Harry Potter and the Green Flame Torch:
Chapter 1- Connections in the Dark
Harry Potter sat on his bed, his face stained with tears that no one knew about. He had been sitting here most of the summer. And one day, three days before his sixteenth birthday, a time of happiness for most, a time to come together with family and friends, a drastic realization hit him.
'I am alone' He thought. 'Totally alone.' Hedwig, his bird, was no comfort now. Not since the loss of his Godfather, Sirius Black. He found no comfort in the letters from his friends. These simply frustrated him more. They were away, living in a world of protection. They had parents to keep them away from the world that was crumbling around him. Harry had no one. Not anymore.
Remus Lupin hadn't contacted him in weeks. It wouldn't have mattered if he had. He could say nothing. No matter how much he thought he shared Harry's grief, he didn't. Not totally, at least. He had people. Harry was alone.
Harry's Aunt and Uncle, who were usually quite horrible to him, had taken the stance that he didn't exist. Harry pretended to be happy with this, but he desperately wanted attention of some sort, any sort. He didn't want to feel alone.
But that didn't change. He doubted it would. The world looked bleak to him. The muggle and wizarding worlds. Lord Voldemort would slowly take both over. There was no hope. Not that Harry could see, anyway.
Harry sighed and lied back on the bed, a stiff mattress atop a squeaky frame. He closed his eyes and silently prayed that tonight he would sleep. But he knew no one would answer him.
He was walking. It was a desert, he thought, as the air was hot and dry, and the ground sank beneath him. He was staring at the ground, but even if he wasn't he couldn't of seen anything, it was to dark. He wasn't worried about being attacked, he didn't know why, he simply wasn't. It was a good feeling.
He continued walking. The dessert around him didn't change. It was vast, infinite, peaceful. Harry liked it here. It was dark, but that didn't bother him anymore.
He had been here before, once. He had seen a green fire burning off in the distance. He woke up before reaching it. He hoped to find it again tonight. He didn't know why, but he needed to find it. He had to know what it was. It would fix things. He knew it would.
He looked up, searching for the green light. He saw it, off to the west. He walked that way. He didn't run, it wouldn't be peaceful then. He continued to walk, and the ground changed beneath him. It began to feel as if Harry was walking uphill.
Harry got to the top of the hill and looked down. Off in the distance he saw the green light. Closer though, down at the base of the hill was a tree. It seemed to glow in its own soft light. He walked to it.
It was a large tree. It could have been an oak, Harry didn't know. The branches were thick and strong. From one of the lower ones a rope hung, tied in a noose. Harry walked around the noose, considering the unthinkable.
"Now's not your time boy." A voice said from beside him. Harry turned and saw a man who hadn't been there before. At least Harry had not seen him there. "It's not your time." He said again.
The man was old, very old. His face was filled with lines and wrinkles. He had only one eye, the other socket was bare. He sat on a rock, and held a walking stick. A raven sat on each shoulder. All three stared at Harry.
"Who are you?" Harry asked, leaning up against the tree. He crossed his arms. He was confused, but not afraid.
The old man laughed, it was more of a coff than a laugh really. "I have many names, Harry Potter." He said. "You wouldn't know them if I told you, so it is not important."
Harry felt a strange feeling in the pit of his stomach. He had felt it before, he thought, but couldn't remember when. Maybe he hadn't, he couldn't tell here.
"Are you evil?" Harry asked, tentively. He didn't want to anger the old man. Angering strangers was not a good idea. Harry had learned this.
The old man laughed again. The two ravens at his side didn't bristle. He looked at the ground momentarily, as if considering his next answer. If Harry had been thinking clearly, or if he had been somewhere else, this may have seemed peculiar. Here it didn't, or couldn't.
"No Harry, I am not evil. Or evil in the way you understand it. That may not assure you, but I will tell I shall not harm you. Not here, not now. That doesn't sound to good either eh?" He laughed again.
Harry now looked back to the fire. The green flame burning in the distance. He didn't know how long he was staring there, but when he turned around the man was looking at him still, as if studying him.
"What is it?" Harry asked, looking again to the flame off in the distance. It hadn't gotten any closer. Harry hadn't noticed.
"That." The old man said. "That Harry Potter is your destiny. Your fate, if you will." He chuckled. "That is your future." Harry stared at it for a long time. When he turned back around he looked at the man, as if expecting some advice.
"What?" The man asked. "That's all I have for you kid. I ain't no damn fortune teller. I say what I'm supposed to say. Not what's gonna happen. I tell ya what ya have to do." And with that Harry woke up.
Harry sat up in his bed and looked around. It was three in the morning. He saw Hedwig at his window, a letter tied to her. He went over and untied it, and siting at his desk he read it.
Harry,
We need to talk. I will pick you up at noon tomorrow. You will be returning to the Dursley's later that night. See you later.
Sincerely,
Albus Dumbledore
Harry went back and tried futilely to sleep. It was going to be a long day...
Harry Potter sat on his bed, his face stained with tears that no one knew about. He had been sitting here most of the summer. And one day, three days before his sixteenth birthday, a time of happiness for most, a time to come together with family and friends, a drastic realization hit him.
'I am alone' He thought. 'Totally alone.' Hedwig, his bird, was no comfort now. Not since the loss of his Godfather, Sirius Black. He found no comfort in the letters from his friends. These simply frustrated him more. They were away, living in a world of protection. They had parents to keep them away from the world that was crumbling around him. Harry had no one. Not anymore.
Remus Lupin hadn't contacted him in weeks. It wouldn't have mattered if he had. He could say nothing. No matter how much he thought he shared Harry's grief, he didn't. Not totally, at least. He had people. Harry was alone.
Harry's Aunt and Uncle, who were usually quite horrible to him, had taken the stance that he didn't exist. Harry pretended to be happy with this, but he desperately wanted attention of some sort, any sort. He didn't want to feel alone.
But that didn't change. He doubted it would. The world looked bleak to him. The muggle and wizarding worlds. Lord Voldemort would slowly take both over. There was no hope. Not that Harry could see, anyway.
Harry sighed and lied back on the bed, a stiff mattress atop a squeaky frame. He closed his eyes and silently prayed that tonight he would sleep. But he knew no one would answer him.
He was walking. It was a desert, he thought, as the air was hot and dry, and the ground sank beneath him. He was staring at the ground, but even if he wasn't he couldn't of seen anything, it was to dark. He wasn't worried about being attacked, he didn't know why, he simply wasn't. It was a good feeling.
He continued walking. The dessert around him didn't change. It was vast, infinite, peaceful. Harry liked it here. It was dark, but that didn't bother him anymore.
He had been here before, once. He had seen a green fire burning off in the distance. He woke up before reaching it. He hoped to find it again tonight. He didn't know why, but he needed to find it. He had to know what it was. It would fix things. He knew it would.
He looked up, searching for the green light. He saw it, off to the west. He walked that way. He didn't run, it wouldn't be peaceful then. He continued to walk, and the ground changed beneath him. It began to feel as if Harry was walking uphill.
Harry got to the top of the hill and looked down. Off in the distance he saw the green light. Closer though, down at the base of the hill was a tree. It seemed to glow in its own soft light. He walked to it.
It was a large tree. It could have been an oak, Harry didn't know. The branches were thick and strong. From one of the lower ones a rope hung, tied in a noose. Harry walked around the noose, considering the unthinkable.
"Now's not your time boy." A voice said from beside him. Harry turned and saw a man who hadn't been there before. At least Harry had not seen him there. "It's not your time." He said again.
The man was old, very old. His face was filled with lines and wrinkles. He had only one eye, the other socket was bare. He sat on a rock, and held a walking stick. A raven sat on each shoulder. All three stared at Harry.
"Who are you?" Harry asked, leaning up against the tree. He crossed his arms. He was confused, but not afraid.
The old man laughed, it was more of a coff than a laugh really. "I have many names, Harry Potter." He said. "You wouldn't know them if I told you, so it is not important."
Harry felt a strange feeling in the pit of his stomach. He had felt it before, he thought, but couldn't remember when. Maybe he hadn't, he couldn't tell here.
"Are you evil?" Harry asked, tentively. He didn't want to anger the old man. Angering strangers was not a good idea. Harry had learned this.
The old man laughed again. The two ravens at his side didn't bristle. He looked at the ground momentarily, as if considering his next answer. If Harry had been thinking clearly, or if he had been somewhere else, this may have seemed peculiar. Here it didn't, or couldn't.
"No Harry, I am not evil. Or evil in the way you understand it. That may not assure you, but I will tell I shall not harm you. Not here, not now. That doesn't sound to good either eh?" He laughed again.
Harry now looked back to the fire. The green flame burning in the distance. He didn't know how long he was staring there, but when he turned around the man was looking at him still, as if studying him.
"What is it?" Harry asked, looking again to the flame off in the distance. It hadn't gotten any closer. Harry hadn't noticed.
"That." The old man said. "That Harry Potter is your destiny. Your fate, if you will." He chuckled. "That is your future." Harry stared at it for a long time. When he turned back around he looked at the man, as if expecting some advice.
"What?" The man asked. "That's all I have for you kid. I ain't no damn fortune teller. I say what I'm supposed to say. Not what's gonna happen. I tell ya what ya have to do." And with that Harry woke up.
Harry sat up in his bed and looked around. It was three in the morning. He saw Hedwig at his window, a letter tied to her. He went over and untied it, and siting at his desk he read it.
Harry,
We need to talk. I will pick you up at noon tomorrow. You will be returning to the Dursley's later that night. See you later.
Sincerely,
Albus Dumbledore
Harry went back and tried futilely to sleep. It was going to be a long day...