Unfinished Journeys, Untraveled Roads - 9 - Going Ape
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by Polydicta
A selection of unfinished tales that have been abandoned.
Each 'chapter' represents a single story.
Ongoing warnings for smut, language, character death, bashing, torture, mutilation, religious/social iconoclasm and reader brain damage. Brain bleach is highly recommended.
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Disclaimer:
All fiction is derivative and fan fiction doubly so. I make no claim to own any part of any of the following, all I have done is an attempt to put together the elements in a novel fashion, using words and ideas like Lego ™ bricks.
There is no money involved – all I do is to share what I do for my own amusement.
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Unfinished Journeys, Untraveled Roads - 9 - Going Ape
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Harry gets lost in L-space and, after being bitten by a Lexicon, finds himself with a new ability – he is a Librarian Animagus – he is able to morph into a large, red-haired ape with an 8' arm-span, a taste for bananas and a pathological hatred of the 'M' word.
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A crossover with Terry Pratchett's Discworld series.
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Chapter 1: An Introduction to L-Space
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We've all done it at some point, walked into a situation where we end up volunteering to help with something we don't want to do, and then find we can't escape …
In Harry Potter's case, he'd walked into the library over the Christmas break and found Madam Pince in tears of frustration.
"Madam Pince? Are you alright?"
The severe face of the Hogwarts' librarian looked up at the smiling teenager. Somehow, the tear-streaked cheeks and red-rimmed eyes softened the severity.
"Do you need some help?"
She nodded. "I need to get these books re-shelved and …" She indicated her leg, a leg swathed in bandages.
"Oh … no …! What happened? Can I re-shelve this lot for you …?"
The accident, as it turned out, had involved one of Hagrid's 'pets' and she was going to be immobile for a few days since magical healing didn't seem to be working.
Without thinking, Harry volunteered to assist. He spent the rest of the day in the parchment and dust smelling atmosphere of the library. He found that it seemed to be larger than he had known.
The following day, only half-willing but too guilty to renege on his offer, he returned to the domain of the printed word. Once more, there seemed to be hundreds of books to re-shelve, somewhat surprising since there were barely a dozen students in school over the winter break.
"Some of these need to be returned to the shelves that hold books from … other libraries. They are actually quite a way back in the stacks …"
Harry levitated the books and set off. He seemed to be walking for ages, the shelves gave him the impression that they … curved – in … odd ways. There was the occasional rustling of paper and parchment as though something was furtively moving amongst the books.
These shelves, unlike the ancient, dark oak shelves nearer the front of the library, were of a blood-red timber, cedar, he thought., and there were brass strips nailed to the front edges of the shelves.
It was dark here in the depths of the stacks, and Harry could see, just on the edge of vision, the eldrich glow of magic around the books, a rather unappetising bruise colour, he thought.
At last, he found the place where the last book in his pile was supposed to live, and found a banana peel in the space.
"Madam Pince will kill whoever left this here if she finds out …"
He vanished the peel and turned to head back to the front desk. There was a sound and a shadow passed. He could have sworn he saw … something moving across the tops of the shelves. As he followed, wand at the ready, he lost track of where he was going.
The ways between the shelves widened out and Harry found himself looking up at a vast dome of glass. As he looked around, the shelves seemed to curve upwards as they passed into the distance.
After looking around the chamber, he headed back into the shelves, hoping to find his way back to the parts of the library he knew.
The shelves grew close … closer than before, and Harry was beginning to become truly fearful. There was a furtive, rustling movement and he spun, a curse on his lips …
He had an impression of paper … and words and then everything went black.
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"Ook?"
"Yes, he's coming round. Nasty that … umm …"
Harry opened his eyes and found himself looking into the eyes of a bespectacled young man wearing a bright orange, leather wizarding robe with a top pocket full of … pens.
"You alright? That was a near thing in there. The stacks are hardly the place for the inexper … ience … ed …"
Harry realised that the man's mind had gone off at a tangent .
"ook? ook!"
Harry looked down. There, at his feet was what could only be an orang-utan. The creature was, well, stood, watching him with the most intelligent eyes he'd seen barring only his best friend, Hermione.
"Ook? Ook-ook?"
"Oh, right … I'm Harry Potter, and I was helping Madam Pince re-shelve some books. I kind of got lost, I guess. Umm … where am I?"
The ape did a classic face-palm, and with those long arms, it was spectacular.
"Ook!" he said emphatically.
"You're in Unseen University's library. Largest magical library on The Disc."
"The disc? Umm?"
The ape shook his head and replied. "Eeek!"
"He says you're well lost."
Harry nodded. "I guess. Why does it always happen to me, I wonder?"
The wizard regarded Harry. "You'd probably get on with Rincewind. He's always followed by trouble … but there again, he does have that trunk …" the man shuddered.
"Look, I know it's my fault and all, but I really need to be getting back to Madam Pince."
"Look, my name's Stibbons. Ponder Stibbons … and it's getting to be close to lunch time. Let's get you fed and I'm sure the librarian will put you right …"
The ape regarded Harry solemnly, took his hand and patted it gently, nodding.
"Thank you both …"