I'm glad the new version of Graceless was mostly met with acclaim, but keep in mind, this is not definitely going to happen. It depends entirely on whether the story has legs, and whether I can make the pairing work organically.

GRACELESS (REVISED)

CHAPTER 2:

EXPLANATIONS

As the light from the teleportation circle faded, Harry looked at the Fallen Angels incredulously. "Did we seriously go through a method of magical transportation…that is actually comfortable?"

The sole male of the group, dressed in a trenchcoat and fedora, and who called himself Dohnaseek when he and the woman Kalawarner arrived at the outpost, smirked. "The problem with your wizards is that you are indolent, and slow to innovate, to say nothing of masochistic. No wonder your former country banned magic carpets, they'd be more comfortable than broomsticks or Portkeys."

Harry rolled his eyes. Honestly, he didn't trust Dohnaseek or Kalawarner. Then again, it wasn't like he really trusted Raynare or Mittelt, having known them for less than an hour, though Mittelt was at least friendly, and Raynare, while she gave him bad vibes, at least seemed to be courteous enough. "Sadly, you probably have a point."

He looked around. They were in a place not unlike a smaller scale departure lounge at an airport, on a dais. Raynare and Mittelt had said they would bring him to their superiors, and hopefully find a way to get him out of the Underworld. While he wasn't sure if he could trust them, he also knew he had little choice. If this really was another dimension, and the Portkey malfunctioning had dumped him here, then he didn't know how to get out readily. He was lucky he had his expanded trunk on him, albeit shrunken and kept in his jacket pocket.

"Wow," Delphi gasped, looking around at the passers-by. "Are these all Fallen Angels?"

"There are few humans in the Underworld, even in the Grigori headquarters," Kalawarner, a blue-haired woman said. Her minidress had a high hemline and a neckline that exposed a considerable amount of cleavage. "You should feel privileged, few humans have seen this sight."

"I've seen stuff like this in airports and transit hubs around the world," Harry said as they walked off the dais. "No offence, it's just…does it matter that the people using it are Fallen Angels?"

Mittelt remarked, "Don't say stuff like that too loudly. People get a bit miffed at that, being compared to humans. Anyway, you're now in the Grigori HQ. We sent word ahead about you two, but I wonder who's coming to see us?"

"That would be me."

The sardonic voice came from a Fallen who was approaching them. He didn't look all that distinctive. In fact, his mix of casual handsomeness and lazy scruffiness put Harry in mind of Sirius, and rather painfully too. Lean, sardonic and saturnine features were framed by dark hair that turned blonde at the fringe, while a scruffy beard adorned his chin, more stubble than beard.

Harry, however, realised that the four Fallen with him had been surprised by this Fallen's appearance. He wasn't showing his wings, but given their attitude, he was someone important. "L-L-Lord Azazel?" Raynare stammered. "What are you doing here?"

"Got sick of paperwork, heard about this while I was messing around in Comms, thought I'd swing by," Azazel said all too-casually. "Mind if I take these two off your hands?"

"…Of course not, Lord Azazel!" Raynare said. "I…I would be honoured!"

"Great. Now, Harry…do you mind if you come with me? And bring your daughter with you. I promise I mean neither of you harm. Oh, and Raynare? You and your cell can take a load off for now, but remain on standby, I might need to talk to you."

Harry pointedly stayed close to Delphi, before following the scruffy Fallen through the corridors of the Grigori…

Eventually, they arrived at an office, well-appointed, but with piles of paperwork everywhere, as well as what looked like half-assembled devices. "Sorry about the mess," Azazel said. "I hate paperwork, and love tinkering with things. Anyway, sit down."

Harry and Delphi did so. "So…who are you exactly? I mean, the name Azazel rings a bell, but…"

"Haven't really studied the Bible much, have you?" Azazel said. "Or angelology? Eh, that's fine, I'm not setting you an exam. Bluntly, I'm the Governor-General for the Grigori. Which means I'm the leader of this organisation, and let me tell you, it's like herding cats."

Oh. Oh dear. So, he was now in the same room as the leader of the Fallen Angels. And yet, although Harry was swiftly on guard, he was surprised at how relaxed and casual Azazel was. "Why would you want to herd cats?" Delphi asked.

"To see if you can," Azazel said. "Anyway, so, thanks to Mittelt's message, I know you are Harry and Delphi Potter. I'm also aware of your respective pasts. Rest assured, I am not your enemy, though I'm sure you need more proof of that."

"If you're these guys' leader, then you're more powerful than I am, I'm sure, by several magnitudes," Harry said.

"True. That being said, I have an offer for you. But it's an offer you can refuse, no strings attached. I'll just send you back to your realm to a destination of your choosing. You and your daughter can continue from there. Joining us…well, it doesn't have strings attached, but there are problems involved that I will tell you about."

Harry considered this, before giving Delphi a glance, with his daughter looking interested, if only in the novel surrounds. She wasn't of his blood, and he'd be lying if he said he didn't even occasionally see features that reminded him of both a young Tom Riddle and Bellatrix Lestrange. But Delphi, thankfully, had none of their faults, save for perhaps a quick temper at times. She was fine with Muggles and Muggleborns and Halfbloods, to say nothing of magical creatures. You couldn't say she was innocent, as she knew she and Harry were on the run from Magical Britain, or more specifically, Minister of Magic Percy Weasley and his sycophants, but she was certainly more innocent than the daughter of such people would be believed to be.

He remembered the day he found her. He was in training to become an Auror when Kingsley Shacklebolt asked him to join a rather delicate operation to raid the Rowle manor. There, they found Delphi, though her identity was only learned when Euphemia Rowle spilled the beans, something confirmed through Veritaserum.

At first, Delphi's identity was kept secret…until an Auror leaked it to Rita Skeeter. A public outcry ensued, and Harry soon learned who his friends were. Many remained surprisingly loyal: Hermione, and most of the Weasleys, to say nothing of Luna and Neville, realised that to blame Delphi for the sins of her parents was stupid. But Andromeda Tonks reacted violently, and when Harry made his intentions to adopt her clear, an argument broke out. She claimed his parents, along with Remus and Nymphadora would be ashamed to die for a treacherous boy, and forbade him from seeing Teddy ever again. Harry merely retorted that she was a stupid, selfish cow who thought infanticide was justifiable, despite what had nearly happened to him. And that bridge was only one of many that were burned.

As for Percy Weasley…well, the opportunistic, bureaucratic little arse began to gather followers. Harry already had to resign from the DMLE, with Kingsley under pressure to force the issue, but soon, Percy gained enough power to start sending people after Harry and Delphi, who was still a toddler. Percy should have been in Slytherin, rather than Gryffindor.

Eventually, things came to a head when Harry was called before the Wizengamot to answer for his supposed crimes. He got off due to a good lawyer funded by Gringotts (the Goblins may have financially sodomised him after the Horcrux fiasco, but that was more as punishment for the theft: destroying a Horcrux earned their grudging respect, and they liked sticking it sideways to the Ministry anyway), but the damage was done. He decided he couldn't remain in Britain any longer.

So, he placed Delphi's birth name under the Fidelius, with him as Secret Keeper. Delphini Hydra Riddle became Delphini Hydra Potter. While so many in Magical Britain and abroad knew that identity, they could no longer communicate it without leave to anyone not in the know.

"So, what is this offer?" Harry asked.

"It's a fairly simple one. The Grigori is a refuge for all sorts of outcasts and exiles. Mostly Fallen Angels, but we also take in others who have been dispossessed, often ex-members of the Vatican who have been excommunicated for various reasons. Some for good reason, admittedly, and others for falling afoul of Vatican politics. We've even brought in wizards from time to time. In exchange for giving you two a place to call home, a sanctuary beyond the reach of the wizards, I'd like your assistance on certain missions. You'll have the ability to accept or refuse them as you see fit, within reason. Of course, accepting comes with its own problems."

"Like what?"

"You'd have to be careful about the politics of the Three Biblical Factions. Did Raynare tell you about the Great War?"

"Mittelt did," Harry said. "She said it ended in a ceasefire."

"Good. And it's a precarious state of affairs. We've been working slowly and gradually towards an actual peace treaty, but…it's still delicate, the situation. It's why none of us interfered during Voldemort's uprising. It was decided not to, lest it devolve into a proxy war, and then cause war to ignite again. If that happened, it would spill out into the human realm, and make your World Wars look tame by comparison. So, if you do join us, you have to be mindful of that. Don't worry, I think that, unlike many of those under me, you can approach Devils with an open mind."

"Why is that?"

"…Many of my people would die than admit it, but Devils these days aren't so bad. It helps that a lot of the really nasty ones were killed off. You see, after the Great War puttered to a stop, the leaders of the Devils wanted to keep going regardless, even though it could mean mutually-assured destruction. The heads of the Lucifer, Leviathan, Beelzebub and Asmodeus lines, known now as the Old Satan Faction, didn't care, as long as it meant the destruction of the Angels, Fallen or not. But another faction of Devils rose up in rebellion, now known as the New Satan Faction. After a long and bitter civil war, the New Satan Faction triumphed, with the Old Satan Faction's members either dying, fleeing, or surrendering. The leaders of the New Satan Faction took on the family names of the overthrown bloodlines as their own, as titles."

"So they're powerful enough to do that? I mean, I assume they are powerful to be leaders."

Azazel nodded. "Sirzechs Gremory became Sirzechs Lucifer, and is widely acknowledged as the current leader. He is considered to be one of the strongest if not the strongest Devils in existence. He's also a very nice guy, you'd probably love to meet him. A bit overly affectionate with his younger sister Rias, but otherwise, well, there are some Angels in Heaven who are less nice than him. Serafall Sitri became Serafall Leviathan. She's…eccentric to say the least. She's in charge of foreign relations for the Devils, but is noted for her magical girl shows."

"…Magical girl shows?" Delphi asked, interested. Harry remembered that she became entranced with some stuff Luna had shown her.

"Yep. Some of it might be a bit mature for you, Delphi, but Serafall does do kid's stuff, and I might see if she can give me some as a favour. She's always willing to help out fans of magical girl stuff. Of course, she's as affectionate towards her own sister Sona as Sirzechs is to Rias, if not more so. Then, you have Ajuka Beelzebub, formerly of the Astaroth line, head of research and development. He developed the Evil Piece system that has helped replenish the Devils' populace, and which I will discuss in a moment. Finally, Falbium Asmodeus, once Falbium Glasya-Labolas, lazy as hell, but a brilliant strategist. Now, don't misunderstand me: there are plenty of Devils every bit as nasty or vicious as the ones you've heard about, even after their civil war. But on the whole, they're mostly like you or I, just with a tendency to sin more. Then again, their society is not unlike a slightly less toxic version of the Purebloods in Britain."

Harry frowned as he considered this. Eventually, he said, "You mentioned those Evil Piece things, and that they help the Devils replenish their populace. I'd like to know more. Oh, and about Stray Devils too, those things that attacked us."

"Well, luckily for you, the two topics are linked. Okay, so, Ajuka comes up with these enchanted artifacts based on chess pieces shortly after the civil war ended. They can convert any living being, within reason, into a Devil, whether they be human, youkai, Fallen Angel, hell, I heard Tannin, one of the most powerful Dragons, became a Devil. Basically, each Devil born to a line gets a set of these Evil Pieces, and they are expected to build up a coterie of servants known as a Peerage. Now, keep in mind, their servitude can vary from Devil to Devil. The Gremorys in particular are noted for treating their Peerage like family or friends. In addition, Reincarnated Devils in a Peerage have the opportunity to rise in ranks, before gaining the ability to create Peerages of their own. However, some Reincarnated Devils, for various reasons, depart from their master, their King, without their leave. These Devils are known as Stray Devils."

"But if they're leaving slavery…" Delphi began, and Harry couldn't help but agree.

"Look, honestly, a lot of the time, Stray Devils do happen when Kings mistreat their Peerage. And not all of them turn into monsters. But the thing is, many Strays are vicious and evil. They feed off others, often fleeing to the human realm, or else remaining here, picking off weaker entities, or each other. Because of that, they devolve into monstrous forms. Most Reincarnated Devils remain in Peerages, though, usually because they're being treated well, as well as the opportunity for advancement being there. However, we frequently target Stray Devils on our missions. If you join us, that may be one of the things that will be expected of you, Harry, and don't worry, we will train you and arm you to a standard where you can fight them well. So…any other questions?"

Harry considered this. He had a lot of questions, true, but they could wait until after he made a decision. At least for the most part. He did ask, "Can I stay here in this place while I consider accepting your offer?"

"Sure. You could probably do with a rest. Maybe a week? I mean, I'd rather you take only a few days at most to decide, but I don't see the harm in letting you two stay here for a week, and you're even welcome to come back even if you don't decide to join us. I can just give you the necessaries for transporting between Earth and Grigori HQ. I'll assign you sleeping quarters for yourself and your daughter."

"…Thanks," Harry said. Still, he couldn't help but be wary. He still wasn't sure if he could trust Azazel. Then again, trust was thin on the ground. "One last question," he said. "Why offer me this?"

"…I could be flippant and say it's the right thing to do, but while that's true, I know you'd be looking for other motives." Azazel leaned forward, fixing Harry with his gaze. "Bluntly, what the wizards, or at least those hunting you, did was appalling. Now, I'm no saint, and there's plenty here who wouldn't give a damn about either of you. But with you here now, maybe I can help, if only because outcasts should stick together. And…I know what it's like to have an adopted child whose circumstances are less than ideal, and whose existence paints a target on my back. And…well, let's just say I failed a child whose parent died protecting her before. I failed her miserably."

"…So you don't want me for my skills?"

"No. Harry, without sugar-coating it, you are a minnow in a very large pond. Defeating Voldemort and keeping you and your daughter alive while on the run are great achievements, to be sure, but you are now amongst people who are powerful enough to destroy the world. But…power isn't everything. I want someone who has heart and empathy, who can see beyond the prejudices of family and nature." He gave a very pointed glance to Delphi, showing he knew who she was, or rather, who her parents were. "That's more valuable to me than raw power."

Harry nodded. While it could just be rhetoric, Azazel trying to use a silver tongue to get what he wanted, Harry had, if not made the decision proper, then at least was feeling more inclined to consider it. And the offer was tempting.

Still, he needed to consider it for longer. Hopefully, he wouldn't regret it, either way…

CHAPTER 2 ANNOTATIONS:

So, some exposition, and an offer from Azazel. In case you're wondering, Azazel is alluding to Vali and Akeno respectively.

No numbered annotations this time.