Well, I'm gratified at the response to the first chapter of Pulvis et Umbra Sumus. I will be glossing over a few things, admittedly to get to the point more quickly. Harry is not going to be happy with either Qrow or Raven for a while, as you'll see in this chapter. Taiyang and his children are another matter, though. Indeed, while Yang and Ruby are technically Harry's cousins, he will have more of a sibling relationship with them (and no, I am not following the fanon that Qrow is Ruby's father...unless it's confirmed by Rooster Teeth).

Now, a guest has asked a number of questions, which I will try to answer in brief before the story goes on. Firstly, the story is strictly Harry/Neo, and a pre-Torchwick Neo will appear for the first time, I hope, in Chapter 4. Secondly, the poison/venom/toxin (or whatever pedantic hazardous material term is needed) Salem used is actually the essence of Grimm material, so while it was harming Gretchen, it became integrated with Harry, basically acting as a partial, mostly benign teratogen (the nearest analogy I can think of, offhand, are Element Zero from the Mass Effect games, though I'm sure there are other possible fictional substances that would be a better fit). Because Harry destroyed the Horcruxes with the effects of the Silver Eyes on Quirrelmort (I took a leaf from Dis Lexic's attempt at whitetigerwolf's challenge), the Chamber of Secrets saga never took place, and the worst that happened to Harry was having his Parselmouth abilities exposed (and that was bad enough). Sadly, this also means poor Dobby was never freed from the Malfoys, and the Basilisk still lives, albeit in slumber.

The chapter title, for those paying attention, is a reference to the lyrics of the title song of Volume 1, This Will Be The Day.

PULVIS ET UMBRA SUMUS

CHAPTER 2:

WELCOME TO A WORLD OF NEW SOLUTIONS,

WELCOME TO A WORLD OF BLOODY EVOLUTION

Harry didn't know what he was expecting when he woke up, save for maybe the Hogwarts infirmary. That had become something of a habit for him ever since he started learning magic there. But he felt like something the cat dragged in and pissed all over. Then again, this whole past year had been somewhat crappy. Between the Dementors, that letter Professor Lupin got him telling him that he had been adopted, Snape being more of an arse than usual, and the escaped fugitive who he thought was a traitor was actually innocent…well, Harry could be forgiven for feeling like life had a desire to shit all over him.

In any case, as his eyes flickered open, he found himself in some sort of bedroom, in a house. And sitting nearby was a dark-haired woman of an indeterminate age, with crimson eyes, and dressed in red and black. He remembered her from earlier, the woman who had come shortly before the Dementors did. There was something dangerous about this woman that he could sense, something lethal.

"So, you're awake," she said in a soft, calm voice. "Good. The girl, Hermione I think her name was…she was getting hysterical. She's talking to my daughter and stepdaughter. The other two are speaking to my brother and my ex. So, I have been left to explain things."

"…Who are you?"

"My name is Raven Branwen," the woman said. "And I am your aunt."

Harry's first reaction was to laugh quietly in a mixture of disbelief and just sheer shock from the disparity between this woman and his supposed Aunt Petunia. "My aunt," he said flatly.

"Yes. The man you met shortly before we fought those abominations was your biological father, my brother Qrow. Q-R-O-W. Your adoptive mother made the understandable mistake of thinking it began with a 'C'."

"…How do you know this?" Harry asked. "It was in that letter that damned raven snatched…"

Raven scoffed quietly, before fishing said letter from her jacket, and placing it on him. "I don't have much time to waste explaining things to you. I found out about your existence not long ago, and kept you under surveillance for a few months until I could be sure you were who I was looking for. I brought your father to Hogwarts to see you, but, well, you know how well that went down. I won't waste time discussing that. What happened afterwards, though, was interesting. That greasy-haired man, Snape, I believe he was called, regained consciousness, and attempted to attack us. I disarmed him, and he fled. Dumbledore came, and helped us, along with that man Lupin, who had changed back, to the Hospital Wing of Hogwarts. We gave something of an explanation of our presence, and I learned that the girl was infected by the attack by Lupin. Shortly after the explanation, while we were arguing about what to do next, Snape barged in, along with a man calling himself Fudge, and a group of people called Aurors."

"Aurors? But why?" Harry asked.

"Snape seemed to be filled with spite about what happened. He claimed you to be a monster, a werewolf that had attacked and injured him, and that you had destroyed the Dementors. They kept talking about the Kiss or the Veil or something. Dumbledore tried to defuse the situation, but Snape attacked Hermione when she protested, calling her werewolf spawn. I cut him in half. Things got…interesting by that point. I knocked out Dumbledore so that he'd have an excuse not to fight. I'm not usually that kind, especially to someone of his fashion sense. I fought those pitiful Aurors after summoning a portal, and had Qrow take you away. Given the threats against them, I took Lupin and Hermione, while Black ran through. Once they were gone, I left, but not before sealing the portal against any pursuers."

"…You kidnapped me?"

"I rescued you. The authorities of your home seemed set on executing you for the 'crime' of destroying a bunch of monsters who shouldn't exist. I doubt you could go home again."

"I could fly back, take a plane or something, wherever you've…taken…me…" Harry trailed off into silence as he looked out the window. And stared.

It was night, just as it was before. But there was something very different in the sky. The stars were in different patterns…and the moon hung overhead…shattered, partly reduced to pieces.

"You're no longer on Earth, Harry," Raven said quietly. "You're on the world where your parents were born: Remnant. As far as I understand it, Remnant is in a parallel universe to Earth. I'm sorry, Harry…but you can't go back home again."

Raven winced in pain as she walked into the room where Hermione, Ruby and Yang were talking. She didn't feel up to talking to her brother or her ex, or the werewolf and the lech. The bushy-haired Hermione looked up as Raven entered. "He didn't take it well?"

"He told me to get out of the room, and when I refused…well, his magic slammed me into the wall hard enough for it to leave a bruise, even with Aura," Raven said.

"We heard the bang," Ruby said. "We thought it was him slamming the door when he left."

Raven sat down next to her daughter, though not without a moment's hesitation. "He's got Gretchen's temper. Gretchen and her brother were not pleasant when their anger were aroused. Personally, I've done what I can for him. Qrow and Taiyang can deal with him now. I have other things to deal with."

"What things?" Yang asked. "Why did you leave us? Why did you leave Dad?"

"…Because we had differences of opinion, Yang," Raven said quietly, not wanting to go into detail about her falling out with her brother and Ozpin, of the arguments she had with Taiyang, arguments that had threatened to blow up once more when she brought them here. Yang was too young to understand it, Ruby even more so. "And at the time, I thought Summer would do a better job raising the pair of you." A half-truth. "I have duties outside of Patch. I'm sorry. Where I live, you'll be in danger from more than the Grimm, so I can't take you with me. Besides, Taiyang has done a good job of raising you both."

"But will you come back?" Yang asked.

Raven shook her head. "I can't promise that. But…you've now got a cousin. He's going to be confused and angry…but he will need your help. I've given him what help I can." She then stood. Yang got to her own feet, and Raven hugged her, a little hesitantly, but…well, she needed to make up a little for the years of her absence. "Be strong, Yang. For your father, for Ruby, and for Harry. And remember…don't take the words of Ozpin as gospel."

"Please, don't leave," Yang said quietly. But Raven gently pushed her away, and gave her a sad smile, before looking over at Ruby.

"And Ruby…you're so much like your mother." It was painful, really, to see how much of Summer was in the silver-eyed girl…so revoltingly naïve, and yet, there was something about that naïveté that was refreshing too. She reached over and ruffled the girl's dark hair, tipped with red at the fringes. "Do her proud," she said quietly, with a sentiment that she didn't quite feel.

Hermione looked morose, and Raven knew why. Earlier, the girl had begged Raven to take her back, if only to try and retrieve her parents. But Raven had told her, bluntly, that she needed to make a portal to somewhere near someone she had a connection to. A bit of a lie, but in truth, she doubted she could go back without someone she was connected to in that world.

With a nod to her daughter and stepdaughter, she left the room, only to find Qrow present. "Leaving so soon?" Qrow asked, leaning against the wall.

"The boy is awake…and annoyed. I am not in the mood to deal with teenage temper tantrums," Raven said. "I've said my piece to Yang and Ruby. I know you're going to bring him to Ozpin. Make sure that that manipulative old revenant tells him everything. Better at least he learns now what his mother died for than him learning about Salem the way we did. And make sure Ozpin understands that it's his choice to fight Salem or to stay here."

"You're not even going to try to stay? To help the kid? He's been torn away from everyone and everything he knows, pretty much," Qrow pointed out. "We did this to him."

"And I was never that good with dealing with people, brother," Raven said. "You have your son back now. Make him something to be proud of. You've done that much for Yang and Ruby, at least." With that, she formed a portal, and walked through it, back home…

Of course, things didn't really get better through that night. Harry repulsed Qrow when he tried to speak to him, and Taiyang was busy tending to Black and Lupin. Harry was angry with the Branwen siblings for taking him away from Hogwarts, and he eventually fell into an exhausted, fitful sleep, angry at the world.

He was woken, eventually, by the smell of breakfast, as the door was opened, and a pair of girls came in, followed by an anxious-looking Hermione, who seemed to have dark circles under her eyes. Harry gave his bushy-haired friend a reassuring smile, albeit a painful one. "Hey, Hermione," he said.

"Hi, Harry," Hermione said. "You feeling all right?"

"No. I'm still angry. Not at you, but at those two…I mean, Qrow and Raven," he hastily amended, looking at the two girls.

The one carrying the breakfast tray was about his age or Hermione's, maybe thirteen or fourteen, but already with a pretty well-developed figure for her age. Her face and mane of hair reminded him of Raven, though her eyes were lilac, and her hair was blonde. Her expression was also more cheerful, which already endeared her to him more than the woman who claimed to be his aunt.

The girl peering at him curiously, by contrast, was maybe eleven or twelve, with short black hair that seemed to become red at her fringes. Her eyes, wide with curiosity and a little apprehension, were silver. She reminded him a little of himself, for some reason.

"Well, introductions, then," the blonde said, with a smile, putting the tray down on Harry's lap. "The name's Yang Xiao Long. Raven's my mother, though, well, it's complicated. You're not the only one with issues about her. This here's my little sister, Ruby Rose."

On Harry's confused look, Hermione clarified, "Half-sister, Harry. Yang and Ruby share the same father, Taiyang Xiao Long, but different mothers."

"Oh," Harry said, before he smiled as reassuringly as he could at Ruby, who seemed a little nervous. "Hey."

"Hi," Ruby said. "So…you're our cousin?"

"…I guess so, if they were telling the truth," Harry said. "It's just…I'm so bloody angry."

"Hey, I don't blame you," Yang said, patting his hand. "Hermione here told us something of what happened on this other world. Unbelievable though a lot of it was, well…yeah. I can understand why you're pissed off at Uncle Qrow and my mother."

"Language!" Hermione said.

"Swear!" Ruby said almost simultaneously.

Harry chuckled a little, as he began to have his food. "So…we're on another world."

"Yes, Remnant," Hermione said. "After everyone else went to sleep, I read the books they had, an atlas and an encyclopaedia…Harry, this world is very different from ours. While magic is still a rarity, special abilities aren't. Certain people are able to manifest their soul as a protective barrier called an Aura. What's more, they can use a special, unique ability called a Semblance."

Ruby nodded eagerly. "I can go really, really fast, and Yang…any damage she takes makes her stronger. They're both very useful when you're gonna be the best Huntresses in the world!"

"…Huntresses?" Harry asked, around a mouthful of hash brown.

"Yes…Huntsmen and Huntresses are the protectors of this world, against these monsters called the Grimm," Hermione said. "They're monsters that seemingly come out of nowhere, but they're attracted to humans and civilisation…and are particularly attracted to negative emotion. Hunters go after them, clearing up any attacks by Grimm, using Dust. Dust is like a magical crystalline substance that has elemental properties. It's all very fascinating, really. They use it instead of gunpowder, fuel for airships and cars, it's key to many electronics…"

"Breathe, Hermione," Harry snarked.

"Yeah, she went blue in the face, asking all those questions last night," Yang chortled. "She's like Ruby when she geeks out over weapons."

"Yaaaang!" Ruby wailed in embarrassment, and Harry couldn't help but laugh. As much as he despised this situation, being trapped on another world, at least these two were trying to make him feel welcome. Like part of the family.

Family…when he got that letter from Lupin, he thought he knew about his family. Then again, that wasn't the last time he was proven wrong, when Hagrid turned up and tore down the lies the Dursleys told about his family…but then, he learned they weren't his blood relations at all, save by blood-adoption rituals. And yet, if what he heard was true, these two actually were family. Yang was his cousin, and Ruby her stepsister.

He just had to wonder, though, how would they react when they learned about what he did when he got angry? Of the times when he got vicious and brutal? Of the times when he became a monster?

The first time had been when they tried to save Hermione from the troll. Ron had been knocked out, and Hermione had a broken arm, and Harry…he had changed. He had caught a glimpse of himself in the mirrors, and thankfully, the transformation had dispelled before the teachers arrived…though explaining how a troll had its head torn to bloody ribbons was a saga.

How would these two feel if they knew it? Hermione knew, and she kept the secret…but how would they feel?

Just outside the house on Patch, Qrow was walking away from the house, punching a number into his Scroll, a number few would know. A priority number to the headmaster of Beacon Academy. Ozpin was going to be disappointed that he dropped an admittedly low-priority mission to check on the White Fang, but then again, considering what happened, he needed to do this. Besides, Ozpin would be better at explaining the important stuff to Harry than he was.

After the dial tone, the voice of Ozpin came through. "Good morning, Qrow. What can I do for you?"

"Professor Ozpin…I'm currently at Patch. Listen…we've found something." His voice caught in his throat, before he said, "We've found Gretchen's kid. My kid. He's still alive."

After a pause, Ozpin said, "…I presume there's more to this story than just finding Gretchen's child, and yours, as wonderful news as that is."

"There is. Firstly, he has the Silver Eyes, or can at least manifest the ability. And secondly…I think Salem experimented on him while he was in the womb. He's able to become part-Grimm." He then told him, in brief, what happened.

"…I see. I'll be on the next Bullhead I can wrangle to Patch. I could do with a break from paperwork, after all…"

CHAPTER 2 ANNOTATIONS:

So, Harry's struggling to cope with coming to another world, Yang and Ruby get to know their cousin, and the Wizard of Oz is off to see the Wizard of England.

I summarised what happened before the escape because, frankly, I couldn't be arsed writing it out, and wanted to get to Remnant. Don't worry, Hermione's parents won't be left in the lurch. We'll use Fawkes to do some transdimensional ferrying of people and letters later.

Now, Harry's going to be in a bit of a mood with Raven and Qrow, and considering they all but kidnapped him, that's not surprising. He'll bond much more easily with Ruby and Yang, as you saw, and with Taiyang.

Lupin was found and taken back to Hogwarts by Dumbledore, where he reverted to human, in case you're wondering.

No numbered annotations this time.