Chapter One - New town, same story
My name is Harry.
Most of you already know my last name, at least those of you in the Wizarding World, which I try to stay out of these days, not only for my own protection, but to keep them safe. See, in the summer before my third year, I was staying at the Leaky Caldron, and was called into Gringotts. There I found out about my family vault, my titles, and everything else that a certain lemon drop-sucking headmaster should have told me. I also found out that my godfather, the escaped convict Sirius Black, was never given a trial. This gives him the benefit of doubt. If he was placed in Azkaban without a trial, then how do they know the whole truth? I swear the people in the Wizarding World are worse than Dudley when it comes to using their brains.
I also found out that two prophesies were made about me. The first one, however, was false. It was created by Dumbledore, implanted into the mind of one Sybil Trelawney, and partially overheard by one Severus Snape as a trap to lure out Tom Riddle, a.k.a. Voldemort. Unfortunately, it didn't go as planned, as I survived the killing curse. This is where the second prophesy, a goblin prophesy, comes in.
The prophesy told of one who would be born whom the Light of Death could never touch, but only so long as the person is surrounded by love. If surrounded by hate, the power will weaken until love is returned to the person once again. He will face the one who cast the Light of Death at him twice more. After the second meeting, he will leave, never to be seen in Wizarding Britain again until a war from the stars reaches its final course. As you can see, Dumbledore screwed me up big time.
The codger had also been stealing from me through my school vault, which gets replenished from my family vault. I immediately requested that the money be restored and that Dumbledore gets sued for everything he's got. The goblins smiled at me for giving them the go ahead, but then told me more bad news. Mrs. Weasley, Percy, Ron and Ginny were also stealing from me. I told the goblins to get in touch with Mr. Weasley and work with him. Through the goblins I found out that one of Ron's transactions happened on September 2nd, 1991, the day after I joined Gryffindor. Well, that ended that lie of a friendship.
I asked about my friend Hermione, and the goblins said that there was nothing on her concerning my money and things. That gave me hope. I knew then that she could help me. She had sent me a letter after I told her where I was that said that she was back in England. She said that she was going to meet me the day before we left for school. I asked the goblins if they could send someone to get both her and her parents. Griphook was sent out immediately.
When Hermione and her parents arrived moments later, the meeting was anything but joyful. In fact, it brought me into a whole other war.
Flashback
"Harry, what's going on?" asked Hermione once everyone was seated.
The goblins and I explained everything, from Dumbledore to the Weasleys. "You're the only one I can trust. We need to escape England so that we can train," I said.
"Thank you, Harry. You're trust will make this a whole lot easier," said Hermione.
"What do you mean?" I asked skeptically.
"My parents and I joined a group called The Sharing last week. Yesterday we were made full members. Full members are given a companion that will be with them their whole life. This companion is called a Yeerk, an alien life form that will enter your ear and become one with you," said Hermione joyously.
"And you let these beings do that to you?" I asked in shock.
"Of course," said Hermione's father. "They used very good logic to explain that humanity, especially the Wizarding World, was going nowhere. With the Yeerks, we can spread out to the stars."
"We're collaborators, Harry," said Hermione's mother. "Soon you will join us, as either a collaborator or a regular controller. Either way, with the Boy-Who-Lived promoting The Sharing, the Wizarding World will fall effortlessly to us."
"Who else knows?" I asked.
"No-one else. Our Yeerks wanted to find out more information about the Wizarding World. We don't report in until tomorrow," said Hermione.
"Good. Lord Ragnok, if you would, please?" I said.
"Certainly, Lord Potter. Guards! Immobilize them!" shouted the Head of Gringotts. Within moments, the goblin guards had the last person I could have trusted with my life and her parents bound and gagged.
"Now, I'm guessing that not only do you report in tomorrow, but your Yeerks also have to feed on something, as I doubt that beings like that could survive for long before it starved," I said. Hermione and her parents eyes widened in horror.
"Lord Ragnok, do you have a way to permanently change their appearances?" I asked.
"Yes. There's an ingredient that goblins have that can make Polyjuice permanent," said Ragnok. "We also have some random Muggle hairs."
"Saves me having to take a trip. Anyway, when whatever is in them comes out, obliviate them, bind Hermione's magic for good, give them new identities, and ship them to, oh, Australia for all I care," I said. Ragnok nodded.
Hermione was shaking, like she was trying to say something, if not for the gag in her way. I stepped over and pull the gag down. "You wish to say something?" I asked.
"You can't do this," she said angrily. "Others will find us."
"How? You said it yourself, you didn't tell another Yeerk. Also, the goblins are gathering up all your things and destroying all the magical ones, including all your books," I said smugly.
"NOOO!" she screamed.
"Now, Hermione, I think I just came up with a better way than having your magic bound within you, since those can be broken. You owe me a life debt for saving you from the troll in first year, and it's time for me to collect."
"How do you know, and don't I owe Ron, as well?" asked Hermione."
"I'm surprised you haven't read that book yet," I said with wide eyes. "Guess you haven't gotten to that section yet, not that you will anymore. Good thing I did, though. You don't owe Ron because he was the idiot who placed you in harms way in the first place. As to how I found out, all debts, including life debts, are recorded in my bank records. Now, here is how you will repay me. For attacking a Wizarding Lord, I, Harry, do hereby ask Magic to strip Hermione of her magic and add it to my own, including any magical inheritance that may be part of her bloodline."
Hermione's eyes were wide in shock as her magic left her body and was pulled into mine. Once the transfer was done, she hung her head limply.
"No that we're done with that, get them out of my sight," I said. Ragnok ordered his guards to take them to their holding cells and to keep them isolated. "Now, how do we get me out of Great Britain?"
"I believe we have a way to do that," said Ragnok.
End Flashback
I was given full emancipation, making me an adult in the eyes of the law. My wand glowed for a moment, which told me that the monitoring charm on it was removed. They also transferred my vaults from here to their branch in California, where I decided to move to, save for my family library, which is very extensive. It had books on every subject I needed to study, from Arithmancy to Crypto-Zoology (a.k.a. Care of Magical Creatures).
The library trunk also had a couple of extra compartments for miscellaneous items. I moved the contents of my regular trunk to it, after having all my stuff checked for tracking charms. About the only things that didn't have one were my underwear. Now there's a perverse thought.
The goblins recommended me to a healer in their employ at the California branch. I agreed and they made an appointment for a week from then. After we were all done, I left for my new home.
One week later I reported in for my appointment. The healer prescribed a two week regiment of bone growth and nutrient potion, as well as a new potion in the U.S. that regenerates the eyes and optical nerves, restoring them to perfect vision. There was one thing, though. We found that the scar I'm so famous for had a soul fragment of Voldemort in it, however a cursebreaker and a goblin ritual took care of that.
Sirius Black, my godfather, was sent a letter from me via Gringotts. In it I told him everything. He sent me a letter explaining what really happened after that night, and said that a friend of his, Remus Lupin, was going to teach at Hogwarts this year. I wrote to Remus telling him everything, as well as about Sirius and that rat, Peter Pettigrew. He wrote back that he would try to get the rat from Ron as soon as possible. In the meantime, Sirius snuck aboard a freighter heading for New York. It was a week and a half from London to New York, and then about half a day to apparate from there to the town I live in now.
We met with the American Magical Council, where I was granted citizenship, and Sirius was granted sanctuary, pending the capture and trial of Peter Pettigrew. In the meantime, the council asked me what I wanted to do now about my education. I said that I would like to return to my regular education and have Sirius and others tutor me on nights, weekends, and the summer. The council agreed to this, as many families here in the U.S. follow that course as well.
Remus was in Diagon Alley the day before school started, and had run into the Weasleys. Through a bit of slight of hand he picked up, (How he managed to get training from David Copperfield, I'll never know.), he got the rat away from Ron and delivered him to Amelia Bones, head of the Department of Magical Law Enforcement. Reversing the Animagus transformation, Peter was given Veritaserum and was asked about that night. He replied that he betrayed the Potters, framed Sirius, and if given the chance, would restore his master. The bastard was tried, sentenced, and kissed that very day.
Sirius was cleared of all charges. He went back to Gringotts London the next day to facilitate the transfer of his vaults and valuables to the U.S. During this, Dumbledore came to talk to Sirius about finding me after hearing from the Weasleys that I wasn't at The Leaky Cauldron anymore. Sirius said that I was already with him and that he was pulling me out of Hogwarts due to Dumbledore's manipulations and that false prophesy.
Rita Skeeter was following Dumbledore on a hunch, and that hunch proved to be a big one. Sirius, who was being wary of his surroundings what with Dumbledore being around, saw a beetle on the wall to the headmaster's right. With his heightened sense of smell, he picked up a human scent mixed with the bug's.
Dumbledore left a bit later, and Sirius walked up and confronted the bug.
Getting a private room at The Leaky Cauldron, the bug changed back into Rita. Sirius then told Rita about Dumbledore manipulating me and stealing from me, as well as the four Weasleys that were doing so as well. He then set some ground rules. No interviewing me, no writing about the Weasleys until she talks with Arthur Weasley, and hit Dumbledore where it hurts the most.
The resulting article nearly killed Dumbledore due to his magic-fueled rage, according to Remus. He nearly drained his core completely.
I enrolled in the middle school here, and I quickly became friends with five other kids. Their names are Jake, Rachel, Marco, Cassie, and Tobias. I didn't want to keep secrets from them, but I didn't want them to know everything, either. I told them that there were major secrets in my life, but I was willing to reveal two of them. I told them I was a wizard, that there was a wizarding world, but none of the bad stuff. I told them that there was some rotten things about the wizarding world, but unless something screws up, they wouldn't need to know about it. Good thing I left that option. Turns out that I would need it, but more on that later.
It was late one night near the end of September that it happened. The six of us were cutting through the abandoned construction site after leaving the mall. We were all told never to go through there, especially at night. Should have listened, now, huh?
Anyway, Tobias was looking up at the sky when he saw it. It just happened to be a spaceship about twice the size of a minivan.
"It's me, isn't it? There's a magnet inside me that attracts all the weird stuff out there," I said exasperated and throwing my hands up in the air.
The spaceship landed, and after a weird round of telepathic communication (I really need to start learning Occlumency and Legilimency), the being appeared. At first I thought he was a centaur, but he was a bit smaller, he had no mouth, he had two extra eyes on stalks on his head, and his tail looked like a scorpion's. We looked at each other, saying hi back and forth, then he collapsed.
We ran over to him and saw the large wound he had on his flank. We started to try and heal it, but he said, [Do not bother. The wound is fatal.]
"Not to me, it isn't," I said. Sirius and my healers at Gringotts had been training me in healing spells and potions. Thanks to my luck, I always keep a few potions on hand. "Alright, there are a few things I need to know. First off, is your blood iron-based?"
Slightly taken aback from the question, the alien centaur said, [Yes, but I doubt that your blood would work with mine.]
"Not the idea I had in mind, anyway. What I'm going to do is give you a potion that accelerates blood cell production, but it only works on beings with iron-based hemoglobin. I also need to give you a few other potions," I said.
[Potions?] said the being in our minds.
"Yeah, I'm a wizard," I said. "I'll explain more on that once we get you healed. Now, how do you drink?"
[Through my hooves. Mostly through the front hooves,] he said.
"I've heard of weird biology before, but this takes the cake," I said. Pulling out my wand, I transfigure five rocks into bowls, then pour the potions into them. "Cassie, I want you to give him these potions in the order I placed them on the ground, starting with the one closest to his hoof. Have him drink all of it, no matter how revolting he thinks they are, wait thirty seconds, then give him the next one. I'll start doing some healing spells on that wound."
"Alright, Harry," said Cassie, lifting the bowl to the hoof.
[That's disgusting!] exclaimed the being.
"Well, since you can talk and drink at the same time, why don't you tell us about yourself," I said.
[Very well. My name is Elfangor-Sirinial-Shamtul, a Prince of the Andalites. Prince in our language would translate to Captain in yours. We were fighting against our enemy above your world. They are know as the Yeerks.]
"Yeerks?" I exclaim, pausing in the healing spells. Thankfully I was about halfway done, so he could afford to wait.
[You know of them?] asked Elfangor.
"An ex-friend and her parents became collaborators of them. The goblins and I had captured them and held them until the Yeerks were gone, as I figured that they had to leave their host to feed on something that the host can't give, and they hadn't reported in yet. I then asked the goblins to change their appearance permanently and completely altered their memories. I also called in her life debt and drained her magic into me," I said sadly.
[You did the right thing,] said Elfangor. [If the Yeerks ever find out about people with your kind of power, then there will be no stopping them. However, my worse fear is confirmed, and they are taking over your planet. Now, are you almost done? I can't believe you managed to bring me back from that fatal wound.]
"That's magic for you. I got one more spell to cast, but when I do, I'm pretty much going to drop like a rock. That's because the spell is very strong, and it will light up the area, which means we'll need to get the hell out of here. Since I live on the other side of Cassie's place, you can come with me. Is there anything you need to take from the ship?" I asked.
[Yes. Inside is a picture of my family, a mobile computer and a blue cube. Could one of you get them?] asked Elfangor.
We all looked at Jake. "You've got to be kidding," he said. "Fine, I'll get them." Jake went inside and returned moments later with the picture, the computer and the cube. "We all set?" I nodded and said, "Here we go. Renovatio!" The spell lit up the area as the wound closed all the way, and like I said, I was out like a light.
When I awoke the next morning, I found that everyone had stayed over. They called their parents and said that I wasn't feeling well, and with Sirius out of town (He was trying to track down those other soul fragments. Gringotts figured that Voldemort must have made more than one for a fragment to break off and enter my scar like that piece did.), they decided to stay and keep and eye on me, just to be safe. Elfangor was outside, munching on the grass, and we decided to have breakfast on the deck, as it was a very warm morning for that time of year.
There was a story about some kids setting off fireworks at the site last night in the paper. I was worried that we might have left a trail, but Marco had the foresight to grab a dead bush and dragged it behind him to brush out our trail until we hit the street again.
Elfangor then turned on the computer and started telling us about the Yeerks and the various races they have in their control. First was the Hork-Bajir, seven-foot tall herbivores that are being used as shock troops, due to their many blades.
Next are the Taxxons, gigantic carnivorous centipedes. 'Nuff said.
Human-Controllers we already know about, but there's one who poses the ultimate danger. Visser Three. The only Andalite-Controller. The only Yeerk capable of morphing.
That was why Elfangor had Jake get that cube. That cube gave the Andalites the power to become any animal for the duration of two hours. Go over that limit, and you're stuck, permanently.
Rachel then asked me if there was a wizarding equivalent. I said that there were wizards and witches who have become animagi, people who could change into an animal, but it was usually one, and they could stay in that form for however long they wanted, so long as the animal mind was dominated after the first transformation. The person doing it could become one in two ways: the animagus potion, which is really expensive to make, is controlled by every magical government, and is very painful, as it forces the transformation, or taking a vision quest, which is what my father, godfather, and their ex-friend did.
Elfangor was fascinated by the information. Just then I had thought of something.
"Elfangor, how much technology is in the morphing cube?" I asked.
[The morphing cube is highly technological,] replied Elfangor. [It is also resistant to most high electro-magnetic frequencies. Why do you ask?]
"Because no government would believe us if we tell them, not even the magical governments," I said. "You would most likely be captured and dissected before you could say anything."
"Unfortunately, he's right," said Jake. "We're the only ones who know about this invasion. No one else knows we know. Right now we're the only ones who have a shot at stopping this, or at least slowing it down."
"Woah, woah, woah," said Marco, standing up. "Why do we have to be the ones doing this? Why do we have to get involved?"
"Because it's the right thing to do," I said. "Marco, I know you don't want to do something that will cause your dad's heart to break even more, but eventually he will come out of his depression, he will return to work, and the Yeerks will come after him due to his intelligence." Marco sat down quietly, thinking on what I said. "The more we do to the Yeerks, the more we stop, the less there'll be to take your father."
[You speak with wisdom and conviction beyond your years, Harry,] said Elfangor.
"Don't even think about it, Elfangor. You're the Prince around here, not me," I said. Just then, Sirius decided to come home for a while via apparation. He appeared with a *crack*. Thankfully I showed Elfangor a picture of Sirius, so he didn't attack directly. Sirius, however, looked a little out of it.
Sirius looked at us, looked over at Elfangor, then back at us, and asked, "Did someone sneak some LSD into those special brownies I had in Amsterdam on my way back?"
We couldn't help it. We burst out laughing. The question was pure Sirius; totally random.
After a moment, I calmed down enough to reply, "No, Sirius, he's real. Go sleep off the buzz, and we'll talk later."
"Gotcha. Later, kids. Don't do anything I would." Sirius stumbled into the house, and crashed on the couch.
[I take it this is a regular occurrence?] asked Elfangor.
"Not as often as one would think," I said.
Sirius woke up later in the afternoon, and we told him everything, including the morphing cube and what I did to Hermione and her family.
"Harry, they brought it upon themselves. Don't give them another thought," said Sirius. "Now, about that morphing cube. Have you tried it, yet?"
"Not yet," said Jake. "We're not sure how magic and it would interact."
"Let me try it first," said Sirius. Elfangor held the cube up and Sirius touched it, but nothing happened.
"It might be that since you already have an animagus form, your body won't allow for it to adapt to the morphing power," said Cassie.
"Which leaves us," I said. The six of us stood around the cube and placed a hand on one side. As we did so, the cube lit up, brighter and brighter. I placed my hand on last, and when I did, a surge of magical power escaped from me and entered the cube. The cube started to give off a high-pitched whine, then it let off a blinding flash of light and energy, knocking all of us off our feet.
"Let me guess, you guys shielded for high EMF, but decided to let that cover low EMF," I stated, getting up.
"What the hell was that?" asked Sirius.
[I don't know,] said Elfangor. [But the morphing power, it felt different. Stronger.]
"Elfangor, could you please change into a creature and stay that way for two hours?" asked Jake. Elfangor complied and changed. We timed him for the two hours, and when he changed back, he said it felt just like he was changing back anywhere before the limit.
"Sounds like my magical energy sent the cube into overdrive, allowing for a longer time limit," I said. "How long the new limit is, we'll have to test. This is probably going to take a few weekends."
"Why?" asked Rachel.
"Because you guys have to get home. Tobias is staying because both his aunt and uncle are out of town this weekend, and she asked us to watch him, though the way she said it, it sounded like she wanted us to keep him," said Sirius.
"You don't think..." started Cassie.
"If I know them, they probably did," said Tobias.
And they did. Tobias' aunt and uncle skipped town. Sirius managed to get legal custody of Tobias before he was placed in a boys' home, and now lives with Sirius and I.
As I said, it took a couple of weekends to find out the new time limit. Eight hours. The time limit is now eight full hours of morph time. This gave us a lot more leeway when it came to fighting against the Yeerks, but more on that later. But first, we needed to get some morphs.
We weren't sure just what all we needed in morphs, but we narrowed it down to three categories: travel, spying, and battling. Travel, of course, has its own sub-categories: by land, by sea, and by air, though for me, I had by magic as well. We all decided that we had better research what creatures best fit our personalities for what we need.
Oh, and in case you're wondering, the goblins told Dumbledore that the Grangers had betrayed the races of Earth, and were therefore stripped of all knowledge of magic, with Hermione's core going to me, due to her life debt to me and her planning to attack me willingly. They also told him that their goblin prophesy now superceded his false one. He was still on anti-depressants last we checked.
AN: I've been holding this for a long while... since I've started writing, period, to be precise. Now just to let everyone know, I've been working on Harry Potter's year at Duel Academy. I've got the duel acted out, now I just need to write it as the characters would play it.