Hunter 3

AN: This chapter was awful to write, and I'm not really happy with how I ended it, but I wanted to get this out as soon as possible, so here you go.

Harry adjusted quickly to the Freecs household, Granny and Mito accepting him easily after the shaky first night, while Gon had barely left his side since they met. Harry, despite not knowing the language, could somehow always understand what Gon was trying to tell him. Learning the language was difficult, but it was made easier by Harry's incredible memory, he never forgot anything, alongside Gon's enthusiastic explanations for anything and everything Harry pointed out to him. After a month, Harry's sixth birthday came, and Harry got another journal from his father this time. This led to Gon's interest in Harry's language.

Harry's understanding of Gon was just as accurate as Gon's understanding of Harry, while they couldn't understand the words, they could understand the intent behind them. When either boy learned what a word meant, Harry would have Mito or Granny find the word in a book for him to read at the same time so he could steadily learn to read as well. Gon didn't know how to read anything other than picture books when he had help, but Harry had showed him how to read his name and a few simple words like dog, the word dog was used quite often in his father's journal.

Gon was fascinated by Harry's magic, how he could make the books appear and disappear, and the ice that he could summon, and Gon's curiosity had sparked Harry's own. Harry knew from the journals that his magic could do lots of things as long as he wanted badly enough, that was how he'd met Gon after all, but he had no idea what he could do with his ice. He had spent so much time suppressing it around the Dursleys, not wanting them to punish him for something else beyond his control, that he'd never had the chance to experiment with it. Now that he wasn't holding the ice back, and it was no longer fighting to get out, he found that he often had to use it, otherwise it would slip out when he wasn't expecting it and freeze something nearby. Harry could make ice now with ease, which came in quite handy living on a semi-tropical island, but now he was trying to shape it as well. This was proving much more difficult than Harry expected.

While working with his ice, Harry also found out that the warmth he always felt around Gon that reminded him of his magic was exactly that, magic. While Gon's magic wasn't the incredibly powerful force that Harry's was, though Harry didn't know his magic was so much stronger than it should have been, it was still very powerful in its' own right.

While Harry could literally twist reality given enough time and practice, Gon's magic was of a different nature. Gon's magic was able to heal and keep Gon healthier than nearly anyone else bar Harry. This explained why all the cuts Gon had gotten when he'd found Harry in the forest had healed overnight, as well as why he'd never gotten sick and was a literal fountain of energy. It had been Gon's innate magic that had made Harry feel so safe, and still did, and though it was only internal at the moment, he might be able to learn to heal others in time.

Harry was incredibly happy in his new home, he had a wise Granny, a caring and kind older sister/aunt in Mito, and he had an amazing little brother. There were a few bumps in the road, like the language barrier that was steadily dwindling and Mito's first reaction to his ice, but Harry wouldn't have it any other way. These people had become his family, and it was all Harry had ever wanted.

Every year on Harry's birthday, the boy would wake up curled around Gon with a new journal or other item from his parents resting somewhere nearby. Harry's tenth birthday was no different. This year Harry received his final gifts, a black book that was comically large in Harry's small hands that was bound with an unknown material and one last note from his mother. Harry read the note, sniffling at the thought of not getting anymore items from his parents but still excited to be given his mother's most prized possession, before opening the book.

Harry and Gon spent the next week reading together from what had quickly been dubbed the grimoire (it sounded really cool to the boys). The now eight year old was not allowed to leave his older siblings side thanks to his run-in with a foxbear in the woods when he went in alone a few days before Harry's birthday (which neither boy told Mito the truth about, just as they had agreed not to tell her about their new goal of becoming Hunters), and Harry was fascinated.

Harry had long since mastered his ice, using it in some of the most unexpected ways, but his magic had always been a bit unpredictable. Harry's magic, at ten years old, was in much greater flux than it should have been. This was due to the fact that Harry not only had his own magic, he also had the magic of his parents. James Potter's magic had assimilated easily, his specialty had been transfiguration and he had been an animagus, it was used to changes. Lily Potter's magic, on the other hand, presented a bit of an issue.

Lily had been a literal genius, able to use magic in ways most could never dream of, and her magic was very well used and loved. As a result of Lily's love for her son, her magic loved her son as well, and had not properly assimilated itself so that it could protect Harry for as long as possible. This would not have been much of an issue had Lily been male, but she was not, and so neither was her magic. While magic didn't have a gender, it certainly had a preference, and spending over twenty years maturing in the body of a witch had made it much more inclined towards the female gender. Again, this would not have been an issue had it properly assimilated when Harry was a baby and both his body and magic uninclined to either gender just yet, but it had not, and it had unknowingly shown.

Instead of the near carbon copy of James that Harry should have been, he took after Lily. Harry had a very feminine frame, hands and feet both small and slender, with pale skin that never turned any darker despite how much time he and Gon spent in the sun. His hair, black as midnight with strands as red as blood hidden throughout, was long enough to tie into a braid so that it wouldn't get in his way, it was absolutely untamable otherwise with the way it defied gravity, and was incredibly soft and smooth. Harry's facial features were also quite reminiscent of Lily and the beautiful girl she had once been, complete with a pair of large, incredibly green eyes that could easily trap anyone who stared into them too long.

Alongside Harry's looks, a choice in clothes that purposely made people question his gender, and the way Harry responded to female pronouns thanks to his early days with Gon, few people believed Harry was male. Harry had fully embraced his looks for many reasons, though only Gon knew all of them, and he very much enjoyed the way people would trip over themselves on finding out he was a boy. All the islanders knew, of course, though even they doubted sometimes, but it was always fun to meet someone new and see if they figured it out for themselves. This was why, after a week of reading and finding a simple spell that was supposed to help Harry judge his own power level as well as Gon's, things did not go according to plan.

Harry spent three months as a girl before he found a spell to change back, then three more months waiting for his magic to finally integrate properly, before he was male again. Harry had worried needlessly in the beginning, not sure what he would do if he was stuck as girl for the rest of his life, but Gon had reassured him with a simple, "Harry is still Harry, my big sister is just my actual sister now," and that had been the end of Harry's worries. Harry hadn't stopped looking for a way to change back, of course, but it was more to see if he actually could rather than from a fear that he couldn't.

When all was said and done, Harry came out of it with another way to mess with people and a trick that would eventually come in quite handy.

Harry's eleventh birthday came and past without fanfare, the boy spending the day with his family, oblivious to the panic his absence had caused several worlds away.

When Harry was twelve and Gon was ten, Harry realized for the first time that being a Hunter would involve fighting. So, two years before the boys would take the exam, they started training.

The two boys, preferring to attack directly, started with simple brawls. Thanks to the years they'd spent running all over the island, Harry and Gon already had good endurance, but their actual strength was lacking. Gon's magic, they soon found, helped immensely in that regard. Whatever muscles Gon worked to soreness were always fine by morning, stronger than they had been before, thanks to the healing factor his magic gave him. Harry, having learned from the grimoire how to circulate his magic through his body, quickly taught himself to do the same.

Although the two boys had no formal instruction, they had each other's unorthodox methods and the animals in the forest, like the foxbears, to learn from. While both boys took advantage of their speed, Gon relied heavily on his strength and endurance as well, while Harry took advantage of his ice. Gon's fighting style ended up being more of an adaptable brawlers style, able to jump and move incredibly well in the air. Harry's style, on the other hand, ended up more animalistic, coating his hands in claws made from his ice that were incredibly sharp and using his flexibility to bend and twist in almost disturbing ways.

Harry and Gon passed the next two years this way, eagerly awaiting the day they would leave to become Hunters.

AN: I'm blending bits of the 2011 anime and the manga, alongside the changes caused by Harry's presence, so things might seem a bit weird for those of you have only read or watched Hunter X Hunter

Harry and Gon couldn't wipe the smiles off of their faces as they watched Whale Island grow smaller, Gon practically vibrating where he stood while Harry made sure his magic didn't escape in his excitement. Their excitement didn't falter when the other passengers sneered at them, underestimating them, and Harry smirked inwardly. He doubted many of these people would make it, the Hunter Exam was dangerous after all, and the thought just made Harry more excited, "You'd best give up now, kids. The Hunter Exam is no place for children, especially not little girls."

Harry, smile razor sharp, didn't bother figuring out which man had spoken. Gon, knowing Harry could take care of himself, ran off to explore as his sister gave the other passengers a rather demonic smile, "And whoever said that had best learn not to underestimate others because of their appearance."

Harry ran off after Gon, not giving the other passengers a second glance, and wondered if any of them would pass after that comment. Harry easily forgot about the other passengers when he felt the air shift, the seagulls flying around the ship growing restless, and made his way towards Gon at the front of the ship. There was a storm coming, a nasty one, and Harry shared a look with Gon before heading below deck. Gon wanted to spend as much time as possible on deck before the storm hit, so Harry would find them a place below deck while he still had the chance.

After reading the grimoire for a few hours, the storm steadily turning the ocean choppy outside, Gon came down to see him, "Harry, the captain wants to talk to us."

Harry, putting his grimoire away with a thought, followed his brother easily, "Why does the captain want to talk to us? He should be more concerned about the storm than a couple of Hunter applicants."

"I dunno, but he's probably got a good reason," Harry, now more curious, grabbed one of Gon's hands and pulled him along quicker as he easily kept his balance on the rocky ship.

"Let's just get this over with, I found a really cool spell that I wanna learn."

Harry and Gon arrived at the captains' quarters shortly after, alongside two other applicants. Harry quickly took in the others, the only applicants besides him and Gon that seemed likely to pass on this ship, as the captain asked for their names. Harry and Gon gave their names easily and observed the other two.

"I'm Leorio," that was the dark-haired man next to Harry.

"Call me Kurapika," and that was the blonde boy next to Gon.

Leorio was tall, almost absurdly so, while Kurapika was average in height, and the two of them didn't seem to get along for some reason. Harry turned his attention away from the other applicants when the captain spoke again, "Why do you guys want to become Hunters?"

Harry and Gon both grinned, excited, as Gon spoke first, "My dad is a Hunter, and I wanna see what kind of job has captivated him."

Harry spoke up next, ignoring Leorio's attempt to stop him, "I wanna travel and see new things. It's much easier to do that if I become a Hunter."

Apparently Leorio didn't like being ignored, speaking loudly before anyone else could get another word out, "Hey, wait a minute. Don't just answer so easily."

Harry and Gon looked at Leorio curiously, why shouldn't they answer the question, it was a perfectly reasonable question to ask when all your passengers are aiming to become Hunters. Harry frowned at Leorio while Gon responded back to the man, "Why does it matter? He just asking us for our reasons."

Leorio should his head, crossing his arms in defiance, and Harry decided to tune him out as he opened his mouth again. Harry was much more concerned with why the captain would be asking that question now, instead of when he and Gon had come on board. The captain had been watching them like all the other applicants, with considerably less surprise at the sight of two kids, so why hadn't he asked them then. Gon, seeing Harry lost in thought, gave him a nudge to bring m back. Harry didn't even jump, just bringing his attention back to what was around him, it was a regular occurrence for Gon to bring him out of his thoughts, especially after nearly nine years.

"If the two of you can't answer my question, then you might as well get off my boat."

Harry looked between Leorio and Kurapika, seeing their equally shocked faces, and had to hold back a laugh. Kurapika, eyes comically wide, asked, "Why's that?"

The captain gave them a hard look as he responded, "Don't you get it? The Hunter Exam has already begun."

A lightbulb went off in Harry's head, a quiet 'Ah' escaping him in realization that only Gon heard over the crashing waves outside. The captain continued, still looking at Leorio and Kurapika, "As you know, there are thousands of applicants wanting to become Hunters every year. The examiners don't have the time or manpower to filter through all of you, so they hire people like me to cut down the numbers. The rest of the passengers have already been disqualified. On the off chance that they make it to the exam site, they'll still be rejected."

There was a moment of silence, the storm rocking the ship harder than before, until Kurapika spoke up, "I'm a survivor of the Kurta tribe. Four years ago, my tribe was slaughtered by a group of bandits called the Phantom Troupe. I want to become a Hunter so I can catch them."

Harry frowned, that was a very dangerous goal to have, but was distracted by a sudden change in the wind outside. This was a dangerous storm, and Harry had been keeping his magic alert in case it took a turn for the worst. His worries had been proven correct, the wind had shifted, and the ship was now facing the storm head-on. Harry ignored Kurapika and Leorio as they started arguing, catching Gon's sleeve with one hand and addressing the captain, "Captain, I don't mean to interrupt, but the ship is in danger."

Kurapika and Leorio had run off while Harry was talking, heading for the deck, but Harry kept his eyes on the captain as one of the crew ran into the cabin, "Captain, the storm is approaching faster than we expected!"

The captain gave Harry an evaluating look before following the crew member out, Harry and Gon following after him. The two boys looked at each, nodding as Harry dashed for the center of the deck and Gon stayed with the captain.

Weaving through the crew working desperately against the storm was easy, few of them actually noticing Harry as he moved. He reached the main mast quickly, a layer of ice already formed over one hand while he held the grimoire in the other. The grimoire was already open, pages flipping on their own as Harry sharpened his ice. Stopping on the page Harry wanted, he started carving into the wood and reciting the spell on the page. Harry channelled his magic into the symbols he carved, activating the strengthening portion of the spell, while his words called for protection against the storm. With the amount of magic Harry was channelling, it wouldn't have surprised the boy if he managed to summon an elemental, and an elemental was just what he needed to keep this ship afloat.

Harry kept his attention on the spell, blocking out the sounds of the storm and the crew. There was a loud snap, part of one of the masts breaking off, followed by shouts and screams. Harry knew Gon would make sure no one went overboard, but he had to work quickly to keep the ship as undamaged as possible. With one last carving and a surge of power, Harry knew the spell had worked. Closing his eyes, Harry could feel the magic running through the ship and the water surrounding it, strengthening the wood and calming the closest waves.

The water elemental he had managed to summon to the ship would ensure they made through the storm and to land safely, though whether or not it stayed after would depend on the crew, so Harry considered the hard part over. Looking over at Gon, sitting on the deck in front of Kurapika and Leorio, he gave him a thumbs up. Gon could no doubt feel the magic in the ship now too, and gave his own thumbs up in return.

Feeling eyes on him, Harry looked over at the captain. The man was looking between him and Gon, approval in his eyes, while the rest of the crew tried to figure why the storm was tossing them around anymore. Harry smiled and laughed, making his way over to his brother, and plopping down beside him with a yawn. The storm was still raging around them, the wind whipping around them as waves crashed, but none of it seemed able to affect the ship. Only Gon and the captain connected Harry to the strange phenomenon, and Harry leaned his weight fully against Gon.

Harry closed his eyes and was soon out like a light, Gon picking him up and heading below deck with Leorio and Kurapika close behind as the crew tried to make sense of what was happening. Harry would have loved to see the expressions on their faces, he always loved people's reactions to the unexpected, but he had exhausted himself with that spell and needed to rest. Gon let his sister as long as he needed, making sure no one bothered him.

The rest of the trip passed without incident, Harry resting while Gon helped around the ship and talked with Kurapika and Leorio until they reached their destination. Harry would be mad he hadn't been woken up when they left the ship, but he would get over it quickly, and if he managed to sleep through most of their journey to the exam site, then Gon thought it was all the better. Harry could go days without sleep, as could Gon, but they both knew how dangerous the exam would be, and Harry would need all the rest he could get.