Categories > Books > Harry Potter > Harry Potter and the Next Overlord
Long story short: Absence due to lack of inspiration, then augmented by a stolen computer and loss of all previous material concerning the story. Recently, I hit a writer's block, and am using this story as a tool to overcome that. Many apologies, loyal readers.
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What Am I Doing?
The ride to the surface through the Minion Gate was not as pleasant as his Netherworld portal. Not because the portal itself was any different. His almost instant journey was just as gentle and comfortable as his other portal.
The difference was Harry itched.
To be fair, Harry wasn't sure if the itching was physical or mental. All he knew was this tiny body felt like it had never taken a bath or even touched water in its life, let alone soap. Which, again to be fair, it probably hadn't.
Harry soon felt the end of the portal approaching. He popped out of the portal, shooting a few meters into the air. Thankfully, the body was rather agile, and it seemed the magic involved in his possession adjusted his reflexes accordingly, so Harry was able to land (somewhat) gracefully.
In his mind, Harry heard Gnarl sign with relief. "Glad to see you've arrived in one piece, Master. To be honest, I've never sent a possessed Minion through a gate before. There was always a chance your spirit might have been wrenched from the Minion's body and sent spinning off into the aether." Harry felt himself pale considerably. Or, his Minion body did. Maybe his real one did as well, but he couldn't rightfully tell. "Fret not, Sire. In such cases, including Minion death, your spirit will always return to your own body. Well, usually. Either way, I don't recommend it. It can be painful if done incorrectly."
"Not helping, Gnarl." Harry tried to speak, but the Minions vocal chords didn't seem to work correctly, his words coming out as a meaningless growl, but Harry could tell the mental link carried the message across regardless.
"Er, right." Nine more Minions popped out of the gate behind Harry, the Minions relaxing in the shade of the tree it was under. Ten Minions, Harry had decided, would be small enough a number to go relatively unnoticed, but large enough to move all of Harry's things. "We're on the outskirts of the Lovegood property, Sire. That wreck of a house they call the Burrow is a short walk from where you are, so best get moving."
Nodding, Harry gestured to the Minions around him, who snapped to attention immediately, and they began jogging in the direction of the Burrow. "So, Gnarl, you never did tell me what the new spell stone does."
"Actually, Sire, I did, but you had other things on your mind at the time. Specifically, a blonde nymphy something." Gnarl cackled lewdly, but Harry couldn't find it in himself to be cross over such an enjoyable thing. "While you can't use your spells in this Minion body, the spell you recovered is one of my favorites: The Minion Spell. Now, the Minion spell will give you a little more creative control over your Minions, Lord. You can make super tough Minions who will literally explode with power, or sacrifice them to boost your own health, strength, and durability."
Harry admitted it sounded quite useful in a pinch. It'd have to wait, though, as they reached their destination. All around the Burrow, the wreckage of the ransacked wedding remained. The bodies had been removed, but whether by Death Eaters or Ministry or the Weasleys, Harry couldn't know. He suspected the Death Eaters wouldn't have cared enough to clean up after themselves, but he couldn't imagine Mrs. Weasley leaving such a mess on her property. The Burrow was, miraculously, still standing, though with a few holes. An air of silence hung over the scene.
"Seems abandoned."
"Indeed, Master. Best to move ahead cautiously, though. Might be any number of traps waiting."
Harry nodded, moving between the rubble, his Minions scavenging the debris for anything useful. As they entered the house, Harry's suspicions were confirmed; a thin layer of dust coated every surface. No one had been here for a few days. Harry ordered his Minions to spread out through the house to look for any possible hints of the whereabouts of the inhabitants. Strangely, there seemed no signs of struggle or ransacking within the house. Every room had been tidily cleaned out, as if the Weasley's had just decided to move. Harry hoped this meant his sudden departure from the wedding had drawn away the Death Eaters and given everyone time to escape.
"Mastah! Mastah!" As Harry climbed another set of stairs, a Minion scampered out of what he recognized as his and Ron's room, clutching a sheet of paper. "Gnasher has found a note! It's got Mastah's name on it!"
Harry snatched the paper out of the Minion's hand, opening it as the rest of them shoved each other about, trying to get a better view of the note, which Harry thought was odd; could the Minions even read?
Dear Harry,
/]
[/Time is short, but knowing you are sure to return for your things, I thought you'd like to know just what's happened and what we've learned since you escaped. YKW has taken over the Ministry. That's not surprising; Kingsley let us know soon after the attack that it had happened. That's how they managed to break into the wedding. What's surprising is how subtle the takeover has been, at least according to Kingsley. On the outside, everything looks the same, even saying that Voldemort and his Death Eaters are still enemies of the Ministry, but it's only propaganda. Their attacks have increased and are being ignored by the Ministry or pretending they're powerless to stop it. The entire Ministry is basically a poster now. So the same, except with YKW pulling the strings.
/]
[/As for us… You know Bill died. Somehow, he was the only one that day. Fleur's distraught, but staying with us. The day after the wedding, a "Ministry Official" came and told us we were being moved to a safer place, one more befitting "upstanding purebloods" like us, but it's really just so they can keep us under their noses. Before you ask, I don't know where Hermione is. The moment you disapparated, the Death Eaters fled, and Hermione ran to where you'd been. I didn't see what she did, but a second later, she disapparated as well. She must've known it wouldn't be safe for her, even with us. I hope it means she's with you. Anywhere but in the clutches of those bloody Death Eaters.
/]
[/Anyway, we've hid your things in the attic under your cloak, far left corner. Funnily enough, it seems the ghoul left during the attack. Silver linings, eh? One last thing; DON'T COME LOOKING FOR US! It's sure to be what YKW expects, and why we're to be under surveillance, but don't expect for a second that we won't be doing our best to stick it to that ruddy bastard. Just get on with what we know you need to do. Give 'em hell, Harry.
/]
[/~Ron
Harry felt a rush of numerous emotions fly through him as he read the note. Anger and concern foremost among them. They boiled up within him, but he pushed them aside for now. He sent his Minions to retrieve his belongings, pondering his next course of action. The Weasley's were safe, for all the good it did them. Hermione was on the run alone somewhere. Voldemort was in power and immortal, and Harry still had no clue where his Horcruxes were…
Harry barely took notice of himself leaving the Burrow, Minions and luggage in tow. He seemed to have stumbled upon his major problem: information. He may have known carefully-guarded secrets like the existence of Voldemort's Horcruxes, but when it came to the bigger picture, he was clueless. He didn't know the workings of the Ministry, nor the state of the Order of the Phoenix, or even where to begin his search for Voldemort's Horcruxes. He was flailing around in the dark, hoping to score a lucky hit against his foes. He needed information, detailed information, from inside every organization, or else he would continue to wander aimlessly and eventually get himself killed. With a wry grin, he felt he understood why Hermione desired knowledge as much as she did; it was damn useful.
Of course, his grin disappeared as he thought of Hermione. He had all but abandoned her to the mercy of the Death Eaters, and she had only escaped by luck. That was assuming she hadn't already been captured by Voldemort's people since then. It was almost too much.
"M'Lord?" Gnarl's voice echoed in his head. "I am loath to interrupt your thoughts, but we have arrived at the Minion Gate. I think I may have an answer for your little information problem in the meantime."
It felt a little disconcerting to realize that Gnarl had read his thoughts without him actually articulating them. "How's that?"
Harry could practically hear the feral grin on Gnarl's face. "You're familiar with your Ministry's so called 'Unforgivable Curses,' yes? It just so happens that all three were derived from one of the Overlord's natural powers, which we call the 'Evil Presence.' So tell me this, young Master; do you know anyone within a position of power? And do you dislike them enough to force them to submit to you?"
It took Harry a grand total of 5 seconds to make his decision.
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Constructive criticism is always welcome! R&R
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What Am I Doing?
The ride to the surface through the Minion Gate was not as pleasant as his Netherworld portal. Not because the portal itself was any different. His almost instant journey was just as gentle and comfortable as his other portal.
The difference was Harry itched.
To be fair, Harry wasn't sure if the itching was physical or mental. All he knew was this tiny body felt like it had never taken a bath or even touched water in its life, let alone soap. Which, again to be fair, it probably hadn't.
Harry soon felt the end of the portal approaching. He popped out of the portal, shooting a few meters into the air. Thankfully, the body was rather agile, and it seemed the magic involved in his possession adjusted his reflexes accordingly, so Harry was able to land (somewhat) gracefully.
In his mind, Harry heard Gnarl sign with relief. "Glad to see you've arrived in one piece, Master. To be honest, I've never sent a possessed Minion through a gate before. There was always a chance your spirit might have been wrenched from the Minion's body and sent spinning off into the aether." Harry felt himself pale considerably. Or, his Minion body did. Maybe his real one did as well, but he couldn't rightfully tell. "Fret not, Sire. In such cases, including Minion death, your spirit will always return to your own body. Well, usually. Either way, I don't recommend it. It can be painful if done incorrectly."
"Not helping, Gnarl." Harry tried to speak, but the Minions vocal chords didn't seem to work correctly, his words coming out as a meaningless growl, but Harry could tell the mental link carried the message across regardless.
"Er, right." Nine more Minions popped out of the gate behind Harry, the Minions relaxing in the shade of the tree it was under. Ten Minions, Harry had decided, would be small enough a number to go relatively unnoticed, but large enough to move all of Harry's things. "We're on the outskirts of the Lovegood property, Sire. That wreck of a house they call the Burrow is a short walk from where you are, so best get moving."
Nodding, Harry gestured to the Minions around him, who snapped to attention immediately, and they began jogging in the direction of the Burrow. "So, Gnarl, you never did tell me what the new spell stone does."
"Actually, Sire, I did, but you had other things on your mind at the time. Specifically, a blonde nymphy something." Gnarl cackled lewdly, but Harry couldn't find it in himself to be cross over such an enjoyable thing. "While you can't use your spells in this Minion body, the spell you recovered is one of my favorites: The Minion Spell. Now, the Minion spell will give you a little more creative control over your Minions, Lord. You can make super tough Minions who will literally explode with power, or sacrifice them to boost your own health, strength, and durability."
Harry admitted it sounded quite useful in a pinch. It'd have to wait, though, as they reached their destination. All around the Burrow, the wreckage of the ransacked wedding remained. The bodies had been removed, but whether by Death Eaters or Ministry or the Weasleys, Harry couldn't know. He suspected the Death Eaters wouldn't have cared enough to clean up after themselves, but he couldn't imagine Mrs. Weasley leaving such a mess on her property. The Burrow was, miraculously, still standing, though with a few holes. An air of silence hung over the scene.
"Seems abandoned."
"Indeed, Master. Best to move ahead cautiously, though. Might be any number of traps waiting."
Harry nodded, moving between the rubble, his Minions scavenging the debris for anything useful. As they entered the house, Harry's suspicions were confirmed; a thin layer of dust coated every surface. No one had been here for a few days. Harry ordered his Minions to spread out through the house to look for any possible hints of the whereabouts of the inhabitants. Strangely, there seemed no signs of struggle or ransacking within the house. Every room had been tidily cleaned out, as if the Weasley's had just decided to move. Harry hoped this meant his sudden departure from the wedding had drawn away the Death Eaters and given everyone time to escape.
"Mastah! Mastah!" As Harry climbed another set of stairs, a Minion scampered out of what he recognized as his and Ron's room, clutching a sheet of paper. "Gnasher has found a note! It's got Mastah's name on it!"
Harry snatched the paper out of the Minion's hand, opening it as the rest of them shoved each other about, trying to get a better view of the note, which Harry thought was odd; could the Minions even read?
Dear Harry,
/]
[/Time is short, but knowing you are sure to return for your things, I thought you'd like to know just what's happened and what we've learned since you escaped. YKW has taken over the Ministry. That's not surprising; Kingsley let us know soon after the attack that it had happened. That's how they managed to break into the wedding. What's surprising is how subtle the takeover has been, at least according to Kingsley. On the outside, everything looks the same, even saying that Voldemort and his Death Eaters are still enemies of the Ministry, but it's only propaganda. Their attacks have increased and are being ignored by the Ministry or pretending they're powerless to stop it. The entire Ministry is basically a poster now. So the same, except with YKW pulling the strings.
/]
[/As for us… You know Bill died. Somehow, he was the only one that day. Fleur's distraught, but staying with us. The day after the wedding, a "Ministry Official" came and told us we were being moved to a safer place, one more befitting "upstanding purebloods" like us, but it's really just so they can keep us under their noses. Before you ask, I don't know where Hermione is. The moment you disapparated, the Death Eaters fled, and Hermione ran to where you'd been. I didn't see what she did, but a second later, she disapparated as well. She must've known it wouldn't be safe for her, even with us. I hope it means she's with you. Anywhere but in the clutches of those bloody Death Eaters.
/]
[/Anyway, we've hid your things in the attic under your cloak, far left corner. Funnily enough, it seems the ghoul left during the attack. Silver linings, eh? One last thing; DON'T COME LOOKING FOR US! It's sure to be what YKW expects, and why we're to be under surveillance, but don't expect for a second that we won't be doing our best to stick it to that ruddy bastard. Just get on with what we know you need to do. Give 'em hell, Harry.
/]
[/~Ron
Harry felt a rush of numerous emotions fly through him as he read the note. Anger and concern foremost among them. They boiled up within him, but he pushed them aside for now. He sent his Minions to retrieve his belongings, pondering his next course of action. The Weasley's were safe, for all the good it did them. Hermione was on the run alone somewhere. Voldemort was in power and immortal, and Harry still had no clue where his Horcruxes were…
Harry barely took notice of himself leaving the Burrow, Minions and luggage in tow. He seemed to have stumbled upon his major problem: information. He may have known carefully-guarded secrets like the existence of Voldemort's Horcruxes, but when it came to the bigger picture, he was clueless. He didn't know the workings of the Ministry, nor the state of the Order of the Phoenix, or even where to begin his search for Voldemort's Horcruxes. He was flailing around in the dark, hoping to score a lucky hit against his foes. He needed information, detailed information, from inside every organization, or else he would continue to wander aimlessly and eventually get himself killed. With a wry grin, he felt he understood why Hermione desired knowledge as much as she did; it was damn useful.
Of course, his grin disappeared as he thought of Hermione. He had all but abandoned her to the mercy of the Death Eaters, and she had only escaped by luck. That was assuming she hadn't already been captured by Voldemort's people since then. It was almost too much.
"M'Lord?" Gnarl's voice echoed in his head. "I am loath to interrupt your thoughts, but we have arrived at the Minion Gate. I think I may have an answer for your little information problem in the meantime."
It felt a little disconcerting to realize that Gnarl had read his thoughts without him actually articulating them. "How's that?"
Harry could practically hear the feral grin on Gnarl's face. "You're familiar with your Ministry's so called 'Unforgivable Curses,' yes? It just so happens that all three were derived from one of the Overlord's natural powers, which we call the 'Evil Presence.' So tell me this, young Master; do you know anyone within a position of power? And do you dislike them enough to force them to submit to you?"
It took Harry a grand total of 5 seconds to make his decision.
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Constructive criticism is always welcome! R&R
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