Posted originally on the Archive_of_Our_Own at https://archiveofourown.org/
works/3693803.
  Rating:
      Explicit
  Archive Warning:
      Underage
  Category:
      F/F, F/M, Multi, Other
  Fandom:
      Harry_Potter_-_J._K._Rowling
  Relationship:
      Harry_Potter/Nymphadora_Tonks, Fleur_Delacour/Harry_Potter, Fleur
      Delacour/Harry_Potter/Nymphadora_Tonks, Luna_Lovegood/Ginny_Weasley,
      Daphne_Greengrass/Ron_Weasley, Hermione_Granger/Neville_Longbottom,
      Angelina_Johnson/Fred_Weasley, Katie_Bell/George_Weasley, Alicia_Spinnet/
      Oliver_Wood, Fleur_Delacour/Nymphadora_Tonks
  Character:
      Harry_Potter, Nymphadora_Tonks, Fleur_Delacour, Luna_Lovegood, Ginny
      Weasley, Daphne_Greengrass, Ron_Weasley, Hermione_Granger, Neville
      Longbottom, Angelina_Johnson, Fred_Weasley, George_Weasley, Katie_Bell,
      Alicia_Spinnet, Oliver_Wood
  Additional Tags:
      Threesome_-_F/F/M, Animagus, Soul_Bond, Lesbian_Sex, Beach_Sex, Animal
      Transformation, Prank_Wars, Inflation, Metamorphmagus, Metamorphmagus
      Sex, Veela, Quidditch, The_Quibbler, Full_Moon, Kitsune, Death_Eaters,
      Wizarding_Traditions, Potions, Potions_Accident, Werewolf_Mates,
      Werewolves, Werewolf_Sex, Twins, Horcruxes, Goblins, Post_Book_3, Good
      Dumbledore, Runes, Arithmancy, Smart_Harry, Nymphadora_Tonks_Lives,
      Sexual_Content, Oral_Sex, Underage_Sex, Shower_Sex, Explicit_Sexual
      Content, Sex, Running_Gag, Breast_Fucking, Masturbation_in_Shower,
      Showers, Kinky
  Stats:
      Published: 2015-04-06 Updated: 2016-02-06 Chapters: 8/? Words: 36894
****** Harry Potter and the Tails of Change ******
by KarouWS9
Summary
     It's the end of the third year and Harry's home for the holidays. The
     Dursley's are on holiday and Harry is studying over the summer, doing
     research on Animagus transformations. In this story, Tonks is two
     years younger than Canon. Rated M for Caution. This story is AU, and
     will include F/F relations, so be warned.
Notes
     This is a work of fiction, and I have altered reality from how JKR
     wrote things. First off, Nymphadora Tonks is a 6th year when Harry is
     in his first. Second, this story starts off in the summer between
     Harry's third and fourth years, so he has met Sirius, and knows he's
     innocent. Third, I'm having Harry be just a wee bit more intelligent,
     and have something more of a backbone by this time in his life. This
     story may include relations between two consenting females, so if
     that doesn't float your boat, you have been warned here, and can take
     appropriate action.
***** Holidays, Homework, and Happy Birthday *****
****** Chapter 1: Holidays, Homework, and Happy Birthday ******
Harry struggled awake, fighting with the thin sheets that covered his lumpy
bed. Finally freeing himself, he checked the time, the old, much abused digital
clock showed the time to be eight am. He then checked the window, looking to
see if any owls were winging their way toward him, bearing packages from his
friends from school.
Seeing none he decided it was best to attempt to do his homework, having hidden
his trunk and school supplies earlier in the summer. He arranged his supplies
on the top of his trunk, knowing that this would be the best workspace he
currently could use.
Smiling, knowing that his relatives were away this week, Harry stretched his
lanky frame out on his bed and began reading the chapters relevant to the essay
he was attempting. “Animagi and how to recognize them.” Professor McGonagall
had assigned him this as an extra credit report, letting him also 'borrow' the
books that related to finding out if you could become an Animagi, and what your
form might be.
Harry was quite intrigued by the possibility that he might be an Animagus, and
what his form could be. His father, his godfather, and the person who
ultimately betrayed the trust he was shown, all had become Animagi in their
fifth year, all to help their mutual friend with his 'furry little problem'.
Studying the book, Harry came across the potion that was required to help the
Wizard or Witch to find not only if they could become an Animagus, but what
their shape would be. He also knew that he could brew the potion, safely, here
at his relative's house, while they were away. It didn't require many esoteric
ingredients, nor did it have an exceedingly long brewing time.
He checked through his potion supplies and took out each ingredient he had,
finding that, for once, he was completely prepared to do this thing. Taking his
time to prepare the ingredients properly, Harry set about carefully brewing the
potion, adding the ingredients at the right time and stirring in the correct
fashion. “Add the essence of violets and stir three times clockwise for every
four times counterclockwise for three minutes,” read the second to last step in
the instructions. Harry made sure to stir correctly, watching the cauldron's
contents turn an odd sickly green, which is what the textbook said it would
look like.
Harry then read the last instruction, which was to bring the heat under the
cauldron to full intensity, with a timer built in to slowly reduce the heat
over half an hour, each reduction would cause a shift in the color of the
potion. Watching over the potion, Harry seemed to bounce on his toes in
excitement. He was going to take a big step in being the next generation of
Marauders if he could pull this off successfully.
After the potion had cooled off, Harry carefully poured it into one of the many
glass phials that were stored in his trunk. He then contemplated the liquid,
which was now a strange russet red, then with a salute to the memory of his
father and a thought for his godfather, who was somewhere safe until Harry or
someone else came across Pettigrew and turned him over to the DMLE for trial.
He then quaffed the potion in a swift gulp, grimacing slightly at the taste
before the potion took effect.
Harry had taken the textbook at face value when it said to imbibe the potion
'somewhere safe and comfortable,' and was curled up on his bed.
{Harry saw what appeared to be a dark, black, ancient forest, older and more
rooted in mysticism than the Forbidden Forest. He was in a clearing, surrounded
by shrubbery and large trees, the sensation of being watched coming over him as
he scanned the circumference of the clearing. He sat down in the middle, next
to a small circle of stones that looked like a fire pit.}
{He then relaxed, broadcasting his intentions non-verbally, letting the beings
of this forest know that he meant no harm unless harm was attempted upon him.
He then noticed a pair of luminescent green eyes peering at him from the
opposite side of the clearing.}
{Trying to decipher what sort of creature it was just based on where the eyes
were was slightly frustrating, so Harry quietly spoke, “Hello there. My name's
Harry, I came here in search of my animagus form. If you are my form, could you
please come there I can see you?”}
{Harry got a feeling that his words amused the being watching him. Then the
being let out a chortling yap before entering the clearing. He was startled to
see that it was a fox, though slightly larger and more muscular than an
ordinary fox. When it came close he noticed that it had twinned tails. “Are you
kitsune?” he asked boldly. The fox nodded its head, then curled up in Harry's
lap, a sense of belonging filling the young wizard as he daringly pet the
representation of his form, trying to remember what he had read about kitsune
in school.}
{There was another rustle of the bushes as another being came out of the
darkness. This one was more of a surprise than the first. What appeared before
Harry appeared at first to be a wolf, but built more along the lines of a
panther. Taking in the 'wolf' more carefully, Harry noticed more and more
things that made him think the animal was a blending of feline and lupine.}
{Harry looked between the two beings, “Are you saying that I have two forms?”
The Wolf/Cat nodded, then a sort of communication was broadcast by the kitsune
in his lap. -Yes, little one. We are both your Animagus forms. A lot of Wizards
don't brew the potion as exactly as you did and only discover their first form.
-Harry blinked at that, and then smiled, “I can't wait to tell Sirius about
this.”}
{Both animals grinned at Harry's enthusiasm, then slowly began to 'pour'
themselves into his body and fade from existence as he began to wake up from
the potion.}
Harry shook his head as he raised himself from his bed, a huge grin on his face
as he searched for a quill and parchment.
Dearest Padfoot!
You wouldn't believe what I just discovered! Professor McGonagall assigned me
an essay on Animagi and how to recognize them. She also let me borrow any books
I felt might help me understand the process which it took to become an
animagus.
Well, I decided to take a page out of your and dad's handbook and found the
book you used when you decided to help Moony.
Yes, that's right, Godfather, the next generation of Marauders is really here.
I brewed the potion, following all the steps correctly. I then found out
something amazing.
Apparently wizards who can be Animagi can have two forms, but most don't brew
the potion correctly and only discover the easier animal to become!
I'll conclude this letter by saying that I think you'll be surprised to learn
what my forms are, and hope that you're keeping yourself out of trouble until
we catch that blasted Rat.
~Your Godson,
Harry Potter
P.S.: I'll talk to Moony about what nickname I should use.
He then read over the parchment and smiled, wondering what Sirius' expression
would be when he read this. He then folded the letter up and traced a rune that
Hermione had found for him onto the parchment, causing it to seal itself
together until the intended recipient was alone. He then looked up and saw that
Hedwig, his Snowy Owl, had returned from her latest hunt and was also bearing
the latest care package from the Weasley family. “Hello, girl, you have a good
hunt?” A positive sounding hoot made him smile, “Would you mind terribly if I
sent you out with a note to Padfoot?” A negative sounding hoot this time made
Harry smile even more. He then carefully tied the parchment to
Hedwig's leg and said, “You don't have to wait for a response, girl, just make
sure he's alone when you find him, all right?” One last doleful, yet positive
hoot answered him before the Snowy Owl flew off into the gathering dusk.
Harry's stomach then rumbled, reminding him that he hadn't eaten since
breakfast. He got up and, rummaging through his trunk, came out with the box of
food Mrs. Weasley had sent him, smiling, thinking of the kind, matronly woman
who was more or less a surrogate mother for him.
Taking out a sandwich, Harry wondered what his friends were up to. He snickered
at the thought of what Hermione would say if she knew he was attempting to
become an Animagus; “Harry! That's too dangerous to do on your own! It's
monitored for a reason, you know! I read that very bad things could happen if a
Wizard tried to do this without proper supervision! You're too young to try
anyway! You haven't had training with Advanced Transfiguration yet, and that's
where human transfiguration is covered!” She'd then proceed to take the potion
herself and see if she could become an Animagus herself, so she could watch
over Harry.
Ron, on the other hand, would most likely utter something along the lines of;
“Blimey, Harry, you figure you can do it? Wicked! D'you think I could, you
know, try to do it too?”
Chewing on the corn-beef sandwich, Harry then grinned at the thought of telling
Ginny, his mind picturing the petite red head, he knew she'd be intrigued and
would do her best to attempt to become an Animagus herself, despite being a
year under him in school.
Harry then perused the book more, reading on how to practice becoming the
animal that was your Animagus form. “Take things in tiny steps at first, say
with fingers and toes before moving to hands and feet. Once you are comfortable
with the progress of that part of the transformation, begin on the next part of
the body. Always leave the head for last, as this change requires the wizard to
keep his mind while in the animal's shape.”
Reading the descriptions of what could go wrong if the transformation was
rushed, Harry silently vowed to take each step carefully and with due care. He
then started concentrating on the first joint of the fingers on his right hand,
envisioning them becoming the first joint of a fox' paw. He blinked when he
seemed to get it after just a few tries.
Emboldened by this success, Harry tried to change the next joints, picturing in
his mind the shift from human to fox. Half an hour later, Harry was able to
change his entire right hand to a fox's paw and back almost instantaneously.
Harry then ate a bit more of his care package, this time picking out a piece of
the treacle tart that was Mrs. Weasley's specialty. He smiled at the thought of
the possibility that he could finish his mastery of the fox form before the
start of the new school year. “I wonder what mischief I can manage while no one
is aware of the fact I can become a fox. Perhaps I can even prank the Twins!”
He then heard a low curse from outside as someone caught their toes on one of
the loose stones in the yard. This was one of his many ways of telling that he
had people watching over him to keep him safe. “Sounded sort of like that
Trainee Auror, Tonks. I know she just graduated this past term and was under
the guidance of Moody.”
Harry smiled at the memory of meeting the paranoid senior Auror. Dumbledore had
introduced Harry to the man who would be taking up the position of Professor
for Defense Against the Dark Arts. Harry had been given this honor because
Albus had wanted Harry to have extra training for the time when Voldemort
regained his own body.
Moody, also known as 'Mad Eye' was now sequestered at Hogwarts after an
unsuccessful attempt by a Death Eater to overcome the man and take his place at
the school. Thankfully the Death Eater in question, one Bartemious Crouch Jr
decided to attempt his attack when both Dumbledore and Flitwick were visiting
Moody.
The grizzled retired Auror had been heard to comment, “Bloody sniveling
traitor, couldn't even do the honorable thing and die in Azkaban. Your father
will go down with you for this one, you wretched whelp!”
Harry smiled as he remembered Sirius' response to his retelling of the tale,
“Oooh, just a bit vindictive, weren't you, godfather? Though, I can't say I
blame you, as Senior was the bloke who tossed your arse in Azkaban without as
much as a pretense to a trial.”
He then peeked out of the window and gazed down at the yard, trying to discern
just where his 'watch' was at the moment. He smiled as he noticed the shrubbery
at the corner of the house rustling as someone tried to slide past it
unsuccessfully. He then whispered down, “Wotcher, Tonks.” He was rewarded for
his efforts with a string of very educational curse words, describing something
physically and anatomically impossible happening between a fruit, a lump
hammer, and several various people who were trying to teach the young woman how
to be stealthy.
Tonks, recovering from the start that Harry had given her, smiled to herself.
“Blighter knows he's being watched. Doesn't seem too fussed over it either. I
wonder why.”
Harry made his way down to the back garden in time to meet Tonks and be able to
talk to her, despite appearing as if he was talking to himself. He got out the
tools he'd need to take care of the garden, as well as give him some cover for
what he was actually doing. When he felt Tonks' presence near him he murmured,
just loud enough for her to hear him, “I know you're there, Tonks, and I know
why you're here too. My Godfather, your Uncle, informed me that I'd likely have
watchers since he escaped, and is still 'a deranged mass murderer'. He also
told me that Dumbledore would stack the watchers with those he could trust to
watch over me and not just be a Ministry puppet.”
The young witch smiled to herself, remembering, vaguely, her Uncle Siri. She
knew her mum felt that he wasn't guilty, and had some damn good reasons to back
up her feelings. She also knew that Minister Fudge was a raving idiot who
didn't want his nice cushy world to be disturbed. She whispered to Harry, “You
be careful sending anything to dear Uncle Siri. Fudge would love to get a hold
of him before you could find proof of his innocence.”
The young wizard nodded, then smiled, “I know you, Remus, and Fletcher are
watching me, as well as Mrs. Figg. I also know Fletcher should be replaced, as
he's usually sleeping off his last overindulgence.”
Tonks cursed to herself, “Blimey, Harry, you're taking this better than I
thought you would.”
Harry smiled as he weeded the garden, “I've found a way to put this exile to my
advantage, and figure that while I'm stuck here, I might as well not brood
about the unfairness of things. Plus the fact that my 'Family' is on vacation
for the next three weeks isn't hurting.”
The young witch blinked at this news, “And how're you surviving, without having
to get food, Harry?”
The young wizard chuckled, “Mrs. Weasley sends Care Packages every Sunday at
Midnight.” He then gathers all the weeds, standing up and putting the pile of
rubbish in a bin, “Plus Hermione sends a few things now and again.”
Tonks nods to herself, “Well, if you ever feel the need to talk, let me know,
why don'tcha? I can keep you company while Fletcher's snoozing, just to add a
bit of extra security.”
Harry smiled, “I'd like that. Perhaps I can pick your brain a bit for the
essays I need to finish for school as well.”
The young witch laughed, softly, “I'd like that, Harry. Well, better get back
to patrolling, wouldn't want some git to ambush us as we talk.”
With a low chuckle, Harry sighs, “Aye, and I've got to keep up the appearance
that I'm following my Aunt's directions.” He then moves to another part of the
garden and begins weeding.
Gathering all the weeds, Harry deposited them in the composter that his Aunt
had purchased, simply for the fact that one of the neighbors had commented on
the 'waste' of throwing away the weeds, and how a properly composted always
grew better than one that wasn't.
~~ Please R&R ~~
***** A Fox Amongst Mundanes *****
Chapter Summary
     Continuing on with the story
****** Chapter 2: A Fox Amongst Mundanes ******
Harry re-entered the house at Privet Drive and cleaned his hands off, glad, for
once, not to have his Aunt Petunia hovering over him or his Uncle Vernon acting
like an overinflated hippopotamus. He then helped himself to a glass of water
from the tap.
That is one thing he knew he couldn't ask his friends to send him. He couldn't
risk letting his relatives know he wasn't suffering like they hoped he would.
They had left just enough food for him to survive the month that they were
spending visiting another of Vernon's extended family. Nothing perishable like
milk or cheese, but pretty much bread and crackers.
Remembering the talking to Vernon had given him, Harry smirked, “Won't they be
surprised when they come home.” He then placed the glass in the drying rack,
having used the same glass each time, as to minimize the time needed to hide
things from his 'family'.
He then made his way upstairs, to work on his homework, including doing
research on his second form, and send letters to his friends, if Hedwig had
returned. Entering his room he was greeted with the welcome sight of his snowy
familiar. “Hedwig! You made that trip a lot faster than I expected!” The bird
hooted playfully, then turned its attention to another avian that was in the
room.
Harry turned to see the new visitor, who had been hidden by the door, “Fawkes?
What are you doing here?” The magnificent bird gave a happy call and poked a
bundle toward Harry. He picked it up and then looked at Hedwig, “You had Fawkes
deliver my note?” The Snowy Owl hooted in an affirmative fashion, seeming right
proud of herself.
The young wizard then placed the package Fawkes had delivered on his bed and
opened it. Inside were a bundle of pictures, a battered notebook, and what
appeared to be a mirror with a post-it attached to it, along with a small
letter.
He picked up the letter first, and was glad when he did.
Dear Harry,
That's impressive news, what you wrote me about. I didn't know about the
problem with the Potion. The Marauders were a bit rushed when we did it
ourselves, as we miscalculated the day of the Full Moon and Moony was the one
watching the potion.
What, no hints, young pup?
I've messaged Moony as well and he should be able to talk on his next security
rotation.
The mirror that I've included, with the note attached to it, is a communication
mirror. Your dad and I used it to talk when we had separate detentions. Moony
and I did manage to improve it a little, so you can chat with either of us
using the mirror. The note includes the activation and deactivation commands.
The pictures are ones I found before coming to where I am now. I found a stash
of pictures that not only included your parents, but grandparents as well. They
were hidden in your old house in Godrick's Hollow.
Best Wishes
The Loveable Grim
Harry smiled at Sirius' sign-off and then plucked the mirror out and looked at
the note, “To activate, tap the right top corner with your wand then utter the
Marauder name you want to talk to. To deactivate, tap the lower left corner
with your wand and utter 'Mischief Managed'.”
He then smiled, held the mirror in his left hand, and tapped the top right
corner of the mirror, then uttered 'Padfoot'.
There was a moment then Sirius' image appeared in the mirror and uttered,
“Harry! Great to see you again!” The voice sounding a little tinny, as if it
were coming from a tiny transistor radio.
Harry smiles, “Likewise, Padfoot. Great gifts, thanks 'Uncle Siri'.” He then
grinned, “One of the books Professor McGonagall lent me was the one you three
used. Still has your handwritten notes in it and all.”
The image in the mirror beamed, then shook its head, “Any news on the Traitor
front?”
The young wizard shook his head, “No, sadly. Tho the Ministry has me under
surveillance right now. Moony, Tonks, and Fletcher are amongst those keeping an
eye on me. I learnt your cousin first, as she's still learning Stealth. Curses
like a sailor too.”
Sirius' image broke into a laugh, “I imagine she would. Dear Nym always seemed
dead clumsy, but her other ability would counterbalance that.” The image then
peers at Harry, “And how'd you discover the other two? Though with Fletcher,
it's not too hard to guess.”
Harry shook his head, “Nah, man typically takes a nap an hour after he does his
first circuit, underneath the rose bushes under my window.” Harry snorted, “Man
might be under a charm to keep his snores silent but he typically smells of
either booze or something young men like me are warned against.”
The young wizard then grins, “Moony left hints. I take it he's not too happy
with our illustrious Headmaster currently and has been doing his best to find
me a way out of this house before my relatives come back from vacation.” Seeing
the look of indignation growing on his Godfather's face, Harry chuckled,
“Molly's been sending care packages every Sunday at Midnight. Hermione has been
sending treats as well, when she can.”
Sirius' image lets loose a barking laugh, “Have it all figured out, haven't
you, pup? Well, be careful with the work on your 'special' Summer Homework.
Even though it's essentially Wandless Magic, a lot of things can go wrong.”
Harry nodded, “I've already worked to the point I can transform my hands and
feet. I took it in tiny steps, working first by joint, then by section of the
appendage. I'm following the book's suggestions and being extra cautious. I'm
planning on having Moony with me when I try the full transformation to my first
form.” Seeing a glimmer of curiosity from his Godfather, Harry shook his finger
at the image, “I'll let Moony tell you what it is, and then I'll surprise him
with the second when you know the first.”
The image in the mirror pretended to look outraged, then laughed, “Spoken like
a true Marauder, pup. I look forward to hearing all about it. Now go look at
those pictures, and enjoy yourself, pup.”
Harry nodded, “Until next time, Padfoot.” He then tapped the opposite corner
with his wand and uttered, “Mischief Managed,” and watched the mirror go blank.
He then carefully secured the mirror in his trunk, creating a pocket for it
from a pair of Dudley's old socks.
He then turned to the thick stack of Wizarding pictures and smiled as the top
one showed his father when he was just getting on the Hogwarts Express at the
age of eleven. “Damn, everyone was right, I did look quite a bit like him,
though it seems he might have had a few inches on me, back then. Damn
Dursleys.” Harry then happily spent the rest of the afternoon perusing the
pictures, which not only had pictures of his father growing up but his mother
as well. Lilly's pictures stared out as ordinary non-magical pictures, but
there was one Wizarding picture from her first day at Hogwarts. “Bloody hell.
She almost looks to be a twin of Ginny. That's kind of creepy.”
Harry then began studying the image more closely and saw several small
differences between his mother and the youngest Weasley. “Dimples are
different, and her eyes seem a bit different as well. Biggest difference I can
see is that mum has more attitude showing than Ginny ever has, so far.” For it
was true, even in the small black-and-white image Harry could tell that his
mother might have been nervous, but was holding herself ready to take on the
Wizarding world and make her place in it.
The young wizard then collected all the photographs and placed them back in the
box that Sirius had used to transport them. He then got out the album Hagrid
had given him in the Hospital Wing while he was recovering from dealing with
Quirrel / Voldemort. Arranging things just right, Harry was able to store both
the pictures and the album safely in the box, then package them into his trunk.
Looking at the things in his trunk, Harry shook his head, and murmured, “I
really should find a good use for those bloody Lockheart books. Ruddy idiot
won't be selling many while in St. Mungo's” The set of seven books foisted upon
him and the rest of the school were still in pristine condition, having seldom
been opened after the first glance through proved that the books were
worthless.
Taking the mirror out again, Harry smiled and tapped the correct corner and
called out, “Moony?”
The mirror vibrated in his hands briefly before Remus Lupin's image came into
focus and smiled, “Heya pup, good to finally be able to talk without using
notes.”
Harry smiled, “Aye. Padfoot's package arrived, as you can guess. I just
finished going through all the photos he found at Godrick's Hollow.”
Moony's image smiled, “Figured as much.” Then he looked directly at Harry and
tried to look stern, “Padfoot let me know of your special studies this summer.
I'm astounded that you would undertake such a thing without any assistance.”
Harry laughed, “Ah, but I have assistance.” At his former professor's intrigued
look, he held up the book that his father had used, “The Marauders have been
holding my hand all the way.”
Remus' image laughed, “That the same book James used?” At Harry's nod, Remus
shook his head and placed his hand over his eyes, “Did it still have our notes
in it as well?”
The young wizard chuckled, “Of course it did. Professor McGonagall was
extremely thorough, plus it appears that no one used that book after they did,
from the amount of dust on the bloody thing.”
The werewolf looked through the mirror and smiled, “You taking things
carefully, pup? I know you said you wanted to talk in person a couple times,
and I'm going to guess one of those will be for when you try the full
transformation?”
Harry nodded, “Did Padfoot also tell you the other surprise I told him about in
my letter?” The young man's eyes sparkling with mischief as he glanced at the
mirror.
Remus shook his head, “No … and why am I suddenly wanting to both throttle your
Godfather and have a glass of Firewhiskey?”
The young wizard smiled, “According to my first form, all Animagi have two
forms, but typically they don't do the potion as accurately as they should,
though I think it's because they don't use Muggle methods to prepare it, like I
did, so they never learn about the second.”
The image in the mirror is staring at Harry with a gob smacked look, which
draws a belly laugh from Harry, one of the few happy noises Remus had heard
from him before this conversation. “You mean that you know both your forms?”
Harry nodded, “The first is Vulpine in nature, but it's magical... As for the
second, that's going to be a surprise for both you and my Godfather, Moony.”
Moony gazed into the mirror at the image of Harry within, his mind racing a
mile a minute, “Vulpine, yet magical? No … It Can't Be! That's Impossible,
isn't it?” He then looks at the young wizard and smiles, “I'm sure that
there'll be a Tail to tell when we meet in person, right Harry?”
The image of the young wizard just shakes its head at the pun, “I'm certain
that you can come up with an appropriate nickname when you see it, Moony.”
Remus simply shook his head, “We'll talk again, young man, but it's getting on
my 'bedtime' and I can feel myself getting grumpy. You have a good night's
sleep, for both of us.”
Harry nodded, then smiled, “Be safe, Professor. And I look forward to talking
more with you. Need to do a bit of research on my second form, though that may
have to wait until I get back to Hogwarts.” He then de-activated the mirror and
put it away in its hiding spot. He then gazed out at the night and the full
moon rising above the horizon.
Harry then got out the Monster Book of Monsters, which after a quick soothing
'pet' of its' spine, allowed itself to be opened. Murmuring to himself, he
flipped through the pages, “I wonder if there will be any new tricks that I can
pull off, once I master my forms? And once I discover what they both are, as
well.” He stops, briefly, on the listing for Kitsune, reading what's written
down.
Kitsune
-Fox Spirits known both as good omens and tricksters, malicious demons, and
kindly souls. The number of tails they possess is an indication of their power.
-It is said there are two 'classes' of kitsune; Zenko, which typically are seen
in the role of protectors and teachers, and Yako, which take the role of
scoundrels and free spirits.
Taking more notes on what he reads, to see if he notices any of those
manifesting once he makes the full transformation. He then pages through the
book further, seeing if he can find out what his second form is, finally
falling asleep after not finding anything that triggered his memory.
~~ Please R&R ~~
***** Of Wolf and Fox *****
Chapter Summary
     Things really change. ^_^
Chapter Notes
See the end of the chapter for notes
****** Chapter 3: Of Wolf and Fox ******
Harry woke, not remembering exactly when he'd fallen asleep, but there was a
noise coming from the downstairs portion of his relative’s house. He gathered
up his glasses and checked the date before cursing, to himself, “Someone must
not have noticed that there was someone home and decided to break in.”
He then slipped out of his bed and stretched, still in the clothing he'd fallen
asleep in. He then got out his wand and snuck out of his room and peered
downstairs, trying to see if it was a robber or a Wizard. Hearing a feminine
voice curse a blue streak as a 'Clunk' announced the meeting of someone's foot
with a door jam, Harry smiled to himself, “Wonder why Tonks is here, now?” He
then spoke in a clear, quiet voice, “Wotcher?”
Tonks let loose with another stream of educational curse words before shaking
her head, “Wotcher, Harry. Was coming to see you, something's come up.” She
then stopped attempting to be stealthy and sat at the dining room table, “Come,
sit down, and we can talk.”
At the Trainee Auror's words Harry's blood went cold, “Something happened to
Sirius??” He then entered the dining room and sat opposite the young Witch,
“What's up, Tonks? Something must be really bad for you to break from your
standing orders.”
The young woman nodded as she watched Harry sit down, “Well, first off, to get
your mind off the most obvious reason, Padfoot is still at large, and quite
safe.” She let herself chuckle as she watched the relief spread across the
young Wizard's face, “The bad news is that we're going to have to pack you up
right now and get you to somewhere safe.” She then paused and looked into
Harry's deep green eyes before continuing, “The wards here are going to fail
shortly, and I'm surprised they haven't already...”
Harry looked at Tonks with a mixture of fear and surprise, “Why, what could
happen to cause them to do that?”
Tonks sighed, “This isn't easy, Harry. We just learned that your Aunt and Uncle
were murdered this morning, on their way out to the theatre. Your cousin might
not survive either.”
The young Wizard's jaw dropped in surprise, “M-m-murdered? Why? Who would have
done that?”
The Trainee Auror shrugged her shoulders, “Don't know. Some Muggle Terrorist
group is claiming responsibility. They claim that your Uncle's company is
responsible for a lot of nasty things and they were taking him out as a
'message' to those who would act like he did.”
Harry shook his head, dumb-struck, hen looked at Tonks, “They sure it was
Muggles that did the deed? There are some elements of our society who wouldn't
think twice about killing them, and I do know at least one Death Eater who
knows my relative's name.”
Tonks blinked at this, then blanched, “I'll tell Moody, he'll know whom else to
ask.” She then looked at Harry, “You ready to leave?”
The young Wizard nodded and smiled, “I never fully unpacked my trunk, just in
case I had to scamper or hide the stuff. All my homework's done too, gonna
surprise Hermione when she reads my next letter.” He then looked at Tonks,
“Where're we headed, Tonks?”
The young Witch smiled, “We've a secure house set up, one under Fidelius Charm,
as well as nearly every other ward and charm that we could get set up.” She
then led Harry upstairs, “Let's get your stuff, and then we can portkey to the
arrival spot and I can cue you into the wards and the Secret.”
Harry nodded, as he made sure that he did indeed have all the things that he
wanted to keep, checking under the loose floorboard under his bed. He then felt
a tingle and looked at Tonks, “Let's get the hell out of here, I think I just
felt the Wards here drop.”
Tonks nodded, and then produced a small hoop, “Grab hold, Harry.” She then drew
her wand and tapped the hoop, saying, “Portus!”
Harry felt as if a fishing hook were attached to his navel and then the world
seemed to twist into dimensions that weren't normally viewable.
Appearing at the other end, Harry finds himself sprawling, Tonks landing atop
him in a slightly compromising position. He blushes fiercely as he extricates
himself and offers her a hand up, neither of them noticing a small flash of
magic when their hands touch. “Sorry about that, Tonks. First time doing that,
but it seems portkeys hate me the same way the Floo does.”
Tonks smiled as she allowed Harry to help her up, “Not your fault, Harry. Glad
to know someone else who doesn't get along with those two transportation
systems.” She then straightened her cloak, brushing the dust off it before
producing a piece of paper and handing it to Harry.
Harry looked a little oddly at the piece of paper, which read, “Nymphadora
Tonks lives at 69 Wyndham Lane,” He then looked at Tonks with a question
visible in his eyes.
Chuckling, Tonks says, “You got that committed to memory?” At Harry's nod she
smiled, “Then tell me what you see when you look at the property in front of
us.”
Still looking puzzled, Harry looked at the property in front of him and was
surprised to see a rather stately looking house seem to grow from the ground,
though the first thought when he sees it completely was that it reminded him of
the few furtive glances he'd had of the movie his cousin was watching called
'The Addams Family'. He then looked at Tonks, “Your place?”
Tonks nodded, “Part of what my mum managed to keep, despite being disowned by
her family for marrying a Muggleborne.” She then gestured to the wrought iron
gate, “Shall we go inside?”
Harry smiled and then pressed open the half of the gate closer to him, then
waited for Tonks to come through, then closed and fastened the gate, that
action causing a spark, signifying that the main wards were active. He then
gazed around at the property, the sense of oddness only magnifying with each
thing he noticed. And that was saying something, seeing as this was a very
Magical house, though in a different way than the Burrow, “Must have been
interesting, growing up here.”
The young Witch nodded as she led Harry into the house, “Aye it was. Mum gave
this place to me when I graduated from Hogwarts. She and dad moved to another
property, as they said they no longer needed all the space that was here.” She
then shrugged, “I'm just glad we were able to secure this place well enough to
bring you here, Harry.” She then pointed to the right, “Your rooms are over
that way, along with your own bathroom.” Pointing to the left, “I'm over on
this side, for the time being.”
Nodding, Harry smiled then, greatly daring, kissed Tonks on her cheek, “Thanks,
Tonks. You're the best. I'll go unload my stuff and get about settling in.” He
then headed back to where his rooms were, grateful that Tonks couldn't see his
blush for his daring. Needless to say, he also missed Tonks' staring after him,
a gob smacked look on her face.
Sometime later a house elf popped into Harry's room, startling the young
Wizard. The elf giggled then said, “Mistress is telling Vilma that you is
needed in the dining hall for dinner.”
Harry nodded, “Thanks, Vilma. Could you lead me there? I need to learn how to
navigate this house.”
The house elf curtseyed and smiled, “Vilma would be glad to help kind Wizard.”
The elf then looked at Harry and said, “You is friend of Dobby, sir?”
Nodding, Harry smiled, “Aye. You know Dobby, Vilma?”
Vilma bobbed her head energetically, “I is glad you is releasing Dobby from the
Malfoys. Dobby now needs a House to belong to, or else Dobby is gonna be losing
his magic.”
Harry blinked, and then started thinking, “Would you know if I could be the
House that Dobby is bound to? Something tells me I will need a dedicated elf
when I reach my majority.”
The house elf bounced on her toes as she began leading Harry to the dining
room, “I is thinking your House be quite respectable enough for Dobby, good
sir. I is going to be asking Dobby when I is seeing Dobby again.”
Laughing as he enters the dining room, Harry smiles when he sees a small round
table for two set up, Tonks already seated, he smiles at the pretty Auror
Trainee before sitting down across from her and surveying what's on the table
already.
The table seemed to have a little bit of everything that he liked, as well as a
few dishes he didn't recognize, but thought they might be something Tonks had
encountered out of school. Harry looked at Tonks and tilted his head, “Am I
right in guessing that no one else will be joining us any time soon?”
Tonks nodded, “Albus thought it best to keep those who know where you are to
absolute minimum. It's just me, Moody, Lupin, Albus, and you that know this
house is here. Uncle Sirius knew, but thanks to the Fidelius, he doesn't any
more.” She then looked at Harry; “I hope you don't mind being alone with me,
Harry.”
Harry laughed, shaking his head no, “Hardly, Tonks.” The images running through
his head less than innocent, remembering the one time that the Twins had
pranked the young witch, causing her to have to streak to her House, which was
halfway across the school from where the prefects showers were. He had
innocently stumbled across the scene, under his Invisibility Cloak, when he was
wandering the halls past curfew.
He had taken pity on the young woman, seeing her state of agitation, and had
left his school cloak where she could find it easily. He did, however, keep an
eye on her on her way to the Hufflepuff common room, watching her back just in
case someone tried to cause her trouble.
When Tonks had returned his school cloak the next day, saying she'd 'found it
in the halls', Harry had smiled at her and said, “I'm glad it was where it was,
and thank you,” so quietly only the young witch could hear him.
Tonks had blushed, prettily, her hair shifting color between the 'normal'
bubblegum pink and a red so deep that it made the Weasley's look pale.
Over the next year and a half, until Tonks graduated, Harry's second year, she
and Harry had a good relationship, helping each other out when the opportunity
arose. Both Ron and Hermione were a bit surprised, but Hermione was ecstatic
when Harry was able to share some of the things Tonks showed him from 6th and
7th years, both of them helping Tonks out revising for her exams and the older
witch helping them understand things that were stymying them.
Harry smiled again at Tonks, “Shall we dig in? We can leave the discussion
until we're both fed well enough that we're not competing with our stomachs to
be heard.”
Tonks nodded, smiling as she looked at the young wizard in front of her, “He's
definitely quite handsome, in a young way. Though his eyes definitely are older
than they should be. He has seen more in his short life than most adult Aurors,
and has stayed both Light and Sane throughout it all, even with his rotten
relatives and Voldemort’s' followers mucking his life up.”
As they ate and traded glances, both Harry and Tonks had similar thoughts
running through their heads, mostly along the lines of: I wonder what they're
thinking? And: I wonder if they're thinking about me.
When they had finished up their desserts, Harry got up and went around the
table to help Tonks up, smiling at her. When their hands connected a bright
golden glow surrounded both of them, a 'snap' of air heard as the magic took
hold of them for a brief moment, laying traces of a powerful bond, based on
magic, souls, and hearts.
Harry recovered first, shaking his head as he tried to come back to reality
from where the magic had taken him. He looks at Tonks, his eyes wide in
surprise, meeting her own startled look, and says, “What the bloody blue blazes
was that? Why do I feel the need to hold you close? Why do I feel your magic
twining with mine?”
Tonks looks up at Harry, bewildered for just a moment at the new sensations,
then shakes her head, “Something almost unheard of happened, Harry. When you
touched me, a Magical Bond formed. I think I need to talk to Albus about this.”
The young Wizard looked at Tonks, “Why? What do you think happened?”
The young Witch shook her head, “I don't want to speculate. But if I'm right,
you'll come into your inheritance now, instead of at seventeen.” She gets up
and strides over to the fireplace, all evidence of clumsiness gone, she then
grabs a pinch of Floo Powder and, casting it into the flames, says,
“Headmaster's Quarters.”
Hundreds of klicks away a rather aged Wizard is settling down after having his
dinner. He glances at his fireplace when it announces an incoming call, “Yes,
Nymphadora?” Smiling as the young Witch scowled briefly at him.
Tonks' head looked at the Headmaster briefly then said, “Albus, could you do me
a great favor, and check the Records Room, please?”
Dumbledore looked a little surprised by this request, “Why, Nymphadora?”
The Trainee Auror looked imploringly at her former Headmaster, “Because
something unusual happened when Harry and I touched our hands. I want to be
certain I'm reading the signs correctly before I take a step that isn’t
required.”
Albus' eyes widened at this news, then checked his own records, a copy of the
ones in the Ministry, and shook his head, muttering, “This makes things a bit
odd.” He then looks at Tonks' image, “Nymphadora, according to my records, you
and young Harry are Married... What it says here is that this type of Bond
hasn't occurred since the Founders.”
Tonks' image goes pale, “I'm married to Harry? Not that I mind, but this is
quite sudden.” She then looks at Albus, “Anything else you can tell me, Albus?”
The old Wizard shook his head, resignedly, “Nothing, except that it appears as
though there might be another Witch involved in the Bond, but her name hasn't
appeared yet.” He then looks at Tonks and says, “You and Harry are going to
have to come to terms with what this Bond means.” He stroked his beard, “You
will probably be able to use some, if not all, of his Gifts, and visa versa.
And your Magic will be boosted, if you can complete the Bond...”
The young Witch's eyes widened at this news then shook her head, “Thanks,
Albus. And thanks for the info.”
Albus smiled as they image in his fireplace faded away, contemplating what this
meant, as well as the reality that he suspected who the third in the bond would
be.
Back at 69 Wyndham Lane, Tonks got to her feet, shaking her head, then looks
back at Harry, “Sit down, Harry. The news I have to tell you isn't going to be
easy.” She led the young man into the living room, settling him on a large,
overstuffed, couch, sitting beside him and looking in his eyes, a stray thought
crossing her mind, “You could get lost in those eyes, easily.”
Harry looks at Tonks, his hands going to her knees, trying to show that he's
ready to listen to what she's got to say, the contact bringing a strange peace
of mind to him, as if her presence was a balm for what was bothering him.
Tonks smiled at the gesture, a corner of her mind gaining a similar peace, she
then said, “I asked Albus to look something up in the Records, to verify what I
suspected.” She then sighed and put her hands over his, “According to the
Records, which are Magically updated, we're married.”
The young Wizard looks startled, then sighed, “Of course we are. When has my
life ever been 'normal' or simple? What does this mean for me, and for us?”
The Trainee Auror grinned at the 'us', “Well, first off, it means you're now
officially considered an adult, and your Inheritance should be coming to you
shortly.” She then raised a hand to caress his cheek, “It also means that I now
have to teach you about what a Metamorphmagus is, and how to shift your
appearance. And you get to teach me any Gifts you have.”
Harry nods, and then tilts his head, “How is this going to change things? I
mean, I just turned fourteen. What is required to finalize the bond?” He looks
into Tonks' eyes, “Is there anything else that you can tell me?”
Tonks nods, “First off, to cement the bond, we need to consummate our marriage,
but if what Albus told me is true, there is another Witch involved in this
Bond, so we may be able to hold off on that aspect until she is revealed to
us.”
Harry blushed at the caress, then looked, briefly, at his hands, then with a
tilt of his head, he studies Tonks' face, “Does this mean I also get to see the
'real' you?” He then raises his hand to caress her cheek, “And I think you'll
also be teaching me about yourself, won't you?” The connection that's starting
between their minds allows him to show her just how much he does care for her,
and that he would never betray her.
The two were startled apart by the appearance of Hedwig, who swooped in and
landed on the table in front of the couch. The Snowy Owl then presented her
leg, where a rather thick letter was attached.
Harry smiled and offered his familiar a few Owl Treats as he retrieved the
letter, “Thanks, girl.” He then slit open the band that secured it, which bore
the Gringotts' seal. He then blinked as a bluish green aura settled over him as
he unrolled the parchment.
Dear Lord Potter
We at Gringotts wish to congratulate you on your successful Bonding and
Marriage. You may now access your Family Vault, and the monies stored in your
Trust Vault have already been transferred to said Vault. We require your
presence shortly to hear the reading of your parent's will, which we found in
the Vault.
We also wish to speak to you about your True Inheritance and will be providing
a Heritage Scroll to determine if you truly are the Heir to the Vaults that
just recently reactivated.
Yours in Fellowship,
Ragnok, Chief Goblin at Gringotts, London
Harry looked at Tonks in surprise, “What's this mean?”
Tonks looked at the letter, her eyebrows rising to meet her hairline, “Harry …
It looks as if you might have more titles than you know about. I would suggest
scheduling the reading as soon as possible, so as not to offend the Goblins.”
The young Wizard nodded, then getting out a piece of parchment. Scrawling a
response to Ragnok, stating his desire to meet at the earliest convenient time.
He then looked to Hedwig, “Hedwig, do you mind taking this message to Ragnok,
at Gringotts? You don't have to wait for a response.”
The Snowy Owl hooted and took the letter and made her way gracefully out of the
house.
Harry sighed, then looks at Tonks, “Now, back to the other conversation.” He
looks down at his hands, “Despite how badly I was treated, growing up, one of
the lessons that did stick with me, from my Muggle upbringing, is that in a
relationship, it is the woman who chooses when things happen, when it comes to
her body. Being a horny teen, I would very much like to see you naked, as
yourself, and learn how to be the best partner I can be for you. But, I am
willing to wait, and have several dates, before anything serious happens.” He
then looks up into Tonks' eyes, “Just seeing you as yourself is enough for me,
right now, if that's all you're ready for.
Tonks smiles as she listens to Harry, blushing when he gets to the 'horny teen'
part, then gazes back into his eyes as he finishes talking, “Merlin, Harry,
whomever imparted that lesson to you made you serious boyfriend material. Most
males, in my experience, try to push for things to happen before both parties
are ready.” She then closes her eyes, briefly, her features slowly blurring
until they shift back to her natural self; her hair lengthening until it
reaches her ass, the color of her hair shifting to a natural strawberry blonde,
her facial features gaining an edge of the beauty that is present in her aunt,
her shirt tightening significantly as her bosom swells, her eyes shifting in
color until they're a soft violet in color, and finally her figure becomes more
hourglass in shape, the work out that she undergoes during her training
definitely adding beauty to her already attractive figure.
Opening her eyes, she gazes at Harry, then smiles as she notices his blush,
“This is the natural me, Harry.”
Harry smiles, then, embracing his inner Gryffindor, gets up and approaches
Tonks, “You are an amazing woman, 'Dora, and I find myself awed that I get to
spend the rest of my life with you.” He then sits next to her, “I think that I
can understand why you chose to hide behind a facade, hiding what you really
look like.”
The young Auror smiles as Harry sits next to her, “Between the idiots that only
wanted to be my friend for who I could look like, the jealous girls who wanted
my figure, and the fact that certain aspects of this figure don't lend
themselves to covert Auror work, I tend to change what I look like. When I
interned, briefly, with Moody, he saw through my act, and complimented me on
getting folks to underestimate me.” She then grinned, “He even suggested that I
exaggerate certain aspects when I'm in the public, as the populous will
generally only look at the surface, never guessing that by being clumsy I'm
usually more able to see things normal folks might miss.”
The young Wizard nods, “I'm guessing that one thing you need to notice is
anything you can use to enhance your 'image' as a klutz, which in turn would
make you more aware of hiding places for ambushes.”
Tonks smiles, then, gently turning Harry's head so she can look into his eyes,
she bends forward and kisses him, passionately, on the lips, her hands moving
to play with his hair, internally smiling as she feels the passion returned,
both physically and through the growing bond between them. After breaking the
kiss, holding it as long as she could, she murmurs, “I do think we should
consummate our bonding before you return to Hogwarts, but I also want to see
about having a few 'safe' dates before then, so that we can get to know more
about each other, and possibly get a hint who might be the third in our group.”
Harry nods, after his eyes clear from the befuddlement that the intense kiss
brought to him, “I think that's an awesome idea, 'Dora.” He then tilts his
head, “You don't mind me calling you 'Dora, do you? It just came to me, after I
realized your last name isn't really 'Tonks' any more, though I won't require
you to change your name, unless there's a Tradition associated with it.”
The young Auror shakes her head no, “It's what I like my partners to call me,
and I've seen you that way since you helped me out after the Twins pranked me
in your first year.”
The young Wizard smiles, “I'm honored you see me that way.” He then blushes,
badly, “I'll also admit that that episode helped me when I was attempting to
learn how to produce a Patronus, last year.”
'Dora tilts her head, “I had heard you could produce a corporeal Patronus,
which is an awesome feat for someone of any age, but that it was strong enough
to drive every Dementor that was at Hogwarts scurrying back to their posts at
Azkaban.”
Harry looks up at 'Dora, “I hadn't heard that tid-bit.” He then points his wand
off to the right, before exclaiming, “Expecto Patronum,” and grinning when a
huge white Stag leapt from his wand and came to stand next to 'Dora, where it
pranced around briefly, as if looking for trouble, before coming over to the
couple and nosing at both their hands.
The young Auror blinks at the size and solidity of the patronus, then is more
amazed when she is actually able to pet the representation of Harry's happy
thoughts, “Harry, once again you amaze me. Only one in a Thousand Wizards are
able to get this much definition in their patronus, and I wouldn't be too
surprised to learn that as your core grows in strength, that your patronus
couldn't become solid enough to carry a rider.”
The young Wizard blinks at this news, before petting 'Prongs' on the muzzle,
“One more thing that makes me special, awesome.” He then looks to 'Dora, “I'm
going to write my friends, and let them know some of what's going on, if that's
okay?” He then grins, “Plus, I would like for you to look over my homework,
especially my Transfiguration, as it'll allow me to begin enumerating the Gifts
that I know that I have … at least before Gringotts does their tests.”
'Dora blinks, then shakes her head, “What naughtiness have you been up to,
Husband?”
Harry grins, cheekily, “Look at the extra credit report for a hint, and add in
the fact that I want Remus, or 'Moony' as he's also known, to come help me
finalize the report, and you should be able to deduce what I've been up to,
this summer.”
'Dora grins, then shakes her head, “Go write your friends, Harry, we'll
continue talking later.”
~~ Please R&R ~~
Chapter End Notes
     A/N 1: A note for those with questions on how some Animagus seem to
     have only one form: Those who go through with it properly supervised
     will have two forms, such as Prof McGonagall, but those who are
     trying to do it on their own, especially if they are in danger of
     getting in detention and mis-timing steps, such as the Marauders and
     Rita Skeeter, are more likely to only find out the one that's
     'easier' for them to assume. I'm also going to do another slight AU
     bit and have a special charm be the reason that the flames for the
     properly prepared potions to be simmered down at the right time.
     Harry got lucky in that it's easy to do that with the stove in the
     Dursley's house.
     A/N 2: So far I've only envisioned Harry's Animagus forms, though the
     species and size of the second one isn't set in stone. Suggestions
     for Ron, Hermione, Ginny, Fred, and George are welcome. Might also
     sneak Luna and Neville in there. Name for the new group of mischief-
     makers is also welcome … though if they are all canids in one of
     their forms, I'm partial to 'The Pack'. ^_^
***** Lessons, Learnings, and Lordships *****
Chapter Summary
     Plot development
Chapter Notes
See the end of the chapter for notes
****** Chapter 4: Lessons, Learnings, and Lordships ******
Harry, having gathered the required parchment and writing utensils, seated
himself down at a desk, preparing to write several letters, grinning as he
envisioned the reactions to the news.
The first letter was to Mr. and Mrs. Weasley, letting them know he was okay,
and that he wouldn't be needing any more care packages, smiling as he
envisioned Molly’s' reaction to the news. He also let her know that he was
planning on heading to Gringotts in the near future, seeing if she wanted to
make an outing with her family.
That letter done, he started on the Twins' letter, smiling as he hinted he
might have a surprise for them, if they could figure out the secret he'd
figured out over the summer.
Ron's letter was next, and was actually the easiest to write of the batch, so
far. He also made note to his best friend that he'd noticed a cute witch from
Slitheryn checking the red head out, after their run in with the Dementors.
Thinking to himself as he inked that part of the letter, “I'm almost glad that
we did encounter those foul things, as they caused a marked change in Ron's
behavior. I never asked what he saw, that last time, nor does it matter in the
long run.”
After that, he started on Ginny's letter, grinning as he pictured the feisty
little red head, “One wonders what she'll make of what I'm telling her. I know
she's over her crush, but I do know she'll be happier in the long run if she
takes the love that's being offered freely to her.”
He then pens a letter to another girl in Ginny's year, one Luna Lovegood, who
he ran into a couple times while wandering the castle. The exceedingly
observant, and eccentric girl had a way about her that, on the surface, made
her seem battier than his Divination professor, but once you thought on what
was said, the truth was easier to see. He also knew she encouraged the
impression that she was a bit odd, because it allowed her to see more than what
was normally visible.
His second to last letter is to Hermione, grinning as he pictured her reaction
to the news he'd not only finished his homework, but that he'd done extra
credit. He knew she'd be a bit worried when she heard the news of his Bonding,
and the death of his 'relatives', but he knew she knew better than most just
how bad things had been for him. He was also a bit blunter about hinting that
he had a secret he wanted for her to figure out, knowing just how to word it to
get Hermione to go into research mode, something he knew he'd need if he
couldn't figure out his second form.
His last letter is to Professor McGonagall, asking if it was possible to switch
from Divination to Ancient Runes, denoting his reasons for asking for the
change, the primary being that he was tired of having his demise be predicted
each and every lesson.
Once each letter is sealed, a hunch having him place Luna's in with those going
to the Weasley's, he looks up and notices Hedwig perched on the sconce between
two lamps, watching as he wrote the letters. He shook his head, “Should have
known you'd know there was mail to be delivered, girl.”
Hedwig ruffled her feathers, and then gave a pleased sounding bark, before
descending to the table, and proffering her right leg for the letters to be
attached to.
Harry smiled, and then said, “The big one goes to the Weasleys, the next
smaller goes to Hermione, and the last goes to Professor McGonagall, you got
that, girl?”
The Snowy Owl bobs her head, and then happily nibbles on Harry's proffered
fingers after he's done tying the letters in place.
Harry smiles, then says, “I don't know if any of them will be wanting to write
back, but I'm sure that an owl like you will be able to tell, and help where
she can.” He then grinned, “Especially since Errol really shouldn't be stressed
more than he's already been.”
Hedwig barked what sounded like laughter, and then took off through the window
that was spelled to allow post owls like her easy access to the house.
Harry called out, “Vilma? Could you help me a moment?”
With a soft 'pop', the House Elf appeared, “Master Harry Potter has need of
Vilma? What can Vilma do for the Great Harry Potter, sir?”
Shaking his head at the House Elf's antics, “First off, please just refer to me
as 'Harry', if you can, if you need more formality, sir is okay. Second, could
you tell me where my wife is?”
Vilma blinks, then curtseys, “Harry Potter sir is very humble, me thinks Harry
Potter is deserving of being called 'Master'.” She then closes her eyes for a
moment, “Mistress be gathering clothes that be easy to alter to fit Master for
his trip to Gringotts, Vilma be using elf magic to make clothes fit Harry
Potter, sir.”
Harry nods, “Thank you, Vilma. 'Dora is definitely wise to get things ready, as
I know I don't have anything worthy of appearing in any situation where
appearances are important.”
With a blush for the praise, the House Elf popped away to return to what she
had been doing.
Making his way to the dining room again, Harry thought back on all the changes
that this past summer had wrought, so far. The biggest being the change in his
family, losing the relatives that he barely tolerated and gaining so much more.
He wasn't sure if he should join 'Dora at the moment, as he needed to go over a
few things in his head. He then grinned and reminded himself that there were
two people who he'd be able to tell the news to immediately, once he recovered
the mirror in his trunk.
“Vilma? Could you bring me the mirror that's tucked away in my trunk, please?”
He utters to thin air.
With another soft 'pop', the mirror appears next to him, evidence that being
polite to House Elves made them happier.
Harry smiled as he picked up the mirror, “Thank you, Vilma.” He then poked the
top right corner of the mirror with his wand, and said, “Padfoot!” The mirror
vibrated several times before Sirius answered, a look of worry on his face,
“What's up, pup?”
The young wizard smiled, upon seeing his godfather, “First off, this is good
news, so get that look off your face.” When Sirius looked startled, Harry
chuckled, “I wanted you to find out from me, before it gets written up
somewhere.”
Sirius' image tilts as he looks curiously at his godson, “Your phrasing makes
me worry, pup. What's happened in two days?”
Harry grew serious; “First off, my Muggle relatives were killed yesterday,
supposedly by Terrorists in their world.” Seeing Sirius' reaction to that bit
of news, he continued, “I'm safe and got moved to a safe house. Which leads me
to my next bit of news. It seems I've Soul Bonded to your 'cousin' 'Dora.”
Sirius gives a startled bark at that news, then shakes his head, “Potter luck
strikes again. Your dad told me a tale of how according to legend, his great
grandfather met his wife in a similar fashion, and that it seemed all Potters
fell hard for their intended spouse.”
Harry blinks at the news, “Well, I'm waiting on a response from Gringotts, as
to when I can get my parent's will read, but they hinted that I should get an
Inheritance Scroll done, as there were things happening within the Bank they
couldn't put into a letter.”
Sirius' image nods, “That could be either very good or very bad, depending on
what's happening. One major good thing about your Bond is that it should negate
any Marriage Contracts specifically worded to affect you.”
The young Wizard blinks, and then shakes his head, “Knowing my luck, there were
a ton of them being offered, because I'm 'The Boy Who Lived' or some such
nonsense.” He then says, “'Dora and I are going to 'date' until I have to
return to Hogwarts, so we can get to know each other better. Plus the fact
there's supposedly another Witch in the bond out there has caused us to wish to
wait until we've met the other before consummating the Bond.”
The older Wizard blinks at this news, and then shakes his head, “Only you,
Harry, only you.” He then smiles, “If we can get my name cleared, there is fun
news that can be shared with everyone, though Moony already knows some of it.”
Harry blinks, and then looks at the image of his Godfather, “If my instincts
are telling me right, I should be offering the House of Black congratulations
on a new generation in the making?”
Sirius' image looks back at Harry, with a gob smacked expression, “How'd you
figure that out? I had to spell things out for Moony.”
The young wizard just chuckled, “First off, your hair's tamer than last time,
second, I just saw an arm snake over your shoulder, with a well manicured set
of nails on the fingers.”
Sirius just shook his head, and then smiled, “It can't be official until I'm
pardoned, as I don't want to paint that big a bull’s-eye on my beloved's back.”
He then places the mirror down and steps back, brining into view a rather
stunning woman, wearing as little as the climate allowed, “Harry, I'd like for
you to informally meet Dominique; Dominique, meet my godson, Harry Potter.
Dominique is part of the community down here.”
Harry smiles as he takes in the image presented to him, the woman in question
definitely seemed to make Sirius happy, and the way that his godfather
emphasized 'community' caused him to believe that, while magical, the young
lady in question wouldn't be exactly welcome amongst the 'pureblood elite'.
“Greetings miss. It's an honor to meet the woman who is attempting to tame my
dogfather.”
Dominique gives a laugh, “I definitely have my hands full with this one. It's
an honor to meet you, Harry, and I look forward to formally meeting you.” She
then kisses Sirius' cheek, “Hopefully by that time, the Rat issue will be taken
care of, and we can meet without worry for Sirius' life.”
Harry nods, “Well, I'll let you two get back to what I interrupted,” giving a
wink, having noticed just how hastily donned Dominique's clothing appeared to
be. Hearing Sirius' laugh, he touches the lower left corner with his wand and
says, “Mischief Managed.”
Feeling a presence behind him, he turns and sees 'Dora studying him, giggling
at the news she'd just heard, “So, Husband, it seems that we're not the only
ones with news.” She then snuggled into the chair beside him, “Perhaps we
should question Junior to see if he knows where the Rat might be?” She then
gets out her wand and says, “Expecto Patronum!” When her patronus is revealed,
it takes the form of a female centaur, somewhat of a counterpart to his stag,
she then says to it, “Go to Amelia and ask her if anyone's had a chance to ask
Junior any questions about fellow Death Eaters. I have a couple to add, if they
haven't.” The patronus nods, then gallops through the nearest wall.
Harry blinks, “How?”
'Dora chuckles, “You have to concentrate on the knowledge you want to send a
message. It's a lot more secure than Owls, but they're a bit showy, so can't be
used while undercover.”
Harry nods, then, touching the upper right corner of the mirror with his wand,
he utters, “Moony!”
After several moments the mirror is answered, showing the couple a rather
worried looking werewolf, “What's up, Harry? Just got a message from Dumbledore
that guarding Number four won't be needed any more.”
The young Wizard chuckled, “Well, I'm now living with my Bonded Wife, 'Dora.”
He is interrupted by a shout of “What?” from the mirror.
Harry laughed harder, “Well, a lot happened yesterday. First, my muggle
relatives got themselves murdered, apparently by terrorists in their world.
Second, after 'Dora rescued me; something in our magic recognized something
within each other, and we Soul Bonded. Third, I just spoke to Padfoot, and it
seems that the Shaggy one has impressive news of his own.”
The image of Remus nods at each point then shakes its head, “Sounds like you've
been busy, pup. I do know where you're staying, so if you need me, I can come
over and help out.”
The young Wizard nods, “I figure at least this weekend would be best, as I'm
expecting a missive from Gringotts telling me when I should come to hear my
parent's will.” He then says, “By then, I should also have a potion for my
wife, if Metamorphmagus are able to use the magic I was researching.”
Remus barks a laugh, “Yes, Harry, Metamorphmagus' can become Animagus' as well,
it's just folks with 'Creature' blood in them that cannot use that magic.”
'Dora looks at Harry, “You've already become an Animagus?”
Harry shook his head, “I haven't done the full transformation yet, but I do
know what my First form is. Moony can help me research what the Second is, as I
couldn't find anything that looked like it in the Monster Book of Monsters.”
The young Auror blinks, “First? Second? Are you telling me you have two forms,
Harry?”
The young Wizard nods, “Any Animagus who did things in class, or in a similar
fashion to how I did it, will have two forms. It's only those who don't do the
potion correctly that only have one. And it's a good thing that the Rat didn't
take a properly prepared potion, or we'd have a harder time finding him.”
Remus' image nods, “As for Padfoot's news, he did tell me about it. He's also
threatened to find me a young witch who could tame the wolf.”
Harry gave a yip of a laugh, “All I know is that Sirius' family would never
approve of the young woman who's tasked herself with the mission to land my
dogfather.”
The werewolf burst out laughing, “Good to know. As long as she makes Padfoot
happy, that's what matters.”
'Dora nods, “Well, I look forward to seeing you this weekend, Moony, and I look
forward to discovering just what my forms are.”
Harry smiles, “Be well, Remus.”
Remus nods “Don't do anything I wouldn't, Harry.”
Blushing, Harry shakes his head before touching the appropriate corner of the
mirror and saying, “Mischief Managed.”
'Dora smiles before kissing Harry's nose, “Business taken care of, for now?” At
his nod, she smiles, “I picked out several of my father's old dress robes for
you to use until we can manage a proper shopping trip to get you attired better
than you ever have been.”
Suddenly Hedwig swoops in and deposits a letter on the bed, before alighting on
her perch, the cup for food overflowing with her favorite bacon.
Harry sighed as he picked up the letter, which was the same type of parchment
that the other missive from Gringotts had been.
Lord Potter,
I was pleased by your prompt response to our letter and wish to set up a
meeting to go over everything. If 9:00AM today is good, please respond by
placing a drop of blood on the corner of this parchment.
You are also requested to bring your bonded mate along, as certain aspects of
this bond have triggered discoveries, which must be discussed privately.
I look forward to our meeting, Lord Potter.
May your gold never decrease, and may your enemies never succeed.
~Lord Ragnok
'Dora, reading over Harry's shoulder looks up at the clock, “We have just
enough time for a shower and to dress ourselves appropriately. Why don't you
'answer' the letter, dear, while I head for the shower?”
He nods, then sighs and, finding a small pin, causes the required drops of
blood to fall on the indicated piece of parchment. A deep blood-red glow
emanates from the paper, the words, “This Portkey will activate at 8:50AM,
please don't miss It.” appearing on the parchment.
Shaking his head, he gets up and strides for the bathroom, taking a few moments
to take care of nature, conscious of 'Dora's silhouette in the shower, yet
giving her the privacy she deserves, “Letter's a Portkey, set to go off at ten
'til nine, beloved. I'm going to take a quick shower in the guest bathroom,
I'll meet with you in the dining room before then?” Hearing an affirmative, he
heads to the bathroom and, using magic to aid the soap and water, takes one of
the quickest showers he'd been able to pull off in a long time.
Putting on the clothes Vilma had laid out for him, he took a moment or two to
get used to having clothing that came close to fitting him, for once. He then
calls out, “Vilma, you did a wonderful job with the clothing. While we're out
might be a good time to seek Dobby out, if you don't have anything else you
need to do.”
Entering the dining room, 'Dora sees Harry waiting for her, the letter in hand,
with a projected number '20' hovering in mid air above it, “You look wonderful,
husband. And, for the future, I won't mind sharing a shower with you, but I
understand why it was better to do it separate today.”
Harry nods, then takes 'Dora's arm in his, blushing at the images running
through his mind, “Any advice, my love?”
'Dora nods, as the numbers reach 10, “Step into the Portkey, with your right
foot, when you feel the tug, it'll aide you in the landing. Other than that,
just keep treating those you meet with the respect that you've already shown,
and you'll get better service than 90% of the Wizarding world.”
Harry nods, then as the numbers dwindle to '1', he steps into the Tug as it
pulls from just behind his navel, the world, once again, twisting in dimensions
which most sane people wouldn't dare think existed.
~~ Meanwhile, halfway across the country ~~
Halfway across England, just outside Ottery St. Catchpole, there existed a
house like no other. Seemingly built in stages, but without rhyme, reason, or
an adherence to either physics or architecture, The Burrow was a Wizarding
home, home of the Weasleys. At this time, four of the children who called this
house home were out in the screened off Orchard behind the house, practicing
their Quiddich moves and simply having fun.
Fred and his twin brother George were passing a practice Bludger between each
other, hitting it so they had to move to intercept the ball with each pass. Ron
was working on the close-quarters flying drill that was part and parcel of
being a good Keeper. Lastly Ginny was simply doing laps, working on her speed
and endurance, for she wanted to be a Chaser when an opening happened on the
House Team.
As Ginny approached one edge of the paddock she noticed her neighbor Luna
Lovegood watching her, she smiled to herself as she swung her broom around and
settled close to her long time friend, "Heya, Luna, how's the summer going so
far?"
Luna quirked her head at Ginny in her typical fashion, "Been having fun with
Daddy, researching where to take our next Safari. He's heard rumors that
there's a clutch of rare Vinesian Pygmy Dragons up in the Himalayas."
Ginny simply shook her head at her friend's attitude. She knew better than to
ask the blonde Ravenclaw anything about the fantastical creatures that Luna and
her father hunted and researched.
Suddenly, Ginny heard a whistling sound, then quickly dove and caught Luna up
in her arms, moving her several meters away as the practice Bludger smacked
into the fence where Luna had been leaning.
Luna blinked at Ginny, then, suddenly, kissed the red head full on her lips,
then shrieked, "That was too close! The Xaqtly Fairies must have been nesting
close for that to happen!"
Ginny blinked at the kiss, her eyes losing focus briefly before she shyly hugs
Luna, "That and my brothers need to work on their aim!" She then settled down
on the ground, placing her broom aside, and asked, "Luna, why'd you kiss me
like that?"
Blushing as only a blonde can, Luna looked into Ginny's eyes, "Because I wanted
to thank you for saving me. Plus … Ihavefeelingsforyou!" she says in a rush.
Ginny blinked at Luna, then hugged her, "I'm glad you told me, my friend. How
about we see about exploring those feelings this year at school? I admit to
having some feelings for you as well, but I like blokes too."
She manages to get this all out before either Fred or George come over to
retrieve their practice Bludger, and simply glares at them when they come over
to apologize.
Fred lands beside the two witches, panting, "Sorry, Sis, I didn't pull that
last hit the way I wanted to and neither George nor I could get to it in time
with the speed I hit it at."
George hovers over head, "Fred really whacked it good, must have hit one of
those mythical 'sweet spots' that we keep reading about in Quiddich Quarterly."
Ginny smiled, glad the twins were avoiding their typical 'twin-speak' around
her. She knew they did it to play confuse other people, but they also knew that
she could tell them apart, and was very accurate with her patented Bat Bogey
Hex, and had been experimenting with using other bodily 'fluids' for use in
getting even with pranks. "Though knowing the gits at school, I'll have plenty
of opportunity to refine my techniques."
Suddenly all four look up to see a snowy white owl winging its way towards the
Burrow, a rather large letter clutched in its claws. Ginny raises her voice and
yells at Ron, "Oi, Ron, incoming mail from Harry!"
Ron nodded his head as he swooped down to meet the other four as they made
their way back to the Burrow, not paying too much attention to Luna, having
learned that Ginny will stand up for her friend rather vehemently, to the point
of involving mum.
Fred reached the back door first and escorted the rest in, calling, "Mum, we
saw Hedwig heading this way, what's the news from Harry?"
Molly Weasley smiled as she came out of the kitchen, having just completed the
preparations for dinner. She held in her had not only a large letter from Harry
but several envelopes addressed to each person present, even Luna, "Hedwig must
have known you'd be here, Luna, as there's a letter from Harry to you here."
She then opened up the letter addressed to her while handing the others out.
Her eyes widened at the news, "Oh, Dear! Dreadful news! Seems like those
relatives of his were killed in a muggle bombing. He says he's safe with
someone from the Order, and that where he's at is under the Fidelius, so he
can't tell us exactly where he is, even though he wants to." She continued to
read down the parchment, then blinked and murmured, "Bonded? Oh, my good lord!"
She then sat down to collect herself as she reviewed the letter.
Ron opened his letter while Molly read hers, studying what's written within.
Dear Ron;
How's your summer going? Hermione driven you crazy asking whether or not you've
done your homework?
I've been doing okay, though with what's been going on, I've had nothing better
to do than my homework, including my Transfigurations Essay.
I doubt I'll be coming to the Burrow this year, due to the fact that somehow my
'relatives' got themselves killed in a terrorist bombing. From what news I can
get from my source, it appears right now to be totally muggle related.
I hope to see you on the Express! There's news that needs to be passed, but
it's too sensitive to put in a letter.
Molly's letter has more news on what's been happening lately to me.
Enjoy the rest of your summer!
Harry
P.S.: I should tell you now, there's a girl, in our year, who's been checking
you out, since we freed Sirius. I'll let you think on that until we see each
other.
The Twins and Ginny's letters say similar things, each also having little
personal messages as well. The Twins' teasing Gred and Forge about the fact
Harry had noticed how close two of the Chasers had gotten to them. Ginny's and
Luna's remarking how close the two of them appeared to be.
Ginny looks up at Molly when she hears the word 'Bonded', "What was that mum?"
Molly looks at her daughter, "Ginny, you might want to sit down for this." She
then looks at her other children, "Might as well all sit down for this news."
She then sits, "It seems that Harry has a Soul Bond..."
Both Ginny and Luna hug each other, then smile, Luna stating, "I'm glad the
Nargles finally cleared up around him! He deserves to be happy, after all the
pain he's had to endure." Ginny nods sagely, knowing that she's given up her
crush on 'The Boy Who Lived' and considers him to be one of her closest
friends, "Does he say with whom, mum?"
Molly glances at her daughter and smiles, seeing that Ginny's not crushed by
this news, "Yes, he states that it's Nymphadora Tonks..."
Fred, George, and Ron are all dumbstruck by this latest news about Harry, the
Twins knowing that Tonks would balance out Harry, and that she was one of the
few people who could understand Harry's wish to be 'normal'.
Ron shook his head, "Harry can never have a simple summer, can he?" A slight
jolt of jealousy hitting him as he remembered the one time he'd met Tonks, at
school. He then glances at his letter, "I'm going up to my room, mum, I've
homework to do."
Fred and George smile, "We've got stuff to plan for, this year. We need to make
sure we've everything we need." They then head up to their room, slowly
following Ron, but getting off the stairs well before Ron's level.
Ginny and Luna giggled, "I'm taking Luna up to my room, mum, we need to discuss
our options for third term."
Molly nodded absently as her children dispersed, reading more of Harry's
letter.
Dear Mrs. Weasley,
First off, I'd like to reassure you that I'm well, and that for the first time
in a long time, I'm happy.
As you knew, my 'relatives' went on vacation, leaving me alone. Well, according
to those watching over me, they were killed by a Non-magical group of
Terrorists.
I have moved out of my old house, to one that's been placed under Fidelius, for
the time being. While there, something unusual happened. Nothing bad, just
different.
According to Dumbledore, who looked up the Records, I have started a Soul bond
with Nymphadora Tonks. This development may prevent me from visiting the Burrow
this summer, for which I do apologize.
I have sent personal notes to the Twins, Ron, Ginny, and Hermione, as well as
Luna Lovegood, who I had the pleasure of making friends with this past year.
I hope that you and your family are well, and if nothing else, I look forward
to seeing you all on the First.
Sincerely,
Harry James Potter
Molly shook her head, as she read Harry's apology for the fact that something
beyond his control caused him to miss visiting. 'That young man takes too much
upon himself, hopefully Nymphadora will help him get over the issues that those
despicable relatives instilled in him.'
~~ ~~ ~~ ~~
In another section of England, a Snowy Owl flew towards a stately three story
tall building that seemed to have a dentists' office on the ground floor.
Hedwig homed in on the third window from the left on the third floor, coming to
rest on the windowsill, right by the window to Hermione's room.
Tap * Tap * Tap
Hermione looked up from the book she was reading at the noise, and upon seeing
Hedwig at the window, sprang up and let the majestic bird in, “Letter from
Harry, Hedwig?”
Hedwig bobbed her head as she came to rest on the corner of Hermione's desk,
allowing the letter to be removed, and staying, stating that the owl would wait
for any replies.
Hermione shook her head before unfurling Harry's latest missive.
Dear Hermione,
Just figured I'd let my best friend know what's happened, since we last wrote.
My ever-lovely relatives apparently got themselves killed by a group of Non-
magical terrorists, though there is a minute possibility that Wormtail had a
hand in it, as he did know my relative's name.
Our friend, Nymphadora, took me to her place, which is under the Fidelius
charm, to provide a safe place until more is known. I think you'd love the
house, if just for the impressive library.
I did manage to get all of my homework done before I got evacuated, even
Potions.
Something odd did happen, after Dora and I got to her house. According to the
Records, which we got Dumbledore to check, Dora and I have started a Soul Bond.
Now, I can just hear the gears starting to whirr, (tease), and I will try and
find you some books on the subject. And, yes, I know that often times it seems
that my name and odd occurrences are synonymous, but I can say that I'm quite
happy with the results of this latest development.
If all else fails, I will see you on the train on the first. I do hope that
you're doing well.
Sincerely,
Harry James Potter
Hermione just shook her head, emitting a soft giggle at Harry's teasing, “Only
you, Harry. Only you.”
She then quietly penned her response, writing that she was happy that Harry had
found someone who understood him for who he was. She also smiled as she wrote
that she had been in contact with a cousin of hers that had just gotten a
special letter, “I wonder what Harry will think, when he meets Morrigan. I wish
I understood my family's obsession with literary names.”
~~ Back with Harry ~~
As Harry and 'Dora arrive at Gringotts, they're greeted by a familiar Goblin,
“Lord Potter, Lady Potter, glad you could make it.”
Harry blinks as he gathers himself together from the Portkey, “Griphook? Glad
to see you again. Could you call me 'Harry'? It will take quite some time to
get used to being called 'Lord'.”
The Goblin blinks, and then nods, his impression of Harry increasing, for the
simple fact that Harry doesn't behave like 90% of the Wizarding population.
“Would you two please follow me, Lord Ragnok is waiting for us.”
Harry nods, then holding 'Dora's hand, follows Griphook deep within the
labyrinthine corridors where most Wizards only glimpse at what might be hidden,
not truly getting the vastness that is the Goblin's empire.
The group comes to a stop before a massive door, the dimensions lending a sense
of importance and security, the base material of the door seeming to be made of
a deep red marble, inlayed with veins of mithril; the hinges seeming to be made
of titanium, with inscribed runes that are etched into the metal.
The door opens in, and a powerful voice beckons them to enter, the light from
within masking that which is within.
~~ R & R ~~
Chapter End Notes
     Evil Cliffhanger, I Know.
     We're beginning to introduce some OCs, now, plus get into more
     character / plot development.
     I know I have a slow pacing, right now, but that is subject to change
     as School for Harry starts. ^_^
***** Knowledge is Power *****
Chapter Summary
     PLOT, and lots of it
****** Chapter 5: Knowledge is Power ******
Entering the room revealed, Harry paused just long enough for his eyes to
adjust to the lighting within. When he finally sees the room, he is
thunderstruck by just how incredible it looks, without looking over done.
Seated behind a massive desk, which could serve as a launch platform for RC
planes, is a powerful looking Goblin, who seems to be taller than those around
him, even seated.
Harry pauses just before the rug covered section of the floor and addresses
Griphook, “Would you do me the honor of introducing me, Griphook? I don't want
to step on anyone's toes by not acknowledging any protocols which I would
inadvertently trample by the simple expediency of not knowing they exist?” He
then feels 'Dora take hold of his left arm, so he looks to her, and whispers,
“I know I just used quite a few big words there, but since I'd rather be on the
Goblin's good side, I'd rather err on the side of caution and respect.”
'Dora nods, then kisses Harry's cheek, whispering, “Your instincts are leading
you in the right direction, beloved. How you treat others is going to influence
so many things in your future, it's amazing just how short sighted those who
don't get how interconnected things are.”
Griphook, who blinks a bit at Harry's request, then nods as he comes to terms
with just how different Harry was. He then paces up to the desk and bows to
Ragnok, “Sir, Lord Potter is here at your request, and he wishes to let you
know that he awaits the pleasure of you spending your valuable time to deal
with his situation,” is said quickly and fluidly in the Goblin tongue.
Lord Ragnok nods, then looks up, blinking as he sees Harry waiting patiently at
the edge of the carpet, he then looks to Griphook, “He is not like most
wizards, barging in here and demanding to be dealt with. I like him, so far,
and I like how he holds himself.” Switching to English, he smiles, “Lord
Potter, Lady Potter, please come join us while we figure out why several of our
most ancient and most secure vaults are acting the way they are.”
Bowing in response, “As you wish, Lord Ragnok. If it is possible, could I
please be addressed as 'Harry', unless it would cause issues that I am unaware
of. I am so new to the title that it feels unnatural at this time. I do
acknowledge the fact that I will eventually have to use the title, but again,
I'm not used to the title yet.” He then leads Dora to a chair, seating her
first before gesturing to Griphook to sit, before taking his own, “My lovely
lady has given me some possibilities for why I was called here today, and
knowing how Fate herself seems to like using me as her personal chew toy, I
would much appreciate knowing what's going on.”
Ragnok blinks again, then shakes his head sadly, “For the majority of what we
have to discuss, Lord Potter, the magic itself requires for your title to be
used, in some cases the full title, with all the intricacies within, must be
used, in order for magic itself to acknowledge the transaction. If this were
simply a meeting to discuss investments, I would feel quite happy to be less
formal.”
Harry nods, “I was afraid of that. Now, Lord Ragnok, as I know your time is at
a premium, shall we buckle down and get down to revealing what is hidden from
us all?”
The elder goblin nods, “Yes, Lord Potter, we shall.” He then gets out a small
granite basin, which is inscribed with what appear to be multitudes of runes
that have been inlayed with silver, “To begin, we require a sample of your
blood, which is dropped into the Tchock Basin. Once that's done, a scroll will
appear, listing off what the Basin reveals.”
Griphook offers Harry the use of one of his knives, which the young Wizard
accepts with a bow, “Thank you, Griphook, for the use of your blade.” Harry
then slices a small cut in the end of his index finger. Seven drops of blood
splatter the bottom of the Tchock Basin before Harry's finger heals itself.
Once the final drop hits the bottom, the runes within it glow an eerie green,
though not an unhealthy color. Slowly the basin seems to fill with more of
Harry's blood, before the contents swirl around, small motes of magic glowing
within the liquid showing just how swift the current is. Suddenly the entire
basin glows gold, and the liquid drains into the middle of the basin, seemingly
leaving it dry.
With a 'pop', a thick scroll appears in mid air over the basin, which is
quickly caught by Harry's incredible reflexes. He then blinks, “Should I have
gotten this?”
Ragnok shakes his head before laughing, “Lord Potter, normally the scroll falls
into the Basin, and it is retrieved by one of the Goblins within the room, but
that's mostly due to the fact that most Wizards don't see the need to exert
themselves beyond what's needed to keep them happy.”
Harry nods, “Shall we see what's on this scroll?” He then lets Dora hold one
end as he unrolls it, the final length seeming to be similar to one of
Hermione's shorter essays.
**** ~~ ~~ ~~ ****
*** Name: Harry James Potter ***
*** D.O.B.: June 31, 1981 ***
*** Father: James Charlus Potter (Deceased) ***
*** Mother: Lilly Marie Potter nee Evans (Deceased) ***
*** Grandfather, Paternal: Charlus Xavier Potter (Deceased) ***
*** Grandmother, Paternal: Dorea Augustine Potter nee Black (Deceased) ***
*** Grandfather, Maternal: Gregory Evans (Deceased) ***
*** Grandmother, Maternal: Dorothy Evans nee Wyngate (Deceased) ***
**** ~~ ~~ ~~ ****
*** Magical Inheritances ***
*** Potions: Prodigy (Blocked – APBWD) – Maternal Legacy ***
*** Transfiguration: Prodigy (Blocked – APBWD) – Paternal Legacy ***
*** Charms: Prodigy (Blocked – APBWD) – Maternal Legacy ***
*** DADA: Prodigy (Block partially broken – APBWD) – Paternal / Maternal Legacy
***
*** Ancient Runes: Achievable – Maternal Legacy ***
*** Arithmancy: Achievable – Maternal Legacy ***
** Note: Block appears to be of a type that is placed to limit accidental
magic, and should have been removed when first attending Hogwarts. **
*** Family Inheritances ***
*** Potter – Paternal Legacy ***
*** Peverell – Paternal Legacy ***
*** Evans – Maternal Legacy ***
*** Ravenclaw – Maternal Legacy ***
*** Gryffindor – Paternal Legacy ***
*** Slitheryn – Conquest Legacy ***
*** Black – Heir Apparent ***
*** Soul Bond with Nymphadora Potter nee Tonks ***
*** Soul Bond with -Unknown- ***
*** Abilities ***
*** Parsletongue – Through Conquest Legacy ***
*** Animagus – Maternal / Paternal Legacy ***
*** Metamorphmagus – Soul Bond ***
*** Flying – Natural, Instinctual ***
** Further magics may become active once second Soul Bond is finalized. **
**** ~~ ~~ ~~ ****
As Harry read over the scroll, he felt Dora looking over his shoulder,
grumbling under his breath as he reads the families he's the head of, “What
does this mean, Lord Ragnok?”
Looking over the scroll himself, Ragnok is startled, “Well, you are apparently
the sole remaining Heir to several families thought long vanished. We will need
to do audits on the three Founder's Vaults, as they've been simply earning
interest for longer than any Goblin's memory. You inherited the Slitheryn Vault
due to not only your initial defeat of the former Heir, but in your continual
wins against him in his quest to return.”
Dora blinks at this, “Are you saying that Voldemort isn't dead?” She goes quite
white at this, which is saying something as the effect made her look like an
albino.
Ragnok looks to Dora, “I regret to inform you that, yes, the being known to you
as Voldemort does still exist, even if he's not fully human any more.” The
Goblin then checks something, “Lord Potter, it appears that there's a portion
of Evil Magic behind your scar. The magical signature that it's giving off is
similar to that of the being known as Voldemort. We Goblins can remove it, as
it appears to be leaching off a goodly portion of your available Magic. This
will also coincide with our removal of the blocks on your Magic, which appear
to be cast when your parents were alive, most likely to minimize your
Accidental Magic.”
Harry mentally rolls his eyes at the news, “Whatever the cost, I will gladly
pay what is required to remove said Magic. Can you tell me what percent of my
Magic was available for me to use, Lord Ragnok?”
The stately Goblin smiles, with a set of teeth that would give a shark pause,
“First off, be cautious when saying such things in the future, Lord Potter, but
what our tests have revealed causes us to charge the minimal charge required to
remove a Dark Curse from a person or object. This is simply because what we
think the Evil Magic is, is an affront to all nature, and we Goblins will
defend nature first and foremost. Secondly, from what our scans have told us,
you normally operate with approximately twenty five percent of your available
Magic, unless stressed, where it goes up to seventy five percent.”
Both Harry and Dora blink at that, Harry speaking first, “So, you're saying
that I drove dozens of Dementors off, with a single Patronus, while likely only
having access to a maximum of seventy five percent of my total magic?”
Dora turns to Harry, “Harry, hon, you drove off every single Dementor that was
on detail at Hogwarts, which was the full compliment minus six who were left at
Azkaban. That number was One Hundred Twenty … and the Aurors who were on duty
to keep them under control said that several showed signs of damage, something
which they had never observed before.”
Both Harry and Ragnok blink at this, “Lord Potter, when we remove the blocks,
we will be able to get an idea as to the Magical power you possess.”
Harry nods, “How soon can that be done, Lord Ragnok? I would like to be able to
practice my spells, and get used to the new power behind them.” He then turns
to look at Dora, “And I bet my lovely Wife will be glad to help me find my new
'normal'.”
Ragnok looked to Griphook, “How soon could the ritual room be ready?” The
younger Goblin gave a grin, “Sire, it's already ready … When the Healers got a
look at the young Lord here, they began to get things together.”
Harry mumbled several choice curse words, “What is it with Healers?” He then
looked to Griphook and Ragnok, “Well, it seems like the time is right, shall we
get this over and done with?”
Ragnok nodded, “Griphook will lead you there, Lord Potter. I, myself, will
start the audits on all the vaults you now control.”
Harry got up and bowed, with respect, “I thank you for your time, Lord Ragnok,
may those who oppose you find your blades sharper than their wit.”
The elder Goblin returned the bow, “May those who underestimate you never
realize the folly of their mistake until it's too late.”
Griphook then gestured to Harry, “Lord Potter, Lady Potter, if you would be so
kind as to follow me?” He then led them in a totally different direction from
the one they entered from, quickly coming to a room done up in what at first
looks to be white marble, but then Harry sees that what at first seemed to be
just random marbleizations of the rock were in fact ancient runes that covered
not only the floor, walls, and ceiling, but any and every light fixture that
happened to be in the room. Griphook paused as the Goblin Healers entered,
bowing with respect to their role in Goblin society, “I have brought Lord
Potter as asked, Healer Moledechai. His Bonded, Lady Potter is here as well. I
shall leave them in your tender care?”
The Goblin Healer, Moledechai, nods, “Thank you, Chief Teller Griphook, may the
gold you tend to only multiply.”
Harry studies the Healer closely, and comes to the conclusion that this may be
a female Goblin, simply from the differences in shape and color, “Healer
Moledechai, it is an honor to be seen by someone of your skill and knowledge.”
The Goblin healer looks up at Harry, blinking briefly, and then smiles, “It has
been a long time since someone has spoken to me thusly, young Lord.”
Harry looks to 'Dora, then whispers, “I wish I knew where all this knowledge
was coming from. How to address these people correctly...”
'Dora smiles, then whispers back, “I know I was taught a lot of this, as a
child, so I suspect that this is part of the Soul Bond. I know we need to do
more reading on what it entails. Especially since I feel that once we find our
missing third, more things like this will happen.”
Harry nods, then looks to the Goblin Healer, “I admit to being slightly worried
as to what this will entail, but I feel that I need to get this done, so I can
become the person that I am meant to be. Any other titles that come after
'Harry' are just additional facets to the jewel that is me.”
Moledechai nods, “What we intend to do is release the binds that are upon your
magic, then transfer the Evil Magic behind your scar to another object,
typically a pig or some other food type animal, size depending on how nasty the
Evil Magic is. We are using this room, as it provides protection against the
magic that will be unleashed as we unseal the binds, and any rush of magic that
happens when we sever the connection between you and the Evil Magic.”
Harry nods, “Healer Moledechai, let us get this done, in as efficacious a
fashion as is possible.”
The Goblin Healer nods, then gestures to Dora, “Lady Potter, if you could stand
in the semi-circle over there?” pointing to an area lined with runes, the
center blank, “It is set up so you can be here, but will shield you from any
chance that the Evil Magic will latch onto you.”
'Dora nods and, with a soft kiss to Harry's lips, moves to the indicated area.
Moledechai nods, then says, “Lord Potter, if you wouldn't mind, could you leave
as much clothing as you're comfortable taking off right by the doorway you came
in? The less clothing you have on, the less time this will take.”
Harry nods, then lifting an eyebrow at his Bonded, he quickly divests himself
of everything he has on, save a pair of Gryffindor red speedos, which allow
just enough detail to make 'Dora think: Damn, I'm going to be a happy woman
once we complete the Bond.
The Goblin Healer nods, “Move to the center of the room, if you would, Lord
Potter? Then lay in the circle that's inscribed therein.”
Harry does this with alacrity, lying down so he can see 'Dora, thinking: I do
hope this isn't going to be as painful as I think it may be.
Moledechai claps her hands, causing the doors to close with a loud 'Bang', a
green glow along the edges signifying that they're now sealed from the inside,
several clicks, clunks, whirrs, and thuds signifying that methods beyond simple
magic were keeping the doors secure. She then begins to chant, using a language
that, while similar to normal Goblin tongue, was more ancient, and full of
deeper meanings.
A deep blue ring snaps into existence around Harry, slowly spreading to envelop
him in a dome of said color. Several arcs of what appear to be plasma strike
the young Wizard as the chant increases. Harry doesn't seem too worried by
this, seeming to take this in stride.
As the chant becomes more complex, a second dome, this time of yellow energy,
forms around Harry, its diameter 10% larger than the blue one. Instead of arcs
of plasma, this dome seems to emit waves of Healing energy, which coat Harry,
erasing the majority of the signs of abuse that he suffered from the Dursleys.
As 'Dora witnesses this, a third dome, this one pure white, forms around the
other two, it's diameter 20% greater than either of those that it encircles,
yet still not endangering her or the Healer.
There is a deep 'Gong' sound as the chant comes to a crescendo, a beam of the
blackest light imaginable rockets upwards from where Harry is, funneled into a
small tunnel which, one must assume, leads to where the target animal waits,
ready to be slaughtered once it is confirmed that the Evil Magic has been
transferred completely and successfully.
There is a deep groan from where Harry lays upon the floor, then he asks the
room, “Did someone get the tag off that lorry that ran me over?” The young
Wizard then sits up and does a quick inventory: Ten toes, check; two feet,
check; two legs, check; 'important bits', check; torso, check, two arms, check;
going through the list to make sure nothing's missing. He then looks to Dora,
who is just staring at him, love and lust evident in her gaze, “Healing did a
lot of good, hmm my wife?”
'Dora nods, then blinks, “Harry, I loved you before, but now you're more of a
hunk than I truly could have imagined.”
Harry blushes, then stands up, blinking as he realizes the reasoning for
'Dora's words. Whereas before he would have had trouble topping five foot, he
is now a comfortable five foot two inches tall, and while still thin, his body
shows a lot more definition than before, being muscled rather than
malnourished, he can now look 'Dora right in the eyes, unlike before where she
was the taller of the two, “I can't wait for them to get a load of the 'new'
Harry at Hogwarts. And, perhaps now we can explore our Bond as we date more
seriously?”
Dora looks to the Healer, “Is it all right if I move?”
Healer Moledechai nods, “Yes, Lady Potter, it is.”
Harry turns to the Goblin Healer, “Before my lady pounces me, I wish to thank
you for your skill and your magic, Healer Moledechai. Name a boon, and if it is
within my power, I shall try and see about getting it for you.” He then
stumbles back a pace as 'Dora embraces him, after running over, the young
Trainee Auror saying, “I'd even consider adding her name to one of our
children, Harry, if it is acceptable.”
The Goblin Healer blinks at this, “”It is good that I, like my Uncle, Lord
Ragnok, am not the greedy sort, Lord Potter. Any boon you choose to bestow upon
me is enough, for giving me a chance to exercise skills I don't normally get to
use.” Moledechai then laughs at 'Dora's words, “As a middle name only, Lady
Potter, for use in letting said child know when they're in deep trouble.”
She then turns her attention back to Harry, “Lord Potter, the releasing of
these binds may affect some of your magic. Especially if you've started special
magics such as Animagus.”
Harry turns to Moledechai, “Affect how, Healer Moledechai? I have recently
started changing into my first form, but my second I couldn't find enough
information on to find out what animal it was.”
The Goblin Healer nods, “It shouldn't do too much to your first form,
especially if you've nearly finished the transformation, at most a color change
would be evidenced. The second form, however, being so nebulous, could change
form to something else entirely. You may need to talk to your Transfiguration
professor about how to discover what it has become.”
Harry bows, in respect, “Thank you, again, Healer Moledechai, for your time and
your skills. I think my wife now wishes to take me shopping, to find me
clothing that's better suited my new self.”
Healer Moledechai nods, then rings a bell, which unseals the doors, and brings
Griphook shortly thereafter, “Chief Teller Griphook, would you mind leading
Lord and Lady Potter to the exit? I believe they've finished with all the
transactions that'll be done today.”
Griphook nods, then looks to Harry, “Are you ready, Lord Potter?”
Harry nods, “All I really need is either enough Galleons to do the shopping I
need, or a method that will allow me to use my Vault Key to make deductions.
Though a couple thousand in Mundane Pounds wouldn't be a bad thing either, to
find me clothing appropriate for the Mundane world.”
Griphook nods, then offers Harry a small leather wallet, which appeared to be
empty, “Within the Magical World, you can make purchases with your Vault Key,
and we thought that you might be going out into the Mundane world, so we put
together this wallet, which holds three thousand Mundane Pounds, though is
charmed to appear empty, to stave off those who might try and steal from you.”
Harry blinked, then took the wallet, then quickly re-clothed himself in the
clothing he came in, despite it now being a couple sizes too small … a new
sensation for him, to say the least, “Thank you, Chief Teller. May your Gold
never lose interest, and may your coffers never run dry.”
**** ~~ ~~ ~~ ****
** Next Chapter: Shopping! ((Don’t worry, I won't describe everything.)) **
***** Diagon, Discussions, and Discoveries (Day One) *****
Chapter Summary
     Fun, Flirting, Shopping, and Exposition
Chapter Notes
See the end of the chapter for notes
****** Chapter 6: Diagon, Discussions, and Discoveries (Day One) ******
As Harry and ‘Dora left Gringotts, they were unaware of the brewing storm
behind them, as the Goblins dealt with the aftermath of what treating Harry
wrought.
Dora smiled at Harry, “Shall we head to Madame Malkin's first? That way, you
can be better attired for the rest of your shopping...”
Harry nodded, “Mind if I ask you questions as we shop, beloved? I know you were
brought up around Magic, so you might know the answers I need.” He then held
open the door to the Clothier, letting Dora enter before him.
The young Auror nodded, then smiled to herself as Harry held the door open for
her, “If I don't know the answer, I'm sure we both know places to look for the
information.”
Madame Malkin smiled at the couple, “Is there something I can help you with? We
just got in a new line of clothes which is supposed to help blend in with both
societies.”
Harry smiled, “I need a completely new wardrobe, as I just underwent a massive
growth spurt. I wouldn't mind looking at the new stuff, help drum up business
for an up and coming tailor, if I like what I see.”
Madame Malkin beamed, then looked Harry up and down before calling, “Katie,
could you come up front? We have a Wizard here who's in need of the full kit?”
She then points Harry and Dora to a side area, “Katie will be with you shortly,
this area over here is set up with charms to keep prying eyes away.”
A young Witch, not much older than Harry, appeared behind Madame Malkin, and
smiled, “I'd be glad to help them, Ma'am,” then, getting a closer look at the
couple waiting, “Harry? Is that you?”
Harry studied the Witch briefly, before laughing, “Katie Bell, How's your
summer treating you? Yes, I had a severe growth spurt, which I'll tell you
about later.” He then turned to Dora, then tilted his head as if asking for
permission, then getting what he felt to be an affirmative, he smiles, “Katie
Bell, I'd like you to introduce you to someone who has become exceedingly
special to me, though you might remember her from Hogwarts … Meet my Bonded
Wife, Nymphadora Potter nee Tonks...”
Katie blinked, then did a double take, “You and she have a soul bond?” At
Harry's nod, she smiles, shaking her head, “Well, I can only say that you've
broken many witches' hearts, 'Dora, snagging this man here.” She then giggled,
“Seems like a lot of the crew are pairing up, this year. George and I are going
to see how well we suit each other. And I know Angelina and Fred are an item.”
Dora blushes at how Harry introduced her, “Could we get my stud muffin of a
husband some better clothes? I'm sure he'd be much more comfortable wearing
things that actually fit him.”
Harry rolled his eyes at his wife, “Not to mention we'll likely need robes that
fit my new station in life,” letting his Head of House Potter ring catch some
light, “though, I can't wait to see Malfoys reaction to this.”
Katie shook her head, then gestured for Harry to stand on the low platform to
her right, “Well, since we're doing a full kit, we need to measure you fully.
So, first we need to get you in your skivvies, Harry, so that our measurements
are as accurate as possible.”
Harry blushed to the roots of his hair before slowly taking off everything save
the speedos that kept him at least visually decent, “Good thing you and the
other two Crimson Vixens got me less body shy than I was when I came to
Hogwarts, isn't it, Katie?”
'Dora tilted her head at Harry, asking to have that clarified, but it was Katie
that answered, “Little Harry here was so shy when he came to Hogwarts, he
wouldn't shower if there was anyone else in the bathroom. Especially the co-ed
showers that seem to be enforced upon the Quidditch teams.” She took her time
measuring Harry's inseam as she paused, “So, Alicia, Angelina, and myself took
it upon ourselves to help Harry overcome that. Though, we did learn that not
all of it was due to shyness, he didn't want anyone to see the scars that
litter his back, thanks to those awful people he grew up with.”
Harry nodded, “The three Chasers treated me like their little brother, though I
do believe Alicia was hoping I'd notice her, last year, given how often she'd
let the soap slip from her hands…”
Katie giggled, then shook her head, “I think Alicia was aiming more for Wood,
but I do think she wouldn't have minded teaching you a few things about girls,
Harry.” She laughed harder as this caused the younger Wizard's blush to get
stronger, “So, what caused this growth spurt? You've certainly turned into
quite a hunk, though you still have the lines of a Seeker.”
The young wizard shook his head, partially in reluctant exasperation, “There
were blocks on my magic, some left there from when my parents were alive, some
put there by myself to survive my relatives, but the biggest surprise was that
there was still a magical residue left over from when HE tried to kill me.
There were even a couple there that seem to have been placed by Dumbledore, but
the Goblins say that they were more preventative than malicious in nature, but
they should have been taken off me when I came to Hogwarts the first time. Just
one of the questions I have for him, the next time I get to see him.” The last
being said more to himself than anyone in particular.
'Dora nods, “The Goblins put him through a Cleansing Ritual to free him of the
remaining taint that Voldemort left behind, as well as free him of the blocks
that were there. I don't know what it was like from Harry's perspective, but
what I saw, other than the release of Magic, was rather mundane.”
Harry turns his head to speak to 'Dora, “The reason that there wasn't much to
see on the outside was that the ritual starts by invoking something similar to
a Petrificus Totalus on the being who's at the center of it. Believe me, even
with my pain tolerance being what it is, I would have been screaming bloody
murder before even the first half hour was over. Having all your bones
virtually re-grow themselves in the matter of minutes, while also adding
several inches in length isn't the most pleasant sensation, and I've had to
take Skelegrow, this was a thousand times more painful.” He then looks at his
hands, “Then I could feel the blocks being undone, which was a weird sensation,
almost as if reality had put on its brakes and I could literally feel the
ambient magic in the room, not to mention locate all the magical beings and
objects within Gringotts, once the Ritual was over.” He then tilted his head to
one side, obviously thinking, then holds out his right arm moments before
Hedwig came in for a landing, he turns his head to the Snowy Owl and smiles,
“You knew I was thinking of sending a letter, didn't you, girl?” He then turns
to Katie, “You have a piece of parchment I could use? I need to send a note to
the Goblins, what I just said triggered a memory of a feeling I got off an
object within Gringotts... and if I'm right, the Goblins aren't going to be
happy with one of the older Families.”
Katie turns and gathers up a spare page of parchment, before turning to 'Dora,
“What colors do you think he'll need? The measurements I've made have already
been transferred to the tailors, we just need to discuss what colors, and what
fabrics.” She then smiles, teasingly, “Though, if you show him off too well,
wife or not, you'll need a Beater's bat to drive off the drooling masses at
Hogwarts, with how yummy he looks.”
The young Wizard, shaking his head at the teasing Witch, quickly scrawls a
missive to Ragnok, then curls it up and ties it to Hedwig's proffered leg,
“Take this to Ragnok, Hedwig, you don't need to wait for a response, but it is
vital he gets it as soon as possible.” He then turns back to Katie, deciding to
tease her back, “Would you be one of the witches I should worry about, I
wouldn't want to have to watch out for multitudes of pranks being sent my way
by George for stealing his girl away...”
Katie shook her head, laughing softly, “As much as I'd like to see exactly what
you're hiding underneath those robes, I don't feel that you'd be more than a
brother to me, Harry. Something in my magic is telling me that we're not meant
to be more than good friends.”
'Dora smiles at the friendly teasing then tilts her head at Katie's words,
“You've learned a lot, if you can listen to your magic that way, Katie. I'd
suggest you do a bit of studying in Arithmancy if you're not already doing so …
it'll help with developing that sense so you can get the job you desire.”
The younger witch nods at this, “I did take Arithmancy, and am planning on
getting the NEWT in it. Professor Vectra gave me extra credit papers and study
aids that she said should help me hone my feelings, especially once she learned
I planned to try and become a Healer.”
Harry nodded at this, “Well, you're the unofficial healer for the team before
we go to Madame Pomfrey, you've got a nature about you that puts folks at ease.
I know I trusted you quite quickly, despite my past.”
The young Auror nods at this, having a slight hint that Harry's growing up
wasn't the best, “If you want, I can put a good word in with my boss … there's
a track for Healing Aurors, they don't do patrols like the normal Aurors do,
but they are sent to situations where there's known to be wounded … might be
different from the track that leads to St Mungo's.”
Katie beamed at this, “I won't turn down the chance to learn more about
Healing, if I can help it. Though, Madame Pomfrey said that she might take me
on as an Apprentice, if I do well enough. I like the idea of helping younger
folks, though I'll wait and see what happens.”
Harry smiles, “I'm sure you'll be brilliant at whatever you choose, Katie.” He
then stretches, twisting his back a bit to settle himself, “Going back to
colors, I figure the majority, at least for school use, would need to be the
Traditional black.” He then turns to 'Dora, “Color suggestions, dear?”
'Dora smiles, “A little bird told me that you'll need Dress Robes for this
year, and it wouldn't be a bad idea to get a few for formal occasions.” She
then turns to Katie, “I think Bottle Green, Crimson Red, and Traditional Black
would be a good start, until we determine which colors truly suit Harry, and
he's done growing.”
The younger Witch nods, checking off the colors on her order parchment, sending
the selections to the back where the items would be manufactured, “Two good
colors, they should bring out his eyes magnificently, and there's nothing wrong
with classic black.” She then looks at Harry, “Do you trust me to choose a
style for those, Harry? I've made a note of the ones you've tried on, and have
an idea of the ones that'll show you off to your benefit.”
The young Wizard shakes his head, “I'm relatively clueless as to things such as
cut and style, at least right now. I suspect that my lovely wife will be
teaching me about that, along with a lot of other things that come with my new
status.” He then tilts his head, turning to his wife, “Where should we head
after here? I should tell you that I need to talk to Olivander, I think he
might need to tweak my wand so it works with my new power level.”
‘Dora smiles, “Well, I think that Flourish & Blotts should be next, especially
since you told me you’re wanting to drop Divination and see if you can study up
Runes enough to catch up and attend this year’s classes. Then a trip to
Scrivener’s Supplies, which has all the tools you’ll need for inscribing runes.
I think we should hit Olivander’s after that, just in case the tweak, as you
put it, takes longer than we expect. Then we’ll see what has to be done next.”
Harry nods, “Yes, I sent the Deputy Headmistress a letter stating that I would
be exceedingly grateful if I could drop Divination and take up Runes. I also
stated that if it wasn’t possible, I’d like to know exactly why, and not just
because the Headmaster said so.”
The young Auror nodded at this, then smiles, turning to Katie, “Is there an
outfit Harry can wear out of here while the rest is tailored? I know, even with
Magic, properly tailored clothing isn’t instantaneous.”
Katie smiled, “Yes, we have a set of casual clothes that’s already in Harry’s
size, which he can wear out of here. We’ll take care of disposing of the ‘old
rags’ that he wore in.” She teases Harry, “I took the time to mark on the
Parchment that you’d need something appropriate to wear out, given that what
you wore in wasn’t in the best of shape.”
The young Wizard shook his head, then shrugged, “Figured I could at least wear
something better home than what I wore in. If it keeps my wife happy, all the
better.”
As Harry spoke, a younger girl, at least a year younger than Harry, comes up
with the casual clothing, and deposits it next to Katie, before blushing to her
roots when she sees just how little Harry is wearing. She then stutters an
apology, before scampering back to where she came from.
The young Witch shakes her head, “Demelza’s a good girl, but she’s not quite
used to seeing folks in their skivvies yet.”
Harry nodded, “I remember her from school, barely. She’s a fellow Lion, if I
don’t misremember.” He then slips into his new outfit, “Now that the fun part’s
over, how much will this set me back?”
Katie smiles as she turns to Madam Malkin, who had just returned from dealing
with another client, “How much will this run this young man here?”
The older Witch smiles, then chuckles, “Total will be Sixty Galleons, tax
included.” She then winks at Katie, “That includes Owl Delivery, in case things
take longer than expected.”
Harry nodded, then reached into his new wallet, and counts out 65 Galleons,
“Take the seamstresses out to lunch on me, as a way to thank them for their
work.”
Madame Malkin smiles and nods, “Not many Wizards acknowledge those that make
their lives go by more easily, Mr. Potter Thank you.”
‘Dora smiles as she exits the clothing shop, steering Harry towards what he
thought of as Hermione’s third home, after her own and the Hogwarts Library,
that is, Harry asking, “Is it that odd, in this world, to acknowledge the
craftsmanship of artists? I would think, that with where the Wizarding world
seems to exist, that recognizing good talent would be second nature.” She nods,
“Though it’s more something that’s come up lately, with the Pureblood movement,
a lot of the more ‘high crust’ members of society, such as the Malfoys, look
down on those who take up what they consider the ‘menial’ jobs, without a
thought as to how much harder their life would be without those people. Though
it’s also true that, lately, it’s more common for Half-Bloods and Muggleborn to
take up these jobs, as they’re unlikely to get a Ministry job.”
Entering Flourish and Blotts, Harry looked around, reacquainting himself with
the layout of the store, while also noticing that the Wizard running the store
seemed to be a bit frazzled as he dealt with a tiny little wizened Witch, who
seemed to be exceedingly hard of hearing, and needed assistance finding all the
books she required for the library she was creating. Once he had his bearings,
Harry headed towards the section of the store dedicated to studying Runes, and
the massive books associated with the study of said symbols. There was the
Reading Runes by Futhark Wardsmith, Solving Symbiology by Ogham Mock, Warding
Weirdness by Glyph Goderick, and Scribing History by Dethek Damian.
As Harry gathered his Runes books, ‘Dora gathered the needed books for Fourth
year, and included several ‘recommended reading’ books, which were supposed to
help with subjects such as Potions. She then picked up several Practice books,
which were used by those taking runes to not only draw out the rune, but also
describe what effects it was supposed to have, as well as any effects that
altering the rune might bring about.
The bonded couple slowly came together and checked their list, harry raising an
eyebrow at the additional reading, “Most of the extra books are for use in
keeping things safe when you’re back in Snape’s class, dear. It’s how Hermione
keeps her potion going rather than exploding when an idiot lobs something into
it; or your classmate is so scared of the professor that he doesn’t do
everything exactly correctly, and needs help getting things fixed.”
Harry nods at this, “I can see the use of the books, and I do know that the
books I used this summer went into a greater depth than the books that Snape
usually seems to require for class. Though, I bet that he does suggest to the
Slytherins that they buy the additional books, so he doesn’t have to worry
about their potions as much while he harasses the other three quarters of the
school.”
‘Dora nodded, while giggling, “Wouldn’t put it past the Dungeon Bat to do
something like that.” She then placed her pile on the counter, waiting for
Harry to put his pile up too, “I was one of the few non Slytherins to make it
into NEWT Potions, and he gets nastier if you manage to pass your OWLS well
enough to make it into his NEWT classes.”
The young Wizard nods at this, “Wonder why he bothers Teaching at all, since he
seems to hate doing it.” He then looks around for someone to ring his purchases
up, finally a tiny Witch pops up behind the counter, “Sorry, hon, got busy
helping Madame Friedriche find the books she thought she’d need for the library
she’s building for her Great Grandchild.” Harry nods at this, “No problem,
Ma’am, I didn’t mind browsing on my own.”
 The older Witch smiled at this, glad to see at least one Wizard who didn’t
seem to think that the world came to a stop if he needed help, “Taking up
Runes, hon? I’ll include an Owl Order catalog, just in case you run into
needing a book that you didn’t think you’d need right now, or need for further
study.”
Harry nods, “Thank you, Ma’am, I appreciate it, especially since I’m trying to
study enough to skip to Fourth year in the class.” At this, the older Witch
nods, “Professor Vectra is my son’s fiancée, she’ll be glad to allow you to
test out of the Third year class, she just expects you to do the best work you
can.”
The older witch then rings up the books, placing them in a backpack, “This pack
is charmed to be weightless, no matter what you put in it, as long as it can
fit into the opening. I add this to any Student’s order that’s taking an
intensive subject such as either Runes or Arithmancy. One of my kids got me
started with the idea when I saw them struggling to cart around the supplies
they needed for Runes, and I knew Arithmancy wasn’t much better, trading off
tools for books.”
‘Dora nods at this, “One of my dorm mates claimed there were two settings for
the Weightless Charm, one for when she carried it, and one when her boyfriend
carried it, based on the amount of grousing that he did when he carried her
books for her.”
Harry shook his head, laughing at this, “I’m sure that your dorm mate paid her
boyfriend pretty well for the ‘effort’ he was putting into helping her with her
books.”
The Witch behind the counter grins, “Your total is Eighty-Five Galleons, Twelve
Sickles, and Three Knuts, including the backpack.” Harry got out the required
amount, then added another three Galleons, “Take your staff out, on me. By the
way, there’s a set of books in the far back right corner, that seem to be
invisible, I think I remember one of the other clerks saying that you needed to
find them.”
The older witch blinks, then goes to check out the corner indicated, “Thank
you, young man, these Invisible Books of Invisibility cost us a mint, and
they’re just so hard to keep track of. They even make any markings on them
invisible, so we can’t even make them visible other ways.”
Harry just nods at this, “I just noticed the aura of magic around them, figured
you’d like to know, in case it was something you didn’t want around.”
‘Dora stares at Harry for a moment, before shaking her head, “Harry, hon,
sensing auras isn’t something most Wizards can do. I’m guessing this might have
been something unlocked by the ritual the Goblins did.”
The young wizard simply shakes his head, “Just another thing that we’ll have to
learn about, my lovely wife.” He then hefts the backpack into place and leads
the way out of the store, and towards the store that specialized in implements
and paraphernalia related to the study and use of Runes, “I’m slowly getting
used to the things that I can sense, now. It’s like the ritual put a time delay
on how strongly the abilities were released, so I would have time to adjust to
them.”
The young Auror nods, “I wouldn’t be surprised, as I have a feeling that if you
were just to be aware of the ability without growing used to it, would cause
quite a few bad things to occur.” She then opens the door to the next store, “I
definitely think a trip to Olivander’s is due, if only to fine tune your wand,
I don’t think you’ll need to get a new wand just yet.”
A middle aged Wizard greets the couple as they enter the store, “Welcome to
Scrivener’s Supplies, where we supply what any beginning Runes student needs,
my name’s Saul Scrivener, what may I help you find, today?”
Harry smiles, “Pleased to meet you, Mr. Scrivener, my name’s Harry, and I’m
looking for the kit that Third and Fourth year Rune students would buy.” He
then looks around the store, taking in the minute glows around certain spots,
then seeing the minuscule runes that make up either the enchantments or wards
that were emplaced upon the object, before blinking a few times, which causes
everything to go back to ‘normal’, returning his attention to the Wizard behind
the counter, “Sorry, thought I saw something.”
Saul smiles at Harry, “No worries, young man, I can understand.” He then places
on the counter the various supplies that he had gathered, “These supplies will
fit nicely into the outside pockets of the Backpack that Madam Flourish
provided you,” Seeing Harry’s startled look, the older wizard smiles, “Once she
started getting the backpacks, I helped her a little, and there’s now three
models, one for Runes students, one for Arithmancy students, and one for those
rare students that take both. Each is tailored a different way, so I can
automatically tell which of the two varieties that I tend to get here.”
The younger wizard nods at this, “Makes sense, and also getting the backpack
tailored so that it has pockets for the supplies needed makes more sense too.”
Harry then studies Saul, “That’s more common sense than the typical Wizard
shows, though it does make good business sense.”
‘Dora shakes her head, “How much will this run?” She is smiling as she takes in
how Harry thinks and operates, getting a feel for how her husband does things.
Saul smiles, “Since I included a couple duplicates of the first Rune scribing
tool, this’ll run the young man one hundred fifteen Galleons, three Sickles,
and five Knuts.”
Harry smiles, then takes out the amount required, then thinks a moment before
taking out another Galleon, “Why don’t you buy your sweetheart a bunch of
flowers, on me.”
The older wizard blinks for a moment, before taking the money, and nodding,
“May you have a good life, Harry.”
Harry nods, before placing the supplies in the pockets designed for them, then
shouldering the pack once again, leading ‘Dora out of the store. He waits for
the door to close all the way, and a few steps to have been taken before
turning to his Bonded spouse, “I detect at minimum, a knowledge of the Muggle
world, at hand there.”
‘Dora nods as she leads Harry towards Olivander’s, “You may be right. I also
guess that you sensed things in that store that most folks wouldn’t.”
The young Wizard nods, then opens the door to Olivander’s, once again breathing
in the sense that the store exudes, the air heavy with potential magic. Once
the door closes, he becomes almost excruciatingly aware of the potentials of
each wand, and the tiny runes that seem to dance over the length of them, even
within the boxes that enclose them.
Mr. Olivander appearing and coughing, “Interesting to see you back so soon, Mr.
Potter, knocks Harry from his state of overload. I trust everything is in order
with your wand?”
The younger wizard shakes his head for a moment before turning his attention to
the Wand maker, “So far, Mr. Olivander, but I went through a Goblin Cleansing
Ritual, and several blocks on my magic were released, as well as a piece of
Evil Magic was cleansed from my Core, so I came here because I felt it would be
a good idea to see if any tweaking would be needed to allow my wand to continue
functioning well for me.”
Mr. Olivander blinks his silvery eyes, then reaches out for Harry’s wand, “If I
may, Mr. Potter? You’re absolutely right, in thinking that having more magic
available will affect how your wand reacts.” He then gets out another measuring
tape, “This tape measures not the physical you, but the Magical you, and will
help me sort out what’s needed.”
The tape then begins spinning around Harry, seemingly measuring odd little
things, before suddenly zipping over to Nymphadora and doing the something
there, causing the elderly Wand maker to blink then smile, “Am I to guess you
tow are magically Bonded?” At the couples’ nods, he smiles, “Congratulations,
you two.” He then captures the measuring tape, and studies the readings, “Oh,
my. Merlin, this is odd. Haven’t seen something like this in a long time.
Should be an interesting challenge” are some of the things the couple hear
muttered by Mr. Olivander.
Harry looks expectantly at the old Wizard, “Something interesting occur, Mr.
Olivander?” He then looks to ‘Dora and shrugs, “I hope its good news, at
least.”
Mr. Olivander shakes his head then turns his attention to Harry, “It is good
news, just very odd. I need to add three cores to your wand, and a jewel to the
outside.” He places Harry’s wand on a cushion, before looking at Harry,
“Fortunately for you, young man, I have all three ingredients at hand, or I’d
have to keep your wand until I found them.”
The younger Wizard nods, “And what are these three cores, sir?”
The Wand maker smiles, “The tail hair from a White Kitsune, a crushed claw of
an Arctic Nundu, and a hair from your bonded wife’s head. The jewel is an
Emerald, which should fit right above where you hold your wand.”
‘Dora blinks at this news, before growing her hair out so that it barely
brushes the floor, and assumes its natural color, “Be gentle, Mr. Olivander, I
haven’t gotten a hair cut since my abilities manifested.”
Harry also blinks at this news, then peers at Olivander, “Would an animagus
form influence the ingredients, sir?”
Mr. Olivander tilts his head, thinking for a moment, “It can, for those who
haven’t finished the transformation fully. I’ve even seen it change an entire
wand, such as in the case of your Father, young man. Shortly before he
graduated, he came to me, to get his wand checked out, and he needed several
changes made, to the point that it was easier to craft a new wand rather than
fix his old one.”
The younger Wizard nods, “I can only hope that no future changes occur that
will require such drastic measures, sir.”
The Wand maker smiles, “One never knows where the future may lead, Harry.” He
then takes the wand to the back of the store, where rustling, humming,
sizzling, and assorted other noises happen, before the aged Wizard reappears
with the improved wand, which, when Harry grasps it, emits a bright Emerald
glow, while an audible ‘snap’ of energy ensues as the magical discharge grounds
through Harry, “Your ‘new’ wand is very good at Defense against the Dark Arts,
Transfiguration, and Charms, Harry. You should practice a bit to get used to
the new feel of it.”
Harry nods, “How much do I owe you, sir, if you include a wand holster?”
Mr. Olivander smiles, “These additions will run you One Hundred Fifty Galleons,
Harry, due to the rarity of at least one of the ingredients.”
Harry nods at this, getting the required money out, then retrieving another ten
Galleons, “Something to go toward your next ingredient gathering safari.”
The older Wizard smiles, then nods, “Be well, Harry, and take good care of this
amazing young Witch you’ve bonded with.”
As Harry places the wand holster on his wrist, then slipping his wand into it,
he nods, “I wouldn’t dream of mistreating her, I wouldn’t want to mimic my
relatives’ behavior.”
‘Dora shakes her head, then escorts Harry out of the store, shortening her hair
back to its normal length, and shifting its color to an Emerald Green, “I think
that’s enough shopping for today, Harry. We can continue on Monday, after
you’ve had a chance to crack your books, and get return mail from your
friends.”
Harry nods, “I agree, plus I’m getting a mite peckish for some of that
magnificent food that your House Elves produce.”
The young Auror shakes her head, then leads Harry over to the Apparition spot,
before linking hands with him, and, teasingly hugging him so his chin rests on
her bosom, apparating them back to their house.
Harry, blushing to the roots of his hair, looks up into ‘Dora’s eyes, then
kisses her on the lips, “I do want to get to know you better, my lovely wife,
but I don’t yet feel the urge to take things beyond exploring each other’s
bodies. Something is telling me I should wait until we meet the other Witch who
is to Bond with us.”
‘Dora nods, “Doesn’t stop me from teasing you, my love.”
At that point, they’re interrupted by the arrival of several Owl post owls,
each bearing what seemed to be several important letters, the letter held aloft
by Ron’s tiny owl seeming almost too big for the minuscule bird.
Harry quickly gathered a handful of Owl Treats, then began relieving the birds
of their burdens, “Let’s see; we have Ron, Ginny, the Twins, Hermione,
Dumbledore (the last being delivered by Fawkes), and Sirius.”
‘Dora nods, “Well, let’s see how everyone’s taking the news.” She seats herself
in a nearby love seat, leaving room for Harry to cuddle into her, which he
does.
Hermione’s letter reads:
Dear Harry,
That’s awful, what’s happened to your relatives, but it’s incredible the news
about you and Tonks. I’m sure that the reason you felt the need to give
yourself a new nickname will be revealed in time, I just hope that it isn’t
anything too dangerous.
I’ve completed all my homework as well, and I am happy to hear that you’re
taking your studies seriously, for once.
I’m also happy to hear you’re planning on switching from Divination to Runes,
and I’ll be glad to share any notes that might come in handy.
I’ll most likely see you on the Express, unless you are going shopping for
school supplies tomorrow.
Be well, my friend.
Hermione.
Each of the letters from the various Weasleys caused Harry to laugh, especially
the Twins, who tried to guess the reason for the nickname.
Dumbledore’s letter, however, was opened with much trepidation, which, after
reading the first few paragraphs, was proven to be unfounded, “Professor
Dumbledore agreed to let me switch to Runes, he’s also setting aside rooms for
us, and he wants to hear everything I can tell him about the Goblin Ritual that
I went through, as it sounds a long sight safer to deal with than any other
method of ridding the world of the Evil Magic that seems to be holding
Voldemort to this plane.”
‘Dora nods, reading over Harry’s shoulder, “Sounds to me like Dumbledore knows
there’s other bits of the ‘Dank Lord’ lurking out there, and wasn’t sure how to
eliminate them safely, so that Voldemort is finally mortal, and can be put down
for good.”
Harry then snuggles against ‘Dora, “This day took more out of me than I thought
it would.” He then slowly falls asleep, causing ‘Dora to smile, then call for
Vilma and ask for a blanket, murmuring to Harry, “Rest well, my husband, I’ll
be here for you.”
Chapter End Notes
     For those of you who may be concerned with the lack of reaction to
     either the Bond or the Magical Binds being released .. I'm being
     sneaky, and I'll be revealing things in their own good time. The Bond
     won't truly 'take off' until the Third becomes a part of it. Nym and
     Harry will 'explore' a bit, but only as that he's a 14 year old boy
     who has access to a more mature woman, who is willing to teach him
     how to be a good mate.
     The description of what happened while the Magical Binds were being
     broken will take place in snippets, as Harry notices changes, other
     than describing the general feel of it from his POV.
***** Diagon, Discussions, and Discoveries (Day Two) *****
Chapter Notes
     A/N 1: Taena Haslinger is © and ™ her owner.
****** Chapter 7: Diagon, Discussions, and Discoveries (Day Two) ******
Harry blinked awake, slowly remembering what had happened the previous days,
his eyes slowly focusing on the sight above him. He smiled inwardly as he gazed
up at the underside of ‘Dora’s bosom, thinking to himself “One could get used
to waking up to sights like this.” He relaxed, not wishing to wake his wife too
roughly, “Morning, my lovely wife.”
‘Dora smiled down at Harry, “Morning, husband. Before you enjoy the view too
much, we need to finish off your shopping, then I can try and see what sort of
education you’ve had since I saw you last.”
The young Wizard nods while stretching, “We also have the meeting with Remus to
schedule, most likely tomorrow at the earliest, so we can have backup for my
first full try at my Animagus form.”
The young Auror nods, then kisses Harry on his nose before standing up, “I look
forward to seeing his reaction, beloved. I also think he’ll be able to help us
ascertain your new ‘normal’ for power level.”
Harry grimaces before nodding, “I can already tell you that I can feel my magic
singing to me, in my blood. Just waiting to be unleashed.” He then sits up
before padding over to the closet and picking out a comfortable ensemble,
consisting of dark grey slacks, an autumn red shirt, and a classic black robe,
“What exactly are we shopping for today, ‘Dora?”
‘Dora smiles, “You can forgo the robe, dear. We’re heading out to non-magical
side today, for things which you normally just can’t find on the Wizarding
side.”
The young wizard nods, putting the robe back on its hangar, “My guess is that
that would include any workout clothes I’d require, to get into shape,” he asks
with a slight grin on his face, “I’m also going to guess that we’re going to be
finding more entertainment choices, at least those that can be shielded from
magical interference.”
Smiling as she moved over to her husband, the young Auror nods, “I’ll let you
in on a tiny secret. The reason most modern stuff doesn’t work at Hogwarts
isn’t entirely due to the magic that’s concentrated there. Dumbledore suspects
that one of the previous Headmasters put a ward in place, that he hasn’t been
able to locate, that purposely degrades electronics, to keep them away from the
‘pureblood’ faction, and keep the Wizarding world where it is, in the era that
that Headmaster felt was best for the Wizarding world to exist in. He thinks
it’s been in place since electricity was first discovered, if not longer.”
Harry nodded, “Makes sense, especially if said Headmaster was frightened by
what he saw, with how electricity had so many ‘magical’ qualities as well.
Plus, it would make certain families happier, knowing that the ‘riffraff’
wouldn’t be able to pollute the traditions that were in place with their new
fangled ideas.” He then shakes his head, and with a cheeky grin says, “Perhaps
we should point Hermione at said ward, tell her that it’s keeping things from
being taught.”
‘Dora shakes her head at her husband’s silliness, “I will poke Albus with the
concept that ‘younger’ eyes may have a fresh outlook into how to deal with the
issue.” She then picks up a set of keys, “Ready, hon? We’re taking mundane
transport, as with what we’re buying, it’ll look odd if we don’t have a way of
transporting it.” She then looks conspiratorially at Harry, “Though, to be
honest, the trunk is set up so an Elf can easily pop in and take what’s put in
there. The outside look is to keep folks from asking too many questions about
the amount of stuff that fits into it.”
The young Wizard nods at this, then gasps as he sees what’s in the garage.
Before him is what appears to be a fully kitted out Dodge Magnum, with tinted
windows and a subtly elegant paint scheme that almost seemed to scream: I’m
wealthy, ignore my eccentricity. Looking closer, he sees that the car has been
modified to work correctly with the way autos move in London and the rest of
the country.
**** —One rather boring car ride later— ****
Harry and ‘Dora started their day at Harrod’s before moving on to other more
specialized stores, ‘Dora smiling impishly whenever Harry would purchase
something that allowed the young Wizard to enjoy some of the childhood he’d
been robbed of.
A couple times the young couple would run into someone they knew from Hogwarts,
but for the most part, the young couple used the day as the first opportunity
to ‘date’ and get to know each other a bit better.
**** —Another Car Ride, plus more stuff that shouldn’t be needed to be written
down— ****
When the young couple arrived back home, they were pleasantly surprised to find
Remus waiting outside for them, greeting them with a huge smile.
Harry exclaimed, once the car was parked in the garage, “Hey Mooney, hope we
didn’t keep you waiting too long. ‘Dora couldn’t wait to show me just some of
the things that I missed out on being brought up by my relatives.”
Remus smiles, “Wasn’t waiting that long, pup, had decided to come early and see
how you two lovebirds were holding up.” He then shakes his head, “Your parents
would be exceedingly happy for you, Harry. Not just for being who you are,
despite your upbringing, but also for the fact that you don’t let things hold
you back from what you truly want.” He then looks at ‘ Dora, “I’m happy Harry
found you, for so many reasons, though the main one is that he’s got someone
who’s not only good for him, but also is able to look after him as he needs.”
‘Dora smiles, then hugs Harry from behind, “It’s hard not to love this young
man, even without the Bond, I’d care for him. The bond just adds a bit of spice
to what could have been an interesting courtship.”
Harry smiles, then kisses ‘Dora’s nose, “It would have taken at minimum another
two to three years for me to get the nerve up to try to do anything with you,
my love. I can be brutally honest, when I say that my upbringing, such as it
was, has left me severely lacking in the understanding of how to properly
approach any one of the opposite sex. The Bond, in its own way, has evened out
a lot of the bumpier issues that I know would have raised their heads as I
tried dating.” He then checks his watch, “‘Dora, sweetie, we should be
expecting a floo call in a few moments from our esteemed Transfiguration
Professor.” He winks at Remus, “All she knows is that I have a few questions
that need to be answered in person,” he then looks at his hands, “I know the
Marauders did their work without her help, but she has done so much for me
lately that I feel she should know what my first form is.” Then with a cheeky
grin, he says quietly, “Plus I want to see her face when she sees what my form
is.”
Mooney gives a barking laugh, “No, pup, I don’t mind, plus I think she knew
more than she let on.”
‘Dora smiles as she heads for the ‘public’ Floo, shaking her head, “Glad I let
her in on where we were, sweetie. I’m also exceedingly glad to hear that you’re
thinking about the fact you might need help getting back to ‘you’.”
With a ‘fwoosh,' the large fireplace erupts in green flames, and a voice
speaks, “Nymphadora Potter, would you please allow me access to your home?”
The young Auror smiles at hearing her new name from her favorite professor,
“Access granted, Minerva. Please come on through.”
With a different sounding ‘fwoosh,' the older Witch steps through into the
foyer, “Now, care to tell me why your husband wants me here? I could easily
answer most questions about his homework by owl post.”
‘Dora smiles, “He wants it to be a surprise, though he’s also called in Remus
Lupin, I think as a link to his parents and Godfather.”
Minerva shakes her head as she hears this, “He takes entirely too much after
both his parents. I’ll tell the story once we’re together, I think the young
man will appreciate hearing it.”
Harry smiles as he sees his wife and Transfiguration Professor enter, hearing
the last bit of the conversation, “You know I love hearing any tidbits about my
parents, even if it seems a lot of folks can’t speak too much as it brings up
the pain of losing them.” He then looks into McGonagall’s eyes, “It might hurt
to tell the stories, but I’d like you and the rest of those that knew them best
to know that I believe in sharing the stories of my parents, you’re giving them
a more fitting memorial than whatever exists currently, and I’d love to be able
to feel for myself that I’m doing something they’d take pride in.”
Remus smiles as he hears this, a weight seemingly lifted from his shoulders,
“I’m glad to hear you put it that way, ‘pup’.” He then hands Harry back the
essay that the young Wizard had asked him to look over, “At first glance, this
essay would earn you an ‘O’ in Defense, even with the heavy reliance on
Transfiguration terms.”
Harry passes the essay on to McGonagall, “My essay, Professor. Though I hope
what I’m about to show you might count as unofficial ‘extra credit’.”
The older Witch smiles as she accepts the parchment, then stares at Harry, “How
thorough was your research, young man?”
Giving a sheepish look at his favorite professor, and head of house,
“Exceedingly?” He then noses ‘Dora, “I might need a bit of room for this hon, I
don’t know the size I’ll be.”
The gathered friends and family stepped back and gave Harry more than enough
room, unless he happened to be bigger than the house, which would prevent him
form transforming unless under pressure
Harry then disrobed to just the bare minimum for modesty, before slowly
transforming into his Kitsune form; feet and hands first, next legs and arms,
then his body, and lastly his head, the four tails slowly lengthening from his
back as the transformation completes itself. He is approximately two and a half
times larger than a normal fox, in all dimensions. His coloration is similar to
a Black Fox, but with red ‘socks’ and highlights to his fur, with a distinct
red lightning bolt pattern visible on his forehead.
‘Dora recovers first and begins stroking her hands over Harry, “Magnificent,
beloved. Though I wonder what this might unlock, especially given what I
remember about Kitsune’s power and the number of tails they have.”
Mooney recovers next, studying his unofficial ‘nephew,’ “Form looks good,
‘pup’.” He then closes his eyes, “I’m going to be contacting a colleague of
mine in Japan, if you allow it, Harry. She’s a friend who’s an expert on
Kitsune, though when you meet her, there might be a bit of an issue, as her
form’s that of a white nine-tail kitsune.”
McGonagall takes in the transformed Teen then shakes her head, “You’re too much
like both your parents, Harry. Yes, I knew about your dad and his friends in
school, but your mother was quite talented in her own way, and there was a
reason her nickname was ‘Tiger Lilly.'” At a curious look from the kitsune
before her, “Your mother’s form was that of an ice white tigress, with a slight
elemental affinity for ice as well.”
Harry’s ears perk up at this before he begins padding around, his tails
swishing as he investigates and gets used to his new form. He noses his wife a
moment before, tilting his head, he gives the tail that’s second most from the
right a twitch and four balls of kitsunebi form at the tips of his tails,
before dancing above the transformed Wizard, “I’d love to hear more. Especially
if she found her second form as well,” is spelled out in bluebell colored
flames, “I’m going to switch back now, this is harder than it looks.”
With a ‘pop’ of displaced air, Harry vanishes from beside his wife, then
reappears in the middle again, as clothed as he was before the transformation.
The young Wizard gives a shake of his head before exclaiming, “Damn, that was
weird. It was as if my magic could understand what I wanted, and took me to a
place where I’d be safe to do it.”
Minerva nodded at this, “It has been a while since I’ve dealt with a magical
animagus, though your Godfather could do with a bit of help in that area, if he
were able to listen in.”
Harry smiles before producing the communication mirror and contacting Sirius,
who, after disengaging himself from Dominique, says, “Something come up,
‘Pup?'” Harry nods, “Professor McGonagall just saw my first form, as its part
of my extra credit homework. She then said that she had information that was
pertinent to ‘magical’ Animagi, such as myself and she suggested you’d do to
hear this as well.”
Padfoot’s jaw dropped at this, “Are you telling me that I could, potentially,
have the abilities of a Grim, without knowing it?”
Minerva nods, “Your godson here is a fine specimen of a Four Tailed Kitsune,
though we may have to wait to see if the number of tails is because of Power
Level, number of times he’s survived near-death experiences, or is a
combination of the twain.”
There’s a startled sputter from the mirror before a new voice is heard, “Ma’am,
m’name’s Dominique Argent, and besides loving this shaggy fellow here, I happen
to be the Transfiguration mistress at Dawn’s Point Academy. I’ve read young
Harry’s essay, and, if I may be so bold, if what he’s discovered holds true,
then we may be able to use it to help those previously unable to become
Animagi, such as Metamorphmagi, Lycanthropes, and possibly Veela. The research
he’s put into the paper is something I’d happily give an ‘O’ to, for one of my
NEWT level students.”
Remus nods at this, “I’d have to get a potion master’s input into the changes
you’ve suggested for the Lycanthropes, but if what you’ve discovered holds
true, there may be a more permanent solution to handling Weres, such as
myself.” He looks directly in Harry’s eyes, “I don’t know how you thought of
the possibility, but if you’re right, then with the modified potion, I could
become a ‘Werewolf’ animagus, and become a whole lot less dangerous to be
around.”
Minerva blinks at this, “That’s high praise, Lady Argent. I’ll have to read the
essay myself, but I’ll say that, given what I’ve seen already, I’d be happy to
give Harry his ‘O’ for the essay, and possibly see about publishing it in
Transfiguration Quarterly.”
Harry blinks at that last bit, then blushes, “All I did was do some research
into the mechanics behind why certain folks couldn’t become Animagi.”
Dominique smiles in the mirror, “You, young man, looked at the problem from an
entirely new angle. I’d love to hear Professor McGonagall’s thoughts on Magical
Animagi, though, as she’s the leading expert in that field.”
The Transfiguration Professor blushes noticeably at this praise, then settles
herself, “From my own studies, and those that I’ve come across in my own
research, folks who have a Magical Animagus form tend to acquire some, if not
all of the abilities inherent with the form they can become. Harry here may
find that his power levels may change if he gains another tail. Sirius, if he’s
made aware of things, may find that he has at least some of the abilities of a
Grim, though he can turn them on and off depending on the situation.”
Harry nods at this, “Now, since the Goblins say that my second form wasn’t
‘set’ yet, the Cleansing I went through might change what it was.” He looks up
at Minerva, “Professor, is there anything that I could do to narrow down what
the form is?”
Padfoot grimaces when he hears about the Cleansing, “Why did you need to go
through that, pup? Those rituals aren’t things to go through lightly.”
The young Wizard smiles at his Godfather, “First, the Goblins found blocks on
my magic, some placed by my parents, some placed by our esteemed Headmaster,
and others that appear to have been put in place by myself to help me cope with
my relatives. Second, there was something left behind by HIM, the night he
tried murdering me, and I lost my immediate family. Third, let’s just say the
Goblin Healers didn’t like how I looked to their Magic and told me in no
certain terms that undergoing the Ritual was in my best interest. Especially
since I was normally operating at roughly a quarter of my potential.”
At each of these revelations each Witch or Wizard listening in gaped at Harry,
with the exception of ‘Dora, who had heard it before.
Mooney shakes his head, “Harry, let me just say that, without knowing more
about what you’ve gone through, that I know grown people who wouldn’t put up
with even a quarter of what I know you’ve been through.”
Sirius’ image nods in the mirror, “Sounds like there was a good reason after
all, pup, I was just worried.”
McGonagall simply shook her head, “You are full of surprises, young man. To
answer your question, I’d recommend reading some of the NEWT level and above
material available on Animagi. I’ll forward you my copies.” She then graces the
young Wizard with a smile, “Though, I’d also suggest perusing books on what
Hagrid considers ‘Cute and fuzzy’ for inspiration, knowing the luck you have.”
Harry nods at this, then mutters to himself, “Knowing my luck, my other form is
something on the order of a Nundu.” Louder he says, “I do have the notes I took
from the vision, and I read in the back of the book the Marauders used that
meditation can be beneficial to those who have trouble discerning their forms.
It also suggested that Occlumency might also aide in narrowing things down.”
‘Dora smiles, “I’m fully licensed to train others in the beginner steps of
Occlumency, and my mum is a certified trainer. Even if it doesn’t help narrow
things down, the study should prove beneficial in the long run, simply for
retention and studying.”
The transfiguration Professor nods, “Your friend Hermione has a natural form of
this study, with the way she organizes everything she does. Though even she
would benefit from at least studying the books.” She then looks into the mirror
at Sirius and Dominique, “That scamp there might be able to still find his
second form, if you help him, Dominique. Though I dread what mischief he might
get into when he knows he has a totally unknown form.”
Padfoot gives a barking laugh, “My lovely companion here has been tempering my
tendency to prank, though some might say that she’s simply making me come up
with things that are not just funny, but are also in good taste.”
Dominique’s image blushes, then looks to Minerva, “Though, from what I’ve heard
through the grapevine, I will be turning a blind eye towards anything done to
prank that vile man who teaches Potions at Hogwarts. We’ve had several former
Hogwarts students come to our school to re-take their OWLs and then study up
for their NEWTs and Masteries.”
Minerva’s mouth thins to a disapproving line, “Officially, I cannot condone any
attacks on another Professor.” She then grins, “Unofficially, however, I can
honestly say that I wish there was something we could do to get that petty and
evil man out of the school.” She then shakes her head, “However, unless he
leaves under his own power, the Headmaster will protect him with everything he
has.”
Harry nods, then sighs, “I just wish he’d see me for who I am, rather than my
Father. However, I get the feeling that he had a crush, at the very minimum, on
my mum, and seeing her eyes framed by what ostensibly seems to be his ‘rival’s’
face, is just too much for him, on top of his normally acerbic and foul
personality.” He then looks up at McGonagall, “I look forward to seeing the
grade you give me for that paper, Professor.”
McGonagall smiles, “Right now, given what I’ve seen, I’m thinking you’re aiming
at an ‘O’, with Honors. I hope to see such behavior when you return to school
as well, Mr. Potter.” She then does something that startles the rest of the
gathered Magic users, and giggles, “Harry, I’ll give you a bonus, that if you
can use your form to prank Filius, Pomona, and Dumbledore, I’ll make sure I
oversee any and all detentions you may accrue this year.”
Harry shakes his head, “Way to set the bar high, Professor. I look forward to
accepting said challenge, though my first ‘targets’, however, are going to be a
set of twins who we both know and ‘love’.”
McGonagall shakes her head with repressed mirth, then seems to remember
something, “Mrs. Potter, you are aware of what’s coming to Hogwarts this year?”
At the young Auror’s nod, “Given your husband’s tendency to attract trouble
like gold attracts Nifflers, I think it would behove you to start training him
in the Auror Survival Techniques.”
The young wizard gives his professor a cheeky grin, “I reiterate my statement
of: “I Don’t go looking for trouble, it invites itself for Tea and stays until
it resembles dead fish.””
At this everyone present, even via mirror, bursts out in laughter, Padfoot
shaking his head, “Seems the Potter Luck has meshed with Lilly’s uncanny
ability to sniff out trouble.”
Remus gives a barking laugh, “Dear gods, that woman, as a Prefect, seemed to
have an uncanny ability to find those who were using the Broom Closets for
illicit rendezvous. And that was without the help of the Map.”
Minerva smiles at this, “Remus, by then she’d done the same thing your friends
had done; she’d achieved her main Animagus form. There was some bleed-over of
abilities to her human form, but I do remember coming across her patrolling, by
herself as she preferred, as the male prefect at that time was ‘inconvenienced’
by his ‘furry little problem’,” she cast a fond look at Remus at that, “She was
patrolling in her Tiger form, stalking around the school and ‘encouraging’
those who were ‘occupied’ to return to their Common Rooms.” She then pauses,
and grins mightily, “Though, I do know for a fact that if the people partnering
up were of differing Houses, especially if one was a Slytherin, she would point
them in the direction of one of the ‘guest quarters’ that were available in the
castle.”
Harry smiles at that, “Thank you for telling me this, Professor.” He then
shakes his head, “I may follow in her footsteps, if I become a Prefect,” he
then grins mischievously, “though, if I do come across a certain Slytherin
engaging in ‘extracurricular activities’ I cannot, in good faith, say that I
won’t use the opportunity to prank the ever living hell out of both parties.”
‘Dora gives a snort, “My dear ‘cousin’ was a little git when I was in school
with him. I can almost guarantee that he hasn’t gotten better with age.” She
then snugs her husband, “I just want you to remember to leave any mental
scarring for Malfoy, unless his partner is also as foul.”
Harry nods at this, “Though I may need my wife’s assistance to cope with any
and all visions that are discovered when I interrupt his ‘Happy Fun Time’.” He
then grimaces, “Despite all evidence that I’ve gathered, I do hope that he does
prefer girls.”
Minerva looks at Harry, though there’s a quirk of a laughing smile evident,
“What do you mean, Harry?”
The young Wizard looks around, “Well, with all the attention he pays to me,
plus those two ‘Strapping young lads’ who he hangs around with, I fear what I
may encounter.”
There is a moment of silence as everyone in the room ponders this, then
grimaces as well, Sirius piping in with, “Perhaps that should be the basis of
an ongoing prank on the git, instead of physical attacks, simply answer his
childish prattle by saying something along the lines of: “I’m flattered by the
attention you’re giving me, but unlike you, I don’t bat for the home team.””
Harry snickers, “And when he threatens with ‘When my dad hears about this’, I
can respond with: “I’m sure he’ll be glad to hear you’re no longer hiding your
orientation.””
This has the effect of causing everyone to snort with laughter, McGonagall
shaking her head, “I shouldn’t encourage this, but I think the little amadán
needs to be taken down a peg or three.”
‘Dora smiles at her Husband, “That might be the best way to neutralize him,
Harry. Especially since I know that, unless he provides concrete proof, the
rumors will hound him throughout the castle, especially since he doesn’t seem
to go anywhere without those bodyguards of his.”
The young Wizard nods, “Now, as much as I enjoy the idea of tormenting Malfoy,
I seem to remember Professor McGonagall mentioning that there was something
‘special’ happening at school this year?” He then looks to his head of house,
“Was this the reason Moody was asked to teach this year?” At his teacher’s nod,
he begins muttering dire imprecations under his breath, before looking up at
Minerva, “Professor, I can honestly say that I will do my best not to get
involved in what is coming this year, but given what has happened so far, I
apologize in advance for whatever might happen to drag me into the middle of
the mess.”
At these words, Minerva nods, “Albus is already working on upgrading the
security that’s being put in place, especially given what we learned from
Crouch Jr before his Mark caused him to perish.”
Harry grimaced at that, “So, good old Mouldy built in a fail-safe in case one
of his minions talked. Doesn’t overly surprise me, given what I understand of
the man’s personality and modus operandi.”
Minerva nods, then grins, “I’ll fill out the documents you’ll need, to register
your form. I’ll hold them in abeyance until it’s required for you to send them
in, which is hopefully after we’ve dealt with this whole nonsense, and we can
look back on everything and laugh.”
‘Dora nods at this, before quietly calling Dobby and requesting of him drinks
for those here. Once everyone is holding their drinks, she raises hers, “May we
see peace sooner than we expect, and may we not lose too many more good
people.” To which everyone else raises their cup in salute.
Harry then hands Minerva his other homework, “Professor, this is all the rest
of my homework, minus Potions. I’ve got to send that via owl as I’m sending
duplicates to the Goblins, who have found a reliable examiner.” He then shakes
his head, wearily, “I’m tired of Snape’s bias and bullying. I had actually
looked forward to learning Potions until I met him.” Then, with a sigh, he
gives a wry grin, “Thanks to Hermione’s insistence, I finally read ‘Hogwarts, A
History’, which included the details of being able to request outside tutoring
and / or testing, if the student isn’t pleased with his instruction within the
school. It’s an older rule, but it’s still in effect.”
The Transfiguration Professor nods at this, “It’s seldom used, and it has to be
done out of the student’s own funds, but I can authorize for you to continue to
send your classwork for review, Harry. I’ll even get the house elves to set up
a secondary Potions lab for your use, for the opportunity to work free of
distractions.”
The young wizard nods at this, “Thank you, Professor. I do appreciate the
trouble you’re going through to do that.”
Remus smiles as he watches this interaction, seeing how Harry is starting to
come more out of the shell he’d noticed when he had been teaching the young
Wizard how to cast the Patronus Charm. He then looks at his watch, “I need to
be heading out soon, I’ve a young lady who’s chosen to accompany me on a date
this evening and I would prefer to be early and well attired for the occasion.”
Harry smiles at this, “May you find the happiness you deserve, Mooney. I hope
she’s the right one for you.”
Lupin nods at this, “This is our second date, but it looks promising. It does
help that she’s a fellow werewolf, so that hurdle’s already taken care of.”
Sirius smiles at this, “Is it that young Clarisse? She was a good friend back
in school too.”
The lupine Marauder nods at this, “She got bit her NEWT year, but was able to
hide it until she graduated, which was a couple years after I did.”
Harry smiles, “Go woo her, Mooney, it sounds like you’ve got a chance at a Mate
there.”
McGonagall smiles, “Well, since the excitement’s over, I think I’ll be
returning to Hogwarts, I need to finalize my schedule, and the choices for
Prefect this year, and next.”
Harry nods at this, then pegs on that last bit, before saying to his Professor,
“I do hope that the choices you make are the ones who deserve that honor, and
that your choices aren’t overruled.”
The Transfiguration Professor nods at this before exiting through the Floo with
a muttered command of ’Pouncer’s Pad. ’
‘Dora chuckles at Minerva’s floo code, then pokes Harry, “You don’t have to
worry about being a Prefect until next year, husband. I do like how forward
thinking you’re being, however.”
Mooney nods at this, “Enjoy your fourth year, Harry, and if you need help, just
remember that, in addition to your lovely wife there, you have two ‘uncles’ who
will be glad to help you through any tough spots.” He then exits through the
floo, his destination garbled, due to the fact it’s under Fidelius.
Sirius and Dominique smile in the mirror, “Harry, we’re proud of you, and what
you’ve accomplished this summer. Just keep an even balance between your studies
and your play time,” with this Padfoot chuckles, “and if you can get Miss
Granger to relax a little, it won’t be a bad thing.”
Harry gives a yipping laugh, “That is a big challenge, Padfoot, though, to be
honest, I believe she finds things like research, reading, and things like that
to be relaxing.”
‘Dora smiles at this, “If what I remember about the young lady is correct, you
may be right Harry.”
Padfoot gives a barking chuckle, “Fair enough ‘Kit’, and I look forward to
talking to you again, soon.”
Harry nods, “Be well, you two. Don’t get into too much mischief.” He then pokes
the mirror with his wand, “Mischief Managed.”
The young Auror smiles once they’re ‘alone’ again, then kisses Harry, on the
lips, Passionately, before impishly saying, “Now, I know you’re just fourteen,
Husband, but I think that we should have a little ‘Talk’ about how babies are
made.”
The young Wizard shakes his head, “Shall we take this to our bedroom?” He then
looks into his wife’s eyes, “Even though I don’t feel an urge to consummate our
Bond just yet, I agree that I should learn everything I can to make myself a
better husband.”
‘Dora nods at this, “Harry, I can feel the magic of the Bond being held in
abeyance until we find the other witch that’s going to finalize the Bond,
though I can also sense that if we don’t find her before your fifteenth
birthday, we will start Bonding the two of us closer.”
Harry nods at this, “Doesn’t mean we can’t learn what makes each other happy in
the meantime.” He then kisses ‘Dora back, his inexpertness showing, but also
the fact that he’s an eager learner, before breaking it to grin cheekily up at
his wife, “Plus, I think that I’m feeling that by getting closer like this,
it’ll help unlock the gifts that we two share between us.”
**** -Elsewhere- ****
Once Remus gets back to Grimmauld Place he makes another floo call, “Taena’s
Tales”, he calls out, waiting a few moments for the connection to go through,
and for the other person to answer, if they’re home.
“Remus!” comes through the green fire, “Glad to hear your voice again! What’s
going on over there in stuffy old England?”
Lupin smiles at the banter, “I’ve got a young friend who may need your
assistance, given he just became a Kitsune Animagus, like yourself.”
Taena’s image’s smile spreads across her face in a distinctly vulpine fashion,
“Tell me more! This makes the fourth, that I know are alive, besides myself,
who have a Kitsune form.”
Remus’ head shakes at his friend’s enthusiasm, “The Wizard in question just
achieved his first form, which is of a four tailed Kitsune, the form’s
coloration is similar to a Black Fox’, but the gloves and tail tips are red.”
The Witch on the other end of the floo call shakes her head at this, “His first
form? Dear Merlin, that must be one seriously powerful Wizard.”
Lupin nods at this, “The Goblins put him through one of their Cleansing
Rituals, due to blocks and residual issues from an incident when the young man
in question was barely over a year old. They discovered he’d been operating at
approximately a quarter of his potential strength.” He then looks seriously
into his friend’s eyes, “Given the Wizard in question was able to produce a
Patronus strong enough to drive away over a hundred Dementors last year, before
the unbinding, I’d say he’s quite powerful.”
Taena’s image in the flames blinks at this, then shudders, “I think I’m going
to need to meet this young Wizard sooner than later, if only to give him some
reading material that I’ve gathered, on the powers that he might gain with his
new form. I may need to stay in England for a bit, if, when I meet him, I get a
sense that he’ll need special training.”
Remus nods at this, “I might have to talk to Albus, soon. Due to the TriWizard
this year, he’s already brought Moody in to teach, and to bolster security. I
think he’ll agree to your presence as well, if I phrase things right.”
Taena nods at this, “I look forward to seeing you again, Mooney. Tell Albus,
when you talk to him, that I’ve got a ‘feeling’ that he should bring me in,
though I don’t have a concrete reason for said feeling.”
Lupin nods at this, “Best wishes, Miss Haslinger.” He then impishly adds, “Oh,
I almost forgot, the young Wizard in question just achieved a Soul Bond with a
Metamorphmagus.”
The elder Kitsune animagus shakes her head at this, “At the age of Fourteen.”
She then mutters to herself as the floo call ends, “I better prepare myself for
anything, then. Given my luck, the young man in question is Harry Potter.”
**** -Elsewhere- ****
Sirius Black and his companion Dominique Argent are conversing, the Grim
Animagus asking questions of his girlfriend / fiancee.
Padfoot shakes his head as he thinks on things, “I’m going to need your help,
‘Nique, my occlumency is in shambles still, thanks to my prolonged exposure to
the Dementors.”
The attractive witch nods at this, “I can help you there, my love.” She then
kisses him soundly, “I’ll even work on a ‘reward’ system that should entice you
to work harder.”
Sirius shakes his head at this, “I look forward to seeing your enticements,
love.” He then sighs, “Do you think Harry and Minerva are right? That I could
still find my second form?”
Dominique nods, then strokes Sirius’ hair, “I’ll let you read Harry’s essay on
that, but I’ve also helped others find their second forms before, though the
period between finding first and second hasn’t been as long as you, dear. And
who knows if it has been affected by the Dementor exposure, either.”
Padfoot nods at this, then cuddles up behind the Witch who has chosen to become
his ‘Mate’, “I look forward to finding out.” He then kisses her behind her
right ear, “We start researching tomorrow?”
The dark haired witch nods before turning into Sirius’ arms and nuzzling his
neck, her own first Animagus form aiding her in her choice of Padfoot as her
‘Mate’, that of a Winged Dire Wolf, one of the few predators in the magical
world able to take down a Dragon, at least in pack formation.
Sirius smiles at his Mate, then draws the sheets up over their bodies as he
starts paying more personal attention to her, “So, will this be part of your
‘reward’ system, my love?”
Dominique nods as she starts undressing Sirius, “That, plus the fact that I’ve
begun proceedings to get you a trial here in Magical Bermuda. If things go well
here, they’ll be recognized back in England as well.”
The Grim animagus pauses at this, his right hand on his lover’s bosom, “That’s
good news, love. I look forward to being a free man, again.” He then slowly
works on uncovering Dominique’s assets, “Then I can make an honest woman of
you.”
This draws a giggle from his lover as she helps him undress her, “I wonder what
any children we might have will look like, my love.”
Padfoot beams at this, “My hope is that they’re as beautiful as you are, at
least for any girls, my love. And that they have your brains as well.”
Dominique grins, “And any boys have your roguish good looks, beloved.”
Any further conversation is hampered by the fact that Sirius kisses Dominique
passionately, wrapping his arms around his lover, his hands slowly caressing
her body as he builds up the passion between the two of them, a simple muttered
‘nox’ causes the lights in the room to dim, giving the couple privacy, a happy
gasp heard from feminine lips being one of the last things heard.
**** -Back with Harry- ****
** (Beware, Lime / Lemon) **
Harry and Dora are ensconced on their bed, the two of them naked as the day
they were born, Harry’s face slowly coming down from the bright red blush that
graced it once the main part of the ‘Talk’ was over, the young wizard teasing
his wife, trying to get her to blush as well, “I do look forward to putting
what you’ve taught me into practical application.” He gestures to the copy of
the ‘Magical Kama Sutra’ that lays open between them.
‘Dora does blush, prettily, at this, “I look forward to teaching you the
practical portion as well.” She moves closer to him, “I know you’re not ready
for full intimacy, my love, but I do want to start teaching you what a loving
touch is.”
Harry’s blush rockets back towards red as he looks at his wife, then nods, “I
want that as well, Nym.” He then gently strokes his hand over his Bonded’s
breasts, gently getting a feel for the intimacy such a gesture requires,
enjoying the feel of trust and love that comes with it as well.
Nym nods at this, her breasts jiggling slightly at her lover’s touch, her
nipples hardening as well, “I think you’ll prove to be a quick study, Harry.”
She then strokes his chest as well, “You’ve already proven that you’ve got the
gentleness required to make a good lover.” ‘Dora then guides Harry’s hands to
her breasts, “Please, don’t be afraid to explore, my love. It’s the best way to
learn what your lover likes to have done to them.” She gasps as his thumbs rub
over her hardening nipples, “But, don’t assume what I like will be what your
other Bonded will enjoy. Each Witch is different.” Her own hands trailing down
his body to tease his cock, enjoying the feel of it as their intimacy causes
him to become excited, “And don’t be afraid to tell me if something scares you,
or feels wrong.”
Harry nods at all of this, shivering when he feels her touch his cock, the
sensation causing him to boldly lean forward and kiss his Bonded’s nipples,
then her lips, before shifting closer to her as well, his touches spreading
over ‘Dora’s body as he gains confidence, simply reveling in the feelings he’s
experiencing, which include those that he seems to be feeling across the bond,
which include the feeling of being touched by someone who loves him, instead of
merely liking him, as he gathers his friend Hermione does.
‘Dora also begins feeling things across the bond, which encourage her to take
things slowly, but also tell her that this is something Harry desperately
needs, the touch of someone who loves him for him. She mentally shakes her head
at how much his ‘relatives’ hurt him, starting with the fact that she knows
Hermione was the first person to ever hug him, and knows the younger witch is
nothing more than a good friend, something telling her that Granger isn’t the
third person in the Bond. She then grins as she strokes his hardening length,
mentally saying, “Damn, he’s not even fully grown and he’s already this big? I
hardly wait to see what he looks like when he’s fully grown, and comes fully
into his abilities.” Knowing that he will share, at least partially, her own
gifts.
Harry smiles as he cuddles into his Bonded’s touch, the sensations he’s feeling
somewhat overwhelming him, he nuzzles her neck as he enjoys what her hands are
doing, “Mrff, that feels wonderful,” he exclaims, as he nears his first ever,
conscious, climax, his body already beginning to change from ‘child’ to ‘adult’
before the Bonding, his teenaged hormones giving him plenty of interesting
dreams.
Nym smiles, then slowly pushes Harry down onto the bed, slowly bringing his
cock between her breasts, stroking it with them, “Let go, Harry, don’t hold it
in.”
The young wizard gasps as he feels his member buried between his love’s
breasts, he reaches down and grasps the lovely orbs and strokes them and then
rub against him, “I .. I .. *gasp* I think I’m going to .. *gasp*.” He then
shudders as he cums for the first time, his warning enough for ‘Dora to kiss
the tip of his cock and catch what comes out.
‘Dora smiles as she licks her lips, before coming up and snuggling Harry
closely, “Amazingly well done, my love.” She then kisses him soundly, “I look
forward to teaching you more, as we have time.” Nym then draws the sheets up
over them, seeing that Harry is worn out by the entirety of what’s occurred
today, “Though, working on stamina is going to be important,” she teases him as
she places her hand on his wilting member, her breasts resting on his neck.
Harry nods, losing his fight to stay awake, “More important when we find the
other Witch, so I can be the best Husband you both deserve.”
**** -Please Review, Comments welcome, Critiques are golden, Flames will be
ignored- ****
***** End of Summer *****
Chapter Notes
     I only own my own words, nothing more.
Harry Potter and the Tails of Change
 
Disclaimer: I do not own any of the Harry Potter characters, nor do I own any
of the settings that JKR created in Harry's world.  Any resemblance to anyone;
living, dead, or imagined, is purely coincidental, and not intended on my part.
 
A/N: This is a work of fiction, and I have altered reality from how JKR wrote
things.  First off, Nymphadora Tonks is a 6th year when Harry is in his first. 
Second, this story starts off in the summer between Harry's third and fourth
years, so he has met Sirius, and knows he's innocent.  Third, I'm having Harry
be just a wee bit more intelligent, and have something more of a backbone by
this time in his life.  This story may include relations between two consenting
females, so if that doesn't float your boat, you have been warned here, and can
take appropriate action.
 
A/N 1: Taena Haslinger is © and ™ her owner.
 
Chapter 8: End of Summer
 
Harry and ‘Dora spent the next couple of weeks getting Harry started on his
Occlumency training, as well as conversing with Sirius, Dominique, and Remus
about the upcoming year.
 
Sirius tells Harry about Dominique’s plans to get him a trial, and his own
progress toward achieving his second form.
 
Remus tells Harry about his conversation with Taena, the young Wizard twigging
on how Miz Haslinger knew his age without Remus telling her, Mooney shaking his
head as he realized he missed that, “All I can say, ‘Kit,' is that Taena has
shown uncanny knowledge of things she shouldn’t know in the past.  I think it’s
something she’s learned over the years.”
 
Harry blinks at that last, “What do you mean by that, Mooney?”
 
Mooney gives a wry grin, “I haven’t been able to verify anything, Harry, but
what has come to my research leads me to believe Taena knew Flamel when he was
a kid.”
 
The young Wizard blinks at this, then shakes his head resignedly, “I look
forward to meeting her, should prove to be enlightening.”
 
Lupin nods at this, “Any closer to finding form two, Harry?  Enquiring
werewolves want to know.”
 
Harry sighs, “Not yet, Mooney.  Though I can say that, without a doubt, it is
another quadruped.”  He then pinches his nose, “Weird thing is, it seems to be
hybrid of several creatures that I’ve come across.”
 
Remus stares at Harry for this revelation, “Sort of like a Chimera?” he asks
nervously.
 
The younger Wizard shakes his head no, “Not unless there are Chimera with the
Teeth of a Basilisk, the Body of a Nundu, the wings of a Phoenix, and the Fur
of a Demiguise.”
 
The werewolf Wizard blinks at this summation, going paler with each addition,
“It almost sounds like the events of your second year have been incorporated
into the form, Harry.  And as for the other two bits, well, I’d suggest seeing
if you can find records of extinct magical animals.  What’s there sounds
vaguely like what I remember a Kyreé being described as.”
 
At this new name Harry studies his former Professor, “Name sounds vaguely
familiar, care to tell me what you know of them, Remus?”
 
Remus nods, “Well, they seemed to be a wolf, but built more upon the lines of a
great cat.  Some of them had the limited ability to blend into the background,
even when moving.  And, lastly, they are the only known thing that’s known to
hunt Nundu,” here the older Wizard pauses for effect, ”and survive.”
 
Harry blinks at this, “Whatever happened to them, Mooney?”
 
Lupin shakes his head, “No one knows.  I just know that they haven’t been
verifiably seen since Hogwarts was founded, though it was rumored that Godrick
had one as a Familiar.”
 
Nym blinks at this, “And here I thought that Goderick’s Familiar was a
Gryffin.”  She then shakes her head, her hair changing from its normal
Bubblegum Pink to a light Topaz Blue, “Though, according to tales older than
Hogwarts, the more powerful the Witch or Wizard, the more likely they’ll have
more than one Familiar.”
 
Harry looks to his wife, “This is the first I’ve heard of such a thing,” then
he gets a pensive look on his face, “though, I bet if I asked Hermione about
it, I’d get chapter and verse.”  He then looks at Remus, “What odds would you
give on me being one of the lucky wizards who has more than one Familiar?”
 
Remus cracks a grin, “Even odds, ‘Kit,' and I would wager that most of your
friends wouldn’t take the sucker bet.”  He then pauses to think, “I think that
any Familiars, other than Hedwig, will be drawn to you once you finalize the
bond.  From what I remember reading, Familiar bonds tend to happen once a Witch
or Wizards’ Magic gets strong enough, usually starting fourth year.  Most
times, the Witch or Wizard in question tends to Bond with the ‘pet’ that they
brought with them, and have spent time around, which is why ninety percent of
the animals brought to Hogwarts tend to be, in one fashion or another,
partially Magical in nature.”
 
Harry nods at that, “Makes sense.”  He then looks at Remus, “Has there ever
been a study done on the strength of magic within a Familiar in relationship to
the strength of the Witch or Wizard who they Bond to?”
 
A new voice, oddly and strangely accented, answers from above the gathering,
“No, young one, there hasn’t been, or at least nothing has ever been written
down about such a thing.”
 
Each of those present start in surprise before looking up and seeing what
appears to be a messenger Patronus, but the color is a deep gold, and the shape
is of a nine tailed Kitsune.
 
Remus sighs, recognizing the voice, which reassures the others present, “Harry
Potter, may I introduce you to Taena Haslinger, mistress of Kitsune Magics.”
 
The young wizard bows to the image, “A pleasure to make your acquaintance,
ma’am, I look forward to learning what I can from you.”
 
Taena’s Patronus gives a very mischievous look, “And I look forward to teaching
you and your Bonded what I can.  I just got done talking to that Headmaster of
yours, and he’s allowing me to visit the school, ostensibly to help oversee the
TriWizard, but also to see how many others there are like yourself, young Mage,
and can benefit from my teaching.”
 
Lupin shakes his head, resignedly, “I can see that this will be an interesting
year.”  At Harry’s quizzical look, he explains, “We have a new Marauder in you,
Harry; Myself and Sirius teaching you what we can; the Twins who may
unknowingly start a Prank War; The TriWizard, which will bring the best and the
brightest from their respective schools; ‘Dora here who was quite the mischief
maker in her time; and then you add in Taena, who takes the whole mythology of
Kitsune being tricksters to heart; and I just hope that Hogwarts is still
standing once this year is over.”
 
Harry snickers, “Remus, it seems my life is like a well known Chinese Proverb:
May You Live In Interesting Times.  I do look forward to finding out if I can
ever have what most folks would consider a ‘normal’ life.”
 
‘Dora smiles, then kisses Harry on the lips, “Husband mine, the very fact you
will have two wives will prevent normalcy from being more than a fleeting
thing.”
 
Remus shakes his head, “Why strive for normalcy, ‘Kit?’  Aim for greatness,
even if what most will remember you as is being the best person you could be.”
 
The young Wizard nods at this, “Something that my Wives will have to help me
with.”  At ‘Dora’s quizzical expression, “Undoing the upbringing that I went
through, that emphasized being ‘normal’ above all else.”
 
Remus sighs, then nods, “Something we have in common, ‘Kit,' needing help to
overcome ingrained behavior issues.”
 
Taena’s voice is heard again, “Well, it’s a week until the First of September,
Harry, you should be getting the books I sent for you to study within the next
day or so.  I would appreciate it if you’d read the first chapter of ‘Twisted
Tails - By Inari’.  It gives an exceedingly good introduction into what I
intend on teaching you.”
 
Harry nods, “I look forward to reading it, ma’am, and I hope that you’re up for
the challenge that I seem to be.”
 
The Patronus’ image swishes its tails, “And what challenge is that, young
Mage?”
 
‘Dora answers for Harry, “My Husband seems to learn best by doing, or as one of
my instructors would classify him, a ‘Kinetic’ learner.”
 
Taena’s Patronus looks very pleased at that, “Better than I’d hoped.  Most of
what I’ve learned myself has been through the same method, so I can fully
relate.  I would still do the reading, just so you’re prepared for what’s to
come.”
 
Harry nods, “Thank you, again, Miz Haslinger, for the opportunity that you’re
giving me.  I look forward to meeting you in person.”
 
Taena’s voice responds, “As do I, young Mage.  As do I.”  The image then
dissipates, vanishing into millions of sparkling motes.
 
== Elsewhere ==
 
In a secluded Japanese dojo what appears to be a twenty something young woman,
who is currently dressed in what appears to be an archaic set of Samurai Armor,
though tailored and fitted for her physique, rises from a seated position,
smiling, before walking out to the open courtyard, where she pauses to look up
to the stars and smiles, “One to rival the Greatest Mages of History has
started on the Path to Greatness.  It is up to Him if he reaches his true
Potential” 
 
She then pads her way to her quarters, humming a tune to herself.  Once she
enters her quarters, she retrieves her wand from whence she hid it, pointing to
several items around the room, then pointing at what appears to be an antique
steamer trunk, and saying; ‘hitomatome,’ causing everything to settle itself
into cubbies built into the trunk.  After placing a few special items atop the
clothing within, then securing the top of the trunk, Taena utters ‘ridyu-su,’
causing the trunk to shrink to the size of a brick, casing her to smile, “Now,
to surprise that nice young man who’s the headmaster at Harry’s school.”
 
With a flourish, and a pirouette, Taena vanishes from the room, with nothing
except a shower of cherry blossom petals to show that she had been there.
 
 == Elsewhere ==
 
Remus, returning to his apartment from a supplies run down Diagon Alley, with a
few side trips down the tertiary streets for more esoteric ingredients, opens
the door to find his girlfriend, Clarisse waiting for him.
 
“Hey there, handsome,” the younger Were says, “I figured meeting here for or
date would be better.”  She then looks down at her hands, “The landlord at my
place is getting nosier, plus he’s getting a bit more ‘forward’ since I started
going out with you.”
 
The older Were growls at this news, then shyly reaches out and lifts his
girlfriend’s chin so he can look in her eyes, “It’s his fault, then, for
waiting too long before noticing the beauty hidden within you.”  He then pads
over to a table, which is next to the couch, and gets a small box from it, “I
had meant to do this in front of my friends; my family, for lack of a better
word.”  He then turns and goes down on his right knee in front of Clarisse,
“Clarisse Hypatia Farnsworth, would you make me the happiest man in the known
universe and agree to become my wife, my mate, my partner in life?”
 
The young Witch blushes as she takes in the fact that Remus just propose to
her, “Yes, you silly man, I’ll marry you.”  She then pounces him, causing them
to end up sprawled on the floor, with her landing suggestively atop him, “Now,
how soon do you want the ceremony to be, who do you want invited,” here she
gives a mischievous smile,” and how soon d’you want to get started on having
cubs?”
 
Remus smiles at getting pounced, then blushes at his fiancé’s last question,
“In the order you asked, angel; However soon you want it, depending on the size
you want to have it and the ostentatiousness of the ceremony; Our family and
friends, are who I want to invite, including a few of our Professors from
Hogwarts;” and here he smiles and, embracing the younger Witch, nuzzles at her
impressive cleavage, “As for the last, well, that depends on you, my dear, as
until you’re off the potion, all we’re going to be doing is practicing making
cubs.”  He then kisses her nose, and paces his hands on her bosom, “Enjoyable
practice, though it is, I was taught that it was the woman’s choice when and if
she became pregnant.”
 
Clarisse smiles at this, blushing prettily at the words, and where her fiancé’s
hands end up, “I haven’t taken this month’s dose, as the time it would need to
be taken falls too close to the full moon, and it’s been proven, at least
amongst the Were community, that mixing the anti-pregnancy potion and wolfsbane
can lead to some rather nasty side effects.”
 
The older Wizard nods at that, knowing that the Were community has its own
grapevine for passing on important knowledge that the Ministry and prejudiced
people wouldn’t share with those afflicted with Lycanthropy, “So, my dear
fiancé, shall we celebrate the fact we’re now more than simply dating in
style?”
 
She blushes, then nods, before getting up and coyly smiling at the man who’s
her mate, “Only if you can catch me, beloved,” she says teasingly before
heading in the general direction of the bedroom.
 
Remus, grinning as he gets up, fires off a locking spell at the door, as well
as a spell that activates the silencing ward around the apartment, gives chase
to his dear mate, teasingly undressing her as he pursues her, happy in the
knowledge that he’s found his mate.
 
 == Elsewhere ==
 
Somewhere on an island, close to Bermuda, close to the equator, a rather shaggy
looking black dog is chasing a young, attractive, well proportioned lady, who’s
hair streams out behind her as she jogs in front of the dog, which does
interesting things to her anatomy, as she teases her boyfriend, “Come on,
Sirius, I know you’re not in the same shape you were in as an Auror, but you
also know working out as an animagus doesn’t directly translate when you
transform.”
 
The shaggy dog nods at this, then points his nose at a group of stuffy looking
wizards who seem overly interested in both of them, who had just apparated to
the dune in front of them, something about their posture and stance screaming
‘British Ministry Stooge’ to anyone who has more than half a brain.
 
Dominique turns in their direction, with a curious look on her face, her wand
slipping into her fingers from the disillusioned wand holder she has on her
wrist, gesturing for Sirius to keep behind her, “Can I help you gentlemen?  My
name’s Dominique Argent, and I might be able to get you where you wanted to
be.”
 
The three Wizards, each of whom are not exactly dressed for the tropical
climate, stare at the Witch for a moment, then the middle one says, in an
officious voice, “Madam, we’re here on Official Ministry Business,” the capitol
letters easily denoted in his voice, “We’re searching for an escaped convict
who was reported to be in this vicinity.”
 
Dominique nods at this, “Do you have permission to be down here, gentlemen? 
This isn’t part of the Greater British Commonwealth, and the local chapter of
the International Confederation of Wizards doesn’t take too kindly to folks who
come here without the proper paperwork being filed.”  As she’s talking, she
sends a quick, nonverbal messenger spell to the local Department of Magical Law
Enforcement, notifying them of a potential problem.  She then smiles, “And who
may I have the pleasure of speaking to, gentlemen?”
 
The ‘Spokes Wizard’ grimaces as he takes down his hood, “My name’s Walden
McNair, madam, and these are my aides, Amycus and Alecto Carrow…”
 
At these three names, Sirius, still disguised as Padfoot, puts his nose into
the back of Dominique’s knee and traces out the letters ‘D’ and ‘E,' carefully
trying to alert his beloved just what sort of folks she’s dealing with.
 
Dominique pats Sirius’ head, understanding what he’s trying to get across, then
bends down to whisper something in the animagus’ ear, “Do you think you could
manifest some of the traits of the Grim, dear?  I sent an alert to the locals,
but any help’s welcome.”
 
Sirius nods at her, then nuzzles at her hands before quietly padding out from
behind her, slowly letting out a growl and letting lose the one major trait
he’s mastered so far, the Grim’s aura of fear, directing it towards the three
Death Eaters.
 
As Sirius emerges from behind Dominique, McNair brings out his axe, though
there’s a nervousness to his posture, “Madam, you are aware what that creature
is?”
 
Dominique chuckles, “I should be, sir, he’s my familiar.  Now, why don’t you
behave while we wait for the local authorities to come here and make sure that
you’re allowed to be here.”  She then places her hand on Sirius’ back, making
the appearance that she’s keeping him back and under control, “After all, if
there is an escaped convict hiding down here, I’m sure they’d love to know all
about him or her, and be quite willing to aide in their capture.”
 
The three Death Eaters shift uncomfortably under the gaze of the Grim animagus,
then start at the sound of multiple apparitions around them, as the local
Aurors make their appearance, their wands, and McNair’s axe being held in a
defensive fashion, for the moment.
 
The head Auror, a strikingly tall woman, walks over to Dominique and says,
“Lady Argent, what seems to be the issue here?”
 
Dominique smiles, “These three gentlemen interrupted my morning workout with
Padfoot here, and claimed that they were from the Ministry, searching for an
Escaped Convict.”  She then places her hand on the Auror Captain’s shoulder,
“Padfoot here has taken a rather strong disliking to them, for some reason.”
 
At this news, the Auror Captain blinks, then looks down at the Grim Animagus,
then back at the professor, before stepping closer, and whispering, “Any
particular reason for that strong dislike?”
 
Dominique nods, and whispers back, “They may be British Ministry, but they’re
also Death Eaters.”
 
This revelation draws a hiss from the Auror Captain, who makes a motion to her
team, before focusing on the Death Eaters, “Gentlemen, I’m Auror Captain
McTaggert, cold you produce the documents which allow you to operate outside
your normal jurisdiction?”
 
McNair fingers his axe, trying to bluster through, and trying to look superior
to the female Auror Captain, “We’ve been sanctioned by the British Ministry of
Magic to hunt down and bring back the fugitive Sirius Black, alive or
otherwise, to British soil.”
 
Auror Captain McTaggert nods at this, “So, then, you should have all the proper
paperwork filed, signed by not just your Supreme Mugwump, but also
countersigned by ours.”  Her team of five Aurors bracketing the three Death
Eaters, leaving plenty of room for evasive maneuvers, as well as leaving
Dominique and McTaggert room to move if needed.
 
Amycus and Alecto narrow their eyes, keeping alert to the movements of the
Aurors, but in doing so, stop paying attention to Padfoot and Dominique.
 
Padfoot growls, deeply, bringing forth one of the other talents that he
discovered Grim's possess; Chill of the Grave, which causes those affected to
feel as if they’re in the presence of Death.  He then swiftly focuses his
attention on the twin Death Eaters, an eerie glow coming to his eyes as he
does.
 
Dominique notices this and gets her wand ready, smiling to herself with the
fact that a sandy beach tends to be one of the better settings for a
Transfiguration Mistress, with all the possible debris to use as base material
in her spells.
 
McNair growls, “I don’t need to file any stupid paperwork, you damned two bit
mudblood whore,” he then fires a purple colored cutting spell straight at
McTaggert and Dominique, aiming for their necks.
 
At this action, the rest of the Aurors fire spells, mostly stunning and / or
entanglement styles, intent on at first capturing the errant trio.
 
McTaggert drops and rolls to her left, away from Dominique, firing off a
reddish black spell right at McNair’s wand, yelling to her team, “La Ramita!”
which is her team’s trigger code for taking out the enemy’s wands before
dealing with the Wizard or Witch themselves.
 
Dominique, on seeing the spell headed in her direction, drops and rolls in the
opposite direction McTaggert did, before casting a spell that causes a roughly
man-sized figure to raise from the sand, and then charge at the closest Death
Eater, which happens to be Amycus.
 
Padfoot, growling at the attempt on his mate’s life, leaps over the incoming
spell, dark flames engulfing his body as he charges for the other Carrow twin,
unconsciously tapping into the most feared power Grim's possess; Spectral Flame
Touch, where anyone who is bitten by the Grim is visited by visions of what
awaits them on the other side of Death.
 
Several things happen in quick succession, McNair uses the broad side of his
axe to deflect or intercept the spells time at him, though his wand is coated
in a thick, amber-like substance that seems to prevent it from being used
effectively.
 
Amycus manages to deal with most of the spell fire aimed in his direction, but
Dominique’s sand ‘golem’ successfully grapples with the Dark Wizard and
eventually takes him out of the fight, encasing the Dark Wizard in a cocoon of
thickly packed sand.
 
Alecto, on seeing what she believes to be a Grim coming for her, totally
panics, drops her wand, and starts running away, which causes her to be easily
taken out of the fight by a well timed spell from a dark-skinned female Auror,
who gives Padfoot a wink when he looks at her, before returning her attention
to the remaining Death Eater and casting a variant of the disarming spell which
was created by the locals to deal with opponents who wield things other than
wands, “Desarmarse.”.
 
McTaggert, seeing the twins taken down, says, as her team surrounds McNair,
“Surrender yourself, Wizard, and you may find yourself allowed to leave this
area with nothing more than an admonishment to follow protocol, and a fine. 
Continue to fight, and your chances of returning home are significantly
reduced, as are the chances of you doing so in one piece.”
 
The remaining Death Eater growls, and spits at the ground in front of
McTaggert, “The Ministry will hear of this interference in a Sanctioned
Manhunt, Auror.”  He then brings the back of his axe to his lips, which
triggers a portkey, taking not only himself but his accomplices back to the
British Ministry.
 
Shaking his head, one of McTaggert’s team sighs, “And one wonders why, outside
of their shores, most countries have extra laws written especially because of
their attitudes.”  He then turns to Dominique, “My lady, thank you for alerting
us to this,” he turns to McTaggert, “I’ll inform the Conclave that there might
be more intrusions by British Wizards looking for this supposed ‘Escaped
Convict?'”
 
McTaggert nods, “I’d appreciate that, Rae, and add to that alert the fact that
there may be a greater chance that the invading Wizards, or Witches, may be
Death Eaters, in addition to any Ministry affiliation.”
 
Rae nods, then smiles at Dominique, whispering to her, “Don’t worry, I’m on the
team working on clearing your boyfriend there.  Thank him, for me, for helping
out here.”  He then Apparates out, with a soft ‘pop,' leaving the rest to take
Dominique’s statement, and pet the ‘tamed’ Grim before taking their leave.
 
McTaggert smiles at Padfoot, “You might want to visit Gringotts sometime soon,
you two, I believe the local Goblins have come across the means to at least
disguise a Wizard’s magical signature.  I have a feeling that may be why those
three appeared here, rather than go through official channels.”
 
Dominique nods at this, “Thanks, again, Fiora.  I don’t think any of those
three would have had any qualms about ‘eliminating witnesses.’”
 
Sirius, having transformed once the rest of the Aurors left, shakes his head,
“I hate to say this, but with those three, by the time you were killed, you
would have wished for death many times over.  The only one I know who might
have been worse is my psycho Cousin, Bella.”
 
Fiora nods at this, having gotten reports about the female LeStrange, “Just be
careful, you two.”  She then gives Sirius a glare, “And if I don’t receive an
invitation to the wedding, I might remember some of the antics you got up to
here before Dominique caught your leash.”
 
Dominique laughs at this ‘threat,’ and shakes her head, “You, my dear friend,
are at the head of a rather short list of notable people who will be attending
our wedding.  We’re just waiting on the official word on my beloved’s status
before deciding on a date.”  She then turns to Sirius, “Though, if I can light
a fire under certain judges’ asses, we can do it sooner.”  She then rubs her
belly, “Seems like there’s a need to hurry things on.”
 
Sirius looks at Dominique, his mouth agape, then he grabs her around her waist
and lifts her up with a ‘whoop’ and a smile, “Whatever you need to help
expedite things, beloved, you will have it.  I now have two reasons to visit
Gringotts.”  He then turns to Fiora, “I have been resisting the urge to act
like a ‘British Wizard’ and not thrown Galleons at the problem until it went
away, other than hiring one of the best legal teams that Gringotts could point
me at, who also had experience dealing with the convoluted mess that is the
British Wizarding Legal System.”
 
Fiora nods at this, then smiles at Dominique, “Well, I will wish you well, and
congratulations on the news.”  With those words, and a quick hug for the happy
couple, she departs back to her office with a mutter of, “Now, back to the
paperwork that this inconsiderate nimrods caused to be placed on my desk.”
 
== Elsewhere ==
 
Up in the Headmaster’s Office of Hogwarts, in an exceedingly thick black book,
which would be multiple volumes if it wasn’t for Magic, a page is turned, and
at the top, a name appears, ‘Aquila Hypatia Black,' with what appears to be her
upcoming birth date, and the name of her parents.
 
Albus Dumbledore, alerted by the turning of this page, looks at the name
inscribed and shakes his head, muttering to himself in an amused tone, “My
word, I do wonder what this bundle of mischief will bring to these halls.”
 
There is a knock at the door, to which he responds, “Enter, Minerva.”
 
The Transfiguration Professor, and Head of Gryffindor House, enters the room
and, seeing where her old friend is standing, comes over to see what has
captured Albus’ attention.  Upon seeing the name in the book, she simply shakes
her head, looks at Albus, and says, “Ten Galleons that she’ll be a Ravenclaw,”
then with an impish grin, “And another ten that, should Severus still be here,
he’ll be pranked within the first week after the Sorting.”
 
The Headmaster looks at Minerva, then chuckles, “For the House, I’ll take the
bet, and I’ll say Hufflepuff, as for the Prank, I can’t, in all honesty, bet on
a sure thing, though I would think the young lady in question wouldn’t wait for
after the sorting.”  He then takes his seat behind his massive desk, which
seems to be covered in various reports and sundry requests for supplies and
things needed to run a boarding school which is populated by children nearing
and entering puberty, “What brings you up here, my dear?”
 
Smiling, Minerva hands her mentor Harry’s Transfiguration paper, “I’ve already
marked it, but I’d like you to peruse it, and give me your feeling on what
Harry postulates in this.”
 
Taking the paper, Albus peruses it, his eyebrows raising in several places, his
eyes meeting Minerva’s in others, and a chuckle being brought to his lips, at a
rather adroit turn of phrase, “Well, well, well, it seems our young student has
come across something even I hadn’t thought of.”  He places the paper down on
his desk, “I hadn’t had a chance to talk to him about his choice of electives,
but I do believe I’ll allow him to test out of Divination and into Runes.  This
paper, and the suggestions he’s made, even if they require further
modifications, could solve several issues that have been plaguing our world for
longer than they should.”
 
Minerva nods, “I showed the paper, without revealing the student’s name, to our
resident Potions’ Master, as well as several others.  Severus wrote down the
suggested modifications to the Animagus Potion and has brewed the first batch.”
 
Albus’ eyebrows raise up, “It didn’t blow up?”
 
Minerva shakes her head no, “In fact, it has passed all the standard tests that
Severus has thrown at it, that are required before testing on a Human, or
Werewolf, subject.  He has gone to St Mungo's, where one of the other Potions’
Masters resides, and they’re seeking volunteers to test the new potion on.”
 
Albus nods at this, “And what will be the ramifications be if Harry’s
hypothesis is correct?”
 
Minerva smiles at her mentor, “Well, if what I can get through the mutterings
and veiled threats I’ve gotten out of Severus are anything to go by, Harry will
be eligible to receive an Order of Merlin, Second Class, at the very minimum. 
If he had actually brewed the modified potion, rather than, in his own words,
‘Allowing those with more experience in potions than myself to correct any
mistakes I’ve made,’ he would be eligible to become a Potions’ Master,
himself.”
 
The Headmaster shakes his head at this, before smiling impishly, “And, what
would you wager would be our dour Potions’ Master’s resultant explosion be
like, if he discovered Harry was the one to suggest the modifications to the
potion?  Or, if Harry had ‘discovered’ the potion himself?”
 
The younger professor shakes her head, then laughs, “I’d imagine you could hear
the outrage down in Hogsmeade, for the former, and Diagon Alley for the
latter.”  She then smiles, “Harry has impressed me immensely, with this, and
the reason I gave this paper an O++, and graded it with a 200%.”
 
Albus’ eyes widen at that, then tilts his head, “Has all the proper paperwork
been artfully handled,” to which his colleagues’ head nods, “Good, I look
forward to the results, this year.”
 
A tinkling chime is heard, which Fawkes answers with a rising pentatonic scale,
twinned with what seems to be an oriental melody.  Albus turns his head to the
Phoenix on his perch, “Ah, yes, Miz Haslinger should be arriving any moment
now.”
 
Minerva’s eyes widen, then she grins, “Isn’t she a friend of Remus’ as well? 
I’m glad that more of my concerns about this coming year can be laid to rest
with her being here, in addition to Alistor.”
 
Albus nods, “Yes, I do remember Remus mentioning Miz Haslinger a time or two.”
 
Suddenly, in a corner of the office unoccupied by anything, a pillar of white
cherry blossoms swirls into existence, each blossom slowly dissolving into the
aether to reveal the young looking woman within their embrace.  Looking up, the
young woman smiles as she sees the two professors in the office, and says, in
an ageless voice that could belong to a woman anywhere between twenty and two
hundred, “Well, fancy meeting you two here.  Just who I was hoping to speak to
today.”
 
Minerva’s wand is in her hand moments after the unique method of traveling
manifests itself, then seeing Albus’ lack of concern, as well as hearing a
happy series of notes from Fawkes, relaxes just enough to wait for the stranger
to introduce herself.
 
The young appearing Witch smiles more, “Relax, I come in peace.”  She then
shows empty hands, “Albus here has met me before, though he may be curious as
to how I haven’t aged since then.”
 
Albus smiles, “Relax, Minerva, I’d like you to meet Taena Haslinger, who I met
shortly after my sister’s passing.”
 
Minerva’s eyes widen at this, then she lowers her wand, “Indeed.”  She then
smiles, “I imagine you have plenty to tell us about the youthful Albus, if you
were so inclined.”
 
Taena laughs, happily, “My dear Minerva, he is still a youth, to me.”  She then
grows somber, “I ran into one of the downsides of being a Magical Animagus. 
One I hope that young Harry will escape.”
 
Albus nods, “I take it you’re here, to help with Security, and give any
interested students teachings that aren’t normally covered in Hogwarts’
syllabus?”
 
Taena nods, “Though, to be honest, I could replace Binns and no one’d be too
upset, other than loosing their nap time.”
 
Minerva chuckles at this, “I look forward to having you here, this year.”
 
== Please Read & Review ==
a/n 1 : First, I’d like to apologize for taking so long to get this out.
 
a/n 2 : Second, part of the delay was losing my father-in-law in 2015.
 
a/n 3 : For those we have lost, may they rest in peace.
 
a/n 4 : Dreaded Cliff-hanger of Impending Dewm
 
a/n 5 : Life keeps throwing me curve balls, it’s up to me to hit them where I
want to go..  Writing takes time, I’m not one of those authors who can spew out
a chapter / story per week, or less.  I appreciate every review I get, because
they help motivate me.
Please drop_by_the_archive_and_comment to let the author know if you enjoyed
their work!