The Haligtree was unlike anything Harry Potter had ever seen before.
A gigantic trunk literally sprouted out of the ocean off the northern coast of the Lands Between. And upon it, a literal country was built upon the tree’s roots, where creatures and men of all kinds lived everywhere from the high treehouses in the branches above, to the deep burrows below. And then there was Elphael, a momentous tiered city made of sculpted stone that was built as a brace to support the tree itself.
But if one was to look closer, they would see the soldiers training in every yard, alongside the crates of weapons and arrows that were being stockpiled. As blinded by the tree’s beauty as he might be, but Harry was smart enough to recognize a city readying itself for war.
He had only been here a day, and before that, it had taken their group three days to navigate through the consecrated snowfield to their destination. After the short battle that acted as his impromptu introduction to Princess Malenia, the demigoddess had then led their ragtag group of former enemies to the Haligtree.
Of course, this came with some resistance from Millicent, who had nearly killed one of the Cleanrot Knights during the battle. The fiery redhead was furious, but Harry managed to talk her out of getting them both killed with her temper. The two of them were no match for Malenia and her remaining knights after all, and so they had little choice but to follow them.
The Haligtree had been their reason for journeying so far into the mountaintops, and there was no point in further fighting when cooperation was more preferable.
Harry had some time to take in their surroundings and interact with a Grace Site after their arrival, redressing into more comfortable Hogwarts robes in the process and greeting Melina who appeared through the Site of Grace. He was afforded his own quarters in the city of Elphael, a beautifully furnished apartment with a large balcony that overlooked the open ocean and mountains beyond.
Millicent and Melina both had chosen to stay lodged in his quarters, with the former going off to burn off steam in the training yard, while his Maiden remained at his side. But soon one of Malenia’s personal Cleanrot Knights came knocking, stating that the Princess requested a private audience with him.
From there Harry was guided into a more guarded and fancier section of the city, where the personal residence of its rulers resided. A hall filled with half a hundred unalloyed knights standing guard let him out to a large, private balcony where two wooden chairs sat adjacent to one another.
Malenia occupied one of them, resting comfortably as she looked out over the view of the open ocean. The sun was sitting low and turning the sky more of a pink color in the distance, and if Harry angled his head slightly he could see the enormous branches of the Haligtree hanging above them.
He approached her and bowed, only for the redhead to wave him off. “Please sit. We shall speak as equals.”
That word stuck out. “Equals?”
She turned her head to face him, her helm resting on her lap as those intimidating golden irises watched him. “You are the Lord of Destined Death, a title of great significance in these lands. Two Great Runes now lie under the Haligtree’s banner, with you holding half of them. That is not to mention you having done a great service by returning my kin to me.”
Those words were said earnestly and honestly, in such a way that it surprised him. Perhaps he had not expected her to be so honest, used to the partial lies told by most in this world and the last.
“Tell me, Tarnished of Destined Death, what are thy ambitions?” He remained quiet as she continued.
“Ambitions?” He wanted to laugh at the lofty word. “I’m afraid that you might be disappointed. Beyond getting Millicent to this place, I only followed the guidance of my maiden who wished to be brought to the base of the Erdtree.”
“I did expect more.” She looked out over the view in front of them. “Most Tarnished wish to become Elden Lord. To gain enough Great Runes and reforge the Elden Ring.”
“Perhaps I would want that.” She turned back to face him while he spoke, as Harry felt himself shrug at the strange look she gave him. “To be honest, I’m not one for ruling. It was never my ambition.”
“Neither has it been mine.” Malenia stated in agreement. “I swore to be my brother’s blade to avoid it at first, and then I came to rule my own company of knights. Then came the Shattering, and I led my brother’s armies to war, only to return and find him missing. And finally I am here, ruling in Miquella’s stead. One could call it irony, but I find some things - in this case, leadership - to be simply unavoidable due to our station in life.”
“Is it really?” He truly wondered if that was the case.
A similar sentiment had come to him a few times in his life, being the thought that he should stick his head in the sand or run away to avoid his responsibilities. Facing foes like Voldemort in his first and second year of Hogwarts would make any juvenile wizard think the same after all.
“Make of thyselves that which you desire. Be it a Lord. Be it a God. But should thou fail to become aught at all, you will be forsaken...” Malenia spoke suddenly, before pausing as if in deep thought. “My Mother spoke those words to us long ago, in one of the few times she held a full court of my siblings under the Erdtree.”
“That sounds… harsh.” Was all he could say. It reminded him of that muggle saying about how the strong were destined to rule over the weak.
“Perhaps it was.” She said simply. “My Mother came from a Land much harsher than our own, and she forged her empire under the supposed benevolence of the Greater Will. Yet rather than bidding us to follow the Erdtree’s light, that day she instead told us to forge our own dominion much like she had done.”
Queen Marika wanted her children to rule. But also to be different than her. That much he could tell, yet he couldn’t help but wonder if it was all part of some grand plan to get out from the Greater Will’s influence. There were few other explanations in his mind, unless Marika simply followed such a tribal way of thinking. “And that is how you ended up here, I assume?”
She nodded. “I followed my twin brother, Miquella, as his blade, who went on to create this Haligtree. He… We wished for this place to become a safe refuge for those abhorred by the Erdtree’s creed, and to create a gentler world in the process.”
Harry thought of what he had seen in his travels. Of his time in the Altus Plateau, of hanged and flayed corpses and the relentless march of thousands under Rykard’s banner. Even Liurnia, Limgrave, and Caelid were little better, littered with bandits and monsters that would kill anything and anyone who dare approach.
He felt his respect for the woman rise, as he learned more about her. It seemed that for how intimidating she was, Malenia did value kindness very highly. “You really have done something great here. Outside of Caria Manor, this is the only place I have truly felt safe walking around. Just looking around right now shows you have succeeded in what you set out to do.”
“Perhaps.” She didn’t seem fully satisfied. “And yet, most of the land is worse off than it was under the Golden Order. My twin would surely weep if he was to see the world as it is now. The Shattering is to blame, yet I hold some responsibility myself.”
Caelid. That atrocity went unsaid, yet there were more before that. Even before her fight with Radahn, the Haligtree’s army had steamrolled everything in its path on their infamous long march south as the Shattering war came to an end.
“It is what comes next that I wished to speak with you about.” She continued on. “Word of fighting in the Altus Plateau has gained my attention, and it happens to coincide with thy arrival. An opportunity has presented itself to expand the borders of my brother’s kingdom, to see those who would defile everything this realm has to offer laid low, and for you to help.”
“Me?” He stiffened in his seat as she watched him intently.
“It is as you alluded to, these lands are aplenty with monsters and bandits. The time is ripe that we march out and put an end to them.” She waved a hand outwards to emphasize her point. “The Haligtree’s population has tripled since my slumber began. I now command an army large enough to take and hold the rest of the mountaintops with ease, and even challenge the diminished Golden Order as it is now behind the walls of Leyndell.”
“S-Still, I’m hardly the right person for doing such a thing.” Harry tried not to stammer. “I can fight some, but hardly lead like you say.”
Malenia only hummed. “Indeed, thy paltry skill with a blade still leaves much to be desired. But leading is hardly as complex as you claim, especially with the Great Rune in thy possession. Yet, the role I have in mind for you is different than you might expect.”
He frowned oddly. “What is it then?”
“It is at my side. For I would take you as my consort.”
If Harry was drinking, he probably would’ve choked. His body became frozen in place then, as his brain short-circuited while he tried and failed to comprehend what she had said. Her words had simply been so unexpected, so unforeseen, that it had completely blindsided him.
“C-Consort?” He got out at last, voice strained. “T-That… What?”
Malenia only nodded. “To truly set these Lands in order, one must accumulate enough Great Runes to reforge the Elden Ring. Your great rune alone is vital to this process, and then there is the mantle of Elden Lord to consider, for I would have you take up the position as my consort.”
“I-I…” He was processing her words better, but still struggling to accept them. “Are you sure?”
“You have already proven thy honor, and shown some of thy ability earlier with our exchange of combat.” She referred to how he had brought Millicent this far, along with their short duel. “There are few others of appropriate status and mindset outside of thyself for me to consider for consortship.”
“Still…” He trailed off, trying to push past the sheer surprise he felt. “You do realize that I’m seeing other women already?”
“You may hold consorts of your own.” A certain steely, possessive look entered her gaze. “But if you agree to this, you will be my consort. My Elden Lord while I reign as Queen.”
“Y-You know what that means, right?” He couldn’t help but ask. “That we would be… together?”
Malenia’s cheeks pinked, as she looked away. “O-Of course, the normal consortship procedures would apply. We shall share intimacy, hold hands, perhaps kiss? And then there is the matter of children…”
She became very quiet towards the end, her face blushing even more. Harry struggled to restrain a laugh in that moment, suddenly seeing the resemblance between Malenia and Millicent. Naivety is thy word, it seems.
She might present herself as an intimidating demigoddess of war, but he had been able to see just enough under Malenia’s facade to know otherwise. Perhaps that had been her plan, to speak to him here personally and show him her true self. It wasn’t unthinkable, as she was proposing the equivalent of marriage to him after all.
“I… Am not opposed to it.” She looked at him suddenly as he spoke, eyes wide. Yet Harry simply couldn’t come to a decision in that very moment. “Please, allow me to think on this.”
“Of course.” She agreed. “But know that thy decision must be made soon. Time is of the essence with war drawing near.”
/////
Whispers and stares seemed to follow her everywhere these days. Or, at least since the spectacle of the Yule Ball they did. But things were at least getting better.
Witch Weekly and the Daily Prophet held little back when it came to featuring her in their newest editions. The Queen of Hogwarts, Potter’s Ice Queen, The Slytherin Temptress, along with a hundred other ridiculous titles had been bestowed upon her by reporters and gossip columnists since she attended the Yule Ball on Potter’s arm.
And then Harry had disappeared back to that strange world she knew little about, and hadn’t been seen since. While they were all becoming accustomed to Potter’s strange disappearances, this one was coming to be more lengthy than the previous ones.
Most of the school was coming to believe they had broken up. Half the rumors circulating around claimed she had broken Harry’s heart on the night of the ball, and he had run away as a result. The other half claimed she had bewitched him, doing so with a love potion or something worse, and his disappearance was due to her devilry.
Either way, most of the school was wondering where Potter had disappeared off to this time, and most were coming to blame her for it.
But there were upsides. Her Slytherin classmates had been more insufferable than usual after the Yule Ball, but thankfully the degrading rumors had appeased them. It seemed that the rumors she hurt or manipulated Potter in some fashion was easier for them to digest, rather than the truth of the Gryffindor Golden Boy wooing the Slytherin Ice Queen.
Daphne Greengrass resisted the urge to sigh, instead running a harsh hand through her blonde hair. Despite Potter’s explanation, she still struggled to believe the tale of him disappearing to another world entirely. But she had already decided to place her faith in him, to follow his lead in hopes of him standing amongst the titans of their world, and would have to be quiet and patient for the time being.
His rise to greatness would hopefully help her own rise in power, as to appease Daphne’s own inner Slytherin ambition. But even then she knew the truth, that she was a lovestruck teenage girl obsessed with Harry Potter.
Tracey shifted uncomfortably at her side as they sat at one of the tables in the library. “I can’t believe that they’re still looking at you.”
An icy glare directed at a nearby table made the group of younger Ravenclaw and Hufflepuff girls jump in fright. They soon stopped looking her way, instead going back to studying or whatever gossip they were discussing - which was likely about her boyfriend.
Daphne nearly snorted, both in dismissal and irritation. “It used to be worse.”
Indeed, the days immediately after the ball, and even those first few weeks, had resulted in Daphne Greengrass being treated like a muggle celebrity by the student population. Wherever she walked, crowds parted and girls stared in awe or jealousy. She could scarcely eat in the Great Hall without half the room directing stares her way, resulting in her mood becoming particularly foul around that time. I wonder if this is what normal life is like for Potter?
Things weren’t as bad now with the degrading rumors going around, but that didn’t mean things were entirely back to normal.
“They’re just jealous.” Astoria, her sister, chimed in easily from the table’s side. “Or were. Now they just want to know what’s going on, what the latest gossip is. Things are getting too boring these days.”
“They’ll have plenty to talk about when the second task happens.” It was scheduled to take place in a couple days after all, and Harry was sure to show his face before then.
“Uh-oh.” She turned to Tracey, who had spoken uneasily. “It seems trouble is headed our way.”
She followed her friend’s gaze, seeing that Susan Bones and Fleur Delacour of all people were both headed toward their location in the library.
The two girls were nearly opposites, yet similar in terms of beauty and their immense breast size. For Susan, she was average height with a curvy body that featured truly oversized assets that the women of House Bones were known to possess. As for Delacour, the French Veela was tall and gifted with breasts nearly as large as Daphne’s own, along with that long blonde hair that always seemed to shine perfectly.
Those two had also endured their own set of problems from the Hogwarts’ rumor mill. Notably due to how they were the only ones - besides herself - to dance with Potter during the Yule Ball. If girls weren’t already jealous of Daphne Greengrass, then they were instead jealous Susan Bones and Fleur Delacour for their proximity to Harry Potter.
The coming articles had hardly helped things. Skeeter in particular loved to write of the ‘love triangle’ between Daphne, Bones, and Delacour in their competition for Potter. And to think Skeeter would actually be right for once.
Susan was the first to speak, approaching her front while Delacour walked casually to the side and feigned disinterest. “Where is Harry?”
Daphne didn’t immediately respond, instead casually finishing the sentence she was writing for her potions essay. It made the redhead puff up in irritation, being at the receiving end of a common power move that Daphne had used over the years to annoy her rivals. “Potter will be back soon, if that’s what you’re asking.”
“But where is he?”
“He’s off training.” She said instead. She could hardly give the outlandish explanation that Harry was off in a distant magical land that Bones had never heard of. “He’ll be back before the task, if that’s what you’re here to bother me about.”
Try as she might to feign indifference, Daphne too had been desperate to learn Harry’s location and current status. She had even gone as far as to search out that House-elf that he was acquainted with in the kitchens. Said elf, Dobby, had returned with a message from Potter saying he would be back within the week.
Of course, that was five days ago. Her lip twisted further downwards at the thought, trying not to let her worries get the best of her.
“Non, zat is not ze only reason we are both here. For I believe ze three of us have words to share with one another, non?” Delacour suddenly spoke, eyeing herself and Susan, before giving a light glare to Tracey and Astoria.
Her sister and best friend left in a hurry under Delacour’s stare, as Daphne looked at the Beauxbatons Champion furiously. “You had no right to do that.”
“Non? You would rather they stay and talk about ‘Arry with us?”
“There is nothing for us to talk about in regards to Potter.” Her jaw was clenched tight.
“Of course there is.” Delacour smirked. “It is as those papers say, zat ze three of us are competing for ‘Arry’s attention, non?”
“It’s hardly a competition when Harry chose me to go to the Ball with over you.” Her words wiped the smirk off Delacour’s face, as she scowled.
“Yet Harry is still interested in me. In us.” Susan corrected herself. “He did go on that date with me, and then to the ball with you, Greengrass. And he even told me that he’s not opposed to sharing.”
“Oui, ‘Arry is simply too spectacular to not share.” Delacour was back to being irritating. “Which is why he will eventually come to moi.”
She nearly slammed her fist down in anger, desperately resisting the urge to curse the Veela whore. “Like he would fall for your charms, Veela.”
“But you will share him.” Susan cut in, trying to steer the conversation away from a fight. “He told me you agreed to it.”
“Maybe I did.” She forced herself to be calm, before shooting a glare at Delacour. “That doesn’t mean I’ll agree to sharing him with the likes of you.”
“Oh? You believe you can stop me from getting with ‘Arry?” Delacour’s smirk became dangerous. “Perhaps we should settle this now? It would cause less problems for ‘Arry in ze end.”
“Settle this how?” Her wand fell into her grasp under the table, ready for a fight.
“How about a wager?” The Beauxbatons Champion threw back her hair casually, doing so in a way that made even Daphne envious. “Tomorrow is ze second task, and during ze task, something ‘Arry will ‘surely miss’ will be taken from him. If zat thing he will miss is you, Greengrass, then I will not pursue ‘Arry any longer.”
Her mind whirled through the implications. “And if it isn’t?”
The Veela smirked. “Then I win, and you will accept me as ‘Arry’s new lover without complaint.”
/////
The Great Hall was largely empty at such a late hour, the students of Hogwarts, Beauxbatons, and Drumstrang having turned in for curfew hours before. Yet the Triwizard Tournament’s organizers were afforded no such luxuries, deprived of sleep as they stood in the empty hall around the ancient magical artifact that was the Goblet of Fire.
Ludo Bagman yawned into his fist while Crouch’s frown looked even more pronounced than usual. And Albus Dumbledore’s own mood was little better, having spent days preparing and negotiating with the Black Lake’s residents to prepare for the second task.
The Goblet of Fire came to life as they stood around it. Its flames sprouting once, twice, and then on the third time a small piece of parchment floated out before being snatched out of the air by Karkaroff.
The Drumstrang Headmaster sneered mightily as he read it and came to a decision for who would be the one Victory Krum would surely miss. “Hermione Granger.”
Young love. Dumbledore felt the urge to smile, while also feeling nervous for the muggleborn’s wellbeing in the coming task. The smartest witch of her age had attended the Yule Ball with Mr. Krum, and it seemed their relationship was progressing steadily.
Once again, the flames of the goblet flared outwards, as another parchment erupted before landing in Dumbledore’s own waiting hand.
Cho Chang
Amos Diggory
Pomona Sprout
While it was tempting to make the Hufflepuff Head of House be Cedric Diggory’s hostage, having the Hogwart’s Champion’s girlfriend take such a position was more fitting. “Cho Chang.”
Then came Madame Maxime, who read the paper for Fleur Delacour’s hostage with raised brows and a deep frown. “Gabrielle Delacour.”
Next came the one he was most anxious for, as Dumbledore had genuinely wondered if the Goblet would recognize their fourth Champion for the coming task. Harry was placed into this tournament by Voldemort’s allies after all, who hoodwinked the artifact to add an illegitimate Champion.
The Goblet’s flames sprouted higher and angrier this time, to the point he grasped his wand just in case. But soon the slip of parchment containing the names of Harry’s most valuable people came floating out and into his waiting hand.
Millicent
Dobby
Sirius Black
Ranni Caria
Malenia
Melina
Daphne Greengrass
Susan Bones
Fleur Delacour
Albus Dumbledore blankly stared at the list for a long moment, his mind coming up with few answers as he searched his memories for these unknown names. He tried desperately to recall the reports he had received about Harry’s life before Hogwarts, and even his time spent at the Dursley residence between the school years.
Yet he drew a blank. That was when he wondered if these strange names were house elves that Albus had yet to meet, or even that of pets and animals. Harry was a parselmouth after all, and could be friends with pet snakes that Albus simply didn’t know about.
Or it has to do with his disappearances. The Headmaster of Hogwarts had been far too busy with his other duties to track Harry’s movements, and had largely ignored his actions until now. Closed off to outsiders as he was, it was entirely possible that Harry Potter simply made new friends and allies… ones that Albus didn’t know about. Troubling.
And then there were the names he did know. Daphne Greengrass wasn’t surprising to see, being the heiress of a family that wasn’t particularly fond of him. And then there was Fleur Delacour, someone he never would’ve thought could befriend the Boy-Who-Lived.
“Well, Dumbledore?” Asked Crouch, who had seemingly run out of patience while Albus’ mind wandered.
He resisted the urge to sigh, taking one last look at the parchment and committing the names to memory before burning it to ash with his fingers.
“Susan Bones.”
He didn’t exactly like Harry’s closeness with Ms. Greengrass, and having him rescue Ms. Bones would be a sure way to disrupt their relationship. Tempting as it was to choose the house-elf, Dobby, the better option was the niece of Amelia Bones.
Soon the Goblet dimmed, as the occupants of the Great Hall left to begin their preparations for the task ahead.
Disclaimer: All Characters are over the Age of 18
A/N: Image of Malenia included. Not good enough to be a portrait, so I left it here