First Degree Encounter
Since arriving in this place nothing had made sense. First he wakes up in the middle of a forest, and thinking it being the Forbidden Forest, he starts walking trying to find Hogwarts at its border. After walking for what seemed hour he starts suspecting this can’t be nowhere near Hogwarts, or maybe Britain at all. There are so many different plants he never learned about in Herbology. And the Forest itself felt different somehow; denser, older and scarier even.
It took him at least two days walking around in a stupor to realise he too had changed. He was small. Too small. Child sized even! After a at least 5 minutes panic attack he decided it all was just a dream and he would wake up, if not at Hogwarts then in his cupboard at the Dursleys. That plan went out the metaphorical window at a whole day spent waiting for himself to wake up and ending up only hungrier and thirstier for it.
His next decision was to ignore it. Whatever happened to he would eventually find out, but for that to happen he had to keep living so next order of business was water and food.
Potter luck never fails and he eventually can hear a river and find plenty of berries around. He keeps following the river for two more days, his small legs not taking him as far as his teenage legs would, until he hears some dragging sounds, some leaves being jolted around and… was that an animal panting? Maybe it would be prudent to check it out?
Slowly, cautiously he approaches to check whatever it is that is behind the bushes. It ends up not being something but someone. He has never seen someone like this before, such sharp teeth, the heavy breaths the creature exhales, the pointy ears, the blackish skin. A little feet away from the stranger lies an axe. From the marks on the clearing’s floor he can deduce the stranger dragged itself to rest on that tree.
Maybe he should help? He has been following the river when he heard the strange sound that he now realises was the creature dragging itself through the floor and panting. Yes, he should help. He has seen and eaten some bush berries he passed by, and could go back to collect some more for the stranger and then he can probably find a leaf that is big enough to fold and bring water in it. Yes, yes, it is decided.
Sometime later the sees himself entering the clearing and having those yellow eyes focused on him. A low grow escaping the strange creature’s throat.
Maybe, just maybe Harry hasn’t thought this through. Now that he is under this piercing stare he is scared to walk closer. What if the stranger use those teeth on him!? They look quite sharp!
Still holding a bunch of berries against his chest between his two hands, he extends them to show the stranger that he is, in fact, trying to help. Making that yellow stare move from his eyes to his hands. The grow stops and the stranger looks bewildered for a second and then it locks his eyes on Harry’s one more time. The growling stopped.
Harry takes one cautious step closer and the stranger is still quiet. Feeling emboldened, Harry keeps slowly creeping closer until he is a step away from the other’s extended legs. If he crouched and extended his hand, he would be able to touch the stranger’s feet.
Eyes still locked he lowers himself and leaves the berries by the foot cladded feet.
“Those are good. I had them before. No stomach ache, promise.” he says before retreating to the other side of the clearing, observing. There is no movement, no sign that the other understood him. But Harry doesn’t care as he has another mission to complete right now: finding a leaf big enough to hold some gulps of water.
With a last look back Harry enters the forest again and disappears in the foliage, leaving the silent stranger alone.
x x x
The leaf is half his size. Not that he is anywhere near big, but for a leaf, that is quite a size! Folding it in a way he can scoop quite an amount of water, he makes his way delicately through the forest, back to his… guest.
Apparently the other heard him approaching because it is intently observing as Harry makes his way closer, huge leaf carried between his arms in a strange hold that resembles a hug.
They lock gazes again when Harry made to the middle of the clearing. Harry looks at the stranger’s hands, only now noticing the claws. Strong, pointy black claws that could make a lot of damage in this small body Harry currently habits.
He notices then that the berries are gone. He smiles a little at that. He knew those berries were good!
Harry looks the stranger in the eye again, now a little more than apprehensive.
“If I bring you the water, do you promise not to use those on me?” he says, pointedly looking at the claws. The stranger looks back, unimpressed. “I mean, if I die, who’s fetching you water again?”
After a few more moments of staring the stranger slightly nods his head.
Harry walks all the way to the stranger, and notices how bizarre he smells. That smell that only wild animal hold, mixed with sweat and blood and… something else he cannot decipher.
“You hold it here so the leaf won’t unwind.” He motions to the fold at the side of his improvised bucket/cup and the stranger snots. Maybe he thought Harry’s leaf-cup funny? Who knows. Harry helps he drink anyway.
Only now Harry notices the creature, (well, probably a he, a male, now that he sees him up close) has an hand holding his side all this time. He also notices a black substance marring the stranger’s armour and clothes.
“You are hurt!” Harry exclaims, kneeling down and going to touch the wound with his hands, trying to take a better look at the damage. Only to have teeth closing near his face and a loud growl next to his ear, startling a yell out of him, only to be shoved back to the middle of the clearing by a big black hand.