Chapter Text
Disclaimer: Don’t own Harry Potter or Kingdom Hearts
So I was thinking about a Harry gets raised in the KH world idea and after reading one of Venquine1990’s stories (on ffnet) about Master Yen Sid raising Harry, I wondered what if someone from the other side picked him up instead.
Chapter 1
She looked at the house before her, a cottage really, though a good sized one, and wondered what Darkness could have called her there. Whatever it was, was focused on the house and so she vanished, appearing invisibly within the building, finding the body of a young man sprawled at the base of the stairs, freshly killed. Interesting, especially as the body appeared untouched. She paused as noise from above reached her.
“Not Harry, not Harry, please not Harry!” a young female voice begged.
“Stand aside you silly girl … stand aside now,” was the reply from a high, raspy voice. Hmm, it seemed she’d found the source of the Darkness. Curious, she appeared there to find a snakelike man with wand raised as a young woman…who stood before the cot of a young child who was whimpering softly. “Avada Kedavra,” the man said, a green light leaving his wand to hit the woman, killing her instantly, and leaving her body like the man’s downstairs. That was…very nasty magic.
To her surprise the man turned on the child, the same spell leaving the wand even as she cast, green flames burning between them. She heard the child scream in pain even as the spell seemed to rebound back through her spell, hitting the man and destroying his body. She dispelled the flames and moved to see what damage had been done. The child…a little boy, was now lying on his back, bawling, and she saw why; an open wound on his head, jagged and bleeding. His magic had been powerful enough to cut through her flames, but not so powerful that they hadn’t weakened it, sparing the child’s life.
Seeing the babe injured and in pain…she felt a twinge of…regret over the girl. Over the years she had come to realise that perhaps it was not the child she should have cursed. She still held her anger at the parents, but the child had been innocent, and yet would be the one to pay the price, even with those blasted Faeries having weakened the curse so that she would not truly die. She was the Mistress of all Evil but…she was still of Faerie as well. And the strongest rule for them was to never harm a child, a rule she had broken. She ran her hand over the orb on her staff and the child hiccupped, eyes locking onto the green/yellow light as it floated over to him. It gently settled over the boy and he blinked startled green eyes, the scar healing…but not all the way, interesting.
“Well then, whatever am I to do with you little mage?”
He gurgled and then reached for her and Maleficent stared at him before reaching in and lifting the child out, surprised when he curled close.
“That is hardly appropriate,” she told him, but he just put his thumb in his mouth and went to sleep. She stared down at him and then made her choice. Using magic, she gathered the contents of the room and then the whole cottage, excluding the bodies and furniture, and then they vanished in a bust of green fire.
Travelling to another World had been strange but thankfully she managed to return home. It would appear Fate had stepped in to ensure her journey.
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Diablo sat on the rail of the cot, watching the sleeping child, keeping him safe. The Forbidden Mountain was not a warm or welcoming place for one so young. He knew why his Mistress had taken the child, even if he didn’t fully understand. Still, he would watch over and protect him as she wished.
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“This world is just too small,” Xehanort commented as he stood on the sandbar connected by bridge to the larger island. It was obviously used by children to play even now. He didn’t even bother glancing down at the white sheet covered bundle under his arm. “There, you see? An empty world, like a prison.” He set the sheet-covered form down onto a Paopu tree that was bent sideways like a bench. “I imagine you'll be right at home.”
Under the sheet, a blond-haired boy closed his dull blue eyes, body limp on the branch.
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“Hey, where am I?”
”Who's there?”
A light shone in the Darkness and pushed it away. Cloaked in the white sheet, the boy fell down through the water with a splash. The sheet glowed brightly and left his body. He turned feet down and landed on a white platform. He stood up and surveyed the platform with his blank eyes, it was missing a large piece.
“I'm a brand new heart,” the soft answer came.
“But this is-- Why are you in my heart?”
“The light brought me. I saw it shining in the distance...and followed it here,” the new voice answered…a new heart?
He held a hand to his Heart. “Yeah. That was my light. But my heart is fractured. And now...the little I have left is slipping away.”
“Then you should join your heart with mine.”
“Huh?” he asked, barely open eyes still dull as he stared at the platform.
The platform suddenly filled in with light and became whole.
“Now our Hearts have touched. Nothing else will slip away. And one day...you'll be strong enough to win back the part that already did.”
“Right. Thanks.”
“It's time to wake up now. All we need to do is...”
Their two voices joined as one. “Open the door.”
The white peeled away like feathers and revealed a blue platform of the boy. He looked upward and watched the pieces float away.
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Xehanort walked away from the boy in the sheet. The boy lifted an arm up out of the sheet, and he stopped, turning around, smirking at the sight. A Keyblade flashed into the hand of the boy, glowing. “A Keyblade!” So, he could still call on the weapon, perhaps he could survive after all.
The Keyblade shot a pillar of Light into the sky. Xehanort smiled and the boy slowly opened his eyes, the small points of light reflecting in them.
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Maleficent finally finished sorting through the belongings she had taken from the cottage. Now she knew her charge’s name, Harry James Potter, born just over a year before that night. She had never raised a child before but she knew the basics of what they needed. That scar of his though concerned her, there was something Dark within it, far too Dark for such a young child. Residue of the man’s magic? Or something more?
Much of the contents of the house was interesting, magical in nature, and yet unlike any magic she had seen. If he had that kind of magic, it would need training as he grew so she was glad she had taken it all. A normal child she would pass off to a family somewhere, but a magical child would never be accepted by those who populated their World. She would raise him as her own, teach him everything, and perhaps…he would become Faerie one day too.
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The Wizarding World was rejoicing, Voldemort was defeated! Some grieved for the Potter’s, those who had called them friends. It had been a shock when Hagrid had returned without the child though and with the news that the damaged cottage had contained only the bodies and furniture, all other contents were gone. He had gone, run scans, but all of the magic that had been thrown about made it all but impossible to get proper readings.
Someone had taken the boy, if he had been killed then surely his body would have been left behind like James and Lily, but who could it have been? Black was in Azkaban, Voldemort at least temporarily defeated…had someone gone with him beside Black and taken the boy? He had not advertised the fact that the Potter heir was missing, not yet, because while more people to search could help…it could also put the boy in even more danger.
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Maleficent leant back on her throne, smirking as the toddler dashed between the goon’s, sending them tumbling, hearing the child’s happy laughter as he played. He was a bright, happy, child despite the horror of a year ago. It was strange having a child and there had been changes to the castle to ensure the inquisitive youngling didn’t come to harm. The goons were not very good at keeping him out of trouble but Diablo was, he just lacked the opposable thumbs necessary to physically stop him. She’d warded off the most dangerous areas at least.
Having a child around was a reminder that in three years, the curse on Aurora was due to activate. She had lost all sense of the child, there had been no sign of her, and so she assumed the three Faeries were hiding her somewhere. Part of her wondered if it was possible to remove the curse or at least lessen it further…and she knew that was because of Harry.
She looked down as the toddler ran over, clutching at her gown, looking up at her with such innocent eyes, despite the Darkness within the scar on his head. She stroked a hand over his hair and he raised his arms to her. She shook her head but lifted him into her lap. Maleficent had done her research, shocking the members of Faerie because of the topic, and she knew that physical contact was necessary for a healthy upbringing. It was not something she enjoyed but she wanted him to have the best. She had to wait a few more years before beginning his training, although the games with the goons were a good start at physical training.
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Xehanort looked at the Mountain fortress before him, smirking, it appeared to be the perfect place to find someone steeped in enough Darkness to be useful to his plans…and this world also contained one of the seven Princesses. He made his way to the castle, spotting the small beings with weapons. They weren’t very smart but they were very Dark.
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Maleficent frowned as she sensed someone approaching. “Diablo,” she called and he flew down. “Take our little mage deep into the castle and keep him hidden,” she ordered, and he cawed, taking off to find the boy. She rested back on her throne, waiting to see just who dared brave her mountain.
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Ventus yawned, moving to lie down, but was greeted by the face of a blue-haired girl. “Whoa!” he yelped, sitting up before getting to his knees even as she giggled. “Gimme a break, Aqua,” he grumbled, and she reached out to ruffle his hair.
“Ven, you hopeless sleepyhead. You know, you should've at least brought a blanket,” she told him as she sat beside him.
“But…Did I dream that place up? It really felt like I'd been there before...looking up at the stars...” he whispered.
She petted his head. “'Cept you've lived here with us for four years Ven, unless you’ve remembered something from before?” she asked, and he shook his head. He didn’t remember anything before them.
“Yeah... I know.” He leant back on his elbows, staring up at the sky. “Aqua...”
“Hm?”
“Y'ever wonder what stars are? Where light comes from?” he asked.
“Hmm... Well they say…”
“That every star up there is another world,” a familiar voice finished, and Ventus turned, grinning at Terra.
“Terra,” Aqua smiled at him, and Ventus watched them. It was weird but the way Aqua smiled at Terra had changed in the last year, but he didn’t understand why. Even Terra was acting a bit different around her too.
“Yep, hard to believe there are so many worlds out there besides our own,” he reached down and ruffled Ven’s hair, making him pout. He wasn’t a little kid! “The light is their Hearts, and it's shining down on us like a million lanterns.”
“What? I don't get it,” he frowned in confusion, even as Terra grinned at him.
“In other words, they're just like you, Ven.”
“What does THAT mean?” he demanded.
“You'll find out someday, I'm sure,” Terra teased, and Ventus crossed his arms.
“I wanna know now,” he groaned, and they both laughed. Sometimes they could be so annoying!
“You're too young to know now.”
“Quit treating me like a kid!” he told them, and Aqua laughed softly.
“Hey, what are you laughing at?” Terra asked as they both looked at her.
“I can't help it. You two would make the weirdest brothers.”
“Huh?” they both said.
Aqua laughed again. Ven put his hands behind his head and started laughing along with Terra and Aqua, even if he still didn’t quite get it. They sat there a while after they finished laughing, just enjoying the quiet.
Aqua stood up eventually. “Oh, yeah! Terra, you and I have our Mark of Mastery exams tomorrow.” She reached into her pocket. “I made us good luck charms.” She pulled out three star-shaped charms hanging from short chains.
He caught the green one, grinning since it matched his armour. “I get one too?” he asked in awe and she smiled at him as she held up her own blue charm.
“Of course. One for each of us.”
“Yeah!” Ventus grinned, happy to be included.
“Somewhere out there, there's this tree with star-shaped fruit...and the fruit represents an unbreakable connection. So as long as you and your friends carry good luck charms shaped like it, nothing can ever drive you apart. You'll always find your way back to each other. Technically, I think you're supposed to make them with seashells, but I did the best with what I had,” Aqua explained to them.
“Oy, sometimes you are such a girl,” Terra teased.
“Hey, what do you mean "sometimes"?” she demanded.
“So this isn't a real good luck charm?” Ven asked in confusion.
“Well, that's yet to be seen. But I did work a little magic on it,” she promised, and his eyes widened even as he tried to sense what kind of magic she had used.
“Really? What?”
She held her charm high in the air. “An unbreakable connection.”
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Sora laughed as the splashed in the water, his Dad watching them from the dock. They weren’t old enough to row over by themselves, but Riku would be soon! Dad said when he was older and Riku’s Birthday was soon, he’d be older then.
“Come on Sora!” Riku called, grabbing a bucket to begin building a sand castle, and Sora grabbed his little shovel.
Sora loved spending time on the Play Island with Riku, it was more fun than anything else.
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Maleficent had listened to Xehanort’s explanations of the different Worlds, not that she didn’t know others existed, after all Harry came from another World. His plans and ideas were…intriguing. Pure Hearts….she glanced at where Harry was playing, he came close due to his age, but no, he was not entirely pure, not when his only playmates were the goons. But she did know of one, one that would soon be cursed into a hundred years of sleep-like death. The girl would never miss it in that condition. She could always return her Heart before the hundred years were over.
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Harry sat at his desk, Diablo watching him, as he worked on learning his letters. Mother was busy with important work but he didn’t mind. Diablo was neat and would sometimes sneakily help him if he got stuck. Were all birds as smart as him? Some of his lessons were boring but Mother said they were necessary and he was too young for the fun lesson…for magic. He was five! He wasn’t a baby anymore.
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“Come along, now,” Flora murmured as they side-stepped against a castle wall, making their way inside and then up into a tower bedroom. “All right, in here, dear,” she relaxed as Merryweather pushed the door closed. “Bolt the door, Merryweather! Fauna, pull the drapes!” she told her sisters and they quickly did so. “And now, dear, if you’ll just sit here,” she gently urged Briar…Aurora to sit before the dressing table mirror. “This one last gift, dear child for thee, the symbol of thy royalty. A crown to wear in grace and beauty, as is thy right, and royal duty.” As she spoke they touched the tips of their wands together, the magic combining to create a pretty tiara for her, gently setting it on her head.
Aurora broke into tears again, hiding her face in her arms.
“Now, dear,” Fauna tried, but Flora held her back.
“Come, let her have a few moments alone,” she murmured, and they left the girl to grieve for the life she had known.
“It’s that boy she met,” Merryweather huffed as they hovered in the hallway.
“Whatever are we going to do?”
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Inside the room, the fire went out, Maleficent appearing from the shadows. There was a small flash of light and she was gone, leaving behind an orb of yellow-green light…like the crystal at the top of her staff. Aurora lifted her head at the change in light, staring at the glowing ball before standing slowly, her cloak dropping from her body as she stared unblinkingly at the light, one hand reaching for it as she began to slowly walk towards it. She was unable to resist the gentle call of her name as she followed it as the wall beyond the fireplace opened.
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“I don’t see why she has to marry any old prince,” Merryweather grumbled.
“Now, that’s not for us to decide, dear,” Fauna argued. “Maybe we should tell King Stefan about the boy,” she suggested.
“Well, why don’t we?”
They paused, falling silent to listen, hearing a faint sound from inside the room.
“Maleficent!” Flora gasped in horror.
“Rose, Rose!” they all called for their child as they struggled to get the door open, spilling into the room.
“Oh, why did we leave her alone?!”
They saw Aurora walking through the fireplace, but the wall reappeared, blocking them from her. Aurora slowly walked up a staircase, following the light.
The Faeries tried pushing the wall open, then Flora used her magic to vanish it.
“Rose, Rose! Where are you? Rose! Rose! Rose! Rose, Rose, Rose!” they called as the scattered among the staircases and paths. There were too many! “Rose!”
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Aurora followed the light into a room in the tower, where the light turned into a spinning wheel. Aurora started to reach towards it with her left hand.
“Rose! Don’t touch anything!”
Aurora hesitated, a flicker of awareness in her eyes.
“Touch the spindle. Touch it, I say!” Maleficent commanded from the shadows, her magic pressing down even harder on the Princess. Aurora reached out and touched the spindle with her middle finger, a flash of light filling the small room. When the light faded, Maleficent nodded, seeing the girl sprawled as if lifeless on the ground.
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They rushed into the door, gasping in horror as they were confronted with Maleficent.
“You poor, simple fools,” she laughed. “Thinking you could defeat me! Me, the mistress of all evil! Well, here’s your precious princess!” She drew her gown aside, to reveal the crumpled form of their dear Briar Rose.
They stared in horror and disbelief as Maleficent disappeared, laughing triumphantly.
“Rose!” Fauna cried as they moved closer.
“Oh, Rose! Oh, I’ll never forgive myself,” Flora knelt to take the girls hand but she remained unmoving.
“We’re all to blame!” Fauna cried.
Outside, the sun sank into the horizon.
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Maleficent stood in the doorway, seeing Harry sleeping peacefully in his small bed. It was done, her curse had been enacted. The child…her child was growing healthily, if a little pale due to the eternal cloud cover. She still had work to do, to ensure the Prince wouldn’t be able to wake Aurora yet, and to prepare for the young man Xehanort was sending.
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Terra stood and looked up at the castle, it's many turrets piercing the sky. He turned his gaze downward and saw a black horned figure standing on the bridge before him, a staff held in hand. He walks over to them…her.
“What's this... Why aren't you asleep, boy? That fool Flora cast a spell to put everyone in this castle into a deep, deep slumber.”
“Who are you?” he asked warily.
“Why, I am Maleficent...as all who dwell in this kingdom would know. Now you must reciprocate the introduction. Who are you?” She walked closer but he refused to retreat.
“I'm Terra. What do you know about those monsters--the ones who attacked me?”
She walked to the edge of the bridge and gazed out at the valley. “Hmph. Now why would I give a thought to creatures so base...so inconsequential,” she sneered.
Terra gave a small laugh. “They are base, that's for sure. Anyway, I'm looking for someone. Ever heard of a man named Xehanort?” he asked, it would be nice to find Master Xehanort on the first World.
Maleficent placed a hand on the green orb at the head of her staff. “That name is not familiar to me. Is he an outsider, like yourself?” She smiled and paused for a moment. “Oh, but wait... I do remember someone leaving the castle.” She looked at him and he nodded.
“Tell me, what was he doing there?” he asked, what had brought him to this World?
“I couldn't say... I can only be certain he was not from this kingdom. If you're curious, go see the castle for yourself. There,” she motioned towards the castle, “the entrance is past the bridge.”
“Thanks,” he gave a small bow in thanks as well, before turning and running for the castle.
“Perhaps he did speak, about imprisoning "the light"...”
Terra stopped as he heard her quiet words, not seeing her smirk.
“’The light’ could be so many things. Could he have meant Princess Aurora?”
“Aurora...” he murmured before taking off again, not seeing her vanish.
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Harry sat on the rug on his floor, playing with his toy dragon, laughing when Diablo dive bombed the Knight figure, picking it up to drop it from the ‘cliff’ beside the toy castle. “Bad knight!” he agreed with his friend. Knights killed dragons and that was wrong.
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“This feels so familiar...” the boy whispered as he stared at the Princess.
“Her heart is filled with Light…not the slightest touch of Darkness,” she explained from the shadows near the fireplace, watching him spin around, smiling at him. “Just the kind of Heart I need.”
“For what?” he asked her in confusion.
“Imagine with me, the most glorious of futures... Seven of the purest Hearts, each overflowing with Light. When brought together, they grant the power to rule all worlds.”
“What do you mean?” he stood between her and the bed.
“Why, that key you hold... The Keyblade, is it called?” she asked, even as he summoned it.
“Where did you learn that name?” he demanded warily.
“That trinket is the only way to obtain the hearts,” she waved a hand at it.
“No more games. Where is Master Xehanort?”
“Impudence will get you nowhere, child,” she warned, Harry had far better manners and he was only five! “If you wish to learn more, you must retrieve the heart of Aurora.”
“And why would I ever want to do that?”
“It's not a matter of "why", but of will,” she smiled even as the orb on her staff glowed. “In your Heart, there is Darkness just waiting to be awakened.” She stroked her fingers over the orb and a green aura surrounded both of them.
“I dunno what you're talking about,” he denied.
“Perhaps not yet... But I have power over sleep. And I can awaken what's inside you... Then you will be free to be who you truly are,” she told him, voice soft, enthralling.
She smiled as her magic took hold, the boy’s body hunching over briefly before straightening. His eyes opened to reveal glazed over blue, as if possessed, or deeply unconscious. He held out his Keyblade and Light emanated from it. Maleficent watched as Aurora's heart floated out of her chest and into her own hands. She chuckled darkly as green fire covered the heart.
“Here it is... Just what I've waited for,” she held it gently, so much power…. She felt him break free of the bespelled sleep, but it didn’t really matter now, she had what she’d needed him for. “To think that all he spoke of was and will be true.”
“What? How did I…” he stared at the Princess before spinning to face her. “What did I do? What did YOU do?” he demanded.
“You speak as if I pulled some invisible strings,” she sounded affronted. “No, you couldn't be further from the truth, child. I simply whispered to the Darkness you already held inside.”
“How could I do this?” he asked in shame.
“Yes... Now, you want to know where Xehanort went,” she told him as she approached. “Well, that I cannot answer. He disappeared into the Darkness. But now I know the Keyblade is necessary to gather hearts. Join me. Collect six more hearts of pure Light. Then we will rule all the worlds together,” she offered. Harry could use an older sibling and playmate after all.
“You seem to be mixed up. I'm a peacekeeper, not a tyrant!” he denied, oh well. He summoned his Keyblade only to stumble as the room shook, spilling dust from the rafters.
“Hmm... For a peacekeeper, you're off to an exceptionally poor start. Remember this, the Darkness in your heart cannot be held back by force or strength. Now...my work here is done, as is yours. Wasn't there someone you needed to chase?” She vanished, returning home with her prize. She didn’t really care if he won that fight or perished since he turned her offer down.
Now she would learn about Aurora’s Heart and just what it could do.
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Harry watched from the doorway as his Mother worked on something. She straightened and then motioned him forward. He stepped up on a stool to see better. “What is that Mother?”
“A Heart of Pure Light,” she told him, and his eyes widened. Wow. “A very powerful thing my child.”
“What do you do with it?” he asked curiously, and she smiled.
“Let us find out.”
He nodded eagerly, he loved watching her magic. She looked at him again and sighed, brushing his hair back from his face. “You are becoming quite untidy little mage, we shall have to see to that later.”
He nodded. He didn’t really care about his hair, as long as it was out of his eyes. Mother liked him to look tidy though so he did his best. His clothing was always clean unless he’d been playing in the courtyard or exploring unused rooms, the ones he could get into anyway. Besides, his clothing was mostly black so even if it was dirty, you couldn’t always tell.
TBC….