This one has been sitting for a few months. I wanted to surprise people, but with the general busy life and the lack of a muse for the last few months, I thought I would put this out there. For now it is relegated to my Rambling and Dribbles, but hopefully someday it will be more. Enjoy...

Harry Potter - Into Wonderland

Notes:

1) Harry/Luna/Hermione
2) Partial Horror, with whimsy
3) Harry is pulled through a portal. Probably just another of adventure where he is returned to the real world on the day before going back to Hogwarts
4) Relationship building
5)Definitely want a surreal, fantasy feel... it is magic

-oOo-

Chapter 1

August 3, 1996

Like most of the summer, it was a cool, foggy day that reflected Harry's mood perfectly. It was grey. The houses and other stuff outside had indistinct outlines and it had a sombre mood to it.

Like most days this summer, Harry just sat in the chair by his window. It was hard to be motivated when the person he had ever thought of as a father figure was now dead, his friends had written him only once and his relatives were still the same pricks to him.

It was in this moping mood that an orangs cat leapt onto the fence between the yards. It turned its attention up to the figure in the darkened window and just stared at the boy.

It was some minutes before Harry noticed the odd shape on the fence. At first he wasn't sure if he was seeing it right. It was an orange cat. More than that, it looked suspiciously like a half-kneazel he knew well.

For the first time in weeks, Harry felt a stir of emotion in him. Why would Crookshanks be in Little Winging? Hermione lived on the other side of London, a good thirty-miles or more. His heart started to beat harder in his chest.

Looking at the cat, he had only two thought. Hermione was dead or Hermione needed help.

Not waiting, he grabbed the wand that he was in his lap. All summer he went no where without his wand, even taking showers with it. He quickly shed his night clothes, changed and rushed down the stairs with a light jacket, his moke skin pouch, his coin pouch, wallet and his invisibility cloak.

He opened the wallet to make sure he still had a few hundred pounds from his last correspondence with Gringotts. His money pouch was heavy with coins as well. He figured if he had to go somewhere quickly again, they wouldn't be caught off guard like they had been about a month and a half ago.

As melancholy he was, Harry still cared for his friends and would rush to their aid whenever they needed him. He would see another of them die like Sirius.

Rushing through the house, his Uncle bellowed, "Where the bloody hell are you going?"

"Out," Harry replied, putting his shoes on and then out the backdoor.

The cat was still sitting on the fence. He might have thought it odd to see Crookshanks sitting so still if he wasn't so worried about Hermione.

"Crookshanks?"

The cat have a growl and then jumped off the fence. Harry was immediately chasing after the half-kneazle. "Crookshanks, where is Hermione!" Harry yelled as he took off after the animal.

Crookshanks was fast and Harry had a hard time trying to catch the damned animal as it started to head in the direction of Hermione. "Wait you ruddy cat! I can't run all the way to Hermione's. I don't even know where she lives!"

The ginger cat didn't slow, not even when it got to the end of the houses and bolted across the road. Harry had stop to not get run over before taking off towards the old farm fields. The crops in the field looked wilted and sickly, probably because of the endless fog and rain this summer.

He spared at the road, debating why no one from the Order was chasing after him. He didn't have time. If Hermione was close by then he had to get to her.

The cat disappeared into the short wheat grass, Harry following the tail sticking up, took off into the field. "Will you wait up!" Harry yelled after Crookshanks.

Running after the cat, Harry did all he could catch up to him. The first sign something was wrong was when his foot failed to hit the ground. The second sign was how he suddenly had the feeling as though he was falling. The third was when he hit a dirt wall and bounced off. He did this several times, giving out a cry of surprise and pain before trying to grab at the walls. Looking up, he thought he saw Crookshanks looking down the hole at him.

-oOo-

Otter St. Catchpole, England

Luna was looking up at the stars. The cool mist had cleared out for the night and she was enjoying spinning in the grass in her night clothes, a short pair of silky shorts and a camisole with a cardigan wrapped around her. The shorts were blue and her shirt yellow.

Unusually, she had put on her sandals, stuck her wand in her hair and took her small bag that had her omnioculars, a drawing pad, half a dozen pencils, charcoals, quills and ink bottles. In one pocket was the compass daddy had given her when she wandered to far. All she had to do was think of her destination, and it would guide her. Of course, it had to be a real destination and findable to her, but it had never failed her.

Tonight she had also put some apples, biscuits and a few mince meat pies that Mrs. Weasley had sent them a day or so ago. Something just told her that she may not wander far, but she may have purpose to go far.

There was something in the stars tonight that pulled her out of the house, even given the late hour. Daddy had just told her not to wander too far if she could help it. It was not safe and her antics at the Ministry in June proved that.

She was thinking of her friends, and more specifically of the green-eyed boy that had been so nice to her this past year, and had even saved her once or twice that night, when the green and brown stars brought her to her fields.

She was still spinning around when suddenly she caught something orange. Luna smiled as she stopped, the world still spinning a little and she giggled as she fell over. The half-kneazle looked almost as though it had shaken its head before jumping off the rock it had been sitting on.

"Hello, have you come to check in on me? It has been a mostly pleasant summer, but I can't wait to go back and see your mistress and Harry," Luna greeted the ginger half-kneazel. The creature had been nice to her the last few years, accompanying her around when he wasn't with the cute brunette it had bonded with.

Crookshanks merowled before rubbing against her hand. Luna sat up and the ginger half-kneazle rubbed against her leg. "Are you why I was pulled out of the house?"

It meowed this time.

"Is everything alright with Hermione and Harry?"

The meow was more pensive, concerned.

She understood and stood up, following the cute girl's familiar. Hermione and Harry had never led her wrong or treated her unkindly. Perhaps that was why she was so drawn to his green eyes? Or maybe it was the pain, loneliness and incredible weight of someone drawn into conflict he didn't want in those eyes...? No, Luna liked the more caring side of the handsome boy.

Crookshanks picked a jagged path, staying just before her as she walked along side him. She followed, jumping on moss slick rocks as though it was nothing. The tall grass tickled her bare legs. Perhaps she should have worn clothes more suited to a travelling?

Crookshanks walked her away from the house, over the next hill and to an old well that was once used to water the farmers animals that once lived here. The stout ginger half-kneazle jumped up onto the lip of the old well. A ring of mushrooms had grown a few feet away from the well, surrounding it.

Luna looked at it. "I am not supposed to go down there. Even with my wand, I can't levitate back up," she told the animal.

It's tail shook in agitation and looked down the well.

Luna frowned. She could tell the cat wanted her to go down, but she was not sure of this. There was a weird, almost elvish magic afoot tonight, and she was sure this was the source of it. Ever since her mummy had died, she had been weary of elvish magic. This wasn't the type that a pleasant house elf would use, nor was it the mischievous type you might find around pixies or fearies.

She crouched as the edge of the mushroom ring.

This was the magic of a faerie with higher purpose. There was a a serious and dark nature mixed with a whimsy feel. It was unsettling to her. In all that, was a blessing of safety, friendship and fertility. No, not friendship... fertility and love? A mate? But there were two magics... mates? Lovers?

It was strange, but even with the feel of danger, she felt that someone, or someones, needed her.

"Will I be hurt if I just go down?" she asked Crookshanks. He sat on the edge of the well, just looking at her. Luna knew and trusted this familiar of the girl she had found cute for a while. He would never lead her or any others to danger unless it was was needed. Looking at the imploring eyes of the cat, she knew she was needed.

"Can you tell daddy I will be back as soon as I can?" she requested of Crookshanks. She had a feeling daddy would understand.

With that, she stepped over the faerie ring, up onto the lip of the old well and then looked at Crookshanks. "Is there another way? I really would not like to get hurt. Not if Harry and Hermione need me."

Crookshanks merowled at her and then looked down the well.

Fences, stone wall, holes, caves, well... anything that demarked the change in character of the land, or a place, were the portals of the high elves when they daned to entertain mortals like her. She would have to trust Crookshanks.

Without another word, she put one foot into midair over the well before hopping and falling down the middle of the black hole in the center.

-oOo-

Redhill, England

Hermione sat in her favorite chair, a book in her hands and looking out the window. A fine mist was making water droplets drip down her window. The world looked dark, dank and spooky as the street lights and house lights were swallowed by the night. She was worried. Worried and feeling really exposed right now. Dumbledore and a few others had been by the beginning of the summer to put up some wards, and there were always two Order of the Phoenix members around, but she just didn't feel safe.

That was why she had her wand in her lap and wasn't reading.

For the last few days she felt like she had been watched, and the reports of Dementor attacks not far away last week and the ever present mist that had clung around London and its outskirts the last two weeks just didn't make her feel easy.

She was uneasy enough that when there was a thump from the hallway, she shot out of her chair. Her wand was immediately up. "Mum?"

"Nothing to worry about, hun. Just getting something out of the closet," her mum called back.

Hermione let out a long breath. "Mental. You are being mental," she berated herself in a whisper.

In a few days they would all be going back to Grimmauld Place, once the Headmaster cleared with Harry that the house was usable again. As she though to that, she thought of Harry. For weeks now he had been at home. She hadn't been able to contact him. She wasn't sure how he would be feeling. She wasn't sure if he wasn't feeling abandoned right now or not. Hermione was sure that leaving Harry to wallow like this after seeing Sirius die, it was not a good thing.

When another bumped came from the hall, she didn't jump this time, instead picking up her book and flopping into her chair.

She looked out the window again, this time realizing why. She wanted to see the white owl. She did see an owl, but this one was dark. It looked more like a shadow than an owl. When it flew by her house, she didn't think much about it.

When another bump came, she sighed and got up again. She was going to write another letter to Harry. It would join the other eight she hadn't been able to send.

Siting at her desk, she took out some paper and her pens. Using regular ball point pens on normal paper was so much much better than the quills. She had liked them at first, thinking she had to conform to her new world, but now she was starting to think that being a witch was great, but she couldn't stand the Purebloods, and the current war. She had just written, 'Dear Harry', when a large thump and then the sound of several others came.

"Mum," she called out, turning towards her door. When there was no answer, she called out again. "Mum?"

Her hand reached for her wand on the desk. Her hand wrapped around it when she noticed many lights outside her window were out. There was a small click and the light outside her room went out. Fear coursed through her. She wasn't sure to call out again or not. When the knob to her room started to turn, she dropped to the side of her bed. A second later, she was pearing through her bed skirt. If her parents had been killed, there would have been more sound and was sure she would have felt the magic. Some of the wards had been keyed so she could feel them.

The door opened and she could see black leather boots and the bottom of black pants that were tucked into the top of the boots.

"I know you are in here," a voice came.

She moved her wand to aim at the man.

"Hermione Granger, I have been sent to retrieve you. Your parents are unharmed and you can remain so if you come without a fuss," the gruff man's voice said.

"Stupefy! Incarcerous! Stupefy!" she shouuted, the spells racing under her bed as the man came close to the footboard. He moved almost impossible fast. There was a clicking sound and the room was plunged into darkness.

Her wand straight up. She shut her eyes at tight as she could. "LUMOS SOLARUS!"

It was like the sun had just exploded in her room. The man screamed. She lessened the flow magic enough to get a look without blinding herself. What she saw had her scream. A man in black pants, shirt and a travelers cloak was shielding his face. What scared her was the fact the face was just skin. It was stretched over his eyes, his mouth and where a nose should be. He was a faceless man with greying skin, long hands with long fingers that had black nales that looked sharp.

"Argh! Stupid girl!," the thing screams, but she couldn't see where the voice came from.

"Hycinflamnum!" she screamed out. Blue flames leapt from her wand. The thing twisted and moved in and unnatural way, avoiding her flames and she rolled as it struck up, hitting the wood floor where she had been with both hands. It cracked and she kept her wand pointing towards the thing. It avoided her flames. Her bed did not. It jumped over her bed and she scrambled to her feet. She stopped the spell. "Glacius Maxima!"

A spray of ice shot out of her wand, getting most of the fire and the thing screams at the ice swipped across one of its arms. "MUM! DAD!" she yelled as she ran for her door. She was just about there when the things sprung at her. She hadn't expected it be able to leap so fast or far. Her wand came up to starting casting silent stunning and other spells. Before she could get anything off, the hand that had not been frozen grabbed her leg and pulled. She screamed as she went down. Her body and then her face crashed into the floor. In the shock of her fall, her wand fell from her hand.

She blinked stupidly, feeling like a truck had just crashed over her. She thing stood, the small fire left on her bed illuminating the room. The thing sounded like it was snarling at her as it stood up. "I told you. You don't make a fuss and no one gets hurt."

She was going to say something... stars exploded in her vision as a hand slammed her across the face. It was pain and she felt like everything was spinning.

There was a crashed from down stairs. "Check upstairs! Mr. Granger," someone called out.

"Fools. Time to go," the thing said, roughly picking her up and tucking her under his good arm. She flopped like a rag doll, still too stunned to really comprehend what was going on. It walked them over to her closet, muttered something in a tongue she couldn't comprehend and then opened the door. The smell of a musty forest immediately infultrated her room. She recovered just enough to look at a dense looking forest. There was a heavy rain storm.

"The King owes me double for this job," the thing said, stepping through the door and closing it behind him.

-oOo-

Lost...

Luna had found herself landing in lake. It was cold, raining and when she swam to the shore, she was shivering, covered in goose-flesh and her nipples didn't like rubbing against the sticking material of her night shirt. The cold night had them hard, and not in the way she liked.

Taking her case, she took out her wand and stuck it behind her ear, where it would be easy to get. Luckily the spells her daddy had used had kept everything in the expanded omniocular case dry and safe. She closed the case and reached for the compass. Shivering, she said, "I need a safe warm place," she told the compass.

It spun for a moment before stopping and pointing away from the lake and into the dark woods. In the moonless night, the forest was brooding, dank and not friendly feeling.

Frowning, she looked around, not seeing far int he star light.

"I need somewhere safe and warm," she repeated.

It didn't move from pointing into the darkest part of the forest.

In her shivering state, she could still feel the magic of fearies. It was trying to protect her but other magic was not. For once unsure what to do, she called out, "Crookshanks!"

Something growled from inside the dark trees. She took a step back

-oOo-

Date unknown...

Somewhere...

Harry woke on a hard stone floor. He groaned at the pain in his body. He had falling and bounced off the walls for a long time before a dirt clod had knocked him out.

Stirring, he forced himself into a sitting position. "What hit me," he asked, feeling a little stunned. He put his hand to his head and felt his hair full of dirt. Looking at his hand, he was surprised to realize his glasses were still on his face and they had survived. His hands were filthy. There were small scratched and dried blood around a few scraped knuckles.

Looking himself over, trying to make sure he hadn't broken anything, he was releived when he only felt bruised and scraped up.

After a moment, he stood up, looking around. Light was filtering into the room he was standing in from a few high windows and around the edges of a few doors. The room was roughly circular. About three quarters of it was a fancy marble. Tall alcoves, lined in column, had statues of people and creatures dressed like people. In one was a woman with a spear and long oval shield. She looked like an African warrior. Next to her was a man with a staff in one hand and wand in the other. Next to them was a lizard in turn of the century works clothes. Then a knight all in white. After that was was looked like a walrus that was really cocksure of himself. Lastly was a white rabit, a marble watch in his hands and looking like it was naturally jumpy, even in its frozen statue state.

Doors all sizes lay between each statue.

The last quarter of the room was a dark, roughhewn rock.

"Bloody hell! Where did that bloody cat lead me?"

Looking around again, he couldn't help but think that the Lizard, Rabbit and Walrus looked familar. Like he should know them. Or know of them?

When he turned around again, he had the though he had to get out of here. Looking up, he could see the hole he had fallen through. It was a good forty feet or more above his head. Patting his body again, he found his wand in his jacket pocket, right where he had left it.

Taking it out, he was unsure if he should use it or not. Looking back up at the hole and then the room, he had a feeling the Ministry would not be able to detect him here.

He turned once again and there was a table a few feet away. It had not been there before.

Looking around, he had the thought he needed to get out of here, and with a small pop, a bottle appeared on the table. He eyed it very cautiously. "This is too weird," he muttered as the rabbit with the watch and the bottle jogged a memory. It was one of when Aunt Petunia had tried to read a book to Dudley when they were both young. He had heard the book from his closet.

Looking closer at the bottle, Harry had a sinking feeling. It read 'Drink Me'

"There is not bloody way I am going to drink a potion I know nothing about." Looking at the hole again, he pointed his wand at the table. There had been a spell to transfigure something into a ladder... "Mutascalea," he said confidently. The table started to transform and was about half way there when he just had time to dive out of the way.

The marble statue of the African warrior woman had suddenly sprung into action. Her spear had been launched and it impaled the half transfigured ladder, flinging it against the wall. It just missed Harry's head. He rolled and flicked his wand in a small circle. A bluish shimmering appeared between him and the statue.

It was on the floor, the cold white eyes looking at her. She was crouching down, a knife in her hand, her shield up and looking ready to strike. He wasn't sure why she was waiting. After a second, he said, "You don't want me to go out the tunnel?"

It shook it's head as a clear sign it did not.

he didn't drop his shield. Looking around, the bottle had fallen to the floor.

"Do I have to drink that?"

It shook its head again, and Harry knew it would not require him too.

"Do you know why I am here," he asked. Of all the insane things to happen to him, he found this among the oddest, but magic could do some weird things.

The statue shook her head, indicating she did not.

"Can I use my wand to get out of here?"

She nodded in agreement.

Looking around, he asked. "Which way will tell me why I am here?"

At this, Crookshanks suddenly hopped down from the hole and landed on the shoulder of the statue. Harry just blinked at the half-kneazle for a moment. His sinking feeling was getting worse. "Crookshanks, where is Hermione? Why did you bring me here?"

The cat just turned, hopped onto the floor, then trodded over to a door between the wizard and the lizard. The door was of a light wood, carved with intricate vines and trees. Crookshanks pawed at the door, and a small door, large enough for Hermione's familiar to walk through, opened at the base. Crookshanks didn't wait as it stepped through.

"Crookshanks, wait!" he called out. He went to run after him and the statue moved, as though it wanted to guard the door.

He came up short. "I don't want to fight you. I am only going to follow Crookshanks," he told the thing, unsure if a few blating hexes would save him or not. The statue regarded him for a moment and then stood up. He took a step back as it took a few long strides to cross the room. It sheathed is stone knife and grabbed its spear. Yanking it out of the wall, the tall statue turned to him, gave him a little nod, then dropped a stone knife at its feet.

He watched with trepidation as it crossed the room again before taking up it's post.

Harry made sure the statue wasn't going to move. He walked over to the stone knife. The handle looked just right for him. It was in a wide, long scabbard that was a few inches across and more than a foot long. He looked down at it then at the statue. "For me?"

The statue didn't move.

After a moment, he cautiously knelt down, picked up the knife, and then a strap appeared at his feet. The room was like the Room of Requirements. The statue still didn't move. Taking the leather strap, her put it through the scabbard and then over his shoulder after finding it was to heavy for his waist.

He investigate it later.

On a whim, he picked up the bottle and put it in his pocket. if this was like Alice in Wonderland, being ale to shrink might be useful... or it might not. He didn't know.

The door was locked, but a simple unlocking charm fixed that. He opened the door and found himself looking into a dense forest. It had a real earthy, must smell, as though it rained often. A path led into the trees. It was leaf covered and didn't look like it was well used, but the ruts spoke of traffic that once passed over it. In the distance, he caught the fluffy tail of Crookshanks disappearing around a bend.

"If you are leading me on a bloody goose chase, I swear..." he muttered. The fear that this was something more serious moved his feet out of the room and into the woods.

-oOo-