Disclaimer: The characters depicted herein belong to J.K. Rowling not me.
A/N: Ok everyone here's the first chapter of the next installment. To any new readers this is the third story in a series I am writing and the others can be accessed from my profile. To continuing readers I have gotten a review or two about the length of my chapters. I apologize if they seem short. I try and keep them at the bare minimum above five thousand words, no less, but I do my best to make them over six or seven thousand or even higher. I'm like you guys. I like long chapters :-) all the more story to read but sometimes the chapter just needs to end. But enough of all this babble! Enjoy the update and let me know what you think :-) I hope you guys like it.
Warning: As this story will progress through Harry's fourth year romantic relationships will begin to move forward a lot and while it won't be major full on naked body slash, some slash will occur. Any major slash won't occur until the end of Harry's fourth year. I realize most of my audience likes or at least doesn't mind reading homoerotic stories but fair warning to those who don't. I'd also like to point out the slash in my story is somewhat of a key piece, my story will not be wholly centered around it.
CHAPTER ONE: THE WINDS START BLOWING
It was almost two in the morning and Severus stood in front of the fireplace in his private rooms drinking a glass of whiskey and wondering what had happened to the world. Not three years ago, he had viewed Albus as a one of the greatest wizards of their age, as a man who could do no wrong, and now he viewed him as he viewed the man who had branded his arm so long ago when he was just an angry child. In almost every other aspect of the man's life Albus was a great man but for some reason when it came to Harry Potter the man became unraveled and all his secrets became more visible than a black panther in a field of snow.
"I don't suppose I have to ask if you have a moment," A smooth female voice spoke from behind him. Severus whirled around and had his wand drawn in less than a second. It was a testament to how drunk he was when he visibly swayed and had to narrow his eyes before he recognized who spoke.
"What're you doing here Aili?" Severus asked as he lowered his wand and put his empty glass of whiskey down.
"I'm here to speak with you, obviously." Aili's last remark sounded so much like him that Severus had to double check to make sure he hadn't been the one to speak. "However I must do so when you are sober." Aili gave Severus a stern narrow eyed look.
"Then you should come back in the morning," Severus said ignoring her look and turning back to the fireplace.
"You know, as well as I do, what spell to use to erase the effects of alcohol," Aili said with a dangerous edge to her voice.
"I'd rather wait until morning than use that spell," Severus said with a grimace. The spell Aili was referring to would essentially shove him straight into the vilest of hangovers.
"Take a potion to curb the effects of the spell," Aili said with a clear warning in her voice.
"What is so important that we must discuss this now?" Severus asked as he weaved over to his potions cabinet. As drunk as he was he could sense that Aili wasn't going to relent on this so he figured he might as well get a headache potion ready.
"It concerns your charge," Aili said referring to Harry.
"Well aren't you enigmatic?" Severus said sarcastically as he pointed his wand at his temple. "Clareo," He incanted and almost immediately the alcohol left his system leaving him with a very massive and extremely painful headache. Severus quickly downed the bottle of headache potion and felt the pain subside to a far more manageable level. "Now," He said as he turned to Aili, walked back to his fireplace, and sat down in his chair, rubbing his temples as he did so. "What about Harry demands that you force me into an early hangover?"
"It is my understanding that you are at least partially aware of the prophecy surrounding Harry and the half dead wizard Tom Riddle, yes?" Aili asked catching Severus entirely off guard.
"What do you know of that?" Severus whispered as he leaned forward in his seat, headache forgotten entirely.
"More than you might think," Aili answered as she stretched her wings before shaking herself. She used her beak to itch the top of her left wing before she continued. "In spite of what Kane and Orpheus believe to be true I have retained a strictly observant presence over the magical world over the past several centuries. As a result, I have accumulated a fair amount of knowledge pertaining solely to the history of Wizarding society." Aili paused as she scratched the back of her head with a claw. "And what I know is not only the entire prophecy you over heard but that there is more than one prophecy pertaining to one Harry James Potter, Lord of Hogwarts."
"I sense more to that title," Severus said with curiosity shining brightly in his slightly narrowed eyes. He heard the way Aili suddenly cut herself off; though she had done her best make it seem like a natural ending to her sentence.
"It is not something I can speak of," Aili said firmly, making it clear she would not speak further on the subject. "Do to oaths I swore eons ago much of which I desire to say is off limits."
"Then why are we speaking?" Severus asked with a mild hint of annoyance in his voice. He would have been ruder to the bird if he thought it would help but Severus knew that he could not intimidate the bird.
"Because you need to know," Aili said staring Severus straight in the eye with one of her piercing yellow eyes that made Severus suddenly feel entirely too transparent for his liking. "That boy is far more important than you realize, far more important than this most recent war and the broken one's demise." Aili leaned in a little closer making Severus feel like a piece of food she was considering for a snack. "There are thousands of prophecies surrounding that child and because of this he is a magnet for trouble."
"And what would you have me do with this knowledge?" Severus asked as he attempted to retain his composure. Never in his 32 years of life had he heard of someone being the subject of over a thousand prophecies.
"Earlier, around midnight, Harry collapsed in despair." Aili informed him and Severus' heart rate picked up in fear. "The fight between him and Dumbledore pushed him to his breaking point. For twelve years that boy has fought to stay alive but the blatant attempt on his life by Dumbledore made him truly see how little love and affection he has been shown in his life." Aili straightened up and went back to idly grooming herself in between words. "He will regain his equilibrium in the morning but if we are not careful he will fall again, and again, and again until finally he ends his misery before he turns seventeen."
Aili once again turned her piercing gaze on Severus, pinning him in place and making him feel like food again. "You must not let that happen. That child is far too important to meet such a fate. As difficult as it may be for you to do you must give Harry support. You must show him compassion. However, you must do it right and you must be sincere. If you simply start professing to Harry how much you care for him, then he won't take you seriously. The passive presence you've been since this past summer needs to come to an end." Aili narrowed her eyes making her look like the bird of prey she was. "Harry is heir to far more than just Hogwarts. Protect, support, and above all else love that boy." With that, Aili vanished leaving a rather shaken Severus in her wake.
–Scene Break–
Harry slowly came back to consciousness and he fought it every step. He was at peace in the dark depths of sleep and he did not want to come back to the world of reality. It was simply too painful to deal with anymore. In spite of his best efforts, Harry found himself awake with his face buried in something fuzzy. He leaned back and realized that he had been clinging to Kane's neck.
"How are you little one?" A hissing voice inquired. Harry looked down to see Orpheus slithering out from underneath the covers.
"Tired," Harry said as extracted his arm from underneath Kane and rolled to sit on the edge of the bed. "Where am I?"
"The master suite in your tower," Orpheus answered simply.
"Brilliant," Harry said without his usual enthusiasm when he said the word.
He got up, went over to what he presumed to be the bathroom, and locked the door behind him. Harry ignored the glory of the bathroom he had entered and went over to giant tub that was set into the floor and turned on the water. Over all, the bathroom was similar to the one in the Chamber of Secrets. There were stained glass windows along each wall to let in light and each one depicted a different scene but Harry didn't pay them any attention. He even ignored the clear window at the edge of the bath that gave Harry a beautiful view of Hogwarts' snowy grounds.
"Nif," Harry called as he started to disrobe.
"Yes master Harry?" Nif said when he popped in.
"Retrieve all of my personal effects from the Slytherin Dorms and bring them up here." Harry ordered. "When you're done with that, bring some breakfast to my room."
"Right away," Nif said with a quick bow before popping away.
Harry finished stripping and stepped into the pool-sized bathtub in the hopes it would help cheer him up. The warm liquid rushed over his body as he walked further into the tub and Harry felt his tense muscles gradually begin to relax. It didn't improve his mood exactly but definitely helped to ease his tension. Harry waded over to the edge of the tub where the large window was and gazed out on the grounds. The grounds were covered in fresh snow and the dark grey clouds in the sky threatened to dump more. Harry honestly wouldn't be surprised if a blizzard was on its way.
Harry continued to stare out the window and desperately tried not to think of the previous day but as he bathed, his mind eventually turned its attention towards the events of the day before. He had no qualms about trapping Dumbledore the way he did. It was the fact that he had blatantly tried to kill Harry that was the problem. For some reason no matter which way he turned it seemed people wanted him dead. So far, the only people who hadn't tried to off him were Severus, Draco, Hermione, and Neville. The rest of the staff hadn't attacked him yet and he didn't expect them to but that was beside the point. Hell according to Hagrid and everyone else he had even been attacked a year after his birth. To Harry it seemed as if his very existence was a crime against nature.
"Well tough fucking shit!" Harry suddenly declared vehemently as he slammed his hand down own the windowsill. "The world can go to hell for all I care."
Harry turned from the window with a new resolve. He finished his bath and got out. On his way out of the bathroom, he grabbed an extremely soft and fluffy towel and started drying himself off. When he got into the actual bedroom, he stopped in shock. The room was large, larger than he had previously seen but not so large as to be considered obscene.
There was a massive fireplace on the far end of the room that put every other fireplace in existence to shame, in both size and beauty. The white stone mantle that framed the massive thing was elegantly carved in no decipherable pattern that Harry could discern but there didn't need to be. The elaborateness of the carving drew the viewer in and Harry had no doubt that he could spend countless hours staring at it. In front of the fireplace, which could comfortably fit ten people, was a sitting area complete with a couch and a few chairs made of an unidentified black fabric. In the center of the arrangement was an elegant coffee table made of what looked to be dark red oak and on top of it sat his breakfast. The floor was made of the same stone as the walls, which is what the rest of the castle was made of, but throughout the room were several large, thick area rugs that looked to be Persian.
What took the cake though was the four-poster bed in the middle of the wall to his left. It was easily ten times bigger than the bed he had slept in over the summer. Each of the four posts, that held drawn back drapes, were carved in what Harry could only describe as a royal fashion since he had only ever seen such carvings in pictures of royal beds. The bedding matched the drapes. They were black silk and they covered an obviously very fluffy and extremely comfortable looking mattress, if the massive dent Kane was making as he laid on the bed was anything to go by. At the foot of the bed was a small bench to match the bed. It was mostly for decoration but it also served to help him dress and undress. On either side of the bed were windows that let in the dim light of the stormy day.
"Wow," Harry said softly, voicing his amazement at the extravagance of the room.
Harry went over to his trunk and opened the lid only to find his clothes missing. He made his way over to the only other door in the room that he knew didn't belong to either the bathroom or the main entrance. Inside he found that Nif had taken the liberty of placing all of his clothing inside the large walk-in closet. Smiling slightly at the thoughtfulness of the little elf, Harry picked out some causal robes to wear for the day. Before he got dressed, he went over to the small bureau in between the bathroom and closet doors and grabbed some underwear and socks to wear as well.
After getting dressed, Harry went over to the coffee table and ate his breakfast. There was something about the food at Hogwarts. It was simply more delicious than other foods and it only served to improve his mood. As he ate, Harry tried to decide what he wanted to do with his day. There were a few projects that he had started in secret that he'd been itching to work on but had been ignoring recently due to more important things that required his attention. There was one particular project that he had been working on since first year that he wanted to work on.
Just as he finished his breakfast and was about to put his boots on there was a slight tapping on one of the windows. He looked over and saw a dark brown owl clinging to what little ledge it could outside the window. Harry saw that it had started snowing again and he quickly made his way over to the window and opened it to let in the frozen bird.
"Now who would send you out on a day like this?" Harry inquired as he walked over to the owl, which had chosen to perch on the back of the chair nearest the fireplace, which had been supporting a small fire ever since Harry sat down to eat. The owl merely hooted in response before extending its leg. Harry noted the official seal of the Ministry of Magic as he untied the letter and opened it.
Dear Mr. Potter,
This letter is to inform you that formal charges are being levied against one Albus Dumbledore. For his use of an unsanctioned Unforgivable Curse against you, a twelve year old, he shall be sentenced to life in Azkaban Prison. However, there are the necessary formalities of his other offenses that need to deal with. He will be charged with negligence and reckless child endangerment towards the safety and welfare of Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry, its students, and as I understand it yourself personally. It is not strictly necessary but it would be greatly appreciated if you were to testify on behalf of yourself and the school.
The trial date is set for July first of next year.
Sincerely,
The Department of Magical Law Enforcement
Amelia Bones
P.S.
In accordance with regulations, a similar letter has been sent to your legal guardian Severus Snape.
For the longest time Harry stared at the letter. It wasn't the contents of the letter that had him a little stunned, though that certainly was a factor. What really surprised him was that he was receiving a letter at all. It wasn't entirely inconceivable for them to have sent a letter to Severus since he was his legal guardian but for them to send one directly to him was… weird. Sure, he had received letters before, mostly from Draco and Hermione, but never had he received something of importance like this.
"Harry?" A knock at his door drew Harry out of his thoughts about the strange turns his life had taken.
"Yeah," Harry responded as he folded up the letter and put it in his robe pocket. He recognized the voice as Draco's and he wasn't surprised to see said boy poking his head through the door as he quickly slipped into his boots.
"How're you doing?" Draco asked tentatively as Harry opened the door further and gestured for him to lead the way out of the room.
Orpheus had slithered over to Harry as they walked out and resumed his place as Harry's body length tattoo but Kane remained sleeping soundly on the bed. Harry wasn't surprised really. Not only was the castle rather cold and drafty during the winter and it usually made the fierce lion sleepy. There had actually been several occasions where Harry had caught Kane sleeping as a tattoo, sometimes purring as well.
"Better than last night that's for sure," Harry said as he rubbed the back of his neck sheepishly. "Sorry for just collapsing on you last night."
"I understand Harry, you don't have to apologize." Draco reassured Harry. "I know what it's like to be pushed too far. You don't have to explain."
"Than…" Harry's embarrassed gratitude died in his mouth as they came into main room of tower and his mouth started hanging open in shock.
While the room was most definitely large, it didn't appear that way. There was a fireplace in the middle of the wall next to the hallway they had just come out of and it was identical the one in the master suite. A large, soft red area rug covered most of the floor. The couches and chairs were made of the same black fabric that was in Harry's room. On the wall next to the fireplace, opposite from where Harry and Draco were standing in shock, was a set of large glass double doors that opened to what appeared to be a balcony garden. Across from the fireplace and the obvious living area was a large oak door with the Hogwarts crest imprinted into the center. Harry assumed that was the main entrance. To their left were two doors. One lead to a formal dining room with a table as long as one in the Great Hall and decorated for Christmas, though Harry doubted he would use it any time soon. The other door led to a far less formal dining room that would be perfect for smaller parties.
"This… this… this…" Harry started stuttering as he marveled at the obvious show of wealth. There were a few paintings on the walls and in between the fireplace and the balcony was a Christmas tree that Harry suspected Nif had something to do with since all of the presents that were under his bed in the Slytherin Dorms were now under the tree. Although the fireplace would provide most of the light during night there was an enormous crystal chandelier hanging from the center of the ceiling
"Perhaps," Draco said with a slight smirk on his face. Though he was a little more used to a lavished lifestyle this room was larger than any at Malfoy Manor. "We should get you out of here before you faint."
"Yeah," Harry whispered as he followed Draco's lead towards the large oak door. On the other side of it was a spiral staircase similar to the one leading to the Headmistress' office only this one had a large golden dragon on top of it instead of an eagle. "Well," Harry said as they made their way down the stairs. "You can't say that the founders don't know how to build things."
"You're just now noticing?" Draco drawled sarcastically with a smirk. Harry could only laugh as they walked down the hallway towards the guardian statue of the founders' familiars. Despite its apparent length the night before, the hallway wasn't that deep and they were soon walking past the statue. "So what do you have planned for today?"
–Scene Break–
Harry sat at a table deep within Rowena's library studying a rather thick book and taking several notes on a piece of parchment that was already crammed with notes. After going to the Hospital Wing and removing the curse from Collin Creevey's chest under close watch by Madame Pomfrey he had come here. He had decided to do so because he didn't think the boy deserved to spend Christmas in such a condition. He had been hoping that having a seasoned mediwitch watching over his shoulder would reduce the risk of something going wrong. It helped that she had managed to keep the wound fairly shallow and his foray into several medical books looking for a cure for his eyes helped even more since he had read random passages pertaining to different types of injuries. Thankfully, everything had gone well. As Harry performed the complicated counter curse with his holy and phoenix feather wand, a light inclined wand, all the better for countering Dark magic, the curse slowly dissipated in a black vapor and Madame Pomfrey was easily able to heal the rest of the wound.
Upon completing the counter curse and ensuring that Collin was well and healthy, Harry told Draco that he needed to go take care of something in Rowena's tower and that he'd be a while. Draco didn't particularly want to leave Harry alone but he knew that Aili would claw both their eyes out if he followed Harry into that tower so he had no choice but to let him go.
Harry turned a page in the book. His hand was halfway to the page with his notes when he paused. He flipped back to the page before and then forward again. There was nothing out of place; Harry just hadn't been expecting the chapter to end. He had been so absorbed in the words on the page that he hadn't noticed the approaching end to the highly informative and lengthy chapter. It was actually the single most informative and detailed chapter on the subject he was researching. He had explored others as well but none of them were as detailed and explanatory as this one was.
"Well," Harry said as he stood up. He flipped back a few pages before he put his notes in the book to mark the page he needed before closing the book and taking it with him as he left. "I guess it's time to get a little more practical about things."
"More practical about what things?" Orpheus hissed in curiosity. He too had been snoozing because of the cold weather but had woken up as Harry started moving.
"You'll see," Harry responded with a mischievous smile on his face. With that he walked out of the library and made his way towards the Chamber of Secrets and the potions lab there to start a four-month long brewing process.
–Scene Break–
In spite of the rather disastrous start to the Christmas holidays the rest of it was surprisingly quiet. McGonagall had settled into her role as temporary Headmistress but she was far from happy. Every day she discovered more plans and plots that Dumbledore had going on that were not only unethical but often illegal and every time she came across more she immediately set out to try to fix things. As much as she hated to do so she also passed along any evidence she could find to the Aurors for proof of Dumbledore's crimes.
A few days after Christmas Severus approached Harry about Dumbledore's trial. They both discussed the issue in length for several hours before they decided that Harry would testify. It wasn't fair to the others that Dumbledore had wronged if he was cleared of the charges levied against him. Even though Dumbledore would already be serving life didn't mean that he shouldn't be held accountable for his other misdeeds.
When that had been settled things at the castle began to assume some sort of normality. The rest of the holidays passed calmly for everyone. Harry focused on his potions project mostly and had yet to really explore the tower that was now officially his residence. Draco, Hermione, and Neville were growing less worried about Harry as when he wasn't brewing he was usually seen laughing and hanging out with them. Severus was doing his best to incorporate himself more into Harry's life and to show that the boy was loved just like Aili had told him to do though if he were honest with himself that was just an excuse to finally get off his ass and do so. Despite his inactiveness in Harry's life since the summer Severus had continued to become attached to the child. He was just scared of not only opening up to Harry but also of getting hurt. His past experiences with personal relationships weren't exactly pretty.
When school resumed the entire school was buzzing about the incident over the holidays. Most of the students looked at Harry with contempt and hate for not only firing their beloved leader of the Light but also for getting him arrested on what they believed to be false charges. They all reasoned that if Dumbledore had used resorted to using an Unforgivable then he had good reason for doing so. There were only a few students, mostly from neutral families and muggleborns, that didn't give Harry a wide birth whenever he walked down the halls.
The only exception to this fact was the Slytherin House. Each and every one of them all now viewed Harry with new respect but caution as well. Firstly none of them were particularly fond of Dumbledore given their family allegiances and secondly, Harry now wielded enormous political power that had nothing to do with something his status as the Boy-Who-Lived and something he had no control over. Taking these factors into consideration Slytherin House was starting to view Harry Potter in a different light. Almost the entire house knew that Harry never acted unless provoked so they all figured that Dumbledore had indeed done what the Prophet claimed he did, so when classes resumed the whole house was slightly more eager to maintain a more neutral or beneficial position with Harry. They weren't blatantly trying to become his friend or anything, Slytherins are too tactical for that, but they were trying to maintain a certain status quo with the powerful twelve year old.
As for the classes themselves, there were only two notable changes because of what happened over the holidays. The first was that DADA would be suspended for the remainder of the year until a professor could be found to uphold the position since Dumbledore had failed to find one before he was fired. The second was Transfiguration. Professor McGonagall would continue teaching the subject but only from sixth year and up. For the younger years, she enlisted the services of some of her more promising seventh year students to teach years 1-5. McGonagall had also arranged for the students who were supposed to be taking their O. and N.E. in DADA this year to take it next year since they wouldn't be able to find a replacement teacher before the term was over.
As for Harry, he ignored entirely the stares and glares that were directed towards him as he walked the halls and attended classes. He simply refused to defend his actions against those who didn't even bother to ask for the truth. One Ronald Weasley was of the worst of those who glared at him and he was far more than willing to voice his thoughts as well. The Weasley family was major supporters of Dumbledore so Harry wasn't entirely surprised by the young red head's antics and that just made him easier to ignore.
Harry did his best not to alienate his other friends in Slytherin House since he was now staying in his tower, though he didn't go out of his way to be overly friendly either. He wasn't stupid. He knew that the political mad house that Slytherin House was now completely aware of the power he could wield politically and that they were plotting ways to make him an ally. It was mainly because of that, that Harry spent most of his spare time brewing his potion and preparing to use it. That is when he wasn't doing homework and hanging out with Draco and the others.
Between school and his side project, the months quickly started to slip by and it wasn't long before April was coming to a close and the students were getting ready for the end of year exams. Everyone, that is, except Draco, Hermione, and Neville, all of whom were currently laying into Harry about his recent mysteriousness.
"Are you ever going to tell us?" Neville asked in an exasperated voice.
"Yes," Harry said with a slight smirk on his face, knowing that none of them would appreciate his next words. "When I'm done."
"Harry!" Hermione practically yelled in frustration.
"What?" He asked innocently. "Can't I surprise my friends?" Hermione just huffed at him and crossed her arms.
"Does it have anything to do with that potion you've been brewing?" Draco asked as they all waited outside their next class.
"Yes," Harry said simply.
"Well?" Hermione asked impatiently.
"Well what?" Harry asked in feigned confusion. He simply loved riling her up. Hermione simply couldn't stand it when she couldn't figure something out.
"What's the potion Harry?" Draco asked before Hermione could start strangling Harry.
"But that would be telling," Harry said in such an innocent and childish tone that even Hermione grinned a little bit.
"Will you at least give us some sort of hint?" Neville asked as they started filing into the classroom.
"Hmmm…" Harry said in thought. There really wasn't anything he could say without blatantly giving away what he was doing. "The potion is used in a ritual but that's all I can really say."
"All you can say or not it's probably the vaguest thing I've ever heard you say." Hermione grumbled before they all turned their attention to the teacher that just walked in. Harry couldn't help the smile that was on his face through most of the class.
–Scene Break–
It was an hour before midnight Harry stood stark naked in the middle of the balcony in his tower that was quickly becoming his favorite place. It was a warm May evening and the moon was high in the sky and the aromas of the many different flowers, most of which were exotic, were filling the air. Harry had craftily managed to pry Orpheus away from his role as a tattoo as well as Kane so he could be alone. It actually wasn't that hard to do really. With Orpheus, all Harry had to do was tempt the snake with some of his favorite sausages and he was quickly munching on a plate in front of the fire in Harry's room. Kane was actually easier than Orpheus was. He never really complained but Harry knew the giant cat loved to stretch out whenever he could so Harry just had to wait until the lion to fall asleep before sneaking out.
The ritual Harry wished to perform required him use the potion to draw runes all over his body which is why he was standing naked on the balcony. His only concern was that he couldn't get his back but in all of his research, it was only stated that the runes had to cover most of the body not all so he wasn't too nervous about it.
Harry knelt down next to the cauldron full of the black potion he had spent four months brewing. He picked up the small paintbrush he had managed to borrow off the art teacher, dipped it into the black potion, and started drawing. Harry started with his feet and worked his way up. He had to be exceedingly careful during this process since one single flaw in any of the runes could cause the entire thing to go horribly wrong. As he continued to draw the runes, Harry could feel the air begin to stir with magic and when he finished the last rune on his forehead, with the assistance of a mirror charmed to show a revered image than normal mirrors, it was midnight and the air was charged with anticipating magic. It was old magic too, very old. Harry sensed an ancient awareness to the magic around him as he stood up but he put it out of his mind for the time being.
Slowly and very clearly, Harry began to chant. This, as with drawing the runs, was a very delicate part of the ritual. One single slip of his tongue and he'd more than likely ended up a dead mutilated mess. At his chant, the magic in the air took notice of him. It drew in closer and Harry could feel the magic evaluating him, listening to his words and examining the runes on his body.
Without warning, the magic rushed at Harry's body and began to burrow. Pain lanced through every inch of Harry's body as the magic delved deeper into his body. Harry fell back down to his knees and he heard his bones begin to pop, snap, and shift out of their normal positions and grew longer or shorter depending on what they were. Eventually the magic seemed to find what it was looking for at the center of his being and it latched onto it; bound to it. The pain continued for several more minutes and Harry's skin started to itch maddeningly before everything suddenly stopped.
Harry stood there panting for several moments. He had expected pain but that made it no less difficult to go through. After a few minutes, Harry's senses started to come back him. First, he realized that he wasn't dead which mean head had at least a partial success. Second, he could see abundantly clear. There were no lights on the balcony to help with visibility, the lights from inside weren't even very bright, but Harry could see as clearly as if the sun were at high noon. Then the smells hit him. The fabulous aromas that he had found so appealing before were now almost overwhelming. There were other smells mixed in as well. Harry could smell the wood burning in the fireplace inside, he could smell the dirt the plants were buried in, the stone the castle was built with, and even smells coming off the lake that he could only smell if he was shore side.
With tentative joy, Harry slowly looked down at his hands and saw that they had been replaced with large black furry paws. Slowly and gently, he systematically tensed and relaxed all of his muscles and was soon satisfied that nothing had gone dangerously wrong. He took a few tentative steps forward and when nothing happened to cause him to collapse he walked a little easier. He walked farther into the balcony before turning and walking back. It was a little strange to be walking on all fours but it was easy to get used to since he had a body for it now.
As he approached the glass doors Harry saw his transparent reflection and paused in surprise. He hadn't been expecting an animal this large when he had first started studying the animagus transformation but he was hardly complaining. Being a large and lithe black panther certainly had its advantages. He was about two heads smaller than Kane but Harry knew instinctively that he was fully-grown.
His appearance was flawless right down to the tail, which he hadn't realized he'd been swishing back and forth, and that only served make him smile happily as it meant nothing went wrong in the transformation. Remembering the mirror he had used to help draw runes on his face, Harry padded over on silent paws and examined his face a little more clearly. It was just like any other large feline face he had ever seen aside from his eyes. They were his eyes: marbled emerald green and silver. At least Harry presumed they were since he only saw in black and white. As he looked into his eyes though he noticed that, like any cat's eye, they reflected much more light than human eyes.
Now comes the real test, Harry thought to himself.
Harry straightened up and readied himself. Feeling for the magic Harry focused on being human. His skin started itching like crazy again before it stopped. He looked down at his hands and saw that they were human in shape. He looked towards the glass doors and saw that he was standing on his feet and looking perfectly fine. With a happy smile on his face, Harry walked inside and went to bed.
–Scene Break–
Aili was perched on edge of roof overlooking the balcony where Harry had just been. She had been watching Harry ever since she discovered what he was working on in Rowena's library. At first, she thought the boy foolish. Not one witch or wizard had ever attempted the animagus transformation at such an age. The transformation might seem simple on paper but it was of the most complicated magic out there. Not only did the necessary potion require someone to brew it themselves but the actual incantation was long and complicated. The transformation also required the witch or wizard to have a deep understanding of the fundamentals of transfiguration. It usually took witches and wizards decades to prepare for the transformation and Harry had done achieved it in just over a year. The youngest to ever attempt and achieve the complicated and dangerous magic was the boy's father and his friends. To achieve such a feat at such a young age was remarkable to say the least and it only served to confirm what she already knew.
Then there was the animal Harry's animagus form had taken. Cats were rare to begin with. In almost every single culture, cats were revered and worshiped. Egyptians viewed cats as powerful guardians and were usually placed at temple entrances to ward off evil. In other cultures, ranging from Asia to Europe and even the Americas, the cat was associated with fertility, family, and childbirth. Black panthers on the other hand were in an entirely different category.
Black panthers were viewed as power animals in many cultures. They were supposed to symbolize astral travel and they represented guardian energy, death and rebirth, an understanding of death, and the reclaiming of power. They understood darkness, they were aggressive when provoked, and they had power that wasn't influenced by the sun.
If it did not so entirely fit the child's personality Aili would have sworn that something had gone wrong. The child most definitely understood the darker side of life from growing up in the household that he did and Harry absolutely had a knack for reclaiming power. Having seen death and had been so close to it at such a young age, whether he remembers it or not, Harry understood death. Although he may not realize why he does so yet, Harry was definitely a guardian. He protected the school and everyone in it when they were threatened. The only thing that had yet to manifest in the boy that was part of the animal was astral travel. Aili didn't expect this to make an appearance at all but she would not be surprised if it did.
"Things move swifter than I thought they would," Aili said aloud to herself. She looked up at the full moon, the symbol for the panther's power, with suspicious eyes. With one last glance at the garden below Aili took off into the night.
–Scene Break–
Severus stood in the front of the potions classroom as the Gryffindor and Slytherin class filed in. Out of instinct, his eyes immediately sought out the head of messy dark hair that belonged to his charge, and they almost immediately narrowed in suspicion. The child seemed… changed. His movements seemed far more graceful than they usually were, though not as graceful as to be considered inhuman. The boy also seemed more relaxed, yet more alert than Severus had come to expect from the young twelve year old.
Schooling his face into an expressionless mask and started class with a silent vow to keep a closer eye on Harry and to confront him should anything really come from it.
–Scene Break–
The last month of school passed rather quickly after Harry had completed the animagus transformation. He didn't notice at first but Harry began to notice that he was far more relaxed than he usually was. Normally there was a constant tension to his muscles, it was a result of living in a constant state of fear for ten years, but now it was gone. His shoulders were loose and free and his legs weren't tense in anticipation of making a run for his life as they used to be.
Then there were the heightened senses. His nose was picking up even the faintest of smells as if they were right under his nose. His eyes pierced the shadows easier than they used to. The greatest change in his senses though was his hearing. Where before he could usually only pick up conversations from within a few feet of him he could now pick up complete conversations from across the room. He could even hear the scratching of Severus' quill as he marked potions essays while the class brewed.
Third on Harry's list of notable changes due to the transformation were his movements. He felt like he was gliding almost. Every movement he made was smoother and more graceful than he was used to but it was easy to get used to. In fact all of the changes were. They were changes he enjoyed and he could be seen with an almost permanent smile on his face during the last month of school.
"So are you going to tell us what's put you in such a good mood for the past month or are we going to have to wait until next year?" Draco drawled as the four of them lounged out on the sunny grounds under Harry's favorite tree near the lake. They had just finished their last exam of their second year and were enjoying themselves before they were to go home tomorrow.
"Oh but it's been so much fun teasing Hermione about it," Harry couldn't help but jest even as he dug around in his bag for something. "Hey!" He exclaimed when Hermione smacked him on the shoulder with an irritated huff.
"You deserved that one Harry," Neville said with a chuckle.
"Fair enough," Harry said pulling out a thick book titled Transfiguration: The Most Basic and The Most Dangerous. "Page 582," He said handing the book to Hermione before resuming his position of lying on his back with his arms behind his head and enjoying the warm weather. He heard Hermione flipping through the pages and started counting the seconds until she blew. Eight… nine…ten.
"You did not!" She exclaimed in shock as she looked from the book to Harry in complete disbelief. Harry merely smiled smugly. Hermione passed the book to Neville and Draco and leaned over to loom over Harry with a menacing look on her face. "Harry Potter you answer me this instant."
"But you haven't asked any questions Hermione," Harry said cheekily as he cracked an eye open to look at the bushy haired girl.
"Harry," Draco said in shock when he too read the title of the page Harry had directed them to. He looked over at Harry. "Did you really achieve this?"
"Yes," Harry said happily.
"But that's impossible!" Neville said in shock and awe. "No one has achieved the transformation so young before."
"They have now," Harry said with a shrug of his shoulders.
"How long did it take you?" Hermione asked and Harry heard something more than curiosity in her voice.
"Well I started researching the topic last year after our first transfiguration class with McGonagall," Harry said as he shifted to prop himself up against the tree. "Ever since I saw her transform in front of the whole class I was fascinated by the possibility of being able to transform like that. A few days later, I went to the library and started researching the topic. I didn't get to do much research done during the school year but I had a lot of free time over the summer."
"You," Draco said trying to wrap his brain around what Harry just said. "Did this, in just over a year?"
"Free time can have its advantages," Harry said with another shrug of his shoulders and a happy smile.
"Even with all the free time in the world most wizards would take almost an entire decade to do this," Draco said in stunned amazement. "Harry I can't believe you did this in just over a year."
"Want proof?" Harry asked with a raised eyebrow.
"Yes," Draco challenged.
Harry smiled at the challenge. He stood up and quickly looked around before asking the wards to shield their presence from any unwanted eyes. Once they were in place Harry felt for the magic that was now resting just on top of his skin. He hadn't transformed since he completed the ritual but he could feel the magic there, it was a permanent part of him now. With barely a thought, he activated the magic and in the blink of an eye, he was standing on all fours with pitch-black fur that glistened in the sunlight of the early afternoon.
On silent paws that barely disturbed the grass beneath his feet, Harry stepped forward until he was nose to nose with Draco. Having not expected Harry to be telling the truth Draco sat there in both shock and fear. It was instinctual to feel fear when in the presence of a large predatory animal such as a fully-grown black panther. Suddenly Harry dragged his tongue across Draco's face and sat back on his hind legs, his tail swishing happily in the grass as Hermione and Neville suddenly burst out laughing hysterically.
"Yuck!" Draco exclaimed when he had regained control over his voice. Harry started wheezing and coughing but all of them took it for what it was, laughter.
"Harry you are so beautiful," Hermione said when she could breathe again. She went forward and started stroking his fur and Harry started purring, causing Hermione to break out in a smile again.
"You realize you're going to pay for this," Draco said as he wiped his face clean from Harry's saliva.
Harry growled in response. Feeling suddenly playful, he darted forward, licked Draco again and then dashed away in the opposite direction. Hermione and Neville burst out laughing again while Draco got up and chased after the wayward feline, unwittingly giving Harry exactly what he wanted. Harry paused long enough for Draco to catch up to him before darting off in a different direction but making sure to remain within the bubble of privacy the wards had created for him. He didn't want anyone but those he trusted to know about his animagus form. Harry dashed past the still laughing Hermione and Neville and paused by the tree briefly to see if Draco was still chasing before he darted behind the tree.
Thinking he was cleaver Draco made to go around the opposite side of the tree to head Harry off but when he ended up going all the way around the tree without running into Harry he realized the feline had slipped his grasp. He looked out over the grounds to see if he could spot the Black Panther anywhere but there was no sign of him.
"Where'd he go?" Draco asked his two friends, who were trying to control their laughter.
Both Hermione and Neville had a perfect view of where Harry had disappeared to but they didn't want to spoil anything so they both shrugged. Their laughter started rising again when they saw Harry slowly climbing down the tree directly behind Draco, who was staring at them suspiciously. When he was close enough Harry let out a loud roar scaring Draco into jumping almost high enough to reach one of the trees low hanging branches before spinning around and falling down. Hermione and Neville started rolling around and the ground and tears started streaming down their faces from laughing so hard. Draco looked like his was about to have a heart attack so Harry padded over and started nuzzling under Draco's chin to show there were no hard feelings.
"Prat," Draco grumbled but started petting Harry nonetheless, which caused Harry to start purring again.
"So Harry," Hermione managed to say though she was still fighting her laughter and threatened to crack up again at the drop of a hat. "What's it like?"
Harry sat back and transformed back to a human so he could speak. He also lowered the wards since there was no point in guarding their presence any more. "It's actually really awesome. For the most part, you retain your human mind but you think a little more instinctually than you would as a human. And the heightened senses are amazing." Harry went on to explain what it felt like to be able to transform into an animal, as well as the initial process as well.
"Do you think I could borrow this?" Hermione asked with a gesture towards the book. "I admit I've been curious about the transformation myself."
"I," Harry was about to politely say no since he had gotten the book from Rowena's library but something caught his attention. He looked up at the tree branches to see Aili perched there watching them. She gave him a long look before bobbing her head up and down in approving gesture and then took off again. "Yeah," Harry said staring at the retreating bird in curiosity. "Just make sure you don't forget it when you come back next year and no trying anything alone."
"I won't," Hermione promised on both accounts.
–Scene Break–
Harry laid dozing in his panther form on his balcony and enjoying the smells that wafted around him. Everyone had gone home the previous day and Harry had decided to take today just for himself and right now he was thoroughly enjoying himself, as evident by his tail absently moving around. The sun glistened off his fur and the shadows from all the plants kept him from overheating. The smells from the garden were nearly intoxicating but not overpowering. The wind gently rolled over his fur and practically lulled Harry into sleep as he lay in the middle of the garden.
As he flitted in and out of sleep Harry toyed with the idea of testing his limits as a panther by going for a run. It was an extremely tempting idea. The only exercise Harry had gotten while living with those muggles was running for his life or from Dudley and his gang of bullies. It would be nice to run simply for the joy of running.
Having decided Harry got up and stretched lazily and in a very feline manner. He was about to head out of the garden when he froze. To anyone observing the great cat it would've looked like he had instantly turned to stone. Not a single muscle was moving and his body was entirely relaxed and loose in anticipation of quick movement. The wind had shifted and he picked up a smell that didn't belong in his garden. It was musty and dank with a faint hint of what Harry thought was sandalwood. There was also several different scents that Harry knew belonged to potion ingredients. Harry slowly turned his head in the direction of the smell and saw Severus standing in the doorway leading to the main living area.
Severus stared at Harry with a raised eyebrow and a look that said Harry had some explaining to do. It was obvious that the man could tell the panther was Harry, though how Harry didn't know. It wasn't as if Harry was deliberately keeping this from Severus, he had actually planned on telling him but he just wasn't sure how to go about doing so. Severus gestured with a finger for Harry to follow him and Harry did so, though he remained as he was. He felt mildly safer as a panther at the moment.
On silent paws Harry followed Severus through the halls. It didn't take him long before he realized they were headed towards the Headmistress' office. A little confused as to why Severus would be taking him here Harry waited patiently as they rode the moving staircase.
"Come in," Came McGonagall's voice when Severus knocked. "Severus?" She said in confusion. "I wasn't expecting to see you for a couple of days. Figured you'd be down in the dungeons experimenting with your potions." She obviously hadn't seen Harry yet and considering her attention was focused on something she was writing Harry wasn't surprised.
"I was," Severus said explaining the smell of fresh potions ingredients Harry had detected earlier. "I was about to ask Harry for his assistance when I found this." He stepped aside to reveal Harry, who had been slightly cowering behind Severus.
"How on earth did that get in here?" McGonagall said in shock. Harry could smell the sudden fear and surprise coming from the usually stern and fearless woman. It was actually rather weird to smell a person's emotions.
That was another thing Harry noticed about being a panther. His empathy was essentially turned off while he was a panther. Occlumency was a great assist towards controlling such a gift and to keep him from getting overwhelmed by all the emotions in the castle but quite a bit still got through. As a panther though he had peace from everyone's emotions and he could feel only what he felt.
"That," Severus said laying emphasis on the word. Harry detected tones of disappointment and anger in Severus' voice and he felt bad for not telling Severus sooner. He laid down on the floor and put his head on his paws. "Is Harry."
"What?" McGonagall squeaked much like a mouse, which was directly contradictive of her own animagus form.
"It is my assumption that Harry attempted to perform the animagus transformation." Severus explained. "If this is the case I wish you to check him out to make sure nothing went wrong. You are after all the Transfiguration expert."
"Severus that's impossible," McGonagall said as she stood up and went around her desk. "No one in history has ever even attempted such a transformation at such an age."
"See for yourself," Severus said with a gesture at Harry. "He's obviously not going to attack either of us."
McGonagall gave Severus a doubtful look before drawing her wand and started casting spells. Harry could feel the magic falling over his body but he paid it no mind. He trusted McGonagall and knew she was only attempting to discern whether or not he actually was an animagus or not. Eventually she stopped casting spells and turned back to Severus.
"As far as I can tell this is your average healthy black panther." McGonagall said with a look that clearly said she thought Severus wasn't entirely there mentally.
"Harry," Severus said looking down at the sullen cat, a clear warning in his voice. Harry sighed before reversing the magic and returning to his human form, still in his pajamas actually. He had gone out to the balcony soon after eating breakfast.
"Dear Merlin!" McGonagall exclaimed in utter shock. Her shock was so complete that Harry felt it through his shields and he had to tighten his shields to block most of it out. Harry stood there with his head bowed as McGonagall did a fairly good imitation of a fish. "H-how… How is this possible?" She finally managed to stutter out. "No one has achieved the animagus transformation at such an age. How did you manage this?"
"I had a lot of free time last summer," Harry said with a shrug of his shoulders. "I did a lot of research into the topic."
"And you just decided at random to try the transformation?" Severus said with anger in his voice. Harry flinched slightly at his tone but he stood his ground.
"Of course not!" He defended himself, looking Severus straight in the eye. "Do you have any idea how complicated the transformation is when you first perform it? It took me four months to brew that potion and over a year's worth of research and I have the notes to prove it too. It took me almost a full hour to cover most of my body in the necessary runes. I didn't 'just decide' to do anything."
"Just because you were prepared doesn't mean you should have done it you foolish boy." Severus suddenly snapped.
Harry didn't register most of Severus' words. All he heard was his tone and the word boy. It brought up images of Vernon that he thought had long since died. Feeling suddenly trapped and extremely vulnerable Harry turned and ran, transforming as he did so. He ran out of the office, down the spiral staircase, and out of the castle entirely. Harry made for the forest and climbed up the nearest tree. His sharp claws easily dug into the wood trunks of the pine tree until he came to a sturdy and thick branch that would support his weight. He stabilized himself on the branch and began to shake in fear.
–Scene Break–
Severus and McGonagall stared at where Harry had just been standing. The boy had moved with surprising speed so it took them a few moments to register that he had left.
"Fool!" A sudden cry sounded behind them and startling them both. They both turned to see Aili perched on the edge of McGonagall's desk. "You yell at a child who's been abused for ten years? The very same child who recently had a break down." Aili flew closer and perched on the fireplace and loomed over Severus menacingly. Her yellow eyes were narrowed in anger as they glared into Severus' obsidian one's. "That very same child whom I told you to protect and support. How foolish can you get!"
Severus stared dumbfounded at Aili. He hadn't thought about any of that when he had snapped at Harry. All he was thinking about was how Harry could've died or worse if something had gone wrong. He wasn't angry that Harry had performed the magic but rather because he had done so alone, without someone there to help if something went wrong.
"Go and fix things," Aili growled in a pretty good imitation of Kane. "He's on the edge of the forest in one of the trees. Headmistress, it would be a pleasure if you and I could talk briefly." Aili glared at Severus until the man left the room. She then glided over to McGonagall's desk and waited for the witch to come out of her stupor.
–Scene Break–
Despite the warmth he was receiving from both the sun and his fur Harry couldn't stop shivering. He had no clue why he had suddenly flashed back to Vernon when Severus had snapped at him like that and he didn't understand why he had panicked either. Whatever the reason though Harry was terrified. He took a deep breath to try and calm down but that ended up making it worse. The wind was blowing in his direction and he once again picked up Severus' scent.
He looked in the direction of the castle and saw said man walking towards the forest. Harry's terror grew worse and he stopped thinking rationally. All he knew was that he was trapped fifteen feet off the ground. He wanted to get down but could identify a safe path since most of the branches below him were thin and week, not to mention after a few feet the tree trunks were void of any branches period.
Without warning an image of Draco popped into Harry's mind and then he wasn't looking at Severus approaching the forest any more.