Greif had all but consumed me when it happened. Day after day I was confined to my room, rot because I was "freakish" but because I wanted to study.
The day after I returned from Hogwarts my aunt had sat me down at the kitchen table and told me that she knew what I was going through.
She told me she was going to help me in any way possible. A week into the summer aunt Petunia had taken me to the biggest library in Little Whinging and had gotten me a membership card. On my first visit I began researching everything I could. I began with mythology, runes, botany, history and muggle technology. Within days I had absorbed everything in the books, I learnt that I have a brain that is even better than Hermione's when I want it too be.
On June twenty-first I returned to the library and got more books on each of these subjects and I began researching communication and self-defence.
Every morning I would get up and begin my study-fest. Vernon would then storm into my room and demand to know what I was reading. When I held up the perfectly ordinary book he would wander off.
On the return journey of my third visit to the library pain suddenly flared right through my body. I was gone as quickly as it came. This pain felt a lot like the Cruciatus Curse. I picked up my fallen books and set off for Number Four Privet Drive.
When I arrived back home Aunt Petunia was sat at the kitchen table drinking honey-tea. She instructed me to sit with her. I sat cautiously at the table. She poured me a cup of tea and I thanked her. She slowly began to talk about the Evanna family. They were a family of elves, many, many elves. She talked of how their name changed slightly over the years, how it changed to Evans. She told of her mother and her father; a squib and a Night Elf respectively. Aunt Petunia described how my mother looked and I was in awe. According to Petunia Lily had long blood-red hair that flowed down her back, apparently it did look like blood sometimes and very pale skin, like most Night Elves. She told me how Lily had been a mixture of sub-races and therefore more detectable by "the Scroll." Petunia had been jealous at first but she soon realised that because she was pure-blooded she would not be so easily registered. Aunt Petunia had been born an Avariel Elf and learned how to be a Mage. Lily had been part Lythari and part Dark Elf but had a dash of human in her.
Petunia slowly got around to how she had hid what she was from Vernon and then explained to me what she thought I was. I was stunned.
My father's family had also been non-human. They had been based around the elements more. The Potter grandparents had been a Water Nymph and a Water Elemental. Their children were named James, Maryanne and Kerianne. James had been a Nix, Maryanne had been a Naiad and Kerianne had been a Banshee.
Petunia told me that I would have to leave. She would undo the spell she herself had cast on me to make me look human and then she would send me to live with Maryanne. I was shocked. She quickly composed a letter to Aunt Maryanne and sent it with Hedwig.
Aunt Petunia told me to sit and wait while she fetched some things. I waited patiently until her return. When Aunt Petunia returned she was carrying a tray. On the tray was a bottle of a sickly green liquid and a brush. Strapped across her back was a staff. The staff caught my eye. It was amazingly carved. The staff was silver, and had Runes carved into it. At the head of the staff threads with beads rattling along their lengths were looped through small holes. She told me to lay on the table. I pulled myself onto the hard wood and willed my muscles to relax. She left again.
This time when she returned she was wearing a short tan-leather dress, a tunic really. The skirt was cut along the outer thighs for movement.
She took the bottle and the brush. I closed my eyes. I felt something cold on my forehead, wrist and neck. I cracked open my eyes. She held the staff, her right hand near the butt and her left near the head. I heard it sail through the air above me but the beauty of the movement enraptured me. Petunia arced the staff over my body and struck the butt against the ground.
The same pain I felt a mere hour ago rocketed through me once again. This time it was for a much longer period, more drawn out and centred within me. This was true pain, not a false illusion created by the Cruciatus. I stayed silent throughout this torment.
Finally the torture ended and I was able to stand up again. Petunia pulled me upstairs. She instructed me to sit on the floor. I carefully sat down and watched her. She opened a locked trunk and pulled out a pair of black leather trousers and a black tunic. They were female elf clothes but she didn't have anything else. She turned away whilst I changed into the garments. When she whirled around she pointed to the mirror. I gasped. I looked… so different. My skin was so pale, so pallid I was amazed. My hair looked like a long black river, my ears… my gosh I will not fit in at Hogwarts anymore and I was taller, much taller though I would not be taller than any human.
Petunia suddenly whipped out her hand and caught a piece of parchment. She smiled ad handed it to me. It read;
Dear Petunia and Harry,
I am so very glad to hear from at last. I would be happy to look after Harry and train him as you ask. Send him to me as soon as you can.
Love from Maryanne Potter XX
I smiled. I would be training. Aunt Petunia told me to pack my things and wait downstairs. I complied readily enough.
Soon I was sat on the couch downstairs, my feet propped up on my trunk. Petunia walked into the room shortly after three o'clock. She had a pendant hanging from a think silver chain. The pendant was a white-gold and onyx yin-yang symbol. She asked me to hold out my hand. I did so and she gave me a pendant. Like the one she was wearing it had a thick silver chain. The pendant was an emerald water droplet. I smiled. Aunt Petunia told me how to activate it. I activated it and felt a jerk behind my naval.
--
I arrived in a field; there were small hills dotted all over the place and there was a shallow stream encircling this lush field. In the centre of the field was a small, clear pond. I set my trunk down and looked around. I knew Maryanne had to be bound to a body of water so… the pond was the obvious answer. I made my way over to the shallow dwelling.
"Hello Harry," said a voice from nearby. I whirled around, reaching for my wand. "Tut, tut Harry. You need to be much faster than that. If I were Voldemort you would be dead." goaded the voice. I looked around wildly. There was no-one to be seen. "The first rule; never rule out the implausible. Look in the pond." I walked over to the pond. "Come closer, Harry," said the voice. I knelt down in the damp reed-shoots.
Something burst out of the water faster than I could blink. Floating eerily above the pond was a woman, an indescribable woman. Then her form solidified and she became more human-like. She was a very beautiful woman, her hair was long and flowing, a very light blond highlighted with green and blue, her skin was very pale and had a blue-ish tint to it, her lips were paler still, her dress was a shimmering blue-green colour; like that of a river, bound in her hair were several water lilies. The overall effect was very appealing. I assume it was Maryanne.
She glided forward, her petit feet skimming the water's surface. I stood stock-still hoping she was actually Maryanne and not someone hostile.
"Harry, it is so wonderful to finally see you!" I watched her carefully. "Let me introduce myself; I am Maryanne, your aunt Petunia should have explained everything but she may not have. We shall begin your training immediately."