Song of the Heart

by Gnomeish

Crackish sort of AU crossover...... but it's still a really sweet story about love and friendship and people's differences. One of the oddest crossovers you'll ever see. Don't want to give away any hints so click on it!

THIS IS ABOUT HALFWAY FINISHED! Just so you know... and I probably won't update it any time soon, sorry. Anyways, I don't own Harry Potter, I don't own the Movie that is referenced to in this story, I don't own anything except my imagination.

Pairings? Figure it out yourself. :P Inspired by a song, IF YOU CAN BELIEVE IT! falls over

xXxxxXxxxXxxxXxxxXxxxXx

Harry thought himself to be completely normal. More normal than his relatives, anyway, who had taken him in when his parents had died. They were always spying on their neighbors and gossiping, and Petunia hardly ever remembered to feed him. He had started feeding himself when he was very young and was, as a result, a very independant young penguin.

Harry shook himself, his downy chick feathers ruffling in the wind as he waited for class to start. Every young penguin went to penguin school to learn their heartsongs and to strengthen their singing muscles. Today was their second class.

"All right, children." The woman said. Her name was Ms. Amanda. "Today we are going to try and find our heart songs!"

The children all cheered, and the teacher smiled.

"Yes, yes it is all very exciting. But first I want to remind you, that although it is unusual, if you do not have a heartsong you should not despair. There are other ways of making music!"

All the children smiled. Every penguin knew the story of Mumble, even though Mumble had lived over fifty years ago. Mrs. Amanda was one of his descendants. The teacher smiled fondly at the children. She had never met her great-great-grandfather, but she loved his stories.

"All right then. Does anyone know how to find their heartsongs?"

The children shuffled nervously, not knowing the answer.

"Well, that's alright. I didn't expect you to know." The teacher smiled, and the children smiled back in relief.

"In order to find your heart song... you have to fill yourself up with a feeling. Whether it be happiness, or sadness, or loneliness or even anger. Just take a deep breath, close your eyes, and let the feeling fill you."

The children did just that, and all of them, including Harry, felt the song welling up inside of him. He felt that he would burst if he didn't get it out. But he hadn't been paying attention and Dudley, easily the largest of all the chicks and a bully, was called on.

"Go on then, Dudley." The teacher said, smiling, but she was a bit apprehensive.

Dudley smirked and filled his lungs with air before he started to sing.

"Hmm.. hmm... nana na... shadows... hm hm na na na na naaaah na... Look back and watch me smack that." Dudly turned slightly and smacked himself with his flipper. "All on the floor, smack that, give me some more, smack that, 'till you get sore, smack that, ooooooh."

The kids all laughed, but Dudley looked proud. The teacher looked like she could use a break.

"Anyone else want to share?" The teacher asked. Harry nodded and went to raise his flipper but she picked on someone else.

It was Harry's friend Hermione. She stepped shyly out of the line and cleared her throat.

"Hm hm lala every... hmhmha I get in my heart is pumpin' for love, pumpin for love. Cuz when I'm thinkin' of you and Hmhm hum hum ha , my heart is pumpin' for love, you left me longin' for you." She sang, but rather quietly.

"Sounds like a good song to dance too, but you'll need to work on being a bit louder, Hermione dear." The teacher said.

Hermione nodded her head eagerly and stepped back in line. This time Harry raised his flipper.

"Please, please, please!" Came his voice, slightly louder than the others.

"Alright then Harry, give it a shot."

Harry closed his eyes and drew in a breath. He let all the feelings he had though of before fill him. Love to his parents, sadness they were gone, loneliness, and anger towards his relatives fill him up, and then he let it go.

"Eeeeeeeeverybody aaaah... aaaah aaahh ahhhh uhhhaaahhhh!" His voice rang out clear and true, making his classmates shiver as the sound rolled over them. The teacher smiled estatically. The only one who wasn't happy was Dudley, and some of his friends.

"Wonderful, Harry dear, absolutely wonderful. I wouldn't be surprised to find you attending Mr. Smeltings class by the end of the week." She said proudly.

Mr. Smeltings was the best singer and teacher of their clan. All the best singers were transfered to his class. Vernon, Harry's Uncle, had been a Smeltings graduate and he was hoping Dudley would be too.

Dudley, only a few feet away from Harry, scowled. There was no way his skinny, ratty cousin would go to Smeltings and not him! He'd make sure to tell his Dad what the teacher had said. His father would never let Harry go in Smeltings class.

Harry smiled shyly and stepped back in line. Soon others stepped up to show the teacher what they had learned.

xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

Later that day, Harry was walking back home. Dudley was up ahead of him some, with his friends, complaining about Harry as usual.

"Did you hear that stupid teacher?" Dudley whined. "There's no way Harry sang better than I did!"

"Yeah, no way!" Said Piers, Dudley's best friend."Lets show that runt who's boss!"

Dudley got a mean look in his eye, and although Harry couldn't see it, Piers' words were enough to make him turn and run.

"GET HIM!" Dudley yelled, and he and his friends chased after Harry.

Harry let out a squawk of dismay and started running for all his might. Other penguins ducked out of the way as Harry flew accross the snow with Dudley and his gang close on his tail. Dudley soon had to slow down because of his immense weight, but his friends could keep up easier with Harry, and continued the chase.

Harry breathed heavily, feeling as if any moment his legs would give out underneath him as he searched for a place to hide. He looked frantically around.There! In the ice wall there was a crack. Just big enough for tiny Harry to fit through, but too small for the others. He dove inside it, sliding on his belly for a few feet before he ended up in a small cave with ice crystals growing up from the floor.

"Hey! Get back here you little runt!" Piers yelled, trying to squeeze through the crack. They all tried one by one, but none of them could fit. Eventually Dudley caught up to them and saw the predicament.

"Aww, forget him. We can get him later. Besides, it's almost supper time and I'm hungry!" Dudley yelled.

"Yeah, forget him!" Piers yelled.

"Forget the stupid baby loser." Yelled another.

They turned and walked away, but Harry didn't move until he could no longer hear their footsteps. He then sagged down to the ground and gave a sigh of relief. But he couldn't totally relax. He'd escaped Dudley but Vernon and Petunia would yell at him later, because there was no way he could get back to them on time. They wouldn't feed him either, saying if he couldn't be on time he didn't deserve to eat. His tummy rumbled and he put a flipper to it, willing it to be quiet.

It was comfortable in the small cave, the light from the crack struck the ice crystals at various angles, making beautiful patterns of light on the snowy wall. Harry closed his eyes. It was rather warm in here too, or at least warmer than it was outside the cave. His legs were really tired, maybe he'd just rest his eyes for a moment. A moment wouldn't hurt.

A few moments later, Harry was asleep.

xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

Everything was dark. Harry looked around. Where was he? He moved, felt something all around him. He moved his beak forward and gave the space in front of it an experimental tap. He hit something. Intrigued, he tapped it again, once, twice, thrice. Whatever contained him moved slightly, and he thought he heard voices. One was slightly raised for a moment ,higher, then came another, deeper. But then the higher voice hit the outside of whatever contained him, bouncing back off of it and making it vibrate. He realized he could just make out the words.

"Come out, Harry. It's time, baby, don't be afraid."

"How do you even know its a boy?" Came the deeper voice again. "It could be a girl!"

"I laid him, I know he's a boy!" Came the higher voice again. "Now come on, talk to your baby."

"Er... Harry... boy... it's your father, James. Come on out, son, it's time to join the world!"

Harry really wanted to see the faces of whom the voices belonged to. He tapped against the matter again, harder, harder still.

And then it happened, a small ray of something hit his face, making him shut his eyes. But he tapped it again, again, and finally a big peice of it came off.

Harry blinked his eyes, stuck his head out of the hole. There was a face looking down at him. Her eyes, they were of a colour never seen before. The only green around for miles. And around her neck, her color was so... red. Harry blinked.

"Mama." He said. She smiled and reached for him, Harry reached back...

'THUMP'

Harry awoke with a start, shaking his little head. He reached out, like he did in the dream, but here there was no mother to greet him. Just the cold, darkness of the cave. And it was so, so dark.

Harry let out a distressed hiccup, and wiped his shining green eyes with a flipper. The end of it just brushed the scar above his eyes.

Harry's scar was the only thing he liked about himself. No one else had one, it made him unique. But now, now he liked his eyes too. They were the same colour as his mama's. He had never known that. He smiled, but then abruptly frowned as he saw how dark it was.

He was late! Very, very late!

"Oh no!" He said, scrambling to his feet and squeezing himself out of the crack.

Once he got outside, he looked around. It was late, very late. Almost everyone was sleeping.

He was as quiet as he could possibly be as he ran towards where the Dursleys were last, and sighed in nervous relief when he saw Dudley huddled up with his parents. He was afraid they would have moved, would have left him on his own. As much as he didn't like them, he knew he wouldn't live long if they were seperated.

He snuck up to them quietly, skirting around Petunia so he could stand on the side of them the wind didn't hit. If he dared do something like snuggle up by Vernon, well he didn't want to think about it.

He tucked his tiny head to his chest and shook himself slightly, puffing out his feathers. It helped, sometimes, when the nights were especially cold. Harry turned his bright green eyes up to his relatives, looking at Dudley cuddled and protected between them, in their embrace. Looking around he saw chick upon chick cuddled between their parents, warm and content.

A lump rose in his throat, and Harry realized he was about to cry. His beak opened, letting out a few quiet, gasping sobs, until he forced himself to be quiet, lest he wake Dudley.

But he couldn't look at them any longer. He turned so his back was facing them, and closed his eyes.

He found, tonight, if he pretended hard enough, he could almost see her reaching out towards him.

And he almost felt warm.

xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

The next morning, Harry woke up to a flipper to the head.

"Where were you last night, boy?" Snarled his Uncle Vernon.

Harry whimpered, flat on his back in the snow.

"I... I ... I found a cave.. and I fell asleep. It was an accident! I'm sorry!"

"You're sorry? You're sorry! You'll be sorry, because you aren't getting any breakfast!"

"But Uncle Vernon!" Harry cried. His tummy was so empty it hurt.

Vernon kicked him slightly with his foot, until Harry was sliding away. It didn't hurt, really, but Harry wanted to cry anyway.

"Ungreatful little freak." Vernon mumbled, before turning away to attend to his son.

Harry lay on his stomach for a few moments, feeling miserable, until a shadow covered his tiny form.

"Harry? Is that you dear?"

Harry looked up. It was his rather dotty neighbor Mrs. Figg. She was very old, but sometimes she would feed him since she had no chick of her own for years.

"Yes, Mrs. Figg." Harry said, standing up and brushing himself off. He tried to control the tremble in his voice. "How are you Mrs. Figg?"

"I'm fine, Harry dear, and you?" She said.

"I'm okay. Mrs. Figg... you.. you wouldn't have any extra food today, would you?" Harry asked hopefully.

Mrs. Figg looked sadly down at the little penguin. She had nothing for him today. With her husband gone these many years and her few children gone with him, she had to fend for herself. In her old age it became increasingly harder, even though the fish were abundant.

"I'm sorry, Harry. I couldn't catch anything this morning."

Harry tried not to look dissapointed, and half-smiled up at her. "That's alright, Mrs. Figg. Thank you anyways."

"You're welcome, Harry." She said, running a flipper over his unruly black feathers. Harry leaned into the touch slightly, and felt a bit happier. Even though Mrs. Figg couldn't take care of him, she shared her food sometimes and during the day she would let him lean against her or touch his head with one of her flippers.

Harry would take his chances and move in totally with her, but the Dursleys wouldn't allow it. Harry didn't know why, it wasn't like they wanted him. But then again, maybe they just thrived on seeing him miserable.

Harry sighed and moved away. He'd have to find breakfast elsewhere. When Mrs. Figg didn't have any food, he'd go wander around the others. Every once in a while a parent or child would drop a fish, and he'd be able to dive in and get it before it could be retrieved.

This earned him the reputation of a vandal amongst the neighbors, and no one really liked him. They thought he was just a greedy little chick. Mrs. Figg was the only one who knew the truth, besides Hermione.

The other chicks didn't like him either, because he had stolen a fish from them one time or another. His only friend was Hermione. He remembered the day he met her...

xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

He was so hungry. He hadn't eaten in almost three days. His stomach constricted and tears came to his eyes again. He angrily wiped them away. He wouldn't be able to get any fish if his eyes were all watery. He looked fiercely around, swivling his head.

A family with a girl Harry had seen in class was eating breakfast. The father threw the fish up in the air playfully for his daughter. But she missed and the fish went sliding away.

Harry saw his chance and he took it, he dived for the fish. The girl let out a squawk of dismay and followed, despite the shouts of her parents.

Harry used his feet to push him faster as the fish slid up, then down the ice. After a few seconds, he managed to grab it.

But he didn't have any time to enjoy his prize, because something collided into him.

"Ooof!" Harry said, and almost dropped the fish.

Another beak clamped onto the fish next to his.

"Taht's MY fisss" The chick said. Harry saw it was the one he had stolen the fish from.

"Nuh uh! Iss mine!" Harry countered.

The girl gave a sharp tug on the fish, and Harry's weaker grip gave. The girl chick flipped end over end, before stopping on her back. But she still had the fish in her mouth.

"Iss MY fissss. You d'rty fisss stealer." She said through a mouthful of fish, and was about to turn away when the other chick made a strange noise.

Harry had managed to get a small mouthful of the fish, and swallowed it. It was so tasty. He licked the taste off of his beak. But the little bite made him even hungrier than before. And now the only food he had managed to get today was going away. He knew it wasn't nice to steal another's fish, but they all had parents who could get them some more. Harry had no one. Harry had never had anyone and he felt like he never would.

He started crying.

The girl chick turned around, surprised to see a BOY chick sitting in the snow, crying. But it wasn't just upset crying, it was the sound she made to her parents when she was hungry, but it was so loud!

She looked over at the little penguin. And he was so little! Smaller than her, but they had to be the same age. He was so... thin.

She looked down at the fish in her mouth. Her parents could just go out and get her another one. She looked down at the crying boy once more, and made up her mind.

Harry was crying, loudly, and he didn't care who heard him. He didn't care about anything anymore. He wished he was with his parents. He wished he had died with them when the cliff gave out and they crashed into the rocks. But he had lived, gaining nothing more than a scar.

And then a fish landed in his lap. It had a small chunk out of the tail, the chunk he had bitten off. He looked up, hardly able to see. It was the girl who had taken the fish back.

"You're really really hungry, aren't you?" She asked curiously.

Harry nodded.

"Then take it. Go on. My mum and dad can probably get me another one, and you look like you need it more than me." She said, looking down at him solemly.

Harry looked disbelieveingly at her, and then down at the fish. No one had ever given him food before, except his neighbor Mrs. Figg, but that was only once, and he didn't know her very well yet.

"Really?" He asked.

"Yeah." The girl said, nodding her head.

Harry grinned, and picked the fish up in his flippers. He looked down at the fish for a moment, and frowned.

The girl frowned too.

"Would... would you like to share it?" Harry said, quietly, and looked up at her.

The girl looked surprised, but then smiled. "Alright."

Harry held one side of the fish, and the girl the other. They smiled at each other and then started taking bites out of the fish. It wasn't long before it was gone. Harry swallowed down the rest of the head and tail as she looked at him.

"My name's Hermione." She said.

The tail slid past Harry's beak and down his throat. "I'm Harry." He said, after wiping his mouth.

They both smiled.

xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

Hermione's parents still didn't like him, but then again, they didn't know what Hermione knew, and refused to hear about it when she tried to tell them. So she kept her friendship with Harry a secret. She also often brought a fish to share with him.

Her parents were proud of her. She would eat her breakfast quickly and then run off to play with all her friends, although they thought she wouldn't let them meet them because she was afraid they would embarass her. They smiled fondly as Hermione polished off a third fish and then asked to go play. They nodded and smiled at her as she waddled away, before going to find their own breakfast.

Hermione looked around for her friend Harry. Almost every day she and Harry would go play where they first met, because the uneven ground wasn't a good nesting place. The extra fish was feeling large and uncomfortable in her belly, and she hoped she would find Harry soon.

But then there he was, sitting on a lightly snow covered lump of ice. He was moving the snow around with his fin and Hermoine knew he hadn't had anything to eat yet. But he looked up and smiled as she approached, before gazing at her hopefully. She nodded and regurgitated the extra fish. She felt tons better after that.

Harry took no time in gobbling up the fish, and when he was done he gave a little satisfied sigh.

"Thank you, Hermione." He said, leaning against her and snuggling up. She leaned her head against his for a moment, before Harry abruptly broke away.

"Tag, you're it!" He yelled, touching her with his fin and then running off. Hermione grinned and chased after him.

They played and played and played. Harry was feeling much better with a fish in his belly, and was laughing happily as Hermione tried to chase him down. But Harry was the fastest chick in the clan. However, Harry usually let Hermione catch him. But this wasn't one of those times.

Harry giggled and lept out of the way of Hermione's reaching fin. She growled at him playfully and tried to speed up.

"You'll never catch me, you'll never catch me!" Harry taunted.

"BOY!"

Harry tripped over his feet, and went sliding face first accross the ice. He looked up fearfully. Vernon was glaring down at him, with Petunia at his side.

Hermione had been startled by the shout also, and couldn't stop in time. She collided with Harry, landing on top of him. But she rolled off as Harry rolled over and stood up quickly.

Hermione looked up.

"Oh no.." She whispered. Beside Vernon and Petunia were her parents, and they were looking at her disaprovingly.

"Mom... daddy..." She said, but to no avail.

"Hermione. When Vernon told us what Dudley had seen... I didn't want to believe it. What are you doing hanging out with this.. this scavenger, after we expressly forbid it!" Her father said. Hermione felt tears welling up in her eyes. Her father had never yelled at her before.

"You... you don't understand. Harry's my friend."

"He's a troublemaker." Her mother said, glaring at Harry, who was just looking at them all with wide eyes. "And now he's made you late for school! Don't you want to get into a good class?"

Harry flinched. He hadn't noticed they had been playing so long.

"I do! Harry and I were just playing... we forgot the time!"

"Well you won't be forgetting it anymore. You're grounded! And you're never to see him again!" Her father yelled.

"What? No!" Hermione said, turning to Harry. "I won't leave, Harry, you're my friend."

Harry looked up at Vernon fearfully, and then turned sadly to Hermione.

"You'll always be my friend, Hermione." He whispered, as Vernon came down and grabbed him roughly to drag him away.

"Harry!" Hermione said, trying to leap after him and grab his fin, but her mother had come down and was hanging onto her.

"Harry! Harry!" She yelled. Her parents held her still until Vernon had taken Harry away.

"It's for the best, Hermione. You don't want to hang out with riffraff like him. He's lucky Vernon and Petunia even agreed to take him in."

"No... no it's not fair." She said quietly, shaking her head.

"Come, Hermione, you're late enough for school as it is. And you aren't to be talking to that boy any longer."

Hermione sniffled, looking towards where she had last seen Harry.

"You'll always be my friend too, Harry." She said, before turning to dejectedly follow her parents.

xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

Harry was completely... miserable. And it was all Dudley's fault. Stupid Dudley. He saw Harry and Hermione playing, and told his dad. Harry's Uncle then told Hermione's parents, and now Hermoine wasn't allowed to be friends with him anymore. Even worse than that, Vernon said Harry wasn't allowed to go to school any longer. Vernon had then hit him with his flipper when no one was looking, and sent him away.

Harry was sitting on top of a snow covered rock, as near to the school as he could get. Vernon was keeping an eye out making sure he didn't go anywhere. But it was still so far away. Harry closed his eyes and tried to listen. He thought he could almost hear them singing, and amongst them, Hermione's voice.

He opened his eyes. He could hear Hermione's voice. But that meant she had to be singing so loudly! Hermione always sang so quietly, she was very shy.

Harry knew then Hermione was singing for him, so he could hear too. He looked around for his Uncle, but he was far away, and not looking at Harry any longer.

Well, if he couldn't go to school, then he'd learn by himself. He listened for Hermione again, then opened his beak and began to sing along.

xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

High above the valley atop the cliffs, a dark figure looked down upon them. He looked about solemly with his dark eyes and sneered slightly as his gaze set upon their children, although he couldn't help but be slightly curious as he heard the small female voice rise high above the rest.

"I believe she is called Hermione." Said a voice beside him.

He looked over, turning his dark eyes onto a wise pair of blue ones.

"And why would I care, Albus?" He said, turning his head back to sneer at the children, Hermione now included.

"Oh, no reason." The old penguin said, smiling slightly. He looked down over the children, and then his eyes swept accross the grounds, but stopped shortly. He frowned. The other noticed, and tried to see what the sharp eyed old penguin had spotted.

It was a chick, and even from this distance it seemed small. It was a good way from the others, sitting on a snowy rock. He squinted down at it. The wind was blowing in the wrong direction, so he could not hear the chick.

But then the wind shifted, and the sound drifted up to them.

Even Dumbledore closed his eyes slightly as the sound rolled over him.

"Ahh... young Harry..." He said, but his voice was laced with sadness.

"Harry?" The dark eyed penguin said, looking over at Albus.

"Yes... young Lily and James' only chick.

"Potter." Snarled the other, now glaring down at the chick.

Albus looked over at the other dissaprovingly. "Now, now. He's just a little boy, Severus. Surely you can't hate him."

Severus glared a moment later, but then he looked away. "No. That would be very... foolish of me."

"I think the word you were looking for was 'childish,' Severus." Albus said with some amusement.

Severus growled, but on principle, not out of dissagreement.

Albus looked down at Harry once more, silently, before nodding.

"I think I'll send Hagrid for the new students tommorrow." He said absently.

Severus snorted. Hagrid was a big oaf of a penguin who watched the grounds for danger. He was good at his job, but sometimes no more than a big child himself.

Albus turned and smiled slightly at Severus. "I know what you're thinking, but Hagrid is the best penguin for the job."

"You know best, Albus." Severus said, his voice laced with sarcasm. He took one last look down at the tiny, lone penguin before turning away. If Hagrid was bringing the new students tommorrow, he had to prepare.

Albus himself stayed on the ledge, looking down on Harry also, but he had a small frown on his face.

xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

Harry waddled back to the Dursleys, on time today, and Petunia almost regretfully tossed him the remains of a fish. The bad parts, just the bones, head, and tail. But he ate it anyways without complaining. He ignored them, as they fed and played with Dudley, choosing to glare at the other chick once and then turn away like the night before. He glared down at the snowy ground then, as if it had wronged him.

He glared so long, that only a particularly sharp blast of wind against his face caught his attention. Harry lifted his head and shook the light dusting of snow off his feathers, looking around. Everyone was asleep. He probably had fallen asleep himself. Sighing, Harry moved back around to the other side of Vernon and Petunia, until the harsh wind hit him no more. He looked up at the dark sky, up at the stars.

Overhead, a bright light raced quickly by. Harry's heartbeat quickened. Hermione had told him that when you saw a shooting star, you were supposed to make a wish, and it might come true.

Harry closed his eyes, and saw the bright light go past again underneath his eyelids and in his memory.

"I wish..." Should he wish for his parents? Should he wish for his Aunt and Uncle to like him? Should he wish for all the fish he wanted? No, there was only one thing he wanted now.

"I wish Hermione and I could be together again." He said, his eyes shut so tight he feared they would never open again.

But they did. The immense void of the sky looked down at him. Harry looked back up at the unyielding sky. There were no more shooting stars.

He sighed, and tucked his head to his chest.

Sleep claimed him shortly.

xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

As he no longer had to go to school, the Dursleys didn't wake him. So therefore Harry didn't get breakfast. He also missed the chance to scrounge for a missed fish, because all the other chicks were already fed.

Harry knew he'd have to wait for later, so he decided to find something to do. He couldn't make himself go to where he and Hermione played. It would only remind him of the loss of his friend.

He went back up to the rock from the day before, but today he couldn't hear Hermione's voice. The teacher had probably told her sing quieter. Harry sighed. He didn't want to have to look at them if he couldn't hear. He slid off the rock on his belly and pushed himself slowly along.

He wasn't really watching where he was going, just pushing himself along, and therefore he accidentally ran into something.

Harry blinked, his vision clearing, and saw that his face was right next to a foot. An enormous foot. The biggest foot Harry had ever seen in his life. Harry gaped, pushing himself back and up onto his feet. He swayed unsteadily as he looked up, up, up into the black, friendly eyes of the largest penguin he had ever seen.

His mouth gaped open, until Harry realized he was staring rudely. But the giant penguin didn't seem to mind. He was chuckling slightly.

Harry couldn't look up any further and fell back on his behind.

The giant gave out a guffaw of laughter and reached his giant flippers down to help Harry stand up.

"Scuse me little feller." He said.

His voice was booming, and Harry had never heard such an accent.

"Oh.. ex.. excuse me sir." He said, when he had finally found his voice. "It was my fault, I apologize."

Harry looked down at his feet, scuffling them across the snow.

"S'all right, kiddo." The giant said. "M' name's Hagrid, what's yers?"

"H-Harry. My name's Harry."

"Potter?" The giant said in surprise. Harry looked confused, and then nodded. He hardly ever got called by his last name. Everyone around here had only one name. Having a second name, to Harry, only added to his weirdness. Especially because no one had told him what having a second name would mean. He had never told it to Hermione in fear that she wouldn't want to be his friend anymore.

"Why yer jes' the lad I was lookin' fer." The giant said, smiling.

Harry still looked confused. What would this penguin want with him?

"Oh!" The giant said. "'Scuse me, the name's Rubeus Hagrid, but people call me by my las' name."

"You have a last name too?" Harry said curiously. Hagrid chuckled at him.

"'Course!" He said. "So did my parents. Yer parents too."

"You knew my parents?" Harry said, his eyes shining.

Hagrid nodded. "Nicer set of people yeh couldn't find. Or better singers. They were the 'ead of their class."

"My mom and dad went to Smeltings?" Harry said in awe, his Uncle had never told him that.

"Smeltings? The muggle teacher? Naw... yer parents went to Hogwarts. 'Course, Hogwarts ain't a teacher, it's a school!"

"Hogwarts?" Harry said. He couldn't help but think the word was familiar. Maybe his parents had said it to him when he was baby.

"Yep. I'm 'ere teh take you and a few o' the others ter Hogwarts. Dumbledore sent me." He said, puffing up with pride.

"Dumbledore?" Harry asked.

"'E's the 'eadmaster of Hogwarts." Hagrid said. "Didn't yer relatives tell yeh 'bout it? Yeh've been a sure thing fer the school since yer were born. With yer parent's an' all, how couldn't ye?"

"No, they didn't. All they told me about my parents was that they died when the cliff gave away and they crashed into the rocks."

"What? That's a load o' rubbish! A crash kill Lily and James Potter?"

"But.. but my Aunt and Uncle..."

"Yeh really don't know?" Hagrid said, looking apprehensive.

"No..." Harry said with some distress, shaking his head.

Hagrid frowned some. "C'mere... I s'pose it's up ter me teh tell yeh the story."

Harry shuffled closer, somewhat glad for Hagrid's warmth.

"Well, Harry, yer parents were the top o' the class. Almos' everbody loved em. Yer mum, well she didn't like yer da at first, but warmed up ter him later. Anyway, see, above the valley, on top o' the cliffs, is a whole 'nother society o' penguins. They all got last names, see? "

"A whole other clan on top of the cliffs?" Harry said with awe. He thought that the only emperor penguins that existed were the ones in the valley.

"Yep. See, them's the first clan. From back before the Penguin Mumble brought the aliens, when the fish were scarce. A short time after the aliens came, strange Emperor penguins began showin' up. They had all sorts o' stories about aliens and strange creatures and such. Well, some of the firs' clan didn't like the newcomers, 'specially those who stuck ter the old faith. An' after a few years, more and more kept a comin'. It got so crowded that one day, the first penguins, as they called themseleves, broke off o' the new clan and moved ter high above the cliffs. The day they did, they all took last names ter seperate 'em from the others. The others, muggles we call em, noticed at first, but then after a while, they mostly fergot 'bout us. But we ain't gone. Once a year the 'eadmaster sends down someone to invite the best singers up ter Hogwarts. Hogwarts is full of the best teachers from here ter the other side o' the ice. So its much be'er than Smeltings. But gettin' back ter the story. See, not everyone agrees with bringin' muggleborn, as children brought up from the valley 'r called, inter our society, see. So a few years back, a group of 'em sought out help. They wanted ter get rid o' all the muggles, so they could move back down ter the Valley. But there are more muggles then us, so they needed help. It's said that they went ter the very edge of the ice, and there.. they found Him."

Hagrid shivered.

"Who... who is Him?" Harry asked. He couldn't understand why Hagrid was afraid.

"Him... Him is you-know-who. But 'is real name is... " Hagrid was reluctant to say it.

"Can you spell it?"

"No. Can't spell worth a lick." Hagrid said. "Alright, but I won't say it again."

He leaned down towards Harry and whispered in his ear. "Voldemort"

"Voldemort?" Harry said. The name didn't seem very scary to him.

"Don' say the name!" Hagrid said frantically, looking around nervously."Anyways, you-know-who is a gigantic brute of a Leopard seal. As white as the snow with eyes as red as blood, and full 'er evil an' malice ter boot."

"A leopard seal!" Harry said in fear.

"Aye. The ones who went to 'im, they only lived because they promised Him that they'd help 'im anyway they could if he'd take care o' the muggles for 'em."

"But.. but that's horrible!" Harry said.

"Aye. 'course, not ev'rbody agreed with 'em when He started showin' up. Dumbledore's one of 'em. That an' the council. The rogue penguins, the ones that brought Voldemort, we call em Death Eaters."

"Doesn't that mean that Vol.. I mean, you-know-who is killing penguins right now?"

"No." Hagrid said, smiling slightly. "See, the deal was tha' you-know-who would drive the muggles out, and let the last name penguins, the purebloods, take the valley. In return, the Death Eaters would make a path so you-know-who could get there, cuz Leopard Seals are rubbish on land. Then 'e could 'ave 'is fill o' the muggles."

"But he wouldnt' eat the penguins with the last names?" Harry said."But... he did..."

Hagrid nodded gravely. "See, some 'o us, includin' Dumbledore, din't want that ter happen. So there was resistance. There four groups o' people. The deatheaters, the Council, Dumbledore's group, and the ones who didn't care for either side. Yer mum and dad were part o' the resistance. Fer some reason, He turned his sights on yer parents, and one night when yeh were just a little chick, he attacked 'em. Now, no one he e'er attacked before lived, 'cept you. And that night 'e killed yer parents, yeh survived with nothin' more than that scar, and you-know-who dissappeared. And 'e ain't been seen since. Somethin' about yeh stumped him that night, Harry. Now most everybody thinks e's gone fer good. But tha's codswallop in my opinion. No, I reckon he's still out there, biding his time."

Harry was silent. It was a lot to take in that his parents had been murdered instead of died in an accident. But there was a question he had.

"But... everyone doesn't think I defeated Vol.. you-know-who, do they?" He asked.

Hagrid looked at him in surprised. "But o' course yeh defeated 'im, 'arry. Yer the Boy-who-lived. Yer famous!"

"Me? Famous?" Harry said skeptically.

"O'course!" Hagrid said, slapping a fin on his shoulder. Harry almost fell over. "Come on now, its gettin' late and we got a couple more students to collect, eh?"

Hagrid walked past him, and it only took Harry a moment to turn and waddle after him.

It took a while to get the other chicks. Many of them were from different classes that Harry had never met before. But they hadn't gotten to his class yet. He hadn't talked to many of them out of fear they had heard about him and would be mean like Dudley. Every chick they had collected had to bring their parents over so Hagrid could tell them about Hogwarts and why their children had been accepted for the school. Almost every parent had consented to let their chicks to go the school, even though they wouldn't see them until they were grown up.

Harry had been thinking about what Hagrid had told him, and not paying much attention, so he was startled when he was tackled to the ground by someone.

"Harry!" Said a happy female voice.

"Hermione!" Harry said, smiling. Hermione hugged him and he hugged Hermione back. Hagrid saw them and chuckled. Hermione pulled them both up and looked around to make sure her parents weren't nearby, before she hugged Harry again.

"I've got to go, Harry. Lets sneak away later so we can play!" she said.

Harry opened his mouth to tell her he would be going to Hogwarts, but Hermione squeaked and let go of him, looking in a moment as if she hadn't been squeezing the life out of him. Her parents came walking up a moment later and didn't even notice Harry. They were looking at Hagrid.

"Hermione?" Hagrid said, looking down at her.

"Yes sir, that's my name." Hermione said with confusion. Her parents had come up beside her by now and were looking up at Hagrid with awe, confusion, and a little fear.

"Can we help you?" Hermione's father said.

"Yes. M'name's Rubeus Hagrid, Keeper of Grounds at Hogwarts."

"Hogwarts?" Hermione's parents said, looking confused.

"Hogwarts is the best school on the ice. Even better than Smeltings."

"Better than Smeltings?" Hermione's mother said, looking intrigued.

"Aye, Hogwarts is a school fer talented young penguins. We've got teachers fer every type o' music. Hogwarts 'as been acceptin' only the best fer years an' years."

"Then how come we haven't heard of it?" Hermione's father said.

"Because its a very exclusive school." Hagrid said. "Only the best o' the best attend."

"And.. you attended?" Hermione's mother said skeptically. Hagrid nodded proudly, and took a deep breath.

Then he let it out in song. "Fiiiigaro, figaro, figaro, fiiii-gaaaaa-rooooo." His voice rolled accross the ground like thunder, shaking a few loose chips of ice. Hermione's parents looked impressed, as did several others around them.

"And our little girl has been chosen to attend?" Hermione's father said. Hagrid grinned, and Harry, who had been listening, grinned too.

"Yep, course. Hogwarts is a bit diffrent than t'other classes. It's high up on the cliffs, and she won't be able to come home until she's grown."

Hermione's parents frowned slightly but looked down at Hermione.

"Please can I go, please?" She asked, her eyes wide and imploring.

Her parents looked to each other, unsure.

"And Hogwarts is the best of the best of the best?" Her mother asked Hagrid hesitantly.

Hagrid nodded. "None better. Yer daughter will learn things at Hogwarts she'd never learn at Smeltings."

"Then... she can go." Hermoine's father said, and her mother nodded. "Does.. she need to go right now?"

Hagrid nodded. "Yer Hermione is the last I was ter collect."

Hermione's parents leaned down and hugged her for the last time they would in many months. Hermione hugged them back, almost not wanting to go, but then they let go of her and pushed her towards Hagrid with their fins.

"Go on, hun. We'll see you in a few months. That isn't so long." Her mother said, sniffling.

"I love you mom, I love you dad!" She said, waving, and then ran over to join the others. She gave one last wave to her parents as Hagrid called for them all to move out.

It was only a few moments later that she remembered Harry. If Harry was here.. that meant...

"Harry!" She yelled.

Harry, who had been waiting for her to realize and was walking behind her, poked her in the back.

"Harry!" She said happily, tackling him.

"Oi, you too, keep up!" Hagrid said from the front. Harry helped Hermione up and they both ran to keep up with the others.

Even though it was still daytime, not even dinner yet, Harry looked up at the sky and smiled.

"Thank you.." He whispered to no one in particular.

The walk up the cliff was long and exhausting. Some of the others were grumbling quietly by the time they got to the top.

"Are we there yet?" Asked one boy called Dean Thomas.

"Almos'." Hagrid said. "But this is the fun part."

Hagrid lay down on his belly and looked back at them. "Come on! And follow me!"

Hagrid kicked off with his gigantic feet, and the children followed. Harry and Hermione were amongst the last. They pushed their tiny feet against the ice and screamed in excitement as the cliff almost dropped out and they began to slide.

They went down and down and down. They twisted and turned in what was a gigantic, polished slide. All the children were screaming in excitement.

It took a few moments but finally they all shot out of the end and landed in the snow. They were all giggling and laughing, and it took a moment for them to realize there were children that hadn't been with them standing by.

Most of them looked at the new children nervously or indifferently, excited to go to Hogwarts. However, a few of them were sneering at the new group in a way that reminded Harry of Dudley. One in particular, who was a light grey on his head instead of black, looked particularly nasty.

He grumbled something to two penguin boys who were even taller than Dudley, and then smirked at the new group evily.

"Everyone's 'ere then?" Hagrid said. The children nodded nervously and they all clustered together as one group.

"Come on then." Hagrid encouraged, walking forward until they came to an almost see through frozen lake. Harry had never seen anything like it before, being so far in the ice. Many of the others were looking at in wonder also.

Hagrid took a step out and lay on his belly again, pushing himself accross it.

The children followed, slightly afraid the ice would break open despite the fact it hadn't for Hagrid's imense frame. They pushed themselves along for a minute, until finally they rounded a bend and saw a gigantic structure of ice jutting up from the ground.

Harry looked around and saw that not far off in the distance was the other clan of penguins. He could barely see them, but from what he observed, they seemed no different from the ones below.

Hermione elbowed him because they had come to the end of the ice and hadn't been paying attention. He scrambled forwards until he was on his feet, and waddled after everyone.

THey passed through a shining arc of ice and into what appeared to be a large cave, with tunnels that went off in five different directions.

Harry was ready to follow Hagrid again, when an older looking penguin came walking out of the tunnel on the far right. The children's attention turned to her.

"The new chicks, Professor Mcgonagal." Hagrid said respectfully.

"Thank you, Hagrid." She said, and then turned to the students.

"My name is Professor Mcgonagal, and I teach... Golden oldies." She closed her eyes momentarily and then opened them again. "Welcome to Hogwarts, the best school for the brightest students. Here we have four houses, one of which each of you will go. Each house has a Head of house, who watches after you. I am head of Gryffindor house. In a moment, you all will be going into the great hall to join the rest of the students. They comprise of yearlings. You will spend either a total of one year or two in school, depending on your progress." She turned her head to look over her shoulder. "Come."

The children followed her nervously through the hallway until they were in front of an even grander archway, and then walked inside.

Yearlings were standing in eight lines so that they formed four groups. Between every other line was a pile of fish. Harry gaped. He had never seen so many fish before in his life. He wondered who had caught them all. At the head of the room was a line of very wise, noble looking penguins. Harry figured they were the teachers.

The children all shuffled towards the front of the room. Mcgonagal stood in front of a strange, icy mound in the hall, and surprisingly called them up one by one and in alphabetical order.

It wasn't too long before they got to Hermione's name. But like a few others, a last name wasn't called for her.

She walked up, and stuck a flipper inside the small hole. Each chick had to reach into the hole and pick out a stone. Your house depended on its shape. Mcgonagal had told them that the Great Guin who overlooked them and brought the fish would pick their house according to their personalities.

Hermione fished around for only a moment, and then brought out a slightly red, rough stone.

"Gryffindor!" Mcgonagal called out, and Hermione tossed the stone back up into the opening.

More and more names were called, until it was Harry's turn.

"Potter, Harry!" Mcgonagal called.

The other students all started whispering, and Dumbledore leaned forward slightly.

Harry was nervous, but he closed his eyes for a moment and took a deep breath, before opening his eyes. His song inside just managed to drown out all the whispering, and he walked determinedly forward, sticking his fin into the hole.

He fished around for a moment. It was impossible to tell with their flippers what shape or texture the rock was, so the picking was totally random, even though it oddly seemed like chicks went to the houses that suited their personality the best. He couldn't see the Malfoy boy being a Hufflepuff or a Gryffindor.

Harry's flipper caught two stones, and Harry debated a moment before shaking off one. 'Please let me be with Hermione, please let me be with Hermione!' He pleaded, and then drew out his flipper with his eyes closed.

"Gryffindor!" Professor Mcgonagal called out, and Harry opened his eyes, smiling when he saw the rough, red stone in his flipper. He tossed the stone up and it went over the edge (unlike poor Neville Longbottom, who had hit Mcgonagal in the head with his stone) and went to stand next to Hermione.

She smiled at him and put a flipper around him as they both stared at the abundance of fish layed out before them.

"You'll never have to be hungry again, Harry." Hermione whispered, as a boy penguin with small black spots in his white face feathers came to stand beside her. He gave them a sort of funny look, but almost dived into the fish as Dumbledore told them to eat.

Harry couldn't eat more than one small fish, having such a small stomach, but the thought that this would be a regular occurance warmed him, and he sat back as everyone else continued eating.

xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

Up at the head of the room, many teachers glanced around at their new students as they ate. The headmaster, in particular, was watching one small penguin. Joining him in his observation were Professor Mcgonagal and Professor Snape, who sat on either side of him.

They saw Harry eat just the one small fish, while the other children, even the youngest, indulged in at least two large ones, if not three.

Dumbledore turned back to his own fish, looking contemplative. Mcgonagal frowned, and gave an undeterminable look towards Dumbledore.

Snape gave no outward change in facial expression, but inside he wondered. Here, chicks were treated like gold. Because unlike down in the Valley, there weren't as many every year, and where they lived was slightly more dangerous. Severus himself had never lost a chick, but that was because he did not yet have a mate. Dumbledore had lost one many years ago, however, along with his wife, and had no heirs for his name. Severus personally thought Albus and Minerva should just stop skirting around each other and mate already. Minerva had no mate either. Severus wondered if he would manage to find a mate this year. He was already three years old, and would be four by the time the next mating season came around. He, unlike some, didn't really care who his mate would be. Whether they would be pureblood or half-blood or muggleborn or muggle. But he knew he wasn't a very nice penguin, and not that easy to get along with. He could only hope that this would be his year.

He scowled down at his fish and finally ate it.

xxxxxxxxxxxxx

After dinner, they were led in four groups to four seperate caves, where they all huddled up, together, inside and away from the wind, to sleep. It was a new experience for Harry, and he really liked the fact that Hermione could stay with him.

Both of them had made a new friend during dinner, named Ron Weasley. He told Harry and Hermione that he had two brothers still in school, Fred and George. They were twins, looked exactly alike, and were in their last year of schooling. Ron had three older brothers besides those two who had already graduated.

He told them Fred and George probably could have graduated the year before, but they slacked off and played jokes instead of learning.

Hermione had told Ron about her family and what it was like to live down in the Valley, while Harry told Ron about his relatives. Ron seemed in awe of Harry for a little while but got over it. When asked, he had told Harry and Hermione what it was like living on the cliffs.

At the moment, he was standing on Hermione's other side. He had fallen asleep almost instantly.

Hermione was asleep also. Harry sighed and snuggled against her some more, happier than he had ever been in his entire life.

xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

Hermione woke both Ron and Harry in the mornings. She was excited, beyond excited. It was the first day of classes! She didn't even know what classes each teacher taught! Ron grumbled but Harry was awake almost instantly, and in a few more minutes everyone in the Gryffindor cave was awake and ready for breakfast.

They had asked the other day, and Ron told them that there were people whose job it was to catch fish and bring them up to the school. His mother and father had told him that there was a gap in the lake where fish were abundant.

Fish again were laid out in five lines, but unlike yesterday they didnt' have to wait to eat. And unlike yesterday, Harry managed to eat two small fish, grinning with satisfaction afterwards.

When he was done, he took the time to look around at the others, as he hadn't the night before. The teachers were all formidable looking, and Harry couldn't wait to begin learning. All the older students looked slightly awkward, with a ring of downy feathers around their necks, and down their torso. Some had yellow showing around their necks already, while others still had feathers all down the upper part of their chest and back. Harry ruffled his feathers slightly, marveling at how much warmer it was inside the cave than outside as he waited for Hermione and their new friend to finish eating. Ron seemed to be a bottomless pit, and Harry wondered how his mother managed to feed him.

But finally even Ron was satisfied, and a few moments after that Dumbledore gained everyone's attention.

"The older students will no doubt remember how classes go, but the new students wont. Every house will be broken up into three groups. The youngest in each house will all stay together, and you will be attending classes together. The older yearlings will be broken up into two groups per house, because they are taking more in depth classes. So just stick with your house, children, and you should be alright."

Everyone started talking as the heads of houses came up to their young class. The older students already knew where to go.

"Alright then. You'll all need to remember your class schedule, so listen closely." She said.

"Today you will be studying the "Golden Oldies" or so I like to call them, the classics, with me. This includes music such as ragtime and swing. Tommorrow you will attend class with Professor Flitwick, who teaches Hip-hop. The day after you will join Professor Snape for Gospel and Traditional musics. The day after that you have Professor Sprout, and she teaches Country. Then there is Professor Binns, who teaches Jazz, Professor Quirrel who teaches Rythm and Blues, Professor Lupin who teaches Rock and Pop, Professor Aster who teaches Melodic and Classical Music, and finally Professor Conrad who teaches various, lesser known genres of music. "

The children were all looking at her with wide eyes, and she looked at them with sympathy.

"It is an awful lot to remember" She said. "But you can always ask the older students for help. They had the same shedule in their first year and know where all the classrooms are. But today we are starting out with my class, so you will at least know where it is. Follow me!"

The children, still bewildered, followed behind her and tried to remember which tunnel they took and which way they turned for the next time they would have her class.

xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

And so was the routine. They each eventually remembered what class was what day, and how to get to the classroom, going to each class once every eight days. Learning was exhausting, and the homework was hard, but they all prevailed, becoming better and better singers every day.

Harry for one loved all of his classes, although the Gospel and Traditional music teacher, Professor Snape, didn't seem to like teaching and favoured the chicks of his own house. Harry couldn't really blame him, although others of his house really did not like Professor Snape. Harry had learned that Snape was almost four years old, without a mate. So he figured the chicks in Professor Snape's house must be like children to him.

Snape treated him mostly with indifference, which Harry prefered to hostility. He held no grudge against the teacher, and was interested to learn his musical trade, because it wasn't taught in the valley.

One person Harry did hold a grudge against was Draco Malfoy. He was always picking on Hermione in a way that was meaner and more dangerous than Dudley ever could have, calling her a Mudblood and picking on the fact that she had no last name. Ron had a really bad temper and would often go charging at Draco when Draco picked on Hermione. Harry and Hermione would have to hold him back so he didn't get in trouble.

Besides Draco Malfoy, life was fun and peaceful. Food was plentiful, and everyone was happy.

xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

Months passsed, and they grew. The older students shed almost all of their baby feathers and looked more like the adults every passing day.

Harry, Hermione, and Ron too had grown. They were now losing a bit of the down from their legs, the tips of their wings, and their tails. But they were still a good few months from being able to graduate.

Of course, the majority of the students stayed on to attend more indepth classes of their choice.

They were talking about it one day, when Hermione said something unexpected.

"I don't think I'm going to stay for the second year."

Harry and Ron's head whipped towards her.

"Hermione? The best of all her classes, Ms. Know-it-all, isn't going to take the second year?" Ron said skeptically.

She blushed some. "No... I mean..when I graduate, I'm going back down to the valley, and with a years education here, I've already got more knowledge than they do. I'd like to be a teacher, I think."

"You're going back down to the Valley?" Ron asked, confused. "Why?"

Hermione huffed at him. "The valley is my home. Besides, my parents think I'm only spending a year up here. If I stayed for two, they'd think.. they'd think I'd died. No, I'm graduating at the end of the year."

"Me too." Ron said finally. "My brothers all stayed two years, but I don't really think I need to bother. I just want to graduate and raise a family with someone. What about you, Harry?" Ron asked.

Harry looked down, contemplative. "I don't know... I guess I'll go with Hermione."

"Oh... Harry." Hermione said, putting a fin on his shoulder. "You shouldn't put give up your education for me. Remember what we said when we were kids? We'll always be friends, Harry. And I'll be right down in the valley waiting when you decide to return."

Harry ducked his head and grinned. "Alright.. if I can't find a mate, then I think I'm going to stay."

"Well, there's a good couple of months left, anyway, no need for us to be talking about this stuff now." Ron said. "Besides, It's dinner time!"

Harry and Hermione rolled their eyes, before following Ron down the hallway to the Great Hall.

xxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

Harry's favororite class was Rock and Pop. At first it was because the music was so lively and fun to dance to, but then he had learned that the teacher knew his parents.

Professor Lupin had let the fact slip out, accidentally it seemed, at the end of their fifth lesson.

Harry had been the last one out of the class, and just before he left, the Professor said, slightly nervously, "Mr. Potter, you're a very good singer, even better than your parents."

Harry had stopped and whirled around.

"You knew my parents?" Harry asked.

The professor brightened some and nodded. "Yes, your parents were my dearest friends."

"Really?" Harry said. "Could... could you tell me about them sometime?"

"I'm free tommorrow, after your class. Tommorrow is a free day for me."

"Alright!" Harry said, beaming. "Thank you!"

He was so estatic, he ran up and gave the Professor a hug, who returned it in surprise.

"See you tommorrow, Professor." He said, leaving the classroom.

As he walked down the hall, he was so happy he was humming. He also wasn't paying attention, and was incredibly surprised to see Draco Malfoy leaning against the wall up the hall. He was looking at Harry neutrally, but there was a glint of malice deep in his grey eyes.

"Malfoy." Harry said, not wanting to start anything, trying to walk by him.

Malfoy moved so that Harry wouldn't touch any part of his body, which was strange. Usually Malfoy tried to shove Harry every opportunity he got.

"What's your problem?" Harry asked, not being able to help himself.

"I saw you, you hugged Lupin."

Harry blushed some, but kept his defensive stance. "So what?"

"Don't you even know what Lupin IS?" Malfoy asked, his tone implying he couldn't believe Harry was so uninformed.

"A professor?" Harry said tauntingly, looking at Malfoy as if he was a moron.

"No, he and his kind are the reason there's so few eggs every year." Malfoy replied.

"His kind? Professor Lupin is an emperor penguin, just like you and I."

Malfoy snorted. "For one, don't include yourself in any sentence including myself and a comparison between us. Secondly, Lupin is nothing more than a dirty p..."

"Malfoy!" Came a dangerously cool voice. Draco jumped, before noticing who it was and relaxing.

"Professor Snape, Potter and I were just having a chat." He said nonchalantly.

"Go to the cave, now, Mr. Malfoy." Professor Snape said, glaring at him.

Malfoy looked dumbstruck. "But sir..." He protested.

"Now, Mr. Malfoy." Professor Snape said, in a tone that meant extreme impatience.

Draco grumbled, hanging his head, but shuffled off towards his house's cave. Harry watched him, and then turned to see Snape still standing there, looking at him. Harry really wanted to know what was going on.

"What... I mean... Professor Snape, what was he talking about?"

Snape looked down at him for a moment, and then shook himself slightly in irritation.

"If you want to know, I suggest you ask Lupin during your little... Talk tommorrow." Was all he said, before he moved off.

Frowning, Harry watched the hallway where Snape had dissapeared down for a few moments also, and then went to catch up to Ron and Hermione.

xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

The next day, Harry left Professor Aster's class with great excitement. He said goodbye to Ron and Hermione, and hurried to Professor Lupin's classroom.

Professor Lupin was not the only one in the room. There was also a tall penguin with very little colour around his neck, and more black than a full grown emperor penguin usually had. When Harry came in, the penguin turned to look. Harry looked into his eyes with were a blueish grey and very... mischevious looking. Harry got the feeling, by looking at this penguin, that he and Fred and George were of a similar mold.

"Erm... Hello." Harry said, nervously.

"Harry! I can't believe it's really you! Look at how you've grown!" said the strange penguin, before coming forward and seizing Harry in a hug.

Harry was extremely bewildered, and decided to try and bare it.

"Sirius." Professor Remus said in a way of a parent reprimanding a child. "Harry doesn't know who you are, remember?"

"Oh.. yeah." Sirius said, and let go. But he didnt' move very far away.

"This scoundrel is Sirius Black, he was a friend of your parent's also." Remus said.

"Oh! It's nice to meet you!" Harry said, nodding to the strange penguin.

"Oh he's so polite!" Sirius said enthusiastically. "What went wrong?" He said the next moment, drooping sadly.

Remus shook his head at the penguin and hit him upside the head. He then turned to Harry.

"So I believe you wanted to know about your parents, right?" He asked. Harry nodded his head enthusiastically.

"Well, grab a patch of ice." Sirius grinned, pulling Harry along to sit by them.

Harry let himself be dragged and plopped himself down to wait.

Remus and Sirius told Harry of how they had met his father, James, on the way to school. They had been instant friends, just as James had been instantly infatuated with Harry's mother the moment he saw her. Harry learned that his father had been a pureblood, and his mother had been from the valley, which wasn't really news to him. His mother's sister was of the Valley, so his mum had to have been Muggleborn. They told Harry how they all were real pranksters, and some of the jokes they played. Several times Remus stopped Sirius from saying something, to which Sirius would say "Oh, right, sorry." or "It's just Sniv..." before continuing. The latter sentence was usually followed by a slap to the head for the black penguin.

But as good natured as Sirius Black seemed to be, even he seemed to have his limits.

Harry watched, wide eyed. One moment Remus was lifting his flipper to fwap Sirius on the back of the head, and the next moment Sirius had leaped at Remus, pinning him down to the floor. Sirius was slightly larger than Remus, but he still had a hard time of it.

"Quit slapping me, Lupin!" Sirius said, but his tone was sort of whiny.

"Well stop saying things you have no business saying." Remus said, in a bossy tone.

Sirius frowned at Remus for at least ten seconds but then he seemed to sag.

"All right..." He grumbled, and got up. He still looked extremely pouty, however, and was frowning at the floor.

Lupin got up and stood next to him, before he rubbed his beak on Sirius's cheek. Sirius smiled slightly, and leaned into it, then Remus and Sirius rubbed their beaks together affectionately.

And then oddly, they both stopped, and turned to look at Harry.

Harry blinked owlishly back at them.

Remus hit Sirius in the head with a flipper. It was sort of hard, so Sirius fell over and landed at Harry's feet. Harry giggled.

"Er... we can explain, Harry." Sirius said. His voice was slightly muffled.

"Explain what?" Harry said, not quite getting what was wrong. "You ARE mates, aren't you?"

"Uh... Yeah." Sirius said, pushing himself up some.

"Well why would I care?" Harry said, slightly frustrated. Down in the Valley, you mated with whomever was compatible with your song. This often meant two boy penguins would end up mated together, or two female penguins. They wouldn't ever produce eggs, of course, but that didn't matter, since there was always a healthy crop of children each year.

Suddenly Harry remembered the strange comment Malfoy had given him the day before.

"He and his kind are the reason there's so few eggs every year."

"Is.. there something wrong, Harry?" Remus asked. Harry had been quiet, almost looking as if he was brooding, for a short while.

"I was just er... remembering something Malfoy said the other day. It was after I left your classroom." Harry explained. "For some reason he wouldn't even touch me.. not that I'd want him to! But when I asked him what was wrong... he said that you and your kind are the reason there's so few eggs every year."

Remus and Sirius sagged, looking very sad.

"Mates who cannot produce eggs are very looked down on in the cliffs because there are so few children these days to carry on the old traditions. But the old families refuse to let their children go down to the vally to find their true mates. Instead they... arrange mates for their children." Remus informed him.

Harry gasped. That sounded horrible, to never be with the one person you were meant to be with. It made him feel very sad. And then he remembered Ron.

"Ron?" He prompted, anxiously.

Remus smiled. "No, he will not have an arranged mate. The Weasleys and a few other families don't believe in it. Your father's family was one that did not believe in it, not that it mattered anyway. James would never have mated with anyone except Lily."

"My family, though, was a different story." Sirius said bitterly. "Almost from the moment I was born it was arranged that I would be mated with my cousin, Bellatrix Black."

Harry made a disgusted face. "Your cousin?"

Sirius nodded. "There are families like the Weasleys, but most of the families are like mine was. They're all so stuck in their ways that they refuse to let their children be with their mates, even if the muggleborn or half-blood was a Hogwarts graduate. Instead they arranged mates within families of the same ideals. Over time, all the mating within families produced some... defects."

Harry didn't have to think about it for more than a moment. "Like how Malfoy is coloured all funny?" He asked, refering to the grey colour that Malfoy sported on his head.

"Me too." Sirius said.

Harry hadn't wanted to say anything, but he immediately had wondered about Sirius also.

"My mother was mated to her great-uncle, who had recently lost his mate." Sirius said, grimacing.

"Do you still see them?" Harry asked, curious.

Sirius sneered, and shook his head. "They both died ages ago, my younger brother Regulus, too. The three of them were supporters of His ways, but my brother went so far as to actually join Him."

Harry gasped in shock. And then he shook his head sadly. He couldn't imagine how someone could hold such hatred for those in the Valley that they'd be willing to side with a bloodthirsty leopard seal to achieve their ends.

"So er... you really don't care about... us?" Remus asked, pointing to himself then Sirius, as if Harry had forgotten.

"No." Harry said, chuckling. "In the Valley, the songs choose our mates."

Sirius and Remus thought about that and looked wistful.

"That sounds wonderful. If only it could be the same here." Remus said. Sirius gave Remus an affectionate nudge, which was returned freely this time, since they knew they wouldn't scare Harry away.

"So who's ... Sniv... el.. us?" Harry asked abruptly. He'd have to be stupid not to pick up the name from all the times Sirius mentioned it.

Sirius looked at Remus, and Remus shrugged and sighed.

"Snivellous, Harry, is Snape." Sirius said, with a strange glint in his eye.

"Professor Snape?" Harry said, bewildered.

"Your father and Sirius... and myself and.. someone else... used to.. well.. we were bullies." Remus said.

Harry blinked, shocked. He couldn't ever see Remus as a bully.

"We weren't bullies! We just played some pranks on him sometimes. You have to hear about the time we put rocks in his fish! Or the time he got his tongue frozen to the ice! Or the time we sung the wrong words to his mating song to him during mating season and made him mess up! It was sooo funny... uh... Harry?" Sirius stopped abruptly, looking at Harry apprehensively.

For Harry hadn't found those things very funny at all, for he too knew what it felt like to be on the wrong end of a bully's wrath. And what if they had all messed up Professor Snape so he had missed out on meeting his mate? The last one in particular made him so angry, he went right up to Sirius and pushed him over. Sirius fell onto the ice with a small thump, and looked dazed. Harry turned his blazing green eyes to Remus, who looked away.

Harry couldn't stand to be in the room with them any longer. He whirled away and ran out the door. How could a day that promised to be filled with such fun and excitement end so sourly?

Harry was running through the halls so fast without caring where he was going, that he eventually and quite abruptly ran right into someone.

"Ooof!" Harry said in extreme surprise, as he landed on a squishy body.

"I-I'm s-sorry..." Harry said, sniffling, as he rolled off and wiped at his eyes. He hadn't even noticed he was crying. It was quite useless to offer a flipper to someone who was almost a third larger than him, but he tried anyway.

The flipper was ignored, and when Harry finally took a second to look at the other penguin, he realized it was Professor Snape.

Just looking at him made Harry even sadder, and his emerald coloured eyes began to fill up with tears once again. Snape, who had at first scowled in annoyance, looked down at the quietly crying little penguin and couldn't help but change his facial expression somewhat.

"Are you alright, boy?" He asked gruffly.

Harry nodded, and then shook his head, before strangely and abruptly throwing himself at the Gospel Professor.

A tad confused, Severus patted the penguin boy's back once, and then put a flipper on his shoulder, pushing him back so he could see his face.

He saw the scar at once.

"Potter?" He said quietly, with some surprise. What could cause Potter to latch himself to Snape so? True, he didn't antagonize him for some sort of petty revenge, although he'd wanted to. But mostly he just ignored this particular boy.

"I'm sorry! I'm s-sorry!" Harry said, another tear falling from his eye.

Severus thought it was for knocking him down. He was sort of irritated. "It's not like you did any damage." Which was true, because Harry was still rather small for his age.

"Oh... I'm not sorry for running into you." Harry said, but then stopped and ammended his statement nervously. "I mean, I am.. but that's not what I was saying sorry for."

"Well, what were you saying sorry for, then?" Severus said. He wasn't sort of irritated any longer, he WAS irritated.

But Harry didn't seem to want to say, now. He looked at the floor and scuffed the snow with his foot.

"Well! Out with it!" Severus said, a bit loudly.

Harry jumped, but then took a deep breath, swallowed, and let the breath out, and took in another one.

"I'm sorry my Father was so mean to you." Harry said, looking sorrowfully up at Snape. "I can't say I'm sorry for S-Black or Lupin, because they should because they're still alive. But my dad's not so I should be the one to say sorry, even though he should be the one, but he can't. And even though it might not mean as much coming from me and not my father, I really really am sorry. Did... did they really make you miss your mate? I can't believe he was so mean... I... I hate him."

Severus blinked in surprise. This had not been what he was expecting not what he was expecting at all. An apology from Potter's son? The boy, while rambling slightly, had gotten it right, it didn't really make up for all the times the boy's father had pranked and humiliated him. But then he looked down at the boy, into his teary green eyes. They were like gems. The rest of the apology then sunk in. As much as he disliked James Potter, he couldn't let his son HATE him. Severus remembered the incident well. It had been his second mating season, since his first bore no fruit. Potter and Black and Lupin and ... the other.. Pettigrew, were mocking his song by changing the words. The most humiliating thing about the whole situation was that if he'd sung the song the way they were saying he should sing it... he might have actually found his mate. But he couldn't. If he had sung it... everyone would know... he was Draco Malfoy's godfather, for Guin's sake! He couldn't.. there had been no way...

Severus shook himself slightly to get out of his memories. Potter... Harry was the boy's name, actually, was looking up at him still.

Severus growled at what he was about to admit. But he couldn't look into the boy's eyes... so green.. and not feel compelled to tell him the truth.

"Your... Father.. and his friends didn't cause me to miss my mate. Any fault lies within myself."

"They didn't?" Harry asked, slightly skeptical.

"No, didn't you hear me?" Snape said, not very harshly at all, for some light had entered Harry's eyes once again. "I just haven't found my mate yet. Not that it's any of your business."

"... but they were still mean to you... for no reason." Harry said quietly.

Snape sneered. "As much as it pains me to admit it... sometimes there was a reason. But most of the time there wasn't!" He said quickly, so Harry wouldn't go around thinking his father was infalliable once again. "But we were just chicks in school. Your father and his friends did manage to grow up, eventually, mostly thanks to your mother."

"I don't think Sirius did." Harry said, thinking back to the mischevious and somewhat malicious glint in Sirius's eyes.

"Black? No. Maybe not Black." Snape said mostly to himself, but loud enough for Harry to hear. In an instant he transfered his attention back onto Harry. "All right now?"

"Yeah." Harry said, but then looked down. "I don't hate my dad, not really. I don't hate Sirius or Remus either."

"It figures Black would run his beak off." Snape mumbled.

"I... I pushed Sirius.. and he fell down. Should... should I go apologize?" Harry asked.

As much as Severus wanted to say no, respecting one's elders was an important rule. As much as he didn't like Black, Harry would still need to apologize.

"What do you think?" He said, effectively dodging giving a direct answer.

Harry nodded and turned to go away. "Thanks Professor Snape." He said, before going back down the hallway.

"Welcome... P... Harry." Snape said after the boy had gone, and then continued on his way.

xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

THAT'S ALL I'VE WRITTEN SO FAR! YAY! Enjoy it? If you didn't, I don't really care! Yay!