a/n If you have any ideas on who to send to Ash, please let me know. This is A/U so feel free to pick any of the Dark Hunters or werehunters

Chapter 3:

Harry Alone

Harry carried the bag with the ice cream and chocolate bars. It was heavy but he did his best. Dudley munched on his doughnut, getting sauce all over his face and crumbs down the front of his shirt. He grinned at Harry nastily, showing off how good the doughnut was and how happy it made him feel. Aunt Petunia was talking about the woman in the shop.

"How a woman can dress in so much leather and run a sweet shop I don't know," she said in a disgusted voice. "I'm sure that's not the kind of uniform Laurie would approve of."

Aunt Petunia unlocked and opened the door, shoving Harry through it. He took off his over large shoes and walked into the kitchen. Aunt Petunia took the chocolate bars out of the bag, then opened the freezer for Harry. He climbed onto a stool and put the ice cream into it.

"Go to your cupboard," said aunt Petunia. "I have nothing for you to do right now. Dudley, you may watch cartoons for an hour."

Harry opened his cupboard door and crawled into his nest. Aunt Petunia closed the door and Harry sat there in the dark. He didn't like the dark and he whimpered. A fist wrapping on the door twice made him huddle into his two ratty blankets and thin pillow. He buried his face in the worn pillow and cried a little. He had eaten the tiny cupcake, but it just made his belly hurt now. It was too sweet. He had never had anything sweet before that he could remember. The cupboard was so tiny. He wished he had a little light with him.

Harry imagined a tiny mote of blue light bouncing off the walls. He giggled to himself. The little light bounced off his nose and soon took the shape of a little person. The little light man smiled at Harry and then winked out. Harry wasn't sure if it was real or not. In any case he was a tiny bit happier. He covered his head with the thin blanket and tried to get a bit of sleep before he had to go out of the cupboard again and endure his aunt and uncle and cousin.

Harry dreamed that he was in the arms of a woman. He could feel her heartbeat under his ear and smell her light scent. The woman rocked him gently and sang to him in a language he couldn't understand. Though he could feel her warm arms, he couldn't hear her very well. It was as though she were far, far away. His bright green eyes were open and he looked around himself. Four people sat on thrones in the middle of the room, a man in black stood hulking in a shadow off to the right, and three woman sat near an object Harry couldn't understand.

He looked to the thrones first. One was made from silver, with emerald embellishments and snake-shaped armrests. A snake lay sleeping in the lap of a man while another coiled around his feet. This man was middle aged, with a long graying beard and short black hair. He looked stern and had wise brown eyes. He wore silver and green robes.

The second throne was of black obsidian with topaz gems worked into it. The armrests were like those of badger heads, though Harry had only seen a badger once on TV in passing and was told by Dudley that badgers were mean animals. The woman sitting on this throne was kindly looking at Harry through blue eyes. She had a soft smile on her face and chestnut brown hair in two braids. At her feet was a sleeping animal Harry guessed to be a real badger. She was wearing black and yellow robes.

The third throne was made of gold. It was brightly polished, like the silver throne and had rubies worked into it. The armrests were lion heads. Sitting in the throne was a man who looked very tall and thin. He had red gold hair and bright golden eyes. He was stroking the head of a lion. Harry thought he looked a little scary at first, but the woman rocking him stroked his hair fondly and he calmed down. The man's robes were red and gold.

The fourth throne held a woman all in blue robes. Her throne was made of blue sapphire and bronze. She also looked a tad stern but was concentrated on a book. She had auburn hair and jade green eyes. An eagle perched on the back of her chair.

The man in the shadows and the three women weaving cloth ignored Harry for the most part until one woman cut the thread and one other removed the cloth from the object Harry didn't know. They showed it to Harry, but all he could see were two vaguely familiar figures, one with black hair and one with red, before the cloth was folded and tucked away. The room vanished but the woman holding him was still there.

"You won't understand, child," said the woman holding him. "You don't know what you've just witnessed, but you will grow to learn in time. You must wake now, for I cannot always watch over you, but you will be freed soon. Be assured there are people who care about you. Stay strong, Harry Potter."

The arms holding him vanished and Harry lay awake in his cupboard. He brushed the tears from his face and looked around. The tiny ball of light was back, hiding in a corner where the Dursleys couldn't see it. Harry smiled. He didn't just imagine it after all. He wasn't in the dark anymore. He now waited in the tiny cupboard for the Dursleys to let him out.

()()

Appolymi sighed as she held the spirit of the child called Harry Potter to her breast and sang to him softly. He looked so tiny and helpless. He was so tiny and helpless. She was glad the gods, or what passed for gods, in his world had let her hold him as they inspected and let him see them. He looked overwhelmed but interested as he looked at the four on the thrones. He seemed frightened of the others and a faint recognition showed as he saw the two tiny figures in the cloth.

She was never able to hold her own son like this. She would never be able to hold her son ever again. Oh how she'd love to destroy the world, but she knew Apostalous would never let that happen. She sighed and hugged herself in a moment of weakness. It was now up to Savitar and the other dark hunters to govern the world above. Her son wouldn't be around to help, not for a good while at any rate, or maybe not even ever again. He might choose to live in this other world. Appolymi didn't know and she didn't want to think about it..

Appolymi did know one thing for certain. Artemis, the bitch goddess of the moon and the hunt would not be happy. Appolymi reflected idly that Selene was still a better goddess of the moon, but the thought vanished after a while. She cared nothing for the Greek gods. She cared nothing for most things. She just hoped none of her frozen pantheon ever woke up or they'd all be in deep shit.