Hunger of the Heart

Chapter one

Confusing Beginnings

Harry was unsure how long he lay in the clearing, staring at the stars through trees as they blurred and merged together, the heat leaving his body, feeling lost to him.

He must have dosed off because he found himself jerking, gasping awake and sitting up abruptly. His chest rose and fell rapidly as he looked around himself frantically. Trees where all around him, and the colorful hues of morning painted the sky sending rays of golden light through the trees.

Harry rubbed his chest, a pain shot through it as he began to stand on wobbly feet. His vision spun and he decided to sit with his head between his legs until he could regain his senses.

As the world slowed he rested his chin on his knees and thought. What had happened?

He vaguely remembered Hermionie and Ron coming with him out to the Forbidden Forest, all agreeing that was where they needed to meet, for it was one place they all knew that wasn't watched, and it was one place they had become if not comfortable with accepting of. It had been three years since the fall of the dark lord, and the wizarding world was just starting to recover. Though Harry knew that the darkness that had come from Voldemort and his followers would never truly leave them, there was the hope of moving on.

Frowning Harry looked up and around him. These were not the woods of the Forbidden Forest, that he could tell right off. The trees were not as twisted, not as dark. The smell wasn't as if there was a swamp like it smelled in the Forbidden Forest. Inhaling Harry smelled flowers and morning dew on the gentle breeze , the air was fresh and invigorating and it brought a smile to his lips.

Slowly he stood, less shaky than before, and went over to a small lake he had spied when he had first attempted to stand.

Kneeling at the edge he almost fell in before catching himself.

"Calm down Harry," he told himself," it's okay. There is no need to worry."

The echo of Hermionies voice rang through his head," You may appear differently, Harry, once you are in your true form."

He had nodded.

It had been three years since the fall of the dark lord, and it had been three years of Harry avoiding the loss of everyone. He had been summoned to Hogwarts, though, by Hermione who had been acting as an assistant professor that semester for a new class in healing. Reluctantly he came, during the summer break, and had listened to what she had to say.

"I'll tell you now, Harry," she said in her normal stern tone that she always used on the boys whenever something serious was happening, yet there was a soft spot in her heart for him. She had grown alongside the boy, whom she had watched mature much too quickly into a young gentle man, touched by the darkness of the world far too young in life, and scarred so deeply by war that she was unsure if he would ever heal," that since fifth year I have had my suspicions. But the party last Christmas really urged me to begin researching, which is when I stumbled across these."

He frowned, confused as she gestured to a few thin leather-bound books. When she had first stated that she stumbled upon them he had taken it as she had done some poking around which would have probably landed her in trouble, but then seeing at how plain they appeared, if not a bit worn, he second guessed himself. Until, that is, he glanced to the curly written engraved signature that must had been done by magic.

Albus Dumbledore.

He gently set the books onto the table, standing from the chair she had seated him at.

"Headmaster, "he began," Dumbleore. Dumbledore wrote these?" he swallowed thickly and his heart twisted in his chest and he forced away memories which threatened to surface, hardening his gaze and setting his feelings aside. Memories of blue eyes, their last twinkle looking to his as the man breathed his last breath, and falling out of sight. No. Harry pushed those memories away.

At seeing his determination, Hermione sensed that her close friend was about to object to reading the journals, she spoke quickly "There is much in these, Harry, that speaks not only of you-but of another world."

That was where she had gotten him. His damn curiosity had always been his greatest weakness, as for once it was his thirst for an answer didn't cease.

Shaking his head from the memory he inspected the still water closer. The face that stared back at him wasn't unlike his own. Same lightly upturned nose, same high cheekbones, same short stature. Though his lips were slightly fuller, his hair longer and less unruly if just slightly. His eyes were the same striking green now with thick lashes lining them. Hidden under his dark black bangs was the same jagged scar that had marked him his whole life. Standing up he frowned and the reflection frowned back. He did not seem to be someone who was almost twenty one years of age, more like eleven. Though his eyes held more wisdom and suffering than any eleven year old really should, but when he had been that age they were not as carefree as most.

He chuckled to himself, how funny it would be to start this new life at the same age he had begun his past one as a wizard. Shaking his head, unused to the long hair that flopped around his shoulders, he shook it again amused. He could never grow his hair out before, just as when it was cut it would return to the same length, it never budged an inch longer.

Maybe it should have put off warning bells in his head like it had Hermionies, yet he had always assumed it was natural in the magic world.

Frowning he thought about Ron and Hermione. The spell they did was supposed to allow him to return to his true form right? Obviously it had worked but also had teleported him elsewhere. So where was he? Where were they? He silently hoped they were in the Forbidden Forest, asking the same things about him.

Deciding he had stood there and pondered long enough, he began walking a random direction, hoping his feet would lead him to somewhere with help. The tree's here were old, and the wind blew gently through them lapping gently at his dark green cape. That had been the only thing of the wizarding world he was wearing, he mused, and it would make it easier for him to make an appearance in the Muggle world if that was where he had ended up.

He walked for a couple hours, the heat of the day rising until it was almost unbearable and Harry wished for the hundredth time that he had worn something other than the simple long brown shirt and black slacks. He had just been ready to utter another curse at his wardrobe when suddenly, as if by magic and Harry didn't doubt that it was, he broke the tree line. The fresh breeze blew stronger outside of the forest, and he took a deep breath. The trees had been old, holding a strong ancient magic and they had been watching him closely and it was suffocating him. He didn't know how he knew this, but something inside told him.

Allowing his green eyes to gaze across the emerald fields he breathed in deeply. Was this the world he was meant to be in? He began to walk opening his arms turning his face to the sky allowing the sun to hit it and breathed in the fresh air. He could get used to this, he thought, he could easily accept this freedom.

He ran smiling into the breeze, ignoring the voice in the back of his head that whispered how unlike him this was, and twirled before falling into the grass and looked up to the blue skies. Breathing deeply he sighed, calming down from his sudden high. He had always felt the need to have some kind of freedom, some kind of release. He normally did this with flying.

A shout off in the distance alerted him to return to the real world and he shot to his feet, blood pumping through his veins. Straining his new pointed ears he heard distant screams of terror, and his heart began to beat rapidly and with the reflexes he had picked up since the days of the war he headed off in the same direction.

A.N:

Soooo what does everyone think? I know I know it's short, but an idea popped up in my head and I just ha to get something out. Lemme know what you think. =) And I know, I started with a bang, didn't take much time to explain things, and I know that there is going to be a lot of confusion since this is a crossover. I hope you all enjoy this little spin of a story.