Author's Note: Well, I got some pretty good reviews, and hope you all have enjoyed the story so far. This chapter was tough to write, because I have no idea what Avalon is like. I guess I'll just make it like Fincayra. Well, I'd like to thank some of the reviewers.
To Shion20: Merlin and Harry will meet. I sent him to Avalon, but decided to make it like Fincayra. Actually, I had the idea that Fincayra hasn't split off yet, and is just called Avalon.
Oh, I almost forgot! I made a mistake in the last chapter. Merlin's Staff is made out of hemlock wood, not beech. Also, I got a pretty mean review, and I really hate flames. I understand constructive criticism, but there's no need to be nasty. If you don't like my story, don't read it. It's as simple as that. Sorry again for taking so long to update. I've been trying to set up my new lab top.
Wind and light, along a swirl of other sounds, were rushing around Harry Potter and his animal friends. All around him, Harry could see flashes of things that looked like places and people. He saw a few wars, and many different events. After about a minute of this, he appeared in some water. A mouthful told him it was the ocean by its saltiness.
He looked around at his friends. Silver had already created a platform of ice, and was resting on it. Hohn and Godric had taken to the air, but Mira was not so lucky. It was a known fact that most dragons couldn't swim. (Godric was loving this, by the way.) She had tried to fly, but couldn't gain the momentum. Thinking fast, Harry imitated Silver and produced an ice platform, one strong enough to hold a dragon. Looking around, Harry wondered where Sacri was. Hearing a hiss, he looked down. Sacri had shrunken, and was coiled around Harry's arm. Sacri uncurled, and slithered/swam to Silver's ice. He slithered up and curled around Silver, who seemed to appreciate the extra warmth.
Harry was soaked himself, and decided to swim a bit. Changing into a sea otter, he frolicked about. (Author's Note: Funny image. Sea otter with spiky black hair and glasses. Lol.) When he was tired, he changed back into a human. Instead of conjuring an ice block, he conjured a raft of pine trees. It had a pleasant smell about it, and reminded him of the Marauder's Manor.
Drifting along, Harry scanned the horizon. On the distance, he could see a vague shape, but it was shrouded in mist. He decided they weren't going fast enough, so he conjured a motor. Attaching this to the back of his raft, he prepared to gun it. He paused, realizing his friends would be left behind if he did that. He quickly conjured a strong rope, and tossed an end to each of the two rafts. They secured it, and Harry secured the middle of the rope along the front of his triangular raft.
He gunned the motor, and off they went. They made pretty good time, too. Around noon, the mists had cleared somewhat, and they were hungry. Harry conjured them some food, but it left something to be desired. He would have to work on that. They ate in relative quiet, with the exception of Godric and Mira. When Silver had finished eating, he began to play with his ice power, forming different shapes in the water. Sacri was in a trance, and Hohn was whistling. Godric and Mira were arguing again, and Harry decided not to get involved.
Sacri suddenly came out of his trance, and hissed. A spirit approaches. Harry looked around. All he could see was the wind, but it was behaving strangely. It also had a magical aura, which was unusual for most winds. It swirled around him softly, and he felt warmer. A voice, sounding very much like the wind through the trees spoke, saying, "You are a stranger, young one. You have a great destiny about you, yet much is hidden. Mysterious. I am Arya, a sister of the wind. I come and go, never staying in one place for too long, for all winds must travel. What is your name, young one?"
Harry looked up at where the wind seemed the strongest, and could have sworn he saw a face. He cleared his throat, and answered. "My name is Harry Potter. Tell me, do you know where I am?"
The wind spoke again. "Yes, you are about one hundred miles off the coast of Brititanica. I would like to speak more with you, but the wind must fly. Until we meet again, Harry Potter." She drifted away, and Harry was left to think about her.
Looking up, Harry saw that the island was distinctively closer. He could make out a few shapes, including a line of trees, a river, and some dunes. The motor was still going, creating a background of soft noise. Eventually it became distracting, and Harry put a Silencing Charm on it. He watched the horizon, keeping check of how close the island was.
The island was close now, so very close. Harry grew impatient, and summoned a strong wind. He vanished the motor, and prepared to land ashore. The sand, he could see, was a fine grain. There were many shells, and he could see various colors like pink, purple, and white.
He looked around, and saw a few vines creeping along the shore. He climbed with his friends to the top of a tall dune, and gasped at the sight. There was a dense forest, where birds flew about the tops of the towering trees. On the horizon were the misty shapes of hills, and the forest turned from green to blue. Little streams came out of the forest, merging into one great river that cascaded toward the ocean.
Harry began to descend the dune with his friends, and before he had reached the bottom, was running, laughing with the animals. He reached the forest, and began to explore. It was very beautiful, and a fragrant smell hung on the air. He breathed it in, and savored it. Using his staff as a walking stick, Harry explored. He heard the sound of running water, and decided to get a drink. The animals looked like they were thirsty.
He followed the sound, and soon found the stream. The clearing was mossy, and rocks were along the stream. Harry bent down and tasted the water. It was very cold, and Harry splashed some on Mira. Mira turned sharply. Who did that? Harry struggled to keep a straight face, and said, "It was Godric." Godric opened his beak to protest, but was engulfed in a wave from Mira. Harry laughed, and looked at the sky. Night was approaching, but they still had another two hours of daylight left.
"Hey, guys! How 'bout we make camp here?" They all agreed, and Harry left to try to find some fruit or vegetation. He was walking along, taking in everything like a sponge. Harry had the most peculiar sensation. He felt as if someone was watching him, but could neither see nor sense anyone. As he walked, a rustling seemed to follow him. Due to the thick trees, there was not much light. The forest was very dim, and Harry decided to climb a tree in order to see where he was and where he wanted to go. He climbed up the trunk of a tall pine, and looked around.
A sudden movement to his left distracted him. What looked like a pile of leaves was hoping from branch to branch, and landed on the ground. It laughed, and a bell-like sound filled his ears. Suddenly, a leafy branch came out of it. It wasn't a branch at all. It was an arm, an arm wearing a garb of what looked like vines and leaves. Harry leaned forward to watch the girl, for it was obviously that. All of a sudden, the branch he was leaning on gave way, and he plummeted downward. He landed with a thud, and looked up.
He was looking into the eyes of the girl. They were a mix of blue and gray, and were alive with emotions. Using his empathy powers, Harry sensed a variety of emotions: Anger, surprise, curiosity, and suspicion. She muttered a whispering command in a strange, rustling language. The tall trees behind him reached forward with their branches, trying to hold him. He did a handspring to the left, drawing Excalibur as he went.
He stood, raising the blade in front of him in a ready stance. The girl surveyed him warily, and tried again to contain him with the trees. He jumped aside again, and held his staff with his left hand at a diagonal angle. He held Excalibur in his right, and brandished it.
He suddenly flung the sword at her, and she ducked. She glared at him, and began to rush forward to fight. Before she reached him, Harry put up his hand, and pointed to where the sword had landed. She turned, and gasped.
There, among a few ferns, laid the body of a giant rat. Its teeth were sharp as dagger points, and it must have been at least four feet tall. Excalibur was embedded in it, and blood poured out of the wound. The girl turned to look at Harry, and regarded him with a confused gaze. She spoke, and her voice carried through the clearing.
"Who are you? Why have you come here?" Harry cleared his throat, and spoke, choosing his words carefully. "My name is Harry, and I did not mean to come here. I just appeared in the ocean, and used a raft to get here. Who are you?"
She relaxed a little, but still regarded him with suspicion. "My name is Rhia." All of a sudden, a tree seized Harry. Harry hadn't been expecting an attack, and was caught unaware in the tree's grasp.
"Well, you have broken the law of the Druma, at any rate. Outsiders are not allowed in here. Tell me, how do you plan on getting out of this one?" She smirked at him as he struggled against the oppressive tree, but to no avail.
"Let me go!" Rhia walked up to him. "My, my, aren't you the commanding one! And what nice manners you have! I day or two here shall curve your tongue." She turned to leave. Harry considered using his powers, but a voice inside his head told him not to.
A very strange ting had happened while Rhia had been speaking. The Galator had glowed green against his chest, and he could feel its magical energy adding onto his own. This gave him an idea. "Please, in the name of… the Galator."
She turned sharply, and surprise was visible on her face. "How do you know that word? What do you know of the Galator?" Harry paced himself, careful not to reveal anything. "I don't know much. I don't know how it works, or what it does."
She sighed. "I expected as much. Tell me, how did you learn of the Galator?" There it was. Now Harry was in trouble. How would he get out of this one? "I read about it in a book." She scanned him for a moment, trying to decide if he was telling the truth or not, but decided he was. The branches suddenly released him, and he fell onto his knees.
"Very well. I believe you, uh, Harry." As she walked forward to help him up, she looked him over. His hair was black as soot. As he looked up, she gazed at his eyes, taken aback by their startling emerald color. Her mind raced back to when Dagda had told her the prophecy.
"Uh, is something wrong?" She was shaken out of her trance by Harry's voice. She just shook her head, but Harry glanced at her a bit concerned. He walked over to Excalibur, wiping it on the ferns. Once it was clean, he sheathed it.
He turned to Rhia, and flashed her a smile. "So, want to meet my friends?" Rhia suddenly looked suspicious again. "There are others? Other outsiders?" Harry smiled faded a bit at this, but he brought it back up. "Well, I guess they're outsiders, but I really think you would like them if you gave them a chance." She looked nervous, but nodded her head. Harry's smile widened, and he gave a shrill whistle.
As soon as the sound left his lips, they could hear his friends approaching. Wind suddenly swept their hair back as Mira's powerful wings beat the air, pushing gusts of it down. Silver, due to his unnatural speed, was already there. Godric was flying alongside Mira, and Hohn was flying through the trees, rather than above them. A small hole appeared in the ground, and Sacri slithered out, his beady eyes taking in everything.
Harry smirked at Rhia's stunned look, stroked Hohn as he trilled a question. Who is your friend, Harry? The other animals voiced their curiosity as well, and Harry introduced them. "Godric, Mira (Ha! He said my name first, dragon! Guess we know who's more important!), Silver, Sacri, Hohn; this is Rhia. Rhia, this is… well, you get the point. These are my friends."
Rhia surveyed them, taking in their noticeable features, including wings. "What exactly are they? I mean, I know Mira is a dragon, and Sacri's a snake, but what are the others?" Harry smiled again and explained. "Well, Silver here is a tiger. Godric, the one with the eagle's head, is a griffin, and Hohn, the bird, is a phoenix."
Rhia took all this in and said, "Well, it's nice to meet you guys. Where are you staying?" Harry pointed towards where the river was, and said, "Our camp is just over that hill, by the river." Rhia began to walk. "Want to see where I live?" Harry shrugged. "Sure."
And off they went, following a path through the trees. Rhia seemed to know where she was going, and Harry struck up a conversation. "So, how long have you lived here?" Rhia answered immediately. "All my life. It used to have a different name though." "What was that name?" Rhia paused, and then said, "Fincayra."
Harry gasped. "Fincayra? Are you serious? I read about that place once. How on earth did I get here?" Rhia shrugged, and they continued to walk. The sun was beginning to set, and Harry turned to Rhia. "Want to watch the sunset?" Rhia looked around. "How? We're surrounded by trees."
For an answer, Harry began to climb. Rhia caught on, and she too began to climb the tree. They made it to the top, and rested in the large branches, surveying the blend of colors. Rhia seemed lost in thought, and Harry posed a question. "What are you thinking about?"
Rhia took a moment before answering. "Nothing in particular, just thinking. Sunsets always calm my nerves." Harry raised an eyebrow. "You lied. You are thinking about a certain thing. If you don't want to tell me, just say so." Rhia looked at him sharply. "How did you know I was lying?" Harry just smiled a mysterious smile.
By now, the stars had come out, and Harry looked at the stars, recognizing different ones and constellations. But something was not right. Surveying the sky, he saw a star that was in the wrong place. He pulled out his pocket telescope, and zoomed in on the star, muttering under his breath. Rhia noticed this and asked, "What is it? Why are you muttering?"
Harry didn't seem to hear her. He was saying things like, "It can't be." Or "It's not possible." Rhia finally got fed up, and poked, or rather jabbed his side. He looked at her. She decided to change the subject. "So, where did you say you were from?" Harry glanced up at the sky one more time before answering, and when he did, he could hardly believe his own words. "Not where. When."
Rhia tilted here head. "That is an unusual answer. What do you mean, when?" For an answer, Harry pointed up at the sky. You see the star I'm pointing at, the bright red one? It's called Helion. The thing is, that star was destroyed over seven hundred years ago. I know it sounds ridiculous, but I've somehow traveled through time!"
Rhia surveyed Harry, and could tell he wasn't joking. Again, her mind fixed on Dagda's prophecy. "So, you're from the future?" Harry just nodded, barely believing it himself. "I think we'd better talk to my brother. He's a wizard, he might no what's going on." Harry brightened. "Really? He's a wizard? So am I! I would love to meet him!"
Rhia grinned at Harry's enthusiasm. "Well, he's coming to visit tomorrow. In the meantime, how 'bout we go back to where I live?" Harry nodded, and they began to walk again. On the way, Harry filled her in on his friends. "Well, they're all very brave. Silver and Sacri were actually created by my government. Silver's extremely fast, and can control ice. Sacri, on the other hand, is much more deadly. If he wishes, his look can kill. Also, his venom is lethal, but fortunately, he can reverse the effect. When reversed, it will cure any injury caused by a poison of some sort. It will work on other injuries too, but not as well as Hohn's tears. You see, phoenix tears are powerful healing substances. One drop can cure just about anything, including basilisk venom. That's what Sacri is, by the way. Also, Sacri can change his sized and tunnel underground at a fast speed."
As they walked past a towering pine, they heard a cry. Turning to his right, Harry saw a group of three people. He walked forward, and said, "Are you all right?" They looked pale and shaky, and one said, "Help us, please, before it happens again. You must help us!" Harry looked them over with alarm. "Before what happens again? You need to be more specific!"
But Harry's question was answered for him. A cloud shifted in the dark sky, revealing a full moon. The beams of light fell through a gap in the trees, right onto the trio. They froze, and began twisting violently. As he watched, their limbs began to lengthen, and their faces grew into long snouts. A dread filled Harry as he realized what was happening. Never taking his face of the changing humans, Harry shouted at Rhia. "What are you waiting for? Run! I hold them off!"
Rhia, however, was rooted to the spot with terror shinning in her eyes. Harry had no choice. He would have to defend her. The werewolves reared, letting loose a blood curdling howl apiece. They instantly formed a circle around Harry, and paced. Their eyes were blood red, and they looked very hungry. Readying his staff, he prepared to ward them off. One lunged, but he smacked it in the face with his staff. It let out a yelp and backed up, resuming its circling. The other two lunged at him, but he threw himself on the ground, swinging in an arc with his staff. As he did, he heard a sickening crack, and the unlucky werewolf flew into a tree, and slumped to the bottom. The other two were enraged by this, and attacked again with a vengeance.
Harry readied his staff again, and shouted at Rhia, telling her to run. She still didn't move, and he was forced to draw his attention back to the werewolves. He sighed. He couldn't keep this up all night. Bringing the staff in close, he began to mutter an incantation. Wind began to blow around him, swirling in a vortex. One of the werewolves tried to lunge at him, but was caught in the swirling wind. It was thrown against a rock, where it laid crumpled. There was only one werewolf left now.
Sensing an easier target, the werewolf turned to Rhia. Realizing what it was about to do, Harry dived in front of Rhia, just as the werewolf leaped. Harry felt its teeth sink into his shoulder, and cried out in pain. The werewolf clung on, or tried, because Harry's rage had been kindled. He grabbed the werewolf by its hind legs and slammed it on the ground. He levitated it, and threw it high into the air. He whispered a command to a bendy beech tree, and it bended as far as it could, its leaves touching the ground. As the werewolf fell back to the ground, the tree snapped back to its normal position, catapulting the falling menace. As it passed through the air, Harry smacked it on the back of the skull. It crashed into the earth, leaving a trail. It did not rise again. Turning to Rhia, he flashed her a weak smile, and collapsed.
When Harry woke up, the first thing he saw was a pair of eyes. They had tears in them, and were grayish blue. Harry sat up, and as he did, a pair of arms threw themselves around him. "Oh, thank Dagda! You're alive! I thought you had died!" She suddenly realized where her arms were and quickly released him, blushing furiously.
Harry grinned cheekily at her. "Hey, it's going to take more than that to kill me off." She rolled her eyes, and gave him a glass of water. "Here, drink this. It will help. It has a medicine in it that will help that wound heal." As he drank the medicine, which tasted oddly of some unknown fruit, he saw her watching him out of the corner of his eye. He finished the medicine, and turned to her.
"Any particular reason you're watching me?" She looked away, but returned her gaze after a moment. "Well, I was wondering… Why did you jump in front? When the werewolf jumped at me, why did you take the blow?" Harry thought for a while before answering. "I thought it was the right thing to do. After all, the gentleman is supposed to protect the lady." He flashed her another cheeky smile, and looked around. "Where am I?"
Rhia smiled, and said, "You're in my house." Looking around, Harry saw he was in what looked like a cottage suspended between four giant oak trees. Smaller trees lower down filled them in, and the four trunks merged farther up. Taking in his surroundings, he observed the house. There was a set of stairs going down, but Harry couldn't see an exit.
Inside the house, it was the typical cottage. The main room had a table, some very comfy looking chairs, and various decorations. On the wall was a fireplace that gave of an intense light. What was strange about it was he fact that it gave off no heat. Looking more closely, he realized that the light was really a bunch of beetles that emitted a light of their own.
To the left, Harry could see an open door to the kitchen. To his right, their was a staircase leading up to what Harry presumed was a bedroom. He was lying on a couch-like structure, with a warm silk blanket covering him. Sitting on a chair next to the fireplace was an elderly woman. She looked somewhat like Rhia, except her eyes where a vivid sapphire. He smiled at him as he looked her way, and Harry introduced him.
"Harry, this is my mother. Mother, this is Harry." The women interrupted, saying, "Please, just call me Elen. You don't need to call me Ms. Elen, or anything, just Elen. As Rhianonn just said, I'm her mother." Rhia slapped her forehead in exasperation. "Mom! I told you not to call me that in front of other people!" Harry just grinned, and rubbed his hands together gleefully. "Oh goody! Blackmail!" Rhia shot him a death glare, but couldn't keep a straight face for long. She burst out laughing, tears pouring out of her eyes.
When they had stopped laughing, Rhia's face turned grave. "What was that thing that attacked us?" Harry's face turned just as grave, if not more so. "It's called a werewolf. Basically, it's a human with a curse. Whenever the light from the full moon hits a cursed individual, he/she transforms. They become a wolf-like creature, and seek out humans to bite, thus creating more werewolves."
Rhia's face went pale. "Oh Dagda! You were bitten!" Harry's hand went to his shoulder, were he could still feel the marks from the werewolf's teeth. "Yeah, I was. By the way, who exactly is this Dagda character?" Rhia waved her hand distractedly. "Oh, Dagda is a spirit. But that's not the point. Is there a cure for a werewolf's bite?"
Harry sighed. "None that my time knows of. I know something that might work, but I'm not sure. Could you pass me my bag?" She handed him his bag, and he pulled out the Ocarina. Rhia looked puzzled. "What's that?"
Harry didn't answer. Instead, he raised it to his lips, and began to play the Song of Healing. Nothing happened. He sighed. "Ah, well. I tried." Rhia was now thoroughly confused. "What was that all about? What did you try? What was supposed to happen?" Harry explained dejectedly. "The tune I just played was the Song of Healing. It was supposed to cure my wounds, but I guess it doesn't work on werewolf bites. Bummer."
Rhia seemed lost in thought, and suddenly brightened up. "I know! Maybe my brother can help! He knows all sorts of healing spells. He'll be here in a couple of hours. In the meantime, tell me more about yourself. What's the future like?"
Harry paused before speaking, wondering were to begin. "Well, I live in a place called Britain, but I think it was called Britanica in the past. My technical home was a place called Privet Drive. My aunt, uncle, and cousin live there."
Rhia posed a curious question. "What are they like?" Harry made a face. "Terrible. They hate magic in any form, and blame me for anything that happens. In fact, before I knew I was a wizard, they did. They tried to keep me as downtrodden as they could, so as to stomp the magic out of me."
Rhia asked another question. "If they're so bad, why don't you stay with your parents?" Harry's eyes began to tear. "They're dead. They were killed by Lord Voldemort. You see, Voldemort is an extremely evil wizard. He had been o an evil campaign against society for many years. He killed my parents one night, and then tried to kill me. That's how I got this." He pushed his bangs up, revealing his lightning shaped scare.
She traced it with her finger before asking more questions. "So, why did he want to kill you in the first place? Does he just like killing?" Harry looked apprehensive. Before answering, he posed a question of his own. "Can I trust you?" Rhia looked blank. "What?" Harry repeated himself. "Can I trust you?" Rhia nodded, and said, "Of course you can. Why?" Harry sighed and began to explain.
"Well, you see, there's something about me, something very few people know. Before I was born, someone made a prophecy. This prophecy described someone who had the power to defeat Lord Voldemort. Apparently, the Dark Lord would mark him as his equal, and the person would have powers that the Dark Lord doesn't know about. Do you want to hear the prophecy?" Rhia nodded.
The one with the power vanquish the Dark Lord approaches… Born to those who have thrice defied him, born as the seventh month dies… And the Dark Lord will mark him as his equal, but he will have power the Dark Lord knows not… And either must die at the hand of the other for neither can live while the other survives… The one with the power to vanquish the Dark Lord will be born as the seventh month dies…
Rhia's mind was reeling. So far, Harry met the words of the prophecy Dagda gas said. His hair was black, his eyes green, and a prophecy had revealed his future. And speaking of future, he was from the future! Yet another part of the prophecy that had been fulfilled. There was still the part about the Treasures, though.
"Is Voldemort his real name? It seems very like a very unusual name." Harry shook his head, saying, "No, Voldemort isn't his real name. His technical name is Tom Marvelo Riddle. If you mix the letters around, you come up with I am Lord Voldemort."
Rhia voiced a question about the prophecy. "So, that one part 'And either must die at the hand of the other for neither can live while the other survives' Does that mean…" Harry nodded grimly. "Yup. Either I kill him, or he kills me. That's the way is has to be. There is no door number three." There was an awkward silence, and Rhia tried to lighten the mood.
"So, tell me about your friends. What are they like? What are their names?" Harry smiled at her inquisitive nature. "Well, I have two best friends. I met Ron first. He has red hair, and a ton of freckles. He comes from a huge family, and I've met all of his sibling plus his parents. My second best friend's name is Hermione Granger. She's probably the smartest witch of our year. We've been through a lot, the three of us. Pity…"
"What do you mean, 'Pity…'" Rhia asked. Harry sighed. I've had to force them away. Because Voldemort is after me, everyone around me is in danger. Just last spring/summer, my godfather was killed. His name was Sirius…"
Rhia looked outside. "Well, it's still pretty dark outside. Want to go look at the stars?" Harry smiled, and nodded. And so they went, climbing up to the very top of the trees that formed Arbassa. Laying down on the thick layer of leaves, they gazed at the various stars. Reaching into his pocket, Harry pulled out his pocket telescope.
"Hey Rhia!" he said as he tossed her the small object. She fumbled it, but managed to catch it again. She looked at it, and asked, "Uh, what it is?" Harry chuckled, and explained. "Well, it's called a telescope. Point it at a star, and look through it." She followed his instructions, and gasped as the star was magnified.
Harry enjoyed watching her bewilderment, and pointed out a few constellations and star names. Harry looked down at his watch, which lit up upon sensing his gaze. Harry gave a little jump. Rhia's brother would be here in about fifteen minutes. He pointed this out to Rhia, noting they should probably get down. She agreed, and they began to climb down.
When they were about halfway down, Harry decided to freefall. He launched himself off of the branch, and spread his arms out like an arrow, speeding toward the ground. Rhia shrieked, and tried to catch him. He twirled, avoiding her grasp, and fell further. About ten feet off the ground, he gave a sharp whistle, and Godric caught him on his back.
Rhia quickly climbed down, and tried to catch her breath. She was breathing heavily, and glared at him. "Never (Breath, breath) do that (Breath, breath) again. Honestly! You scare me half to death!" At that moment, a dark figure dropped down next to Rhia. "Is this man bothering you, little sister?" Rhia's face lit up. "Oh, it's so nice to see you again!" Turning to Harry, she said, "Harry, this is my brother, Merlin."