Chapter Two
A/N: I OWN NOTHING!
FIVE YEARS LATER
ON HARRY'S BIRTHDAY (ELEVENTH)
Harry lay near the lake, watching his brother beat Timon in a snail-slurping contest. Over the years, Simba had become his brother in all but blood.
"Harry?" Simba said padding over to him, a bit of red fuzz topping his head. "You okay? You didn't sound like you slept well last night."
"I'm fine Simba," Harry smiled. He could always rely on his brother to look out for him. Like the first time he showed what a freak he was. He accidently made Timon float up in the air when he was six. Scared that he was going to get punished, Harry had run into the jungle. Simba had spent five hours searching for him, and another two convincing him that Timon wasn't mad.
Suddenly, the ground shook.
"What the—" Timon said as he and Pumba scattered into the trees. Simba jumped in front of Harry, intent to protect his little brother as much as possible. The trees cleared to show…a giant of a man.
"Sorry 'bout that," the giant said and tried to smooth the trees back to how they were originally.
"Who are you?" Simba growled a little, still situated in front of Harry.
"Rubeus Hagrid, keeper of keys and grounds at Hogwarts," the giant said with what sounded like a smile on his voice. Simba stood down. For some reason, he felt as if he could trust Hagrid.
"You can understand me?" Simba asked.
"Guess so," Hagrid said and then turned to Harry. "You've given the Headmaster a wild scare Harry. But it's time you got your letter."
"What letter?" Harry asked but Hagrid was already going through his coat, pulling things out. Pumba and Timon had even come out of their hiding spot to see what was going on.
"Ah! Here's the little devil!" Hagrid cried as he pulled out a—slightly crumpled—envelope. He handed it to Harry. On the cover were the words:
Mr. Harry Potter
Rock by a lake
Oasis
Serengeti
"That's scary accurate," Harry muttered as he opened his letter. It read:
HOGWARTS SCHOOL of WITCHCRAFT and WIZARDRY
Headmaster: ALBUS DUMBLEDORE
(Order of Merlin, First Class, Grand Sorc., Chf. Warlock, Supreme Mugwump, International Confed. of Wizards)
Dear Mr. Potter,
We are pleased to inform you that you have been accepted at Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry. Please find enclosed a list of all necessary books and equipment.
Term begins on September 1. We await your owl by no later than July 31.
Yours sincerely,
Minerva McGonagall,
Deputy Headmistress
"What do they mean, they await my owl?" Harry asked after he'd finished reading. It had taken him longer than it would most children his age—not that he would know that—but he'd managed.
"That reminds me!" Hagrid exclaimed and took an owl out of his coat. After writing a quick note, he looked back to Harry and Simba.
"Just out of curiosity," Simba said slowly, "would I be able to come?"
"Ah, I don't think the school governors would permit that," Hagrid said shaking his head.
"Then I'm not coming," Harry said quickly, looking at Hagrid. "Either Simba comes with me or I'm not going."
Hagrid looked a little annoyed at that, but knew that Harry had to come to Hogwarts.
"Harry, you have to go to Hogwarts," Hagrid said. "It's where your parents would want you to go to school."
"I'm sure they wouldn't mind Simba," Harry countered. "Please?"
Hagrid looked at both the human and the lion giving him the biggest doe eyes ever made by either species and sighed.
"Why not?" Hagrid said and smiled as both brothers hugged one another. "He can't come with us shopping, but there's always an room open in the Leaky Cauldron."
"Now wait just one minute!" Timon came walking out, Pumba right on his tail. "Those kids aren't going anywhere…"
Harry looked devastated along with Simba.
"…Without us," Timon finished smiling fondly at his 'kids'. "I've always wanted to try English grub."
"Won't you be cold though?" Harry asked concerned for the first time. "Something tells me it's not like here."
"It's not," Hagrid agreed with Harry. "But they'll be fine. They can room with me in the winter."
Harry grinned widely, and Hagrid pulled a tissue out of his pocket.
"Grab on!" he instructed. Harry grabbed the issue with one hand and had a hold of Simba in the other. Timon had been placed inside one of Hagrid's many pockets, and Pumba was holding on with his mouth.
The whirl of color was the last thing Harry saw of the Oasis.
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Simba paced inside the room they'd been given in the Leaky Cauldron. Because Hagrid was a regular, there was a room made just for him about nineteen years ago, making it bigger than an average room.
"Quit pacing Simba," Timon said. "Remember: Hakuna Matata."
Simba almost snorted. He'd stop pacing when Harry was back in the room. He may trust Hagrid, but his little brother was out there alone. How did Simba know that he wasn't going to get left behind?
The door opened and Harry walked in with his purchases. Simba nuzzled his hand with his head.
"I'm happy to see you too," Harry smiled. In his other hand was a beautiful white owl. "Oh, wizards use owls to write to one another," Harry explained.
Harry seemed slightly pensive at dinner, so when the two of them curled up together on the bed, Simba lifted his head up.
"Harry?" he asked. "You okay?"
Harry was crying a little. Scratch that, a lot. But it sounded as if he was trying to keep it quiet. Not asking anything else, Simba curled up tighter and made sure his head was right next to Harry's.
"Hey, you don't worry about a thing," Simba whispered. "I'll protect you little brother."
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Simba, oddly enough, was just big enough to fit inside Harry's trunk along with Timon. Both protested at this though. Multiple times.
"Harry, come on! I want to walk around!" Simba huffed.
"You want to cause a ruddy panic?" Hagrid, who was there to help Harry on his way, huffed. "Muggles aren't used to seeing lions roaming around. At least I don't think so."
"Simba, for me?" Harry asked. Simba sighed, rolled his eyes but hopped in. As did Timon. Pumba was going to Hogwarts via Hagrid. Harry leaned down and gave Pumba a hug.
Harry roamed the station, looking for Platform Nine and Three Quarters. The lid of his trunk was slightly lifted as to give his older brother and father some air.
"It's the same every year! Packed with muggles of course!" a woman with red hair exclaimed, and she was followed by several boys and a young girl. Harry followed to see three of the boys go through a brick wall.
"Excuse me!" Harry cried. "Could you tell me…?
"H-how to get onto the platform?" the woman asked and Harry nodded. "Oh not to worry dear, it's Ron's first time to Hogwarts as well," she pointed to the remaining boy. "Now all you've got to do….is run straight at the wall between platforms nine and ten. Best do it at a bit of a run if you're nervous."
"Good luck," the girl said with a smile. Harry looked at the wall; it looked very solid and wondered what the woman was talking about. Doing as she said though, he was surprised not to hear a crash. Instead, he opened his eyes to see a bustling platform under the sign PLATFORM NINE AND THREE QUARTERS.
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After finding a compartment, Harry let Simba out of the trunk—along with Timon of course. Simba hopped on to the seat next to Harry. A few minutes into the trip, there came a knock on the door.
"Do you mind?" the boy from the station asked. "Everywhere else is full."
His eyes though fell on Simba and he backed away quickly in fright.
"He won't hurt you!" Harry insisted. "Come and join us!"
The boy walked into the compartment slowly and sat across from Harry.
"I-I'm Ron by the way. Ron Weasley," the boy said.
"I'm Harry. Harry Potter," Harry said with a smile. "This is Simba and Timon."
Ron smiled at the two animals but seemed to freeze when Harry said his name. "So it's true! I mean, do you really have the…the…?"
"The what?" Simba asked, wanting the boy to just spit out what he was trying to say.
"The scar," Ron said in a whisper.
"Oh, yeah," Harry nodded and lifted up his fringe. Simba rolled his eyes.
"Wicked!" Ron gasped and smiled.
TBC
A/N: Why did I decide to make it five years in the future?
Meh, why not? JKR did, but she's a genius. I'm just a mook trying to write a good fanfic.
Please review.