HIS HAPPY ENDING
Some things are meant to happen, I guess, for example, coming back to life.
Pelicular instances always happen to Harry to the point that he is mostly–if not all fazed about it, and this became to be strangest of them all. And to his absolute dismay, it happened to Harry, because why not right? Yes, just give all the inconvenience to Harry Potter.
Harry quickened his step to the opposite direction of the great hall, passing numbers of student in the hallway for dinner. The small crowds parted swiftly like how fish dance on the water when disturb, his quick footsteps resounding in the closed space. It is to be expected really, from the reputation he have it's no surprise. Harry almost bumps on some of them from the haste but he paid it no mind, his attention was wholly captured by the bright transparent box in front of his eyes.
[ < The quota for ‘Character Points’ have expired> ]
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[ < You did not meet the quota> ]
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[ <Punishment will be commenced> ]
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[ <Loading…1……2…3……4> ]
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[ <Error> ]
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[<Punishment Alternative> ]
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[ < Task: Hunt down 24 Thornbacks and collect their fangs> ]
[ < Location: Forbidden Forest> ]
[ < Time Limit: Before Dawn> ]
[ < Failed to comply will result to the unsubscribement of life> ]
That right there, is also one of the strange things that followed him to the ‘afterlife’, if someone could call it that, it's more of a hell to Harry tha anything else. It was fine though, he’s been doing this for almost a 4 days now , close call of death from time to time but it was a better alternative than dying . This punishment lets you fight and thus have a higher chance of survival than being sent to the purgatory lying down.
This thing—the system—that’s what he’s calling it, assigned him something that is called ‘Character Points’.
Who is the character, you ask?
It’s me, I’m the character .
His name was Harry Potter and now he has become Hadrian Peverell.
The worst character that he could become. His name is littered in doom flags all over, a thing that Harry barely manages to save himself from. Salazar help him!
It’s the point system where ‘he’ as Hadrian Peverell has a satisfying interaction with the important characters of the roleplaying game.
A character on the well-known roleplaying game called ‘His Happy Ending’
It did the status of ‘well-known’ justice, in Harry’s honest opinion. It has some special features that stand out among other roleplaying games out there.
It was because Hadrian Peverell was a character, and Harry became Hadrian—he was now obligated to interact with the other characters for the plot to continue, and the System exists (sort of) to keep in line ‘me’ as a character.
Then this ‘system’ just kept demanding him to interact with the bigshot characters such as—Aiden Avery, Francis Lestrange, his twin Elliot Lestrange, Mateo Mulciber , Tom Riddle, and other folks that would certainly get him in trouble.
And the worst of them all is Tom Riddle—not only was he the main character of the game but he was also the killer of Hadrian Peverell.
In short, I’m fucked.
Riddle will certainly murder him. If he is really the embodiment of his character then he might just seal his fate by breathing too loudly.
Ahhhhhh , why are you hopelessly in love with this homicidal man, Hadrian??!!!!
That’s right .
The game that he has fallen for is one of the few queer—themed role playing games that is trending on the market. Tom Riddle as the main character and some of the aforementioned characters are going to be the ‘love interest’, the point of this game is to give Tom Riddle the—and I quote ‘Happy Ending’ but all the open characters so far have always ended in a tragedy one way and another.
And Harry absolutely despises this game. He just decided to play with it because he was curious but he thought to himself that it was all pointless really. He has so many opinions regarding it. However, he can honestly say that it is indeed a game that few can enjoy genuinely–unfortunately or fortunately Harry was not someone who would enjoy it.
Harry hated that there couldn't be a ‘happy ending’ to it–which is ironic because it is titled ‘His Happy Ending’. In all the route he visited, there was no time that Harry really saw Tom Riddle, the protagonist himself, be truly happy. Sure , he was friendly–or in Riddle’s definition of being friendly with some of his love interests but most of the time he was miserable.
Not only that but he always ended up becoming a monster. In Harry’s eyes he feels like someone who is incomplete, who is missing a piece of himself that he never quite finds. Harry felt pity for Riddle at those times. Although he is someone who is not absolutely good like all the protagonists are supposed to be portrayed, he was still someone, and some part of Harry’s heart long for him to see his happy ending.
The one who has been close to getting the happy ending was Orion Black but even that ended with Tom Riddle going mad and destroying the world. Although they don’t have an explicit romantic relation to each other, it’s clear that they do care for one another.
Hadrian had been one of the ‘villains’ on that route, and as expected, he also had been brutally murdered. Although Harry has some fond thoughts about Riddle, he was not going to find himself murdered. Thank you very much.
‘Yeah no shock there, Hadrian had always had a dangerous level of obsession with the guy.’
Like really really dangerous. Harry shuddered as he thought about it.
However, Riddle is no saint either. No matter how many people love this game, they can’t deny that Tom Riddle is not a good person—a walking red flag but they all turned a blind eye to it because of his face.
As they say dark tall and handsome guy can do no wrong
Riddle admirers– as they politely referred themselves would give their firstborn to him, it’s like talking to a wall honestly. At some point Harry would have but not anymore! He is going to be murdered if he is not careful.
He has been quiet, fading to shadow and make himself unknown to the others. That's one thing he likes about Hadrian–except for everything that Harry hates about the man, honestly. Hadrian is the ultimate outcast, not in a sense that he is being cornered in a dimly lit corridor every few minutes but the likes that no one bothered him.
No one checks on him because no one cares enough, his life is empty and although Harry feels sad about his situation, he needs to live. In order to do so, he needs to take the opportunity presented by himself.
Harry don’t know who’s route he is participating right know but Harry’s not going to volunteer anytime soon. He also wondered, where the original Hadrian have gone too. Since Harry was possessing his body, he is very sure that no other soul is inhabiting his–Hadrian is gone. Was he dead? What happened to him? Harry unfortunately don't have any answer to that–even the reason why he is here is unclear to him! The system is a bitch!
The thought that he is following the doomed path of Hadrian’s route passes on his mind, but does it really still continue if he refuses to participate in it?
There's gotta be some lophoole behind those. Harry doesn't want a painful death. All of Hadrian’s deaths are painful!
He already dodge the chains of the system or somehow loose it. It is inaccurate to say that he is free from the system after all. It is something that follows him in this world and dictates his every move that results in pain when not met and followed.
However, as he successfully persuaded the system, he has free reign in regard to him interacting with the main characters. He needs to keep them off his backs, just unassuming not a threat. The more that he would make himself as disinteresting as possible then it may actually result to something desirable for once.
(But nothing really went according to his plan, he should have known…..)
Somehow, by complaining loudly and even threatening to kill himself ( which he very much regretted, dammit why can his mouth be controlled just once please–) just did the trick. It seems that this thing really wants him alive but he is not going to take chances. The system edited itself (?) and now he can move freely as he can (i.e avoiding them as much as possible)
Okay , back to the task.
He was going to hunt Thornbacks , Harry recalled the information he had about them and thought of various strategies such as ; keeping them down —casting an overpowered Descendo , however, spells that powerful would leave him exhausted if used multiplied times in the same time frame. Moreover, it only works to one species, Thornback Matriarch—and there’s also the most common strategy—cutting charm but the same problem as before it would leave him exhausted and probably swarmed.
Thornbacks were a little different from Acromantula, but in terms of intelligence Thornbacks are only a little step behind. Harry couldn’t afford to get careless.
Then there’s Fiendfyre—Thronbaks weakness is fire.
The problem is, Fiendfyre is a spell hard to control. And dark .
Harry has his principles and holds them tight but he is intelligent enough to use any means necessary when the situation calls for it, he is surrounded by amoral people–warlords in the making, he needs to be ready. For this one, if he need to use Fiendfyre then he is going to.
Harry pulled the transfigured robe over his body. It was good and all as it became a practice regimen for Harry but it came at the most inconvenient time and it was annoying.
No matter, he can’t do anything about it.
He cast the strongest concealment charm he knew and stepped outside.
Well here we go.
The slytherin house was the most suited to Harry.
( in some universe, some individuals are protesting rather loudly– )
They have rules, societal cues, and controlled mannerism. In short it was perfect .
Some would say it's pretentious—i.e. Gryfindors—but Harry has little opinion about them so they could argue with a wall. Because of these rules, people are predictable. The students residing in this house are mostly pure-blood, the so-called elite of the magic community and they follow strict conduct into interacting one another lest offending each other—and that is something he can take advantage of .
Most of the characters were situated in Slytherin House, because of course they do. They are of pureblood descent with great family backgrounds backing them up. Along with Romance, another genre that made this game amazing is its political conflict.
Slytherin House was different from other three houses is that these kids are heirs and heiress and this is a great opportunity for them for networking and expanding their influence that they can use in the real world when they graduate—the conflict that they generate provide great entertainment to the younger audience, what's more great than teenage drama, right?
He was in a new world and he wanted to live quietly and be left alone so it was a relief when there was an unwritten manual for it. They are polite and proper and subtle—It was hilarious sometimes. Politeness was the key to indifference that conventionally worked for him well, the one that screams ‘leave-me-alone-or-else’ (i'll cry—) , it was good to say that it works very well.
On the first day that Harry wakes up in this world, he garners some stares and intrigue, and that is probably by how he acts. It's not clearly different from Hadrian but unlike him Harry is not raised in a pureblood and privileged household. He clearly have tutors or house elves tending him when growing up and Harry havenone of those.
He is quickly annoyed and vigorously copies everybody else, their action, mannerism, their speech. It is not hard to do since no one really bothers to look at the direction of Hadrian Peverell.
House Peverell is a long-standing House in the wizarding world, it contains greatness that far surpasses some other houses in the wizengamot. However, its situation is similar to the Gaunt. Despite their house being a descendant from Slytherin lineage, it is now diminished and worn down.
Although the house of Peverell is not as destroyed as the Gaunt it was considered mediocre these days. People doesnt take it seriously and now Hadrian Peverell, a member of such a house has a personality like his. It proves the people that the Peverell is past their greatness. However, the respect for this house, as it is still considered a pureblood house–its roots are strong, is the reason that Hadrian is still accepted by his housemates despite being an aloof airhead.
Either way, standing out in Slytherin warrants a death sentence— i.e Tom Riddle’s Attention , it’s something that Harry is absolutely trying to avoid. Such instances as talking only on surface level, pleasantry, average grades, and average skills. Harry was working hard to protect himself as best as he can, and being unassuming is a well—working defense mechanism. He was successful in this aspect as well.
Riddle would just glance at him from time to time, and generally treat him as if he didn’t exist. That’s good, just what he needs while getting himself stronger and searching for a way to uncover this phenomenon because Harry wants to go home.
The only downside was the bigotry—it hurt to watch some of these pure-blood discriminate muggleborns that are more talented and have more potential than them. However, it was not his problem to solve—he was just an unknown supposed-to-be dead soul that got rope up with this situation and world.
Maybe, in another universe he would, but not this one. He can almost hear Hermoine’s voice—a close friend of his back to his original world—on the back of his head about his callous words and blatant disregard to others' well-being. He does care of course, sometimes he helps students who are picked on by others in the hallway—but it was only a temporary solution, they need to defend themselves and prove that they aren’t that easily prey on.
Bullies are only bullies until you fight back. Of course there’s the bull-headed one—but then again, Harry was not involved so it does not concern him that much.
Harry heaves a breath and wipes the liquid—he was sure it is blood—off his face using the back of his hand, making it messier. Harry looked down at his hands and sighed tiredly. He feels sticky and dumps all over, 10/10 would not recommend .
In the end he had used a little bit of fire and a lot of cutting. Harry looks around the carcasses of Thornback and pulls out a dagger, he crouches at the nearest—and more intact spider and starts dismantling its fangs.
Thornbacks spider fangs was an ingredient used to make Maxima Potion.
Making such a potion would help him in the long run.
More so in the upcoming months where the conflict rises—he needs all the things he can get to stay and get out alive. Harry after all wants to go home—and he needs to be alive in order to do that.
He jumps from different spiders and harvests their fangs until his bags are full. This is something that confuses him is that every ingredient or things that the system demands of him will always be left for him. The act alone is sufficient to satisfy the order, but what is he going to do in these bags of venom???!!!
The only thing on his mind is—well— sell them.
That’s the right thing to do. Money would greatly help him.
However, of course he would leave something for himself for future use.
The familiar dull ache on his core was familiar and was a tell-tale that he needs to stop doing whatever he was doing to conserve energy. Harry would gladly cleansed himself but he was a little exhausted physically as well as magically—so he prefers to conserve his magic to whatever emergency may occur—merlin , since when did he become so meticulous?
Ah, whatever, if it counts it counts.
He starts to trek toward the castle, puts on his glamour and conceal himself again, before entering the castle. He silently walked through the silent hallway.
There was a reason why he chose ‘Alternative Punishment’ rather than just interacting with the characters and going with the plot. It was because he was avoiding Tom Riddle—one of the main characters of the roleplaying game.
As he passed one of the discrete tunnels and hallways, Harry slipped off his glamor. To his knowledge, no one really passes this hallway so it is safe to say that it's relatively safe. Furthermore, the more he use magic the more the exhaustion—and the backlash would be.
The past three days, Harry played the perfect role of being a stone—unassuming, stiff, and dull. Safe to say, it worked since none of the people connected to Tom Riddle bothered him. However, Harry was not complacent—Tom Riddle was dangerous because he was unpredictable and clever so Harry can't afford to let his guard down.
All in all, while he is inside the castle, the biggest threat on Harry’s well-being is Tom Riddle.
“Detention, . It is past curfew and you’re out, pray tell what were you doing?”
Harry did not scream nor yelp—that would be dignified but he did make a kittle noise, a sound of surprise that left him intact. Thankfully .
He did not panic.
Okay he did—on the inside, his heart running a marathon. But on the outside he was impassive as a marble stone, unreadable and blank.
Why the fuck was he here?
This hallway was supposed to be secret! Is it because of his exhaustion that he let his guard down a little? No matter, Harry need to salvage this. He debated fighting Riddle for it but quickly decided to erase such thoughts.
Thats stupid, Riddle is infinitely stronger to him. Taking him on would be a death sentence–remember all the atrocities he is capable of!
Now he is certain his exhausted wrapped his brain because normal Harry would not even think that.
He might have as well carried the sun on his hands if he decided to fight Riddle now.
Did he summon him somehow? Because Harry was thinking about him?
That's ridiculous. Maybe Harry is just that cursed.
Riddle’s form stilled. It was a small and unnoticeable thing but to Harry’s hyperaware mind he saw he did.
Dark eyes wander on his still bloodied form.
Shit. his world come into stop and he stopped breathing. He forgot he was still bathe in blood.
He should have cleansed himself. He really should have!
Harry curses his past self.
Those piercing unbearable gaze wander, on his shoulder— blood trailing his neck and below, hiding behind his collar—and tracing down the lines of his torso— robes torn and ragged and charred tips.
It was intense. It makes Harry’s skin crawl. He fought to squirms.
“Are you….covered in blood?” he drawls. His eyes finally levels at him. Confusion and something else he can’t place.
“It’s not mine.” He blurted out, without his permission. Harry wants to burn something. Again .
Riddle merely raised an eyebrow, amused small smile dancing on his lips. “I don’t really care what you do, as long as you don’t caught and bring any more names to our house. We have enough as it is”
Harry did not exactly exhale in relief but something quite. This was one thing he adored in slytherin, is that as long as it don’t trouble the whole house’s reputation then its fine—however, just make sure that you wont be caught.
And Riddle was the most Slytherin of them all.
And he does more questionable thing in the future , anyway—for example, killing me
“Still, as your Prefect I need to assign you a punishment.” He paused, seeming to think, then smirk. “Detention with Professor Slughorn for the whole week .”
Harry keep his face carefully blank. “I thank you for your, generosity .”
“Of course.” Riddle inclined his head, mirth vibrating on his skin. “ I bid you a pleasant evening . I’ll be seeing you tomorrow night, .”
“I as well.” Harry politely returned the gesture.
“Oh, before I forget” Riddle intone, pulling out his wand. Harry concealed his tenseness, his hands hovered above his wand and watch with wary eyes as Riddle cast him a murmured ‘Scourgify’, he gaze back to Harry’s and finish off with a smirk. “It would waste the effort of letting you off the hook didn’t it?”
In short, in slytherin dialect , “I help you not with the goodness of my heart and it would be a shame if you got caught. I will be collecting that, just so you know.”
With that, Riddle turn around—with the dramatic flair he can muster—what a pretentious prick. Harry did really groan this time. Cleaning, that what’s he is going to do for the whole weak—Salazar, help him!
No! That’s not the problem! Riddle won’t certainly let it go now!
Harry feels as if he just signed something unpleasant. Surely, if Harry would just follow, be silent, and wouldn’t care Riddle would view him as something dull and leave him alone.
Surely…..
In the world of space and nothingness, a noticeable shift of destiny rippled along the universe. A change will occur and balance will shift.