"regular speech"

'thoughts'

'Thought-projected words'

Chapter 7 – New Awakenings

The sun had yet to begin to soar into the sky when Harry got up for the day. He had finished speaking to parents and family figures late into the night. Harry was excited about the news that his parents had told him. Today he was going to get to know more about his parents. He had been told the odd story here and there by Remus and Sirius, but, to hear of his parents tales from themselves was like a dream to Harry. He didn't remember when they were last able to spend time with him. Harry was about to leave the vicinity of where he slept when he heard a faint roar in the distance. Harry was bewildered. He didn't have a clue of anything that could make a roar as bone curdling as the one he had just heard. What could that roar have come from? It definitely wasn't a dragon, he knew that for sure. It was then that Harry realised that he wasn't alone. He knew there was somebody near him, but as he looked around, he couldn't see anybody. Harry grew determined to find out who could have advanced to his position so silently, without him noticing. There was a faint rustling sound in the bushes directly behind Harry. As silently as he could, Harry crept up to the bushes. When he was right next to the bushes, the rustling sounds stopped. Harry was bewildered. Was the bush alive? If you were there at that moment, you would have seen Harry suddenly lose his balance and fall to the ground. If you asked Harry what happened? Your response would be that he was pushed. As Harry got up off the floor, he dusted his clothes off lightly and noticed something new about his surroundings; there clearing he was in was filled with winged creatures, the size of a fairy but looked like a Nymph. Harry was bewildered, he had never heard of any creature like this, let alone seen one. Then again, he had never heard of Girallon either. Harry could hear some clicking noises inside his head and thought that these creatures were trying to access his memories. Using one of the strongest memories Harry could find in his head, Harry slammed up his Occlumency barriers. When Professor Snape had tried "teaching" Harry Occlumency, all he had done in reality was assault Harry's mind, that was why Harry didn't learn anything during those lessons with Snape during his fifth year. When Harry was searching for Horcruxes with Hermione and Ron, Harry often stayed up late, reading about Occlumency and how to prevent somebody entering your mind. Harry could still hear the clicking noises and decided to ask these creatures what they were doing.

"What are you doing to me?"

Click. Click. Click.

Harry waited for a response. There was none, or so he thought.

Click. Click. Click.

One of the creatures opened its mouth and let out the same bone curdling cry that Harry had heard previously. Harry thought these things would try and harm him so he tried to run. He soon discovered that he could not move his legs; they were rooted to the floor. He looked down to find this was indeed correct, there were tree roots covering Harry's feet, holding him to the ground. The creature that let out the initial cry began advancing towards Harry. That is when Harry remembered Emilé and decided to ask for assistance.

"Emilé, please, help me. These unknown creatures have trapped me in a clearing"

Emilé immediately Phoenix Flashed to Harry's location with Erg , only to trill and Flash away.

"Harry, do not worry, they are only interested in you. They will not harm you. It is not in their nature." Was her only response before she had vanished.

"You still could have freed me though" Harry pouted at her in his head. The lead creature started making strange noises. Oddly enough, the more the creature clicked, the more he could understand what it was trying to say. These creatures, Harry deduced, did not speak by words, they communicated with clicks and their cry.

Click. Click. Click click.

Harry began to laugh. Why? Nobody knows. If you were there and watched the whole encounter, you would see Harry fall over and get back up. You would see roots and vines crawl over his feet, a phoenix appear and disappear, along with a green slime. Harry would stare blankly at a spot as if he could see something and then start laughing. You would think he is a maniac.

Dumbledore walked into the clearing shortly after Harry had stopped laughing. He couldn't see that he was surrounded by dozens of the strange clicking creatures either.

"Harry my boy, why are you here all alone?" Was his only question, his trademark twinkle present in his left eye.

"Oh, I'm not alone Professor. I have plenty of company." At this Dumbledore was puzzled. He was the only one here. Perhaps the boy's phoenix had just left? Yes, that must be it. The phoenix must have gone with the slime, too.

"Ahh yes, I must admit, I keep forgetting you have a phoenix as a familiar, a slime too. Where are they, if you don't mind me asking?"

"Emilé and Erg? I don't know. I haven't seen them for some time now. They just disappeared to somewhere as soon as I called them here." At this revelation, Dumbledore was completely puzzled. The boy said he had plenty of company yet he was there by himself. Only Harry and himself were in the clearing. Perhaps that is what Harry meant by plenty of company?

"Harry, my boy, surely I am not that great of company?" Here Harry just smiled and shook his head.

"Use Legilimens to see what I am, Professor. They truly are remarkable creatures, especially the way they communicate. They tell the funniest of jokes too." Dumbledore did as he was asked and saw the events that had previously happened to Harry. The blood curdling cries, the clicking, the vines and the creatures. When he withdrew from Harry's mind, oddly enough, Dumbledore could see these strange creatures with his own two eyes. He could hear a clicking sound in his own brain too. These creatures must only reveal themselves to those they trust and people who trust others enough that they willingly let them look through their minds. It was then that Cassandra entered the clearing.

"I hope you two are done talking to the Qui'lthuras. We have a busy day scheduled for Harry. Tomorrow will be busy for you as well. Please quicken your paces. We aren't getting any younger, you know" With a wink, Cassandra left the clearing that contained Harry, Dumbledore and the Qui'lthuras.

Harry quickly rushed after Cassandra, leaving Dumbledore in the clearing, wondering what had just happened. He came up with a conclusion; Cassandra was creating creatures just for her own amusement. But she wouldn't do that… Would she?

Harry was walking down a trail, looking for where his parents had arranged to meet him when a brown scaly object darted out of the trees and speared him into a tree. The scaly creatures long brown tail pierced the trunk of the tree while the head narrowly missed Impaling Harry to the tree by his abdomen. The scaly creature lost its current grip and hung loosely by its tail which was still stuck in the tree, while Harry fell to the ground, winded.