Chapter One

A/N: I OWN NOTHING!

Little Harry crawled out of the cupboard, nervous that his uncle would hear. He had overheard his aunt and uncle talking about a place called 'Primary school'. Dudley hated it, which just made Harry even more nervous. If Dudley hated it, what would it be like for him?

The only good thing was that he learned what his name was. Uncle Vernon started calling him by his real name, his reasoning that it wasn't normal for a boy his age to not know his name.

But Harry didn't want to go to Primary school. He figured it'd just be like Number Four Privet Drive, only public. He'd stolen Uncle Vernon's old canteen that he'd found while cleaning the shed, taken Dudley's old knapsack that he complained was too 'babyish' (which to Harry's surprise had twenty pounds at the bottom of it—it must have been the pound Dudley would get for the school lunch that Aunt Petunia would give him) and was ready.

The Dursleys were asleep, but Aunt Petunia had left the cupboard unlocked after Harry complained of an upset stomach. She explained to Uncle Vernon that it would be easier for her if she didn't have to clean up any mess the freak made. Once Harry had been sure all three of his relatives were asleep, he snuck out with his items. Into the knapsack, he put some of Dudley's treats—cookies mainly—but put in a few apples. Things Uncle Vernon would never miss.

He waited until he was outside before filling up the canteen. There was a water fountain at the park near the house, and it would be less likely for his relatives to hear. Harry walked to the park, stopping in the shadows whenever he heard a car. Luckily, it happened only once. People didn't seem to drive a lot at midnight.

Filling up the canteen to max capacity, Harry capped it and also stuck it in the knapsack. He didn't want to get dragged down by it. Then he ran off into the night. He ran, never stopping and never looking back. He only stopped when he ran smack dab into someone.

"Sowwy!" Harry cried, fixing his glasses so that he could see.

"It's alright," said a slightly sad voice. To Harry's amazement, it belonged to a…lion cub! Looking around, Harry saw that he was no where in Surry that he could recognize—which wasn't saying much as he only got to go to Mrs. Figgs. "Don't be scared!" the cub said at once, seeing the look of fear on Harry's face. "I won't hurt you. What's your name?"

"Hawwy," Harry said.

"My name's Simba," the cub told him. "What are you?"

"I'm a human," Harry said. Simba looked confused. "Ummm…a haiwless monkey?" he supplied. This seemed to help. Simba seemed to be out of breath.

"Would you like some watew?" Harry asked.

"You have some?" Simba asked. Harry pulled out the canteen and opened it. Simba opened his mouth for Harry to pour some in.

"Thanks," Simba said with a smile. "Where are you from?"

Harry froze a little. "Does it mattew?" he asked. "I won't go back."

"I can't go back either," Simba nodded. "So you running away?"

"Yep!"

"Want to run away with me?"

Harry smiled, it seemed as if he had gained a friend. Simba got down onto all fours.

"Want to ride on my back?" he asked.

"Won't I be too heavy?" Harry said worried.

"You're a little runt," Simba teased. "I'm sure I can manage."

Harry climbed onto Simba's back and they ran deeper into the desert. They forgot to stop for water breaks though, so Harry was surprised when Simba collapsed.

"Simba?" Harry asked worried but he too felt his world go dark.

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When Harry woke up, he was under a nice shady tree next to his friend.

"You okay kid?" asked an unfamiliar voice. Harry reached around for his glasses, and put them on.

Okay, I must be dreaming Harry thought as he laid eyes on a merekat and a warthog.

"You nearly died!" the warthog exclaimed.

"I saved ya," the merekat said proudly and the warthog huffed. "Pumba helped. A little."

Simba came to during their conversation.

"Hey Simba," Harry smiled.

"So where you from?" the merekat asked.

"Does it matter?" Simba asked, repeating Harry's earlier words. "I can't go back. Harry can't either."

"So you're both outcasts! That's great, so are we!" the merekat grinned.

"What'd you do?" Pumba asked. Harry looked on curious at his new friend.

"Something terrible, but I don't want to talk about it," Simba said glumly.

"What about you kid?" the merekat asked Harry.

"Timon," Pumba warned.

"I don't want to talk about it eithew," Harry said avoiding Timon's eyes. He didn't want to say that his aunt and uncle didn't want him. He didn't want to say that he was a freak.

"As my good buddy Timon here always says, you got to put your behind in your past," Pumba said proudly.

"No, no, no! Lie down before you hurt yourself," Timon huffed. "It's you got to put your past behind you. Sometimes bad things happen and there's nothing you can do about it, right? WRONG! When the word turns its back on you, you turn your back on the world."

"That's not what I was taught," Simba said confused.

"Well maybe you need a new lesson," Timon chuckled. "Repeat after me: Hakuna Matata!"

"Hakuna Mawhata?" Harry asked.

"Hakuna Matata," Pumba said slowly. "It means no worries!"

Timon: Hakuna Matata!
What a wonderful phrase

Pumbaa: Hakuna Matata!
Ain't no passing craze

Timon: It means no worries
For the rest of your days

Timon pulled Simba and Harry over to a green bush and leans them back on it.

Both:

It's our problem-free
Philosophy

Hakuna Matata!

"Hakuna Matata?" Simba asked.

"Yeah, it's our motto," Pumba nodded.

"What's a motto?" Harry asked.

"Nothing, what's a motto with you?" Timon asked and began to laugh.

"You know kids, these two words will solve all your problems," Pumba said laughing.

"That's right!" Timon nodded. "Take Pumba for example."

Timon: Why, when he was a young warthog...

Pumbaa: When I was a young wart hoooog!

Timon: {cleaning ear} Very nice.

Pumbaa: Thanks!

Timon: He found his aroma lacked a certain appeal
He could clear the savannah after every meal

Pumbaa: I'm a sensitive soul, though I seem thick-skinned
And it hurt that my friends never stood downwind
And oh, the shame

Timon: He was ashamed!

Pumbaa: Thoughta changin' my name
[Oh, what's in a name?]
And I got downhearted
[How did you feel?]
Ev'rytime that I...

Timon: Pumbaa! Not in front of the kids!

Pumbaa: Oh... sorry.

Harry looked over to Simba, curious if that made sense to him. It didn't. The two watched with growing interest as Timon hoisted Pumbaa into a vine loop above his head, where he began swinging.

Pumbaa and Timon: Hakuna Matata!
What a wonderful phrase
Hakuna Matata!
Ain't no passing craze

Simba and Harry:

(Looking at one another and shrugging) It means no worries(wowwies)
For the rest(west) of your(youw) days

Timon:

Yeah, sing it, kids!

Simba, Harry and Timon:

It's our(ouw) problem-free ...(pwoblem fwee)

Pumbaa:

... philosophy...

All four:

Hakuna Matata!

Timon pulled back a fern leaf, revealing a beautiful view of a rift-jungle.

"Welcome to our humble home," Timon said.

"You live hewe?" Harry asked amazed.

"We live wherever we want," Timon explained.

"Yeah, home is where your rump rests," Pumba nodded.

"It's beautiful," Simba said, still amazed by the oasis.

The group of four began walking along until suddenly, Pumba bleched.

"I'm starved!" Pumba exclaimed.

"I'm so hungry, I could eat a whole zebra!" Simba exclaimed.

"Uh, we're fresh out of zebra," Timon said with a nervous chuckle.

Harry was munching on a cookie that he'd brought. He didn't know if Simba would like it, so he hadn't offered it.

"Any antelope?" Simba tried again.

"Na ha."

"Hippo?"

"Nope," Timon shook his head. "Listen kids, if you want to live with us then you've got to eat like us."

Walking over to a fallen log, Timon said "This looks like a good spot to rustle up some grub."

Pumba pulled the log up and Timon took one of the bugs that were crawling along under it.

"Ugh what's that?" Simba asked.

"A grub," Timon replied. "What's it look like?"

"Eww, gwoss!" Harry cried and Simba made a face at that.

Timon shrugged and took a bite out of the one he was holding. "Yum, tastes like chicken."

Pumba took a slurp of a worm. "Slimy yet satisfying."

"These are rare delicacies," Timon told them.

"You'll learn to love 'em," Pumba promised.

Timon came up with a leaf full of bugs.

"Well kids?"

Harry looked over at Simba, who shrugged.

"Hakuna Matata," Simba said and they both ate one. "Slimy…yet satisfying."

"It weally does taste like chicken!" Harry smiled.

"That's it!" Timon smiled.

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Back in Britain, in a castle far away from Number Four Privet Drive, an old man was examining odd items on a desk. Behind him was a brightly colored bird.

"What's this?" the man muttered as an item seemed to go off. "The wards around Privet Drive, they're failing!"

This wouldn't do! Little did he know that little Harry was calling another place home. A place far more…wild.