CHAPTER 6:

A STRANGE COURTSHIP

Delphi had no lessons at Clock Tower today, so she was engaged in an activity that her birth father and mother, had they seen her do it, would have either killed her out of spite, or themselves out of shame. Namely, playing video games. Namely, Batman: Arkham City.

To tell the truth, despite her young age, Delphi was already something of a misanthrope, much like her adoptive father. Being treated differently because you were the biological child of two of Magical Britain's most notorious and reviled figures didn't help matters. And while not a genius, she was, thanks to potions and rituals her biological parents undertook during Bellatrix's pregnancy, smarter than the average teenager.

Yet she knew better than to blame magicals solely. Magic only enhanced the flaws the human race was prey to. There were plenty of things that Muggles did that were pretty brutal and nasty. On Waver's suggestion, she once binged part of the old documentary, The World at War(1). It gave her some perspective, on how much her biological father's ideology aped that of the Nazis and their ilk.

But Delphi was not a pessimist, nor was she a xenophobe like her biological father. She was more cheerfully cynical, and, after discussing some of her philosophies with Waver and Reines, found herself to be a positive nihilist. Life had no intrinsic meaning, but that only meant one could impose it themselves. And her life's purpose, she decided, was to have fun and help people along the way through what both Flat Escardos and Aunty Luna called her 'Unlimited Gremlin Energy'.

Like her father. Despite a period of understandable vehement denial when her parentage was exposed, Harry was more of a father to her than she suspected Voldemort would ever have been. She didn't really have a maternal figure in her life per se, mostly having a bevvy of aunts and big sister figures. She was closest to Luna Lovegood, especially after Hermione got headhunted by that smug prick Marisbury Animusphere, though Grey and Reines came close.

She felt the wards ping her, and she smiled. They only pinged that way when Luna came to visit. Speak of the devil and all that.

Saving the game and shutting down the PS3, she went to go greet Luna, who gave her a big hug. "Delphi, it's been too long!"

"It's only been a few days, Aunty Luna."

"Semantics," Luna said with a wave of her hand. "Besides, as the Muggle physicists would say, time is relative. And as a certain Douglas Adams once said, Time is an illusion, lunchtime, doubly so. Where's Harry and Ghesty?"

"On a date, believe it or not." Delphi explained things to her honorary aunt, about Lodgok's visit and Barghest's offer.

Luna nodded sagely. "Well, I hope they have a good time. I get the feeling it might go somewhere. Or maybe that's wishful thinking. Romance is tricky like that. Anyway, Rolf's currently in America visiting his relatives, as you know, I am bored, and Reines told me about Ghesty getting a bit of Albion's flesh yesterday."

"Yeah. Apparently one of her old comrades was born from Albion."

"I know. Priestess of Cernunnos, remember?" Luna said with a wink. "In fact, you want to help me with a surprise for Ghesty?"

"What kind of surprise?"

At this, Luna's usually dotty, airy smile deepened into a knowing smirk. "One worthy of the Marauders, only less mean-spirited, and with happy tears at the end…"

While Harry hadn't quite the bad experiences Barghest had with her lovers beforehand (then again, he never devoured them like some black widow spider or praying mantis), he'd had more than his share of awkward relationships. Awkward partly due to his fame, and partly because of a troubled upbringing. Yet when faced with the prospect of dating her, he rallied, and they discussed plans for the date. She found herself amused, as it reminded her vaguely of planning a military campaign.

Unfortunately, as much as she wanted to do so, a date in the Muggle world was out of the question, at least for this first date. They needed their relationship to be noticed in the wizarding world as more than rumour. In other words, that meant a wizarding enclave, which basically boiled down to two: Diagon Alley in London, and Hogsmeade in Scotland, near Hogwarts itself.

After careful consideration and discussion with Harry, they opted for Hogsmeade. Diagon Alley, after all, was a touched cramped for her liking, something she discovered while visiting on a previous occasion with Harry. Hogsmeade, on the other hand, reminded her of many towns back home, including her own version of Manchester, albeit writ small. For the sake of making it seem romantic, Harry suggested Madam Puddifoot's Tea Shop, a favourite haunt for couples, especially amongst the teenaged students of Hogwarts. He hadn't had the best time the last time he had a date in that place, but he was willing to give it another shot.

To tell the truth, Barghest wouldn't have minded a nice meal at the local pub, the Three Broomsticks. She may have been part of the nobility, but there were times when she just wanted something like pub food and a good strong drink. But this was about appearances, unfortunately, and those dictated that they make this seem as romantic as possible.

Still, she hid a grimace when they entered the tea shop. The pink, the frills…it was something Cnoc na Riabh or Baobhan Sith would have liked. Well, before Baobhan Sith started torturing people, anyway, probably laughing as she decorated the walls with people's innards. Then again, that might be an improvement, aesthetically.

Harry must have noticed something on her face or in her posture, because he whispered to her, "It was much worse when I came here on Valentine's Day sixteen years ago. Reminded me too much of a certain teacher's office."

Whispering back, she said, "I'll take your word for it…"

The tea and cakes were enjoyable, even if the attention they got from other customers was not. True, getting some attention was part of the point, but Barghest was well aware that her appearance was striking by human terms, to say the least. She may not have been as inhumanly beautiful as many other Fae, but she knew her face was attractive to human or Fae. And her stature was imposing (as was her appetite, but she was used to being stared at for eating large portions). She was more self-conscious about her horns than other aspects of her appearance these days, having come to terms with looking more human than other Fang Clan Fae.

It was to Harry's credit that he tried (and succeeded, in her eyes) to treat her like a person. Not as a Fae, not as a knight, not as a noble, and certainly not as a sex object, even if his eyes did wander occasionally. As they dined, Harry regaled her with tales from his past, specifically his time in his second year while investigating the Chamber of Secrets, and Barghest spoke of her battles during the Caterpillar War, her proudest achievement. True, she had devoured the Earth Clan Fae Foulweather to boost her power, but the once benevolent Fae had become a tyrant in his own fiefdom in Cornwall and was letting innocent people be killed by the attacking Mors, so Barghest had no regrets about doing so. Or perhaps Foulweather's earlier benevolence was a façade or a whim, and like many Fae, he let his capricious nature take over. It made little difference in the end.

While the décor was garish, and the clientele were staring at them, Barghest found herself enjoying herself. The tea was well made, the cakes were delicious, and while the server stared at her, she treated her with politeness and courtesy all the same, something she returned. Maybe it was because she was with the famed Harry Potter, or because of her imposing stature, or the amount of cakes she was buying and thus the coin the shop was making, or something else, or a combination thereof.

After Madam Puddifoot's, they mostly walked around Hogsmeade, taking in the sights. They did stop by the local bookshop, and Barghest surprised the storeowner by purchasing a number of books. The Fae woman found herself enjoying herself.

Unfortunately, that tended to be a sign that things were going to take a turn for the worse. And it came when a sneering voice from behind asked, "Is that really you, Potter, with that…is that even a woman?"

Barghest turned around, and fought a sneer off her own face, keeping her composure, honed over centuries of training as a noblewoman and knight. The woman behind them was in her early thirties, looking vaguely pug-like. She could have been prettier if it weren't for the ugly expression she wore.

Harry clearly recognised her, because he said, "Oh, sod off, Parkinson. She's more of a woman than you are."

"In size, maybe," the woman retorted.

Barghest looked down at her. True, she had to by dint of her height, but she also looked down on her in less literal ways. She was reminded of the first time she had met Arturia in Ector's smithy, and while that meeting shamed her in hindsight, there was something about the woman that reminded her of Arturia, even if Arturia was, even at her weakest, a hundred times the person this woman was. "Harry," she asked, keeping her tone calm, even if she wanted to shove Fairy Sword Galatine where only proctologists dare to tread, "may I ask who this…rather rude lady is?"

"Ah, right. Barbara, this is Pansy Parkinson, an old…acquaintance of mine from Hogwarts," Harry said. "Parkinson, this is Barbara Gawain, a friend of mine."

'Barbara Gawain' was the alias she used on the identity papers, as well as how she was introduced to people not in the know. Barghest didn't bother extending a hand, and Pansy didn't look like she'd accept it anyway. Still, Barghest was raised in nobility, and so nodded gently to her. "Good day to you."

"It was until I saw you two," Parkinson sneered.

"What, caught a particularly valuable animal for the Ashwinders?" Harry retorted. "Going to celebrate at the Three Broomsticks or something?"

"I have no idea what you're talking about, Potter, and I should be careful about spreading such libel."

"Slander. Libel is written, slander is spoken," Barghest said, correcting the belligerent little bitch, mostly to annoy her.

"You stay out of this if you know what's good for you!" Parkinson retorted. "I am a Pureblood! Do you know who you are messing with?"

"Do you?" Barghest asked quietly, glaring down at her, folding her arms beneath her bust, making sure to loom. "Little dogs tend to yap loudly, to make themselves seem stronger. Harry and I were enjoying a nice sojourn through Hogsmeade, and you sullied it with your presence. As for your blood being pure, adelphogamy is nothing to be proud of."

"A delpho-what?" Parkinson, after a moment, shook her head. "I don't have time for this. You can have your fun with your gorilla bitch, Potter. It's the only fun you'll get."

As she stormed away, Harry said, "It's more than you get after Malfoy dumped you for Greengrass!"

Parkinson whirled, briefly looking to fight them, before eventually thinking better of it and storming away. "An old enemy of yours?" Barghest asked quietly.

"Yeah, though she was more of a girlfriend and hanger-on to an enemy called Draco Malfoy. I hate Draco, I really do, but he's got more redeeming features than she does. She's joined the Ashwinders, a gang of poachers and standover merchants that the Rookwood family founded back in the 1800s. Not that anything can be proven, her family's got just enough influence to stymie official investigations as long as she doesn't get caught. Though what was that term you used to describe her?"

"Adelphogamy can mean a marriage between siblings," Barghest said. Harry suppressed a snort of laughter, and Barghest smiled. "Given what you told me of the Purebloods here, I thought it an appropriate insult." Her smile then dropped off her lips. "Still, I find my desire for continuing this outing curdled. Would you mind very much if we went home?"

"Yeah, sure. People like her suck the joy out of things…"

Harry was still fuming as he Apparated, holding onto Barghest as they did so, into the grounds of Potter Manor. True, it was fun watching Barghest take that bitch Pansy down a peg or two, but she had spoiled that outing, which he had found himself enjoying. Then again, he did fear something like that would happen, one of his former associates interfering in what was meant to be an enjoyable time.

Even as he fumed, he was surprised to note Delphi hurrying up to them. "Dad, Barghest! You'll never guess what Aunty Luna is up to!"

"That's hardly surprising," Harry snarked. "Guessing what she's up to at any given moment is a recipe for headaches. Please tell me it's not going to involve any explosions or eldritch tentacle monsters from beyond known space-time."

"…Probably not. It's actually a gift for Barghest," Delphi said, with a knowing smirk.

Harry and Barghest shared a bemused, if worried look. Then, Harry noticed the strobing glow from one of the windows, and groaned. "Ugh, the last time I let her do something like this in the house, it took ages to clean the slime up. Let's get going…"

The words coming out of Luna's mouth sounded eldritch as they entered the room, where she was casting a spell over the jar containing the lump of flesh from Albion. Before Harry could react, however, Barghest placed a hand on his shoulder. "Harry…she's speaking the ancient tongue of my Lostbelt! But how is this possible? What is she doing?"

Harry didn't know, but a vortex of light was surrounding Albion's flesh. He wasn't sure whether this would be good. Luna, after all, had a rather skewed sense of danger, much like Hagrid.

Yet the flesh was shifting, warping, and changing. To his astonishment, it began to form limbs, a head, hair. Barghest hissed, "It can't be…how is this possible?"

Luna's chant came to a climax, and then, the jar seemed to simply disappear, not shattering or breaking, but disappear. For a moment, the liquid remained jar-shaped, surrounding the curled up humanoid form, like that of a child. Then, suddenly, the liquid spilled onto the floor, bringing the form to the floor with it.

It appeared to be a girl, perhaps in her early teens at the oldest, with long silvery hair her only concession to modesty. Harry shucked off his jacket, ready to drape it over her. "What the hell have you done, Luna?"

"What my god decided to do," Luna said. "I told you I was a priestess of Cernunnos. He and his Lostbelt counterpart had a little chinwag before he died, and gave him another soul from the Lostbelt. Someone Barghest knows very well. I merely did what Lady Aurora did before, only better."

Suddenly, the girl curled up on the floor coughed and choked, the liquid she had been in brought up from her lungs. Harry hurried over, draping his jacket over her naked body. As he did so, her eyes flickered open.

Her eyes were a strange pink-tinted gold. They peered at him in confusion. Her lips moved in mute confusion, before she choked up more liquid. "Hey, hey…easy…you're safe now," Harry said soothingly, hoping that it would help. There was no telling whether they were safe from her. After all, she was formed from a lump of Albion's flesh, the carrion of one of the most powerful Phantasmal Beasts to ever live.

After a moment, the girl offered him a pained smile, nodding in understanding. Her gaze flickered around, before they settled on Barghest, and widened in surprise. And recognition. He looked behind him to Barghest, who was standing behind him with a similar expression.

Then, the hulking Fae woman knelt down next to the girl, and then gently gathered her into a hug, weeping. "…I thought I was the only one left from our timeline," she said, her voice thick with emotion. "Melusine…it really is you…"

CHAPTER 6 ANNOTATIONS:

So, Harry and Barghest have gone on a date, only for a certain pug-faced bitch to ruin it, and yet, there's a consolation prize: Melusine's back from the dead!

In my original Harry/Barghest story, I did intend to have Melusine come back from the dead, and through a similar method, being reborn in a lump of Albion's carrion in Proper Human History, though this time, Luna's helped things along, rather than it being happenstance. As to why, well, Luna is a priestess of Cernunnos. In fact, she was originally going to be THE Priestess, but given the role she played in cursing the Fae, including the few good ones, well, I thought it'd make Barghest her enemy. More explanations will come in the next chapter.

I was wondering whether I should bring Melusine back or not. Aside from Barghest, she was my favourite of the Tam Lin/Fairy Knights, and while not as moral or sympathetic as Barghest, her tale is genuinely tragic, especially given what Aurora did to her. Yes, she was utterly stupid to stay with Aurora once she realised how evil she truly was, but still…her sibling relationship with Percival was nice.

Now, Barghest and Melusine were rivals, but I get the feeling they had some small mutual respect. Certainly, Melusine's voice lines suggested that she wanted to be Barghest's friend, while Barghest views their relationship as a somewhat friendly but intense rivalry.

In any case, I hadn't originally intended to bring Melusine back so early in the fic, but Jack the Spiv provided the avenue to do so. And here's the result.

Now, it actually makes logical sense to bring back Barghest and Melusine, but not Baobhan Sith or Morgan, at least at the moment. Both Barghest and Melusine are proven to have possible counterparts in Proper Human History (Black Dogs and Albion's corpse respectively). However, while Morgan le Fay exists in PHH, she's also very different to both her original Lostbelt iteration as Aesc/Tonelico, and to what Aesc became with PHH Morgan's memories. I wouldn't be surprised, given Grey's backstory, if Morgan is still around in the PHH Nasuverse in some form or another, something I did in another fanfic. And she wouldn't countenance a rival. As for Baobhan Sith, well, I don't know if any exist in a PHH timeline outside of the Reverse Side of the World, but I'm assuming that either they don't, or they're rare.

Besides, I despise Morgan and Baobhan Sith. Yes, I know we're meant to feel sorry for them, but honestly, given what they did, they used up any potential sympathy for them long ago. In fact, I wish their demises were more protracted. Morgan turned her back on being a hero instead of finding a way to do so that would minimise the risk of being backstabbed by the Fae, and only cared about herself and her rule, while Baobhan Sith was a sadistic bitch whose actions are out of proportion to what happened to her by the time the Lostbelt's plot begins.

Some of you might be wondering…where's Habetrot, then? I must admit, I actually forgot her, embarrassingly. Must be the World fucking with my memories. But also, she was erased by the world, and I'm not sure how to deal with finding the PHH equivalent in the modern era. However, I will bring her into the story later on.

Anyway, sorry about not posting this chapter sooner, but the website was down, as I'm sure a lot of you know already. Yes, I know I could have used the app, but firstly, I detest using apps for every little thing, and secondly, I write up my stories in Word documents long before posting them (with editing to answer reviews, etc).

Review-answering time! Guest (regarding harems): I only write harems if they suit the story and setting. Besides, who with?

NerdLord2nd: Thanks. It'll probably be a habit of mine for post-Hogwarts Harry stories (where Voldemort doesn't die before Delphi's conception, anyway). I don't really like The Cursed Child, but the idea of Delphi is an interesting one full of potential, and here, she's going to be a Gudako analogue. She'll come into her own during the Chaldea chapters.

Madao106: It's not a direct reference to Samson himself. I was inspired by (as mentioned in the annotations in the next chapter) the branding on Tate and Lyle's golden syrup (courtesy of one of Heston Blumenthal's books), which was itself inspired by the Samson story. The title is meant to mean Barghest's genuinely sweet nature beneath her strength.

Sagittipotenta: I sort of disagree. You're still effectively committing genocide anyway in resolving the Lostbelts. In fact, there was a similar phenomenon used for an entirely new timeline in a Doctor Who novel called Blood Heat from the 90s (and which, to my astonishment, was actually 'remade' back in 2015, though I didn't know this until doing some reading up on the story on the Doctor Who wiki). Because said timeline was drawing energy away from our universe, the Doctor was forced to detach it from our timeline. Unfortunately, it meant that the new timeline would die sooner, a process similar to the dilemma involving the Lostbelts. Ace certainly was disgusted at the Doctor's actions in doing so.

I like that Fragments of Chaldea's plans for the Lostbelts, before GhostXavier couldn't continue that fic, was to have at least some of the inhabitants from each Lostbelt rescued. Patxi at least would survive, for example. And if I was ever going to do an adaptation of the Lostbelts as a Potterverse crossover, I was thinking of using Expanded Trunks and stasis charms as one solution.

But I do get your own reasoning. The fact remains that many of the Lostbelts were pruned away by the World for a good reason, really through the stifling of humanity's potential. Destruction is a mercy in many of those cases.

MWkillkenny84: I'll take your word for it, having never watched Eromanga Sensei (nor do I have any inclination to), but I never really liked Kana Tohsaka, at least in the original run of Fate: Sunny Order. I actually genuinely cheered when that little sociopath fell into a depressive funk in one of the later chapters. She seems more rounded in Swordomatic's attempt at a rewrite of the Fuyuki Singularity on Sufficient Velocity, more sympathetic. Delphi is a little gremlin, but she has her limits, and if Blackbeard pervs on her or anyone she cares for, well, he can say goodbye to his testicles.

1. This is a seminal documentary series from the 70s, narrated by Laurence Olivier (or at least the original episodes are: later supplemental ones were narrated by another actor), and including many interviews with people who had been living and even involved at the time. The World at War is a sombre and comprehensive look at this period in history…