I know a lot of you were getting excited for a Harry/Altera fic. Unfortunately, after the second chapter...I wasn't feeling it. I very nearly scrapped the Harry/Altera pairing in favour of another pairing to go with the storyline, but after some not inconsiderable thought (I considered pairings ranging from Nero to Quetzlcoatl all the way to Tiamat, and yes, I will still consider those pairings for future stories...including Tiamat), I decided to go back to the drawing board.

Firstly, I decided to do away with Harry being a Titan and linked to Altera for some years. It felt like I was robbing the story of some good character development, where Harry and Altera learn to trust each other and indeed learn about each other. A lot of Altera's appeal in Fate/Extella was how she developed in her particular route.

Secondly, doing away with the Dumbledore-bashing. While it was justified in that story, I found it hard to integrate Dumbledore as an antagonist, as well as the wizards in general. I only do Dumbledore-bashing if it suits the story being told, and it just felt a bit awkward, if only because I needed to fit him into events somehow, and the story was beginning to look more and more like a clusterfuck. This isn't to say that Potterverse wizards won't make an appearance after a certain point: I have a few ideas.

Thirdly...I felt the story was in danger of becoming a bit on the cracky side, and while it will have some humour (Altera's reaction to her summoning going awry at the end of the chapter being a case in point), this version shouldn't be.

This, then, is what resulted. The first chapter remains largely the same as what I posted, only with references to Harry being the second Titan and Celenike experimenting on him to try and use Velber essence to enhance Homunculi edited out, so I haven't posted a replacement for the first chapter. The second chapter is pretty vastly changed, with only the ending scene being salvaged from the original version of the story.

VANGUARD OF DESTRUCTION (REVISED)

CHAPTER 2:

THE SUMMONING

In a space that didn't truly exist in any physical sense, a pair of women sat at a table. They were a study in contrasts, even though both had silvery white hair and crimson eyes, as well as a vague sense of emptiness to them. One was a pale-skinned woman, her hair long, dressed in an elaborate, ceremonial dress and mitre-like hat. The other was a dark-skinned woman, her outfit vaguely tribal and amounting to seemingly little more than a G-string and a breast band across her modest bust. Unlike the more conventionally beautiful pale-skinned woman, the darker-skinned woman's slender form had the air of an athletic beauty, with her skin marked with strange markings. A veil, almost like a wedding veil, was draped from her head.

The pale-skinned woman could be called many things. Once, she was Justeaze von Einzbern, the head of the von Einzbern family of Magi. Now, she was the guiding consciousness deep within the Greater Grail she sacrificed herself to create, though to be fair, it wasn't the original Justeaze. In truth, she was probably little more than the magical equivalent of an artificial intelligence, clinging onto sentience only barely.

The darker-skinned woman could also be called many things. In her first existence on Earth, she had been dubbed Sephyr, the White Titan of Velber. In her second existence, a life as a human being, she became known and feared as the Scourge of God, Attila the Hun, though Attila was actually a name she despised. She preferred to be known as Altera.

The two had an odd friendship, or at least a relationship, being artificial beings now imprisoned. Confined as they were to their respective prisons, they got bored. That they contacted each other was happenstance more than anything else, as the Greater Grail recharged. A few years ago, they met in abstract memetic space, the outer regions of Akasha, the Root of All Things, and began an odd friendship.

"So, I have a chance?" Altera asked.

"Yes. I am only dimly aware of what is going on outside my shell. But I have a Master who should be good for you, and you would be good for him. However, due to circumstances, I will not be able to control exactly where you will be summoned. I cannot guarantee that you will prevail either. But…"

"If I do, I promise, my wish will be to remove Velber's influence on me. If Velber desires otherwise, I will fight it with every fibre of my being."

"Good. I have faith in your conviction, Altera, though there is still the possibility that Velber may overcome you. And I sense something wrong. My attempt to summon a Ruler to adjudicate has been blocked, and I can only sense why dimly. Perhaps the one my family summoned in the last Grail War in Fuyuki has further desires on the Grail. Ruler, the one for this Grail War, has managed to find a compatible and willing host. Help her find the responsible party for interfering. I doubt that it is the thief, the one who claims ownership of me. I will speak to your soon-to-be Master very soon."

"Will he listen?"

"I believe he will. Over the time when he suffered, I could reach into his mind and soul. I know who he is, and what he is. He is a hero. And heroes save people, even from themselves…"

He was so tired. So very fucking tired. He had been for a very long time. Perhaps all his life. He'd been tired of the Dursleys treating him like an indentured servant, at best. He was so tired of the expectations made of him, and the wariness they treated him when rumours started circulating. The Tri-Wizard Tournament, where he was run ragged and treated as a cheater initially. The graveyard at Little Hangleton.

And then, while he lay in the Hospital Wing, the Aurors came. He was taken, locked up, accused, put on trial. The accusations and recriminations and treachery came in a blur. He only recognised a few. Lucius Malfoy. Amos Diggory. Fudge.

Then, that odious woman arrived at his holding cell, and had him stunned. Umbridge, her name was. She had a distant relative who had expressed an interest in what Harry was, and he was quickly shipped off to Romania…and there, the real Hell began, torture and experiments at the hands of a silver-haired bitch called Celenike.

Through her boasts, he learned about the Holy Grail War. He learned about Yggdmillennia's plans. He felt himself fading away piece by piece as Celenike's experiments continued…each day alternating between sharp pain and oblivion. Then, one day, he couldn't wake up from his dreams. And it was only a few weeks ago that he realised that his body was no longer his own, that Celenike's experiments had somehow and inadvertently transferred his soul to one of the Homunculi that was part of her experiments.

And now, his original body was dead, and here he was, floating in a tank of green oxygenated liquid that tasted like dragon's piss smelled. Then again, considering that Yggdmillennia were situated in Romania, and Charlie worked at the dragon preserve there…ah, the weird and wonderful things you thought of when you were trapped in a life support tank, naked save for a pair of medical grade boxers, and your body was quite literally not your own. Then again, he couldn't really move his body much, and his magic felt weird, so mounting an escape attempt was going to have to remain on the to-do list for now.

The problem was, escaping was going to be a bit tricky. If what he heard was correct, then this castle was going to be ground zero for a war between the Magi. He'd only heard of them a little through Hermione and Ron, with them being called the more amoral cousins of wizards. Anyway, supposedly, these Magi were fighting against Clock Tower, the Magi's leading authority. And they were summoning heroes from myth and history to fight in something called the Holy Grail War. That's what he got from Celenike's gloating as she tortured him. So escaping with his hide intact was going to be a mite bit tricky.

He sighed silently in the oxygenated liquid. He wished he could summon a Servant, he really could. That would help. But what could he do with one? He was a failure. All he could do was cause misery and destruction for himself. He was alone. He didn't even know whether any of his few friends were still alive…or even if they were friends. Hermione, the Weasley children, they had shouted support for him during the trial and had to be escorted out, but apart from them? He may have been famous in Magical Britain, but he also felt alone.

"You are without power, for now. But what would you do if you had power? What would you do with a wish on the Holy Grail?"

The strange, beautiful voice echoed in his ears, and Harry, with a start, realised that he was no longer in the life support tank, but rather, sitting in a field of flowers, in his Hogwarts robes. He shot up, startled. "What the hell?"

"This is not Hell, not in the manner you understand it, not is it any kind of afterlife," came the voice, and he whirled to face the owner. Standing there was a pale-skinned young woman with white hair and crimson eyes, dressed in elaborate ceremonial-looking robes. "Though I suppose you could call it an artificial gateway of sorts. You stand in a projection of the interior of the Greater Grail, a plane of existence between your world and that of Akasha, the Root of All Things. I am the interface of the Greater Grail, as it were, Justeaze Lizrich von Einzbern."

"…I'm within the Greater Grail?" Harry asked.

"No. Rather, you are linked, albeit temporarily, to my consciousness, Harry Potter. I can do very little, as while the Greater Grail is a miracle that approaches the level of the True Magics, an engine is useless when there is little fuel. In addition, I am intended to be impartial, allowing the miracle of the Holy Grail's power fall into the hands of the most worthy to possess it, a worthiness they must prove through strength of arms, conviction or cunning. However, your pain has called out to me, and while Yggdmillennia and so many others are making their plans, I have chosen you as a fifteenth Master, one who will summon a Servant of my choosing, but one who I believe will be a boon to you, just as you will be a boon to her."

"…You're having me summon a Servant?" Harry asked, not quite believing what he was hearing.

"Indeed." She gestured, and a flickering image of a dark-skinned woman appeared next to her. Like Justeaze, she had white hair and crimson eyes, though she had darker skin, like she came from the Middle East or something, and her clothing was considerably skimpier. "Her name is Altera. History knew her as Attila the Hun."

"…Wait a moment, what? Attila the Hun was a woman?"

"Many of history's figures were, but were obfuscated by history as male. King Arthur, Nero, Francis Drake, Oda Nobunaga, and so on. However, do not let her reputation deceive you. Altera does not desire destruction or conquest, although it is built into her very being. Indeed, Attila the Hun was a fragment of Sephyr, an ancient being that was sent to Earth 12000 years ago by Velber, the Umbral Star. She was sent here to wreak havoc so that Velber could harvest the world. However, Sephyr was defeated, and Earth has since been shielded from Velber's senses by the combined efforts of Gaia, the consciousness of the Earth, and Alaya, the collective consciousness of humanity. Sephyr did not cause destruction willingly. Indeed, she yearns for a life without destruction. That is why I have agreed to give her a chance in this Holy Grail War, tinkering with the summoning system to allow an avatar of her form as Attila the Hun to be summoned."

"And you thought I would make a good Master for her?" Harry asked flatly.

"I have seen your memories, Harry," Justeaze said. "You spent much of your childhood with a small cupboard as your bedroom, for little reason. Imagine being confined to such a space continually for millennia. Altera still has influence from Velber, but she fights against it. She knows what it is like to be lonely amongst a crowd of people. I believe that she can change for the better. And her wish is to remove Velber's influence on her, so she is no longer a threat to the world. I ask you to do this, because…I believe you can change her for the better. A hero is one who saves others, who protects others, and even if she is stronger than you physically, you can save her from herself, from Velber's influence."

"…And if I say no?"

"Then I will not press the issue. I am sure you have enough power to break out of your confinement given time to regain control over your magic, and you have enough ability to survive in the warzone that this part of the world is about to become. However, the Greater Grail, when primed, will grant a single wish for both the Master and the Servant. You can always wish to recreate your original body, grant yourself immortality, even bring back the dead. You can revive your parents if you wish, or those who fell against Voldemort. While I am not wholly aware of events in Britain, the thief has spoken of them while in the chamber he built to contain me. Voldemort has seemingly perished once more, albeit at a substantial cost. Should any of the victims include your friends, I can revive them."

Harry hadn't even considered that. He wasn't really aware of events, save for when Celenike gloated about Voldemort killing off some wizard or another. But she kept names from him. "…Can I trust Altera?"

"You can trust her to keep you safe, and to restrain her impulses," Justeaze said. "And she desires the same thing you do. To banish loneliness from the heart. To make connections with others. To be more than what your reputations define you as."

Harry stood there in silence for quite a while. But in reality, he knew he had made up his mind. The likes of Celenike and Darnic could not be allowed to hold the Holy Grail, if nothing else. And he needed help to stop them. "…I accept."

"Thank you. Now…when your power is ready, your Homunculus body already knows how to break free. Use the Straβe Gehen spell. It will help you break the tank you are in. Good luck with your endeavours, Harry Potter…"

She fell through imaginary space, allowing herself to slither down slides of probability, channelling her avatar, constructed to act as a Heroic Spirit, towards the summoning. She felt herself being pulled down towards one in particular, and smiled with anticipation. The chant was one she never heard before, and yet, it resonated within her soul with some sort of familiarity.

"Heed my words. My will creates your body, and your sword creates my destiny. If you heed the Grail's call, and obey my will and reason, then answer my summoning! I hereby swear that I shall be all the good in the world, that I shall defeat all evil in the world! Seventh Heaven clad, and the great words of power, come forth from the circle of bindings, Guardian of the Scales!"

She found herself in a summoning circle, one of six, in a chamber. Words formed themselves in her head, and she spoke them without hesitation at first, until her mind caught up with her tongue. "Foreigner has answered your summons. I ask of you…" She blinked. It was clear that she wasn't where she was meant to be. Not in the Yggdmillennia castle, but rather, in what appeared to be a simple cellar. She looked around herself. She was surrounded on all sides by Servants, six of them. A green-haired woman with cat ears and a tail. A pale-skinned man in a black bodysuit adorned with gold. A green-haired cocky-looking man in armour. A hulking, muscle-bound man with an unnervingly wide grin. A foppish-looking man with a beard. A dark-haired woman with golden eyes and elaborate clothing.

However, the sole human in the room stepped forward, with tanned skin and an explosion of white hair framing youthful, pleasant features. His smile, while pleasant, held some confusion and bemusement. "Yes, indeed. I am the coordinator of the Red Faction. I am Shirou Kotomine. A pleasure to meet you…Foreigner?"

"…The Red Faction? Not the Yggdmillennia castle?"

"…No," Shirou said, looking as bemused as she felt. "…Were you expecting to? How curious."

"…My Master is held prisoner there," Altera said.

"Hmm, that is indeed unfortunate, Foreigner, if that is true."

Acutely aware of the gazes fixed upon her, Altera sighed, and muttered a single word in the Hunnic language, filled not with anger or despair, more of irritation and weary resignation. Translated, it would mean precisely one thing in English.

"Bugger."

CHAPTER 2 ANNOTATIONS:

So, Harry's not dead, and Altera's now in a pretty awkward situation.

This is partly because I was originally going to make her the Saber of the Black Faction…but I had this impish notion of her taking Achilles' role, and it does give a dramatic handicap, not having her able to whisk Harry away instantly. Plus, Siegfried might get a chance to actually shine, and Astolfo, with his links to Altera, tenuous though they are, also gets to stay.

Now, why make Altera a Foreigner Servant? Well, her canonical classes are Saber, Archer and Foreigner? Yes, you heard that right, Archimedes calls her a Foreigner in Fate/Extella Link. I nearly made her a Rider for this story. WHAT?! But seriously, think about Altera's background. She is Attila the Hun. The Hun were famous for being horseriding warriors, right? So why the actual fuck can't she be a Rider Servant? I discussed this in correspondence with Arawn D Draven, and while I was the one who came up with that idea and formulated what Noble Phantasms she has, I owe a lot of thanks to Arawn D Draven for being my sounding board in coming up with the concept of a Rider Altera in the first place. Though I eventually decided on a Foreigner instead.

So, what are her Noble Phantasms? Well, an obvious one is a slightly-nerfed version of Photon Ray. While it still has Teardrop Photon Ray and is Anti-Army, it hits less enemies and less harder. Her second one will be her horse, Etzel, named for her preferred name and the name Attila the Hun was dubbed in the Niblelungenlied, the legend Siegfried comes from. And the third and fourth? Well…that's going to be a surprise. Well, the actual effects of the third Noble Phantasm are. But the name, just to tease you, will be given out: Flagellum Dei- Rampaging Scourge of God. That one is named for one of Attila the Hun's appellations in life. Of course, to name the fourth is to give massive spoilers.

No numbered annotations this time.