2

Chapter 5

Harry was aware that they have to travel in a vaguely North-Westerly direction and he felt that it was enough for him. Hermione however thought that it was best to have a map as it would help them from straying whenever they would come across a town they could identify on it. So despite all their morals about not stealing, they were forced to nick a modest map from the library at Tewkesbury and hoping that no one would corner them, skedaddled out of the town at the earliest opportunity.

The going however, was not easy for them. The summer months turned cold with heavy rains leaving them mostly wet, shivering and hungry. Harry and Hermione were forced to seek shelter most of the time to prevent themselves from falling sick in the harsh weather, a feat that was not easy when you want to avoid unnecessary human contact. It was inevitable that their route of travel was decided on available sources of food or work to buy their food and so visible landmarks like cottages or farmhouses were their destination rather than the shortest route shown on the map. The two children avoided large towns whenever they could but had to venture into them looking for work after a day of going without food.

They worked whenever work was available to them and used any money they earned for buying food that would last longer without being spoilt and so they settled on canned and preserved food material. They still rummaged rubbish piles for clothing and whatever was useful in their day to day existence concentration on heavy winter needs. Fresh food was always welcome but Harry was not shy to dig into garbage piles for whatever looked hygienic to be eaten. With winter approaching most of the farmhouses or country houses that Harry and Hermione approached were closing down their activities and could not spare much for the two and so scavenging rubbish piles for food occurred in much more frequency than Hermione liked.

Even though they were tempted to use the few cans of stew or succulent pineapple chunks that they had with them, Harry was determined to hold out as long as was possible. He knew that when the first frost appears on the ground, they would have to seek a secure shelter and that would curtail the time they could spend looking for food. The biggest problem that they faced was finding such a place to hole out for the winter, preferably with a steady supply of food. Neither Harry not Hermione knew where to find one, dreading the day they could not avoid.

It was surprising for both that they were able to survive with such meager rations they were on, even forgoing food for a couple of days. Harry knew from the little time he spent in school and Hermione was sure that kids at their age needed a healthy meal three times a day to sustain their growth and development. They were thankful that whatever it was helping them to survive was doing its job perfectly and they left it at that without any means to further investigate.

What they did not know was that the sparse food they were consuming was used to fuel their magical core rather than being used directly to nourish their bodies. Their magical core, which in children generally was dormant till the age of ten, was woken from its slumber rather harshly, and was gaining power at a rapid rate. Converting the food into pure energy and then its rapid assimilation into Harry and Hermione's magical core ensured that the core was sufficiently powered to sustain their bodies. Therefore, instead of the usual quantities of food required by children daily, Harry and Hermione could survive on very little food. The drawback for them was that their magical core was purely on a survival instinct and could not fuel their physical growth. They both would remain scrawny, small and undernourished for their age for the next few years before they could reach their full potential.

As the saying goes, 'Time and tide wait for no one' and August, September and October faded away into November. Harry and Hermione's small world was beginning to be very difficult with the drop in temperature every night. They took to sleeping while cuddling naked as they found out that sharing body heat was an effective way to ward of the chill even if they had a fire burning near them, besides the clothes would make an extra layer to their makeshift duvet or mattress. With every day that passed, Hermione's fear of going to a homeless shelter or worse, an orphanage to tide over the winter increased, knowing for sure that Harry and she may never be able to escape form such a place again. Even with the bleak outlook she held the hope that her friend would find a way to help them escape that possibility.

Traveling through Tewkesbury, Twyning and Malvern Harry and Hermione reached about 4 miles South-West of Great Malvern during late November and another change was on the horizon.

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Home of the Lovegood family

5 miles South-West of Great Malvern, Late November

Meanwhile in small country house, an event that would fulfill the requirements of the prophecy given out by Laya was about to occur. The lady of the house Mrs. Celeste Lovegood was working to finish her mastery in potions. Her attempts to gain her mastery right out of school was cut short when she became pregnant with her beautiful daughter Luna. Now with Luna being seven years old she finished her research on modification of 'Wolfsbane' potion to reduce the pain during werewolf transformation. The headmaster of Hogwarts witchcraft and wizardry professor Albus Dumbledore sent the resident potions master and professor Severus Snape to evaluate her work and offer any help before presenting it to the examination board.

"Well done Mrs. Lovegood, the addition of dried Swordfish Weevils to the existing potion was a remarkable idea. I have to say that it was a very bold modification, one that could have been disastrous" words of praise from the sour man were like gold. The potions professor had to give out the due recognition due to the simply brilliant use of a very volatile ingredient.

The Swordfish Weevils in their natural form contained volatile oils that could end up in an explosive mixture and flatten most houses, regardless of the potion it was added to. Celeste perfected a process of drying under a filter that would screen all the sun's radiation except the ultraviolet light resulting in perfectly dried Weevils for her work. If the potions professor was jealous, he hid well. The man was known for a ruthless streak when it came to formulating new potions and Celeste was careful not to give out all her secrets. However, she made the fundamental mistake of not hiding the drying process form the professor and as knowledgeable as he was at potions, that was enough.

"Thank you professor, coming from you that is a very good commendation indeed. Do you think that the examination board would grant me the mastery?" Celeste was ecstatic. She worked hard for the modification which was surprisingly very difficult. The 'Wolfsbane' was a very complex potion requiring a myriad of ingredients that needed to be added at precise junctures during the brewing process and the thought of adding dried Weevils was a stroke of genius if she may say so herself.

Severus Snape gave a grudging nod of his head barely able to suppress the sneer on his face, his mind furiously working on ways to garner the credit for himself. "I have no doubt madam, if you can show that the potion retained all its intended effects while enhancing the benefits to the werewolf you have a winner. The examination board would need documented evidence if not a live demonstration though" he concluded. Snape knew that any potion that can better the life of a wizard or witch would not only enhance the reputation of a potions master but also generate a lot of gold.

His praise impressed Celeste Lovegood and he could see that she was jubilant and therefore distracted. Taking a chance Severus Snape grabbed a handful of the still fresh Swordfish Weevils kept for drying and dumped them into a nearby cauldron. The potion was on a simmer, not that he cared for the identity of the potion that was being brewed, and the low flame would give him a few minutes to depart without raising undue suspicion. He thought that he had maybe ten to fifteen minutes and so made a hasty but graceful exit from the house.

The Lovegood family was rumored to be descendants of Helga Hufflepuff one of the four founders of Hogwarts. With the Potter brat, the acknowledged heir of Godric Gryffindor missing and hopefully killed by his vile relatives and if he could get rid of the Lovegood family, there would be only one of the founder's heirs left, his master Lord Voldemort, the heir of Salazar Slytherin. Everyone knew that Rowena Ravenclaw's line died a few centuries ago and his action would now ensure that his master would be unhindered to take control of Hogwarts upon his return. Hogwarts was important as it was not only the seat of learning for the next generation of witches and wizards, but the castle itself was imbued in magic giving the controller of the castle unlimited power albeit within its grounds. Control of such a vast number of future adults was needed for anyone wishing to rule the magical world and Snape was prepared to do everything needed to ensure that his master would be the one. The simple matter of a just reward might have also spurred him on but that was insignificant compared to the power and prestige he would get upon his master's return.

Snape reached the end of the ward line and cast a powerful suppression ward over the entire property. The ward would deactivate any alarms that were bound to be activated and alert the ministry of magic, in case of emergencies at the house. Smirking at his handiwork, Severus Snape disapperated quietly, it would do him no good to be found anywhere near the house in case his ward failed.

Meanwhile inside the house Celeste Lovegood was over the moon. Her hard work over many years had finally yielded fruit, 'Potions Mistress Lovegood' she though with a smile, 'gives it a nice ring'. Leaning out of the open window, she called her seven year old daughter Luna, inside for lunch and spotting her husband flew into his arms engulfing him in a tight hug.

"I take it that your meeting went well" he stated with a teasing smile.

Celeste kissed him hard, "You can bet on it my love. It was a pleasant surprise to get a word of praise from the brooding man. I only have to test it out on a volunteer and I am assured of my mastery."

"That's wonderful news honey, let's celebrate with some lunch."

His wife glared at him and at his chuckles pouted, "Only lunch!" Celeste cried with disbelief.

"Why don't we go to London and Diagon alley after lunch? I am sure that Luna would love that, it has been a while since we took her out and then when she is asleep we can do something about your reward" her wife agreed whole heartedly to that plan.

In the small wood just beyond their backyard, Luna Lovegood was happily skipping and jumping around in the bracing air. Her silvery blonde hair glowing in the morning sun and her sapphire blue eyes sparkling with happiness, Luna was enjoying the day. The trees told her that they would go to sleep shortly and this would be the last time she would be able to talk to them before spring. That was the reason why she woke up extra early in the morning and spent most of the morning with her beloved friends.

Due to the remoteness of their house, Luna did not have any friends of her age, but she found very early in her life that she had a unique ability to talk to trees and understand their moods, get them to help her if needed and generally have a lot of fun with them. She enjoyed spending time with her mother and listen to the stories about the incredible 'Boy-Who-Lived', Harry Potter and his amazing adventures. Luna knew that the stories were just that, stories, otherwise how would a boy only as old as her do all the amazing things like fight a full grown dragon? She however had great fun in sharing those stories with her beloved trees, which were attentive listeners and gasped and cheered at all the right places. Luna even tried to enact the scenes but grew bored easily needing to enact both the hero and the villain at the same time.

Hearing her mother call her inside, Luna began skipping across the backyard, but she felt a strange pull coming from her favourite Apple tree that had her tree house. So she turned back and gave the tree an extra-long hug before turning back and that extra few minutes was all that was needed as 'Laya' intended to take care of one of the three, beloved children. Luna reached the cleared path that connected the back door with the small gate that led into the wood but was blown back when a huge explosion ripped through their house. She was peppered with splinters of wood, flung through the air and her clothes caught fire. She plowed into the ground after flying a few feet and landed in a small puddle of water. The impact caused her to lose consciousness but also helped in dousing the flames that began springing to life on her jumper.

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Luna woke up a little more than an hour later. The first thing that she saw was the ruins of her once beautiful house and noticed that her woolen jumper was smoldering in a few places in the front, increasing the size of the holes that the fire left. She quickly rolled over in the slightly damp soil to kill the remaining flames. Luna remembered her mother telling her that members from the ministry would come to their house in case of any emergency and this definitely constituted an emergency. She tried to stay brave but quickly succumbed to the wracking sobs crying for her lost parents, being alone without any other relations or friends and not the least the pain of the hitting the ground hard and loss. Tears streamed down her cheeks covered with soot and dirt. Her body was covered in multiple bruises and bumps due to her hitting the ground. She also had multiple pieces of wood embedded in her skin all over her body drawing blood which ran in thin streams from the punctures and some of it already dried on her skin.

Luna tried to pull out a few of the bigger splinters but found that she began to bleed again and the pain was too much for her to bear. She hoped that the ministry workers would come in search of her and treat her and so she waited even while occasional cries escaped her. With passing time she lost hope that she would be found, increasing her despair at the situation. She was terrified of being alone as she had no food and with the climate turning colder and threatening to snow, her beloved trees also would not be able to help her. She knew that she was absolutely alone as there were no neighbours nearby and she was scared of being alone as she was never prepared to survive away from her parents.

Waiting till late afternoon, she grew hungry and with the incessant grief she was fatigued. Luna lost hope that the ministry would respond and save her and so lifted herself off the cleared path and stumbled towards the wood. She instinctively knew that her dearest friend, the apple tree saved her by calling her back but when she tried to express her gratitude, she understood that the trees were already asleep. She was now well and truly in a dire situation, without any food and no shelter she knew that she would not last long and so she had to move and maybe get lucky and meet someone who could help her. Luna stubbed her toe on a rock hidden among the grass of the backyard and fell, luckily she was able to twist in midair to land hard on her back bringing forth a fresh torrent of tears. She was thankful that she did not fall on her face as that would have driven the splinters deeper into her body. Her cries subsided but left her without much energy and finally exhausted, she fell asleep.

When Luna was in her slumber, the grass around her moved to help out the little girl who was a friend of everything that was green and alive, be it a majestic Oak tree or a lowly reed in the pond. The blades of grass extended out and slowly began creeping over the prostate girl. The bigger leaves wrapped themselves around the splinters tightly, the hairs on the leaves maintaining a tight grip and the stems of the grass slowly pulled back. The leaves gently swayed in a non-existing breeze while extracting the embedded pieces of wood out of Luna. At the same time few of the other leaves pressed hard onto her wounds not only stemming the flow of blood but also adding their magical energy to heal the wounds leaving not even scars behind. Some of the stems grew taller and wrapped around the sleeping girl forming a shroud and giving her some much needed protection from the cold. With night falling however, the grass retreated back so that the dew that formed on their blades would not drench the girl causing much more damage.

The bitter cold of the night woke Luna up and she found herself all alone and trembling. She was surprised to see that all the splinters of wood have been removed and her cuts cured, she now only had a few bruises that have to be cured naturally by her own magic. The pains in her body were not of immediate concern for her but the bitter cold was. Her flower print gown was in tatters because of the blast and the woolen jumper just barely able to give her warmth. Luna knew that magic was in intent and even the so called 'accidental' magic was her untrained magic responding to her intent and desperate need.

With a chant of 'need to keep warm' going on in her mind, Luna climbed up to her tree house which was partially damaged in the blast. Hugging her knees to maximize body heat, Luna fell into a fitful sleep.

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Waking up with the bright sunlight streaming through the holes in the roof of the tree house, Luna climbed down and hugged her friend the apple tree for one last time. She had a feeling that she would not be able to talk to her again or at the least for a very long time. Her hunger and thirst forced Luna to walk away from the one place she felt safe and began an arduous trek without any destination in mind but with a heart full of hope in search of a savior.

As the day passed, Luna grew more weary, she stumbled along with barely a coherent thought. Time had no meaning for her, her only thought was to find someone or at least something to eat, though where she had no idea. Trudging along most of the day, she suddenly felt a strange need to head in a particular direction and without conscious thought, surrendered to the pull. Her magical core was not used to longer periods of starvation and combined with the need to keep her warm not to mention healing her bruised body, depleted quickly. Magical exhaustion finally caught up with her leaving her sprawled spread eagled on the moist ground.

Later that night, she regained consciousness and felt warmth surround her body and a feeling of two bodies pressed into her. For the first time in two days, she felt safe and protected in an embrace. Too tired to even open her eyes, Luna fell into a natural and healing sleep.

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Walking around the Great Malvern area during the evening, Harry and Hermione also felt a strange pull that was very hard to resist. Walking in the direction they were being led, they came across a blonde haired girl not much older than them sprawled in the open. Reaching the girl they found her unconscious and attempts to wake her up did not work out and so Harry picked her up bodily. Even though Harry was emaciated, he had a surprisingly wiry strength hidden in the small frame probably hardened by the rough life. Hermione suggested that they move back to the small shallow gully that they came across before reaching the girl and Harry carried the girl with Hermione leading the way in the quickly gathering darkness.

While Hermione began removing the tattered and very wet clothing from the unconscious girl, Harry looked around and came back with a good sized pile of dry wood. By now even Hermione became an expert in preparing a reasonably comfortable bed for them with the limited supplies they had at hand, on which Harry placed the girl. Harry and Hermione quickly gobbled down the left over sandwich that they earned working at a nearby cottage and after a quick bathroom break came back into the gully. With a merry fire blazing away, Harry and Hermione quickly undressed and snuggled on either side of the girl under the improvised duvet, giving her some much needed body heat. Their desire to help the girl involuntarily spurred their magical core to lend some of their own energy to the magically exhausted girl. The tiny loss of magic from Harry and Hermione quickly put them to sleep, a defensive move by their body to conserve energy.

Chapter 6

Luna woke up to the mouthwatering smell of a chicken stew; she cracked open one of her eyes to take in her surroundings. She was on a makeshift bed and covered with an assortment of clothes that kept her warm but more importantly there was a good sized fire burning a few feet away adding to that warmth, even though it looked like it was nearing afternoon. She was in some sort of a gully protected on all sides from the elements except for the open ceiling. The aroma of the stew was coming from a can, one each in the hands of a bushy haired girl and a black haired boy. Both of them were wearing rags but what attracted her attention and most importantly calmed her down was the friendly and intelligent look on their faces.

She raised herself up gingerly groaning due to an ache in her left shoulder which looked like the only bruise still left over after her near brush with death. The improvised duvet fell away when she sat up straight and it was then that she noticed her nakedness but surprisingly did not feel the need to cover herself up.

Her movement caught the eye of her two companions and the girl came to her quickly and crouched beside her. "How are you feeling?" she asked tenderly.

Luna wiggled her toes, legs, arms and fingers and she felt fine, "I am fine. Thanks for asking, all my pains and aches are gone. Only my shoulder is a bit sore, otherwise I am happy to have found you or maybe it's the other way round, happy that you have found me" she replied with a grimace.

The black haired boy looked at her with startling green eyes which stirred a memory in her, "Are you hungry? Do you want to eat some stew?" he asked holding the can of stew out for her to take.

This brought a smile to Luna's face, "Yes please, I am starving." She quickly grabbed the can and looked around for something to use for putting the stew in but was interrupted by the girl, "I am sorry but we do not have any bowls or spoons, you will have to drink directly from the can."

Luna just nodded her head and took a tentative sip; the stew was of just the right temperature and settled nicely in her tummy warming her up instantly. She took a hurried gulp or two, "It's lovely, thank you for saving my life. Oh! I am Luna by the way, Luna Lovegood."

"Hi Luna, I am Hermione Granger and this is Harry."

Luna's head immediately snapped to look at Harry's face, she let out an involuntary gasp when her eyes found the lightning bolt scar on his forehead, "You are Harry Potter" she blurted out.

Harry's eyes widened immediately but he smiled delightfully, "Harry Potter, is that my full name?" he asked.

Luna was shocked, "Did you not know?" getting a negative shake of his head she continued, "Harry James Potter actually or if the whispers are accurate Harrius James Potter. You were born to James and Lily Potter."

Her revelation was shocking to Harry, he never knew the names of his parents but what was surprising to him was that Luna knew his name and identified him by just looking at him. Hermione was also thinking on the same lines, "How did you know about Harry?" she demanded.

"Why? Harry is a very famous person in our world. He is very well known to a lot of people. I am surprised that you did not know all of this and more over I never expected to find you here of all places." Luna was shocked too, to find that all the myths of the savior of the wizarding world living the life of a prince and in luxury were nothing but lies. She knew that Harry was hidden away from everyone supposedly for his safety but here he was wearing nothing but rags and looking at him, Luna knew that he was struggling to eat enough.

She was jolted out of her musings by a very surprised Harry and an equally shocked Hermione voicing the same question, "Why am I/ is Harry famous?"

Luna sighed deeply, these two did not know about the wizarding world and she was not sure if Hermione was even magical. Could she break the statute of secrecy and tell them about magic? Then again she could not hide from the two the knowledge after blurting out about Harry and besides these two saved her life. She had nowhere to go and may have to depend on them for a few days more. 'No' she decided, 'she could not deny them the knowledge about the magical world and Harry's role in that.'

Luna finished her stew in the meantime but she was still hungry, she saw that Harry was holding a new can that he never touched, "Can I please have some more?" she blurted out before she could stop herself.

Harry realized that Luna was hungry but he was reluctant to open a new can, they had only four more cans of stew and a couple of cans of fruit and so he passed his uneaten stew over to Luna. Hermione saw that Harry had not eaten anything and so passed her own half eaten food to him, "Here Harry, you can have the rest. I am not hungry any more" she lied for Luna's benefit. He gave Hermione a look of gratitude before tipping some of the stew into his mouth.

Seeing the exchange Luna realized that they may not have had any more food and she was greedy to take away the small amount of food they had. She felt guilty and tried to apologize but Hermione waved her apology away, "Don't worry about it Luna. We are used to meager rations. Now why don't you explain why Harry is famous and what do you mean our world?"

"Can I get dressed before I tell the tale, it is quite a long one" Luna asked but then saw her tattered clothes which were spread out near the fire to dry.

Hermione caught her gaze and assured her that she could borrow one of her dresses before her own dry out. Luna caught the hidden meaning that she would have to get used to wearing rags. After a whispered conversation about using the loo with Hermione, she followed her out of the gully and a short distance away to relieve herself. She was surprised that she did not feel the need for modesty before Harry probably unconsciously mimicking Hermione who was wearing a frock that barely covered her.

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Getting dressed in one of Hermione's better frocks, Luna began the story that angered Harry even more than he ever felt. Magic was real, his parents were not drunks killed due to their own carelessness but were murdered by a psychotic madman and he survived the horrific night thrusting him into the limelight. Not only his parents but his entire family consisting of a godfather and a surrogate uncle also fell the same night. People celebrated the demise of the evil wizard but never spared a thought to the orphaned boy or his murdered family.

Even though the instigator of what was effectively a civil war was also killed by his own curse rebounding on him, the society had not changed one bit. The bigotry based on blood lines still existed and even though the killings of those of the perceived lesser blood abated, the persecution flourished. What made his blood boil was that he was left on the doorstep of his relatives even if it was well known that they hated everything to do with magic. Even more infuriating was that he was not checked upon if he was being treated right and left to live a life of abuse and misery.

Hermione was horrified listening to the gory tale of her best friend, a boy on whom she had come to depend more and more to get thorough the rough times. If she thought that her life at the orphanage was terrible, she shuddered at the thought of someone leaving a baby on a door step on a cold November night. 'How much more cruel can it get?' she thought angrily. Then she had a most frightening thought, 'would Harry now leave her too because she was different and had no magic?' she had no recollection of her parents talking about this magic and so if Luna was correct and neither of her parents were magical, then it was very much possible that she had no magic.

Throughout Luna's recital a range of emotions passed through Harry, fear of the unknown, pride in his parents and so called uncles who fought bravely against the dark lord, disgust at the bigotry but above all these there was anger. All through the story Hermione maintained a comforting hold on Harry and with her head resting on his shoulder managed to avoid the major explosion that was threatening to break free upon hearing about a friend betraying his parents.

Luna felt a little hurt after seeing the amount of comfort the two shared and she felt lonely, the wounds of losing her dear parents still fresh in her heart. Luna wished that she could also join in the hug and comfort the hero of the wizarding world along with getting a little solace to her aching heart but she did not know if she would be welcome. She tried her best to stem the flood of tears threatening to overflow from her eyes and tried to maintain her composure.

Luna's resolve lasted only as long as it was the time to relate her own misfortune. Her brave façade broke and she was left in tears remembering all the good times she spent with her parents and grieved for her own loss. Hermione immediately abandoned her own morbid thoughts and rushed to hug her new friend who was now sprawled on the cardboard which doubled as a mattress. Harry also suppressed his emotions ruthlessly and quickly grabbed the two crying girls to his chest and concentrated on comforting them as best as he could. His presence somehow brought a semblance of calm to Luna's troubled mind and she returned their hug with fervor, thanking them.

Letting Luna gather her composure, Harry brought his own thoughts to their logical conclusion. "So let me get this straight, because of something that my parents did or because of sheer dumb luck, I survived a night of murder and mayhem and that made me famous. Even then I was left on the door step of an abusive home and no one bothered to check up on me?" Harry asked with a little bit of anger spilling into his voice full of anguish.

Luna could only nod mutely to Harry's pretty accurate summarization of his life. While Harry was struggling with his thoughts, Hermione voiced her own concern, "Luna do you know if I am also magical like you and Harry?" she asked with no less amount of trepidation.

Luna sighed and giving her an apologetic look replied, "I am sorry Hermione, I do not know about any Granger family being magical. Not that I know a lot of families, but the best way to know is if you have done some accidental magic."

"Accidental magic?" enthused Hermione.

"Yes, I told you that wizards and witches have what are called magic wands to channel magic. But in children, the magic is not controlled and in extreme emotions the magic would be released as an uncontrolled burst to shape what you want to happen" Luna was not really sure if her explanation was enough as she never read about the theory of magic. Even though she had a healthy enthusiasm for learning even though her mother forbade her to read about magic till she turned ten. She wanted her to enjoy her life and play around rather than devote her time to study; she had to do it once she turned eleven anyway.

"I think I know what Luna is saying" he turned to Hermione, "You know how I told you that I appeared in an unknown place more than 10 miles away from my relatives house to escape from my uncle. Even though I did not know how I did it, I remember thinking desperately about escaping that place, I think that was accidental magic" Harry supplied helpfully while Luna was nodding her head in agreement.

Hermione was devastated, nothing like that ever happened to her as far as she remembered, but she forgot one essential point, she never had the need to fuel her emotions to such an extent that she had an accidental outburst of magic. The one time she did was when escaping the orphanage turning invisible but she had no means to know that. Without that knowledge she concluded that she was not magical. She could not stop the sob that escaped her lips; she was worried that Harry would abandon her.

Harry sensed Hermione's fear and immediately pulled her into his lap and hugged her tightly. He tried to reassure her even though his own voice was cracking with sadness for his first friend, "Don't cry Hermione, I promised you that I will not leave you and I will keep my promise. Even if you are not magical I will not leave you. We will live our life together and if Luna wants to join us she can too."

Luna told her own story about not having anyone to look after her and she desperately wanted to live with Harry and Hermione. But she was afraid to invite herself to join their journey; they did not know her after all. All her doubts vanished when Harry invited her too, the few words sounded like music to her ears and she immediately agreed by hugging Hermione who was still in Harry's embrace but was sufficiently calmed down by now.

"Yes Hermione, Harry's right I for one would like to be your friend too and I also promise that I will not abandon you whatever happens." The emotions of the three children were high due to their shared troubles and anguish and so they did not notice a faint silver glow that engulfed them. The glow was not very bright and so was not seen in the gathering darkness and after a few seconds merged into the hugging trio. The magical energy that was shared by the three as it entered them energized the three and calmed their troubled hearts. The bonds much deeper than friendship started to form that day between the three.

Deciding to forego dinner, the emotionally drained boy and two girls decided to call it a day. With Harry sandwiched between Hermione and Luna the three quickly settled down for the night. Luna was a little hesitant to sleep without her clothes on but quickly realized the logic in sharing body heat.

Harry was intrigued by something about what he learnt that day, "Luna, how is it possible that everyone knew about me and that I was missing?"

Luna coloured a little and was thankful that the lack of perceptible light hid her blush, "There are a lot of books about you Harry. Most of them are fictional which show you as a hero battling Dragons, and bad wizards and such but a couple of them are factual."

Harry was shocked but Hermione let out a giggle further annoying Harry. "So how many of the hero books did you read Luna?" Hermione wanted to know in a gentle teasing tone.

Luna's blush further intensified and now Harry also joined her, "I did not!" she replied and then in a mortified voice continued, "My mother used to read them to me a lot." Hermione wanted to laugh out loud but did not want to tease her on such a delicate matter and so settled for rubbing Luna's back from the other side of Harry to offer comfort to the still upset girl. Harry just tightened the grip on both the girls conveying his support to them.

A few minutes of silence followed only to be broken by Harry questioning Luna, "Do you know when my birthday is?"

Of all the questions he could ask, Luna was not prepared for this and brought fresh tears to both her and Hermione's eyes. The two girls had Harry in a tight hug determined to quell the pain that Luna's rendition of his life story brought about. Clearing her throat Luna replied in a falsely bright voice, "Actually it is on 31st July and you were born at exactly 3 in the afternoon, I was also born at exactly the same time as you were born."

His excited shout of "Really!" was cut short by Hermione's gasp. In answer to Harry and Luna's questions Hermione supplied, "That's the same day I was born, moreover I was also born at exactly the same time."

Harry was ecstatic; his two girl friends were of the same age as him right up to the minute they were born. Was this a huge coincidence or had some inner meaning? They had no answer to that question and the three exhausted kids drifted into slumber with their own thoughts on that matter.

The morning brought another shock to the trio and this one was much more profound. Everywhere they could see there was a thin layer of frost. The blanket that was on the top of their makeshift duvet was frozen stiff and was useless for them if they needed to use it. The sun was totally blotted out with a heavy fog hugging the ground. They were lucky that there was no snow otherwise the gully they were in might have been filled up quickly. It was time to break camp and move out.

They finished their morning routine and heated another two cans of stew over a barely burning fire and shared that between the three of them. The fog also made travelling difficult for them as they could not see more than a few feet. The cold made the tattered clothes they were wearing utterly useless even with all the sets of clothing they had been worn on their body, they were still shivering with the cold. It was especially difficult for Hermione and Luna as the gowns they were wearing left their legs exposed to the biting cold, it did not help them one bit that the blanket that they had was useless.

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

It was now about five days since Harry and Hermione met Luna and formed a deep bond of friendship among the three. Wandering through the countryside near blind they were exhausted. Their last two cans of stew were emptied about three days ago and the slices of preserved pineapple lasted another two days. Their last meal was paltry even by their usual meager standards and they were now running purely on their magical energy. It was approaching late afternoon and they were dreading the time of the day that would finally lead them to blissful unconsciousness. They did not have any doubt that losing consciousness would be deadly in the early December weather especially without any protection from the harsh climate, let alone a snug shelter.

Harry, who was leaving the larger share of food to his girls as he began calling them, was beginning to feel the effects of lack of energy in his body. They were walking on a path that was travelling parallel to what looked like a vine covered cliff in a grove of densely populated trees. This was surprising to the three as there were no cliffs nearby but they were too tired to bother about it. Harry stumbled and leaned towards the cliff to regain his balance but to his shock fell through a hedgerow that was overgrown with vines and was probably taller than ten feet, which amazingly parted without much effort.

Lying down on the ground without much energy he saw a sight that was a balm for his sore eyes. There in front of him was a small wooden cabin, covered with vines and surrounded by over grown bushes but still a cottage. With excitement coursing through his body and a little help from an equally perked up Hermione and Luna, Harry scrambled up and crossed into the compound. Looking back they were surprised to see that the hedgerow mended itself without any evidence of trespass.

The cottage was not big probably as evidenced by only two rooms, definitely abandoned but in very good condition. Removing small stones, vines and assorted obstructions they had to push open the door with some effort. The door opened into what looked like a combination of kitchen and a dining hall. The room was not more than four feet in width and about seven feet in length containing a rundown table and a solitary wood stove. The room did not give them any confidence regarding their survival due to a distinct lack of food, though what they expected in a rundown cottage, they did not know. An opening led into what definitely was a bed room which was probably seven feet by seven feet and contained a large four poster bed complete with a mattress, comforter and pillows with a layer of dust over them.

"At least we will not freeze to death even though we may die of starvation" Harry joked. Hermione and Luna did not even deign to retort as their situation was dire indeed. Walking around the room there was not even a closet or a wardrobe which was surprising but more importantly they could not find a bathroom.

Luna who was looking through the vine covered window spotted a small shed much smaller in size than the cottage. "Maybe that shed has the bathroom" she said unconvinced.

Hermione who walked to the other side of the room behind the bed noticed a loose floor board and lifting it spied a round iron ring embedded into the wood. "Harry this looks like a trapdoor" she cried out barely containing her excitement. Rushing to her side Harry and Luna realized that it was indeed a trapdoor.

Grunting with effort, Harry with the help of the two girls managed to lift the trapdoor which locked into place vertically. They spied a set of wooden stairs in the cramped opening which was too narrow to barely admit a full grown adult but was easily negotiated by the three small kids. Looking into the opening they encountered only blackness and were apprehensive to go down the stairs and investigate the underground cellar.

Acting on a hunch Luna cried out, "Lights!" and was rewarded with a soft glow mimicking natural sunlight without the harsh glare lighting up the room. Harry and Hermione were struck speechless and it was left to Luna to state the obvious, "This is a magical home" she exclaimed with glee.

Chapter 7

Looking down into the opening with a little bit of apprehension, the three children stared at each other willing the other to be the first to get down the stairs. They were also afraid that they had entered someone's home without permission and that person could be waiting downstairs and were not sure of their reception. Three children hungry and dirty may not be a threat to the person hiding out but may not also be welcome, especially if food was scarce.

Taking a deep breath and with nerves taut with tension, Harry called the two to wait and let himself down the stairs and into a narrow room just as long as the one above ground. The stairs led to the center of the room but along one of the walls. The room had four doors on each of the four walls and he could see that the house was much larger here than that on the surface. Luna suggested that the house was designed in such a way that in times of trouble the people could seal off the top floor and then hide in the rooms underneath the main house. If that was the case, the hidden rooms should be much more lavish than the ones on the top and just by a glance at the four doors he could guess that the house was indeed much larger.

Harry got off the stairs and turned back to see that his girls were already half way down the stairs and were descending at a rapid rate, probably frightened to be left alone. He tried to open the door on his right but his efforts were futile and his heart sank that after everything they went through, they may still be left in the deserted house without any hopes of surviving. Though the lamps in the small room were bright enough, the doors were sunken and so partly hidden in shadows and that was the reason he could not spot an intricately carved symbol on the inside of the door frame.

"That is a rune Harry; they are used to channel magical energy from the surroundings and used to work magic. Even if a person does not have magic, the runes can still be used to do simple tasks, in this case like opening the door" with that she pressed the symbol with her finger for a couple of seconds letting it charge. When the rune glowed in a soft orange light, the door slid to the top creating an opening, surprising Harry and Hermione. The two of them expected a normal door with hinges but this was very different.

The room was dark and this time Hermione was up to the task and cried out for the lights to switch on. Inside was a fully equipped kitchen with a four burner stove occupying the center stage on the raised platform. The room also contained an oven, mechanical grinder not the one they were used to running on electricity but apparently contained a set of knives that could shred or a pestle that could pound and worked on magic. There was even a small table that could easily seat four people without any problem and a cupboard full of crockery and silverware. It was definitely a rich man's kitchen and hopefully they would be able to use it.

"Does the stove work on gas, Luna?" Hermione wanted to know. It was still fascinating to Harry and her, learning about all the new things that magic could do. The shape and function of the appliances were the same as that in a normal house but still everything was different.

"No Hermione, there is no gas or what did you call that, Ekelictricy?"

"No, Electricity" supplied Harry. He knew that he would be the designated cook as both the girls never even boiled milk and so he was keen to understand how to operate all the amazing stuff in the kitchen. It was better equipped than the one he used at his aunt's house and everything was magic!

"Yes that, all of these have runes to use the magic around us and do their functions. Even if runes are not there, wizards could use magic to create fire but you need a wand for that and as I told you children like us cannot use wands. So everything in a magical home uses runes to create things like water, heat and fire."

"WOW!" exclaimed Harry and Hermione. Hermione was a little sad that she could not use all the amazing stuff that she was learning, but at least with Luna and Harry, she was getting a chance to experience magic. Their excitement was dampened by the fact that they could not see anything edible in the kitchen, Luna was still a little optimistic as she knew that a lot of food could be stored under charms that allowed it to be fresh and that meant a separate room for storing it, they just have to find it.

Harry led the way back and opened the door exactly opposite to the one they exited and immediately called out for light barely managing to beat the girls. They burst out giggling at the silly game they have unconsciously started and it was a relief for them to be worrying about things like that rather than for survival. The sight that greeted them drew gasps from all the three; the room was lined on all the four sides with huge bookcases containing what looked like thousands of books. All the three of them loved to read but in the case of Harry never had the opportunity to do so, if they would be staying in the house, Harry was determined to read as many books as he could. He was more than sure that the books were about magic and that increased his excitement. The room had a fairly large fire place and a good sized couch which could hold the three of them comfortably, near the fire. In the center of the room was a huge table with six chairs all around it and also held writing implements and what Luna called parchment for writing on.

Hermione was literally drooling at the sight of the many books but even she knew that it would be useless for her to stay there without being able to feed themselves. Yes, the house was warm and it would be safe for them to spend the winter away from the cold, but no amount of reading would beat off hunger and so reluctantly followed the other two out.

The door on the right from the library led into a huge bedroom with a king sized four poster bed. The sight of the mattress and the comforter on top was enough to start them dreaming about curling up for the night. A door led into a closet stocked with clothes for both a man and a woman several sizes too large for them. Another door inside the room led to an attached bath room complete with a shower and a bath tub big enough for the three of them to use at the same time. They noticed that the taps also had runes on them, one for hot water, one for cold water and apparently the third for dispensing soap or shampoo depending on the rune that is activated.

The final door to the right of the kitchen nearly transported them into heaven. Right in front of them arranged in neat shelves were rows and rows of food. Different kinds of meat, eggs, vegetables, fruits and even the occasional fish were neatly packed in transparent plastic, labeled and sorted according to their kind. One wall also had different kinds of liquor which they were sure to stay away from.

The food was probably enough for two adults for a month but for the three children it would probably last two months. If they were careful it may even be more than three months before they would run out and Harry was determined to make it last as long as possible, at least till the end of winter before they were forced to leave the house and move on. For, leave the house they must as the stored food would not last them forever and he was not sure if there are any places nearby so that they could work for their meals.

Harry and Hermione automatically moved to touch the food just to make sure that they were not dreaming but were stopped short by a warning from Luna. "Don't touch them you two, food is kept under what is called as a stasis charm to prevent them from getting spoilt. When you touch the food, the charm is removed and you will have to use it up soon. So only take whatever is needed."

The two immediately nodded their heads in understanding and moved to a cooler box on one side of the room. With permission from Luna, they looked inside to see a bottle of milk and a few bottles of different juices and strangely one of pumpkin juice. A small shelf on the side also contained various kind of cheese and butter.

"Pumpkin juice is the most commonly used juice in the magical world. It does taste funny when you drink it for the first time but the taste grows on you, or at least that's what my dad told me" she finished with a sad smile. The constant company of Harry and Hermione alleviated some of the hurt but occasionally brought up memories which were painful to her. She was immediately engulfed in a hug from both the sides and held in their embrace which helped her some and allowed her to focus on the task ahead.

The cooler box was a different concept; not only would it keep things cool and preserve them, once a bottle is emptied or near empty, its gets filled back to the brim as soon as it was placed back into the box. Same was with the cartons of cheese and butter. Harry was not sure if he wanted to drink the pumpkin juice but the sight of apple, orange, and pineapple juices made him happy, while at the same time Hermione decided she was game to try the new flavour.

Once they exited the storage room, they had a brief debate regarding what to do first, eat or bathe. In the end they decided on a compromise purely on Harry's insistence that he did not have enough energy to stay upright any longer. He was running on pure magical energy and the girls were no better. While the girls went to the bathroom to fill the tub with warm water and soap suds, Harry grabbed a few pieces of chicken breast for a quick and easy to digest salad. He knew that they would have to take care since they would be eating solid food after more than a week.

Harry mixed a big bowl of salad with pieces of boiled chicken, cut tomato, carrot, onion and strawberry. A dash of lemon, pinch of salt and pepper along with a few herbs that he found went into the salad before garnishing it with olive oil. The hungry kids dug into the small but filling meal washing it down with juice. Juice was something that they managed to drink a lot as that would not only be filling their bellies but would also be easy to digest and nourishing to boot.

Leaving the dishes in the sink, Harry and Hermione watched in fascination as they washed themselves clean before being dried by a blast of hot air. It was way cooler and quicker than any dishwasher. Putting away the clean dishes and silverware, the kids dashed into the bathroom. Stripping naked they jumped into the tub together and watched in amazement as the spilt water was siphoned off without even touching the floor. They took their time in washing themselves clean and helped each other in washing their hair.

Finally ridding themselves of grime that had been accumulated over days, they dried themselves with fluffy white towels hanging from a rack. When they returned the towels to dry out hanging, they were immediately cleaned and dried too.

"I love magic" gushed Harry and Hermione in unison.

The three children with filled bellies and tired bodies flopped onto the big bed naked as they have been doing till now. Even though they were not interested in looking for night clothes, they were too tired to even think about it and besides they grew accustomed to cuddle up without a stitch on them. With the girls hugging him from both sides and his arms encircling them, the three weary kids fell into a relaxed sleep, warm and snug under a comforter for the first time in more than a week. For Harry it was the first time ever on a proper bed for as long as he could remember.

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

The three children did not want to move from their warm cocoon but the need to relieve themselves forced them to get up. Harry especially was enjoying the feeling of a wonderful mattress below him and the warm embrace of his girls. They were determined to enjoy their time inside the house for however long it would be.

Harry being the only one who could cook was unanimously voted to use the toilet first and did so with a feeling of bliss much to the amusement of Hermione and Luna. They were all in the same boat but Harry suffered the most and so could very well understand his elation at finally being able to use modern amenities without the feeling of being a savage. But Harry would never begrudge the time he spent on the streets as that had made him into a very tough boy, one who would not need to rely on adults to make his way in the world and even had a chance to help out two others struck by misfortune.

While Luna was using the facilities, Hermione and Harry rooted out around in the closet for something for them to wear. Though the house was warm, there was a chill in the air probably due to the fact that their bodies were resting and so had no warmth in the muscles. The wardrobe was fully stocked but to their disappointment could only find clothes that would fit an adult. The pretty dresses made Hermione long for a chance to wear them but she had to concede that they would be of no use. Maybe Luna and she could try them on just to see how they would look. The only things that they could safely wear were the men's full sleeved shirts and there were quite a few of them. That would mean that all the three of them would be without any shorts or skirts to wear but that was of no consequence to them seeing that they were very comfortable in the other's presence even without that.

Harry decided to make a huge breakfast with plenty of fat so settled on bacon and eggs to be eaten with toast and a glass of warm milk. Harry knew that they had to conserve their food but he was also aware that they were starving for a long time and they needed to top up their reserves. He was prepared to gorge for maybe a week before cutting down on their intake.

After breakfast and a quick shower later, Luna and Hermione wanted to curl up on the couch inside the library with a book, Hermione was especially hard to restrain from tearing into the library. Harry however wanted to explore the area they were in so that they could be sure about their safety and a way to get out of there quickly if they needed it. So with obvious reluctance they agreed to accompany him on a reconnaissance trip outside.

There was a spattering of snow on the ground and now that they had a safe place to return to, the cold was enjoyable. They took care to dress warmly with each one wearing about three of the long dress like articles that Luna called as robes. With the judicious use of hair pins the robes were pinned up to come up to just above their ankles, lest they trip on them. The view they were faced with was spectacular to say the least. The glade that the house was in was totally impervious to outside sounds and it was a picture of peace and quiet. The three kids felt as if they were transported to an outwardly place and dared not to even breathe out loud for fear of disrupting the silence.

The yard bordered by the hedgerow was nothing remarkable except for the small shed that was almost on the edge of the marked boundary. With nothing to really see they passed through the wicker gate and roamed around the small glade. Even that turned out to be nothing of importance and felt as if the entire glade was shrouded in secrecy, which according to Luna was entirely possible and was planted for the specific purpose of hiding the house.

"Well now can we go back inside and read?" whined Luna. She was probably the one least accustomed to toughen it outdoors.

"I am more interested in checking out the shed. We now know that this is a magical home and does not need any fire wood, so what could be the purpose of that?" Harry was intrigued by the lonely shed; he really wanted to explore it and was hoping that it held more secrets. Magic was certainly fascinating and even the small shed may hold enormous secrets.

With determined strides Harry led the way to the shed with Hermione following him eagerly. She also was hoping to find something intriguing and experience more magic. Learning about magic but also the fact that Luna could not show them any magic that wizards could do due to being underage and having no wand was a disappointment for Hermione. Any opportunity to see magic was always welcome to her.

Harry reached the door but did not see anything resembling a rune that could be used to open the door. Even Luna could not provide an answer as to how to open the door. Finally Harry tried brute force and leaned on the door pushing it in, but being woefully under nourished and scrawny, the door did not even budge. Deciding to humor him, Hermione and Luna also tried to push the door in. However, unknown to either of them they were unconsciously commanding the door to open for them. In a rush of magical energy the door simply disappeared causing the three to tumble onto the floor.

Hermione and Luna were however cushioned on Harry and were uninjured. The hard landing on the stone floor with two girls on top of him however, left Harry with an angry bruise on both his elbows luckily for him there were no broken bones.

The girls jumped off him and pulled him up and tried to apologize but Harry brushed it off, "I have always healed very soon. Even broken bones did not last long, so no problem. I have a little pain but will be fine in a few hours, don't worry" he assured the two worried girls.

Hermione however was looked at her palm in incredulity, "I felt a tingling sensation in my hand just before the door disappeared. Do you think that I felt your magic working on the door?"

"If you are not magical, you cannot feel magic even in a very highly magical place" Luna bit her lip seeing the excited look on her friend's face. She did not want to disappoint her but getting her hopes high was also not correct, "I am not sure Hermione, I do not know about that because I did not feel anything. It is also possible that you have imagined it." Harry also supported Luna's view much to Hermione's disappointment but she bore it with grace correctly guessing that the two were only trying to console her.

The room was littered with bones of small animals and most of them looked like the bones of rodents. Thankfully there was no smell or half eaten rats and so helped settle the girls' nerves rather than freaking them out.

"Looks like a kennel for animals" Luna commented. "Quite a few people take to breeding rare animals and sell them for ingredients in potions. That also explains why the house was so well hidden; they might have been breeding some rare or dangerous animals. One thing I do not understand is how we were able to enter the house."

The other two agreed with her assessment as Luna explained about wards and the various protections that usually make a magical house unapproachable by strangers. They however thanked their stars that they were able to not only see the house but were also able to enter it.

The only thing of interest in the kennel was a huge egg in what looked like a nest made of earth. The nest was almost three feet high nearly covering the egg while leaving only a small hole on the top, enough for a child to put their hand through. They had no idea what the egg was or even if the animal or bird inside was still alive. With no option, Harry broke open the nest to see that the egg was unnaturally larger than any egg he had seen.

"That has to be a magical animal" commented Hermione unnecessarily.

The egg was perfectly spherical and almost the size of a small water melon, about a foot in diameter. Harry nearly dropped the egg when he hefted it into his hands due to the unexpected weight. He gently placed it back on the ground and observed it closely for any indication that it contained a developing and still alive animal. The egg was a pale green in colour and radiated warmth that did not dissipate even in the cold.

"What do we do with this?" Harry asked no one in particular. Hermione and Luna seemed lost in thought and so he added, "it would be nice to know if whatever was inside was still alive."

Hermione voiced her opinion, "I seem to remember reading that if the animal is developed enough you could hear the heartbeat through the shell."

So Harry did just that and felt a strange sensation starting from near his heart. "I think I hear a heartbeat, I also felt as if a wave of… something… something nice started from near my heart and travelled through my body and then connected with the egg. I don't know what but it felt nice."

They looked at the other for a few moments before shrugging their shoulders. Harry picked the egg up and they started to move back into the house hoping that the books inside the house would give them an idea about both his and Hermione's experiences.

No sooner than they stepped out of the nursery, they were confronted by a large wolf. It however was no ordinary wolf; just looking at the animal through their fear was a difficult task to the three. The wolf was nearly four feet in height at the shoulders and about seven feet long. The pale grey fur was more like bristles struck to it rather than a soft covering. The jet black eyes were like bottomless pits and they felt as if the animal was peering into their souls almost as if judging them, and probably it was. The aura of fear that the wolf radiated was immediately replaced by a sense of calm and safety as soon as the wolf scrutinized them and found them deserving.

The wolf stared unblinking into Hermione's eyes and forged a connection, "I have found you at last human child, together we are powerful, alone we cannot win. You are just like the messenger said, noble, brave, intelligent and above all compassionate but with a sense of justice and certain ruthlessness when dealing with tyrants."

Hermione could not stifle the gasp that came out of her mouth. This pulled Harry out of his stupor; he remembered his promise to Hermione about protecting and taking care of her. Faced with an animal larger than him and one ferocious enough to give him nightmares, shocked him into immobility, Harry was in bind. There was no way he could even move a muscle let alone fight such a beast. Added to that, Luna was cowering behind him and trying to make herself as small as she could. The three children were terrified but felt as if they were made of stone when the wolf padded up to Hermione.

"Do not fear me my child, I cannot harm you. I am your companion, protector, teacher and a friend. Your mate and sister mate would need all the help they could get and with time we would grow into a powerful force to combat darkness" the wolf projected into Hermione's mind.

Hermione tentatively reached out and placed her hand on the snout of the wolf. A tiny spark of magic danced between her hand and the wolf's snout which caused her to giggle despite the situation. Beside her Harry and Luna were watching the spectacle with mouths agape. Hermione began scratching the wolf behind its ears and spoke out loud, "What do you mean that you are my teacher? Who is this messenger that you are talking about? What do you mean by mate?"

The expression on the wolf was the equivalent of a grin and answered her, "All in good time my dear. Suffice to know that from now on I am always there for you, your mate and your sister."

Hermione huffed, "Again with that mate. Anyway this is Harry and Luna, and I am Hermione. Do you have a name?"

"I am called 'Needa' in Elvin tongue. It means shadow in your language."

Hermione turned to her friends and introduced Needa and told them everything that he said. Luna understood the implications of the word sister mate but even though she was blushing brightly at that, she refused to answer Harry and Hermione's persistent questioning saying that they should wait till Needa tells them about that. By this time Harry and Luna were also petting Needa and he was lapping up the attention.

Hermione suddenly had a wide grin on her face, "Does that mean I am magic?"

Harry and Luna burst out laughing more out of relief rather than anything else. Harry was hugging her while Luna was trying to drag her out of the embrace, "No Silly, you are a witch" she nearly screamed in happiness.

With their arms linked, Hermione and Luna twirled and skipped around the yard with shouts of "I am a witch" repeated over and over again punctuated with laughter.

They soon followed Harry towards the house they were staying in, only to stop and kiss him on either cheek simultaneously before pulling him inside amidst peals of laughter.

Chapter 8

The three very happy children went down the stairs into the living part of the house to find Needa already waiting for them. Hermione was still on her high and so embraced the huge wolf near its neck, "How did you get here so soon Needa, we did not see you pass by us?"

"I can travel by using the shadows to a place near you Hermione."

Hermione was relaying all the information to her two friends and they were ecstatic, maybe they could do that too. Unfortunately, Needa shot down that idea, humans do have a way to travel almost instantaneously but travelling by shadows takes a special skill that none of the humans possess at least the humans that he had the chance to meet.

"I have heard about Shadow Wolves that travel using shadows, I think that Needa is a shadow wolf" Luna exclaimed.

"Let's find out if there are any books on magical animals then we can read all about a shadow wolf. He promised to teach us everything he knows and if we cannot travel by shadows, I want to find what else he can do. Come on" Hermione began leading the way to the library. Now that she knew that she was a witch she could not wait to activate the rune that would open the door to the library. It was so exciting.

Harry was lost in thought about finding a place for the egg he was carrying. He wanted to place it near to them but also out of their way so that they do not accidentally break it. He looked at the wolf which looked like he was laughing at Hermione's antics. "Do you need something to eat Needa?" Harry asked the clearly amused animal.

At that the two girls stopped abruptly in their tracks and looked sheepishly at Needa. In their excitement they totally forgot about feeding him.

"Oh! Do not worry about feeding me little ones, I will hunt for myself. I am partial to fish and I know just the spot for finding them. I could get some for you too if you need" he projected to Hermione.

They were thankful that Needa could hunt for himself. Though it was selfish of them, they were worried about the food rations and another mouth to feed and that too a big animal like him would have depleted their reserves very fast. Hermione conveyed their thanks for the offer of fresh fish; a little variation in their diet was always welcome.

"Right now I am tired and need to sleep. I will probably wake up after a week or so and if you can show me to a nice warm spot I will curl up and sleep."

Hermione led them into the library and activated the fire inside the grate. "Will this work for you?" she asked.

Needa went to the rug in front of the fire and like a typical dog, chased his tail for a couple of times all the while fluffing the rug up with his claws. Asking Harry to put the egg he was carrying on the rug, he curled up around it and promptly fell asleep much to the amusement of the three.

A full lunch was followed by an extended period of study in the library and that's how the days went for the three kids alone in the world. Though they could not understand most of the books that were there in the library, the three found out that they were really lucky in finding the house they were currently staying in. Luna was correct in saying that homes of wizards or witches were protected by enchantments called wards to keep out unwanted visitors and they also made the house invisible to non-magical people or muggles. In addition to wards several other protections may also keep the house safe and if needed totally unreachable even to magicals.

"So if this was a wizard's house then how did we find it?" was the question plaguing the minds of the children. In normal situations they might not have even bothered to look for it but this was far from normal, added to that they were literally confined to four rooms due to the heavy snow now covering the ground and the temperature far below freezing.

Hermione was trying to make some inroads into a book on runes but the intricate symbols all looked like the same and the description was much too complex. A few sentences did catch her eye though, "Listen to this" she called for the attention of the other two, "Wards use anchor stones carved with runes to keep them in place and though runes use ambient magic and can theoretically be used indefinitely, wards are not forever. They are generally keyed in to specific magical signature of the owner and so as long as the owner or his blood relatives use the house, the runes power the wards. Even after the death of the last of the blood relative, the wards could be powered for a few years after which they dissipate. This ensures that the property could be found if unoccupied for a number of years and the land claimed by the Ministry."

"I guess that makes sense otherwise the entire land would have been occupied over the years and the muggles would not have had any place to live" was Harry's opinion.

Luna had more to contribute, "This one says that there could be other protections based on the type of magic."

The other two looked bewildered, "Type of magic?"

"Yes, supposedly everyone has their magic with a certain affinity to a particular ability, For example, I can talk to trees and feel their emotions or needs, I am sure that you two cannot do that. I think that my magic has an affinity to anything green" Luna concluded.

"Do you think that the tingling sensation that I felt in my palm when opening the door to the outside shed has to do with my specific type of magic?" Hermione was feeling a little better after listening to that. When she felt that sensation opening the door of the shed where they found the egg that Needa was now curled around, she felt apprehensive. She did not want to be different than Harry and Luna, but now it was possible that she had a special ability that neither of the two had.

"Yes, it is possible that you have an affinity to animals like I have for trees. That may also be the reason why Needa chose you to talk to and witches or wizards that talk to animals are known but they are very rare. I am sorry that I did not believe you sister" Luna apologized.

They did not know that it was the ability of Hermione to connect and empathize with animals that actually opened the sealed door for the nursery to them. The protections around the nursery were designed to open for anyone who had the ability to bond with animals. The egg recognized a sympathetic witch and reacted to Hermione intending to form a bond, but since Harry was the one to make contact with the egg for the first time, the animal inside the egg bound to Harry as a familiar. It was probably for their advantage as Hermione was destined to meet Needa and form her own familiar bond with him.

Hermione waved off the apology by hugging Luna tight. They began addressing each other as sister and Luna confided in Hermione the reason that Needa called them as sister mates. Their giggles at the beginning was very annoying to Harry but they soon toned it down with time and even Harry consoled himself that he could not begrudge them. If poking fun of him made his girls happy, he would take that with a smile on his face. He also got a vague idea of the reason for their happiness as they refused to call him brother.

Very soon it was the day that Needa promised to wake up from his extended slumber. Hermione was looking forward to it so that she could learn what special abilities he had and what she could learn from him. She was reading about shadow wolves and was totally enthralled in it and did not see Needa waking up from his slumber.

"It says here that shadow wolves having a knobby tail come under another class of wolves called 'Wolf Wrath' and that they are masters of mind magics" Hermione summarized from the book. They did notice the small ball like structure at the end of the tail; it looked like it was only made of hard bone to be used like a hammer if needed.

"I wonder what it means by mind magic" Harry wanted to know.

"It means that I can read the thoughts of other animals and humans too. I can also force them to do what I want against their will" supplied Needa. The sudden voice in her head caused Hermione to shriek out loud and jumped nearly a foot high in alarm.

She immediately hugged him and tried to calm herself down, "You gave me a fright boy. How did you sleep?" she was joined by the other two who began petting and scratching the ferocious animal who was now responding to their touches like a cat.

Hermione could hear Needa chuckling in mirth, "I slept very well, Thank you and now I am hungry."

All the three children laughed at Needa's antics and after Hermione told them what he explained regarding mind magics, were awed at what Hermione could do when she learned about it. "Can I also read the thoughts of other humans or only of animals? What about making them do what I want?" she asked.

"You will be able to invade the minds of both animals and humans too; once you are trained up no one can escape your commands. It will take you sometime to actually do that powerful magic, in the mean time I will teach you and your companions about basic techniques to control your magic and finding your magical core. Now I will find some fish and meet you all later" with that Needa melted into the shadows leaving three very happy children.

Even Luna was excited about learning to control her magic, she was told that it was not possible to do that until she turned eleven and went to Hogwarts. The long standing belief that she needed a wand to do that was also shattered by Needa and she joined her two friends in an impromptu jig around the house.

Harry was a touch disappointed that he could not do all of that powerful magic that Needa was going to teach Hermione. Even Luna had her special ability, but so far he could not find anything special about himself. He refused to feel sorry for himself, and even if he was just an ordinary wizard he would help the two girls to master whatever special abilities they had and always be happy for them. If it comes to the worst, he could always cook for them.

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Every morning after breakfast the three kids spent some time on the exercises for concentration and relaxation that they found in a book and also advocated by Needa. It was amazing to them that two polar opposite feelings are required to attain the same goal of touching their magical core and then use it to power their spells.

The first few days were a riot as they were unable to progress at all due to one of them bursting out in laughter. The faces scrunched up in concentration would cause one of the others to crack up in mirth and was immediately followed by the other two. However hard they tried to hold out, they could not hold their concentration causing them to lose focus. When it came to relaxation and clearing their mind of all thoughts, fidgeting while seated on the floor was the problem. Eventually they decided to be in a room by themselves for either of exercises and then move on to be able to do them flawlessly in the presence of the others. They would not be anywhere near touching their cores for the next six months as cautioned by Needa but that did not deter them from their tasks. Apparently starting young was the key for such exercises and all three were motivated by the chance to do some magic soon.

Through the months of December, January and February, Harry and his girls enjoyed the respite from struggling to survive in the harsh world. Harry slowly reduced the amount of food they were taking out from under stasis charms and thankfully they had no need to reduce their consumption as Needa almost always brought fresh fish every other day when he went out hunting. Christmas day was fun filled for them without any 'classes' as they termed their daily studies and mental exercises and Harry was able to persuade Needa for plenty of fish for an indoor barbecue.

"If only we could magic food and fresh fruit, we need not move from this place" Luna declared wistfully one bright morning on February. Their supplies have at last started to run low and the writing was clear on the wall that the time to move was near.

They practiced concentrating on the feeling of magic flowing through their body into their hands and out of their fingertips even though there was no effect. The three of them tried to 'will' their magic to create food, as Luna told them, magic was mostly in intent. They even deliberately went without food for a day and then concentrated on eating delicious chicken stew but even then nothing happened except for louder grumbling from their stomachs.

"Maybe magic was never meant to create food" was their only conclusion. They thought that being desperate for something would trigger their magic and create food for them as Harry was able to use accidental magic to get away from his abusive relatives. Little did they know that food was the only thing that magic could not create, if that was the case then the entire balance of energy in the universe would have been thrown haywire.

The only real excitement they had was the birth of Harry's familiar. The egg was prone to violent shaking a few days before it was due to hatch and one fine morning in late February a tiny triangular head peaked out of the broken shells.

The animal that hatched was reptilian and had tiny wings protruding from near the shoulders. The body was scaly and structured like a crocodile and was supported by four stubby but muscular legs. The baby was hardly half a foot tall and when standing on all its legs, was mere inches from touching the ground. In contrast to the body the tail was flattened on its sides. Probably like a crocodile that uses its tail to propel itself and maneuver in water using it like a rudder, the tail in this case might be used for the same purpose in the air. Two ridges of raised triangular spines ran down the back starting from the base of the neck to the tip of the tail. The entire body was scarlet coloured with irregular patches of pale green skin an exact shade of the egg.

The head was triangular but not flattened and more like that of a garden lizard than a crocodile. What was unexpected were the two fangs and a forked tongue leading to the conclusion that its bite could be poisonous.

The cry of "Mama?" echoed inside Harry's head even though to the others it was just like the sound of two hard surfaces grinding against each other.

When Harry explained to the others what the newborn said, there were tears of anguish in the eyes of all the three orphans. They were also remained of their lost Mama but since they banded together taking care of each other, they vowed to take care of the new addition too.

"Sorry little one, but we are not your Mama. Don't worry, we will take care of you" Harry verbalized the words for other's benefit. Hermione found out that she could communicate with Needa without actually saying the words out loud and maybe that will be true for Harry too, but for now he would try and include the others in the conversation, there would be plenty of time for trying non-verbal communication.

"If not Mama what are you? Will you hurt me?" there were tears even in the voice.

"No! No" Harry hastened to placate the baby, "We are your friends and will never hurt you. We will feed you till the time you are able to feed yourself, take care of you and protect you."

At those words Needa chuckled and projected to Hermione, "More like she will take care of you" and disappeared into the shadows cast by the flickering fire from the fireplace.

Hermione took the chance to get the others up to speed, "The baby is a girl Harry. Luna, do you know what kind of animal it is?"

A shake of her head conveying her regret was the only answer from the blonde. Neither of the three were prepared to pet the newborn, they were unsure about the correct way to go about it but before Harry could reach out to touch, Needa came back with a couple of fish clutched in his muzzle.

Placing the fish in front of the baby, Needa looked into her eyes probably conveying what they were for. Harry and Hermione could only hear one side of the conversation they could pick from their respective familiars. Hermione was still unable to focus on her magical core and connect to it and so was unable to read the thoughts of Harry's familiar which she could have done after training. After the short dialogue, the reptile shot out a short blast of fire from her snout directed at the fish before gobbling them up.

The sudden blast of fire caused the three children to jump back in alarm but strangely found that though they were almost next to it, the fire was not hot for them, at least not any hotter than the one blazing a few feet away. Harry reached out and placed his hand on the back of the new addition only for her entire body to radiate flames outward. Harry almost had his heart beating out of his chest in terror but very quickly found out that there was no harm done to his hand, he just felt an incredible feeling of warmth spread all around his body. He removed his hand to and to his surprise and happiness found that his entire hand was now ablaze in the same scarlet flames as that of his familiar. The girls reached out and tentatively petted his flame covered hand and burst out in giggles.

"It tickles" they cried out amidst laughter. They reached out to pet the still flaming newborn and felt the same sensation. The flames did not last long as the clearly tired baby curled up in front of the fire and fell asleep after her first display of prowess for the benefit of her new friends. Unlike Harry, Hermione and Luna could not hold the magical flame in their hands; clearly the ability was unique for Harry.

"We have to think of a name for her" Luna voiced the opinion of the rest.

Harry and Hermione were nodding their heads but Harry wanted to know what kind of animal she was before they could do that, an opinion that was quickly agreed upon.

A couple of days of search did not yield them any clues as to the identity of the mysterious newcomer. The closest description they could find was that of a 'Fire Salamander' but the main difference was in the wings which were covered with skin like some prehistoric dinosaur instead of feathers. They finally settled on the name 'Clandi', shortened from clandestine due to her excellent camouflage abilities.

"Am I special or what" was the cheeky retort from the newly christened fire spouting reptile.

"You are one cheeky and slippery girl" Harry quipped, a sentiment which was whole heartedly agreed by the rest.

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The days passed too quickly for their liking and soon it was the day that they were going to leave the little house that offered them sanctuary when they needed the most. There was very little food left and that too was mostly smoked or salted meat that would stay for a few days even without the preservation charm. They were out of bread and fresh vegetables and fruit. The cooler box was doing its job of replenishing the milk and juices but they could not live forever on just that. Harry wanted to take the box with them, at least that would tide them over when food was scarce but it was too bulky until Luna came up with a bag that was apparently bottomless and feather weight. The three were determined to fit the cooler box into it even though the mouth of the bag was smaller than the box, but fit it in they eventually did.

Handy items like Cutlery, a few plates and bowls also went in along with essentials like all the men's shirts, towels and a few blankets. They discussed about taking the comforter and finally decided that it was a case of 'having it and not use it rather than need it and not have it' and so that too went in. Even in hot summer months the comforter could be used as a mattress, rather than using a cardboard for that. The bag was for one of the girls to carry while Harry picked up Hermione's and his non-magical backpacks that could carry a water bottle or juice for ease of access and hide the fact that the bag containing their possessions was magical.

In just a month, Clandi grew at an astonishing rate. They were not sure if it was normal for a magical animal, but she was now about two feet high and more than seven feet in length from snout to tail. The wings when extended were more than five feet in length and though still not able to fly fully, Clandi was a sight to see in the sky. The vivid scarlet colouring could fade into nothing in just a few seconds and the wings did not even make a whisper in air. The tail was used mostly for generating the thrust for takeoff at a short stumbling run and change direction rapidly when flying.

The two familiars were ever watchful of their charges and were almost always by their side except for hunting food. With most of the snow melting off at the end of March, the three children, one magical Wolf Wrath and a strange reptile resumed their journey northward.

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Gwydyr Forest Area, Northern wales, April 1989 (more than a year since leaving the cottage)

It was now more than five months after they found a nice cozy cave on the bank of a fairly large lake inside the protected area of the forest. The walk from the house they occupied near Great Malvern to the Gwydyr forest was about a hundred miles and most of it was easy and until they crossed into Wales it was mostly flat lands. With most of the stuff they had was being carried in the feather weight bag, they were not impeded for speed. To their disappointment Needa could not carry anyone while travelling; the magic of the travel would inhibit anyone without the ability from crossing into the shadows, otherwise they could have just travelled to the cave in a fraction of a minute.

The availability of fresh milk or juice whenever they needed or was the only nourishment if they could not find work to buy food, was a driving force for them to concentrate on reaching the wild lands rather than linger around towns for food. With Needa and Clandi helping them out, there was really no need for them to look for food except for fresh fruit or vegetables. Although from Clandi it was almost always of the barbecue variety.

The only time they really had a problem was when a street bum tried to grab Luna for the food she had in her hands. That was until Needa sprang from the shadows and bared his canines and caused him to pass out in fright. "I modified his memory and made him think that you three managed to hit him hard enough for him to pass out. Now whenever he tries to bully a kid my snarling face will be the thing that he sees" the wolf placated the three clearly terrified kids.

"I cannot wait to learn all the tricks you have to teach me" cooed Hermione while petting her familiar.

"We have to increase our efforts to make our magic respond to our command. I for one am going to increase the time I spend on the meditation and concentration techniques. With magic, I need not worry about riff raff like that" a determined Luna announced. They were now able to sit together and maintain their concentration or relaxation even if the others were deliberately trying to disturb them. They were still unable to touch their cores, but Needa and Clandi were confident that they would achieve that soon.

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The area they chose to stay in was not only well stocked for food with a lake and many fruit bearing trees, but was also out of the way where humans rarely ventured. Luna talked to the trees around the cave they were residing in and ensured a supply of fresh fruit throughout the harsh winter. They managed to find quite a few shrubs with berries and also some wild potatoes and leeks. The trees also provided them with tender shoots which were surprisingly tasteful.

The entire area was surrounded by a dense growth and the magic of the earth and the trees combined to make the spot a relatively warm place and also kept the lake from freezing. All in all it was a very comfortable and safe place for them to stay, but under Laya's intervention events and destiny would conspire to bring forth massive changes in their young lives very soon.