AN - Three different bits and pieces, each of which is too small to go by themselves...and in truth, none of which I'm really happy with...

...

...

The Tower

A/N Writing Prompt: Rorschach's list #26

Harry entered into the common room, his face flush, and his eyes sparkling with excitement. He quickly glanced around the room until his gaze landed on his best friend. As usual, she was sitting by the fire, her focus mostly on a rather large book settled on her lap.

A grin broke out on his face as he rushed over and dropped into the seat next to her, jostling her quite a bit.

"Harry!" she scolded as the book slipped from her lap and dropped to the floor with a surprisingly loud noise.

He just laughed slightly, as he watched her, with a slightly punch-drunk expression on his face.

She glared at him for a moment before picking up her book. Then stopped, and really looked at him hard. Her eyes narrowed for a moment.

"You're up to something."

He blinked, and quickly shook his head. "No, I'm not."

"Yes you are. And no, I'm not getting involved."

He laughed, and grinned at her again. "Tell me. What does Hogwart's: A History say about the astronomy tower?"

Hermione blinked twice at that apparent non sequitur before explaining a number of details such as when the tower was last updated, how high it was, and the number of nails that went into the construction of the steps, and finally that in 1976 the head boy and head girl had received 102 detentions for being partially dressed, and out-of-bounds in the astronomy tower after curfew.

Harry waved all that away. "No, I mean about the ledge of the astronomy tower?"

"Oh," she replied. "There's a ward on it. Anyone that jumps off, is grabbed in what is fundamentally a levicorpus, and shifted back to the belvedere. Why?"

He just grinned again, and grabbed her hand, pulling her to her feet. "Come on. There's something that I want to do with you..."

Reluctantly, she followed behind him. As they left the room, she glanced at a nearby clock and noted the time. "You do realize we only have fifteen minutes before curfew."

He nodded and began dragging her through the halls faster.

She sighed, as she realized where she was being lead. A few moments later, her thoughts were confirmed as he pulled her through the door into the stairwell of the astronomy tower.

"Harry, I'm not sure what type of girl you think I am...but, well, we're not even dating."

He shot a quick glance over his shoulder at her, and smiled even brighter. "We can rectify that if you want."

She blushed brightly, and shook her head. "Just tell me what you're planning on doing with me at the top of the tower?"

Again, another look. This one coupled with an innocent smile. "What do you mean, 'Mione?"

"Don't you remember what I was saying about the couple in 1976?"

"Yes."

"And don't you know what most boys and girls who go to the tower are doing?"

He laughed. "I know, but don't worry, your virtue is safe from me. At least for tonight tonight. I have something else to show you."

She sighed and began the long trek up the stairs, Harry almost running in his efforts to get to the top.

Finally, they reached the top of the tower, and Harry rushed to the battlements, and leaned over the edge.

She sighed, and followed behind, her pace much, much slower. She had no real desire to be anywhere near the tower's edge.

As she reached him, he grinned at her, and climbed up onto the battlement. Then with a grin he jumped out away from the tower.

She screamed his name, and rushed to the edge. She looked down into the seemingly limitless abyss that lay beneath the tower's edge, her mind absently noting the rocky shoreline at the base of the tower where the water from the Black Lake swirled. His name echoed back at her. Horrified, she watched him fall through the open air.

A part of her noted magical power building around her, an itch just beneath her skin that indicated activated wards. Suddenly there was a loud twang.

She blinked, as Harry seemed to jerk to a stop in mid-air for a moment. Then he came hurtling back towards the top of the tower.

Within seconds, he was stumbling to a stop beside her. His hair was even more disheveled than usual, and that punch-drunk glaze was back on his face again.

She blinked. Then balled a fist, and hit him in the chest. Then again. Then a third time.

"Harry James Potter! Do you know how scared you made me?"

He blinked, and then rubbed at his head. "But you just told me that there were wards. You knew what would happen to someone jumping off. Besides its fun!"

"Fun?" She all but snarled. Then she hit him again.

"Yeah!" He responded with a short, sharp laugh. "Dudley was watching this extreme sports show on the telly, and there was this group of Yanks that was jumping off a bridge with just a rope tied around them. Dudley wanted to try it, and he forced Uncle Vernon to find someone that does it here in England. Vernon made me try it first, to make sure it was safe for Dudley."

Hermione glared at him. "You went bungee jumping, and liked it?"

"Yes."

"Then what the hell possessed you to think 'Hey, the Astronomy Tower is high, let me try it there, despite the fact that I don't have a bungee cord?'"

He blinked. "Uh... I... well, it's like this...I.."

She crossed her arms.

He rubbed one hand through his hair a few times. "Uhm..."

Her glare got harder, and she started tapping a foot.

Harry's shoulders slumped, and he glanced around the tower top. "I could feel the wards up here, and figured out what they are and do. When I realized that they were catch and return wards, then I decided to try it out."

She stared at him, her mouth opened for a moment. then it snapped shut, and storm clouds gathered on her face.

He fidgeted, and glanced over her shoulder.

"That's advanced magic. Well beyond the quality of work that you usually turn in."

He blushed, and glanced around again. "Uhh..."

"I'm waiting."

"I under-perform on purpose to not make Ron jealous?"

"You... you do what? All this time I've been trying to get you to study harder and you do what?"

He stumbled back a step as she stomped forward. Then he turned, and jumped over the edge of the tower once again.

"Harry James Potter! Get back here!"

MI18

"Freak! Get down here now!"

Harry sighed as his uncle's voice echoed through the house. He sat up in his bed, his muscles and joints complaining at the movement. After all, he had been laying in the bed for nearly twenty hours now. He just saw no reason to get up after the death of his godfather.

He knew he had to though. The other option of ignoring his uncle would not lead to a good end.

With that in mind, he stood and glanced at the window. Hedwig still had not returned. Part off him was upset, but mostly he was glad his pet wasn't here to suffer as she had in previous years.

He made his way downstairs, and found his uncle in the living room with a lady he had never seen before. In addition there were two other men in dark suits standing at opposite ends of the room.

He watched her for a moment, noting the air of authority she carried in addition to the nice clothes. Grey hair was cut short and blue eyes sparkled with intelligence.

Facing his uncle, he said, "yes?"

The walrus like man just grunted and pointed at the woman. "She's from the government and wants to talk to you."

With that, the lady stood and faced him. For a moment he wanted to shrink away. She reminded him of McGonagall, Tonks and Moody all rolled into one person.

Her hand shot out. "It's a pleasure to merry you, Mister Potter. My name is Dame Jane Wells. I'm the director for MI18, more commonly known as the Magical Information Service, for Her Majesty's government."

Harry blinked as he shook her hand.

"Uhm, how can I help Her Majesty's government?"

The woman smiled brightly at him. "We've heard about the troubles happening in the Magical world, and even some about your...adventures there. What I'm here to do is to recruit you."

"Recruit me?"

"Yes, Mister Potter. The Queen needs your service in order to protect Her subjects."

Harry blinked for a moment wondering if his life could get any weirder. Finally, he shrugged his shoulder and gave her a short nod. "Sure why not."

"Perfect," the woman said with a clap of her hands. "Now let's gather your belongings and make our way to the training facility to get you checked in and registered."

Gremlins...

Harry stepped into the dimly lit shop. An older Chinese man, with long flowing beard sat behind the counter. A long pipe was in his mouth, and clouds of white smoke flowed from the man everyone he exhaled.

Harry's nose twitched as the acrid tinge of the smoke assaulted his sinuses. He blinked twice, trying to keep the years from his eyes.

Rubbing his eyes slightly, he took a step to the left and jostled a cage. An odd squeak drew his attention. He stopped, and leaned down.

Before him was a box that had been painted red and black. Golden highlights were etched across the corners and the front in odd patterns. The entire thing just looked ancient and mystical.

There was another soft chirp from the box.

Hesitantly, he lifted the lid, and offered inside. Blue eyes stared back at him. They seemed to glow with an internal light.

A haunting melody seemed to glow from the creature; a song as soothing in its own way as the song of the phoenix.

Harry opened the lid more so he could see the creature better. It was furry, with the same coloring of a calico cat that used to live down at number seven before his aunt's gossip had driven the two men away. Long ears were held out horizontally from the eyes. And an almost human nose sat above a small mouth.

If Harry had to guess he would say that some crazed wizard had attempted to create a chimera from a lemur, cat and a bat.

Its blue eye caught his own again and he could feel something twitch in his chest. In his magic.

"What are you?" He said to the creature in a soft almost reverent voice.

"It's a mogwai."

As he had not been expecting a response, Harry let out a short yelp in surprise as he dropped the lid to the box and spun himself around. Standing there was a Chinese boy. He was dressed in what almost appeared to be muggle clothes, but they were all made out of some shiny material.

As the lid closed with a crack of wood hitting wood, the creature inside the box let out a yelp of indignation.