New chapter, because I can! Whee!
Harry and his friends had been having a nice time en route to Hogwarts. They chatted about normal things, argued over normal subjects, and had a nice time eating wizarding candy like any normal wizarding student. None took notice of Amber, the Slytherin orphan that they all hated, hiding miserably on the luggage rack, watching them and wishing, not for the first time, that she wasn't so horrible and undeserving of friendships of any kind.
None of the 11 students minded the fact that they were warded into their compartment as they had a normal ride to Hogwarts for once. Mostly, if they acknowledged it at all, it was random comments about the peace they brought because Amber's Housemate, Draco Malfoy, wasn't able to torment them like he normally did. Amber hated Malfoy not because he was Slytherin, but because he wasn't anything more then his father's brainwashed little robot. He had no opinion of his own, all his opinions were his father's.
It is unfortunate, perhaps, that nothing could ever be normal when in connection to Harry Potter. Even when all seemed normal, it never lasted. It should have been, therefore, no surprise that Death Eaters attacked the Express, and that several attacked Harry's compartment specifically. Harry, however, kept his cool, thankfully, and quickly warded the door further against the Death Eater's attempts to break the wards. He also quickly ordered that someone break the window before they managed to break in.
Amber did not like Death Eaters. The fact that several Death Eaters rich enough to escape Azkaban had murdered her parents before taking her and tormenting her for several years before selling her off had everything to do with it. However, being sold off had had its good points, because Amber learned many things over time, including how to break the window the panicking 6th years didn't seem capable of breaking.
Jumping down off the luggage rack—Aurors had checked them off at the station and shrunk their trunks for them in the process, so the rack was empty since the luggage they would've held were located in their owners' respective pockets—Amber made quick work of inspecting the window. Amber's unique expertise in this allowed her to quickly find fault with the window, and one jump kick later, the group was jumping out of the window and running for cover.
The Hogwarts Express had halted once the attack was underway, and the group took notice only of a forest nearby. Their only thought was that the trees would provide good covering till everything settled down. Harry and Amber were the last out the window, and they shot curses back behind them at the Death Eaters that had, at that point, managed to break down the compartment door. None of the group took notice that the trees they thought would be a good safe haven held the Forest of Lost Souls.
It was a good ten minutes before anyone noticed anything. Okay, well Amber noticed two minutes in what was going on, but she continued to follow, because the others wouldn't listen to her now if she tried to warn them. It was Luna Lovegood, the Ravenclaw 5th year that first noticed anything. She made quick work of halting the others, and pointed out what was wrong.
"How is it possible that we seem to be in the middle of the forest, in which we'd have to be running hours to get there, when we've only been running ten minutes?" she asked, sounding slightly panicked, and now it had nothing to do with Death Eaters.
"Portals. And plenty of them, from the looks of it." came her answer. Everyone turned to see Amber standing there, looking around curiously, but not seeming too panicked about this. They all sneered at her, before Hermione Granger, one of Harry's best friends and the resident genius of the group adopted in interested look.
"What do you mean, Portals? What Portals?"
"You won't be able to see them, so don't try looking. This here is the Forest of Lost Souls, and it has about a billion and one portals to about ten million and one locations throughout this place. You could take two steps to your left and disappear, only to come back saying you had fallen into a river. Or you could do that and nothing will happen. This is why no one ever comes back from this place. They never do find the single portal that lets out into civilization. It's practically impossible with all the portals within the forest. We're talking your classic needle in a haystack scenario here."
Everyone paled. "You mean, we're doomed?" asked Seamus Finnegan, one of Harry's dorm mates. Before Amber could answer, Hermione's own dorm mate, Lavender Brown, wailed,
"I'm too young to die!" This got an eye roll from Amber herself as she proceeded to answer Seamus.
"No we are not. I've got the talents and the stuff to survive this place for quite a bit—our whole lives, actually—and I'm gonna teach you, if you let me, to do the same. Then, once we are ready and capable, we'll go searching for that elusive portal out, and go home. Or rather, you'll go home. I don't know what I'll do, but I certainly have no home to return to, so it matters little anyway."
Everyone stared. "How can you possibly survive in here? I thought you can't use magic without risking death in here?" asked Neville Longbottom, another of Harry's friends.
"You can't, but there are legal loopholes to that. If you want to see your next birthday, then going around waving your wand for everything isn't something you'll want to do. But if it is dire, then magic can be used, although it would be wise to use simple easy things to do it. Advanced magic will not help, because it depletes you more then simple spells do. This place isn't completely magic free, but it's magical dampening fields make it harder for your magical wells to refill, slowing the process to an almost halt, whereas in places like Hogwarts, you can do anything you want because all the magic running rampant allows for quicker refill time."
"But then how do you survive?" asked Harry's best mate, Ronald Weasley.
"I have lived on the streets a good portion of my life. I have been hurt and abandoned, starved and beaten, overworked and left to rot. In my life, I have learned many things. I have learned to be silent unless absolutely necessary, otherwise it'll bring painful punishments. I have learned how to be practically invisible, to escape more punishments then I have initially gotten, because I have managed to go unnoticed."
Seemingly oblivious to the horrified looks her peers were giving her, Amber took a deep breath and continued. "On the streets is where I learned what is important and what can be adapted to live in a forest, including this one. In a forest or on the streets it's all the same, only the strongest survive and to the victor goes the spoils. If it becomes necessary for you to steal a candy bar from the local sweet shop, then you do it. You learn how to fight in many forms and ways, both fair and how to cheat, in order to keep that candy bar for yourself. If not, you don't make it, because either you have no food, or another takes your candy bar after getting better of you in a fight."
"Animals have known this for forever. Its nature's way of making sure only the best survive, weeding out the bad roots so the good ones have room to grow. The rabbit that gets eaten is not going to have a chance to have children, but the rabbit that managed to escape the hawk will, and will be able to teach his own the same. Then they will be able to continue the cycle. And it will be the hawk that's outta luck. On the streets it is the same. And while we aren't exactly procreating and teaching our progeny like a rabbit will, we still struggle to survive, and sometimes the only way to do that is to prey on the weaker. They may have stolen the candy bar, but we need that candy bar as much as they do, and if we win it after a fight, well, that's all that counts."
"I know how to fight hand to hand, and I can work many various weapons. I have been and seen many environments, and can easily adapt to survive. I can teach you all I know, and you'll survive the streets that way, but I will also teach you how to adapt these techniques to live in a forest. Who says my fighting with switchblades can't become a way to hunt game?"
Dean Thomas, Seamus' best friend, look aghast at Amber. "Is this why you were put into Slytherin?" he asked.
"Slytherins were originally known for their survival, and their sometimes ruthless ways of going about making sure they do that. Something I am well accustomed to, as you know. Of course, now Slytherin is all about being pure." Amber snorted.
"Guys, can I call conference?" asked Harry, looking at Amber almost guiltily. In fact, guilt seemed to be what he tossed Amber's direction.
"Yes. Please, go ahead." replied Amber. Harry looked at Amber before asking the others to conference with him over near a tree, where Amber couldn't possibly hear them.
Amber looked around and observed her surroundings as her peers held some sort of discussion. A couple of glances were shot her way, but Amber ignored them in favor of finding what portals there were in this clearing alone. Cautiously, she poked her head through a couple to see where they led.
"Amber, I'm afraid we have seriously misjudged you and Slytherin in general. We would like to ask your forgiveness, and ask that you teach us what you know, and how to survive. In return, we will help you and give you a family, and then we will all get out of here when the time comes." intoned Harry.
Amber looked at the group and saw nothing but truly sincere faces staring back. "I will teach you, but I reserve trust that I will gain family out of this. I also offer what little forgiveness I can give. I do not hand such things out easily, as I have done so in the past and gotten seriously hurt for it."
"Understood. We accept what you can give, and will help you to be able to give more upon return to the main world, just as you plan to help us survive this forest." agreed Ginny, Ron's younger sister. Amber gave her a heavily doubtful look before shaking her head and pointing out portals she had already scouted. The Gryffindors and single Ravenclaw saw and wondered just how much abuse Amber had glossed over in her brief summary of her past.
"I believe our best bet would to head through that portal, as it takes us as far to the forest's edge as we're gonna get till we find that exit portal. We can scout materials as we go. Neville, I hear you're a wonderful Herboligist, so you need to scout the fruits and veggies spots we can use, as we'll need to gather them for food. Dean, since you're an artist, I'll need you to draw maps, as best as you can, to locate the portals we can use. Harry, with you're power, I'll need you help me scout ahead, and look for portals of any kind. The rest of you keep track of good spots for game hunting, or fishing spots. If we run across any creatures, I want classification, even if it is an unknown. Is this understood?" Amber ordered. She sounded like a leader of some army.
Everyone nodded. "Good. Now everyone hold hands, and hold tight. With all these portals, its possible one of us will fall through and get separated. We do not want this happening, at least not for a good while yet, so we need to stay together. If someone runs into problems, let you partners know, and then they will be expected to tell the rest of us. We're better off in a pack, and as such, we look out for our own. Am I being clear?"
"Clear as crystal."
"Good. Now, grab hands and stay close. Harry, you grab my hand. Everyone ready? FORWARD!"
The group spent the next few hours going through portals, making note of where they lead, and anything of importance. Eventually, Amber found a portal that lead directly into a cave. Checking the time, she quickly decided to call it a night before it got too late, and led everyone in.
It was a nice cave, large and full of brown-red rocks. Said rocks seemed to give off some sort of weak warming charm, as if in defiance to the magical dampening fields, and it was a rather cozy place for a stone cave. Amber quickly headed towards the middle, and used pebbles to make a small circle.
The others watched as Amber headed back out through the exact same portal as they came in and return about 2 minutes later with an arm full of twigs and small branches. Amber made quick work of dumping the pile within the pebble circle, and began to rub two sticks together. It didn't take long for the muggle-versed within the group to understand that Amber was making a fire.
It took about 5 minutes for Amber to get the fire started, but when it did, it was a cheerful little thing and made the cave all the more cozy.
"Ok. This here cave will do for tonight as a bedroom of sorts. We'll have to make do as is, because we don't really have much of anything to work with quite yet. Now what we need to focus on is unshrinking our trunks. We will do this in a mannerly order, and this will give us more materials to use later, as well as tell us who to really depend on when it becomes absolutely necessary to use magic. We can't have the weakest of us magically using whatever spell we need, because they'll practically kill themselves. The more powerful of us may get tired, or just simply have a dizzy spell, but it will not have so major an effect as it would the weaker. Does this make sense?"
Hermione nodded, as did a couple of the others. "You want us to un-shrink our trunks and see what effects the simple enlarging charm has on us. Those who fare better will become our primary sources of magic when and where it is necessary. Right?" asked Hermione. Amber nodded. Looking at Neville, she stated,
"Sorry Neville, but I have heard things and think that if you really are as weak as I have heard, then perhaps it would be better is one of us enlarge your trunk."
"No problem. I understand perfectly, and besides, at least you apologized. I don't think I know any Slytherins who even have the word 'sorry' in the vocabulary." He grinned.
Amber looked thoughtful. "I think some of the first and second years do, but they quickly grow out of it thanks to people like Lucius Jr."
The Gryffindors snorted. Amber rolled her eyes. "Lucius Jr. is nothing more then his father's perfect little robot. He has no original thought of his own, it is a wonder he even knows how to study and follow instructions given by people other then his father. Why they even named him Draco is a mystery to me. It's not like he has an identity or anything."
Shaking her head, Amber sighed. "Well, let's get started on these trunks. If you wish, I can go first."
It was decided that Seamus would go first, and he had a fair bit of power, getting only a little tired from using the magic. They went around the circle they had unconsciously formed clockwise, and it turned out that Harry had power—big surprise—and Amber had a lot as well, much to her own surprise. Harry had felt slightly dizzy for about a minute, but had otherwise remained unaffected. Amber had not been affected at all.
"Well, now we know who to come to when we really need magic, but for now, we will learn how to survive the way muggles do. However, I think that for tonight, we should settle in as best as possible and get a good night's rest. Tomorrow, we will explore this cave a bit, and see if there are others we can make use of, and make sure we know where other portals are and where they lead. Hopefully, that won't take long, and we can dedicate the afternoon to learning some fight techniques that can be adapted to help us survive in the forest. Maybe I can teach a couple of weapons I know as well."
Everyone began to rifle through their trunks in an attempt to find things to make things more comfortable for them. Most used robes of one kind or another to make the stone floor a bit more comfortable, although it did little for them. They made due.
Amber did not try to make things comfortable for herself. She had slept on the streets, in dungeons and as such, a little stone cave made little difference to her. She did not see her classmates watching her sadly as she retreated to a shadowy corner of the cave, and curl up into a protective little ball, face buried in her arms. She looked sad and lonely sleeping by herself in the shadowed little corner, and most thought that had the stones been emitting cooling charms rather then heating ones, she wouldn't have noticed the difference.
Harry quickly gathered the group together and had another conference.
"Guys, I know that Amber plans on teaching us how to survive our stay here, but we need to help her more then she needs to help us. She's obviously been heavily abused, although to what extent, I haven't the slightest. I highly doubt she'll tell us unless we managed to persuade her to tell us about her life in its entirety. I also think that we can start helping her tonight."
"By doing what?" asked Parvarti.
"We all saw how much she doubted Ginny when Gin said that we'd give her a family. We can start now by moving ourselves over to her. Better yet, we can move her over to us, since we're all sleeping near the fire, but she chose the corner far away. We may have to force her, as abuse at her caliber will probably have taught her that she is undeserving of even the horrible treatment she does get, but we need to start now, and we can start now by have her sleep with us." answered Harry.
It took less time then one would think for the others to agree, and they managed, after a long 10 minutes, to move Amber from her solitary corner, to a spot surrounded by the trio of Harry, Ron and Hermione, with Ginny and Luna enclosing her in. The girl looked so stunned and confused, that it was the others could do not to start cursing her abusers and try hexing them in their imagination.
Needless to say, that night, 10 out of the 11 students dreamt of meeting faceless people dressed as both muggle and wizard, and hexing them so bad they were no longer recognizable after they were done. The final student simply had her usual dreams, watching her parents' murder, and suffering again and again through the torture her life became afterwards.
Amber's whimpers were muffled behind a silencing charm Amber had long ago learned to cast unconsciously, as her classmates slept on, completely unaware of her torment.
Then again, no one had ever been aware of her torment before, save those that kept causing it. No one had ever cared before.
So why should they start now?