Chapter Text
Finishing the memory she came back to the darkness, and instead of being alone once more, there was a tall being standing across from her. Taking a moment to process what she just saw she then looks up and greets the other across from her.
“Hello” she says softly
“Hello Mistress” the being rumbled to her, it sounded a mixture of voices, old and young, male and female, human and inhuman.
“Uhm who are you? Where are we? Do you know what happened?” she ask in rapid succession
“Well I am Death, we are in your mindscape, and I brought you here before you were killed.” Death responds nonplussed, like he didn't just save me even though I was pretty sure he shouldn't have.
“Well, shit. Ok, uh wouldn't it have been better if I was in the afterlife? Like are you allowed to save someone meant to die? I understand you being Death and all being on a different set of rules, but still isn't there a rule saying something?? Anything??” she rambled, gesturing wildly with rapid hand movements towards the amused Death
“No mistress, you were never supposed to meet those people then. By your pig of an uncle making a deal with those death eaters, it made anything afterwards a moot point. We made the decision based on how you were treated in your life. The powers that be decided that you should be brought to a dimension that will treat you as the being you are. A gift to mortals, and if they spurn that gift, well let's say the dimension is toast. Not in 1 year, or 5, but when those who had treated you worse than a house elf and worse than vermin are content, then it will begin.” Death said as he approached me and conjured a comfy sofa and gently pulled me to sit with him.
Taking a deep breath, she slowly relaxed into the sofa she turned towards Death and ask “OK do I have to do anything in this land? Why was I brought here specifically to do something? Where am I?”
“No you're just here to live your life and travel as you please, you are currently in Westeros, in the deep north. These castle remains are from people who met their demise by creatures not unsimilar to inferi. This land has some magical creatures, but I'll let you figure it out as you go.” They replied as they started to play with a lock of your hair.
“What's with the egg?” she asks as she fidgeted with death's robe
“The egg was always meant to be yours, you were supposed to inherit it after you graduated. It was left in the will from your parents as per tradition in their households. But because of their death, they entrusted the goblins at Gringotts to keep it in stasis until such time. Since I called you to a different plane, I made sure to retrieve your personal items, so that it would help you in your new life.” Death said to her as he spun white locks on his fingers.
Wait white? Freezing for a second, she grabs a piece of her hair and takes a closer inspection. Looking up towards Death's hooded face, she asks “uhh why is my hair white?”
Death conjuring a mirror for her says “Your parents, once they realized what was going on with the prophecy, asked Sirius Black to blood adopt you, and they placed a blood glamor on you to hide your unique features”
Getting up from the sofa, she slowly walks to the full length mirror and looks at her reflection and starts contemplating her appearance.
Noticing that she remained the same height at 5’1 denying vehemently that she didn't shrink 2 inches no sir, she notices that hip length white curly hair, her pale alabaster skin, and the most shocking of it all her eyes one a pale violet, and the other a dark purple.
Turning to death with a major question on her face, and without asking death said “yes this is what you truly look like, the other look you have, is what you would have looked like in another universe.”
Nodding in understanding she asks death “but why am I so small!”
Laughing deeply in his chest, he stands up and crouches down in front of her “Well mistress, it's because you're currently 12 years old right now, not your 15 years of age. Time here in Westeros is different, than back on earth.”
Pouting in saltiness, she again nods and goes to sit back on the sofa this time leaning on death “so what does it mean to be your mistress? I don't want to command you, I just want family” she says softly.
“For now it just means to be yourself, and grow up. Don't worry about all the supernatural parts of our relationship, I will teach you everything you need to know as you age. You can treat me as a father, brother, and son as you grow up and mature.” They said with assurance and trust in their tone.
“Ok, where do we go from here? Are there any other people near us?” she asks
“Well, other than the lessons I have planned, we can go where you wish. And other than the creatures, there are tribes of nomadic people this side of the wall, called wildlings. Among them they have their own various sub-classes of supernatural humans.” they replied as they pulled Harry into their side to cuddle.
“Got it, not to make you feel weird, but what with all the touching? Not that I don't like the affection, but why?” she asked
“Well if I were to touch, any other being they would perish. Only the true Divine will be able to touch my skin. And in a way at this moment I find myself thinking of you as a daughter, I have been watching over since the moment of conception. I knew instinctively who you were meant to be to me.” Death responds as they start to braid your hair into little plaits, and then remove the braids only to start again.
“I’m sure as the centuries go by, our relationship will evolve, and this point in time will be nothing more than a fond memory of how you started your ascension into godhood.” Death said casually as if he was casually mentioning the weather, instead of talking about my potential immortality.
“Ahh, got it…” Harry said nonchalantly
“Do you really?” asked death in a sarcastic monotone of disbelief
“Nope, but moving on, what is this castle? Who did it belong to? Can I just take ownership of this place?” Harry said plainly, and then moving around the living area she chose, she walked to a window to look out into the snow covered plain.
“This castle used to be a Stronghold of the first men, they protected the forests from predators, and they lived in strife with the children of the forest for centuries, until the andals came and started to spread their religions, disease, and way of life. This stronghold was used during the long night as a final stance. It was here that the wrights, and the others were sealed by ancient magics lost to the known world into a millenia long sleep.” Death says, explaining the history of the world she landed in.
“During the long night, many families went to what is now south of the wall, to escape what they thought at the time was a death sentence. It became something more, freedom from the dead, the ease to feed their children, and you know the lack of freezing temperatures. They just never came back after the end of the long night. Though the families that were able to survive north of the wall learned that staying in one place for too long, is a death sentence, especially after the wall was raised. As for ownership, not one soul alive knows where the keep is, so as far as I'm concerned it's yours.” They said shrugging
“Oh, got it. Are there any tribes, or nomadic peoples around us now? What am I supposed to do now? How long are you going to be staying with me?” Harry asks after soaking in all of the information death gave her.
“I'm here whenever you need me to be, when I’m not with you, I’m more than likely over at the house of the black and white” they remarked casually while still running their long fingers through her hair.
“What is the house of the black and white?” she asks
“It’s a temple on a lagoon in Braavos, and they serve a certain many faced god. They serve as religious assassins, also known as the faceless men. I like to watch over their lives in my free time, they do the most interesting things.” Death replies chuckling softly while explaining to me.
“The many faced god? And assassins?! Is that something that should be just casually mentioned?” Harry asks slightly aghast that death spends their free time watching day-to-day assassinations
“Yes, another name for the many faced god is… Death. We are the many faced god. You, as my master, show just another facet of what death truly is. It may be violent, it can be peaceful, it could be relief to the one passing, or grief to the loved ones that were lost to them. Our domain includes the entire umbrella that is death. I am but the main Avatar or personification, and you my master the end all be all.” Death responds by taking his time to thoroughly explain the different avatars she may encounter while in this universe.
“So to get this as simplified as possible, I am The master of death in every universe, every different personification falls under my authority, and you like to watch assassins like people watched reality tv in my last world.” Harry says while thinking out loud, nodding to herself as she accepts this new information.
“So what now? What is the year, and how do the seasons work here?” harry asks
“Well other than learning the ways of death and all that it involves, the current year is xxxx and this world only really has two seasons, Winter, and Summer. How long one season lasts is typically how long the other will follow, so for example short winter equals short summer and vice versa. As for what you could do, you could explore the far north, check out the supernatural creatures in the area, you could take over the kingdom south of the wall, really it's up to you.” Death replied
“Ok, for now I’m going to learn what I need to, and restore this stronghold in the meantime, we will go from there.” Harry says after thinking for a few minutes.
Death nods from his place, on the couch and watches as Harry gets up, and starts to dig around in the things that they brought with them.
Harry opens up the various bags, and trunks sorting through everything, and after finding some parchment and quill, starts to take inventory of what she has. Thankfully Death had the foresight to get seedlings, and other miscellaneous things that would be next to impossible to find here.
Since the hearth of the castle was currently in liveable conditions, she decided to take care of her comforts and necessities. Transfiguring any leftover items into basic household necessities like a bed, a bathroom area, and a kitchen-esqe area, so she would have to constantly leave the warmth to do something else while the castle was in such disrepair.
Walking over to the egg, she checks and turns it so the heat is evenly spread, she didn't want to cook the poor baby dragon inside. Looking to the windows as the sun goes down, she starts to attempt her night time routine pre-world-hopping, with some slight modifications she goes to her warm bed, and falls asleep for the night with death watching over her.