AUTHOR'S NOTE : I have been wondering about the fate of Draco Malfoy in
this story, but can't come up with something. So, I will simply wait for
reviews telling me what to do. Here's the choices : I turn this story into
a HP/DM, Draco becomes friends with the group, Draco stays evil, but
doesn't have an important part in the story, or Draco stays evil, but has
an important part in the story. I'm writing the tenth chapter right now, so
you'll have to wait until then to see my choice. For now, enjoy and review.
**************************************************************************** ************************
CHAPTER 2
"Why are we sitting around drinking tea while we should be looking for Harry ?" yelled Remus Lupin, hitting the table with his fist.
For a moment, everyone stayed frozen in place at Lupin's outburst. He was the calm and collected one of them all and to see him lose his temper in front of the members of the order of the phoenix shocked everyone. Everyone except Dumbledore who looked calmly at his former student through his half- moon glasses.
Lupin's expression changed from anger to surprise to shame as he realize he had just lost control.
"I'm...Excuse me. I shouldn't have lost my temper like that." He apologized slowly as he sat back on his chair.
"Remus, all of us understand your reaction and frankly, I'm glad you're finally letting some of that anguish and tension out. It's not healthy to keep things all bottled up." Replied McGonagall with one of her rare smiles.
"I'm just worried about him. Since Sirius died, I'm the only Marauder left and it's my responsibility to protect Harry. He's the only descendant of the Marauders." explained the werewolf.
"It's understandable and you can be sure we're going to do everything in our power to find him. Alastor ?" said Dumbledore, looking at Moody.
"Well, I've just questioned his uncle under Veritaserum, but the man doesn't remember anything. My guess is that he was under the Imperius Curse and that he was controlled by a Death Eater."
"It seems I have made a grave mistake." Whispered Dumbledore.
"What do you mean ?" asked Mrs. Weasley.
"I have overestimated the power of Lily's protection. I thought it would protect Harry from harm no matter what as long as he stayed in the house. I was wrong and now, Harry must pay the price of my mistake."
"Don't be a fool, Dumbledore. You did more for the boy than anyone else. How could you have known that muggle was under the Imperius ?" roared Moody.
"It was my duty to know, but anyways, we don't have time for that. We need to figure out where Harry is." Ordered Dumbledore.
"Well, I might have something. It's not much, but it could mean Harry's fine."
"What's that ?" asked Remus, eager to find some clues of Harry's safety.
"I checked his room after the battle and most of his stuff was gone. All our gifts, all his letters and parchment, all his books, his trunk, everything. Maybe he managed to knock his uncle out, grab his stuff and flee ?"
"I doubt it. Knowing Harry, he would have joined us in our battle against the Dementors and no one saw a stag patronus during the battle." Explained Remus.
"True. Harry couldn't have deal with his uncle alone and run away leaving us with the Dementors. It's not his style. He's a Gryffindor after all." Added Dumbledore.
"Whatever happened in his room, it involved Potter, his uncle and a third party. My guess is someone apparated in his room, knocked out his uncle with a well placed stunning curse, gathered the boy's stuff in his trunk with a spell and disapparated with the trunk and Potter. Now, what we need to do is figure out who was that third party and more importantly if it truly want the boy no harm."
"Well said, but if that person took Harry's stuff with him, doesn't it mean that it wanted to make Harry comfortable or something ? Why would a Death Eater take Harry's stuff with him if he could simply killed him on the spot or bring him to Voldemort without anything ?" asked Tonks.
"I'm with Tonks. That person must be on our side." Agreed Mrs. Weasley.
"Maybe, but if so, why take Harry away from us ? Why not simply wait for the battle to end and bring him out ?" contested Mr. Weasley.
"We all agree that we can't know for sure if Harry's safe or not until we see him. Now, I suggest we start gathering clues from any place. Molly, please let Ron and Hermione know that they have to tell us immediately if Harry contacts them."
"Of course, Albus."
*** Meanwhile...
Harry was surrounded by darkness, complete darkness. He couldn't see anything. He was floating in the darkness and had no idea where the ground was, if there was any.
"Am I dead ?" the boy asked out loud.
His voice was reverberated thousand and thousand of times, but no answer came to him. Harry looked around, but the non-existent veil on his eyes prevented him from searching for a way out. In a desperate attempt to reach the ground or any solid matter, Harry tried to 'swim' his way in the dark. After an hour or so, the Boy-who-lived was too exhausted to continue and simply let himself be swept around by unseen winds. Then, suddenly, a ray of light pierced its way in the darkness. Harry was blinded by the sudden amount of light, but before he could focus again, another ray appeared, then another, and another. Soon, the rays were cutting through the darkness like a knife in the butter and then, Harry was too blinded to see any more. When the light in front of his eyes seemed to dissipate, Harry tried to focus, but found his sight blurry as if his glasses were not on his nose.
Harry then noticed he was lying on the back on some sort of bed. Then, a shape moved in his line of vision although he couldn't see well. Soon, the shape was joined by two others. He could hear them talk.
"I think he is waking up." Said a female voice
"Yes, he is. The boy is strong, stronger than most. He will heal fast." Replied a grave masculine voice.
"How are his injuries ?" asked a voice definitely male, but young.
"There's a lot of them. He had received quite a beating before we managed to bypass the wards on the house and get to him, but don't worry. Thanks to my spells and potions, he will be up and playing outside with you before the sun's risen again." Answered the male voice.
"Do you really mean I could take him outside ?" inquired the young voice.
"As long as you don't over-exert him, I don't have any objections."
"Cool. Maybe he'll be better than the other kids at dueling. I'm tired of winning every time."
The female voice seemed to chuckle a bit before she spoke :
"You know, not every child in the tribe were born during the alignment of an eclipse, the dragon constellation and the hunter star the day of summer solstice."
"Besides, you might find in this boy the challenge you have been seeking." Added the male voice.
Tired of listening to the voice, Harry tried to speak, but found his mouth dry and only managed to moan. The shapes immediately turned to him and the male voice talked:
"You need rest, Harry. Sleep. Soon, you'll be back to full health."
With that, Harry felt himself drift to sleep. During his slumber, he dreamed of wide opened fields of grass and flowers, wild animals and a weird chant.
*** When Harry woke up again, he immediately heard the singing of birds. He stayed still for a moment, listening to the wind and the birds. The air was comfortable, hot enough to swim outside, but not enough to make you sweat. Harry noticed he wasn't wearing anything that he owned, making him wonder where he was and who had took care of him. He still remembered quite vividly his violent night time encounter with his uncle. He shuddered at the thought. He had never seen his uncle like this. He was beating him viciously, but kept a distant face, as if he wasn't even there. Forcing himself to push back the thoughts, he searched for his glasses with his hands. He found them on the ground, under his bed. When he placed them on his face, he could immediately focus on his surrounding.
He was in some sort of tent. On the ground, were piled animal furs. There wasn't many furniture. Only a low table in the middle of the tent. Then, he caught sight of what was on the table. Plates and plates of different food, fruits and beverage. His stomach growled painfully and his mouth started producing far too much saliva for his liking. The boy lifted himself from his bed to sit back down on the floor, in front of the table. He started eating as if this was his final meal. The food tasted delicious. Harry moaned in pleasure as he bit hard on a piece of chicken.
Suddenly, a side of the tent was lifted up and a boy around Harry's age entered.
"Oh, I was just coming to check on you. How are you ?" asked the stranger.
"Er... I'm fine. I don't want to be rude or anything, but who are you and where am I ?"
The other boy seemed surprised for a minute before a huge grin appeared on his face, revealing perfectly white teeth.
"Sorry. I should have presented myself. My name's Nathaniel and you are in our village."
"What village ?"
"Er... well, we call it the dragon's keep. I better explain from the beginning."
"That would be great. Want something to eat ?" replied Harry as he pointed to the table.
"Sure."
Nathaniel sat down facing Harry with the table between them. Harry could finally have a good look of the boy. He had a tanned complexion, bright violet eyes and sandy-blond hair. He had a strong built and from what he saw when he had entered, he was quite tall, maybe reaching 6 feet.
"Okay, Dragon's keep is a druid village. All the inhabitants are druids. We learned you were in trouble so we sent someone to rescue you."
"What are druids ?" "You're kidding right ?"
Harry shook his head no and replied:
"I know you're some kind of wizards, but I don't know much."
"Well, druids and wizards are similar, that's true, but we have a lot of differences. Mainly, while a wizard needs a wand to use magic, a druid doesn't. We channel our magic from our hands and with practice from our eyes. Secondly, we, druids, are very respectful of nature. A long time ago, druids and wizards were the same, but then, wizards started developing magical devices and relying on them. They spread around and forgot their origin. However, the druids kept relying on nature for help, not magical devices. That's why we don't need wands. We have nature to help us channel our magic."
"I see. Another question. How did you know I was in trouble ?"
"Not only the wizards community knows about you, Harry. The druids have been keeping an eye on you since you entered the magical world, but because we felt you were strong enough to take care of yourself, we haven't interfered with your life. That changed however and now the council have decided to help you."
"The council ?" asked Harry, confused.
"It's a gathering of all the most powerful and wisest druids in a tribe. They're the one making the decisions and giving the orders."
"Okay, but you said they've decided to help me. How ?"
"That, I don't know. You can ask them when you'll meet them."
"I'm going to meet them. When ?"
"Today. They wanted to wait until you've woken up before calling you. I was assigned to check on you often and bring you in front of them once you have fed and rested. So, let's go."
With that, the two boys left the tent and ventured outside, Nathaniel leading the way. Harry couldn't help, but stare at everything. The village was composed of dozens of tents. North was a forest, West an opened field and East ran a river. Among the villagers walked a huge amount of wild animals. Some said to be very dangerous to humans, but they seemed totally calm and friendly.
Nathaniel led Harry between the tents until they reached a clearing in the middle of the village. In the middle was a pile of wood that would be used to make a fire when night fell. All around the table were seated twelve persons, all of them quite old. When they noticed the two boys, all conversation stopped.
"Elders, I have brought you Harry Potter as you requested." Started Nathaniel.
"Thank you Nathaniel. Welcome Harry Potter to Dragon's keep." Said a man with graying hair. By the looks of him, Harry guessed he was the leader.
"Surely, you must be waiting for answers concerning everything that happened recently ?"
"Well, Nathaniel explained quite a bit. I want to thank you for saving me from my uncle."
"You are very welcomed, but you have to thank these two people here. Mathias is our shaman. He healed you during your sleep and this is Pahla, my daughter. She was the one who rescued you in your house."
Harry turned to the two people. Mathias was a tall man with long white hair and a long white beard. He had a smile on his face as he looked at Harry. Pahla was a young woman around her twenties. She had long black hair arranged in a long braid. She wore a comforting smile as she was presented to Harry.
"Now, I will tell you what Nathaniel couldn't have told you. It was decided that you should stay here for a while, maybe a week, while you heal completely. Mathias has told us you wouldn't be back to full health until seven days have passed. Meanwhile, we would like to help you. We know about the prophecy concerning you. Voldemort is a threat to everyone, even us. Wizards don't like our race, but we know an alliance is necessary if we're going to stop the death eaters. So we found a solution that would help everyone. We can't help you during your dual with Voldemort, but we can help you prepare. We will perform a very ancient druidic ritual every night starting today. The ritual will increase your magic potential. You won't learn new spells, but you'll be able to cast stronger ones you have already learn and it'll make learning new ones easier. You won't have a problem learning some advance techniques. Also, you'll be less tired after a prolonged use of a spell which will help you maintain some spells longer."
"That's very generous of you, but what about the alliance with wizards. I don't think wizards will accept you this easily."
"It's quite simple actually. We're going to offer the wizards an opportunity to befriend us. You see, we will sign up Nathaniel to Hogwarts."
"I don't think the Ministry will accept Nathaniel if they know he's a druid."
"We know the headmaster is a powerful and wise wizard. Probably the most powerful of this era. He will see the hidden message Nathaniel's presence represent. He will convince the Ministry to accept him. During the school year, if he is welcomed it will mean it is safe for druids to offer an alliance."
"I see. It's a good plan."
For the next days, Harry spent his days with Nathaniel, learning more about the druids and their beliefs. He learned that Nathaniel was in the same situation as him. Both of them were legends among their people, Harry for having survived the Avada Kedavra and Nathaniel for being born during a rare alignment of stars. During their life, they have been stared and pointed at. The similarities between them helped them forge a strong and fast friendship. They understood the other better than anyone had ever been able to. They enjoyed each other's company because when they were alone, they were forced to act as the hero they were supposed to be. They were able to be themselves and no one else.
During the nights, Harry would met the council where he had first seen them. They would greet him and sit in a circle around the fire. They would then start the chant in a language Harry didn't recognize. The fire would suddenly change from orange to gold and Harry would step right into it. Immediately, he would fall into a trance while floating in the golden fire. That would continue until dawn. Harry would then wake up in his tent feeling refreshed and energized.
Finally, the final day arrived. It was time for Harry to leave the druids and get back to the wizarding world. He packed his things in his trunk and made his way to the edge of the village where all the inhabitants were assembled to see him off. The council was gathered and when he arrived, they turned to him and smiled.
"Well, Harry, it is time. Know that it was an immense pleasure to have you among us and know also that you will be missed. You will visit us when you have the time, will you ?"
"Of course. I had a great time with all of you and I learned some important things during my stay. I will always be grateful."
"Goodbye, then."
Harry then saw Nathaniel among the villagers. The two boys walked toward each other, but Harry was the first to speak:
"So, I guess I'll be seeing you in September, right ?"
"What are you talking about ? You think I'll go to Hogwarts with no idea how things work in your world ? I'm going with you. I need to learn more about the wizards and all. You were allowed to learn about the druids, I expect I'll have the same right as you."
"Seriously ? This is great."
The two boys hugged with huge smiles on their face. When Nathaniel had said good bye to everyone, the council leader talked again:
"Harry, Nathaniel. This is a portkey that will take you directly to Hogwarts. I know it's not start of term yet, but I think it's safer if you head directly there. You must reassure all your friends. Remember that for them, you have disappeared an entire week." Said the leader while handing them a statuette of a flying dragon.
"Thank you."
With that, the two teens touched the dragon and Harry felt the familiar sensation between his navels as he was transported.
*** When they arrived, Harry was able to regain his footing quickly, but Nathaniel fell right on his butt.
"Ouch." He complained
"You haven't use a portkey before, have you ?" asked Harry as he helped his friend get up.
"No. In fact, I haven't left my village since I was born. They say I'm too important to leave without supervision."
"I know how you feel." Admitted Harry.
"I know you do. So, where are we ?"
"We're close to Hogwarts. The wards placed on the ground prevent anyone from apparating or using a portkey into the grounds. Only Dumbledore can do that. Come on. We have to walk."
Nathaniel followed Harry as he led the two of them on the grounds. During the trip, Harry pointed to the other boy some location he ought to know about. The castle, the forbidden forest, Hagrid's hut, the lake with the giant squid. Nathaniel seemed very interested in the forbidden forest, eager to know what creatures were inside. Soon though, they reached the stairs leading to the school. They entered and were greeted by the sound of voices coming from the Great Hall.
"Strange, I wonder who's here. Normally, there's only the professors, but, by the sound of it, there's more people." Harry wondered out loud.
"Want to check it out ?"
"We don't have a choice. We have to let everyone know we're here."
The two boys pushed the two huge doors open to let them enter the Great Hall.
**************************************************************************** ************************
CHAPTER 2
"Why are we sitting around drinking tea while we should be looking for Harry ?" yelled Remus Lupin, hitting the table with his fist.
For a moment, everyone stayed frozen in place at Lupin's outburst. He was the calm and collected one of them all and to see him lose his temper in front of the members of the order of the phoenix shocked everyone. Everyone except Dumbledore who looked calmly at his former student through his half- moon glasses.
Lupin's expression changed from anger to surprise to shame as he realize he had just lost control.
"I'm...Excuse me. I shouldn't have lost my temper like that." He apologized slowly as he sat back on his chair.
"Remus, all of us understand your reaction and frankly, I'm glad you're finally letting some of that anguish and tension out. It's not healthy to keep things all bottled up." Replied McGonagall with one of her rare smiles.
"I'm just worried about him. Since Sirius died, I'm the only Marauder left and it's my responsibility to protect Harry. He's the only descendant of the Marauders." explained the werewolf.
"It's understandable and you can be sure we're going to do everything in our power to find him. Alastor ?" said Dumbledore, looking at Moody.
"Well, I've just questioned his uncle under Veritaserum, but the man doesn't remember anything. My guess is that he was under the Imperius Curse and that he was controlled by a Death Eater."
"It seems I have made a grave mistake." Whispered Dumbledore.
"What do you mean ?" asked Mrs. Weasley.
"I have overestimated the power of Lily's protection. I thought it would protect Harry from harm no matter what as long as he stayed in the house. I was wrong and now, Harry must pay the price of my mistake."
"Don't be a fool, Dumbledore. You did more for the boy than anyone else. How could you have known that muggle was under the Imperius ?" roared Moody.
"It was my duty to know, but anyways, we don't have time for that. We need to figure out where Harry is." Ordered Dumbledore.
"Well, I might have something. It's not much, but it could mean Harry's fine."
"What's that ?" asked Remus, eager to find some clues of Harry's safety.
"I checked his room after the battle and most of his stuff was gone. All our gifts, all his letters and parchment, all his books, his trunk, everything. Maybe he managed to knock his uncle out, grab his stuff and flee ?"
"I doubt it. Knowing Harry, he would have joined us in our battle against the Dementors and no one saw a stag patronus during the battle." Explained Remus.
"True. Harry couldn't have deal with his uncle alone and run away leaving us with the Dementors. It's not his style. He's a Gryffindor after all." Added Dumbledore.
"Whatever happened in his room, it involved Potter, his uncle and a third party. My guess is someone apparated in his room, knocked out his uncle with a well placed stunning curse, gathered the boy's stuff in his trunk with a spell and disapparated with the trunk and Potter. Now, what we need to do is figure out who was that third party and more importantly if it truly want the boy no harm."
"Well said, but if that person took Harry's stuff with him, doesn't it mean that it wanted to make Harry comfortable or something ? Why would a Death Eater take Harry's stuff with him if he could simply killed him on the spot or bring him to Voldemort without anything ?" asked Tonks.
"I'm with Tonks. That person must be on our side." Agreed Mrs. Weasley.
"Maybe, but if so, why take Harry away from us ? Why not simply wait for the battle to end and bring him out ?" contested Mr. Weasley.
"We all agree that we can't know for sure if Harry's safe or not until we see him. Now, I suggest we start gathering clues from any place. Molly, please let Ron and Hermione know that they have to tell us immediately if Harry contacts them."
"Of course, Albus."
*** Meanwhile...
Harry was surrounded by darkness, complete darkness. He couldn't see anything. He was floating in the darkness and had no idea where the ground was, if there was any.
"Am I dead ?" the boy asked out loud.
His voice was reverberated thousand and thousand of times, but no answer came to him. Harry looked around, but the non-existent veil on his eyes prevented him from searching for a way out. In a desperate attempt to reach the ground or any solid matter, Harry tried to 'swim' his way in the dark. After an hour or so, the Boy-who-lived was too exhausted to continue and simply let himself be swept around by unseen winds. Then, suddenly, a ray of light pierced its way in the darkness. Harry was blinded by the sudden amount of light, but before he could focus again, another ray appeared, then another, and another. Soon, the rays were cutting through the darkness like a knife in the butter and then, Harry was too blinded to see any more. When the light in front of his eyes seemed to dissipate, Harry tried to focus, but found his sight blurry as if his glasses were not on his nose.
Harry then noticed he was lying on the back on some sort of bed. Then, a shape moved in his line of vision although he couldn't see well. Soon, the shape was joined by two others. He could hear them talk.
"I think he is waking up." Said a female voice
"Yes, he is. The boy is strong, stronger than most. He will heal fast." Replied a grave masculine voice.
"How are his injuries ?" asked a voice definitely male, but young.
"There's a lot of them. He had received quite a beating before we managed to bypass the wards on the house and get to him, but don't worry. Thanks to my spells and potions, he will be up and playing outside with you before the sun's risen again." Answered the male voice.
"Do you really mean I could take him outside ?" inquired the young voice.
"As long as you don't over-exert him, I don't have any objections."
"Cool. Maybe he'll be better than the other kids at dueling. I'm tired of winning every time."
The female voice seemed to chuckle a bit before she spoke :
"You know, not every child in the tribe were born during the alignment of an eclipse, the dragon constellation and the hunter star the day of summer solstice."
"Besides, you might find in this boy the challenge you have been seeking." Added the male voice.
Tired of listening to the voice, Harry tried to speak, but found his mouth dry and only managed to moan. The shapes immediately turned to him and the male voice talked:
"You need rest, Harry. Sleep. Soon, you'll be back to full health."
With that, Harry felt himself drift to sleep. During his slumber, he dreamed of wide opened fields of grass and flowers, wild animals and a weird chant.
*** When Harry woke up again, he immediately heard the singing of birds. He stayed still for a moment, listening to the wind and the birds. The air was comfortable, hot enough to swim outside, but not enough to make you sweat. Harry noticed he wasn't wearing anything that he owned, making him wonder where he was and who had took care of him. He still remembered quite vividly his violent night time encounter with his uncle. He shuddered at the thought. He had never seen his uncle like this. He was beating him viciously, but kept a distant face, as if he wasn't even there. Forcing himself to push back the thoughts, he searched for his glasses with his hands. He found them on the ground, under his bed. When he placed them on his face, he could immediately focus on his surrounding.
He was in some sort of tent. On the ground, were piled animal furs. There wasn't many furniture. Only a low table in the middle of the tent. Then, he caught sight of what was on the table. Plates and plates of different food, fruits and beverage. His stomach growled painfully and his mouth started producing far too much saliva for his liking. The boy lifted himself from his bed to sit back down on the floor, in front of the table. He started eating as if this was his final meal. The food tasted delicious. Harry moaned in pleasure as he bit hard on a piece of chicken.
Suddenly, a side of the tent was lifted up and a boy around Harry's age entered.
"Oh, I was just coming to check on you. How are you ?" asked the stranger.
"Er... I'm fine. I don't want to be rude or anything, but who are you and where am I ?"
The other boy seemed surprised for a minute before a huge grin appeared on his face, revealing perfectly white teeth.
"Sorry. I should have presented myself. My name's Nathaniel and you are in our village."
"What village ?"
"Er... well, we call it the dragon's keep. I better explain from the beginning."
"That would be great. Want something to eat ?" replied Harry as he pointed to the table.
"Sure."
Nathaniel sat down facing Harry with the table between them. Harry could finally have a good look of the boy. He had a tanned complexion, bright violet eyes and sandy-blond hair. He had a strong built and from what he saw when he had entered, he was quite tall, maybe reaching 6 feet.
"Okay, Dragon's keep is a druid village. All the inhabitants are druids. We learned you were in trouble so we sent someone to rescue you."
"What are druids ?" "You're kidding right ?"
Harry shook his head no and replied:
"I know you're some kind of wizards, but I don't know much."
"Well, druids and wizards are similar, that's true, but we have a lot of differences. Mainly, while a wizard needs a wand to use magic, a druid doesn't. We channel our magic from our hands and with practice from our eyes. Secondly, we, druids, are very respectful of nature. A long time ago, druids and wizards were the same, but then, wizards started developing magical devices and relying on them. They spread around and forgot their origin. However, the druids kept relying on nature for help, not magical devices. That's why we don't need wands. We have nature to help us channel our magic."
"I see. Another question. How did you know I was in trouble ?"
"Not only the wizards community knows about you, Harry. The druids have been keeping an eye on you since you entered the magical world, but because we felt you were strong enough to take care of yourself, we haven't interfered with your life. That changed however and now the council have decided to help you."
"The council ?" asked Harry, confused.
"It's a gathering of all the most powerful and wisest druids in a tribe. They're the one making the decisions and giving the orders."
"Okay, but you said they've decided to help me. How ?"
"That, I don't know. You can ask them when you'll meet them."
"I'm going to meet them. When ?"
"Today. They wanted to wait until you've woken up before calling you. I was assigned to check on you often and bring you in front of them once you have fed and rested. So, let's go."
With that, the two boys left the tent and ventured outside, Nathaniel leading the way. Harry couldn't help, but stare at everything. The village was composed of dozens of tents. North was a forest, West an opened field and East ran a river. Among the villagers walked a huge amount of wild animals. Some said to be very dangerous to humans, but they seemed totally calm and friendly.
Nathaniel led Harry between the tents until they reached a clearing in the middle of the village. In the middle was a pile of wood that would be used to make a fire when night fell. All around the table were seated twelve persons, all of them quite old. When they noticed the two boys, all conversation stopped.
"Elders, I have brought you Harry Potter as you requested." Started Nathaniel.
"Thank you Nathaniel. Welcome Harry Potter to Dragon's keep." Said a man with graying hair. By the looks of him, Harry guessed he was the leader.
"Surely, you must be waiting for answers concerning everything that happened recently ?"
"Well, Nathaniel explained quite a bit. I want to thank you for saving me from my uncle."
"You are very welcomed, but you have to thank these two people here. Mathias is our shaman. He healed you during your sleep and this is Pahla, my daughter. She was the one who rescued you in your house."
Harry turned to the two people. Mathias was a tall man with long white hair and a long white beard. He had a smile on his face as he looked at Harry. Pahla was a young woman around her twenties. She had long black hair arranged in a long braid. She wore a comforting smile as she was presented to Harry.
"Now, I will tell you what Nathaniel couldn't have told you. It was decided that you should stay here for a while, maybe a week, while you heal completely. Mathias has told us you wouldn't be back to full health until seven days have passed. Meanwhile, we would like to help you. We know about the prophecy concerning you. Voldemort is a threat to everyone, even us. Wizards don't like our race, but we know an alliance is necessary if we're going to stop the death eaters. So we found a solution that would help everyone. We can't help you during your dual with Voldemort, but we can help you prepare. We will perform a very ancient druidic ritual every night starting today. The ritual will increase your magic potential. You won't learn new spells, but you'll be able to cast stronger ones you have already learn and it'll make learning new ones easier. You won't have a problem learning some advance techniques. Also, you'll be less tired after a prolonged use of a spell which will help you maintain some spells longer."
"That's very generous of you, but what about the alliance with wizards. I don't think wizards will accept you this easily."
"It's quite simple actually. We're going to offer the wizards an opportunity to befriend us. You see, we will sign up Nathaniel to Hogwarts."
"I don't think the Ministry will accept Nathaniel if they know he's a druid."
"We know the headmaster is a powerful and wise wizard. Probably the most powerful of this era. He will see the hidden message Nathaniel's presence represent. He will convince the Ministry to accept him. During the school year, if he is welcomed it will mean it is safe for druids to offer an alliance."
"I see. It's a good plan."
For the next days, Harry spent his days with Nathaniel, learning more about the druids and their beliefs. He learned that Nathaniel was in the same situation as him. Both of them were legends among their people, Harry for having survived the Avada Kedavra and Nathaniel for being born during a rare alignment of stars. During their life, they have been stared and pointed at. The similarities between them helped them forge a strong and fast friendship. They understood the other better than anyone had ever been able to. They enjoyed each other's company because when they were alone, they were forced to act as the hero they were supposed to be. They were able to be themselves and no one else.
During the nights, Harry would met the council where he had first seen them. They would greet him and sit in a circle around the fire. They would then start the chant in a language Harry didn't recognize. The fire would suddenly change from orange to gold and Harry would step right into it. Immediately, he would fall into a trance while floating in the golden fire. That would continue until dawn. Harry would then wake up in his tent feeling refreshed and energized.
Finally, the final day arrived. It was time for Harry to leave the druids and get back to the wizarding world. He packed his things in his trunk and made his way to the edge of the village where all the inhabitants were assembled to see him off. The council was gathered and when he arrived, they turned to him and smiled.
"Well, Harry, it is time. Know that it was an immense pleasure to have you among us and know also that you will be missed. You will visit us when you have the time, will you ?"
"Of course. I had a great time with all of you and I learned some important things during my stay. I will always be grateful."
"Goodbye, then."
Harry then saw Nathaniel among the villagers. The two boys walked toward each other, but Harry was the first to speak:
"So, I guess I'll be seeing you in September, right ?"
"What are you talking about ? You think I'll go to Hogwarts with no idea how things work in your world ? I'm going with you. I need to learn more about the wizards and all. You were allowed to learn about the druids, I expect I'll have the same right as you."
"Seriously ? This is great."
The two boys hugged with huge smiles on their face. When Nathaniel had said good bye to everyone, the council leader talked again:
"Harry, Nathaniel. This is a portkey that will take you directly to Hogwarts. I know it's not start of term yet, but I think it's safer if you head directly there. You must reassure all your friends. Remember that for them, you have disappeared an entire week." Said the leader while handing them a statuette of a flying dragon.
"Thank you."
With that, the two teens touched the dragon and Harry felt the familiar sensation between his navels as he was transported.
*** When they arrived, Harry was able to regain his footing quickly, but Nathaniel fell right on his butt.
"Ouch." He complained
"You haven't use a portkey before, have you ?" asked Harry as he helped his friend get up.
"No. In fact, I haven't left my village since I was born. They say I'm too important to leave without supervision."
"I know how you feel." Admitted Harry.
"I know you do. So, where are we ?"
"We're close to Hogwarts. The wards placed on the ground prevent anyone from apparating or using a portkey into the grounds. Only Dumbledore can do that. Come on. We have to walk."
Nathaniel followed Harry as he led the two of them on the grounds. During the trip, Harry pointed to the other boy some location he ought to know about. The castle, the forbidden forest, Hagrid's hut, the lake with the giant squid. Nathaniel seemed very interested in the forbidden forest, eager to know what creatures were inside. Soon though, they reached the stairs leading to the school. They entered and were greeted by the sound of voices coming from the Great Hall.
"Strange, I wonder who's here. Normally, there's only the professors, but, by the sound of it, there's more people." Harry wondered out loud.
"Want to check it out ?"
"We don't have a choice. We have to let everyone know we're here."
The two boys pushed the two huge doors open to let them enter the Great Hall.