TheBlackEarl

Aspirations Ch. 1

Harry Potter stood in the middle of the Champions’ tent, staring at the miniature version of the dragon he would be facing. The moment he had picked it out, varying looks of pity had been directed at him from almost everyone. He could understand that. He was chosen to be the Hogwarts Champion – a wizard in his fourth year. His other two competitors, Fleur Delacour, and Viktor Krum, were both in their seventh.

They had three years of magical knowledge and experience over him, and had...

Emeralds and Ashes Ch. 14

The morning dawned heavily on Narcissa who blearily opened her eyes and looked around the girls’ dormitory. It had been a troublesome night for her, and she had barely been able to sleep. Every so often, the sight of that letter and the words it carried jolted her awake. Sighing, she looked over at her sister’s bed and noted with a frown that she was already awake and reading something.

“What are you doing?” She asked.

“Reading,” Bella replied promptly without taking h...

Darker Than Gray Ch. 14

A million thoughts were swirling around Daphne’s mind as she stared around at the room that had seemingly appeared out of nowhere.

It was a massive room with a ceiling depicting the starry night sky outside, not any different from what the Great Hall did every night. The beautiful sofa set Harry had somehow conjured remained in the middle and she looked at him. He simply gave her a small smile and asked her to come forward before looking at the others.

Daphne had been to this co...

Emeralds and Ashes Ch. 13

Since the altercation with the Slytherins, the two factions, as they were now called, had kept their distance. The future Death Eaters did nothing more than glare at them from across the hall or classroom. There had been no repeat of their previous exchange, and Harry was at least thankful for the little respite. It had become tough for him to control himself the last time and he did not want another encounter so soon.

The meeting with Dumbledore also made him seethe whenever he thought...

Harry's animagus form

Hey guys! What do you want Harry's animagus form to be? Vote your favorite option and that's it. The winner will be what he shall turn into.

There will be no extinct or magical animals, so I'm sorry if you wanted that.

The poll will end in four days from the time of posting.

Darker Then Gray Ch. 13

“So... what did Greengrass want to talk about?”

Harry looked over at Susan who seemed to be engrossed in her work, an inquisitive look on his face.

“Nothing much. She only invited me to her house for Christmas,” he replied and went back to reading Dolohov’s tome. This one had started to take a significant portion of his studies lately.

“Wait what!?” Susan asked in shock, finally looking up from her parchment and staring at him with her eyes wide open. To her le...

Darker Than Gray Ch. 12

It had been a month since their return to Hogwarts and it was no surprise that the news of Harry being exempted from attending Lockhart’s classes had spread like wildfire. To say that the students were unhappy about it was an understatement.

Already, all four heads of house had been approached by no less than thirty students each, asking for the same exemption. However, all of them had been turned down. A select few from each house apart from Slytherin had been brave (or foolish) enou...

Emeralds and Ashes Ch. 12

Once all the students arrived, Slughorn waved his wand and shut the door to his classroom. Beaming at the students, he beckoned them forward near the large desk.

Harry looked and saw several cauldrons bubbling on fire.

“Gather around, everyone,” Slughorn motioned with his hand. “First of all, I welcome you all to Advanced Potions. It’s a shame that there are only so few of us even though I reduced the demands to Exceeds Expectations. Alas, there is nothing to be done about...

Darker Than Gray Ch. 11

“See you guys tomorrow,” Harry greeted his friends outside the Great Hall after the conclusion of the opening feast.

“Yeah,” Neville nodded. Together with Susan and Hannah, he walked downstairs toward the Hufflepuff Common Room.

There was nothing of note in the announcements, apart from Lockhart’s appointment as the new Defense instructor. Harry had noted, to his amusement, the look of utter disdain Snape had directed at the man during the feast, who had coincidentally b...

Emeralds and Ashes Ch. 11

Harry strode through the door to the Gryffindor common room followed by the other seven wizards. Students already present inside stared at the fuming wizard with wide eyes before they saw his entourage. All eight wizards went over to the empty couch and took their seats.

The Marauders, Frank, and the Prewett twins stared at Harry apprehensively. The dark-haired boy still looked furious as he seemed to be gritting his teeth, his eyes steely and glaring at the fireplace.

Fabian quic...

Darker Than Gray Ch. 10

His quill scribbled on the parchment, tracing the collection of the same symbols repeatedly.

Ancient Runes was an interesting subject. The fact that it was so versatile and was one of the primary components of most magical rituals made Harry want to master the art the best he could. He knew he would need to undertake rituals in the future. There was no way he could ever hope to bridge the massive gap between himself and Voldemort without the aid of the esoteric arts.

Even then, he...

Emeralds and Ashes Ch. 10

Harry and his friends took their seats near the front, waiting for the rest of the class and the professor. He glanced at Narcissa who was sitting with Bellatrix and returned her smile before looking at the dark-haired girl beside her. Bellatrix was still looking at him with that peculiar gaze that Harry failed to decipher, and he looked away. Maniacal or not, there was indeed something off about that girl.

It wasn’t much later that the group which would one day be the core of Voldemo...

Darker Than Grey Ch. 9

A middle-aged man with light-blonde hair walked through the opulently decorated corridor of his family manor. The expensive rug covering the floor and the golden chandelier that hung from the ceiling demonstrated very explicitly the riches his house boasted of.

“Elf!” Lucius Malfoy shouted.

A diminutive creature with bandaged hands and a rug covering its skinny frame appeared, bowing low in subservience.

“Fetch me a bottle of firewhiskey and make sure to come up with m...

Emeralds and Ashes Ch. 9

Dumbledore took his position at the podium when the desserts had been cleared, and the old wizard spread his arms invitingly, beaming at the students.

“Welcome, to another year at Hogwarts,” the headmaster greeted them, his eyes twinkling. “A few start-of-the-term announcements before we retire for the night. Firstly, I would like to inform the new students that the Forbidden Forest is as the name suggests, forbidden, and even a few older students ought to remember that fact,” D...

Darker Then Grey Ch. 8

Harry’s eyes shot open as a searing pain shot through his scar, and he cried out, eyes shit and hand clasped to his forehead right over that scar.

“Quiet, you loathsome brat!” Quirrell snarled, Harry hissed when pure, unadulterated pain coursed through his head, making him tear up. Quirrell stared in disdain.

“You are truly worthless, Quirinus. This boy managed to sneak up on you and you didn’t even know. It is due to me that you were not cursed,” a menacing whisper ec...

Emeralds and Ashes Ch. 8

The rest of the summer break passed in a similar fashion. Harry would wake up early in the morning, immerse himself in physical training, and wait for James and Sirius to arrive. After having breakfast together, they would engage in practicing their magic, with Harry letting James and Sirius study a few tomes he had procured from various sources. Afterward, he would become akin to their professor and teach them advanced spells.

Their sessions reminded Harry of the DA in the beginning, a...

Darker Than Gray: Poll

Hey everyone!

I've decided to add Daphne to the pairing, so it's a HarryxDaphnexFleur fic. What I want to ask is whether you want me to add Susan to the pairing as well. I'm open to adding her if you lot are.

Vote for what you'd like to happen and also feel free to drop any suggestions you might have as well.

Darker Than Grey Ch. 7

It had been over a week since the holidays had ended and the students had come back, and Harry still found himself missing the quiet of the castle. It was not as if he was affected very much. He still spent most of his time in solitude, however, he found he could do without all the chatter that followed his fame.

Ever since he had found the Come and Go Room, he had made it a habit to spend all his evenings there. The room was truly a marvel, and Harry had tried multiple things out. The ...

Emeralds and Ashes Ch. 7

Harry awoke the next morning at the crack of dawn, having slept much more peacefully than he had the previous night after that emotional ordeal.

He quickly finished his morning rituals before getting ready for his morning workout. It was usual for him to run a few miles before doing some weight training.

He walked down the stairs, smiling at Minnie who beamed at him before exiting through the door leading to the garden and the courtyard. It was large enough for him to complete his...

Emeralds and Ashes Ch. 6

Harry had spent the entire morning deliberating on when to visit the Potters, even forgetting to complete his practices.

He had been looking forward to visiting the manor and getting to know his father and his grandparents a little better. However, the way the previous night had ended made him more emotional than he would have thought.

Harry did not remember the last time he had cried himself to sleep. Perhaps the night when he had returned from the ministry, he thought darkly. 2023-03-22 17:00:01 +0000 UTC View Post

Darker Than Gray Ch. 6

Almost two months had passed since Harry had started his new routine, and he couldn’t complain about the results he was already seeing in his spellcasting. The wall opposite him was marred with scorches from spellfire, with chunks of concrete having fallen off yet again. Harry waved his wand and a silent Reparo repaired the wall, however, it did nothing to the marks.

He didn’t know why the other students didn’t do what he had been doing. They all were in this wondrous wor...

Emeralds and Ashes Ch. 5

Harry stood in front of the mirror as he finished getting ready for the dinner he had been invited to at #12 Grimmauld Place.

This would be his first time visiting the house and meeting the rest of the Blacks, and he could not help but wonder how this meeting would turn out.

He tried to recall what the family’s condition was like at the moment. Andromeda had run away, having married Ted Tonks and already given birth to Tonks 2 years ago. Furthermore, if he recalled correctly, Si...

Darker Than Gray Ch. 5

Harry woke up at his routine time the next day. It was the day when he would start his magical education properly, and he was excited. Looking over at the other bed in his room, he saw Terry Boot still fast asleep.

Finishing his morning rituals, he devoted an hour to his Occlumency. It was an art he would never take lightly. Boot was waking up when he finally came out of the trance, and Harry nodded at him.

“Morning, Potter. What are you doing?” the boy asked as he rubbed his ...

Emeralds and Ashes Ch. 4

The next morning found Harry waking up inside the master bedroom of Peverell Manor with a rough tongue licking his face. Sighing, he started to softly stroke Luna behind the ear and opened his eyes.

“You know, I’d really prefer not waking up like this.”

Luna gave a long lick on his cheek in response, looking at him mirthfully. Harry released a deep breath.

“Alright. You’re in a fun mood. I get it. Now get up so I can go to the bathroom.”

Luna licked his nos...

Darker Than Gray Ch. 4

The last few days leading up to his departure for Hogwarts passed in a heartbeat, and Harry locked the door to his room in the Leaky Cauldron before walking downstairs. Tom had been a great help during this past week, often checking up on him to see whether he needed something to eat. Harry was thankful.

“Ready to leave for the adventure, eh?” The bald man asked as he grabbed the key Harry dropped on the counter, putting it in the drawer and smiling at him. Harry smiled back.

...

Emeralds and Ashes Ch. 3

With a faint pop, Harry apparated in the alley across the telephone booth that was the entryway to the ministry atrium. Crossing the road with quick strides, he entered the red booth and quickly entered the code.

“Welcome to the Ministry for Magic. Please state your name and business,” a cool female voice sounded.

“Harry Peverell, here to visit the Wizengamot archives.”

“Please affix the card to your robe and always keep it on your person. You are also required to ...

Emeralds and Ashes Ch. 2

Harry stared at Arcturus for a long moment before finally asking, “Are you fucking serious right now?”

“Very serious. You will kill Voldemort before he could start his reign of terror. Only then can we save everything,” Arcturus replied.

“How are you even going to do it anyway? Time turners send us back a few hours. You are talking about what? 20 years?” Harry asked disbelievingly.

Arcturus smiled. “Ritualistic magic is the most versatile branch of magic there ...

Emeralds and Ashes Ch. 1

He felt numb. The hand on his chest didn’t even feel like it was there, and the same could be said about the flashes of tens of cameras as he lay there, head in the lap of his headmaster who looked straight ahead with a concerned frown.

It was his fault. Everything was his fault. Loyal Ron. Genius Hermione. Fiery Ginny. Brave Neville. Sincere Luna. And him.

His eyes closed as tears leaked out, and he could do nothing to stop them.

Just what had he been thinking!? ...

Darker Than Gray Ch. 3

A woman who looked to be in her fifties walked on the pavement with her head held high and her hands in the pockets of her business suit. Her sharp eyes looked around for any movement as she crossed the road when the traffic lights went red.

She passed through a set of iron doors that led into a rather large field sans grass which was surrounded by high walls that oddly gave off the vibe of this being a prison rather than an orphanage as the large signboard suggested. She walked forward...

Darker Than Gray Ch. 2

The cool breeze of early summer morning wafted in through the open window of his room, and Harry opened his emerald eyes. Today was the day. He knew it.

He had last been to Diagon Alley, as he learned the name was, the previous day to shop for some books. He had money in abundance, and he had bought whatever he could. Ever since his ominous talk with Ollivander, Harry had been filled with a newfound resolve to become the greatest wizard there ever was. And that meant garnering as much k...