DISCLAIMER: I DO NOT OWN HARRY POTTER!
Good day to you all, I don't know about everybody else, but I feel adultish right now! Being eighteen is awesome, even if only to mess with your still seventeen year old friends! Back to the story, my newest chapter, tying up year 3. This one took hours, I had real difficulty with this. Now, before everybody starts muttering about the ending, read the AN! Also, thanks for your reviews, I can feel the love. And also thanks for more then two hundred alerts, and for the favorites.
Now enough from me, please, enjoy the chapter.
DISCLAIMER: I DO NOT OWN HARRY POTTER!
Well... Letting his hormones free reign at opportune times, was extremely satisfying. Harry would have no trouble casting a Patronus right now!
His date with Daphne Greengrass had been... nice. He knew they wouldn't become anything permanent, but the girl was great for a snog!
-Flashback-
Their date had gone pretty good. They'd gone to Honeydukes and the Three Broomsticks, and had gone to the Shrieking Shack. Deciding he wanted to get to the important part, Harry had used some magic to make a howling wind come from the Shack, and he had let a loud shriek split through the air.
Daphne had been suitably impressed, and had pressed up to Harry. When she had shakily suggested to walk back to Hogwarts, Harry knew how he had to play it. Being supportive, and putting an arm around her shoulder, he had made a show of acting protective.
When they had gotten somewhere about halfway between Hogsmeade and Hogwarts, Daphne had told him she had liked it, had stopped him, and had hesitantly put her lips on his.
When she had stopped kissing him, Harry immediately realized his small mistake. His skin temperature was always on the low side, and now it was cold outside on top of that as well! Daphne had questioningly told him that he had really cold lips.
Harry played it smart though. He had simply suggested she warm him up, simultaneously using an extremely small and local warming charm.
The girl had clearly liked the idea, judging by her enthusiastic response. In the end, they'd needed almost three hours to get back to Hogwarts, for a twenty minute walk...
-End of Flashback-
After having told the girl he wasn't looking for anything serious, but if she were to feel the need to release some frustration, she could always call him.
She had looked disappointed... But from the slight glint in her eye, Harry knew she was interested. She just didn't know it yet. He'd have to make sure to again when the exams came around. Odds were she would be plenty frustrated then.
~~~~Scene Break~~~~
Hmm... Harry was interested. Pettigrew had assaulted the portrait to the Gryffindor common room. So he had a way into Hogwarts... Harry wondered what passageway the man was using.
Harry had been lucky though. He had arrived at the portrait before the masses. He had easily sniffed out the only scent he'd didn't have in his files. This meant a nightly run in his wolf form was waiting for him.
.
.
.
Harry was standing in front of the Gryffindor portrait, it was 2p.m. . He morphed into his impressive Arctic Wolf form.
Sniffing out the correct smell, Harry started a calm trot, simply tracing the smell. He was pretty sure he knew what passage Pettigrew had used... And it evoked a completely fresh round of questions.
The ruddy bastard had used the collapsed passageway on the fourth floor! But how!
Harry had tried to make a clearance that was large enough to let him get through in either human or wolf form...
And he failed spectacularly!
There were plenty of small openings in the rubble, but even the largest one would barely allow for a small Chihuahua to worm through!
Harry might actually have an idea though...
Conjuring a small mouse, Harry placed both a compulsion, and a tracking spell on the little critter.
It would get to the other side of the passageway, and remain there.
Harry would be able to pick the smell up in Hogsmeade then!
Now he just needed to get that far... He'd be forced to use the Willow...
Filch knew about most other plausible other openings, and ending up in Honeydukes' cellar was ill-advised as well.
The owner probably had anti-theft wards. So if Harry just appeared in the middle of the shop somehow, an alarm would probably go off.
He turned around, and continued his trot. To the Willow then!
.
.
.
Harry ducked another swipe of the Whomping Willow. Swiftly leaping forward, he managed to dive into the secret passageway between its roots. His last sight of the outside, was of the clear full moon.
Harry sprinted on. He couldn't wait too long, he would only be able to track Pettigrew's scent up to a few hours. And that was if he hadn't apparated!
.
.
.
Seeing a light at the end of the passageway, Harry knew he was getting close to the exit. Slowing down a little bit, he kept moving. If he moved at full speed, he would lose time as he wouldn't be able to avoid all the walls.
Moving into the Shrieking Shack, Harry immediately became aware of the fact that he had crossed wards... Uh oh.
He could pick up three other scents.
Lupin was one of them. The man was a decent teacher for most students, but he acted as if Harry were a piece of furniture. Then again, that actually suited Harry just fine.
The other two were unknown though, although Harry clearly picked up on them both being Animagi. Coming to think of it, ... Pettigrew smelled of animal as well... Pettigrew was a very small Animagus! That's how he did it!
Wait a second, ..., Lupin, Animagi, Wards, Shrieking Shack, Full Moon... Aw shit!
Harry had figured out that Lupin was a werewolf, the moment he saw him. Early graying, poor, smelling wolfish. That had been clear. The guy was a beta wolf though, so he wouldn't be a problem.
Harry could bark him down without any trouble whatsoever...
But two unknown Animagi were definitely a problem. And if Harry transformed, Lupin would attack!
Regaining his focus, Harry spotted a black dog and a stag. Both clearly still processing his arrival. Lupin was there as well. The guy actually looked pretty impressive. Had he accepted his disease, he would have become an alpha long ago. The guy was clearly one of Greyback's offspring.
As Lupin backed down, whining pitifully, the dog started snarling, and the stag lowered his antlers, pawing at the ground. Both seemed to think him an enemy. This did complicate things though. Harry would have to leave the Shack, and close the door before Lupin got out.
He eyed the dog and stag critically. They seemed to have a pathetic plan of action. The stag would try to spear him, with the dog following close behind to close in on him.
Harry knew exactly how to act. He bared his teeth and took a defensive stance. The animals pounced. Lupin didn't move, only whining pitifully to try and warn the other two animals.
Harry simply jumped sideways, easily avoiding the racing stag, which ran past him. The dog followed close behind, but it was no match for Harry. He ducked its swiping paw, and gripped its neck between his jaws. Swinging as Harry as he could, Harry slung the dog at a turning stag. Only to take the time they would need to set up another attack, to race to the door, transform, get out, and replace all the hastily pulled down wards on the door. He hadn't been spotted. Although Lupin was now pawing at the door from the other side, furiously trying to get to the human he had spotted.
Harry simply morphed back to wolf once more, and moved on. The Animagi wouldn't be able to safely follow for a while. And the scent scrambler spell he standardly used, as part of his morning ritual, made sure they wouldn't be following him after Lupin had returned to human.
.
.
.
Harry had arrived at the mouse's location. It was a small hole in the ground, covered by shrub, in a small grove, a little ways out of Hogsmeade.
Harry took a deep whiff of the scent, and continued his route. It led him up a mountain... Great...
Harry noticed it getting stronger, so he slowed down and moved with caution. He arrived at a cave entrance. Morphing to human, Harry pulled out his wand, and created an ice shield to hover around him. That should stop at least one AK. He'd have to look out with shards though...
The shield was more than a decimeter thick, a shard of that could kill him as easily as the AK itself...
Harry used a magical pulse, to get a feel of the depth of the cave. Twenty meters or so...
All right, plan of action,
Sunglasses on
Superpowered Lumos Maxima
Locate Pettigrew
Stun, bind, gag, petrify and stun again for good measure
Having thought that out, Harry undertook action. As his badass Lumos flew in, he rolled into the cave and looked for Pettigrew. The guy was in his human form. That would make hitting easier. He had clearly been overwhelmed and was scrambling for his wand. Harry fire of his first of five spells. Just as Pettigrew's hand closed over his hand, Harry's spells started reaching him.
"Well... That was anticlimactic." Harry spoke into the once again dark, and silent cave.
~~~~Scene Break~~~~
The rest of the year had been dull. Although Miss Greengrass had indeed contacted Harry thrice during the exams. He'd have to see about making her a friend with benefits in a year or two, depending on her emotional (and physical) maturation.
Dropping Pettigrew off had been ridiculously easy. He'd simply brought the man to Dumbledore, telling him everything he knew about the man. Including his small Animagus form.
Dumbledore had handed Pettigrew over to the Aurors. Only to have Pettigrew escape during transport... The morons hadn't believed Dumbledore about Pettigrew being an Animagus because that hadn't been on file. A second of inattention, and the bird had... no, the rat had run. Yes, much more fitting.
Harry had been informed by Davies that because of the graduation of the two remaining veteran Chasers, Harry would become first string next year... Harry didn't know how to feel about that.
In other news, the dog and stag had been identified by Harry. They were Sirius Black and James Potter respectively. They had been in the Shack to help Lupin with his transformation. They hadn't the foggiest about Harry's identity though.
Now, the end of year feast had just taken place. Thanks to the points Dumbledore had anonymously given Harry for the capture of Pettigrew, the House Cup had been secured yet again.
The other Houses were getting annoyed about it. There were rumors about the Ravenclaws going to beat the Slytherin streak already... They weren't even halfway there.
That didn't matter though, what did matter was that Dumbledore had sent Harry a note to meet him in his office.
So there Harry was, simply walking in, not even bothering to try and knock, as Albus was expecting him anyways.
When Harry entered, he was surprised by the presence of all four Heads of Houses.
Harry didn't show that though, he simply pulled out his wand, beating McGonnagal at the draw, that wasn't important, but it stroked his ego nevertheless, and he drew himself a chair. Making sure to place plenty of blue and bronze into the design. He had to show House loyalty after all.
Sitting down, Harry simply lifted his left eyebrow, and looked at Dumbledore expectantly.
Dumbledore had simultaneously drawn up his left eyebrow, at seeing Harry's chosen design.
Dammit, they really, really, had that one in common.
Dumbledore decided to break their mutual amused silence though.
"Harry, the Triwizard Tournament is being reinstated. There won't be an Age limit, on the insistence of Beauxbatons, who claim to have plenty of talent amongst all their years. Of course, once hearing that, Durmstrang started claiming the same thing, simply not to be outdone. And now I am not allowed to ask for one by the Board, seeing as that would be humiliating, according to them at least. I informed them it would be responsible, but they won't budge.
Seeing as Magical Britain has been drawing quite a lot of flak over the past few years, doing good in the tournament is essential for Hogwarts. If foreigners see us as magically lacking, they won't take Voldemort's threat serious when he returns, and they won't send help. Ah, you have already figured out the rest, please, finish my monologue for me if you'd be so kind, I'm fancying a lemon drop." Dumbledore spoke, only to grow amused when he saw the twinkle in Harry's eyes, something they had in common as well, but Harry hadn't noticed it yet, after all, he didn't have a mirror available whilst speaking to Dumbledore.
"Because there will not be an Age Limit, the chance exists that a not last year will be picked as champion for Beauxbatons or Durmstrang. As we both know the only lower year in Hogwarts, who can match or surpass the last years, you want ME to enter the tournament... What's it worth to me?"
Harry finished Dumbledore's monologue, and paused for a second, to give the professors time to process that, and only then did he pose his question.
"The tournament prize is a thousand galleons. You are of course, not convinced. However, I would like to add to that, that the Board has offered me 2000 Galleons, if I ensure a Hogwarts victory. So if you win, I'll give you those as well. Also, you would gain a lot of popular power if you were to win. It might give you the boost to make it on the big scene. And of course, there are the female upper years, who would be quite happy to be able to say they'd dated a Triwizard Champion." Dumbledore finished, twinkle stronger than ever.
"You make good points... I have added conditions and a question though. First: What'll happen to the Quidditch Season?" Harry calmly asked. McGonnagal seemed to realize something as well, as she hastily looked at Dumbledore.
"It will have to be cancelled, unfortunately. And yes Minerva, there is no other way." Dumbledore spoke. Piercing McGonnagal with a quick, amused look.
"Secondly, I'll be getting privileges, you know, the works: Prefect's bath, Unrestricted Acces to everything, which includes the grounds. So the Forbidden Forest as well. I can drop Herbology too. I have all theoretical knowledge one would need for an Outstanding NEWT, but the practical is hellish, so I won't bother with it. No end of year exams, as I deliberately hold back on those anyways, no curfew, I can leave Hogwarts up to twice a week, if I inform a professor in time. I'll also be allowed to miss classes. There, you have my conditions. Also, you will be keeping Max and his people on a leash, or I will be doing so for you. Except for the Max part, which becomes valid immediately, the others only become valid once my name has come out of the Goblet." Harry coolly informed. If the professors hadn't been surprised or offended by his demands, they certainly were when Harry mentioned the Goblet of Fire.
At their stunned expressions, Harry simply sighed.
"You seem to be forgetting exactly what student you are dealing with, professors, and in your case, professor Flitwick, what student you are dueling with." Harry said. He sounded cocky, but then again, all these professors knew what he was capable off. Sprout being the exception, however at the other's accepting and resigned looks, she decided to remain quiet as well.
Dumbledore happily twinkled.
"Excellent Harry! You have no idea how happy you've made me, and you might be saving quite a few lives as well... Thank you, my boy."
"Sure thing. Now, if you'd excuse me, I have a wonderful bed to say a long, tearful goodbye to." Harry announced. Before standing up, and vanishing his chair. Followed by him swiftly leaving Dumbledore's office.
Sprout remained silent for another minute.
"Would somebody please explain to me what is going on?" The poor woman actually sounded upset!
"You see, Pomona, ..." Dumbledore said hesitantly, "we aren't really allowed to. I'll have Harry give me permission tomorrow though!"
I don't know about you, but just picturing Dumbledore's face when he told Sprout he'd ask Harry for permission, that cracked me up. So, about Harry agreeing. 3000 Galleons, Harry was selled the moment he realised that. It would be the financial reserve he would need for his adult life to come, in case he does leave Britain, as he has planned ATM, whilst still in peace time and unknown, and in the shadows. I think that's it...
Consider leaving a review, because they make amazing birthday gifts really, and tell me what you think, want, expect, feel, like, dislike, hate, love, ...
Signing of,
Peeves' best friend