A/N: This chapter has been revised and re-edited.
Chapter 1: Forest Mumurs
November 1, 1981 – Forbidden forest, HOGWARTS SCHOOL OF WITCHCRAFT AND WIZARDRY.
"The forest hides many secrets" –Ronan, the centaur. (1991)
A deep roar sounded on the eastern border of the forest as the sky began to lighten and the forest slowly began to wake up. A huge motorcycle landed and the figure astride dismounted, and hastened towards the woods. He was clad in a big jacket, with long tangles of bushy black hair on his head and a beard that hid most of his face, carrying a small bundle of blankets in his arms.
He could not understand the reason why Professor Dumbledore had given instructions to bring the child here and then to his muggle relatives. He should be looked at by the healers, he thought as his gaze fell on the cuts littering the child's tiny hands and face, not be brought here to this dense forest to be seen by those ruddy stargazers.
It had been hard to leave James and Lily lying behind, but Dumbledore was clear that the child should be the first priority and taken away only by him.
After walking for awhile, Hagrid felt before he heard that he was being followed and quickly got off the path to hide behind a towering oak.
It was all silent as he stood still, though at that precise moment the babe in his arms opened his eyes, yawning widely. Hagrid smiled widely at the child, though it seemed to have an opposite effect on the child as it scrunched up his face and began to wail loudly, making Hagrid forget about being followed. No matter what or how he tried, be it patting on the child's back or making funny faces, it seemed to have an opposite effect on the child, making him unaware of a new companion until he spoke.
"I think he is hungry."
"Yeh, that mus' be it," replied Hagrid cheerfully, holding the child in one hand and pulling out many trinkets and other things from his many pockets of his coat.
His companion scrunched his nose as he noticed dog biscuits being pulled out and then tossed down on the forest floor without a care. "I think that is enough. You are wasting precious time. Give me the child and leave."
Hagrid stilled at the newcomer's word, slowly turned and faced the new comer. In front of him stood a centaur, quite young compared to the others Hagrid had met before, with white beard and hair, a golden coat on his body and a long golden and white tail.
The centaur came forward and extended his hands. "My name is Firenze. And this must be Harry Potter."
Hagrid eyed his hands for a moment, and after a while, he grasped them both in one of his, while carefully moving the child away to put enough distance between Harry and the centaur. "Yeh, that would've be me. How do yeh know 'bout Harry?"
Firenze eyed him with bright eyes, though his voice was calm. "I was informed you would come. So, would you give me the child?"
He took a step forward to look inside the small bundle, but paused in mid step as Hagrid took a step back.
Hagrid narrowed his eyes, remembering the word Dumbledore mentioned the centaur had to give. "Do yeh have a letter or somethin'?"
"Letter? I thought you were informed by the headmaster himself," stated the centaur with a raised brow.
Hagrid bristled slightly, and growled. "Yeh, I was. But I expected Ronan or summat. He never said 'Firenze'."
The centaur sighed heavily, gazing mournfully at the sky. "The password is 'Elf'.
"Yeh should've mentioned it," replied Hagrid as he carefully relinquished the child to the centaur.
As he turned to leave, Hagrid hesitated slightly. "The lil tyke will be alright?"
Firenze remained silent as he adjusted the child in his arms, his gaze lingering on the scar. "It is New Moon tonight," he said at last heaving a huge sigh.
Hagrid took a deep breath, his beard bristling slightly and grumbled. "Well, that's good to hear n all, I'm here if yeh need anythin at all."
The centaur was silent for awhile. He finally looked at Hagrid with piercing eyes. "The child will be returned to you, but you must not follow."
"I, won' follow, o' course", Hagrid flushed slightly. "Though Dumbledore didn't said..."
Before Hagrid could say any further, the cenatur disappeared into the woods swiftly, leaving a spluttering gamekeeper in his wake.
The forest was more denser and broader on the inside, just like any other enchanted place. The deeper you proceeded, the older the trees were, until you reached the inner most part of it; the heart of the forest. Around this area lay a very old barrier hiding it from any unknown, only visible to magical creatures. The creatures of the forest were the only ones who were permitted to enter, barring the Acromantula.
The enchantment would delude any witch or wizard or an unknown, diverting them away from the path, never reaching that place. If the wanderer had strong will and was persistent, they would feel a pressure in their minds and would be knocked out cold, wake up far away, with no memories of ever visiting that place.
Except for one wizard, who helped in the strengthening the wards of this heaven for the elves.
"You know very well, Albus, I don't want to do anything with the mortals at all," came a gruff reply from a dark-haired ellon, his back towards the wizard as he continued to gaze into the forest. "Their destiny means nothing to me and have no place here."
Albus Dumbledore sighed inwardly, resisting the urge to rub his forehead to relieve it from a headache he seems to gain every time he visited the elf.
The wizard was never known to give up. However, he was also known to not loose his patience, though it seemed to be thinning every minute as he stood staring at the back of a stubborn elf.
He had been here whole night trying to convince the Elf Lord to take a look at the child and confirm his suspicions, which was proving to be a weary task in itself.
"I'm not asking you to do anything in regards with the child, Artulco. Just look at him once and give the old man's heart a rest."
The elf didn't replied immediately as his back went rigid, eyes narrowed as it picked up a movement in the sky as the first rays of sun began to disperse in the sky, making the silver lines marred on his face and neck glistening lightly. He faced the wizard with a blank face, the rays of sun making him frightening and glorious.
"You never meant to ask me," he whispered. "Why are you here?"
Dumbledore sighed heavily as he gazed at his long time friend mournfully. "I came here to you for advice, Artulco, if that is what you meant to —"
"I asked – why are you here, Albus?!"
Albus removed his spectacles as he rubbed his eyes tiredly. "If it's any consolation I have not slept for two days and even tonight I might not sleep — again."
"No matter, my answer is final," said the elf stoically. "No mortal is allowed to enter in my home."
Albus bowed his head slightly in the elf's direction. "And I respect that. You just have to visit your border and spare a glance towards the child. The child will not enter without your explicit permission."
The elf narrowed his eyes slightly, though at last he nodded. "And you will never give me grief regarding mortals again."
"Yes, Artulco," Albus smiled cheerfully as the elf made his way towards the corner of the flet.
The elf paused before climbing down, noticing his friend still standing in the middle of the platform. "I have to see this mortal child on my own, I presume?"
"Yes, as I'm an old man and would like to rest here for awhile," replied Albus as he sat down on a chair like structure carved in the middle of the bark of tree.
"Old, you say? Go more for ancient, Albus." The ellon gave the wizard a hard look as he climbed down the tree.
Albus nodded impeccably at the ellon's back, sighing inwardly. He closed his eyes and waited before calling Fawkes. Though before he could fell into a light slumber, he felt his heart lighten from the burden it had carried for days as he heard a heart warming song of his companion, Fawkes.
"Well, it seems the old man is resting his heart out," came a grumbled voice, making Albus chuckle under his breath, amazed how his companion knew whom he had wanted to see. "I still don't like how you just pick me up at your wish, dratted bird. You could at least ask and not behave like the uncouth one?"
Albus saw Fawkes snapped his beak at elleth as he opened his eyes.
Standing in front of him was an elleth with dark hair and a harsh scowl gracing her face as she glared at the bird. Fawkes immediately flew to his shoulder, grooming his hair with his beak, obviously proud at kidnapping the grumbling elleth — again.
"This had to stop, Albus," the elleth said sharply, her glared now directed at him. "If he tries to kidnap me one more time, I swear by the hammer of Aulë, he will be at the receiving end of my hammer."
Albus winced slightly at the threat, as he petted his bird. "Now, dear Lomiel, their is no need of such violence. Fawkes just like you is all."
The Lomiel raised a brow in response and snorted under her breath as Fawkes tugged his hair harder. "Well, can you tell me now why I was kidnapped again? Does Artulco knows you are here?"
"Yes, your 'Atar' knows that I'm here," Albus replied, petting Fawkes as his companion crooned at him, shaking his head as the Lomiel rolled her eyes. He glanced at the forest and smiled slightly.
"How do you feel about a little adventure?"
After climbing down the tree, Artulco hesitated. Taking a deep breath, he began to walk briskly towards the border of his home.
The border came in view sooner than Artulco expected. He straightened his shoulders, his gut clenching, Artulco purposefully kept walking towards his intended direction. He abruptly came to a stop a few paces away from the border, feeling dread pool in his gut, as he stood painfully still in his place, every sense becoming as sharp as a needle. He could hear the leaves rustling, young unicorns neighing a few miles away, a herd of threshals grazing on the other side of the forest.
At last, he heard the sound of hooves galloping in his direction, and a cry of child. The centaur came into view much sooner than expected by Artulco, carrying a bundle held tightly in his arms. He came to a stop in front of the border line, nodding at Artulco in greeting.
"Artulco, I have brought the child as requested by Dumbledore," said the Firenze as he extended the bundle towards him, making Artulco to take a step back unconsciously. The centaur paused slightly as he withdrew the wailing bundle back towards him, eyeing the Elf Lord with piercing eyes.
However, the Elf Lord wasn't looking towards the centaur as his gaze was locked on the child visible slightly through the bundle. The child's face was red as he was wailing for a while, although Artulco didn't pay attention to it as his gaze saw the scar marring the child's forehead. After awhile Artulco met the gaze of the centaur, his eyes shining brightly with the blaze of the Two Trees.
"You can take the child back towards his caretaker now."
Frienze blinked once, his jaw tightening slightly as the Elf Lord left without a backward glance towards the child. He looked at the wailing child with pity and swallowed slightly. "It seems your struggle has already started, Harry Potter."
The centaur turned away from the border and slowly made his way back towards the gamekeeper. He had barely covered a small distance when he heard a lithe tune echoing. His muscles began to relax as he slowly came to a stop and looked around.
From the middle of the heart of the forest a fair woman could be seen walking towards him. Though before he could think it was a human and leave, he saw the garbs on her. It was similar to the Elf Leader, though with more allowance for her to walk with. Her dark hair was held back in a braid which hung down to her waist. Her eyes were similar to the Elf Leader, though her face was more open and forgiving.
She came to a stop in front of him and glanced at the child in his arms. The child had quietened down as well and was quietly sobbing. She slowly placed her hand on the child's forehead, making Frienze stiffen slightly, though he relaxed as she smiled. "Would you give me the child so I could provide him something to fill his stomach and heal him as well?"
Frienze narrowed his eyes as he took a step back. "Your leader was specific in his words. He wanted him taken back to the Hagrid."
The woman's smile dropped slightly and sighed heavily. "I know, Master Cenature, though I insist you allow me to treat of the child."
Frienze tightened his jaw, though when he followed her gaze, he could see the tired reddened face of the child as the child looked at him. Sighing internally, he consciously relaxed his stance and gently placed the child in the woman's arms.
"I will come to pick up the child soon," said Firenze stoically as turned and left without giving the woman a chance to reply.
Glossary:
1. Ellon - male elf
2. Elleth - female elf
3. Atar- father