It was a primarily non-magical forest in which the unicorn found himself. He grazed in a mystical clearing, a magical place that was warm and green all year round. Muggles would never find it, regardless of how much they searched. Perhaps a magical child would find it one day, and run around over the fields, never to see it again. He could feel the life around him, the calm. The harmony of all the other animals living in the forest.
Then he heard a twig snap nearby, and he looked up unconcernedly. A black figure could be seen, not close enough to bother him. A brief spark of recognition lit his eyes before he forgot all about the man in the next instant.
He sensed several others near, and felt a twinge of anxiety.
No, they were unimportant.
Then a spell was cast on him; All his pervious stillness was gone as he twisted futilely. He was stuck in the spell, unable to get away. His panic increased as he sensed four foreign beings coming closer.
They surrounded him. "Recognosco Memoria."
The flood of images, feelings, sounds, smells, thoughts, memories. It hurt. No -these were not his- but they were. This was wrong; He could not stay this way!
He became human again, as the only way he could deal with his memories.
Tears coursed down his face. The peace was gone. They joy. The happiness. The tranquility. Gone.
Life, memory. He remembered his life, shut in a cupboard believing he was worthless. He remembered the danger he'd put his friends in over and over. The things he'd seen -the nightmares, visions, gifts from hell. He remembered that he'd killed before, taken a life, snipped a thread, determined another's fate, snuffed out a soul.
After his previous state of bliss, these things seared his mind.
Why?
He passed out.
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Harry watched the unicorn pass through him; Watched it gallop away with longing. He turned into a hawk and flew away, away. The image faded away, and he found himself standing by a penseive. He heard a voice behind him, "So you're back to yourself."
He didn't respond, or even turn his head. The other asked, "How about a game of chess?"
He agreed, already knowing the outcome of the game. He played white, and the other black. Shortly, as many times before, the game was finished.
"Ugh!" He exclaimed. "You are as bad as Ron!"
The other smiled, having accomplished 'snapping himself out of it.'
"Don't worry, you *will* win against him someday, though not till you are old and decrepit." His eyes sparkled.
"I don't want to wake up."
"Remember that resolution you had never to give up?"
He sighed. "Yes."
"You are the leader your parents -combined- would have been. It sucks my friend, but you are what the world gets."
"Hmm. So I've got to wake up, inspire the world to keep fighting, bear all manner of mental and physical pain, then defeat Voldie and his Death Eaters."
"Yep."
"Oh, joy to the world."
"Indeed." They were already playing another game, and it was clear that the other man was winning. "Just remember that you can endure. Living is not pointless, not matter what the circumstances." Why did that sound like a warning?
"Is that statement directed at this situation or at something else."
"Something else. You will, unfortunately, find out what."
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When Harry woke up in a private room at Hogwarts, and saw Ariana sitting beside him. He stared at her for several minutes, wondering if he should just go back to sleep.
He'd had another vision last night, that filled him with all the regular emotions he got after one. Rage, helplessness, sadness, anger, resentment, sorrow.
He really wanted to just ignore the world and go back to sleep. Well, that wasn't going to happen.
So he smirked. "Accio wand." From he knew not where, the wand flew into his hand. He pointed it at Ariana. Soon she woke of giggling. She couldn't stop her stop herself. "H-har-ry!"
"Geez Ari, what wrong with you?"
Hysterical giggles. Soon Sirius and Remus, also patients in the hospital wing, were attracted by the noise. He noticed the door opening and saw the two enter. "Harry." Sirius enveloped him in a hug.
They all looked at Ariana, who was shrieking with laughter on the floor. "I-it's h-is f-fault! I k-k-know I-it is!"
"Me? I will have you know that I was rudely awoken from my blissfully unconscious state by your demented giggling."
"Ar- heh, heh, -rgh!"
"Harry," Remus chastised.
He made a face and removed the giggling charm. Ariana got up and smacked Harry on the arm. "What is all the noise!?" Madam Pomfrey showed up, appearing appalled. "Shoo!"
"But-" said Ariana.
"Get!"
"I want to know-" began Harry.
"Forget it young man!"
"How can you resist my puppy eyes?" asked Sirius.
She gave Sirius a cross look. Taking a potion from his bedside, she gave it to Harry and closed the curtains around his bed. "You, Mister Black, may either get out or get in bed."
"Woman, if I leave you won't let me back in to see Harry, admit it!"
"Well then, get in bed!"
He drank the potion and slunk back into oblivion.
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I am thinking about letting you know about what happened in the older Harry's world. But it won't be shown for a good five chapters... I haven't written beyond that yet, so it might even be a few more.
