The Price
“No To fix him I would rather your...service. You have been gone for so long running from your feelings, of your hatred rage and...sadness never able to grieve properly for those that you lost that day. Become a reaper. One of my own and I will do as you say. It will not be easy but...For that and for who the boy may become I will make it so! His family have served me well and delivered many a soul to me”
Shock ran through Harrys body. Both figuratively from learning he still had family and from his own internal storms. Synchronising and drawing power from the monsoon surrounding Little whinging that he had unknowingly eased into creation, Keeping his soul and body together for the time being. Time having been slowed with Deaths arrival and powers.
“Family...I, how! I was told I am all that was left. Nobody on my fathers side or my moms aside from the Dursleys!”
Shock Purveyed throughout his body. And not his elemental ones at that.
“I...i still have family? I was told I was the last. Nobody else aside from me or my..relatives!”
Trying and failing to stop a cough from starting. A hacking and wet sounding cough. Looking at his hand Blood was on it. He could feel it falling from his mouth even now huffing sharp breaths struggling to breath.
“Indeed. But your headmaster is a mere...mortal, Torvak he may be all knowing he is not.
Your grandfather Briar Evanson submissive to Juniper Evanson….your Grandfather and grandmother. A formidable Circle. And Briar is one of my favourites of the Highest nobles. A hellhound serving under THE Hellhound Aiden.”
With that Lady Death gestured with one of her bony hands to a pair of red eyes in the shadows in a coming motion. Out stepped a young slim man. Black of hair and red of eyes, With especially sharp facial bones giving him an aristocratic look. Not unfamiliar to some of his slytherin classmates Aiden did not speak so much as open his mouth showing sharp rows of teeth
When he spoke it was with a deep gravelly voice. The sound of jagged rocks smashing together, Shouting
“You would have me take on this pup! So soon after giving me one even younger…”
It was perhaps an understatement that the lord of Hellhounds was NOT amused One pup was more than enough. Adding another on top of all his duties and cares to his hounds was…..irritating
Quicker than Harry could follow Lady Death strode over to Aiden and slashed his face with her claws. Hissing in pain The wounds already smoking and closing in front of his eyes.
“I am your master Aiden and you will obey me! BUT seeing as you are so stressed perhaps just this once I will give you a break...yes you have suffered enough little one. You are due for some love and care. And who else to give it to you but your family…”
A whistle Sounded out from her. Whilst Harry and Maurice didn’t react to it all Hellhounds tensed up.
A grey and Red orb phased into view. Seemingly made of the aforementioned grey mists with streaks of red throughout it. A voice sounded out
“Incoming Live message.
Sender Briar Evanson Do you accept?”
Without speaking Lady death swipes a hand through the message the smoke reforming into a mirror esq appearance with a face appearing in it. Bronze of skin with dark brown Eyes Hints of red peaking through With a nice brown slightly wavy hair coming to his shoulders.
“My lady, lord Aiden. I have attempted to reach you both through a generic portal and my own shadows. Everytime I do I get rebuffed. My connection to my Alpha is also wavering each time. Almost as if it is being blocked on purpose...From neither of our sides. I apologies for this failure but I can not reach you at your current location”
Complete with head down shoulders slumped. A look of total defeat and submission. Harry could only hope he wasn’t punished like Aiden was earlier. But then harry let out a gasp. Briar! That was the name on the orb. Stepping around Maurice no matter how painful it was to move. Feeling like his entire body would combust and burst into little pieces. He got a closer look at the man. Saw how he had similar shaped noses and faces.How they were even roughly the same size and build.
“….Briar? g...grandfather? “
Hearing that the mans head came up wide brown eyes The beginning of a growl at his mouth. Stopped short at seeing the similarities between them shocked. Skin turning pale
“W-who are you? You...look like me! But you have Jun’s eyes “ Those bright green almond shaped eyes. And the messy hair(albeit darker than his own) standing out like flares for Briar
Stuttering Harry could only reply
“M..my names Harry. My mother was Lilly Evans”
Growling came from Briar
“How!? I have no recollection of having a child with my alpha let alone the fact a grandchild would exist! It can’t be true!”
There was more red than brown in Briars eyes now. His emotions bringing him far closer to his hellhound side than usual. But who wouldn’t be more primal? Than a pretender claiming to be his grandson.(Or perhaps it was the thought of a link to his beautiful Juniper. Alpha of their circle ...the missing link for years now.)
Lady Deaths voice cut through abruptly
“There will be time for family discussions later. If one of my strongest Hellhounds can not reach this place then either I need better Hounds. Or there is more at play. Given your history and successes as a hound...It is most likely the latter. As submissive to the Evanson circle do I have permission to perform a blood summoning on your Alpha. Using blood from your potential grandchild I can draw her here via portal as long as she isn’t behind wards stronger than an Immortal...Should such a thing even exist. Choose quickly hound. Your grandsons magic is currently attempting to kill his own body and soul.”
A quick explanation of too much power too quick via broken seals. Evidently was the push Briar needed. With that a quick fingernail slicing down Harrys chest, bringing a burning sensation and a hiss out of Harry.
Simultaneously doing two things. The repair of Harry’s body and soul. And the violent portal opening as if the very gods had clawed at the space and opened a void full of shadows, howls and tendrils to deposit the body of a female. The only thing Harry could notice in his current state being the Wide almond shaped emerald eyes and the flaming red hair.
And then Death Spoke.
“To be a Hound is to know pain, To know blood and all it entails. Lust and rage alike! To hunt and be hunted, Life and death. Neither can exist without the other, All things start and all things end. Even for a Dragel such is the case Death does not discriminate. It comes for all but now is not your time” Came the gravelly and deep voice of the Immortal Death. Sounding as if it were 100 different people speaking together and from both afar and right next to Harry. It was a voice that contained sheer power and timeless abandon
Harry could not help but think despite everything he was feeling. A technique acquired through the beatings of his loving family he recalled briefly before succumbing to the sheer agony he was currently enduring
Death slams her hand over the cut, Cold grey chains spread over Harry's body and surrounding floor. Before rapidly shrinking in a sensation which to Harry was Pain, Suffering countless knives stabbing and clawing at his skin. Death magic and soul magic combined. Fighting His own Lightning and shadows from within his very soul. Containing, Reforming, Adapting to an unstoppable force meeting an immovable object. For lightning can not be controlled. Only contained, And Death magic was eternal Nothing would change that, Nothing could and nothing will today.
So magic did what it had to. What was once a Regular albeit powerful Submissive. Outwardly nothing changed too much. It was given away in the scales and claws that Appeared on his body. Bright and vibrant, teal, peach and purples all blending together, Coloured scales Rare for a submissive to have. His hair lengthened to waist level Remaining a birds-nest though somewhat neater. And In the growl and wings threatening to rip from his back.
To remain alive Magic worked with the Immortal Death to bring out the only aspects of Harry that would let him live. Together they drew his suffering and pain out activating his seemingly Ferros potential. The only way for his dragel body to not burst into tiny little atoms. To need bonded to stabilise his very life-force. Meanwhile Lady Death also drew out his inherent potential to be one of her Hellhounds the only way for true balance between his lightning and his shadows. For death magic always has a price. In this it was his suffering and shifting of powers. Bringing his shadows to the forefront In order to provide a buffer for his soul and his storms.
Warping what was once a empathetic ability into something darker.Some would say more sinister but that would be to call necromancy evil. No it is merely a more primal power. The ability to sense and manipulate emotions given different form. Similar in some ways but perhaps much more suited to what Harry had become.
Such was the weight of the changes, the magic and yet more near death experiences that Harry collapsed. Body and mind no longer threatening to explode but exhausted and still in need of healing. Maurice caught him before gently lowering Harry to the floor knowing to put off the incoming would be no point. They had both made a deal with Death today. Maurice for Harry and Harry for Maurice.
A Hound for a Reaper .A Reaper for a Hound