Out Of The Darkness
Chapter 20
Getting To Know One Another
"What and who exactly is Fluffy?" asked Acheron, it wasn't the question really on his mind but his curiosity overrode his desire to know. As he followed Harry through to his small bedroom. Harry was in his trunk obviously looking for something. When he heard Acheron speaking he turned around and grinned at him. He had pulled out a pair of pyjamas, he was tired and exhausted. Unlike Ash and the others he got exhausted when he used magic. He found it highly unfair, but he couldn't complain after all he'd just done. It was well worth any exhaustion he had to put up with.
"A three headed dog," explained Harry, going through to the bathroom, it held a single shower and toilet. It really was a basic little place, considering Ash didn't stay there often it would do.
"You mean a Cerberus?" asked Acheron surprised.
"Heh…well three headed dogs are named Cerberus yes," said Harry sarcastically. Closing the clear door to the shower shut, Ash just followed him in sitting on the toilet. It didn't look like he was going to give in any time soon. "For future knowledge I prefer having a bath by the way." normally showers were too small for him. His head normally either hit the shower head or loomed over it. Kind of defeated the purpose of having a shower at the end of the day.
"You have been to Hades domain?" asked Acheron not sure if he should be surprised by anything Harry told him anymore.
"No, they are bred in my world, Hagrid had her, he named her fluffy he loved all 'seriously misunderstood creatures' he called them. If he liked it then it was most likely dangerous. The bigger the better in his case, he loved dragons. He was a half giant so he was able to control them." said Harry as if sensing Acheron's next question.
"Dragon? Who did it turn into?" asked Acheron curiously.
"They were strictly animals, we have lots of them. Unicorns, big spiders, three headed dogs. Pegasus' Thestrals, sort of winged horses you could only see when you've seen someone die. Centaurs all animals in mythology still exist." said Harry scrubbing his body to rid it of the blood.
"So there's nothing that can change into animals then?" asked Acheron, his mind processing everything he'd just learned. Unicorns? Pegasus? They actually existed. Well he had to take back what he'd told people then. He had always thought they were fabled.
"Yes, not all of us can do it though," said Harry smiling at Acheron, he knew a lot about this world. Acheron didn't know much about his yet.
"Can you?" asked Acheron out of pure curiosity.
"Yes," replied Harry grabbing a towel having thoroughly cleaned himself.
"What do you turn into?" asked Ash. He was full of questions today, but that's mostly all they'd done since both of their magicks had been revealed.
"A panther," said Harry throwing a smirk at Ash, "My father turned into a stag. He looked exactly like this…Expecto Patronum!" and a beautiful stag jumped from the mist near Harry's hand. Galloping around the room, Ash stared at it, it looked so real but the second he touched it. It was like touching mist, his fingers went straight through it.
"It's beautiful," admitted Acheron, his silver eyes swirling, much to Harry's pleasure Acheron hadn't manifested those stupid glasses of his.
"Would you like to see more of my world?" asked Harry an idea suddenly striking him. He put on his pyjama bottoms leaving his top half bare.
"How?" asked Acheron cocking his head to the side, observing his lover curiously. His mind had yet to fully comprehend that he was free. That Harry had freed him of Artemis completely. That his life was truly his own for the first time in eleven thousand years.
"I have something that will allow you to see my memories, observe them. It's called a pensive." explained Harry, bringing out the round bowl. "You can even use it to store memories…it helps forget them, dull the emotion only leaving the knowledge behind."
Harry braced himself before he began returning his memories to his head, using his wand for the first time in front of Ash. Those weren't memories he wanted Ash to see. He then began dropping in new memories he did want his lover to see. Adding in the last part of the final battle as an afterthought. If he thought his Harbringer form was horrible, he wondered what Ash would make of Voldemort.
"Go on then, touch it," said Harry grinning widely, he wondered what Ash would be like the first time in a pensive. He had hated it; it had felt so strange and just down right weird. Thankfully he knew how to get himself out of pensive's now so he wouldn't risk being stuck.
"What happens?" asked Acheron staring at the bowl suspiciously.
"Well…it's sort of like a three dimensional um…hologram…" said Harry struggling to explain exactly what happens. Thankfully though he knew enough about Muggle to explain in a term Ash would understand.
Acheron touched the simmering looking liquid, and he wanted to yell as he began falling. Looking around he would have panicked if not for Harry's steady presence right next to him. This was all so alien and new to him, that he just found the whole thing daunting.
"Where are we?" he asked, looking around.
"Inside the pensive, this memory is my first time seeing Hogwarts, look." said Harry pointing in the direction. Acheron looked to it, and watched Hogwarts come into view. It was a beautiful castle, the last place he expected a magical school to be.
"You look eight years old," said Acheron staring at the messy haired child who had a look of complete wonder on his face. He was so much smaller than all the other children. The obvious malnutrition was there for him to see, he looked skin and bone compared to the others.
"I was eleven years old here," said Harry simply.
"Nobody said anything about the fact you were tiny compared to the others?" asked Acheron in disgust.
"Nope," said Harry, "This is the Great Hall," he told Ash as the hat shouted 'Gryffindor' for Harry.
More memories went by; Harry was just showing him clips of them not the entire scenes that would take all night. Ash got to see a Unicorn up close, a Centaur, Cerberus and of course Voldemort at the end of the year. He went on to his second year, Dobby, a small Quidditch game, the effects of Polyjuice potion and the sixty foot basilisk as well as him defeating Voldemort once more. Acheron watched them all going through a variety of different emotions. Then his third year, still not grown much at that point either. The Patronus, the Dementor's, his godfather, the grim, Pettigrew, then going back in time (much to Acheron's incredulity) he muttered about children and time not being a good combination. The stag again, and of course Harry's friends. He dared not say anything, judging by the look on Harry's face their friendship hadn't ended well.
Things got more intense during Harry's fourth year, again still smaller than everyone else. He wondered how Harry managed to get so tall; after all he was still short at the age of fourteen. The Quidditch match, his dream about Voldemort, being picked for the tournament and seeing everyone turning against him. It made Acheron's heart ache for him, he seemed so lost and alone. Him against the world, Ash knew how that felt personally and didn't wish it on his worst enemy. He could be in a crowd and still feel completely alone. Then titbits of the tasks that lay ahead, Acheron actually gaped at the sight of him fighting a fully grown dragon for a bloody tournament task. Then the underwater scene, seeing him rescuing the other champion's most cherished person. After how everyone treated him, he was still the better child. It made Acheron's heart swell with love for him even more. It faded away watching both of them grab a cup and be transported.
He knew about this part, he was ready for the green light coming and ending the life of Cedric Diggory. He watched completely awed, as Harry showed no fear for the creature known as Voldemort. He almost leapt for the ghostly Harry when he began screaming under the torture curse. He knew it would be like just touching the Patronus, a mist. This was nothing more than a memory, no not just a memory. He knew how painful memories could be years after them happening. Watched him his heart swelling with pride, as he risked his life yet again to fulfil Cedric Diggory's last wish. Maybe Harry did have a point about his form…Voldemort was truly a hideous sight to behold. Unfortunately there weren't many good memories he realized, the more he watched.
He got to see the Thestrals and watched part of Harry's fifth year. The toad like woman he wanted to break her neck. Too bad it was really a memory. He watched him save Arthur Weasley's life, and in turn was tricked into the Ministry and watched his godfather die.
The next memory he saw seven Harry's lined up in a small but modest home. It was worse than seeing the Quad triplets in action, he couldn't tell them apart. He had no idea which one was the real Harry! And Harry was getting his kill. That was until he saw Hedwig dying, Harry's owl he'd been fond of her he realized. Then he got fragmented memories of Harry destroying objects. Then he saw Harry in the Great Hall, although you could barely recognize it. He was trying to get Voldemort to see the error of his ways, then went on to defend Severus Snape like a champion he was. He got to see the end of Voldemort before he was suddenly wrenched from the pensive once more. Thankfully he was able to stay on his feet.
"You can use it any time you want," said Harry putting it back into his trunk after taking the memories back. That's when he noticed the small red stone, a thoughtful look coming to his face. He stared at Ash again before taking it out - never touching it with his bare hands.
"Do you know what this is?" asked Harry, showing him the small ruby red stone.
"A jewel?" stated Acheron. But considering everything he'd just seen, he took nothing at the face of value. He knew tiny amulets that had the potential to destroy the world, so it wouldn't surprise him.
"It's so much more than that," smiled Harry sadly, "I meant to throw this away…I feared temptation might be too strong and I'd waste my life. There was one piece of advice my Headmaster did give me… and he said 'It didn't do to dwell on dreams and forget to live'."
"I'm not sure how that applies," said Acheron arching an eyebrow in curiosity.
"This is a resurrection stone, no it doesn't bring people back…but rather lets you see them. It's a way of contacting people who are dead." said Harry quietly. "I…my parents I see them when I hold it…although I haven't done since I was seventeen years old."
Acheron stepped back from it almost fearfully.
"You are holding onto so much misplace guilt Ash, that maybe if you spoke to her…you might finally be able to heal and move on. Ryssa cannot possibly blame you for what happened. If anything the person to blame for this would be Artemis - she drugged you. Nothing short of a miracle could have helped you help her. She was killed for the sole fact of being Apollo's mistress." said Harry holding it out staring at Ash's eyes, as if begging or giving him the strength to do what he needed to do. "Trust me Ash, speak to her."
Ash just continued to stare at the stone his face unreadable.
So will ash give in and see/speak to his sister? will he finally be able to move on with his life? will he use the pensive Harry offered? finally getting rid of all those horrible memories? or will harry gift him with one he can wear around his neck? so he doesnt have to part with them? after all i cant see ash actually letting them out of his sight...people can view the memories as hes just discovered...next chapter Savitar finally makes an appearance and Harry's training truly begins...
so peoples who want to help with the sarcasm :P get typing :D :D :D lol cus soon ill need every single one of them lmaoooo! oh and thank you to the one that sent a few :D i dont know if have replied personally yet...probably not but i need to :) lol R&R PLEASE!