The school continued their month of harassment. The other houses had copied what the Gryffindors were doing. Lockhart was being asked hard questions and he had no idea what the answers were. The Ravenclaws continued it outside of class. At dinner they had the first years start asking him questions. Some he was able to answer others he waved them off and stated he would explain in class. Somehow the topic never got brought up in class though. Once the first years had exhausted him the second years took over, then the third years and so on. He never managed to answer a fifth year question while in the Great Hall. The final straw came the day before Owls started. Harry and Hermione each checked one of Lockhart's books out of the library and approached him during dinner.
"Professor we have a question." Hermione stated, "I was reading your book here on how you stopped the vampire. Very informative I assure you."
"But I was reading about the banshees and we noticed a problem." Harry added, "The dates entered for the battle with the vampire were the same dates as the battle with the banshee. How could you be in two places at once?"
Lockhart stared at the duo of first years, panic was clearly written on his face, "I…"
"Yes Professor do tell how this came about?" Snape sneered.
"I…" the panic broke and he put a smile on his face, "I have an announcement to make. I am sorry to disappoint to you all but I've had… an issue that has arisen and I won't be able to teach next year like I promised. So sorry."
He stood up and all but ran from the hall. Harry doubted he was out of earshot when cheers filled the Great Hall. Dumbledore glanced and the two first years and shook his head with a laugh.
"As bad as I hate to admit it, good riddance." Albus proclaimed after the room quieted, "Unfortunately this means we'll have to find another professor. At least we didn't have a whole year of that."
"Why in the world did you hire him?" Harry was the one to voice the question.
"He was the only one who applied." Albus sighed.
The end of term feast found Gryffindor to be the winner of the house cup. They also got the quidditch cup that year. All in all Harry thought it had to be one of his best years ever. Next year would be even better with Ginny and Luna here. The train ride was again calm and relaxing. Knowing he wasn't ever going back to the Dursleys again gave Harry an extra boost of happiness. As the train pulled into the station Harry had to laugh at seeing Ginny on her father's shoulders waving like mad.
"I think I understand a little better about you and the train ride home." Ron sighed as they pulled their trunks out.
"Hermione when do you think would be a good time to get you to come stay at the Burrow?" Harry asked, "I'd offer my house but Dumbledore said no visitors until I'm a little older."
"Ginny's birthday." Hermione replied, "I've been writing about Ginny in my letters home pretending she's in our year. I've told them I've been invited to her party and since it's so close to the end of summer your family offered to let me stay and take me to Diagon Alley so my parents won't have to go again."
"Brilliant." Ron smiled, "Are they letting you?"
"Yes they already said we'll be back from Holiday by that time so it would be fine." she said, "They found Diagon Alley interesting but very intimidating."
"Now all you have to do is get your parents to agree." Harry told Ron, "When can we get you over Neville?"
"I can probably come by a few times a month just for visits. Gran won't let me stay I don't think." he shrugged as they reached the platform, "But I'll be fine. I've got a lot of catch up work to do in the green house anyway."
"When are you coming over Harry?" Ron asked.
"Tonight." he grinned, "Sirius says we've been invited over for dinner. Kind of a welcome home party for all of us."
Ginny came running through the crowd dodging left and right to avoid people. She ran up to Harry and gave him a hug first, "Missed you."
"Me too." after a few moments he said, "We need to be careful."
"I know." she pulled away and gave Ron, Hermione and Neville hugs too, "Luna says to tell you all hello and she can't wait to see you again."
"Tell her same back from me." Hermione replied.
"Me too." Neville said, "It was so weird without you two there."
"Well come on you lot, let's not stand around jabbering all day." Sirius said as he walked up.
"I've got to go find my parents." Hermione hugged each of her friends.
"I'll go with you." Ron said, "Make sure you find them all right."
"There's Gran." Neville said, "I'll see you guys later."
"Bye Neville." they all called.
Harry and Ginny followed Sirius back to the entry of the platform. Hermione and Ron and just gone through and they waited for a few moments before they followed. The Weasleys were standing off to one side a bit and they headed there first.
"Mum?" Ron approached his mother, "Would it be ok for Hermione to come stay with us around Ginny's birthday and then go to Diagon Alley with us? Her parents didn't like going very well."
"That would be fine Ron." Molly smiled, "As long as you don't mind rooming with Ginny dear."
"That would be great." Hermione beamed, "Ron and Harry talked about her and Luna a lot, I feel like I already know them."
"I feel the same." Ginny grinned, "All I kept reading in my letters was Hermione this and Hermione that. It will be great to finally get to know you myself."
The girls shared a hug before Hermione and Ron left to talk to her parents with his mother. Within a few minutes the details were hammered out and the Grangers were on their way. With a final hug to Ginny and Molly and handshakes for the boys Sirius and Harry left too. The Weasleys were still waiting on the twins, Percy had gone back after them.
Once home Harry collapsed on his bed. He looked around the room grinning. He had a large bed that would fit him even if he grew taller than he had been before. His room was a nice sky blue color with white accents. Sirius had wanted to do his room in Gryffindor colors but Harry had said he got enough red at school. He liked the color red well enough but he wanted his bedroom at home to be more relaxing. After relaxing for a few moments he went to his trunk and began to unpack it. He had never done that at the Dursleys because he didn't want to lose any of his possessions. Here he didn't have that worry. His clothes where hung up in the closet and books were put on shelves. Parchment, ink and quills were placed on the desk and pictures were placed around the room. Hagrid had given him the photo album again and he placed that by his bedside. With a wave of his hand all the dust and broken bits were banished from his trunk. He was glad he had learned to do that particular spell wandlessly.
"Harry, come on time to go." Sirius yelled up at him.
"Coming." he yelled back as he shut his trunk.
When he arrived downstairs Sirius told him, "Tomorrow you'll have to unpack your trunk."
"Already did." Harry grinned, "My room is great by the way."
"You know your Dad never unpacked until he had to add the new school things to it." Remus said, "Then he'd only take out the clothes that didn't fit and the books he wouldn't need. By third year he had a fourth of it filled with broken quills and stuff."
Harry laughed with his father's friends, "Well you won't find mine doing that. I hate all that junk in the bottom. I vanished it."
"Harry you're not supposed to do magic at home." Remus scolded.
"Forgot, am I going to get expelled?" he pretended to worry.
"No. We'll just reprimand you." Sirius said, "Bad boy don't do it again."
"I'll be more careful." Harry said.
"You mean next time you won't tell us?" Sirius asked.
"That too." Harry grinned as he took the floo to the Burrow with his broom held close to his body.
He had already finished hugging Molly and was half way out the door when Remus and Sirius followed him through. The men shared a chuckle as they greeted the adult Weasleys. Molly sent the three men out to set up the tables for dinner as she finished cooking.
Ron, Ginny and the twins were already on their brooms in the air when Harry stepped out the door. He jumped on his broom and flew out to meet them. He was flying low and Ginny flew down to meet him where they couldn't be seen by the house. A long hug and kiss later and they were back in the air.
"I so wish we could tease you about that." Fred said mournfully.
"Wouldn't do any good to tease us." Ginny said, "We'd just agree with you."
"You'd agree that you look like a couple of love sick puppies?" George asked.
"Sure." Harry said, "I've got no problem with that."
"You are no fun to tease." Fred shook his head, "Two on two quidditch with Ron as keeper?"
"Sounds good to me." Ron flew to the goal.
"Me and Fred against you two." George added.
"Ok." Harry and Ginny grinned at each other, "We get the quaffle first."
"We'll give you that." Fred moved to a defensive position.
By the time dinner was ready the twins were losing. Not by much because Ron hadn't let but two goals past. Unfortunately for the twins both had been by Ginny. They couldn't even claim that he was going easy on her because she was just too good. She was the best chaser they'd ever seen and they had seen a few good ones.
"Oliver will be so happy next year when we tell him we've got a good back up chaser and keeper coming on the team." Fred accepted their defeat graciously.
"Are you going to play professionally?" George asked Ginny.
"Yes." she replied, "I'll be star chaser for the Harpies."
"I bet you will." Harry agreed, "From now on I'm a Harpies fan Ron. Sorry the Cannons just can't hold a candle to her."
"That's ok." he sighed, "Just don't expect me to defect too."
"Wouldn't dream of it." Harry said, "I can't beat you at chess but I'll always win the quidditch bets."
"Shut up." Ron growled.
A few days later Harry sat his Godfather down for a talk, "I want to be an animagus."
"Harry you are a wee bit young to do that." Sirius tried to brush him off.
"I'm not." He insisted, "I read up on them and the youngest known animagus was nine. I'm almost twelve in case you've forgotten. The book says you must have the ability to meditate and focus for long periods and I think I can do it."
"The first thing we would need to do is brew the potion." Sirius stated, "I don't have the ingredients nor the ability to brew it."
"I do." Harry grinned.
"That's a sixth year potion." Sirius argued.
"You brewed it at fourteen." he argued back, "Let me put this in terms that you'll understand. I'm going to become an animagus with or without your help. Which is it going to be?"
"Moony brewed it." Sirius shot back, "If you can get Moony to agree to help you with that part I'll certainly help with the transformation part."
"What are you wanting me to do?" Remus asked as he entered the room.
"He wants to be an animagus." Sirius smirked, "I told him I'd help with the transformation if you'll help with the potion."
"The potion is no problem." Remus agreed easily, "It will still take him years to do the transformation so why not."
"What?" Sirius yelled, "I thought you would be the back bone here and tell him he's not old enough."
"There is no harm in taking the potion at his age." Remus shrugged, "It takes a week to brew and you'll need more than the average potion kit to do it."
"I have all the stuff." Harry informed him, "I owl ordered it the last month of school. I'm ready to start whenever you are."
"Alright then." he hummed, "Where to set it up?"
"I've been thinking of setting up that second study on the first floor to be a potions lab." Harry said, "It has a window if we need to let fumes out."
"Alright." Remus said, "I think that's a good place. Sirius what do you think?"
"I think he's too young to become an animagus." Sirius grumbled.
"Give me a break you hypocrite." Remus laughed at the sulking Sirius, "You guys started studying about it during first year too. You didn't get done until you were fifteen. He'll take just as long."
"We didn't take the potion until we were fourteen." Sirius argued.
"Only because you couldn't get anyone to brew the potion for you." Remus said, "You certainly couldn't have done it on your own."
"Fine, the second study is now a potions lab." he gave in.
It took a day to clear out the room and set it up as a potions lab. Then it took a week to brew the potion. Harry was watching it steep when he asked Remus his next question.
"How well does this transport?"
"Bottle it and it's fine." he replied, "Where are you wanting to take it?'
"The Burrow." he was still staring at the potion, "Ron and Ginny want to be animagus too. As do my other friends but the potion doesn't last long enough to wait for Hermione."
"We've made enough for eight doses." Remus glanced at the brew, "You'll have to get Molly's permission for them to take it."
"I'll work on that." he agreed, "It just needs to steep for another hour. Can I go to the Weasley's house?"
"Sure but watch the clock." Remus reminded him.
Harry hurried out of the room and to the floo. He threw in the powder and stepped in calling out, "The Burrow."
He tumbled from the fireplace like he always did but was caught before he could hit the floor, "Who do we have here?"
Harry looked up into the face of Bill Weasley, "Hi I'm Harry."
"I'm Bill." he replied, "Nice to meet you Harry."
"You too." Harry grinned, "I've heard a lot about you from Ron, Ginny and the twins. How has Egypt been?"
"Hot." Bill chuckled, "Ron's out playing quidditch if you're looking for him."
"Actually I'm looking for your mum." Harry said, "Do you know where she might be?"
"Chicken coop." Bill answered.
"Thanks." Harry called as he ran out the door. He saw the woman he was looking for feeding the chickens, "Morning Mrs. Weasley."
"Morning Harry." she smiled at him, "The kids are in the orchard."
"I know Bill told me." He said, "I was really wanting to talk to you first."
"Alright, what's on your mind." she finished with the feed and stepped out of the pen.
"Ron and I want to become animagus like Sirius." he spilled it all out quickly, "Remus and I brewed the potion and we're going to take it later today. I was wondering if your kids would be able to take it too since I have eight doses and I really don't want to waste it all."
"What does the potion do?" she asked.
"It transforms you into the animal you are able to become and then you have to practice to actually achieve it." Harry said, "If you don't have the ability to become an animal you just glow blue for half an hour. It doesn't make you an animagus it just shows you what you would be if you did the work to become one. It's perfectly safe for anyone over the age of six."
"You say Remus and Sirius are letting you do it?" she asked.
"Yes. Remus and I will have the potion finished in…" He looked at his watch, "Forty five minutes. I'll have to bring the potion here since we can't have any company at the house. Remus and Sirius will be here to help in case of any problems and I'll take it first just to test it out."
"Alight." she replied, "If they want to take it I don't see any harm."
"Yes!" Harry exclaimed, "Can I go tell them? I need to be back to get the potion soon."
"Go ahead." she laughed.
"Bye." he called as he ran towards the orchard.
The four fliers saw him running and turned their brooms toward him. They landed around the excited Gryffindor with equally large grins.
"What has you so excited?" Ron asked.
"Remus and I have brewed the animagus potion." he said, "I just got permission from your mother for you to take it too."
"No way!" Ron and Ginny yelled.
"I take it this didn't happen last time?" Fred asked.
"No I didn't think about becoming one." Harry said, "But I think this is a good idea for our group, which includes you two."
"When?" Ginny was jumping up and down in excitement.
"It will be finished in less than forty five minutes." Harry said, "I have to go back now and take over watching it but I'll be back soon with Sirius and Remus so we can take it."
"You are going to take yours here aren't you?" Ginny demanded.
"Of course." he grinned, "See you all later I've got to go."
"Bye Harry." they all called as he ran off.