The Crow Lord - Into the Unknown. (Patreon)

Harrys Potter, Somewhere – Somewhen.

"So… do you like books?" the little prince asked, an expression of hope on his face, but at the same time in a… strange way, as if he had never spoken with anyone, or had done so very little.

"Aye, I do," Harrys replied distractedly as he escorted the little King through the damned labyrinth inside his head.

It was more than obvious that this place was inspired by the Red Keep, although it was much more twisted, strange, and completely devoid of common sense.

He slowly advanced down the corridor, wand raised, with King Daeron walking beside him, trying to make sense of what he was seeing in order to find a way out of here.

Being honest with himself, Harrys had no idea what exactly he was looking for. The King's magical influence had to be quite old and very well hidden, considering that it functioned normally unless the name Blackfyre was mentioned.

That level of mental manipulation revealed that Harrys was not dealing with a novice, but rather with a very experienced magic user, meaning he would have to tread carefully.

He did not know how long he had been wandering around here. If someone had told Harrys a couple of days ago that he would find himself wandering through the fragmented mind of Daeron Targaryen, accompanied by a mental projection of the same king during his childhood, Harrys would have simply laughed at the ridiculous suggestion.

Alas, apparently fate greatly enjoyed surprising him, because that was precisely what had happened, and, much to Harrys's mixed feelings, young Daeron was a polite, courteous, and helpful boy.

"My favorite stories are about magic, you know? About the dragons of old and the ancient legends of the First Men and the Rhoynar. The children of Rhyone were supposedly skilled in water magic. I wish I could have seen it," the little boy said while clinging tightly to Harrys's robes.

Harrys couldn't help but frown at the young boy's words, knowing perfectly well that King Daeron was a cold and highly logical person, a man of science… not someone genuinely interested in magic.

"I'm surprised by your interest in the higher mysteries, especially those of the Rhoynar, considering the history between the Valyrians and the children of Rhyone," Harrys said calmly, causing the little boy to nod softly.

"It's just… my uncle, King Baelor, has betrothed me to Princess Myriah Martell. She is supposed to be my wife in a few years… I… I want to make a good impression on her, that's all. I thought that…" the young boy said embarrassedly, causing Harrys to nod softly.

"You wanted to make a good impression. That's very considerate of you. Well done," Harrys said sincerely, surprised to see the boy's expression of surprise transform into adoration, as if… he had never received that kind of praise in his entire life.

Harrys merely smiled softly and refocused on the twisted mental palace where he found himself. It was becoming increasingly difficult for him to connect the little prince with the cold and ruthless Daeron Targaryen he had known.

It was obvious that something here was not right, and he had to get to the bottom of it before it was too late. Therefore, Harrys focused once again on making sense of his surroundings.

The walls of black and red marble stretched toward an impossible horizon, making the corridor appear endless, while the moon illuminated an eternal ocean through the windows. There was no land, no shore, no stars: only waves, storms, and a darkness that seemed to be watching us from the other side of the glass.

The suits of armor lined up beside the columns were the worst.

They did not move, but their helmets slowly turned as we passed in front of them, making Harrys feel their gazes fixed upon his back, following every movement, perhaps waiting for us to make the mistake of looking at them for too long.

"Don't look at the armor," Harrys said cautiously, causing little Daeron to nod softly as the two moved through the seemingly endless corridor.

Some held swords; others carried spears, and a few had empty hands, as if they had been placed there to guard something far more dangerous.

However, that was not really important at the moment. The Peverell grimoire mentioned that he had to find the core, that cluster of things that formed Daeron's character.

And which was normally hidden in the deepest part of any mind's subconscious.

Therefore, he would have to somehow reach the deepest part of this castle.

"Do you know where we're going?" the little prince asked while looking at Harrys with curious and inquisitive eyes, causing Lord Potter to frown and respond.

"Not really. I only know that we need to reach your memories and…"

However, Harrys's words were immediately interrupted. Daeron had stopped and was now looking at Harrys with absolute terror in his purple eyes.

"No… anywhere but there, please," the little boy begged with such desperation that Harrys could only look at him in confusion.

"Huh? Why not? They are your memories, aren't they?" Harrys asked cautiously upon seeing the young boy begin to tremble, terror invading his body.

However, before Harrys could ask what the hell had happened, a sharp and powerful shriek invaded his ears. It was ancient… guttural and magical in nature.

"Little brat! Why did you leave your chambers? Do you want to die? I gave you a fucking order!"

At those words, Harrys looked toward the source of the problem, watching as the previously endless corridor suddenly shortened, while an ancient door appeared and from it… a male silhouette emerged from the shadows.

"No, no, noooo!" Daeron screamed, utterly terrified as he stared at the new impostor and clung to Harrys's body with all his strength.

"You've been a very bad boy, Daeron! Come here and face your punishment like a man! Hurry up, I have to pay your mother a visit… I adore the way she screams at night!" the repulsive man spat, while the young prince began crying uncontrollably, his body trembling and apparently… that gave power to whatever the hell this being was.

Outside the castle, the ocean and storm unleashed themselves with even greater ferocity than before. Enormous waves battered the fortress, and the… shadow tormenting the King's consciousness became much stronger and more solid.

He was broad-shouldered, tall, and powerfully built. He wore a crown that Harrys had seen in portraits of the Red Keep, and the sword at his waist was quite familiar to the young Lord, a sword that now adorned the wall of his study.

Harrys was looking at Aegon IV, Daeron's father, or at least something that used that form to torment the King's consciousness.

Around the intruder was an aura of sickly, poisonous green magic, while spectral ravens cawed and flew around him.

Harrys had no fucking idea what was happening, but he would get to the bottom of it.

"So… you're the leech. How long have you been inside the King's mind?" Harrys asked curiously, while his mind moved at full speed, trying to figure out how the hell to attack this thing.

The being lost interest in Daeron, focusing completely on Harrys, staring at Lord Potter with such overwhelming fury that the young Lord couldn't help but raise his eyebrows at the amount of hatred and contempt emanating from this shadow.

"YOU!" it spat furiously as it took a couple of steps forward, its blood-red eyes shining with malice.

"Me," Harrys said calmly, causing the intruder to growl and respond.

"You and your fucking mother! Do you know what you've caused? You saved the prince! He was supposed to die!!" the entity roared, causing Harrys to frown, taking the trembling Daeron into his arms and responding.

"Who are you, scum? I can recognize your rotten soul. What intentions do you have toward the King?" he spat, gripping his wand and preparing his spell.

Alas, apparently the construct was not interested in talking. Its face was furious, and its gaze was completely lost in madness.

"MY SONG! MY BEAUTIFUL SONG! EVERYTHING WAS PERFECTLY PLANNED!! AND YOU RUINED IT! BAELOR TARGARYEN HAD TO DIE!!" the being roared before releasing another roar, this time causing the immense statues around them to begin moving, leaping from their places in the walls and advancing toward Harrys and Daeron.

Harrys cursed upon seeing everything coming toward them, so he looked at the young prince in his arms and spoke urgently.

"Hey, Daeron! We're inside your mind. I need you to get it out. That thing isn't your father. It has no power over you," Harrys said urgently, trying to make the little prince understand.

Alas, Daeron Targaryen was in no position to be of any help, at least for the moment. The prince's eyes were wide and paralyzed with terror, moving erratically as he stammered again and again.

"No, please, don't hurt Mother anymore! I'll be good, I promise! I'll return to my chambers, please!" the terrified child screamed, causing Harrys to curse and begin running in the opposite direction.

"YOU CAN RUN ALL YOU WANT, ANOMALY! BUT HERE… I AM IN CHARGE! I WILL FIND YOU SOONER OR LATER!" the being spat before releasing the most macabre laugh Harrys had ever heard in his entire life, but for the moment, he paid it no attention.

He had to find a safe place, as well as find a way to calm the terrified King. He could not abandon him to his fate, at least not in the state he was in.

He had to find a way out of here, and to do that, he had to find the King's memories.

Although that could wait. First, he had to escape.

Lord Potter turned around and began moving his wand in precise motions, imposing his will upon the Mental Palace and causing the walls of the immense corridor to collapse in on themselves, blocking the path of his pursuers.

The action stopped the suits of armor, but Harrys did not want to take any chances, so he simply continued down the immense corridor, reaching what appeared to be an enormous staircase made of black stone.

They were made of stone, but not like those of the Red Keep. Instead, they were more reminiscent of Dragonstone's architecture, with right and triangular angles dominating the descent, which was shrouded in complete darkness.

"Do you know where this leads, Daeron?" Harrys asked urgently, addressing the little prince.

"I… I don't know, Harrys," the little prince said with guilt in his eyes, causing Harrys to sigh heavily.

"There's only one way to find out. We have to go down," he said with determination, at the same time as heavy footsteps, courtesy of the cursed suits of armor, began approaching their location.

Therefore, with a heavy sigh and more courage than common sense, Harrys began his descent through the immense and terrifying staircase.

Toward the depths of Daeron Targaryen's mind.

Toward his memories.

Lily Potter, Potter Manor – Crownlands.

"So… what is the news you have to share with us, my son?" Queen Myriah asked curiously, seated elegantly in the comfortable and luxurious sitting room of Potter Manor while gently sipping her tea.

They had been in this room all afternoon and, to be honest, they had been the most uncomfortable hours of her entire life. She had no point of reference for this kind of situation. Lily Potter did not know how to deal with her mother-in-law.

After all, when James and she had become engaged, Lord Fleamont and Lady Euphemia had already perished from Dragon Pox, so it had only been James and her against the world.

Now? Lily had to deal with parents-in-law and brothers-in-law, protocols and bullshit she was not really accustomed to.

And by the Gods, how exhausting it was, the redhead thought, watching as Maekar asked Daeron for the fourth time whether he was all right.

The young prince responded as always, nodding slowly, reminding his father that he had not drunk alcohol since they had left Dorne, much to Maekar's obvious pride.

Alas, that did not matter now. The priority was to share the news of her pregnancy with the Queen. Lily wanted to know what Queen Myriah's reaction would be to the happy news.

Would she be happy about it? Would the birth of her future daughter cause problems? Those were the questions Lily asked herself over and over in her mind, and although Baelor always comforted her, she could not help thinking about it.

Baelor merely took her hand and gave her a warm and gentle smile, an action Lily answered with one of her own before inhaling deeply and looking directly into the Queen's eyes.

And channeling her inner Gryffindor, she answered firmly.

"I'm pregnant."

As soon as Lily dropped the bombshell, the redhead carefully observed the faces of every member of the royal family present.

Valarr and Kiera were the first to react, both displaying radiant smiles, much to Baelor's obvious relief, judging by his subtle sigh.

"Congratulations, Kepa!" the young prince said with genuine happiness, causing Lily to smile radiantly at the young prince before receiving a warm embrace from Kiera, a sincere gesture that the redheaded Lady happily returned.

The next to react was Maekar, who looked at Baelor in absolute surprise before responding.

"Brother, congratulations on the news. I pray to the Gods that the prince or princess turns out with the character of my nephews," the tired prince said with a heavy sigh as he stood and gave Baelor a warm embrace, which Baelor immediately returned with warm laughter.

"I'm sure Princess Viserra will be very well behaved, brother. The Gods have smiled upon me with a wonderful woman after all," Baelor said with a smile, causing Maekar to look at him in surprise and ask.

"Gods! A princess? How can you know that?" he asked curiously, looking toward Lily and waiting for an explanation.

The redhead responded.

"A simple spell gives us the answer," she said simply, causing another wave of congratulations to fill the room, at least until Queen Myriah gently stood and walked toward them.

For a moment, Lily feared the worst, only to sigh in relief when the Queen took both Baelor's and her hands before giving them a radiant smile.

"The Gods bless the House of the Dragon not with one, but with two future princes on the way. Many congratulations to you both!" the Queen said excitedly, causing both Baelor and Lily to sigh with relief.

However, the Queen's expression changed completely in an instant, filling with determination and severity.

"Then it is imperative that the wedding take place as quickly as possible! Daeron was already making the preparations and the Lords have already been summoned. You must be married in less than two moons! We cannot allow the future Princess Viserra to be a bastard, after all," the woman said, having already begun talking to herself about the preparations for the Royal Wedding, much to Lily's disbelief.

However, before the redheaded woman could say anything, the doors to the room suddenly burst open, startling everyone inside.

"What does this mean?" Baelor asked firmly, looking at Ser Grafton, who for some reason was breathless and paler than a ghost.

"Your Graces… it… it… Lord Potter… something has happened to the King. He found… something in the… he requests… AHHHG—"

The poor man was so exhausted that he could not finish his report, but the little he had shared was enough to completely alarm the royal family.

"Ser Grafton? Where is the King? What happened?" Baelor asked worriedly, giving the poor man the necessary time to recover.

"It is… Lord Potter. He was speaking with His Grace about Daemon Blackfyre when something strange happened… no, I don't really know what happened, but Lord Potter ordered me to take Lady Lily to his office as soon as possible," the knight said desperately.

Lily stood up immediately, completely alert and with her wand in hand, prepared to assist her son, an action both the Queen and the princes imitated.

"Then let's go, Ser. There is no time to—"

However, Lily's words were interrupted by a peculiar event originating from the boundaries of the manor's wards.

Lily and company watched in surprise and suspicion as hundreds of animals of all kinds—deer, boars, bears, and wolves—began emerging from the forest, running at full speed toward the wards and striking them desperately. It was obvious that they desperately wanted to enter the castle.

"By the Gods!" the Queen exclaimed, watching as the enormous number of animals was joined by the largest flock of birds Lily had ever seen in her life, and to the redhead's horror, all the birds began throwing themselves against the wards with desperation and fury.

"What the fuck is happening?" Prince Maekar asked, dumbfounded.

"I don't know, but we have to reach Harrys as soon as possible," Lily said firmly, only to leave the room, closely followed by the entire royal family.

There was no time to waste.