Phoenixes Story snippets and ideas

[Darkphoenixlady]

I love the fact that the internet is such a weird place that fanfiction like this can exist.

Click to shrink...

I wanted something fun, ridiculous, and somewhat bloodthirsty to help me get over having to meet my parents on Thursday. So I figured that the first Predator film was set in the 80's. So the two fandoms could co-exist. Mine certainly isn't the first HP/AvP ever written, however, I think I might be the first where Harry is an alien queen (rather than has one as part of him (that's this one https://www.fanfiction.net/s/10795894/1/A-True-Sister).

 

[Zarcas]

Just imagine all the abilities from the Wizarding World. Giants for power, Re'ems so you can jump a mile upwards and lift giants. That size changing creature depending on the enclosed area it's in, make a giant hangar, have giant you.
Then go to the plant like beings etc for more variations and finally the created creatures such as perhaps inferi, or ghosts, non-beings or never born.
I wonder how soul sucking would work when a facehugger shows the dementors some love. Maybe see a man about a demiguise so the facehuggers are more effective.

 

[verycoolname]

Just imagine all the abilities from the Wizarding World. Giants for power, Re'ems so you can jump a mile upwards and lift giants. That size changing creature depending on the enclosed area it's in, make a giant hangar, have giant you.
Then go to the plant like beings etc for more variations and finally the created creatures such as perhaps inferi, or ghosts, non-beings or never born.
I wonder how soul sucking would work when a facehugger shows the dementors some love. Maybe see a man about a demiguise so the facehuggers are more effective.

Click to shrink...

Dementors, ghosts, and inferi wouldn't work, since they don't actually have biology to parasitize. It would work about as well as a facehugger humping the tailpipe of a car. But yeah, there're loads of critters in Harry Potter that would represent a significant boost to a xenomorph's lethality. Nundu, manticores, and even artificially bred critters like Hagrid's blast-ended skrewts.

And speaking of Hagrid, I can't imagine his reaction to Arry, but I bet it would be hilarious. If there was ever a man who would want to pet a xenomorph, it would be him.

 

[Zarcas]

Dementors, ghosts, and inferi wouldn't work, since they don't actually have biology to parasitize. It would work about as well as a facehugger humping the tailpipe of a car. But yeah, there're loads of critters in Harry Potter that would represent a significant boost to a xenomorph's lethality. Nundu, manticores, and even artificially bred critters like Hagrid's blast-ended skrewts.

And speaking of Hagrid, I can't imagine his reaction to Arry, but I bet it would be hilarious. If there was ever a man who would want to pet a xenomorph, it would be him.

Click to shrink...

It would make a great 4-koma series of facehuggers vs inferi in Voldemorts pool, or them flooding Azkaban and the Dementors get annoyed because it's tiring to kiss without food for so long.

I wonder if he'll want to be a dragon xenomorph. Then he might follow in his fathers footsteps

 

[Darkphoenixlady]

Alien – 3

Madam Pomona Sprout is concerned, a few hours ago the school wards transferred over to her unexpectedly. Normally she wouldn't be that concerned, as it just means that both the Head Master, Deputy Head, and Filius were out of the castle. Which given it's the summer holidays, isn't actually that unusual. She knows that Fillius is judging on the duelling circuit, as well as giving classes on charms to up and comers. However, she is expected to be at her Niece's birthday party later this afternoon. After which she has a portkey booked for a conference in Germany about the latest research in fertiliser for magical plants. Making her way over to the Head Masters office, the Gargoyle moves out of the way and she climbs the stairs. As she enters she can see Fawkes on the Head Masters desk pecking at one of the drawers.


"Oh, hello Fawkes, you wouldn't happen to know where Dumbledore or McGonagall are?"





Ptiana looks up from the drawer that she knows contains the sweets, damn her lack of leverage. "Human, open this drawer or I'll… You can't bloody understand me can you. Fine miming it is." She then looks back down and continues to peck and claw at the drawer.


Pomona watches her for a moment, "Oh, is the answer in that drawer. Thank you Fawkes." Moving around the desk she pulls the drawer open to reveal a large paper sack of lemon drops.


"There's nothing there."


Not taking any chances, Ptiana jumps on her wrist and flames her to the egg room by the first adoption egg she was going to try. Jumping off she returns to the office to gorge herself on candied fruit.





Pomona lights the tip of her wand and looks around the room she finds herself in. It's surprisingly large, with some sort of large creature against one wall, a lot of weapons and skulls on another, and maybe two dozen leathery pods dotted around. Unnoticed, the one that she was deposited next to opens up, and a face hugger crawls out. As she swings her wand back to have a look, it jumps and latches onto her face. Stumbling backward, she trips over another egg and her wand goes flying. A minute or two later, the constriction on her throat finally knocks her out.

═══════ ೋღ ֍ ღೋ ═══════​

Arry looks at Minerva in confusion, "Why do you look so horrified?"


"Tail, claws…"


Arry points at T'o-Ba'sall behind her, "Do you think that T'o-Ba'sall was born with her tail and claws?"


"How would I know?"


Arry stalks out of the room, "T'o-Ba'sall you talk to her, I'm going to brood."


Once in the hall she reverts to her normal form and runs down the hallway. As she enters the laying room her echolocation picks up something breathing when there shouldn't be anything. Making her way through the eggs, she locates the source of the breathing and sees another human with a face hugger around her neck. Letting out a keening noise, she flames to Ptiana, who is pulling yellow things out of a container as fast as she can. Lightning fast, Arry grabs the phoenix in a massive claw and flames out just before Irma Pince, the Librarian, walks into the office to ask why the wards have shifted to her.





Reappearing in her laying chamber, Arry points Ptiana's head at the human on the floor, "Explain!" she commands.


"The plant lady wanted to know where the cat lady and my human were. So when she helped me get at the candied fruit I brought her here."


"You almost killed her is what you did. The egg that she tripped over contains a chest burster. If she'd turned around before this egg opened, she'd have activated that one. I would then have to choose between killing one of my children, or letting her die. If you do that again, or think about bringing anyone to an egg chamber without me present and awake, I will find you and I will kill you every time you recover enough for 60 rest cycles. Do you understand?"


Ptiana had never understood why humans talked about shitting themselves in fear. As the lemon drops she ate take the express way out, she finally understands. The pressure her Queen is bringing to bear, along with the inner mouth snapping in and out a mere beaks length from her head, makes her realise that her carefree days are well and truly over. No longer would she be able to just pick an interesting looking human and while away a few decades watching their antics. Her Queen could and would ensure that Ptiana kept to her own standards.


"I said, Do, You, Understand?"


"Yes." Ptiana manages to squeak out.

═══════ ೋღ ֍ ღೋ ═══════​

In the infirmary, Minerva notices an odd pressure in her head. What draws her attention more is T'o-Ba'sall pausing in mid-sentence and tensing up, along with the two… It's hard to call them monsters when they've just started cowering behind you.


"What's going on?"


T'o-Ba'sall shakes her head, "The Queen is very angry with someone. We can all feel it, and instinctively we are all worried that she's going to lash out at us. I know she won't, but our genetic memories are stronger than that. That and I've had that anger turned on me before. I had wanted to lead a hunt on a world where there was a research team. Much like hunters from my old clan would have done. The Queen made it very clear that we only hunt other hives and those who break the law. It's strange, I feel like I have more honour now, than I would have done as a hunter in my old clan. Yet, they and the other Yautja call us abominations and send hunters after us ever 30 rest cycles or so. The ones behind you were born a few months ago after a few of my siblings were killed defending a ship from pirates. They grow like younglings mentally, even though they mature physically in days. The oldest of them can hold very simple conversations. If you want, they like having the underside of the back of their heads scratched. Never touch the top of their head though, if they choose to rub their head against your hand that's different. The crest is full of their sensory organs, and allows them to navigate in pretty much any condition you can imagine. Arry allowed me to experience her senses once, and it incapacitated me for multiple rest cycles as my brain tried to cope."





"T'o-Ba'sall would you be able to show Minva to the sleeping quarters, Ptiana decided to endanger a human, and by extension possibly one of my children. Luckily it was an adoption egg that detected the human."


Minerva looks at T'o-Ba'sall with a confused expression, partly from the message, but also at how quickly she's got used to T'o-Ba'sall's appearance, "What's going on? And why do you all keep getting my name wrong?"


"Ptiana is the phoenix?"


Dawning understanding crosses Minerva's face, "Oh Merlin, that's bad."


Picking up her pace, T'o-Ba'sall nods, "It is. Arry has strong opinions about not just dropping that sort of thing on people. Especially when it could endanger one of her children. It's why the old command deck is her laying room. It's the hardest part of the ship for any intruders to reach."


Breathlessly, Minerva replies, "I still can't believe this is a spaceship. Or that we're so far away from earth."


"It's not nearly as unbelievable as Arry being a human male."





Minerva skids to a halt and falls backwards as she sees a monster that looks like one of Arry's children, only 15 foot tall, and dripping malice with every curve and spine. In its hands she recognises Pomona Sprout, with a face hugger covering her face. The only thing staying her wand is the sense of familiarity she's getting from the monster.


"Good, you're here, could you take the human from me and place her on the bed? I'm a little large to be squeezing through the door carrying someone."


T'o-Ba'sall steps forward and takes the unconscious human. At the same time, Minerva's face drains, and her hand goes limp, as she realises that the Monster is Arry, "Merlin, she's really not human."


Arry turns to her and leans down so her face is inches away from Minerva's own, "I did say. Come on, I'll show you my laying room."


As she enters the Laying room, and the lights come up, Minerva stops in shock, her hand covering her mouth. The source of the shock? A wall full of skulls mounted over the weapons they had when they were killed by Arry, "How? How could you?"


"Hmm? Oh, it was fun. This one was my first, he boarded the ship, oh, 6 cycles ago and killed the worker that raised me. Unfortunately, I wasn't the one to kill the other two, otherwise they'd be on the wall too. This one was another hunter that boarded the ship, in fact, most of these are. I don't have any from when T'o-Ba'sall joined the ship. But that's ok, she became one of my children instead. These ones were special, they were from our first bounty, Bad Bloods both of them…" As Arry continues, Minerva finds herself feeling more and more nauseous, until she can't take it anymore and staggers from the room, bile burning the back of her throat.

═══════ ೋღ ֍ ღೋ ═══════​

Pomona wakes up with a sore throat, both inside and out, and no idea where she is. Sitting up she clutches her head as the room swims in front of her. Once it's subsided, she looks around and screams when she sees the weird spider thing next to where her head was.


Someone says slowly and carefully, "You are wake. Good, will inform Queen." Pomona's head swivels to find the sound, only to eep as she sees a monstrous humanoid kneeling on the floor, its tail curled around its knees.


"They coming. Sorry English bad, first speak it. Why oomans scream when see me? Oou second to do so."


Pulling her wits and dignity together, Pomona says, "While we have non-humans in our world, they are, ironically, either more human or less human than you are."


"Children coming, be gentle will not harm you."


True enough, Krizror, Brugroch, and the youngest Xenomorphs come charging into the room and stop when they see T'o-Ba'sall.


Brugroch bows to Pomona and says something she doesn't understand. T'o-Ba'sall shakes her head, and says, "Children, this human doesn't yet speak language. Use Minva language instead."


Using the smile she gives first years, Pomona says, "I'm Pomona Sprout, who might you four be?"


"I'm Brugroch and this Krizor, she can't speak ooman. What like only have two arms?"


"Let me ask you, what's it like to have four arms instead of two?"


Brugroch frowns, "I don't know…"


"Exactly. You can't explain what it's like to have something that another person naturally doesn't. Nobody can. That being said, I would imagine that having an extra pair of arms would be handy when I'm working with my plants. However, your fingers don't look as dexterous as my own."


Brugroch looks at his four fingered hands thoughtfully, "I don't know."


"And that's OK. Now how old are you?"


"I'm six and Kirzror is 7. Arry adopted us when bad xenomorphs attacked our home. We're good xenomorphs now."


"I've got a niece that's the same age as you. I was supposed to be going to her birthday party later."


"What's a birthday party?"


"Do you know what a party is?"


"No?"


"How about celebration?"


"Oh yes."


"A party is a type of celebration."





Minerva and Arry come in, with Arry shrinking down to her humanoid form to fit through the door conveniently.


"Arry, Arry, can we go party?"


Minerva speaks up first, "Not until you've met more humans. We are more fragile than you're used to, especially children."


"Aww."


"Pomona, how are you feeling?"


"My neck hurts."


Arry shakes her head, "I have taken Ptiana to task for bringing you here. She's lucky that nobody was killed."


Pomona frowns, "Ptiana?"


Minerva laughs, "Fawkes, turns out she's not just female, but called Ptiana."


"Minerva, have you seen my wand?"


"Accio Pomona's wand."


"Thank you. Arry was it?" – Arry nods – "Would it be possible for me to go back to Earth. I promised my niece I would go to her Birthday Party this afternoon."


Arry frowns, "It would be best if you were near me until you've fully joined my hive. I'm not sure what would happen if your connection matured without me there. If you were a pure xenomorph, you'd be driven to start a hive yourself. Even if I turned the ship around now, we're still 25 cycles from your planet."


"What if you stayed on earth?"


T'o-Ba'sall says, "I think I can handle things here if you take the children."


Minerva hands Pomona her wand.


Casting a tempus, Pomona breathes a sigh of relief, "I've still got an hour. If we go now I might be able to get the bruise dealt with at St Mungo's."


Minerva stares at Pomona, hard, "Pomona, you understand what's happening to you?"


"Oh, yes. I'll cry and scream about it later, but right now I need to be happy for my niece, so I'm not thinking about it."


Minerva just gives her a couple of slow, catlike blinks, "I'll never understand how you do that."


"It's simple, ask two different questions – Is it a problem that needs to be dealt with now? If no, why worry about it? Can I do anything about this problem? If no, why worry about it? I teach it to all my badgers. Whatever's happening isn't something I can control, so I'll worry about it when I have time."


"If Arry can do it, then we can go. I will need to contact the ministry and the board about Albus' absence. I also need to find someone to take over as Deputy while I'm the acting Head Master. I'll also need to talk to Babbling about taking over my duties to Gryffindor."


Arry shakes her head, "Very well, this might take me a while to work out, as carrying more people is a learnt ability, so I'm having to read Ptiana's memories. Everyone that's coming, hold onto my tail."


It takes her 10 ticks, but she's able to get everyone to the Head Masters office.

---

Thank you to @LostArchivist for beta'ing this chapter and allowing me to bounce ideas off them.

 

[verycoolname]

This gave me a deep and sincere feeling of respect for Pomona Sprout.

 

[Darkphoenixlady]

Alien – 4

Once they get their bearings, Pomona hurries out to her office, so that she can write a note to the organisers of the conference, in which she explains, briefly, that something happened which means she will no longer be able to attend, or give her own talk. Unnoticed, one of the xenomorphs follows her, curious about what her new family member is doing.



Meanwhile, Minerva tries to summon a House Elf, which pops in, takes one look at the occupants of the room, and then disappears.

"Tilly!"

"What can Tilly…"

"Tilly wait!"

The house elf named Tilly stands in place shivering in fear. Minerva crouches down in front of the house elf, "Tilly, do you know me?"

Tilly nods franticly, "You is Miss Kitty."

"Tilly, why are you the only one that came when I called?"

"Tilly is bound to Miss Kitty."

"Tilly, what is stopping the others from coming?"

"House elves not want to be eggs, stay away from serpent hunter."

Arry moves forward curiously before crouching down, "You know of my kind little one?"

Visibly vibrating, Tilly nods mutely.

"Unlike others of my kind, I don't take those that have not tried to harm me or mine, or have done something to deserve a legal bounty. Everyone in this room except you is a member of my hive. Do you understand?"

Tilly nods.

"Is Miss Kitty a serpent hunter?"

Tilly shakes her head.

"Are those two serpent hunters?" Arry points at Krizror and Brugroch.

Tilly looks at them confused, "Tilly does not know."

"They were going to be eggs until I found them. I made them part of my family instead. Do you understand?"

Tilly nods uncertainly, "Queen serpent not make eggs of house elves?"

"As long as they don't attack me or do something bad, I won't."

"Elveses be good. Tilly be good."

"Then you have nothing to worry about. Ptiana excepting, my family also doesn't force people to join. When I brought Ptiana in, I was unaware she could communicate. Minva was brought in out of necessity, and I've had strong words with Ptiana about what happened with Pomona. If you or others want to join my hive, you can just ask. Otherwise we will leave you be."

"What about small Serpent Hunter?"

"They will be good, even if they can be a little unaware of their own strength. Just don't touch the crest on the top of their heads, as it's very sensitive, and they can react without thinking."

"Tilly understands."

"Are you still afraid of us?"

Tilly just nods.

"Do you know why?"

"Serpent Hunters eat House Elves."

"While we prefer meat, we can eat anything, and my hive tries very hard not to eat anything that can beg you to stop. Unless of course we were hunting them for the bounty anyway, as that would be a waste of meat."

A side of beef appearing on the floor of the office shows that the other house elves were paying attention.



After sending the letter off with an owl, unaware that it was her tail that made it hard to find an owl willing to take the letter, Pomona makes her way off the school grounds. From there she apparates to the birthday party. Thinking this is a good game, the xenomorph follows her.



Minerva looks on with disgust as the xenomorph child just dives onto the meat and starts tearing at it with gusto. Then she does a mental count, one humanoid, one arachnoid, and one xenomorph child.

"Arry, weren't there supposed to be two xenomorph children?"

"There are, I can feel both of them."

"Arry, there's only one in this room."

"Huh? Oh, don't worry, there's another hive member nearby. They should be fine."

"Ok, just try not to let them wand…er. Arry, which hive member is nearby?"

"Oh, the new one, why?"

"Arry, can you stop inspecting Tilly and pay attention?"

Much to Tilly's relief, Arry looks away, "What? She's around a responsible hive member."

"Arry, the only other hive member is Pomona, and she's gone to her niece's birthday party."



"Auntie!" the xenomorph watches curiously, this must be what human chest bursters look like. Maybe they'd like to play. Leaping out of the shadows, she jumps on the small human, and being careful with her claws as humans are fragile, takes them down to the floor. The small child screams, and she nips playfully at their nose with her inner-jaws before rubbing her crest against the cheek while purring. The screams turning into giggles is definitely a good thing. The child puts their hand on her crest so she hisses, "Oh, you don't like that, sorry."



"Well, neither of them is distressed at the moment. So it's hardly likely to be a problem."



"So, 'Auntie' is there anything you want to tell me?"

Pomona sighs as she watches a xenomorph child run around with the other children, "She's not even supposed to be here. We… I… The Head Master… Bubona, I have no idea how to explain what's happened this morning. Her mother came back to Hogwarts with us because… I don't want to sound all Lovegood at you. Suffice to say, she's one of four children that came with us, because they're too young to be left behind."

"I don't care, just tell me."

"Well, what reasonable way is there of saying that you were kidnapped by a phoenix, nearly strangled by a spider, then adopted by an 11 year old?"

Bubona laughs, "If you'd said that without my daughter playing with that, I would be asking if you'd been on the good stuff."

"You know I don't touch that."

"More's the pity. So what does it eat?"

"Honestly, I have no idea."



"Arry, she could kill or injure someone."

"Minva, she's having fun. Can't you feel it?"

With a sigh, Minerva sends of a Patronus to Pomona asking if everything's ok.

"Arry, why do you keep mispronouncing my name?"

"It's quite simple…" Pomona's Patronus comes back to let them know everything's fine "…See, I told you she was having fun."

Minerva slumps, "Tilly, could you or one of the Hogwarts elves show Arry and her family to a guest suite please?"

═══════ ೋღ ֍ ღೋ ═══════​

Dear Mr Flamel,



I came across your letter to Mr Dumbledore while working through the paperwork puissant to the position as Acting Head Master. I regret to inform you that Mr Dumbledore is currently in a healing sleep due to a grievous injury that he sustained. As I am not privy to the arrangements that he made with yourself with regards to the safe keeping of your stone, I have to regretfully inform you that Hogwarts will be unable to store your stone long term. In respect for your relationship with Mr Dumbledore, I am willing to retrieve the stone and hold on to it until a week before term starts. During that time you will need to secure alternative arrangements, or I will return it to Gringotts. May I suggest contacting a young witch by the name of Arry, she is currently residing in the castle for a few weeks, however she has ready access to a secure location that is inaccessible to all wizards that don't have a phoenix to call on.



Yours Sincerely



Minerva McGonagall

Acting Head Master

Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry.



"What do you think Penny?"

Perenelle looks pointedly at the unassuming grey stone, with red striations, that's sitting on the counter, "When are you going to stop pretending that the fist sized Ruby you found is your alchemical masterpiece?"

"When people stop trying to steal it. I meant about the letter."

"Oh, just tell her that you trust her judgement. After all, she is Albus' protégé isn't she."

═══════ ೋღ ֍ ღೋ ═══════​

Minerva sighs as she reads the letter again, "Arry, do you think you'd be able to store something for a friend of Albus'?"

"Who?" returns over the link.

"Mr Flamel."

"No, I mean who's Albus."

"The old man you've got healing."

"Oh, ok. I'll put it in the locker above his healing tank."

"Good, then we can see about getting your school supplies at the same time. Have you decided which of those outfits the elves found you're going to wear?"

"None of them."

Minerva sighs as she prepares herself for a protracted argument.

═══════ ೋღ ֍ ღೋ ═══════​

Minerva and Arry have just made it to the head of the queue, "I need a new key for Miss Potter. Her magical guardian is currently in a healing sleep for the next 2 years."

"We don't have a Miss Potter on record."

"Circumstances around her living arrangements necessitated a change in sex." The Teller glances over at the scowling face of the young woman, then his eyes note the very sharp claws and tail. His survival instincts prompt him to wipe the customary toothy sneer off his face when he realises what she's scowling at.

"I see, she will need to see one of the floor managers then."

"I also need to deal with this." Minerva hands over the letter from Flamel.

"I see. Griphook will show the Miss to a managers office, then take you to the vault."



Arry stands bored out of her mind outside a door, to make matters worse the two guards keep making teeth at her. "If you two don't stop baring teeth, I'll take you up on your challenge and take your heads."

"Oh yeah? You and which army?"

"I don't need an army."

"Then why don't you stop us then, witch."

"Right here?"

The other guard says, "She's right Grubnut, the Managers'll skin us if we get blood on the carpet."

"Fine, in the arena."

"I'm ready whenever you are."

"Ha, let me tell the boss where we're going and I'll teach you your place."

"There aren't enough of you to make me even work up a sweat."



As she's following the guards, Arry asks "Any rules I need to be aware of?"

"No wands."

"Suits me, not sure why you're handicapping yourself though."

The second guard stumbles at that.

═══════ ೋღ ֍ ღೋ ═══════​

Arry stalks down Knockturn Alley, her tail lashing out angrily behind her. She's wearing stupid, itchy, uncomfortable clothes, because Minva was absolutely adamant that not wearing them was not an option. To cap it all, the challenge she received at the bank was absolutely useless. They were just, so, slow, and they relied on melee weapons. Even the old human had been fast enough to tag her. It was over in less than a tick. Not even the least experienced Yautja were that bad. It was so bad, she left the skulls and their weapons in the sand, even though it was a waste of good meat. Then Minva shouted at her for taking up the challenge. What did she expect her to do? Roll over to them? No, they'd have taken her own skull and mounted it somewhere. It's not like the manager was even angry, and she got her key. Why she wanted a bunch of fake gold coins she didn't know. And why the manager smiled at her when she mentioned it is mystifying.

"Hello, will you be my new mummy?"

Arry stops dead and stares down at a young human with blond hair and silver eyes, "I'm sorry?"

"It's ok, I didn't introduce myself. I'm Luna, will you be my new mummy."

Arry crouches down in front of the girl, her tail providing support so she doesn't fall backwards, "Why would you want me as your new mummy?"

"My mummy died a few months ago, and dad's gone too."

"I see, and why me?"

"Because then I can have lots of children, and I'll never be alone again."

"Why would you be able to do that?"

"Because you have lots of children. If I'm your daughter I'll be able to have lots of children."

Arry hums thoughtfully, "Are you sure about this? Once you say yes, you can't change your mind again."

Luna nods quickly, "I just need to tell my dad I'm going. Then I'll be ready."

"I thought you said your father had gone."

Luna nods, "He has, and he's taking me with him." – she grabs Arry's claw and pulls her along – "Come on I'll show you."

Arry is led down a small alleyway between two buildings and through a door into a room that smells of fish, oil, unwashed human, parchment, and feathers.

"Hello Father, I'm going to get a new mummy."

"Hello poppet. Have fun, and be home for dinner."

"I will. See, he's gone."

"Who is?"

"You are."

"Oh yes, so I am. I heard that there's some double mouthed blimp headed hunters in northern Russia. We'll go looking for them in July."

Arry looks down at the young girl, "I see. What of the other humans?"

"They look ever so sad when they see us together. Then they say something like, 'It's such a pity she died so young, look what it's doing to the poor girl.' The person they're talking to will say 'Someone should really do something, she's been horribly neglected.' They'll then start talking about the Ministry for some reason."

Arry takes the girls hand in her claws, "Then I will do something about it." Together they disappear in a column of fire.

The girls father mutters, "Damn, if only I'd seen the fire chicken, I'd have been able to get a photo."

═══════ ೋღ ֍ ღೋ ═══════​

Arry and Luna reappear in a nearly empty cargo hold on Arry's ship. Arry drops Luna unceremoniously on the floor and walks away from her. "Luna, you have until I get back to change into one of my kind, if you don't I will eat you."

Luna does what any 9, nearly 10, year old would do, she starts to cry. She stops crying when there's a squealing sound and something that looks vaguely like a pig with 8 legs and armour plates runs through the open door, eyes wide in fear and spittle falling from its mouth. Absolutely certain she didn't want to meet whatever could scare the pig thing, she spies a crate and hides behind it, then bites down on her dress to avoid screaming. Something large comes into the room behind the pig and starts to chase it around the room. As the pig runs past her crate it jumps and lands on it, the tail spearing underneath it beneath its armour. It's head shoots down faster than a spell and punches through the head. Luna sits there frozen in terror as it starts to gorge on the pig. Slowly her mind pieces together the claws and the tail, this must be a massive one of Arry's kind. Desperately she starts to mutter to herself "must be one of her kind, must be one of her kind." The muttering becoming more urgent as it finishes consuming the pig, armour and bones included.

The thing then turns towards her and seems to snarl and pulls back ready to pounce. As it leaps she closes her eyes and goes blind.



"Almost ready for your first moulting, good this wouldn't work if you'd already gone through it."

Luna snaps at the voice, and it laughs, "Ohh feisty, good. Now open up for your first meal."

Luna feels something pushed against her mouth and she snaps at it reflexively, it tastes indescribably good, so she quickly snaps up as much as she can. As she feels full and sleepy, Luna thinks 'This isn't what I thought would happen.'

═══════ ೋღ ֍ ღೋ ═══════​

As Minerva leaves the bank she hears a couple of witches gossiping, "Did you see, she's out there again today. Begging for a new Mummy."

"I know, she approached me last week. She's a precious little thing, there was a time I'd have taken her in, Ministry rules be damned. But since that toad got into power…"

"No need to say anymore. It's a pity she's not Minister, we could vote her out if she was."

"Not that fudge is much better."

"Can you imagine what it would be like if it was Nott though?"

"I'll take fudge over that any day."



As she moves out of earshot, Minerva tries to locate her Queen. She probably should have spoken to the Manager before she shouted at her, but Arry was covered in blood and guts, and she'd just had the worst ride ever. She's now just had the most horrendous reaming, from a goblin of all people, about respecting other peoples cultures. Feeling the faintest trace, she tugs on it and disappears in a burst of fire.



When she reappears, it takes her a moment to realise that she's not on Earth. Looking around she quickly spots Arry putting a creature on her shoulder.

"Arry, I just want to say I'm sorry for shouting at you in the bank. I didn't have all the facts and you scared me. Please will you come back and finish your shopping?"

"Oh, sure. I just needed to vent, and Luna gave me a great excuse to do so."

"Luna?"

She indicates the creature on her shoulder, "Luna, she's a girl I met on the street. She approached me asking if I could be her new mummy."

"Arry, you… Normally it wouldn't be considered a safe or good thing to do. What about her parents?"

"Her mother's dead, and her father's gone too."

"Are you sure?"

"Oh yes, he's completely gone, I saw it myself. Apparently the other humans wouldn't do anything either."

"And the…" Minerva waves at the chest burster.

"Oh, this stage is commonly called a chest burster. She's very close to her first moulting, but the royal jelly will retard that until she's ready to go through metamorphosis."

"I mean, why?"

"Oh, she wanted to have lots of children like me. This way she can have a hive of her own once she grows up."

Sleepily Luna says "I thought blood adoption, not terrifying me into accidental magic."

"Hungry again?"

"Mmm please."

Arry vomits up some more royal jelly before holding it to Luna's head.

"Arry," Minerva says, "saying you have lots of children is considered a compliment to most witches above a certain age. We, often have trouble conceiving even two (though people start to talk once you go over five)."

Arry looks confused, "I know I've got a small family with 50 children, but isn't one or two just asking to be wiped out?"

"Arry, every woman can bear children, even if it takes magical help sometimes, so two children is the same number as their parents."

Arry looks down at herself contemplatively, "All women you say."

"Yes Arry."

"Including me?"

"I'm putting my foot down, not until you're at least 17 and an adult in our society. Also consider that you'll need to carry the baby for 9 months, that's 270 days, rest periods. During which time you won't be able to use your Animagus ability without killing the baby."

"Animagus?"

"Yes, the ability that you're using when you change. My own form is a cat."

Arry vomits up some more royal jelly before replying, "Really? Can you show me?"

Minerva covers her mouth with her hand, "Must you do that?"

"What? Oh, yes. Luna is going to be a sleeping and eating machine for the next tenday. After that she'll form a cocoon out of resin and turn into goo for around 6 tendays."

Sleepily Luna says, "'m not sure I like the sound of that."

"Don't worry, you won't even notice. And if you don't want to, just stop eating the jelly and change back."

"But it's so yummy, sleepy now."

"Minva, you were going to show me your cat form?"

Sighing Minerva changes into a furry xenomorph, then panics as it's not what she was expecting.

"Oh, you're so cute, I love your tail, and your claws have come through beautifully. I didn't realise that you had furry xenomorphs on Earth."

In a panic Minerva changes back, "We don't! I don't know what that was but it wasn't a cat."

"That was a xenomorph with fur."

"I couldn't see anything."

"Well, no. We don't have eyes. We have really good hearing, and we can pick up radio, heat, and x-rays. That's what our crests are for."

"I think I'm going to try to take a page from Pomona's book and worry about it later. Right now, we should get back to Hogwarts. Oh, and can I store that package?"

"You know where the pods are, there's a cupboard above each one for personal effects." Arry disappears in a flash of fire.

 

[Darkphoenixlady]

Queen Potter

Magic is a strange and wonderous thing, it allows people to change into animals of all shapes and sizes. It can protect, nurture, and destroy. It is also rare. Only a fraction of all the planets that give rise to sentient and sapient life have magic. The other thing that’s strange, though far...

forums.sufficientvelocity.com

 

[Darkphoenixlady]

Loss

"T'o-Ba'sall have you seen my special egg anywhere?"
T'o-Ba'sall looks at Arry, "What special egg?"
"I didn't want to leave you alone if someone managed to kill me. So, I laid a special queen egg with all of our ancestral memories and the abilities we've gathered. It took me a week to plan it out, and a day to lay it over the Christmas holidays. Anyway, I left it in this locker so that nobody could accidentally activate it."
"I can't say I've seen anything touch that locker."
"Damn it!"

═══════ ೋღ ֍ ღೋ ═══════​

Half a turn around the galaxy, and several dimensions to the orthogonal, a 15 year old girl is trapped in a locker, when the space becomes that much more cramped.
Taylor panics as something appears between her legs, forcing them uncomfortably into the corners of her locker. Any hope of getting out of the locker herself is dashed by this single thing.
"Fuck you, and fuck your friends too!" – Tears stream down her eyes as she bashes her fist against the back wall of the locker – "Fuck you and your friends you betraying bitch. I hope they pin my murder on you and you go to jail forever."
Somewhere, she finds the energy to scream one more time as something crawls up her body and then her screams are silenced for a good long time. By the time the Janitor uses bolt cutters to open the locker and pull Taylor's unconscious body out, the egg and the face hugger have both broken down and melted through the floor of the locker and the concrete floor beneath it. Which is unfortunate for the PRT, who are called in to investigate but can't say anything more than it was very strong acid, and the girl is lucky to not have suffered any burns from contact or inhalation of the fumes. While she's unconscious, she undergoes an MRI to see if she's triggered, but all they find is some swelling in her brain from where she bashed her head against the inside of the locker repeatedly.

═══════ ೋღ ֍ ღೋ ═══════​

Taylor looks at the kitchen clock and reluctantly tuns off the TV and puts her dirty plate in the sink for later. An hour really isn't long enough for lunch. Palming her forehead, she snaps her fingers and her washing up is done and put away. Nodding to herself she invisibly pops back to the girls loo and checks that the door is still locked, which it is. She also can't hear anyone in the toilets, or just outside. Dropping her invisibility, she saunters out of the bathroom feeling nicely relaxed after having a bully free lunch at home. Her grades are also starting to climb again, as it's very difficult for the trio to steal the homework she's left on her desk at home. Ducking back she snaps her fingers to style her hair, before leaning against a wall. A few seconds later Sophia stalks past, anger clearly indicated by her footsteps and the heat radiating off of her face.

A few minutes later, Taylor's walking into world studies and, seeing Madison's smirk, she checks her chair, glue, how juvenile. A discrete snap of her fingers in her bag and the chair is clean. A second snap and her textbook is in her hand, along with a script for a Tom and Jerry cartoon she wrote out one night last week, just to see if she could with her new powers.
"Good afternoon class."
"Good afternoon Mr Gladly" they all call back.
"I want you all to split into groups of four, you have 5 minutes to decide on a Hero and write it down."
Taylor sighs as every one groups up so fast she's left with Greg and Sparky.
"What do you two think? Mouse Protector?"
Greg narrows his eyebrows, "Why her?"
"She's one of very few nationally famous independent heroes."
Greg nods, "Sparky?"
Sparky just nods along to whatever he's got playing on his headphones. It sounds like Queen or a cover of one of their songs. Writing the name down on a scrap of paper, she hands it to Mr Gladly. As she gets back to her seat Julia comes into the class 5 minutes late.
"Julia, nice of you to join us. You're with Taylor, Greg, and Sparky."
"Can't I sit with Madison?"
"Their group is full. You're with Taylor."

"Madison, I'm sorry you need to pick another Hero, Mouse protector is already taken. I want you to talk about how your chosen hero has shaped the way that parahumans are viewed."

As Taylor is 'rooting' around in her bag for her notebook and pen, Greg says, "Hey, Taylor. Is this your homework? Do you mind if I have a look?"
Taylor looks up as Julia neatly takes the homework out of Greg's hands, and passes it over to Madison.
Greg just looks at her apologetically, "Sorry."
Madison quickly erases her name, and stands up to hand it in as her own work. As Madison gets out of earshot, Taylor throws Greg a bone, "No, it's fine. I just wrote out the script for a Tom and Jerry cartoon, and I wanted to see what you thought of it. Having said that, I should probably hand in my own homework now."

After handing in her own homework, Taylor goes on to do the group work on her own. Greg only wants to talk about his latest games or shows, Sparky was lost in his music as always, and Julia spent the lesson gossiping. She grimaces slightly as Vivian's memories point out that Greg and Sparky are probably just as traumatised as she is, and deal with it in their own ways.

When the discussion period ends, Taylor stands up as soon as Mr Gladly calls for volunteers to give their class discussion. With the confidence of multiple adults and Yautja in her head, she gives a speech outlining how, as an independent hero, Mouse protector has shown that, not only is it possible for Parahumans to operate as heroes outside of the PRT, but also that having a theme can make all the difference between being seeing as a vigilante and a hero. As she returns to her own seat, she muses that there's not a lot she can do to make her own theme more palatable to the general public. Especially given that it's becoming apparent that she's becoming like a Case 53.

═══════ ೋღ ֍ ღೋ ═══════​

When the bell goes, Taylor is one of the first packed and, just as she's about to leave, Mr Gladly calls her over.
"Taylor, I can see that you're having problems. If you want help, come and see me and we'll take it to the Principal."
Taylor looks into his eyes, "Mr Gladly, I'm starting to wonder if you, along with most of the other teachers here, actually have a teaching degree. What ever happened to 'See something say something'? You expect me, the victim, to stick my neck out on the off chance that history won't repeat itself? Or that if my bullies actually do get punished, it will be with permanent removal from the school? Or how about that I will be assigned to another, better school? How many of you walked past my locker in January and did Nothing? No, I think I'm better off not relying on the professionalism of the teachers and staff here. Good afternoon, Mr, Gladly."
As she walks out, Taylor thinks to herself, 'I really shouldn't have done that'. Right outside the door, Emma and her posse are waiting for her. Obviously her little chat with Mr Gladly gave them time to gather.

Not seeing any way to get past them without looking like the instigator, Taylor reluctantly allows them to force her into a corner.
[An: conversation is from Worm chapter 2.04] "Nobody likes her. Nobody wants her here," Julia said.
"Such a loser. She didn't even turn in the major project for art, last Friday," Sophia responded. This is the first time that Taylor has to supress a laugh, as she handed it in the day before during one of the breaks.
"If she's not going to try, then why is she even coming to school?"
"Ugliest girl in our grade."
"What does she use to wash her face? A Brillo pad?"
"She should! She'd look better!"
"Never talks to anybody. Maybe she knows she sounds like a retard and keeps her mouth shut."
"No, she's not that smart."

Taylor looks over their heads and has to force herself not to give an ironic smile as Mr Gladly comes out of the classroom carrying a stack of folders, turns around and locks the door. She does, however, raise an eyebrow and, when he looks her in the eyes, looks pointedly at the girls around her. Giving her a sad look, he just clutches his folders to his chest and shuffles past without saying a word.

"So glad we don't have gym with her. Can you imagine seeing her in the locker room? Gag me with a spoon."
"You should have seen her group fail in class just now. It was painful to watch."

Taylor can't help it, she giggles when Madison says that. After all, her group got the highest score out of all the groups in that class.
Emma gives her a poisonous look, "Is something amusing?"
"Oh, very. Madison's comment has just made it clear that I'm getting to hear your groups juicy gossip. After all, you couldn't be talking about the group that Julia and I were part of. Especially given we got the highest score in the class today. Isn't that right Julia."
There's a couple of chuckles from the onlookers, "Now, if you'll excuse me, I really need to get to my next class."
Very carefully, Taylor weaves her way through the girls with the aid of a very weak elf notice-me-not effect. As she's walking away she looks back over her shoulder, "Oh, and Emma. That hairstyle did look good on you. I'm sorry that something happened to force you to adopt it, but that doesn't change the fact it was a complement."
As Emma goes white, Taylor walks away to the closest girls Loo. Once she's sure it's empty, she pops over to the loo closest to her math class and, after walking there, takes her seat at the front.

═══════ ೋღ ֍ ღೋ ═══════​

After school ends, Taylor's only left with the trivial task of dodging her tail long enough to pop home. The hardest part of the exercise is doing it from somewhere in the school that she could have gone anywhere. Once home she heads down to the basement, where she has a few eggs laid, and her current attempts at wand crafting are laid out on the old workbench. She carefully doesn't look in the corner, where she's covered that thing with an old tarp.
Grimacing, she looks at the eggs, she woke up this morning in the basement to find that thing there, and the eggs laid, loosely arrayed around it. She's been forcing herself not to think about the implications of that fact all day. However, quickly checking over each of the eggs, she's satisfied that none of them are the deadly type. With that done, and still having saved an hour on the bus ride home, she decides to cook something from scratch for dinner. Though, it proves to be a challenge to come up with something that uses the small amount of meat in the house, or that doesn't undercook said meat. What she wouldn't give for a fresh acromantula. Maybe tonight she should head out and get some fresh lobsters. Her mouth waters at the thought of cracking through their shells with her teeth and sucking out the juicy flesh. Pushing the thought to one side, she finishes the prep and sets the dish to cook slowly while she heads back downstairs, to try and make herself a workable wand. It doesn't have to be super brilliant, just good enough that she can do basic charms and transfiguration with it.

The sound of her fathers truck pulls her out of her work, and she heads upstairs to start peeling potatoes for mash.
"Hey Taylor, that smells lovely."
"Thanks Dad, the buses were quick so I thought I'd do something a bit nicer than our usual fare."
Dinner passes with its normal, quiet small talk, where neither of them directly asks the other about their problems, and they then ignore the implied questions, because it's easier than actually talking about their feelings. With that thought Taylor silently curses Vivian, and starts pushing her peas around her plate for a few minutes before she gets up abruptly, and takes her plate to the kitchen.
"I'm going upstairs to do some homework."
"Ok."

═══════ ೋღ ֍ ღೋ ═══════​

Taylor listens as her Father does the washing up, then puts on the TV. The tell-tale hiss of a can of beer quickly follows the familiar creak of his armchair. Finishing her homework quickly, she heads to bed for an early night, hoping that the extra sleep will make up for the nightmares of hunting and being hunted in forests.

A few hours later, her Father's snores wake her, and she carefully pushes the blankets off the bed, being careful not to catch them on her claws or tail. Looking down at her body, she knows she's not ready to accept this part of her yet. So Queenie carefully opens the sash window in her bedroom, and slips out into the night. Her task is to find somewhere suitable to set up her hive, and also get some lobsters. On second thoughts, let's get the lobster first.

Rather than popping to the coast, she takes to the roofs and enjoys the shear thrill of leaping from shadow to shadow, rooftop to rooftop, all absolutely silently, and without using any of her magical abilities. Once she gets to the docks, the buildings turn into derelict factories, and she spends half an hour or so just playing amongst the buildings, jumping from girder, to roof, to chimney. Even through windows, along the ceilings and walls. Eventually, she makes a game of kissing the foreheads of the sleeping homeless that occasionally find refuge in these places.
As Queenie finally slips into the water with nary a ripple, she wonders if they would thank or curse her if she brought them into her hive. It would be nearly midnight when she finally climbed ashore again, satiated for the moment and having enjoyed playing evade the sonar and electro sensitive sensors littered through the bay. Looking down at the two lobsters she's holding, she looks at her claws and decides she doesn't want to learn how to click them right now. So she pops home and fills the kitchen sink with some cold water before putting both lobsters in it.

Returning to her previous location she starts looking for an appropriate place to set up her nest.

═══════ ೋღ ֍ ღೋ ═══════​

It's nearing midnight when she hears a car engine switch off, and a car door slam. As she focuses her attention in that direction, a man's voice becomes distinct from the background noise. "…the children, just shoot. Doesn't matter your aim, just shoot. You see one lying on the ground? Shoot the little bitch twice more to be sure. We give them no chances to be clever or lucky, understand?"
Some part of her ancestral memories reacts, and she's suddenly crying in a crib as a woman with red hair dies trying to protect her. Standing in a hive on a planet gently pulling resin away from a small child with 4 arms, and using her psychic abilities to kill the xenomorph growing inside it. Pulling another child, this one looks like a spider, from another hive. Of finding a child in the street looking for a new mother. Of multiple Yautja sent against her far too young, and those she can, being saved and adopted into her hive.
Taylor agrees with her alter-ego, children need to be protected. With her tail lashing around angrily, she takes to the roofs, this time not even bothering to be stealthy. When she arrives at the location she heard the voice, she can see that there are 20 or 30 members of the Azn Bad Boys fanning out down the street and alleyways. Leading them is a shirtless giant of a man wearing an ornate metal mask.

Taylor doesn't remember much after that point, only vague snatches of killing the gangers in silent and efficient ways, followed by lots of fire and then thinking that the earth looks pretty from here.

═══════ ೋღ ֍ ღೋ ═══════​

On a rooftop nearby, four teenagers watch as Lung and a black monstrous cape battle it out a block down the road. Grue, a tall young man wearing a black motorcycle helmet with a white skull painted on the front, looks over at Tattletale, who is shivering violently in her skin-tight lavender costume.
"Tats are you alright?"
Tattletale snaps back, "What do you think? The rage dragon is currently fighting an unknown cape, and they aren't losing. His fire seems to be having absolutely no effect on it, and I have no idea what it is. My power is telling me that it is built to kill quickly, efficiently, and silently. If it knew we were here, we'd be next."
Regent pokes her in the ribs, "So why are we lying here?"
"Because it's currently preoccupied with Lung, and if we try to escape it might hear us and decide we're an easier meal than he is."
"Fuck."

As they watch, Lung bites into its back before recoiling in agony, Tattletale then adds, "And it has acid for blood, strong enough acid to hurt Lung when he's starting to grow wings."
After a few more minutes, Lung is starting to get a clear advantage over the monster, when it stabs its tail straight through his chest. With him unable to escape, they both immolate in a massive gout of fire, leaving nothing left apart from the collateral damage from the fight.
All four of them just stare at that spot for a few minutes until the soft purr of a motorcycle engine becomes apparent.
"That's Armsmaster, we need to leave."

 

[Darkphoenixlady]

Note, that until I know how the review of Queen potter goes, this is the only part of this story that will be posted on SV.

 

[Cyrus2]

I can picture this Taylor killing the slaughterhouse nine to rescue Riley as the memories might see her as a child to be protected against the rest of the nine.

 

[Ardenzian]

I can picture this Taylor killing the slaughterhouse nine to rescue Riley as the memories might see her as a child to be protected against the rest of the nine.

Click to shrink...

S' basically, this iteration of Taylor is gonna go Doomslayer on them?

 

[Darkphoenixlady]

I can picture this Taylor killing the slaughterhouse nine to rescue Riley as the memories might see her as a child to be protected against the rest of the nine.

Click to shrink...

As long as Riley doesn't attack her, it will be fine.

 

[Ame]

Have you considered posting it over on Questionable?

 

[Darkphoenixlady]

Have you considered posting it over on Questionable?

Click to shrink...

Depending on how it goes with the review I may well do, but I'd prefer to keep my posting sites to only 3.

 

[Ame]

Ah, where else are you posted?

 

[Darkphoenixlady]

Ah, where else are you posted?

Click to shrink...

A03 and FFN

 

[Darkphoenixlady]

Have you considered posting it over on Questionable?

Click to shrink...

Just starting to post there now.

 

[Gehoji]

Well, I guess it being deleted on both sites answers your question huh?

 

[Darkphoenixlady]

Well, I guess it being deleted on both sites answers your question huh?

Click to shrink...

Huh? Deleted on both sites?

 

[Gehoji]

Queen Potter thread is gone, I might have misremembered if it was on Spacebattles or not though, which would be my bad.

 

[Darkphoenixlady]

Queen Potter thread is gone, I might have misremembered if it was on Spacebattles or not though, which would be my bad.

Click to shrink...

Only here, as I prefer the tone of commenters here to Space Battles. And yes, that's why I moved the story to QQ along with the new one.

 

[Darkphoenixlady]

Code Vein

For as long as he could remember, Harry dreamt of a mother with platinum silver hair and glowing blue eyes. These dreams only happened when his relatives had been especially harsh or neglectful. Something that he occasionally deliberately provoked when he hadn't seen her for too long. She was dead, she freely told him that when he asked during a particularly long visit after he'd got onto the roof of the school without permission. From her he learnt all about math, science, reasoning, and her own language and literature. Reluctantly, she also taught him about revenants, the great collapse, and the importance of blood.

═══════ ೋღ ֍ ღೋ ═══════​

A 10-year-old Harry looks up from the work he's doing, "Mum?"

Cruz Silva looks over at the foundling who visits occasionally, "Yes Harry?"

"If you're dead, how can I still visit you?"

"My body is still alive, though it's now driven by a parasite, code named BOR. I have been unable to pass on because of this. When you come here, you are always very close to death. I still remember the first time you came, a babe barely able to walk. I had to feed you then, and you visited almost every night."

"What does BOR stand for?"

"Biological Organ Regenerative, my father helped develop it during the great collapse." – Cruz's eyes unfocus – "Our world was invaded by beings from beyond our dimension. I was a child at the time, and I remember how everything fell to ruin so quickly, like a house of cards with it's support cut. Air and Sea travel became hazardous once you left sight of land, where the invaders prowled the world. Occasionally they would come ashore around the world and seed monsters, the news showed that these monsters were all but immune to conventional weapons. We were moved by the government to a city with a lot of other scientists and they bio-engineered an existing parasite that created zombies in order to make it work faster and more resiliently. But that's enough from me, show me your homework."

Harry looks up at her, his green eyes glowing for a second, before he hands over the tablet with the exercises she'd given him completed.

"Well done, I can see that you understand the concept so we'll move on next time. Don't forget to eat your fruit." Cruz holds out a blood fruit to Harry and shakes her head sadly at the slight hint of fang when Harry takes and drinks it.

═══════ ೋღ ֍ ღೋ ═══════​

A couple of weeks after his 11th​ birthday, Harry again visits his mother, "Hi Mum, I'm a wizard."

Cruz just raises an eyebrow, "Oh?"

"Apparently, my birth parents didn't die in a car crash. Hagrid, he's a massive man easily as tall as the ceiling at my relatives home, he brought me my letter for a school called Hogwarts."

Cruz nods seriously, "I see, and what did your relatives do to you this time?"

Harry smiles widely, his eyes glowing with Misama, "Absolutely nothing, now I know magic is real I figured it must be magic that kept bringing me here." Frowning he continues, "It still took me most of a week to do it."

"No frowning, you did it that's what's important. It took you longer than that to understand Hammurabi's theorem."

"I know Mum, but I wanted to be able to see you whenever I wanted, not just when things were rough."

═══════ ೋღ ֍ ღೋ ═══════​

Cruz looks down at the wrapped package with a confused expression, it was apparently a celebration called Christmas and Harry had found a way to bring her a present. Carefully unwrapping the present, she takes out a couple of books, a photo that moves without any sign of technology, and a sealed pot of ink, a quill, and a large stack of parchment.

She looks up at Harry and opens her arms, "Thank you Harry, how did you manage this?"

Harry hurries over and then settles into her lap, "I wanted to. I've never been able to give you anything, but you've given me so much."

"Silly boy, you've already given me so much just by visiting."

"Mum, what happens if I don't want to be a boy?"

"Then you'd be a silly girl that's already given me so much just by visiting."

"That might be nice. I wish I didn't have to leave."

"What about your friends?"

Harry sighs, "Hermione's great, but she remembers stuff rather than knowing it. I mean, what's the point in knowing the exact wording that was used in a theory if you don't actually understand why that theory exists."

"Harry, some people learn by doing, others by reading, others by thinking, and any of a multitude of different ways. You are a very creative person, this means that you need to know the boundaries and limits and you then colour in your own space. You seemed to learn best when I gave you the basic grounding in things and then you had to work out the applications yourself. It's likely that your friend is more structured than that. What about your other friends?"

"Actually, she's the only one that I'd really call a friend."

"What about Ron?"

Harry shakes his head, "He's alright, but he treats me like some sort of prize or possession. I didn't really notice before Halloween, but since then Hermione's opened up a bit, and he also trapped me in a proposed duel. Not that it was a duel, we ended up running from the caretaker and finding a 3 headed dog. Neville is a better friend than Ron is, and the only time I ever get to talk to him is in Herbology when he relaxes. However, I think Ron's a fun guy to be around, just don't trust him as a friend as all he wants to do is goof off. Oh, would you mind if I did my homework here?"

Cruz laughs, "As long as it doesn't interfere with your mundane studies."

"Thanks Mum, and thanks for looking after me."

"You are my child, and I do what I do out of love. Same as I agreed to go through Q.U.E.E.N for my father, because I loved him."

"What happened to him?"

"He's dead, my body killed him."

"Oh, sorry to hear that."

"It's ok, it happened decades ago." Opening one of the books she shakes her head, "What language are these books written in?"

"English."

"Huh, I guess you'll be teaching me to speak the English of your world then."

═══════ ೋღ ֍ ღೋ ═══════​

Harry appears in front of Cruz beaten and bloody, so she quickly hurries over and pulls out a blood fruit before forcing it down their throat. As the fruit enters their system, their eyes flicker open, "Hi Mum, sorry to drop by like this."

"Oh Harry, what have you done?"

Harry coughs and spits out some blood, "I killed Professor Quirrell and stopped Voldemort from getting the philosopher's stone. Here, can you look after it for me please?"

"Shouldn't you take it back with you?"

"Voldemort isn't dead, and there's nowhere safe from him there."

"Harry, you need to find somewhere else to be, as you're vulnerable when you come here, and if he's hunting you, you could be killed while visiting."

"I can't Mum, you know that, I'm still a child."

"Oh my dear child, if I could I'd spirit you away to the Union and find a magic school over there."

Harry laughs weakly, "It's the United States here mum, you know that."

"Of course, silly me. Still, I'm going to teach you how we made mistle, as I don't trust that you won't need it before long."

Harry coughs again, a mixture of phlegm and blood this time as his lungs continue to heal, "Thanks Mum, you're the best."

═══════ ೋღ ֍ ღೋ ═══════​

Harry blinks as he wakes up in the Hospital wing, sitting nearby is the headmaster, "Harry my boy, I'm glad to see that you're awake."

Harry frowns, "Why wouldn't I be awake?"

"You took a bludgeoning curse to the chest, something that has killed many others. Ah, but you are young so your magic was still flexible enough to help."

Looking around he notices all the cards and gifts, "What are these?"

"Ah, well we were trying to keep your escapades secret, so naturally the whole school knows."

Harry turns his gaze to the headmaster, and his eyes glow with light, "What do they know?"

"Why, that you went through the 3rd​ floor corridor of course."

"I see. Headmaster, can I stay here over the summer?"

"I'm afraid not Harry, you must return to your home and your family."

"Why?"

"Because your mother laid a set of protections on you as a baby, and only living with your blood relatives will keep them going."



After a few minutes of conversation, the headmaster makes his excuses and leaves. As soon as he's out the door, Hermione rushes in followed by Ron, "Harry, you're ok!"

Harry smiles at Hermione, "I am, thank you, what about you and Neville?"

"I'm fine, you know that. I'm not the one that faced a dark wizard. We got our exam results, I've got yours here."

Harry smiles at the way Hermione bounces excitedly as he opens the folded parchment, "O's in everything except potions and history. Though I have a note on my Astronomy that I need to use the Latin names for constellations rather than Indian names."

Hermione huffs, "How did you do so well when I hardly ever see you studying?"

Harry laughs, "If by hardly ever, you mean an hour an evening, then it's because we think differently."

Ron grouches, "Yeah, think differently. At least you know how to have fun."

Harry shakes his head in disappointment, "And that is why you're just a mate while Hermione is a friend. Hermione, think about it this way, can you describe a creature that's a cross between an elephant and a kangaroo?"

"What? No! There's no such thing."

"Imagine one then?"

"Well, erm."

"How about a platypus?"

"Oh, that's easy, it looks like a creature that was made by committee, it's a mammal that lays eggs like a reptile, has a bill like a bird, and venomous claws like a snake or scorpion…"

Harry holds up a hand, "See, this is the difference, I could describe or draw the first one, but I know where to find the information I need about a platypus. You on the other hand remember those facts, but find imagination and creativity harder."

Ron scowls, "Hey, what about me?"

Harry shakes his head, "You're a lazy slob who is only interested in chess. If it wasn't for us you wouldn't have done any studying at all. Hey, Hermione could I get your telephone number, and maybe address?"

═══════ ೋღ ֍ ღೋ ═══════​

Cruz sighs and puts a piece of paper in the book she's struggling through as Harry appears holding a struggling humanoid, "What have you done this time Harry?"

Harry lets the humanoid go, as it starts looking around in confusion, "This is Dobby apparently, he doesn't want me to return to school next term."

The now named Dobby startles and begins wringing the dirty tea towel that he's wearing, "The Great Harry Potter mustn't go back to Hogwarts, there is great danger there."

Cruz shakes her head, "What danger is there for my child?"

"Dobby can't say, bad master has forbidden it."

"Then what about his friends?"

"Friends who don't even write?"

Harry looks confused, "Why would Hermione write? I've spoken to her a couple of times over the phone, and she's in France at the moment, I got a postcard the other day."

Dobby looks like the world's just stopped making sense, "But Dobby has been catching all your mail"

Harry just looks relieved, "Oh, great, thanks for that. I dread to think what Vernon would have been like if an owl turned up to deliver post. He has enough trouble with Hedwig. Oh, hang on, if I brought you here I can bring Hedwig here."



As Harry vanishes, Cruz looks at the distraught Dobby, "I hope you don't mind me asking, but what manner of being are you?"

"Dobby is a house elf miss…"

"I see, and what is a house elf?"

"House elves are like Dobby."

"Ah, I mean things like do you go to school, have jobs, earn money, use wands, that sort of thing."

"Oh, noes, Dobby just have jobs to do. Dobby is a good elf and doesn't take money."

"What about school and wands?"

"Elves learn from other elves and no need wands. We use wish magic."

"I see, and how did you come to be in my son's bedroom?"

"Dobby elf popped there."



Harry reappears with Hedwig on his shoulder, "Sorry for taking so long, I had to dismantle Hedwig's cage as Vernon had locked it. Oh, and Dobby, you're currently passed out on my bed. I might be keeping you here until Vernon's guests leave, but there's no reason you body can't be comfortable."

Dobby bounces in excitement, "The great Harry Potter cares about Dobby's comfort. Dobby isn't worthy of such comforts and will iron his fingers when he gets home."

Harry kneels down in front of Dobby as Hedwig takes flight, "Dobby, as one servant to another, you are always worthy of comfort and decency."

"How can the Great Harry Potter be so kind, even when Dobby was going to get him in trouble with the Ministry."

Cruz shakes her head, "I have taught Harry better than that. Now, before I will let Harry return you to the living world, you will promise me that you will not do anything to get Harry in trouble with the ministry before they have boarded the train."

═══════ ೋღ ֍ ღೋ ═══════​

Harry stands beside the bed where they've put Hermione, still crouched down holding her mirror at an angle, even though they've laid her on her back. Coming to a decision, he pulls up a chair and sits beside her before laying his head down as he grasps her hand. Searching for the same feeling he gets when he takes Hedwig to see his mother and stretch her wings, it takes him nearly 15 minutes to find her presence and get a good grasp on it.



Hermione pulls in a deep breath and stumbles backwards for a moment before she registers the different surroundings, "Harry! Run, it's a Basilisk."

Harry carefully pulls Hermione into a hug, "It's ok, it can't find you here. I'd like you to meet my mum, Cruz. Mum, this is my friend Hermione Granger."

Hermione looks over, "Pleased to meet you Mrs Potter."

Cruz laughs, "No child, I'm not their birth mother, I'm Cruz Silva. Harry found their way here as a toddler, and I've been looking after them and teaching them whenever they make it here."

Hermione frowns as she works her way through the sentence, "Is there more than one person?"

Cruz laughs while Harry looks confused, "No Hermione, Harry once asked me what would happen if they didn't want to be a boy. Since then, I've referred to them using the English gender-neutral pronouns. When Harry's ready, they'll let me know who they are, and I'll start using their pronouns."

Harry gapes, "You remember that?"

Cruz gets up and ruffles Harry's hair before drawing them into a hug, "Of course I did, you're my child."



While they're sharing a hug, Hermione manages to get her thoughts into some sort of order and the fact that she's no longer in Hogwarts becomes clearer in focus, "Ah, I'm sorry to interrupt, but where are we?"

Cruz breaks the hug and turns to face Hermione while Harry dries their eyes, "We don't know. What we do know is that only souls or spirits and non-living things can come here. Not even plants can be brought here, though pots and dirt can. Apparently it's very useful when you're repotting flowers. Also, what happens here is reflected in the waking world. Harry comes here most nights to do his home work and mundane studies."

Hermione rounds on Harry, "So that's why you're always going to bed early."

Harry smiles sheepishly, "Guilty as charged. I've been keeping my books and things here after some money went missing during first year."

"I want to read your notes so that I don't fall behind."

Harry is about to agree when Cruz interrupts, "Miss Granger, would you care to rephrase that."

Hermione swallows, "Sorry Harry, would I be able to read your notes so that I don't fall behind please?"

"Sure, not sure you'll be able to read them though."

"Oh? Why's that?"

Harry just starts to laugh while Cruz explains, "I don't actually speak the same language as you, though it's called English. Much the same as they language spoken in the Union and Confederacy is English but bears only superficial relationships with English English. From what I can tell, the biggest difference in the language development was that the Library of Alexandria was never burnt down in my world. As such, the written language borrows more from cuneiform and hieroglyphs than it does from roman letters. Equally, there was no Christianity, so Gaelic and Norse are still common languages. As I have been Harry's main teacher growing up, I taught them in my own language rather than the language they taught at school."



Harry shakes their head, "I'm going to head back before someone tries to wake me, I'll see you both tonight. I figure that you're better off here than laying in the hospital bed as a statue."

"Thank you Harry, I think I appreciate that."

═══════ ೋღ ֍ ღೋ ═══════​

Hermione screams as Harry appears holding a sword, and covered with cuts and abrasions, a massive tooth sticking out of their back where their kidneys should be. Cruz hurries over and pulls the tooth out without care, even as she pulls a blood fruit out from somewhere and feeds it to Harry. Hermione looks aghast as black veins bulge taut against Harry's skin, and their back arches in agony.

When the blood doesn't seem to do anything, Cruz looks down at her child sadly, "Harry, you're dying and there's only one way I can save you."

Even as Hermione collapses to the floor and starts crying, Harry reaches up and touches his mothers cheek, "I love you, and I trust you. Give me a BOR parasite."



Standing up, Cruz steels herself as she draws a wickedly sharp sabre. Taking a deep breath she brings it down in a precise arc that cleaves through Harry's ribs as though they were made from paper. Immediately heart-blood and ichor begin to fountain out of the small incision she made in the heart. Stabbing the sword into her own heart, she pulls out a parasite and weakly drops it into Harry's heart, where it immediately burrows in, and starts to connect to the chambers. Suddenly, the wound starts healing rapidly. As the wound on the heart seals over, Harry bursts into golden motes before recoalescing into a young woman with long straight white hair, and features that look like Cruz's even though the nose is definitely Potter. Of course, there's still the scar just above her eye. A moment later her killing curse green eyes open, glowing from the ichor flowing through her veins.



Harry smiles, over at her mother, who's wound has already healed, "Thank you, and I guess I'm your daughter now. Can I have a blood fruit and the philosophers stone please?"

"Are you sure? Remember, it was the Mistle that broke me."

Harry smiles, showing fang, "Oh, I'm sure. It just has to be linked to a soul, and Tom is trying to steal someone elses."

═══════ ೋღ ֍ ღೋ ═══════​

In the Chamber of Secrets, Tom looks dispassionately at the dead basilisk, and the dying Harry Potter lying on the floor in front of its mouth. With a shake of his head, he turns his attention back to the girl and his connection to her. Because of this he misses the tooth in the back of the body disappear, as well as the massive rent opening up on the chest. The mournful song of the Phoenix barely moves him, as it cries desperately into Harry's heart.



What does catch his attention is the golden light that fills the chamber momentarily. Spinning around with his stolen wand, he watches aghast as a young woman with platinum hair stands up holding the sword lightly in one hand. A split second later, he's already in motion, the wand spitting hexes and curses at the woman, even as she turns into smoke and disappears. As he looks around, a tinkling laugh catches his attention, and he spins around before raising the wand when he realises that the girl has his diary.



"It's too late you know." Tom speaks urbanely even though he hasn't quite got enough energy for corporality, "I've already got her soul, a few more minutes and she'll breath her last."

She smiles up at him while she places a red gem on top of his horcrux, then places a blood red fruit on top of that, "I don't think she will, as you'll be far too busy. You wanted immortality? Well, I'm going to give it to you, I hope you enjoy it."

Tom watches for a moment as she stands and slices open her wrist, blue ichor spilling out and over the three components. As the first drop touches the fruit, he springs into motion firing curse after curse at her and the pile of things. Alas, it's far too late, and when the ichor touches the fruit, it sprouts white roots that dig deeply into the floor, through the philosophers stone and his diary. Even as his spells find their mark, he feels his connection to Ginny snap as something else usurps the connection. Turning to flee, he gasps as the wand falls from his insubstantial grasp, even as he's dragged back towards the growing tree. The girl explodes into golden motes of light before reforming next to a tendril that's growing out of the floor on the other side of the chamber.



Harry watches dispassionately as Tom's soul fragment is linked to the new Mistle network. According to her mother, it will slowly grow Mistle nodes for a few miles around the parent tree. In that area it will absorb all of the Miasma that the BOR parasites produce and channel it into the person linked into the network.



"Well, that's something you don't see every century." Harry looks around before spotting the sorting hat lying on the floor, "Well, what are you waiting for, pick me up."

Harry smiles as she looks down at the sword she's holding. It takes her a few moments to work it out, but she's able to find the mental trigger that allows it to dissolve into the same dust she does, waiting to be called when she next needs it. Walking over to the hat, she scoops up her own wand on the way, and does the same thing.

"Well, that's much better. Hats are supposed to be worn, not left on the floor. That's what Mats are for. Now what do we have here. Well, I've got good news for you girl, you're still alive after all that. I still think you'd have done well in Ravenclaw."

Harry laughs as she goes over to check on Ginny and Fawkes, who appears to be unconscious near the basilisk, "If I was interested in knowledge for knowledge sake I would agree. However, my mother taught me better. I'm surprised that Hermione wasn't sorted there though."

"Indeed."

 

[Cyrus2]

This looks like it will be a fun story and I wonder how this will affect the other parts of Voldemort.

 

[Gehoji]

This looks like it will be a fun story and I wonder how this will affect the other parts of Voldemort.

Click to shrink...

He is probably no different but is actually unkillable now. However, she could just add the rest of him to the tree, or even just do the same thing to him.

That or I'm totally off base and the rest of his soul is being reeled in like a fish on a line. Honestly I've seen that happen in literally one fanfiction that I can remember. Bill gets one of Voldemort's soul anchors, then uses it to just rip the rest of his soul out of their objects and pulls them into a single object, which is then destroyed.