Darkness.
That's all Harry Potter knew after his most recent beating...
It was really bad...Uncle Vernon was furious...Dudley had been hurt, and his uncle had thought it was his fault.
He didn't want Dudley to be hurt...But it must have happened out of his control...
He remembered feeling weak...Tired...Uncle Vernon walked away.
He had tried to get up...Tried to get to doing the chores...
But he was too tired...He closed his eyes...and went to sleep...
When he awoke he felt something soft was under him. Soft yet cool. He was relaxed and the pain he once felt was gone. The boy slowly opened his eyes and was surprised at how things were once fuzzy to him now seemed clear.
He gazed up into the sky and saw many strange spheres flying overhead. Harry slowly sat up and held his head as the phantom pain of his last beating past through him. He looked around and finally started to realize something.
He wasn't in his cupboard. He was nowhere near the house; his uncle was going to kill him! Harry rose to his feet shakily and started to run, he didn't know where but he needed to get back! He needed to get back so he won't be hurt…so they won't hurt him.
The boy was unaware that he was about to walk into a busy part of this new world, and there he will meet someone who will take his pain and woes away forever.
He timidly entered the new place, looking back and forth shyly. He didn't say anything. He WANTED to call for help, but he wasn't supposed to speak unless spoken to.
Something was really weird about this place though...It was like outer space...There were stars, and it looked like it was nighttime.
It was pretty...But empty.
He wasn't finding anyone quite yet...
He felt lonely.
He continued to walk his head down looking at the rocky road that hurt his feet. He wondered when it changed but he didn't dwell on it. He was so distracted that he had walked right into someone.
He fell to the ground with a groan and let out a pained yelp. His eyes snapped open as he realized what he had just done.
Unknown to him the person he had run into was still standing and was blinking in confusion. Her fluffy pink hair ran down her head covering her horns on the top of her head. She wore a white fluffy shirt and skirt and had sandals.
This was Aries, the celestial spirit of the ram. Her brown eyes were wide and confused as she gazed around wondering what had hit her.
She heard a soft whimper, then looked down when she saw a little boy staring up at her with fearful eyes. She blinked.
"Oh my...Um...Hello there..." She said in her soft tone of voice. "I...I don't think I've seen you before...Are...Are you new...?" Harry sniffled.
"I...I...I..." He whimpered.
"Oh..." Aries smiled softly. "I understand...You're shy." She knelt down to his level and smiled softly. "It's okay...I'm shy too...You're not alone."
Harry tried to crawl backwards slightly from her making her frown sadly at him. He flinched at her frown and lowered his head down. "I'm sorry…I'm sorry."
Aries tilted her head, her frown now more out of confusion. "It's… alright little boy." She said softly with a small smile.
Harry looked up at her and felt some of his fear dissipate as he stared into her warm brown eyes. Aries smile grew as she saw his bright emerald eyes stare into her own.
"My name is Aries little one, who are you?" she asked kindly.
The boy slowly gulped and looked around before looking back at her. "Harry…Harry Potter." He mumbled quietly.
"Harry..." She said. "That's a very cute name."
"Th-Thank you...Miss Aries..."
"Oh my...Miss Aries...? I'm not...THAT old, am I...?"
"I'm sorry...I didn't mean to call you old..."
"No, no, it's okay, you didn't know." She replied gently.
"I-If you wanna hit me, that's fine..."
Aries gasped and placed her hands over her mouth in shock. "Why would I hit you dear?!" she asked.
Harry looked down sad, "Because I did wrong. I need to be punished…"
Aries grimaced as she remembered her last owner had abused her and many other spirits, she was always too scared to stand up to her. But seeing this small boy made her wish she did.
She reached over and wrapped the boy in a warm embrace confusing the child. "Huh? Why aren't you…"
"Shhhh" Aries said tightening her embrace around him.
Harry was confused yet comfortable, and odd combination that he had never felt before. He snuggled into the girl's warmth and let out a soft sigh. "Why…why are you not hitting me…?" he asked with his eyes closed tight.
"You did nothing to deserve it." Aries spoke in a soothing tone. "Don't tell yourself you should be hit...It's not true."
"Are...Are you sure...?"
"Yes, dear..." Aries cooed. "I'm very sure."
They both stayed silent for a time, Aries holding the child gently and protectively. Then, he spoke.
"...Your clothes are so soft..." He said softly, snuggling in closer. Aries blushed and giggled bashfully.
"Oh...Thank you...I knitted them myself." She didn't really tell anyone, but knitting was one of her favourite hobbies. It always calmed her down and helped her relax...She had done a lot of it during her time with Karen...
Harry smiled up at her. "I knit too! But I never got to keep anything I made…" he mumbled the last part sadly.
Aries frowned sadly as she held her closer lifting him up in her arms. He snuggled more into her with a soft coo making her smile lightly at him.
His shirt was awfully big and messy at spots and it just did not match his bright green eyes. She gave him a soft smile and maneuvered him so she was cradling. His eyes were drooping as he was very relaxed.
Aries giggled lightly. "Sleepy there dear?" she asked.
Harry nodded. The woman's clothes WERE making him kinda sleepy...He let out a soft yawn. "I...I wanna sleep..." He mumbled. Aries nodded.
"Okay. That's just fine." She said gently. "Take a rest. You look like you need it." Smiling gratefully, the little boy closed his eyes.
Smiling, the ram spirit made her way back to her home. She was going to make the boy a little surprise for when he woke up...
And so...
Aries hummed cheerfully to herself as she rocked back and forth in her favourite rocking chair. The sound of needles clicking was heard as she worked on her latest set of clothing. She looked over briefly to see the child sleeping soundly in her bed. She then looked beside her and smiled at what she had made so far. A sweater, socks, underwear...She'd even decided to make a little teddy bear. Now she just needed to finish the pants.
She blinked when she noticed the boy was tossing and turning in her bed. Growing worried she stood up, placed her needle and fabric to the side and walked over to him.
The scared and pained look on his face made her own heart hurt. She reached over and gently shook him to try and wake him up. "Harry, sweetie wake up please!" she said desperately.
"Please…" she heard him mumble in his sleep. "Please stop…uncle…it hurts…please…it hurts…I'm sorry…" tears were falling from his eyes now and it scared the spirit of the ram.
She lifted the boy in her arms and started to rock him gently giving him gentle soothing sounds in his ear to try and calm him down.
Harry eyes bolted open and he screamed one thing that made the girl freeze. "PLEASE DON'T KILL ME!"
Aries' eyes widened and her mouth dropped open. 'Wh-What...?' She thought. Harry was regaining his bearings, and slowly looked up at her. "M-Miss Aries...?" Aries shook her head and smiled.
"Yes, dear...It's me." She said gently. "Are you okay?"
"I...I had a bad dream..." Harry admitted. Aries nodded.
"I know...Do you want to talk about it?" She asked gently. Harry sniffled.
"I-Is it okay...?" Aries nodded.
"Of course."
Harry sniffed again. "I was home…I was cooking and my uncle came in." Aries eyes grew wide when he mentioned cooking. 'He's too young for that!'
"He took me by the hair and threw me across the room." He sniffed, "He start my beatings…but it was worse…he…he didn't stop…" he mumbled softly.
Aries eyes were wide and teary as she stared down at the little boy in her arms.
"Ms. Aries…?"
"Y-Yes dear?" she asked her voice shaking.
"Am…Am I…dead?" he asked with wide scared eyes.
Aries paled."I...I..." She had no words to say. She didn't want to tell him yes...But she didn't want to say no...Because she didn't know...But it seemed likely...
Harry sniffled. "I-I am dead...Aren't I...?" He whimpered. "I'm dead...I...I..." He suddenly began to breathe heavily.
Aries' eyes widened when she saw he was having a breakdown.
Acting quickly, she started to rock him while holding him to her reassuringly. She started to hum gently in his ear and her heart broke when she heard the first sob.
Harry pushed his face into her warmth and let his tears fall for the first time since before he could remember. He sobbed and cried for all the pain he had gone through and the fact that, he was gone and that no one will miss him.
Aries held him close and felt her own tears start to fall. She leaned her head down as she walked back over to her rocking chair and started to rock herself and him. She did not like seeing him sad, but a part of her understood that he needed to let it out.
So she just held him tight whispering soothing words in his ears and rocking him gently while rocking in her chair. If anyone would have walked in at that time, they would have assumed the sight was that of a mother trying to calm their crying child.
In the Dursleys House...
The Dursleys found themselves sitting before three people.
One was an old man with a long, white beard, wearing blue robes.
One was a stern-looking woman with glasses.
The last one was a hook-nosed man with long, black, greasy hair.
And they were all looking at the Dursleys with nothing short of pure, unadulterated FURY.