hey, you! You can fight, right? Let's go!" He hopped into a pose and shouted, "Come, Zorro!" A blue light emerged from him and when it faded an exaggerated 'muscle man' wielding a rapier appeared. The specific attire that was worn was old Mexican attire from the old west with the embroidery that was on display. It proceeded to slash three times to form a 'Z' in the air.
"You got one of those things too?!" Ryuji exclaimed.
The knight started to dissolve into a creature as it had previously. "Hmph. We'll promptly shut them up!" Morgana declared. It split into two beings, one of those lanterns from before and a new one, a devil-looking creature with a codpiece. "Damn Shadows…" At least now Harry had something to call them. "They've taken up intercept positions! Looks like it's not about capturing us anymore… They're out for blood!"
"Yeah, can't imagine why!" Harry replied as he watched their rear as he tried to stay out of the line of fire.
"I'll back you up, so fight like your life depends on it! Let's go!" Ren aimed at the devil and summoned his Eiha spell again and while it hurt the devil, it didn't kill it. "Hmph, I knew you were an amateur. This is how you fight!" He summoned his own 'ghost' and used his own spell. "Garu!" They felt as the wind rushed at the lantern which seemed to stun it heavily. "Strike at an enemy's weakness to knock them down! Use that opening to strike again! That's the most basic of basics. Remember it well!" Morgana took this opportunity to strike at the devil with his overly sized cutlass and killed it. The lantern got up and struck at Morgana with his lamp and Ren followed up by slashing it to pieces which killed it as well. "Not bad, your Persona's pretty powerful," Morgana complemented Ren.
"Persona?" Ryuji asked. "Y'mean that thing that comes out of you guys all dramatic-like?"
"Yes, now that I've seen two of these entities it has to be a pattern," Harry observed. "What are these Personas?"
"Yes. You see how Frizzy Hair here ripped off his mask when he summoned it, right?" Harry and Ryuji nodded. "Well, everybody wears a mask deep within their heart. By removing that…"
Ren's clothes exploded into blue flames as he was back in his uniform. "Huh? He turned back to normal…" Ryuji commented.
"Hm, it looks like you don't have full control over your power yet," Morgana observed. "The transformation shouldn't normally dissolve like that. After all–."
"Rrgh, that's enough! This crap doesn't make any sense!"
"Can't you just sit still and listen for once, Blondie!?" Morgana asked clearly sounding annoyed.
"Don't call me Blondie! My name's Ryuji…"
"It sort of does make sense," Harry countered the previous question. "When we get out of here, I'll explain."
"He's right, we don't have time right now," Morgana added. "You wanna escape this place in one piece, right? Let's go! It's not much farther to the exit." They continued through the dank dungeon and walked up steps. Seeing some doors, Ren attempted to bash through one and Harry through another. There was only one path forward and they continued.
They passed by more cells with Shujin students in them, but Ryuji stopped in front of one specifically. "Hold on a sec!" he called out, causing the other three to stop and see what he was seeing. "I feel like I've seen what this dude's wearin' before… Dammit! I'm too flustered! I can't remember anything right now!"
"Come on, let's go!" Morgana pressed.
"Hold on, dammit!"
"What is it? We need to go, fast!"
"But… who are these guys?"
"Do you really think you have the time to worry about other people right now!? Besides, they're-."
"There!" distorted voices called out. The drawbridge lowered showing another one of those shadows Morgana mentioned approaching them quickly.
"You should have listened to me…!"
"It wouldn't have changed anything, they were coming the same way we were going," Harry countered.
"Let's fight," Ren suggested, his costume once again appearing.
"I'm glad you stick to your guns." It exploded to show a… pixie? "Looks like it's raring to go too!" Ren wasted no time in sending Eiha at it, causing it to be killed swiftly. Ren's costume disappeared once again. "All right! Let's get away before more show up!"
"Hold on, we can't just leave these guys here!" Ryuji argued.
"You really don't get it, do you? Hrgh… There's no time to explain. Look, I'm going. If you don't want to follow, be my guest!"
"While I hate to admit it," Harry said as he placed his hand on Ryuji's shoulder, "Morgana's right. If we can get out of here, we can get the police to intervene. But they won't know if we're still in here."
Ryuji was silent before he relented, "You're right. Let's get out of here!"
They ran across the draw bridge and entered another area. "The entrance hall is right above here! The exit's close… Keep it up!" Morgana encouraged them. Well, close was an understatement. It was one stairwell up and they entered the hall and passed through it unassailed. There was a second hallway they entered which was a dead end with two doors. His eyes wandering, Harry saw some books and snagged one of them, placing it into his bag. It had odd writing on it that didn't look like anything he had seen before. "We're here!"
"Finally! We're saved!" He ran up to a door and tried to open it, it didn't open. "It's not openin'!" He looked pointedly at Morgana. "D'you trick us, you jerk!?"
"Don't jump to conclusions! Over here!" he said pointing to another door.
"H-hey, wait up!" The three chased after Morgana who took them to a nondescript room. There wasn't anything special about it, only a few bookcases and some vents. It made sense as to why they were there now. "Where are we supposed to get out from here!? There aren't even any windows!"
"Ugh, amateur… This is the most basic of basics."
"A ventilation shaft?" Harry and Ren said at the same time. He got it too.
"That's right! As I thought, you're a natural at this. It leads all the way outside."
"It was either that or the front door and unless you have a couple of M60's lying around we won't be fighting our way out that way," Harry commented.
"I see… Then we just gotta get that metallic mesh off!" He ran to the bookcase. "And a one, and a-." He jumped and pulled himself up and found a spot to hold on to the covering, ripping it off, but falling to the ground in the process. "Woah!" He picked himself off of the ground and dusted himself off. "Oww… Crap! The enemy didn't hear us, did they?"
"I wouldn't want to stick around to find out even if it didn't."
"Seriously, we're finally getting' outta here!"
"You should wait on celebrating until you actually get out," Morgana correctly chastised Ryuji. "Now get going."
"But, what about you?"
"There's something that I still have to do. We're going our separate ways."
"Thanks," Ren said with genuine thanks.
"Heh. You've got manners. Be careful on your way."
"Take care of yourself," Harry said as he climbed the bookcase while Ryuji and Ren followed.
"Those three seem useful," Harry could have sworn he heard Morgana say, but they were already in the vent so it was tough enough to hear as it was.
They left the odd area and once they did, they all felt better. The sky seemed better too unlike when it was when they first approached the castle. The air seemed very different there. "Did we make it?" Ryuji asked while out of breath.
"I'd say so," Harry replied just as out of breath. He really needed to work on his cardio again.
Ren took out his phone which said oddly concerning things, "You have returned to the real world. Welcome back."
"Huh? Returned? Does that mean we got away?"
"Probably," Ren replied as he put away his phone.
"I dunno what to think anymore… What was all that anyways? The castle, and Kamoshida, and that weird cat! The hell's going on!?"
"What's with the yelling? Are you students of Shujin?" an irritated officer called out to them.
"Cutting classes, are we?" another officer trailing a bike asked. Clearly wanting to get his quota in.
"Huh? No!" Ryuji replied. "We were trying to get to school, and-."
Harry interrupted smoothly, "We were chased by some wild dogs and were forced down an alleyway until they lost interest in us and wandered off." Harry held his hand at his side, his wand appearing for a split second and the officers' eyes glazing over. "We do apologize for inconveniencing you two wonderful officers of the law. But wild dogs are running amok that will cause issues for others."
Their eyes immediately became clear and their backs snapped straight. "You're right, citizen!" one replied sounding forced. "There is a threat to public security! We must address it with due haste!"
"They went that way, last we saw," Harry pointed down the block, away from Shujin. The officers ran with comical haste in that direction. "Well, that will take care of that."
"What was that?" Ryuji asked.
"That thing I told you to keep quiet about. Once we're in a quieter and more private place I can explain a little more. But not in public." He shifted his bag. "We should get going to class." He flipped to his watch, "Already lunchtime." He turned to the two. "Just let me do all the talking and run with it, got it?" The two nodded and the three started to walk towards Shujin the 'correct' way.
When they got there, the school was normal. "Is this for real…? I'm sure we came the same way before… What's goin' on here…"
"That's exactly what I wanted to ask you," one of the school councilors asked. "We received a call from the police."
"Yes, we were chased by some wild dogs," Harry went on to recount his lie of a story. "They chased us down a dead-end alleyway and had to climb up a fair way. Once they lost interest in us, they went on their way and we came here as soon as we could."
"The officers reported no such dogs."
"They must have scattered then. I can't speak for wild animals and their patterns."
"What this about wild animals and being chased by them?" Kamoshida asked he made himself seen.
"Kamoshida?!" asked in surprise. Mainly because of the lack of odd features.
"Who else would it be?" he shook his head. "You seem so carefree, Sakamoto. Quite a difference from when you did morning practice for the track team."
"Shuddup! It's your fault that-." Harry nudged him with an elbow to stop him.
"Kamoshida-sensei, I do not see how this has anything to do with us being chased by wild animals. Rabid ones at that. As our tardiness is explainable, may we go to class now?" Harry asked. Every word dripped with a smoothness that Ren wanted to learn how to emulate.
"You're right. Rabid animals are quite dangerous," Kamoshida agreed. "I should have been more considerate, considering the circumstances." Harry felt that it wasn't genuine, only wanting to look good.
"While I will let you off with a warning this time, I will still have to write you up. Follow me," the councilor said.
"Alright," Ryuji lamented.
"Potter-san, this is the first time you've been late for a long time," Kamoshida said.
"Unforeseen circumstances tend to do that, Kamoshida-sensei," Harry replied.
"You best get to class." Harry left but he saw Kamoshida give Ren the stink-eye. There was something about the new kid that Kamoshida didn't like.
He entered class during lunch which gained the attention of Makoto Niijima. "You're late, I thought you were out sick," she noted.
"No, got chased around by wild dogs, of all things," Harry replied as he took his seat behind her.
"Wild dogs? Really? Going with that excuse again?"
"It works, doesn't it?" he asked with a wry grin.
Makoto could only sigh. "Yes, but how long will it take for this lie to catch up with you?"
"Well, then I'd better get better at my little white lies, shouldn't I?"
"You're a member of the student council. You need to set a better example."
To be continued…?
XxXxXxX
Now, normally I'd cut the pilot here, but this is one of those instances, where I want to show the potential behind the HP side of things as a chunk of the story that wholly involves Harry, will take place after October 31st onward on and off throughout the year as the rest of the plot goes on. The following will take place on October 31st in London at 11:59:59 pm and November 1st at 8:00 am in Tokyo right before class. For the following section there will be one key annotation:
"[translation of another language]"
XxXxXxX
November 1st. Early morning.
"Last night was rough," Harry said as he slouched in his chair in the student council room.
"Yeah," Makoto said as she stretched, feeling sore from the previous night. "Sis's Palace is a real tough cookie to crack."
"Your thoughts?"
Makoto was silent. "How did she get this way? How did her cognition get this distorted? She wasn't always like this. Sure, she had her moments when on a tough case, but her current pattern of behavior was never like this. It's… worrying."
"How so?" Harry asked for clarification.
"Are these cognitive pitfalls that people fall into? Or are they triggered by another person? Nudged in just the right way to cause their distorted cognition to manifest a Palace?"
"I don't know," Harry admitted. "We've seen Mementos and how deep it runs. The deeper you go the more challenging it gets and the more distorted one's desires get. Perhaps Sae was once one of those people on the highest levels of Mementos and her desires became twisted and manifested as we see them now? This is in the past and we weren't there, so we can only speculate."
"Does this mean that anyone is susceptible to cognition 'hacking' – as Futaba would likely put it – by an outside force, or is this something that just naturally happens?" she lamented.
"The research that Futaba's mother worked on has been locked behind so many layers of red tape that unless someone outright admits fault, we'll likely never know."
"Do you think we'll save her?"
"We'd better. Her cooperation and flipping sides are the entire crux of the plan. If she doesn't, we're royally boned." This left a dour tone in the room between the two of them. "I may not be a strategic planner, but as long as we follow the plan set before us it should end up fine."
"You think so?"
"I know so. I may have only known Ren for a few months but he cares about our little band of shadow heroes. He wouldn't do something that would hurt one of us. What happened with Haru's father wasn't something that we were involved in."
"I know, but…"
"You're worried history might repeat itself." She nodded. He walked over and wrapped an arm around her shoulder in a comforting gesture. "As long as we stick to the plan and the plan's endgame, we should all walk out of the coming conflict at a net positive. Better?"
"Sort of." She shifted slightly. "But I'll feel better once this matter is set to rest."
"Same." There was a bit of peace between the two as they sat in silence. They both felt like they should say something but couldn't find the words. Both of them had been giving each other looks and longing glances. Ryuji had confided in Harry in private asking when he was going to ask her out finally. Makoto had been getting similar conversations in private with Futaba as well. Both of them were dancing around the topic and avoided it. This quiet scene was rudely ended when Harry gripped his stomach and groaned.
"Are you alright?" Makoto asked.
"Feels like I ate something rancid," he groaned. "I'll stop by the nurse's office before class and pick up an antacid or something."
"I thought you kept a close eye on what was in your fridge?"
"Usually I do, appears I missed something," he said as he stood up to make a move for the office in question.
She grabbed his shoulder. "You lie down, I'll…" There was a white flash and the feeling that gravity had shifted twice, once upwards and once downwards. "[…get… it…]" she trailed as her eyes readjusted to the room. However, it was not the student council room, but a massive hall. "[Where are we?]"
"[Shit]," Harry muttered. "[Makoto]," He had never used her name without honorifics outside of speaking in English with her for practice which surprised her; "[Follow my lead]." She nodded seeing that he knew something about this place that she didn't.
The hall in question Harry knew all too well. It was the primary dining hall for Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry. There technically was a secondary one for professors during non-event dinners, but that was an aside. In front of him were approximately five hundred students, seven-eighths of them wearing the standard Hogwarts uniform and the final eighth separated into two different halves, one having a dark baby-blue color scheme and the other in brown with brown fur cloaks. Something was off, Hogwarts never had outside schools on their grounds long enough for them to be settled in with a House. There were mutters about asking what language they were speaking from those in the 'peanut gallery.'
"Harry Potter?" an elderly voice asked. His head turned to see Albus 'many names' Dumbledore standing there in shock. But there was something about his shocked expression that didn't seem right.
"Yes?" Harry asked in response in a low to high-pitch escalating tone. One that said 'who else were you expecting?'
"Amazing, the Goblet of Fire summoned you here," he said in amazement. He noticed Makoto beside him. "And who is this lovely woman beside you?"
"Makoto Niijima," Harry replied.
"May I ask what your affiliation with young Harry is?" Dumbledore had attempted to ask her.
"I just turned eighteen today and she's my girlfriend," Harry replied matter-of-factly yet calm and flatly. This did get Makoto to blush a bit considering how long the two of them had beat around the bush.
"And does she-?"
"Yes," he interrupted. "She knows and is sworn to secrecy no matter how our relationship ends up."
"[Harry, what is he asking about?]" Makoto asked quietly.
He looked to Makoto. "[You know those things I can do with my wand that defy all laws of physics?]" he asked in the same quiet tone. She nodded. "[That. Like I said, just run with it, we'll discuss it later.]" She could only nod in acknowledgment. She was out of her element and went with the lead of someone who was in their element. That much she knew. "Why am I here? Why was I taken for a trip halfway across the world and my girlfriend dragged along with me?"
"As I previously mentioned the Goblet of Fire summoned you here. It appears you were entered in the recent revival of the Triwizard Tournament."
"You mean the same tournament that led to the deaths of major political figures' children and they shut it down before suing the then-current gamemaster into oblivion putting him, his children, his grandchildren, and great-grandchildren into borderline infinite debt?"
Dumbledore coughed uncomfortably, "The same tournament."
"So why in God's name was I entered into it?!"
"Perhaps he entered himself into it?" the gamemaster, a man in a bowler hat suggested.
Harry could only give him a deadpan look. "A death tournament. Why the hell would I want to enter it?"
"The fame and fortune that came with it?"
"Yes, because that's why I left close to a decade ago!" Harry replied sarcastically.
"You were jealous of your younger brother's fame!" a male voice called out from the Professors' table. Harry looked over to see his father. He didn't look much older than when he saw him last, though he could have sworn he saw some gray hairs.
"Oh, so you're going to drag out and air our dirty laundry in front of the entire school and two other schools? How fucking mature of you, dad," Harry made sure to lay on the venom. "Do you want me to tell everyone all of our dirty little secrets? Secrets that the reporter there is wetting at the mouth at hearing? Because I can and I have just as many grievances about you, mom, and Charles for hours." There was no reply. "And seriously? I turn eighteen yesterday and not even a birthday card? I hate your guts and I still send birthday cards to be cordial." Harry turned to Dumbledore. "Clearly since I want nothing to do with this tournament, how do I get out of it?"
"Alas, there isn't any way to get out of the tournament once you have been chosen," Dumbledore mournfully replied.
"Ok, I'll bite. Why not?"
"Because once entered into the Triwizard Tournament and accepted by the Goblet of Fire, an unbreakable magical contract is formed and sealed that will not be lifted until the competition is complete," the man in the bowler hat replied.
Harry pinched the bridge of his nose. "You've got to be fucking kidding me!" he said exasperatedly. "Fine! It looks like I have no other choice in the matter regarding competing."
"Excellent!" the man in the bowler hat replied excitedly. "Please, go in the adjacent room where a briefing will be held regarding you and your fellow champions."
He looked and found Professor Snape and walked over to him. "Severus," he greeted politely.
"Mister Potter," Severus greeted politely in return.
"You're the only person I can trust here," he said quietly. "I leave Miss Niijima in your care until I return." He turned to Makoto. "This is Professor Severus Snape. [He's one of the few people here I trust. You're safe in his care.]"
She bowed slightly, "Greetings, Snape-sensei. I am in your care."
"I'll be sure to keep away the rabble," Snape said to Harry who nodded in return.
Harry walked towards the old trophy room which was being used for this meeting. He entered the room where the rest of the chosen Triwizard champions were. "What is zit, do-?" a melodic girl's voice started in highly accented English. "You don't look like a Hogwarts student."
"Because I'm not," Harry replied. He looked and saw an old friend. "Cedric, been a while."
Cedric walked over and shook his hand. "Indeed, it has. I thought you left all this 'magic nonsense' – as you put it – behind you?"
"Who says I didn't try? I just got dragged back into it."
"So, what are you doing here?"
Harry leaned against a pillar seeing the rest of the room. "Got dragged into what I consider to be bullshit by someone who apparently wants me dead."
"How so?"
"Well, I'm in here and not playing the messenger so what do you think that means?"
"You don't mean?" he asked in shock.
"Yeah. Some jackwad decided to enter me. Yeah, a Triwizard tournament with four wizards/witches. Someone's desperate."
"How do we know that you didn't enter yourself?" the girl asked. She was enchantingly beautiful but he brushed that aside.
"Because I was on the other side of the world in Japan until about fifteen minutes ago?" Harry replied sarcastically. He pulled out his phone, "Of course there's no signal because we're in the fucking Highlands." He saw one of the other two students give him a strange look. "Listen, school was about to start when I was dragged here and I have to let someone know that I had to 'go home sick' or something, or else the cops are going to be involved and none of us want that."
Adult voices were arguing from the top of the stairs and Harry looked to see that the professors were arguing with each other. Dumbledore came down and got up in Harry's face but calmly asked, "Did you place your name into the Goblet of Fire?"
"I didn't even know that this was happening. In case you've forgotten, I tend to keep my distance from the Wizarding World," Harry replied bitterly.
"Of course, he's lying!" the giant of a woman, Maxime if he recalled correctly who was the headmistress of Beuxbatons.
"In case you noticed, I'm wearing a uniform, not like any of the schools present, and was on the other side of the planet until I was rudely ripped away."
"The Goblet of Fire is an exceptionally powerful magical object, only an exceptionally powerful confundus charm could have hoodwinked it. Magic well beyond a student," the eyepatched man tried to excuse Harry.
"Ok, rude. But I can prove that I didn't do it. Still have the paper?"
The man with the eyepatch nodded and handed it over. "See, there's the first issue. I don't cross my 'ts' like that. I do it in one line and the 'rs' don't have the right skew to them." He transfigured a stray rock into a fountain pen and signed his name as if he was signing official paperwork. "Different as you can clearly see. Plus, whoever smudged it."
"Meaning," the headmaster of Durmstang asked.
"They used their other hand to make their own writing style obscured." They looked at him oddly. "Ok, I may or may not have forged some permission slips a couple of years ago and learned this off of the Internet."
"Internyet?" the Durmstang champion, Viktor Krum if he recalled correctly, asked.
"Yeah, world's largest database that's ever-evolving because of user-generated content." He held up his phone. "If I get a cell signal, I can show you some stuff." The slightly younger man nodded in agreement, this sounded interesting to him.
"You seem to have given this a fair bit of thought, Mad-Eye," Karkaroff insulted the pirate wizard.
"It was once my job to think as a dark wizard. Still Karkaroff, perhaps you remember."
"That doesn't help here Alistair," Dumbledore interrupted and walked towards the gamemaster. "I leave this to you, Barty."
"The rules are absolute," Barty said uncomfortably. "The Goblet of Fire constitutes a binding magical contract. Mr. Potter has no choice. He is, as of tonight, a Triwizard champion."
"Ok, fantastic," Harry relented. "What are the rules?"
Barty began to explain, "You have to compete in three different challenges throughout the year either completing or failing them, but they must be started."
"Do I have to remain on the premises?"
"No? Just that the Champions-."
"Must compete," Harry completed. He leaned off of his pillar. Harry started to walk away, "Give a copy of the rules to Professor Snape, he'll make sure they reach me."
"Where are you going?" Dumbledore asked seeming curious.
"School. In case you haven't noticed, it's a quarter after midnight here and I'm late for school." Before anyone could ask what he meant he added, "Add eight hours." He walked out to see Makoto currently sitting at the teachers' table with Snape chatting. "Working hard or hardly working?"
"Har-de-har," Makoto replied not amused.
"Good news, bad news. The good news is that we aren't kept here."
"Well, at least we can go back home."
"Bad news is that I have to compete in three challenges that have the potential of killing me. And someone must really want me dead."
"Why do you say that?"
"I'll tell you after school as Ren and the others will need to know about this unexpected development as we'll need to attempt to plan around it."
"I will assist in getting an international portkey," Snape offered.
"Thank you, and will you be the primary point of contact for getting all information about the tournament events to me?"
"I would be honored."
Harry turned to Makoto. "Well, since we're stuck here for a few hours, why don't I show you around?"
To be continued…?
XxXxXxX
Well, that's all she wrote for this idea. As of recent, this is the only idea that I've put a lot of work into. And by that, I mean that I spent a lot of time reading the script of a Persona 5 Royal playthrough. This seems like a feasibly possible story. Meaning, it's something that I can do without too much work. There are some specific challenges that I do want to discuss. The primary focus will be on Harry's interactions with the Phantom Thieves, interactions that happen completely "off-camera" from the game's perspective. Writing each character accurately within their game portrayed personality will be quite the challenge in making it believable, especially as each member grows closer with one another. Personally, I think the most difficult writing sections will be the fights. It's hard to make turn-based combat interesting. Like with D&D, despite each action taking less than 5 seconds, you're still going one character after the other for whatever action they take that turn. This may be something that I may use the Animation (despite being widely panned) for the fights or go the Strikers route of how fights are portrayed. Again, the thing is it is tough to make turn-based combat interesting. Literally, anything else that happens in a Persona game? Easy.
Things I would like to cover. Well, as discussed in the very long opening notes this would be a Persona first, Potter-verse second story mainly due to the timeline and how it matches up for this story's concept. In terms of planning, the only part of the story that may have some issues is the final quarter as it contains the finale of the Phantom Thieves but isn't quite the end of Harry's own adventure. The Potter portion will be the biggest deviation from the source material mainly because he isn't there the entire time. He's just going to show up for the challenges and the required events (wand weighing and Yule Ball of which by that time Makoto and Harry would have finally admitted they like each other and start going out for real rather than the faux show he had to put on to protect her from the magicals in the room). The majority of the conflict that will fill the non-Persona portions will be family drama between Harry, his parents, and his younger siblings (and Dumbledore's machinations); and eventually, the Palace which will get the Phantom Thieves together for one final show before the game's timeline ends. My plan for when all of it is said and done is a job offer from a group interested in the Phantom Thieves' work, people that have had experience with this meta-reality before. This will lead to the events of Strikers which I expect to be a much shorter sequel/spinoff story. There may be an epilogue hinting at final events, but that would be where I would end it.
As you can see, there is a roadmap, but even then, there's a lot of vagueness to it and there are a lot of risks that can happen including loss of interest. I think that may be the toughest part of it all, just not losing interest in creating the story. As you've seen many times, this is something I have a bit of a problem doing. This may be able to be mitigated by a full playthrough of the original game on RPCS3 (as I have a rig capable of playing it, despite a few audio/video glitches here and there). I guess we'll have to see how it goes.
As for IRL stuff. It was my birthday a few days ago. God, I feel old. I can guarantee I'm older than most of my reader base here. Picked up volume 12 of Komi and am looking forward to reading it. Been watching new anime series this season, there's this new one that came out a day or two ago where the whole concept is that the childhood friend wins the main guy's heart. There's also "The Way of the Househusband" which promises to be absolutely hilarious if the manga is anything to go by. As for other story ideas, nothing really new has popped up so I'm going to be likely working through some old content that I started but never finished yet.
But anyway, let me know what you think. The biggest thing that will prevent me from posting any further on this idea is the lack of a story name. See you in whatever I decide to do next.