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Chapter Text

Harry stared at the stars, there was no movement, no twinkling or shining that always seemed to happen when he was on Earth. But it was quiet and peaceful, something he enjoyed after being in a life full of chaos and mission after mission of saving people. Being dead was weird, mostly because his soul could not be collected, but also because he would never get to see his friends and family again.

He's had a long time to make peace with that thought, but it still disturbed him even now "dead" according to the wizardry world. Having died at 203 years old surrounded by grandchildren who knew he couldn't die but let him have his peace and distance from the hurt of seeing his family and, eventually, own grandchildren and their own children die. He was dead to that world, and he was fine with it.

And so, he went asked Death to let him see the stars, and now that he has, has found the peace and tranquility he never got, he missed the old life of adventure and easy friendship and family he created with Hermione and Ron.

"There is an alternative," Death appeared, neither truly female or male, their form switching between the two constantly before finally settling on a male form, just a bit taller than Harry. His eyes and hair as dark as the space surrounding them, a bit pale but not ghostly.

"Oh?" Harry asked quietly, his attention, while transfixed on the stars, his ears listening eagerly.

He missed the old adventures he used to have.

"A new life, a new backstory, a new adventure. There will be changes, though, Master," Death warned as he settled beside Harry, his staff lightly hitting the invisible platform they were standing on.

Harry hummed, wondered if the change would be worth it, and finally turned his gaze to his new and forever companion. Harry wanted to be angry at Death for tricking him into being the beings Master, but after living only just a couple years of immortality, Harry realized that being lonely as an immortal would be the most dangerous thing. And while Death has mentioned his twin Life, they do not talk all that often since humanity has sprung from the seed they planted. And so, Death found a friend he would never have to reap, and Harry couldn't be angry because he understood.

"What changes?" Harry asked quietly, wanting to know regardless of the answers.

Death hummed as he lightly tapped his staff again, a slight nervous gesture as Harry was learning as the being sighed beside him, it was a human move that threw Harry off for a moment as his lips twitched in amusement. For all that Death says humanity were mere babies and shouldn't get his attention, the man had a lot of humanity's oddities and ticks that he often did. "Your magic will be suppressed, I will never get rid of it, but it will have to be shifted. The world I wish to place you in is a world created by my sister and I long ago, it exists in a separate timeline, one where the world exists under the surface which they call The Burning World. They don't know it exists, and it will stay that way, but because I will have to alter your magic, there will be a bodily repercussion," Death admitted, "I will not be able to help it, only my sister, Life, would be able to make the adjustment or help with the repercussion."

"Stop beating around the bush, what bodily repercussion?" Harry asked with slight amusement.

Not having magic would be weird, but if it's tunneled into something else then that's fine. Harry has started using less and less magic as he hid more in the Muggle world, but the soft flame of his magic always made him calm and soothed any panic. He couldn't live without that feeling, in all honesty, so it being moved from a physical form to something inconspicuous didn't have Harry worried so long as that feeling stayed.

"You'd be blind," Death finally stated bluntly, "magic is entwined with the brain, even if you don't feel it. It's settled just around the Occipital and Temporal Lobes, so my altering and changing it will affect the pathways there. Your hearing will be better, but to compensate your sight will not. The alternative can happen, but I find it will be more important for you to hear in this world than see. After all, part of the change with magic will mean you can still see but through my eyes instead. We won't be able to do it constantly, but enough that I will not leave you so defenseless.

Harry blinked, he didn't care about being blind and Death's explanation was solid and made sense. "You'll be with me?" Harry asked in a tiny voice, having part expected Death to just dump him there until he was old enough to leave and they would repeat this cycle all over again. After all, Harry was used to being abandoned even by those close to him.

Death's dark eyes stared at Harry, even as his face softened around their hardened edges. "I will never leave you," Death said solemnly, but his tone with utmost fondness and sincerity, "we are bound, and I will not have it any other way. Your adventures will now be my adventures. My reapers can hold it from here, I have been training them for this moment since I first had the thought of having a companion for all of our lives," Death said softly and with love in his voice.

Harry gave a shy smile toward Death. No, he could never be upset with Death for finding someone to be their companion for the years that they will live and be immortal. "I am happy to be bound to you," Harry told Death just as softly.

Death gave a small smile before his shoulders stiffened and he cleared his throat, looking away from Harry. "Right, well, I suppose I must get a move on. I need to make a new body for you in that world. When you are old enough to take care of yourself, we will leave the orphanage I will place you in. Sadly, I cannot give you new parents," Death said regretfully but Harry waved him off.

Harry would have Death, and that was good enough for him.

"I must warn you, others will not treat you right because of your blindness, it is even rarer in Slugterra than here. But I will be beside you and we will be strong. There will be no other slug like me," Death boasted, "but that does mean we must be cautious in how often you use me, understood?" Death questioned.

Harry nodded his understanding, took one more look at the night sky to put it in his Occulmancy shields to view later his new life, then looked at Death with determination.

They didn't need any words, but their scenery shifted, and Harry couldn't see anymore even as he let out a piercing cry.

At eleven years old, Harry had new respect and understanding of Tom Riddle from his old life. Death had not been kidding when he said most will not treat him right because of his blindness. He was labeled a mistake, a bastard, a useless Flopper, but Harry didn't care. He knew who he was, how strong he was, and never let their words mean anything to him. Admittedly, it meant he didn't have any friends except Death.

Death, who was a flying type Slug who, according to him in the language they taught each other, was as dark as space with dark black eyes. At first glance, he didn't seem like anything special, just a weirdly colored Hoverbug who was only black instead of their normal blue and white, but it was when he was transformed that the differences were even bigger. While Hoverbugs apparently had legs that could grip either opponents or their slugslingers and had heat-seeking abilities, Death had a sonic type of ability that, no matter how much stronger the other slug was, could transform them back into their Protoform and where other slugs transformed back when they lost a certain amount of velocity, including those with wings in their Velocimorph form, Death could stay transformed no matter how much time has passed or how fast he was going. This means that Harry only had to fire him once, or he had to gain up to 100 mph to transform, and he could stay that way.

And so, now eleven years old and living in High Plains Cavern, an often quiet, dark, and eerie place to the other residents, it was quite easy for Harry to grab his walking stick and backpack that slugs can hang out in and enter slug barrels much faster and leave the orphanage for this cavern. His backpack was a deep green, according to Death, and matched his sweatshirt which was a green and black mix, and his dark blue pants. With his tennis shoes on, and the bag of money from doing various chores around the cavern, Harry left his bedroom window using Death as his eyes, and left.

No one noticed him gone, and he knew most would not care. So, he threw on the glasses the orphanage supplied him and started walking toward the edge of the treeline that littered around the cavern. "We should find a Phosphoro Slug if we can help it. There is a group a couple more feet into the forest. Just go straight," Death chirped in his ear in the language of slugs. And while Harry could understand him, he couldn't understand any other slug.

"And what about a blaster?" Harry asked Mors, the inconspicuous name he had given Death as to not scare the cavern people with his slug.

"There will be a stash drop my sibling and I made just past the slugs. We will reach it by morning, there will be two wrist blasters that will work best for you and any shots you want to make. As we get near I will describe it better, it's under a large tree that my sibling thought looked cute," Mors said with a hint of horror.

Harry stifled his laugh, but cautiously moved through the forest. The texture and walking were always different than the openness of the cavern, Harry had to entune more to his other senses and use the walking stick more, but Mors was always quick to guide him if he was nearing a slightly deep hole or track that might make him stumble.

Eventually, they found the group of Phoshoros who Harry knew was huddled together, nervous at the slugterrian who was near them. "Hi, my name is Harry, and I want to be a slugslinger. Many people doubt me because of my blindness, but I promise, if you join me in my adventures, I will never doubt you and if you ever wish to go, you can. I will never ask you to leave," Harry spoke to them softly from a little away, giving them the space they need, and kneeling to be more on their level.

A few of the slugs chittered, before one hesitantly hopped forward, her body making a soft slush sound as it got closer to him making Harry turn his head slightly to keep track of her. Letting his hand lay toward the floor, he felt the slug cautiously sniff his hand, before leaning forward and rubbing her cheek against his fingers.

It reminded him of Hedwig.

The reminder made his heart hurt for a moment, but it wasn't a bad one, and it made him smile at the memories that Hedwig produced. Carefully, he cupped the slug and brought her to his eye level, and took off the glasses. The slug cooed even as her small hands reached up and patted his cheeks. "I think I'll call you Lumos, do you like the name?" Harry gently asked.

The slug chittered happily and the inky blackness that Harry could always see turned a slightly lighter color.

"She's making a small light between her antennas. She's happy," Death informed him with a slight roll of his eyes.

Harry hummed, and gave her a smile, before carefully placing her on his shoulder. "Alright then, let's head toward this drop for the blasters huh?" Harry asked Death as Lumos carefully went into his backpack to stay safe.

Harry heard Death huff, but directed him regardless, smiling, Harry set off the path, excited for what was to come.

He never noticed a white slug watching him from a distance, a small smirk on its face.

Chapter Text

Harry, Mors, and Lumos found the tree easily enough, and Harry found the wrist blasters fit him perfectly. "They're a dark green and silver mix. I know you disliked Slytherin in your past life, but we both know that was where you belonged, and you can't lie to me that you liked their colors," Mors threatened as Harry amusedly put on the blasters with the help of Mors.

"Albus was a Slytherin. I never really had anything against the house, just the people in there and how Hagrid told me only those evil were produced by that house. But we both know evil isn't in just one house, it's everywhere. Look at Pettigrew, he was a Gryffindor, and yet he did more damage to me than technically Voldemort," Harry mused even as Lumos made a curious sound.

Harry reached up after he settled the blaster on and gently rubbed Lumos head, "Don't worry about it girl, just something me and Mors remember from a different life. You'll understand eventually, okay? I just don't want to talk about it right now," Harry told her gently.

Harry knew he should probably keep the information to himself, but his slugs were fair game, they deserved the truth. And honestly, Harry was immortal, it's not like anything could kill him and Death would always get him out of any traps, especially ones that would harm him.

Grabbing the blue canisters to fire slugs in, Harry held it up to his shoulder where Lumos was. "Would you do me the honors?" He gently asked.

Lumos made an excited sound even as Harry could practically feel Mor's eye roll as she climbed into the canister. Slapping it into the space in the blaster, Harry held it in the air. "What do you say for a momentary light show?" Harry asked with a grin.

Lumos made a purr-like eager noise as Harry fired the blaster. A whirled-like blast left it, making Harry's arm flinch backward with the feel of it, and he blinked as the darkness he saw went to a lighter shade of black, but still quite dark grey. It went back to black before it flashed again and again between the two colors.

Harry grinned as he watched the differences in lighting for a moment before the world went back to its normal dark black and he held out his hand, feeling Lumos transform into it, Harry grinned at the slug. "Amazing job, girl, thank you for the show, I enjoyed it," Harry told her with utmost honest.

Lumos squeaked in happiness as she settled back on her shoulder, Harry could feel the pride she was letting out, making Mor's huff and Lumos seemingly blow her tongue toward the diety. "I regret ever bringing up this world now," Mors muttered darkly, but Harry could hear the flash of amusement and happiness.

Not saying anything in regard, Harry just reached up and gently ran his fingers over Mor's head, the diety calmed and let out a small purr as he nuzzled back toward Harry's fingers. "Come, we need to get a move on. The light show may have attracted the cavern's attention if they were looking for you. Let's start heading toward another cavern with some more slugs, we'll need the team.

Harry grinned, took a breath, and felt his innate magic connect with Death's aura so he could use his eyes for a bit instead of his walking stick. Everything might've been blue, but it was a clear image and not the inky blackness he was used to.

They had been traveling for roughly two months, Harry manages to get an Arachnet he named Repairo (He debated with Aragog but that spider had too many bad memories) because his webs were great at holding things together; a Tazerling named Sowilo for her powerful electricity and lighting powers; a Hop Rock that was named Expluso because when he was transformed he caused medium explosions or fireworks; an Armashelt he named Protego because they are great for defending especially as they often roll into a cannonball and destroy walls or bash things like a rock; finally a Flatulorhinkus he named Scourgify because does he wish the little stinker smelt nice. Honestly, he never met another being that could have worse gas than Ron but here was a Flatulorhinkus whose whole identity was about creating nasty gas.

They were a small group, and Harry was hoping to eventually get more, but he was happy with who he had. Lumos, despite what most would think of as a Flopper because they only shine bright, was actually his go-to slug because, well, Harry was blind and the slug didn't affect him. Giving him an opportunity to fire Sowilo or Expluso at whoever his target was. And if he didn't want to actually cause them hurt, he would fire Lumos, then Scourgify, then Repairo to tie them up and let them stew in their stink.

As Harry got more slugs though, he gained a bit more attention from the gangs, and on this particular gang named Locke and Lode, they actually wanted him to hand over all his slugs and his blasters. The slugs they had on them were what really had Harry's attention, they were snarling and sounding almost insane, a raspy quality to them that was making his own slugs nervous but also angry.

"They've been ghouled," Mors squeaked toward him in the language no one else could hear, the frown easy to tell in his voice as he seemed upset by something, "Their purity has been twisted from the world even below this one. It was never supposed to happen, the two worlds were supposed to stay apart. It makes me uneasy that someone has transformed their purity into something so twisted and far from what the innocent creatures they were always meant to be. I wish my sibling was here, her form would easily fix this problem, especially combined with mine," Mors said uneasily.

"Hey, can't you hear us?" The one on the right, Locke Harry believed, demanded as his blaster whirled, ready to fire in an instant.

"I'm blind, not deaf," Harry sassed to them, lifting two canisters up for Lumos and Repairo to hop into, "I can hear just fine."

"Then hand over the slugs and blaster!" The other, Lode demanded, almost more impatient, and quite honestly, sounding more stupid than his brother.

Harry paused before he put the canisters into his own blasters to fire at the two brothers as another gun whirling reached his ears along with the heavy footfall of some mechabeasts.

Friends or Foes was the question.

"Well if it isn't Locke and Lode, picking on little kids nowadays?" a smooth, but still childish--probably teenager Harry rationalized--taunted as his own blaster whirled along with three others.

"The Shane Gang," Locke said with distaste, his aim moving toward the group that was resting on the hill above them instead of on Harry.

He was fine with that as he snapped the canisters into their place, Lumos and Repairo eagerly shifting in their containers as Mors seemed to give a disinterested sigh.

"I do not need your help, Shane Gang, you can carry on your way," Harry told them as he felt for the trigger along his thumb to press to activate the blasters.

The whirling died, and Harry could feel their confusion. "You heard the tyke, scram!" Locke shouted to the group.

"Oh, I told them I don't need their help, because there isn't anything else they need to do, you're already apprehended," Harry told them smoothly, firing Lumos into the air who let out a bright shine. Harry saw his darkness light just a little bit and heard the startled shouts from Locke and Lode, following their voices, Harry let Repairo fire to tire them up before quickly letting Protego and Sowilo into their own canisters and into his blasters. Firing two more times rapidly, Harry heard the heavy punch Protego let out toward the two brothers before they were jolted from Lightning and passed out.

Feeling Lumos settle on his shoulder with a squeak of happiness, Harry followed the slaps and chitter of his other slugs and rested his hand on the ground. Feeling the three other slugs crawl onto his hand, Harry settled them on his shoulder once more. They nuzzled his cheek before jumping back into his backpack.

"That...was amazing, how did you do that? How did you know where they were while blinded," the male voice from earlier asked.

"Uh, Eli," a female voice hesitantly said besides the boy named Eli.

While the female was obviously worried that Eli would accidentally offend Harry with his question, the young boy felt more amused than anything. "Probably because I'm already blind," he told the group, letting his walking stick flick out from its folded state from where he put it when Locke and Lode pulled him over.

There was a brief silence from the group before Eli spoke again, "Think you can teach me?" he asked with eagerness.

Harry's lips twitched in amusement.

"Sure," he decided as Mors seemed to roll his eyes from his shoulder.

"They're only going to bring danger to our lives," Mors scolded his hands on his hips and everything.

"Relax Mors, it'll be fine," Harry brushed off as Mors seemed to throw his flippers/hands in the air before pouting.

"Man I've never seen a slug like that!" A new deeper, bigger voice said from Eli's right.

"It's just a useless Hoverbug, why the Great Pronto is much better than it!" a small, but probably older(?) voice said besides the female, Harry was going to assume that was Pronto speaking in the third person.

Mors muttered darkly under his breath about prideful molenoids and how he should have never created the mole-like buggers. Annoying, the lot was apparently.

"Can I get all your names?" Harry asked in amusement, trying to pin-down everyone.

Mors let out a sigh, and Harry felt a brush against his magic. Letting the Magic-Sight take over briefly, he saw the Shane Gang in all of blue glory.

"I'm Eli Shane," the young teen said in front of the group, his hair was dark, that much was obvious. "These here are my friends, Trixie-" the only female of the group but perhaps had the attitude to keep up with the boys, "-Kord-" a mountain troll was easy enough to identify, having been explaining in great detail from the school by the orphanage and by Mors, "-and Pronto-" who was the molenoid that was getting death threats under Mors breath. "That was some nice blasting you did there, but where are your parents? Are you allowed to be slugslinging?"

Harry straightened his shoulders at the question. "My parents are dead, and I'm not going back to the orphanage," Harry told them in a deadly serious voice, his own slugs understanding the threat and giving a warning hiss toward the other slugs.

Eli, if anything, seemed more upset, but had a look of understanding on his face. Harry supposed the older boy would understand, given it has been roughly 6 years since anyone has seen a Shane and everyone knew the reason why Will Shane might've disappeared as the 'sheriff' of Slugterra.

Kord was rubbing the back of his helmet, looking awkward even if the movement didn't seem to fit with his large body. Harry had a feeling the man was a Hagrid 2.0 but perhaps not with dangerous animals. Even Trixie lowered the cam-corder she had in her hands and looked slightly awkward.

"Hey, relax, we don't want to send you back. We just want to make sure your okay," Eli said softly.

Harry forced his hands and shoulders to relax, and with it, his slugs slowly relaxed okay. "I'm fine," Harry dismissed, though he admittedly was running a tad low on food money. Maybe Locke and Lode had some on them he could take. Would it still be considered stealing if they stole it first?

"Look, that was some pretty good slinging you did there, and my crew could always use another person. Even if you're a bit young," Eli said softly.

Harry narrowed his eyes toward where Eli was, still using Mors sight as a guide, he stared Eli straight in the face, "I may be young, but I know I can take you in a dual and win. Age doesn't mean I'm incompetent, it means I've had to work harder than you know to get to where I am," Harry stubbornly told the group.

He will not let his age get in the way of helping people, not again. There will be no Molly Weasley or Dumbledore thinking he was too young to know right from wrong or that he should enjoy a fake childhood he never had.

"Then I think it's decided," Eli said after a moment, "welcome to the Shane gang."

Harry did snort in amusement as Eli extended his hand for him to shake, and Harry oh so badly wanted to reach out and shake it in return without hesitating, but he was blind, and that would mean asking weird questions.

"He's holding his hand out for me to shake isn't he," Harry dryly asked the group.

Trixie, Kord, and Pronto laughed as Eli seemed to retract his hand and rub the back of his neck with embarrassment.

"Sorry man," he said with a light blush dusting his cheeks.

Harry gave him a cheeky grin, and extended his own hand. "It's nice to meet you. I'm Harry," he told the group with a grin.

"Come on, I can give you a ride," Eli said with his own grin as he shook Harry's hand before leading him toward the boys Mechabeast.