Unicorn Child
A/N: Well, here it is! I hope you will enjoy the new chapter. As review answers should no longer be posted as part of the Author's Notes due to the new message board/chat regulation, they will be posted sometime soon on my Yahoo!Group. You can find the link in my profile.
Thanks, everyone, for your nice reviews, and thanks to my beta reader Michael!
On with the story!
Chapter Six: Realisation
"Bla Bla" = Human Speech
Bla Bla = Unicorn Speech
Bla Bla = Language of the Forest
Harry ran as fast as his shaking legs would carry him. His heart was pounding almost painfully, he had a stitch in his side, every lungful of cold air seemed to tear his throat and insides apart and his vision was blurry with tears induced by the frigid air rushing past him, but Harry didn't stop. He couldn't.
Terrifying images of his life in the human world assaulted him relentlessly, frightening him, blinding him. Branches snapped into his face and he kept running into trees, as it got darker with every passing minute.
Harry stumbled across a root and fell. He scraped his left knee and both his wrists, but he was too scared to stop. His clothes were dirty and torn. He had lost his bow and arrows somewhere along the way. He was bleeding a little from the many scratches and gashes on his body, and, worst of all, he was hopelessly lost.
Serenity and the elves had warned him continuously not to stray from the paths, to watch out for certain landmarks so that he could always find his way home. Harry, in his panic to get away from the human who had spotted him after all this time, who was surely going to take him back, cage him, hate him… had forgotten their advice. And now he had no idea where he was.
It was almost completely dark. Harry stumbled blindly and numbly through the forest. What little remained of his vision in the darkness was impeded by tears. His knee, wrists and the other wounds on his body ached and burned terribly. The cold seeped through his torn clothes and left him shivering, causing his teeth to chatter.
The forest was silent around Harry, terrifying him even more. Silence was a sure sign that there was danger around. Harry stumbled again and fell, twisting his ankle painfully. When he tried to get up again, he found that he could not.
Harry curled up a little on the cold, damp forest ground and cried silently.
"Are you certain, Hagrid?" Albus Dumbledore leaned forward and peered at his groundskeeper intently over the rim of his half-moon-shaped glasses. "Are you certain this is what you saw? A boy? A little boy, alone in the forest?"
Hagrid looked out of place in the Staff Room, seated in the biggest chair he could find and still towering over everybody else in the room. It was the evening before Christmas, and the whole staff had assembled to hear the incredible event Hagrid had just finished describing.
"Preposterous," Professor McGonagall declared briskly. "Hagrid, I mean no disrespect, but have you maybe had too many meads down in the 'Hog's Head' tonight? A small child, alone in the forest, in the middle of winter? Impossible."
Hagrid bristled visibly.
"I've had no meads ternight, Professor," he boomed, accidentally crushing the cup of tea he had been holding. "Oops… sorry, Professor…" he looked sheepishly at Dumbledore, who waved a hand dismissively. "Those lil' delicate things you have up here… anyway, I swear Professor, this is what I saw. A lil' boy, maybe six, seven years ol', holding a bow and a quiver o' arrows, staring a' Hogwarts as though he'd never seen a castle before."
Remus Lupin, Hogwarts's youngest employee together with the Potions Professor Severus Snape, leaned forward in his seat.
"Did you per chance get a good look at the boy, Hagrid?" he asked with what sounded like genuine interest. "Signs of cold? Malnutrition? State of clothing? Hair colour, eye colour?"
Hagrid appeared confused for a moment, furrowing his thick brows.
"I only caugh' a brief glimpse o' him, Remus," he admitted, "but he seemed fine. Cold, maybe… not too thin, I think. Black hair, I didn' see his eyes… His clothes were fine… now tha' you mention it, though, they appeared to be made o' leather and plants. An' he had his bow… seemed righ' terrified o' me, though. Ran like the devil even when I tol' him that I didn' mean him any harm."
"Imagine that," Professor Snape commented dryly and leaned back in his seat. Hagrid glared at him and Professor McGonagall hissed a disapproving 'Severus!' to which he only sneered.
"Curious… very curious," Dumbledore mumbled as he, too, leaned back and steepled his fingers contemplatively. "What could a human child want in the Forbidden Forest? And, more importantly, who is helping him survive?"
"Albus," Minerva snapped impatiently, "You cannot tell me that you are taking this seriously! Clearly, Hagrid has had too much alcohol and has imagined the boy! A child in the forest… at this time of the year! It is ridiculous!"
"I do not believe that Hagrid is drunk, Minerva," Dumbledore said quietly. "Stranger things have happened at Hogwarts, after all."
"Stranger things than small children turning up in the Forbidden Forest in the middle of winter? How would he survive? Who could have taken him there? And, most importantly-" she leaned forward in her chair- "Hagrid said that the child was looking at Hogwarts. Muggles cannot see the castle. The boy would have to be magical, and no magical children of that age have been reported missing!"
Albus Dumbledore froze. An insane hope was rising within him. Could it be? Could he be there, so close to Hogwarts, hundreds of miles away from the place where he was last seen? Could he have found his way across the country against all odds, with nobody to rely on but himself? And if yes, who was helping the boy? For it couldn't be muggles, nor witches and wizards.
"No," McGonagall whispered quietly, staring at Dumbledore as though she had just seen a particularly frightening ghost. "Albus, you're not… you're thinking… Harry Potter?"
Many of the other professors gasped.
"I can think of no one else," Dumbledore admitted quietly. "He is the only missing wizarding child at the moment. If he is still alive, he has to be seven years old now. He definitely has black hair… but who is helping the boy?"
"It must be witches or wizards," Professor Sprout offered excitedly. "Hagrid said the boy was carrying a bow… only human beings carry bows!"
"An' centaurs," Hagrid added, "The centaurs o' the Forbidden Forest carry bows as well. I'm on friendly terms with some o' them."
"Would the centaurs take in a small human child if they found one, Hagrid?" Dumbledore asked intently.
Hagrid looked torn between pride that Headmaster Dumbledore was asking him for advice and doubt.
"I don' think so, Professor," he said pensively. "Centaurs ain't not too fond o' human beings… they won' do no harm to the boy… they're very honourable creatures, centaurs… but take him in? Maybe one o' the younger ones, Firenze migh'… but I doubt it, Professor. Don' like to mingle with humans too much. They would bring 'im here, I think."
Dumbledore nodded. "I thought so," he muttered, "Someone else is helping the boy, then. Maybe the legends are true after all…"
"Which legends are you talking about, Albus?" squeaked tiny Professor Flitwick excitedly.
"I might be wrong," Dumbledore said with a slight frown, "But unless I am very much mistaken, there are old records of elf sightings in the school's library. They have been written off as rumours in the past, but given tonight's evidence… I rather think that there might be truth to them. Bows and arrows, clothes made of natural material… in any event, I do believe that the situation requires further investigation. We will establish guards at the edge of the forest- if the boy returns, we may be able to stop and talk to him. Now," he smiled, looking at the disbelieving faces of his colleagues sitting around the table, his eyes twinkling merrily, "Who would like to take the first shift?"
"Here he is! I've found him!"
Harry woke abruptly and sat up, hitting his head on a low branch. He groaned unhappily. He hurt all over, his clothes were clammy and cold, he himself was freezing and his throat felt scratchy.
Catheryna leaned over him curiously.
"Hey, Harry," she said casually, brushing a dry leaf from one of her sleeves. "Mum and Dad are worried sick about you. Serenity, too. You never returned to the Meadows last night."
At the age of nine, Catheryna, though she had mellowed down from her spoiled, six-year-old self considerably, was hopelessly vain.
Harry could hear hasty footsteps approaching and whimpered. The dull thuds were not helping his headache.
"Hey," Catheryna said again, a little frown marring her flawless forehead. "Are you all right? Can you get up?"
Harry shook his head weakly, remembering the stabbing pain in his ankle. His eyelids were too heavy to stay open, so Harry allowed them to droop again.
Sometimes, he felt unbearably hot. He was burning to death in an everlasting fire, the flames licking at his face, arms, chest… Harry moaned in distress and tried to get away from them, to no avail. The flames were relentless, torturing him, bathing him in heat and cold sweat…
…then came the cold, the darkness. Harry was caught in an endless sea of ice, piercing his skin, consuming him. He shivered and shook, his teeth chattering terribly. The cold was almost harder to bear than the fire because it froze not only his body, but also his heart…
…sometimes, he dreamed of colours. Strange, meaningless colourful bubbles dancing around his head, evading his hands when he tried to catch them. Harry liked these dreams. They made him laugh and smile.
…sometimes, he had terrible nightmares filled with unspeakable terror and horrible monsters chasing Harry. The monsters were always faster than Harry, gaining on him, no matter how fast he ran or how loudly he screamed for help.
…sometimes, Harry thought that he could feel soothing hands on his face, brushing his sweaty hair from his forehead or caressing his cheeks. These dreams filled him with a terrible, burning ache of longing… for what, Harry didn't know. When the kindness of these dreams was too much for Harry, he cried.
…sometimes, when Harry felt especially peaceful, he could see people in his dreams. Two people, always the same… a couple, a young man and a young woman. The man looked a lot like Harry with his black, tousled hair, though he was wearing glasses and his eyes were not green. The woman had red hair and green eyes that looked exactly like Harry's, but she was usually crying. Harry wanted to comfort her, but whenever he tried to step closer to the couple, they took a step back and shook their heads with sad smiles.
…sometimes, Harry had moments of clarity. He could hear hushed voices around him, someone was holding his hand, wiping his face with wet cloths and making him drink strange, aromatic substances.
…sometimes, Harry felt like giving up. He floated for hours in warm, comfortable nothingness, a strange apathy taking hold of him. But something was always holding Harry back, beckoning him to the surface of the pit he was caught in, luring him out of the darkness…
"He's awake!"
Harry moaned, opening his eyes with agonising slowness. He felt as though he had been run over by a particularly heavy truck. His head hurt, his throat felt unbearably dry, his lips were chapped and bleeding and he felt terribly weak.
Harry couldn't remember ever feeling so miserable in his life before. A small tear ran down his face before he had even noticed it.
"Harry," a gentle voice spoke to his left, "Can you hear us?"
Harry turned his head painfully. Ethryl was kneeling in front of him, brushing the hair from his eyes. Behind him, the king and queen were watching him, concern showing in their eyes. Harry opened his mouth to reply, but no sound came out. His throat was simply too parched. He coughed twice and felt the bittersweet tang of blood in his mouth.
Ethryl reached somewhere beyond Harry's vision and retrieved a leaf filled to the brim with water. With his free hand, he supported Harry's head; with the other, he raised the leaf to Harry's lips. The water burned coldly in Harry's throat and brought more tears to Harry's eyes.
"Shhh," Ethryl said soothingly. "Sleep, Harry. You will feel better soon."
He brushed his hand across Harry's eyes, and Harry allowed himself to fall into a deep, dreamless sleep.
When Harry woke up the next time, he felt much better. There was no one in the room with him, and he sat up weakly.
"Hello?" Harry almost didn't recognise his voice. It was hoarse and raspy and much quieter than he had intended.
Nobody came. Harry looked around the room. By the look of things, he was in one of the elven houses, and there was a small table beside him with a magical leaf of water on it. Harry reached over and grasped the leaf in both hands. It shook terribly and some of the water sloshed out of it, but Harry managed to gulp down a few sips and then put the leaf back on to the table.
He sank down into his bed again exhaustedly, deciding to sleep a little more.
A few days later, Harry was finally strong enough to stay awake for longer periods of time. The elves gave him soup and other foods that were easy to digest; Harry was grateful. They also fed him strengthening potions and healed all of the cuts and bruises he had managed to collect on his nightly flight of terror.
"Ethryl," Harry asked quietly, as the elf healed the last of Harry's injuries- the scrape on his knee. "You know so much about magic and healing. Why was I so ill these past few days?"
Ethryl smiled and ruffled Harry's hair lovingly while sitting down on the bed beside him and putting an arm around his shoulders. Harry, however, was still not feeling too well and decided that he wanted to be comforted properly. Ethryl seemed to sense his need and allowed Harry to sit on his lap.
"Elves, Harry," he said quietly, after Harry had found a comfortable position, "Cannot get sick, just like they cannot die from old age. We know a lot about healing injuries and strengthening someone who is recuperating from an injury, but we know nothing about human illness. I'm sorry that we could not be of more help to you, Harry."
Harry smiled happily.
"You've been great, Ethryl. I feel much better already. When can I get up?"
Ethryl laughed softly. "Sorry, Unicorn Child, you'll have to be patient. You may feel better now, but you are far from healthy."
Harry sighed. As much as he loved Ethryl and the elves' gentle care, he missed Serenity and the other unicorns terribly.
Three days later, Harry was finally allowed to leave his sickbed. Ethryl carried him down the elven ladder himself, while Serenity was waiting at the foot of the stairs, prancing around impatiently.
As soon as he had reached the ground, Harry ran over to his unicorn mother and threw his arms around her neck. Serenity nuzzled his face and neck, snorting and whinnying excitedly.
I've missed you so much, Harry!
Harry smiled into her fur and hoisted himself on to her back with Ethryl's help. Serenity carried him safely to the Eternal Meadows and the rest of the day was spent in happy celebration.
Later that night, when things had quieted down and Harry lay snuggled up to Serenity's body, millions of stars shining in the clear night sky above them, Serenity asked the question Harry had been expecting to hear all day.
What happened to you, Harry? Why did you not return, and why were you so far away from home?
There was slight reproach in her voice, even though she clearly tried to stay objective. Harry stiffened anyway as though she had scolded him.
I'm sorry, Mummy, he whispered, I was just scared.
A soft muzzle nudged his cheek.
What were you scared of, Little One? What frightened you so?
Harry was silent for a long time, but Serenity waited patiently.
I went back to see it, he whispered, the castle. You know, the wizard school- Hogwarts. I was thinking about the humans who go there… and then one of them spotted me. Hagrid, the half-giant. He tried to call me back, and I was so scared… I just ran and ran and forgot to watch where I was going, and then I was lost…
Harry remembered the terror and clutched Serenity's mane more tightly. She nuzzled his cheek reassuringly.
Don't worry, Little One. You're safe now.
Harry nodded, still feeling unhappy.
What if they come after me, Mummy? What if they take me back? I don't want to be locked in again like with the Dursleys-
Nobody will ever lock you in again, Serenity snorted fiercely. I won't allow it!
Harry smiled a little and basked in the feeling of warmth and safety that surrounded him.
I don't even know why I went back, he said quietly. I should never have returned… I forgot the Dursleys for a moment… I'm so, so sorry, Mummy, I don't know why I went there. I knew it was dangerous…
Serenity was silent. Harry sat up and turned around.
Mum? Mummy? What's wrong?
Serenity was looking at him with a strange mixture of sadness, regret and pride in her eyes.
Harry, she said very gently. Little One… I am not angry that you went to see the humans.
Harry frowned in a puzzled way. You're not? Why not? I could have been caught! They could have captured me…!
Serenity seemed to sigh and looked deeply into Harry's eyes.
Harry, Love, she said quietly, I know that you don't want to hear this, but one day you will have to return to the humans.
Harry felt as though she had slapped him in the face. You're sending me away? Harry could feel tears in his eyes and tried desperately to hold them back. Nothing the Dursleys had said had ever hurt him like this.
No, Little One, Serenity hurried to assure him, nuzzling his face quickly. I will never send you away. Not ever, Harry. You will always have a place with me and the other unicorns and with Ethryl and the elves… you are one of us, Harry, and we all love you. But at the same time, you must see that you don't belong here. You belong with your kind, Harry… we will keep you here as long we can, but one day you will want to leave and our company won't be enough for you anymore, and then we will have to let you go.
Harry was silent. He felt desolate, mostly because he knew that his unicorn mother was right.
You are still so young now, Harry, Serenity continued, still nuzzling Harry's face gently. I know you feel happy with us now. But one day, you will feel the need to mate like Prince and Tayleen, and then you will have to leave.
Harry pulled a face and was just about to claim that he would most certainly never want to do something as disgusting as that, when Serenity whinnied in amusement and nuzzled him once more.
I know it must seem ridiculous to one as young as you, she said with a kind smile, But you will feel the need to leave one day, Harry, and it's always better to be prepared. Her voice turned stern. I want you to return to the castle when you feel up to it. I'm not asking you to join them… but please, watch them, get to know them from afar. Familiarise yourself with everything so that one day, when you are ready, you can contact them. Does that sound acceptable to you?
Harry mulled it over in his head for a while, and then he nodded hesitantly. Watch from afar he could. As long as he didn't have to talk to them.
Serenity gave the unicorn equivalent of a smile and nuzzled his cheek again.
Sleep now, Little One, she muttered softly. Remember, you will always have a place here with us. Sweet dreams.
She touched her horn to Harry's forehead and sent him into a deep sleep.
It took a few more days for Harry to get his full strength back. He spent these days quietly with his friends, trying not to think too much about what Serenity had said. Catheryna and Pegasus did their best to cheer him up, and so Harry found himself on endless rampages through the forest with them again soon.
Two weeks after his fateful encounter with Hagrid, Harry's curiosity finally got the better of him. He ventured out into the forest alone, his small bow, which had been returned to him by the elves, clutched securely in his hands. The leather of his new shirt felt strange against Harry's skin, stiff and unyielding.
Harry sighed as he remembered the comfortable softness of his old clothing. As he had been in dire need of new clothes, the elves had decided to give him a complete elven outfit- and while Harry was grateful, it also took time to get used to it.
Elven gear was heavily layered with all kinds of protective spells and potions, making it more secure than any suit of armour Harry could have worn.
At least the snow felt soft and familiar against Harry's feet, which were protected by elven magic against the cold. Harry was quite proud of himself for having managed to learn casting several elven spells. One of them he was using now: Even though it was winter and the ground was covered in a thick layer of snow, Harry's feet were bare and felt warm- because they were not sinking into the ground. Harry had made himself weightless and placed a protective bubble around his feet.
This also had the advantage that he was making no sound as he was walking and that he was leaving no footprints.
Harry could feel his breathing quicken as the trees started to thin around him. He was getting close and he knew it.
Side-stepping a thick tree trunk in his way, Harry stopped short. He could see the castle in the distance, its snow-covered roofs and turrets sparkling in the sunlight.
There was no sound in the air except for Harry's breathing. That was the first thing that should have tipped Harry off. There was a trail of footprints leading to a dense scrub on his right side- footprints that were not leading back. That was the second thing that should have tipped Harry off.
But Harry did not pay attention to his surroundings, standing entranced by the beauty of the landscape in front of him.
A strange, longing ache had settled in Harry's chest again and he could not understand it. He was happy in the forest. He loved Serenity and Ethryl, who were like parents to Harry, and he had many friends like Catheryna, Pegasus or Stardust. Why was that not enough? Why did he have the wish to join the humans inside the castle?
Humans had only ever brought Harry pain. With a shudder and a small whimper Harry remembered Dudley's taunting and his beatings, his uncle's screaming, his aunt's endless tirades about his worthlessness…
Harry made a strangled sound strangely reminiscent of a wounded puppy and turned around, intent on retreating to the safety of the Meadows as soon as possible… Until he ran headfirst into a black-clad figure that had snuck up behind him.
Harry fell back into the snow with a dull thud and stared up at the man dazedly.
"Well, well, well," the man said with a distinct sneer in his voice, "If it isn't the poltergeist of the Forbidden Forest."
The man, Harry noticed, while he looked frantically for an escape, had long, black and extremely greasy hair. His nose was hooked, his teeth yellowed and his skin strangely sallow. The thing that caught Harry's attention the most, though, was the man's eyes- they seemed to be completely black and glittered with coldness.
The man picked Harry up by his collar.
"Dumbledore will be very pleased about your capture, boy," he continued, tucking Harry beneath his arm like a sack of potatoes, "He has been looking for you for a while now."
Harry squirmed frantically in the man's tight hold. He tried to bite and scratch the arms holding him and kicked desperately with his legs. The man stumbled.
"Will- you- hold- still!" he hissed angrily, almost dropping Harry as the boy managed to sink his sharp little teeth into the man's arm. Harry had to let go quickly, though, as the arm was shaken roughly as though to detach a wild animal.
The arms tightened around Harry as the man cursed under his breath. Harry squirmed more desperately as his air supply got cut off. The man stopped exasperatedly and stuck his left hand into his pocket, obviously looking for something.
"I gave you a chance, boy, but since you refuse to comply, I'll have to resort to oth- ow! Stop that, you little monster!"
Harry had again managed to sink his teeth into the arm that was still clutching him tightly. The man shook his arm viciously, cursing Harry in a manner that reminded him uncomfortably of Uncle Vernon. As the man's hold loosened for one second, Harry took his chance and kicked violently at the back of his captor's knee.
The man gasped and released Harry accidentally as his leg buckled automatically.
Harry did not hesitate; while the man was still picking himself up from the snow, he was off like a shot into the direction of the forest. Thankfully, due to Harry's interference, the man had not managed to cover a lot of ground and Harry was already past the first trees as he felt the first spell whizzing past his ear.
He stumbled in panic, his mind filled with visions of ugly, green light and high-pitched, malicious cold laughter…
After ten minutes of running as fast as he could through thick underbrush, Harry collapsed between the roots of an old tree, trying frantically to calm the loud pounding of his heart and hold his breath to listen. He heard nothing, but Harry was no fool. He knew that it could be a trap, that the man could still be nearby waiting for Harry to show himself or make any sound.
The spells on his feet had held out, and Harry was at least sure that he had left no footprints in the deep snow. The man, on the other hand, must have been hindered in his progress by both that and the thick underbrush, which did not impede Harry much because of his small size.
A few minutes later, after Harry's heartbeat had at last returned to its normal rate, Harry decided to risk leaving his hideout to find the way home. Fortunately, this time, he had managed not to stray too far from the pathways and managed to identify his location.
It took almost an hour for Harry to reach the Eternal Meadows. As soon as he saw Serenity grazing peacefully a few hundred feet away from him, Harry broke into a run again and buried his face in her soft fur. He was shaking and crying, the shock of his near-capture having caught up with him only now.
Serenity was quite alarmed at the distress of her foal; it took her a long time to calm him down and coax him to speak. When Harry had finally been able to stop crying and shaking and was curled up securely against his unicorn mother, who had lain down in the grass behind him, he told her everything that had happened.
Serenity was outraged, shaking and snorting with fury, her horn glowing a ferocious angry red.
How dare they! thundered she, How dare they take my foal! They were supposed to let you adjust, let you come to them in your own time! Instead they try to capture you like- like- like one of the poor animals they imprison in cages to look at them for their own pleasure!
Harry, feeling a little intimidated, realised that Serenity was talking about a zoo.
That's it, Serenity neighed furiously, Harry, you're not returning to the castle. I forbid it. If they're not going to let you decide, they are not worth your time! From now on, you will not venture out into the forest on your own anymore, understand, Little One? You will not leave unless either Ethryl, myself, or at least two of your friends are with you.
Harry pouted. He loved his parents and his friends, but he enjoyed his own explorations the most.
But Mum, Harry protested, I promise I won't go to the castle again. Please let me explore the forest on my own. I'll be careful, I promise!
Serenity's eyes softened. She caressed Harry's cheek with her soft muzzle.
I'm sorry, Harry, she whinnied sadly, I'm only doing this because I worry about you. You are still so young, Little One, and even though I know that if you were a unicorn, you would already be fully grown, you are still a foal as far as humans go. Please accept this.
Harry frowned sulkily, realising that Serenity would not be deterred.
Fine, he said in such a sulky voice that Serenity had to hide a smile. Harry sounded so cute when he was sulking that nobody could stay serious, a fact which endeared him to everyone and which annoyed him to no end.
Go to sleep. Serenity said softly and nuzzled Harry again.
Harry sighed as he snuggled more securely into his unicorn mother's thick, glossy winter pelt.
He would worry more about this in the morning.
The doors to the Great Hall crashed open forcefully as Severus Snape stormed through them. The rest of the Hogwarts staff had assembled for dinner and were quite astonished to see the fuming Potions Master plop down in his seat.
"Severus," Dumbledore broke the shocked silence, "Has anything happened that caused you to leave your shift early-on? If I recall correctly, Minerva is not due to leave for another hour and a half."
At the headmaster's words, the Potions Master's rage seemed to intensify. Professor Sprout, in the seat directly next to his, scooted away wisely.
"Happened?" the young professor spat, "I'll tell you what happened! That little brat happened, that monster, that little menace…"
"Severus," Professor McGonagall interrupted a little sharply, "Would you care to enlighten us as to what you are talking about?"
Snape gritted his teeth. "I am talking," he forced out, "About that brat… about that… Potter!"
The name sounded like a terrible curse from his tongue and he sat back, feeling a little more satisfied than before. Remus Lupin, on the other hand, scooted forward in his chair anxiously.
"You've seen Harry?" he asked hopefully, "You've talked to him?"
Snape's fury rose again. "I would have talked to him, yes," he spat angrily, "If the little brat had been willing to listen! Tell me again, Albus, why are we wasting our time on that… Potter? He obviously doesn't want to be caught, and who cares if he lives in a bloody forest, he's obviously so well cared for in there that he refuses to condescend to our level like any normal living human being. Oh, no, Potter is above all- why should he need us? That stuck-up, little, vicious beast bit me once already, and if you ask me, he can just bite my-"
"Severus!" This time, it was Professor Flitwick who had interrupted his tirade.
"What?" Snape snarled.
"Perhaps," the small professor suggested calmly, "You wouldn't mind telling us the whole story?"
"An excellent idea!" Dumbledore beamed at his employees. "Lemon drop, anyone?"
"No, thank you, Albus," Severus huffed. He then proceeded to tell his story. "I was hiding in a dense patch of scrub when Potter approached. I didn't hear him at all, he moved soundlessly, as far as I could tell. His feet left no imprints in the snow even though the snow was fresh and loose. It was obviously some kind of magic, but I could not identify it."
He paused and took a sip of his pumpkin juice.
"I decided to make sure that Potter couldn't get away again at first, so I snuck up behind him. Potter didn't hear me; he was staring at the school, quite transfixed, apparently. I thought I had him when he suddenly turned around and ran straight into me.
"He fell back into the snow and stared at me for a second or two."
Severus frowned slightly.
"Potter does have green eyes, doesn't he, Lupin?"
Remus clutched the armrests of his chair more tightly. "Yes, he… does. Lily's eyes." His voice was hoarse.
"What happened then, Severus?" Professor Dumbledore asked intently.
"He started looking for a way to escape, I suppose, judging by the way he acted. I, er… picked him up and started to carry him towards Hogwarts…"
"You didn't try to talk to him?" Professor McGonagall frowned sternly. "Severus, couldn't you have tried to talk to him first before resorting to physical violence?"
Severus shifted uncomfortably. "He was trying to get away," he insisted with a scowl. "There was no talking to Potter. He was behaving like a caged animal!"
"Which he may very well have felt like," Dumbledore muttered pensively. He waved his left hand. "Continue, please, Severus."
"I started to carry him towards Hogwarts," Severus repeated, glaring at his plate, "But the little idiot would not keep still. He bit me twice, and when I tried to get to my wand in order to subdue him, he kicked the back of my knee and I accidentally dropped him."
Severus fumed silently as he noticed Professors Sinistra and Vector stifling laughter.
"By the time I got to my feet, that little monster was already vanishing in the forest. I sent a freezing spell after him, to no avail. I tried to follow him as well, but the brat left no footprints and was much more agile than I was in the underbrush. I lost him after a few minutes and returned here as quickly as possible."
Professors Sinistra and Vector giggled audibly.
"Really, Severus," Sinistra gasped, "Outwitted by a seven-year-old? The great Severus Snape, Duelling Champion of Slytherin for three successive years?"
"Shut up!" Severus snarled viciously, feeling a blush rising in his cheeks for the first time in years. "If you don't shut up right now, I'll make you!"
"Now, now Severus," Dumbledore interrupted with a stern glance at the two amused professors, "Calm down. Young Mr Potter simply took you by surprise, as he would have all of us, I am sure."
Another stern glance in the direction of Professors Sinistra and Vector shut the two of them up.
"Were you able to make any observations regarding the state of Harry's health, Severus?" Professor Sprout inquired curiously.
"From what I could see, he seemed fine," Severus ground out, still glaring darkly at the two unfortunate professors. "Rather small, I should think, and quite light, but not malnourished. He looked healthy otherwise… and he was surprisingly strong for somebody of his size and weight. I do not think that we need to worry about Potter's health… his teeth were definitely healthy."
He pulled up his sleeve and showed the professors the perfectly half-moon-shaped imprints Harry's sharp teeth had left on his skin.
"Oh, dear me," Professor Dumbledore observed with some amusement. "No wonder you dropped him, Severus. Those bites must have hurt. You say that he got you twice?"
Severus grudgingly pulled up the sleeve of his other arm, baring two identical imprints in the process.
This time, there was no stopping Professors Sinistra and Vector as they dissolved into hilarity.
Harry didn't go back to the castle. The danger, the risk of being caught and imprisoned again like he had been at the Dursleys' was simply too great. He tried to distract himself with other activities, playing with his friends and exploring the other side of the forest; yet his treacherous thoughts kept wandering back to the beautiful, snowy castle he had seen that Christmas Day.
Harry was happy with his life in the forest- he loved the unicorns and elves; especially Serenity and Ethryl, who were like parents to him, and they loved him back. Catheryna and Harry were hardly seen apart and were usually accompanied by at least two or three of their unicorn friends.
But as the days progressed and Harry grew older, it became more and more apparent to him that he did not really belong in this wonderful, magical and dangerous world. It started shortly after Harry had returned from his near-capture at Hogwarts. Sarthon, who had been holding himself back over the past few years, began his taunting again- the only difference was that now, as Harry was older and had lived in the forest for a long time, the jabs grew more personal and often hit Harry where it hurt the most.
Serenity spent countless nights comforting a crying Harry and reassuring him that he did belong in the forest with them; that he was not tolerated out of pity and that she had no intentions of ever dumping him, no matter how old he was.
Sarthon earned himself a stern talking to by his father, who had witnessed one of those sessions, and ceased his taunting immediately. Silion had threatened to disown him as his heir. Yet even as Sarthon was forced to hold his tongue, the malicious, gleeful glances he threw at Harry served as a constant reminder of his painful words.
It did not help that there was a growing rift between Harry and Catheryna magically. Catheryna, now ten years old, was starting to learn some of the more complicated aspects of elven magic, such as the shower of glittering dust that allowed the elves to climb their trees.
Harry, who had mastered simple elven magic effortlessly and progressed to a high level in wandless human magic, could not follow her anymore. The intricate elven magic required a certain percentage of elven blood to flow in the caster's veins; thus making it impossible for Harry to keep up with his best friend's lessons anymore.
Ethryl and the king and queen, very aware of Harry's frustration, had warned Catheryna not to say anything about her newfound talents- and she heeded their warning- but seeing her pride and happiness after successfully casting a new spell was enough for Harry. Ethryl and Harry grew closer as the elf frequently comforted Harry, but his likeness to humans only made Harry want to completely fit in even more.
Months went by without any change. The longing, which had started out as a small, indistinct notion, had progressed to a full-blown ache and Harry was starting to be truly unhappy.
His explorations became longer and longer, he evaded his friends' questions more and more successfully. Not even his Animagus form, the black unicorn, helped Harry fit in anymore- Harry was exceedingly aware of his unusual colouring that made him stand out even when his shape was similar to that of his mother and friends.
One day in May, after a long, lonely day spent in the forest flicking stones into a small pond and staring at his disgustingly human reflection, Harry returned to the Meadows and overheard Ethryl and Serenity talking.
You must let him go, Serenity, Ethryl was saying, he is wasting away before our eyes.
Harry crept closer and crouched down behind one of the thick bushes, listening with bated breath and a growing amount of fear. Were they talking about him? Were they making him go?
Serenity was prancing about unhappily and snorting in agitation.
I know, Ethryl, I know, she neighed, Do you think that I have not been watching my foal? I have seen him, even when he felt as though no one was there. The endless walks through the forest… sitting by himself all day long, staring at the trees or at his own reflection… cutting himself off from his friends… growing quieter by the day… She broke off, apparently too upset to continue talking.
He used to be so happy here, Ethryl, she lowered her beautiful head in defeat, he used to be so carefree. He loved his life here in the forest, but now? He's closing himself off and yearning for the company of those who have hurt him so terribly!
Ethryl stroked her soft muzzle once to calm her.
I know, he said softly, I have seen it, too. Harry has started to realise that the forest is simply no place for a human and that he belongs with his people, whether he likes it or not. They are his kind, his race. He must go back and his sadness is induced by that knowledge.
Harry felt a stab of pain in his heart. Ethryl wanted him to go back. Harry curled up miserably and continued to listen quietly.
He is so young! Serenity cried agitatedly. I had thought that maybe when he was older, reaching human maturity, he would want to return to the humans' company. But now? He is not even eight years old, Ethryl! He is still a small child where humans are concerned. Are we not giving him everything he needs? Food, clothing, shelter, love and care- what more could he want? Have I failed him?
Harry felt another stab of pain, this time for his mother. He wanted to run over to her and hug her, assuring her that his wish to leave was not her fault, but instinct made him stay still and he forced himself to listen to the rest of the conversation.
I do not believe that it is your fault, or mine, Serenity, Ethryl said quietly, Harry has merely come to realise what we have known and accepted all along- that he is different. It was bound to happen as he grew older. He cannot accompany Cathey in her lessons anymore, which makes him different from us elves. Cathey can climb the tree houses without help by now, while Harry still has to be carried everywhere. Nobody minds it, in fact, we elves enjoy Harry's company immensely, but he has started to avoid coming to our homes.
Harry's Animagus form is a unicorn, which made him ecstatic, as you know. But its colour is black, and while all of us are extremely proud of him and admire his fur every time we see it, Harry only sees another difference, this time to the unicorns. When was the last time you have seen Harry transformed, Serenity?
Serenity bowed her head and thought.
You are right... it has become a rarity. But Harry's friends…
Are growing up and leaving Harry behind, Ethryl interrupted her gently. Harry cannot accept that he is growing more slowly than his friends. He doesn't want to accept it. All he can see is that his friends are drifting apart from him once they reach a certain age, developing interests Harry cannot understand; they have even stopped playing games with him.
There was a short silence in which Serenity stood completely still.
What do you want me to do? she moaned finally, I cannot let Harry go back to those people. They hurt him; they tried to take his freedom. How can I let my foal go? I have already lost one foal, how can I lose another?
You are not losing him, Ethryl insisted firmly. Harry, even though he cannot see it now, does have his place in our world. Part of him will always belong here. He will always speak our language, know our customs and magic. In his heart, Harry is a wild spirit, our Unicorn Child. But his destiny is not with us, Serenity. He belongs with his kind. He can visit us and we will always, gladly, take him back. But he must give the humans a chance.
There was another brief silence in which Harry strained to hear something.
You want me to encourage him.
It was not a question; it was a statement. Ethryl nodded slowly.
He listens to you, Serenity. You are his mother, his mum. Harry must go. He is unhappy here.
There was another short silence, and then Serenity bowed her head once in consent. Ethryl ran his hand through her mane gratefully and left the Meadows without another word.
Over the next few says, Serenity started hinting more and more at Harry's return to the castle, and Harry decided to give the humans one more chance.
He was extremely careful this time, making sure to approach the castle in another place and to watch his back. What he saw fascinated him and Harry spent more and more of his time watching the amazing castle and its occupants.
Most of them, Harry noticed, seemed to be children of varying ages, though all of them looked older than Harry. They were all wearing identical black robes- Harry guessed that it was the school uniform.
Many of them seemed to like spending time outside; lying in the same place for hours and scribbling with strange-looking feathers on thick, yellow paper.
Others would sit in the shade of a tree with a book and read; some would lounge comfortably at the lake's shore or tease the Giant Squid Harry had discovered in there.
But the ones that fascinated Harry the most were the students carrying broomsticks through the outer part of the Forbidden Forest. At first, Harry had been confused as to why they would be sweeping the floor in a forest; but then he had decided to follow them and received one of the biggest surprises of his lifetime.
The brooms weren't used to sweep the floor- they were used to fly. Harry spent hours upon hours watching the students swerve around the oval-shaped pitch, avoiding the raised stands and the hoops placed on both ends.
There were three on each side.
At first, Harry had found the game they were playing awfully confusing. Some of the students were throwing a red ball around and passing it through the hoops; another- apparently some kind of goalie- was trying to intercept the ball. Then there were some students carrying clubs that seemed to have nothing better to do than hit a few black balls at the other players. Harry was horrified when one girl was hit and almost fell to the ground. Why was nobody stopping these people? Somebody could be seriously injured because of their stupidity! But no one even bothered to reprimand these students.
Harry wondered if they were a gang like Dudley and his friends had been during kindergarten; maybe everyone was simply too afraid of them to tell them to stop? That was bad. Harry didn't want to go to a school where there were bullies like Dudley.
And finally, there were some students who seemed to have nothing to do for most of the game. They just circled the pitch, flying higher than the other players or weaving in and out of them. At irregular intervals, these students would suddenly turn sharply and race through the air, flying in strange zigzagging motions. Whenever they stopped, half of the students cheered, while the other half looked disappointed. It took Harry a while to realise that these students were after a tiny, golden, winged ball that was much faster than the other balls.
Harry was fascinated by the sheer uselessness of the game; until one day, when he reached the pitch, he saw that the stands were filled with students screaming their heads off. Harry was worried at first about what had happened to frighten them so, but then he saw a flying student appear briefly above the heads of the crowd.
After that day, thanks to the commentator, Harry had managed to puzzle together the rules and principles of the game 'Quidditch'; and it became one of his favourite pastimes to watch the different teams at work.
Harry had soon figured out that there were four of them. One of the teams wore red and gold, one green and silver, one blue and bronze and one yellow and black. According to the commentator, the red team was called 'Gryffindor' and the blue team was 'Ravenclaw'. Harry had been unable to find out the names of the other two teams.
Harry's favourite player was one of the players of 'Gryffindor'- he was an older student with bright red hair who spent his games looking for the little golden ball called 'Snitch'. Harry thought that his position was called something akin to 'Searcher', but he could not remember the correct term.
The boy, 'Weasley', according to the commentator, was amazingly fast and agile in the air, he seemed to move about effortlessly and his dives were breathtaking. Harry decided that one day, when he was old enough, he would fly for 'Gryffindor' like 'Weasley'.
Sometimes, Harry found himself wanting to talk to 'Weasley', but he always shied away before he had gathered the necessary courage.
And then, of course, there were the Watchers. They were always there, scanning the edge of the Forbidden Forest with their eyes, hiding in scrubs or behind trees or sometimes even on trees and trying to be inconspicuous about it. Harry had to giggle at their attempts. Compared to the stealthy elves, these people were about as discreet as an angry rhinoceros in a library.
Over time, Harry came to know them all by looks. The ones he saw most often were the sneering, black-clad man who had almost caught Harry That Day; another man, who looked to be about the same age but much nicer and had lighter and shorter hair; an older woman with her hair tightly coiled in a bun; a very small man who was about Harry's size; a slightly plump, frizzy-haired woman who spent her 'shift' collecting plants and humming to herself; and finally an extremely tall, thin man with a long, white beard and long, white hair.
They didn't look too bad to Harry; in fact, with the exception of The-Man-Who-Had-Almost-Caught-Him, they looked quite nice.
One of them especially, the tired-looking young man with the light brown hair, fascinated Harry. He felt as though he had seen the man before, as though he could grasp the man's name if he only thought hard enough. At times, Harry thought that he had it, but the only thing he came up with were confusing flashes of memories and dreams. A black dog, a stag and red hair featured most prominently, as well as two pairs of eyes- one, bright green, looking exactly like Harry's; the other, a glowing amber colour.
These flashes caused Harry's head to ache abominably, and so he tried not to think about them too much.
He did, however, spend hours watching the man who was watching the forest- what was he waiting for, Harry wondered? Maybe he could go up to the man and ask? But Harry didn't dare do so. He was too afraid that the man would try to stop him like the other one had.
It was a hot summer's day and already quite late in the afternoon. Because of the terrible heat, Harry had spent most of his day in the comfortably cool elven houses with Ethryl- Cathey was off to another one of her lessons.
Harry approached the edge of the forest slowly and cautiously. Nobody was in sight.
Harry slipped soundlessly behind a particularly dense scrub and peered around. Strangely, he could not see any of the 'Watchers' that day. Harry shrugged to himself. Maybe they had found what they were looking for.
But another thing was different, and Harry wondered for a few moments what it was, before he realised… he could see no students on the grounds. This was very, very odd, considering how nice the weather was. Harry would have expected the majority of the student population to be outside in the shade below the weeping willow trees, but there was no one.
Maybe they were all at the Quidditch pitch? Harry cut through the forest quickly and came to a halt as soon as he could see the stands. They were empty and gleaming in the sunlight, the light reflexes blinding Harry. He shielded his face with his arm. Where could the students be? Why were they not enjoying the wonderful weather outside like Harry himself was?
Maybe the summer holidays had started? It was a possibility, Harry acknowledged. He was admittedly a little disappointed. There would be no humans to watch for the following few months.
As Harry slowly trudged back to the place where he always entered the forest, his small shoulders slumping a little and his bare, spell-protected feet kicking up dust and dry leaves from the ground, Harry forgot to be careful. He let down his guard. For just a few seconds, he was not watching his back.
Remus Lupin left the castle at a slow pace. It was an incredibly hot day, the first day of the summer holidays. Remus smiled happily to himself as he enjoyed the fresh air and blessed silence. He loved teaching very much; but there was never a moment of peace at Hogwarts during the school year, and Remus missed that.
He knew that he was late for his shift, but could not bring himself to care. For half a year now they had been watching the forest, and there had been no sign of Har- the boy. Remus snorted bitterly. Snape had probably scared the poor child away for good. And he couldn't even be sure that the boy had been Harry. He couldn't get his hopes up.
When he was within spelling range, Remus raised his gaze from the ground and scanned the trees lazily. As usual, there was nothing special. A few magical trees swaying in a non-existent breeze, a rabbit disappearing quickly into the forest, a bird fluttering about here and there, thousands of insects, a little boy trudging along the edge looking lost in his thoughts, a-
Remus's eyes widened. The boy was starting to move further into the forest. It was true. It was all true. The little boy of the Forbidden Forest was right in front of him.
"You- STOP!" Remus yelled and broke into a run. He pulled out his wand and pointed it at the boy.
Harry whirled around as he heard a shout behind him. The brown-haired, familiar man was hurtling towards him at top speed, brandishing what Harry knew to be a wand, like the one Voldemort had had.
Harry's eyes widened as he turned in panic and tried to disappear into the underbrush, but it was just too dense for him to move quickly. Before Harry could do anything else, he heard another shout and something hot hit him in the back.
Then everything went dark.
A/N: Please review!
Until next time,
Felinity