Lia Fail
The rain was falling harder now, though the only sounds that can be heard are his mother's labored breathing, of his sister's muffled cries. It is dark inside the house he once knew so well. Fires burned outside the windows, boarded up now that He had returned.
He could smell the death that floats in the wind, could feel the destruction all around. His friends, he knew, were gone now. Lost in a hopeless flight that even he, at three, knew would never work.
But he was no ordinary boy.
A giant flash of electric green light tore through the room, briefly allowing him to see what was left of his family before throwing him into the wall, where he knew only darkness.
But then, in the black abyss, he heard the screams die away, the fires stopped burning. He could feel his six-year old sister wrap her arms around him. Opening his eyes, he found that they were being carried by a large man, desperation in his eyes.
Who are you, he wanted to ask, but no words would come.
They were tearing through the woods, now in blackened ruins from its former glory. Sinssippi Park, the last great expanse of his dreams, now lay in ashes.
Crying, he buried his head into his sister's shoulder, and felt himself change.
Another flash of light brightens the area, making him see stars behind his eyelids. Looking up, he is now the same age as his sister, who was crying as he was.
"You should be safe here," the large man said, placing the children on the ground while taking their hands. "I'm afraid you'll have to be separated. It's the only way that He won't find you."
Immediately, he began to protest.
"No! I won't leave 'Arper!"
Smiling sadly, the man kneeled in front of the now-six year old child.
"You have to. You must leave the past behind you. When the time is right, your father will find you." Placing his hands on the child's shoulders, he sighed. "For now, you must be strong."
Suddenly, a voice to his left yelled out. "Harry? What are you doing here?"
Shaking his head, the child tried to shy away from the lady that he knew was approaching. "Can't I go with you, Bea?"
"I'm sorry..'
Another flash of green light and he feels like he is falling, everything floating away.
Jerking upright, Harry Potter let out a sigh. That had been the third strange dream in less than a week. Could his life be any weirder? Taking up his glasses from the night stand, he screwed his eyes shut before working the glasses on.
Where had those dreams come from? Why was he having them?
Letting out another sigh, he stepped out of bed, wincing at how, even at ten years old, he muscles seemed to be groaning in protest.
Quickly, he got dressed and was about to head downstairs, but a wayward book somehow managed to trip him up.
Letting out a muffled 'oof,' Harry started to push himself off the floor but was startled by the door opening.
"Harry, are you all right?"
Looking up, he gave his aunt a winning smile.
"Yes, Aunt Petunia. I seemed to have tripped over.." Squinting his eyes, he tried to make out the cover of the book. "My science book? That's where it got off to!'
With a chuckle, his aunt prepared to leave the room. "Since you're up, would you mind helping me with breakfast? It's Dudely's birthday today."
His smile slipped for just an instant before he stood in one fluid motion.
"Yes, I'll help you. Be down in a minute."
With a smile, Petunia left the room, closing the door behind her.
'Great, another birthday,' he thought, putting on some shoes. 'Guess we'll be going to the zoo after all.'
( °)
