Chapter 12 Others Leave Childhood
Harry spent the night with his foster family. There was indeed something therapeutic about going home. Here was welcome, good to see you, so happy you are back, peace and tranquillity. Essence of warm, fuzzy love and security. Harry could not get this in the human world, and he really began to appreciate it. Human beings do not have the ability to actually share emotions and feelings. He woke up well rested, and went out for breakfast with the family. It was buffet, as usual. Rabbit, wood rat, and duck.
Harry greeted the various family members around the breakfast table. Harry had a light snack of juice, sausage, and conversation. Yes, school went well. There was a little trouble with a few petrified students, but it didn't really affect classes. Students were advised to travel in groups. Yadda, yadda, yadda.
Harry followed Xavier to the study. At 8:00, Lanta escorted a man to the study. He walked with calm assurance. Xavier made the introductions.
Xavier shook the man's hand, saying, "Sam, I am glad you are free to give me a bit of assistance. This is my ward, Harry Potter. Harry, this is an old friend of mine, Samuel Jones. I met him when I was an auror, twenty-five years ago, before the war starting heating up. He lead a hit wizard team then. He is going to evaluate your training, and co-ordinate instructors for the next two months. I know you have access to Sirius Black's training room during school, so we may be able to continue a reduced schedule there. Let's go to the training room."
Sam and Harry were following Xavier. Sam said, "Xavier tells me you have some talent in hand-to-hand combat. Can I call you Harry?"
"Yes, Sir," replied Harry.
"No calling me Sir, Harry. We are going to be spending quite a bit of time together. Call me Sam. We would be formal in a class room setting, but this will be individual training. No reason to be fussy. Respect will be earned."
"Yes, Sir ... Sam," grinned Harry. He liked what he could feel about this guy.
"Harry," said Xavier, "show Sam where the changing room is."
Sam followed Harry, and both of them evaluated each other as they put on loose clothing that allowed freedom of movement.
The time Harry spent as a cat carried over into his human form. Harry wasn't overly large, but he was well defined, with no fat on him what-so-ever. 'This kid is 12?' thought Sam.
Sam was in his early sixties, but he had the body of a young athlete. He was obviously in good shape, with a few scars scattered here and there.
They walked out into the middle of the training room, and started warming up. Push-ups, sit-ups, stretches, and kicks.
"You ready, Harry?" asked Sam. Harry nodded yes. They started out slow, looking for patterned moves.
'Kid isn't bad,' thought Sam. 'Time to mix it up.' Sam moved in, and the best he could do was a few glancing blows. Suddenly there was a back-fist headed for Sam's head, and he couldn't back up, and he couldn't duck. Sam lifted his shoulder, and took the blow in the outside, upper arm.
'Damn, damn, damn, that kid can hit,' Sam thought. 'Fast too. No more of that. Treat this kid like a black belt.' Sam tried his best to hit Harry, and he never connected a solid blow. Harry wasn't running out of energy. After fifteen minutes, Sam called a halt.
"I am impressed, Harry. You can hold your own. Put some weapons in your hands, and you would be dangerous in close fighting," said Sam. "You just need to learn some attack combinations. If we take you further, I will bring in some experts. How are you with magic?"
"I have mostly done accuracy drills and shield training. We did some dodging exercises with a stinging hex. My Godfather didn't want to risk either of us getting hurt, and needing to explain injuries," said Harry. "I want help with magical attack. I have been working with stupefy, reducto, lacero, and incarcerous. My shields are protego and contego, but we have not tried direct hits."
"Stand over there, and I will see how many hits your protego shield will take from incarcerous," said Sam. He started throwing medium strength spells. Harry's shield was reflecting incarcerous, this way and the other. Harry's shield never failed.
"Are you recasting your shield silently Harry?" asked Sam. He had thrown a dozen spells.
"No, what's wrong?" asked Harry.
"Your shield isn't wearing down," replied Sam. "Most shields last three or four hits, five if it is really strong. I figured you for two, to start with. Protego is good for stupefy also. I am going to try some of those now."
The spells were also reflected. Sam started alternating incarcerous and stupefy with the same results, reflection with no end. Sam was amazed.
"Xavier, let's take a break for tea, and discuss this," said Sam. There was a small table in the corner, by the door. Xavier called for Lanta, and tea for three arrived a few minutes later.
"This is a new one, for me," began Sam. "Harry, do you usually have this much success with shields?"
"I don't have much experience with shields. We just had some demonstrations of protego at school. Sirius has only thrown stupefy at me. He hasn't tried to wear down one of my shields. The other students don't even try to throw tickling or itching jinxes at me. They tend to avoid me, actually," said Harry.
Xavier could see where this discussion was headed, and he spoke up. "I need to ask you for an oath not to discuss this ability with anyone unless you have my permission. This needs to be hidden."
"Sure, I understand completely," said Sam, who gave the oath. "Harry, if this isn't a fluke, and you want to keep this ability hidden, you need to go through the motions of replenishing your shield, even if you don't need to. Dodging is also an option."
A few minutes later, Sam stood up. "Let's see how far this ability extends," he said. "Xavier, I want you to mix up those two spells while we both cast them at Harry."
Harry cast protego, and they started attacking. They each threw a couple dozen spells, and Sam called a halt. "How do you feel?" asked Sam.
"OK, I guess," replied Harry. "How should I feel?"
"A person usually feels a bit of fatigue as their magical energy starts to deplete," explained Sam. "I didn't see any evidence of those spells starting to pass your shield. Let me cast a charm they taught me for battle field medical treatment."
Sam cast the diagnostic charm. Harry noticed that neither one of them had been saying their spells very loudly.
"Xavier, his magical core is still quite strong. Most wizards' reserve power levels would have fallen quite a bit farther. I don't have his rested readings to compare with, but we didn't strain him at all. Harry, I want you to start casting your best stupefy at me."
They stood about fifteen feet apart, and Harry started casting. On Harry's sixth cast, Sam's shield started showing weakness.
"Stop a minute, Harry," he said. "Your spells are nothing unusual. Cast the contego shield, and I will try the same thing with reducto and lacero." The results were identical. The spells were reflected.
"One last test, for today," said Sam. "I want you to cast protego, and then start casting stinging hexes at that target."
Harry could cast at the target, without losing any effectiveness on his shield. The last spell Sam threw was reducto. Protego normally wasn't as effective with reducto, and many times would bleed through. Harry's shield had a perfect reflection.
Sam stopped, and walked over to the corner table. He sat, and poured a cup of tea. "Tomorrow I want to bring over some equipment HW teams use in the field, as well as some more diagnostic equipment," he said. "Harry, as it stands right now, you would be an incredible asset to a HW team, as a shielder. Your team mates could really lay the attack on someone while you were shielding. I will see you tomorrow. I am going to try to get some of the equipment today." They walked him to the apparation point.
"Harry, that's all I have for today," said Xavier. "Go out and enjoy your holiday. I will see you tomorrow, for breakfast."
Harry kneazled, and went over to the Burrow. He could hear Ginny talking to her mother in the kitchen, and Harry walked on in, as Green Eyes had for several years. He jumped up on the bench seat beside her, and laid down. Ginny was telling her mother about the spring term, and how Hermione had been possessed by the diary. Ginny absent mindedly reached down, and scratched him behind the ears. She had been doing it for years, besides, now she knew how good it felt. Harry just laid there, and listened to the conversation. Again, this had been normal behavior for the past several years.
The twins came in from the back yard laughing. George spotted Green Eyes, and his face showed shock, as it dawned on him who was there.
"Har ..!" George started, and then started coughing and hacking to cover up what he almost said. Harry's eyes followed the twins into the kitchen. "Ginny," he continued, after he collected himself, "Come see the new joke we have been working on. You can bring the kitty with you, if you want."
"I've always been impressed by how well behaved that kneazle is," said Molly. "They are great cats in general. Aunt Arabella has had them for years, but that one is especially nice." George started choking again. "George," asked Molly, "What have you been eating that is so dry?"
"It's nothing, Mum," said George. "I swallowed a bug coming in from the back." He went on up to his room. Fred, Ginny, and ... the kitty ... followed. They closed the door, and silenced it. George busted out laughing. "That was so good," he said, "and I can't tell anyone." He broke up laughing again, and it was contagious.
Harry transformed, and laughing said, "You have no idea what people say, when they think no one is around, but a cat. How is your transformation going?"
"Pretty good, we think. Watch," said George. Slowly, George's left arm took on fur, and became a bit thinner. Fred's arm was furry, but not quite so thin.
"It might help if you went to a zoo, and watched some spider monkeys for a while," said Harry. "The zoo in London is sure to have some. I have found it helps me to touch the form I am studying, if possible."
"We have a better idea," said Fred. "We are fifteen this summer. We think we can get summer jobs in town. If nothing else, the stock yards are always looking for a couple willing blokes. We don't have familiars, and we are going to save up for a pair of magical spider monkeys. They have enhanced intelligence, so they are house broke to use the loo. We like the intelligence part, since they could be brilliant for pranks. They aren't popular enough for the Magical Menagerie to carry them, but they will order them for us. We sent an owl to Professor McGonagall, to see if we could get permission to bring them to Hogwarts. We can keep them as long as they don't get into trouble. If we put all of our free money toward them, we can get them in four weeks, five weeks tops. We have saved a bit from some of the jokes we have sold to other students. Our stuff is still pretty tame, but we are working on it. Some of the fireworks are the better sales. Kids like things that go bang.
Sam was back in the morning with the equipment he mentioned the day before. The first item was a standard issue charmed wrist band that monitored the magical reserve and core status of HW team members. In a combat situation, it is essential to know when team members are running out of power, or were no longer using magic, and possibly incapacitated. The team leader has a master bracelet that monitors all team members. Sam was wearing the master, and he gave Harry and Xavier a couple for team members. Sam calibrated the bands to each of their cores. It didn't measure how strong the cores were, but rather they kept watch on how much the cores were depleted.
Sam brought out another charmed object, and strapped it to Harry's waist. He explained what the item would test for as he made several adjustments.
"Harry," he began, " this will measure your magical core's capacity to perform magic. The Ministry developed these a few centuries ago to screen potential aurors. It soon became standard practice for the old families to use these to test their children for magical potential. More than a little bragging was done. These devices are seldom used now, after several children, that had been identified as squibs, later showed average levels of magic."
Xavier spoke up, "The Ministry developed modified scrying spells, tied to the Department of Mysteries and Hogwarts, that identify eleven year old magical children. Children wait, with more than a little anxiety, for their letter of admission. Most magical children have developed their magic by age eleven, but there are still exceptions. Anyway, these scrying spells started identifying muggleborn wizards, and many of the old families tried to stop Hogwarts from contacting muggleborn. Muggleborn accidental magic sometimes caused enough attention that the Ministry became involved. Otherwise, many muggleborn wizards were not found, and trained, before the searching spell was put in service."
"Many muggleborn were killed by muggles claiming they were possessed by demons. Their religion stated that all witches and wizards are possessed by demons. Religion is a very sticky issue, even among the wizards. The Wizengamut finally decided it was safer for the wizarding world to continue identifying all wizards, and the Ministry scrying system continues to this day," said Sam, as he finished calibrating the device.
"What can you tell me about religion?" asked Harry. "I have heard people talk about God, Gods, and Goddesses. It all seems awfully confusing."
"It is," replied Xavier. "Maybe we can discuss it some during break. It is a complicated subject."
"I am ready, Harry," said Sam. "When I say start, I want you to cast Lumos, and hold it until I tell you to stop." He waited a few moments, and said, "Begin."
After about five minutes, Sam said, "Stop. Now I want you to cast stupefy at that target, and hold it as long as you can. Begin."
Harry held the spell for a little over a minute. "One last spell, Harry. Cast Protego. While you are holding the shield, I want Xavier to cast stupefy and Incarcerous, alternating between the two, until I say stop. Begin Harry." After a few moments, he said, "Begin, Xavier."
After about ten minutes, Sam said, "Xavier, stop now. Good. Harry, cancel your shield. Let's discuss this over tea." He removed the device from Harry's waist.
Lanta had a tea service with biscuits on the corner table. After Harry sat down, and filled his cup, he asked, "What did you find out?"
"You are in the top 2 percent of the wizarding world, as far as core power goes. Of the approximate thirty-five thousand wizards in Great Britain, there are seven hundred people as strong, or stronger, than you. A person like Dumbledore is nearly in a class by himself, since there is likely only about a dozen people in the entire world as strong, or stronger, than him. Couple that with his incredible intelligence, and Dumbledore is a force to be reckoned with."
He continued, after a pause. "The oddity about you, Harry, is that your shield is very efficient, and draws only a small amount of power from your core, which your core is easily able to maintain, about as easily as the average person maintains Lumos. I have never heard of this phenomenon before, even though it isn't unusual for wizards to be talented in certain areas. Most wizards can cast Lumos while holding a shield, since Lumos doesn't affect a shield. Yesterday, you were able to cast the stinging hex while your shield was active, and it didn't degrade your shield. I don't know if you are making a small hole in your shield for your hex to pass through, or if you are turning off your shield temporarily. Only the most experienced of fighters can cast offensively while shielding, and there is more than one way to do it. For our purposes this summer, I want to concentrate on several shields. A good shield defense is an essential foundation. You may not be the most powerful offensive wizard, but you are no light weight. You are familiar with protego and contego. There are shield spells specific to certain offensive spells that allow one to deflect, or even redirect, those cast spells at other locations. One can even return those spells at the original caster, under certain conditions, followed by a spell of your own choosing. This makes you potentially rather formidable, as a fighter. You can maintain a shield while casting offensively. You just have to watch that band on your wrist, so you don't exhaust yourself."
After a bit more light conversation on defense techniques, Sam brought Harry out into the middle of the room, and taught him a new spell. "Harry, this shield, fruego, is very specific to stupefy, and moderately successful with a few others. I want you to start this exercise by simply trying to bat the spell away from you. This spell is essentially a hand held mirror. If you miss the cast spell, you will know it."
Harry worked with Sam on weekdays, and Xavier had no other duties, or chores, for him. Xavier knew that Harry was motivated to learn, but he didn't spend every waking moment doing it. Harry perfected the flying form at Hogwarts, and spent a little time flying every night, as a rather small cat. He told Xavier that McGonagall had helped him finish the flying form, and he hoped to spend a weekend with her in upper Scotland. He also told him the twins, Ginny, and Hermione knew of his kneazle animagus form. Xavier reminded him that, while it was Harry's secret to tell, the fewer people who knew about that ability, the better.
One night, after supper, Harry asked Xavier about religion. "Xavier, you mentioned religion was a complicated subject. What can you tell me about it?" asked Harry.
"Religion," began Xavier, "is complicated because it describes morality, what is right and wrong, and why. It also describes our individual relationship to all living things and our existence after death. Everyone has a religion ... what they think is proper behavior. While people may be of similar views, no two people are exactly the same. All legal systems are founded upon morality, or religion. Let me give you some examples."
Followers of the Light believe that death is just the "Next Great Adventure". We continue to exist, and that continued existence is affected by what we do during this life. Followers of the Light believe there are conditions of existence much worse than death. All creatures, great and small, should be able to live their life to the fullest, as long as it doesn't impact adversely upon another.
Dark wizards tend to believe that there is only power, and the ability to use it how one wishes, at the expense of others. Death is the end of existence, and life has no other meaning that what we are able to grab for ourselves.
"The Jewish, Christian, and Islamic religions state that God, the Creator, personally gave a Book of Rules to a man name Moses. The Book of Rules stated that people shall not lie, steal, murder, worship false Gods, and so forth. If a person didn't follow the rules during life, then they would suffer in the afterlife. The Christian and Islamic religion developed from the Jewish religion, and they are very similar. There are several stories of heroes who worked for God to destroy enemies of the people who follow the rules.
"The Book of Rules for the Jewish, Christian, and Islamic religion was expanded, over time, and proscribed that their legal system will not suffer a witch to live, with mention of sorcerers as well, because they are evil. They were required to execute witches and wizards, and they wrote their legal system accordingly. In fact, when those rules were written, 'witchcraft' and 'sorcerer' were words used to describe the people we call Dark, users of Black Magic. People using Light Magic and Potion Craft were known as healers, if they were known at all. During the same time period, we executed dark wizards also. We now give them life terms in Azkaban. The word, witch, is part of the problem. It focuses on ability, rather than behavior. They make the assumption all witches are evil."
"The wizarding world tends to do the same thing, when they group spells in categories of light and dark. A spell is neither light, nor dark, since light and dark describe the behavior of people. Using the avada kedavra spell is an automatic life term in Azkaban, but Reducto is not, as if Reducto is not just as dangerous. The only difference in those two spells is that reducto MIGHT be stopped by a shield. In reality, one only throws Reducto at a person they want to kill. Catastrophic destruction of body tissue tends to do that. We can use Reducto in training, with controlled conditions, but not in Diagon Alley, for example, where a reflected spell can, and will, kill unintended victims. That is why aurors, almost universally, use stupefy. It can actually be safer for a Hit Wizard team to use the Avada Kedavra at point blank range, since it can't be reflected, or stopped. You are the only known person to reflect the AK. What happened to you, as a child, is a guess, at best. There were no witnesses, just evidence the AK was used."
"Anyway, religion profoundly affects legal systems, in general terms. The major world religions are: Christianity, Islam, Buddhism, Hinduism, Confucianism, and Taoism. Even though we hide from muggles, there are wizards in those major religions. Some of the wizarding world still has ties to the Druids. Others profess no standardized religion. There are many simpler religions that follow similar concepts of morality. They all maintain rules stating what a person must do, should do, and can not do, to live a better life today, and have a desired existence after death, whether it be Heaven or Valhalla. Most of the day-to-day rules are the same."
"The International Confederation of Warlocks' Statue of Secrecy was enacted to protect the wizarding world from the muggle world's insistence that all witches and wizards be executed. They outnumber us 5,000 to 1, and they have persecuted and murdered witches and wizards for years. A favored form of execution has been the burning of wizards at the stake. The Wizengamut has investigated several muggle religions, from time to time, since the middle ages. Officially, they believe anyone performing witchcraft is under the influence of demons. There have, in fact, been instances of demon possession in the past. In those cases, the muggle world has suffered tremendously. Recently, Voldemort tortured and murdered muggles indiscriminately. There are valid reasons for the muggle world to fear some wizards, but not all wizards. Muggles tend to lump us all together, as dangerous, which we are, I suppose. Eleven year olds carry the deadliest of weapons. That doesn't make us evil. Strangely enough, in the past, Aurors working for the Wizengamut have found a few leaders of those major groups that were evil, and we had to take measures to nullify their influence. There are good and evil individuals among all cultures."
"To make a long story short, Harry, religion and legal systems are closely tied. There are many arguments over how God or Gods are described, what the expected behavior is, and what the penalties are for improper behavior. Some argue Gods do not exist, or if they do, they care not what humanity does, and there are no restrictions to human behavior. Individual members of the Powers That Be tend to get identified as Gods, not that they identify themselves as such. People tend to take religion, their way of life, very seriously. Everyone has a way of life, what they think is right and wrong. Have I bored you?"
"No," replied Harry, with a doubtful expression. "What do you believe?"
"Harry," Xavier replied, "I have seen glimpses of my future, not that those glimpses were significant. I have seen enough to suspect life is not accidental. After a careful study of history, I believe the Powers That Be watch over our world. The Powers That Be are supervised by The Creator. Sentient beings have free will, with the ability to choose, and the requirement to choose. Choosing to do nothing, is a choice. We do not have the ability to control a great number of the events from which we must choose. Everyone is tested, based upon our belief of what is right and wrong, and when we die, we are judged accordingly, regardless of culture, law, and religion. We do not all get the same tests of character. Some people are tested to the edge of their endurance, while others appear to live a care free life. Regardless, everyone ALWAYS does what they want to, without exception. We may prefer we had different options to choose from, but we all do what we want to do. We all LIVE what we believe. We all may speculate on what we believe, but to find out what we believe, we just need to look at what we DO in our daily life, and why. What will we REALLY do, if we think no one is looking? Will we do what is right, what is easy, or what feels good? The choices I make in how I live my life, every day, reflects who I am. Whether I live, or die, of itself, is not important. If those choices lead to the death of this body, so be it. Dead, or alive, I remain who I am. We are all immortal, unless we become someone to warrant extermination. Is this confusing?"
"No," replied Harry, "I am not sure all of it makes sense, but if I have more questions, I will let you know."
"That is OK, Harry," said Xavier. "If you ever really want your head to hurt, I will talk about how many different people assume the condition of their existence after death, based upon their professed religious affiliation. Anything else?"
"Dumbledore still acts strange around me," said Harry. "I can sense his ... anxiety."
"You are the only wizard known to have survived the AK Voldemort was so fond of using to murder people. You have been put on something of a pedestal, in our world. I think Dumbledore is worried you will break a law in the wizarding world that you do not know about, since you did not grow up in the human world, wizard or muggle. One might say that you grew up under 'The Law of the Forest,' where life can be necessarily brutal. That is eat, or be eaten, so to speak, and protect one's own territory. Laws in the wizarding world are not so simple. The penalty for breaking wizard law can be very severe, resulting if forfeiture of magic, freedom, or life. Specifically, he is afraid you will kill someone without sufficient reason under Wizengamut law, which then becomes murder. Since you are such a popular icon in the wizarding world, they would make an example of you, if you break a serious law. You scared Dumbledore badly, with Quirrell. He also appears worried you will walk away from the wizarding world, and return to the world of kneazles. What I do not understand, is why he places so much importance in you, specifically. Wizards more powerful than you drop out of the wizarding world all of the time. Nicolas and Perennelle Flamel are notable examples of powerful wizards that have virtually disappeared, and there are many others, as well. Anyway, when do you want to visit your Professor McGonagall?"
"Next weekend," said Harry, "if it all works out."
The week flew by very quickly. Harry worked with Sam and/or Xavier every day for two or three hours. Sam dedicated the training to shielding and countering spells, since defense is a skill second to none, in combat. Harry was very good defensively, in hand-to-hand and magical combat. He had not yet exposed Harry to the various weapons. The wizarding world was partial to using wands to fight with, but they were not strangers to the medieval knives, swords, and arrows. Wizards were familiar with the muskats and canon of the maritime wars. They had been exposed to the muggle bombs and artillery of Grindewalde's war. Shields and wards could be used against large, fast moving objects, like bullets, bombs, and artillery shells. Slower and smaller moving objects, like knives, swords, and some arrows, were difficult to magically shield. Standard armor could blunt many of those attacks.
Friday afternoon arrived, and Harry was ready to visit McGonagall Castle. He enjoyed working with the Professor. He took the floo to the specially warded receiving hall of the castle, where McGonagall was waiting for him.
"Harry," she said, as he exited the floo, "I am happy you could come. Leave your things there, they will be safe. After supper, we will portkey to the cabin we will be staying at for the weekend. There is a stream flowing out of the mountains into a small lake. It is remote enough that we won't be bothered by visitors."
She showed Harry the main parts of the castle and the immediate grounds, talking about various tidbits of history as she walked. Later, they had an informal supper with the Professor's uncle, Morgan McGonagall, and a few family members. Morgan told several stories about the castle's history during the meal. Minerva and Harry left for the cabin about an hour later. Magic can make travel very easy.
"Harry," said the Professor, "You can put your things in the east bedroom. I always spend a portion of my summer holidays here. It is very relaxing. I try to spend a little time with my children and grandchildren here, as well. There is still a bit of daylight left. Would you care for a flight down by the lake?"
"Yeah," replied Harry. "That would be brilliant."
They walked out on the porch, transformed, and took wing. They followed a babbling brook down the hill to the small lake. They landed in a large tree, and scanned the area. It was beautiful, with virtually no hint of human contact. They took wing again, and flew from place to place for about half an hour. The professor was tiring, and she walked for a while, in cat form. Then, she made the human transformation, and so did Harry.
"Harry, I really enjoyed that," she said, "but I don't use my flight muscles very often. It is odd how those structures do not exist in my natural form, but they get stronger if transform often, and exercise them. I don't think the South American flying cats are known for long flights either. They are very effective hunters, and usually stay in higher, more remote areas. The only drawback, for me, is their lack of conversational skills." They were walking in the general direction of the cabin.
"Kneazles don't have deep conversations," said Harry, "but they do get their ideas transferred pretty well. They don't have to rely on sounds and gestures alone."
They sat on a large rock for a while, and Harry continued. "I have only made short flights at night at home. I have not been much higher than the tallest trees. I tried to copy your wings. Have you ever modified the length of your wings, or feathers?" Harry asked.
"I copied the South American cats as closely as I could, and then tried some longer wings. The longer wings took more strength to get up to speed, and I couldn't flap them as fast. I think the South Americans are built for quick flights with tight turns. I saw a couple of them on attack runs, and I am not that good. Of course, I don't have to hunt, to eat," she replied. "I tried the larger form, and I couldn't get off of the ground. I could glide from a higher spot to a lower one. Have you ever tried the larger form?"
"No," said Harry. "I don't dare be seen at Ottery St. Catchpole."
"That is one of the reasons I was hoping you could come this summer," said McGonagall. "We are pretty remote up here. You could try some different sizes for your transformation, if you want to. I don't get a chance to teach the animagus transformation very often. I haven't had many students express an interest after they found out how much work it takes to actually make the first transformation. You were already an animagus when I met you. It is most enjoyable to explore the possibilities with a person of your abilities."
"I can't imagine having only one form now. I like being in the woods, and humans are not well suited to the forest. I like flying a broom for the team, and it is absolutely great to fly with my own wings." They were nearly back to the cabin, and Harry was looking through the trees toward the lake. "I like learning magic, as a human, but it is also fun working on my transformations. I especially like the partial transformations, like the kneazle with a human hand. People can do a lot more with hands than I ever could with paws. Still, no human can climb trees like a cat can. No creature is better suited for the forest, than a cat."
"Harry," said McGonagall, "I am going in for a while. I have had a long day, and I am not accustomed to flying very far. I am going to sleep. Feel free to explore a bit, I know you won't get lost, and there are not any known hazards around here that you are not familiar with. I will see you in the morning."
"Good night, Professor," said Harry. He took kneazle form, and ran to the cliffs on the far side of the lake, and laid down. He thought about how thrilled the Professor would be if she knew that three more of her students were also working with the animagi transformation. He wanted to work some more with wings. He couldn't think of a form he liked better than cat, especially with the ability to make wings. He had to get more experience positioning his tail and legs during flight, for better maneuverability while flying. Flying straight from one place to another was easy.
Harry tried a kneazle sized flying form, and he could feel the extra weight. His weight grew faster with increased size than his increased wing size could lift. He was a lot stronger than the Professor, but given a choice, he would not pick the larger form over the smaller one, for flying. It took too much energy. He could fly fairly fast, with his small version, and he could fly a long time. He still had the strength and stamina of the kneazle. He was having a great time using a combination of jumps and short flights, moving from tree to tree. After a couple hours, he went to the cabin, where he found the tabby cat sleeping by the unlit hearth. Harry found a good spot on the other side of the hearth, and went to sleep. The tabby cat looked up, appeared to smile, and went back to sleep.
Harry awoke to the smell of eggs frying, and toast in the oven. "Good morning, Harry," said the Professor. "Would you like to hunt, or would you care for eggs and ham. I find that I am fond of my toast and jam."
"Eggs and ham are fine. I am not very particular about what I eat. I tried my kneazle size for flying last night. I could fly, but the smaller form is much better," said Harry.
"I know what you mean," said the Prof. "You have all of the abilities of the kneazles, don't you?"
"Yes, I do. I can't really remember not having them," replied Harry.
"I can take the form and color of a kneazle," said the Professor, "but I don't have the magical abilities. You are the only one I am aware of, and you made a spontaneous transformation. You are much stronger than I am. Many wizards would try to take the form of a phoenix, if we could also have their magical ability. Taking the form of normal animals does not appeal to most in the wizarding world. How fast are you?"
"I am nearly as fast as Father. I have no idea exactly how fast that is," replied Harry. "Most of that ability carries over into my human form. My friends are not nearly as strong as I am."
"I am very pleased you do not use that ability to intimidate your classmates. Can you imagine Crabbe and Goyle, with your abilities?" asked McGonagall.
"There is no reason to do such a thing," said Harry. "There is enough pain in the world, with out me adding to it. I can, and will, defend myself and others. I would rather use my talents for healing."
"Which magical animals have you worked with?" asked the Prof. "I know you spend a lot of time with Hagrid."
"I have worked with thestrals, dragons, and unicorns," replied Harry. "Unicorns are very much like kneazles. Dragons and thestrals shouldn't be able to fly like they do, except that they appear to be able to make themselves lighter. Dragons throw a good flame, for attack and defense. I don't know much about other magical animals. What is known about magical animals, Professor?"
"We know what they do," replied the Prof., "but we don't really know how they do what they do."
"I don't do anything differently, as a human, or a kneazle," said Harry. "If the ability is magical, then the kneazle magic is active all of the time."
"How did you discover Pettigrew was Mr. Weasley's rat?" asked McGonagall.
"I first noticed he didn't act like a normal rat," replied Harry. "I know rats. Ron said his rat wasn't magical, but I could sense that he was. When I visited with you, and you transformed into your cat for me, I could tell you weren't a real cat. Most people probably wouldn't notice the difference, but I am a cat. You are a human, acting like a cat. There is a difference. Also, your emotions flow differently. They are more human, than cat. After I thought about that for a while, it occurred to me the rat might be doing the same thing, and I went to the Headmaster. It didn't make any sense to me, that a person would want to be a rat. I mean, who would want to be food. I let the Headmaster sort it out. He knew about my life as a kneazle. A kneazle knows rat behavior. Kneazles can sense emotions, especially the strong ones, and the rat's emotions were too complex. The rat just wasn't normal."
"Are you implying that magical animals perform certain magical skills naturally, similar to wandless magic?" asked the Prof.
"I don't know much about wandless magic," said Harry, "but I don't do anything differently, whether I am human, or kneazle. My senses are a bit different. My kneazle nose is more sensitive than the human one. My night vision is much better as a kneazle, than human. Hearing is better, as a kneazle. In fact, the only thing I do better as a human, is pick up things with my hands. I can communicate with kneazles, as a human. I would stay in kneazle form, if I could study magic as a kneazle. I need the wand and my voice. Can you do wandless magic, Professor?"
"I can accio light objects, like parchment, my quills, and my wand. I need my wand to Accio an ink bottle. Are you suggesting I can accio a piece of parchment in my cat form?" asked McGonagall.
"It would be worth a try," replied Harry. He was thinking about his shield spells. He would have to try some of his shields with Xavier as a cat.
"Let's go to the lake," said McGonagall. "I want to try some leaves." She transformed, and ran out the door. She passed several trees, of course, but she didn't stop until she came to one of her favorite spots on the lake shore. She was staring at some leaves near the edge. One rose from the ground, and came to her paw. She transformed back. "I don't know that wandless magic has ever been tried while in animagus form. This is just amazing. This needs investigation. The Ministry would restrict this knowledge. Oh, Harry. I need a cup of tea." She started walking back to the cabin, with Harry close to her heels.
Harry watched McGonagall while she made tea the muggle method. He could sense her widespread emotions, and making the tea was a calming influence. Presently, she poured two cups.
"If you were to pick a few spells to cast as a kneazle, which ones would they be?" she asked.
"Stupefy, protego, and wingardium leviosar, to start with. I would also like to be able to levitate myself, to make myself lighter. I could jump farther and run faster. I could fly with a larger form," said Harry. 'Maybe I could carry Ginny better,' thought Harry. I hadn't occurred to him he might be able to fly with her, like the Pegasi, or Thestrals.
"I think we have a new animagus project, Harry," said McGonagall. "This never would have occurred to me if I hadn't met you. Wandless magic in the animagus transformation." As they finished their tea in silence, the Professor thought to herself, ' I have never taken an apprentice, but if I ever do, this will be the one.' Suddenly, she stood up and said, "Let's go for a flight, Harry. I need to burn up some energy." And off they went.
After supper, they walked out on the porch. They had given their muscles a workout. Harry showed her what he was doing, combining the jumping from one tree to another with short bursts of flight. The Professor had not remotely tried to keep up with Harry, but in a much more sedate way, she had had a lot of fun as well.
As they sat, watching the moon over the lake, McGonagall said, "Harry, you remind me of my grandchildren. I taught many of them at Hogwarts. One of my great-grandchildren is a fourth year Ravenclaw now. She is the oldest of the greats. Few know that she is my grand child, as we don't have the same name, and we have never drawn attention to ourselves. She occasionally stops for a visit. She is much closer to her grandmother, my daughter Mary."
"Have animagi ever had children in their animagus form?" asked Harry. "Children seems like a distant idea, but I thought I would ask."
"While a person appears to be the animal of their transformation, their cellular genetics stays human. You appear to be kneazle in every way, but you are actually human. Wizards know of the work of the monk named Gregor Mendel. Some of the humanoid races have crossed, like the giants and the veela, as well as the dwarves, elves, and goblins, but I have not heard of a human cross with a non-humanoid," explained McGonagall. "Have you given the idea much thought? Magic can do odd things with genes."
"No, not really," replied Harry. "You brought up your children, and Xavier thinks the Headmaster is worried I will leave the human world altogether for the kneazles. I have never given any thought to the idea of a mate."
"A great many of us meet our future spouse at school, Harry," said the Professor. "Students have seven years of close interaction. That is how I met my husband, and we were married right out of school. I took my Mastery after my youngest child went to Hogwarts. I am going to go to sleep. I haven't used these old muscles like this in a long time. Good night, I will see you for breakfast."
"Goodnight," replied Harry. He wasn't as tired, so he went back to the cliffs over the lake. He started thinking about wandless magic. He thought he would try levitation first, since the spell would be internal. It would be similar to what the thestrals do. He wondered if it would help him learn, if he rode a thestral. There were a couple he had worked with that would probably let him ride. He might discuss the possibility with Hagrid, since he knew the herd rather well. He thought protego and contego might already be functional. Stupefy might be an interesting spell. Who would expect a kneazle to stupefy them? Then, there was reducto. Most people didn't pay much attention to a cat, anyway. He got up, and took off through the woods again, tree to tree. Yes, levitation might be fun.
Harry awoke again to the smell of eggs and toast. "Morning, Professor," said Harry, as he walked into the kitchen area. "Sleep well?"
"Yes I did," replied McGonagall. "I didn't hear you come in last night. I was in deep sleep."
"What sort of wandless magic will you try?" asked Harry. "I am going to try both internal and external levitation."
"I am also," replied the Professor. "That could be so useful, in so many ways, if I could perfect it in both human and cat form. Especially when these bones get older."
"You're not even middle-aged yet, are you?" grinned Harry. "Don't most wizards live 175 years?"
"A great many of us do," replied McGonagall, "but one never knows. Our life span is one reason there are as many of us as there are. Dark lords, down through the years, have thinned us out some. Grindewalde and Voldemort killed far too many, in Europe. A few of us have lived far longer than 175. What do you want to do, before we leave?"
"Nothing special," said Harry. "How would you like to walk around the lake as a large cat? Try to be as large as you can be."
"OK," she replied. "Let's go."
And off they went. They rather enjoyed themselves, doing not much of anything in particular. They had a late lunch, packed the few belongings they had, and portkeyed back to McGonagall Castle. They wished each other as safe and happy holiday, as Harry reached for the floo powder to take him home.
He let Lanta know he was back home. Xavier was out. Harry kneazled, and visited with his family for a while. It was dark when he arrived at the Burrow. He gave Ginny a brief summary of his weekend at McGonagall castle, but he couldn't tell her everything. Harry had secrets all over the place. There was no single person who knew everything about him, and what he was doing.
"Ginny," he began, "have you thought any more about telling someone else about your animagus ability? I know I have ended up telling more people than I originally planned, but telling those people has really worked out great. How could I have ever have guessed that when Dobby bound me, I would end up working with McGonagall on the animagus transformation. She really helped me make the flying form."
"It's too early," said Ginny. "I am way too young to be doing magic like that without Mum knowing, and she would never let it happen. I am supposed to be in pigtails, learning to be a home maker. I can't officially learn to be an animagus, or how to protect myself, because teachers need parental permission for any formal training. Sirius, McGonagall, or Xavier could get in a bind if Mum blew her chimney."
"Maybe we can figure out a place where I can teach you some of what I am learning," said Harry. "Maybe the twins know somewhere."
"There is no hurry, Harry," said Ginny. "I know you will teach me when you get a chance. I just can't risk Mum knowing. She wouldn't let me out of her sight." Harry spent some time with her and the twins, and went home around 11:00.
Monday morning brought training with Sam. Sam was very pleased with Harry's defensive charms. There was only one more thing he wanted to add to Harry's training schedule this summer. Most wizards tried to stay as far away from others they were fighting as they could, and still reasonably hit their target. Maybe their opponent would miss more often than they themselves did. Harry could depend on his shield, so he had Harry working closer to his opponent all the time, which improved Harry's accuracy with both reflected and cast spells. He gave Harry a short paint stick that Harry was supposed to touch his opponent with if he got close enough. Harry didn't get anything new from Sam the rest of the summer. Harry had developed a fairly good list of curses to counter. Once in a while Sirius would come over, and they would do a little three on one.
Harry started slipping in wandless shields during training. He planned to have Xavier attack him in his kneazle form, without informing Sirius or Sam. Xavier was the person he went to first, when ever possible. Sam and Sirius were did not train with Harry every week day, so it wasn't difficult for Harry to find a time to test his shields. Harry had no idea his shields were essentially instinctive. Harry hadn't had much opportunity to get hexed. He didn't play "Grab Ass" with his classmates, like so many teens do. Students left The Boy Who Lived alone, especially after the parseltongue event. The only reason Dobby had been so successful, was that the elven magic was so different from anything he had been exposed to before, and he hadn't had enough exposure. What Harry didn't know, didn't hurt him any. It didn't help, either, but Harry had no way of knowing the direction he could have taken his training.
"Xavier," asked Harry, "would you throw some stupefy and Reducto at me in kneazle form? I want to try shields in that form." Harry kneazled, and walked to the center of the room.
"OK, if you are sure," replied Xavier. "I will start with stupefy, since it doesn't hurt so badly if it gets through." He cast, and the spell was reflected. He tried a few more, and they were reflected as well. "Break time, Harry."
They walked over to the corner table, where Lanta had tea and biscuits. Harry poured for both of them, and sat down.
"Harry, how long have you been able to do that?" asked Xavier.
"I never tried before this week. Professor McGonagall and I planned to try some wandless magic in animagus form, and I thought I would try shields with you," said Harry. "I plan to try stupefy, reducto, and wingardium leviosar as well. I would like a minimum set of spells available in kneazle form. The Professor is very excited about it, and doesn't want to let the Ministry know yet. She may not tell anyone. She thinks the Ministry will react badly. I wanted you to test me, under attack."
"I can see her reason for keeping quiet while she is testing the theory," said Xavier. "The Ministry would want to squash this quickly, not that there are many people that care to learn wandless magic. The Ministry prefers wanded magic, since they use wands to track the use of magic, as well as provide proof of criminal behavior. Many of the wizards capable of more than a few simple wandless spells, are dark ... having a desire to hide what they are doing. Dumbledore is the only one I am aware of that practices any significant wandless magic. There must be more, but I don't know them."
As the twins predicted, they had enough money to pick up their monkeys about five weeks into summer holiday. The weekend arrived, and the twins were on their way to get them. Molly, Harry, Ginny, and Ron went with them. Ron went to Quality Quidditch Supplies right away. He wasn't thrilled with the pet shop. They went straight to the clerk, and told them they were here to pick up their order.
The proprietor came out of the back room with a fairly large cage, and motioned over. "These are new on the market," he began. "They are nearly full grown, and they come with a charm to bind them to you, so they don't run away. Are you boys getting one each?" The monkeys looked terrified.
"Yeah," said Fred. "I am getting the girl, and George there is getting the boy."
"Take this training medallion, then," he said, "and you take this one. Repeat after me."
They did, and the young monkeys calmed down a bit. They each came forward, and put a hand through the cage. Fred and George couldn't get the smiles off of their faces.
The owner continued, "They come with the cage, care and feeding instructions, and a few treats. These are tropical creatures, and you will have to take care that they stay warm. Anything you need in order to keep warm, they need also. Come back here if you have any questions."
The monkeys and the twins were inseparable. If the twins were going somewhere, the monkeys were riding on their shoulders. The brochure had been correct. These spider monkeys were very intelligent. It appeared they were learning English, and were starting to respond to verbal information the twins would give them. They were also starting to give hand and face gestures to the twins, using a crude sign language. The monkeys were teaching the twins!
Ginny helped the twins make clothes for the little ones. They were dressed identically, regardless of gender. The average person may not have been able to tell which one was the girl, or the boy, when they were dressed, but the twins could. One day soon, the twins were going to have to name them, but they had mixed opinions about names. In the mean time, they called them 'girl' or 'boy', with quite a bit of affection.
Green Eyes was over at the Burrow irregularly, but often. Luna was a regular visitor, as well. The girls spent a lot of time out by the pond, and it wasn't uncommon for Green Eyes to find them there. Green Eyes was lounging at Ginny's feet, when Luna said, "Harry, why don't you join us?"
Ginny looked up quickly, and said, "Luna, what do you mean?"
"I've known for a long time Green Eyes wasn't a simple kneazle. I didn't really know Harry until I started at Hogwarts. It took me a little time to put the clues together. Oh, don't worry, there are not many people with my varied background. The Lovegoods have always been on the edge of the wizarding world. I have Elven blood, but not enough to point my ears. You probably won't find a species of sentient bipeds that isn't in the Lovegood family tree somewhere. Who knows, maybe some that aren't biped. Mum was mostly human, but Dad is something else. I don't talk about it much, if at all. You two seem safe."
"Safe for what?" asked Ginny.
"You won't treat me badly. The wizarding world usually treats mixed-bloods with contempt," said Luna. "Many in Ravenclaw Tower tease me, and they don't know the half of it. Look at how they treat muggleborn."
"I don't have a problem with it," said Ginny.
"Neither do I," said Harry.
"I am just starting to get good at seeing the animal magic. The animal magic is a part of you now, Ginny. What kind of animal are you? " asked Luna.
"I am a kitty, for a little over a year now. I think it's great," replied Ginny.
"I should be able to be a cat," said Luna. "I will never be as good as Grandpa, but I will try for cat. Can I see?"
Ginny transformed into her tiger house cat. "I should be able to come close to that, in a couple weeks," said Luna. "Thanks for showing me." Ginny changed back, and looked at Harry. He just nodded and grinned. Ginny returned to her sketch. Harry curled up at Ginny's feet. Luna sat back with a smile on her face, and a distant look in her eyes.
Harry trained hard during August, casting and shielding simultaneously. He had no success with wandless levitation, but he was able to find a large tree in a secluded part of the woods around Ottery St. Catchpole to jump in. He enjoyed the time with his family, and his friendship with Ginny. Luna visited frequently, and she had success with the form of a tiger house cat. Ginny marveled at how fast Luna had learned the transformation. Luna reminded her that she was ... mostly ... human. There was going to be another night time prowler at Hogwarts.
Malfoy Manor was quiet. Draco's father, Lucius, had told him it was time for him to prepare himself to enter the family business. It would take several years. Draco was studying history. Malfoy history. The Malfoys had made their fortune during the height of English shipping power. There were many commodities in great demand. Spice, tea, tobacco, slaves, rum, gold, cotton and finished goods, to name a few. Later there had been many additional items, such as rubber, oil, and metals. They were into weapons as well. If it could be shipped, Malfoy owned companies transported it. A great deal of their wealth ultimately came from muggles. He was reading through the diaries and logs of five centuries of Malfoy patriarchs. They treated muggles much the same way as other manor owners treated the sheep they took the wool from. They fleeced the wool, and sent the sheep back out happy to graze. It was little wonder the patriarchs held the muggles in such low regard.
Two or three centuries ago, the Malfoys had gotten deeply into politics. It seemed it was better to stay on the sidelines, to manipulate politicians, rather than get involved in day to day operation. Regardless of who was in power, politicians followed the money. If a person wanted to really find out what was happening, all they had to do was follow the money.
Draco was amazed at the number of marriages involved in the consolidation of power and the flow of money used to generate that power. Magic was used to guarantee contracts and agreements, but magic itself was not the key to gaining, and keeping, power. Occasionally, magic was used for assassination and coercion, with some of the darkest objects one can imagine.
Draco could barely wrap his head around the most stunning surprise. The wizarding world's most powerful magical people did not necessarily come from the pureblood aristocracy that ran the wizarding world. The old families made sure they controlled what the most powerfully magical people were doing. The most powerfully magical people rarely wanted to leave their libraries and laboratories. The old families kept them supplied, and happy. Grindewalde had been a loose canon, and had caused way too much damage. If Grindewalde was a loose canon, what was Voldemort? The logs and diaries of his grandfathers and great-grandfathers were mind numbing. Where did this put the mudbloods, like Granger? Blood purity was a fabrication of politics. Mudbloods came from 'sheep', but they were 'magical sheep'. They were useful in their own right, as long as they weren't allowed in a position of power, for example, in the Ministry.
The old families enjoyed their money and prestige, but their day to day reality could be brutal. Truth was, only a few Heads of House were actually in charge. To cross the ones in charge, was to place one's life, and their family's lives, in immediate peril. Money was the grease that kept everything moving. Centers of education, like Hogwarts and Durmstrang, kept everything moving in the correct direction. No wonder Father was on the Board of Governors.
The Grindewalde War had started a major power play that upset everything. Most of the old families, the Malfoys, the Potters, the Blacks, and the Longbottoms had been decimated. The Parkinsons, Zabinis, and Averys were not much better off. Grindewalde had involved muggles, and those muggles had incredible weapons of destruction. A simple storm on the open ocean would not destroy their power base, like the Spanish Armada had been eliminated. Grindewalde had rained death from the sky, especially in London, the base of operations for the old families. Muggles shared information much quicker than before. The 'sheep' were becoming very dangerous.
Voldemort, a fresh young lieutenant of Grindewalde, fomented another war that had nearly finished the routing of the old families. Where did this put Draco? Where, indeed, did this put Draco? He had much more reading to do.
Hermione had been devastated by the book's possession. She spent the summer traveling with her parents, visiting with relatives, and sorting out what had happened to her. She had spent the entire summer recovering. Her parents wanted her to withdraw from Hogwarts, but she convinced them she needed to go to Hogwarts. She was magical, and her magic would express itself, whether she was trained, or not. It was better for her if she could control it. She didn't say anything about the possibility of being squibbed.
Hermione told them that what happened to her was an unusual event. She did not tell her parents how the book had talked with her ... how it had trained her. She had not told anyone. Hermione was beginning to remember a lot more of her 'black out' periods, and more of the conversations she had with Tom Riddle, while under the influence of the book. She NEEDED to find out how the book attacked her, and what it had done to her. She was going to find out. One thing was certain. The book had changed her. Academic excellence, while still important, was no longer her driven goal. The damned bloody book had tried to kill her. And then, there was the enigma of Harry Potter.
The twins were having more fun than a barrel of monkeys. I suppose one could say, their room WAS a barrel of monkeys. They had two new friends, and a new focus on their animagus transformation. About all they did was go to work, and stay in their room. Eating was in there someplace. They were making progress on the transformation. Their potions and pranks fell by the wayside.
Human beings, as a group, are not known for their intelligence. Azkaban prison is a glaring example of that. Azkaban prison is as close to 'Hell on Earth' as a person can get. The wizarding world uses the threat of Azkaban to intimidate people into following the law. They actually give people short sentences there, regardless of the fact that incarceration there has been known to drive people insane. Why would any government want to take convicted people, and make them insane?
The maximum security cell block, that Peter Pettigrew was in, was due for its annual cleaning. They lead a babbling Pettigrew to a lower security area, and didn't pay close attention to the prisoners that were transferred. After all, no one ever escaped from Azkaban, none of the prisoners had wands, and even if they did, few could cast a spell after a few short weeks there. Peter wanted out. Badly. He managed to transform, and worked his way to the boat dock. There were few human guards to notice his disappearance. The dementors never would have paid attention to a rat. Peter hid on the boat, and waited for it to leave. It eventually did, and he left Azkaban prison. His absence was not noted until they refilled the maximum security cell block. Peter was long gone.
The end of summer break came soon enough, and on the Hogwarts Express, there was a compartment containing Ron, Hermione, Harry, Ginny, Luna, and Neville. They were discussing the great Peter Pettigrew escape from prison. The Ministry had launched a huge man hunt, and there were reported sights everywhere. The students were not worried. Both Hogwarts and the Express were safer than any where else in the wizarding world.
