Author's Notes:
Some of you guys' guesses are very much correct! Although, I won't say what, because that'll just ruin my fun...! -evil grin- To be quite honest with you, I have no idea how long this story will be. Like I've said before, I've got a (very) few definite events that I want to happen, and everything else in-between are just... not thought out yet!
I know the previous 3 chapters weren't written too well, but I was impatient in wanting to get to the past, so it might seem that some things just haven't been described enough... maybe when I finish the story, I'll go back and re-do the first 3 chapters or something. Ah, who knows.
A hint to you, re-read the prophecy. It tells you more than you think! wink I'll include it just before the story. But just to clear up a few things, yes, Darron and Harry is the same person, which is why I'm not sure how "disclaimer-wise", things will work out.
NOW EDITED!
Disclaimer:
As usual, I own nothing, except maybe the name "Darron" and the changes I make to him. Of course, the plot bunny is still mine, he - she? - is currently munching happily away on grass in the backyard. -grin-
"The Saviour of the World is not who he seems. Born of the present yet lived of the past, he will return to guide his own self. Neither Light nor Dark, he is his own counsel. Upon his return, he must choose, and it is from these choices that his and his enemy's fate will be decided."
Time Warp
It was extremely distorting. One second, he was standing in the Great Hall, interrupted just when he started eating, and the next, he found himself in limbo. There was no other way to describe it, darkness stretching out in every direction. It wasn't forboding nor depressing nor anything; it was void of any emotions or things, whether physical or otherwise. It was the oddest place that Harry had ever been in.
Suddenly, the marble object in his hand flashed and warmed, pulsating lightly. Startled, Harry opened his hand and the tiny ball floated away. He only noticed then that he was floating in this void-like environmet as well. Did he get banished or something? On that line of thought, he suddenly started worrying about the potion Snape had be working on last month and Malfoy's Detonball. None of the books had been too clear as to where things disappear to when one casts a Banishing Spell. A voice sounded from the marble, ending his train of thoughts.
"So, the prophecy finally ends for me, and begins for you," the marble flashed in synchronation with the words. From the few sentences that Harry had heard, he was sure that it was Darron's voice.
"The Saviour of the World is not who he seems. Born of the present yet lived of the past, he will return to guide his own self. Neither Light nor Dark, he is his own counsel. Upon his return, he must choose, and it is from these choices that his and his enemy's fate will be decided." Darron - was it really him in the future, Harry wondered - restated the prophecy. After all, returning to guide his own self, it made perfect sense
"You know my name is Darron, but nothing else." A quiet chuckle followed. "I remember this all too well, but I better not tell you too much. After all, it's much more fun to do things on your own, rather than follow someone else's orders.
"Now, the rest of your background, you can make up. As far as I'm concerned, you can call yourself Darron Malfoy," soft laughter again, "or even Evans or Black or Lupin! Mind you, I don't recommend it, best to choose something that nobody has heard of. When you finally get out of this limbo, you'll be arriving on July 31 of your parents' sixth year. A/N: Not too sure how years are working, since even though each of the Harry Potter books is of one school year, they haven't been coming out every year, and I prefer to leave it in general rather than specify years for things.
"Technically, because it was Oct 31 when you left, that'd move your birthday back to April 31 instead... but April doesn't have 31 days. It's up to you if you want to change your birthday completely, it's just a date anyway.
"Er - I don't know what else to tell you. Just relax, have fun, there's no one out to get you here, you can finally relax now. Go ahead and be an idiot, date as many people as you want, since there's no Rita Skeeter here either, thank Merlin! You are just another student attending Hogwarts, under very strange circumstances, mind you.
"Ah, yes, one last thing - get ready! I'm really sorry, but it's gonna hurt!"
With that, the marble give a giant bright flash, overwhelming the darkness of the void. Harry felt himself falling at a fast rate. Before he had a chance to act, the ground slammed into his face, knocking the breath out of him. He laid there, wheezing for a while, unable to hear anything else over the ringing in his ears from the impact. Finally, the pain subsided enough that he could turn over on to his back and he did.
The first - and only - thing he saw was a mass of black furry legs with sharp claws on the end. Horrified, he could only stare as the whole thing reared up. Time seemed to slow down as he watched one of the claws descend towards his face. The last thing he remembered was the claw cutting down the right side of his head as everything exploded in a flash of red and black, and intense pain.
The sound of hoofs drew closer, drowning out the screams of the creature Harry had disturbed in his fall. A young centaur galloped in through the trees - a centaur-child, really; he had white-blond hair and a palomino body. Taking a quick look at the scene in front of him, his pale sapphire-like eyes widened in fright. Without another thought, he leaped towards the body of the man lying face down on the ground. Deftly avoiding the creature's many legs, which were busy tearing apart the stranger's robes, he managed to grab the human under his arms and dragged him out of danger.
Once it was clear that the creature wasn't going to chase after them, the centaur set the body down for a better look. Gasping at the amound of blood coming from the person's face, he looked around and ripped out various herbs from the forest floor. Grinding it into a paste in his hand, he smeared it all over the stranger's face and cast the strongest healing spell he knew. He then threw the human around his back and secured the body by tying it down with vines before galloping at top speed out of the Forbidden Forest. Bursting out of the trees, he headed for a small wooden house just off to the side.
"Hagrid! Hagrid!" the young centaur cried out in alarm, "Help!"
The door to the hut flew open, and a black boarhound, Fang, flew out. Hagrid bursted out of the house and began running towards the centaur, a large crossbow and arrows hung across his shoulders.
"Whassa matter?"
"Human... hurt..." panted the centaur, skidding to a halt as they drew close.
"Who-?" Hagrid frowned in puzzlement before realizing that the young man tied on the centaur's back was bleeding in torrents everywhere. "Let's get ter the castle, Firenze! Hurry, we've no time ter lose!"
Firenze was about to start when Hagrid added in a worried tone, "Yeh won't be missed, will yeh? I'd hate ter..."
"No, I'll be fine, Hagrid, they'll probably think I've wandered of and got myself tangled in some Death Trap Vine or other," Firenze gave a small, fleeting smile before rushing off towards the castle. Hagrid lumbered behind.
By the time all three - Hagrid, Firenze, and the unconcious Harry - reached the castle, the doors were already open and a small group of teachers stood just inside, concerned. Upon seeing all the blood on Firenze's back, everyone quickly ran to the hospital wing, hoping it wasn't too late for the young man.
"Hurry!" Madam Pomfrey called out, waving her wand at the bed closest to the doors.
The resident mediwitch grabbed a pair of scissors and hastily cut off the vines holding the young man to Firenze's back. Levitating him to the bed, she nodded in approval at Firenze's hurried nursing and added her own spells to the wound. Shooing everyone out of the way, she drew the curtains shut and undressed Harry and changing him into a hospital gown. Casting a Cleansing Spell, she saw that the injury consisted of just one single but long and deep wound from the hairline down to the jawline, running through his right eye. She could only pray for the best.
Doing a quick check-up spell, she gasped at her findings. This young man, no older than 16, had had Unforgivables cast on him, not to mention numerous other less harmful but still dangerous jinxes, hexes, and curses! Just who is this unbelievable young man? Madam Pomfrey could only guess.
The instant she stepped out, she was surrounded by the rest of the staff. Nodding at Firenze, she told him that the patient is now in a stable condition before casting a Cleansing Spell to get rid of the blood and sent him off before he was missed from his herd. After the young centaur had left, she reported her findings to the crowd. Everyone was shocked. While waiting for Madam Pomfrey to do her work, they had got the story from Firenze, of how the creature, a Mumbliar, suddenly screamed and when he went to investigate, had found the human.
Mumbliars, furry black creatures with no distinctive features other than their many legs, were easily frightened and attack viciously in that state. Also, their claws had fast acting, deadly poisons which could kill a victim in a matter of seconds. Because of this, they resided deep in the middle of the Forbidden Forest, where they would cause least harm as possible. How had this young man appear so suddenly in the middle of the dangerous forest, and why had he been subjected to the amount of spells he had, and Unforgivables, too!?
Unable to do anything else but to wait and let the poison run its course while hoping for the best, the professors left one by one, after taking a brief glance at the man in bed. At this stage, it was too early to tell just how much damage the poison would do.
End Notes:
I should just stop writing notes at the start... lol. Anyway, some of the descriptions of Firenze, I took directly from book 1. I don't have the 2 companion books on hand (I really do wish I have Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them is that the title? for a reference, but I guess I'll be ok...). I don't know any thing about centaurs, according to HP world, and I just made up that funky monster/creature and the "Death Trap Vines".
Once again, please read & review! And a major thanks to everyone who had reviewed so far! They encourage me to write more! Luv ya guys! -wink-