CHAPTER 1- The Past is One Step Behind You.
[i]"Relegare!"[/i]
The strangled cry pushed its way through parched lips as the spell blasted from the tip of a wand. The wand shook uncontrollably, due to the shaking of its master. There, in the midst of the overgrown brush of the outskirts of a forest was a young man. He was dressed in black robes that were being mercilessly shredded and tattered by the thorny and unforgiving overgrowth. The lenses of his round, black glasses were scratched deeply, and his face and hands were covered in scratches. Dirt marred the young wizards appearance and made him seem no more than a stupid orphan lost in the woods. He carried none of his possesions with him. Just a wand, the clothes on his back, and his glasses.
The spell that he had cast had shot into the overgrowth and blasted the shrubbery to bits, making way for the weary young man to continue. Without a word he ran down the cleared path, stopping every six or seven feet to cast the spell again. He didn't care where he was going, only that he had to get away. Away from Hogwarts, away from the entire world. He didn't care if he died, or if he starved in the wilderness. He simply was running, and he hadn't looked back. So many had died, and he had been unable to stop it. What kind of a hero allowed those that he loved to die? It had been easy to get away. The Ministry had been escorting him back to the Burrow, the place where he was to live the rest of his childhood days out, until he turned seventeen. Unable to cope with the smothering pity, and his guilty, he had snuck out one night, had run and had never looked back. He'd started out on broom, but when he fell asleep mid-flight and crashed it, he'd had to continue on foot.
As far as he knew, the entire world was in an uproar.
And as far as he knew. . .he didn't really care.
Pale grey eyes stared out from the trees into the dimly lit forest. The light of the moon floated down through the leafy canopy above casting odd patterns on the moss and shrubbery laden forest floor. Silently he stepped out onto the forest path, staring at the figure that was blasting its way through the forest. As the figure cleared the last path, the young boy paused and stared up at his opposition with wide green eyes. Pale grey eyes met green orbs with a compassionate gaze. He had foreseen that this time would come. The pain was rolling off the boy in waves, and he had to take pity upon the boy.
"Hello, Harry Potter. Welcome to my forest."
Harry stared up at the seven foot tall figure, then slowly pointed his wand at the person who had spoke to him. Silently, Harry observed the powerful sight of the one who had stopped him.
The creature was thin, with fine platinum colored hair that fell to his waist. His skin seemed to glow with a soft, pale, radiant light, and in his hands, clasped by graceful, spindly fingers was a softly glowing blue orb. He wore blue robes that were embroidered in silver. The patterns seemed to be of droplets of water flowing down into a stream. His features were sharp, and as Harry looked to his ears, Harry's eyes widened. Delicately pointed ears protruded from beneath the fine platinum hair.
The elf's grey eyes sparkled with amusement as Harry's eyes widened in shock.
"Do not be afraid Harry. My name is Jupitan, but the forest knows me as Jupiter."
Harry swallowed.
"The Wise One."
The elf's sharp features seemed to ease with his slight smile.
"Ah, so you did pay attention in school. Yes, I am the Wise One. I offer you rest Harry Potter, and refuge. I also offer you knowledge and wisdom. Will you take it?"
Harry's wand slowly lowered, his thoughts swirling madly in his head. Rest and refuge. . .for seven years. Seven years of training, of being himself. No titles, no past, no pain to haunt him, and the knowledge and wisdom of a thousand lifetimes. No death could happen here, in this place of peace.
[i]Peace. . .[/i]
Harry's eyes had lowered to the ground during his thoughts, but now they raised to meet the kind gaze of Jupiter.
"I accept."
Suddenly, Jupiter smiled and the orb within his hands popped as if he'd been holding a bubble. The sparkles shimmered to the ground, only to produce food and drink in their wake.
"Eat and drink, and then I will take you to your home."
Harry stared down at the food hungrily. A basket of bread and cheese, another of fruit, and a plate of fish. Silently, Harry sat and reached for the bread. Upon touching it he realized the food was warm. As he ate, he realized that the food tasted as though it had come right from the oven, and it was delicious, especially to the half-starved Harry.
The drink was a delicious fruit drink that tasted like nothing he'd every had before. Suddenly full, he felt tired and sleepy.
Jupiter smiled, having stood and watched as the boy practically inhaled his food. As Harry stood, Jupiter nodded.
"Good, good. Feeling better, I hope?"
Harry nodded sheepishly, slightly embarassed at his lack of manners.
"Much, thank you."
Jupiter placed and arm around the boy and chuckled as the two continued down the path.
"Ahh Harry, do not feel ashamed. You were hungry, and you are weary. I think that I can forgive your lack of manners."
Harry flushed slightly.
"Thank you, sir."
As they walked, the shrubbery and forest parted before them to make way for its Master and his guest.
"Do not call me sir," Jupiter chided gently. "I'm not that old, and besides, after tonight I shall be your Master, and you my apprentice. Master should serve just fine."
"Y-yes, Master. Where are we going?"
"Patient my young apprentice. Patience. You shall see. . ."
After what seemed like an eternity, the forest suddenly gave way to a huge pond, and what Harry saw astonished him. The lake was calm and serene, and nothing disturbed its surface this night, but what was above it made Harry gape. The trees that surrounded the pond had somehow grown out their branches towards the lake, and had entertwined themselves to create some sort of an abode. It was a large manner made from wood, and ivy, flowers, stone and water. Silently, Jupiter stretched out his hand toward the lake. With a gentle rush like a softly streaming brook, water rose to create steps that led up to the open door of the manor. Harry followed Jupiter up these as they made their way upward. It felt abit like walking on pillows to Harry and so he mentioned this to Jupiter.
Jupiter just laughed.
"That it does Harry. As for my home, I have loved and nurtured this forest, and in returns it sustains me. Come. Sleep is in order for you. Tomorrow I will show you more, and soon after I will begin your training."
Jupiter led him into the forest mansion, down corridors created from ivy and flowers, up stairs of water, and finally into a bedroom made entirely from large forest leaves. Open to the sky above, the bedroom was simply a canopy of leaves that seemed to have a deep dent in the middle. Within this dent a white, cloud-like substance lay, filling it almost to the top. Clapping his hands together, Jupiter produced a pair of blue sleeping pajamas for Harry. Handing them to Harry he nodded towards the bed in the floor.
"That substance that you see is something that I created. It looks like a cloud, but it is far more. Sleep well Harry."
And with that he turned, and pushing back the ivy-hangings that was Harry's door, disappeared down the corridor.
Harry fingered the pajamas. They felt like a warm, watery gel in his hands. Unsure of how comfortable they would be, he changed slowly, only to find that they were indeed very comfortable. Stepping down into the bed, he was surprised to feel the cloud-like substance felt almost like a water bed. As he laid down, the substance wrapped itself around him, and when Harry suddenly changed positions, it moved to accomodate him.
[i]A smart bed. How clever.[/i]
With a slight smile on his face, Harry fell into a dreamless and deep sleep.
[i]"Relegare!"[/i]
The strangled cry pushed its way through parched lips as the spell blasted from the tip of a wand. The wand shook uncontrollably, due to the shaking of its master. There, in the midst of the overgrown brush of the outskirts of a forest was a young man. He was dressed in black robes that were being mercilessly shredded and tattered by the thorny and unforgiving overgrowth. The lenses of his round, black glasses were scratched deeply, and his face and hands were covered in scratches. Dirt marred the young wizards appearance and made him seem no more than a stupid orphan lost in the woods. He carried none of his possesions with him. Just a wand, the clothes on his back, and his glasses.
The spell that he had cast had shot into the overgrowth and blasted the shrubbery to bits, making way for the weary young man to continue. Without a word he ran down the cleared path, stopping every six or seven feet to cast the spell again. He didn't care where he was going, only that he had to get away. Away from Hogwarts, away from the entire world. He didn't care if he died, or if he starved in the wilderness. He simply was running, and he hadn't looked back. So many had died, and he had been unable to stop it. What kind of a hero allowed those that he loved to die? It had been easy to get away. The Ministry had been escorting him back to the Burrow, the place where he was to live the rest of his childhood days out, until he turned seventeen. Unable to cope with the smothering pity, and his guilty, he had snuck out one night, had run and had never looked back. He'd started out on broom, but when he fell asleep mid-flight and crashed it, he'd had to continue on foot.
As far as he knew, the entire world was in an uproar.
And as far as he knew. . .he didn't really care.
Pale grey eyes stared out from the trees into the dimly lit forest. The light of the moon floated down through the leafy canopy above casting odd patterns on the moss and shrubbery laden forest floor. Silently he stepped out onto the forest path, staring at the figure that was blasting its way through the forest. As the figure cleared the last path, the young boy paused and stared up at his opposition with wide green eyes. Pale grey eyes met green orbs with a compassionate gaze. He had foreseen that this time would come. The pain was rolling off the boy in waves, and he had to take pity upon the boy.
"Hello, Harry Potter. Welcome to my forest."
Harry stared up at the seven foot tall figure, then slowly pointed his wand at the person who had spoke to him. Silently, Harry observed the powerful sight of the one who had stopped him.
The creature was thin, with fine platinum colored hair that fell to his waist. His skin seemed to glow with a soft, pale, radiant light, and in his hands, clasped by graceful, spindly fingers was a softly glowing blue orb. He wore blue robes that were embroidered in silver. The patterns seemed to be of droplets of water flowing down into a stream. His features were sharp, and as Harry looked to his ears, Harry's eyes widened. Delicately pointed ears protruded from beneath the fine platinum hair.
The elf's grey eyes sparkled with amusement as Harry's eyes widened in shock.
"Do not be afraid Harry. My name is Jupitan, but the forest knows me as Jupiter."
Harry swallowed.
"The Wise One."
The elf's sharp features seemed to ease with his slight smile.
"Ah, so you did pay attention in school. Yes, I am the Wise One. I offer you rest Harry Potter, and refuge. I also offer you knowledge and wisdom. Will you take it?"
Harry's wand slowly lowered, his thoughts swirling madly in his head. Rest and refuge. . .for seven years. Seven years of training, of being himself. No titles, no past, no pain to haunt him, and the knowledge and wisdom of a thousand lifetimes. No death could happen here, in this place of peace.
[i]Peace. . .[/i]
Harry's eyes had lowered to the ground during his thoughts, but now they raised to meet the kind gaze of Jupiter.
"I accept."
Suddenly, Jupiter smiled and the orb within his hands popped as if he'd been holding a bubble. The sparkles shimmered to the ground, only to produce food and drink in their wake.
"Eat and drink, and then I will take you to your home."
Harry stared down at the food hungrily. A basket of bread and cheese, another of fruit, and a plate of fish. Silently, Harry sat and reached for the bread. Upon touching it he realized the food was warm. As he ate, he realized that the food tasted as though it had come right from the oven, and it was delicious, especially to the half-starved Harry.
The drink was a delicious fruit drink that tasted like nothing he'd every had before. Suddenly full, he felt tired and sleepy.
Jupiter smiled, having stood and watched as the boy practically inhaled his food. As Harry stood, Jupiter nodded.
"Good, good. Feeling better, I hope?"
Harry nodded sheepishly, slightly embarassed at his lack of manners.
"Much, thank you."
Jupiter placed and arm around the boy and chuckled as the two continued down the path.
"Ahh Harry, do not feel ashamed. You were hungry, and you are weary. I think that I can forgive your lack of manners."
Harry flushed slightly.
"Thank you, sir."
As they walked, the shrubbery and forest parted before them to make way for its Master and his guest.
"Do not call me sir," Jupiter chided gently. "I'm not that old, and besides, after tonight I shall be your Master, and you my apprentice. Master should serve just fine."
"Y-yes, Master. Where are we going?"
"Patient my young apprentice. Patience. You shall see. . ."
After what seemed like an eternity, the forest suddenly gave way to a huge pond, and what Harry saw astonished him. The lake was calm and serene, and nothing disturbed its surface this night, but what was above it made Harry gape. The trees that surrounded the pond had somehow grown out their branches towards the lake, and had entertwined themselves to create some sort of an abode. It was a large manner made from wood, and ivy, flowers, stone and water. Silently, Jupiter stretched out his hand toward the lake. With a gentle rush like a softly streaming brook, water rose to create steps that led up to the open door of the manor. Harry followed Jupiter up these as they made their way upward. It felt abit like walking on pillows to Harry and so he mentioned this to Jupiter.
Jupiter just laughed.
"That it does Harry. As for my home, I have loved and nurtured this forest, and in returns it sustains me. Come. Sleep is in order for you. Tomorrow I will show you more, and soon after I will begin your training."
Jupiter led him into the forest mansion, down corridors created from ivy and flowers, up stairs of water, and finally into a bedroom made entirely from large forest leaves. Open to the sky above, the bedroom was simply a canopy of leaves that seemed to have a deep dent in the middle. Within this dent a white, cloud-like substance lay, filling it almost to the top. Clapping his hands together, Jupiter produced a pair of blue sleeping pajamas for Harry. Handing them to Harry he nodded towards the bed in the floor.
"That substance that you see is something that I created. It looks like a cloud, but it is far more. Sleep well Harry."
And with that he turned, and pushing back the ivy-hangings that was Harry's door, disappeared down the corridor.
Harry fingered the pajamas. They felt like a warm, watery gel in his hands. Unsure of how comfortable they would be, he changed slowly, only to find that they were indeed very comfortable. Stepping down into the bed, he was surprised to feel the cloud-like substance felt almost like a water bed. As he laid down, the substance wrapped itself around him, and when Harry suddenly changed positions, it moved to accomodate him.
[i]A smart bed. How clever.[/i]
With a slight smile on his face, Harry fell into a dreamless and deep sleep.