Harry didn't know when it was but he must have drifted off to sleep because the next thing he knew he was waking up tied to a chair with two men standing in front of him glaring.
"Where did you get this?" one of the men asked holding a red cloak in his hand.
"Ah umm...wha?" Harry asked eloquently.
The other man sighed and glared at the first "I keep telling you brother it was gifted to him. The Hunter left it as a sign for us."
"You've been wrong before" the first man growled before turning to Harry. "Where did you get this?" he repeated.
Harry looked around and saw that he was in a rather cluttered kitchen surrounded by paper and books. "I've never seen it before in my life" he said eyeing the two men warily.
The second man turned to Harry "sorry about him too paranoid for his own good" he said smiling softly.
"Just cause I'm paranoid Wilhelm doesn't mean I'm not right" the man with the cloak growled.
Wilhelm rolled his eyes "doesn't mean you are right either Jacob. I told you that it was gifted to the boy. The hunter wishes us to train him."
"And why should we trust The Hunter?" Jacob growled "nothing but trouble it is."
"The Hunter takes care of the wolf population how is that trouble?" Wilhelm asked.
"Stirs up the hornets nest. We don't need the giant getting angry and coming after us, we already got enough problems as it is."
Wilhelm sighed "be that as it may the boy is no threat to us I think we should train him."
"we aren't no babysitters let him go back wherever the hell he came from" Jacob growled, Harry was starting to think all he did was growl.
Wilhelm shook his head "he can't, he's stuck here in The Wood. I don't know why something is blocking me but I do know he won't be leaving."
"Ummm you do realize I'm still here right?" Harry asked the two brothers.
The two blushed a little in embarrassment before Jacob stormed off "sorry about him" Wilhelm apologized. "He is just a tad paranoid."
"Don't worry about it" Harry replied "but can you please untie me and tell me just why you tied me up in the first place?"
"Yeah sorry about that" Wilhelm said rushing to untie Harry "Jacob doesn't like The Hunter very much, thinks it is going to kill us once it kills the wolves or something."
The ropes were untied and Harry stood up "The Hunter?" he asked confused.
Wilhelm grinned in excitement before dragging Harry over to the table and showing him several pieces of paper one had a pencil sketch of a small person in a cloak. The person's face could not be clearly seen but what did strike Harry as unusual was that the legs were only partially drawn in, giving them an almost faded look.
"What's with the legs?" he asked confused.
Wilhelm's grin grew even bigger "that's just the thing" he said excitedly "they are always like that. Every time I see The Hunter the legs and hands are partially faded almost like a ghost. However The Hunter is still corporeal and manages to kill the wolves, but only the wolves. I believe The Hunter has a vendetta against them for some reason."
"What does The Hunter want with me?" Harry asked confused.
Wilhelm shrugged "I don't know but it gave you it's cloak it has something planned and it wants us to train you."
"How do you know that?" Harry asked "I was under the assumption that you haven't talked to it."
"I haven't" Wilhelm smiled "I am actually a Seer but where as some seers see the future I see what is. And what is, is that The Hunter wishes for you to be trained. I can't see why but I can see that."
"Really?" Harry asked disbelievingly.
Wilhelm nodded "It is a very useful gift but it does have it's limits. For instance the more magical a being is the harder it is to see it, that cloak however is not magical and as such I could see why it was gifted to you."
Harry nodded in understanding. "So who are you two?" he asked.
"I am Wilhelm Grimm and that paranoid bastard is my brother Jacob Grimm we are scholars who came here a few years ago with the hope to study and document our findings of the Dark creatures found here" Wilhelm replied.
"Jacob doesn't seem much like a scholar" Harry pointed out.
"He isn't" Wilhelm replied. "He mainly keeps me alive and brings me specimens to study."
"Oh ok" Harry said drifting into silence.
"So want to start you're training?" Wilhelm asked after a while.
"Er sure" Harry said uncertainly.
"Good first thing I need to know is do you have any magical gifts or knowledge?" Wilhelm asked.
"Well I know basic Charms and Transfiguration, I am rubbish at Potions, I can cast a corporeal Patronus and some lady said I had Metamorphagus abilities whatever that means." Harry replied.
"Hmmm" Wilhelm said deep in thought "meta is usually meant to mean something abstract and morph is usually used for one thing changes into something else. Maybe Metamorphagus is the term for Changelings?"
"Changelings?" Harry asked confused.
"Changelings are the result of a polymorpic Fae breeding with a human. They are people who have the ability to change their form to look like anyone they wish. What most people don't know is that Changelings have their own race and what is known as a base form. The base form is only vaguely human in appearance. However since Changelings have such powers many people fear them and they are executed on sight so they tend to keep hidden" Wilhelm explained.
"So you're saying I'm a Fae?" Harry asked in shock.
Wilhelm shrugged "I don't know but even if you are a Changeling you would only be part Fae anyway. Have you ever changed any part of your appearance before?"
"umm well when I was young my aunt cut off my hair and it regrew back the next day" Harry mumbled awkwardly.
"Definitely not here to cause trouble" came Jacob's voice from the door. "if you were you would have hidden your ability from us. I guess I can trust you for now."
Harry looked at the man in shock. "It is impolite to eavesdrop" Wilhelm said with a smirk.
Jacob shrugged "you knew I was doing it the whole time anyway."
"True" Wilhelm grinned.
"You still haven't given your name yet lad" Jacob said staring at Harry.
"Ah umm it's Harry, Harry Potter" Harry said blushing in embarrassment.
"Welcome to our place" Jacob said "but you better pull your weight while you're hear or I'll boot you out on your ass."
"knew you would agree to keeping him" Wilhelm said. "besides I'm sure a Changeling will come in handy somehow."
"So I'm a Changeling?" Harry asked worry all over his face.
"Yeah but relax lad" Jacob grinned "the worst that will come of it is Wilhelm's experiments."
Harry laughed until he realised the other two weren't "you're joking...right?" he asked hopefully.
Wilhelm smiled gently as he placed a hand on Harry's shoulder "it won't be so bad" he promised "just several blood tests, practice for an hour or so everyday to see the limit of your abilities and we'll be seeing if a large amount of food let's you change into larger creatures. Nothing else."
"You forgot to add that you'd probably slip something in his food to 'help' him" Jacob smirked.
"Ah yes I forgot to mention that" Wilhelm blushed.
Harry by this point was white as a sheet and slowly backing away "you know I'm sure I'm fine without any of that" he said as he desperately looked for an exit.
"If you try and make your way through the forest you'll die" Wilhelm said simply causing Harry to stop.
"I can look after myself" Harry said uncertainly.
"There are wolves, rocs, giants, wyverns, elementals, hags, necromancers and much more out there" Jacob said "you wouldn't survive a day."
"I-I'll be fine" Harry said non-convincingly.
"Wow he must really be scarred of you Wilhelm" Jacob teased his brother.
"It's probably the needles" Wilhelm replied "people always seem to be scared of needles."
"I'm not scared of needles" Harry mumbled.
Instantly Wilhelm had a needle in his hand and a huge grin on his face "great I'll just be taking a little blood then." Before Harry could react Wilhelm had him by the hand and stuck the needle in his arm drawing some blood.
"Just going to get this ready for the testing" he said walking away excitedly "oh and Harry make yourself at home" he shouted before disappearing.
Jacob laughed "sorry lad he's always like that when something interesting comes along but if you want help with your Changeling abilities he's the best person."
"And if I don't want help?" Harry asked sullenly.
"Then you're an idiot" Jacob said simply. Jacob threw the cloak at Harry "here this is yours. I'm going to bed, food's in the pantry and you're sleeping on the couch." After saying that Jacob left the room going upstairs.
"What did that lady get me into?" Harry asked himself as he held the cloak. It was soft and light as a feather, almost like his invisibility cloak. Not thinking Harry put the cloak on and went in search of food. The brothers were weird and Wilhelm did want to experiment on him but they weren't too bad.
…
The Hunter watched unseen through the windows of the hut. It was happy that the brothers took the boy on and happy that the boy did not leave. The Hunter was surprised to find out that the boy was a Changeling. While the ability to change one's features was not particularly useful in a fight the ability could be used to change skin tone to hide in the surroundings.
One thing The Hunter did not understand yet was how was the boy able to exit the river unharmed? Changelings can not harden their skin nor could they heal wounds such abilities were beyond them. Changelings could only change their appearances. What else was the boy capable off? This the Hunter did not know but it would find out.
Watching the Hunter smiled as the boy put on the cloak it had gifted him. The boy would prove to be an ally one day The Hunter would just have to watch him and interfere where needed to ensure the boy became a useful ally.