Harry Potter and the Scabbard of Excalibur [AU]
Barondoctor
The things I chase come to me.
- Location
- The other side of the mirror
- Pronouns
- He/His/Him
[X] Be A Spy Kid - "No particular reason."
[X] Let Nature Do Its Thing - Nah.
She knows. Play along and let him do his absurd little game because if he's doing that he's not doing something else.
Nature playing its course gives us likely allies in several houses and that's helpful to us for any number of reasons.
[X] Let Nature Do Its Thing - Nah.
She knows. Play along and let him do his absurd little game because if he's doing that he's not doing something else.
Nature playing its course gives us likely allies in several houses and that's helpful to us for any number of reasons.
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[X] Be A Spy Kid - "No particular reason."
[X] Let Nature Do Its Thing - Nah.
[X] Let Nature Do Its Thing - Nah.
TaliesinSkye
Occasional Editor
- Location
- Northeast Ohio, United States
I can't help but wonder what would happen if we flipped the table by leveling with Dumbledore about what we know. Or maybe with McGonagall first.
Harry could make a lot of pretty persuasive arguments:
Then again, maybe the thread wants Harry to go all Dark Lord Harry. I hope not, but some of the decisions have seemingly been aimed in the direction of making that a possibility.
Harry could make a lot of pretty persuasive arguments:
- Geist is the single most significant source of information on You-Know-Who and his followers (who are still out there) that likely exists, and they should really make use of him. (Something they cannot do if Dumbledore does anything dreadful to Geist.)
- Geist appears incapable of doing more than speaking to Harry, and hasn't even tried to talk him into doing anything cruel or awful or otherwise characteristic of You-Know-Who. He's been generally helpful, in fact, going out of his way to protect and encourage Harry. This isn't proof that he lacks the same ego and maliciousness as his progenitor, but it seems likely he would have slipped at some point over the years if it were all an act.
- While Geist has You-Know-Who's memories, he seems to identify as an entirely new being that depends on Harry's well-being for his survival. If there's even a chance that Geist is a new and innocent existence, they can't just ignore it and presume the worst.
- The very fact that Harry revealed Geist's existence to Dumbledore would be strong evidence that Geist is incapable of controlling Harry in any significant way. Just in case Geist is capable of some sort of subtle long term corruption, and inclined to engage in that, Dumbledore can keep an eye out if he's informed.
Then again, maybe the thread wants Harry to go all Dark Lord Harry. I hope not, but some of the decisions have seemingly been aimed in the direction of making that a possibility.
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Solarstream
It's all in the cards
- Location
- Zombie World
- Pronouns
- He/Him
[X] Be A Spy Kid - "No particular reason."
[X] Let Nature Do Its Thing - Nah.
Cake.
[X] Let Nature Do Its Thing - Nah.
Cake.
[X] Be A Spy Kid - "No particular reason."
[X] Let Nature Do Its Thing - Nah.
[X] Let Nature Do Its Thing - Nah.
[X] Be A Spy Kid
[X] Let Nature Do Its Thing
we have no reason to spoil Dumbledore's opinion of us
Keeping secrets doesn't make us a dark lord
We don't know if Dumbledore is our ally in this quest i mean The Dark Lord is apparently pro muggel wizard cooperation in this AU so their is no telling for sure
Dumbledore would be one of the few wizards that could successfully curse Him of all people after all
I'm not saying Dumbledore is defiantly evil or anything but it is possible that he is in this AU so we should play thing safe for now
[X] Let Nature Do Its Thing
we have no reason to spoil Dumbledore's opinion of us
Keeping secrets doesn't make us a dark lord
We don't know if Dumbledore is our ally in this quest i mean The Dark Lord is apparently pro muggel wizard cooperation in this AU so their is no telling for sure
Dumbledore would be one of the few wizards that could successfully curse Him of all people after all
I'm not saying Dumbledore is defiantly evil or anything but it is possible that he is in this AU so we should play thing safe for now
KidFromPallet
Pokemon Fan
- Location
- Pallet Town
[X] Be A Spy Kid - "No particular reason."
Could be fun, and it's an easy way to farm Dumbledore approval, which should presumably convert to either increased leeway or potential tutoring latter on in our stay at Hogwarts.
I'm assuming that this isn't an actual thing and is just Dumbledore asking some older 'spies' to yoink a few ingredients from Snape in their spare time.
[X] Attempt Same House - But which one?
Try and get everyone in Hufflepuff so our huge Charisma boost can affect them.
Could be fun, and it's an easy way to farm Dumbledore approval, which should presumably convert to either increased leeway or potential tutoring latter on in our stay at Hogwarts.
I'm assuming that this isn't an actual thing and is just Dumbledore asking some older 'spies' to yoink a few ingredients from Snape in their spare time.
[X] Attempt Same House - But which one?
Try and get everyone in Hufflepuff so our huge Charisma boost can affect them.
- Location
- USA
How about we instead have friends that are our friends because they like us instead of patriot because of Hufflepuff magic fuckery.
- Location
- Where Jokes Die
[X] Be A Spy Kid - "No particular reason."
[X] Let Nature Do Its Thing - Nah.
[X] Let Nature Do Its Thing - Nah.
Really, Geist? You spot an authority figure trying to impart skepticism and observation through experience, and your first impulse is to psychoanalyze and denigrate?
How the hell is a rebellion supposed to have lasting effect if alternative values are not adopted at some point in the process?
How the hell is a rebellion supposed to have lasting effect if alternative values are not adopted at some point in the process?
Sorted Out
Birdsie
Sharp Talons Cleave The Worthy
- Location
- Poland
Sorted Out
As the First Years waddled into the Great Hall, Harry's eyes opened wide to behold its magnificent architecture, finely-chiseled furniture, and efficient layout - a shadow of the soul-searing preternatural brilliance that could be viewed from the outside, but still awesomely eclipsing the greatest works of any Muggle engineer.
The Great Hall's walls were an almighty bulwark of stone and mortar, every individual brick in its layered façade large enough that a skilled sculptor would've been able to make a life-size statue of a car from any single one, with fluted pillars to hold up alcoves the size of parlor rooms at the four corners of the Great Hall, dedicated seemingly towards more casual activity. An innumerable and blinding swarm of flaxen candles floated up above their heads, propped up by magical force, and burned with faint light to provide all of the illumination available.
At the center of the room, four long oak tables sat In parallel of each other, with numerous benches on every side, each with banners hanging over them to indicate which table belonged to which House.
At the far side was the carved mahogany staff table, set with golden candlesticks unlike the silver variants on every other table visible, where Headmaster Dumbledore already sat in contemplative harmony, in spite of having ostensibly left his office at least several minutes after Neville and Harry. All of the members of the Hogwarts staff were seated to his sides, patiently awaiting the Sorting - the Professors, Heads of Houses, and more than a few assistant staff members. The only exception was Professor McGonagall, standing right in front of the table, a scroll of parchment floating next to her, a gnarled leather hat in one hand, and a stool to her side.
Behind them was a set of glass tubes with jewels the colors of the Hogwarts Houses stuck inside - rubies, topazes, sapphires, and emeralds. It was the point system.
Look up.
The ceiling was far above their heads, looming; impossibly and implausibly so; the walls stretching like the spiral foundations of skyscrapers; and yet, they all faded more and more the further up they went, and the ceiling, for a definition of such, did not exist; replaced instead by a uniform gradient-projection of the sky on the castle's outside, matching Harry's memory of his final look at the sky down to the smallest cirrus.
As McGonagall called their names one by one, Harry remained vigilant to see where his friends would go.
As soon as the Sorting Hat was placed on Ron's head, it twitched slightly, ruminated for around a second or two, and then decisively shouted, "Gryffindor!"
As Daphne assumed the Hat, it didn't think for so much as a couple of seconds, before decisively stating, "Slytherin!"
With Hermione, it thought for significantly longer, turning and pondering. After some twenty odd seconds, it finally settled. "Alright, let's make it... Ravenclaw!"
At last, the hour of return approaches. Let's make it stick this time.
And then, came Harry's turn. As McGonagall called his name from the parchment list and glanced up, her eyes locating him instantly in the crowd, every hushed whisper and excited chat immediately froze in its tracks. All of the thousand students present were perfectly still; a house of hornets no longer buzzing in anticipation, but silent in trepidation and, then, promptly, an invisible excitement fading into being, threatening to boil over time.
He approached the stool with brisk speed and sat down.
As McGonagall settled the Sorting Hat on top, Harry felt a vague mental pressure against the fundamental shields that Geist had taught him to maintain - and was impressed that Harry could even manage in this simple form after a single explanation - followed by a psychic prickling, and then, at last, the appearance of a voice.
Ah, w- Oh.
A peal of dark, cold laughter emanated from somewhere in the depths of Harry's mind.
Indeed! And such is the appropriate response, yea, very appropriate! Geist said, and then laughed once more; a shrill noise like a hammer of doom ringing against steel. Welcome to Hell, you bastard. Enjoy your complimentary insanity.
At that, the Sorting Hat was silent, for a good five or so seconds. It shifted a little, seemingly in discomfort, and furrowed its brows in confused sadness above Harry's scalp. The entire school watched with growing, feverish curiosity, while Harry focused on keeping track of the conversation happening inside of his mind, more curious about how the dice would roll in this particular scenario.
Ah, well... I do realize it may be overdone at this point, but - oh, dear me, this has never happened before.
Never had to Sort two people at once?
No, replied the Sorting Hat, a little discomfited, It's not that. I am not Sorting you; you are already a Slytherin. I have simply never experienced... two, fully self-cognizant minds occupying a single physical vessel. It's like some brutal and, dare I say, unusually visceral manifestation of stoichiometric schizophrenia and multiple personality disorder. I have not seen a mind this muddled, cluttered, disordered, and frankly, insane, since the days of Uric the Oddball, and that's an achievement of immense magnitude. Had I not been worried for your mental well-being, I would have congratulated you for achieving something this extraordinary. I have, at the end of the day, no clue on how I am supposed to deal with something this anomalous. As such, I recommend postponing the Sorting indefinitely.
It was Harry who reacted, not Geist.
Uhm.
Ah, not an option I take it? The Sorting Hat released a sigh of deep suffering. So be it.
Yeeaah, so, uh, Harry restarted, where do I fit in the best?
...Not Slytherin. I sense not an iota of ambition from you - a few traits which resemble it when viewed under the correct light, but no self-sourced desire to do something specific, and definitely no desire to be great for the sake of greatness itself. No political ideals, either. Gryffindor? I also think not. Although you're no coward, neither do you exemplify the virtues of Godric. And that leaves us with either Ravenclaw or Hufflepuff. Do you like pursuing knowledge for knowledge's sake?
Uh, I like pursuing knowledge of magic because it's interesting.
I see. And would you rather research magic forever, or have infinite friends?
Geist intervened, What a stupid and simple-minded query.
Uh, I think... friends? Um, I mean - can I use magic to make friends?
The Sorting Hat snorted. Normally, I'd have replied, 'If you have to ask, that means you've never actually had friends; off to Hufflepuff with you,' but I have access to your memories, and know this is not the case. At any rate, no, not really. Not in the ways that you're considering it - the creation of a homunculus is exceptionally difficult and costly, and most other methods aren't particularly ethical or easy. As such, if you desire companionship, Hufflepuff is your greatest bet. It's the House of loyalty and implicit trust, where merely belonging outlines you as a friend to any other Hufflepuff. And since I do not sense much ambition from you, and your interest in magic seems to be mostly a cursory intellectual hunger caused by early childhood incidents that drew your attention to fascinating possibilities, as well as the long-forgotten promise of impressing your friends, it seems everything ultimately comes down more to companionship in the end; Hufflepuff, more so than Ravenclaw.
I have nothing to add, Geist said. He's right.
I asked not for your opinion, wraith.
Huh, so I'm going to a House where other people want to have friends, so I can be friends with them? What a nice system.
As a matter of fact, the full initiation of the House Hufflepuff Inner Circle makes this 'friendship' magical and binding. It's not merely their nature to be friendly at that point, but their overriding choice to be ultimately loyal to one another. If you desire 'friends' then you will not have to travel any farther.
That sounds incredible, Harry said, awed. Why doesn't everyone sign up for Hufflepuff?
Not everyone is as insane as you, the Hat drolly answered, and then, loud and resigned; "Hufflepuff!"
---
At last, you're all Sorted... probably.
And now, only Neville must be Sorted, but it's not within your remit to choose his fate at this juncture - nor anyone's. Instead, delve inwards and focus on yourself and the new revelations you've gained by understanding your place in the universe a little better.
Select a House Fealty Perk. Maybe unimpressive, yet rare; you're unlikely to get any more, so choose carefully.
[ ] A Hundred Avenging Wands
*Any battle where you have at least indirect support from a fellow Hufflepuff is 10% more likely to result in victory. Doesn't stack, moderately inflexible, and ineffective in battles with ludicrously overwhelming odds.
*An instinct for group combat, equivalent to a few months of practice in coordination with fellow combatants.
[ ] Dream of the Founders
*A moderate improvement to your innate talent at bestowing knowledge onto others; makes you a better teacher in most respects.
*Allows you slightly better insight into the emotions of other people, gauging their mood, possible reactions, and finding ways to motivate them more easily.
[ ] From You, Six Thousand Years Ago
*If you had nightmares, no longer have nightmares. However, you still cannot remember your dreams, for your own safety.
[ ] Magicka Primeval
*All lessons and topics you learn from your Head of House are more easily retained, remembered, and internalized.
*A minor streamlining to your casting process; all wand motions are easier, incantations can be muttered and still work at a hundred percent efficiency, etc.
*Increases your magical power by a tenth, once.
As the First Years waddled into the Great Hall, Harry's eyes opened wide to behold its magnificent architecture, finely-chiseled furniture, and efficient layout - a shadow of the soul-searing preternatural brilliance that could be viewed from the outside, but still awesomely eclipsing the greatest works of any Muggle engineer.
The Great Hall's walls were an almighty bulwark of stone and mortar, every individual brick in its layered façade large enough that a skilled sculptor would've been able to make a life-size statue of a car from any single one, with fluted pillars to hold up alcoves the size of parlor rooms at the four corners of the Great Hall, dedicated seemingly towards more casual activity. An innumerable and blinding swarm of flaxen candles floated up above their heads, propped up by magical force, and burned with faint light to provide all of the illumination available.
At the center of the room, four long oak tables sat In parallel of each other, with numerous benches on every side, each with banners hanging over them to indicate which table belonged to which House.
At the far side was the carved mahogany staff table, set with golden candlesticks unlike the silver variants on every other table visible, where Headmaster Dumbledore already sat in contemplative harmony, in spite of having ostensibly left his office at least several minutes after Neville and Harry. All of the members of the Hogwarts staff were seated to his sides, patiently awaiting the Sorting - the Professors, Heads of Houses, and more than a few assistant staff members. The only exception was Professor McGonagall, standing right in front of the table, a scroll of parchment floating next to her, a gnarled leather hat in one hand, and a stool to her side.
Behind them was a set of glass tubes with jewels the colors of the Hogwarts Houses stuck inside - rubies, topazes, sapphires, and emeralds. It was the point system.
Look up.
The ceiling was far above their heads, looming; impossibly and implausibly so; the walls stretching like the spiral foundations of skyscrapers; and yet, they all faded more and more the further up they went, and the ceiling, for a definition of such, did not exist; replaced instead by a uniform gradient-projection of the sky on the castle's outside, matching Harry's memory of his final look at the sky down to the smallest cirrus.
As McGonagall called their names one by one, Harry remained vigilant to see where his friends would go.
As soon as the Sorting Hat was placed on Ron's head, it twitched slightly, ruminated for around a second or two, and then decisively shouted, "Gryffindor!"
As Daphne assumed the Hat, it didn't think for so much as a couple of seconds, before decisively stating, "Slytherin!"
With Hermione, it thought for significantly longer, turning and pondering. After some twenty odd seconds, it finally settled. "Alright, let's make it... Ravenclaw!"
At last, the hour of return approaches. Let's make it stick this time.
And then, came Harry's turn. As McGonagall called his name from the parchment list and glanced up, her eyes locating him instantly in the crowd, every hushed whisper and excited chat immediately froze in its tracks. All of the thousand students present were perfectly still; a house of hornets no longer buzzing in anticipation, but silent in trepidation and, then, promptly, an invisible excitement fading into being, threatening to boil over time.
He approached the stool with brisk speed and sat down.
As McGonagall settled the Sorting Hat on top, Harry felt a vague mental pressure against the fundamental shields that Geist had taught him to maintain - and was impressed that Harry could even manage in this simple form after a single explanation - followed by a psychic prickling, and then, at last, the appearance of a voice.
Ah, w- Oh.
A peal of dark, cold laughter emanated from somewhere in the depths of Harry's mind.
Indeed! And such is the appropriate response, yea, very appropriate! Geist said, and then laughed once more; a shrill noise like a hammer of doom ringing against steel. Welcome to Hell, you bastard. Enjoy your complimentary insanity.
At that, the Sorting Hat was silent, for a good five or so seconds. It shifted a little, seemingly in discomfort, and furrowed its brows in confused sadness above Harry's scalp. The entire school watched with growing, feverish curiosity, while Harry focused on keeping track of the conversation happening inside of his mind, more curious about how the dice would roll in this particular scenario.
Ah, well... I do realize it may be overdone at this point, but - oh, dear me, this has never happened before.
Never had to Sort two people at once?
No, replied the Sorting Hat, a little discomfited, It's not that. I am not Sorting you; you are already a Slytherin. I have simply never experienced... two, fully self-cognizant minds occupying a single physical vessel. It's like some brutal and, dare I say, unusually visceral manifestation of stoichiometric schizophrenia and multiple personality disorder. I have not seen a mind this muddled, cluttered, disordered, and frankly, insane, since the days of Uric the Oddball, and that's an achievement of immense magnitude. Had I not been worried for your mental well-being, I would have congratulated you for achieving something this extraordinary. I have, at the end of the day, no clue on how I am supposed to deal with something this anomalous. As such, I recommend postponing the Sorting indefinitely.
It was Harry who reacted, not Geist.
Uhm.
Ah, not an option I take it? The Sorting Hat released a sigh of deep suffering. So be it.
Yeeaah, so, uh, Harry restarted, where do I fit in the best?
...Not Slytherin. I sense not an iota of ambition from you - a few traits which resemble it when viewed under the correct light, but no self-sourced desire to do something specific, and definitely no desire to be great for the sake of greatness itself. No political ideals, either. Gryffindor? I also think not. Although you're no coward, neither do you exemplify the virtues of Godric. And that leaves us with either Ravenclaw or Hufflepuff. Do you like pursuing knowledge for knowledge's sake?
Uh, I like pursuing knowledge of magic because it's interesting.
I see. And would you rather research magic forever, or have infinite friends?
Geist intervened, What a stupid and simple-minded query.
Uh, I think... friends? Um, I mean - can I use magic to make friends?
The Sorting Hat snorted. Normally, I'd have replied, 'If you have to ask, that means you've never actually had friends; off to Hufflepuff with you,' but I have access to your memories, and know this is not the case. At any rate, no, not really. Not in the ways that you're considering it - the creation of a homunculus is exceptionally difficult and costly, and most other methods aren't particularly ethical or easy. As such, if you desire companionship, Hufflepuff is your greatest bet. It's the House of loyalty and implicit trust, where merely belonging outlines you as a friend to any other Hufflepuff. And since I do not sense much ambition from you, and your interest in magic seems to be mostly a cursory intellectual hunger caused by early childhood incidents that drew your attention to fascinating possibilities, as well as the long-forgotten promise of impressing your friends, it seems everything ultimately comes down more to companionship in the end; Hufflepuff, more so than Ravenclaw.
I have nothing to add, Geist said. He's right.
I asked not for your opinion, wraith.
Huh, so I'm going to a House where other people want to have friends, so I can be friends with them? What a nice system.
As a matter of fact, the full initiation of the House Hufflepuff Inner Circle makes this 'friendship' magical and binding. It's not merely their nature to be friendly at that point, but their overriding choice to be ultimately loyal to one another. If you desire 'friends' then you will not have to travel any farther.
That sounds incredible, Harry said, awed. Why doesn't everyone sign up for Hufflepuff?
Not everyone is as insane as you, the Hat drolly answered, and then, loud and resigned; "Hufflepuff!"
---
At last, you're all Sorted... probably.
And now, only Neville must be Sorted, but it's not within your remit to choose his fate at this juncture - nor anyone's. Instead, delve inwards and focus on yourself and the new revelations you've gained by understanding your place in the universe a little better.
Select a House Fealty Perk. Maybe unimpressive, yet rare; you're unlikely to get any more, so choose carefully.
[ ] A Hundred Avenging Wands
*Any battle where you have at least indirect support from a fellow Hufflepuff is 10% more likely to result in victory. Doesn't stack, moderately inflexible, and ineffective in battles with ludicrously overwhelming odds.
*An instinct for group combat, equivalent to a few months of practice in coordination with fellow combatants.
[ ] Dream of the Founders
*A moderate improvement to your innate talent at bestowing knowledge onto others; makes you a better teacher in most respects.
*Allows you slightly better insight into the emotions of other people, gauging their mood, possible reactions, and finding ways to motivate them more easily.
[ ] From You, Six Thousand Years Ago
*If you had nightmares, no longer have nightmares. However, you still cannot remember your dreams, for your own safety.
[ ] Magicka Primeval
*All lessons and topics you learn from your Head of House are more easily retained, remembered, and internalized.
*A minor streamlining to your casting process; all wand motions are easier, incantations can be muttered and still work at a hundred percent efficiency, etc.
*Increases your magical power by a tenth, once.
ThatGazzer
Minds Eye Bind
- Location
- PNW
- Pronouns
- They/Them
[X] Magicka Primeval
Better at charms, you say? Charms, that branch of magic so broad it covers enchantment, minor or major to summoning little birds to annoy your enemies?
Yes, good.
Better at charms, you say? Charms, that branch of magic so broad it covers enchantment, minor or major to summoning little birds to annoy your enemies?
Yes, good.
our head of house is not the charms teacher... but still.
[X] Magicka Primeval
OctarineShrike
Avatar of Mandos
[x] Dream of the Founders
Teach our followers Runes?
Teach our followers Runes?
- Location
- US
Heads up, but this is an Attack on Titan reference to the first chapter: To You, Two Thousand Years Ago.
The pertinence of which was revealed in chapter 122: From You, Two Thousand Years Ago, when it was revealed that the nightmare the main protagonist, Eren, woke up from in the first episode, was fragmented memories sent back from the future, because when Eren met a certain individual, that individual had the capacity to let Eren do so because of their particular Titan ability in order to set Eren down his path in the first place. I'm being intentionally vague here, for those who haven't watched that far yet, but it was a pretty huge reveal at the time.
(The two thousand years part is because that individual in question did so two thousand years in the past and was waiting this whole time for him to free them.)
Since we tagged Astrology and Dark Arts, the future Harry messing with time to cause this to happen is actually pretty likely.
All of that's to say:
[X] From You, Six Thousand Years Ago
This might seem minor now, but I'm 100% sure this will pay off dramatically when the time comes.
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- Location
- Ostren
[X] From You, Six Thousand Years Ago