A/N: Yay, another chapter for you! ^-^

Everyone missed the puppies, awwww!

Chapter Nine

"Bear," Jason called; Harry didn't hesitate to heave himself to his feet and trot over to the Werewolf, who was standing next to Sophie. "Sit." Harry obeyed without a second thought, cocking his head curiously. "Up." He stood. "Stand pretty." Harry, remembering this particular command from his time at the vet's, obeyed. He straightened, lifted his head, closed his moth, eyes forward and legs straight, his back legs a bit farther apart than he'd normally stand. He stilled, and didn't so much as twitch as Sophie began a thorough, hands-on examination. She moved his ears, tail, lips, poked his teeth, opened his mouth and prodded his tongue, and even checked him between his legs. By now, though, Harry was used to her randomly doing these things, and bore it easily.

"Perfect," she declared, and gave him a treat. "I'll be happy to take him for a week." Harry perked his ears up, and sat down. "I've never taken such a large dog to the Show before, but, with his training and temperament, it'll be a cinch!" Harry wagged his tail and opened his mouth in a doggy-grin, and Jason ruffled his ears affectionately.

"You're the expert," the Werewolf said easily, shrugging.

That's how Harry found himself in a crate on a plane to Sacramento, California, registered under the name Paws 'N Claws Big Boy Bear, because, apparently, "Bear" was too plebian or something, and so he needed a "Proper" name. Paws & Claws was, apparently, the name of the Adoption Agency that worked out of the Animal Hospital, and since he'd been Big Boy and then Bear, Sophie deemed it a good name for him.

Whatever.

Harry just ignored it all, and slept almost the entire trip, waking up whenever the cute stewardess snuck in to feed him some treats and coo at him through the kennel door.

~(Line Break)~

The week passed quickly enough, with many trips to various groomer's, a physical by a Show Approved Vet, and training carefully. Finally, though, it was time for the Show.

The Show Building was large and crowded, despite the fact that the actual Show wouldn't start for another two hours. Harry had been groomed (again), walked around, and introduced to other dogs and their owners. He met a three-time Best of Breed winner, a Springer Spaniel named Larsen's Littlest Lady Bird.

"Just call me Mimi," she'd told him with a wry grin.

"Only if you call me Bear," Harry had agreed cheerfully; Mimi had given him the rundown on what he should expect, and also a few tips.

"Don't lick the judges hands when they mess with your mouth," She told him, tail wagging as Sophie spoke with the older man that was Mimi's owner. "They think it's cute and everything, but you'll lose points." Harry bobbed his head in agreement, and then bid the Spaniel goodbye as Sophie decided to take him on a tour of the various competition sites, and watch as some of the dogs did practice runs.

"Well, well, well, look at this fat-ass," a male voice mocked; Harry turned his head and found himself giving a bemused look to the sneering form of a black-and-white Border collie.

"Well, well, well, look at the sheep-biter," Harry replied, more amused than anything; the Border Collie narrowed his eyes, but, before he could say anything else, his owner was leading him to the start of the course.

"Leroy, go!" his owner ordered; Harry watched the rude dog run the course and was impressed, admiring the dog's superb speed. When the dog was done and brought back to the side, Harry moved to compliment him, but the dog spoke before he could.

"A fat-ass like you is better off sticking to the sit-and-smile Shows," the Collie sneered; Harry's eyes narrowed, and he turned his head towards the course, eying it critically, before he gave a decisive nod and turned towards Sophie, nudging her hand and getting her attention. He turned his face to the course and back, course and back, three or four times before Sophie laughed.

"You want to try the coarse, Bear?" He rose to his paws and wriggled a bit before sitting down and grinning. If she didn't want him to run the coarse, he wouldn't, but he knew she'd probably let him just to see how he did. "Alright then, let's go." She led him to the start of the coarse, and unhooked the leash with the order to stay. Harry ignored the crowd that was gathering and chuckling at him, and Sophie, and focused solely on the coarse.

Sophie didn't call like the Collie's owner had. Instead, she whistled sharply and clapped twice; Harry didn't need to be told twice, and he launched immediately into action. He leaped easily over the first two fence-jumps, ran up the see-sea and gracefully ran down it again. He dove through the corner tunnel, leaped over the next fence jump, and ran up the steep triangle/wall thing. He slipped through the shot, jumped over another two fences, dove through a hoop, and then hit the zigzag poles, which he pushed himself through as fast as he could, ignoring the dizzy feeling, before he found himself leaping over one last fence and finishing the coarse to enthusiastic and impressed clapping, panting happily as Sophie ruffled his scruff and gave him a treat, leading him back to the sidelines where someone provided him with a bowl of water, which he drank from happily.

"That was very impressive, Miss," someone told Sophie, to the general agreement of listeners nearby.

"I've never seen such a large breed do the Agility Coarse so gracefully or quickly!" a woman declared, to more agreement; Harry happily endured petting and compliments, before the announcer was calling for everyone to go to their stations, and he soon found himself getting a last-minute grooming before a thin collar was attached to his collar, and, before he knew it, he was being led out onto the floor.

Keeping in mind the expectations Sophie had for him, and Mimi's tips, Harry kept his head high, his prance graceful, and his head up, face forward. He didn't look at the flashing lights of camera flashes, the announcers loud voice didn't 'spook' him, and he didn't pull too far away from Sophie or make her run quickly. As a result, when he reached the judges, he'd already shown himself to be well-trained. He 'stood pretty' while they checked him over and, when that was done, once more took the prance around the ring. Finally, they came to a rest in the line of dogs that had already been shown, and Harry sat, and then laid down primly. He didn't slouch, didn't droll excessively, and held the "Sphinx Position" firmly.

He was surprised to find that he wasn't the only Newfoundland on the strip. There were two others, a female and a male. The female was all brown, with a little white flare on her chest, and was named Ruthford's Riptide Russel, and she smelled like lavender shampoo, vanilla, and the barest hint of her heat, which probably wouldn't hit for another week.

The male was white-and-black, and a bit larger than Harry. His name was Checker Board Carrington Booth, and this was, apparently, his seventh competition. He smelled like spring, rain, nutmeg, and children.

Time passed and Harry struggled to remain still. The female Rottweiler on his left (whose name he hadn't caught, and who smelled like linen, basil, and sugar) yawned. The male Boxer on his right (named Tim's Rescue Tapioca Destroyer, and who smelled like, well, tapioca pudding… And lint…) licked his nose.

Suddenly, though, they were announcing winners, and Harry found his name called. Second Place in Best of Breed. He got a yellow ribbon and Sophie got a small trophy, but he couldn't help but be happy. Sure, it wasn't first, but a win is still a win, right?

"Good boy, Bear," Sophie cooed, and gave him a treat, and, to Harry, that was even better.

~(Line Break)~

"Have fun?" Nemo asked Harry after he had joyfully reunited with the Pack.

"It could have been worse," Harry replied simply, and, grinning, they two of them cajoled Lady into swimming with them, and spent and hour chasing fish, frogs, and whatever else caught their eye.

It was a good day.

A/N: Yes, it's short, I know, I apologize, but meh (shrugs) I wanted to throw in a Dog Show tidbit. ^-^

Also, vague irritation towards an anonymous Reviewer, who said that I was ruining Harry… Oh, wait, no, they said:

"First I don't mind stories where characters are somewhat OC but this isn't staying near main character at all. He has none of his personality at all. Your just using his name and half ass background"

They said more, but, honestly, since most of it was complaining about how I was ruining Harry and basically making him my own character, and how that was horrible because they LIKED Harry, well, yeah.

I admit I made Harry pretty OOC, but, dude, first of all, MY FIC, don't like, don't read, because I don't write for the sake of reviews.

And you said: "if you don't like Harry, why don't you just write your own character into the world"

Because then it wouldn't be Fanfiction, really, but closer to just writing your own story and using others ideas to make a world happen. I write Original Stories for that, thank you. And I like ASPECTS of Harry. I also found him a horribly naïve, gullible jock with anger-management issues, and thought he would have turned out worse in a more realistic situation just due to the Dursley's treatment, and then the treatment of the Wizarding World towards him.

But, then again, I loathe Ginny because she's a Gold Digging Glory Hound and so is Ron, but, hey, you know, that's why I don't really use either of them in my fics.

I use Harry because his personality is MALLEABLE, his life is MALLEABLE and I enjoy writing about him.

If you want more of the "Old Harry", just go read his books.

Fanfiction is where the aspects of writing, and rewriting characters and their lives, are explored and practiced.

If you don't like it, don't read it.

I apologize for the short chapter, long rant, but, yeah (Shrugs)