Harry Potter The Master of Death

Ryuugi · Jan 3, 2012

Over on DLP, I participated in the Secret Santa project at Jon's request, promising to write at least 5000 words this month for whoever I ended up Santaing, of a story of there choice.

So, Merry Christmas, Skykes. I'll get the other four thousand out soon.

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The Master of Death
Catching a Train

Harry sat leisurely on a chair, hands neatly folded in his lap. He had no recollection of sitting down, nor of coming here at all. He had simply awoken to find himself here in this place.

ï¿½I canï¿½t say I ever expected to find myself here again,ï¿½ He mused. ï¿½Though I guess I should have.ï¿½

Even though he had no memory of getting here, he wasnï¿½t alarmed. Though it was somewhat unexpected, he recognized the place.

Above him, a glass dome glittered in the light ofï¿½actually, now that he thought about it, it probably wasnï¿½t a sun. It glittered in the Light, then; just the Light. The floor was white, as was the rest of the long hall. It was neither warm nor cold and it was entirely full of a strange white mist.

He was in that strange Kingï¿½s Cross Station again. He wondered if he would meet Dumbledore here again. Somehow, he doubted it. If he wanted to meet his old teacher again, he would likely need board a train.

Closing his eyes, he smiled calmly.

That was okay, he thought. Dumbledore had said it, hadnï¿½t he? ï¿½To the well-organized mind, death is but the next great adventure.ï¿½

He wasnï¿½t scared that he was dead, perhaps because heï¿½d had a chance to see this all before. At most, he was slightly sad, because of the people he was going to leave behind, but he knew heï¿½d see them again. Until then, Teddy, James, Albus, and Lily would be okay, he was sure. He was proud of the children heï¿½d raised and of the men and woman heï¿½d made them into. Ginny, Ron, and Hermione, he was sure heï¿½d see again before too long.

ï¿½Until then,ï¿½ He murmured as he walked, trying to decide on a train. He didnï¿½t like any of the oneï¿½s he saw, though he was sure theyï¿½d all take him to his destination. Each of them looked the same and, though he had no eye for train, he was sure each of them as a perfectly good train.

But if this was it, it had to be that one, didnï¿½t it?

Nodding to himself, he walked into Platform Nine and Three Quarters, and saw a polished version of the train that had always taken him where he most wanted to go. Boarding it quickly, he couldnï¿½t help but stick his head into the front cabin, wondering who might be in charge of trains in the afterlife.

He was somewhat disappointed to find that it was merely an amorphous cloud of multicolored lights, though he wasnï¿½t quite sure what heï¿½d been expecting; an angel, perhaps. As he looked at it, it shifted shape slightly, and he got the feeling that it was looking at him in turn.

ï¿½Iï¿½m ready,ï¿½ He told it. ï¿½Shall we be off?ï¿½

A few moments later, the train began to start.

ï¿½It will be a few minutes, sir.ï¿½ It replied. Again, Harry felt a bit put out, as it sounded like a normal human voice, with a few hints of an English accent. There were no booming voices or choirs as he spoke, or even lightshows.

Nodding at the strange being and giving it a polite smile, Harry walked away, sighing slightly. All in all, dying wasnï¿½t as strange or exciting as heï¿½d been expecting. Hopefully the other side of this great adventure was more exciting.

Randomly choosing a cabin, he took a seat, before blinking as he saw what was on the seat opposite him.

ï¿½Oh?ï¿½ He wondered. ï¿½How did you get here?ï¿½

Naturally, he received no response from the neatly organized bundle. On the bottom was his neatly folded cloak, while the beautifully crafted wand and perfect, unbroken stone. The Deathly Hollows, dying with their Master.

ï¿½Along for the ride then?ï¿½ He wondered. ï¿½Well, if you wish to accompany me, I donï¿½t mind.ï¿½

In a flicker reminiscent of switching on a light, the cloak was suddenly around his shoulders and the wand was in his hand. A weight in his pocket told him he had the stone, as well. He wondered about them, slightly. What did this mean? Was the wand still in Dumbledoreï¿½s tomb? As far as he knew, heï¿½d died of natural causes, so the Elder Wand would have lost its power as heï¿½d intended, which could, he supposed, be considered ï¿½dying,ï¿½ but what of his Cloak and the Stone? Had they vanished from the world when heï¿½d died?

Stroking his chin, he made a note to ask next time he saw Ginny. No one would notice if the Stone disappeared, but the Cloak should still be at their house.

ï¿½Sir?ï¿½ A voice startled him from his thoughts. It was another of those colored cloud people, this one with a thicker accent.

ï¿½Yes?ï¿½ He said, pulling down his cloak so the being could see him. If it had eyes, of course; he really couldnï¿½t tell.

ï¿½Iï¿½m terribly sorry, sir, but there have been a few issues.ï¿½ It said helplessly. ï¿½You are the Master of Death, arenï¿½t you sir?ï¿½

ï¿½I suppose I am,ï¿½ Harry nodded. ï¿½Is that a problem?ï¿½

ï¿½Of course not, sir,ï¿½ It assured him. ï¿½Itï¿½s simply that weï¿½ve been receiving a summon of sorts, requesting to see the Master of Death.ï¿½

ï¿½Do we receive calls?ï¿½ He wondered, blinking.

ï¿½Itï¿½s fairly rare in the grand scheme of things, but it happens from time to time, sir.ï¿½ It replied, shape changing oddly in what Harry assumed was a shrug. ï¿½Should we answer, sir, or continue on our way?ï¿½

ï¿½Is it important?ï¿½

ï¿½Iï¿½m afraid I wouldnï¿½t know, but theyï¿½re quite persistent.ï¿½

ï¿½Are they causing trouble for you?ï¿½ He wondered, furrowing his brow in concern.

ï¿½A little bit,ï¿½ It admitted. ï¿½We hadnï¿½t been able to reach you before now, however, so there wasnï¿½t much we could do.ï¿½

ï¿½Well then, if it will make things easier for you, naturally Iï¿½d be glad to help.ï¿½

The cloud made a wild shuddering motion that reminded him of a young man nodding eagerly, though he wasnï¿½t sure why.

ï¿½Thank you very much, sir. It may cause some delay in reaching your destination, however; I apologize for the inconvenience.ï¿½

Harry shook his head calmly.

ï¿½Donï¿½t worry; itï¿½s no trouble at all. I have plenty of time now.ï¿½ He assured the strange being. ï¿½Shall we be off?ï¿½

ï¿½At once, sir.ï¿½

XxXXxX

Schema · Jan 3, 2012

"I used to be a spirit like you, then I took an arrow to the knee. Now I'm just an amorphous cloud of multicolored lights. You would do well to avoid those where you are going. Far to common these days, far to common."

Ryuugi · Jan 3, 2012

XxXXxX

Harry watched in interest, gazing out the window as they speed towards his next great adventure. For a timeùfor he could not tell how much time had passed, if any, looking backùthey had speed through the white mist, before apparently changing tracks. A short time later, they had exited the mist and entered a much stranger place.

There was a sun of some sort hanging in the sky above, but it wasnÆt any color Harry had ever seen, or had even known existed; it was like something had decided to insert itself into the visible light spectrum. Also, no matter how far they went or how long they traveled, it was always right above him.

Literally, directly above him.

And for that matteràhe wasnÆt casting a shadow, either. He told the cloud person as much, and it looked embarrassed.

ôIÆm terribly sorry for the incontinence, sir, but shadows arenÆt allowed in this area,ö It said, gesturing out the window. ôIt had to switch trains before we entered; itÆll meet us on the other side, IÆm sure.ö

Harry raised an eyebrow at that.

ôIn that case,ö He said, trying to puzzle out how that worked. ôWhy didnÆt we simply take that train as well?ö

ôShadowÆs arenÆt allowed to carry bodies with them on that train, sir.ö

ôAh.ö Harry said, unsure how to respond to that and deciding to just take it in stride.

The landscape changed quite suddenly, as the sky became completely black and the ground became a stark whiteùand, indeed, his shadow returned as well. Before his eyes, both the ground and the sky began to fade away into swirls of colors of every kind, including several that probably were, even as the train began to go up and down and upside-down like they were on a rollercoaster.

After they stayed upside-down for extend period and didnÆt fall, Harry had to ask.

ôExcuse me, but how far do we still need to go?ö

The cloud person seemed to ponder that question for a moment.

ôWe have to go a little further until we reach the gates, sir. Then weÆll need to pass out of our Shape, Location, Communication, Identity, and Existence.ö

Harry stared at it silently for a while.

ôIÆm pretty attached to my Identity. And Existence. And my Shape, my ability to Communicate, and while IÆm not completely sure how Location, I have a feeling I want to keep that as well.

It seemed to wince.

ôIt wonÆt be a problem, sir; youÆll get most of it back on the other side, when we pass in through theirs in the opposite order, sir.ö

ôMost of it?ö Harry asked, alarmed.

ôDonÆt worry, sirùô

It cut itself off as the train suddenly sped up immensely, to the point where it felt like his face was peeling off.

Oh, wait; it was.

As was the rest of his body, actually, and the strange body of the cloud person. In moments, they were neither solid, liquid, nor gas, nor were they particularly defined in any way. Neither of them had any shape at all, and Harry took that to mean they had exited shape, but apparently not identity or location, because he was still himself and he was moving very quickly on something that might have been a train if it was anything in particular.

If heÆd had a face, he would have frowned at the non-entity that was once a cloud person.

ôIÆm terribly sorry about that, sir; it always catches me by surprise. I would have warned you if IÆd seen it coming.ö It apologized, so apparently they hadnÆt passed through Communication. ôAs I was saying, donÆt worry sir, itÆs just that our destination has much stricter rules regarding entering and exiting then most. To get in, weÆll have to slip through the cracks, as it were. Existence, Identity, Communication and Location shouldnÆt be much of an issue, so it should be able to slip most of that through without any trouble, but theyÆre very strict on letting matter from other Universes inùapparently, itÆs to keep things from outside from physically existing there.ö

ôàThenàö Harry began.

ôAs I said, donÆt worry, sir. WeÆll get you in fine and anything you leave behind will be in perfect order upon your return.ö It assured him. ôWe pride ourselves on our service.ö

ôIùô

He never finished that sentence, because they passed out of Location and Communication almost simultaneously. He could no longer tell if he was moving, nor could he see or feel anythingùbut perhaps he was everywhere, no longer bound by specific locations, though it availed him nothing, as he was, and it was just as possible that he didnÆt exist anywhere, he supposed. At the very least, he still had his Identity, and was aware of himself in a distant way, though probably not for long.

ôIÆll see you on the other side, me,ö He would have said, if it had still been possible for him communicate. He then would have added and ôI hope.ö

But he wasnÆt, so it was in silence that Harry Potter faded from Existence.

XxXXxX

Ryuugi · Jan 4, 2012

XxXXxX

ôWe wait for your arrival, O chaser of the cursed! Cloak our enemies in your shadow, that they may not see the light! Come upon us, O Hidden Terror, and go among our enemies unseen! With your right hand, strike down the living! With your left, raise the dead! Share your path with us, Son of Destruction, you who know both life and death and hold them tightly in your hands! We pray to you, we plead with you, so let our need become your road and come to us swiftly!ö The leader cried, carefully reciting the words.

The consequences of a mistake at this point would beàdramatic. Perhaps only fatal, if they were lucky. He couldnÆt afford to make any, but at the same time, he had confidence in his own abilitiesùand all he needed to do was make sure the summoning went properly and then leave.

That had been the agreementùand, more importantly, it had been his masters orders.

His assistants spoke back in their careful refrain. He listened to them carefully, to make sure they made no mistakes; theyÆre role was less important than his own, perhaps, but a mistake on their part could kill them all just as easily. Normally, he would have blanched at the mere thought of doing something this risky with even one other wizard, much less two, especially ones that werenÆt even fully trained.

But his masters had told him too and that had been the end of it.

ôBehold our offering, Hunter of the Damned!ö They said in thankfully perfect unison. He was gratefully for, if nothing else, the fact that they were at least experienced in working together. ôFlesh and Blood weÆve brought for you! One who lives and who died, brought here for your glory! Come to us and grace us with your presence! Come to us on your death-shadowed wings!ö

At each of their feet was a man. One had been killed at the beginning of the ritual, while one would be sacrificed at the end. Both of their bodies were anointed with artfully inflicted wounds, praising the glory of the one they would bring into this world.

The still living man no longer had even the strength to struggle, and simply wept.

ôCome to us, across the depths of the Abyss! Leave behind your kingdom and hasten across the shores of Eternity! Bring your servants who are neither living nor dead and rejoice with them in our world! For you, we open the gates!ö The Leader continued, his voice rising.

This was it.

They were approaching the crescendo.

Soon, there would be no turning back.

Of course, for him, there never had been.

ôBehold our offering, Hunter of the Damned!ö They said in thankfully perfect unison. He was gratefully for, if nothing else, the fact that they were at least experienced in working together. ôFlesh and Blood weÆve brought for you! One who lives and who died, brought here for your glory! Come to us and grace us with your presence! Come to us on your death-shadowed wings!ö His assistants repeated on last time, one lifting a blade to the fallen mans throat.

ôOn this empty night, we call upon thee! We call upon the Darkest Lord, that we may be blessed by the sight of your glory! Please, give us this mercy and let us see the face of the Master of Death!ö

It was quite, as if coming from a great distance, but there was a sound much like a gate swinging open.

They held their breath.

XxXXxX

Obfuscated · Jan 4, 2012

There is going to be disappointment all around.

Bonus for Harry: Potter Luck TM will ensure that he won't be able to go "Fuck this" and just walk back through the gate.

Python453 · Jan 4, 2012

His assistants spoke back in their careful refrain. He listened to them carefully, to make sure they made no mistakes; theyÆre role was less important than his own, perhaps, but a mistake on their part could kill them all just as easily.

They're should be their.

Coelacanth · Jan 4, 2012

So this is where you went Ryuugi. I like it.

Schema · Jan 4, 2012

Python453 said:

Can you develop a Good Grammar Grease Monkey script?

Python453 · Jan 4, 2012

Schema said:

Python453 said:

Can you develop a Good Grammar Grease Monkey script?

No.

Schema · Jan 4, 2012

Python453 said:

Schema said:

No.

But.. But... You're Python!

PYTHON!

import antigravity

Ryuugi · Jan 5, 2012

XxXXxX

He came back to existence with a crash.

In the first moment, he knew himself. In that beautiful moment, he knew with a surety that went beyond communication or even self-realization that he was himself. And perhaps he knew nothing more than that, but coming into existence after what may have been seconds or may have been trillions of years, that simple realization was the most beautiful thing in the world.

He could not communicate with anything, or even himself, and so could not form ideas and conclusions. As such, perhaps a million years passed as he basked in the simple truth of existence, as a mindless concept without mind or shape in a place that was nowhere, but it could just as easily have been no time at all.

It didnÆt matter. Eventually, he reentered Communication. Immediately, a thousand notions that had been meaningless without the ability to be put together with other ideas found themselves doing so. He was Harry Potter, a dead man, a wizard, a husband, father, grandfather, great-grandfather, and with the way his oldest great-granddaughter had been going on about that boy, he probably would have been a great-great-grandfather before the decade had ended, if heÆd survived.

Quickly putting together and organizing a million scattered words, thoughts, and ideas, heùwho was definitely Harry Potterùslowly put back together the scattered puzzle that was himself. He wasnÆt sure if that had been a long process or a slow one, because even though he was now able to identify and communicate, he still wasnÆt able to tell time.

For all he knew, he was outside it. Maybe it relied on Location, which he was pretty sure he still didnÆt have.

ôAre you okay?ö He asked, unable to see the still formless former cloud person.

ôYes, sir,ö It replied, in the way things without voices or voice boxes replied. ôDonÆt worry about me, sir. How are you, sir?ö

ôIÆm okay, all things considered.ö Harry replied. ôI still kind of miss having a Shape and Location, though.ö

ôDonÆt worry, sir; after we reenter Location, weÆll get time back as well, and then itÆll be just a short time until we reach Shape.ö

Harry would have nodded if shapeless things could do stuff like that.

ôAnd how long will it take to reach Location?ö

ôNo time at all, sir,ö It replied dutifully. ôAnd then weÆll be somewhere.ö

ôAh,ö Harry realized. ôYes, I suppose not. Would you happen to know how long we wereàgone, then?ö

ôAs I am still currently outside it, IÆm afraid IÆm still having a bit of difficult comprehending time, sir, much less itÆs passing. However, based off what I know of the destination, I would say we were gone for minus a hundred something years, sir?ö

Harry would have looked surprised if he still had a face.

ôIf you donÆt mind me asking, how did we do that?ö

ôItÆs no trouble, sir; itÆs really nothing impressive. If two worlds are parallel, then naturally, itÆs simply a matter of moving diagonally. After you exit time, itÆs really quite simple.ö

ôAh, I see,ö Harry said, nodding. ôSo basically, we exited time, drove backwards for a bit, crossed the street, and then reentered?ö

ôSomething like that, sir. YouÆre taking this quite well, sir.ö

Harry would have shrugged had he been able.

ôStuff like this just happens to me sometimes,ö He said, before pausing. ôWell, not stuff like this, butàin all my years as a wizard, life never once stopped being amazing. I find it reassuring that death is the same way.ö

Suddenly, they were moving. Time was flowing, too, which Harry confirmed by counting the seconds. He went straight from one to ten without skipping about randomly.

ôThere we go, sir. Not much further now.ö

Harry hummed in response.

ôYou said there would be some problems concerning regaining our shapes, didnÆt you?ö

ôAh, yes. Just some minor problems, sir; I apologize in advanced for any inconvenience it might cause. We had to leave our forms when we exited Shape, so weÆll need to pick up new ones on this side. You needed a new body, anyway, sir.ö

Harry pondered that.

Finding himself in a new body was sure to be strange, but it wasnÆt the first time heÆd done that sort of thing; heÆd had more than his fair share of strange accidents with transfiguration, from students and trainees and scientists who werenÆt paying to enemies out for his blood. HeÆd manage, as long as his mind and magic made it through intact; heÆd just transfigure himself back to normal.

Howeverà

ôPick up new ones?ö He said. ôWe arenÆt body snatching, are we?ö

HeÆd had to deal with cases of possession, too, but he was usually the one putting a stop to it or the one that someone was trying to possess. He had no desire to be the one doing it and locking up some poor lad in his own head.

In fact, heÆd be fairlyàupset if that were to happen.

Apparently, his formless companion recognized that.

ôOf course not, sir,ö It said, before pausing. ôWell, I donÆt know who is summoning you or why, so I suppose itÆs possible. But we arenÆt doing that, sir. We simply picked up some bodies while we were outside existence and are bringing them in with us.ö

ôOutside existence?ö Harry asked, blinking. ôWouldnÆt there be nothing there, then?ö

ôOf course not, sir; it just means nothing out there exists. I think youÆll find that there are a great number of things that donÆt exist, sir; indeed, we didnÆt exist a short time ago.ö

Harry pondered that for a moment, slowly putting together the scattered pieces of what he knew.

ôSo there exist things even outside Existence, but they have no Identity, Location, Shape, or ability to Communicate?ö

ôSometimes, but not always, sir. Have you ever seen a Venn Diagram, sir? With two or more overlapping circles? The concepts youÆre thinking of are the circle and normal reality is the area where all those circles overlap. Sometimes, the circles are concentric, but sometimes they arenÆt; so perhaps in someplace you could be outside Existence but have Identity, Shape, Location, and Communication. And of course, the æcirclesÆ are by no means required to be the same sizeùor even be circles. It really depends on the place, sir. What weÆve picked up came from outside anything, however, so you donÆt need to worry about subverting another Identity.ö

Harry scratched his chin, interested.

ôDo all Universes have those five æcirclesÆ then?ö

ôMost places considered livable have at least those five, yes. Some places have more and some have less, but those places, as you can imagine, can be quite odd.ö

ôHave you been to lots of interesting places, then?ö

ôOh, yes, sir. Many, many amazing places.ö

ôPerhaps when this is over, you can tell me about some of them, if you donÆt mind talking to an old man for awhile.ö

ôIt would be my pleasure, sir. Perhaps youÆll even get to see some of them.ö

Harry was about to ask what that meant when the train suddenly slammed on the brakes and began moving much slower. If heÆd been in his normal body, he probably would have pitched forward into the seat in front of him.

Harry looked forward expectantly and was met with the sight heÆd expected. Through the formless æseatsÆ in front of him, he could see all the way to the front of the trainùand it was a train now. As if paint were being dumped on something invisible, colors and shapes and matter appeared in row after row of the train and left it looking very different then it had before. He caught a glimpse of dark fire and smoke and walls of black stone, before the wall and seats in front of him resumed shape.

And then he ran into a wall of water.

Or, at least, thatÆs what it felt like. A wall of liquid force, slamming into his face and then swallowing him whole. It crept across the front of him and the back of him and inside and out, until it had touched every part of him, giving substance and shape to every atom and molecule until he fully existed and was real.

There was a sudden weight to it; having form when moments before he hadnÆt. And some pain as well, as expected of being born into the world. But with it came a delightful realization of being real in every sense of the word that sent his hearts pounding.

àWait.

Harry looked down at himself. He looked down at his fingers and hands and arms. At his body and legs and feet and clothes and how they had been warped and changed.

And then he opened his mouth, the mouth inside his mouth, and the mouth inside that and asked a question.

ôI have to admit, I didnÆt see this coming. Could explain this, please?ö

XxXXxX

eliar · Jan 5, 2012

Oooops! Alien!Outsider! Harry?

Druid · Jan 5, 2012

Well, you've created an interesting beginning. Yet while I would like to say I like this wholeheartedly, all I can say is I like the introduction and am looking forward to seeing if I like the meat of the story.

Da-Guru · Jan 5, 2012

*Raises his eyebrow* *Quietly adds this to his watch list*

I want to see where you're going with this before I make judgment.

duke · Jan 5, 2012

That about fits my frame of mind. Very intriguing beginning, which will hopefully pass on to an exciting middle and eventually a satisfying end.

Dakaath · Jan 5, 2012

The entire conversation about time and location was pretty entertaining to follow along with.

Like the explanation for why Harry is arriving in a different time period.

Quite curious about who or what the cloud guy is.

nairit · Jan 5, 2012

Multiple hearts?

Thats just asking for Doctor Who refrences.

the DragonBard · Jan 5, 2012

Dakaath said:

Probably just a low ranking angel or a demigod/lesser god. Something along those lines.

Technically a psychopomp most likely.

Ryuugi · Jan 6, 2012

XxXXxX

For a long moment, all was silent. In the wake of that sound of a swinging gate, nothing happened, forcing the three of them to wait in tense silence.

At least, it was tense for the leader. The other two hadnÆt had much of a mind of their own in a long, long time.

ôDid it fail?ö He wondered. If this had been any other summon, he would have been angry, embarrassed, or upset at his failure, but in this case, he was simply relieved. If he had tried and done everything right, but the summon simply hadnÆt worked, then he could simply report back to his Masters that the ritual had been a fake or had otherwise become useless.

In a way, this was the ideal result, because it meant he didnÆt have to worry about what would happen if the summon worked.

He was about to give a sigh of release when he noticed his assistants had turned their faces slightly, as if noticing something. Since heÆd left them that ability specifically to notice threats and react to them, he immediately tensed and scanned the area careful. It was possible, if unlikely, that heÆd done something wrong and the Gatekeeper had caught wind of his actions, even if his Masters had assured him he wouldnÆt arrive until it was far too late.

But there was nothing like that. Granted, he wasnÆt quite arrogant enough to think he would be able to spot the Gatekeeper if he was actually trying to hide, but as the seconds ticked by and he didnÆt die, he became sure that wasnÆt the problem.

He was about to risk giving away where he was to ask what his assistants had noticed when he heard it. Or rather, when he started paying attention to it. It wasnÆt an amazing, unearthly sound or anything like that, which was probably why he hadnÆt noticed it immediately. In fact, for someone like him, who had lived through the industrial revolution, it was a commonly heard sound that he could recognize anywhere.

It was the sound of a train. There was no mistaking it; heÆd seen dozens, if not hundreds, of trains, heard even more, and had even ridden on a few himself. In fact, he would even go so far as to make an informed guess and say that it was steam engine, despite not having heard one in more than fifty years. That had probably been why his assistants had noticed it instantly, even from such a distance; they had probably never heard the sound of a steam locomotive in their lives.

However, despite how easy it was to recognize the sound, it didnÆt cause it to make any sense. There werenÆt any train tracks nearbyùand if there had been, they certainly wouldnÆt have run on steam.

So unless someone had managed to construct and outdated train, put down tracks, and then set everything up to make both operational without him noticingùin an area that he constantly monitoredùand it had decided to run for the first time right when he was performing his ritual, then there was only one real possibility.

And it was a fairly bad one.

Though it did explain why the sound was coming closer.

ôGet down!ö He ordered, quickly ducking under his work desk. Without hesitation, his students moved to comply.

There was a long moment filled with nothing but the sound of an oncoming train.

And then that moment was shattered with a thunderous, deafening crash as said train crashed into, through, and back out of his house.

Powder and rubble rained down from the ceiling and he thanked God that he was in the basement. But even being in the basement shouldnÆt have saved him; the floor should have broken like paper under a trainÆs weight.

The fact that it didnÆt pretty much confirmed his suspicions.

Waiting a moment to make sure nothing happened, he carefully moved out from under his desk, glancing up at the ceiling. He couldnÆt see the train, of courseùbut he could see the black stains sinking through from the floor above, veins of darkness spreading and intertwining until they formed something recognizable as train tracks.

He took a deep breath, slowly exhaled, and spoke.

ôShit.ö

He honestly considered bailing out then and there, his Masters be damned. It would be easy enough to open a gate to the Neverneverà

No. If he ran now, heÆd be hunted down before the sun rose. His only hope now was to somehow survive the night.

ôFollow me,ö He said simply, with the firm awareness that he would be obeyed. His servants fell in behind him, coming out from cover without hesitation, and they made towards the stairs.

Though they had been fine in the basement, it was likely theiràassociates upstairs hadnÆt found this experience enjoyable.

Which was a shame. Truly.

He didnÆt even get a chance to open the door to the next floor, however, because one of them tore it off its hinges before he could.

ôDuMorne!ö She hissed, her flesh mask torn away, along with bits of flesh beneath it. Since she was still alive, he deduced that she hadnÆt actually gotten hit by the train. A quick glance around confirmed that about half of their vampiric guests had miraculously survived. ôWhat is the meaning of this!?ö

He honestly had neither the patience nor the time to deal with them right now, however, so he brush passed her without answering the question, already feeling the beginnings of a headache.

It wasnÆt hard to spot the trainùit went straight through the house. It wasnÆt hard to figure out that it was abnormal, either, what with the oddly colored fire, fell lights, strange smoke, and black walls.

However, it still didnÆt make sense; why a train? Even if he knew why it was here and who was on it, why would they come by train?

And why, for GodÆs sake, did they have to drive it through his house!?

ôWhat the hell did you do, DuMorne!?ö The vampire insisted.

He snapped a quick, furious glare in her direction.

ôSilence, you fool! This isnÆt the time!ö He snarled, shifting his gaze back to the train. As if it were a normal train, there were windows along the side, allowing passengers to lookoutùor in this case, allowing onlookers to peer in.

If the creature theyÆd summoned really had arrived, then logically, he was on the train.

Walking slowly, He shifted his gaze from window to window. After glancing over one of the windows, he paused, frowning, thinking heÆd seen something.

He glanced back into it, staring for a long moment, but see anything but sure to the core that there was something there. It was like he was looking at a picture, missing something important, and knew it. But he couldnÆt wrap his mind around it.

No matter how hard he tried to see it, there was nothing there.

And then nothing in the cabin shifted and looked back at him, staring out the window at him curiously.

All the pieces that he hadnÆt been able to see fell into place in that moment and he saw what heÆd been missingùwhat his mind had refused to see.

Stumbling back, he saw itùoh, God, he saw itùand, as it looked out that window, he knew it had seen him as well.

For a moment that stretched on without end, he tried to look awayùto look at something else; anything elseùbut he couldnÆt. He couldnÆt shut his eyes or move in the face of what he saw through the tainted glass windows of that long, black train.

And then, like a Godsend, a sudden hiss of released air drew his attention, breaking the spell that had held him in place.

For a moment, he felt nothing but relief at the sheer fact that heÆd been able to look away; that he hadnÆt been stuck for eternity staring at that image, like he had feared for a second he would.

But then, the relief feel away, along with the bottom of his stomach, as he turned and realized the reason behind the sound.

But the doors of the train had already begun to open.

XxXXxX

Ryuugi · Jan 7, 2012

XxXXxX

ôOh, dear!ö Harry cried, alarmed, looking wide-eyed out the window. ôWe drove the train right through someoneÆs house!ö

The former-but-definitely-no-longer-cloud person slid forward to peer over his shoulder. Its mandibles twitched once as it closed its eyes. At a glance, would say that he had seven sapphire eyes and just as many legs, but then, he would look again, and it would be obvious that he had twenty-three limbs, and a lone, pale eye that was surrounded in flame but did not burn. As he crept near, a thing Harry could no call a flower drew near his face; he quickly brushed it away and drew back his hand before it could bit him.

It sighed.

ôI apologize, sir;ö He said. ôIÆm afraid my brotherÆs not a very good driver.ö

ôHold the explanation until later, then,ö Harry commanded, rising. ôIÆll go check on things.ö

He gestured with his wand, ignoring the way the roots began intertwining with his fingers as it seemed to attempt to grow into some horrific tree. They nibbled on his fingers in a way he hoped was affectionate, but he could barely feel their teeth through the armored growth that had once been his clothes. He thought that if it could be called anything, it was a type of impossible fungus, but its teeth were aimed outwards and it didnÆt seem to be trying to eat him at the moment, so it probably wasnÆt important.

A brief cloud of sparks filled the air and he nodded to himself; that spell did exactly what heÆd intended it too. He performed a few other minor spells to make sure casting one on himself wouldnÆt make him spontaneously combust or something. When he felt satisfied that seemed unlikely, he tapped his wand to his forehead.

A cold, wet sensation flowed over him, like someone had dumped a tub of ice water on him. He felt his body began to shift and twist into his normal formù

And then it flowed off and he changed back.

ôHmàö Harry pondered. ôThis complicates things, somewhat.ö

As he cast a few more transfiguration spells with equal results, his Invisibility Cloak crawled back up the length of his body on equally invisible legs, settling around his shoulders comfortably after shuddering once in satisfaction. It tugged on the teeth of his clothes, apparently trying to decide if they were eatable, which caused them to hiss at it. Somewhat worried, he reached into his pocket with one of his left hands, and drew out the Resurrection Stone which had gained a few new dimensions and sides.

He looked at himself, more exasperated then anything.

ôAm I terribly alarming, do you think?ö He asked his companion.

A man appeared outside the window, looking in quietly, as if confused. Harry glanced back out, curious himself, and for a minute, there was no reaction.

And then, the man stumbled back, his face a mask of horrified alarm.

ôWell, I suppose that answers that question,ö He sighed. ôOkay, letÆs try this one more time.ö

He tapped his forehead again with the same cold sensation. His body began to change, his bifurcated arms sliding back together before his many crystalline eyes and his hearts slowly merging into one. His monstrous form trembled, twisted inhuman knots of muscle warping beneath with his metallic hide, even as it became more and more human as its geometries straightened. The hardened blades and barbs of his black hair, darker than it had ever been in life, softened down, turning to the aged white of an old, old man. The rows of shifting, twisting thorns stopped their chainsaw like spinning and receded, merging into strong white teeth. Eyes closed and moved back towards his face, his new appendages fell away, strange organs slid back inside his body and merged with or became old ones, and the creatures skittering along inside and outside his body turned back into the normal systems. Parts of him liquefied and others hardened, even as his skeleton merged together and broke apart, slowly becoming something human. When halfway through his transformation, he felt his body try to resist and fight off the spell, he forced it down with his will alone, forcing it to continue.

He sighed, then, back in the shape heÆd taken when he first begun this trip. He opened his eyes, which had only one color, one iris, and one pupil. He opened a mouth with a single row of stationary teeth and inhaled deeply, filling human lungs. HeÆd like to say he was completely back to normal, but he could still feel his body trying to resist the enchantment heÆd put it under.

ôWhy am I having so much trouble transfiguring myself?ö He asked, mostly speaking to himself.

ôThese forms donÆt like to be changed, sir. They are things that never had a chance to exist, and now that they do, they wish to continue doing so.ö

Harry blinked at that.

ôAre they conscious?ö He wondered, furrowing his brow.

ôNot in the way youÆre thinking.ö Was his answer. ôBut they have a desire to be that IÆm sure nobody who actually does could possibly understand. By the way, sir; if you wish to appear as you did before, you may wish to do something about your shadow.ö

Harry glanced down at it. It was now a trailing monster onto itself, reflecting a hideous form that looked nothing like what heÆd been.

He tutted, casting a spell at it, which, naturally, just impacted with the floor because shadows are merely the absence of light. He pondered it for a moment, before shaking his head.

ôIt doesnÆt matter,ö He said. ôPeople could be hurt out there. Hopefully, no one will notice.ö

XxXXxX

Druid · Jan 7, 2012

"Hopefully no one will notice,"

Yeah, good luck with that one Harry.

TerraBull · Jan 7, 2012

Heh, curious if they will ask about the train, and how far the train itself extends.

Hmm.. the flower, a Mario type that shoots fireballs?

Edit:..? Is the train a pun-ny? "Death rides a Pale Horse." as in a Silver 'Iron Horse'? A Train?

Ryuugi · Jan 7, 2012

TerraBull said:

In part. It hasn't really been mentioned (yet), but the train is black and silver, yes.

But also:

From the Devil's Train. And besides that, there is, of course, the Little Black Train and Death's Black Train:

As you can see, Black Trains are quite popular.

That's because Black Trains get's all the chicks.

AbyssalDaemon · Jan 7, 2012

You've done a excellent job of keeping Harry himself in this while showing hints of how he's matured in his old age. And I have to admit that it's also great to see a story featuring a post DH crossover that isn't the usual wangst!Harry, 'Everybody's betrayed me' cliche, or the bitchy slut Ginny.

The fact that Harry has accidentally become a edritch abomination just makes this all the more amusing; though I wouldn't be surprised if most of those that realize what he is are either going suffer BSoD at idea of a fairly nice britishy horror from beyond the gates or be utterly horrified at his ability to 'pretend' at being a somewhat quirky old man. And godforbid if they ever hear about him being married at some point to a witch and having had kids. It'll be Dunwich all over again to the White Council depending on how true the general basics of Lovecraft's writings where.

Da-Guru · Jan 7, 2012

Here comes the soul collecting train of murder a-comin'
It longs to take your putrid blackened soul away from you

Your face will leave your rotting head, in the early morning
Your guts will leave your corpse, your spine will break and crack in two

It cannot be stopped
The train is fueled by chopped bodies
Filled with sorrow
There is no tomorrow

Ticket is your life
Ended by a knife
Called the murder train
Eternity of pain

Oh yeah, you know what I'm talking about

There is no escape but death
Your life is just
A murder train a-comin

Now play me some blues

Thought I'd include the mandatory Dethklok reference here.

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