Lionheart

by Ourania Aella

Chapter 1 – Reaching Out


As he stared at the stars, the moon, and the emptiness of space, he knew that there was something more out there. He just simply knew it. It wasn't something he'd read in a book at the library while hiding from his cousin or something he'd heard the teachers talk about during class. No, he knew it because he felt it. It was always there. The tranquil flowing calm that healed him and gave him the strength to go on. The one support that had kept him going. And most importantly, the one thing that kept him positive during his miserable life at his relative's home.

At only seven years old, he'd experienced more pain in his short life than any adult would normally experience in their entire lives. It wasn't just one or two falls off the swing and getting bullied every once in a while. It was the daily beatings he'd received at the hands of his aunt and uncle. It was the fact that he didn't even know his own name, Harry James Potter, until he started school. It was the fact that no one would even lend a hand to help him. It was the days spent as a slave while others reap the benefits of his work. The list could go on, but the fact is that he had spent his life in a way no one person ever should have. And what made it all worse was that through the entire time, he never had a chance to fight back.

He slowly pushed his miserable thoughts away and laid back on the grass. It was his usual spot in the park where he would sit late at night. He calmed himself and fell into the trance that had become second nature to him over the past year. His pains began to disappear and the feeling of his blood soaked shirt began to fade. Smiling as the feeling of the energy coursed through him again, he thought about when he started getting into the habit of meditating like this. He didn't really know how he discovered the energy that flowed through him and everything around him a year ago, but at the same time, he didn't really care. Each time he went into the trance, he could feel himself slowly change. He began to understand more and think faster. He was able to feel everything around him. From the tree branches swaying to the grass he was laying on. He could even feel the sleeping cats that lived with the old lady down the block from the Dursley's, his relative's, home. It wasn't just his own consciousness anymore. He felt the consciousness of the life around him. It allowed him to let go of his personal worries and become a part of something bigger. Something more.

Slowly, he felt around himself, trying to get a deeper understanding of how everything was connected. It all started to make sense. The trees pulling what they needed to survive from deep in the ground to the birds resting in their nests high up in the same trees. The feeling was almost addicting. He reveled in the tranquility of it all, knowing that wherever he went, it would always be with him. He didn't know much about it and knew he would need to look into it more, but he knew that while he was a part of the energy, that with each day he was able to understand it more, he knew that he would get closer and closer to it. Ending his train of thought, he realized that he would need to go home soon and began to stand up.

As he returned from his trance he realized that he had been in the park longer then he had expected he would be, so he ran back to his relative's house to avoid getting another beating and to rest before his next day of school. He didn't realize that he had been running faster than most would think possible for a child of his age, let alone how fast a child who was just injured should be able to run. Though at this late hour, few would be awake and for those that were, it would have been difficult for them to see a child running without specifically paying attention.

When he arrived, he stealthily slipped in through the back door so that if any of his relatives would still be awake, they wouldn't see or hear the door open. As he made his way through the hall and slipped into his cupboard already succumbing to sleep. As he fell asleep, he could feel the comforting feeling return and allow him to rest peacefully in his small, dirty cupboard that had been his room for as long as he could remember.

Days passed without much change other than his connection with the force around him. With his continuing habit of meditating nightly, he slowly began to not only feel the changed occurring to him, he could see them. Quite literally in fact as he no longer needed glasses. In addition to his improved vision, he was able to run faster and work harder than he was ever able to before. His ability to take pain and resist it also improved as his days went on.

This brought on a train of thought however. He never really understood the energy that he could feel and knew that he would eventually need to know more about it. He knew he couldn't be the only one with the talent, that was just incredibly unlikely. However his search for information never proved to be fruitful. He'd search the various libraries located within walking distance and found nothing. When he'd asked the adults around him, the simply laughed and when he asked the kids that were in his school, the chased and beat him even more often than before for being a 'freak', his cousin leading the effort.

Before his eleventh birthday however, things changed, mainly because, he got a letter. Not his uncle, aunt or cousin, but him. Someone has sent him a letter! The excitement resulting from the event stopped him from actually opening it right away and before he could even read it, it got snatched out of his hand. By his fat oaf of a cousin, which meant that things would not go well.

"Mum! Dad! Look! Harry's got a letter!" His cousin, Dudley said, excited for some reason that no one else would understand. He'd always thought Dudley was a bit stupid, but it wasn't like anyone cared about his opinion.

"Who'd write a letter to you?" his uncle, Vernon Dursley, asked with a smirk and glare, that only he and his wife could produce, as he took the letter from his whale of a son, much to the latter's disappointment. However his and his aunt, Petunia's, eyes widened and the smirk disappeared off of their face, as they got a look at the seal on the back of the letter. Never did he see that much fear in their eyes. He'd recognized the emotion immediately but the fear ran so deep that he almost froze in surprise.

'Wait, since when can I understand what people are feeling?' He thought. He figured it was just another ability he'd gained through his meditating. But the pause to think had given his uncle a chance to get up and start heading to the fireplace before he could notice.

Harry quickly realized that his uncle was going to burn the letter. His uncle was going to burn his first letter! He quickly ran toward his uncle, faster then possible for his body normally, and within the blink of an eye, he was out the front door with his letter.

He quickly hid himself down the block, away from his relatives and opened up the letter, only to stare in shock at what it said.

"Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry

Headmaster: Albus Dumbledore (Order of Merlin First Class, Grand Sorc., Chf. Warlock, Supreme Mugwump of the International confederation of Wizards)

Dear Mr Potter,

We are pleased to inform you that you have been accepted at Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry. Please find enclosed a list of all necessary books and equipment. Term begins on September 1. We await your owl by no later than July 31.

Yours sincerely,

Minerva McGonagall Deputy Headmistress

Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry

UNIFORM First-year students will require:

Three sets of plain work robed (black)

One plain pointed hat (black) for day wear

One pair of protective gloves (dragon hide or similar)

One winter cloak (black, with silver fastenings)

Please not that all pupil's clothes should carry name tags.

COURSE BOOKS All students should have a copy of each of the following:

The Standard Book of Spells (Grade 1) by Miranda Goshawk

A History of Magic by Bathilda Bagshot

Magical Theory by Adalbert Waffling

A Beginner's Guide to Transfiguration by Emeric Switch

One Thousand Magical Herbs and Fungi by Phyllida Spore

Magical Drafts and Potions by Arsenius Jigger

Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them by Newt Scamander

The Dark Forces: A Guide to Self-Protection by Quentin Trimble

OTHER EQUIPMENT

1 want

1 cauldron (pewter, standard size 2)

1 set glass or crystal phials

1 telescope

1 set brass scales

Students may also bring an owl OR a cat OR a toad

PARENTS ARE REMINDED THAT FIRST YEAR ARE NOT ALLOWED THEIR OWN BROOMSTICK"

To say that he was surprised would be an understatement, however saying that he didn't believe the letter would have been an outright lie. The feeling he always had, he thought, might be this magic and he hoped that this would be his chance to understand more about what he felt.

After getting all his school supplies, and a snowy owl, with the help of Hagrid, the giant man that came by after a few days since he hadn't sent his owl back (not that he knew how at the time), he went to Hogwarts to learn about this so called magic and hopefully, the feeling he had since he could remember.

He hoped that as he studied about magic, he'd be able to find out more of the energy, the force that he always felt around himself and he'd asked his friends, Hermione and Ron, many times if they'd felt anything, but neither of them ever did. He'd even tried explaining things to them, but they never understood. It was as if they just didn't have a strong enough connection with the energy to feel it. Hermione had surmised that maybe he was just a very powerful wizard or had a more intimate connection with his magical core, but he knew that wasn't it. As he studied magic, he came to see that magic and the feeling he had were different. They were completely different in so many aspects that he just couldn't see them as the same force.

After his first year in the school, he never mentioned the feeling he got again. His ability to feel it always got stronger but he never mentioned it. He knew that the people around him wouldn't be able to feel it. It was the same feeling he got when he tried to feel the world around him. He could tell that their connection with the energy that flowed through all life just wasn't strong enough to let them feel it. He always searched for someone who might be able to feel the same way as he did and his ability to feel the connections continuously grew stronger, but he never succeeded in finding anyone.

As his ability to grew with his practice of trying to feel out how much of a connection people had with the energy, he also felt it begin to guide him along his adventures. Thanks to the feeling guiding him though, some people were jealous of the success, strength, or abilities he'd shown. He didn't really understand how he got them, but he knew it was through the energy around him. These abilities had saved him and guided him more then just once and he was thankful for it, but he would have been even more thankful if people wouldn't have been so jealous. He would have taught others how to access the energy but he knew that they wouldn't be able to so he never bothered.

As he continued his adventures in school, he'd met the killer of his parents, Voldemort, twice already. Both times his spirit was trying to bring itself back to life. He wondered how many more times it would take, but knew it would happen. Whenever he encountered Voldemort, he could feel the evil aura pouring off him and had to delve into the energy around him just to avoid being tainted by It. He knew both times that even with his extra abilities, he wouldn't be able to defeat this Dark Lord how he was now. He'd almost died three times now on his adventures and wouldn't let himself come so close, so on his way back home, he resolved to train himself to the best of his abilities.

Thinking back, he'd remembered all three near death experiences he had.

In his first year, he'd figured out that the Philosopher's Stone was being hidden in Hogwarts and with his friends, they worked together to get passed multiple traps to stop Professor Snape from retrieving the stone for himself. Once Harry himself got passed the traps, he found not Snape, but Professor Quirel there instead, to his surprise. He'd barely made it out of there and the only reason eh was still alive was because of luck,

In his second year at the start of term, a monster began targeting students. The students would end up petrified after the attacks and would be stuck in the hospital wing till the antidote would be administered. After a couple of attacks his friend Hermione was attacked herself but thanks to her, he and Ron were able to find the entrance to the Chamber of Secrets and combat the monster, which turned out to be a Basilisk. After being separated from Ron, with the help of Fawkes, Dumbledore's phoenix, and the Sorting Hat which contained the Sword of Gryffindor, he was able to defeat the Basilisk and save Ron's sister, Ginny. The entire event ended up being once again orchestrated by Voldemort and he once again almost died, and would have this time, if it wasn't for Fawkes' tears healing him.

Finally, in his third year, he'd found out that mass murderer Sirius Black had escaped from prison to kill him. In the end however, he found out that Sirius was in fact his godfather and innocent from the crimes. However he was still wanted and he'd had to save himself and his godfather from the soul sucking dementors. This was the only time that luck didn't play to much of a role into but he still would not have been able to do it if it wasn't for Hermione's help and her Time Turner.

He really doubted that he would still be alive if it wasn't thanks to his insight thanks to the energy around him and the help of his friends. Because of this, he realized that he really needed to improve his skills and abilities. So for the first time in his life, he'd actively trained himself, tirelessly at that, till it was time for him to go back to school for his fourth year, where he was sure that once again, he'd be target of some kind of plot in which he would risk his life.

On the way back to school, he'd been able to find an empty compartment as he'd asked the Weasleys to allow him to head to the platform before the rest of them left. Inside the compartment, he laid back, relaxed, and once again fell into the familiar trance.

Over the summer, he'd been able to expand his range of detection for connections and improve every single one of the abilities given to him by the energy. And for the first time, he detected something that he'd never felt before. In the distance, farther than anything else he'd ever felt, he could feel a strong connection to the energy. This was the first time he'd felt anyone, or anything, even approaching his level, but not only that, this being was even more connected to the energy then he was.

Finally the hope of having some answers to what the energy around him really was overcame him, and he reached out and connected with the other being, trying something he'd never done before. He tried to communicate with the being, and in doing so, passed out from the overwhelming pain that occurred from his action.


A/N: Well guys, I hope you enjoyed this. It's the first fanfiction I've ever written and actually finished what I'd consider a chapter. This is actually a re-write of the first chapter that I've edited a good bit. I hope you guys like the next chapter which will introduce Revan.

Also, I'm looking for someone to beta read for me. If you wouldn't mind helping out, pass me a message.