It was a serene and quiet morning as time slipped by. The sun was high into the sky and not cloud could be seen in the sky. It was at this time that Harry awoke slowly, his eyelids seemingly beint attacked by a single stream of sunshine comming from somewhere.
His head rolled a little to both sides as his mind started to fire the synaps needed to process he was awake. Begrudginly he opened his eyes, only to immediatly close them as the bright light acorss his eyes was unforgiving.
He growned slightly then as a flash of pain spread across his forehead and he tried to roll over, away from the light that was hurting his eyes. His body was under something though, something that wa making him warm and was very hard for him to move. It eventually moved though as he rolled to his left, away from the direction the light was comming and dared to open his eyes again.
His vison was very blurry as he did this though, as was his memory at the moment. He could not remember where he was or what he was doing here as he tried to think as he stared at what ever was in front of him.
It was a large room, that much he could discern from the blurs, and it looked like directly across from him was a firepalce that had a roaring fire in. His own realization as to what the dancing orange glow was though was the smell of smoked wood and the sound of wood cracking as it burned.
After that he could not make much else out and for some reason, felt his lungs cough suddenly as to how he was laying. They burned with the shortness of air that had all together gone away while coughing.
Amongst the blurs a momvement caught Harry's eyes as his coughs seemed to worsen. It was a person moving, Harry cocluded from the suddeness as well as the movements that the blur made. Who ever the person was, they were strong for once it was near him, he felt a strong hand rest on his shoulders as something silverish was lifted to him.
The aluring aroma of vanilla caught his scent as the silver blur came closer and Harry thought it to be a cup. Somehow he managed to free a hand from what ever it was that was holding his body down and reached for the silver blur.
His jumbled thoughts concluded it was a cup, or rather a large goblet, from the feel of it and he quickly moved it to his lips and tried to drink. He managed several gulps of liquid, the warmth of it running down his throat, as well as some running down the outside of his mouth. However, after only a few gulps his lungs lurched and he sputtered some liquid back intot the goblet as he coughed.
He felt the cup removed from his grasp then as he coughed a bit more and air started to refil his lungs as his body seemed to relax again. His thoughts started to clear then too as they sorted themselve out and as he opened his eyes again after having coughed so much, his sight was back to normal. He reached up to his eyes though and came into immediate contact with the frame of his glasses.
"A bit of late sleeper there aint ya kid?" a gruff voice sounded above him with humor in his voice.
The voice alone made Harry turn his head to see the man he had started to follow before he had suddenly felt very weak and passed out. It was then though that his memories started to make sense and the man's name suddenly came back to him.
His eye's widened in shock at this though as he realized the man's last name.
"You're a Black," Harry said, more so to himself but at the same time asking an underlying question.
"That is my last name yea. Gracien Enklaydos Black, at your service. Well some what. You should still feel pretty weak after coming here from where it is you came from," the man said, a smile coming to his face.
It was then that Harry actualy took the time to look at the mans face. It was somewhat large, but at the same time had no facial hair and looked to be rounded well. The only reason Harry thought his face was large though was because of the sheer size of the man. Then to top of the mans appearance he had dark brown hair that was cut short and a very dark shade of blue eyes.
Inside those eyes though, Harry could swear he felt the man reading his thoughts as he thought and after a few moments of silence the man turned away from Harry and walked towards where Harry figured he had come from before Harry had started to cough.
He disappeared around a corned out of sight from where Harry was laying and he heard the distinct sound of dishes clinking together and running water sounding.
In this brief amount of time, Harry quickly looked around at where he was, or rather as much as he could from how his body was positioned. There was a fireplace directly across from whatever it was that he was laying on. To the right there was a large looking plush chair with a small table to the left that had a book on it. On the other side of the room however he saw his trunk with his shoes placed upon them.
But Harry didn't have much time to notice much else though as Gracien came back into the room. Holding another goblet.
"Were exactly are we?" Harry asked, his voice sounding a bit stronger than it had when he woke up but still somehwat weak.
"You'll learn this place's name in good time. It aint really important though. What is important that you kid get your strength back," Gracien said as he walked up to where Harry was and knelt next to him.
"Why do I feel so weak though?" Harry asked, his voice a bit stronger but not much.
"Mostly it is becasue of how this place is, though, it hasn't seen another magical person here in a long time," Gracien stated as he handed the cup to Harry who had started to drink what was in it.
At hearing the words though he nearly chocked on the liquid, again the vanilla flavored one, and looked at Gracien with wide eyes. He had left in hopes of getting away from teh magical world and here he was feeling weak and still in the world from which he wished to escape.
However, at Harry's wide eyes, Gracien just gained a huge msile and started to chuckle.
"No need to be frightned or shocked there kid. No one is gonna find ya here," he said and at Harry's questioning eyes, he only chuckled again.
"Here, let me show you something," the man said and moved his hand towards Harry.
On reaction, Harry pulled his head back and closed his eyes, thinking something bad would happen, but opened his eyes when he felt the pressure that had been holding his body down move away. When he looked down at his body he saw that it was a rather large blanket that had been placed over him and that Gracien had moved it and was now extending a hadn to help him up.
Harry looked at it for a few moments before he took it and sat up to a sitting position and swung his legs over the edge of what he now realized was a couch.
With a strong but gentle tug, Harry was pulled to his feet by Gracien and almost as soon as he was standing, his muscles in his legs started to give way and he started to fall.
"Whoa there," Gracien said as he moved faster than Harry thought possible for one as big as him. Gracien had moved to pick Harry's body up entirely in his arms and was standing before Harry had realized he had been falling in the first place.
"Guess those drinks haven't kicked in yet fully. No matter, they should in a little bit," Gracien said and then started to walk to where he had gone to wash the goblet a few minutes ago.
Except instead of going to the right of the chair, he went left towards another doorway that Harry had not been able to see. It was a set of glass doors though, both of which were already opened and lead to a a porch.
But once, Gracien was out on the back porch, Harry's eyes widened in sheer shock at what he was seeing. The porch overlooked a magnificent lake that stretched for at least a few miles. Along the shore to the right from where Harry was looking was a majestic waterfall, easily a few hundred feet high.
Yet, the one thing that truly had taken Harry by surprise were the creatures that where flying around the lake.
"Phoenixes," Harry said in awe as he looked at the birds flying around.
They were indead phoenixes, and each one was different in its markings.
"Yep, these here phoenixes are what makes this place so special. It also makes this place damn near immpossible to get to, hence why your magic feels so drained," Gracien said making Harry turn in the mans arms to look up at him again.
"Then if you don't mind me asking, how did you get here?" Harry asked.
His response was a sound coming from the mouns mouth similar to a whistle, but the note was calm instead of shrill. And then Harry was stunned into silence once more as many of the phoenixe's that had been flying around the lake came flying towards the two.
They landed on the railing with grace and as each on landed, they trilled their song bringing an overwhelming serne feeling to Harry's heart and head as the song was song by the magical animals.
It lasted for nearly a minute before they all stopped and Harry looked over at all of the birds. One had landed closest to them on a table that Harry had not seen was there and was looking up at Gracien and Harry.
"This phoenix is how I got here. Mind you I wasn't in much better condition than you are now, but all of these marvelous creatures helped me then," Gracien said as he looked directly at the phonix on the table and nodded toward it.
All was silent again, as Gracien stood there still cradling Harry in his arms and Harry attention had become glued to the phoenix on the table. It was gold and red, much like Fawkes in Dumbledore's office, but this one seemed to have more od a commanding and determined pressence rather than the more calmed and peaceful one that Fawkes had.
But as he starred at the phoenix, he did not notice two others flutter off the rail and fly towards him and Gracien. He finally did notcie them though when they both landed on his stomach and both Gracien and Harry looked at them a bit confused.
It was then that Harry felt something liquidy drop onto his shirt. He had no idea what it was at first but when he started to feel more drops touch then finally soak through his shirt, his body started to feel a lot warmer than when it had been under the massive blanket that had been placed on him.
But as the warmth spread, he could litterally feel the muscles in his entire body flex and relax many times as if exercising by themselves and his energy levels flood him to where he felt better than he had ever felt in his life.
When the drops stopped rapping against his stomach, the two phoenixes fluttered the wings a bit and flew to the table to stand next to the other phoenix that was already there.
Gracien smiled at the two birds, and knowingly set Harry down on his feet, the teen standing a little shakily but regaining all of his balance a few seconds later. He looked down at his hands and closed them into fists before reopening them, marveling at how suddenly powerful he felt.
The sound of the wings fluttering and the echo of the phoenix song brought his attention back to the table though and he watched as all of the phoenixes suddenly took flight back to what ever it was that they were doing, leaving a still stunned Harry to watch them fly and Gracien smiling.
A few mintues passed before Harry turned back to the large man and looked up at him. Gracien felt the eyes on him and looked down at the lithe teen.
"You never did answer my questions," Harry said as a look of detmination came across his face.
"Really now? And how is that?" Gracien asked, a small smirk comming across his face.
"You didn't tell me where this place is, exactly how you got here, and why your last name is Black," Harry stated, his eyes glazzing over for an instant at the mention of his godfathers last name.
The pain in his heart racked his body in the briefest of moments and made him shiver slightly before returning to normal.
"Well aren't you the inquisitive one. Reminds me of the last person that was here. Well, since you seem to be so adamant about learning a few things there kid, I guess I could explain some stuff to you. Come on inside and we can talk about this stuff over some lunch," Gracien said as he turned and walked back into the house, at least what Harry thought was a house.
It was at that moment though that all the 'kid' things started to get on his nerves.
"My name isn't kid you know?" Harry called after Gracien after he had already disappeared inside.
"I know that kid. But I don't know your name so therfore you are kid, since that is what you are is it not," Gracien's voice sounded from inside.
"That may be true but I do have an actuall name you know. It's Harry," Harry said, not really feeling the need to say his last name at the moment becasue he was becomming frustrated at Gracien.
Gracien's head though seemed to appear out of nowhere though from around the corner as if he was leaning back and asked, "As in Harry Potter?"
Harry only nodded at this and for the first time in his life, he suddenly became very angry at how Gracien had reacted to his name. He had simple started to laugh as his head disappeared back inside the house before his voice sounded, "So that's where you get that from. Figures."
Harry had no idea as to what Gracien meant by his words, and a lot of what had happened within the time since he awoke to now. As such though, he was at a loss for words as his thoughts ran through his head.
But as he was stading on the porch starring, he did not notice the two phoenixes from before flying towards him. The two birds flew directly in front of Harry's face as he was thinking and caught him off guard, hsi body moving backwards as its natural reaciton as well as reaching for his wand.
Yet as he moved back, his feet connected with something, tripping him, and forcing him to fall backwards. Harry expected the sudden impact of his body with the wood of the deck but was again surprised as his body fell into something that was as comfortable as the chairs in Hogwarts.
Harry's head snapped from side to side as he looked at the arm rests and it was not until he felt weight on his knees that he brought his attention forward again. When he did, he saw the two phoenixes that had healed him not too long ago.
One was like Hedwig, Harry noticed, for its feathers where white, though a streak of gold could be seen now and then along its feathers. It's eyes though caught Harry a bit by a surprise for they where a hollow blackness. The other phoenix was a dark shade of blue, and had various patches of a dark emerald color alongs its feathers. It's eyes however were more vibrant, being a brilliant amber color much like Fawkes'.
But as Harry had started to admire the two magical birds, Gracien's voice interupted his thoughts.
"I see you have made some new friends already," he said as he came onto the porch carrying two plates in his hands. He moved to set them down in front of Harry where there was no table and to Harry's amazement yet again with magic, a table formed right under where Gracien was setting the two plates. Then soon after that a chair similiar to the one that Harry was currently sitting in appeared and Gracien took a seat in it directly across from Harry.
"Here, eat up kid. Promise it aint got anything in it that will do you harm," Gracien said as he reached out and pushed a plate on the table a lot closer to Harry.
Harry looked at it and notcied the food on the plate was not entirly extravegent. It was a sandwhich, though a rather large one at that, and on the plate too was a glass of what Harry assumed was the drink that he had been given twice now by Gracien.
"What is the drink?" Harry asked as he thought back to the times that Gracien had given him this liquid.
But as he thought about it, the drink tasted a lot like the tea that his aunt had given him. The same vanilla taste as well as the same relaxing and healing after effects that came with it.
"To be honest kid, I was taught how to brew that potion you are drinking. Best damn one I have ever had I have to say," Gracien said taking a bite from his sandwhich.
"Who taught you how to brew it?" Harry asked, his mind immediatly going back to when his aunt telling him his mother had found out about the potion that was mixed with the tea she had given him.
She had said his mother had never told anyone about it and Harry was wondering exaclty as to where this man had been taught how to make a potion that resembled, if not the exact same one, as the one currently residing in his tunk in the thermos, or so he hoped it was there.
"Fiery devil of a woman. She had a determination the likes of which I don't think the earth has ever seen before," the man said, his eyes seeming to glaze over a bit as he reminisced about something.
The words 'she' and 'woman' had completely caught Harry off guard again and he suddenly felt himself anxious to know more about this 'woman' that Gracien was talking about.
"You still didn't answer my question," Harry stated, his body crawling as it waited for the answer.
"He, you wouldn't know her kid. Aside from who else she taught, I can guarantee you wouldn't know who she was even if I were to tell you here name," Gracien said.
"Try me," Harry replied, trying very hard now to keep his calm, the sandwhich and drink, as well as the two phoenixes still on his legs complete forgotten.
"Her name kid, was not Lily Potter if that's what you were hoping for," Gracien said with an evil smirk on his face as he saw Harry's anxiousness disappear completely and be replaced by another state of confusion.
Harry nearly felt his heart rench itself into a stop at what Gracien had said. He had felt his heart rate increase at the aspect of possibly finidng something out about his mother, only to have what little hope had just arisen come crashing down around him.
He had leaned forward as well in his anticipation and when it had all gone away, his body just slumped back into the chair as his shoulders sagged with his sudden loss of heart.
Gracien all of a sudden felt bad for Harry at his sudden change in mood and he could almost feel the sudden pain in the boy's heart.
"Don't feel so bad kid. I know who your mother was, and actually taught her that potion," he said and watched as Harry's head snapped up with a startled look but half way smiling, his mood instantly changing. "She was a good lady that one. Had a bit of a shyness to her though that betrayed her temper."
"So you did know my mother?" Harry asked, making sure his ears had not failed him.
Gracien just chuckled at Harry's returned enthusiasm before saying, "Yea kid I knew her, like I already said. She was the last one to get here after all."
Harry could not keep the monumentous grin off of his face at Gracien's words and he suddenly felt like whopping for joy. That feeling though settled slightly as reasoning came back to him. He knew nothing as to where he was and how exaclty got here. The locket that he had from his aunt tipped him off to it being the key to that how he got where he was, but not the where.
Not to mention that where he was held more of what was considered the rarest creture in existence, even more so than the dragons. And yet here he was, sitting on what he beleive to be a back porch of a man's, whom he still didn't know or trust fully, house, eating lunch, with two phoenixes atop his own knees.
"You said you'd explain some things when you came back," Harry said after a few moments of his head sorting through his already jambled thoughts, expecially after hearing the news of his mother, "I... I would like to know everything I can about this place, and what you knew about my mother."
"A bit much to take in all at once kid," Gracien said, his expression now curious as he looked at Harry. His green eyes were starring into his own, determination set upon his face, and a silent plea to know exactly what was going on.
"But... I guess I can explain the things you wanted. First though, eat your lunch. Afterwards I'll give you what insight I know about this place and about what I know of Lily Evans Potter," Gracien said, watching Harry's reactions closely.
Harry seemed to be takeing his offer in and after a few mintues of silence, Harry sighed deeply, his shoulders shrugging as well in the process, before he reached for the sandwhich on the plate in front of him.
"He may not have all of the answers I'm looking for. But maybe, just maybe, I might be able to learn something from this Gracien," Harry though as he took his first bite.
Gracien had a small smile on his face as he watched the young teen eat the food he had prepared from him.
"You're in for one hell of a time here kid," Gracien also thought as he watched Harry.