Game of Thrones Chapter 1

Chapter 1

Ned Stark was pacing slowly in his room staring a hole into the wall as he pondered his decision.  To take the hand of the King was certainly not anything he had ever had on his bucket list.  Even as a young man he had no desire for the throne or to be anywhere near it.  He had grown up in the North and was a true Northerner, quiet, reserved, and deadly when provoked, but the truth of the matter was that when a King asked you to do something you didn’t really have a choice.  With the ominous letter from Catelyn’s sister Lysa Arryn it seemed like it could even be a suicide run.

“You owe him nothing Ned.  You fought a bloody war with him, and I think he would understand if you wanted to stay close to your growing family.” Lady Catelyn Stark Nee Tully begged of her husband.

“Maybe when we were young men, but this King Robert is not the man who stormed King’s Landing at my side.  This one only wants to get drunk, fuck girls, and kill things that can’t raise a sword in self defense. Not to mention quite a bit fatter.”

This was more of an afterthought as Ned thought of things he could do to protect his family from coming conflict that seemed inevitable.  Catelyn offered a few suggestions, “What about calling a few of your younger banner men down.  I hear the Karstarks boy is devastating with a sword he could provide you some extra protection along with Jory of course. “

Ned shook his head, “No, one man could not make the difference in protection in a place like Kings Landing…well except maybe…”

Then it occurred to him.  There was one man he had met in his life that might actually make him feel safer in the capital.  If not him then perhaps he could at least keep an eye on the girls.

Catelyn asked, “You’re thinking of Harry aren’t you?”

“Aye I am.  The lad owes me a favor.  A free trip along with some coin might just interest him enough to come along.  He is very fond of Arya too; perhaps I can bring him on as her protection.  The Lords knows it could be a full time job keeping an eye on her in the capital.”

Harry Potter was an interesting man that Ned had become acquainted with a few years back.  He claims to hail from Essos, but of course Ned did not believe him.  They found him hunting on Stark Lands, and he swore up and down no offense, and that he did not know he crossed into private territory.  The young man had offered everything he had found with the utmost sincerity in his apologies.  Usually Ned would not be too harsh on foreigners who were not aware of the law of the land or its boundaries, so he was willing to let him go for nothing when a very curious thing occurred.  A direwolf had roamed in from the forest growling at Ned and his party, and the young man calmed the creature down and even petted the massive wolf on the head to keep him docile.  Harry had explained to Ned that he befriended Lupin in the forest, and they had been hunting partners for the last several weeks.

A direwolf bonding with any human was so rare outside the Stark family Ned ended up inviting the boy to dinner in Winterfell to hear his story.  The story was clearly made up, and having poked plenty of holes in it by the time the young man was done Ned figured the boy was probably running from someone on the other continent, or possibly from the South and figured it would be best to keep tabs on the boy.  He claimed to be trying to find work as a sell sword, so Ned hired him to track down some poachers who had been warned about hunting on his lands before, and were not complying; however they could just not catch up with thieves.  Ned fully expected the boy to fail, but in three days the boy had returned with four men all hogtied, and strapped to horses.  Ned was so shocked he paid the boy, and did not think to ask how he had taken down four men with what appeared like no injuries.

That was only the beginning of the myth of Harry Potter.  One particularly cold Winter night Ned had asked the boy to stay the night after traveling so far to gather some information he needed from the Karstarks, and when they awoke at dawn the boy was already sweating, and training hard in the yard by himself in what was over a foot of snow.  When asked how often the boy trained he merely shrugged and said six to eight hours a day was normal when he wasn’t working.

This had made Ned want to put the boy to the test, and had him first duel with Jory.  To say the match was one sided is the understatement of the century.  Harry did not even draw his sword as he dodged six strikes from Jory and then struck him across the face knocking the man unconscious.  One by one from that point Harry defeated Ned’s knights, and eventually in Private Ned himself, and the problem was the boy made it look so easy.  It was almost as if he couldn’t find a worthy opponent.  Ned had seen Jamie Lannister the KingSlayer spar before, and he could guarantee that Harry could defeat the man.

They hadn’t seen Harry in a few months, but he left a beautiful white owl by the name of Hedwig The Third to stay with them.  Harry insisted the owl could find him anywhere, and anytime Ned had called for him he always appeared.  Harry had an unnatural speed to all his calls.  Ned had to wonder if the boy just hung out on the edge of the city sometimes, but he would always appear with trinkets and gifts that seem to come from somewhere in the South.  Ned could only assume that the boy traded well in the markets, and the less Ned knew about that the better.  After all, the young man was possibly the most capable fighter he had ever met, and despite his slightly mysterious background Ned found himself trusting the boy, and his Direwolf.

Catleyn Stark nodded her head, “He would be a welcome addition to your guard.  It would make me feel a lot better about you taking the girls…You don’t think he could be bought down in King's Landing do you?”

Ned shook his head, “A direwolf only trusts those with a pure heart.  Harry would not be able to attract his Direwolf if he was so easily corrupted.  Once I take him into my service I think I will have his loyalty, and if he serves well perhaps I will grant him knighthood in a few years.  Perhaps he will distinguish himself, and he can leave whatever he is running from in the past.”

Scene Break

Harry James Potter, 22, was searching for a man that was said to have information on magic.  He was an old Maester that was said to have practiced the old religion in his youth, but to what extent Harry needed to find out.

Harry had been trapped in this realm for nearly 5 years now, and ever since that killing curse hit him and sent him here he had been scrambling to find evidence of magic anywhere.  His magic of course was still perfectly intact, in fact he was using it all the time in his sword training to enhance his body to move faster, and be stronger than he looked.  After only a year he figured with the unnatural speed his magic gave him in combat he was likely the best swordsman in the world.  After another year it was so natural to him that he was only using magic as an afterthought for anything, but sword combat.  Of course he still apparated when people like the Starks called for him, and he was using it now to track the Maester who was living in the woods on the Mormont’s land just outside Bear Island.  It was a small patch that was specifically for this Maester.  Harry held no intent of harming the man; he just needed to know what he did.

When Harry arrived at the house he knocked three times on the door, and found no answer he silently unlocked the door with a wave of his hand.  Harry found that wandless magic was very easy in this world, because the ambient magic just sang everywhere he walked.  It was like being at Hogwarts, but it was everywhere.  The untapped magical potential of this world was bursting, and if Harry could start teaching someone, anyone, then perhaps he could save his way of life.

As he traversed through the door the place he realized was ransacked.  Harry swore quietly as he pulled the sword of Gryffindor out of its sheath, and prepared for an attack, but instead he found the body of an older man that looked like he had possibly passed a while ago.  Harry sighed as he reached into his pocket and twirled a small stone in his hands, and stared at the body as it became slightly animated.  The man croaked, “Master of Death.  What can I do for you?”

Harry bowed to the man slightly, “My apologies for disturbing you in the afterlife sir, but I need to know who did this to you?”

“The red priests of course.  They view all magic not given by the Lord of Light as evil, and catastrophic.  They had only heard rumors of my abilities, and they came hunting for me.” The man said sadly looking around for the first time seeing the destruction of his home.

“So you did have them then?  Abilities that is?” Harry asked excitedly.

The man shrugged his shoulders, “In my prime I could levitate a quill, or shake the chairs when I was really angry, but by the time I was older I could barely make the feather turn, and even in my worst fits the ground never shook.  I had it for a while, and then it vanished as I got older.”

Harry frowned at this.  Magic shouldn’t work like that.  It doesn’t leave your body as you get older. Look at Dumbledore, he was just over a hundred when he died, and the man was still a fierce fighter and very talented magical practitioner, “Can you tell me if anyone else could do the things you could do?  Things you have heard even, rumors, something to help me find someone like me.”

The man gave the boy a sad smile, “The only real magic that I believe is still around is that of the Dragons.  They have remained dormant, but they will return mark my words.  Also the faceless men are talented shape shifters, but you do not want to seek them out.  Otherwise I am afraid there are few that could’ve matched even my limited abilities in magic.  Don’t underestimate these red priests.  They know of your existence, because their Lord tells them you exist.  They have no idea where you are, or what you are, but they are looking.  Be wary Master.”

Harry thanked the man and returned the stone to his pocket making the man slump back over dead.  Without bothering to pry through the man’s things he exited the home, and set out for a walk as he pondered a few things.

Harry was the Master of Death even in this world.  When Voldemort killed him he had two of the three hallows on him, but the allegiance of the Elder Wand belonged to him, so it could not truly rip his soul out,  but he could also not truly survive it either.  Death had appeared to him, and asked if he would like a chance to start fresh, and Harry eagerly accepted as he watched the last of his friends die in the battle, and knew his world was doomed to Voldemort.  When Death snapped its fingers Harry was in a cold winter wonderland with a black tunic on, and something that resembled black cargo pants.  On him was the Sword of Godric Gryffindor, which he intended to kill Nagini with in the final battle, his cloak, the elder wand, and the resurrection stone.  He wandered through the cold for weeks and began hunting animals as he went.  That was where he met the Direwolf that he named after Remus. Lupin had nearly eaten him when they first met, and it was only thanks to Harry’s quick reflexes that he had not been the large wolf's next meal.  Thankfully Harry had lots of food on his person at the time, because instead of ripping his throat out the large creature started ripping through his bags, and found that Harry could be a source of food.  Since then Harry has kept Lupin well fed, and in return Lupin stayed with Harry and helped keep the young man safe.

Five years had passed since that moment, and he had made many good connections in that time.  The Starks had befriended Harry after he proved his skill in combat.  The knights of the Vale were also on good terms with the young man as he traded with some of them along the road.  He sold fresh meats and other items to the higher ranking officers, and made a small living off of it.  Of course his best money is when the Starks came calling and offered him what he thought was easy work.

It was in this line of thought that Hedwig the Third came swooping down from the skies and landed on a nearby branch in front of Harry.  The owl hooted at him, and he approached her with a smile, “Hedwig it seems you have a little letter for me.”

This owl reminded him much of his familiar back home, and he had learned to place enchantments on certain owls to find him and deliver mail.  He had left one with the Starks in case they ever had work for him, and one with a beautiful barmaid that let him sleep in her extra room from time to time for just a little bit of Game, and of course some company into her bedroom some nights.  This was a good trade for Harry, and she only owled him on occasion.

This Hedwig however was carrying a small letter attached to its talons, and Harry reached for it gently removing the parcel, and opened it carefully, “Harry, I have a long term job for you that is going to pay handsomely and I fear give you quite a bit of excitement.  I would like to meet you in Winterfell as fast as possible.  If this letter does not find you in time then I hope you will meet somewhere on the King’s Road so we can discuss this opportunity at length.  –Ned Stark, Lord of Winterfell, and Warden of the North.

Harry perked up at this instantly.  His search for more magic would have to hold if a long term possible job was on the market.  Especially something that might pay well, and give him an in with the Warden of the North.  It was a win win for Harry that he could not pass up.  With that he thanked the owl and went to search for Lupin so he could apparate the two of them back to Winterfell.