Disclaimer:
I do not own Harry Potter, I do not own Peter Pan, and I do not have any permission what-so-ever to use them. Also, I am not profiting from this.
Chapter Two
Second Star on the Right
Acorns before oak I knew;
An egg before a hen;
Never one hen's egg shall stew
Enough for harvest men!
Changelings, children abducted by night from their cribs, point to the obsession of fairies with human babies. Whether to raise as their own or as their servants, beautiful children, especially boys, are prone to be taken. The easier it is to get to the child, the more likely is its abduction. A baby boy in a basket upon a front-step all night long might as well be given to the fey outright. It would be a miracle for the baby to still be on that front step come morning.
Tinkerbell was flitting about London, once again. The fey known as Peter Pan was once more looking for fresh adventure. Tinkerbell, unfortunately, had lost sight of Peter. Finding him was difficult whenever he made a game of it, like he was doing tonight. Which is why Tinkerbell found herself on a quiet, lamp-lit street in Surrey.
*Tinkle, tinkle, tinkle* the soft peals of small bells emitted from her. /Is Peter in here?/ it could mean to one who could understand her.
Tinkerbell flew about the dark, quiet house, looking into its dark windows. She could see no signs of Peter Pan. Hovering by the front door, she noticed something down on the step. Closer examination revealed a sleeping child.
*Tinkle, tinkle* she said.
The decision was quick to make. Fairies adored human infants and children. Their innocence and imagination made them attractive, and having a human baby was a status symbol of sorts among them. Which was why Peter was constantly bringing children back with him, they who would join his Lost Boys. A twirl in the air above the basket softly rained pixie dust down upon the sleeping child. Then, with considerable effort, Tinkerbell tugged on the handle, carrying the basket away into the night.
*Tinkle, tinkle, tinkle – tinkle, tinkle* /Peter will return on his own in time./
And thus, the Dursleys never met their nephew, Harry Potter.
Tinkerbell introduced the new addition to the Lost Boys, and quickly discovered a snag.
"So, watt's hiz name," a bucktoothed boy asked Tink. The other boys were leaning over Harry's basket and making funny faces at the baby.
*Tinkle, tinkle*
"Huh? Wha' do ya mean by 'does he need one?' Yous gotta have a name. It ain't proppa udder-wise." Another boy, wearing a grimy derby, told Tinkerbell.
"Maybe dis sez hiz name?" A small boy of only three, and with a runny nose, said as he held up a note from Harry's basket.
Yet another boy tore it from his hands. "Lemme see, squirt."
"Hey," the small one cried, "I waz looking at dat."
The older boy snorted. "Likes youz can read." He then tried to read the note, while holding it upside down. "Let's see. It sez 'Pleaze luke afda muh bay-bee boy. I'z a poor, match-gurl with no fude. Signed, Tony's Mum.' Wha' da ya know. Hiz name is Tony, likes mine."
"It doesn't say that!" Some of the other boys complained.
One of the younger ones started to sniffle. "You dun nose how ta read, Tony."
Harry woke up at the noise and started to fuss at all the strange faces.
Tinkerbell took the note from Tony. *Tinkle – tinkle, tinkle – tin-tin-tinkle* Tinkerbell scolded the other lost boys. She then gently rocked the basket. Harry gurgled happily to see the floating, glowing, doll-sized woman above his head. Soon, he yawned and fell back to sleep. Once Harry was sleeping again, Tink scolded the boys once more for good measure before flying off to find someone who could read.
"Ah, Tinkerbell, to what do I owe the pleasure of this visit?" Captain Hook bowed deeply as he insincerely greeted his uninvited guest.
*Tinkle, tinkle – tinkle, tinkle, tinkle*
"Oh? And why should I care? If Peter Pan wants to pick up more strays, he could at least have the good manners of learning their names before absconding into the night with them."
*Tinkle, tinkle*
"Oh? Really? You left him behind?"
*Tinkle – tin-tin-tinkle, tinkle, tinkle, tinkle – tinkle – tinkle, tinkle*
"On a doorstep, you say? Well, let's get a look at this letter." Tinkerbell handed over the letter found in Harry's basket. "Hmm, hmm-mm. Dear Petunia Dursley – You know, if I was named Petunia I'd have me shot out from one of my own cannons nyah-ha-ha – I am sure you'll be grieved to know that your sister and her husband was killed the other night. There are protections in place around your nephew, Harry, that will protect him from the evil wizard and his followers as long as he has a home with a blood relative of his mom. I assure you that as long as Harry is in your care, your family will be safe. I fear what may happen should the Deatheaters look for Lily's relatives and you didn't keep Harry. Keep young Harry well, raise him as your sister surely would have. It is signed Albus Dumbledore."
*Tinkle, tinkle*
"Yes, I'd say his name is Harry. Well if that will be all?" but before Captain Hook finished, Tinkerbell had already fled through a porthole. "Well, that's manners for you." His smile then grew more treacherous. "So, Peter Pan will be returning alone, nyah-ha-ha-ha." Getting up, he strode to the door and flung it open. "Bo'sun Smee! Call the men to quarters. Get the net and grapeshot loads ready. Step lively, we have a Pan-watch. Keep an eye on the skies lads. A Spanish piece of eight to the mongrel that catches first sight of that flying, bothersome brat: Peter Pan."
Harry yawned and rolled his eyes. Somehow, Captain Hook had got t
he idea in his head that he ought to have an heir. So now Harry, being the unfortunate Lost Boy caught, was sitting through tutoring sessions as Hook and Smee tried to educate him in things a cultured gentleman ought to know. At least the swordplay training was fun.
"Now, Harry, a proper gentleman knows how to drink tea in good company. Good form must always be observed. Smee, pour the tea. Now watch, young Harry, as Bo'sun Smee and I show you how to properly enjoy tea."
'This is going to be a long day,' Harry thought to himself as his tea lesson descended into a dinner show from the theater of the absurd. 'If Peter does not rescue me soon, I'm gonna run off myself.'
Harry was swimming with the mermaids. Tinkerbell was off having a jealousy fit, again, because Peter was playing with the little Native American Princess. The lost boys were off playing some game or another. Well, the ones still young enough. A few finally got old enough that they grew tired of the constant games and lack of general security, not just safety but also the confidence in getting something to eat regularly and the security of knowing you won't get chilled in yet another winter storm. These would move on into town and learn a trade, or at least try hard to avoid being pressed into service by Hook. The others paid them no mind and quickly forgotten them. For while one was with Peter Pan, one forgot that they would one day have to grow up.
Splashing and laughing, Harry was having fun. He always enjoyed visiting and playing with the mermaids, because he enjoyed swimming so much. He took to it like a fish, and the mermaids made it more fun with their games.
His fun was interrupted by Tinkerbell zooming in. *Tinkle, tinkle, tinkle*
"What's wrong Momma-Tink? Hook's got Peter again?"
*Tinkle*
"Well, let's go help him escape. Coming girls?" And as one, Harry, Tinkerbell, and the mermaids set off towards Captain Hook's ship, The Revenge.
"Any last words?" Hook gloated over his captive.
Peter, bound tight with ropes and wrapped tighter in a net, laughed in Hook's face. "You haven't heard the last of me, Hook!"
Hook guffawed in evil glee. "Oh, I think I have you this time, Peter Pan." Hook dangled the bound and captive eternal boy lower over the side of his boat. "If the crocodiles don't finish you off, the sharks will."
"Give it a rest, Hook. We both know you've tried this time and time before. And I always won."
Hook seethed in anger. "You got lucky, boy! And all I have to do is get lucky just once. Today, my luck is looking up, and yours has ran out, Peter Pan."
Peter smirked. "Oh yeah?" Then he crowed like a rooster.
Hook smiled with menace and evil intent. "Don't bother. I have some pirates keeping your Lost Boys busy. Har har har. Nyah ha ha." And then Hook dropped Peter. "Adieu, Peter. Parting is such sweet pleasure."
Under the water, where Harry and the mermaids were waiting, Peter was quickly untied. Hook never noticed Peter's escape as the fey boy swam off. Meanwhile, Tinkerbell let free the captured Lost Boys, who then took to the skies before the pirates could recapture them.
"Let them be, lads. We got Pan, his friends matter not," Hook commanded with glee and joviality. "Let us celebrate the end to Pan."
One of the many things the Lost Boys didn't worry about was the calendar. They celebrated birthdays at whim and never bothered to remember how many of them they had. However, time pressed on and Harry was quickly, and unknowingly, fast approaching his eleventh birthday. The first hint the Lost Boys had that something odd was about to occur was the owl that flew into their clubhouse one sunny morning. It landed gracelessly on the floor, wheezing uncontrollably. Clutched in its talons was a roll of parchment.
*Hoo-hoot* the owl weakly hooted before passing out. One of the Lost Boys poked at it with a stick.
"Iz eet ded?" another asked the first.
"Whazzat it'z holden?" a third chimed in.
"Eet lukes ly' ah ledda."
"Owl reed eet," a young ginger named Pauly offered as he yanked the note from the bird.
"Yous ken reed?"
"Shaddup, Ah ken reed weel gude."
"Hand it here, Pipsqueak Pauly," Harry demanded, as he was the only one there who could read, though not so well.
"Wha' duz eet say, Harry?"
Harry rolled his eyes. "Give me a moment here." He unrolled it to find it was an envelope. It had a funny seal impressed in wax holding it close. Turning it over revealed writing.
"Wha' duz eet say, Harry?"
"Hmm ... It says, 'Harry Potter, Lost Boy Den, Neverland.' Ok, who here is a potter? Any potters here? You lad, your dad ever make any pots?"
The boy who Harry was pointing at shook his head in the negative.
"Pots and pans ... maybe it is for Peter then?" Harry mused out loud.
"Yay, geev it to Peter," the boys began to chant and sing. Soon they were dancing in a circle, lead by Harry, singing, "Give it to Peter," over and over again.
And thats how Tinkerbell had found them when her and Peter entered the clubhouse. *Tinkle tinkle*
"I don't know what game it is, but it looks fun." Peter joined in, hooting and hollering alongside the other boys.
*Tinkle, tinkle-tinkle*
"Oh yeah, give what to me, boys?"
The Lost Boys stopped dancing, they had forgotten about the letter.
"A cold?" one of the younger boys said.
"That dead owl," one of the older boys said.
"A punch in the nose?" a boy in the middle of the pack asked.
"A punch in the gut," a tall boy said.
"Three cheers for Peter," a short boy cheered.
"A kiss," a shy boy suggested.
"A toy!" a funny boy guessed.
"A pet!" Harry cried.
"What kind of pet?" Peter asked.
"A cold one?" one of the older boys said.
"That dead owl," one of the younger boys said.
"A fish?" a boy behind the pack asked.
"A shark," a short boy said.
"Three chimps for Peter," a tall boy shouted.
"A toad," a boisterous boy suggested.
"A turtle!" a sad boy cried.
"Hogwarts!" Harry shouted.
"Wait ... Hogwarts?" Peter asked.
"This letter, it says something about hog and warts."
Peter looked over Harry's shoulder. "Where did you get that letter?"
Harry pointed at the owl on the floor. "Owl."
"An owl that has hog warts? What kind of game is this?"
"Oh yeah, the letter must be for you. It's for a Potter and you're a Pan."
"Sounds like one of Hook's shenanigans."
Tinkerbell perked up at the mention of 'Potter.' *Tinkle*
"Yes, it does say Harry Potter. Who's that?"
*Tinkle, tinkle*
"You sure it means me?" Harry asked dubiously.
*Tinkle*
"Alright, then, I guess I'll open it." Harry broke the seal and pulled out what was inside. He glanced at it for about five seconds before proclaiming, "Boring," and dropping everything to the ground.
Tinkerbell sighed, scooped up the parchments, latched a tight grip onto Harry's ear, and tugged him off to see Captain Hook.
"Tink, why are you bringing me to The Revenge?"
*Tinkle*
"What? I can read too."
*Tinkle*
"Important? Not if they sent it by dead owl."
*Tinkle*
"Fine, whatever," Harry huffed.
Tinkerbell unceremoniously dumped Harry onto the deck of Captain Hook's ship. "Ah, Tinkerbell and my wayward heir, what brings you to my humble ship?" Hook greeted the pair with mock humility.
*Tinkle, tinkle. Tinkle-tinkle-tink-tin-tinkle.*
"Oh? I fail to see how it is any of my concern," Hook sneered.
*Tinkle-tink-tinkle, tinkle. Tinkle, tink-tinkle.*
"Well, when you put it that way ... Alright, hand over the letter. We shall see what this fuss is all about."
Harry left Tinkerbell and Hook to their own devices. He wasn't comfortable being surrounded by pirates and sat on the railing ready to jump off at a moment's notice. As such, he missed their conversation, but got a bad feeling when Captain Hook let out a belly-deep guffaw. Soon, they were done, and a smiling – leering, actually – Hook approached him. The pirate captain mimed wiping a crocodile tear from his right eye.
"Ah, you children grow so fast. Why, it seems like only yesterday you were but a wee lad in a basket. And now, it is off to school with ya." At this, Hook laughed down to the roots of his toes.
"School?" Harry was unfamiliar with the term, but decided already that he didn't like it.
"But first, we must go to the shops of the nearby Neverland town, where the grown-ups eek out a living. For you are in need of school supplies. We can't let you go to school without your very own pet toad." Hook let loose another mocking laugh. "Anchors up, men. We are going shopping and pillaging. Pillaging and shopping. Plundering too. A lovely bonnie lass to the pirate who gets the most things on this here list. It's a pirate hunt, and we're the pirates that will be doing the hunting. Ready the long boat, for in half an hour we make landfall."
It was with unease in Harry's stomach that he stayed aboard The Revenge as it made its way across the harbor to the docks.
Harry stood in the middle of town, shell-shocked and dazed. He was surrounded by the motliest collection of odds and ends he has ever seen. And having live with the Lost Boys all his life, that is saying something.
"Well, that's everything on the list. More or less. And that's more 'more' and less 'less'. Come on men, back to the ship."
*Tinkle. Tinkle, tinkle tinkle-tinkle.*
"London? You ask too much."
*Tinkle*
"Scotland? Hmm..."
*Tinkle-tinkle*
"Well, he is my heir. Alright then. But not again until the end of term."
*Tinkle*
"Yes, yes. My ship is at your disposal. But only on September the first, and not a day sooner. Now, you better find an owl, they want a reply soon."
*Tinkle*
"Well, if you're going to make like an owl, you better be off. You still need to find this Wartyhog place. Men! Stow all of Harry's gear on the ship. Harry, when you hear three canon fires, you better come running. If I have to hunt you down, you will be making the trip tied to my anchor."
Harry gulped. "Yes, sir. Where are we going?"
Hook sneered. "You, sir, are going to school. And if you're a good little wizard or witch, maybe you won't be fed to the giant three headed dog." Hook and his men broke out into laughter.
"Bo'sun Smee! What's taking so long? I still see my heir's things here. Chop chop. Get it all on board now. We have a busy day ahead of us. Pirates wait on no man ... or something like that."
Dumbledore, McGonagall, and Hagrid stood in front of the main doors. Evening was fast approaching.
"Are you sure he never boarded the train?" McGonagall questioned her boss.
"I am quite sure. I even had the prefects check again."
Hagrid sobbed, "Poor Harry. What if Deatheaters gotten ter him?"
Dumbledore patted Hagrid on his thigh, being easier to reach than his arm. "There, there. I am sure he's alright. He must have not found the platform. Odd, as Petunia should remember how to find it."
"I knew we should never had left him with those awful muggles," McGonagall griped.
"Tomorrow morning, I'll just kip on over and get him personally," Dumbledore soothed. "You best be off, Hagrid. The train should be arriving soon and you'll need to be there for the first years."
Hagrid blew his nose on a handkerchief he fished out from one of his pockets. "Aye, sir. I best be off, then. I'll keep my eye open, in case Harry did make it fine." With a final bow, Hagrid strode off.
"And you, will you be in need of any time to prepare for the sorting?" Dumbledore questioned his second in command.
"The hat, the stool, and the list are ready. I think I'll wait out here longer. Just in case."
"As shall I."
As such, the two educators were in great position to witness, as the lights from the thestral-drawn carriages wound closer along the trail, a dark shape loom out from the clouds above. A shape that became a flying vessel as it quickly approached the front of the school.
"Albus!" McGonagall cried out. "What is that thing? How did it ever get inside of the wards?"
"That, I do not know, Minerva, my dear."
When the ship was overhead, it dropped a large anchor which crashed into the ground with a resounding boom. The noise was loud enough to rattle doors, windows, and teeth – as Dumbledore would later attest too. What surprised the two into speechlessness, however, was the boy floating down slowly, a large rucksack over his shoulder and a golden mote of light trailing by his left ear. A boy who look like the spitting image of James Potter, other than for the waist-length hair braided into a pirate's ponytail.
"Harry Potter reporting for duty," the boy greeted as he snapped off a clumsy salute.
*Tinkle, tinkle* the mote of light pealed.
"Oh, sorry. Harry Potter, present and accounted for."
The glow dimmed, and Dumbledore and MacGonagall could make out what looked like a tiny human as it alighted onto the boy's shoulder. Dragonfly like wings obvious once they stopped beating the air.
"Oh, and Tinkerbell too. Though she's only going to stay long enough to see me settled in."
The two leaders of Hogwarts could only stare in silence.
"Ahem," Minerva cleared her throat, knowing who the next name she would call was. Her eyes slid over to where Harry Potter was standing, chatting with another first year. The glowing ... thing was no longer on his shoulder, but McGonagall suspected it was watching the proceedings from somewhere among the rafters. For once in her life, she was unsure if she wanted to sort a student. Harry Potter was not like anything she expected. Oh, he seemed nice enough. But the flying without a broom? The ship he arrived in full of salty sailors shouting down cat-calls? And the ... mutant Cornish Pixie charmed with a lumos spell – that must be it – MacGonagall was not certain if her sanity could last an entire term, let alone seven years of schooling.
"Harry Potter."
Whispers broke out. "Did she say, 'Potter?'"
"Look, there he is ... I think"
Then Harry, who must be adversed to walking, sprung into the air, looped the loop, crowed like a rooster, then made his way leisurely over to the stool while never less than a yard in the air. One could hear a pin drop in the Great Hall ... a pin dropped in the shrieking shack.
While backstroking at a casual pace, Minerva lost her patience. "Any time now, Mr. Potter," she snapped.
Harry shrugged, flipped, rolled, then straddled the stool. The sorting hat was quickly thrust down over his head, McGonagall just wanted to get the thing over with.
"HUFFLEPUFF!" The hat didn't take but a second to sort the strangest student Hogwarts has ever seen.
As Harry made his way over to his table, again by air, MacGonagall watched as Tinkerbell descended from the rafters to join Harry for dinner. 'Retirement never looked so good,' she thought to herself.