Bab 1067: 9
Chapter 8-Harry's past Part II
The three teams and Summer made their way to the headmaster's office, their minds on what they were about to hear. They wondered why Harry was being so secretive with his past, and some hoping it wasn't as bad as he and Weiss made it out to be. Pyrrha was with her team when a thought occurred to her.
"Hey, Potter," Pyrrha called out, Harry looked to her. "You said that those 'spells' you used cost you a lot of Aura, correct?" He nodded. "Why'd you use them?"
Harry considered her question. "I guess you can say I was curious if I could be beat you in a tournament style duel with them. I knew they weren't well suited for it, but I wanted to know just how badly it would affect my Aura." His tone was level, but one could make up a touch of sullenness. He didn't like losing. Losing reminded him too much of the Dursleys, where he was always supposed to lose. To make Dudley "feel better" about himself.
Like he needed Harry for that. His parents already spoiled the hell out of him.
Pyrrha nodded and went back to conversing with Jaune. Adam frowned. "That last one you shot. The "Expelleraimus" or whatever," he spoke up. "I remember you using it when we were in the tunnels. But that one was slower than the one you just used. How is that?"
"It's "Expelliramus," Harry corrected. "Ex-spell-ir-amus. It disarms your opponent," he explained. "And the reason the one I used against Pyrrha was faster than the one I used in the tunnels was because that power I mentioned is extremely dense when compared to Aura.
"Because of this, when I used Aura to create the Expelliramus it was faster; but the flip side is that it took A LOT of Aura to even make it effective," he finished.
"But it's impractical to use your Aura for offense," Blake said.
"Not impractical," Ren spoke up. "Just difficult. Aura is more defensive than offensive, but it is possible to use Aura for offense." He looked at Harry and said, "Though I never thought that the things you did were possible."
Harry agreed. "It's because most people assume it's impossible, or don't want to take the risk."
"Then why do you?" Blake asked.
Harry chuckled sheepishly. "Kind of an ingrained habit, I'm afraid," he admitted. "And for the last seven years of my life, I've kinda been making a living off doing the impossible. At some point I started enjoying it, actually."
Summer frowned. "This wouldn't have anything to do with those things you said to me in the tunnels, would it?"
"It has everything to do with that," he told her.
Summer frowned deeper when he said that. What he told her down there shook her. To have to fight the things he said he fought at such a young age…She didn't want to think about it.
Summer looked over her shoulder at her new weapon. Hunter's Moon stayed attached to her back by a magnetic holster. She sighed as she remembered Harry handing it to her just moments ago…
Flashback: A few minutes ago
Harry casually walked off the stage, wand and sword in hand. "Hey, Mrs. Rose. Catch," he called out and threw Hunter's Moon at her.
Summer caught it reflexively. Harry waved his wand, and the grip instantly morphed. Summer's eyes widened.
"I fixed the grip on it so only you can wield it properly now," Harry said, pocketing his wand. Everyone stared at him in shock.
"But…?" Summer shook her head. "This is your sword. Why are you giving to me?"
"Well, first of all, it's not really mine," Harry said. "Ulthane only gave it to me because he said I'd eventually meet the one he made it for. I asked how I'd know this person, and he just laughed at me saying, 'You'll know 'er when ya see 'er!' And went back to laughing."
He shook his head and continued. "Second of all, I only took it because Winter and Mr. Schnee kept 'insisting' I take it. Third of all," he shrugged, "with it off my hands, I can finally go back to try and finish the weapon I've been designing."
Ruby's eyes widened. "You're making your own weapon?! Can I help?! What is it?! What kind of gun are you using?! Is a sword?! You're really good with sword! So I'd say a sword would work best!" she began gushing excitedly, causing Harry to take a step back.
"Whoa! Whoa! Whoa! Calm down, little sister!" Yang shouted, and pulled at Ruby's hood, much to her protests. "You're weirding him out!"
Ruby stopped and looked shocked. She turned to see Harry staring at her with a stunned expression. Her face lost color.
"Oh! I'm so sorry!" she apologized, hoping she hadn't scared him away. "I didn't mean to weird you out or anything! I…" She fumbled over her words.
Harry, however, chuckled. "Don't worry. It's ok!" he laughed. "You just reminded me of my best friend when she discovered there was a book she hadn't read. The resemblance was almost so uncanny I almost called you Hermione!"
Ruby looked up hopefully. "And I wouldn't mind you taking a look at what I got right now," he told her. "I mean, you know more about weapons than I do," he teased.
Ruby giggled as she tried (with little success) to force down a blush. "Yeah. I…I might know a thing or two more…" she mumbled, pressing her two index fingers together.
"You made that death dealer you call a scythe," Adam deadpanned. "I think you know more than just 'a thing or two more.'"
Ruby blushed brightly.
Isabella was about to say something to comfort Ruby when Summer spoke up. "You said Ulthane made this?"
Harry looked to her and saw her face was blank. "Um…Yes?" he said, unsure.
Summer continued to staring at Hunter's Moon in silence. Lily looked to Yang and asked, "What's up with her?"
Yang shook her head. "I don't know."
Ren looked confused. "Does she not like Ulthane or something?"
"Oh! Oh! Maybe he was like her mentor or something!" Nora piped up. "Oh! Oh! Maybe he's an old rival of hers! Or maybe he was like a daddy to her!"
Blake shook her head. "I don't think that's…"
Suddenly, they heard the black-red haired Huntress giggling quietly. The giggling picked up in volume until it was a full blown laughter. Everyone was starting to become uncomfortable until she screamed out, "GRIMM DAMN YOU, ULTHANE!"
Flashback end
Summer was still steaming over that. The smug bastard must've been laughing at her now. He knew. Somehow the asshole KNEW she'd need a weapon at this point in her life and handed it to some kid as his messenger!
'Probably because he knew I'd try and kill 'em,' she grumbled mentally. Stupid, conniving, oversized blacksmith…
They made it to the elevator that went to Professor Ozpin's office. "Are we all going to fit?" Jaune asked.
Summer rolled her eyes. "Yes, scrawny, we will," she droned. "If not, we'll just use you as a rug to make sure the rest of us fit."
"Mom," Ruby groaned. She had been insulting almost everyone in their group since she woke up.
She hoped her mom didn't start insulting Harry.
Harry wasn't listening as he walked into the elevator, stopping just short of the door. "Pyrrha," he said, making the redhead stop. "I'm going to get this out of the way now; the reason I wasn't at my best during the tournament, is because you look a lot like my mother." Pyrrha's eyes widened. "In fact the only person who looks more like her than you do is Lily here." Now Lily's eyes widened. "I thought I'd get that out of the way now, because it might not come up during my explanation."
With that, he walked into the elevator. Weiss and his team right behind him with Lily a little shell shocked at the recent revelation. Ruby frowned at how close Weiss was to Harry. Were they together? Ruby certainly hoped not as she walked into the elevator.
They all fit in the space snugly. It was thankful that none of them had a fear of confined spaces. Harry remembered back when Weiss used to think he had claustrophobia, because of the time he had spent in a cupboard. He chuckled.
Weiss looked to him. "What's so funny?"
Harry smiled. "Remember when you used to think I had claustrophobia?" he asked teasingly.
Weiss blushed. "What was I supposed to think?" she demanded. "Everyone else would have in your situation!"
"I'm not everyone, Snow White," he said back, "and I'm damn proud of that fact."
Blake listened intently. She wondered what Harry had gone through to make Weiss think he was claustrophobic. Lily was wondering as well.
But before anyone could think of anything else, the doors opened to reveal Ozpin's office. It was extremely spacious, with several clock parts on display under or behind thick glass. The sound of the cogs was soothing to several people in the group, which included Ren, Nora, Summer, Ruby, Isabella, and Blake.
However, some within the group (Yang, Harry, Lily, and Adam) didn't. Yang didn't like it because of its repetitiveness. Harry because it reminded him of the big grandfather clock Vernon had bought and stuck right next to his cupboard, then outside his room after his first year (Harry had taken gleeful pleasure destroying the thing. Ironically, it was the one of the few things he was never blamed for breaking). Lily found it annoying. Adam found it too similar to the gears of some of the machines from the mines. The others were neutral.
Ozpin sat at the desk in the middle of the room with Glynda standing next to him. They were currently looking at a beautiful Snowy Owl sitting on Ozpin's desk. Harry smiled widely. "Hedwig!" he exclaimed to everyone's shock but Weiss's, who smiled. "Did you track me all the way here, you brilliant beauty you?!" he asked as he trotted up to Ozpin's desk.
Hedwig hooted happily and flew over to land on Harry's shoulder. She rubbed her head against Harry's cheek, cooing at Harry. He chuckled. "Yeah, yeah, I get it! I missed you too, girl," he said affectionately, stroking her dazzling white feathers.
"Harry? You know this owl?" Ruby asked, watching in awe as he petted the majestic bird.
Harry turned to her with the widest grin she had seen on him yet, making her (and Yang and Blake) blush. "Yep! This is my closest friend in the whole world! Her name's Hedwig! Hedwig, I'd like you to meet Ruby, her sister Yang and their mother Summer; my team Adam, Lily, and Isabella; Blake, Jaune, Pyrrha, Nora, and Ren. You of course know Weiss."
Hedwig gave a low hoot as she flew off Harry's shoulder and flew to Ruby's. She seemed shocked that Hedwig would land on her shoulder, but she quickly got over it and greeted, "H-Hello, Hedwig. I'm Ruby!"
Hedwig cooed and rubbed her head against the young Huntress. Ruby giggled. She tentatively reached up and stroked Hedwig's feathers. This seemed to please her, as she cooed more and continued to nuzzle Ruby's face.
"Heh. What do you know?" Harry said in amusement. "Hedwig's usually not that affectionate to strangers. You must really have something in you she likes."
Ozpin chuckled. "She's a spitfire, I'll give you that, Mr. Potter," he said.
'More like a demon,' Glynda thought rubbing her fingers. That menace nearly took her fingers off!
"That she is, Professor!" Harry said jovially.
Lily grinned at her partner. 'A man and his bird.'
Blake, however, was eyeing Hedwig like a cat stalking a canary. Hedwig turned her head to look at her. Then Hedwig seemed to glare at Blake, which confused and scared the hell out of her. Adam was amused.
'I like this bird,' he thought with a chuckle.
"Now then," Ozpin said, gaining everyone's attention. "I believe Mr. Potter said he was going to explain a few things to us." His voice had went from casual and amused to blank and business-like almost instantly.
Harry sighed tiredly. 'Alright, here goes nothing.' "So!" he said awkwardly, gazing at the group assembled. "What do you want to know?"
"What was it you meant back in the tunnels?" Summer asked, frowning. "All those things you said you did. And what you meant about you being impossible?"
"That trick with the broomstick and all those 'spells,'" Adam mentioned. "What are they?"
"The potion you gave Mrs. Rose during initiation would be nice to know about," Isabella piped up.
"And I'd like to know just what bit you that you can easily shake off Death Eater venom," Lily said.
"You said the people where you used to live were worse than the racists here," Blake said skeptically. "How can you be so sure of that?"
Harry listened to them and sighed. 'Okay. Poor word choice,' he thought. "Where to begin…" he mumbled as he went to lean against Ozpin's desk.
"I've often found that the beginning is a good starting point," Ozpin said, trying to be of assistance.
Harry smiled sadly. "But the thing about beginnings is…they're really hard to pin down," he said. "Honestly, I'm not sure where to begin…"
Weiss suddenly had an evil idea. "Why not with the demonstration you gave my family?" she asked. "Then you can start there."
Harry looked to her and saw her grinning. He smirked, knowing what she wanted. It also helped him know how to start. "Why not?" He cleared his throat and said grandly, "Alright! Well, first off, this power I keep talking about…it's magic!"
This was met with varied reactions. Ozpin's and Glynda's eyes widened at the proclamation, while Summer seemed surprised but got over it quickly. Ruby's, Nora's, and Lily's eyes widened in awe. Isabella, Pyrrha, and Adam blinked in surprise, while Blake, Jaune, and Yang narrowed their eyes, skeptical Harry's announcement.
Weiss giggled at their expressions, which left a few people gape at her in shock. "You broke them," she told the green eyed Faunus.
Harry chuckled. "You think I should pour some ice water on them?" he asked.
"It might help…" Weiss considered this.
Yang shook her head and frowned. "Magic? Really? There's no such thing," she scoffed.
Harry looked amused. "Oh?" he inquired as he pointed his wand at Yang and concentrated, calling on his magic instead of his Aura. Everyone felt a slight surge of Aura (or magic, as some corrected), but nothing happened.
They began looking around, trying to locate Harry had done. Nora spotted it first. She had turned to Yang and promptly fell to the ground laughing. Everyone looked to her in concern until they saw Yang themselves. Then they all busted out laughing.
"What?! What's so funny?!" Yang asked through her now orange lips.
Harry grinned. "You, Yang!" he explained and pointed to him. Summer, meanwhile, was rolling across the floor laughing alongside Ruby and Nora. Ren was shocked at Yang's transformation, but he still allowed a few chuckles to slip through his control. Pyrrha, Jaune, Adam, Lily, and Isabella were holding onto each other, trying not to fall to the floor. Blake was shocked at the display, but she was still chuckling loudly at the poor blonde.
Ozpin was chuckling, trying to hide his shock while Glynda gaped at Yang. "I think you might want to look at your refection in the window, Miss Xiao Long," he said gesturing to the window. Yang looked confused until she walked over to the window. She screamed loudly.
Her skin was now yellow with white and purple polka dots; her lips were a bright 'kill me now' orange, and she had bright blue stripes running across her face. Her hair was rainbow colored. But that wasn't the worse part.
On jacket was a picture of a cyan colored Pegasus with a rainbow mane and a rainbow colored lightning bolt tattoo on its flank. The words: "I LOVE RAINBOW DASH!" were written across the leather.
Weiss couldn't contain her laughter. "T-THIS IS TOO MUCH!" She looked to Harry and asked in a calmer tone, "What's with the Pegasus on her jacket?"
Harry grinned at her. "Hermione's guilty pleasure," he said simply. Weiss laughed harder.
Yang turned to Harry and growled. "Take it off! Change me back to normal!" She looked back at her reflection. "Well…keep the hair. This is badass!" She was slapped upside the head by Summer, who was glaring at her.
"Language, young lady." Yang glared at her, but nodded and looked away. Summer frowned.
Ozpin chuckled again. "As amusing as this is, I believe that you've made your point, Mr. Potter. Please, turn Miss Xiao Long back to normal and let's continue."
Harry shrugged. "Sure thing." He waved his wand, and Yang's skin and jacket went back to normal. He kept her hair the same. Yang smiled at him. "Thanks!"
He nodded to her as she walked past him. He sighed again. "Well…" he started as he absentmindedly twirling his wand and transfiguring a stapler on Ozpin's desk into a cat, which stretched lazily and started marching across the desk, again shocking everyone. "That's it. Magic. Simple, easy to remember." Turning to Ozpin: "The fire you saw in the tunnels is Fiendfyre, a spell that creates cursed flames that burn anything they touch. I used it because it was heat of the moment, and it is very effective against Grimm."
Ozpin nodded. "Is this 'spell' dangerous?"
"Is a knife dangerous?" Harry asked sarcastically. "Yes, it's dangerous. But a spell is like a weapon. You can use it for good or evil. While Fiendfyre is a dark spell and only for destroying, it has its uses for good. Like torching a bunch of flesh eating monsters for example."
He shook his head. "Any spell can be used for any reason: good or bad. Most people just stick with the ones someone labeled bad." He sighed. "But back to answering your questions…I guess its starts back home…in Britain." Lily felt herself stiffen up, but she wasn't sure why.
Adam frowned. "Britain? Never heard of it," he said, running over a map of Remnant in his head. No towns or cities or even kingdoms.
"I wouldn't expect you too," Harry said. "Because it's not on Remnant."
"What do you mean?" Isabella asked. He wasn't implying what she thought he was implying was he?
"I mean I wasn't born on Remnant." All but Weiss stared at him in shock. "I wasn't even born a Faunus." Adam and Isabella's eyebrows shot up at the proclamation while Blake's narrowed. "I was born in Great Britain, on Earth. A human."
"Why would anyone want to name their planet after dirt?" Ruby asked confused.
"Not sure. Could be because as far as I know, it was the only planet in our solar system that could sustain life," Harry explained.
"You could travel to other planets?!" Nora asked excitedly. "Please take me there, my sweet wolf Faunus! I wanna see the aliens! Do you think they like pancakes? And lots and lots of syrup?"
Ren sighed and was about to say something when Harry laughed. "No. We couldn't travel to other planets. The closest we've been was our own moon."
Nora still looked excited at the prospect, but before she could say anything, Jaune spoke up. "You guys can't seriously be believing this, right?" he asked. "I mean, I'm not trying to sound condescending, but being from another planet? That seems farfetched to me."
"I think a better term is separate reality," Harry mentioned. "Honestly, I'm not sure which is better in terms of terminology, but the fact remains I lived somewhere other than Remnant."
"You're sure about this?" Summer asked. She wasn't about to doubt him, but one could never be too sure.
"Absolutely," Harry said with a nod. "And to make sure you all know I'm not lying…" He pointed his wand at himself and canted, "I, Harry James Potter, so swear on my life and on my magic, that what I'm about to say about my past is, to the best of my knowledge, true. So as I say, so mote shall it be." A flash of light emanated from his wand as a surge of magic hit them all.
"What was that?" Isabella asked curiously.
"A magical oath." Harry looked at each of them as he continued to speak: "Basically, if I lie, my magic and life are forfeit."
"WHAT?!" his fellow students (minus Weiss, who already knew of the oath) screamed as Ozpin, Glynda, and Summer paled. "Why would you do something like that?!" Lily demanded shrilly. "Are you seriously that suicidal?!"
"I swore the oath so you all understand that I'm not lying," Harry explained calmly.
"We have Aura sensing," Isabella countered. "We can spot lies."
"Aura sensing isn't exact," Harry rebutted. "Look. This is how people back home-or at least witches and wizards back home-made sure someone wasn't lying to them. I swore it so you can know I'm not lying about not being born on Remnant!"
The girls of the grouped gasped in spite of what they just heard, thinking that their-crush, best friend, acquaintance, love of their life, etc.-was going to die. But Harry still stood in front of them, casually stroking the cat he transfigured out of a stapler. Blindly, he waved his wand again, and the cat turned into an owl!
Hedwig hooted in curiosity as she flew from Harry's shoulder to investigate the new owl. "As you can see, I'm still alive and I still have magic." Everyone stared at him in shock. "Now with that out of the way, may I please continue?"
Everyone nodded or murmured their agreement, still in shock that Harry would risk his life for this. Harry nodded. "Alright then…as I said, it starts in Britain, where a terrible war was being fought." This caught everyone's attention, particularly Summer's and Ozpin's. "This war was being waged over what was called 'Blood Purity;' basically, if you weren't what they called 'Pure,' you were no better than the scum under their boots.
"There was five classes of blood to these people: Purebloods, Halfbloods, Muggleborns, Squibs, and the fifth class was for those with Creature blood in them; kind of like Faunus." This caused the Faunus of the group to look up. "The Purebloods are wizards and witches that claim they can trace their lineages back past three generations in magic. They're the upper class, and the ones who make the laws. Sadly, most Purebloods are prejudice bigots and the laws reflect such." Blake narrowed her eyes at this.
"Muggleborns are wizards or witches that are born of Muggles, or non-magical people, and are the first of their families with magic. They're usually hated more than Halfbloods and some Purebloods call them 'Mudbloods' because they aren't from a wizarding family. Halfbloods are born of a Pureblood and a Muggleborn, the in-between of the two. This is what I am to them. These two are treated like second-class citizens at best, and wastes of space at the worst."
"Squids are Muggles born from witches and wizards, meaning they have no magic to speak up and are, luckily, cast out of their families. Some aren't so lucky…" Ruby turned green at the thought. "Those with Creature blood are witches and wizards that are remarkably similar to the Faunus here." This peaked the interests of the Faunus of the group. "But they are considered no better than beasts, and honestly? The only difference in how they're treated compared to Faunus is Faunus here do have the same rights as everyone else, legally. Witches and wizards with Creature blood had all their rights taken away."
Blake growled at this while Isabella and Adam frowned. "They can't do that!" Blake shouted.
"They did," Harry said. "Never underestimate the power of stupid people in large groups, Blake." Summer giggled at that while Ozpin snorted in agreement. "Anyways, this war was being waged by three factions: the Ministry of Magic, The Order of the Phoenix, and the Death Eaters."
"Like those damn demons?!" Summer exclaimed. Harry laughed.
"No. Only the name's the same…and maybe the sadism," he said, making Summer sigh in relief. Ozpin and Glynda looked at her in amusement. "The Death Eaters were a group of Purebloods who wanted nothing more than to kill anyone who wasn't a Pureblood and keep the Wizarding World 'Pure.'" Harry scoffed at this. "Though, their definition of pure meant that they wouldn't marry anyone who wasn't a Pureblood, which after a while many families turned to inbreeding."
Ren turned green at that. He had heard stories about how some members of the Lie clan resorted to inbreeding at one point. His father, thankfully, wasn't one of those members. "They even had many with Creature blood joining them in this crusade, if only because their leader promised them equal rights when they took over. Only, I'm sure the leader wouldn't be keeping that promise." Blake and Adam grimaced.
"Which leads us to the leader himself," Harry said darkly. "Voldemort."
Ruby snickered. "Voldemort…" she cackled. What a stupid name!
"What a stupid name!" Lily laughed, unknowingly voicing the young leader's thoughts.
Everyone seemed to agree, laughing slightly. Harry looked at them with a smirk. "You want to know what it means?" They looked at him intently. "'Flight from death.'"
Adam laughed. "Such a coward's name!" Nora was on the floor laughing while everyone looked amused.
"You would think that he would have went with something that mean 'Flight of death!'" Pyrrha noted in amusement.
"Yeah. Then it would be much more intimidating," Isabella said grinning.
Harry shook his head. "Yes, yes. His name leaves a lot to be desired," he said. "But he was very powerful with a silver tongue to match. He was considered the most powerful and blackest Dark Lord in history." This caused Ozpin's eyes to narrow, along with Glynda's and Summer's.
Harry exhaled loudly, as if preparing himself for something. "One day, he decided to attack a certain family, my family," he mumbled softly. Everyone gasped. Weiss walked over to him and placed a hand on his shoulder to show her support. He looked to her and nodded, smiling sadly. Ruby noticed this.
'I get the feeling I'm not going to like this part,' Ruby thought.
"I'm not sure why he went after us," Harry continued. "But I guess it doesn't matter anymore. My family was in hiding, but one of their closest friends," he hissed out the word friend like a curse, "sold them out. Went to Voldemort and told him their location." Many scowled at this.
"Atrocious," Pyrrha spat.
"Cowardice," Isabella agreed with a snarl.
Ozpin, Glynda, Summer, Ren, and surprisingly, Nora all had a feeling where this was going.
"But why would he sell out his best friends?!" Jaune asked loudly.
"Isabella said it best," Harry answered. "He was a coward. My godfather had said he liked having big friends to protect him." Harry shook his head. "But I'm getting off track. Anyway, on October 31st, 1981, Halloween night; he attacked my parents at their home in Godric's Hollow."
He took a deep breath. "My father died first. He fought Voldemort, hoping my mum and I would be able to escape. But it was all for naught. Voldemort killed him and went after my mother and me. She begged him not to kill me. To kill her instead. But he just killed her." Most of the girls were tearing up now. "Then he turned his wand on me." Everyone looked at him abruptly, some gasping in terror. "And what happened next made me the most famous person in Wizarding Britain," he mumbled irritably.
"What happened?" Yang asked.
"Voldemort cast the Killing Curse at me. Three guess on what it does."
Everyone paled. "I-I…it kills…" Lily whispered faintly.
"Every time," Harry confirmed, nodding. "Without fail. Your soul forcibly ripped from your body." Everyone looked sick. "In all its history, it has never failed to kill its victim. Yet somehow…"
"You did," Summer interrupted in shock. "That's what happened, isn't it? When you said you were impossible back in the tunnels, this is what you meant."
Harry turned to her and gave her a bitter smile. "That's right. I survived what couldn't be survived." He lifted his hand to his head and brushed back his bangs, showing off the lightning bolt scar on his forehead. "And the proof that I survived…is right here. A single, lightning bolt scar, sitting on my forehead like a brand."
Ruby had been in tears when he spoke of his parents' deaths. It had hurt her knowing that he had lost his parents before he could even know them. When he spoke of surviving a curse that rips your soul from your body, she was wondering how that was possible. 'An attack, or curse as Harry called it, that can attack the soul like that would have to be very powerful,' she thought. 'Aura can block some pretty crazy things, but something that goes after the soul? I'm not sure how it would affect someone's Aura defense. How could Harry survive such an attack as a child? And against someone he claims was the most powerful wizard in Britain?'
Adam was glaring at the window. He knew he had done some terrible things when he was still with the White Fang, but killing a child? Even the White Fang wouldn't stoop that low. Well, perhaps that crazy lieutenant whose name escaped him with the chainsaw sword. He was just as bad as the racist humans they had fought against.
Glynda clenched her hands. What a monstrous thing to do…to kill a child. Glynda was furious that someone could do such a thing. Summer was mad as well.
Ozpin was equally furious. "How did you survive?" he asked calmly, keeping his anger in check.
Harry shrugged helplessly. "Search's me," Harry grunted. "Best I can think of is my mum had cast some ritual that used her sacrifice to save my life. A life taken to save another." He sighed. "When Voldemort cast the Killing Curse at me, it rebounded off me and hit him full on, destroying his body…leaving me as the 'Savior of the Wizarding World' and also the worse 'effing title in the world: The Boy Who Lived." Everyone could hear the loathing as he spoke those titles.
"Why wasn't your mother credited with Voldemort's death?" Lily asked, a grimace on her face, like something was eating at her. "I mean, the way you tell it, she's the one who killed Voldemort, not you."
Harry scoffed angrily. "The Ministry of Magic, the governing body, no matter how they portray themselves, are prejudiced assholes who would rather endure the Torture Curse than see a Muggleborn as brilliant as my mother credited with Voldemort's downfall!" he growled. "She was considered the most brilliant witch of her age, as I'm told. But even all that wasn't enough to rise above the prejudices of corrupt bureaucratic Purebloods!"
Lily scowled. Jaune was looking at Harry like he was finally seeing something he hadn't before. Without all the laughter and tough guy attitude, Jaune saw a tired and almost broken guy his age, looking as if the whole damn world was against him.
And somehow, Jaune had no problem thinking that was exactly the case.
"And then Albus Dumbledore," Harry muttered crossly, "the most powerful and most influential wizard in all of Great Britain at the time, headmaster of Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry, Chief Warlock of the Ministry of Magic, and Supreme Mugwump of the International Confederation of Wizards," many of the group snickered at the ridiculous title. "A man at one point…I had thought of like a grandfather, in all of his infinite wisdom," he hissed distastefully, "decided in order to keep me safe from Voldemort's followers…was to send me to my Aunt Petunia and her family."
"Well," Ruby asked uncertainly, "that's good, isn't it? I mean, you were with-"
"My relatives were swine!" he hissed surprising everyone with how much venom he put in that statement.
Summer gulped, not liking the situation at all. "Were…were you abused?" Her question silenced everyone. Weiss sighed stoically and turned to look away from everyone. Harry looked to Summer blankly for a moment. For one, agonizing second, she was afraid she had said the wrong thing. But then Harry sighed and looked down.
"Not physically, no," he said clearly. "Other than the occasional whippings he gave me when my cousin Dudley blamed me for something he did, my Aunt Petunia's husband Vernon never touched me. They were too afraid of anything 'abnormal' to go that far. They let Dudley beat me up, though. Much easier, and truthful, to say any bruises I got were from Dudley and I 'roughhousing.'" His mood plummeted. "No. They stuck with insults and treating me like a slave."
Ruby gasped, her eyes filled with new tears. Adam growled. Seems like he and Harry had some things in common…
Blake was scowling. She wondered if his past was really as bad as he made it out to be, or was he downplaying a lot of it.
"I had to endure ten years there," Harry spat. "I cooked, cleaned, I did everything they were too lazy to do. It was only after I turned eleven did my life improve, if only slightly." He smiled now. "On my eleventh birthday, I was told I was a wizard, and that I'd be going to Hogwarts to learn magic. Seemed like a dream come true. Knowing I was different than the Dursleys. That I was normal. Or as normal as an eleven year old wizard could get."
He frowned then. "But it turns out, I wasn't even normal by wizarding standards. Everyone only ever saw me the Boy Who Lived or their savior, not as Harry. Only a select few looked past the 'Boy Who Lived' tripe to see me for me."
He sighed. "Despite the fame, I had thought Hogwarts would be my escape the dull, bland, normal world of the Dursleys; and despite all the crap I've been through since attending Hogwarts, it still was."
"What did you go through?" Glynda asked, almost dreading what the answer might be.
"Quite a lot," was Harry's reply. "My first year, the Defense Against the Dark Arts teacher was possessed by Voldemort…"
"But you said he was dead!" Nora exclaimed. Ren narrowed his eyes.
"I said his body was destroyed, not that he died," Harry told her. "He somehow found a way to cheat death." Everyone gasped. Weiss glared at a spot on the wall, while Ozpin, Glynda, and Summer gritted their teeth.
"Anyway, long story made very short: I've had to fight against a troll my first year;" Ruby gasped, "survived nearly being eaten by Acromantula, basically giant man eating spiders," Summer shivered, "and fought and killed a Basilisk, the beast known as the King of Serpents, in my second year, all while being mocked and bullied as if I was Voldemort himself;" Adam, Lily, and Isabella growled at the last part, "attacked by soul sucking monsters named Dementors and nearly died fending off a werewolf…think of a Beowolf, but it's not a Grimm and can turn back into a human, all in my third year;" Nora looked excited at the prospect of a werewolf while Pyrrha and Yang scowled; "entered into a tournament I had no part in nor did I want too, mocked and bullied again by the student body while almost everyone, including some of my own friends, thought I was an attention seeking brat, and forced to fight a dragon and witness Voldemort's resurrection in my fourth;" everyone paled at that, "and fifth I was again mocked, bullied, and even attacked by the student body because everyone thought I was delusional attention seeking brat and was forced to endure a sadistic mad woman's torture because the Ministry couldn't stand someone speaking out against them."
Harry took a deep breath. "It was during this year that I got a vision of my godfather, Sirius Black-my father's best friend and the man framed for selling them out to Voldemort-was being tortured by Voldemort. Some of my closest friends and I stormed the Ministry to save him, but it turned out to be a trap," he said softly. He chuckled darkly and continued: "Sirius did show up to save my friends and I along with some other members of the Order of the Phoenix, but he took a stunner and was about to fall into the Veil of Death, the gateway between life and death, when I stopped him." Everyone had been growling at Voldemort's deception of Harry, but immediately paled at the description of the Veil. "But it would seem my luck had run out then, as I took a dark curse to the chest," Yang paled, realizing where and why he had those scars on his chest.
"We both fell through the Veil then," Harry finished. "I thought I was dead until I woke up and found myself in some in-between world, where Sirius transferred all his magical knowledge to me, including his Animagus form-the ability to transform into an animal-which is why I'm a Faunus now." He pulled on his ears. "When one of the maids at Weiss's country home here in Vale unlocked my Aura after I crash landed on their property, literally, this is what happened."
Everyone stared at him, varying degrees of shock written on their faces. Harry sighed again. "But that's it. My history, in a nut shell." He looked to them and asked, "Now, I know you guys have a lot questions. Just ask them now or later, but I hold the right to not answer one if I so choose. Let's hear 'em."
No one knew where to start. His story was so fantastic that it didn't seem true. But Harry still stood in front of them, and to prove he still had magic, changed the owl back into a stapler. Hedwig, having lost interest in the other owl anyway, flew to Ruby and landed on her shoulder, nudging her affectionately.
Ozpin decided to break the ice. "This…Killing Curse you mentioned?" he asked. "Can you perform it?" He was sure Harry wouldn't use such a spell, but he had to make sure of it. He ran a school full of young adults-the future of Remnant-and he would always put them first.
A spell that could attack the soul directly was dangerous if someone could actually perform it.
Harry considered the question for a second. "Hmm…I suppose it's possible that I could," he admitted. "I do have the magic energy needed to fuel it; but the Killing Curse also requires a lot of hate for it to work, or a really strong desire to kill. And I don't ever want to find out if I can, Professor. The Killing Curse also has the drawback of spitting your soul." Everyone looked green at the sentence. "And I despise killing. As bad as it sounds, I've been forced to kill before. Both in Britain and here on Remnant. It's a last resort that I can't stand resorting too."
Ozpin scowled, but nodded. "Thank you, Mr. Potter," he said. "And I pray you never have to use that spell either."
Harry nodded. "Anyone else?"
"Did those…Acromantulas bite you?" Lily asked. "Is that why the Death Eater's venom didn't affect you?"
Harry sighed. "No. I was never bitten by an Acromantula. The reason the Death Eater's venom has no effect on me is because I have a more potent venom coursing through my veins." That had everyone tense.
"What's more intense than Death Eater venom?" Isabella asked.
"Basilisk venom," Harry answered. "Shit kills in a minute, more or less." Everyone paled.
"How'd you survive that?" Ren asked.
"Phoenix tears have extremely powerful healing properties," Harry explained. "After I got bit, Dumbledore's phoenix cried into my wound."
"W-wow," Jaune mouthed in awe. Harry must have had an angel watching over him.
"Are you really sure Britain is worse than Remnant when it comes to prejudices?" Blake asked.
Harry looked to her with a frown. "Definitely. The British Ministry did its best to make new laws that limited and/or took away all rights of anyone they believed was below them."
"But how can you be so sure?" she pressed. She genuinely wanted to know.
"Because I've met the men and women that made the laws," he said. "I've watched as they tried to railroad me until I was convicted guilty and thrown in Azkaban, the wizarding prison."
"But you were human at the point," she pointed out, making Harry stiffen. "I mean, they didn't hate you as much as they would those with creature blood, would they? So how can you be sure they were so prejudice?" Her question wasn't condescending, but it seemed to be a more than a little bias. Harry felt his irritation mounting at her questions.
"Because if it was between me, and say, a werewolf, asking for help," Harry explained in a hard tone, making Weiss stiffen. Oh no. "If the werewolf could promise he/she could help them ruin me and get me thrown in prison, the Ministry would jump to his/her aid before mine."
"How can you be that sure of it?!" Blake asked a little louder. Adam looked to her, then back to Harry. He grimaced. He understood why Blake was pressing Harry, but did she not see his expression darkening? "You said those with Creature blood were similar to Faunus. And you even said they had no rights! Yet you never implied they did that to you! So how can you be so sure?!"
Harry's expression began darkening fast. Weiss had been trying to signal Blake to shut the hell up, but it wasn't working. Ruby saw, however, and saw Weiss looked positively terrified. Ruby was wondering why she seemed so scared.
Weiss, meanwhile, was freaking out. She noticed at some point the cogs and some of the larger clock parts were shivering, like they were trying to hold back some building pressure. She had only seen Harry mad a hand full of times, and every time, she was left terrified. She wasn't sure just how terrifying his anger was before he came to Remnant, but she would be sure it had only gotten worse.
The first time she saw him mad was when he learned of the living conditions in the mines, something that had shocked and horrified her when she found out. He had yelled at her father for a while, his magic whirling around him and tossing random things around the room until he lost it and broke her father's jaw, punching straight through his Aura defense. He had been forced to wear wires around his lower jaw for three months and it wasn't until another four months until their house was fixed.
Another time was when a small group of White Fang members broke into their home and attempted to rape her, her mother and sister. That was the only time she had truly felt pure terror.
Harry hadn't been the fun loving, cheerful, sweet guy she had come to know. He was a demon, hell-bent on carnage. Bellowing for blood.
She knew it took a lot to get him to that point, though. But she also knew there was two sure-fire ways to make Harry irritated with you quickly: hurting his friends…and calling him a liar.
His time before coming to Remnant had left him hating being called a liar. It was how General James Ironwood got the scar on his forehead. He had been visiting her father as an old friend and…long story short, General Ironwood came out humbled with only the scar while Harry came out with a broken arm, several broken ribs, and a black eye.
He told her it was worth it.
"Just because I had rights doesn't mean the Ministry automatically treated me better than them," Harry said in a low tone, breaking Weiss out of her memories. He was trying to stay calm, but the shaking of the window behind her showed he wasn't doing a good job of it.
Blake didn't know she was, inadvertently, calling Harry a liar.
By now, everyone began noticing the shaking cogs and windows. Ozpin noted his desk was shaking as well, if only just. Summer could feel Harry's magic trying to escape him. It was like a sound wave reverberating through her bones. Yang, oddly, could feel her Semblance acting up with the sudden surges of magic. Surges of fire sprung from her hair as her eyes flashed red sporadically.
"Oh?" This question WAS condescending. Harry glared at Blake, and Weiss paled. "You're pretty sure of yourself, aren't you?" Her condescending tone was grating on Harry's patience. "You still haven't answered my question, either. How can you be so sure they hated you just as much as those witches and wizards with Creature blood?!"
That finally set Harry off. Faster than any of the students could follow, Harry rushed Blake and grabbed her by the neck. He picked her up easily, making it hard for her to breathe. His eyes were glowing a malevolent green. Blake froze at his gaze.
Everyone was startled at the movement, and some moved for their weapons on instinct, but a cracking caught their attentions. Their eyes widened as many of the glass surfaces and windows were cracked badly! Ozpin had even noticed his and Glynda's glasses were not unaffected. His eyes were wide.
Harry stood glaring at Blake. "You want to know how I know?" he asked quietly, but it carried around the room, making everyone stiffen. Weiss sucked in her breath. "It's because those monsters…No they weren't even fit for such a title…Those Grimm in human form proved they didn't care if you were Muggleborn, Halfblood, or had Creature blood. If you didn't fit in their mold, you were scum. Garbage. Filth that needed to be disposed of."
Blake struggled in his grip, but still listened to his every word. He held her attention so easily, she couldn't turn away or tune him out. Harry smiled at her, a wild, vicious smile that truly made look like a wolf.
Or worse. A Grimm.
"My fifth year at Hogwarts," he said casually, but his tone said what he was about to say was anything but, "the Minister of Magic, in an effort to discredit me, sent his Undersecretary to teach DADA. Delores Umbridge. She couldn't teach to save her life, of course, but the Ministry thought that children didn't need to know how to defend themselves because the Ministry would protect them, happily skipping over the fact they were always sticking their heads in the sand when something went wrong." Ozpin, Summer, and Glynda scowled at that.
"But back to the matter at hand, this woman, a toad in all but DNA, and an absolute monstrosity in pink," Nora suddenly had the sudden desire to change her skirt color, "portrayed herself as a super sweet woman. But in reality, she was the most prejudiced, most sadistic, and absolute worst human being I've ever met, which is saying a lot. I've met Voldemort and his right hand woman.
"She loved torturing Muggleborn and Halfblood students for stupid and unreasonable reasons." Glynda and Summer growled while Ozpin frowned angrily. "Her favorite torture was watching these students write in their own blood."
Everyone gasped at this; even Ozpin and Glynda didn't even attempt to hide it. "There's a specific item in the Wizarding World, called a Blood Quill. It's only used in business transactions, specifically when it revolves around the Gringotts bank. It uses your blood as the ink and used to seal contracts. It's Blood Magic, forbidden for damn good reasons. When using a Blood Quill, whatever you're writing, shows up on one of your hands." Everyone looked sick at that.
"One day, this second year student, nice kid, Muggleborn, loved magic, accidently bumped into Umbridge in the Halls. He apologized, but she gave him a detention anyway." The adults were steaming, and the others were growling. "He was handed a Blood Quill and told to write, 'Mudbloods should watch where they are going at all times' until it sinks in." The three teams paled; the adults were shocked beyond belief. "He wrote that twenty-five times, before he passed out from blood loss." He looked to everyone and smiled darkly. "The worst part? She didn't care. She left him there on the floor of her office, drinking her tea as he bled out for a good thirty minutes. When she finally did take him to the infirmary, she dragged him. She levitated him enough where only his head was touching the ground. Then she THREW him into the infirmary. He had to be transferred to St. Mungo's, the wizarding hospital, and even then, he barely made it."
Suddenly, the room became chaos. The three adults were apocalyptic. Summer lost control of her Semblance, causing the wind in the office to whirl around violently. It rammed against the ruined windows, nearly destroying them. Glynda's eyes glowed as several loose objects around the room began hovering, some even flew into the walls and shattered. Even Ozpin, with his iron clad control over his Semblance, was not unaffected. Several distortions appeared around the room, showing he had lost some control. His face was one of rage.
The teens were no better. The accents on Adam's outfit glowed brightly as a vicious snarl escaped his lips. Lily's fists were clenched tightly as her bones cracked loudly; her eyes were flashing green. Isabella was growling as her Aura whipped around her. Nora was fury incarnate. Lightning discharged off her form viciously as she gritted her teeth. Jaune was angry as well. His body glowed white as his Aura spike dangerously. Ren was scowling, but his shaking form showed him containing his anger.
Pyrrha glared at the window furiously as the clock parts shifted in place. Ruby's face was one of fury as the glass below her feet began cracking, rose petals flowed around her in a whirlwind as tears fell freely from her eyes. Yang's eyes were blood red as flames danced around her head, raising the temperature of the room. Weiss glared at a spot on the ceiling, but she kept her head. She had already heard this, but it didn't make it easier.
Blake was in shock. She had stopped struggling and stared at Harry, trying to find any form of lie. But she couldn't find any.
Harry smiled at her again, this time it was much less dark, and let her go. She fell to the floor gasping. Harry then gently helped her to her feet. "That kid got off lucky," he told her as he took her hand and placed it on the back of his left hand. "Feel."
Blake did as she was instructed. She felt scars on his hand. Absently, she traced them as she looked at them. Her eyes widened.
'I must not tell lies.'
Harry moved her other fingers to his palm, and she noted in shock that there were scars there too. She traced them with her index, her stomach plummeting.
'I must not tell lies.'
"Umbridge didn't like that I insisted Voldemort had returned," Harry said. "The Ministry didn't want to believe it, so they swept it under the rug, hoping it would go away. But I wouldn't let it die. So, I had to write this phrase in every detention I got from her. I wrote this fifty times a day, sometimes for five days a week."
Everyone paled at that. Ruby spluttered. "B-b-b-but you said that kid nearly bled out with twenty-five!"
"He did," Harry confirmed. "Umbridge just hated me more." He looked at Blake and said, "I wrote that so many times, that as you can see," he held his palm up, "the words bled through."
Everyone was horrified. "H-how did…" Isabella gulped. "How did you not pass out from blood loss? You said that kid did after only twenty-five…"
Harry grinned bitterly again. "Because I'm damn good…at enduring," he told her. "Because I knew if I passed out…She would have won. I wasn't going to let her win. Just like I didn't want the Dursleys to win if I broke under their 'care.' I've always endured. I've persevered."
Everyone stared at him with a mix of emotions. Harry sighed. "Professor Ozpin," he said tiredly, "I think we're good for now. This endeavor has worn me out. If you still have questions, I'll be…somewhere. I need to let off some steam."
Ozpin nodded. "Of course." He needed to digest what he had just heard and witnessed. "The code for your team's room was sent to your Scroll last night. As well as your room number."
Harry nodded gratefully. He turned to his team and said, "I'll meet you guys at the dorm room. I just need to cool off a bit."
They nodded slowly. Harry sighed and waved his wand. Everything in the office instantly repaired itself. For everyone watching, it was like watching someone push the rewind button on a car crash, watching everything return to its pristine condition. Everyone watched in amazement.
Harry pocketed his wand and walked to the elevators. Hedwig flew after him, landing on his shoulder. He walked in, and the doors closed behind him. The office was appallingly quiet. Ozpin looked around at the shocked teens and sighed wearingly. "I think…that we should all get some fresh air as well," he told them. "Summer, if you could stay behind for a moment. We have some issue we need to discuss."
His tone made the more analytical members of the teams narrow their eyes. Summer scowled at the tone as well, but nodded anyway. "Yeah, sure," she mumbled. She looked to Ruby and Yang and said, "I'll see you two in a few minutes, 'kay?"
Ruby nodded, her eyes still watering. "Okay." Yang frowned slightly, but nodded as well. The elevator dinged. Lily sighed.
"There's our ride."
With Harry
Harry walked through one of the gardens that were situated around Beacon. Hedwig nudged him gently. He looked at her and smiled softly. "I'm ok, girl," he said. "I'm just…irritated is all." He stroked her feathers. "I just need to cool off. My emotions were riding too high to deal with a girl who's too bias for her own good. You know how bad my past is." Hedwig cooed.
In Headmaster Ozpin's office
Ozpin frowned at the elevator door as it shut. "That power…That…magic…" Ozpin murmured. "It's almost like that of the Maidens…"
Summer scoffed. "I think Harry's magic is far more powerful than the Maidens, Oz," she said. "If only because of the training he's had in it. Not to mention he said he believed he was capable of performing a curse that can rip a person's soul from their bodies."
Glynda nodded in agreement. "His power is astonishing. You all felt it, right? How it pulsed when he went at Miss Belladonna?"
"It was almost exactly similar to the Maiden's power," Summer described. "I felt it like a wave washing over me." She sighed unhappily. "And what's worse, I think it effected Yang to an extent. The Maiden's power in her is waking up."
"Wait? Miss Xiao Long?" Ozpin asked incredulously. "She's a Maiden?!" Summer nodded. "How?!"
Summer sighed again. "At some point in the tunnels," she explained. "I…I got bit by a Death Eater." Ozpin and Glynda paled. "I honestly thought I was dead. I…I remember dying. I felt the power of the Summer Maiden leave me. I know I died."
She closed her eyes and took a deep breath. "But then, the next thing I remember after blacking out, was…someone…hovering above me. I couldn't make out anything about this person. All I could make out was a colorless blur. Even their voice was warped. I remember hearing this person say that they were extracting the venom…that I needed to hold on." She shook her head. "When I was finally coherent, a few days later, the person was gone, and the only thing that told me someone had really been there and it wasn't my imagination, was this."
She reached into her vest and pulled out a ring. It was in the likeness of a snake with topaz eyes, wrapping around itself. She placed it on the table. "Someone saved me that day," she concluded.
"Did you ever find this person?" Glynda asked.
"No. It was like they vanished. I couldn't find a trace of them."
Ozpin picked up the ring and examined it in scrutiny. "And you were thinking of Miss Xiao Long when this happened?" he asked.
Summer sighed. "I don't remember who I was thinking of. The pain was so unbearable," she confessed. "I knew it was either Ruby or Yang, but who was the last I thought of escaped me. It was when I was in the infirmary with them that I suspected it was Yang. Here just a few moments ago confirmed it. My little Sun Dragon is the new Summer Maiden," she said miserably.
Glynda cursed. "This is bad," she summed up. "Two Maidens under the same roof."
"Wait? Two? You found another?!" Summer asked.
Ozpin nodded. "Amber. She's the Fall Maiden, but she was attacked, and now in comatose in the Vault," he said. "Her power was somehow taken from her, but Qrow was able to save her just before she lost all of it."
Summer growled. "You know I hate that damn place, Oz."
"It's the only place she's safe," Ozpin explained. "The person who attacked her is still out there. Anywhere else would have been too high-risk. You know this."
"Still doesn't mean I have to like it," she spat.
"What do we do now?" Glynda asked. "With Amber in comatose, Miss Xiao Long's status might cause Amber's attacker to come after her should Miss Xiao Long exhibit her powers." Summer paled at that.
"For now, we wait," Ozpin told them. "Right now, Miss Xiao Long hasn't manifested the Maiden's powers yet, so she is safe for the moment." The two women looked at him, not really liking the plan, but nodded anyway. "Also, let's keep an eye on Mr. Potter."
"Why?" Glynda asked.
"It's just a hunch," Ozpin explained. "But I think that he could help us greatly in our struggles. He might even have a way to save Amber."
Glynda nodded. She knew how much Amber's attack hurt the man. He couldn't stand seeing children hurt.
"There's something else," Summer announced, getting their attention. "When I was in the tunnels, I…I think I found the ruins of Old Vale." The two professors' eyes widened. "The problem is…an extremely large Death Eater's blocking the way. I think she's like the queen or something." She shivered. "And another problem is you have to fall down this large pit to get there."
Ozpin stared at Summer in shock. "Are you sure?"
Summer looked at the headmaster of Beacon. "No. I can't be sure. I only got a small look at it before Big Bitch came out of nowhere and tried to eat me."
"Do you know what means…?" Glynda asked.
"It means that if we can prove the ruins are of Old Vale, we might find out the secret to why Grimm are plaguing our land buried there," Ozpin finished. He looked to Summer and asked, "What would it take to get you to agree to become the new Combat Instructor here at Beacon?"
Status Power Mingguan
-- Peringkat
Power 
-- Power
stone