Harry Potter/Elder Scrolls Fan Fiction #1

Neville Longbottom was feeling flustered.This, of course, was nothing new to him as he was the clumsiest wizard in the whole of Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry. He had done his best to fit in with the other students in Gryffindor house but usually found himself at the back end of their jokes. It’s important to understand that in a world full of all kinds of magical things and witches and wizards capable of such amazing feats that Neville, in comparison, was not remarkable at all. Neville was often even accused of being mis-sorted into Gryffindor as he was not bold or very brave as far as even he was concerned most of the time. Neville shook his head, sitting on board the vaunted Hogwarts Express, thinking back on the events of the last year, and sighing deeply at the fact that it was all coming to an end. Neville and company had just completed the 5th year at Hogwarts and had grown rather close with each other. He looked around the compartment he shared with three others, first to Harry Potter, the To Ron Weasley, and lastly to Hermione Granger. Together this last year they had formed Dumbledore's Army with some other students taking a stand for proper self defense instruction, particularly against the dark arts. They all were visibly sad with the end of term and began sharing summer holiday plans.

“Going to explore the Outback in Australia with my brother Bill this year.” Ron spouted.

“You’re lucky.” Harry said pessimistically. “Another summer of Dudley Dursley and his circus of friends for me, yippee.”

“Do cheer up Harry. These days we need to keep hope and optimism alive whenever possible.” Hermione said in a tone only she could accurately achieve, as though placing expectations upon them. “I plan to spend this summer reading next year’s curriculum. It’s never hurt me before to get ahead in the books. What about you Neville? You’ve been awfully quiet since we left Hogsmede.

Neville struggled to remember what exactly the plans were for his summer this year. He often had problems remembering things.

“My grandmother thinks i could do with some experience in the world this summer. She decided I should go up north to the continent of Tamriel. Ron, your one brother lives up there doesn’t he?”

“That's right, my brother Charlie studies dragons up there. Last I heard he was in the province of Skyrim up in the northern part of Tamriel.”

Suddenly Neville remembered everything more clearly, then became worried once more.

“Yeah, that's the place Gran said I was going. I don’t reckon any of you lot can come with me. To tell you the truth im a right bit scared going out there alone with You-Know-Who back in power again.”

“Im stuck in my plans mate.” said ron disappointedly, as though wishing to go.

“I’m sorry Neville, but ive got to read these books to prepare for the O.W.L.S after holiday.”

Neville turned to Harry, expecting another rebuttal.

“Sounds brilliant mate.” Harry said to Neville’s surprise. “Definitely beats sub-par living at the Dursleys, even if we have to fend for ourselves.”

Neville was at a loss for words. Someone wanted to spend any length of time with him. He was going to roll with it as far as it went. Above all else Neville craved acceptance and friendship.

“Brilliant Harry, it’ll be great having you along for the adventure. How are we going to meet up again after you go with the Dursleys?” asked Neville, perplexed.

Harry smiled wryly

“Don’t worry Neville I’ve got a plan”

Chapter One

The first few days of summer holiday passed as slow as Harry could remember. He was very excited for his adventurous summer he anticipated having. Admittedly he was a little nervous to be traveling with Neville if only because he had proven to be somewhat uncoordinated, or clumsy as one would say. Harry wondered what kinds of magic he would be able to learn this summer. He had informed professor Dumbledore of his plans to head to Skyrim via Hedwig and Dumbledore returned his owl shortly before they arrived at kings cross a few days prior. His letter read as such:

“Dear Harry,

Due to the nature of your plans this summer and the increasing threat of Voldemort, among other things, I have spoken with the minister of magic and he and I agree that under these special circumstances, you and mister Longbottom may use your magical abilities over the summer holiday for this year only. I hope as always for your continued health and prosperity.

Yours truly,

Albus Dumbledore”

Harry had certainly been making good use of this special privilege the last few days. After the unfortunate (but funny) incident with Aunt Marge, the Dursleys had certainly been keeping their distance from him after he arrived. To Harry’s surprise and relief they didn’t object at all when he informed them of his plans to travel this summer. This ensured that there wouldn’t need to be another escape situation like he had had in his second year at hogwarts.

Harry was packing his trunk for departure in the morning. He planned on making a stop at Diagon Alley with Neville before they started really travelling. Harry performed an expansion charm on his trunk so that it would be able to suit his plans. He put the entirety of his things inside and shut the lid. Hedwig flew in the open window and landed in her cage gracefully. Harry had deep affection for the snow owl he had called his own since he first went to Diagon Alley before first year. He strode over,muttered the Aguamente charm to provide hedwig with water as she screeched loudly in approval. It was nice being able to use magic he thought. He plopped down on the bed and thought of the future and all the adventures it may bring. He also fantasized about how amazing it would be when he graduated hogwarts and could use magic to make his life easier all the time. He thought of dragons and adventures and slowly drifted off to sleep.

The next morning came faster than Harry imagined that it would. He rose from bed and strode over to the window. It was a beautiful sunny day and Harry was brimming with excitement as he dressed and quickly cast a weightless charm on his trunk to make it more mobile. He nodded coldly to the Dursleys as he walked past them and out the front door and down the street toward the bus stop. He boarded the next bus, drawing some sideways glances about the large trunk and owl cage. Hedwig always disliked being cooped up in her cage and made sure Harry was aware of this. In a short period of time he was disembarking the bus and entering the run-down establishment known as The Leaky Cauldron. He went through and tapped his wand on the brick wall out back just as Hagrid had done five years ago when Harry first entered Diagon Alley. The bricks shifted and moved around, creating a large archway that, once Harry had walked through it, quickly shifted back to its original position. To his relief and surprise there waiting on time and in one piece was Neville.

“Hiya Harry.” he said happily. “So glad you actually came. I thought I’d end up going by myself and I certainly wouldn’t know what to do.”

“Of course Neville. You’re my friend and you asked for my help. That’s kind of what friends do isn’t it?”

“I suppose so Harry it’s just that I haven’t really had any friends before and everyone just kind of sees me as a joke.” He shifted nervously where he stood.

“Well Neville, you don’t have to worry about that with me. I don’t see people like that. I say that if people are trying their best and really putting in a good effort and standing up for what’s right, then those are the good kind of people you want to be around.” Harry felt sympathy for Neville. He knew nobody really ever gave him a fair shake at Hogwarts.

“Anyway Harry what’s the plan? Why are we here at Diagon alley when we have to take the muggle train north to start?” Said Neville confusedly.

“Well.” said Harry. “ I figured that it can’t hurt to take some gold from my Gringotts vault. Also I figured that after the train we can skip the long carriage ride and take our brooms to get there faster.” Harry finished concisely.

“But Harry, I don’t own a broomstick. My Gran says they’re too dangerous for me. Doesn’t think I can handle it.

“I know you don’t,Neville. That’s why we’re here. To buy you a broomstick. And I figured we would get a few extras just in case we make any friends out there we may be able to play quidditch.”

“Aw, schucks Harry. Really? You mean it?” said Neville excitedly.

“Of course, Neville. Like I said we’re pals and we’re going to have a great summer and it’ll probably be easier to do more if we have brooms.”

“Alright then mate. Shall we get going then?”

Harry nodded and they made their way down the cobblestone street. Harry always loved the ambience of Diagon Alley. It had shop window after shop window all lined up along either side of the way. The most amazing magical shops anyone could imagine could be found here. Bright oil lamp posts lined the long winding street ornately .Harry thought maybe they should stock up on candy from the local honeydukes branch since Weasley’s Wizard Wheezes was closed due to the family vacation. First thing was first though, and that was Gringotts. As they walked up the giant stone steps and endured the ride down to the deep vaults underneath gringotts, Harry couldn’t shake a nagging feeling of impending danger that he was all too familiar with. The cart stopped first at Neville’s vault. Harry was surprised to see a sizeable amount of gold in there.

“Gran always tells me not to use this money. That it belonged to my parents and that i should make my own way in the world. But I think that it won’t do anyone else any good to be honest.” Neville filled his bag with handfuls of gold and then, they were off again.

Soon enough they were careening along in the cart once more down a bit further to Harry’s vault. When they arrived Harry went inside and filled his bags with as much gold as possible. Harry noticed something he hadn’t the other times he had been there. A black and red sword sat in the corner, blended in almost flawlessly with the wall. The sword was curved and streamlined in appearance. It didn’t seem to be made out of any metal that Harry was familiar with, and seemed to be giving off a dark and dangerous aura. Could it be a weapon of the dark arts? Harry stared at it unsure of what to do about it when he noticed a small roll of parchment on the floor beside it. Harry stooped down and picked up the parchment and unrolled it to read:

Dear Harry,

As you are reading this note instead of speaking to me, then what I have been fearing has come to pass. I only wish I was there to talk to you in person, but it is important that you remember what the contents of this letter state. This sword came into my possession during one of my particularly dangerous adventures. It contains an enchantment of spectacular power and as such, I must stress caution in using it. When this sword is used on an enemy, it will transport them to another dimension called “Oblivion”. it’s a hellish sort of place that I have only read about in abstract books from far away lands. The important thing is that by using this sword your enemy will not have a way back to harm you or others any further. I again stress caution as once this effect is enacted, it cannot be undone. This I bequeath you, my son. Be careful in all you do. Much love,

James Potter

Harry finished reading and stuffed the parchment into his robes. He then picked up the dark sword and stowed it carefully in the trunk. He turned and left the cavernous vault and listened as the doors shut behind him and the series of locks clicked slowly into place. They were moving again up once more to the surface when Harry heard Neville give a small sickly groan at the speed and ferocity of their ride. Harry began to wonder if Neville’s gran was right about the brooms but, before he could finish the thought they had screeched to a stop at the top. They proceeded down the alley’s bustling street to the broom shop first where Harry purchased twelve average broomsticks and one Nimbus Two-Thousand for Neville. He got the twelve regular brooms at a discounted bundle price so the only heavy expense was the Nimbus but Harry thought that it was certainly worth it to be able to give a meaningful gift to a friend. After buying the brooms They made a quick stop at Honeydukes, and then headed out into the muggle world and towards Kings Cross station. After boarding a train heading to northern Switzerland they bunked in for the long ride ahead. Harry had a lot on his mind as the smooth riding train worked its way through the remote countryside. Harry didn’t know a whole lot about the mysterious land they were going to, only that it was not populated by any muggles and that there were dragons there. It was not much to go on but, in the same token it was plenty. Harry had developed a certain distaste for dragons during the tri-wizard tournament he had participated in during his fourth year. Harry reflected for a moment, on all that had transpired since his revelation to the world of witchcraft and wizardry. He had been through a lot for someone who was only about to turn sixteen years old. In thelast five years alone he had risked his life or fought for it more times than he could remember, defeated or outsmarted some very powerful and wise witches and wizards, and saved his entire school and classmates on at least three occasions. Quite a lot for the average fifteen year old, even for a wizard. He shot a glance in Neville’s direction, wondering if he had any idea what kind of mysteries would lie before them on their journey. After some time he finally spoke.

“Neville, do you have any information or know anyone in Skyrim who may be able to help us when we get there?” said Harry in a cautious yet curious tone.

“All that I know about Skyrim is basically what I told you before.” he said apologetically. “But, my Gran said that I should have family up there somewhere. I think she mentioned a place. Riften, perhaps.”

“Well it’s not much, but it’s a place to start at least.” Harry said uneasily. They stole a glance out the window. The sun was setting now, casting beautiful pinks, oranges, purples, and blues in a spectacular blend of color across the sky. Harry hoped that wherever their adventures took them, that it was beautiful like this.

The train began to slow as they pulled towards a quaint, little village nestled in the shadow of a valley. Harry thought this place looked like a postcard he had once seen sent to the Dursleys that one of their more well off friends had sent. When the train had come to a complete halt at the village’s small station, they disembarked. Harry and Neville took a moment to collect themselves on the platform. They had to plan their next move carefully if they were to avoid attracting too much attention to themselves. They had an important decision to make on how they would proceed moving forward.

“We can take the brooms.” Harry said under his breath to Neville as they walked hurriedly towards the edge of the tiny town.

“That or we can take the carriage like gran said.” said Neville, clearly not entirely thrilled with either option.

“Why would we take the carriage Neville? It’ll take a hundred times longer to get there. You said yourself that they are pulled by horses. Unless there’s a good reason I really think we should take the brooms.” said Harry, trying to sound logical and kind. He didn’t have this kind of resistance usually with Ron and Hermione. Perhaps there was more backbone to Neville than he initially anticipated.

“Well, the way I figure it, if we take the carriage, the cart driver may have knowledge of the places there. He could possibly fill us in on some valuable information.”

Harry was almost in shock. Neville had made a good point there and it’s not like they couldn’t fly off from an earlier point if the driver wasn’t forthcoming with information.

“That’s actually a pretty good idea. And if he doesn’t want to tell us anything we can always skip off at an earlier point. I admit sometimes I am too fast to action and could use a lesson or two in the use of tact.” Harry was not used to being humbled anymore, as he had earned hero status in the wizarding community in many circles. He genuinely tried to live on the higher side of life and as such wasn’t often called out on his brash nature.

“Thank you harry. I think that this will be a good opportunity to gain some context of the situation we are getting ourselves into. And if we don’t, then we can take the brooms. I also think we should be on our guard for You-Know-Who and his death eaters. We’re a good ways away from the busy parts of civilization and it’s a good place for them to lurk about and hide.”

Having made their decision, they headed towards the north end of the village. They strode past quaint countryside cottages with thatch roofing and candlelit windows. There was a small playground just off the center of town and this looked like a nice place to live and just be away from the world. A sign in the town square indicated its name as Bubleyburg. They turned down a couple of streets keeping in the northerly direction until a sizable cart strung up to two very large and strong looking horses came into view. They approached the man perched on the seat of the cart and before they could do anything he spoke to them.

“Need a ride?” He said heartily. He had a deep voice in a heavy nordic accent. When they nodded silently he asked them another question. “Where do you want to go?”

“Well we’re not entirely sure to be quite honest sir.” Harry smiled politely at the man. “Is Riften a possible destination? It unfortunately is our only lead to get where we need to.” Harry and Neville shared a hopeful glance. If they were going to find any answers this was it.

“Yes indeed, lads. That’ll be ten gold for my leg of the journey.” said the man kindly.

Harry dug into his pockets and pulled out the ten gold coins. The driver inspected them carefully and handed Harry eight of them back. Harry looked at him confused.

“Definitely this is your first time to Tamriel isn’t it?” Said the man with a chuckle. “ The currency is different there, just as currencies differ in the rest of the world. He stared them down solemnly. “Are you boys sure that you want to go? Skyrim isn’t for the faint of heart.”

“We’re sure. We just need a little information if you don’t mind helping us out. It is our first time anywhere in Tamriel let alone Skyrim which, from what you make it sound like, is a tougher place than most. I feel though that with some info and background we can make our way. We can be quite resourceful when necessary.”

The man eyed them down, gave a hearty laugh, and bellowed,

“Climb in back and we’ll be off”