A/N: Here's the first chapter to a new story, by popular request. If things are confusing here, I'll do my best to edit accordingly, but I've got a good feeling about this story. Hopefully you have fun reading it, just as I had fun writing it.
The next chapter will be up in an hour or two.
Thanks for being here! Enjoy!
"Man, why do they take so long to wake up? Hello? HELLLOOO?!"
I stirred at the sound of a feminine voice, flinching as my head was poked.
"Ugh…just five more minutes," I rolled over, becoming slightly aware that I was on a hard surface. Did I fall out of bed again?
"Aw, we got ourselves a sleepy head!" The voice giggled before shouting, her voice sounding as if it was amplified by a microphone, "Rise and shine, sleeping beauty!"
"OW!" I screeched as I bolted upright, covering my sensitive ears, "What!?" I called out, before blinking in confusion.
"Wait…" I looked around, "Where am I?"
I was in a large library-like building. Massive shelves of books surrounded me, all ornate and fancy looking. Looking to my right, there was a massive drop off guarded by a fancy white railing. Beyond the rail was a spiral of never-ending floors full of more bookshelves.
Don't get me wrong, I love books, and libraries like this would make me go nuts! But I can't remember how I got here…wait, I love books…?
My head feels foggy, I'm having trouble remembering things.
"Welcome, my young friend!" The feminine voice greeted me. I turned around, quirking an eyebrow when I saw a girl in her mid-teens with pink hair. And butterfly wings. She smiled at me as she continued.
"And you're a girl! It's been too long since I guided a fellow female!"
"Are you…cosplaying?" I blinked at her.
"Ha! Haven't heard that one for a hot minute!" She laughed, before her wings fluttered, allowing her to hover in place, "But no, I am very much my real self right now. No costume needed!"
"Uh…" I just stared at her.
"Yeah, most people react that way," She giggled, "Welcome to the Record Room! I'm Katie, and I'll be leading you through your afterlife!"
"After life?" I blinked again.
"Yep!" Her voice got softer, but her smile didn't leave, "Unfortunately, you died. I'm here to direct you on what comes next." She snapped her fingers.
Her voice brought an odd comforting feeling in my chest. But right as she snapped her fingers, my memory returned.
"I'm…not alive anymore…" The realization dawned on me, snapping me out of my foggy state-of-mind.
"Losing you was a major blow for the world," Katie smiled softly at me, "Your life has been full of hardship, but I must say, I've never been so impressed with a mortal life before. Despite all the trials you went through, you only once stopped smiling. You were full of hope. So much so, you inspired those around you."
Tears strained my eyes. I wasn't so sure about that.
The circumstances behind my death were not pretty. I was put to death with the death penalty.
My family was a poor one, and to make ends meet I sometimes had to go against the law. Nothing major. Mostly petty theft from convenience stores for food. I'll admit I was a decent pick-pocket too.
And though I was caught a few times, the cops who took me to the station were actually very friendly. I knew several of them by name; I was going to join them when I got money for the academy.
What put me on death row, however, caused several of those cops and officers I admired to question my integrity, my loyalty even, leaving precious few still convinced I was good. I don't blame them though; they never knew the whole story.
A few months before my death, my mom was diagnosed with cancer, and I was diagnosed to be in the beginning stages of the same cancer. Knowing how desperate we had become for medical funds, some sketchy people coerced me into doing a job for them. Somehow they heard about my skills as a pick-pocket.
They even went so far as to threaten taking my mother when I initially refused. I was blackmailed.
Basically, I was to steal something from some big, traveling rich guy. Through another series of events, we ended up hijacking the plane he was on to get what these sketchy people wanted.
The whole thing went wrong.
A civilian of some sort tried to stop me and my "accomplices," and I was apprehended by one of the pilots. We panicked in the scuffle and the guys with me ended up shooting that civilian. Four times in the chest.
Through several other events, many involving a pissed-off rich official with connections, I ended up in front of the supreme court with the terrorists; I was tried and found guilty.
I was put on death row, and now I find myself here, in some sort of never ending library.
"Don't worry," Katie placed her hand on my shoulder. Her very presence, her voice, and her smile comforted me, "Your hopes are not in vain. Your verdict has been reached!" Her smile widened as she continued, "Here, we recorded your life; your thoughts, words, and deeds have all been accounted for! That's what this whole floor is by the way," She winked at me.
An urge to look around was suppressed by her choice of words. My verdict? Unwilling tears started to stain my eyes.
"Your reward is a Reincarnation! And you can keep your memories!" She continued, her smile getting bigger, "You even get a soft Gamer System!"
"Reward...and reincarnation?" I blinked, wiping the tears away.
"Well, more accurately an Isekai," Katie giggled, "You get to customize your next life!"
"Hold on…am I…not going to hell?" I softly asked. Her smile softened.
"Of course not, sweetie," Her soothing tone answered, "Why would you think that?"
"Well…I thought I'd be punished for…everything that happened…" I trailed off.
"Allow me to explain," Katie giggled sweetly, "You've done a lot of things that are bad, yes, but life after death isn't as simple as going to a heaven or a hell. That's way too black and white! Every person is so complex with their own desires, dreams, choices, and thoughts! We record all these things and compile it into organized records, and send a person to the appropriate afterlife their choices create for them. In other words, you are judged off of your character," She got a softer look in her eye.
"You have led a very unfortunate life, and we know the circumstances behind everything. Nothing escapes our gaze," She smiled softly, "As such, we recognize and judge accordingly. Your reward for your life is a reincarnation. A do over, if you will."
"So…heaven isn't just sitting around on fluffy clouds or something?" I asked.
"No, not at all!" Katie giggled, "You spent a good deal of time in a white hospital room, why would we send you to somewhere like that? Especially after all the hope and prayers you had! That kind of place doesn't really exist anyway."
"So…how's this going to work then?" I asked.
"Glad you asked!" Katie snapped her fingers again, causing words to appear before me.
Select Your World!
Attack on Titan, Lord of the Rings/The Hobbit, Twilight, Harry Potter, Fairy Tail, Naruto, Skyrim, Forgotten Realms, The Inheritance Cycle, How To Train Your Dragon, Marvel, DC, Star Wars, League of Legends, …
The list of worlds and settings continued for a while. Each one was a story or franchise I loved and enjoyed back home. There were even worlds I'd never heard of before further down.
"What's all this?" I asked.
"It's exactly what you think," Katie smiled at my widening eyes, "I'll be guiding you through the choices that will determine your next life. Each choice has been catered to your preferences, save for a few exceptions. You didn't live a perfect life, but what you're about to experience is the best of the best that I could get for you!"
"So!" She beamed at me, "Where do you want to go?"
"Wow…" A smile graced my face for the first time since waking up, "How am I supposed to decide between all of this?"
"It all depends on what you want," Katie smiled.
What I want…
I want to live a happier life. I want to do exciting things. I'd been sitting around my whole life waiting for a miracle, hoping for even a kernel of peace and happiness.
I want to see the world, learn new things, make friends, and build a life to be proud of. And I don't want it to just land in my lap. I want the satisfaction of working for it.
Never thought I'd be so grateful to have been a nerd and a bookworm, I know a lot about all the worlds listed here. Books and movies were an awesome way to cheer me and my mom up. We'd go to the library together a lot.
With this in mind, out of these choices…
Things like Marvel, Naruto, and Attack on Titan are out. They're all a little too scary for me to want to live in their universes, but that doesn't mean I don't still love the stories they tell! And yes, while I want to work for my new life, I don't want to live in anything apocalyptic.
Star Wars is out too, then.
Let's see…to see the world, make friends and learn…
"I'd like to go to the Harry Potter world," I smiled.
"I had a feeling you'd say that!" Katie smiled back.
World Selected:
Wizarding World of Harry Potter!
"Next up is to create your new self!" Katie beamed.
"New self?" I frowned, "What's that mean?"
"Do you want to go to a world of magic susceptible to cancer?" Katie smirked a bit, "We gotta recreate your body, silly!"
"That…sounds nice, actually," I smiled sheepishly.
"Then let's get to it!" She snapped her fingers.
Select Your Lineage/Race!
Half-blood, Muggle, Muggle-born, Pure-blood, Other
"Here's how this works," Katie explained, "Your race in this instance mostly refers to your magical blood. That 'other' category is there if you'd rather be something like a centaur, basilisk, phoenix, dragon, veela, or any other magical creature in the Harry Potter universe! Or a normal animal, it's your choice."
"Uhm…as interesting as that would be, I'd prefer to keep my human race," I chuckled.
"Fair enough!" Katie laughed, "One more thing. Each of these options comes with specific perks, or benefits for your next choices. Keep that in mind as you choose."
"...You're not going to tell me before I choose?" I speculate as she doesn't continue speaking.
"Nope!" Katie smiled.
"Okay…" Let's see…
What would the benefits be? Especially for 'Muggle.' Why would anyone choose that given this opportunity?
"Well…" I think out loud, "I'll go with 'Half-blood.' In the books, all the most impressive magic users were muggle-born or half-blood. Pure-blooded ones only seemed to have family connections in wizard politics, and sometimes wealth."
"Not a bad assumption," Katie chuckled.
Half-blood Selected!
Half-bloods in the wizarding world are referred to as such due to having both a magical parent and a parent with a non-magic background, such as a muggle or muggle-born. In rare cases, however, they can be half wizard/witch with the blood of other magical races able to consummate with humans.
Half-bloods often have a great potential to grow.
"Perfect!" Katie beams, "Now we can get down to the specifics of your new body." She snapped her fingers, causing the words to change yet again, "Your choice here will determine some perks or drawbacks, depending on your decision."
Select your half-blood heritage:
Magical - Muggle
Magical - Muggle-born
Magical - Other Humanoid Race
"The term 'Magical' refers to a witch or wizard, muggle and muggle-born should be self explanatory, and then the 'other' option refers to things like elf, dwarf, giant, veela, things like that," Katie explained, "They're there if you want to have special racial qualities."
"Hold on…elf?" I frowned again, "Like a house-elf or something?"
"Not necessarily," Katie smirked, "It literally means any other humanoid. This option is not confined to the restraints of the Harry Potter universe. There are numerous options not found there!"
"...Can I see the list?" I tentatively asked.
"Of course!" Katie beamed, snapping her fingers.
Other Humanoid Parent Options:
Human, Demon, Dragonborn, Dwarf, Devil, Elf, Giant, Veela, Goblin, Vampire, Merfolk, Stroc, Khif, Orc, Vex, Tiefling, Genasi, Fae, Gith, Kalashtar, Half-Angel, Half-Demon, Veela, …
"Well, this list is going to take some time…" I scroll through the various options. Some of these races I've never even heard of. Further down the line, I even found an option for a Twi'lek.
"If you have questions, feel free to ask me!" Katie flew to sit on a nearby table, watching as I scrolled through the list.
I took time to reflect on these options. I read through various descriptions, but only one really stood out among the rest.
"So what happens if I choose one?" I asked.
"Your exact race will be categorized accordingly," Katie explained, "The system we use will then give you an ethereal panel you can pull up anytime to view your special racial qualities and abilities."
"In that case…I'll go with Half-Angel," I smiled.
"Feeling angelic, are we?" Katie smirked, "Excellent choice!"
Half-Angel
Half-Angels are the children of angels and any other race able to consummate with them, typically a human. They are very broad in their abilities and affinities, which is influenced by their heritage. Depending on their heritage, they could be immortal; if their other parent was mortal, they typically live for a few hundred years longer than their mortal parent's race.
Randomizing…
Angelic Domain:
Dark
"A dark angel?" Katie exclaimed in surprise, "That's not something you see everyday!"
"Is that…bad?" I tilted my head.
"Not at all! It just means that-" Katie's sentence was interrupted by another text that appeared before us.
Randomizing parents of Half-Angel…
Other Parent:
Eastern Dragon
Eastern Dragons have long, serpentine bodies, with limbs relatively small in proportion to their lengthy build. They possess an inherent connection to the spiritual worlds and planes, which gives them the curious ability to fly despite having no wings. They are typically known for their wisdom and grace. They are the most powerful spell casters of the dragon race.
Draconic Affinity:
Magma
"Oh, my…" Katie says slowly. I'm just confused.
"What's going on…?" I asked, getting concerned, "What about a dragon?"
Reconfiguring…
Initializing…
Finalizing…
New Selected Race of your parent:
Draconic Angel
Draconic Angels are born from the union of an Angel and a Dragon. Due to the incompatibilities of mating between Angels and Dragons, the Draconic partner must be capable of transforming itself into a more compatible, humanoid form. Due to the rarity of their parents and the usual separation of Angels from the mortal worlds, Draconic Angels are extremely rare. Only a handful of them have ever been recorded in a single world's history.
"Woah, back up!" I waved my hands in front of my face, "What just happened?"
"Well…" Katie scratched her chin, "When you selected 'half-angel', the system did a randomized check to determine the other lineage your half-angel parent had. Instead of your parent being the child of an angel and a human, it's now the child of a dragon and an angel."
Katie blinked at the text for a few seconds, before giving me another smile.
"This means you're gonna be the grand-daughter of a dragon and an angel," She threw up her arms in a celebratory manner, "Congrats! There's only a .01% chance of this happening! Lady Luck seems to be on your side!"
"Uh…this is still confusing me a little," I rubbed my temples, "You're telling me that on one side of the family I'll get genetics from an angel and a dragon, while on the other side I get magical blood from the Harry Potter world?"
"Basically speaking, yes!" Katie beamed, "The important thing is that you'll still get to go to Hogwarts!"
"...I'll still look human, right?" I blinked again.
"Yep! Maybe we should pull up a more detailed definition of Draconic Angels," Katie snapped her fingers, causing a long text box to appear.
Draconic Angel
(The following is a description of Draconic Angels in general)
Physical Description:
Draconic Angels inherit their appearance mostly from their Angelic parent. At first glance, they appear to look just like humans, aside from the (sometimes retractable) wings they sport on their back.
Upon closer inspection, however, most Draconic Angels will possess a thin sheen of dragon-like scales on parts of their skin. The scales are the same color as their skin, making them difficult to notice without intentionally looking for abnormalities. In rare cases, a Draconic Angel may have dragon-like eyes similar to their parent's.
Their wings, appearing to be made of feathers, are actually composed of small dragon scales, colored in the sheens of their parents scales.
Having inherited most of their appearance from their Angelic side, Draconic Angels retain their youthful or mid-aged appearances for the entirety of their lives, never growing visibly old. Though many would see them as beautiful from afar, many more would shun them when first realizing they are part Dragon, and not a true angel. Some even shun them for being angelic.
Being seen as a sub-race in most places, many choose to wear cloaks of some kind to hide their wings (if they can't retract them, or if they even have wings) against their back to avoid attention and to help lead a standard life. Even so, many who have risen to power have already shown their true lineage to gain trust, meaning no matter what it is still possible to gain power as they will have the beauty of their angelic parent on their side.
"Here's a bit of history, too," Katie snapped her fingers again, pulling up another text.
History:
Draconic Angels are born from the union of an Angel and a Dragon. Due to the incompatibilities of mating between Angels and Dragons, the Draconic partner must be capable of transforming itself at will into a more compatible, humanoid form. As a result, Draconic Angels can almost exclusively only be birthed by dragons with a knowledge of magic.
Due to the rarity of their parents and the usual separation of Angels from the Material Plane, Draconic Angels are extremely rare; borderline non-existent. Only a handful of them have ever been recorded in a single world's history - although it is not unthinkable that there may be more Draconic Angels who have kept their identities hidden and not exposed themselves to the world. Those who have are usually required to as they are in positions of power or protected by a powerful ally who accepts their form.
The full scale and potential of their abilities, innate or otherwise, is unknown, due to the extreme rarity of their existence.
"This is a lot of information to process," I rubbed my temples again, "So…what's my race going to be, exactly?"
"How about we pull up your current Character Panel?" Katie smiled, snapping her fingers.
Name: ?
Race: Chimera (Draconic-Angel-Human Hybrid)
Racial Skills: Ancient Magic, Darkvision, Drakotounge, Heritage of Dark, Magma Affinity, Natural Armor, Wings
"I'm a chimera!?" I blanched. I didn't even register my name being a question mark.
"Hey, chimeras aren't all bad!" Katie shook her finger, the smile never leaving her face, "And look at all those racial skills! This is a good thing, if you think about it!"
"But…now I'm a freak of nature!" I cry out. My head feels like it's spinning.
"Now, don't be like that," Katie smiled as she snapped her fingers again, "Just look!"
Chimera
Often associated with a monster-hybrid of some sort, 'Chimera' is a term used to describe a species or race that fits into multiple racial categories. Because the term is so broad, their abilities differ like the stars in the sky. Their appearances vary even more so, ranging from classical monsters to beautiful humanoids to unreal horrors.
"See? It's not bad at all! Now take a closer look at the definitions for your abilities," Katie smiled, "Tap the word on the panel to make it appear."
I sighed, doing as she instructed. As long as I still look like a human, I'll be fine. Just got a bit of a scare there.
Ancient Magic
Due to the unique nature of your bloodline and genetics, the magical blood in you has been uniquely mutated, giving you the ability to harness Ancient Magic.
Ancient Magic is a very old, mysterious and powerful form of magic, the ways of which have been all but forgotten in the wizarding world. Those who could perceive and have an affinity for wielding it are considered to have access to a unique skill set. If trained, it can be a great and powerful ability, which is widely diverse.
"Wait…is this the same kind of magic that was in that one video game?" I tilted my head. I have vague memories of watching playthroughs of the game.
"The very same!" Katie smiled, "It's called Hogwarts Legacy. And that ability is quite potent. Don't worry, you'll have access to a skill tree you can summon just like this panel. It'll help you get a feel for how to use it. Take a look at the rest of the abilities, too!"
Darkvision
Due to your draconic ancestry and dark-angelic heritage, you can see perfectly fine in places with no light. You can't discern color in pure darkness, only shades of gray.
"That's handy," I acknowledged.
Drakotounge
Instilled within you is the innate knowledge of the most primordial form of the Draconic language, a guttural dialect known as Drakotounge.
"Hold on…" I paused.
"Look at that!" Katie beamed, "You're gonna be the first person in that world that can speak to dragons!"
"Isn't this a rip off of Parseltongue, but for dragons instead of snakes?" I lifted an eyebrow at her.
"You could look at it that way," Katie waved her hand, "Next!"
Heritage of Dark
Due to your Angelic heritage, you have an affinity for the darkness. You feel comfortable in dark places, and are even able to listen to the whisperings of shadows. They seem to recognize you and want to acknowledge you. As you grow older and mature, you have the chance to gain innate powers over the darkness. Shadow related spells come easily to you.
Due to your magical blood and this heritage, you have an affinity for sensing and using dark magic.
"I don't know what to make of this…" I scratched the back of my head, sifting my fingers through my hair, "Is this talking about dark magic or shadow magic?"
"Both, essentially," Katie tapped her chin, "It may be easier to explain if you knew more about Dark Angels."
She tapped her chin for a moment before speaking again.
"Dark angels aren't your stereotypical angel that's 'fallen from grace.' Those are called Fallen Angels," She explained, "Dark Angels are celestial beings that are ruled over and powered by gods of shadow and, well, the dark. Your 'Heritage of Dark' trait simply means that you have minor traits and abilities those angels show. The magic in your wizarding blood mixing with this means you have an affinity for shadow and dark magic."
"But isn't dark magic evil?" I questioned, lifting an eyebrow.
"In most cases, yes," Katie nodded, "Or at least, it's used by evil people. Shadow magic is different though, it's just another elemental magic."
"I get that part, but dang," I chuckled nervously, "I don't wanna make horcruxes or anything."
"And you don't have to!" Katie beamed, her smile never faltering, "Read the rest, now!"
I turned back to the panels.
Magma Affinity
Due to your Eastern Draconic heritage, you have an affinity for magma elemental magics. This can branch into earth and fire related magics as you mature. Your body is also naturally resistant to heat, though you can still be burned with prolonged direct contact with extreme heat sources.
Natural Armor
Due to your Draconic lineage, your body is naturally tough and resilient. While this means you're tougher than the average human, you are by no means invincible. You are, however, resilient against some spells.
"So these two come from my draconic lineage," I observed, "That natural armor trait is handy! Isn't this similar to a trait you'd have if you were half-giant?"
"Yes, except they'll be way tougher than you physically," Katie smiled, "Since this trait comes from an Eastern Dragon, it does a better job resisting magic than it does physical things. It'll come in real handy if you ever get hit by a runaway hex or jinx at Hogwarts."
I nodded, tapping on the final racial ability. Its description was longer than I thought it would be.
Wings
You have a powerful pair of feathered wings which upon closer inspection, are actually made of tiny scales. You are able to use these to fly. Due to your Dark Angelic heritage and Ancient Magic affinity, you are able to summon and de-summon them to and from your body in bouts of dark light, making them seem retractable.
Because these wings are made of tiny draconic scales, they are completely resistant to heat and have a powerful magic resistance. They are near impossible to cut, and are resistant to blunt impacts, making them ideal innate shields.
"Well," I couldn't help but smile at the prospect of being able to fly, "These things are a lot more complicated than I thought."
"Tell me about it," Katie laughed, "Any other questions or concerns?"
"Er…I don't think so…" I thought out loud before asking, "What's next?"
"Next, we take you to the World Edit!" Katie snapped her fingers, causing a list of several different options for edits I could make to the very fabric of reality in the Harry Potter universe!
"You've got 100 points you can use," Katie smiled, "Take it away!"
The options were limitless, each costing a various amount of points…
I had the option to change anything from various social norms, to aspects of reality. I could even make it so Harry's parents never died! I could make good people evil, or evil people good. Make it so wizards never went into hiding. Make the world fall into chaos, merge different aspects of this world with another, make males or females the dominant gender. There was even an option to make the planet itself bigger. I could change the outcomes of different wars in history too.
Some of these seemed really tempting, while others were less appealing, but even so…
"I don't think I want to do anything to change it…" I said.
"Really?" Katie blinked, true surprise on her face this time.
"No, I don't," I shrugged, "I want to live in the world as it is, with all its ups and downs."
"Well, I wasn't expecting that," She gave a small smile, "It will be as you wish. Those 100 points will just be added to your Character Panel instead."
"Added to my panel?" I questioned.
"Remember what I said about a soft Gamer System?" Katie asked, "You'll be able to access skills and perk trees using your panel as you grow and develop abilities, both physical and magical. Tap on your Ancient Magic panel, it'll pull up a perk tree."
I did as she instructed. Before me was a long list of grayed out bubbles, each with a description for a different ability or skill related to Ancient Magic; the only one filled in was titled 'Wings.'
"So I'm a game character now?" I quirked an eyebrow.
"As far as skills go, yes," She beamed, "And with that, we're ready to send you off!"
"Hold up, where and what time period am I being reincarnated into?" I asked. It's kind of crucial for me to know, but Katie only wagged her finger playfully.
"All in good time, my young friend," She beamed, "I couldn't reasonably get you access to everything, you were still a bad girl at times. Enjoy your new life!"
She snapped her fingers, causing everything to go dark.