Summery: Something saved the Potters at the last second, but when they escaped, Harry was transported to the forests by Hogwarts. Now alone in the Forbidden Forest, what will happen to Harry?
An: My newest story. Enjoy.
Chapter 1 Godric's Hollow
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"Lily! Take Harry and run!" a desperate James Potter yelled to his wife without taking his eyes off the shuttering doorknob, the spell to block any unlocking charm would hold now but not for long. He heard her run upstairs with Harry to the nursery.
'Please let them get out alive' He prayed to any God listening as the door exploded in a shower of splinters, and in walked his worst fear. Voldemort.
There was a smirk on his face as he raised his wand once again, unleashing an unknown spell. James dogged and shot out a stunner, Voldemort put up a shield and the spell bounced harmlessly away.
"Is that the best you can do, Potter?" Voldemort mocked and sent another spell, one that James recognized, a bone shattering curse. He threw up a shield but it wasn't strong enough and the spell smashed through, hitting his wand arm.
"You are beaten Potter. Give up your son and I will let you live."
"NEVER!" James said defiantly.
"Very well then, good bye Potter, we will never meet again. "AVADA KEDAVA!" he shouted the green light flying toward him, James jumped to the side barley dogging the spell, clutching his wand in his left hand.
Breathing heavily he managed to shoot a cutting hex at the stunned Dark Lord cutting his cheek. That made him angry.
"WORMTAIL, SNAPE! MALFOY!" he shouted, the three men walked into the room, "Restrain him! Malfoy find the girl!" James eyes widened as he saw Peter.
"Peter?" he said disbelievingly, "Peter?" he repeated as both him and Snape grabbed both of his arms, Snape held his broken arm surprisingly gently, but Peter grabbed his other arm roughly, giving an evil chuckle.
"How does it feel to be the powerless one?" he said with a smirk, "To feel weak and abandoned?" James said nothing as he looked over to the stairs were Malfoy was walking up.
He looked over to Snape, who looked guilty.
"I'm sorry Potter." Snape whispered. As the Dark Lord aimed his wand at James heart.
"Any last words Potter!" He snarled his cheek bleeding slightly. James looked over at Peter, "I trusted you, I gave you the power to protect us and you betrayed us, Peter, I hope Sirius rips you apart!" He snarled.
Voldemort chuckled, "Most are begging me for death by now. I admire your courage Potter, but courage wont save you now, Avada-" A loud trilling filled the house, a phoenix song!
James heart filled with hope. Had Dumbledore sent his phoenix? Voldemort hissed something and clawed at his ears as if the song was burning his ears, Peter was too.
Snape looked at them surprised, then turned to James, "I don't know what's happening, but that song wont last forever, we have to get out of here."
"How do I know I can trust you?" James asked.
"The fact that I'm not on the floor right now, lets go!" James nodded and both men rushed up to the second floor seeing Lucius on the floor, and a passed out Lily on the floor blood pooling around her head, a sleeping baby laying next to her.
James ran over to her, and picked her up, leaving Snape to hold Harry.
"I'm trusting you with my son Snape. Please get him out of here." Snape looked at the child in his arms and nodded, he looked back at James. "Consider that life debt repaid." James nodded and pulled out two Portkeys, and handed one to Snape, "This will take you to Hogwarts, I will meet you there." James nodded and Portkeyed out. Hopping he made the right decision.
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Just as James left the song stopped, and an angry voice echoed through the house, Voldemort's voice. Snape pulled out the Portkey and was about to activate it, when it was blasted out of his hand.
Lucius stood there blood dripping out of his ears eyes screwed up in furry.
"Traitor!" He growled out and sent a Crucio at him, but Severus was faster than him, he pulled out his wand with (difficulty because of Harry) and managed to put a binding spell on Lucius.
He went for the Portkey again but he was hit in the legs with a leg locker curse, he turned and saw Wormtail standing there with Voldemort behind him.
"Well done, Wormtail." he turned to Severus, "Give me the boy Severus." Severus shook his head and held the sleeping boy closer. Voldemort's face twisted in anger and the lights in the house dimmed.
"Do not test me Severus, give me the boy!" Severus shook his head again, and lunged for the Portkey, but before he could get there Voldemort used the dreaded killing curse.
Time seamed to slow down. The curse left the wand and started for Severus and Harry, Severus shut his eyes, so this is how he was going to die. A sudden trilling filled the room and a black phoenix came into the room in a white burst of flame.
It took the curse dead on an exploded into a cloud of ashes, Voldemort snarled in furry and cast the curse again, another phoenix appeared in the room, this one was white, and appeared in a black burst of flame, and again the curse hit the bird making another cloud of ashes.
The ashes from the white phoenix joining with the ashes of the black phoenix and made a small tornado of ashes that surrounded Severus and Harry, Severus felt something attach itself to his mind and a burning on his forehead, the baby in his arms, now awake wailed in pain and shock, a cut on his forehead.
The tornado grew in size and Severus felt something warm surrounding him and then, nothing.
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Voldemort was furious as he saw the man and baby disappear, his prey had escaped! But the tornado that had remained was worrying him it was turning a green color, killing curse green! and was headed right toward him!
He put up the strongest shielding charm he knew but when the tornado hit it shattered through the shield like glass and ripped Lord Voldemort from his body, it was one of the most painful experiences of his life, and he never wanted to feel that pain again.
An explosion blew the house up, the shock of Magical backlash. Voldemort's soul flew through the area before he possessed the body of a snake, he would live, he would comeback.
He hissed in anger as he slithered away to recover.
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Wormtail had left the house when the tornado first appeared, and took Lucius with him. If he had left Voldemort's right hand man behind he would have been in trouble.
He watched in horror as the house exploded and a wave of magic washed over him, making him shiver in fright, Lucius opened his eyes in time to see the house explode, and felt the magical backlash.
When everything was calm again Wormtail and Lucius went back into the destroyed house looking for their master. Wormtail looked down into the rubble and saw something gleam.
He reached down and picked it up, it was the dark lords wand.
Lucius looked over at the wand. His eyes widened. He quickly pulled back his sleeve to see a very light Darkmark almost gone.
"He can't be dead," he heard Lucius mumble, a siren sounded in the distance and that made them both start to move.
"Wormtail, get out of here and for Salazar's sake hide yourself! I will tell the other Deatheaters that the Dark Lord is dead," he heard a CRACK close by, "Go the Auror's are coming!"
He disappeared with a CRACK of his own, before he could leave a very panicked Sirius ran over, he took one look at the house and let out a sob, he looked over at Wormtail.
"YOU!'' he snarled and leapt for him, he grabbed Wormtail just as he Apprated (Sp?) out to a street near his small house, Wormtail pushed Sirius away and rand a few feet away before shouting out.
"How could you sell out Lily and James to Voldemort Sirius!" a group of muggles stopped when they heard Wormtail's shouting. Sirius looked confused for a minute before pulling out his wand, "I didn't do anything you trait-" an explosion stopped anything that Sirius was about to say. Wormtail realized that he had used the Dark Lord's wand, he put it away and used his own wand to cast a tickling charm on Sirius.
While everyone was still blinded Wormtail used a severing charm on his finger and let it drop to the ground and he quickly transformed into a rat and disappeared down into the sewers, he would have to find a place to stay now, he ran through the sewers his finger a mere bloody stump.
At least he was free. But he had to get out of this place soon, the smell of blood would attract other, less friendly rats.
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Sirius watched as Wormtail blew up half the street killing every one nearby, then casting a tickling charm on him making him roar with laughter, he was powerless to stop it.
We then watched the traitorous rat cut off his finger, transform and disappear into the sewers, just as he left Auror's started Apprateing in. A group of newer recruits and a few seniors that he recognized from his own group and a few he didn't recognize.
Some of the newer recruits took one look at the mess and threw up, the seniors of the team looked at the seen with disgust. Sirius still laughing attracted their attention, some looked surprised. Others shocked.
Out of the group of nine only the three seniors approached.
"Sirius? What happened?" Sirius couldn't stop laughing, The Auror's looked at his wand in his hand and their faces turned from concern to shock.
"Sirius… please tell me you didn't do this." Sirius laughed even more crazily then before, he was desperately trying to speak but he couldn't even get out a word to cancel the spell.
"Sirius, I hate to say this but you are under arrest for murder, anything you say can and will be used against you in the court of law," Sirius felt them pry his wand out of his hands and place magic blocking handcuffs on his wrists, the rest of what the Auror was saying was almost blocked out by Sirius's insane laughter.
He was going to Azkaban for a crime he didn't commit, howling in laugher (or was that agony?) all the way.
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James watched as Madam Pomfrey fussed over Lily, she only had a slight concussion from taking a stunner to the head and the jolt of hitting the floor, he was tolled she would be fine.
But he wouldn't believe that until she opened her eyes, but the other thing that worried him was the fact that Snape hadn't turned up, he shouldn't be taking this long to arrive.
Had he betrayed him? No, he didn't collapse when the phoenix song started, and Dumbledore trusted him. But were was he!
Dumbledore had arrived soon after they appeared, and after getting James to talk he said that Snape had come to him just minutes earlier telling him of the attack. Apparently, he was their spy in the Dark Lord's ranks.
A burst of white fire in the middle of the room drew his attention away from his wife's pale face. The flames disappeared as soon as they came and laying in the middle of the room was Severus Snape.
Dumbledore looked surprised at his entrance and ran over to him James close behind him. He saw a bundle on his chest, at first he thought it was Harry but when he got closer he saw a large bird.
Its wings were spread in a protective matter across the mans chest and its claws were dug into his shirt, he had a feeling the bird wouldn't move until Snape was awake, the birds head was laid on his chest and it was panting like it was exhausted.
"A phoenix!" Dumbledore said startled.
"But where is Harry?" Dumbledore looked at James, "We will have to wait until Severus awakens to ask, while we wait we will have to check that cut on his forehead."
That was when James noticed a fresh cut on Snape's forehead, it was oddly heaped, it looked like the black part of the yin and yang symbol. He watched as the Mediwitch carefully levitated Snape to the bed besides Lily's, and his worry was increased tenfold.
Where was his son? Where was Harry.
An owl flew through an open window and ran into Dumbledore it was hooting with alarm, Dumbledore quickly untied the letter from the owls leg. He opened it and looked it over. The normal twinkle in his eye was gone.
He looked over at James gravely, "James, Sirius has been arrested."
"What!?!"
"13 counts of murder, 12 muggles and one wizard."
"Who was the wizard?"
"Peter."
"What possessed him to kill all those people?" James asked in a daze, Dumbledore sighed, "I do not know but we will find out." James nodded, but then hesitated. What if Snape woke up with information about where his son was?
"Do not worry Poppy will alert us if they awaken." James nodded and left the room behind Dumbledore. He hoped Sirius didn't kill the muggles. He didn't think he could bear it if he did.
He would have to owl Remus about what was happening. He ran a hand through his hair in frustration why did this have to happen to his family.
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Firenze looked at the stars with interest, something had disturbed their pattern, Mars had suddenly shifted! Was the wizard war over? His intense blue eyes looked up unblinking.
No it was still there only dimmer, the war would restart. Of that he was sure, two other planets were shining brightly, Jupiter and Venus. What could that mean? He flicked his tail in annoyance, it was frustrating when the stars weren't clear. Was something going to happen?
As if answering his question black flames appeared, but even though they were close to him they were not hot when the flames died down, there was a pure white phoenix laying on a small bundle.
The bird looked exhausted it barely had the energy to give a weak trill in Firenze's direction, the creature's eyes had an unnatural blackness to them that made Firenze a little uneasy.
The pinto approached the bundle carefully and looked down and to his surprise saw a human baby. The bird that laying on the baby keeping it warm, and protected, the boy looked up at him with forest green eyes. They were wide and curious, like all foals at his age.
He could tell this boy was magical and would be powerful too once he was trained. But what was he doing here? With only a phoenix as a guard? In the middle of the forest? He should take him to the school and give him to Dumbledore. If another centaur had found him they would have left him to die.
"Firenze! Are you here?" He turned with a start to see a very pretty centaur girl, her horse parts were of the paint breed, her human parts were also attractive.
She had long brown hair that grew down her spine like a horses mane and light brown eyes that were always soft and warm. He instantly relaxed, a female centaur couldn't resist a child of any type.
This particular girl was named Lilith his foalhood friend.
She stepped into the area and saw him standing over something, "What do you have…" she saw the baby and let out a high pitched whinny of excitement, "OH a foal! Were did you find him Firenze!" she laid down carefully to look at him closer.
"But what's a phoenix doing here?" She looked at the boys forehead, and brushed back her hair "He has the yang sign on his forehead, were did he get that from?" She wondered out loud.
She reached into a pocket of a pack that all females carried with them, they held every item needed to heal anything, she pulled out a small vile made of wood, when he looked closer he saw it was a restorative potion that the centaurs invented for the animals of the forests. She held the birds head up and carefully poured the potion down its throat.
The bird coughed for a minute before it stood up and ruffled his feathers, he gave a chirp of thanks and spread his wings in a long stretch. He gave her a curious look then settled down on the boy.
"I see you're his familiar." the bird nodded and gave a fond trill in the boy's direction the boy who was watching quietly gave a small giggle and reached out to touch the birds feathers. The phoenix gave a happy chirp the boy giggled again and gave a chirp of his own.
The two centaurs looked in curiously as the boy repeated the trills and chirps back at the phoenix perfectly. Lilith decided to pick the boy up then, the bird flew off the boy and onto Lilith's back, the boy gave a little whimper of sadness but quickly stopped when he saw the newest person that was holding him. He examined her for a minute before turning back to Firenze to watch him.
"Firenze I think we should take him to the Council of Elders, I think he is meant to stay with us, the stars say it so."
Firenze looked up he had almost forgotten about the odd sign he had seen earlier. Jupiter next to Venus. He looked down at the boy, yes, it must be! He nodded and Lilith gave another happy whinny, making the boy giggle and repeat the sound.
That made Lilith laugh even harder, "Oh! (Giggle) He's adorable!" she said her whole body shaking with laughter making the phoenix on her back dig his claws into her back to keep himself steady. When they got her laughter under control they started off toward the centaurs glade a place were no humans had ever set foot.
It was a long walk and with the bumping and warmth of the night the boy quickly fell asleep, Lilith wrapped the blanket around him to hide his face. When they reached the glade there were two guards standing there, one was fresh out of his aprentishship, the other, was the one centuar he didn't want to see.
Bane.
He gave a small nod of greating to both of them hoping they didn't notice the baby human wrapped in the blanket they were almost in when Bane stopped them.
"Lilith, what do you have there," she stiffened and turned toward him, "Nothing, just something I found in the woods that's all," his nose twitched in anoyance, "It smells like human, fresh too." He moved toward her reaching for the blanket.
She jolted backwards with an angry snort, "What I have is none of your busness!" she stamped her foot in a huff and walked past them, it was a bad idea to make a female centuar angry, they could kick faster than a male, and it was very painful if they all ganged up on someone. Which they tended to do.
He saw heasatition cross Bane's face, on one hoof he wanted to see what she had found, on the other, she scared him. He wisely let her alone and returned to the snickering new guard.
Firenze let out a sigh of relief and folowed Lilith to the Old oak tree, it was the very Heart of the forest, the first tree ever to grow in the forest, no one knew how old it was but it was proably over 3000 years old.
Even before the tales of the founders there were tales of the ancient tree that kept the forest alive, The centuars slept ate and socialized under its protective roots that formed many tunnels storage areas, water gathering places, (were after the rains came water was trapped to be collected) and places to rest on hot days.
There were three main areas that the centuars used everyday, the nursery, were the youngest foals lived, the apprentance area, were the older foals lived, and the main area for the older unmated centaurs, but that was divided by a large curtion of moss, males on the left females on the right.
For mated couples they just chose random places to sleep in the tree. Mated couples were rare, so they didn't need a specific sleeping area.
But right now Firenze and Lilith were heading to a sub tunnel that led to the five oldest centuars area, they made all the decisions for the main herd, and were the ones who would decide the boys fate.
It was a long dim path, not totally dark because of the glowing rocks on each side of the tunnel. They walked until they came to a small chanber were the five elders sat, legs tucked under them, old coats almost all dull gray from age, that spoke once of young sleek bodys.
There were three females and two males, all watching Lilith and Frienze. Lillith gave a low bow of respect and the elders nodded back.
"Young filly, what do you wish of us?" an older female with a hint of an old bay coat spoke.
"Honorable Grandmother, I have come to ask permision for a human to live here."
There were loud shouts of outrage from the two males in the corner and a look of intrest from the females.
"You know our laws, no human is allowed in the tree."
Lilith sighed and unwrapped the boy from the blanket.
"YOU BROUGHT IT HERE!" One of the males shouted in anger, "How could you bring that… thing! HERE!"
"Were did you find it child?"
"Actualy I didn't, Firenze did," she made room for him to step up next to her and gave the boy to him, the almost forgotten Phoneix flew to Firenzes back now, keeping a watchful look on the elder males.
"Tell me Firenze, how is it you came across this colt?"
"Phoneix fire, it brought him here, right after mars shifited," the two males in the corner looked up, interested, "Mars shifted you say? Did any other star start to shine brightly?"
Firenze nodded, "Jupiter and Venus, after I asked what it could it mean this human colt appeared." The two males, all hostitaly toward the human gone now, "If that is what you saw than it must be that he would help us in the future," a raggid female voice rasped out.
The boy who was now awake has started up the odd whistling of the phoenix song again and all watched as he started to glow softly, the phoenix on firenzes back started singing along with him and the young boy glowed so bright a light it was almost blinding.
When the glowing stoped, Firenze was holding the waist of a young centuar colt. He gave a giggle and kicked out with his new black legs.
He had the back of an Arabian, his fur was black and shinny, he was perfectly healthy. he was a little small for a centuar of his age but that could be changed with food and exersise.
"The boy is an Animist!" one of the males shouted "A lucky omen!" the other one shouted, "He must stay!" one of the females chanted, "Firenze and Lilith will keep him!" the female who spoke to them first spoke last, "He will need a name,"
Lilith looked at him and with a sad smile said "Faunus, after my father." she whispered, "Bear the name well little one."
The boy now christened Faunus smiled and wiggled out of Firenze's arms and walked on wobbly legs over to Lilith and huged her right foreleg.
This was the start of Faunus's new life, in the centaur herd