So... I watched Labyrinth for the very first time in my life today... and LOVED it. But the entire time I was watching it, all I could think about was what came out here... I'm horrible.
By the way, everything in here comes from the movie, nothing else... thus, it will have some singing (more on Harry's part) and the descriptions of the Hoggle puppet. Deal with it.
Warnings: Attempted suicide, a wee bit of romance, and Sarah bashing (she just bugged me for some reason.)
Disclaimer: Rowling owns Harry Potter and Jim Henson owns the movie Labyrinth. Sorry...
Set Apart This Dream
HP/LTH X-Over
by:
Kiyoshi Michi
The light looked so beautiful under the water. The sky was such a vivid blue from down there, inspiring a small sense of loss in that the sky was being viewed from behind a mirror caused by the top of the water, rather than standing on soft, green grass.
Harry could hardly bring himself to care.
His vision was going black anyway, so it hardly mattered. It might have been because he put himself there on purpose, but drowning was actually quite peaceful. The view under the water was nearly breathtaking, especially on a beautiful day such as that one was.
Harry smiled from his spot on the bottom, where he anchored himself so that he may lay down to stare up at the surface. When he saw splashes near the shore and feet, he sighed mentally - he could not let them get him too quickly or he might make it. He sent out a wave of magic that knocked everyone out of the water, and finally took a deep breath in, feeling the water rush down his trachea and to his lungs, filling them instantly.
He was vaguely aware of the people getting back into the water as his eyelids slid closed, finally at peace to be leaving the world.
Needless to say, when arms reached in and pulled Harry from the water, he was pissed. He was even more so when he felt said person damn near beating on his chest, causing him to cough up the water he wanted to stay in his lungs.
He rolled over to brace himself on his elbows and forearms as he finished expelling the water from his lungs, leaving a puddle quickly soaked back into the ground. When Harry could breath normally, he turned to yell at the person but stopped, his eyes growing wide.
It was no human that had saved him.
It was some short, squat thing with a large nose and very leathery skin. Its hair was white at that point in its life, though its eyebrows were slightly orange, and it had blue eyes. Harry stared dumbly at the thing before something clicked in his mind from his youth. "Y... You're a Goblin..."
"Of course! There's not much else to be here!"
Harry blinked several times, very confused. The Goblin did not look like the Goblins from home, so where was he? Had he actually died and everything and everyone who told him he would never join his family in the Afterlife for committing suicide was wrong?
He stood up, his legs shaking and his entire body weak and sore. If he was in so much pain, he could not possibly be dead, right? Or at least, not in Heaven or whatever it was actually called. "Who... are you?"
"My name is Hoggle. Better question is, who're you?"
"Harry... where are we right now?"
"Right where we're standing."
Oh, Harry knew this game. He paused and reworded the question in his mind, nodding when he thought it was specific enough. "The spot we are standing on right now, what land is it in?"
"The land that belongs to the Goblin King."
Well, it was a little more specific, and Harry was certain that if they were anywhere he knew honestly existed, Hoggle would tell him where. The wizard finally deemed it necessary to look around, noticing the barren look to most of the land, and a strange castle in the distance, surrounded by a large labyrinth.
"I really have died... Hoggle, do you know what this means!"
The Goblin shook his head as Harry grabbed the hands of Hoggle to spin them both around, laughing like a madman the entire time. Poor Hoggle was confused, wondering why the human was acting like a lunatic. "I am free! The war, the betrayal, the pain - no longer must I suffer in a world I can no more stand, the place I loathe and detest. Hoggle, are you some manner of god?"
"What? No, absolutely not."
This caused Harry to pause and let go of the Goblin's hands, a look of fear passing over his features. "Then... you are a normal Goblin?" Hoggle nodded. "No... no, no, no... wh... where am I? I should be dead... if you are no God... then... this is no Afterlife..."
"Of course not! Everyone here's alive."
Harry fell back over, landing heavily on his backside, and stared wide eyed at the Goblin, now at eye level with the creature. Slowly, his breathing started to turn to the point of hyperventilating. He buried his face in his hands and tried to calm down, taking deep breaths between his hands.
"Boy, what's wrong with you?"
"Hoggle... as I am sure you are aware of, I am not from around here. I... I tried to take my own life... and now I am here and do not know how. From what you say, I am not dead... so how have I come to be in this land?"
Hoggle seemed to be thinking hard on the matter, and Harry felt his spirits lift slightly. At least this Goblin was trying to give him some info on his dilemma. He actually was thinking about his answer. Finally, Hoggle spoke. "Jareth... the Goblin King... can bring people from other places here, for different reasons."
"So... the Goblin King may have brought me here... do you have any inkling as to why he might do this?"
"For you? Hmm... well, sometimes he likes ta grant people's dreams and wishes, but he really only does that if he thinks he'll get something in return."
"But what could he possibly get from me? All I have is magic, which he seems to already be in possession of. Other than that, I can only sing."
"Ah ha! He wants your voice."
Harry's hand shot right up to his neck, as if to protect his throat. "Oh no... no, he is not getting my voice."
"No! I meant he wants you to sing."
"... that seems awfully strange, does it not? He grants me freedom from a horrid life and all he wants in return is for me to sing?"
"Well, we can test it. All day, I haven't been able to get the doors open to the Labyrinth. Try singing."
"... no."
"Why not?"
"Back home, all anyone ever did when I sang was make fun of the fact my singing voice sounds like that of a woman's - not a woman with a deeper voice either."
"So? You look like a girl."
Harry glowered at the little man. Sure, his hair was long... and his face was not the most masculine... nor was he very tall... or manly in his physique. With a growl, the wizard consented and stood in front of the large door-gate-thing, taking a deep breath. He really hated singing in front of people after what happened in the Common Room, but maybe the residents of this realm were different. In fact, they hardly looked human.
"Tonight I've become the most dazzling precious treasure. I am treasured over all the earth. Just look at what he's done, how he's laying down his life. Take this life oh most dazzling precious treasure."
Harry paused and was about to tell Hoggle he was right, when the doors suddenly started to move, causing him to jump and cover his mouth (lest he squeak). He turned to see the Goblin giving him a smug, 'I-told-you-so' look. He rolled his eyes and started to move forward before stopping. "You know... thank you."
Hoggle nodded to him and watched the young wizard walk off, staring at the doors as they closed. "... I like him a lot more than that last girl."
Harry had seen several doorways to other passageways hidden in the walls, but something told him to go straight. He learned long ago to follow his gut instinct.
"You're a lot smarter than the last visitor!"
Harry jumped and looked down to see a blue worm on a ledge. He blinked several times, but was used to far stranger things so he leaned down to get closer to the blue worm and smiled to the little creature. "Really? Well, thank you."
"Oh yes! She couldn't even find the turns and doors on her own."
"But... that does not matter. You just need to go straight."
The worm laughed and nodded its little head, clearly amused with Harry. "That is true. You'll be there soon! And I think you'll like it there."
"I like it anywhere that is not England... or Scotland."
The worm nodded and disappeared into the hole in the wall, leaving Harry to smile at the wall. The 'people' here were so much kinder to him than back home. Thus, he continued on his way to the castle, occasionally running his hands along the walls to feel the magic that flowed through like blood in veins.
"You know... I wonder what this Goblin King looks like. Everything else I have seen here is hardly human in appearance, so maybe he is the same way. I still have to thank him though."
Harry actually paused a moment, trying to get a picture in his head of what the King may look like. He shook his head every so often, when a face flashed in front of his eyes, but it was far too human to belong in this realm. It was just a face he had seen in his dreams quite often in the last year.
It was then he heard a quiet sound, so soft it had to be coming from a distant area. However, Harry could tell it was music and that someone was singing, someone with a distinctly male voice. He even recognized the tune that followed, the voice having stopped singing along though. It was a song Harry knew, and he could not help but softly sing along.
He stopped and blushed after a few moments of that(1), as he realized that whoever was playing the tune was playing a part that, if it was directed towards him, was quite lovely. "I am hardly any of those things."
He tried to will the blush away as he continued on his way to greet and thank this Goblin King for taking him from the world he so despised.
When he finally reached the gates of a city, to which he could see the castle just beyond, Harry nearly hugged the Goblin standing guard. As it was, he was wary of the creature staring at him with bloodshot red eyes.
"Are ya.. uh... Harry Potter?"
"Um... yes."
"Ah, good. King says I gotta open da gates fer ya."
"Oh... thank you."
Harry watched the guard move to open the first gate, holding it open as the wizard moved through quickly in case it suddenly closed. He waited as the Goblin got the other door to open and gestured for him to go through. Harry practically ran through this door and watched as it closed behind him.
He was so close to his goal and it made him smile. He looked around and quickly found the route to the castle, backing up to the gate to place one foot on the solid object. Before the suicide attempt, he had learned to harness his magic any way he desired, with no incantations or wands or any such nonsense.
Thus, he used it now. He pushed off the wall at a straight angle, body parallel to the ground, as he rushed past the buildings and up stairs like some self-aware bullet. He laughed as he felt the wind rushing past him, flipping so his feet would hit the castle wall as it came into sight. He slowly slid back down into an upright position, fixing his clothes and hair.
He had to look presentable.
Harry jumped when the door opened and Hoggle was standing there, gesturing for him to walk inside. As he got closer to the door, the Goblin smiled and nodded. "I knew you would make it without a problem. And... it seems I was a little... off... in my guess."
"Huh?"
"I was wrong 'bout why Jareth brought you here."
Harry blinked dumbly and furrowed his brows. "Then... why...?"
"To simply keep you here, alive, with me."
Oh, what a lovely voice. Harry looked up to a doorway leading to a staircase and stopped breathing. That face... he knew that face. "You... you have been in my dreams. For a year actually."
From the slightly confused expression, Harry could tell the man did not have a clue as to what he was talking about. That only meant that this man was not planting thoughts into his mind. Then how did Harry have dreams of him? While he was thinking hard on this, the man that could be none other than the Goblin King, Jareth, came up and enveloped the wizard in his arms, causing Harry to startle before snuggling into the warmth.
"Thank you by the way."
"You are quite welcome."
Harry just smiled.
Dumbledore, Hermione, and all the Weasley's were freaking out. They could not find Harry anywhere in the water, even though he had just been there drowning. Draco sneered as he watched them, then looked up at Severus, who had a small smile on his face. "Severus... why are you smiling?"
"Not only has Potter not actually left us, but he has also has vengeance on his mind and someone who will help him."
"What?"
"Just watch."
Draco did just that, watching the water. There was a rumble, causing everyone in the water to run out and stand on the shoreline. It eventually ceased, but everyone held their breath which was let out in a collective gasp when a patch of blonde hair suddenly came through the surface. Draco found himself staring as a man whose very presence demanded authority came slowly walking out of the water, but his eyes nearly fell out of his head when he saw Harry coming up behind this man.
Severus chuckled behind his hand and Draco raised a brow. The hell?
He watched as Harry leaned on the man's side and mumbled something, causing the stranger to stare at him and Severus. He nodded soon after and focused his attention on Dumbledore and his gang. "You must be this old coot I have heard so much about." Draco snorted, which was just a strangled laugh.
He loved that man right now.
"E-Excuse me! I am no old coot!"
"Well, you are certainly old. Plus you are searching for my love's-" Huh! "-body. Thus, I assume you to be the old coot to which he refers."
When Dumbledore went to protest, the strange man took out a clear orb and rolled it around on his hand, causing everyone to stare save for Harry, who only smirked and latched onto the man's unoccupied arm. He tossed the orb into the air and a gust of wind carried it over to Dumbledore. The wind suddenly died and it landed on Dumbledore's nose.
He dropped dead a second later.
"Oh, that was so amazing."
Severus nodded and watched as the man did this with the remaining party, as Harry let go and made his way over to the two Wizards. "Hey."
"Potter... who is this man?"
"Oh... right. His name is Jareth. He is the Goblin King."
"Harry..."
"Yes?"
"... are you older?"
"Actually, yes. Time passes differently in his world than it does here, so I aged a little since I have been there with him for years, but I will not age anymore since he does not."
Draco raised a brow, but continued. "Now... he said something about 'my love'..."
"Oh... um..." Harry blushed bright and twirled his finger in his hair, which was a little longer than before. He was about to answer when Jareth came up from practically nowhere (if one asked Draco or Severus later) and wrapped an arm around Harry's waist, pulling him into a kiss.
Severus raised a brow and Draco's mouth dropped open. They both watched as the man suddenly lifted the still blushing Harry in his arms and made his way to Hogwarts not too far away, chuckling as Harry sputtered.
"... I think... it best to stay away from the castle for a few hours."
"What?"
"Just trust me Draco."
The blonde was going to protest, but finally understood completely when he heard Harry moan before the disappeared through the doors. He nodded and looked to Severus. "... I think we should stay away for a few days."
1. The part of the song Harry is thinking of comes from the song 'Set Apart This Dream' by Flyleaf (which is why Bowie no singing - is not his song! xD) and the parts goes:
Oh lovely and beautiful
Precious and priceless
You're so much more than you know
Heart of the purest gold
Pure clean and white snow
Clothed in such splendor
Oh what a beauty for me
So... that's it... R & R... yay
