Disclaimer: Err, I guess I don't own the adorable little munchkin but then again J.K brought him to us at 11…he's four now…#rubs chin thinking before grabbing him# MINE! MINE! MINE! Muahahahahahha!

Rejected Runespoor

Chapter 6

The next day, Potty and Harry had a good breakfast thanks to Harry's afternoon find. The snake had learnt the hard way that Harry should not have so much of the sticky stuff before bed as he had not gone to sleep until late into the night after he finally grew tired of chattering. Harry drank his egg for breakfast while the snake had its own for lunch while Harry was at the creek bathing. The blanket had done well for the night, even if it wasn't cold it was something for Harry to cuddle. And the can foods sat patiently along the wall waiting to be used.

The afternoon was spent going back to the coconut trees to get a few whole nuts and collect some nearby almonds. After two trips it was late afternoon, Harry wanted to cool off and the snake wanted a nap. The snake woke in the middle of the night and crawled into the bed to nudge Harry awake.

:Hatchling it is time.:

Harry rubbed his eyes and rolled over under his blanket sleepily. :Huh:

:It's time for your lesson kid.:

:What lesson: Harry sat up and yawned brushing leaves out of his hair.

:Survival lessons.:

:Shuck the coverings and bring the blanket out with you.:

Minutes later, Harry was outside the den, wrapped in the blanket and naked underneath.

:Why:

:We're taking you back to where the muggles are. Remember you asked what else was up front:

Harry tilted his head. :But what's a muggly? And a wizzar:

:You'll find out eventually.: The middle head raised. :Now come.:

The snake moved slowly as the toddler was blind in the dark and when it was almost dawn they had made it to the camping area.

:It is chilly little one but you must drop the blanket.:

:It'll attract attention and you'll probably knock something over.:

:What…why are we doing this:

:We're teaching you little one how to…:

:Survive by…:

:Borrowing.: The right head hissed slowly, seeming to grin.

:Borrowing: Harry asked.

:Yes. Also how to be a stalker…a hunter. It is a survival lesson.:

:Okay.: Harry dropped the blanket behind the bush they were hiding in. :So…:

:Hit the red tent. That one closest to us.:

Harry bit his lip and stumbled out of the bushes, creeping his way closer, huddled down. He noticed a pile of burnt wood with a pot over it and decided to grab that on his way out. Tiptoeing up to the tent he pulled back the zipper for the opening slowly and poked his head in, looking inside.

A backpack. It immediately grabbed his attention and he crawled in holding his breath and tried to lift it. Too heavy. He expelled his breath then froze as the person in the tent grunted in their sleeping bag.

'Okay.' He sat himself on the ground and unzipped the bag as quietly as he had the tent flap, and opened it. He found a penknife which he quickly put aside, a can opener he grinned at, more can food, meat thankfully as it turned out he'd grabbed fruit back at the hut place and another lighter. He zipped back up the bag and held the penknife and opener in his teeth while he loaded up his arms with the cans. The lighter he picked up awkwardly between his toes before hobbling out of the tent. Back at the burnt out fire he crouched down and tilted awkwardly until he had fingers wrapped around the pot handle and stood slowly, objective captured. It seemed forever until he got back to the bushes and he collapsed behind the first one he reached with a giggle before covering his mouth.

:Hatchling! Here: Harry looked around and let go the lighter, opener and knife, running the cans and pot over to the deeper bush where he dropped them on the blanket.

:More stuff back there.:

:Grab it quickly! Let's go! The muggles are waking.: Harry hurried back and brought his other finds back adding them to the blanket before dragging them and starting to run. Reaching the slope signaled home was close and after jumping down haphazardly, blanket flying and things scattering with a crash, Harry laughed.

:That was fun:

The snake's three heads shook. :And that little one was your first lesson in survival.:

Three Years Wilder

It was winter and annoyed with the cold seeping into the den, what with it being earthen, Harry did his first accidental magic. A warming charm. The snake explained to him that a muggle was someone that couldn't do magic like he could and that he was a wizard. He could will things with a wand and sometimes without. Told him that it would teach him more things but he also had to teach himself. He would learn from them about magic and what little muggle stuff they knew and he would learn more about them himself by visiting the muggle area. In the spring they taught him how to truly hunt, in a way, chasing rabbits from their dens and claming the young for himself. He had learnt some magic, for light, heat and water and they allowed him his fire-clicking things to cook as long as he was careful. He found he didn't slip into English anymore as he only talked to snakes now but he could understand it listening to the muggles. By eight he was truly a wild child. Climbing trees, running around naked, swimming in the shallow creek and hunting. Using his magic sporadically in the cold or when he needed light or wanted to open a coconut without wasting half the water over the rock. A few of his survival lessons had gone wrong of course. Him knocking over things and having to flee. Falling out of the trees he was climbing. Being attacked by a wild dog that had already claimed a rabbit's den it's own. But Harry learned. It was all he knew. The snake was mother, father and annoying sibling now. Other snakes were relations. And the woods were his home. Everything was as it should be.

AN: You asked for it? You got it! I'm skipping years!