Harry watches in amusement as he follows the three, the bantering is like a balm to his tired soul.
He doesn't know why he's stalling with these three, he should start looking for Sirius, but his instincts have been haywire since the encounter with those three children. Outside of the wall, from the words he catches, these people haven't been outside the walls since they've been encountering the titans.
'Those three couldn't be from this walled Kingdom' he doesn't know for sure what's going on, he could ask death but he's always been one to do it on his own, and he doesn't want to become reliant on the entity.
"Mr. Potter? Sir." The soft voice of Armin stops his thoughts, giving the boy his attention, his mind goes back to what the boy asked, something about where he was from, or if he had any family?
'How to answer?' He doesn't know enough to give a good cover story, and he knows the boy is very acute.
Looking around as he stalls for an answer, he watches the soldiers' ones with strange contractions strapped to their hips. He saw those on the men running from the horses when he first arrived but he never saw them use the gear.
"I've got no one, though I am searching for someone" he thinks of Sirius wondering if a point me charm would work?
"Oh, did they die…" Armin pulls into himself fearing he offended the man, his curiosity compelling him to ask such an insensitive question.
"Ah, no, they uh, they were murdered" Harry misses the started gasp from Armin who stopped in shock, or the surprised, but understanding eyes of the silent girl as she slows when Eren spins around to look at the man his gaze sharp.
"How?" Eren is too curious to care how insensitive he is, not acknowledging the reprimand from Armin, his intense gaze breaking through Harry as he recounted his parents death.
"No, it's okay, we'll it's not, but he's only curious." Placating Armin before tiring back to Eren "To answer that I'd have to give you a longer explanation, and maybe I will, though I will say that the government isn't always the good guys" Harry thinks he could compare Tom to a government, they start out with good intentions, but get devoured by the thrill of power.
"Oh, my mom got eaten by a Titan, while Mikasa's got killed by human traffickers" The boy blurts out much to the aforementioned Mikasa's shock.
"Eren!" Upset about being reminded of that, but more scared someone will look into their case and do something.
"Oh shi- sorry Mikasa, please forget you heard that" Eren does know what came over him to blurt that out so blatant in the middle of the street, oddly he notices no one ever looked their way despite his loudness.
"Well hell" Harry wonders just what he's gotten into, though if anyone is an expert in trauma it's him.
"Mikasa?" He asked knowing her name, but wanting her to give him inadvertent permission to say it. smiling gently at the girl when she nods.
"Well we shouldn't have this type of discussion out in the open anyway, and I don't know about you but I'm bloody beat" Harry says as he looks to Armin for direction causing said boy to start at the sudden glance.
"Oh, well, he said to meet him around here actually, and to stay in the open"
'Smart' Harry gives props to the man for his foresight.
"I hope Grampa found somewhere to stay." Armin mumbles scared they will be on the streets, especially with how agitated the people are right now.
Harry hesitates before ruffling the boy's head watching as the blonde locks lay back down as if they were never touched in a little envy.
"You three will be fine if I have anything to say about it, plus there's an elderly man walking this way with a worried expression" Harry could see the similarities even between the two and given that Armin jets into said man's arms with a "grandpa!" is any indicator.
The heart felt reunion is touching, but he's tired and he doesn't know how much longer he will be able to stand on his feet, he's almost tempted to use his tent but doesn't want to take the time to find a good area, nor does he feel like separating from them for some odd reason
'must be something involving fate' Harry thinks bittersweet, since it means he's goin in the right direction for his task for death, he still needs to snoop around to gain further knowledge, while the soldier knew about the secret-agent-like men the man only knew about from anothers speculation.
"-and this is Harry who has been a great help in deterring those who'd take advantage of us" Armin states while indicating to Harry as they near.
The man gives him a long look and their eyes meet and the elder ones seem to convey a warning of protectiveness more than being actually threatening "Oh, well, if you trust him Armin that's good enough for me. If he's willing, the farm I've found would not be opposed to another hand to help."Harry blinks while the man's tone is towards Armin the words are for him.
"Wait, you mean you found a place for us?" Armin says with relief pouring out of him.
"Ah it must have slipped my mind to mention it when you started talking before I could" the mirth is palpable in the man's tone as Armin flushes a bright red.
"I can't oppose, I really only intended to repay little Armin back for ruining his meal" though he wouldn't mind a place to sleep.
"No, wait mr.-" Armin starts not wanting to part with the puzzle in front of him, taking a glance at Eren, and Mikasa who has stayed silent but strayed attentively.
"Nonsense, the place they provided will be a little cramped but it should do, plus if you feel like a burden you could help me with my task should we be able to work together. "
—
Turns out the farm was owned by a noble but run by a steward of sorts. The land is vast and plentiful with plenty of simple cottages quickly manufactured, though they don't look very insulated in Harry's opinion.
He'll spell the place when everyone is asleep to better protect the meager home. While the auror in him wants to find the human trafficking ring and bring it down he know he can go guns blazing, or in this case wands.
For now, he'll build a repertoire with the four, and use the little shack as a base as he scouts around and plan a, well a plan.
First step is food in the belly, so he asked the children to collect some wood for a fire in the small wood burning stove the small cottage provides. After making sure the old man was comfortable he makes a play of going to fetch some food, spilling a tale of how he has special connections.
He prepares himself to do a little espionage, estimating he has about an hour before they get too suspicious. Subconsciously cloaking himself while silencing his steps he starts wondering, waiting for something interesting to meet his ears.
He listens as the survivors recount their horrors they seen, talking about how the two unique, if you could call them that, titans were, though it was the mention of his fiendfyre that makes him wince, his disillusion charm must have worn off in his concentration on containing the fire.
"I-I swear, as we were fleeing Looked back when a giant hissing sound was made followed by bellow of pain from the t-titans" the man pauses stumbling over the terror at the word.
"Idk what it was doing but I do know most of us would have died if not for whatever did that, so I can't help but be grateful, though I hope to never see that again, snakes made of fire, by Maria!" The exclamation seems similar to what he's liken to saying, Merlin. Harry lets the words sink in, he understands the fear of the fire. Hell he is afraid of the fire more, so for the destruction it could do, than the harm to his person.
Though the gratitude from the man is surprising.
Despite his irritation at himself for the foolishness of his heroic actions he can't regret it. He's not one to let people suffer, especially when he can do something about it
Looking at his tempus charm he stuck to his wrist tho it's set as a timer, he sees he still has about thirty minutes before he needs to start the meal he promised, though he really only promised bread, but he likes to go overboard.
Thinking about food makes him think about how much land, particularly land he sees used for farming. He can't help but wonder how these people are gonna feed themselves with the population versus production they have. His eyes widen when the only alternative they have for such a primitive place can do, he swallows looking around at all the people who've survived the horrors only to potentially be sent back to die for "the greater good". Grinding his teeth at that phrase would make Hermione scold him, with her dentist parents' habits rubbing off on her.
'Screw subtlety, screw the greater good, what good is there when you have to do such evil actions to obtain them. He's not naïve as he was, while he can understand the reasons Dumbledore did what he did, the man could have done things differently. How the man could let his weapon remain ignorant and expect him to win he'll never know.
He thinks of himself as more grey, though he wonders how much death is filtering out, he knows there are layers of emotions and responses that correlate, he just hopes this influence doesn't cause him to end up doing something he'll regret. His ear catches the voice of two people speaking in an ally he's standing at the end of.
"Should we tell his majesty the story that the one man told of, about the man who ran back towards the titans after handing his sister off? Seems too convenient?"
'Shit, Shit" how bad is his control on his magic for the spell to have dispapaided before he even finished conjuring the fire.
He can't kill them and he can't let the report go unnoticed since it would only raise suspicion on them knowing he would know they're searching for him.
He grips his wand as he points it at the two, his only option is to alter the perception of how they perceived his description.
Watching as the dazed look enters their eyes as the spell works throughout their minds. He listens as they reiterated the report though this time he isn't described and wouldn't be a suspect.
Honestly, he hopes his outfit doesn't draw too much attention, with the King himself already searching for him when he himself just learned that he had witnesses, well he has a lot to contemplate.
Seeing that it's close to time he hightails it back to the cottage while conjuring a bundle full of ingredients for a simple stew. Not having the energy to make something extravagant.
Landing in the spot he set up a little ways away from the place of his temporary ho- base. He smiles at the sight of Eren waiting anxiously, seemingly for him.
'Teddy oh I miss you' he wonders if his godfather felt the same now, if he even remembers who he is?
"Harry!" He grunts as the boy runs into him wrapping his arms, surprising the man, he wonders if that will be a recurring theme.
"Woah, hey, I only went to get some food," stating softly.
Though, that doesn't stop him from curing around the boy when he starts weeping. Clearly the boy is dealing with so much emotion and Harry can understand the using a stranger as an outlet, it's how he became dear friends with Luna.
"Hey, it's alright, well it's not, but it will be okay" looking up from the crumbling boy he watches as Mikasa creeps up before gently taking the sack of food a quiet thanks from Harry as he refocuses on the boy.
"Eren, I take it you saw your mother get eaten?" He speaks in the gentlest voice he could, when the boy nods while tense he soothes the boy getting to his point before the boy thinks further on that.
"My parents were murdered, first my dad, he died trying to stop the man from hurting my mom and I. He didn't stand a chance but he fought to his best, my mother well, she stood in front of me, never backing down despite how many times the man told her he just wanted me" he pauses not noticing the tears running down Mikasa face as she listens to a story almost similar to hers, clutching her scarf she turns back inside to give them some privacy bowing Eren wouldn't like her seeing him this way.
"When she stood her ground, the man took her life. After stepping over her body he went toward me with the intent to kill me. You see, he had delusions that led to him doing what he did to my family. Sorry I was rambling, my point of this is don't hold it in. It's not healthy. I learned the hard way."
Pulling back he claps his hand while standing and tugging the red eyed boy as he starts towards their little shack to prepare a meal he promised.
After a good night's rest he's gonna start getting serious.
Pun intended.
--
An: Does anyone have any suggestions on how I should approach the finding Sirius? I can't figure out if I want to prolong the Reunion or have him be apart of the story more early on?
Levi and Harry are a a most likely
Should Harry use be able to prevent the refugees from being sent to be titan food? Also if Harry goes underground should he encounter the infamous Levi? Would he be less jaded with Isabel and Farlan? Should Harry watch the spectacle of Erwin's "recruitment" should the two be saved, or used as a way for Harry and Levi to bond, tho I feel death as a bonding is a cheap way for character development.
What about our little warriors? I'm kinda stuck on what to do with them?
Sorry I am new at this and don't have an outline nor am I chapters ahead.
Amateur at its finest, sorry for the long notes you came to read not to listen to my rambles.