Reunion in the woods.
The moment Harry stepped off the train, the weight of Hogwarts slipped from his shoulders like an ill-fitting cloak. He boarded a smaller, less crowded train, traveling further away from civilization, until the towns turned to villages and the villages to nothing but dense forest.
By the time he reached the edge of the woods, the sun had dipped below the horizon, leaving the air cool and heavy with the scent of pine and earth. Harry didn’t hesitate. He walked into the shadows, his steps sure and familiar, the forest welcoming him back like an old friend.
As Harry reached the clearing near the house, a sound like grinding stone rumbled from the darkness. Low, guttural, and unmistakably familiar.
“You’re late,” Harry said, his voice light.
Two empty eyes appeared between the trees, accompanied by the towering, twisted figure of Teeth. The creature emerged slowly, moving with the deliberate grace of a predator, its many rows of jagged teeth glinting in the moonlight.
Harry dropped his bag to the ground and crossed his arms. “Did you miss me?”
Teeth didn’t answer in words—it never did. Instead, it lowered itself until its head was level with Harry’s, sniffing the air around him with a wet, guttural snarl.
“I missed you too,” Harry said, his voice softening.
Without warning, Teeth’s long, clawed arms wrapped around Harry, pulling him into a careful but firm embrace. For anyone else, the gesture might have been terrifying, but Harry leaned into it without hesitation. The creature’s rough, bark-like skin scraped against his robes, and its chest rumbled like distant thunder.
“Alright, alright,” Harry muttered, patting its arm. “I’m not going anywhere.”
Teeth let out a satisfied huff and released him, stepping back to its full height.
The house was just as Harry had left it—weathered but sturdy, nestled among the trees like it had grown there naturally. Inside, Teeth had kept everything in order, though its definition of “order” often involved nests of bones and dried leaves in odd corners.
Harry spent the next few days falling back into their routine. He hunted with Teeth, not out of necessity—he’d brought food from the village—but out of habit and for the thrill of it. Together, they moved through the forest like shadows, silent and swift. Teeth’s presence made him feel untouchable, like no danger in the world could reach him.
At night, they sat by the fire outside the house. Harry would read aloud from one of the books Hermione had given him, and though Teeth didn’t seem to understand, it always listened intently, its "eyes" fixed on Harry.
One evening, Harry pulled a small bundle from his bag. “I brought something for you.”
Teeth tilted its head, curious.
Carefully, Harry unwrapped the bundle to reveal a thick, sturdy chain with a polished black stone pendant hanging from it. The stone gleamed in the firelight, smooth and cold like the forest floor after rain.
“I made it before I left,” Harry explained, holding it up for Teeth to see. “Thought you might like it.”
Teeth extended one clawed finger, touching the pendant delicately. Then, with a low rumble of approval, it lowered its head, allowing Harry to fasten the chain around its neck.
“There,” Harry said, stepping back to admire his work. The chain gleamed against Teeth’s dark skin, the stone resting just above its chest. “Looks good on you.”
Teeth let out a deep, satisfied growl, its eyes "gleaming" brighter than ever.
Harry smiled—a rare, genuine smile that softened the hard edges he carried at school. “Yeah, I missed you too,” he murmured, settling back into his seat by the fire.
The forest around them hummed with the sounds of night, and for the first time in months, Harry felt completely at ease.
He was home.