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Atrani is a Khajiit who has long since made peace with her new home and life in Skyrim. She finds it ironic that she of all people would be the hero of Nord legend, and still snickers at the few disbelievers who believe she somehow stole that honor simply because she was a Khajiit. ‘As if this one could possibly force herself to be born with a dragon’s soul, of all things.’ She had defeated Alduin a good year ago, defeated Miraak a few months after, and now she had settled down some into Hjerim in Windhelm. Before even bothering to go after the dragons, Atrani targeted the civil war, fought for the empire, and ended things before the fairly evenly matched war would drag on and on. She couldn’t afford to have any of her allies distracted with the war that had plagued their lands for so long.Some would call Atrani a hero, but she had to disagree on that point. Sure, she had saved their world and was the Harbinger and Archmage of the College of Winterhold, but too few knew of her true nature to call her a hero. After all, she remained a werewolf despite being Harbinger of the Companions and planned to continue their service to Hircine for those who are willing and strong enough to survive their first change. Her becoming Archmage was more a coincidence than anything else, but what truly made her less than heroic were her other groups.After all, the Guild Master of the Thieves Guild and the Listener and new leader of the Dark Brotherhood could hardly be considered a hero. Perhaps it was a complex of sorts, in which she refused to see anything but the bad that she did and ignored all the good things or wrote them off as something she did only for the gold. Perhaps she could allow the title of a Hero of Fortune to grace her alongside the title of Dragonborn. Brunwulf was hesitant to modify Hjerim to her liking, but seeing as she was the reason he became a jarl in the first place, he acquiesced.Atrani has a living room and kitchen combination room in the front, her bedroom hidden behind the secret cabinet, she stores most of her treasure in a chest there and isn’t home as often as she’d like to have a main room, and the rest of the house is just covered in child bedrooms. Her children all adored her, and she them.She could honestly admit that they are all her one, true weak point and that she would do anything to keep all of her little rascals safe. They were also all very fond of her friend and housecarl, Calder. All nine of them.Yes, she has nine adopted children, and is honestly the hugest sucker when it comes to protecting them and giving them a warm place to stay and food to eat. Atrani has more children in her care than even the only orphanage in Skyrim. The very first child she adopted was Aventus Aretino, after killing Grelod the Kind for him and hearing that he intended to go all the way back to Riften by himself, she couldn’t help but to inform him of her home and Hjerim and offer to adopt him. When she was walking him home, she ran across Sofie trying to sell flowers so that she could afford food for the day. Already softened from seeing just how cruelly orphans are treated in Skyrim, Atrani brought her along and the two became siblings.Atrani continued to adventure around Skyrim after that, and came across Alesan, Blaise, and Lucia. At this point she had only had the standard house decorations in Hjerim, but she still had space in her own bed and the chairs. She individually escorted each of them back and started making her house more of a home for all abandoned orphans. Not long after, Constance Michel sent a letter about being in charge of Honorhall Orphanage and having children up for adoption. Atrani wound up taking Runa Fair-Shield, Samuel, and Hroar all home with her. It was at this point that she realized that, despite being a Khajiit and being used to large families due to high birth rate and high chances of multiple children, that she realized that she may have a bit of a problem with leaving well enough alone. She tried to feel guilty for it, but she was extremely well off now, and knew that if she didn’t help them that no one would. Even their own people abandoned these children, and after losing her parents to a bandit raid and being orphaned herself, she knew that no one deserved such a fate.On a run to Rorikstead for a mission assigned to her by Aela, Atrani discovered just what an abusive bastard Lemkil was. Already irked from clearing a home from an invading bear, she snuck around and killed him. The relief on Sissel’s face was clear, and despite the fact that she could tell that Atrani did it, she only asked if she could live with her. That completed her merry, not-so-little family and Atrani visited them as often as she possibly could, always bringing back the spoils of her adventures and quests.This night proved to be a rather strange one, and Atrani supposed that this may be the beginning of something that would be big. When a mass of tentacles and a single eye faced her in her dreams, she knew that her suspicion was correct.“Greetings, Hermaeus Mora. What is it that you need of me?”“Greetings, my champion. We have an opportunity to gain knowledge from an entirely different world, and the hero they intend to summon from here will undoubtedly be you. I intend to send your children through after you, as I know that you will not be able to be separated for them for the length required… Honestly, you may never come back. You will still be able to commune with the Daedric gods that you are champion of, but Nirn may never see your presence again. It entirely depends on the choice you make, my champion. Nocturnal intends to send your wealth through and convert it to their own funds, alongside all your treasure, weapons, and armor. Safe travels.”And the instant that Atrani awoke, she felt as if she was being pulled through a tunnel that was far too small for her to fit through before all went black.*At Number 12 Grimmauld Place*“Are you sure that this is wise, Albus?” It was yet another meeting of the Order of the Phoenix, and following the disaster that was Umbridge and her blood quill and the loss of Sirius, Harry was allowed to join them. The one asking Dumbledore the question, Minerva, greatly regrets her lack of ability to change what happened to Harry throughout the last year.“I am certain, Minerva. This ritual is proven to work, and Harry is in desperate need of training, now more than ever. This will summon a hero from another world, and that will give him experience beyond what we can. If we were able to teach him without needing to monitor Voldemort’s progress then we could, but every member of the Order is needed to keep Voldemort from making his final strike before we are prepared.”Harry sighs and nods. “It’s for the best. I don’t want to be a bother to you all, and I cannot stay in the dark forever. I have to train, and maybe this hero will have experience with more than just magic? It would be ideal if I could train in ways that protect me if I get disarmed…”The final touch is set on the summoning circle and Dumbledore begins to chant.
“De heros legenda in vocamus. Quatinus nobis succurrat. Dominam nostram viro pio teneantur vinculo protectio. Sic, inquam, sic fiat semper.1”
A bright light flares and reveals the last thing that any of them had expected. The… woman? Was obviously feline, and had dark grey, nearly black fur. Her eyes are a piercing, icy blue, and her pupils are cat like, though not entirely slit-like. In addition to this, her hair is black and braided with rings at the end of each one. She wears armor that is covered in scales, an obvious contrast to her furred skin. The language that leaves her lips is entirely foreign to them.“Drem yol lok, dii beliik. Daar gein los faan Atrani.2” She bows, and Severus sighs.“We should have assumed that another world would have an entirely different language, you realize?” The feline’s tail flicks back and forth, as if she was amused and she snickers.“This one apologizes. Perhaps she had hoped that another would speak her… truest language. This one’s name is Atrani. Khajiit is not unfamiliar with being involved in… strange things and has even visited other realms before this. What did you desire by bringing Atrani here?”Dumbledore gives her a genial smile that reeks of falseness so strongly that her hackles raise. Atrani had to fight to keep her ears from folding back to her head and getting into fighting position. ‘This one is no fool! Any animal can better detect deceit and the true emotions of others, and Khajiit are no different.’ “Hello Atrani, my girl. We have called you here to assist in training our own hero. Tell me, what is your experience with magic?”Despite how strongly she distrusts the old man, Atrani notices that he gestured to one who is still not quite grown as their hero. She will help the child, but that does not mean that she cannot… omit some things.“This one is most skilled in Restoration magic, but she is no slacker in Conjuration either. Destruction magic is something that Atrani is alright in, but she prefers to fight directly with a bow or dagger.”“We must have different classifications of magic, for certain… How would you explain the fields of magic you specialize in?”“Restoration is primarily healing and defense magic, but it is also good for fighting off the undead if necessary. Conjuration summons creatures and atronachs to aid Atrani in fighting when she is alone. Destruction is… elemental. Fighting with flames, lightning, and frost to defeat your enemies.” Mentioning the fact that necromancy and soul trapping is a part of conjuration, and the part that Atrani is most fond of, is not something she finds important for him to find. To create further goodwill, she decides to tell him something that bolster’s her “hero” status. “This one is also the Archmage of the College of Winterhold, the only college of magic in Skyrim. Archmage is like… a leader of the professors and students alike? This one does not know what it would be called here.”His blue eyes glitter and nearly cause Atrani to visibly shudder. “That sounds very much like my role of Headmaster of Hogwarts, my girl. It is a pleasure to know that Harry will be in good hands. Though there is the problem of your very… animal-like appearance. It will be difficult for you to meet him at his relatives’ house. We could pass it off as a peculiar and rare creature inheritance in the magical world, but…”Smelling the pure fear from the youngest member of their group, Atrani firmly shakes her head. “This one will be getting a home here very soon. She was informed by one of her deities that she would be coming here and…” at this point she pulls out her coin purse and sees the foreign coins and grins. “It would appear that they helped this one immensely. These are no Septims, so Atrani must have been given the currency of this world… She must account for the others coming soon.”“Well, we certainly wouldn’t want to burden you with housing Harry here…” The stench of guilt and shame coming from the child actually causes Atrani to hiss at Dumbledore.“Do not call him a burden! No child can be a burden!” Her hackles are raised, and her lips curled back in a snarl. “He is not the only orphan in this room and Atrani’s adopted ones will be following her to this world soon. Her deities promised that as soon as she has her home prepared for them that they would join her. Until then he will be staying with me alone, but afterwards he is still welcome to remain with Atrani and her children.”The gratefulness in Harry’s eyes convince her that she is on the right path with taking in this orphan, as well. Regardless of what these humans had to say about it, her nine children had just become ten. Nothing would keep her from protecting him as her own.
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Atrani purchases a rather large manor, one several times larger than Hjerim was, with well over twenty bedrooms. “This one knows that you are much older than most of her kits, so you definitely will have first pick of rooms. Choose whichever one you like the best and it will be yours.”Her Harry-kit was hesitant at first, but he wound up choosing a dark blue room with silver accents. Atrani could sense his near constant state of nervousness and turbulence, and decided that he was quite intelligent to choose such calming colors for his room.“Is it really okay for me to live with you, Miss Atrani?”“Of course, Harry-kit. You need someone to be willing to look after you, and if none of them will do so Khajiit will. You are one of Atrani’s kits now, and this one looks after her own. You will never go back to the people who caused you to smell of such terror, not even if Atrani has to kill every person who tries to force you back there.”Brilliant green eyes widen minutely before his face flushes and gains a tiny smile. For all that he feels that he should be worried about the woman who took him in being so casual about killing, Harry is too appreciative of the fact that someone actually noticed, that someone actually cared about him and keeping him safe to mind overmuch. Harry had loved Sirius, but he barely knew him and his mind had been scrambled from Azkaban. Entirely too often he was referred to as James, and something within him swelled with warmth to be acknowledged as just Harry and still be cared for.“Just let Atrani know if you need anything, okay? This one will be setting up rooms for my other kits in the meantime, as Khajiit knows their color and furniture style preferences. Atrani has made plenty of money from her adventuring and work, so if you find yourself in need of anything, simply inform Atrani.”Harry blushes and shuffles back and forth uncertainly for a moment, but clears his throat and musters up the courage to ask for something.“I don’t have any clothes to wear over the summers, really. I have my cousin’s old hand me downs, but they’re several sizes too large and I just… It would be really nice to have clothes of my own, beyond my school robes, for once.”“Then this one will get your measurements and order some clothes for you. Do you want casual clothes, more robes, or both?”A human probably would have struggled to hear such a low mumble, but Atrani was able to quite clearly hear his request for both, if it wasn’t a bother.“Of course you aren’t a bother. This one will be right back with the tape measure and will allow you to go through the catalogues Atrani picked up and order whatever you wish.”The measurements go without much fuss, after Atrani reminds Harry that she is essentially his adoptive mother now and will not hurt him or judge him for his scars, and Harry settles down and begins circling the clothes that he wants with a bright green marker. It is at this moment that the rest of Atrani’s children show up in her home, gasping and cheering at the sheer size and safety of the place.The shyest of them, Sissel, notices the older boy and looks to Atrani.“Who is he, Momma?”At first, Harry seems to be rather flustered and nervous of her response, but Atrani simply smiles and answers her.“He’s your new big brother, Sissel. The oldest of all of you, and an orphan just like us. Make sure that he feels welcome, okay?”And like a magelight spell, the faces of each of her children lit up, including her newest. They all spend time together, look for clothes that better suit this world, and begin telling him stories of Atrani’s exploits across Skyrim.Atrani knew that she had finally found home, and understood just why Hermaeus Mora seemed to believe that she would choose to stay. She could not leave her newest kit behind, not when he had finally found a place to call home.