Hogwarts DXD
ESKK: Been wanting to do this for a while now and thus here we are. Let's get this new fanfic started.
"Talking."
'Thinking.'
"Ddraig/Albion."
-Music Insert/Lyrics-
"Messages."
(Scene Break)
Disclaimer: Neither myself nor Mr. Unknow own Harry Potter or Highschool DXD. Please support the official releases of both popular series.
(Start Unknown Bedroom)
Harry Potter woke up reluctantly. Not just reluctantly, but with a fog over his most recent memories, along with his mind. He wanted said fog to remain something told him that amnesia was preferable to recollection. Sadly, memory is a treacherous and fickle bitch, not being there when we need it, and being there when we don't.
Soon, like water filling a glass, memory came back to him. The joyful memories of the past year. The Tri-Wizard Tournament. A good chunk of the school turning its back on him, including his so-called best friend Ron, only to start praising him when he prevailed against a dragon. The graveyard. The death of Cedric. The resurrection of Voldemort. The duel. Crouch Junior disguised as Moody. The Minister not believing him. Then…going back home. A few weeks into his break Harry had been haunted by nightmares of the event which all ended at the park when Dudley and his gang decided to harass him. It started to rain, then a Dementor showed up which Harry managed to fight off. After bringing Dudley home his aunt left to get Dudley to a doctor and then... nothing.
Then, in the depths of oblivion, he seemed to hear a tenebrous voice.
"Harry Potter. RISE." The voice called out and thus Harry's eyes shot open with a gas.
It took him a while to go from cataloguing his recollections to analyzing sensations. And as he did so, he came to a number of conclusions, a couple of them rather alarming.
1. He was in bed. Not an unreasonable state of affairs considering he had just been unconscious. But then, you came to the other points, like…
2. He was naked, and Harry knew that he NEVER slept naked. The Dursleys would have beaten him black and blue (not that they didn't anyway) if he had at 4 Privet Drive. Furthermore, sharing a dorm room with others also would have put a stop to such activities, even if he wanted to, which he didn't. Concerning though that was, it was compounded by the last bit of shock that would hit him this day which was that…
3. Someone else was sharing his bed with him, someone who was also naked, and, judging by the feeling of two fleshy orbs on his upper back, was of the female persuasion to boot. Said someone had him in a gentle embrace which was thankfully one of the few things preventing him from panicking, if only to avoid waking his captor.
4. He was in an unfamiliar bedroom and Harry noted that it was a rather luxurious one at that.
Deciding that he needed to extricate himself from his current situation before anything further could happen, he slid out of his bedmate's embrace, and stood up, as calmly as he could.
As he looked around, he heard a gentle yawn behind him. "Oh, is it morning already?" A very familiar voice said which made Harry go wide eyed a bit. "Harry, please don't panic. I brought you here after…what happened." The voice said taking a moment to clear her head a bit.
Harry turned to face the owner of the voice/his bed mate hoping that it was not who he thought it was. Having a clear view of the girl before him Harry noted a few things about her. The first of which was that like him she didn't have a single stitch on as she sat up, the action doing distracting things to her breasts. Her buxom body was something many a woman would envy having, even though she was about his age. Brown eyes flecked with violet looked at him with concern and amusement, and her hair was beautiful brown waves framing a very familiar face.
It wasn't quite the same face. It was too beautiful to be the same face, not exactly. And yet, it was so familiar, and Harry was almost certain that it was the same person.
Which meant that he had been sleeping in bed with a naked Hermione Granger, and Hermione had become more beautiful somehow. Harry stammered, blushing furiously, and feeling aroused, despite himself. Given that his dorm-mates had smuggled in adult magazines on occasion, he wasn't unaware of what a nude girl looked like. But it was still embarrassing, all the same. "Umm, we didn't…you didn't…" Harry stuttered as his voice had chosen the worst time to leave him.
She rolled her eyes a bit as Hermione saw Harry was one of those boys who while interested in girls was complete pants at interacting with them. "No, we didn't do anything, beyond sleeping together in the most literal sense." Hermione said easing Harry's worried with those words. "A couple of my cousin's quirks rubbed off on me." Hermione said as it seemed to be hereditary from what he was hearing. "But you were badly injured, and I used strong healing magic to heal your body. It requires full body contact to be effective, though. Hence…" Hermione trailed off gesturing to their current state of nudity.
Harry blinked for a moment looking like a deer caught in headlights. "And in what book did you find that, Hermione?!" Harry yelped suddenly as he never heard of something like that before, let alone Hermione actively using such a skill. It then left a sickening thought in his mind of his own trips to the Healers office at school.
"No book," Hermione said before getting off the bed, and walking over to some clothes folded on up a chair, donning some underwear. Hermione using something she didn't learn from a book Harry began to wonder if he entered the Twilight Zone at some point. "Sorry. Amusing though it is to see you flounder around trying not to look at my body, I know it's making you uncomfortable." Hermione said while Harry did exactly what Hermione said he was doing. "I think it's better that we both get dressed before I explain further." She said while indicating to another chair, where some clothes for him were folded up.
Harry did so as quickly as he could and once, they were both appropriately dressed, Hermione indicated for him to sit down in one of the chairs. Once they were seated Hermione began her explanation of what exactly was going on a pensive look appearing on her face. "I don't honestly know where to begin." Hermione began as she felt truly guilty about hiding this from Harry for such a long time. "I've been hiding things from you, Harry. Hiding things for a long time." Hermione admitted as she knew that chances are Harry will not be happy about this. "I've tried to think about the best way to broach the subject with you, and I couldn't." She added as Harry waited patiently for Hermione to give an explanation to him.
"Hermione you're my friend," Harry said, noting the distress she had. Harry will admit that he was a little annoyed at her admission that she had been keeping secrets from him, but her obvious distress at doing so helped him. "I…I trust you." Harry said but Hermione then made a sad smile to him.
"I'm not sure you will after what I have to tell you," Hermione said quietly with her smile starting to vanish. "Maybe I should start with the basics." She said and thus took a deep breath to steel her resolve. "I'm not human. I never was." Hermione admitted and as she looked to Harry noted his face was blank. On Harry's blank stare, she gestured towards her body. "I made my body look less desirable rather deliberately it was part of going undercover at Hogwarts." Hermione admitted fearing Harry's inevitable reaction. "In truth, I know probably more about magic than even adult wizards and witches, though there are some that I don't know about. That's one of the reasons I accepted the Time Turner back in Third Year." Hermione said as she found the Time Turner fascinating at the time.
"If you're not human, then what are you?" Harry asked, dreading the answer that he would get.
"I am a Cambion." Hermione admitted much to Harry's surprise and confusion as he never heard the term before. "In other words, my father was a Devil, and my mother was a human." Hermione admitted much to Harry's surprise on this. Suddenly, much to Harry's further surprise, a pair of bat-like wings seemed to sprout from her back that were as black as ebony.
Harry stared blankly. Hermione Granger, one of his best friends, was part-Devil. He couldn't even begin to think of a response to that save for one. "Are, are we in hell?" Harry asked fearing the worse because that would leave him with a great number of existential crises in the foreseeable future.
"No, no…this is a different place entirely." Hermione said assuring Harry he was alive and well and not in the bad place. "This is the Underworld. Think of it as another dimension where Devils and the Fallen reside." Hermione explained as this caused Harry to calm down some. "Besides, many of the more malicious Devils perished in a number of wars." She added assuring Harry that he was safe.
"You'd be surprised, but many Devils are very like humans, mentally." Hermione said with a small chuckle picturing some of those Devils. "One of my cousins, for example, is the current ruler of the Underworld, holding the title of Lucifer but Sirzechs is a really nice guy." She said with a smile on her face. "If anything, we're more hedonistic than humans. That's not to say that there aren't Devils like those you hear about: there's far too many of those." Hermione said as she was giving both sides of the argument here. "But we're as varied as humans in terms of temperament." She finished as she knew of one bad devil she wanted to strangle.
"I am of the Bael clan, and, well, they didn't take too kindly to my father falling in love with a human." Hermione explained as she sat across from Harry. "My cousin Sairorg was treated dismally because he didn't manifest our trademark power. Though my aunt Venelana was treated better because she managed to marry Zeoticus Gremory at least until my cousin Rias ran away and eloped." Hermione said remembering how chaotic things were during that incident. Though last she heard Rias and her new husband, a human, have a child of their own at this point with a second one on the way. "Anyway, long story short, we don't do the whole 'souls in exchange for power' thing. At least not unless they have something really worth it in mind." Hermione said assuring Harry his soul was safe though his uncle on the other hand...
"Why are you telling me this?" Harry asked concerned as well as a bit vexed over how Hermione hid this part of herself from him.
"Because I didn't want there to be any more secrets between us." Hermione said and thus sensing the question that has always been asked Hermione answered it. "And before you ask, yes, the God of the Bible is real, and the Angels are real." Hermione said before getting to the next bit of information.
"Centuries ago, there was a devastating series of wars between the forces of Heaven and the Underworld. Even now, the three factions who took part are in a tenuous stalemate, more of a ceasefire than an actual peace." Hermione said making it clear that one spark could set the war off all over again. "Of course, there are other factions involved: other deities exist, like those of Norse or Greco-Roman or Hindu mythology. Or Shinto. In fact, Japan is of considerable interest to all factions for various reasons." Hermione said before chuckling a bit over her cousin. Plus, another of my cousins, Rias Gremory, she's a total Japanophile." Hermione ranted but then sighed as she saw that her brain was taking over.
"Sorry, I'm getting off-topic." Hermione said and thus got back onto the topic of discussion. "The wars between Angels, Fallen or not, and the Devils, left our peoples depleted, and a civil war within the Underworld depleted it further." Hermione said making it clear that Devils were low in numbers. "You see, many of the old guard of the Devils, including the original Lucifer, Leviathan, Beelzebub and Asmodeus families, wanted to continue the war, even if it meant the end of our kind." Hermione said as Harry noted that those three sounded like arrogant leaders. "But other families wanted to just live in peace and avoid the extinction of our people. My cousin Sirzechs was one of those who led the 'New Satan' faction, and they won." Hermione said showing that unlike the Wizarding World the Underworld kicked the Purebloods to the curb.
"A civil war?" Harry asked noting the Civil War bit. "Like that Voldemort caused?" Harry asked a bit curious about that.
"Yeah. The Old Satan faction were very much like the Purebloods under Voldemort," Hermione said her tone suggesting that while she never met them, they were not ones she wanted to meet. "Though even now, there's still similar attitudes amongst the Devils with my being a Cambion not being viewed that well by many, and it's really only Sirzech's influence that protects my family. Hermione said knowing exactly how she came into the world. "Now I suppose you're wondering what happened, what you are doing in my house, and why you needed to be healed?" Hermione asked as she looked to Harry knowing this was going to become a problem.
"I…don't remember what happened." Harry admitted as the last memory he had was his Aunt Petunia taking Dudley to the Hospital. "But I think my uncle did something to me." Harry said as anything after that was black.
"He did." Hermione said as she pulled a crinkled, blood-spattered paper out of her jeans pocket, and handed it to Harry. It showed a magic circle, elaborate and complex and arcane, with the words 'Make Your Dreams Come True' below it. "This is a summoning circle, which Devils hand out to humans." Hermione said as Harry gave the paper a look over with curiosity. "We grant them wishes in exchange for, say, items of value, or a small portion of their lifeforce." Hermione explained so Harry knew how it worked. "I prefer the former, obviously." Hermione added before getting back on subject. "I actually had one of my familiars handing these out in Little Whinging while keeping an eye on the Dursleys." She said showing she was trying to make sure Harry was alive and well. "Vernon took one of them and activated it." Hermione said and got to explaining how he did it. "To summon a Devil, you just think hard on your desire while using it and unfortunately he wanted to get rid of you." Hermione said remembering how that visit turned out.
"What happened?" Harry asked and thus Hermione sighed and got to it.
"Well after your Aunt left with your cousin, that walrus took out a fire stick and smashed it upside your head while you weren't looking." Hermione said and thus Harry figured that much have knocked him out. "He didn't stop." Hermione added making Harry worry for this. "He kept hitting you until blood stained the circle and activated it." Hermione said remembering the state Harry was left in. "When I came, he was surprised see he wanted you gone, and I couldn't let him get away with this." Hermione said clenching her fist in rage. "I won't bore you, but your relatives have been dealt with and leave it at that." Hermione said as she had more inventive ways of dealing with them. "I didn't kill them because that would be the easy way out and it was too good for them." Hermione added making it clear that she was going to make them beg for death.
"Hermione..." Harry began but then Hermione cut him off.
"Harry... you died." Hermione said and thus left Harry wide eyed to this.
"Wait but that' can't be I'm alive and well." Harry said feeling his head over where Vernon had hit him and found no wound.
"Yes. And this is probably the part you'll hate me for," Hermione said quietly before she plucked a box from seemingly out of thin air, and opened it, showing its contents to Harry. Inside Harry saw a number of chess pieces within, all pawns, and all glowing red. "Evil Pieces." Hermione began for the next bit of explanations. "The Underworld is obsessed with chess, and to replenish our numbers after the wars, we developed this." Hermione said as she presented the pieces to Harry. "We recruit other beings, humans, Fallen, magical beings, and so on, to become part of what is known as a Peerage." Hermione said explaining the information to Harry. "When we merge these chess pieces with a being, they become a Devil. They can even resurrect the newly-dead." Hermione said explaining how she did it. "But if you are too long dead then the piece will be useless, and you will remain dead, so you were lucky that I managed to save you in time." Hermione finished and thus Harry knew what this meant.
"Are you saying…?" Harry began as he felt a cold chill running down his spine.
Hermione nodded solemnly with fear over Harry's inevitable reaction. "Yes. You're a Devil now, Harry. You're now the Queen of my Peerage…" Hermione said and in turn the bomb known as Harry would in turn explode.
Harry started with a chuckle as Hermione knew that bit. It was the chuckle of someone who had reached their limit. "So... let me get this straight..." Harry began as he sounded happy but that was the calm before the storm. "For the past 5 years you've been lying to me about what you are." Harry said as that was strike one. "Even after I risked myself against a blooming troll and a Basilisk for you instead of coming clean you continued to lie." Harry said as Hermione just sat there and took it knowing Harry needed this. "But to top it all off all that tripe about S.P.E.W was a complete lie when you literally made me your bloody servant!" Harry said his voice going from laughing too angry. "And now after I bloody well died, I find out my friend was a blooming hypocritical liar who didn't even need me to save her from all the threats she faced for being associated with me!" Harry yelled as he was now angry over everything that had happened to him.
"Harry I." Hermione began trying to explain her reasons, but Harry would not here.
"No! Get out!" Harry yelled angry that Hermione had lied to him for all these years. Hermione began to tear up a bit but then silently stood up and left the room. As she left Harry felt bad for a bit, but his stubborn pride wouldn't let him try to apologize at least not until he can calm down.
(Later with Hermione)
Hermione walked through the corridors of her family's home, weeping quietly. While not as huge as the main estate of the Bael family, let alone the residence of the Gremory's or her cousin Sirzech's mansion, it was still very much a luxurious mansion by human standards. Still, she wasn't sure she could put enough distance between herself and her new Queen. Hermione knew Harry would react like this she thought she was ready for it, but the pain was still as bad as she thought it would be... no it was much worse than she thought it was.
She understood his issues and was thankful that he hadn't taken umbrage with her being a Cambion but that was not what upset Harry. No, it was being basically turned into a Devil against his will, and basically being her servant, that had made him upset after she had explained the whole servitude thing. Never mind that she would never treat him like the Dursleys did. Hell, as far as she was concerned, she took after her cousins in that regard, treating her Peerage like her friends, and extended family. But he wouldn't listen, and Hermione knew he had every right to be upset like that.
She just left the room, leaving Harry to his own devices, hoping that a bit of time would allow tempers to cool. In a way, though, it felt like running away from her problems. And yet, didn't the Sorting Hat put her into Gryffindor? The House of the brave and valorous?
Just then a new voice spoke one Hermione knew very well. "Hey, Hermione? What's the matter, nyah?" The voice asked and in turn Hermione blinked away the tears to find that she nearly walked into one of her Bishops. The dark-haired young woman was tall, elegant, and voluptuous, her kimono seemingly perpetually on the verge of a wardrobe malfunction, showcasing her impressive breasts to the world. Her golden eyes, usually glittering with mischief and lust, looked at her King in concern. A pair of cat tails waved lazily from her rear, and a pair of cat ears twitched upon her head.
Kuroka was one of the first members of Hermione's Peerage. She was a type of magical being (particularly the Japanese variety known as Youkai) called a Nekomata, specifically a subtype of Nekomata called a Nekoshou. Hermione and her father had stumbled across Kuroka when she was on the run for killing her original master. Oddly enough, Kuroka had been persuaded by the Baels to tell her side of the story: her master had experimented on her, trying to harness the senjutsu powers Nekoshou could harness. Because said master had threatened to do the same to her little sister, Shirone, Kuroka murdered her master.
While Sirzechs listened to Kuroka's story and believed it, the court of public opinion was against her. Kuroka joined Hermione's Peerage as her Bishop, which was probably the only thing that saved her life. The same went for Shirone, who joined the Peerage of Rias Gremory as a Rook, albeit under the name of 'Koneko Toujou'. The two sisters did reconcile some time ago, but even now, Shirone was somewhat reserved and stoic, and reluctant to embrace her senjutsu abilities.
Hermione viewed the flirty Nekoshou as a big sister. Embarrassing and overly flirtatious, true, but Kuroka also knew when to be serious and supportive. Then again, Hermione wasn't lacking in female role models in her life. They ranged from the relatively normal, like her mother, her aunt Venelana, and her cousin Rias and her friend Sona Sitri, to the stranger, like Rias' Queen Akeno (who hid a massive sadomasochistic streak beneath her usually demure demeanor), and Sona's sister, Serafall Leviathan.
Once Hermione had calmed down a bit she began to speak to her Bishop. "It's Harry. He…reacted badly to being told he was turned into a Devil for my Peerage, even if it was to save his life." Hermione said as Kuroka listened to her woes.
"Oh." The cat woman chewed her lip pensively. "Well, it was going to be a shock to the system, nyah? You probably did your little whirlwind info-dump on him, even when breaking it to him gently. Or maybe you danced around the issue a bit too much." Kuroka said as she knew how Hermione could be at times. "I know Luna wanted you to get to the point quicker, nyah." She added mentioning another member of Rias Peerage. "Did you tell him about the Sacred Gear I sensed within him?" The cat woman asked curious if Hermione got around to that important bit of information.
"How could I?!" Hermione snapped, with more force than she meant. Seeing this she calmed herself a bit before continuing. "Kuroka, I had to admit to my best friend that I had been lying to him for the past…four years now. That he's basically bound to my service until he earns his freedom. Given how much I made a fuss about SPEW last year, he told me I was a hypocrite." Hermione said listing off the wrongs she had done against Harry.
"Give him time," Kuroka said softly knowing that Harry was going through the post change shock. "Then you can explain everything. D'you want me to go and see him, nyah?" Kuroka offered wanting to help Hermione out with this.
"No, I don't think it'll help." Hermione said basing this on the fact she knew Harry for so long. "Gasper wouldn't want to be anywhere near Harry if Harry's in a mood," Hermione said knowing the shy little crossdresser would probably be safer away from Harry when he was like this. "And I'm not sure I want the others to be there until he calms down a little." Hermione said but the word of Harry's sacred gear and Gasper got Hermione thinking. Kuroka, what do you think about the Sacred Gear you sensed?" Hermione asked wondering what sort of Sacred Gear Harry had in his possession.
"Well, it was definitely draconic, and given the sheer amount of power I felt when I undid the seal, it's certainly upper-tier stuff. Maybe even a Longinus, nyah." Kuroka said thinking Hermione may have gotten the proverbial Golden Ticket to the Chocolate Factory. "Maybe you lucked out and got either Ddraig or Albion," Kuroka added knowing that those two particular gears would give Hermione a huge edge over the competition.
"The fact that there was a seal on it in the first place disturbs me," Hermione mused, trying to distract herself from the argument she had with Harry with a bit of problem solving. "You said it felt old, like it's been there since his infancy." Hermione said knowing the dangers of such a thing.
"Of course. The question is, who put it there and why?" Kuroka asked as Hermione got to thinking about it.
"There's a few possibilities, none of which are appealing," Hermione said as she knew that someone had to have known about it beforehand and wanted to keep Harry from accessing it even if it meant crippling him. "I'm going to talk to Sirzech's about this later see if he can get in contact with Azazel to ask him if he knows who knows how to seal a Sacred Gear, especially a draconic one." Hermione said as if anyone can figure this out it would be Azazel. That particular Fallen Angel is obsessed with Sacred Gears.
"Maybe…but you're still going to have to go back and talk to Harry, nyah." Kuroka said reminding Hermione about the Elephant. "The longer you leave it, the worse it's going to be." She added knowing Hermione can't put this off forever.
"I know but…I've forced a change on him, without his permission." Hermione said but then took a brief pause. "Okay, he was dead, so he couldn't give it." Hermione added as she felt guilty about it. "But even so it's like this nonsense about being the Boy Who Lived, or being entered into the Tri-Wizard Tournament, or being sent back to the Dursleys after all they did to him." Hermione said listing off all the wrongs done against Harry. "He gets dumped on from a great height, Kuroka, and I've only added to that…" Hermione said with a sad tone in her voice.
(Back with Harry)
Harry knew, intellectually at least, that he should apologize but he was still so angry at Hermione. He wasn't human anymore, he was a Devil, and her fucking servant. Never mind that she had saved his life, she had kept secrets from him, just like Dumbledore.
He brooded silently, tears running down his scowling face, not really noticing the voice at first. But then, over time, as it became more insistent, he realized he could hear it, a deep, tenebrous voice.
'…Partner. Partner! Yes, I am talking to you!' The Voice called out causing Harry to go wide eyed to this.
'Oh great, I've got voices in my head.' Harry thought to himself as this was just another layer that has become his life. 'So, I've become a Devil, and I'm now schizophrenic.' He thought trying to ignore it.
'…I'm not going to dignify that with a response.' the voice said as the being sounded like he heard that before and was annoyed by it a bit. 'If I had a penny for every time one of my hosts thought I was a sign of madness, I'd have enough for a decent hoard.' The voice grumbled a bit sounding like he had heard it all. 'Then again, I'm as surprised as you are that I can talk to you now.' HE added as this confused Harry. 'My hosts usually manifest the Boosted Gear and get powerful long before they actually can communicate with me.' He added causing Harry to respond to this.
"Pardon me, but what?" Harry asked out loud, rather stupidly.
The voice grunted a bit before he began to speak once more. 'The Bael girl probably would have explained it if you hadn't had your argument. Not that I can blame you for being upset, even if your ire is misplaced.' The voice said with a tone of exacerbation. 'She never got around to explaining the concept of a Sacred Gear to you, did she?' The voice asked his tone suggesting he already knew but was testing Harry here somehow.
"No. She was just telling me that I was going to be her indentured servant." Harry said as he then began to scowl. "And I'm having a conversation with a voice in my head." He added his scowl never leaving his face despite the current situation.
'It'd say a lot about your state of mind if I was just a figment of your imagination.' the voice said, a vague sense of amusement coming through. 'Well, allow me to explain if the Bael girl isn't here to.' He spoke before getting down to it. 'Sacred Gears are artifacts created by God and granted to humans or part-humans. Many became figures of note in history. Others worked quietly behind the scenes.' He spoke speaking of how these Sacred Gears had been used in the past. 'Some allow for extra strength. Others can heal or defend. Of those Sacred Gears, a number had Dragons sealed into them. Not the creatures you have encountered before, but beings of immense power.' HE explained the power behind the Sacred Gears.
"And let me guess, you're one of them?" Harry asked sarcastically only to get a surprising answer.
'Good, so my host is quick on the uptake.' The voice said with an equally sarcastic tone. 'And with a sharp tongue. If you want further proof, I can direct you to manifest my Sacred Gear form on your body.' He explained wanting to get this over with. 'It is not unlike the means of summoning a Patronus charm, but instead of focusing on the happiest memory you can draw from, you must focus on a sense of power, summoning as much power as you can to your arm.' He explained as he educated Harry on how this works.
"Okay, creepy possibly schizophrenic voice, but if my arm gets taken over and tries to kill someone, I am going to find a chainsaw or an axe," Harry said making it clear he would cut his arm off if he needed to. 'Besides not much to do I suppose.' Harry added to himself and got down to it. After a moment, a crimson gauntlet with a green gem embedded in it former over his arm. He stared at it a moment, and then moved it. Well, it moved normally, with no signs that it was going to try and kill him or force him to kill others. "Huh." Harry said as he looked at the Gauntlet in question.
Just then the voice cleared his throat before proceeding to speak. "Allow me to introduce myself." The voice began before suddenly, Harry's vision seemed to be clouded by fire, and he was sitting on a vast, dark plain. Facing him on this plain was a massive, but magnificent-looking red dragon, its baleful eyes nonetheless peering down at him with intelligence.
"I am Y Ddraig Goch, the Welsh Red Dragon, one of the two Heavenly Dragons!" The dragon…no, Dragon announced to the young Wizard turned Devil. "My spirit and essence reside, within the Sacred Gear you bear, the Boosted Gear, after the forces of God and Satan tore me and my rival to shreds and sealed me away." Y Ddraig Goch spoke as Harry looked at the gauntlet in question. "This means, Harry Potter, that you are now my new host, the Red Dragon Emperor!" He announced as Harry just stood there in shock.
"Great. I've got a Dragon sealed within me, and he's got a flair for the dramatic." Harry muttered though a bit thankful this one wasn't trying to kill him.
The Dragon chuckled, as the vision dissolved, and he was back in the room. "Many Dragons have a flair for the dramatic." The Dragon spoke as Harry heard him. "If you wish to address me, do so as Ddraig." Ddraig said as Harry noticed that the green gem on the gauntlet pulsed with each syllable of Ddraig's speech, like the lights on a Dalek.
"Okay, Ddraig." Harry began as he looked to the gauntlet. "So, you're the power behind this Sacred Gear. What's the catch?" Harry asked with a skeptical eye to the Welsh Dragon.
Ddraig simply grunted to this but one of approval. "Cautious, aren't you?" Ddraig asked with an amused tone. "Then again, given your life, I can't blame you. I was an impotent voyeur during that time after all." Ddraig said before he got down to the explanation. "The Boosted Gear allows you to double your power every ten seconds. For example, after, say, three Boosts, your power will have increased eightfold." Ddraig explained as Harry found that to be a useful power. "However, it can only do so up to the limit your body can sustain." Ddraig explained as Harry felt that reminded him of something, something about; wish granting orbs. Given physical training, you can increase this limit." Ddraig said feeling like he had to take notes for some reason.
"I don't know what that limit is yet, as I would have to start Boosting to find out, but given that you're now a Queen, with your physical strength, endurance, speed and magical power brought to its full potential, I think it will be higher than many starting off." Ddraig said as he figured Harry had an edge in that part. "Of course, there are some elements of the Boosted Gear's power you would do well to avoid, like the Juggernaut Drive, but you won't need to worry about that for now." Ddraig said finishing up his explanation.
"There is no other catch as long as we have a cordial relationship, you may access my power whenever you need it." Ddraig said bringing his explanation to an end.
"That sounds like a 'too good to be true' thing," Harry said as he found this suspicious.
"Your caution is commendable, but the Boosted Gear is yours to command." Ddraig said making it clear that it made no difference to him. "In any case, we have other things to speak of. Namely the Bael girl." Ddraig said as he knew this was needed. Now that he had awakened Harry had gotten a bigger target on his back especially for when the White Ones shows up.
"I don't think we have anything to discuss, especially to someone I only just met," Harry said archly not wanting to talk about it.
"I disagree vehemently I have been a passenger in your head for a while, unable to do more than observe and unlike that soul fragment of Voldemort, I had a right to be there." Ddraig said as he was simply doing this for Harry's benefit and his own.
"Wait, what?!" Harry asked catching wind of what Ddraig had said.
"We'll discuss that at a later time but to be brief the soul fragment was destroyed when you were turned into a Devil, for which you should be grateful to Hermione for. Which brings me neatly to my point." Ddraig began as he was going to make sure Harry hears this. "I am ancient, Harry Potter. I have been sealed within the Boosted Gear for centuries, seen through the eyes and listened through the ears of many hosts." Ddraig said as he was speaking from the perspective of an elder. "A number of said hosts have been brought into the Peerages of Devils. Sometimes, the Devils didn't know about my presence until afterwards. Other times, they brought my hosts into their Peerages because they were aware of my presence." Ddraig said as he explained things to Harry. "I'd like to think that I am a fairly good reader of people, if only by dint of experience and I know that Hermione did not make you part of her Peerage out of malevolent intentions towards you." Ddraig said as he was helping his partner out here. "She did so because she is your friend and before you start going on a teenaged temper tantrum, be quiet and listen to me." Ddraig said causing Harry to grunt and NOT go on a teenaged temper tantrum.
"Good now to start Devils create Peerages for various reasons." Ddraig spoke as he explained things to Harry. "Officially, they are servants, but in reality, they can run the gamut of roles." Ddraig explained using experience from history on the matter. "Some create them to have a coterie of slaves or even a harem." Ddraig began causing Harry to grown concerned. "I don't object to the latter myself, as long as it's consensual, but not all Devils feel that way." Ddraig added which Harry figured as much. "Others do it as a form of small private army, and indeed, all Peerages are expected to fight on their King's behalf. And others create a Peerage as a group of friends and even extended family." Ddraig listed off after seeing several of such groups through previous hosts. "I know that the Gremorys, Hermione's relations, certainly fall into that category." Ddraig said which made Harry happy that Hermione had some good relatives to fall back to.
"What's more, your servitude, as Hermione pointed out to deaf ears, only lasts for as long as you stay in lower ranks." Ddraig said which earned Harry's interest. "You can earn your way to higher ranks of Devilhood and being a Devil does not automatically make you evil, if that's what concerns you." Ddraig said seeing people think like that enough to know that clarification was needed. "True, there are many even now who fit the Biblical perception, but many are like humans." Ddraig said making it clear. "I believe that one man in the Men-In-Black said it best, they are just regular people trying to get by." Ddraig said quoting the Men-in-Black. "Hermione did this to you primarily to save your life. She CARES about you." Ddraig said as Harry then looked upset again.
"If she cared, she wouldn't have kept the secret from me," Harry said sullenly as he hated the fact, she lied to him for so long.
"Harry, you don't realize that wizards have the ability to read minds, to simplify it, this is called Legilimency." Ddraig said viewing this from a tactical standpoint. "Teaching you Occlumency, a means of protecting your mind, may have aroused suspicion from the wrong corners and had a Legilimens picked up on her nature, they may have tried to attack her, or else call in the Exorcists of the Church." Ddraig said knowing that from a tactical standpoint Hermione made the right choice. "Exorcists are capable of not merely killing a Devil but erasing them entirely from existence." Ddraig said explaining the dangers if Hermione had been forward with such information with Harry. "Plus…she was frightened, frightened of something like this happening. I'm not saying she should have kept secrets from you, but I can understand it." Ddraig said seeing that Hermione had chosen the lesser of two pains in this regard.
"Great, I'm taking relationship advice from a Dragon stuck in a gauntlet," Harry snarked wearily to his new friend or partner.
"Then listen after this reveal there'll be no more secrets between you, not now." Ddraig said using this fact to Hermione and Harry's benefits. "Be her Queen, for both your sakes, not because you're her servant but because you are friends." Ddraig urged to his newest partner in a long line of hosts he has inhabited. "She saved your life not to exploit you, but because you are friends. You killed the Basilisk that petrified her, you saved Sirius Black together, she helped you last year training when nobody else would." Ddraig said listing off all the major points in their life. "Your friendship was NOT A LIE! Ronald Weasley may be your first friend, but Hermione is your best! Now, go out there and apologize." Ddraig said knowing that if they work together Harry's chances of survival increases.
(Later outside the room)
Harry rolled his eyes, but he decided the Dragon had a point. Plus…he hadn't wanted to make Hermione cry. He'd just been so angry, understandably so, and…he hadn't been thinking clearly.
Harry rolled his eyes, but he decided the Dragon had a point. Plus…he hadn't wanted to make Hermione cry. He'd just been so angry, understandably so, and…he hadn't been thinking clearly. Those were his thoughts as he left the room, the Boosted Gear going back wherever it came from, and looked up and down the corridor. He found a woman dressed in a maid's outfit walking elsewhere. "Umm, excuse me, miss?" he asked while calling the maids attention towards him.
She turned around to look at him. Silver hair framed inhumanly beautiful, if somewhat impassive features. Her silver eyes, the color of her hair, glittered with curiosity, the sole animation in her face. "Yes?" She asked while looking towards Harry.
"Umm, I was wondering if you knew where Hermione was?" Harry asked hoping she could help. "I need to apologize." Harry said as he knew he was in the wrong.
The woman pursed her lips in thought got s moment. "As it happens, I was sent to speak to her by my King." She said which meant this was a case of two birds one stone. "Please, come with me." She said gesturing for Harry to follow after her.
"Sorry, do you work here?" Harry asked wondering just how wealthy Hermione's family was.
"No. My King is one of Hermione's relatives however, we are frequent visitors here." The woman said giving to Harry the answer. "My name is Grayfia Lucifuge. I presume you are Harry Potter." Grayfia said not even needing Harry to introduce himself. "I have to admit, I'm surprised it took so long for Hermione to bring you into her Peerage. She speaks highly of you." Grayfia said as there had been a small betting pool going on over this... mama was going to win big.
"Probably wouldn't now," Harry muttered morosely knowing how badly he upset her. "We had an argument a bad one." Harry said and thus Grayfia raised a brow to this.
"And?" She asked which confused Harry. "My King and I were on opposing sides during the last war, but I eventually defected, long before he made me his Queen." Grayfia said as the words she was about to speak came from personal experience. "Hermione is certainly a forgiving soul, more than others would be in her state. Our people do not look kindly upon miscegenation." Grayfia said knowing that Hermione did not have it easy growing up.
They finally came to a room, and once there Grayfia rapped on the door. "Yes?" Came the strained voice of Hermione from inside the room.
"Hermione, it's me, Grayfia," Grayfia said, her voice and expression softening. "I've come to discuss your Queen. And he's come to apologize." Grayfia said as this got Harry thinking over the concept of being a Queen.
"Why am I a Queen? I'm a guy." Harry muttered quietly which got Ddraig snickering in his head.
The door opened, and Hermione stuck her head out, and looked at Harry, her face streaked with tears, her eyes bloodshot. "I'm sorry." Hermione and Harry said at the same time. But after realizing they had apologized simultaneously; they began to devolve into nervous chuckles. It wasn't a great start to repairing their relationship, but it was a start all the same. And the real start of a venture into a new and different world.
(TBC)
ESKK: Well, here we are the first chapter of this wonderful fic. Anyway, being as this is a DXD story a harem is a given and I can assume you all know who the initial girls are at this point. The ones to follow… well I'll leave it as a surprise for you all. Anyway, be sure to leave a review for me and as I always say here ja-ne.