‧ [Chapter 4] ‧
Harry Potter, newly named Harry of the Winterstorm, was standing in the middle of the room inside his magical trunk. The only thing he took with him this time was some candles he took from the library of Winterfell.
He decided to start his training in wandless magic like Professor Flitwick, his teacher in Charms at Hogwarts, did in his first year. He started with the Lumos spell. As the young boy did not have any knowledge of advanced spells, he figured it was the best way to begin.
Hedwig stayed in his Winterfell's room so that she could keep guard. Lord Rickard insisted on having Harry's bedroom guarded at all times, just like his family. He didn't want to risk his security.
Harry sat on the cold floor, not knowing how to start. How did the wizard in his world manage wandless magic? Obviously, they must have perfect control over their wand magic which Harry did not have at the moment. His wand did not follow him in Westeros, only Hedwig and the trunk.
"Say Hedwig, do you have any idea on how I should start?" asked Harry.
"Let me think about it, Master. I know some witches and wizards use meditation to help them control their magic. I don't know how they do it though." she said.
"Well, we are here to practice and learn. Kalvyn said that I had great potential, I need to find it and exploit it. Lord Stark said that something was coming in the North but he did not know what."
"I have a theory on that Master," said Hedwig immediately. "Those Southerners, they looked like a bunch of extremists. It only took one lesson for that piece of shit two-legged to call me a beast."
"It is possible that the threat comes from the north too. Those wildlings, as Brandon called them. They've been known to try to invade the North from time to time. We need to inspect the Night's Watch once we are stronger physically and magically. You also need to get bigger. If a direwolf really can get as big as a horse, you will be a force to reckon with, Lady Hedwig." Finished Harry with a smirk.
"Yes! That Benjen kid has really good taste does he?"
Harry chuckled before getting into a meditative position. Hedwig always had this pride in her. She went over the fact that she couldn't fly pretty quickly once she saw all the attention the two youngest of Lord Rickard and Lady Lyarra were giving her.
The young wizard closed his eyes, not really knowing what to do. He figured he would try to use meditation to first learn to relax and go from there. He let out a deep breath as he tried to center himself.
:-[T.A.B]-:
The storm was finally over. It took a fortnight, be it was over. Like Rickard said, it has been a big one. It took days to clear all the snow in the courtyard. Lord Stark himself and his Household guard went to help the people. In a situation like this, everyone needed to land a hand.
Harry was excited to start his sword training. Being a knight was a dream come true. For so long, he wanted to be one, which was ironic he thought since he was a wizard like Merlin. Now, Ser Rodrik himself was giving him and Benjen the basic techniques. Lyanna sadly refused to attend the lessons.
"I won't have any idiot sword wielder with my apprentices, is that clear? You will be vigilant. This is a man's place, not children. Do you understand?" he asked firmly.
"Yes, Ser Rodrik." Said both Harry and Benjen.
The knight nodded and gave them a wooden sword, to the disappointment of the children.
"Do not make that look." He said sternly."You both are nowhere near ready to be close to live steel. You would only hurt yourself. Benjen, I know you want to prove yourself like your brother Brandon, but you need to build up your body first. And you, lad, the wind could blow you away, skinny as you are. Eat some fucking meat, understood?
Both nodded quickly. Ser Rodrik showed them the basic moves that they had to repeat over and over before returning to training with Brandon.
Some would be ashamed to learn the way of the sword with a child five years younger but Harry didn't mind at all. He liked Benjen. He was a good kid with a good heart and he loved his family above all else, something the older boy could easily respect.
:-[T.A.B]-:
While her master was training with his stick, Hedwig was exploring the ground in the Godswood with Rickard Stark and his wife, Lyarra. She took a great liking to the man since she learned that he defended her against the two-legged Maester. The white direwolf was almost invisible in the snow, thanks to her pure white coat which made her golden eyes even more striking.
She liked the ambiance of the Godswood. It was calm, far from the constant noise in the castle and the courtyard.
"My love, why did you bring the wolf with us?" asked Lyarra who was still a little bit concerned. She knew what danger a mature direwolf could be. Right now she was a pup, be in a year or so, she would be thrice the size of a normal wolf and even more deadly.
"I wanted her to learn the ground. I knew she could live outside, even during the storm. However, I did not want her to get lost or get attacked by hunters. Our people need to get used to her first. Ser Rodrik told me this morning that no incident has happened since the first lesson with Maester Walys. Our good girl has understood from that."
Hedwig walked more proudly at the comment before departing in the deeper wood. She discovered that she loves running. The feeling was very different to flying. While running, she could smell everything around her. The animals, the trees, and even the humans in Winterfell. She couldn't wait to grow up to her full size.
"Then, why did you bring me here? You never do unless the news is grave."
Rickard let a small chuckle leave his lips. "Do not worry, wife, there is no grave news. I simply wished to tell you of my plan for our children, that is all."
"What is your plan? Do you plan to make one of my babies leave me again like my Ned?
It was known among the entire castle that when Lord Rickard sent Eddard to the Vale to be fostered, Lyarra did not take the news well. Her screams could be heard on every side of Winterfell and if some rumors were to be believed, Wintertown.
"I plan to marry our son, Brandon, to one of the highborn ladies in the South. Lord Tywin has a daughter not too much younger than our son or maybe the daughter of Hoster Tully. Both are said to be quite comely for their age. He will not leave Winterfell, you have my word."
"What about Lyanna? You know she won't like…" Lyarra started.
"Lyanna will do as I say." He interrupted. "As the daughter of a Great house, high hopes are placed on her shoulders. The alliance that could last for lifetimes could be made because of her. Maybe Lord Tywin would like the idea of a double marriage or even Lord Steffon's son from the Stormlands. Eddard and Benjen will marry in the North, within our own bannermen."
While she did not like the part where her only daughter would be sent to the other side of Westeros, she at least was happy that he had a potential future Lord Paramount. As the daughter of one, she deserves nothing less. Her precious Ned would say yes without a question, her boy never disobeyed his parents.
"Why do you seek so many alliances in the South, my Lord husband? The Starks have almost always married in the North only. To marry our Brandon to a Lady from the South… our bannermen will not like this." Said Lyarra.
"Because of my dream. The Old Gods have shown me a great threat to the North. I do not know from where or when, but it is coming, my wife. Before the dream, Maester Walys had already convinced me to start looking for suitors. I was even more sure of the decision once I had the vision."
"What about Harry? Why did you give him a room in the same section or the castle as us? Shouldn't he be in the servant quarters?" inquired Lyarra.
"He will be instrumental to what's coming. I do not know why, the Old Gods have only told me to protect and train the green-eyed boy found in the storm. They also said that he would have a direwolf with him, the first seen in centuries, even before the dragons' arrival in Westeros. That is why I gave him his room and why I ordered Ser Rodrik to train him."
Lyarra could only nod, for she knew when her husband at an idea in his mind, it was almost impossible to change his mind. He however knew that he was a very good man at heart, taking care of his children with both firmness and love.
As she was getting ready to go back to Winterfell, her husband grabbed her elbow gently.
"One last thing, my love," he said more tenderly than she could remember. "Our Eddard is coming back for a time. He is coming with Robert Baratheon himself."
It took everything in her body to not scream in joy. She offered herself a squeal of joy however as she jumped in her Lord husband's arms.
:-[T.A.B]-:
The news of Eddard Stark's future arrival gave all of Winterfell and Wintertown the joy they all needed. The storm had caused a lot of damage to the city and some to the castle. Learning about this, Lord Jon Arryn has promised to send some help in the spirit of Westerosi cooperation with the Stark and Baratheon boy.
It would still take some time, of course, the road from the Eyrie and Winterfell was long and hard. Lord Rickard had sent a raven to Lord Reed in Greywater Watch to ask him to guide the party through the Neck which he obviously agreed.
The arrival of Robert Baratheon however was a big surprise. Never before a Stormlord Heir visited Winterfell in the past. In the letter, Eddard said that it was because of Robert that they went to the North by land and not by sea. The stormlander wanted to see Moat Cailin before going to his best friend's birthplace.
Lord Rickard didn't want to take any chance with the visit on his second son and the Heir to Storm's End. He, with the advice of his wife, decided to send a small company of a hundred guards to Moat Cailin, where they would regroup with Eddard and Robert.
Harry knew he was the same age as Eddard and if what he learned with Maester Walys was correct, only a year younger than Robert. It has been a few years since Stark pup has been in Winterfell.
Hedwig has decided to stop coming to the Maester lesson. She just couldn't stay relaxed in his presence. Something was wrong with him but she was not able to put her paw on it. Lyanna and especially Benjen have been disappointed by that decision. They had taken a great liking to simply petting her soft fur while listening to Walys. While her Master was studying with his newfound friend, she was either out of the castle or with Lord Rickard Stark. The direwolf found out she liked staying with the Stark patriarch while he was doing his duty in the main hall.
Every day she was getting a little bit bigger. She was still small enough so that the people were still thinking she was a puppy dog. Of course, rumors still manage to get out of the castle. Rumors that direwolves were back in the North in the hand of the Starks. Rumors that the Old Gods themselves were starting to wake up.
:-[T.A.B]-:
Harry found out that he loves training with the sword. The repetitive movements, the camaraderie with Benjen, he loved it all. Ser Rodrik was an excellent teacher. He was patient with the youngest Stark and with his overexcitement. The young wizard was doing well for himself. He followed every hint he was being given, be it by the House Guard or even Brandon.
Brandon Stark was what you could say a prodigy. Even at twelve, he was already starting to spar against the best soldier House Stark had. He wanted to be the best among the best. He wasn't winning of course. After all, he did not have any real experience and was fighting only against seasoned warriors.
Harry and Benjen were not yet ready for sparring at the immense sadness of the latter. Ser Rodrik wanted a couple of fortnight more of practice at the very least before putting the youngest Stark in one. Sometimes, the green-eyed boy saw Lyanna, hiding in the corner with a look of longing. The young wizard, however, found a way to cheer her up. He asked her to teach him how to ride a horse. It was a very useful skill to gain, even if Hedwig would be big enough to ride to battle, he did not want to ride her all the time. Lord Stark gave him an already broken horse so that he could learn slowly. No need for unnecessary risk, he said.
His training with magic was going very slowly. He still wasn't able to do any magic without a wand, to his great frustration. He spent almost all of his night inside the trunk, practicing his magic and meditation. One thing he found out however with the meditation is that it helped tremendously with his sleep. He was able to simply meditate for around four to five hours instead of sleeping. Less sleep meant more training in magic during the night.
This discovery led to the first 'objective' that Kalvyn was talking about. After his first meditation, Harry saw a new door in one of the walls. The new room was smaller in size, still with no furniture. This time, however, the trunk gave him some candles.
"That is very useful Master. Now you can meditate here and train in the main room. Maybe you can bring a mattress here for comfort." Said the white direwolf.
"Hedwig, you know it. I won't bring anything from the outside. Everything needs to be made from magic, except for food. Maybe one day I can learn the preservation charm to create some kind of reserve for you and me."
"I know Master, it was more for me than you." She playfully joked. "You should go in meditation. The other Stark boy and his two-legged friend are coming in the morrow."
"You're right Hedwig. Good night." said tiredly Harry as he fell on his bed in his room inside Winterfell.
"Good night master," said the direwolf.
:-[T.A.B]-:
Harry was woken up by a castle in a frenzy. The servants were running around, making sure everything was perfect for the arrival of Eddard Stark. If the scout were right, his party was only a couple hours from Winterfell. Even under the rule of the Iron Throne, the Starks were still considered royalty in the North. The fact that they were coming back, even for a short time, was huge. The kitchens were making sure they had plenty of food, ale for the men, and wine for the women.
With the help of Lady Lyarra, the young wizard put on his best clothes. They were made especially for him as a gift from her. She had been warming up a lot to Harry when she saw that all of her children really liked him, especially Lyanna and Benjen. Hedwig had won her heart when one night, she was reading by the fireplace in her bedroom, the direwolf simply came and lay down at her feet.
As the party was approaching fast, Lord Stark decided to send his oldest with a small company to reach his brother. Lyanna had begged to go too, claiming she was an even better rider than her big brother but her father and mother were firm, she had to stay with Benjen to wait for them. She was put in a small blue and grey dress for the occasion and Harry thought that she looked quite cute dressed like that.
Suddenly, the sound of horses trampling the ground was heard. Brandon Stark was the first to enter, as the Heir of Winterfell, and just behind him was the second child of Lord Rickard. Eddard Stark has returned to Winterfell.