Chapter Two

"We sleep, but the loom of life never stops, and the pattern which was weaving when the sun went down is weaving when it comes up in the morning."

Henry Ward Beecher

A woman stood, staring at the shelves before her in silent contemplation, brushing her fingertips along the spines as she passed. Her golden laced sandals, trailing up to her calves, padded upon the mossy green marbled floor, echoing softly among the stacks. Her gown shimmered in the silver of the bioluminescent vines growing along the walls and ceiling making the thin blue and purple fabric sparkle iridescently. The layers clung to her waist and were held together with a red woven cord. A few of her curls fell into her face and she paused to reach up and brush the dark strands back behind a dark green, half pointed ear that was broken and twisted at the end, a reminder of people's cruelty.

She sighed in remembrance. There was a time when her mother once told her why she was treated unkindly by the other children. Mama had held her crying form to her bosom and rocked her as she spoke, "Aureanna my beloved child, do not let fear weigh you down, for like a stone in the water your heart will sink and you will know nothing but pain." Aureanna smiled softly and reached for one of the books in front of her, it's bind was blank but aged and frayed upon its edges. She opened it and stared at the blank pages before her as she thought about how right her mother had been. The pain she had suffered for so long before she found this place, The Atrium.

It was a great archive. Belonging to the many races borne by magic. Its rooms, vast and uncountable and it's knowledge, limitless. Its presence cast long into memory as it has always been, throughout time. Some say it simply appeared along with its artifacts, scrolls, and books. Others claim that it is the lost library of Alexandria, magical humans mostly. She laughed out loud at that, her voice tinkling like a bell against the stone walls and marble floors. The Atrium was far older than The Burning of Alexandria.

The walls began to whisper to her and she turned and nodded at a small mirror propped up on one of the wooden book stands at the end of a bookcase before turning and leaving the room.

oOo

The Arch sat in his darkened office, the flickering of a hovering orb at his desk cast eerie shadows across the wooden paneled walls. His orange scales shimmered brightly in the pale light as he watched the images play out before him. He was watching the young Harry Potter eat the toast and water that his female guardian laid out for him. His yellow eyes narrowed and the black star shaped pupil thinned until it was barely visible as he watched the woman hit the young boy with a broom to get him out the door and into the garden. There really wasn't anything he could do yet other than watch until it was time. To interfere now was to put the boy's life at risk, only a few more hours and he would be able to help free the child of his prison. The Arch sighed and snapped his fingers, the drapes along the wall pulled apart letting in bright sunlight that illuminated the whole office. He sighed deeply and leaned back into his leather chair, "It's beginning." He said to himself as he waved a hand at the orb, it blinked out without a sound.

It was going to be a difficult journey for the young boy, he had no idea who he was.

oOo

Harry Potter was turning ten this summer. Not that there was anything to be excited about. He usually just spent the day alone in his cupboard talking to the spiders and wishing that someone, anyone, knew he existed. And so when he awoke on July 31st he was surprised to find his cupboard covered from top to bottom in copper webbing. He froze after he put his glasses on and stared at the way the morning sunlight shining in from beneath the cupboard door made the copper webs glow brightly. Noticing movement on one of his shelves he turned to stare at four small brown spiders of various sizes lined up watching him.

Harry smiled, "Thank you, it's very beautiful. The best present I've ever had." The largest spider crawled over to the edge and Harry put out his hand to let it crawl onto him. They stared at each other for what seemed like forever, Harry smiling brightly and the spider unmoving in Harry's palm. The spider crawled up to his wrist and sank its teeth deep into the vein there.

Harry yelped loudly and shook his hand. "What was that for?!" When he finally looked up, angry but worried that he had somehow squashed his only friend, there was no more webbing and all the spiders were gone.

Harry looked down at his wrist for the bite mark but only two circular scars remained. Maybe they didn't make them for me, maybe it's just ma…." Harry shook his head and crammed his shoes on and left to finish all his chores as quickly as possible. Strange dreams of orange people who cried over trees, he was going spider that bit Harry watched as he left before crawling between the cracks and disappearing from sight.

That afternoon found Harry slaving away in the bathroom, scrubbing the tiles with a cleaning brush and trying not to add more bleach stains to his already ugly hand-me-downs. Rain hammered the sole bathroom window and Harry looked up at it grumpily. The bright morning had quickly turned grey shortly after breakfast completely ruining his plan to hide out somewhere in the park for the day.

He wiped a drop of sweat from the tip of his nose, stood, and went to the window and peered out at the grey clouds that flashed with lightning. Sometimes he wished that he could stand out there, in the middle of the storm and let the rain pelt down on him until he was numb to the bone. He could almost imagine the cold water on his skin and clothes and smell the ozone and wet soil. He had no idea how long he had been staring when he stumbled and fell into a wooden display that clattered to the marbled floor loudly. Harry looked around him as he sat stunned with his mouth wide open. All around him were thin threads of light, pulsing with color and humming loudly. Wide eyed he reached out his hand slowly and traced a vibrant blue thread with a finger. The thread started to vibrate and the hum grew so loud he clapped his hands over his ears in pain but it didn't help. The sound only grew louder and the light from the threads glowed brighter until it made his eyes hurt and he had to close them against the light.

Suddenly, as if someone had turn off a switch, the pain in his head was gone along with the hum. Hesitantly he opened his eyes expecting to feel the bright lights piercing through his head. He blinked slowly and looked around the empty bathroom. Lightning flashed, casting shadows against the wall and he turned to look out the window once more in confusion. What had just happened? Did he fall asleep? Had it been another dream? He shook himself and tried to push back the unsettled feeling in his stomach and knelt to pick up his scrub brush. Just as he started to work on the grout between the tiles Aunt Petunia pushed the door open.

"When your finished with that you Uncle needs his shoes polished for work tomorrow and Dudley has another tear in school uniform that needs fixed as well." She stared over his head as though he wasn't even there and he watched her body tense as he looked up at her before he quickly looked back to the floor.

"After that come see me for instruction for dinner." With an abrupt click the bathroom door was closed once more and Harry was left alone.

"Yes, Aunt Petunia." He muttered to the floor, absently itching the bite scars on his hand as the soapy water agitated them.

oOo

Later that evening as Harry was fixing the tear in Dudley's pants that no doubt had come from beating up some poor kid at his school he noticed one of his brown spiders perched on the edge of the shelf in his cupboard. He smiled at it before looking back at his work.

"I'm glad you aren't mad at me for yelling earlier. I suppose it's in your nature to bite when frightened and I am awfully big compared to you." He murmured softly so as not to draw attention from his Aunt who was sitting just around the corner in the dining room reading home magazines.

"I'm sorry if I did, frighten you that is." He looked up and saw that the second brown spider had joined the first and that they were both watching him with their many eyes. "I don't suppose you have names do you?" he said as he sewed in the finishing knot and bit off the stray end with this teeth.

The first brown spider, jumped off the edge and lowered down on its web to examine his stitching before crawling back up and nuding the second spider off the edge.

"Hey, that's not nice" He scolded the first spider. He hated bullies and that's what it looked like the first spider was doing. That was until the second spider dropped down into his lap and started undoing the stitching he had just finished. In fascination, he watched as the spider pulled the thin thread out before pulling on its own gossamer webbing and started to weave the tear together until it was completely closed. When it was finished the second spider crawled over to his hand and simply looked up at him. He stared for a minute in confusion. What did the spider want? Oh!

He lifted his hand back up to the shelf and let it crawl back over to the first. Looking back down at the pants that the spider had mended he picked them up and examined the seam. He frowned and tugged a bit, not wanting to ruin the spiders hard work but also not wanting his Aunt to punish him for doing a poor job. The webbing held tightly. He pulled a little harder and stared in awe and disbelief that the gossamer threading held tightly. He looked back up at the two spiders on his shelf and grinned. "Thanks!" He stood to fold the pants and place them in Dudley room before he had to report to Aunt Petunia for dinner.

Behind him the two brown spiders watched as Harry left the room before skittering up the wall to a hollowed out knot in on of the wood panels that made up part of a stair overhead. Inside the third brown spider pulsed and glowed softly in its copper cocoon. The two spiders crawled over to the cocoon and each started to spin copper thread around themselves until they too were completely contained and their cocoons began to pulse and glow alongside the other.

oOo

It was hot at first. So very hot. And then it was cold, a cold so deep and so chilling it settled in the marrow and never left. He couldn't hear, nor taste, nor see, nor touch. The world was a senseless thing full of nothing but his gelid flesh. He wandered, timelessly, from place to place. Searching for what was lost. What was lost? He couldn't remember. What was there?

Flash- Grey stone walls and children laughing as they shoved a boy into a closet and locked it.

Flash- A young man was sitting at a desk taking notes from a book written in a strange language.

Flash- The room full of dark cloaks and white masks bow down to the brown eyed man standing at the opening of a cave a stick held high in the air.

Flash- Curious green eyes stare back at the man as he raises the stick surrounded by a green that almost matches the child's eyes. The boy doesn't even cry as his mother falls to the floor with a scream.

"Master." A voice came to him across the icy darkness.

"Master, I have brought you a vessel"

It sounded as though it was coming from a great distance before there was suddenly light and color. He gasped as felt the chill within him recede a little. He glanced around him carefully.

"My Lord!" a man said reverently as he knelt before him. His memories flooded back to him painfully.

"Quirrell, rise." he rasped out, his lips felt foreign to him. "Where have you brought me?"

Quirrell rose hesitantly to his feet. "We are in Schwarzwald my Lord."

"Schwarzwald...Germany...The Black Forest…"

"Yes, my Lord! I was in Romania when I felt your magic call to me. I came but found your spirit attached to a dying host that was fighting you off, so I went out and found you a more suitable one." Quirrel wrung his hands as he glanced to the side nervously.

"Hosssst…." He rasped once more and felt a brief pain as his dry lip cracked.

Quirrell quickly grabbed a mirror and knelt, hold the mirror for him to see his face. He was in the body of an old man graying and worn with age. A muggle. His lip curled in disgust. At least he was alive.

oOo

The Arch set down the weathered scroll he had been reading and leaned back against his chair yawning. He had been up since yesterday morning reviewing the documents of some ancient rivalry between two Vampyre families at the request of a friend. He scratched at his orange scaled scalp through his brown parted hair before mussing it up in a gesture of stress. He had been sitting there for what felt like ages. Quickly he checked the rotating orb at the corner of his desk. The strange device was bright blue and had three bronze rings that rotated slowly around the sphere. No change.

He sighed loudly, the sound of it disturbing the silence that had penetrated his office since he had started working several hours ago. "What am I going to do with that boy?"

The mirror on the wall began to whisper in a familiar voice.

"Ah! It's you!? How is the inventory going in sector H403?" He sat upright and listened intently.

"You need me to what?" A look of exasperation made the Arch reach up and rub circles at his scaly temples. He was beginning to feel a headache.

"And why exactly did you let Naria bring her pet wurm into that sector? You know she can't control what that thing eats…Yes, Yes, I'm coming down to sort it out. You better hope it hasn't eaten anything important Balimo, or it will be your head."

The whispering from the mirror ceased and the Arch shook his head as he began to roll up the scroll he had been reading previously. A faint light began to pulse from the orb on his desk humming loudly. The Arch lifted yellow eyes and stared at the orb for several second before he quickly reached over and grabbed it. It was time. It was finally time.

Quickly he gathered his bag and placed the order within it before rushing around the office and placing various objects within. "Aureanna! Please come to my office." It took a few minutes for her to arrive but when she finally did the Arch rushed towards the door, "Remember that you are in charge during my absence. Allow no one entry until my return." He checked his belongings as Aureanna nodded quietly her dark curls bouncing with the slight movement.

"Of course Arch, how long do you expect it to take?"

Her soft inquiry had him popping his head back around the corner. He stared at her with his old knowing eyes and she was reminded that the being before her was as timeless as the Atrium itself. "As long as it takes, Aureanna. As long as it takes." And the Arch disappeared around the corner.

oOo

Harry awoke covered in sweat, his clothes and mattress we're soaked through and as he ran a clammy hand through his wet hair he peered around him. His vision blurred as he pushed his glasses onto his face. The room swam for a brief moment as he stood before he grabbed the shelf keep from tipping over.

"Too hot…." He mumbled as he struggled to pull the latch on his cupboard door. When it finally opened with a soft click he nearly fell as he stumbled past the door. It was so hot and hard to think. He braced himself against the wall and turned to face his room. As he did so his vision brightened with threads of color like he saw when he was in the bathroom. This time hum was soft and didn't cause him any pain. He listens as he stared at the threads before him, it was like listening to wind chimes on a breezy day.

Hesitantly, Harry maneuvered himself so he could use one hand to push away from the wall, and he reached out to a pulsing yellow thread. He gasped. It felt like… like… "Magic…" He whispered in fear and awe. Glancing quickly up the stairs he listened for the telling signs that his relatives we're awake. When he heard soft snoring he relaxed back against the wall tiredly before slouching down to the floor. What was wrong with him?

He was in an out of consciousness for awhile but everytime he woke he would look blearily around him and see the threads of light and sound everywhere before his eyes would slide closed again. At some point he managed to stand and walk out the front door and as he stumbled down the sidewalk the street lamps harsh white glow blended with the threads of light and made his head swirl nauseatingly. He turned around to look back at Number 4 Privet Drive and his mouth parted in a soft gasp. Surrounding the entire house was a woven pattern of white and grey threads that pulsed so loudly it sounded like a heartbeat.

Ba-dum

Ba-dum

Ba-dum

He took a step closer and pulled on one of the white threads in delirium fueled curiosity and the pulse seemed to quicken and the light coming from the woven began to fade in and out like a siren light. With a snap the white thread broke and Harry quickly stumbled backwards as the whole thing came unraveled and the threads floated down before disappearing. He stared wide eyed for a few moments before taking a deep breath and closing his eyes.

He stood there breathing softly and trying to calm the spinning in his head. The nights breeze gently tousled what wet raven locks weren't plastered against his neck and raised goosebumps across his fevered skin. A flush was high on his cheeks as he stood there before the house. Harry opened his eyes and the threads were gone, the front door was open and casting an orange light onto the sidewalk. He staggered towards the front door, closed it behind him, and crawled into his cupboard cot before falling back into a deep sleep.

~Nelui Wysteria~

Thank you for your patience. :) I hope you enjoy this new chapter of "Unusual Circumstances"