Loving Thy Enemy
"Ugggghhh," groaned Harry bringing one of his hands to rub his sleepy eyes. "Where am I?" the brunet teen asked pushing himself up from the plush carpet into a sitting position and looked at his surrounding. It seemed that he was in a small clearing in a strange forest and the plush carpet he was laying on moments before was actually a thick layer of emerald colored ground; to all sides were impenetrable walls of beautiful trees and foliage except for a small opening to his left a few feet off, and above him a sapphire blue sky with warm sunshine beating down on his face not at all like the hellish heat around Hogwarts. "Toto I don't think we I'm in Hogwarts any more."
"Mew"
"What the Hell!" Screamed Harry shooting into the air only to land with hard thump, Harry looked down at his feet where the sound had come from to see a beautiful red fox kit staring at him with the deepest blue eyes he had ever seen. "OH hey there little guy sorry I yelled, I just didn't know you were there." Harry said and then started to tap the ground, "Come on little fella I'm not going to hurt you."
The little fox cub just sat there looking at him with the same unblinking stare.
"Come on little guy no need to be scared," cooed Harry tapping his lap this time.
"Mew," came the foxes reply and trotted over to Harry, hopped onto Harry's jean clad legs and walked until he had his to front paws on Harry's chest his nose inches away from Harry's just staring into his eyes. The fox shifted his head side to side and studied Harry's face and then suddenly liked the brunet savior's nose.
Harry gave deep chuckle that caused the kit to bounce along with his chest and stomach, "See little guy told yea you had nothing to fear by me, I know I'll refer to you as kit" he said as he brought one hand up and scratched the cub's ears in turn.
The little kit immediately started purring in pleasure and seemed content to stay there and let its ears get scratched by the dark headed teen, until just as suddenly it shook off Harry's hand and trotted off Harry's stomach onto the grass. It stopped to about where it was when Harry' first noticed it and turned its head back and gave another "Mew."
"Where are you going?" asked Harry looking at the cute little fox.
Said cute little fox just looked at the only opening in the woods in the clearing and back at Harry and said "Mew."
"Oh you want me to fallow you do you?" asked Harry again
"Mew," replied the little red kit shaking its head up and down.
'I can't believe I'm talking to a fox, but what's even more unbelievable is that the fox understands me." Harry thought to himself as he got to his feet and walked after the fox that started trotting over to the opining in woods. The closer he got to the gap in the trees he noticed that it was a path winding though the woods as far as the eye could see. Harry had to stop right before stepping on to the path and leaving the clearing because the Fox had suddenly stopped and turned around and sat there staring at him. "What's wrong kit, aren't we going to go down the path?" Harry asked.
The little fox just sat there and stared at him with his tail just waving slowly back a forth. Harry tried to take a step past the little fox only to have the same sweet kit that not even ten moments ago was purring on his lap bare its teeth, "GRRRRRR."
Harry retracted his foot slowly, "Ok, well kit why did you want me to follow you only for you to stop before we got on the path?"
In reply the fox simply pointed his head right, Harry fallowed his gaze to see a filled with brightly colored jester hats a few steps away. "You have got to be kidding me," he said looking back at the fox.
The fox just shook his head side to side.
" i sigh /i If I must." He said walking over to tree and picked up one that was green blue and red, i jingle jingle /i . "Great they even have the bells," he said sarcasm dripping from every syllable. Harry looked at the tree more closely and something caught his eye, right below the lowest branches was a sign. "All who enter this path known as life are fools, and must play the part," finished reading. "Well that explains it," he mumbled putting on his jester's hat. Harry gave his head a shake and heard the jingling of the bells and looked at his little guide who just stared at him until he put on the hat and then turned and continued down the path, but not before a shudder went though the foxes body almost like a fit of laughter. Harry was about to follow and took one last look at jester hat tree and then grinned evilly. "Hey Kit! Come back for a second."
The fox just turned around and trotted and looked up "Mew?" it asked in a questioning tone.
Harry bent down to where there faces were about a foot apart and grinned mischievously, before the fox could react thanks to his seeker skills Harry brought his hand around from behind his back, and swiftly brought down an orange and red jesters hat with two slits for the fox ears. "Now we're even Kit," he said smugly.
"MEWWWWWW!" screeched the cub.
"No need to complain it's your fault for laughing at me in the first place, besides you have to put one on, it's the rules," pointing back at the sign.
"Mew," snipped the grumpy kit narrowing his sapphire eyes at emerald ones.
"No need to pout now rules are rules, now would you lead on?" Harry asked politely holding his arm toward the path.
With a swish of the full fluffy tail the kit and took off down the dirt covered leaf strewn path.
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Harry didn't know how long he had been running down the forest bordered path if he had to guess he would say maybe half a day or more but he wasn't even starting to breath heavy. The path had taken him around bends up and down hills, hoping over bubbling brooks, and wading though slow moving streams and rivers. He was keeping up with his little fox guide just fine as if he were running on four legs just like him, until finally both he and kit came out of the forest that looked down into a medium sized valley with a river running down the middle of it. On both sides of the river the land was dotted with fruit and shade trees, but most of it consisted of open land covered in thick green grass and a beautiful rainbow of wild flowers. However; the most breath taking site of the valley was the waterfall that flowed down which created an everlasting rainbow from the forest to the left into a small pool before running turning into a river. Harry and kit slowly made there way made there way down the incline into the valley, Harry instantly started to go off though an orchard of fruit trees toward the waterfall and pool. As Harry made his way to the edge of the orchard the trees became fewer and fewer until there were only one or two fruit trees that were situated right next to the bank where the some of the branches extending out over the water of the pool dropping the occasional blossom or fruit into it. Along with the few fruit trees there was gigantic white oak that looked out of place surrounded by all the fruit bearing trees, and under the shade of the tree was a beautiful young women with black hair hanging down over her shoulders majestically posed with her back against the bark of the magnificent tree looking out over the water to the other bank.
"Hello Harry, nice to see you finally arrived," said the raven haired beauty still looking out over the water.
"Ho Ho How did you know my name?" stammered Harry shocked.
"I know all, my child," replied the women still not turning back.
"Who are you?" Harry asked Harry unblinking as he drew his wand, "and why are you here."
"To warn you that you are going to die to die today," the lady replied as if she was talking about the weather.
"So you're a Death Eater than," muttered Harry quickly raising his wand and cried " i Stupefy, /i " sending the spell at the women.
As the red beam got near the mearly flicked her delcate wrist softly, sending zooming back at its caster. Harry could only widen his eyes in shock before the soell hit him with three times the original force sending him crashing into the trunk another tree out cold.
The mysterious women pushed off the tree and walked over to the side unconsions young man, "Such rashness and narrow sitedness, I don't know if theres any hope for him or any of the light side if this is the savior," she said in dispair and then snapped her finders at the boy.
Emerald eyes instantly shot open only to see the spot white oak where the women was, he tried to get to his feet only to find he could not even move his head side to side much less any of his other limbs. "Where are you, and why cant I move!" he yelled.
"I'm right here, and you cant move because I only revieved your head. The rest of you body is still effected by the stunner you so rudley casted at me.. I seriously hope you don't do that to everyone who tries to save your life. " Came the voice of the women from his right just out of site.
"What do you mean save? You told me I was going to die today." Seethed harry.
"That's because you are, if you don't change you coarse of action that you plan to go by to defeat voldemort."
"Well why didn't you say that in the bloody first place instead of being all mysterious, and why cant I move the stunor should have warn off by now." stated harry.
"My appologies, and you can not move yet because when I sent that spell back it came at you three fold, as is the punishment for trying to spell a person of my statur.
"Who exatly are you? I never did really get a look at your face?
"Ah, well do you reconise me now?" the voiced asked stepping into Harry's line of sight
" i gasp /i you're The Queen of Penticles!" muttered harry looking into the stern but kind face.
A small smile graced her delicate lips making her fair face light up. "Yes, I am now if I let you go will you send another spell at me?"
"No, you highness," he said trying unsucessfully to shake his head side to side.
"Very well," she said snapping her fingers releasing the spell.
Feeling his limbs come back to his control he instantly got to his knees, "I appolligise your grace, for my rash bhavior."
"You are forgiven child, now do you want the answer to defeating the Dark Lord?" she asked.
At this the raven haired teen bowed his head, "your grace after what happened I don't' belive I deserve it."
"Child, I already told you are forgiven so look at me with pride not with shame," huffed women.
Harry hesitantly looked at the looked at the eligant fetures of the queen's face.
"Good, now I didn't ask you whether you deserved it or not, I asked you whether you wanted it or not."
"Yes, your highness," Harry simply replied once again looking at the grassy ground.
"Oh for the love of all the Gods child, I told you twice before you are forgiven so there is no reason to be ashamed. If it will make you feel any better I'll let you figure it out for youself even though you were already told.. What is this Harry?"
Harry glanced up to see her holding up his jester's hat that must have gotten knocked off his head when he was sent into the tree. "A jester's hat,"
"Yes, We both know that Harry, but what does it symbolise?"
"I don't know," Harry said after a few minutes.
"Think child, what or who elese wears this hat that you learned about tonight."
"The fooool?" said Harry hesitanly.
Once again a small smile graced her face, "Yes, and what does he symbolise.
"Along journy kind of like…" started Harry until a it hit him, "just like I took to get here."
"Yes just like the long journey it took to get here, now what do you think is next?" she said with such pride in her voice that could only come from a parent whose child just did a great feat.
"Then there is you, who symbolises protection of the divine," continued Harry.
"Yes, and now the third one holds the key to defeating Voldemort."
"But how, the third would be the Lovers, which symbolise love of the romantic kind. If that's the answer does that mean I have to screw Vodemort!" spat out Harry in disgust.
"No, of course not my dear boy, what I meant was it holds what will defeat him."
"So far I've lived out two of the tree cards from my reading The Fool, The queen of Penticles, and the only one left are The Lovers, and you already told me that the I don't have to screw Voldemort to defeat him so that probably means no other form of romantic love will work so what is it?" Stated harry.
"You said the answer in that last sentence Harry," said the Queen looking amused.
"What I did?" asked harry looking confused.
"Yes you did or at least a type of the ansewer, tell me harry what is the most powerful magic in exsistance?" she asked her eyes sparkingling
"Love, but you said…" started Harry.
"Before you finish you said romantic love, I didn't say anything but love in general."
"So I have to love Voldemort?" asked Harry.
"Yes you must, that is the answer to defeating him, you have knowm for quite some time that you have something the Dark lord knows not, and that is love. He is incapable of love, if you do a great act of love toward him he will not be able to handle it and he will die."
"But what can I do, I don't think I can show anything but hate for the bastard," said Harry seething in hate.
"That's what you said once before, but you overcame that," she said.
"I don't know what you mea…" started harry before he fealt arms envelop him from behind.
"I think you know what you mean you just aren't willing to admit it even to yourself."
Harry was about to deny it, but the strong arms around his chest tightened there embrace. The feeling that ran though his body down to his very soul was something he had only felt once before when he had read the Lovers card. Harry was in heaven and thought nothing could be better until he felt hot moist breath on is neck once second and the next firm but soft lips kissing and sucking the hallow spot where is neck and collar bone met made harry shut his eyes and moan in pleasure. Suddenly the other feelings he felt from reading the Lovers card came to him, the incredible warmth, protection of a lovers arms, and finally the need to protect this person to the point of dying for that person. Harry's eyes emerald eyes snapped open to see the smiling face of the Queen of Penticles."
"You know what to do, now sleep," she said loveingly
"The next thing Harry knew he out of his kneeling position and sittling on something firm but cushy, and his back was leaning against something made of the same substance. Harry put two and two together and figured out he was sitting on the lap of the person who now had their arms around his lower waist. Harry leadned back further snuggling into the other persons arms and started to drift off to sleep and right before he would have been dead to the world he heard a voice call "Time to wake up Mr. Potter," and his eyes fluttered open.