Obi-Wan K'Lari: Hey K'Lari, in answer to your statement about being surprised Ginny didn't finish Hogwarts; she did. She finished her 6th and 7th years and played for the Harpies for 2 years. Harry was gone for 4 years. ya think? (I don't think it took your super sleuthing skills to figure that one out.) Not at all. He is waiting for 2 reasons. They will be given a little later. Thank you K'Lari

Miss Evi3e <3; Hey Eviee, Your thoughts alone speak volumes. Thank you

ThePureBloodPrincess: Hey Jazz Thank you very much for your well wishes in traveling, and your sympothy. She was wonderful, and yes she did live a very full life. Also thanks for saying my story is amazing.

Thanks to all my readers for reading and for those who have expressed sympothy to me. We're visiting reletives with Internet, so I'm able to post this chapter. I can't say when I'll be able to get the next one posted, but I will as soon as I can, or first thing when we get home. Chapter 4 is titled, 'Fabrication Of The Truth"





Chapter 3

Looking Back

Harry watched the sky and thought of the first year and a half into his quest. He was away from home and very much alone. He’d been traveling all around the world. He was sorely tried and tormented by the nature of his surroundings. Three times, he was tempted to give up and return home. However, he persevered and ventured on.

It was during his sixth week that he came to realize he was going to be fine and could make it as long as he needed to so long as he had faith in what he set out to do. He then was able to enjoy some of the comforts he brought from home, and took them out each day for his use and pleasure. He traveled and accomplished many great things, although finding himself or his purpose was not one of his accomplishments. One evening he was extremely tired from his travel and getting through the events of the day. He sat resting on the muddy bank of a river against the trunk of a tree reading a book by the last light of the day. Suddenly a great anaconda was upon him and he rolled to his side just barely in the nick of time. Harry felt the scales of the thick snake rub hard against the side of his body. He swiftly jumped to his feet as the snake tried to clear its head from bashing it into the tree instead of a mouthful of Harry. “STOP!” Harry shouted.

The snake moved his head slowly but steadily towards him, and spoke warily. “How do you speak to me human?”

“I am a wizard who is able to speak to all snakes.”

“Why do you keep me from my meal?” It asked as it came slowly but with intent at Harry.

“I am on a very important quest of my own, which has nothing to do with being your meal.”

“You sit in my home uninvited and think I cannot eat you because of your quest?”

“I sit in your home not realizing it is yours because I’m tired from my days travel and tribulations. I do not intend to keep you from your meal, and yet it will not be me you eat.” Harry waved his wand and pointed it to the ground in front of the giant snake. A small hyena lay unconscious in front of it.

“This is the hyena that was trying to get a drink when you struck him. It would have been your meal if the other hyenas hadn’t started biting at you. They all got away, but finally this one dropped from his injuries. The others were waiting for it to die so they could eat it. I saw the whole thing as I was hiding behind a bush nearby. Now, it is yours again. Please take the poor thing before it wakens and sees its death coming.”

The snake took the young beast greedily and lay in silence with its head towards Harry.

Harry laughed heartily. “Yes, I know what you’re thinking. In your lust for the animal’s life, you didn’t think of what would happen after you ate. Here you are now with your meal eaten, and here am I knowing you are vulnerable. You can’t hope to defend yourself if I decide to kill you.” He sat back down against the tree and picked up his book to read. He opened it up to where he was before he was so rudely interrupted. “I’m not going to kill you if you allow me the hospitality of your home for a short bit. After I rest I will move on to a different spot to sleep for the night.”

The snake moved its head up and down. “What is that you have there? It doesn’t smell like anything tasty to eat.”

“This is a book called, “Folklore of the Dark Continent” by Shorty Tailz. A little over two years ago, I was with a friend when we came across some creatures called, Inferi, which terrified me. They are animated bodies of dead humans that evil wizards command and they stay in cold water where wizards place them. If you touch the water, they come at you and drag you under until you drown. I thought that if I faced my worst fear that I would feel better about myself. So, I went to this special place and since I knew how to defeat them, I thought I’d be ok. I stirred them up and they came so fast I wasn’t prepared. My fear started to defeat me. They took hold of me and then drug me across the sharp rocks and into the water. I gathered my nerve and was able to overcome them by creating a ring of fire around me, and drove them away from me, just as my friend had done. I looked at my wand and wondered how I had been able to do that so easily. Then I caused the same fire to burn the whole lake, and I got rid of them, all of them.”

“And did this change the way you felt inside?” The snake asked him.

Harry shook his head. “Not at all; what I found out was I was a complete idiot for trying to do something like that. The use of all that magic drained my strength. I was as vulnerable as you are now. Thankfully, I didn’t have any enemies around. So, after I rested enough, I returned home worn out, more than I had ever been in my life, and not knowing what else to do, I decided to go on this quest. I think my quest has something to do with Zombies, hence the book. I’ve read and reread this many times hoping to be able to identify and eliminate them when I see them. I have yet to see a single one. Anyway, I said good-bye to my friends and left the next morning at noon. I’ve been gone now for nearly two and a half years near as I can figure it. I’ve been studying, and learning, and at times, I lived with tribes of people in lands I’ve never dreamed I’d ever be seeing. Nearly all this time I lived in Jungles such as this. There has been so much knowledge waiting for me to learn. I did learn, and I’m still learning. I’ve done and accomplished so much and still I haven’t found out who I am, and what my purpose is.”

“It would have been simpler if your purpose had been to be my meal, and you’d be all done with your quest now.”

“But then I would be dead! What’s the good of that quest?” he laughed.

“You would have known what you were all about, and died happy knowing that you contributed to my humanity.”

“Ah! Yet another plan that involves me dieing. No thanks. Been there done that.” Harry yawned and stretched. “Well Beau, can I call you Beau? It’s been real. Thanks for your hospitality. I rested enough now, I should move on. And you are able now, since we’ve been chatting these couple hours, to defend yourself well enough I think from that other snake that’s been observing us from the bank of the river. My name is Harry Potter. If you’re ever in Emgland give me the honor of a visit, unless you’re looking for a meal.”

As Harry walked off, he heard Beau talking to the other snake. “Why did you hide from me?”

She answered, “I wasn’t hiding from you. I was hiding from the human because I am afraid of his stick.”