So, here's the second sample chapter of My Sister's Keeper. I really do hope this version eventually becomes its own fic.

On another note, I've worked out a rough plotline for my Nasuverse crossover pairing Harry with Barghest. It's called Out of the Strong Came Forth Sweetness, and you should keep an eye out for sample chapters in the Cauldron (as well as my Nasuverse compilation Zelretch's Collection of Alternates) before long...

MY SISTER'S KEEPER

CHAPTER 2:

THE LION, THE WIZARD, AND THE HEIRESS

Tenshukaku. The magnificent palace of the Raiden Shogun of Inazuma, the Electro Archon. Few are allowed into the inner sanctum of this sprawling complex, as the Raiden Shogun, for much of the time after the Cataclysm, had become somewhat reclusive, appearing only for ceremonies in public, and mostly only attending audiences with her most senior advisors and underlings.

Yet over the past few years, the Raiden Shogun had become less reclusive. Although still stern and stoic for the most part, she showed a little more humanity than the monolithic deity used to. In many corners, this was regarded as a change for the better, though many did not like this change. Especially as the change seemed to come from a man who was announced as her consort.

Be that as it may, Inazuma recently had much in the way of upheaval, and extremists on both sides, the Raiden Shogun's supposed loyalists, and discontents from Watatsumi Island, had started a civil war, spurred by the Fatui. And while the Raiden Shogun and Lady Kokomi Sangomiya were united in trying to stop the war, the damage was done. One of the Fatui Harbingers made off with a valuable item, the Gnosis of the Raiden Shogun, while another had her crimes exposed, and was executed by the Raiden Shogun's Musou no Hitotachi.

In the Tenshukaku inner sanctum, there was a conference table, around which five people were seated. A sixth floated around next to one of these people, though said person, a small, imp-like figure, was currently eating a dango off a stick. The first to speak was the Raiden Shogun herself. Her true name was Ei, and she was actually the successor to her twin sister, Makoto. "Thank you for coming," the buxom, purple-haired woman in elegant, Japanese-style robes said.

"Heh heh, well, the quality of the booze here is great," spoke what appeared to be a green-clad boy in his early teens.

The next one to speak was a dark-haired man with golden eyes, though they were currently shut. Despite his apparent youth, his attitude and voice sounded considerably older. "Venti, while I would be the first to admit to the quality of good alcohol, this is not the time to deplete Ei's cellars. I presume that Aether arriving back from Liyue means that his latest sojourn with the Khaenri'an knight is over?"

This question was addressed, albeit indirectly, to a young man in his mid to late teens, seemingly, with blonde hair and golden eyes. "If you mean Dainsleif has revealed some…well, disturbing truths, Zhongli, then yes. I already knew the Abyss Order were made up of cursed Khaenri'ans, but the Hilichurls too? I think Lumine tried to cure them, but…it went awry. I had to stop it. I needed to rest afterwards too, thanks to the atmosphere within the Chasm. That's why I was delayed a few days before coming back here. I think Dainsleif noticed something strange, and went off into some new portal he didn't recognise. Still, what Lumine intended…"

"The curse of the gods of Celestia is not easily overturned, assuming it can be at all," the dark-haired, golden-eyed man said. "I apologise that I cannot say more due to the contract that still binds me with Celestia. All I can say is that you should be wary of getting Asmoday's attention on you again, and that you should discern the truth for yourself. What Dainsleif and I say are merely differing perspective to the truth. That being said, while you were gallivanting off with the Khaenri'an, Childe spoke to me before I came back here. He had attended La Signora's funeral in Snezhnaya. Leaving aside some mild infighting between the Harbingers, there was little to speak of, save that Scaramouche may have gone rogue. He did not attend the funeral, and none of the other Harbingers would admit to his whereabouts."

"Maybe the brat fell down a ravine and broke his neck, Merlin forbid he'd make me happy," groused the last occupant of the room, a man with dark hair and grey eyes, and a neatly-trimmed beard.

"Tenrosei, both Aether and yourself bearded him in his den, and Yae was forced to trade my Gnosis in exchange for your lives," Ei rebuked gently. "And he is my child, prodigal though he is. A shame the Tsaritsa and her pet fools have perverted his potential. If I had known he would turn out like this, then I would not have left him alone so callously."

"I would have done the same had I known how Rosalyne would become La Signora," Venti said solemnly. "But what's done is done."

The imp-like figure hanging around the boy called Aether frowned. "Still, we investigated what happened on Taratsuna. Paimon thinks it seems like Il Dottore manipulated events to have Scaramouche fall into despair. Though Paimon thinks that it'd be hard to persuade Scaramouche what actually happened."

"Retrieving the Gnosis is not the issue," Ei said. "I have little need for that millstone Celestia hung around my sister's neck, and the Tsaritsa and her pet fools are sorely mistaken if they think they can use it for they own ends. However, the Harbingers attempted to destabilise my country, and have caused many deaths in Mondstadt, Liyue, and Inazuma. It is possible they intend something in Sumeru. La Signora has paid with her life, but Scaramouche has not been punished yet. Aether, Paimon…I know you, along with Venti and Zhongli, intend to travel to Sumeru soon to seek any information on your sister or Asmoday from the Dendro Archon. My consort wishes to join you."

"Ei, why are you being so stiff?" said consort complained.

"Paimon thinks a better question is, why do you want to come along?" Paimon asked.

"…As you know, my memories were re-awoken when we were confronted by Scaramouche in the Delusion factory," the consort said. "I have my own questions to ask the Dendro Archon. True, I know Celestia bans travel between worlds, and Aether and his sister learned that firsthand. And I don't intend to abandon Ei." He shot a look at the blonde young man, who nodded solemnly. "But at the very least, I need to know if my loved ones back home are all right. It's been nearly seven years."

Aether nodded. "I get that. I…I need to know why Lumine is doing what she is doing, or anything about Celestia, or what Snezhnaya is planning. I can't pretend I'll get all the answers I want in Sumeru, but…maybe I can get some pointers. Hopefully, you can too."

"And if my wayward child is in Sumeru, I believe a reckoning is in order," Ei said, a dark smirk twitching at her lips. "And we'll see if, as my consort suggested, Scaramouche can do the fandango…"

Dehya, the most lauded member of the Eremite group known as the Blazing Beasts, often known by her nom de guerre of the Flame-Mane, was troubled. True, in the two years since she and her men had been retained by the Homayani family to act as security, she had grown accustomed to Dunyarzad's various whims and impulses. And she had to admit, Lady Dunyarzad seemed to be the most sincerely pious worshipper of the Dendro Archon she had ever met, at least without it devolving into fanaticism. Everyone else held up Greater Lord Rukkhadevata on a pedestal, and were, at best, apathetic towards Lesser Lord Kusanali. Lady Dunyarzad had related tales of speaking with the Dendro Archon in her dreams…and with a boy who claimed to be a wizard from another world.

Said boy, now a man grown, was supposedly the very figure lying in a bed in one of the Homayani manor's guest rooms. Even now, he looked like he had been trampled by a berserk Sumpter Beast, and then pissed on by said beast to add insult to injury. The famous lightning bolt scar wasn't there anymore, but apparently he'd had it surgically removed, along with, if his tale was to be believed, a fragment of a warlock's soul. A touch on the scrawny side, he had an unruly mess of black hair (albeit with a few strands tinged silver with a green edges) framing admittedly handsome features, and there were those emerald eyes behind his glasses. Said eyes had odd, cross-shaped pupils, though Dunyarzad had remarked about them being like the Dendro Archon's.

Of course, if what that creepy swordsman Dainsleif claimed was true, then it was little wonder Harry Potter seemed so subdued, and yet on the verge of hysteria. Lady Dunyarzad was doing the right thing, acting calming and soothing in ways Dehya couldn't quite manage, not as skilfully. True, she had acted as a security consultant, and de-escalating conflict was a vital part of some of her jobs, including her stint with the Corps of Thirty, policing Sumeru City and other settlements in Sumeru. But Lady Dunyarzad had the added benefit of having a relationship with Potter, assuming this was him, anyway.

She listened to their exchange with half an ear, mostly trying to remain vigilant in case any threats came along. It sounded unbelievable for the most part. Then again, according to Dainsleif, this guy had taken on an Abyss Order incursion into his world…one led by its leader, no less. Dehya had fought against those monsters before. The power of the Abyss was nothing to sneeze at, and neither was the Abyss Order, especially given the trouble they stirred up with the Hilichurls.

Potter began to panic as he came to the end of his story, of how Dainsleif, albeit with the best of intentions, inadvertently stranded him on Teyvat. Lady Dunyarzad simply embraced him, and let him cry it out. Dehya sighed. Assuming it was all true…the poor bastard had gone through a lot, and he was now stranded on a world he had only a passing familiarity with. She literally couldn't imagine such a thing. Most of her life had been spent in Sumeru, though her work with the Homayanis had taken her to Liyue, Fontaine and Inazuma. She'd also trained for a time in Natlan in her youth, but that was only for a few months. So to be stranded on another world was more than she could comprehend.

Potter, presumably to distract himself from his plight, looked up to her. "So, you're an Eremite," he said.

His tone wasn't patronising at all. If anything, it was curious, though Dehya could also tell he was attracted to her. Thankfully, it wasn't a leering gaze like so many others: Dehya ensured she stayed clean and used cosmetics to enhance her beauty, but such care came at the cost of having too many creeps who undressed her with their eyes…and some of those wanting to do the same in reality, whether she consented or not. Then again, some of the things her fellow Eremites dressed in made her outfit pale by comparison.

Potter's gaze, at least, was one of attraction and even a little lust, but of someone who actually knew what boundaries meant, and her estimation of him went up a touch. Still, Dehya couldn't resist rolling her eyes as she snarked, "Last time I looked in the mirror, I was."

"Dehya is known as the Flame-Mane, the most illustrious member of the Blazing Beasts," Dunyarzad said. "Don't worry, they're one of the best Eremite groups in terms of both character and skill. We've retained their services for a couple of years now, and she's practically a big sister to me now."

Potter looked her up and down, before saying, "You know what? I can actually see that."

Dehya sighed. "Lady Dunyarzad likes to say such things. I'm on retainer, I'm not really family. Don't get me wrong, I appreciate the sentiment, it's flattering, it's just misplaced. I'm a mercenary. I may have principles and standards, but I do what I need to do for the client in exchange for money. So I'd keep this in mind, Potter. Like it or not, I need to keep an eye on you. Ending up so close to my charge does seem a bit suspicious."

"Moody would love you," Potter muttered. A little louder, he asked, "Then again, it's only paranoia when they're not out to get you, or so the saying goes."

Dehya chuckled, appreciating the sentiment of the remark. "Honestly, the main reason you're here is because Lady Dunyarzad believes you to be this Harry Potter she met in the Dendro Archon's dreamscape, and her parents indulged her. But I have to believe otherwise for their own good, at least until you can prove your character, to me if nothing else. No offence."

"Some taken…"

Harry understood why Dehya said such things, he really did. Not that it stopped them from hurting, on top of everything else that hurt him now. Being stranded on Teyvat, with any means of getting home possibly getting him unwanted scrutiny from Celestia (and given what Nahida claimed that they did to Khaenri'ah, that was NOT a good thing), and his friends didn't know where he was. He was barely staying remotely calm.

It helped that one of those present was Dunyarzad Homayani. She was one of the few people he had told the Marauders' password to, so the likelihood this was an impostor, while not non-existent, was still low. And it was weird to see her grown up. He had last known her when they were both entering their teens, a little under a decade ago. Now, she was a woman grown.

"I'm curious, why did your family need the Blazing Beasts anyway?" Harry asked. He felt he needed further distraction from his plight, and talking about Dehya didn't seem like it would go anywhere, at least for now. The beautiful Eremite was nonetheless fairly cagey, albeit in a way he understood.

"…We had a prior arrangement with another Eremite group that turned out to be a front for one of the Ayn Al-Ahmar groups based in Port Ormos," Dunyarzad said. "You know, the Eremites who worship King Deshret, and who act amongst the worst of brigands at times. They actually staged my kidnapping to try and extort more money from my father. Well, they tried to, anyway. The Chief Officer of the Forest Watchers managed to intercept them."

"Yeah, Tighnari's a good guy, from what I heard," Dehya said. "Lord Homayani retained the Blazing Beasts' services on recommendation, though he has been recalcitrant to say where he got that recommendation. But, well, it doesn't matter. The work pays well, and aside from that, the Homayanis are far nicer and more principled than some of the rich arseholes I've had to work for. Keeping scammers, kidnappers and assassins from attacking them is a real pleasure."

"Well, thanks for keeping Dunyarzad safe," Harry said. "She…she was one of my first friends. Admittedly, I met her in a dream, and, well, I didn't think she was real until…well, Dumbledore told me about Alice and about her coming from Teyvat."

"Alice?" Dehya asked, blinking, before her eyes widened. "You mean the author of the Teyvat Travel Guide? Rumoured to be a member of the Hexenzirkel?"

"Yeah, and she may very well be my only chance of getting back home, if she's been to Earth without pissing off Celestia," Harry said. "Of course, finding her is another matter."

"Maybe not," Dehya said, pursing her lips in thought. "I heard she has ties to Mondstadt, even a daughter there. Maybe the Knights of Favonius have contact details or something. Though honestly, those are rumours, I'm not sure if they're true or not."

Harry, after a moment, nodded. He still felt like absolute shit, both physically and mentally, but he had a lead at least. Once he had recovered, he could seek out Alice and find a way to get back home.

True, it wasn't like he was well-liked outside of his circle of friends. The fact that there were forests in Little Hangleton, the Department of Mysteries, and the grounds of Hogwarts where Death Eaters used to be didn't inspire much other than fear in the sheeple of Magical Britain. Harry knew he was tolerated at best, and he knew that one day, someone might try an assassination attempt, or just drag Harry's name through the mud like they had so many times before.

It was one of the reasons he joined the Department of Mysteries rather than the DMLE. At least amongst the Unspeakables, there was far less politics, and more learning, fitting for the Ravenclaw student Nahida had nurtured. That, and the possibility of creating a means of cross-dimensional travel to save Nahida…

Save Nahida…

Just then, something just occurred to him. He remembered Dainsleif's words as he roused from unconsciousness. "…To hold off on any attempt at rescuing his sister until he has recovered fully…" And a surge of excitement welled up within him. Because despite everything that had happened, this particular cloud had the most glorious silver lining.

"Well, that's an interesting expression, Harry," Dunyarzad remarked. "Why is that?"

"Nahida!" Harry exclaimed.

"Nahida?" Dehya asked. "Isn't that what you call the Dendro Archon?"

"It's her name. Yes, I know they also call her Buer or Kusanali, and don't ever call her Lesser Lord in my hearing, because she is not lesser," Harry said, shooting the Eremite a brief glare. Her nod was one of resigned concession. "But I've always known her best as Nahida. I may be stranded here on Teyvat…but there's a bright side to that. Once I'm rested up…I'm freeing Nahida from her prison…"

CHAPTER 2 ANNOTATIONS:

So, there you have it. Harry's found something to focus on. But who's this mysterious person who is the consort of Ei? And why does he seem to know of things from Earth?

No numbered annotations this time.