Title: Figlio Perduto

Author: Gia

E-Mail: divinechild18@hotmail.com

Rating: PG-13

Pairing: none

Time: Present time.

Summary: [AU] During an outing with his father at the young age of one, Harry has met an elf and is now linked to their brethren. Harry is now a young choir boy, who's singing will do more than enchant others.

Disclaimer: I own not a thing.

Author Notes: Okay, it's a long time since I've updated, and I realize that but I have quite a number of stories in the making.. I shall NOT give up! Forward to the next chapter!

***

Nighttime sharpens, heightens each sensation

Darkness stirs and wakes imagination

Silently the senses abandon their defenses

Slowly, gently, night unfurls its splendor

Grasp it, sense it, tremulous and tender

Turn your face away from the garish light of day

Turn your face away from cold, unfeeling light

And listen to the music of the night

***

"I'll be back for you, Harry."

That one sentence remained with Harry for a several months. That incident seemed like a distant memory to his parents and friends, but to Harry, it was like a warning of sorts.

Harry stared out the window, blowing air as the window fogged up. He had continued his choir lessons with renewed vigor. Ever since the incident, Harry felt different. Strange things started to happen, things that Harry almost believed he made happen. The most vivid thing that happened, was during choir lessons in the cathedral.

Flashback

"We've been working on Pie Jesu for quite awhile. And Mr. Flitwick has agreed to listen to us."

Sirius had been teaching them Pie Jesu for a few weeks. All the boys from ages 6 to 9 would be singing this song. Harry and Draco would do the main parts. The choir boys were standing behind Harry and Draco, nervously pulling at their robes. Harry, trying to ignore the itching, glanced nervously at Mr. Flitwick, who was patiently watching as Sirius said he would cue them when to begin.

Sirius held out three fingers, counting down. Harry stood near the middle on the right side, while Draco stood near the middle on the left side. Green eyes watched the fingers, and at one, the choir of boys began singing softly the background. Harry took a deep breath and sang.

"Pie jesu, pie Jesu, pie Jesu, pie Jesu,

Qui tollis peccata mundi

Dona eis requiem, dona eis requiem"

Here, Draco raised his head, and sang.

"Pie Jesu, pie Jesu, pie Jesu, pie Jesu"

Harry joined in with Draco, and both sang together harmoniously.

"Qui tollis peccata mundi,

Dona eis requiem, dona eis requiem"

The two boys faded quietly, as the choir sang out.

"Agnus Dei, Agnus Dei, Agnus Dei, Agnus Dei,"

Not missing a beat, the boys repeated:

'Qui tollis peccata mundi,

Dona eis requiem, dona eis requiem'

Alternating with the choir, they switched off. Far off, Sirius smiled proudly. He had taught them well. Finally, the ending of the song was coming, and once again noth Harry and Draco sang.

"Sempiternam"

Harry by himself sang the last two words. "Requiem.. Sempiternam.."

And this is where it happened, as Harry sang the last two words, the bells of the Cathedral started chiming, and the newly hung flower adorning the walls of the church were slowly but steadily blooming. Harry was the first to notice, eying them with fear. The choir boys, Sirius, and Mr. Flitwick were unaware, all listening to Harry sing.

Except one person. Draco. He had seen Harry's eyes widen, and followed his line of vision to the flowers. Harry ended the song as discreetly as he could, and avoided Draco's eyes as if he didn't know about it.

End of Flashaback

A tap on his shoulder made him turn around. Draco's face gazed back at him.

"Something wrong, Harry?"

"No, I'm alright."

Draco looked ready to say something but seemed to think better of it. Shrugging, he grabbed Harry by the arm, dragging him to class.

***

"Hello boys. Have a nice weekend? Well, I'm sure you've all practiced like I've instructed, eh?"

The silence told him that most had neglected to. Grinning with surprise news, he cleared his throat dramatically.

"As you know, the feast day of St. Francis is coming up on October four, two weeks from now. And.." he paused for dramatic effect.

"We were asked to sing in the York Minster Cathedral, the largest gothic cathedral in Northern Europe!"

Many of the boys erupted with excited whispers. It was immediately silenced when Sirius raised his hand to say more. "We were not only asked to sing at the mass, but to do the finale. I've thought through this, weighing certain boys who will do the final solo with the Chairman of the Board who helps fund this. He will personally talk with the boy selected after class, seeing if he agrees."

He paused. "Another choir will be there, a girls choir to be exact. I'm sure you boys will behave, this girls choir is a very prestigious one, having traveled around Europe for important events."

Harry grinned as he heard Ron make a small snort from behind his arms about the girls. Turning his attention back to Sirius, he wondered who would do the solo.

***

Close you eyes and surrender to your darkest dreams

Leave all thoughts of the world you knew before

Close your eyes, let your spirit start to soar

And you'll live as you've never lived before

Softly, deftly, music shall caress you

Hear it, feel it, secretly possess you

Open up your mind, let your fantasies unwind

In this darkness which you know you cannot fight

The darkness of the music of the night

***

After classes, they all had lunch outside. It was getting a bit cool, but it only prompted sweaters for them to wear. Through a mouthful of food, Ron addressed their group, with its newest addition, Draco Malfoy.

"D'you reckon Sirius will make us sing and let the other instructors judge?"

Harry eyed the mouthful in Ron's mouth disdainfully, turning his head away to face Draco, who was going to answer Ron's open question.

"Don't be silly, Weasley. He just said the boy was already picked. I, for one, think it's going to be one of the older boys." Murmurs of agreement came from the rest, but Ron was not to be outdone.

"I think Harry could be the one."

All eyes swiveled to Harry, as he nervously swallowed his food. "Me? That's not going to happen, Ron. You know that."

His tone blatantly said the topic was over, so the boys resorted to talking about other things. 'It would be nice to sing, though.

I know there's no chance of me being picked but…

Harry was pulled from his thoughts when he felt Draco's eyes staring at him. He gave a small smile back to the blonde-haired boy, but it was not wholly returned. Frowning, Harry wondered what was wrong but decided he'd find out about it later. Right now, he just wanted to think about the upcoming event at York Minster Cathedral, and who would get to sing.

'There's no chance of me getting it!'

They boys soon finished eating lunch, and trudged back inside. The lessons practiced were no longer following the schedule, the event at York Minster Cathedral was weighing heavily on everyone's minds, and preparations were quickly set. The songs pulled out, teachers straining the boys to perfection, and so on and so forth. Worry from singing in sync, to what robes would they be wearing?

It all passed like a blur for Harry, caught up in the rush. He smiled, and for the first time, forgot all about that young man that visited him.

***

Let your mind start a journey through a strange, new world

Leave all thoughts of the world you knew before

Let your soul take you where you long to go

Only then can you belong to me

Floating, falling, sweet intoxication

Touch me, trust me, savor each sensation

Let the dream begin, let your darker side give in

To the harmony which dreams alone can write

The power of the music of the night

***

"Mr. Potter."

It was more of a statement than a question but Harry obediently zipped up his backpack, and turned to a strict looking woman. Small glasses were tipped at the end of her nose as she stared down at him. All the other students had already walked home, but Harry had taken his time in assembling his bag.

"Yes, ma'am?"

"The Chairman of the Board would like a word with you."

Hardly believing what this could mean, Harry nodded and followed the woman to the main office. He hadn't anything wrong that he could think of, and he hardly dared to think why he would be going to Sirius. He eyed the woman, wondering if she would divulge something or at least give some clue as to what Sirius wanted to say to him, she didn't seem too mean---

CRASH!

"You impertinent little boy! Can you not see me here? You should be heading home this very moment! Not gallivanting around with no supervision! You will head home immediately, or I shall personally see you there! Understood?"

The terrified little boy looked at Harry oddly before he nodded his head quickly and skirted slowly around them, mainly to avoid the woman.

Okay.. perhaps she was just a tad mean---

"Hurry up, boy!"

The boy blinked before hurrying, and disappearing around the corner.

Correction.. she was downright cruel! If Sirius sent her to get me, than it has to be terrible!

The unnamed woman, straightened up a bit, and gave a silent motion for Harry to follow. After what felt like an eternity, they reached his office. She knocked on the door twice, and his muffled 'Come in!' was heard. She opened the door for Harry, nodding briefly to Sirius.

"Thank you for bringing him here, Minerva."

She nodded once and left. At this point, Harry had taken a seat in front of the chairman's desk, twiddling his thumbs from nervousness. The man before him was not someone Harry had expected. He expected a stern man, probably in the middle ages, with a stern air about him. What he saw before him now.. was different.

The Chairman of the Board looked as old as time. A wizened face, with a snow white beard that seemed stretch far below the desk he was sitting behind. He, like Minerva, was wearing glasses, the shape as half-moon. Twinkling blue eyes regarded him from behind the glasses, before offering Harry an assuring smile.

"Allow me to introduce myself as Chairman of the Board. Otherwise known as, Albus Dumbledore." He leaned forward, "Harry, do you like singing?"

That was.. sudden. "Er.. Yes, sir."

"I'm sure you, as have the other boys, heard Sirius's announcement in class today. I have picked the boy, and it is you," he paused for Harry to absorb this, "I do not want to frighten you, but this is indeed an important event. And I would like to stress how much you will have to practice at this."

Harry gulped, but nodded resolutely. Seeing this, Albus smiled indulgently, breaking the tension.

"Of course, I trust your ability, since you seem to have a knack for it. After classes, you are to come to my office, and Sirius will be here to have practices in the York Minster Cathedral. It is being worked on, hired workers are paid to furnish it for the big event. You will be relatively alone if you ignore those putting up things. I believe it best to start practicing, so first real practice will be tomorrow."

Harry nodded, feeling a bit dazed about how fast things were progressing. "Will the other boys get to come to the York Minster Cathedral to practice too?"

Albus seemed to think about this for a moment, "They will, but not very soon. They will get a chance to practice here, but we will just focus on the finale for now. Is that clear?"

"Yes, sir."

"Very well then, you may leave Harry."

Harry could feel those blue eyes staring at him as he turned and left. To say the least, Dumbledore was certainly the eccentric type. He did some nice though, and if Harry had the chance, he was almost positive he would enjoy the grandfatherly likeness of the man. As he left the office, he couldn't wait to tell his mum about the good news, they'd be overjoyed! And his friends, 'wait till they find out too!'

***

Nighttime sharpens, heightens each sensation

Darkness stirs and wakes imagination

Silently the senses abandon their defenses

Softly, deftly, music shall caress you

Hear it, feel it, secretly possess you

Open up your mind, let your fantasies unwind

In this darkness which you know you cannot fight

The darkness of the music of the night

***

When Harry had gotten home and told the good news, his parents were very happy for him. They all planned to eat out in celebration. While they were eating, James suddenly had an idea.

"After we eat, why don't pay a visit to the Cathedral, hm? We could take a look, and Harry might get a chance to sing us a tune or two, why do you say Harry?"

Harry suddenly felt shy about singing in front of his parents, and only nodded to please his parents. Lily could tell her son was shy about the whole thing, and she patted his back comfortingly. The three finished eating, and got in the car to head to the Cathedral.

***

"Grumpy old women." he muttered under his breath.

The same boy who had fearfully ran from Minerva, was still walking on the sidewalk. The only difference... he wasn't really a boy. Barith always was a master of disguise, using Elven magic of course. He was hoping to run into Harry and somehow convince him of coming with him.

So close to achieving, and he lost it! Barith already thought hunting the boy down was a waste of time when he could be helping his people, 'but they foolishly believe-- Ugh! It was ludicrous! Why couldn't they see that? The boy had talent, he could admit that, but to put their entire existence and trust-- it was unthinkable! '

That woman and Harry had kept on walking, not thinking Barith would follow. Of course, who would think a little boy so chastised by her tongue to return? But then again, they wouldn't be able to hear him. Elves feet were so light, you could barely hear them. Barith idly wondered if it was the same for Harry.

No matter, he thought to himself, I know now how to find him. To have a chance at talking with him at least. York Minster Cathedral, I'll be there. I'll have to check the location, then I will be ready. October 4 is when Harry will learn.

Ending his train of thought, Barith pulled out his flute and played a quick melody. His boyish appearance melted away replaced by the same image he took when he first visited Harry in the park. And set off into the night--- straight towards York Minster Cathedral.

***

The road narrowed and the Shambles drew the Potters' in like welcoming arms. At first it loomed above them. Approaching and entering it changed to yet another embrace. The stain glass windows couldn't be appreciated much in the night, but you could imagine their brilliance if only for a second. Yes, the York Minster Cathedral was quite the sight.

"Beautiful, isn't it James? Just beautiful!"

James could only nod, a look of awe still on his face as he hastily parked. The three of them headed into the Cathedral, glancing up at the immense cathedral before they walked in entrance. Upon entering, they took in the large space inside. Rows and rows of pews set strategically around. Everything was extravagantly decorated, and being inside.. the sheer volume of the place itself was breathtaking.

James and Lily walked on ahead, seating themselves in the very front pew silently. Harry was still taking his time, reverently eying the place, trying to take it all in at once. Only a few candles were lit around the place, so you couldn't see much. But for a split moment, Harry could've sworn seeing a figure in the back. Thinking it was just the shadows, Harry hurried to the front of the Cathedral.

"Perhaps you should just sing one tune you've learned Harry, we might not be allowed to be in here." James stated wisely. Harry nodded, and ran a list of songs through his head. He couldn't seem to pick one, something his mum did not miss.

"Harry, why don't you sing one of those songs you've written."

Harry looked surprised. "I haven't written any songs, mum."

It was Lily's turn to look surprised. "Harry.. I hear you singing it to yourself in your room, humming some under your breath, don't you notice?"

In fact, Harry didn't know at all. It was just those types of nonsense songs you hum under your breath, and aren't aware of. He shook his head negative to his mum, and she tapped her chin thoughtfully. "Well, you would sing this particular song most of the time. I don't know the words, but I remember you singing two words," she paused as she tried to say the words correctly, "Figlio Perduto."

At this Harry's eyes glazed over, and returned to normal. Neither of his parents had noticed this, but one person did. Barith.

Barith hadn't expected to see Harry there. As tempting as it was to get Harry, he didn't. He would wait for October 4. Then he could explain everything to Harry, and he would go with Barith. By this time, Barith had used the shadows to his advantage and crept behind the altar to see Harry and his parents better. He heard the exchange and thought this unusual too. However, it was unimportant to him so he waited for Harry to sing.

Harry hummed the tune first, and soon the melody seemed to swim around the very cathedral itself, without the aid of Harry's voice. James and Lily stared in wonder, as the sweet tune rang through the church, before they heard Harry begin to sing.

***

"Muri die vento

Notte e scesa

Padre e figlio sono insiem

Con un cavallo

Vanno avanti

In questa grande oscurita

Ma ad un tratto

Il bimbo trema

Dalla paura

Freddo si fa

Padre oh Padre

Tu non hai visto

Re degli elfi

Ecolo la.."

***

Barith's ears perked up at the sound of Harry's voice. Clearly, there was more to Harry Potter than met the eye. He turned his head slightly, eying the things that were being affected. The figures in the stain glass seemed to be.. animate. Barith blinked rapidly, trying to dispel the image. He took a closer look, and they seemed to be as still as before. Just a trick of the light, that's all..

***

"Figlio perduto,

Vuoi fare un gioco?

Giota ti porto?

Vieni con me

Padre oh padre,

Hai gia sentito

Cosa mi dice

E che vuol' far'?

Figlio perduto,

Se tu non vieni

lo usero la forza che ho

Padre oh padre

Re degli elfi

Mi sta toccando,

Male mi fa.."

***

The last words lingered in the air, and faded. Harry smiled to himself, as James and Lily clapped loudly. He grinned as James pretended to cry dramatically. He took a deep breath, and walked towards his parents.

The Potters' walked out of the house, talking happily, Harry's parents voicing their pride openly. Barith waited only for the lights of the car to disappear before heading out. What had taken place was something to tell the Elders'.

"I'll be back for you Harry." he whispered into the night. The very same words he whispered to Harry the first time they met.

***

You alone can make my song take flight

Help me make the music of the night

The darkness of the music of night

The power of the music of night

***

A/N: END OF CHAPTER SIX!! YAY!!

Sheesh.. I have the sudden urge to erase everything and change it completely! -_-.. I hope you all like it though, if it may seem rushed or anything, I apologize for that. But I just wanted to update this story as soon as possible, to keep it going. ~_^

I hope you all like this chapter, and I'll be working hard to get out the next ones. IF YOU WANT UPDATES, LEAVE YOUR EMAIL AND A MESSAGE SAYING SO!