Chapter Text
Harry collapsed, groaning as he hit his head on a rock. He pried his eyes open to look around with bleary eyes. He coughed, trying to catch the breath that had been knocked out of him on impact as he vaguely registered small gasps close by. He didn't have time to ponder as a large swarm of children scrambled away from him. He didn’t have the strength to do much more than hope they didn’t alert the Death Eaters that had been haunting their trail.
“Master Godric, Master Godric, help there’s a strange boy!” The children clamored in high voices for the attention of a young man at the edge of the clearing.
Harry blinked. Godric? I guess it never occurred to me that people would name their children after one of the founders… I hope no one has named their kid after me, Harry thought dazedly. He shakily sat up, the world spinning as his head throbbed. He glanced around.
It was a pleasant day, clouds lazily drifting by as the sun shone brightly on a small meadow in a forest. There was a crispness to the air that was quite different to the sour scent of pollution that came with civilization he was used to.
Ok Harry, focus, he mentally chided himself. You're in an unknown place with unknown people at a time when Death Eaters are running rampant. Take stock. He tried to remember what he had been doing before slamming onto the ground in a different weather pattern. It was cold, I couldn’t breathe, and I needed… His eyes widened.
While he had been ruminating, the group of people had been watching him curiously with a healthy amount of wariness. The oldest of the group inched forward, eyeing him carefully.
“Excuse me, but who are you and how did you do that?” The man called out to him.
Harry jerked his head towards them, eyes slightly unfocused. “Sorry?”
The man crept closer, the group of children hiding behind him following closely. He was holding a wand that looked like it had been carved of bone.
“I asked who you are and how you did that,” the man repeated with an edge to his voice.
“Oh. Well, I don’t exactly know at the moment but my best guess is a Portkey. As for who I am, I’m honestly surprised you haven't already begun summoning an Auror or two,” Harry responded absently. With a jolt he remembered that if it indeed was a portkey he would still have it. He scanned the ground around him for the Sword of Gryffindor, or what he supposed must be a good counterfeit. Not finding it, he sighed as he gave up. “Well, that’s my best guess gone out the window,” he amended.
The man was staring at him with bewilderment.
“Porky…? What- what’s an- explain yourself,” he stammered through the apparently unfamiliar words.
Harry tilted his head. “Explain what?”
“Anything at this point, given how unhelpful you’ve been,” the man glared.
He shrugged. “I was in the forest with Hermione and I saw a doe patronus, so I followed it– not my best moment, I’ll admit– and then I saw the sword in the pond so I dove in to get it. I almost had it too, I swear I grabbed the hilt…” He trailed off, but continued a moment later. “Then I was slammed into the ground here. Hm, I probably shouldn’t have said as much, Hermione is going to kill me.”
The man had paled at the mention of the sword. “You saw the sword?” He gasped.
“You know, it’s impolite not to introduce yourself,” Harry drunkenly stated. The pain in his head was beginning to overtake him, growing faint and dizzy.
“That’s not–”
“Mkay well if you change your mind, I’m just going to–”
And with that, Harry’s eyes rolled back as he once again collapsed onto the grass and rocks.
One of the children peeked out from behind the man, who stood aghast and trembling.
“Do you think he's alright?"
The man sighed.