Chapter 2
Harry immediately felt the dampness and sweat covering his entire body. Sitting up, he took a breather and laid back for a few seconds, trying to quell the burning pain. Was this actually the next great adventure, or maybe he was just flung into a forest close to Godric's Hollow? He quickly patted himself down and found his soul-bound magical pouch, along with the trusty elder wand inside. Upon further inspection, he discovered his clothes were absolutely soaked in blood. His clothes and armor were nothing more than scraps held together by threads. Through the exposed areas, he could see the wounds that lay beneath and boy were they ugly.
He didn't have to worry for long as he saw them stitch back up rapidly, but his relief was short-lived. The wounds spurted open again before closing back up. He could feel the effects of the ritual gone wrong, ravaging his body like acid, but he never had this type of regeneration before. Don't be mistaken, he could restore limbs and heal all kinds of wounds thanks to the wonders of potions but never involuntarily. This passive regeneration was new and he could feel a familiar magical signature coursing through his body. Harry was grateful for it as he would have died from magical exhaustion trying to continuously heal the reappearing wounds on his own.
Yes, this magical source seemed to somewhat resemble the elixir of life. Did he somehow fuse with the Philosopher's stone during the ritual? He would have to later inspect his altered magic core, now that it held the philosopher's stone's magic within. He would have to keep his use of magic on the low for a while lest he risked further unbalancing his sensitive core. For now, he needed to find the materials to perform a purification ritual and find out where the explosion sent him. He could only hope Fleur survived the magical backlash of Voldemort's mess. 'Live on Fleur, guide humanity to greater heights than it could ever hope to achieve on its own.' Harry sighed before painfully trudging forward to the highest elevation he could find.
oooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooo
Upon reaching the highest peak of a nearby mountain, with cautious use of apparition, he spotted an enormous port city in the distance. He would have to wait and search for information regarding where he was. He was now almost certain that he was no longer on Earth. His personal navigational spells, which were based on the solar system's planetary movements, were no longer functioning. This city was also not one he recognized from the few remaining ones he helped construct.
As Harry walked into the town, he could tell it was medieval themed and this alone was enough to confirm his suspicions. There were no magical signatures within the town, so these weren't his fellow backward wizards who survived the cataclysm. Another clue was the language they spoke. It was not English, but this was no problem. He quickly masked his presence with a notice-me-not charm and placed a compulsion spell on a passing merchant. He led the man into the alley and looked into his eyes to begin his legilimens probe.
"Let's see where I currently am," Harry muttered as he pilfered through the many useless memories of the merchant's time in a brothel. This man loved his whores, and they loved his coin even more. Besides this, he absorbed enough of the language so he could speak fluently and also received plenty of information about this world he knew absolutely nothing about. Choosing a merchant was honestly the best idea he could have made. These men traveled all over the world in search of riches. According to the merchant, he was on a continent called Westeros, with the others being Essos, Sothoryos, and Ulthos. The man had only been to Westeros and Esoss, while only hearing rumors about the rest. It seemed that much of the known world was on this continent and on Essos. Westeros was made up of seven or so kingdoms all unified by the ruling monarchs, the Targaryens. The Stormlands, Dorne, Vale, Reach, Westerlands, Riverlands, and finally the North. A royal family who held the power to control dragons and, using them, brought the entire continent to its knees. Amazing, a magical family ruling muggles and not being hunted down into hiding.
Apparently, it was common knowledge regarding the heritage of the Targaryen family. Valyria, an empire whose borders seemed limitless. Who get this, was also ruled by Wizardkind. The freehold of Valryia used magic to tame dragons and take over much of the known world. Curtains closed on their empire when the volcanoes they lived on blew all of them into the afterlife. He couldn't blame them. Harnessing the magical power that comes from nature must have done wonders for their primitive society. Truth be told, he wasn't all that impressed except for their dominance over muggles. Especially with the way the previous king Jaehaerys dealt with the faith of the Seven. Masterful move to not only deal with a thorn permanently but also elevate the position of his family even higher within the realm. He always wondered how this wasn't accomplished back on Earth or why wizards chose to hide instead of taking over the world. Food for thought.
The merchant was uneducated in the other stuff Harry wanted to know about. Though this would fit the description of a world which was largely stuck in the early medieval days. This man did not know a lick of mathematics, science, or astronomy. Only this citadel in the "glorious city" of Oldtown would hold this knowledge if the merchant was to be believed. The man believed the planet was flat with a fall into the abyss, waiting for him at the edge. He held only passing knowledge of constellations which were used to guide him as captain of a boat. This didn't matter at the moment. Harry now needed information on how to get the ingredients for the ritual.
'Perhaps this King Visery's or any other Targaryen would help a fellow wizard in need. Hmmmm no, I'll meet with them when I'm finally healed. Who knows what powerful magic they might possess, and they'd most likely consider him a threat to their reign. He wouldn't blame them if they did. Harry would also be suspicious of a random wizard who appeared out of nowhere. Granted, wizards kind of specialized in appearing out of nowhere, but you get the point. To Oldtown it is. Luckily, the merchant was headed there next, as his business here in Lannisport was done. The possibility of the necessary magical plants not existing here was not small, but he found that many animals and plants native to earth also lived here. Harry decided to have a little hope and at the very least try to look for them. What was the alternative, go hide in a forest and live in a little hut where he would occasionally steal naughty children from nearby villages? It was a choice that merited serious consideration but only for the very end in case all of this didn't work out.
While this merchant got his crew ready, Harry decided to explore the city before he left for another kingdom. He just had to get inside Casterly Rock, as it looked grand from his point of view down here. He had not noticed the castle at the top of the huge cliff, but he could admire it now. This kind of architecture had mostly faded away into the past by the time he was born. Now nothing was left except whatever the remaining survivors decided on. He hoped to one day return and see for himself. If he could end up here, then Harry was certain there was a way back. That's how doors worked. It just had to.
The current lord Jason Lannister was a powerful man who was filthy rich by Westerosi standards, thanks to his family's large mines. Harry briefly entertained the thought of destroying them just to see the chaos, but conserving power was far more important than fun. For the moment. The place was majestic and very well defended by many knights overlooking the main entrance into Casterly Rock. A quick wave of his hand and the guards could no longer perceive him as he walked right by the small army. All the gold in the world could not protect you from a curious wizard. Let this be a lesson. He needed to find a noble who would be more educated regarding the current events of Westeros. A merchant knew much, but a noble belonging to the family of a Warden would hold a grander view of the occurrences within the seven kingdoms.
"Lady Johanna, please forgive me. I meant no offense by the comment I made during meal. I heard it from one of the servants and it's very clearly a nasty lie. I will make it up to you in any way you wish," a blonde teenage girl pleaded towards the fuming woman in front of her.
"Disgusting bastard, I don't know why I even allow you to continue living here in Casterly Rock. You should've been drowned at birth, along with that whore my husband has seen fit to entertain. I allow you into my home and already you prove what everyone knows is true. You bastards are all deceitful, just like the means of your conception." Lady Johanna slapped the girl before ordering guards to imprison the girl in her room. 'Seems like this woman might be the wife of Jason Lannister given her authority and the conversation I just heard.' A quick compulsion and she was leading him towards her private chambers. Scanning the area revealed no one but passing guards making their rounds in the castle.
One mind trip later allowed Harry to relax as Jason Lannister was currently at court in King's Landing, the capital of the 7 kingdoms and where the Targaryens ruled from. He marked this for later. He would need to know the place before he finally came face to face with the famed dragon riders. On a more interesting note, it seemed the political situation of Westeros was quite fragile at the moment. The kingdoms were divided between Aegon II, the firstborn son, and Rhaenrya, the chosen heir of the king who was female. Jason Lannister had already chosen a side and was currently scheming his way into becoming Master of Coin for the "Greens." Green being Aegon II's side and Black being Rhaenyra's. The situation would make for a good show as the only thing he could see harming the secure reign of the Targaryens would be infighting. Such was the case for many successful empires back on Earth.
Harry decided he would watch the situation carefully and factored many ways he could use this as leverage for when he met with them. Perhaps they knew of a way to travel back to Earth. It wouldn't hurt to ask or see what they were made of. He had no intention of starting a family here, so all that was left was finding a way back home. Back to Fleur and their future. He threw it all away for a lunatic of a wizard who probably would have kicked the bucket on his own. Harry theorized that his leyline powered shield probably messed with the ritual. It did not have enough planetary influence to provide the sufficent power, but somehow it still worked, just for the wrong person. Something must have allowed the damn thing to transport him, but what?. He briefly wondered what life would've been like if he simply just let Voldemort kill himself with a botched ritual and stayed with Fleur.
"We made a killing here, but now the riches of Oldtown await us next. If we make as much as we did here, then the next round is on me. What do you say, men, ready to sail for Oldtown?"
"Aye Aye captain!" Harry yells out behind the crew causing them all to jump. The eyes of the confused crew searched around for the disembodied voice but found no unfamiliar faces. The ship quickly descended into chaos as drunk sailors became rowdy and violent. Life was good when the boys were finally together. Harry was sure he could whip this sorry crew into something interesting.
ooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooo
Harry wondered what the other kingdoms looked like as the morning sun cast a beautiful glow over the approaching city. It brought back memories of Hogsmeade and the other magical communities he traveled to on Earth. They all held this kind of medieval architecture, which gave him much nostalgia, at least the ones in Europe did. Up close was a different story, as many of the cities dealt with an influx of peasants they could not sustain, corrupt guards, and uncaring lords. There was much crime, poverty, and filth lining many of the streets, except those close to where the nobility resided. Or the Citadel itself. He turned back to his faithful captain and waved goodbye only to recieve a confused expression from the man.
Harry laughed as he thought of all the shanties and drinks they shared without the crew ever knowing a stranger was among them. He would have preferred to apparate but he didn't know the areas well enough and his current state stopped him from using apparate multiple times in order to solve the problem. He couldn't wait to fix his condition and be done with all this. It sucked having your magic limited in any way and the void energies clinging to his body made it so much more uncomfortable. So without wasting anymore time, Harry made his way towards the Honeywine river where the Citadel resided along its banks. This was the main house supporting the Greens as Aegon II and his siblings were also Hightower through their Queen mother, Alicent Hightower.
The Hightowers are very wealthy and held much influence with owning Oldtown. They watched over the Starry sept, the place where Aegon the Conqueror was crowned. The center of knowledge, the Citadel, was under their protection and control. Their grand 'Hightower' was also the highest structure in Westeros, even taller than the wall laying in the North. Curious thing that ice wall, he could see it from the top of the Hightower when he made his way to the top. The base of the tower held a mysterious black stone, which fascinated Harry enough to chip some off. The Hightowers wouldn't even notice the small piece missing. The black stone held ethereal qualities, and even his trained mage sight wasn't enough to divine its properties or its origins.
He could also sense the magic coming from the North and was the only place in Westeros where he could feel massive amounts of magic. This wall, or probably what laid in the North, was the cause of this feeling. Harry could've sworn he felt a scrying attempt on him through some unknown means. Someone was trying to perceive him, but he kept the habit of maintaining up all kinds of concealment spells during the war with Voldemort. Something living around or in the North was trying to get a feel of him. Harry needed to finish up here and see who possessed enough power to have become aware of his presence. He wouldn't be surprised if that was the case. He only reapplied his cloaks after he woke up.
His entrance into this world was probably not quiet. Even so, it was no simple matter for someone to scour an entire continent for him. They had a powerful scrying tool, perhaps or maybe some sort of extraordinary seer. Not all seers were bogus, like Sybill Trelawny. He met actual divination masters when exploring the different magical communities back on Earth. The shamans of Africa could foresee his arrival to their village before he even decided to visit the place. A scary talent in the wrong hands, knowing the future gave a massive advantage over your enemies. Harry himself used it to predict Voldemort's attacks a couple times, but he could never fully master the fickle subject powered by Fate. A powerful enough anti-scrying spell could shield you from their view. Either way, something in the air always kept Harry on edge. There was an underlying feeling of doom that he just couldn't shake off. It reminded him most of a spider slowly weaving its web around unsuspecting prey.d
On the approaching horizon, the first couple of buildings of his destination finally came into view. The Citadel was a collection of buildings as befitting of an institution who specialized in learning. Except here, only second or third sons could hope to join through the connections of their family. This was the center of knowledge in the entire kingdom, and every castle had someone who was taught here. Not only were they powerful through controlling knowledge, but also possibly knowing what went on in every castle. The maester played the role of a teacher, doctor, and historian, so every lord needed one in their castle. This whole system of the Citadel and its maesters was actually pretty neat when he thought about it.
Harry entered the Citadel and watched as people came in and out. The entrance had what could only be described as Sphinxes, which was a pleasant surprise. They were a well known magical creature most commonly associated with Egypt. He had to encounter one while searching for curse breakers to help him with his Voldemort problem. Sphinxes were amusing as far as he was concerned, but this was probably because the ones he met weren't guarding anything. As long as they weren't hiding something, then you could safely approach them for a contest of riddles. Crispin Cronk once kept like 10 of them in his backyard even after being threatened with prison by the Ministry. Needless to say, he did eventually get sent to Azkaban after he ignored the Ministry's warnings. Oh, who could ever understand the eccentricity of Wizard kind? We were a different breed of crazy, thanks to magic.
Most commoners didn't know how to read, so they came here to pay for the services of scribes. Books were sold here and maps of the known world too. He bought some maps and any relevant books regarding the history of Westeros. He entertained the idea of just confunding the stall owner, but decided he would get familiar with the currency system. His massive magical pouch contained much of the gold and artifacts belonging to his family's vaults or anything he collected during his travels. It was a simple matter to just transfigure the galleon into a golden dragon, as their size and weight were similar.
The stand owner's eyes grew wide upon seeing the pouch of gold dragons. Harry supposed he probably shouldn't have flashed his coin like that, but he still had trouble getting a grip on how the currency worked. He had no idea how much something was worth here or if he was being ripped off. Of course, a quick legilimency scan later revealed he wasn't. The stalls in the Citadel weren't run by just any merchant wanting to set up shop. They were mostly members of the Maester order or given permission to sell if they were deemed worthy. This place had a reputation to upkeep.
"Thank you, my Lord. Please come again. My name is Krazn and you can find me here most days. If there is anything I can help you with, then please let me know." The vendor finished with a low bow of gratitude.
"Question for you? This is my first time here in Oldtown and I am amazed at everything around me. I wish to know more about the Citadel and how it works. Who runs the Citadel nowadays and does this place have a public library? Do you perhaps know where they conduct the lectures?" Harry could've again just used the mind arts, but he also needed practice with this new language.
"Ah, well, I hope you are enjoying your stay, my Lord. A wise decision to visit the Citadel, the biggest repository of knowledge in the world. The current Grand Maester is the previous Archmaester Orwyle who was promoted to his position for possessing only the brightest of minds. I can assure you of that. Fortunately, the Library of the Citadel is open to those of noble birth, so you should have no trouble gaining access. The lectures are mostly held within the Grand Library as well, so there is no need to look elsewhere. Just continue through this main road and go past the Isle of Ravens towards the center. The Library is currently holding lectures right now. The Seven look favorably on you."
Harry bid the vendor goodbye while following his directions towards the Library. Harry thought of the different things the maesters could be discussing within the lectures. As far as he knew, the order had been established by the Hightowers, which dated some eight thousand years ago. The maesters did their job well of recording eight thousand years of history, but there was too little to show for this ludicrous amount of time. Earth only made advancements once a dedicated group of smart people were given importance. The order of the Citadel had 8,000 years and almost nothing to show for it if the current medieval standards were anything to go by. Their ancestors seemed to have lived the exact same lives as the current generation, which was insane.
The Library would be a good place to start. Briefly looking up from his thoughts, Harry noticed he was nearing the Library and the entrance, which was guarded by a group of Oldtown knights.
"Good day my Lord, may I ask what house do you come from? The maesters like to keep a record of everything. You know how those virgin bookworms like things." The surrounding men laughed, and Harry was keen to join them. The whole chastity spiel reminded him of the monks who practiced chastity as a form of discipline. The idea that women would distract them from their studies was just as laughable as thinking medieval men would actually obey it.
"No problem, I am from House Confunded."
"Confunded? Oh is that the on-" The guards didn't get to react before their faces adopted a confused and hypnotized look.
"There is no need to record my entrance. You are all doing amazing jobs. Why don't you all take the day off and go get a pint or two?"
"Yes, we have been working hard lately. Come men, let's head to the nearest tavern and fill our stomach with booze." All the men cheered with their previous confusion left in the past.
Harry walked in through the massive double doors and headed into the main chamber while placing a notice me not charm on. The conclave was in session as Harry recognized the different robes worn by the Archmaesters compared to the normal grey robes of the maesters. They were currently discussing something related to the current economics of the Seven kingdoms which was a disappointment as he was hoping to hear a class on science or mathematics. The next best option was heading straight for the library, as he would not sit through a medieval economics lecture. There could not possibly be anything more dreadful than that.
The place was especially busy during conclaves, as many maesters and acolytes attended to hear the Archmaesters discuss important information. The Grand Library proved to be true to its name and reputation. The biggest repository in the world indeed. There were massive bookshelves in every direction, with ladders stationed nearby. Private tables were scattered throughout the library for acolytes and maesters, looking to read in peace. Now this was going to be an interesting study session.
oooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooo
Harry held many stacks of books on his table, all ranging from different subjects. He was a bit disappointed with what he discovered within the books. The order was primitive considering their long history, and it should've been obvious before Harry even opened a book. They had no defining knowledge of physics, chemistry, biology, or mathematics. Only the bare minimum needed for the construction of a castle and other such buildings. They had knowledge of measuring units and a working calendar. That was all they had for the past eight thousand years. They played more of a historian role for those years than they did as scientists.
It honestly didn't matter too much to harry except that he would find no modern commodities in this world, which was something he couldn't live without. Thankfully, Magic proved a more than sufficient answer to all these problems. He couldn't imagine a muggle being here in his shoes. They would've definitely killed themselves without access to showers, toilets, toilet paper, air conditioner, or any of the basic modern rights. Harry knows he probably would've. The heat and sweat alone when he woke up was unbearable. Okay, maybe he was a little spoiled by magic and modern luxuries, but it was still a valid point. "Right Fawkes? Oh, that's right, I'm in an-" A screech and a flash of flame interrupted him as he witnessed his phoenix land right in front of him.
"Fawkes!" Harry reached out immediately and hugged his familiar, perhaps a little too tightly. Fawkes screeched in annoyance while poking his beak into his shoulder, signaling him to let go. Harry took a moment to look at his old friend and noticed how tired the phoenix looked. He reached out through his bond with Fawkes and felt the exhaustion his familiar went through to flashing his way here. Good to know
"Don't worry buddy, I've got some of your favorite treats right here and I'll find you a good room as soon as possible." Harry stopped as he felt the presence of a group behind, which reminded him he was in a library. He slowly turned around and found a group of acolytes with their jaws on the ground, staring at Fawkes. He needed to finish up here and find a place to rest. But before that...
"Obliviate." A wide spread glow flashed and erased any memory of Fawkes from their minds. He replaced it with the memory of a fellow acolyte accidentally setting their cloak on fire after one of the long sleeves came into contact with a candle. After this, he left the Citadel and rented a room in a nearby inn. He needed to continue exploring the library for something like an Apothecary guide or anything magical related. An odd thing that Harry noticed was that the library contained little to nothing about magic. Only the Valryians, Targaryens, and brief mentions of legends were all he could find. He was sure they must have more, but where? Maybe there was a special area for stuff related to the "higher mysteries" within the Citadel? He could tell that there was some serious stigma surrounding magic, which was to be expected as the Citadel was closely linked to the Faith. It was frowned upon for sure, so he would have to go around and look for one of these Valyrian link maesters if he was going to get any meaningful answers.
"Hey buddy, after you are all rested. Do you think you'll be able to return us home?" Harry was feeling relieved now that a familiar face had shown up. If he was able to get here, then surely he should be able to flash them back. Fawkes crushed Harry's hopes with news about the treacherous journey he had to undertake in his search. Fawkes had immediately flashed through with Harry the moment he had been sent through the destabilized space-time tear, but wasn't able to follow his path directly into this new dimension. Fawkes telepathically shared images of the void and different dangerous realities he had to flash through, which was only possible because the ritual must have weakened the boundaries of space-time. Therefore, Fawkes was able to find him by following the distinct trail he left behind.
"I guess it's best if I don't get my hopes up and just find another way. What the hell kind of ritual did Voldemort use? I recognized some of the rune formations, but everything else is a mystery. Maybe I can replicate it later on, but only if they have similar magical ingredients here as well. I don't think I'll be finding them in Westeros though. Magic seems to widely gone from this place except for Dragons and the comically large wall north of here. You can feel it too, can't you, buddy?" Fawkes cawed in agreement before uplifting Harry's low spirits with a phoenix lament.
"Thank you, Fawkes." Harry said as he gently scratched Fawkes around the head.
oooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooo
Bonus Scene
"And it's- Windy weather, boys, stormy weather, boys. When the wind blows, we're all together, boys;
Blow ye winds westerly, blow ye winds, blow,
Jolly sou'wester, boys, steady she goes Up jumps the eel with his slippery tail, Climbs up aloft and reefs the topsail"
"Harry Potter! This is one hell of a shanty. I've been sailing these waters for decades and I've never heard of this one."
"Argh! Ahoy mates! Land aho! Me and my old crew made it after escaping a wild storm off the coast of Lys." Harry was loving this First Mate roleplay and even transfigured his clothes. He obviously had to mess with their minds into making them believe he was one of them but it was well worth the trouble.
"Hey, captain! There is a-"
"Not now, Boles! Can't you see I'm enjoying these fine shanties? Just sing along with us!" The captain silenced the lookout and continued the song.
"By the way Harry, what in the seven hells is an eel?"
"Captain, there are giant tentacles coming up the sides of the ship!" Harry ripped his eye patch off and looked over the side of the ship to see the tentacle of a Kraken grabbing a hold of the ship.
"All hands on deck!" Harry screamed as the tentacle lifted them up and out of the water.
(AN: This chapter was about 5k words or so. Idk. I will be making larger chapters but these first ones are just to get a feel of what direction I want to head in. I already have an end goal along with most of the journey planned out so don't worry about me abandoning this story. Please let me know in the reviews if I can improve on anything specific. I get a bit self-conscious at times when I find myself getting too detailed with the convos but I want to not make this a snoozefest. If you get what I'm trying to say. As I was saying, I do have a very good idea regarding the ending of the story and I do expect it to reach 100k+ easily especially as I get more into the plot-thickened chapters. Like I said last time, I will be exploring many of the mysteries surrounding ASOIAF. Please leave a review with a suggestion and tell me how I'm doing. I want to improve and this can be a good way for me to learn. BTW do you all want me to switch to first person as I'm kind of having second thoughts about third person. Makes writing feel a bit awkward to me so please let me know. Next chapter is almost done so it will be released either today or tomorrow. Peace.)