Disclaimer: I don't own it; just having a go at fanfiction to see if I can em-provvvee my Eeng-lish.
Dreamer's Note: No, I won't call myself an author. Every half an hour before I sleep, I'll have some idea popped up in my mind before I drift away in my slumber. Sometimes, I wrote and deleted paragraphs after paragraphs just to suit my plot in the future of the story. I'm not very good at writing a poem or such thing, so mostly when witchcraft is mentioned in my story, I'll just say, some verses were chanted or the incantation was there, but not the thing itself. Bear with me.
The True Journey of Harry Potter
Chapter 13 – The quest part 1
Three days, it had been three days since he started his trek. Little ten-year-old Harry Potter was scared, of course, but determined; he was alone in the middle of the jungle. Felix had brought him by flaming to the edge of Mount Everest near the entrance of Himabhanta forest. It took Harry a few hours to find the coordinate of the entrance, which made Felix proud of his young charge. A full grown wizard who had no idea where to look, just as Harry was when he got there, would take more than hours, might be days or probably weeks to find it. Felix left once Harry crossed the dimension into the Himabhanta.
Harry had all necessities prepared with the help of his aunts. He left home with loads of warnings and instructions and too many other items to fit in his normal backpack, thus a bottomless and weightless rucksack was bought from Diagon Alley. The rucksack came with a magical tent that could be set up with just a voice command. Right now, the boy was sitting in a small fold-away stool in front of a bonfire he lit up for the night. Harry chose a small clearing on the bank of a stream that he would have to cross tomorrow continuing his trip. A slice of pork was being grilled. Harry was humming tunelessly with patience waiting for the meat to be cooked. He pondered the event of his trip started from the day he went back home from Avalon.
Flashback
"I'm home!" Harry shouted from the cupboard where he just appeared. He heard a girl's shriek, obviously Hermione and thunderous feet coming from the kitchen while he opened up the door. He was grabbed and squeezed in a tight hug of Dudley, "Dud, air…. can't… breathe."
"Sorry, cousin," Dudley said releasing him. "Oh, I'll go wake mum and dad."
"Hi, snake-boy," Hermione greeted teasingly.
"Hiya, Hermione, Justing," Harry called back waving while walking out of the cupboard heading to the kitchen. "So, what did I miss?"
"Of course, you missed a lot of thing, Harry," Hermione said matter-of-factly. "You missed seeing everyone's worrying faces and how are you? Are you alright?"
"I'm fine now, Hermione," Harry replied sitting down. He looked as though he aged a bit, Hermione noted.
After a few minutes, the adults joined them and they all settled down for a late brunch. Harry answered their questions and inform them of the plan, which further confirming their talk with Penerelle.
Harry would be gone next month and he would have the month to spend with family clearing any pending businesses. He would be gone in a quest that he could not say anything much for it was a secret mission. The thing was that this would be like a test to examine if he would be ready for the next level of Magic, the sorcerer. Devanate of Intra had sent a letter inviting him, the heir apparent, to visit his future home. Harry was confused at first and Grandmother Morgana had to explain that he was the only living available heir of the Intra line. It was quite shocking news for Harry. Though he learnt about the family uphold and responsibilities the last time he visited Avalon from Grandmother, he still could not believe that it was true. There were a few other choices for the position, but according to the monarchic status ranking, Harry was only second to the King Devanate himself. Harry would have to use all resources and abilities to accomplish the quest. Grandfather Merlin had set it so along with Devanate's approval. He was sure that it should be safe enough for the elders to allow the trip with an exception of Grandmother Morgana. Harry was sure she would make it more difficult just to test him. "A few more obstacles won't hurt," she said and added with an afterthought, "much." The look on her face was enough to tell him that it would be quite a hard trip.
The following week, after he returned home, Harry had meetings with Prince Ragnok the eleventh, currently director of Gringotts. The goblins helped Harry getting his inheritances and Harry was now, in the eyes of the British wizarding world, Lord Harry James Evans-Potter, though just in the document since they did not want Dumbledork, oops, Dumbledore to find out. Using their contacts in the ministry, the goblins and the squib society were able to keep it securely secret.
The second week was nerve-racking for Harry. He was to be presented to Her Majesty the Queen. It was soon found that Harry's tension was overreacted. Her Majesty was very kind and happy to meet the new Baron Potter. It seemed that Harry's great-grandfather, Charles Potter was a good friend of hers. He was introduced to the royal family at dinner that evening and Harry was getting along quite well with the princes and princesses. Overall, it was a successful evening.
They spent the last two weeks travelling around the isle and over the channel to France. The Grangers and Finch-Fletchleys with Mr. Androix joined them in the last week. All in all, they had a wonderful time together. The day Harry was to leave, they all assembled in number four, Privet Drive. A heartfelt farewell later, Felix flamed in and Harry left with him.
End Flashback
Grrrrrr… A growling noise echoed in the forest brought Harry back to reality just in time for Harry to pull back his pork chop before it burnt. Harry put down the fork and looked around warily. This was the third night in the forest and the second in the row that he heard the growl. Harry could not pinpoint what kind of animal was it, but luckily, a repelling rune was drawn before he set up the tent. He did not see it yet, though in day time, while he walked through the woods, he saw a few tigers. An invisibility, silencing and smell-cloaking charms worked wonderfully for him to avoid any encounters.
Tonight, however, he was not so lucky. The runes were not casted properly, or it was not working, or his other charms wore off, Harry could not be sure. What he was sure was that there was a pair of yellow eyes glowing in the dark watching him. The bonfire flickered and cracked in the silence of the dark night. Harry got up slowly keeping his eyes at the unknown in front of him. He quietly scolded himself for not wearing his glasses. Growing up, Harry knew that his eyesight was not very good, but after learning of magic, he had corrected it. However, he still kept his eyeglasses, which he had charmed with various special options. Such option that would help him a lot in this situation was the night-vision. He dared not cast the charm directly to his eyes, did not want to risk any permanent damage.
The creature growled again, louder this time. Its eyes seemed to lower a bit before the body of a black panther leapt up towards him. Harry instinctively cast a banishing charm, a powerful one at the panther to no avail. "Damn," the boy cursed before jumping out of the way, a few second just before he would be caught. Or that was what Harry thought. The panther, instead of attacking him again, turned to the piece of meat Harry dropped a moment ago and took it. Holding the pork in its mouth, the panther walked to a spot beside the bonfire and sat down. It chomped the meat hungrily and the pork was gone in a flash. Harry watched with wide eyes, mouth gaping and then started to laugh. "You're hungry," he said after calming down.
The panther looked up, its head bobbed up and down.
"Do you want more?" the boy asked smiling. Getting another nod, Harry summoned the pack of pork from his tent. It zoomed out past the panther getting its attention. The monster watched the package flew to the boy and kept its eyes on it. Harry opened and counted the pieces. "I have 6 left. I'll give you 2 pieces. Alright?"
The panther seemed to understand him; it got up and started its way to him.
"Stop right there," Harry called out. It stopped and looked at him. "I'll throw them for you; just don't come near me yet, please." The panther sat back down and still kept its gaze at the boy. Harry threw the pork at it one at a time. After the 2 pieces, the panther seemed to be satisfied. It lowered its head and closed its eyes.
Harry watched the panther warily before he summoned his stool and started roasting another piece of pork for himself. He muttered something darkly – Aunt Petunia would be upset if she heard him said that – before silence fell back again in the clearing.
A few yards away across the river from the clearing, unseen by all, an entity stood on a branch of tree watching the boy, purple eyes twinkling with mirth; a pair of avian white wings flapping lazily. It's just a start, Harry Potter…
-o0o-
The next day, Harry woke up and found the panther gone from his campsite. He shook his head muttering stupidly. After he cleared all evidence of his being there, with the rucksack over his small shoulder, the boy started his walk into the jungle. According to the small map attached with the last letter from Devanate, he had to walk a little bit up north to find a wood bridge to cross the river. Although it was only 3 meters wide, he dare not cross it right there at his campsite following the strict instruction that he had to follow the route set.
He was still in his muse when he reached the bridge. Sitting on the banister was a girl his age humming some tunes fishing with a rod. The girl seemed oblivious to the world. She wore a light green tunic. Harry was about to step up on the bridge-neck when she suddenly turned to him.
"Stop!" She called out making him froze, "what do you think you are doing?"
"Um… to cross the bridge?" he replied nervously did not know what was wrong.
The girl seemed to be confused of his answer. Harry felt a bit lost and then it struck him that she was not speaking English. He replied again rapidly with the same language she spoke.
"Who are you, stranger?" asked the girl, "How can you speak the ancient tongue of Himabhanta?"
Harry smiled cheekily, "because I am…" He stopped before he finished his sentence. Another warning came to mind, 'Do not reveal yourself and your secrets easily.' His Grandma Morgana had taught him well and grilled it in him to be cunning and cautious at all time. He had a few personalities now after the purification rituals. They had come to a decision that Harry would be creating at least 3 personas, but that was the story for another time.
"Well," the girl nagged eyebrows raising, "you are?"
"I am what I am and surely you know what I am," Harry replied vaguely.
"Hmm… Human," she said pouting, "so, you wish to cross my bridge?"
"Your bridge?" Harry asked.
The girl laughed merrily suddenly jumped of the banister and stood in front of him spread her arms blocking his way. "Of course, it's my bridge. Don't you know?"
"I have not been informed that there would be any owner for this public road heading into Bhiman," Harry spoke schooling his face void of emotion. He was preparing himself ready if there should require any other hard way to go through the person in front of him. He started to analyze his situation and the person in front of him. In a crash course about Himabhanta from his Grandma Morgana, he learnt about all beings residing inside the dimension. The girl in front of him looked human, but something was odd about her. Dhanpire was a possibility, but he was sure that they stayed in their region of Arama. He was still at the edge of Shimpli where there should not be any real human beings.
A few seconds had passed and his opposition grew reckless. "Are you going to stand there all day? If that so, just leave. I want to continue fishing." She huffed rather loudly, but stood still at the same position.
Then Harry got it. The girl was not really standing there, she was floating. At least it was a few inches above the bridge. He knew just what to do.
"Alright," the boy spoke abruptly, "what should I do for you to allow me to pass, miss?"
The girl was taken aback by his words. She seemed to ponder something and her beautiful green eyes, very much alike his, lit up. "Humor me," said the mysterious girl.
Harry sighed; he needed to think to something and needed it fast.
Ending note: Mwahahaha… I'm cruel, ain't I? Actually, I just lose my idea of how the hell, sorry, Harry could humor the girl… Could anyone please give me an idea? Strange that it has slipped off my mind… I think I might be obliviated… someone help me!
