The Lost

Encouragement

Everything was black. Harry couldn't feel, see, smell or hear anything but blackness and it was disconcerting. At first his mind had been foggy, swimming in the darkness, unable to work out the reason for the strangeness, and then it began to clear.

He remembered Evangeline smashing in to him and kicking his broom and then the blackness came. It had happened too fast for him to use his flame to reach the ground safely, he didn't even think, and it had been too late to catch himself with his air. He knew when he hit the floor because there had been a lot of pain before he had ended up where he was.

It was weird in the blackness, he didn't like it much because he was used to being active and not being able to do anything was horrible.

There was a change, at one point. A light had appeared, it sang with soft magics and he had tried so hard to pull himself towards the light that he could see but something was holding him back. He fought hard, the calling of the magic so strong to him, and when he finally got right next to it someone pushed him back away roughly. Harry growled, spinning to face them and he nearly had a heart attack when Merlin appeared in front of him.

"Are you insane? Do you know Salazar is having a breakdown thinking your going to jump in to the after life early? It is not your time to go yet Harry, why are you trying so hard to come through?"

All Harry could do was gape. "Harry?" Merlin snapped and the boy shook his head.

"Merlin?"

"Of course, have you forgotten me already?"

"No, no, of course not! But what are you doing here and what are you talking about?"

"I'm trying to stop you from dying. When you fell, nasty fall as it was, you sustained horrific injuries, too painful for any mind to bare, which is why your consciousness shut down to deal with the pain. You ended up here where you can't feel, hear, see or smell anything from your consciousness, and I am using some highly forbidden magics to stop you from making a terrible mistake. The light you fought so hard to get to is on," Merlin explained and Harry's eyes widened.

"As in dying on?"

"Yes, Harry" He confirmed. "I don't know about you but I don't think you are ready to die."

"Oh Lady Magic no." Harry said.

"Well come with me there is some people who would like to speak to you." Harry followed Merlin's juster and a saw a new light apear one he didn't notice before.

Merlin led him up a hill, down it, and the stone path widened into a circle. There was a table there, and a lake that looked very much like the lake next to Hogwarts. His home, his true home. A castle, Hogwarts in the Inbetween, could be seen further along the shore of the lake, but Harry's attention was on the four people at the table.

Godric was already up. Salazar and Helga followed. Rowena stopped Harry and embraced him, he was stunned still. Harry hugged back with a fierceness. Rowena's quiet laughter could be heard.

"Did you miss us that much?" she asked, Harry nodded with tears in his eyes. "Don't think I'm the only one who will hug you."

"No worries, I am just shocked to see you all," he told her.

Godric and Salazar reached him before Helga did, and Rowena drew back just as the two men pounced him. Harry lost his balance and down they went.

"You bloody oaf!" Godric wheezed at Salazar.

"You're the oaf" Salazar replied.

"Both of you are the oaf" Harry said.
Godric grinned, and turned to Salazar.