Harry Potter and the God of War
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Chapter 3
Three days later, Harry was well enough to receive visitors and the first people to visit him were Ron and Hermione. The latter was buzzing with all sorts of questions, mainly about the people who rescued Harry. Understandably, the bookish young girl did not ask too many questions about what happened in the graveyard or what happened to Cedric as she was sensible enough to avoid such tactless questions.
"So, how did they just appear out of nowhere?" was the first question Hermione had asked of Harry.
Harry shrugged in response to the question and said, "I don't know. There I was facing Voldemort –" Both Ron and Hermione visibly winced at the mention of the Dark Lord's name but Harry ignored it and continued "-then in a flash of light, Kratos, Freya and Mimir appeared and saved me."
"And by save, you mean?" Ron hesitated to asked.
"It was a massacre," Harry said dully as he remembered the aforementioned massacre. "Kratos hacked the Death Eaters to pieces with his axe and Freya used magic to trap Voldemort and she did something to destroy him."
"Destroy him? What do you mean?" Ron questioned. Harry shrugged and brushed the hair covering his forehead to scratch an itch. Ron and Hermione both gave a start as they realised that the lightning bolt scar that was Harry's most defining feature was now gone. "Bloody hell! Your scar!? It's gone!" Ron blurted out.
"What happened to it?" Hermione asked as she clasped Harry's head to get a closer look.
"Freya did… something. I was pretty out of it, but I think she said something about a soul leech," Harry replied as he half-heartedly pried Hermione's hands from his noggin.
"A soul leech? I've never heard of that before," Hermione remarked. "Not in anything I've read so far," she added absently.
"Whatever it is, it's gone now and my scar with it," Harry said with a relieved smile. So many times people's eyes had flicked up to that blemish on his forehead. It annoyed him to no end that people looked for that damned scar, a reminder of what had happened all those years ago when he was just a baby. Now the scar was gone, courtesy of Freya.
"So, what's the deal with that talking head?" Ron asked. "Is it an actual head? How is it able to talk?"
"I don't know. I haven't really asked," Harry said sheepishly.
"Asked what exactly, little brother?" a voice asked and walking into the Hospital Wing was the head that hung from Kratos's waist along with Kratos and Freya themselves.
"Oh! Um, hello, Mr Kratos sir and Miss Freya," Hermione babbled out nervously. "We wanted to come visit Harry and see how he was doing," she hurriedly explained with Ron nodding his head rapidly in support of her words.
Freya smiled warmly and said to them, "It is no trouble, young miss. We figured Harry would be receiving visitors soon enough, so you needn't worry." Freya's warm smile seemed to set Ron and Hermione at ease, although a glance towards Kratos who silently stared at them, almost glaring had their nervousness returning in greater force.
Freya noticed the way Kratos was looking at the young witch and wizard and coughed into her hand discretely. Kratos gave a growling hum, but his expression softened slightly.
"So, might we know your names, lass?" Mimir asked, Kratos holding him out to get a better look at Ron and Hermione.
"Hermione Granger, sir," Hermione introduced.
"Ron Weasley," Ron stated his name nervously.
"Pleasure to make yer acquaintances. I am Mimir, the Smartest Head in the Nine Realms," Mimir began introductions. "The man holding my head aloft is Kratos formerly of Sparta and the lady beside us is Lady Freya, Queen of the Vanir and the Valkyries," he announced.
"Queen of the Vanir…?" Hermione suddenly realised something and she blurted out, "You're the Goddess Freya! From Norse mythology!" Hermione's eyes were like saucers.
Freya smiled modestly and gave a slight bow. "Do you know any other?" Her quip was humorous as she looked at the almost hyper-ventilating young girl before her.
"Goddess?" Ron looked confused as he looked between Hermione and Freya.
"She's an actual goddess from Norse mythology!" Hermione hissed at both Ron and Harry. "I didn't think gods actually existed!" she babbled out.
"Well, what made you think gods didn't exist at all? Magic certainly exists," Mimir pointed out.
Hermione looked like she was about ready to faint from the realisation that gods may in fact be real. Ron had a more muted reaction, but he still looked surprised at the fact that an actual goddess stood before them. Harry looked at Freya and asked, "You're the Goddess Freya? Does that mean other gods exist?"
"Some do, but others existed past tense," Freya said cryptically.
Hermione paused as she put two and two together. "Gods can be killed?" she asked her voice quiet.
"They certainly can, lass, but they can take a lot of punishment if you get my meaning," Mimir informed her.
Hermione then looked at Mimir and realised something. "You're from Norse myth as well. Mimir… the talking head Odin was said to carry with him," she noted faintly.
"Well, Odin certainly bound me to a tree that no weapon, not even Thor's hammer, could free my body from," Mimir said dryly. "But it's Kratos here who carries me around, not the All-Fucker," he stated.
"Mimir!" Freya hissed at him. "Don't use such crass language in front of children!" she admonished.
"What? It's not like they've haven't rude language before, and they've probably heard worse," Mimir said defensively.
"We have," Ron said with an awkward smile and Hermione swatted him on the head for that. "Ow! What? It's true!"
"My point exactly!" Mimir said in support.
"Even so, we should set a better example by not using vulgar language in front of children," Freya said vehemently.
"Of course, your majesty," Mimir said absently.
"So, if Mr Kratos isn't Odin, then how is it you're being carried around? How are you even alive and talking?" Hermione asked.
"Well, technically speaking, I'm not actually alive, more reanimated than truly living," Mimir replied. "As for how, Kratos freed me of my bonds by severing my head from my body with a swing of his axe and Lady Freya used the old magic to reanimate me," he explained.
"Did it… did it hurt?" Ron asked looking queasy at the thought of being decapitated.
"Oh, not at all. Kratos swung swift and true. I felt nary a scratch!" Mimir said cheerfully. "And luckily Freya knew the old ways to reanimate me in the state you see today," he added.
"You can… bring someone back from the dead?" Harry asked and he looked about to ask something else when Freya raised a hand to stop him.
"I cannot bring your friend Cedric back from the dead," Freya's words were cool and dispassionate. "Even though I may able to reanimate him to a status similar to life, he would not be truly alive, not really," There was a look of sadness in Freya's eyes as she spoke the words.
"Aye, lad. Sometimes being dead is better," Mimir said softly. "Whilst I won't truly complain about my status, I know it's not true living, but it's much better than being bound to a tree for 109 winters with Odin himself torturing me everyday for his own amusement."
Harry deflated at this and he stared at the foot of his bed dejectedly.
"Chin up, lad. Don't let your friend's death weigh you down. He died bravely standing up to that snake-faced bastard. I imagine others weren't so brave as he was, were they?"
Harry thought about it for a moment and shook his head in response.
"So, if the Norse Gods are real, does that mean other pantheons exist as well?" Hermione then asked.
"I imagine they do, little lass, although much of the Greek Pantheon no longer exists," Mimir said conversationally.
"Head!" Kratos growled out warningly.
"Ah, right. Topic for another time," Mimir quickly said. "So, how are you feeling, lad?" he then asked Harry. "Feeling weak? Empty?"
"I'm fine. Like something's been lifted from my shoulders," Harry admitted.
"Good. That is good news to hear," Freya said with a relieved smile. "That soul leech had been with you for a long time, so naturally we were worried about any adverse side-effects removing may have had on you," she told him.
"Soul leech? You meaning something was attached to my soul?" Harry asked.
"Aye, seems that snake-faced bugger placed a piece of his soul on you. Making you one of his anchors to the mortal plane," Mimir said.
"Voldemort… put a piece of his soul… inside me?" Harry looked sickened by this revelation. Ron and Hermione had horrified looks on their faces as they now looked at their friend in concern.
"Dumbledore didn't tell you?" Mimir asked in mild surprise.
"He mentioned that the night Voldemort killed my parents and tried to kill me that some of his powers were transferred over to me," Harry said in realisation as he thought back to his second year at Hogwarts. "He never said anything about Voldemort's soul being inside me…"
"Something to bring up with the old man then," Mimir said dryly. "I imagine he's kept you three in the dark about a lot of things," he noted.
"I'm sure he had a good reason to," Hermione said weakly.
"No-one is saying he didn't," Freya said kindly. "But keeping such information from those whom it affects can be detrimental when the truth finally breaks," she added glancing at Kratos who hummed at this.
"In any case, it's one way to explain how the snake-faced bugger managed to cheat death," Mimir said offhandedly. "And from what the old codger alluded to, he probably made more than one," he added.
"More than one?" Harry asked in rising dread.
"Don't fret, lad. Lady Freya, Kratos and I are gonna have a hunt for them. Get rid of the bloody things before they become a bigger nuisance," Mimir assured him.
Hermione seemed distracted by something and glanced at nearby window. Freya also glanced at the window, her eyes narrowing dangerously before she thrust her hand out, shouting in a strange language. Vines seemingly growing from the cracks in the tiled floor grew out and in large sizes lurching towards the nearby window, wrapping around something. Hermione pulled out her wand.
"What the hell's going on?!" Ron yelled in alarm. Kratos quickly hung Mimir on his waist and pulled out his axe ready for a fight.
The vines Freya had conjured moved back into the centre of the room and Freya chanted another strange spell. In a flash of light wrapped in a mess of vines was none other than Rita Skeeter, star reporter and muck-raker for the Daily Prophet.
"I knew it!" Hermione spat angrily. "You're an animagus!" she accused, thrusting the tip of her wand under Rita's eye. Rita was too stunned to say anything, openly gawping at everyone.
"An animagus?" Harry echoed in confusion. "What are you talking about?" he asked Hermione.
"It's how she's been getting all those quotes and interviews all year!" Hermione informed everyone. "She can turn into a beetle! Something no-one would look twice at!" she then said.
"So, she's a spy then?" Freya asked coldly. "Whom does she work for?" Freya's voice was colder than winter itself and Kratos' face hardened into an angry frown.
"The Daily Prophet," Hermione told Freya. "She's been publishing horrible interviews about Harry, taking things out of context to spread gossip to sell publications!"
"She tell lies about people, you say?" Mimir remarked.
"I don't know what you're talking about! I just came here for an exclusive!" Rita screamed. Freya clenched her hands and vines wrapped around the muck-raker's throat tightly making her choke.
"Not. Another word. From you," the Vanir goddess warned the reporter coldly.
The bustling into the room was Madam Pomfrey. "What in Merlin's name is going on here?" the nurse demanded. "Why is that reporter in here?" she asked glaring at Rita angrily.
"She's an animagus!" Hermione repeated what she said before. "She can turn into a beetle. It's how she's been getting quotes all year and all of her career as well!"
Pomfrey's eyes widened at this revelation and Rita tried to protest her innocence were it not for the vines wrapping tightly around her neck.
"It would explain a lot," the nurse muttered darkly. "We need to let Albus know," she quickly said as she cast what Harry identified as a Patronus which scampered off out of the Hospital Wing.
Moments later, the headmaster swept into the hospital wing, his face grave and even somewhat angry. Professor McGonagall and Snape were on either side of the old man; McGonagall looked livid and Snape looked even more dour than usual.
"Rita Skeeter…" Albus intoned softly, but there underlying current to his voice made the temperature of the room drop swiftly to near freezing levels. Metaphorically speaking, of course.
"She's an animagus, sir," Hermione then explained how she pieced it all together and even mentioning that Draco Malfoy and his cronies had been giving interviews & quotes to Rita all year round. Snape made to say something in defence of his students but a low rumbling growl from Kratos had the potions master uncharacteristically holding his tongue. Dumbledore listened patiently, asking questions for clarification before making his verdict.
"I will have to notify Madame Bones and the DMLE," the headmaster announced before looking at McGonagall and asked the Transfiguration professor to prepare an owl for him. McGonagall spared the muckraking reporter one last glare before leaving the room.
"Severus? How much Veratiserum do you have?" Albus then asked the Potions Master.
"I have an adequate supply, Headmaster," Snape drawled which everyone took to mean that he plenty.
"Good. Amelia will want access to some when she arrives. Can you please bring some to an appropriate place where we can question Miss Skeeter?" Snape nodded and swept out of the room like an overgrown bat.
"Miss Freya? If you wouldn't mind bringing Miss Skeeter with me to a more conducive location, I would greatly appreciate it," Albus with a deferential smile to the Vanir Goddess who fixed Rita an evil looking smile.
"Gladly."
Keeping Rita bounded in magical vines, Freya and Dumbledore left the room, leaving Harry and the others alone.
"Is it too much to ask for a normal, quiet & boring year?!" Madam Pomfrey lamented as she checked on Harry, fussing over him a little.
"Been through some turbulent times, have we?" Mimir asked the school nurse conversationally.
"Yes. Especially when these three troublemakers joined Hogwarts," Pomfrey said shooting the aforementioned troublemakers a half-hearted glare. "You three will turn me to drink someday soon!" she told them, though there was a hint of a smile on her lips.
Kratos then gave a small chuckle which Mimir picked up on. "Hoho! A chuckle! A rare day indeed!" the Smartest Head in the Nine Realms crowed in triumph.
"So, Mimir said you were from Sparta. That's in Greece," Hermione remarked.
"Many years ago, yes, I hailed Sparta, but I left it behind long ago," Kratos said softly in his growling voice.
"Why is that?" Harry asked curiously.
Kratos frowned a little at this and replied, "To escape my past. To start a new life." It was all he would say on the matter.
"Forgive him. Kratos is a private man. One day he might tell ye about his life, but you'll have to earn his trust first," Mimir explained to the wizards and witch.
Harry, Ron and Hermione nodded in understanding.
"So, would you mind telling us about Hogwarts? It's a school of magic, right?" Mimir asked. "It's in my homeland, but much has changed since I was last here," he noted.
"This was your homeland?" Hermione and her friends looked at the talking head in surprise.
"Aye, but I left it behind many centuries ago and found myself in the Nine Realms where I became an ambassador of gods, giants and all other races. I know every tongue spoken, every war waged and every deal struck," Mimir proclaimed.
"Who were you before that?" Harry asked.
"Topic for another time," Mimir quickly said. "So, Hogwarts is a school of magic? What kind of magic is taught here?"
Harry and Ron then looked at Hermione who then proceeded to explain to Kratos and Mimir the history of Hogwarts and the world of magic as she knew it.
TO BE CONTINUED…
A/N: There! Third chapter of this is done and dusted! I apologise for the long wait, but real life took precedence over things and work has been kicking my ass lately. I do apologise for this being so short, but I was honestly struggling what to write for this chapter, but I did write that Hermione and Freya caught Rita Skeeter spying on them. And I have plenty more ideas for this story and someone suggested that the Umbitch tries to arrest Kratos for killing "upstanding pureblood wizards of society." You can guess what will happen there, but I'm thinking Dumbledore and Madame Bones intervene on Kratos and co.'s behalf reminding the Toad that the DMLE is not in her jurisdiction. Of course, this won't stop the Dementor-In-Pink from trying something, maybe on Harry during the summer holidays and to that end, I'm thinking that Kratos and co. take up residence in Mrs Figg's home to keep an eye on Harry, as well as scare the living daylights out of the Dursleys. That's if I don't do something to rectify the while Sirius Black on the run business and I've belatedly realised that I had Pettigrew be caught in Kratos' bloody wake, silly of me, huh?
But maybe with Mimir's Bifrost eyes, he can show everyone the truth of Sirius' innocence and clear his name. Something to think about at the least.
And in other news, I've got some ideas for my Witcher/Game of Thrones story The Witcher's Apprentice about some crossover worlds Aegon/Eggsy could travel to and I've set up a voting poll of some worlds he and potentially someone else could end up in via a random magic portal. So, feel free to cast your vote if you haven't already.
And that's about all I have right this minute, so I'll see you all next time.
Be kind to one another,
Angry lil' elf.