Freak of Nature
I don't own Harry Potter, blah blah blah I don't make money off of this blah blah blah… There's your disclaimer.
AN: People asked when Harry is going to Hogwarts… my reply, read the story and find out. I may give hints to you via a reply to your review, but I am NOT going to tell the plot before I write it (probably because I don't exactly know the plot before I write it, it kind of writes itself*). Frankly, if I have to live with it, so do you! Thanks for all the reviews; they inspire me to write more. Best wishes, and on with the Show!
[Parcel]
/Creepy Crawlies/
{Beast Speak}
(foreign languages)
Chapter 4: Death in the Long Grass…
"Being charged by a bull elephant can be quite a thrill. Don't climb a tree, by the way." – A lesson learned from "Death In The Long Grass" by Peter Capstick
As the large crate was lugged off of the rusty truck, the two African smugglers panted and swayed under the heavy load, hoping that their theft would lead to great riches for the two of them. Apparently they didn't read English; otherwise they would have realized that a crate stamped with twenty-five different "WARNING" signs may not be the best item to steal…
Poaching animal parts is a big industry in Africa, whether for traditional medicine used in the Eastern Asian regions or, as in the case with most magical animals killed, potion supplies. A daily battle takes place in the African veldt, it is a battle to the death between AK-47 toting poachers and M-16 and 50-calibur machinegun wielding game rangers. You would think that the ranger's would have the advantage, but with the Kruger National Park taking up 2 million hectares of land and the few number of rangers or police, the animals are often ripe for the slaughter. This truth can also be said for many other parts of Africa. Though some authorities try very hard, and warehouses of ivory tusks and animal parts are seized, corruption is rampant and the countries are poor. Often it just takes a few Rand slapped into the "right" hand, and two men are able to swipe a crate of "rare-animals" out of a protected warehouse. Having secreted the large crate out of the cargo warehouse at the Cape Town International airport and onto their truck, the two men drove north out of the city for five hours and parked in the bushveldt of the Free State, near the border with Lesotho.
The two were hoping for a baby rhino, the horns were worth a lot of money on the black market where they would be ground up and sold to Asian men hoping to increase their libido. Even a small leopard would be worth the effort that it took to carry the 300 pound crate all the way out here to the wilderness. They would be thrilled to get a magical animal, as pretty much any part of them could be used for potions. It's probably important to note that the magic and the mundane communities tended to mix a lot more on the African continent. With animalistic and ancestor/spirit worship based religions abundant, the mix between magic and the everyday life was strongly intertwined. Many magical institutes and scientific communities would be shocked to find out that they both agreed that life probably began somewhere in Africa; and the magic of the land was still very alive and strong to this day.
One of the men readied his club as the other prepared to use a crowbar on the crate. Working as a team that had pulled this heist before, one of the men opened the crate with the crowbar and pulled the door of the crate off, quickly jumping out of the way so that the man with the club could jump in and club whatever animal existed inside the large box...
However, this is when their career of smuggling took a definite turn for the worse… The box was empty.
One man looked at the other, "(What the hell! How is it so empty and yet so Heavy?) He cursed in Zulu.
(I don't know, did they line the box with lead or something? It weighs so much!) The second replied in the same language, anger and confusion written across his face.
Just then, the sound of a *YAWN* coming from the inside of the crate interrupted the two men before they could begin arguing or fighting with each other about who's idea it was steal an empty box...
Looking at each other in open mouth confusion, they both turned their bodies around and stuck their heads in the box for a second look.
Suddenly, two smallish hands shot out of the box's opening, wrapping around one man's neck and hooking the jaw of the one with the open mouth, pulling both of them into box kicking and SCREAMING!
(DEMON! AAGGGGHHHHH Blah!) one said, quickly expiring…
The second one didn't really say anything…
Those Zulu *clicks* in the back of the mouth are especially hard to do when one doesn't have a tongue… It's especially of hard to say anything, no matter the language, when you don't have a head...
The box shook for a second, and then, the legs of both men disappear into the box...
*Burp*
"Blah, when did these two guys bathe last!" Harry's voice could be heard issuing from the box, "They taste almost as bad as Stan!" Said Harry, spitting out a piece of one of the man's rubber shoes.
Sticking out his tongue to taste the wind outside the box, Harry was able to ascertain that there were no more human's about.
Stepping out of the box, he continued to taste the wind [Hisssss] His flickering tongue telling him that the wind was full of flavors, full of smells... it was full of animal smells, both predator and prey.
He was here, he had made it to Africa, he smiled his large evil smile. "Time to become one with the wild" Harry thought as he faded into the background...
His clothes suddenly became visible and dropped to the ground, and then there was no trace of Harry Potter.
Africa is a damn dangerous place to be, pretty much anything can kill you. The centipedes are full of cyanide, the spiders are pretty much all poisonous and some grow to be a foot across in diameter. If the insects don't get you, why then the local snakes go by the fun English translations of "minute man" and "two step"; implying that if one snake bites you it only takes a minute for the venom to kill a full grown man, or that the other one bites you, you take a step, stumble another, and die. Even the cute little things can kill you.
Take the "bambi" of the bushveldt for instance, the little Duiker. This cute little deer with cute brown eyes stands at roughly 40 centimeters at the shoulder and weighs about 15 kilogram's on average; for those American's out there, that's less than two feet tall and about 33 pounds. These "cuddly" little guys are herbivores; patiently and meekly eat vegetation in the forests and plains of South Africa…
However, if you piss off this little bugger, they've been known to cover about 100 meters in record breaking speeds and will attack you with its little 2 to 3 inch horns. Now 2 to 3 inch horns don't sound like much, until you realize that they are razor sharp, serrated, and big game hunters have recorded instances of the Duiker gutting a lion that injured it, and then turning on the big game hunter near by, only to spill his guts on the ground also… Isn't Africa such a lovely place to live? Don't get me started on the proverbial "Big Five" animals, the most "dangerous" animals to hunt. Surprisingly, the Lions and leopards are the light weights in the human killing category, it's the hippo's and the water buffalo you really need to watch out for…
Into this crazy food chain called South Africa stepped a naked Harry Potter. If Harry wanted to be the preeminent predator on earth and beat back the humans, he first needed to survive the veldt. Even with his magic and his abilities it was going to be a tough call, for better trained individuals had tried. In fact, the South African military regularly dumped its special forces guys butt-naked into the veldt; if they were still alive in three weeks when the helicopter came to pick them back up, then they are able to join the special forces. This is what 10 year old Harry Potter willingly walked into.
[hisss] Harry quietly tested the wind as he crawled through the grass towards the herd of impala. His first few fruitless hunts had taught him the lesson of staying down-wind from the herd and laying low.
He had first attempted to use his chameleon skills to just walk slowly towards the herd, just as he had gone after the penguins back at the zoo. Unfortunately for him, he hadn't taken into account the fact that the animals at the zoo did not equate the "human" smell as that of a predator; well, at least not at first when he started hunting them. The animals on the veldt were a tiny bit different…
Thinking back to his first hunt, he had a lot to be thankful for in that he learned his lessons quickly, if not painlessly…
Thank god for his chitinous armor, for when the herd of water buffalo he had been hunting smelled Harry, they were ticked off! They couldn't see him, but water buffalo are incredibly intelligent; much to Harry's chagrin in thinking that big meant dumb… at least that is what he had learned from dealing with the Dursleys.
The water buffalo knew Harry was there, they just couldn't see him. So, just as they would deal with a lion who dared to hunt them through the long grass, they all turned to face Harry... and Charged!
"Uh oh" had been about the extent of Harry's witty comments when faced with the combined charging weight of two M1-Abrams tanks coming at him. A heard of charging animals with big pointy horns and muscles that require a heart the size of a full grown man's head are not to be messed with lightly…
Fortunately, or unfortunately as it seemed at the time, the water buffalo's didn't see Harry, so they were content to only run him over once rather than circling around or tracking him until they could pound him into oblivion…
That experience had taught Harry many things as he shook off the shock of having his head stepped on and his proverbial arse kicked:
1. Big does not mean dumb when it comes to animals, only Humans; better yet, better double check to make sure that is true…
2. Approach from downwind and stay low to the ground, it protects the important bits… that horn had really hurt!
3. You must be able to outsmart your prey. Learn how they react and plan for it!
4. Harry Potter is not invincible…
It was the last one that had really drilled the point home, literally. In the center of Harry's right leg was a puncture wound the size of an apple, pierced right through his hip, shattering the covering of chitinous armor; a horn that had gotten in a lucky hit. On a child of ten's body, an apple sized wound to the leg threatened to tear the entire leg off. He knew he healed quickly, but he didn't know if he could grow back a lost limb… and losing a limb in the middle of the veldt was a death sentence!
Other places on his body had shown cracked armor, and he looked like he had spider webs of bruising leaking through the armor across his chest where he had been stepped on in the stampede…
Fortunately, he had healed very quickly after he was able to feed. However, he had had to resort to climbing a tree and laying in wait for the first animal to come his way… Unfortunately, and to his eternal disgust, he had to eat some kind of monkey… "Blah!" Harry grumbled as he spit out a mouthful of fur "This poo thrower even has a bright red arse! This is disgusting!" Harry had complained between forced munches of raw primate. That memory would haunt him and drill the lesson into his brain to the end of his days… God did he hate monkeys! *Shiver*
Drawing his attention back to the Impalas Harry was in the process of hunting, he noticed that the herd had shifted closer to his position… "Perfect" he thought to himself as he crawled his armor clad body through the grass...
The combination of the chitin and the pigment in his skin had turned him into a tanned brownish color that matched well with the grass; so even without his chameleon ability he would have been able to blend in somewhat. He had taken to wearing his full armor all the time now after having spent his time in the tree eating the monkey *Bleck* to gain conscious control of his armor ability. Before that, it had always just been his magic that brought the armor out to protect him when he needed it. Now though, he looked like a cross between a heavily armored beetle and a knight in plate-mail. He had grown also, stronger, taller, and faster… as little boys are apt to do, and especially little boys with advanced abilities…
Creeping through the grass, pushing it out of his way slowly so that he was in the perfect "blind" to pounce on the impala, he picked his target. Towards the edge of the herd was a solitary doe who had wandered a bit from the main bulk of the herd; following a particular "tasty" line of grass… Grass that happened to lead the impala right towards Harry's hiding place.
Sticking his tongue out with anticipation, a lot like the old basketball player Michael Jordon, Harry leaped through the air, probably putting the old basketball star to shame with Harry's athleticism and airtime...
*Pounce* Harry let his weight drive the Doe into the earth, breaking its back and allowing him to grab the doe around the neck; It was then that he smelled the lions who had apparently been hunting the same herd…
A lioness jumped out of the brush about 10 feet to Harry's right and rushed by Harry to snag a buck impala… digging her claws in and crushing its neck with her teeth!
The herd scattered! Running away from the two equally terrifying, yet differently equipped, predators that attacked them… Right into the waiting pride of lions who had been hidden in the grass on the right and left sides of the herd, a perfect pincher maneuver!
Harry noted that he could learn a lot from this group, if only he had a pack of his own… That's when Harry's real trouble began…
It was a relatively large pride of lions, and due to Harry's "interference" some of the pride would go hungry due to the herd startling too quickly… Harry noted, that if Lion's had expressions… these lions would definitely be termed "Not Happy Disney Singing Type Lions."
Now it came down to not only protecting Harry's kill, but also protecting his own life…
Keeping an arm wrapped around the impala, Harry crouched down and started to drag his kill back into the brush… Keeping his head down, he made sure to constantly be moving his head so that any movement would be seen by in his peripheral vision. Ever so slowly backing away from the now prowling pride so as not to show any fear or weakness…
If one was to see into the minds of the lions, they would note that they had never smelled an "animal" like Harry before, nor had they seen anything like him; though he did smell a bit like humans, an animal which they hunted yet also feared…
Growling, the lions started to spread out around the retreating figure, if Harry wanted to get out of this alive, he was going to have to give up his kill, or fight the lions…
Fortunately for Harry, he noted as he quickened his pace to back away from the pride, most of the lions had broken off and were starting to devour the 4 impala that they had caught… that only left about 3 lions to deal with… still not a number Harry wanted to tangle with if he had to, but he wanted his kill! No way in hell was he going to be stuck eating monkey again; and if the lion's wanted his kill, they were going to have to take it over his dead body!
Apparently, the lions thought that the "dead body" arrangement would work well for them…
Catching movement off to his left, Harry ducked down into a crouch and animalisticly spread his hands wide like claws, dropping the impala carcass, and [HISSSSSSSING!] in rage at the lion that had started to dart at him!
This had the effect of bringing the lion skidding to a stop in the dirt, still out of range of Harry…
The lion was startled; this armored being sounded like the big predator snakes… Even a pride of lions wasn't stupid enough to tangle with a black mamba on the hunt, and this "creature" sounded just like one, and it's almost glowing green eyes were definitely off putting… It even had the slight smell of a snake…
But still, hunger was a powerful motivator, and unfortunately for Harry, these lions were hungrier than they were fearful... The 3 lions all twitched their tales, and then charged him at the same time...
Testing the wind with his tongue, Harry had gauged their intent and sprang into action, pouncing forward towards the middle lion! Effectively escaping the flanking action of the two lionesses he drove the startled male lion into the ground...
Harry was able to bite the male lion's shoulder before he was flung off of its back, rolling across the dusty ground and then back to his feet.
Shuffling his feet to brace himself, the dust billowing up around him, he prepared to meet the other two lions who had landed and were now charging at him…
*POW!* The two female lions met Harry at the same time, blowing him over and devolving the battle into a slashing smashing biting roil on the ground!
Harry was able to punch the first lion in the head while she attempted to sink her teeth into Harry's collar and neck, crunching down with her jaws in an attempt to either wrip him to pieces or suffocate him! Harry retaliated with a quick swing of his head to the right, biting the lioness on the face, while using his feet and hands to try and throw the other lion off of his chest!…
The second lioness had latched her mouth onto his upper arm and was scrabbling her claws against his belly and thighs in an attempt for her hind claws to disembowel, or neuter, Harry...
Fortunately, the lionesses' claws and jaws were unable to penetrate the armor on either his stomach, privies, or on his hand and shoulder where they had latched onto him. They just didn't have the sharpness to penetrate his armored torso, nor the crushing power in their jaws to penetrate through the thick ridges that protected his jugular vein and throat…
Releasing his bite on the face of the lion gnawing on his neck, Harry jabbed his finger from his free hand into the eye of the lion that was thrashing its teeth on his other arm, effectively poking out the eye and gaining a handhold by which to pry her off his other hand. The burst fluid from the ruined eye spilled down his hand and arm, the pain of the ruined eye and Harry's grasp forcing the lion to let go of his trapped hand, and causing the lion to thrash its head about with a cry of pain… The lion furiously attempted to free herself from Harry's probing finger and hand clenching and digging into the uppermost part of her skull and muzzle!
But now it was Harry's turn to strike back! He felt the clenching pressure on his shoulder release, and the claws of the first lioness slow their scrabbling on his armored belly as she succumbed to his powerful venom…
Still partially trapped under the weight of the first lioness who was now in at its moment of death, Harry focused his full attention on the thrashing crying lioness who was attempting to get him to release his grip on her face… No longer was she thinking of attacking, only escaping this terrifying creature that had already killed two of her pride; the male lion having quickly died in convulsions from Harry's toxic bite.
Harry was having none of it, the rules of nature had to be followed, and one of the number one rules was, you tangle with a higher level predator, you pay the price, and oh was the second lioness going to pay…
Left arm now freed from the jaws of the lioness, Harry rolled out from under the weight of the dead lioness and whipped out his left hand and grabbed the thrashing one-eyed lioness by the throat, cutting off the blood flow from her jugulars to her brain, and bringing all of his strength to choke out any ability for her to breath!
"*Rooahnwwwwwggggglglgl…..*" The lioness's growl turned into a gasping gurgle as she lost the ability to send air over her vocal cords.
Standing up, both hands firmly attached to the head of the lioness, Harry pulled the 180 pound lioness up off the ground, her legs flailing to get some traction on the ground, or, to try and disembowel Harry.
Growling at the lion in return Harry released the throat of the lioness, but before she had a chance to draw in a breath, he plunged his left thumb into the lioness's good eye, and began to pull his arms apart!
Harry's muscles bulged until… *POP*… The lioness's skull cracked apart, spewing grey matter, spinal fluid and blood across Harry and the ground… By this point the other lions in the pride had all stood up and were facing Harry…
Harry turned his baleful glare against the other lions, dropped the mangled corpse of the lioness, and then [HIIISSSSSSSSSSSSed!] at the lion pride...
Harry's magic awoke, his arms beginning to rise, an eerie light illuminating Harry's eyes, and an ethereal wind started to pick up around Harry; blowing the dust around him and seeming to pick the blood from the pool up around him and swirl it up into a mini twister that threatened to hide his figure from the lions... The still living lions started to back away, the unnaturalness of this creature startling them, but it was too late!
Tentacles of flesh and blood from the ruined lioness struck out of the whirlwind surrounding Harry, slicing into the lions closest to him! Whipping through the bodies of the three lions closest to him with so much force, one lion was bisected in a heartbeat, another beheaded and the third one was ripped apart by two straining tentacles that had wrapped around its head and hind legs!
At this point the surviving lions decided that Yes, they were hungry, but most of all, they weren't stupid!
Turning tail and running, whining like kicked kittens, the large cats scattered into the brush, leaving their kills and former pride members behind…
"AAAAAAGGGGGRRRRRRGGGHHH!" Harry gave a yell in triumph as the cloud of blood, dust and guts surrounding him exploded outwards, covering his surroundings… It was "a bit" impressive, but only "a bit" impressive... It would have been "seriously" impressive if he hadn't been a pre-pubescent boy with a voice as high pitched as a soprano…
Slumping his shoulders and taking a big deep breath, Harry closed his eyes and allowed his body to relax… the wind around him ceased to swirl… leaving Harry alone in the trampled grass with the corpses of four impala and five lions; the mangled lioness who was eaten by his magic was more like a thin layer of red paste smeared across the surroundings.
Looking around, Harry paused for a moment, and then went about emotionlessly cleaning up his kill. There was no way that he could eat all of the meat surrounding him, so he went about eating the choice parts out of the impala and swallowed a fawn that had been downed. He then started to open up the dead lions and eat the choice organs.
The corpses of the lions gave him an idea. Making sure not to damage the skins of the lions as much as was possible, he yanked the claws out of the body of a lioness and used them to skin the male and relatively whole lioness. He figured that he had gone on long enough with unprotected "dangly bits." When those two lionesses had tackled him, he had come mighty close to "never getting a girlfriend," so perhaps it was time to make a loincloth that covered over the chitinous plate that protected most of his privies. Perhaps giving up on all of parts of human civilization wasn't the best idea overall, clothes definitely had their purpose...
Using the lioness's hide as his protection, he carried the large male's hide off as his trophy and trooped back to the trees that he slept in. It would be night soon, and night on the veldt was both very dark… and very dangerous.
AN: Well, I have another 4000 words written up, but this felt like a good stopping spot for this chapter. I've received a lot of good reviews, and it's because of those reviews that I post chapters so frequently. Keep them coming, keep inspiring me, and I'll keep on writing! Best wishes!