Reviews:

Kyred: Thank you. A lot of questions should be answered this time and I hope it all flows together smoothly.

Mattzone: Thanks! Here's the next chapter.

123ABIR123: Glad that you're enjoying it. Here's the next chapter.

Zamasu black: Yeah, that certainly wasn't what he was expecting nor what he wanted to hear or see. Ymir has been waiting a long time to be able to communicate with him so she doesn't want to mess it up. Yeah when it comes to the Rumbling, it'd better to not bring something that depressing up.

Guest: Glad to hear that you enjoyed the chapter, hope this one will satisfy, too.

NB123: Yeah, this one should answer some pretty big questions. More explanations will be revealed later as well.

Guest: Yeah, not something any 11-year-old wants to go through. Hopefully, this chapter can give some insight into what has been going on with some of the Attack on Titan characters and what might be in store for them.

culpeuslylcal: Wow, so glad that you love it! I hope it continues to please.

barbequeman: Thanks! Glad to hear it.

Well- O- Being: Well, here's the next one. Hopefully this chapter can give some big explanations.

Disclaimer- Harry Potter is owned by J.K. Rowling and Shingeki no Kyojin/Attack on Titan is owned by Hajime Isayama. I own nothing.

Chapter 12: Ymir's Story

He was taking a leap of faith, that much he knew for certain. And while it was sad to admit, blind faith was really all he had left at this point. He was putting his trust in Ymir now, a girl who not too long ago he had shouted at and accused of being a liar. He wanted to trust her, despite what he had said and what he had tried to fool himself into believing.

Even though Ymir had promised him that she wouldn't lie to him, she hadn't exactly been entirely truthful either. She always knew much more than what she was letting on, and even if some of her little half-truths added up, it didn't mean her whole story would. But even so, she had promised him she would tell him what was really going on and Harry would hold her to that promise.

Making his way back to the Gryffindor Tower from the now familiar route, Harry sought out a more comfortable setting instead of the cold stone corridor that led to the mirror room. The castle seemed eerily quiet tonight with the light of the moon pouring in, the lazy snores from the portraits, not even Peeves was out and about causing his usual mischief that Harry observed.

When he did arrive back at his destination, Harry made his way back up to his dorm, stuffed the invisibility cloak back inside his trunk, pulled the curtains of his four-poster shut, and sat cross-legged on his bed. He waited for her to say something and when she didn't, he did.

So… what? Are you going to tell me what's going on with me?

'Nothing is "going on" with you,' she bluntly clarified. 'You're still the same person as you were before you came across that mirror. The only thing I can really do is just explain how things ended up the way that they did. How you and I are connected.' She let him take that all in. 'I just need to know if you're ready to listen.'

Didn't I say as much earlier? Harry asked, trying not to sound too miffed. I… I just want answers. If you can give them to me, yes. I'll hear what you have to say, Ymir. He thought he heard a quiet sound of relief next to his ear.

'Alright. The only thing you need to do now is to fall asleep. I'll show you when you do.'

Like when you showed me a little glimpse through your eyes back at the infirmary? Harry recalled that night after his little bout of troll slaying.

'Sort of.'

You don't sound too sure of yourself, Harry softly jabbed.

'What I mean is I'm not going to try and bring your consciousness over to mine, I'm going to try and show you a very specific memory,' she explained.

One of yours? Harry guessed. How much could he trust it if it was?

'No. Not entirely.' She was quiet. 'Don't worry, you've probably had flashes of it in some of your previous dreams. You'll just be seeing it in its entirety.'

So then whose memory is it? He had to know.

'The one who first gained access to the Paths. The first person to hold the power of a Titan - Ymir Fritz.'

A shiver - no, an electric tingle ran along his spine at hearing her say that name. He had written that same name before on his history of magic quiz.

Wanting to sleep, but not feeling tired in the slightest, Harry threw the covers over himself, plopped his head down, and shut his eyes as tight as possible. Why was it now that he couldn't go to sleep when he had tried so hard to stay awake after first finding the Mirror of Erised?

At this rate you might fall asleep waiting on me to fall asleep, Harry inwardly cursed his own rotten luck.

'I've stayed up much later, just take your time. I'll be waiting.'

Well, that was a bit of a reassuring thought. But still, taking her for her word once more, Harry chose this time to believe her. Trying his best to just simply relax, Harry adjusted on his bed, getting into a far more comfortable position and softly shut his eyes. And so he waited.

He waited. He waited some more. He grew tired of waiting. And eventually, he grew tired of growing tired before growing tired altogether. His mind began to feel numb.

A spark, that's the best way to describe what he then felt once his mind had drifted. An almost jolt - a feeling of falling when he was quite stationary. And when Harry opened his eyes, he didn't see the closed curtains of his comfortable four-poster.

...

He was laying on an endless expanse of what seemed to be sand or clay beneath a starry sky with nothing around him for kilometers in any direction. Well, that wasn't entirely true either. There was something else, behind him, right in the center of all of this vast desert. A tree. No, a beacon of light that rose up to the heavens before splitting into nine branches of light that stretched out and meandered into other, smaller extensions.

It was so strange, so alien that he didn't think of it that way. He had seen this before back in the Hospital Wing and through flashes of his previous dreams. This was the center of all of it.

The Paths Dimension.

'You remember it.'

Right there by his side, she was there. Had she been there this entire time, or had she only now just chose to reveal her presence? Either way, Harry suspected that it wouldn't really matter. She wasn't here to harm him, that much he knew for certain. He picked himself up from the grainy nothingness.

I remember what you told me about this place. This is how we share our connection kinda. This is how you were able to show me your perspective before.

'Yeah, you're correct,' she affirmed. 'This is a place that exists outside the rules of time or space. Hours, days, even years could pass and barely even a second could go by outside of it all.

Years? How long are we going to be in here then?

'Relax. It won't take too long. I think.'

You don't even know?

'Well, it all depends, doesn't it?' she defended and Harry could see the defense played out across her face when she-,

Harry simply stared at her, stared at her face. He could see her, all of her.

They were more of less the same height so he was on eye-level with her. She really did have the same eyes as him, right down to how they were shaped. Her nose; set exactly as his was, just minus the marks he had from wearing his glasses. Her white and blue nightgown contrasted his pair of black and red pajamas. And instead of his head of dark hair, hers was blonde and straight.

This was her. This was Ymir.

Tentatively, Harry reached a hand out, his pointer finger prodding her face to feel if she was actually real. She was indeed solid.

'H-hey! Cut that out!' she scrunched up her face and swatted his hand away. 'What was that all about, huh?'

I- I'm sorry, he apologized. It's just… I can see you.

'You can see me?' she sounded perplexed. 'I would hope so. I can see you, too. It isn't like… oh.' She caught on. Her expression turned more sheepish. 'Well, so much for actually meeting in person then, huh?'

Yeah, I guess so. But Harry didn't feel all that bothered by it. Sure, they had made a loose promise to eventually do so, but taking some recent developments into mind, Harry figured it was actually a good thing to see her now instead of believing she wasn't actually real or trying to trick him somehow.

Her feet lightly kicked at the clay before their appearances. 'I guess so, too.' She seemed to lightly pout. 'But, what's done is done then I guess. Besides, didn't you already see me in that mirror?'

Well, I did, yeah. But, I was actually trying not to look into it after that first time. Even if it sounded painful, it was the truth.

'Ah. I see.' She sounded almost remorseful, ashamed that he had reacted the way he had and not even willing to hear her out before.

But, uh, we're here now, aren't we? Harry offered. I know that you're real. You didn't lie back then, but I still don't understand any of this. But I'm willing to listen now.

Her eyes flickered over to his own. 'Then I'll show you.' She offered up her hand. Harry took it, feeling the touch and heat of doing so. His spine almost seemed to hum or vibrate in his body. She was leading him, guiding him toward where that pillar of light shaped tree took root. Her other hand went out to touch it.

The moment she made contact, they were no longer in some barren desert, but a village of sorts. Wooden and straw houses were constructed in an orderly fashion as people meandered around performing their daily routine. A man tended to the pigs and other livestock, a woman hung some clothing out on a line to dry in the sun, children ran about, a group of men came carrying back a deer that had been pierced with a few arrows. All in all, it seemed nothing out of the ordinary.

Until the scene abruptly changed.

They were looking at the same village, but the housing, the pens, all of it was ablaze with orange and yellow colors. A group of men wearing furs and armor reminiscent of ancient Vikings were lining the road of the village folding spears and other weapons, mainly axes. By the fierce smiles on their faces, they seemed to have won the battle.

The villagers who did not fight back were tied together at their hands and then into a line as they were led away from this now destroyed village and towards some uncertain future. But among those now in bondage, Harry caught a glimpse of a young girl walking past.

She was clad in a tattered white tunic, basic sandals, and a small hairband that pressed against her front bangs. He knew exactly who this was.

That's her. That's Ymir Fritz.

'It is. This is her from over 2000 years ago.'

2000 years.

He kept his eyes focused on this girl, taking in the sight of her aside from the basics. Compared to the Ymir he was with right now, this one looked very similar to her to the point Harry would have figured them to be related. They both had straight blonde hair but the Ymir he was with had more of a dirtier shade but was more golden than this one's pale shade, similar facial features and as far as her eyes went they-,

Harry squinted, not sure if he was missing something at first. He wasn't.

Her eyes… What's wrong with them?

But it wasn't just Ymir's eyes. The more he looked, the warriors, the villagers being enslaved, they all had it. There was a shadow of sorts that seemed to completely obscure their eyes from view.

'This is a memory,' his Ymir repeated. 'Given everything that happened to her, this just made it easier for her to remember. Her mindset wasn't exactly the healthiest.'

Focusing his attention back on the newly captured slaves, Harry watched as they were forced to walk a great distance on foot for several days being fed only minimal food and water while their captures guided them along on horseback to another village in a forested region. It had a similar design to the previous one but slightly more upscale in its style of wooden longhouses and layout.

The newly acquired slaves were led to a square outside the largest and longest of the longhouses where a middle-aged bearded blonde man sat on a throne of sorts clad in some more lavished furs and sporting a few jeweled rings on his fingers while some armed men flanked his side. His eyes were heavily shaded, too, but just judging by the lazy way he sat on his throne with his head resting on one of his fists, he seemed largely unamused or dissatisfied. One of the soldiers bowed and took a knee before the King.

"King Fritz, we present the newest batch of slaves from an outlying Marleyan village. We hope this will appease you."

The King silently observed the offering presented to him. "Hm. When the people of Marley raided one of our villages, they took a far greater number of ours as slaves. But even still, our tribe will make due with this batch. The men and boys old enough or able-bodied can serve as foot soldiers in our army. The women can help replenish our numbers and assist in the fields. The youngest and children will tend to the livestock." He observed them some more. "Ensure that they don't disagree. A slave need not talk back."

"Of course, King Fritz!" a soldier agreed. "Line them up!"

The following scene was fractured, but some images still appeared before them. The soldiers fetched a pair of pliers, a cloth, and a knife whose blade was being heated from the flames of a fire. They would pull a slave forward, hold their mouth open with the cloth, pinch the tongue with the pliers and bring the knife up and a muffled scream would cry out. One by one, until it was Ymir's turn.

The scene shifted.

Ymir's white tunic was now deeply stained with mud and grime. The soles of her sandals were beginning to wear away as she stomped through the mud to replenish the pigs' food. She toted a small wooden bucket along with her as she went to a nearby stream to fetch some water for the livestock under the watchful eye of a spear-wielding soldier. Around to each and every pen, she went, supplying food and water, her head hung low.

Scene by scene flashed by of her doing the same repetitive task again and again. All the while, her expression never changed. Even with her shaded eyes, there would probably be no hopeful light, nothing to be proud of or look forward to. She was a child, probably no older than he was now and she had already resigned herself to this fate.

When the next scene flashed by, it looked to be the same as all the others before. Ymir was going about her duties, carrying her bucket along when she seemed to spot something going on with the native villagers of this tribe. She had stopped in her tracks as she observed them.

Standing amidst a circle of people was a man with dark hair and beard with his hand joined with a blonde woman wearing only white. A white cloth was wrapped around their clasped hands as an elder spoke some words. When that concluded, the man and woman embraced one another with a kiss and a woman showed them in flower petals while the crowd cheered, raising horned flagons and offering up a celebratory toast.

From a distance, Ymir watched with her head slightly tilted, her mouth opening slowly. At first, Harry thought that she was confused by what she was seeing, but realized there was more to it than that. Perhaps she wanted to experience the happiness that that couple felt, wanted to know what it was to feel valued by another. Before anyone could catch her watching, she was back on her way to tend to the livestock in their pens.

They were back at the paddocks once again.

"Very nice. They've gotten nice and fat." A man who looked to be a butcher walked the perimeter of the fence. "We'll be getting a lot of meat off of this bunch. Who would have thought that the runt would have grown so big?"

He walked out of the pigpen, forgetting to shut the gate behind him and not even paying attention to Ymir who stood silently by. Once the man had left, she went and shut the gate herself. One of the pigs looked up at her as she went to latch it properly. Her hand hesitated. She walked away soon after.

Was that supposed to make any sense? Harry asked the Ymir he came with. What's so important about some pig?

'More so what happens next.'

The scene around them was molding itself once again and the group of slaves once again found themselves gathered before the King who was looking as disinterested as ever. He began to speak. "One of you has let one of the pigs escape. Identify yourself. If none step forward, I'll gouge an eye out from each of you. Slaves have no need for two eyes."

Is he serious?! Harry asked, mollified. He had listened to Professor Binns drone on about how cruel goblins could be in their methods, but that usually involved blood feuds or war tactics. This was a little too much for one pig getting loose.

'If livestock can run free what's stopping a slave?' Harry didn't know how to answer that, but he knew what she was getting at. To the King, these slaves were just livestock.

Back to the scene, someone amongst the slaves pointed a finger. And then someone else did, too. And another. And another one. They kept on adding up, more and more fingers being pointed. Every single one, it could have been thirteen, fifty, even a hundred - they all pointed directly at Ymir.

The crowd even began backing away from her, their fingers still singling her out. She was left alone in front of the King who observed her lazily.

But she closed the pen! Harry shouted despite these memory projections not being able to hear him. She stopped them from escaping. She-, the latch. D-did she latch the gate?

'Perhaps it was just an accident,' his Ymir offered. 'Or, maybe she intended for the pig to choose for itself and let it easy to get out. Either way, she was responsible for livestock. She had seen them cared for and raised to adulthood. She cared for them even if it wasn't her job.'

And it was her job. Harry realized. And that was what the crowd had all unanimously agreed on.

"So, the one who freed the pig, was you?" the King asked of her.

From her solitary spot, Ymir looked back at the crowd who had cast her out, their fingers still pointing at her; their shadowed gazes making it impossible to tell what they were actually feeling. She continued to look around, almost desperate to find any one friendly face, anyone who might step forward and vouch for her, to claim it was just an accident. No one did. No one said a single thing. Slaves had no need to speak.

She dropped to her knees before the King, her head hung low in submission.

"Very well," the King drawled out. "You are free."

The scenery of the village, the King, the accusing crowd was all gone now. All of it had been replaced by lush forest and sprawling green and brown. Nothing but nature ahead. It was far better than what was behind.

The sounds of barking, snarling howls were echoing across the trees. Not too far from that, there was the sound of horses galloping.

"She's close now. Loose the hounds!"

Ymir was hobbling along the earthen path; her garments heavily stained, two arrows pierced her knee and shoulder, and a stain of red marred underneath the shadow of where one of her eyes was - or, where it used to be.

An exposed root caused her to stumble and fall as tears began to run freely down her face. The sounds of the dogs and the men were getting ever closer. She looked upward, one last glimpse before it would all be over. There was something there.

Much like this memory Ymir, Harry found himself having to crane his neck to properly see the full height of it. Before them in a clearing was a tree that grew far taller than any other in this forest. The branches didn't even sprout until almost the very top, but there, by the base and roots of the tree was an opening. With tearful optimism, she hobbled over.

The inside seemed completely pitch black making it impossible to see how far back it went. But in desperate need of shelter, she made her way inside. The minute her foot crossed the threshold was when the ground disappeared from under her and she fell down the hole that had been there the whole time.

There was a splash as her body made contact with the water below. Unable to swim, she started to sink down deeper. She feebly tried to kick her arms and legs, but it was too difficult when she had arrows poking out of her limbs. Her mouth gaped open as a few bubbles of air left her lungs and water quickly began replacing oxygen. She was sinking deeper.

A glow. A soft little bioluminescent glow shimmered to life somewhere deeper. She was not alone in the water.

There, floating in the water beneath her was the source of the azure glow. It looked almost like a child-sized worm with spikes protruding from the length of its body. Whatever it was, Ymir was getting closer to it, and it to her.

What is that? Harry questioned. Is that some type of worm?

'I don't think it really has just one name. Over the course of the years, people have had names and speculated on what it could be. An Earth Devil, an Organism, The Source of All Living Matter, but more recently people have called it the Titan Parasite.'

When whatever it was was close enough to the drowning girl, the spikes along its back seemed to extend out to her and some smaller finger-like appendages began to sprout from its… head? Whatever the case, they crept forward and touched the skin along her nape and along her spine. They began to pierce her skin.

Something was happening.

The darkness of the underground pool was disappearing, becoming smaller. They were shooting right up to the hole and tree above. But it didn't stop there. Higher. Bigger. The forest around all seemed so small now. The men on their horses and their hounds were little more than ants now. And as the tree toppled down with a mighty thud, something new had risen to take its place.

The Titan stood at a massive 240 meters tall. The body was clearly feminine and had a few sets of ribs protruding from the side as a form of exoskeleton. The hair was the same shade of pale blonde and the face was skeletal with sockets that were left with empty shadows. Her head pulled back as a primal scream cried out. The first Titan had appeared.

Below her, scrambling to get away from this unnatural being, the hunters were making a retreat. They didn't get far before the Titan closed the distance in a single stride and brought her hand down to stop any from escaping.

She bent down, her skeletal face staring down the gang of cowering men. Her jaw opened and…

Steam. Steam was coming out from the nape of the neck and Ymir emerged from within. The injuries to her eye and body had vanished without a single trace. She exited her Titan and approached the men. They cowered before her before she did something that shocked them.

She got down on her knees and hung her head in submission.

What is she doing? Harry asked in confused indignation. These men were trying to hunt her down and she was surrendering to them especially when she had the form of a Titan? Evidently, the men thought the same.

"Wh-what are you doing?" Ymir looked up at them and displayed her palms up in a passive gesture. The men did not know what to do. Before them was a girl whom they had been sent to hunt for sport and had now just emerged from the body of a creature evaporating before their eyes that could have killed them underfoot in one fell swoop.

"The King will want to hear of this," another said. "We should bring her back." Tying her hands together, the men rounded the horses back up and brought her along back to their tribe.

Why?! Harry felt his voice rise. Why is she going back with them after everything they did to her? She could have escaped. She could have gone off and started her own village. No one would have tried to threaten her.

'You're asking why?' his Ymir asked in return. 'Answer me this; how long have you been living with that family?'

Basically, since I was over a year old.

'And have you ever thought of running away when they mistreat you?'

I came to Hogwarts to get away from them. I haven't regretted that.

'I mean before that. You'll still be expected to return there after school ends. For all the time you've lived with them, even if you wanted to get away from all of it, why didn't you just run away?'

Because… because… he thought he had just figured it out.

'Because why?'

Because… it was all I knew.

'Hm.'

They were back in the village. The men presented Ymir before the King, fearfully keeping their distance from the young girl.

"Why have you brought this one back?" the King demanded of his men. "You expect me to believe this insane story of her being a giant? Should I gouge out an eye from you lot instead?"

"Sire… look at her. Her eye, her injury has healed."

For the first time, Harry saw the King lean forward in interest to examine the slave before him. "Huh. So it would seem. If what you say is true we will have to discern how to properly utilize such a monster. Girl, will you serve the name of Fritz?" Ymir bowed her head. "We shall see."

The land was changing. Numerous fields were being laid as crops began to prosper. Roads were being developed with what appeared to be designs of hardened crystal substance. Bridges of the same material were erected between mountains. The village began to grow and develop.

When they next saw Ymir, she had grown older by a few years into her teens. The King still sat lazily on his throne but his armor was of a finer quality. He had silken garments and a cloak in place of furs now and a horned crown adorned his head. He spoke to the one before him.

"Ymir, my slave. You have done good work. You built the roads, cultivated wastelands, and made bridges between mountains so trade may flourish. My tribe, the Eldians, has grown quite large."

She merely bowed her head for the praise.

"As a reward, I will allow you to bear my children."

She didn't even look up.

"But before that. In the name of Frtiz, annihilate the hated army of Marley."

Now they were on a battlefield. The army of Marley on one end and the Eldians on the other. Before the Marleyans could charge with their superior numbers, there was a flash of light and Ymir's titan appeared on all fours above the Eldian army. Her arm reached across the field and with a fist slammed it down towards the soldiers. She did it again. And again until a white flag was waved in the air.

When the King and his army rode their horses back to the tribe in victory, Ymir just walked alongside their horses as the people cheered for their victory. The taste of victory must have been enough to warrant more to join the King's army as more soldiers were seen being trained. Ymir was not among them.

She sat on a balcony of one of the houses watching the newest batch of soldiers being trained for war. She hugged her stomach which had a noticeable bump.

This is so gross! Harry couldn't help but exclaim. She's just a teenager and the King is probably in his forties!

'He can do what he wants. He was the king.'

That still doesn't make it any less gross.

A few months must have passed as a midwife went over to a bedridden Ymir and handed her a swaddle containing a newborn baby. "It is a girl." She held her daughter. Her shaded eyes making it impossible to tell what she was actually thinking.

They were back at war. A single swipe of Ymir's Titan hand decimated an entire line of attacking enemies.

Ymir was sitting in a chair with her daughter by her side as she held another baby in her arms.

The Eldian tribe continued to grow.

Ymir stood amongst the ranks of soldiers with her two daughters as she held the newest and youngest in her arms. Her expression was pained as she watched the King now adorned with a starred crown being tended to and admired by an array of other women.

Let me guess, he didn't even marry her?

'He allowed her to hold the name Fritz for her service to him and because he wanted his children to carry on his name. That's about it.'

Whatever disgust she had for him was put to the side as she moved her daughters over to him as he took his throne. A number of Marleyan soldiers were forced to take a knee before the King.

"So, these are the last generals of Marley's grand army?" the King addressed. "Even after suffering numerous defeats at the hands of my power, you still resisted. I would honestly be a bit disappointed if you had not. Marley is known, or rather, was known for its great might."

One of the Marleyan generals reached behind him from where he knelt. He pulled a concealed spear from where someone had planted it ahead of time. With a face of determination, he hurled the spear straight for the King.

Ymir moved to intercept.

Everything became fuzzy after that.

She was down. The cries of her daughters sounded out and even the King seemed taken aback by what had just transpired. Her daughters knelt around her, tears in their eyes and the King leaned forward in his throne, a shocked expression on his aged face. He started to speak to her.

"What are you doing? Rise." He commanded, ignoring the cries of his daughters. Ymir did not get up. "I know that no mere spear can kill you. Rise. Work." She did not rise. Her breathing was becoming shallow. "That is why you were born. Ymir, my slave."

Ymir did not rise. Everything around them was becoming dark. Darker. Darker still.

Ymir was alone in a vast expanse of desert, a child version of herself once more. It was just her, no one else. She could have been there for an hour or even a lifetime. That should have been the end of it then and there. And then there was light.

Behind her was a beacon of pulsating light with three distinct branches coming from the top.

"Eat." The King's voice called. "Eat, my daughters. Ymir's power must be passed down no matter what. Eat, Maria, Rose, Sheena."

The King stood behind the three girls as they reluctantly stuffed their mouths with uncooked meat. A crowd of disgusted onlookers covered their mouths as they wretched at the sight of the girls devouring the leftovers of something - or rather, someone.

When they next saw the King, he was far older, laying on his deathbed with his three daughters gathered by his side. "My daughters, give birth and multiply. The blood of Ymir must not perish. If you die, my daughters, have my grandchildren eat your spines. If my grandchildren die, pass their spines from child to child."

And there were nine of them. Nine Titans total. Two of them moved about on all fours, one appeared to have a distinct female shape, one had rock-hard skin over its whole body, another held a massive crystal spear in its hand that materialized from thin air, the second largest was covered in shaggy fur, and another had a lipless maw and eyes that glowed while the biggest one lumbered behind all of them, it's body completely devoid of skin and emanating immense steam. The original was not among them, but somewhere else, perhaps overlooking these newest beings.

"My Eldians will rule all the great lands of this world with their enormity," the King continued. "And my Titans shall reign forever and ever." All the while Ymir's soul wandered this vast plane, constructing titanic bodies out of the clay and sending them forward to be used by their current holder. She carried her bucket and made each and every one by hand according to the order she was given in this dimension. She was constructing tens of thousands of colossal beings and building some sort of structure around them. A wall.

"So long as my world exists, forever and-,"

"It ends now!"

The scene was all wiped away from them. The man who had just spoken was not King Fritz. It was a younger man. His long hair was loose and his eyes burning with intense emotion as he came up to Ymir from behind and wrapped his arms around her child-sized body.

"I'll put an end to all of this! Give me your strength."

That's him. That's-,

'Eren Yeager. Yes. It is.'

How did he get to this place? Harry asked. You said this was a memory.

'It is. This is still her memory. He got to be here in the Paths since he had the Founding Titan power and when he made contact with his half brother Zeke who had royal blood.' She pointed over to where a second man was.

His blonde hair and beard seemed to be turning grey despite probably only being in his late twenties. The closest thing he had to resemble Eren were his eyes, too. The one who held the Beast Titan.

'The only way to get to this Paths dimension was for the Founding Titan and a Titan of royal blood to come into contact. But when they got here, they realized they had two very different ideas of what they wanted to do to end the war they were in.'

From his kneeling position, Eren continued to talk to the visage of Ymir. "You're no slave, and you're not a god either. You're just a person. You don't need to serve anyone. You can be the one to choose." Zeke was running over to them.

"What did you just say, Eren?!" he broke out into a mad sprint. "Stop! What are you doing?!

"You get to decide, you choose," Eren continued to tell the soul that inhabited this plane. "Stay here for eternity… or have it all end.

"What are you doing?!" Zeke shouted. "Ymir! Obey my orders! I'm telling you to take away from Eldians the ability to reproduce! Do it now, Ymir!"

And how is making people not have kids a way to end a war? Harry failed to see the logic in that.

'You saw how the first King Fritz was. Because of his actions and attitude in the years that followed, the whole rest of the world came to view any Eldian, no matter what as a menace and threat to peace. It wasn't until King Karl Fritz condemned the first king's view and moved the Eldian people to Paradis. Any other Eldian who didn't follow him was either killed or forced into camps or ghettos in fear of an uprising.'

But… the first Ymir, she wasn't even Eldian herself.

'Still, she served the Eldian King. And time kinda distorted the truth for a lot of people, especially in Marley.'

"Ymir!" Zeke shouted once more in an attempt to get the girl's attention.

Eren's fierce expression began to soften, as did his voice. "Were you the one who led me here?"

"I am descended from royal blood!" Zeke shouted, closing in on them.

"You must have been waiting all this time," Eren softly realized. "Waiting 2000 years, just for somebody."

Zeke was reaching out, closing the distance.

Still being restrained by Eren, Ymir's body seemed to relax. Her mouth was moving but no words were coming out. And the shadow that still covered her gaze even after her death began to fade. Tears escaped her open eyes to freedom.

White. A white flash and everything seemed to vanish around them.

Wh-what just happened? Harry looked around at the nothing that surrounded them. What did she just do?

'She chose. After being a slave all her life and even after death by heeding orders of Titan Shifters and those with royal blood, she chose to side with Eren. To help him end the war and all the hatred the world had for Eldians and each other.'

Harry wanted to question that further but after seeing the life Ymir Fritz had lived and how she had been treated, he would have sided with Eren too if that was the first-ever bit of kind words someone had told him. Perhaps that was why he felt so close to this Ymir. And speaking of which…

Alright… so how does this explain how you and I are connected? You say I'm your brother, and you're clearly not Ymir Fritz, not completely.

'Relax,' She held up a hand before putting it on his shoulder. 'That's coming next.'

The expanse of white was taking on a new shape. Clouds. It was becoming clouds. Clouds above and below and standing there with his arms out to the side was Eren, but not as he had been before.

He was smaller, a child of their age. His hair was shorter and messier, his green eyes alive with light and joy and he wore one of the biggest smiles Harry had ever seen on a kid. His child's voice was filled with pure ecstasy. "This is freedom!"

Wasn't he an adult when we last saw him?

'He was. I guess this was just easier for his mind if he imagined himself as a kid. The plan he had, he didn't exactly like it even if he was prepared to follow through with it.'

The image of Ymir Fritz appeared next to him in the clouds.

"Huh? Where'd you come from? I've never seen you around Shighanshina District. But I've never seen you pick on Armin either so I guess you're okay." She didn't respond to him. "Wait. I think I do know you. You're Ymir, right? I think… I think I had a dream about you one time when I was napping under a tree. But don't you dare tell Mikasa, she'll get all worried and start acting like my mother."

Ymir Fritz was silent.

"Why're you staring at me like that? Is something wrong?" His expression turned fierce. "If someone was picking on you let me know who and I'll kick their ass and-,"

"There is a problem."

"With what?"

"With the children."

Eren seemed perplexed. "What children? What are you talking about, Ymir?"

"Do not go down the road of forgetting, Eren Yeager. Do not be like me and become a slave to delusions."

"I am not a slave."

Eren was standing before her, an adult once again. His expression glared down at the smaller form of Ymir before it quickly softened. He took a knee to put his hands on her shoulders.

"Sorry. I'm sorry. I just… I know what's going on. I've known what will happen since I unlocked the Attack Titan's power. It's happening now?"

"It is. Have you thought about what you're going to do about it?"

Eren's expression was pure melancholy. "I have. If what I saw in my future memories is true, the parasite will be exposed and can be killed afterwards."

The one that attached itself to Ymir Fritz?

'The very same. Because she only had it for thirteen years before her death, that's how long every Titan Shifter had to live after they got their powers and part of that parasite inside of them. That became known as the Curse of Ymir.'

But before you mentioned that we might have some sort of Titan abilities does that mean that we'll… you know, die?

'No. The main body of the parasite was killed thanks to Armin Arlert and Reiner Braun. The Colossal and Armored Titans. I'll explain more soon. For now, just watch.'

"So what will you do, Eren Yeager?"

"My goal has not changed. I will ensure the people of Paradis will be free. And… that could include you. If you would lend your power one more time."

"You know what you'd be sacrificing in the process. I wanted the same thing as you did. If I'm to truly leave the Paths, it will stop. Zeke is no longer needed for any of it, the others will discover that. The lives of twins or the lives of a people."

"And what future is worth it if they could not see it for themselves?" Eren asked of her. "That scenery… that is their future."

"Then it sounds like your mind is set."

"Ymir," he went to hug the girl. "Go. Be free."

Ymir simply stood there letting herself be embraced for a final time. Her body began to fade, becoming little more than visible air. "See you later, Eren."

She was gone.

The glowing beacon of a tree behind them glowed with intense light before compacting back in on itself, leaving only an obsolete monument in its place. Eren stood back up to his full height, watching the once pillar of light turn dark. His expression was almost pained sympathy. He lowered his head and his image disappeared as well. The Paths dimension was left deserted. Not a soul to occupy it.

'This is where we come in.'

The scene changed to that of the interior of a modest ranch. A petite blonde woman was laid down on a bed tightly gripping some support ropes as a plethora of midwives surrounded her side. "A little more, Your Majesty. You're almost done."

She was crying, her mouth opened but no scream escaped. Her grip on the ropes tightened. A cry rang out in the room, but not hers. A baby. The other midwives were quick to wrap the child in a bundle as the head midwife resumed her duties.

"Once more, Your Majesty. We're not done just yet."

She blinked her teary eyes. "Twins?"

"Yes. Push. You're almost there."

Another silent scream and a second set of lungs breathed the air of the world for the first time. "You did it, Your Highness." The midwife presented the young queen with the two babies. "A healthy boy and girl."

'We almost weren't,' Ymir quietly remarked.

How?

'What Ymir Fritz said before to Eren. There were complications. We weren't going to make it. Not until she lent her power, her soul to save ours.'

So… that means… he was starting to put it all together.

'Yes. Ymir Fritz used her power to breathe life into us. Every once she had so that she would be free of her service. Her soul split itself, using its power to ensure we would live. That's how we're connected by Paths, that's why we have the dreams that we do. They're all memories from any Shifters throughout the years. Perhaps she wanted us to have them so in some small way, she'd be remembered; that all that time she spent trapped there would mean something so that we could be thankful for the lives that we would have.'

So does that mean that we're both Ymir Fritz? Would that be reincarnation?

'Not exactly. I'm my own person, and so are you. Although I suspect I was named after her and another girl who was close to mother, she might have even loved her. But anyway, us having Founder Ymir's power is a secret, as was our parentage for a time.'

Wouldn't people know that their queen was having kids?

'They did, but if people suspected Eren was involved us and her would have been used as hostages since his plan of ending the war didn't line up with the military's.'

But she's the queen, Harry pointed out. She could have gone along with it if she wanted to.

'She did. But a coup gave her the throne, a coup could take it away. But luckily Eren and a soldier named Flock Forster had their own faction in place and stopped anything from reaching her.'

So he had this all planned out. Considering she told him the Attack Titan could see into the future it really wasn't that surprising. So then what did he do? What was this plan that their military was against and would try to stop him?

For the first time, Ymir looked unsure of what to say. 'I, uh… I know I promised to tell you everything, but… I really don't think I'm the person who should explain it. It really isn't my place. The only thing I can really say is that he carried it out until we were born. Setting Ymir free put a stop to it. I guess he just valued our lives over carrying it out fully. I hope you can understand.'

I… sure. I'll accept that for now. But there are still some things you need to explain about Titan powers and how I'm here and not with you on Paradis.

'Right, of course. As far as the Titans go, the main body of the parasite was destroyed so there's no more thirteen-year lifespan. The people who had the power at the time, Armin Arlert, Annie Leonhart, Reiner Braun, Pieck Finger, Falco Grice, and Eren and Zeke still have some remnants of it in their bodies. How they used to transform was by having an injury to their body and Ymir Fritz would supply them with a Titan from Paths. That isn't how it works anymore.

'When I first told Eren about all these dreams I was having, all the things I was seeing, he wanted to test something out. He took me to a secluded area far away from any towns or farms and bit into his hand. And I felt it. I was in the Paths with a form of the Attack Titan made out of clay already. I gave it to him and in the real world, a 15 meter Titan was standing in front of me.

'That's the power I got from Ymir Fritz, the power to give or deny a Titan to anyone of my choosing, as well as a Titan of my own, and I don't have to slave away sculpting them out since the first Ymir didn't have to do that with hers, but that's not really the point.'

And you can do that with any of the Shifters? And if he had Ymir's power, too, did that mean him?

'I guess it's a bit different with Eren or you if that's what you're asking. Ymir Fritz was the founder, the Coordinate. Eren has that Titan inside of him, but we have the power of Ymir. Just a physical injury and a need for a Titan and I can give it. For the other shifters, I never gave them one but I think it's because they don't have the founder so if they want one, I'd have to physically touch them to open Paths. And that isn't easy since not all of them are on Paradis. And then there's you.'

Me?

'You.' She smiled but it quickly dipped. 'Any physical injury and a need for a Titan. That's what I thought. And I could feel all the injuries that you got from those bullies, from those people, all of it. But I couldn't ever give you a Titan.'

Do you know why? Having the ability to transform into a giant being would have come in handy in warding off Dudley or his gang.

'Just guesses. Paths can serve to connect the souls of Eldians. Maybe something is harming your soul somehow that a full connection can't be opened. I really don't know. Most that can probably happen is a partial Titan form but even that isn't guaranteed. Or, and you've probably realized by now, but it could also have to do with us being in completely different worlds.'

And there it was. It was finally said out loud. He knew there was a reason why none of the books mentioned anything about Paradis, about Titan Shifters, Marley, Ymir Fritz, any of it. A dimension, a world, whatever; they were nowhere close to actually meeting in person. And that was the truth.

'Where you are, it's the year 1991, yes? For us, it's the year 865.'

How? He simply asked. How am I not with you?

'No one knows.'

A new memory was taking shape around them now. Two infants were situated in a large crib with some toys placed nearby. The setting wasn't of some rustic ranch on the countryside but more upscale, more urban and grand. A quick flash later and there was just one infant, the other seemingly having vanished into thin air.

'One day you were just gone. Not knowing what to think, your disappearance almost started a whole other war since people believed you were kidnapped by some vengeful enemy. No one ever made any ransom or any demand. Paradis tried reaching out to one Mikasa Ackerman who took to the eastern nation of Hizaru to help reconstruct it but she never heard anything from their allies. We all thought the worst. Until…'

A younger version of this Ymir was seen waking up, a startled scream escaping her as she rushed over to the nearest mirror and began to examine her hair and how long it was. 'I had a dream that some woman who I never saw before started cutting all my hair off until I was basically bald.'

She did that to me, Harry recalled how Aunt Petunia was always making a fuss about his hair. It all grew back an hour later.

'I guess so. But I continued getting flashes of these strange events, unexplainable happenings until finally-,' Harry saw that they were now at the zoo that day at the gorilla enclosure. 'I was finally able to speak to you.'

My magic?

'Probably. And from then on I knew. I knew there might be a way to finally speak with you. I saw my chance and I took it.' The memory ended and they were by themselves in the desolate plane with a fading beacon of light. 'I haven't regretted it.'

And Harry believed her.

When he woke up that morning, his whole body seemed much lighter. He was feeling the usual morning hunger but knew he wouldn't be eating when he made his way down to the Great Hall. His hunger lay elsewhere.

Making his way along the Gryffindor table, he was on the lookout for a student with a noticeable mane of hair. As usual, he found her seated next to some of the other first-year girls, but not actively participating in their conversation.

"Hermione," he got her attention. "Do you have a moment?"

She looked up from her textbook, her breakfast hardly touched. "Harry? What is it?"

"I wanted to ask you something, something you'd probably have the answer to. Could you meet me in the library when you're finished?"

"Oh, I'm finished now. I was just catching up on a bit of light reading." Her book wasn't light in the slightest. So they casually exited the hall and along the familiar path that led to the library.

"What is it you wanted to ask me? Does it have anything to do with that island you mentioned before, Paradis? I did some reading myself and couldn't find anything even remotely close to-,"

"No. Sorry to interrupt, but I found my answers about that. Instead, I wanted to know if you ever read anything about if magic can travel between worlds?"

Thank you for reading. Next chapter, Armed with new knowledge, Harry seeks ways on how to unlock more of the powers of Paths. His search leads him to a forbidden corridor. Chapter 13: Hogwarts' Secret.