Chapter Six

Three months after the extraction

Six days before all hell broke loose

It was a beautiful day. The wind was warm and caressed his face. The bright blue summer-sky was dotted here and there with the occasional cloud and in the distance the sea glittered in a wonderful deep shade of blue. The sun's light broke itself in the waves and sparkled with the beauty of a hundred diamonds.

Harry was in a dream. He knew this the very moment he saw the scenery before him. He knew this because he had been having this recurring dream every night since he came out of that cocoon. Every night he would dream of the landscape by the sea. He would stand there, enjoy the scenery, look up, and would see a flock of birds flying over him. He would take a step. In which direction did not matter. The feeling of falling would encompass him. And then he would wake up.

He took a deep breath. The air smelled fresh and clean. Innumerable flavors filled it but Harry tried to take them all in, like always. He prepared to look up and end the dream. As always.

But that day, something different happened. The rustling of leaves caught his attention. He slowly turned his head. Trees of massive size towered above him. Lush green foliage covered the ground, and a cacophony of sounds reached his ears. Birds were thrilling, insects buzzing and chirping. A distant roar could be heard and a bunch of monkeys screamed at each other happily. He was amazed. This had never happened before! He turned around completely and fazed the jungle's edge. Wait, what was that? Something had moved! Something sneaked through the foliage, still and silent. Then, a shriek. Something roared in pain. Something big by the sound of it. He squinted his eyes and strained to see from his vantage point. He didn't take a step, in fear of risking this special dream. Something smashed, no flew through the bushes and came to a stop right beside him. It was big, easily as big as him. White fur covered the thing and it wore strange straps and garbs a around its body.

Suddenly, it jerked, and gracefully jumped up. A menacing growl escaped it's throat and it punched the ground in something akin to frustration.

Harry studied it with eyes as wide as saucers. It was covered from head to toe in white fur, though a lot of it was marred with dirt, mud and was that dried blood?

It stood on two legs, but it wasn't human at all. Its head looked like that of a lion and it's mane was bound in braids that fell over its shoulders and down its back. Harry gasped in surprise, as it sniffed the air and suddenly turned around to face him. It stared at him, not over him, or through him, but directly at him.

A low growl escaped its throat.

Harry just stared.

Another growl. But this one… it sounded different. Higher pitched at the end, just like… like a question.

Harry still merely stared at it dumbfoundedly.

Weird, a distant corner of his mind realized You fought IT, and even saw THEM, but something like a mere vastaya leaves you in awe?

Wait, where had this thought come from?

"Raagraaa!", the beast, no, the vastaya -huh, strange word- shouted at him. Surprised and, admittedly also a bit unnerved, Harry reacted on instinct and made a step back.

No!, he realized, and tried to stop himself. But it was already too late; it took only a few moments for the dream to slip away. The trees, the cliffs, the sea and even the sky turned to a yellowish golden colour and were blown away like a column of sand.

The unpleasant feeling of falling made his stomach lurch and with a gasp he awoke.

Panting he sat up in his bed. Sweat marred his forehead and his heart raced. Disappointment filled him, at the prospect that the dream was over, though it was quickly squashed by exhilaration. He had seen something different! Something exciting! How awesome was that! Sure it was strange, but it broke the monotony!

He fell back into his pillows and a happy smile stretched across his face. Finally something that broke his mental monotony. Having the exact same dream without fault night after night for weeks on end was bound to drive everyone insane eventually.

He closed his eyes and tried to sleep again, only to find that he couldn't. He threw a look at the watch besides his bed.

6:48 AM it said.

"Whatever", Harry grumbled, his earlier exhilaration gone as fast as a piece of ice in the desert. "Only 10 Minutes till the morning-inspection. Could as well get up then"

He sat up and looked around the room he was in. White tiles covered ceiling, floor and walls and gave the whole room a rather bright atmosphere. There wasn't much furniture. Only his bed, a drawer with various pencils and papers strewn on top and the poor imitation of a window on one wall. A vain effort to give him the feeling that he was located in an actual room, rather than in a secret underground facility. A door left to his bed lead to a small bathroom filled with a shower and various cleaning articles. While some may have wondered how or even why a 10-year-old child was living alone in such an environment, one has to know that Harry, forced due to his circumstances was a rather mature child in this regards. Of course he was still a child, and thus naturally laughed about things like fart-noises, or puns the same as any other child his age. But there were differences, very subtle differences, mind you, that showed his actual mental age. And, he was never really alone. The cameras concealed in the furniture and walls making sure to record his every move.

But enough of this bleak thoughts. After all, this room was way better than living in a spider infested cupboard under the stairs.

Harry yawned vocally and after tasting the typical, but unpleasant taste of sleep in his mouth decided he should probably get his toothbrush. Thus he rubbed his eyes, pushed back his blanket, swung his legs out of the bed and-

-fell flat on his nose.

A deep intake of breath and a long and very annoyed sigh could be heard as Harry lied on the floor. He pushed himself up and sat up on his butt. Or, at least that what was still left of his butt.

A huge purplish brown tail jutted out of his abdomen, in place of where his legs would normally be. Five pairs of insectoid legs clicked against each other uselessly in the air. Harry tilted his head while he mustered his new appendage. In a way it resembled a grotesque version of a mermaids tail, just that he now possessed carapace and legs instead of scales and fins.

This wasn't the first time things like this had happened though. In the weeks since his awakening he often woke up with changed appendages. Be them hands that turned into claws, fur on his skin or random spikes jutting out of his body, waking up with body parts like this had become a rather normal occurrence for him. (Hell, apparently he even woke up from the cocoon with such a transformation active on his body. Though why he didn't remember anything about having felt this he did not know.) After some minutes they would retract into his skin, and his body would change itself back to normal anyways.

The first time the changes happened he was afraid and filled with panic. After all, a fundamental part of him had been utterly changed. And after the first few changes had reversed themselves time and time again, Harry even grew to be somewhat fond of them, awaiting the next one with a mixture of morbid curiosity and excitement.

Still, sitting on the floor was bound to become uncomfortable, and thus, Harry hieved himself up on his bed and waited.

It was around maybe ten minutes later that the door to his room hissed open and a multitude of people entered his room.

He recognized them all immediately. On the right was Doctor Maria Hill. Having her brown hair tied up into her trademark bun she send him a small and encouraging smile. He didn't know why but her presence always seemed to calm him. She was just and nice, but as soon as she put on her "Leader-of-Lab-7"-persona she could be as strict as his aunt Petunia was. Next to her were Doctor Jim Crowns and his wife, Theresa Crowns, the local psychiatrists. Next to them was the petite form of Jill. The pink haired woman was the Lab's local biochemist and was the one in charge of researching his peculiar shape-shifting abilities. And last, but not least, standing on Jill's left side was Aragran. The green haired devil towered easily over the others, his muscles bulging visibly even beneath his lab coat. If Harry ever had to describe a gentle giant, then this was who he would present as the prime example. Being a devil Aragran was by far the strongest person in the entire facility, though he couldn't even hurt a fly. They all knew why he was always with someone when they decided to visit Harry.

So that in case something happens, he can protect them. Protect them from me, Harry thought somberly.

But enough of this dark thoughts! Today was a special day! Or, that was what Dr Hill had told him yesterday at least.

Dr Hill cleared her throat and thus quickly pulled Harry's thoughts into the here and now again.

"Now, I assume you already know why we came here today, but I thought it a nice gesture to do so anyways", Hill said. Upon seeing the boys blank look she clarified. "It's the 31st of July today"

Harry continued to stare at her in bewilderment.

"Your birthday. I was told today is your birthday Harry. Or could it be that I'm mistaken here?"

Harry's eyes widened. So that's why she's here, he thought. But, why did she remember? My fam- no! They are not my family! Aragran said that families are supposed to love and protect each other. Those, those people definitely never did that. I refuse to acknowledge them as part of me!

"And, since you're eleven years of age now, I thought, that you deserve to know what's going to happen now, as well as in the future with you", she continued, seemingly oblivious to Harry's inner turmoil.

Now that definitely caught Harry's attention. Of course he was already told what was wrong with him. After all, most kids his age did most certainly not sprout random extremities seemingly overnight. Though why exactly he had to stay inside the laboratory all the time was a mystery even to him.

"I know", Hill said, "that you're itching to know what's going on, and why you weren't allowed to go outside all this time."

Harry nodded.

"Well, do you want the short answer, or the long one?"

"Uhm", Harry murmured. After all this time he was still a very introverted and some would even say shy child. "I'd like both ones, please"

Maria nodded sagely. "A good answer. Well, the short version is, that you're different than other people, and that makes you dangerous because until recently we didn't know how you'd react to the outside."

Mulled the answer over in his head. That was indeed quite short. "And the long version?", he asked quietly.

"Well, to be blunt, there is something inside you. Something that makes you different and unpredictable and we didn't really know to what extent this danger goes. The things you told us, the things you've seen and experienced are not normal at all. Actually I'd say that they're the farthest thing from it. And you were changed by that. You never forget a thing, no matter how small it may be. You think and analyze things at a level and speed far superior to any other beings we know of. And,", she gestured to his abdomen which had slowly but surely begun to change back into its normal human shape, "you can change your body. It even seems those changes specifically increase in both intensity as well as accuracy based on the things you ingest. Remember that one time when you woke up with those horns on you forehead, which didn't go away for nearly a week?"

How could he? That experience was both equally scary and cool. Jill even had said Now you look more akin to a devil than Aragran here.

"The reason behind that is that you ate copious amounts of meat prior to that. How many helpings of beef did you have that evening again? Was it five? Or six?" Maria put a finger to her lips in mock thought.

Harry blushed and looked to the floor.

"After that we continued to mix DNA, that's basically a lifeforms essence; into the things you ate. And, according to what you ingested your appendages changed"

"So", Harry began. "That's why I'm not allowed to go outside? Because you guys are afraid I'll eat people?"

Maria and her team exchanged a long, poignant look.

"No, that's not it", Dr Hill answered. "The actual reason is that there are people out there who would love nothing more than to use you and the powers you possess. Those people are dangerous and most importantly, powerful. Very, very powerful in fact"

"And why are you telling me this? Wouldn't I be better off no knowing that stuff? Mister Dumbledore said that wizards can read someones minds after all…"

Kid's sharp, I'll give him that, Maria thought. Outwardly however she said: "Well, I'm a firm believer that, in order to avoid a danger, one has to know that said danger exists"

Harry cocked his head in the universal sign of confusion.

"We, that is the crew of lab 7 and I that is, decided to give you a present. I know it's not much. But we came to the conclusion that, once a year, at your birthday, one of us is gonna take you out of here and to a place you'd like to visit for the day. I know it's not much, but it's the best I can offer you at the moment I'm afraid"

Harry stayed silent for a long time. Then, quick as a flash he darted out of the bed and hugged the doctor tightly. "Thank you", he muttered. "That you, thank you, thankyou thankyouthankyouthankyou"

Maria, clearly unused to such a display of childlike emotion, awkwardly hugged him back and patted his back. "You're welcome", she said and not for the first time she wondered how much the neglect of his family seemed to have marked him.

ItV

A few hours later Harry, completely decked with a magical disguise to conceal the large purple gash across his face as well as new and (in his humble opinion rather fancy clothes; a jeans and a blue T-Shirt), accompanied by Aragran, found himself in the middle of downtown London. He couldn't help but stare around himself in amazement and wonder. Everything was just so, so, more! He if asked he'd not be able to describe it really. The sounds were "louder", the colours were "brighter", the smells were "smellier", everything just felt so… more! The inside of lab 7 must have been insanely clean and sterile for him to just not smell anything there. Dr Hill definitely didn't ly when she'd told him that he was different now. What she didn't say though was how good it felt! Screw normality, screw mediocrity, this was truly worth living for. Even the ever present pressure that seemed to lay on his mind since he'd stepped out of the lab seemed insignificant now!

He felt a hand on his shoulder and looked up to see Aragran smiling down at him. "If it gets too much to handle and ya need a time out, tell me, okay?"

Harry nodded and continued to gaze around in wonder.

"Well, let's get going okay?" Aragran asked and started to walk down the street, his hand clasped protectively around Harry's. For a while, they walked around like that. Whenever something evoked Harry's interest they do a small detour and checked it out. whether it'd be pigeons feasting on some crumbs, a particular smell in the air or just a sparkling store window, Aragran would stop at everything and wait till Harrys curiosity would be sated. And whenever Harry asked to investigate something new, and when Aragran then grinned and replied with a cheerful "Of course we can!" a tiny, but nonetheless brilliantly happy smile would bloom on Harry's face. A smile so full of joy that Aragran would never forget it until the day he died.

ItV

The sun was already hanging low in the sky and had painted the clouds in a vibrant shade of red and pink when it happened. Though no one would have thought that this encounter would be one, if not the one moment, to change Harry's life in a most drastic way. Of course, like with a great many of such instances the connection between cause and effect would only be much, much later become clear to young Harry. It all started with four simple words uttered by Aragran;

"I have to pee" he had said. "Mind if we search a public loo and I use it real quick?"

Of course, polite and thankful as he was Harry wouldn't have dreamt to ever deny the kind devil a request of any kind, and. thus he had agreed.

And that's why, when Harry was waiting in front of the "pee-house", as he had called it in his head, it happened. The first thing he noticed about her wasn't her wild mane of fiery red hair, or the the dark dress that seemed to be made out of carred leaves. Nor her quiet humming as she studied a colorful pamphlet in her hands or the small, translucent fluttering little wings on her back. No, what he noticed about her was her… for the lack of a better term, her aura. Something in the air around her seemed … off. Not in a bad way, mind you. But he smelled something that had definitely not been in the air before. It was a peculiar mix of fresh air after a midsummer rain and pure, unadulterated cinnamon. Only much later would he learn that it was magic, the very essence of the spiritual power that permeated the earth and all of its inhabitants in one way or another, that he had smelled there.

Upon noticing the smell he looked up and locked in his eyes on her. And she, as if she had felt his gaze like a physical force latching unto her, looked back. Red eyes that were tinted with a multitude of orange shades at the edge flicked up to him and dismissively back to her pamphlet. Then she seemed to make a double take and froze. Looked him over again. Her eyes narrowed and she swiftly walked up to him.

"What're you looking at?" she said. And quickly added "Punk" to the end of her sentence as though she had forgotten it.

"N-nothing"; Harry quickly replied, embarrassed about being caught staring at somebody.

"Oh yeah? So I'm nothin then? That what ya wanted to say? Punk?"

"Uhm", Harry was kind of at a loss for words.

"Hey!", she hissed and snapped her fingers in rapid succession in front of his face. "I asked ya sumthin, I want an answer! Punk" Again she added that "punk" at the end. Weird.

"W-well, uhm" Harry stuttered, "you smell weird"

"Excuse me? I do what now ?" oh crap, she seemed pissed! Fast, do something!

"Y-you smell weird", Harry said quickly again. "Like rain. A-and cinnamon"

Peculiarly upon hearing this her rage disappeared just as quickly as it came.

"Oh? Like cinnamon, you say? So that means that you're supernatural too, right?"

"Uhm, yeah, I guess…", Harry scratched the back of his neck nervously. Where the heck was Aragran please? "I'm pretty new at this whole magic-thing, though"

The girl tilted her head. "Magic-thing? Oh, so you're a wizard?"

Harry nodded. That was what the Misters Dumbledore and Kokabiel had said to him after all.

"Well, that's pretty cool. I don't know any wizard at all! Well, now I do. Im Amia by the way. What's your name?"

Harry looked down to where she had stretched her hand out, obviously expecting him to shake it. So, he did. A weird tingle raced up his spine upon touching her though judging from her lack of reaction she didn't seem to have felt anything at all.

"I'm Harry", he said. "Harry Potter. Nice to meet you, Amia"

She smiled. "Likewise. Say, do you live around here? I can show you around this whole magic-thing if you want"

"Uhm, that would be cool", Harry said, retracting his hand after having shaken hers. "But I live pretty remotely. I don't know when I'll be around here the next time"

"Oh, yeah, I get what you mean. My family lives pretty far away as well. But I often hang out in the parks around Big Ben during the summer. You know, the big clocktower?"

"Yeah, I know it"

"Great! I have to be going, but I hope I'll see you around Harry!" a cheery wave later and she was lost in the masses of people walking down the streets.

Damn! Now he hadn't asked her what those wings on her back were! Mah, no matter. He'd just do it the next time he'd be in the city, no matter what! That he vowed to himself solemnly while he continued to wait for Aragran. Seriously, how LONG could a person be peeing please?!?

ItV

Later that evening

Unknown forest somewhere in Ireland

Harry Potter… for some reason Amia felt like she had heard this name before somewhere, though for the love of Nuada she couldn't remember when or in what context.

Mah, no matter, she was sure the memory would come back to her again. And if not… well, she could always ask her uncle Oberon. He'd know it for sure. He always knew lots of weird stuff that was going on out there in the worlds after all.

Speaking of weird… this Harry kid had something on him that seemed off. She couldn't quite put her finger on it but something about him felt twisted and warped and like it didn't belong here. To be honest the more she thought about it the more she doubted that this, this thing on (or in him?) could belong anywhere at all.

She tapped her lip and nodded. Yup, she'd definitely tell uncle Oberon about this. He'd surely like to know about that. After all, this Harry was a wizard and all wizards were her uncle's servants, weren't they?

ItV

Welp, that's it for today! Finally got this written down, so that in the next chapters we can finally move to all the fun stuff.

For those who wonder; yes, Amia is an OC and no, don't worry she won't play a huge part in the story (at least according to what I've planned so far). So don't get your panties in a twist guys :)

Anyways, I hope you enjoyed the chapter, read and review and see y'all next time!

Halariel, out!