105Welcome, everyone.
It took me some time, but I finally decided to write it. The AN will be at the end of the chapter.
Enjoy.
Chapter 1. Forgotten, but alive
Humans.
Monsters.
Magicals.
Gods.
And many more creatures walked the surface of the earth for many millennia. With time most of them decided to fade into the background, while leaving humans to take over most of the Earth, completely unaware of the Supernatural events occurring in the shadows.
Monsters of different pantheons walked amongst the mortals under the protection of magic, letting them blend in the crowd unnoticed. Those creatures dedicated their existence to hunting godlings, half-gods that had to fight every second of their lives to see the sun rise again.
Even then, monsters were far from the only danger lurking in the dark. A long time ago, even before the times of current gods, magic appeared in the world. Changing it, giving life to many new creatures and an evolved race of humans who could bend the mystical force to their whims. Through the ages, many tried to find similarities between monsters and magical creatures magical, and yet apart from appearances, those two couldn't be any more different.
For ages, magical and normal humans lived together in peace, trying to coexist, using their gifts to help each other. But as the times changed, so did the mindset of mundanes about magic, slowly forcing the gifted race to go into hiding. Any future sightings of magic by the mundanes were dealt swiftly and so the knowledge of magic faded from history, leaving it as nothing more than myths.
Then there were gods. Powerful entities that wielded the powers far beyond any human or monster. No one really knew how the first of those entities were born, but with time even this subject was left forgotten. Hundreds of gods appeared over the centuries, forming different pantheons and territories, and yet even those powerful entities weren't without a fault.
As the years passed, even the all-powerful gods couldn't hide from their biggest enemy. Time and the lack of followers. Entire pantheons faded away, leaving behind remnants of their community. Be it more powerful monsters or gods whose domains let them survive even without the believers.
And so with all those beings hiding in the shadows, many would have thought that there couldn't be more. How wrong they were. Because even the shadows had their own secrets. Secrets that most of the supernatural world would be happy to forget.
It was only due to the chance of luck and fate that the life of one seemingly normal wizard became intertwined with a world practically shrouded in secrets.
This life belonged to one Harry Potter. Ever since he was five, dreams out of this world assaulted him every time he went to sleep in the cupboard under the stairs. At first, Harry tried to ignore them, blaming his apparent "freakishness" for the reoccurring dreams. But it wasn't like he could stop them from coming, even if he tried very hard after some horrifying nightmares of bloody battlefields and monsters.
With time, Harry learned to accept them. Using them as an escape from the real world. He still disliked the nightmares, but other dreams showed him beings with extraordinary powers that he had only seen on TV when Dudley watched some movies or cartoons. Harry really enjoyed those and often found himself daydreaming of how it would be to have the same powers.
Years passed and soon the summer before his tenth birthday came. And yet, Harry was no closer to understanding why those dreams kept on appearing for five years. Sometimes, he thought about asking his uncle or aunt, but that idea was almost shot down. Harry's life at his relatives' house might not have been the best, but as long as he acted normal, they never went overboard. And even then a day without a meal was the worst punishment Harry ever received, though that was without counting in Dudley's bulling.
And so Harry kept his mouth shut and continued enjoying the dreams, just like today. Though unlike most of the time, this dream didn't leave him scared after seeing another battle-scarred field. No, this time Harry's dream showed him a village of people with wings. The same people that appeared in most of his previous dreams. It was the most real experience Harry ever went through.
When he appeared in the village, he had been able to move with his own body. Walking through the streets and taking the wonders of magic with wide eyes. Harry really wanted to believe that this dream was even partially true, but like always he woke up in the same cupboard where the reality hit him again. At least it's Summer... Harry frowned and moved to take care of his daily chores. If he finished everything in time, Aunt Petunia just might let him go outside.
That was exactly what young Harry did. He prepared breakfast for his relatives, completed the assigned chores, and then his aunt finally freed him from the confines of their house.
Like always Harry used this opportunity to travel to the nearest park that was connected to a slightly larger forest. He always spent his free time there thinking of his dreams and how everything could be much different if he had even an ounce of the powers he dreamt of.
After Harry arrived at the park he spent some time walking around to observe the people walking there. Not once could he stop himself from glaring at the happy families, playing with their children. His insides twisted painfully and for some reason, he had to wipe his eyes after he finally turned his gaze away and trudged away from the playground.
Unfortunately, Harry didn't notice, that during the time it took him to calm down, he walked further into the forest. His legs never stopped as if carried by some unknown force.
He came upon a small clearing. Nothing would be unnatural about this place if it wasn't for the small rift of distorted space floating a little above the ground. The anomaly spasmed, growing larger with every second, and Harry couldn't snap his gaze away from the supernatural event. It all reminded him so much of a few scenes in his dreams. Only here it was much, much smaller.
For minutes, Harry continued observing the expanding rift, only when it spasmed for the last time as stip a small black blob, did he take a step back. At once the rift closed and the blob twitched, slowly forming a black, dog-like creature. Its crimson eyes glared at Harry with an intensity he only felt a few times in his life.
Harry took another step back and the dog followed, its teeth bared for all of the world to see. With instincts he didn't know he possessed, Harry jerked away from the beast as it sailed past him. This one dodge didn't defer the dog and a moment later the creature continued its pursuit, this time its growl filling the clearing.
Harry didn't really know what happened next. For some reason, his body refused to listen to his commands and moved on its own. Like a doll with its strings cut, Harry had to watch with wide eyes as he dodged every single attack from the demonic dog. Faster than ever, he rolled and jumped, leaving the monster growling louder and louder.
Every move Harry's body made, became faster with each second. The world became a blur and the young boy could do nothing as a wicked purple-black sword appeared in his hand and stabbed the little demonic dog right in the head. The creature hobbled a few more steps, the last whine leaving its mouth as it finally collapsed, slowly drenching the forest floor with black blood.
As for Harry? He never felt the control of his body coming back, and so he followed the dog and fell right next to it, his mind blacking out a second after.
"Wake up child," a soft voice echoed around him. "It is time that we talk face to face."
"Wha..." the boy groaned as he pushed himself up. His jaw opened wide. This definitely wasn't his cupboard. Whiteness surrounded him from every side, stinging his eyes when he opened them. And yet after a few blinks, the pain went away, faded into nothingness and the white room darkened ever so slightly. Another dream? Harry thought. No... It can't be.
Just then memories of the last few minutes slammed to the forefront of his mind. "How? Where am I?"
A peal of melodious laughter reverberated through the area. Harry jumped to his feet, his head almost snapping back to the source of the laugh. He gasped as the visage of a tall, beautiful woman was revealed to him. Her violet eyes glinted as she gazed at Harry with a small smile, while her wavy black hair, fell in waves. Harry was sure that aunt Petunia would throw a fit that being that pretty was impossible. The thought amused him greatly and the boy couldn't help but grin widely.
The woman smirked suddenly, her eyes twinkling. "Oh, and what is so funny little one?"
Harry froze and averted his gaze. He didn't want to anger the woman.
"None of that little one, I wouldn't dare to hurt my successor. I am here to help you," she spoke softly, her footsteps echoing louder and louder in Harry's ears.
"Help me? Successor?" The boy whispered, taking a short glance at the mysterious woman.
She nodded. "Yes help you. You see, Harry, I and another waited for this moment for a long time and there is a lot that I need to tell you."
Harry frowned as his young mind tried to make sense of this bizarre situation. "But I still don't understand. Where am I and why am I here? Is it another weird dream of mine?"
The woman sighed as she sat down next to Harry, signaling him to do the same. "I know that you are young Harry, but I need you to listen to every word I say. Some things might sound outrageous or straight-up impossible, but I can explain everything. Just give me a chance and try not to interrupt. Can you do that for me?"
After a moment Harry gave a small nod, still not really sure if it wasn't another of his weird dreams.
"Thank you," she smiled at him and Harry turned away, unused to such sincerity.
"First let me begin with introductions. My name is Rigna and once, I was the goddess of the Hunt, Battle, and all of the supernatural creatures." Harry opened his mouth to speak, but he was stopped by Rigna's raised hand. "Just let me explain everything then you will be able to ask questions, okay?"
Harry nodded and Rigna smiled again. "Good boy. As I said, I was a goddess. But as that doesn't tell you much let me begin with something simpler... Harry, you remember all of your dreams that began about five years ago. You saw many things in them. Battles, magic, creatures out of horror stories, and much more. There is really not an easy way to tell you, but they are all real. Magic exists, demons that you saw in the visions are also real. For the proof about the latter, you only need to look at your earlier encounter in the forest."
Before Rigna could continue Harry whispered. "So it was a demon?"
The woman nodded not at all annoyed that Harry interrupted her. "Yes, Harry. It was a demon although a very weak one. A normal human would be able to kill it. Normally demons can't enter the realm of earth. Unfortunately, after the Great War, the barrier between our words was left weakened and sometimes a rift, just like the one you encountered, opens and let the demons through."
She stopped and shook her head. "There is just so much to tell you Harry and not enough time. It was my goal for the dreams to be your lessons, but something went wrong in transition and instead, you saw battle and bloodshed. So much time wasted..."
She then whispered a few words under her breath and sighed. "I am really sorry to do this to you, but I just don't have enough time." Then without any warning, the woman touched Harry's forehead. Harry screamed as thousands of images assaulted his mind.
His parents, Lily and James Potter. The wizarding world that was somewhere in the hiding. And finally, the night where everything changed. He saw how the evil man killed his mother, he saw how the same man tried to kill him only to fail when the impossible happened. Just when the green light that killed Harry's mother, hit him in the forehead, two other lights rushed inside the nursery and dashed into Harry's body. One of them violet, like Rigna's eyes, and the other blood red.
At once the assault stopped. Harry gasped for breath as tears gathered in his eyes. "T-those were my memories?" He stuttered out.
The woman nodded. "Mostly. I awakened some of your early memories to show you, who you really are, and the last vision was from my point of view."
"So I am what? A wizard? That can't be true. Magic only exists in stories in my dreams. You are lying to me and it is only a dream." Harry shouted, jumping to his feet, his young mind finally collapsing after the entire ordeal.
Harry froze as someone pulled him into a soft embrace. He opened his eyes and looked up, meeting Rigna's gaze. The tender look she gave him stopped the fire building within him and as seconds passed by, Harry's form slumped, soaking the warmth of the embrace.
"I know it is hard Harry and I am truly sorry for doing this to you, but I need you to be brave now. I know you can, so please, be strong." Rigna smiled and gave him a reassuring squeeze.
A few more tears fell down Harry's cheek before he nodded and scanned Rigna's face. She looked like she really wanted to help him, but could Harry believe her? During his whole life, he was told that nothing supernatural existed and only his dreams gave him hope. But now the woman showed him his parents, how they really died. She gave him a part of his past that he probably wouldn't ever get back if it wasn't for her.
Still, Harry wasn't sure. He was only a child and yet, here he was speaking to a goddess about things from fairytales.
Sighing, Harry came to a decision. "You said that you could give me proof of what you said."
Rigna nodded. "That's right. Tell me, Harry, do you remember anything weird happening around you? Especially when you were scared or angry. Think Harry, think."
Harry frowned, weird things happening around him?
...
...
...
He scanned his every memory for anything that could count as weird or freakish, and there indeed were a few situations like that. The moment in school when his teacher was unfair and his hair changed color to blue. How Harry somehow teleported from the ground to the school's roof when his cousin was chasing him. Or the day when his hair grew up in one night after aunt Petunia cut it all.
His eyes again grew wide. "It was all magic?"
The woman smiled and nodded. "Yes, Harry. It wasn't anything powerful but it was magic. The magic that was given to you by your parents, the same parents that sacrificed themselves so you could live."
Harry looked down as the memory of his mother's death came to the forefront of his mind. "Okay, so let's say that I believe in magic. What does it have to do with me being your successor and demons? I don't understand."
Rigna smiled and ruffled Harry's hair. "You see, little one. A long time ago demons managed to find their way to Earth and no one wanted to fight them. Everyone was too scared to lose their people and different races wouldn't ally with each other because of their stupid pride. And the less said about most of the pantheons, the better. As such, with no one to defend most of the Earth, I decided that I needed to stop this. Especially as all of this came under the jurisdiction of my domains.
"With the help of another powerful deity, I created a completely new race. A race that the only purpose was to fight and hunt demons. It cost me most of my power but I did it without a thought... They named themselves Akiari which in their language means 'to Hunt'. Unfortunately in the beginning they were not powerful enough to stop demons from advancing and so it took many years of battles and bloodshed before the Demon King was killed and the barrier between our worlds was sealed again. Most of the Akiari died during the war, but some of them remained and created their own villages on Earth. You saw one of them in your last dream."
Suddenly Rigna growled. "I would love to tell you how many of Akiari are left, but I can't. Not when I'm dead."
Harry's eyes widened, "Dead? But you are here."
The woman nodded, "Yes I am here, but as you asked before, here is not exactly the real world. Right now we are very deep inside your mind. Do you remember the two balls of light that appeared when the green light hit you?" Harry nodded. "The violet ball was my soul, while the red one was another being that decided to use this occasion to come back."
"Come back?" Harry inquired.
"Yes, come back. You see after gods or other very powerful beings die for the final time, they fade to another realm where they drift for an eternity. When I was killed I ended up there, but I managed to leave a bit of my power on earth so one day when the occasion appeared, I would be able to come back."
"I and the other being succeded when the mad man attacked your family. The spell that hit you shattered your soul and we used this moment to merge with it and slowly heal it. The process took years and only now it is mostly done... Thankfully when you found the demon, I managed to force the process to finish and take control of your body."
"So that was you! I knew I couldn't move like that," Harry shouted.
"Of course it was me. Though I think that if I haven't interfered, the other being would. The sword was also mine, but as my successor, now it is yours." Rigna smiled.
Harry's eyes widened. "But I can't just carry a sword everywhere! And who is the other being you keep talking about?"
Rigna frowned. "I am not sure. Whoever it is, they are almost as powerful as I am. Don't worry they can't harm you. You are one soul and nooner or later, you two will meet. And don't worry about the sword... I prepared something special that will help you during your journey, along with a special gift. Think of it as a final goodbye and an apology for making your life harder than it should be."
The woman again touched Harry's forehead and the boy gasped as power surged through his veins.
"I completed the merging process, you are no longer a human but an Akiari. Your magic will work differently than before and some of your features may change. Make me proud little one. I am really sorry that I couldn't explain more, but now, your dreams will lead you to greatness as they should have before. Take them seriously and grow stronger, the world is not a friendly place. Goodbye Harry and remember. Give him a chance, he really needs you."
With that, Rigna's form exploded into millions of particles of light. They rained upon the white room and Harry was left there frozen, his eyes wide as he watched the remnants of the nice woman fade into nothingness. And once the last particle hit the ground, Harry was fast to follow. He collapsed, eyes brimming with tears. Uncontrolled sobs shook his body, as everything finally hit him like a sledgehammer.
He cried for the parents he never had a chance to meet. He cried for Rigna, the woman who probably disappeared forever. And he cried for himself as once again he was left alone. Lonely in a world much bigger than he initially thought. And so minutes turned into hours and Harry didn't even know when the world around him again turned into the same forest clearing.
Only this time a steaming body of a demon and a familiar sword laid next to him.
Many miles away in the magical hospital of St. Mungos a lone healer sat in his office. Like every day he dealt with a few patients and now he had some time to go through the files of his older patients. He just opened another file when another Healer came through the door.
"Healer Decker, a patient in the 'Coma and Heavy damage' ward just awoke," the man exclaimed, taking in large gulps of air.
Healer Decker quickly stood up from his position, eyes narrowed. "Who?"
The man gulped. "Charlus Potter."
End
Yes, I am going with Charlus and Dorea Potter as Harry's grandparents. I know it is not canon, but I don't really care. It is fanfiction and I can do whatever I want plus it works better for the plot.
The gamer system will appear in the next chapter for those who are curious. If you have any questions leave it in a review or send me a PM.
This is it. Have a good day/night.
Revisited: 27.12.2021: Changed a few things, like Harry's initial age. Also, I made the entire chapter smoother and easier to read.