Hello readers, new and returning. I hope you enjoy this story. I have already started the second chapter, it should be up in a few days (Unlike certain other stories of mine, where I am trying to get the muse back).
WARNINGS: AU of GoF, no horcruxes, SLASH
PAIRINGS: Legolas/Harry, side pairings undecided.
Harry's worries about the first task and the loss of his friends dissolved the moment he saw the drowning figure. When his body hit the water, nothing mattered but a life. He wasn't the best swimmer, hell he was a doggy-paddler at best, but he acted first. The moment he heard the commotion at the shore he'd looked to see what was going on. All he needed was to see the frantic splashes and he dived in. And when he was dragging the boy along, adrenaline driving his persistent kicks, all that mattered was the pulse he could feel as he held the now unconscious boy's neck above the water.
It was a short distance, not even a fourth of the Black Lake's length, but to Harry it still felt like ages before he dragged both himself and the other boy onto dry land. Once there he took many deep breaths and look on to the crowd. The just stood there. All of them.
"Go get Madam Pomfrey!" Harry yelled angrily at a group of fifth year girls before dissolving into a coughing fit.
He dragged the boy further away from the water and glared at the crowd anytime they got closer. He could see why they were curious, according to the conversation, no one had seen anyone enter the water. They didn't recognize the boy either.
Harry only half listened to them, his attention remained on the boy from the lake. He wasn't anyone from Hogwarts. The boy almost had the air of a Beauxbatons student, certainly reminding Harry of their champion. The oddest thing were his clothes, which looked medieval by wizard standards and hung off his frame like they were Dudley's hand me downs. Harry noticed at the last second that his ears were pointed at the tips and was about to ask about it, when Madam Pomfrey made her appearance. Along with Headmaster Dumbledore, Snape, Madam Maxine, and Karkoff.
Harry was glad he was allowed to sit closer to the boy than the growing crowd of students as he retold the events to the headmasters and the healer. No other noise besides his croaky voice dared reveal itself except the chirping birds and the low mutter of healing spells.
"And did anyone see the boy enter the water?" Asked Harry's least favorite Professor. No one in the crowd of students answered, but a few cowered at Snape's glare. Harry was surprised when the professor sent a drying and heating charm toward his person.
"You could not be more pathetic Potter, remember your wand next time you decide to take a swim. Which I remind you is against school rules." Was Snape's response.
Harry just shook his head, he had left his wand up in the dorm, wanting to get away from the whole wizarding world for a while. Alas, he still couldn't leave the school grounds and it would not be remembered as one of his smartest moves.
"I'm sure that like every rule, this one has exceptions." Dumbledore said calmly.
"Yes, I am well aware of the exceptions we all make for Mr. Potter." Snape quipped, making a few brave students snicker.
"Can either of my fellow headmasters identify this young man?" Dumbledore moved on.
Harry wanted to be mad at him for not reprimanding Snape, but he held his tongue. The question was indeed more important than his quarrels.
They both looked off put at being Dumbledore's fellow anything, but shook their heads at the question.
Everyone turned to Madam Pomfrey, who had finally stopped hovering over the boy. She gave Harry a stern look, but her eyes were warm.
"You're lucky you got there when you did Mr. Potter. That was a stupid thing you did, swimming out there. Billion things could've gone wrong! But..." Harry knew when Madam Pomfrey's chastisement was over because she couldn't hold back a smile. Harry was surprised when she gave him a quick embrace.
"This young man owes you his life Harry, and there is no fault in saving him." She nodded to Snape, who had levitated the boy off the ground.
"This young man who is going to receive some much deserved rest. Shut that mouth Albus!" Harry didn't know how she could tell Dumbledore had opened his mouth with her back to him, but the headmaster swallowed his protests with a fond smile.
"You'll get your answers tomorrow."
Dumbledore chuckled as Pomfrey and Snape marched into the castle.
"Never get between that healer and her patient." The aging man voiced his passing thought. Then the headmaster turned to Harry who had stood up from the grass."Harry, I do hope you are okay?"
"Of course, Headmaster." Harry said and Dumbledore gave a small hum of affirmation.
The crowd dispersed into groups when the three headmasters walked away, deep in conversation. Harry was once again reminded that he didn't have his group anymore. The pride he'd felt at Madam Pomfrey's praise withered at the thought of how Ron would react to this.
It went much as predicted, Ron made a jab at how he always had to be the savior. Harry ignored him. His former friend couldn't hurt him over this. If he hadn't acted, who knows how long it would've been for someone else to. Harry didn't say a word to the redhead as he exited the common room to go down to dinner.
Making a quick detour to ask Madam Pomphrey to let him see the boy from the lake when he was awake. Harry took the healer's order to get some rest himself to heart.
The stress eventually caught up with him at dinner. He was exhausted, anxious, and his brain was ready to shut down. He stayed in the Great Hall until everyone tampered out so he could walk to Gryffindor Tower in peace.
Wishing someone would save him from drowning, Harry Potter lightly punched the railing of the staircase he had to climb to get to his dorms. He couldn't raise a bigger fuss against the old school and it's many flights from the Great Hall to his bed, he loved this castle too much.
He allowed the mystery of the nearly-drowned boy consume his thoughts. It was surreal when he came to the top of the stairs and saw the boy there, looking lost and paranoid. Harry could sympathize, as good of a healer Madam Pomfrey was, she could get overbearing after a while.
"It's you?" The boy asked Harry in awe.
Having no idea what this stranger was talking about, Harry shrugged half-heartedly.
"It's good to see you're okay." Harry said. "How did you end up in the lake anyway?"
The boy looked off into the distance, seeing something Harry could not. Harry could see that it was something that pained the boy to remember.
"The ocean swallowed me and…" The boy trail off and then found what he wanted to say and continued. "I ended up here. This is not Arda, is it?"
Harry shook his head and tried to take the conversation away from the boy's memories. He would have to tell them to Dumbledore later and it was clearly not one the boy wanted to recall.
"What's your name?"
"Legolas." The boy said with a smile.
"Unusual…" Harry said, almost to himself.
"Yes, I fear... I am a long way from home."
Silence fell. Until the quick tapping of footsteps forced the mysterious Legolas into action.
