Apologies dear readers! It took a long long time to write this one chapter and yes I admit it's short and maybe a tad bit rushed but I just this absolutely awesome idea ^^ And I reaaaally want to write it…..So forgive me please *.*
Dolceconbrio: The Slytherins do, in fact, recognize Harry's power as a magical beast. The strange influence described in the part written in Draco's POV is also part of the reason. They just can't help but feel attracted (in a non-romantic sense) to him. His power is known to them because he has been using magic in classes and it has been much stronger. So you could say their reaction is the result of all that.
I was also thinking of mentioning Hermione again but I haven't had the chance. I'll just tell you that something big will happen and then I'll try and concentrate on the Gryffindors. And hopefully you'll get to know more about the Athrùs while I'm at it ^^
Ex Mentis: Have people ever told you you're too smart for your own good? ^^ Geez, you'll end up guessing the whole storyline in your reviews!
Vladimir Mithrander: Thanks for pointing out my mistake! Now it's been a while since I first read your review and am now wondering if I actually edited the first chapter….I'll go check immediately!
LittleThingsToMakeYouSmile: The first I have to say is that you really live to your name! Your review made me smile like an idiot for two full minutes before I started feeling guilty ^^ I do like people telling me I'm wonderful (or my story, same difference really)! I hope you'll be happy to see a 'next chapter' button appear and I'll try and write the thirteenth chapter quickly.
Full moon had arrived, and though it didn't mean much to anyone else it was something Harry had been waiting for impatiently. Moony and Padfoot had indeed promised to make the trip to Hogsmeade for Remus' transformation. They would then join Harry in the Forbidden Forest so that the three of them could spend the night running together. None of them had said it, but it had been on all of their minds: they would be running with their pack. The notion made harry grin foolishly and gaze at the night sky with longing. Though no matter how much he stared at it, the moon wouldn't go about its cycle quicker. But the night had come at last and Harry was feeling ecstatic at the thoughts of his pack, his godfather and his friend mixed with the pure magic running in the air. The feeling was as addictive as any drug.
As soon as it was decently late, the raven haired boy slipped out of the Slytherin Common Room and swiftly changed. In a matter of minutes, he was trotting down the path towards the edge of the forest. Excitement had taken him over completely. He caught his pack brothers' sent before he saw them and forgetting all about discretion, he barked a joyful greeting while half-running half-leaping towards them. The black hound and the light brown werewolf welcomed him with light growls, a lick from Moony and a push from Padfoot. Once they were done with the greetings they proceeded to enter the forest, immediately setting off in a run.
Padfoot and the raven wolf were soon racing through the forest, enjoying the competition and the rush. Meanwhile, Moony was running at a leisure pace behind them, sometimes losing them but soon catching up. The brown wolf was calmer than his brothers and was quite used to their cub-like attitudes. He didn't mind though, he was content with watching over them from a distance, growling warningly when their playing became too violent, and keeping them away from potentially dangerous areas. He was after all the Leader of the pack; it was his duty to ensure they were safe.
After a time, the two dark canines became tired of racing. They trotted to a nearby clearing and dropped on the grassy carpet, panting heavily. Moony came to lie besides them and was quickly caught between them. Padfoot had come to bury his nose into the brown wolf's right flank, while the younger wolf was lying against the other. Sometimes Moony felt like the mother of two young cubs.
As he lay comfortably, the green eyed wolf couldn't help but feel content. The race had left him dizzy with happiness and excitement. A strange state which had him satiated and yet yearning for more. It was a blissful state and yet a dangerous one, for when Moony barked sharply, telling them it was time to go back, the dark wolf didn't comprehend where he had to go back to. He obediently followed his older pack brother though he felt quite confused about the situation. When the castle came in sight and the other two stopped, he stared at it in bewilderment. He didn't understand why his leader had led him here. Suddenly, his awareness of his being human reappeared and with a bark of farewell he ran to the castle.
When he got back into his bed, his heart was still beating fast. The forest was still in his mind. And his consciousness as a human seemed to flicker constantly. One moment he would be Harry, the next he would be a wolf. Thankfully, he fell asleep right away and thus didn't have to deal with this strange state of mind.
The door that stood before him was taller than any other before. It seemed darker as well, and colder. He pushed the door and slowly it creaked open, revealing a blinding light. For a moment all he could see was luminous whiteness. Then images assaulted him. A man with long silver hair was smiling at him, his pale blue eyes showering him with love. A woman with purple hair was laughing and laughing, her golden eyes glinting with enjoyment. A blue haired child, a green eyed woman, a black stallion, a stern eagle, a white wolf…Images danced around him, engulfing him in warmth and happiness. Laughter filled his ears and he smelled the forest all around him. Songs of times long gone filled the air; the strong scent of fresh leaves filled his nose. Smiles were all around him, happiness pulsed in his veins; wisdom ran through him like a torrent of water. His lips slowly stretched into a smile. "I'm home", he murmured into the singing wind.
"Harry! Harry!"
A sharp snap of fingers made the raven haired boy jump. He tore his eyes away from the window, through which the forest was visible in the distance, and turned to the Italian boy who was sitting on the opposite side of the table.
Blaise looked upset.
"Sorry what were you saying?" asked Harry guiltily.
The dark skinned Slytherin ignored the question and gazed at him sternly. His dark eyes were fixed on the green ones of his friend. The intense gaze made Harry feel as if the other boy was trying to see his very soul.
"Harry, I've been calling you for ten minutes already!" said Blaise, sounding as if only his pureblood education was keeping him from swearing at him. "What's gotten into you?"
The raven haired boy tried to look apologetic.
"Nothing. I was just thinking that's all." he said quickly, his eyes darting around seeking a way to change the subject.
His eyes fell on the pile of books he had been reading with Blaise, searching for information about himself. His gaze lingered on the yellowish pages of the tome he had been reading and sighed internally. He had somewhat lost his interest in his origins. He felt that his history would come to him slowly but surely, but he really didn't know how to explain that to his friends.
"Anyway," came Blaise's slightly impatient voice, now hushed to a near whisper. "I suppose you weren't listening to Bones at all," Harry blinked, he hadn't even noticed the girl had been there. "so I'll tell what she said." the Italian paused. "Umbridge is having everyone gathering in the Great Hall in forty minutes."
That caught Harry's interest.
"What?!" he exclaimed a tad too loudly apparently, as Madam Pince glared at him from her corner. "Why? Did something happen?" he asked this time lowering his voice.
Blaise shrugged playing the 'I don't know and couldn't care less' card, though the green eyed Slytherin could perceive the ever so slight frown on the boy's face.
"Oh well, you know her. She probably wants to tell us all about the new Educational Decrees she found. I swear ever since she became High Inquisitor," the Italian spat the title disdainfully. "she has been putting up a Decree a day. Soon we won't even be allowed to breath!"
Harry hummed thoughtfully. The pink-addict had indeed been quite active. He hadn't been paying much attention to her, but lately it had been hard to ignore her existence as he had tried had to do ever since the beginning of the year. The rules had multiplied and you could now receive detention if you were standing less than a meter away from a student of opposite gender. Harry had experienced that first hand. Once Umbridge had seen him holding Luna by the waist and immediately given him a night of detention for "public indecency". The raven haired boy had retorted that seeing as the other alternative would have been Luna smashing her head on the stone floor down the long flight of stairs, he had thought he was making the right decision. That had earned him another joyous evening of dark quill and bleeding hand.
However, with Dumbledore refusing to so much as acknowledge his existence and the Daily Prophet writing scandalous articles about "the Boy-Who-Became-A-Beast", Harry had not been able to do anything but witness the toad's ascension to power within the school.
The only good thing about the Decrees was the one preventing clubs. It was a mean thought but with Quidditch Teams not being able to play, Harry had escaped the torture of having to watch the matches and trainings without being able to participate. The downside to it was that he had now no occasion to see his 'mother'. He desperately wished to see Narcissa, even if it was only a glimpse. He missed her terribly.
"I'm sure it won't be that bad." said Harry with a smile.
He didn't know at that moment, how wrong he was…