Freak of Nature
AN1: Looks like I forgot the disclaimer last time. I don't own Harry Potter or get any monetary benefit from writing this work.
AN2: Thanks to all those who showed interest in the first chapter by writing a review. I don't think reader's understand how important it is to get reviews from the readers, so I thank you for your encouragement and your questions/comments. They really inspired me to think harder about what I want to do with Harry and get it down on "paper" before it fled my thoughts. Best wishes to you all.
/creepy crawler speak/
[parseltongue]
{larger animals}
Chapter 2: Darwin's Theory Meets Magic
Effective magic is transcendent nature.
~George Eliot
"But I don't want him to goooooooo!" Whined Dudley, sulking and bouncing up and down in his tantrum. It sickened Harry to see that Dudley's prodigious belly and rolls of fat continued to jiggle up and down even after Dudley had stopped his bouncing. Dudley continued to pout, "Why does the Freak have to come to the zoo with us, I don't want him there and he will ruin everything!" Dudley complained, his grating voice tearing at Harry's nerves a bit.
"He should have been strangled shortly after birth, or put out in the fields to die..." Harry groused to himself. Dudley's continued survival was both an insult to humankind and a perfect example for Harry about how the "humans" were absolute freaks of nature. This tantrum of Dudley's was totally alien to Harry who had to learn from a young age the same lessons that all animals learned.
Thinking about it, Dudley was a perfect example of how humans went beyond the laws of nature:
1. You stand on your own feet at a young age or you are left to die, similar to any young colt or pup. In comparison Dudley couldn't feed himself if he was presented to a tree and the fruit on the tree was pointed out to him. The young "whale's" sheer stupidity had no bounds, and it was only coddled by his parents and their attempts to make him feel "special" when he was barely passing any of his classes. It was a continued surprise to Harry that Dudley had enough spare brain cells to remember to breath.
2. Don't anger the pack or the authority of the pack. Dudley was a menace to the whole community, vandalizing and destroying the property, picking on the local kids and generally being a hoodlum. In nature, if you poked at the young of a bear you would get eaten. If you ticked off a large predator, you got eaten. If you pissed off the pack the pack leaders, you were sent off on your own to eventually die or get eaten by the other predators. Petunia and Vernon's protection of Dudley in the face of his actions was the only thing that kept Dudley out of St. Brutus's School for delinquents.
3. Survival of the fittest ruled in nature, but in humanity survival of the rich or the lucky was the rule of law. All throughout Surrey Harry had seen instances of where the "weak" individuals with money or power, not necessarily skill or smarts, ruled and beat down the rest of the population. The Dursleys were the perfect example of this.
In short, the Dursleys were weak... They deserved to be prey...
These were all very good reasons, in Harry's thinking, that the Humans had to be brought back in line with nature. Something had to be done before their corruption could spread and completely devour the rest of the world. Drawing his attention back to his placating Aunt and Uncle, and his whining Cousin, he was interested to hear that perhaps his luck may be turning.
"No! I'm sorry Dudli-kins, but the freak has to come with us." Said Vernon in a placating tone. "The old lady across the street is ill and can't watch him, and nobody else in the neighborhood could be bothered to watch the little low-life. Now be a good sport and give it an old English try." He said with a smile at his son.
"But I don't Wannnnnt Toooo!" Dudley whined again.
"Well we can't leave him here, even in his cupboard. The latch is still broken and he made too much of a mess the last time we left him at home. So there will be no more arguments, and we will just have to make sure to buy you some extra ice-cream when we get to the zoo. How does that sound?" Vernon said to sooth his son.
"Okay, but I want two scoops this time... and a sugar cone!" Dudley said, suddenly happy at the thoughts of sweets.
Harry scoffed; Dudley's attention span was the size of a gnat's... bring out the sweets and the whole world passed him by.
"And we don't want to hear a Peep out of you Boy! One screw-up, one... un-natural action out of you, and we will leave you there to stay with the other animals and their cages! Do you hear me boy!" Vernon said, turning his attention to glare down at his nephew.
Smiling inside, the idea of living at the zoo sounded pretty good to Harry. Outwardly though he lowered his head and said, "Yes Uncle Vernon."
"Don't give me any sass boy!" His Uncle said, raising his hand and smacking Harry upside the back of his head with Vernon's cast covered hand; the doctors had had to use three pins and four screws to get the bones back into place, and Vernon was still favoring the hand. Even with the blow from Vernon's hand and the cast, Harry's new "ability" protected him from feeling any associated pain or from even moving his head at the weight of the blow.
"Grab Petunia's purse and Dudley's snack boxes and follow us out to the car." Vernon grumbled at Harry. Turning to exit the house and issue Dudley to the car.
Harry followed his orders and went to the kitchen to get Dudley's "prescribed" snack containers; couldn't let Dudley go without eating every thirty minutes apparently... And then he quickly grabbed his Aunt's purse off of the kitchen table and ran out the door to load it all in the bonnet of the car. Then he jumped into the back seat where he no doubt would spend the drive into London dodging projectiles or fists thrown by Dudley.
"The zoo was brilliant!" Thought Harry.
Though Harry wasn't able to show it on the outside, he was beginning to get a plan. Everything he needed was here, he thought as he walked by the displays of giraffes and wildebeests. Horns, claws, teeth, fangs, armor, camouflage... the animals at the zoo showed Harry the vast array of different offensive and defensive capabilities that nature had developed in the animal kingdom. Yet it saddened Harry that even with all of the muscle, brains and might that he saw in the animals, they were still not able to defeat the humans and their tools.
"Hmmm, perhaps nature just hasn't found the right mix yet or degree of skills and abilities needed to keep the Human's in check?" He thought to himself, lagging behind a bit as he looked at the signs detailing life on the veldt's of Africa.
"Hurry up boy! No dilly dallying or we will leave you behind!" Vernon cursed at Harry while looking back at him. "Dudley wants to go look at the snakes, so you had better not get lost or we will leave you here to fend for yourself! Bloody waste of resources, I can't believe I had to pay 15 pounds to get you into this place! You're going to earn it in labor when we get back home!" Vernon grumbled as he walked away, not looking to see if Harry was following.
It was then that a plan started to come to Harry's mind. Getting left behind at the zoo... "Well nothing was as bad as living with the Dursleys." Harry thought, letting the distance between him and his relatives grow larger as they moved towards the reptile and amphibian house.
"Hmmm, it's not like I couldn't find food around here; after all, there are all of these vendor booths filled with food, and it isn't like I haven't eaten the garbage left over from the Dursleys for the last 10 years." He silently contemplated. Scrabbling for survival didn't lead one to develop a very "refined" palate, and in reality Harry had held many similarities to the cockroaches of his cupboard long before he assimilated their ability to adapt.
"Nature, after all, allows for gathering or scavenging... heck, it allows for hunting. In fact, if I want to be part of the food chain then I will have to hunt also." This fact had been shown to him many times through the animal exhibits. Take for instance the Impala which was humorously termed "the hamburger of the veldt" because everything ate it. "Yes," Harry thought, "There were the predators, and there were the prey. It was definitely better to be a predator than prey."
The roach and his brother's had told him about eating both the leftovers that they could get, but also how tasty flesh could be, even that of their recently deceased brethren. The spiders that lived with Harry often ate his other siblings, so the nature of the cycle of life really didn't affect Harry's thoughts too much; it was all natural after all.
"Hmmm, I wonder if penguin tastes like chicken?" Harry thought, his feet leading him into the reptile house. "I will need a distraction if I am to make a successful get away." He thought, opening the door to the reptile house and entering its glass lined depths.
Voices, he was absolutely inundated with voices. The funny thing was that many of them were insulting the humans around him.
[Ssssss, Look at that one, it looks like a hippo and its young SSSSsss] Said one voice to Harry's right, issuing from a small glassed-in display.
[SSSSSS Check out the horse head that is with the hippos SSSSSS That could feed me for a week or two if I could only wrap around it SSSSS] Came from the glass display for the python to Harry's left.
[Ssssss Would probably give you indigestion Sssss] Hissed from the right [Ssss itsss looks like itssss constipated Ssssss] With that last comment a slight alternating hissing sound issued from both sides of the hall, to which Harry interpreted to be laughter.
A bit startled to be able to understand the snakes in the reptile house, yet at the same time not too surprised after his dealing with his "siblings," Harry approached the display on the right.
A fern and plant filled topiary was presented to Harry's view, yet he couldn't make out where the snake was. Looking at the display sign, he saw that it read "Chameleon Snake. Found on the island of Borneo in Indonesian Territory. Highly Poisonous." His reading was interrupted by a voice from the enclosure.
[Sssss Come closer Stupid Human, Feel my bite you dumb beast!] the voice said.
[Hey!] Harry said, [Watch who you are calling a "stupid human" fang face!] he said indignantly.
Suddenly Harry saw movement in the display case. [Sssss You are a speaker! Sssss I've always wanted to talk to a Sssspeaker. Itssss ssso boring hereSssss] Harry saw a snake move off of the mulch and out from underneath the low hanging ferns that it had blended in with. The rest of the hissing voices around the display became silent at the interruption by the new voice in their daily game of "insult the humans." Many heads in displays pushed up against the glass and began to try to look down the hall to where Harry was speaking with the Chameleon Snake.
[I didn't realize I was a speaker, what is that?] Harry questioned, eyebrow raised.
[SSSSS You are a wizard who can speak to ussSSSS] The python from the display behind Harry stated, raising its head to look around.
"Quick, Mum, Dad, look over here! Its moving!" Dudley squealed, running over to the python display behind Harry and started to poke and pound on the glass. Cringing, Harry turned back to the Chameleon Snake, ignoring his relatives' annoying actions.
[A wizard? How can you be sure?] Harry asked the snake before him.
A voice came from above his head, a display that lined the roof, [sssss we can tastessss it... only wisssards can speak parsel sssss yet, you taste... you smell... different than normal wisssardssssss... more like the earthssss] An Egyptian asp stated.
[So what does that mean? I can do magic or something] Harry said, not liking the idea that he really could be a "freak" as his relatives called him.
[YeSsssss] The Chameleon said from in front of him.
Harry took a step back and continued to ignore Dudley's and now Vernon's incessant pounding on the python's glass. Harry had to think. Did he care that he could do magic? Did it make him a freak? Well, yes, he did care... However, was that a bad thing? He thought. Could this be a good thing? Could this be how I survived...? Better yet, could this be how I thrive.
[SSSSS Can you shut these two up or get me out of here so that I can deal with them PleaseSSSSS?] The python groused from behind Harry, inspiring a new swing to his thoughts.
"This could be it!" Harry's brain triggered. "This could be what I'm looking for to solve all of my problems!" Harry thought with incredible giddiness.
It was all coming together in his mind. It was all making sense. The feeling that he had been having, the tingles and the ability to talk to his siblings... His ability to grow healthy and shrug off all of the years of abuse... His ability to defend himself from his Uncle's blows... It was the magic. Maybe nature and the forces of the world were using him to solve its problems.
Perhaps, just perhaps, he could be the solution for the problem that was the humans.
Smiling a smug, and what some may call evil smile, Harry thought, "Ok, so I have the defense down. But if Nature is going to use me, then I will need to start acquiring the offensive abilities." Harry then turned his attention back to the two snakes in front and behind him, the Egyptian asp, the python, but especially the poisonous Chameleon snake.
[How would you all like to make a deal?] He said with a small smirk.
[SSSSS What is the deal and what is in it for uSSSSS?] The python said, now cringing a bit from the growing headache caused by the pounding of the two tubs of lard that were Harry's human kin.
[SSssss Yeah, what do we get out of it? What can you do for us while we are stuck in these gilded cagesSsssss?] Hissed the Chameleon.
[That's just it] Harry said with a gleam in his eye, he didn't remember ever being this happy before, [I can get you out of your cages, and in return you help me out. Sound like a deal?]
[SSS ssssSSSsSSS Yes, FreE ME, pick me, FREE ME SSSssSsSsSs] Issued from all of the cages up and down the hall, all of the snakes had been listening into the conversation as much as they could over the pounding of Vernon and Dudley.
[That's just it, you help me to... how should I say it... "evolve"... and I will help you all have a fighting chance to escape... All of you.] Harry said, looking up and down the hall.
Hissing issued up and down the hall, so fast and furiously that Harry couldn't seem to catch it... and then it was silent for a second.
[SSSS I speak for all of us, Yes, we will accept your offer, as long as you don't hurt or kill us in your... "evolving" SSSSS Are we agreed? SSSS] The python said from behind Harry, now squinting in the light from a pounding migraine.
[Yes, I agree] Harry said. With that, Harry put his hand against the wall and closed his eyes. All of the reptiles in the room became silent.
Harry thought back to the night that he had learned to speak to his siblings, had decided that he would no longer "just survive" but that he would take an active role in thriving. The night that, he realized, that his 'magic' woke up and helped him. He thought back to the feeling of the change that had gone through him that night, and he followed that memory of a feeling back through his body until he could almost see or sense a large white glowing sea of... something... floating through his system. He surmised that this could only be his magic.
Looking at his magic, Harry thought about what he wanted to do, what he wished to do... what he intended to do...
Harry's magic reacted, and followed his will...
A wave of power rippled out of Harry's hand that was pressed on the wall, as if he had dropped a large stone in a calm palm, the ripples spread up and down the walls, over the ceilings and floors and encompassed the entire reptile house. Where ever that wave went, whenever it touched glass, that glass immediately disappeared.
His new friends, and now extended family, were free...
Mass Pandemonium... Sheer Chaos...
It was an absolute madhouse as reptiles seemed to dart out of their once enclosed boxes. Many of the visitors were yelling and screaming, pushing and shoving their way towards the exits. One lady had passed out when the Gardner snake, a harmless non-poisonous green snake, had slithered out of its enclosure and landed on her head. The little snake could be heard laughing as it slithered down her splayed-out body and towards the door.
The chaos was only increased by the fact that both Dudley and Vernon fell through the now non-existent glass to the python exhibit and fell sputtering into the water of the enclosure.
The python was the first to fully leave the displays around Harry, which gave Harry a sinister and slightly humorous new plan.
His hand still on the wall, a new ripple shot out of the right wall, flew across the ceiling to the python's former habitat and became the new glass enclosed home of one Vernon, and one Dudley, Dursley.
Petunia didn't know whether to scream and run away, or scream and try and help her precious Dudli-kins and Vernon. Her brain decided for her and she passed out, hitting her head on a hand rail and no doubt giving her a nice headache to match the one that Vernon and Dudley's pounding had given the python.
Harry loved his life!
Fighting to keep the huge grin off of his face, Harry turned his attention back to his task at hand. Taking his hand off the wall, Harry held out his right hand to first the Egyptian Asp's display, and then to the Chameleon Snake's display. Both reptiles slithered out of their enclosures and entwined themselves through his fingers and over and around his wrist. Harry then turned back to his left and beckoned for the python to join him, reaching his left hand down, he used the strength he had gained from his adaptation of the roach to pick up the python and rest the large snake around his shoulders. All in all, Harry was showing the very poisonous snakes, and the constrictor, a great deal of faith and trust. Then again, the snakes were showing him a great deal of trust in helping them escape, performing magic on them, and being picked up by him.
[Come my friends, this will not hurt at all. I promise that when this is done I will help you get out of here.] Harry stated to the snakes that were threaded around his limbs.
Again Harry closed his eyes and communed with his magic, asking it for the abilities to adapt... to be like his new family... To better be able to survive, to be more like them... To have the offensive gifts to thrive...
Magic answered him again...
For the initial moment, Harry didn't feel anything really happen, nor did he see any changes in his reflection in the now reappeared glass on the "Dursley Display."
However it was upon opening his mouth to talk to the snakes that he realized he had in fact changed.
Sticking his tongue out to talk to the snakes, he realized that he was picking up a new sensation, a million different flavors or smells seemed to be issuing from his surroundings and directly to his tongue... "This may make it tough to eat garbage." He thought to himself. Secondly, he realized that his facial bones felt like they had been changed or moved.
His jaw felt different, almost like it could be unhinged if he wanted it to. This caused Harry to smile an impossibly wide "Cheshire cat" type grin... "This had definite possibilities." He thought to himself, while swirling his tongue over his teeth and the top of his mouth. This is how he made his third introspective discovery...
He had fangs, or at least the possibility of fangs... "Maybe they can be moved he thought." Smiling at his reflection in the glass and pulling on his lips with his fingers. Doing so, and slightly opening his mouth, he was able to realize that he could fully extend and retract said fangs... That and there was some kind of "sack" or growth just on the inside of the roof of his mouth.
"Brilliant!" He said with a gleam, "I've got venom!" It was then that he looked from his face to his body, and came to a startling discovery; his body wasn't there!
"Bloody hell! What happened?" He said, moving a bit to the left. In doing so he was relieved to see that what he had thought to be his non-existent body was really just magically painted to look like the open exhibit behind him. It appeared that his magic was making his body below his head, clothes and all, blend into the background. It was as if Harry had been standing in front of a billboard and an over-enthusiastic painter has just painted Harry into the background.
Taking a step to the right, and then the left, Harry saw in his reflection that his blending didn't happen immediately. When he stood still, he was slowly able to fade into the background, looking like he was part of the scenery. Concentrating, he realized that he could make his body and his clothing appear as they had been; his clothes returning to all of their oversized and worn out "glory."
"Boy!" Vernon's voice startled Harry "I know you did this you Freak! Get us out of here! This has your unnatural freakiness written all over it!" He foamed from his mouth at Harry; a vein threatening to burst from Vernon's forehead. "When I get out of here you are going to get it!"
"Why Uncle," Harry said with a maniacal gleam in his eye, "Who said you are going to get out of there?" Harry said, casually strolling towards the enclosure. "You threatened to leave me at the zoo, and I'm merely taking you up on it." He said, catching a glimpse of zoo keepers through the glass of the reptile house's doors; they were quickly running towards the reptile house. "I'll just leave you here with your precious Dudli-kins, and we will see who the zoo keepers think are the "freaks." He said, casually running his hand down the glass, almost serpent like in its caress of the glass.
"Ta Ta Uncle... Pray that we don't meet again... for when we do... you will be the one to "get it."
With that said Harry took a gliding step back and closed his eyes.
Slowly Harry, and his reptile friends draped about him, faded into the background; totally disappearing.
Harry's disappearance was just in time for the zoo keepers to open and run through the door to the reptile house. They had heard the tales from the other visitors and had come to deal with the "crazy freak walrus of a man" who'd let all of the snakes escape. Must have been some kind of green-peace or PETA fanatic, they thought as they saw the man and the boy locked in the glass enclosure, the woman who had reportedly been with them laying unconscious on the floor.
Nice of him and his accomplices to get captured in, and around, the glass enclosure like that, the zoo keepers thought with a smile.
AN: I write this story for fun. Part of that fun is hearing what people think about the chapter and my ideas for Harry. I'm planning on him going through the cannon verse, and am really looking forward to getting to Harry's impressions on the wizards and purebloods, as well as the magical animals and species. If any of this interests you, write reviews. I'm not promising any sort of update, but the fact that I received so many good questioning/commenting reviews this weekend inspired me to put out this second chapter. So write reviews, inspire more creativity, get more chapters. Best wishes!