Ch 21 Summer Hell, or Something Like It
"Move your sorry arse, Potter! I don't give two rat fucks how sore you are. You will set a new record for this course or I swear to Merlin your legs are going to fall off when I'm finished with you!" The screaming voice of Sebastian reverberated in Harry's ears as he traversed the balance log without putting his hands down. After a month of this, Harry wasn't sure if his not-uncle was going to lose his voice first or his own legs were going to fall off.
"Weasley, you can do better than that, you bloody witch. I ought to get that worthless brother of yours out here so he can show you two how to run this bloody thing. My grandmother can do better and she's been dead for forty years!" Sebastian screamed again. Harry paused momentarily to just barely avoid walking face first into an unpleasant looking jinx that Drill Sergeant Prewett cast non-verbally.
Both Ginny and Harry had been caught with them before and while the jinx gave no long lasting effects they did sting fiercely and on the whole, Harry found it better to avoid them.
Harry hoped Ginny was doing alright, she did insist on training with him after all, but he couldn't spare more than half a thought to her well-being as he leapt from the platform he was now standing on and grabbed a rope, swinging over a large mud pit. Harry allowed himself a small grin as he swung gracefully over the mud and landed effortlessly on the other side, tucking and rolling to avoid two more jinxes.
'TWEET!' the shrill sound of a metal whistle cut through the muggy July afternoon, bringing their second training session of the day to a close.
"Trainees, muster in front of me, on the double!" Sebastian barked and Harry scrambled to obey. He and Ginny stood ramrod straight staring into the haze behind the Prewett house where their obstacle course had been set up.
"You're improving, trainees, that's the good news. The bad news is that you're still performing just below hot dog shite! Now, when we run this again tomorrow, I expect better. Is that clear?"
"Yes, sir!" Ginny and Harry chorused together.
"Good, dismissed for lunch. Be back in one hour."
Both teens nodded and hustled as quickly as they could towards The Burrow.
They made the long trek in relative silence, each reviewing the lessons they were learning and wondering about what that evening held. As they both noiselessly entered the kitchen of the Burrow, Harry finally felt the day (and perhaps that whole previous month) catch up with him.
"Do you think we'll have to run again after lunch?" Ginny moaned as she put her head down on the table.
"I don't know. It's Friday and that usually means book lessons after lunch," Harry groaned.
"But it's nearly three. Uncle S has never kept us that late before."
"Oh! You're here," Molly exclaimed as she entered the kitchen and noticing the two children at her table. "I didn't hear you come in."
"That's good," Ginny half smiled. A full smile took too much energy to properly form she decided.
"I'll have to have a talk with that man. Keeping you this late for lunch. What was he thinking? You need to be properly fed if you're to learn whatever he's teaching you." Molly trailed off as she noticed the condition of her daughter and her daughter's boyfriend. Both seemed nearly ready to collapse and there was an unhealthy red colour to Ginny's face. "He isn't working you too hard?" Molly inquired.
"No, Mum, just what we need to learn to survive," Ginny assured her mother. Molly frowned.
When Ginny had begged for Molly to allow her to go and work with Sebastian and Harry this summer, Molly was pleased another one of her children seemed to be taking school so seriously. Studying in the summer was something no one except Percy and Bill ever did and even then rarely. However, Molly was now bound and determined to have a talk with her uncle to find out what exactly he was teaching her daughter. She couldn't imagine what kind of lessons would leave the girl nearly collapsing from exhaustion in the middle of the day and Ginny was no help, refusing to elaborate on the situation.
Molly knew that Sebastian would never intentionally harm her children, which is why she'd allowed it to continue this long without comment, that and the fact that it seemed to be keeping all her children out of their normal summer mischief.
As she fried eggs on the stove, unconsciously furrowed her brow at the unusualness of the summer. Fred and George had secluded themselves in their room, which was normal, but with none of the associated noise. Molly worried when things were too quiet. Harry and Ginny were both spending nearly every day from sun up to sun down at Cat's Haven, the old Prewett farm, and Ron had been reading and writing nearly non-stop since he came home, heading over to visit Uncle Sebastian and Aunt Arabella only when Harry and Ginny returned.
The whole house seemed to be running on an unnatural time table. Arthur hadn't been home on time in weeks and with the return of He-Who-Must-Not-Be-Named, she could guess as well as anyone that things would only be getting more hectic from here on out.
Observing the two teens at her table as she watched them devour a late lunch, Molly couldn't help but smile a little bit. They reminded her of her own throes of teenage infatuation with Arthur. The small smiles they passed between one another, the gentle way they touched hands and the quick kiss Ginny stole when she thought dear old Mum wasn't looking. Ginny would need to learn about reflections in windows when she was older, but for now Molly was happy not to point it out.
"How long can you stay, dears?" Molly finally asked.
"Uncle S gave us an hour, but it's going to take us twenty minutes to walk back," Ginny replied.
"You aren't working too hard, are you?" Molly pressed. Harry and Ginny both rolled their eyes. She'd asked the same question every three or four days since they'd started working.
"Just what's necessary, Mum Weasley," Harry assured her.
"Is Ron working with you too?" Molly asked.
"Sometimes, but Uncle has him doing other things, too. Things he's a bit more suited to," Ginny answered.
"I'm not sure what this is all about, but as long as it's keeping you out of trouble I suppose I can't complain."
"Thanks for lunch," both chorused and then as silently as they entered, they left again. Molly worried a little more and then decided perhaps she might try and engage Arthur in a spot of duelling this evening when he got home, if he wasn't too tired. Molly smiled dreamily. The man could duel, and though she won more often than not, he always looked so good doing it. She reminded herself to be careful. She didn't want to knock her husband flat. Otherwise she might not be able to control herself and the children weren't at Hogwarts right now. They might see.
oOo
Harry and Ginny arrived back at Cat's Haven training grounds valiantly hiding their grimaces of pain from sore muscles and bruises. Both knew that it was necessary and Sebastian had promised he would train them like real Aurors. Complaining wouldn't do them any good now.
"Right, you lot, get inside," Sebastian barked. Harry and Ginny nodded and scampered into the house where they found Ron pouring over a set of books. That alone shocked his sister. Ron had never been much for reading. Perhaps his diminished physical capabilities had opened a new door, Ginny wondered.
"We'll be studying this afternoon, a very important topic," Sebastian informed them. "Interrogation resistance." The old man's grin was positively feral. "This, combined with the rest of your training would make up the survival, evasion, escape and resistance portion of the Auror academy. Once trained you should be able to keep yourself out of trouble and if you do land in it, get out again without compromising the mission."
"I'm not sure I understand, Uncle," Ginny admitted.
"Look, you three are prime targets for Death Eaters. Harry is who he is and you two are children of two of the most prominent blood traitor families in England. None of you can Apparate and even if you could, there are times when you might not be able to anyway. You need to know how to evade and escape from potential pursuers and if you're caught you need to have the mental fortitude to withstand it."
"What about Veritaserum?" Harry asked. "Couldn't they just slip you a couple drops and be done with it?"
Sebastian smiled. "Yes and no. Truth serum is most effective when the subject is either somewhat willing in the first place, their natural defences are down due to say a Stunning Spell, or is unknowingly given the potion. If someone is knowingly administered the potion against their will, without distraction a strong willed individual can fight it. Perhaps not all the way, but certainly with similar difficulty to fighting off the Imperious Curse." Sebastian's grinned increased as he brought out several sinister looking items and placed them on the table. "Now, shall we begin?"
It was getting dark when Harry and Ginny limped out of the house and began moseying back towards The Burrow. Neither was in particularly high spirits and both were holding on to one another with great determination.
"Paws, do you think it'll be as bad as Uncle says?" Ginny asked, her voice barely above a whisper.
"I don't know. Your mum seems to think so."
"How do you know that? She hasn't said anything."
Harry shrugged. "Little things, like the way she watches that clock on the wall a little more frequently or the way she's always in a hurry."
Ginny chuckled. "That's just Mum. She's always been a bit of a worrier and I've not seen her sit still for more than five minutes except for Christmas."
"No, it's different. Your mum bustles to make sure things are done on time. Now, it feels like she's moving just to avoid thinking about anything else. I don't know how bad it'll be, Sparkplug, but I get the feeling it won't be pleasant."
Ginny nodded and took a step away from her boyfriend, plopping neatly at the base of a small oak tree.
"What are you doing, Sparkplug?" Harry asked, sitting next to her.
"Looking at the stars. Haven't you ever wanted to just look at them, Harry?"
"I get quite enough of that in Astronomy, don't you think?"
"Not study them, silly, just sit back and look. They're beautiful; sapphire ships blazing against the black and turbulent waters they sail in. Sometimes it all feels so insignificant, you know?"
"That was almost poetic, Sparkplug, but you've lost me," Harry sighed.
Ginny rolled over into the warm boy next to her and nestled her head onto his chest. "This war, what they say they're fighting for. When I look up at the stars I can't understand how something as insignificant as who your parents are is worth fighting over. They must think us silly."
Harry sighed as the stress of the day slowly began to bleed away. "I suppose they must. Don't get too comfortable, I still have to get you home."
Ginny nodded unhappily and burrowed a little deeper. "I know. That seems awfully insignificant too," Ginny mumbled.
"If we're talking about stars, then your Mum's a bloody supernova and I don't want to face that," Harry admitted.
"Five more minutes?" Ginny pleaded.
"Five more minutes," Harry agreed and shut his eyes for a second.
Neither teen heard the feather soft footfalls approach. Mum and Father Kneazle gazed at the young pair sound asleep under the tree.
'It isn't good for him to have fallen asleep,' Father rumbled. 'Dogs could be about.'
'Leave them be. He's courting her, and he won't appreciate you waking her and spoiling the night.'
'I trained him better. Danger isn't something that should be ignored. Not even for a molly,' Father argued. His mate gave him a calculating stare.
'You never made a foolish decision when courting my favour?'
'Well, I… that is…'
'That's what I thought,' Mum mewed. She rubbed her whole body under her mate's chin to remove the sting of the words. 'Now, head back to the den and send seven of our daughters out.'
'Seven, why… You're not going to protect them are you?' Father swished his tail in disbelief.
'As you said, my mate, it is dangerous out.'
The next morning, Ginny awoke. A little stiff, a little damp, but feeling the best she had in months. She'd had a wonderful dream that was rather rudely interrupted by two very different sounds. The first sounded like a very loud lorry motor that she'd heard occasionally in the village. It was a loud low rumble. The second was her mother.
"Ginny! Where in Merlin's name have you been?" Molly howled.
Ginny blinked rapidly and sat up. She was never much of a morning person so the fact that her surroundings were markedly different took her a moment to process.
"Mum, what on earth…" Ginny trailed off as last night came full force into focus in her mind. She looked down and saw her semi-conscious tomfriend staring sleepily back at her through barely open eyes, his smile indicating that he might have very well eaten a canary. Ginny couldn't help herself; she flushed scarlet to the roots of her hair and tried to cover her eyes.
"Morning, beautiful," Harry murmured and sat up a little to allow for the inevitable disentangling. He blinked a few times, the sun not quite having risen yet.
"What on earth do you two think you're doing? Out all hours of the night, no idea what you've been doing or where you were! Now you're coming home this instant, young lady, or so help me…" Molly's threat was cut off by several loud hisses and both Ginny and Harry finally realized why the Weasley matriarch was yelling at them from a good ten feet away instead of dragging Ginny off by the ear as one might expect. A semi-circle of Harry's sisters formed a barrier of pointy claws and gnashing teeth that even the formidable Molly Weasley had second thoughts about crossing.
'Don't let her talk to your mate that way! Get her, big brother!' Harry's younger sister Lily hissed. Mum swatted her ear.
'They aren't properly mated, and we don't want to start fights with the caretaker's pride. One day we may have to protect them as well.'
Lily flattened her ears as a sign of contrition, but neither female stopped their warning growls.
"Ginny you need to come home, now." There was warning steel in Molly's voice and Ginny had heard it only a few times before. It frightened her more than any of her mum's normal rants.
Unfortunately, fear is an easy thing for most animals to pick up on accordingly, the pride sisters formed their ranks a bit more tightly around their brother's chosen almost-mate.
"It's okay, girls. It's a mum thing," Harry murmured as Ginny and Molly engaged in a silent battle of wills. Finally, Ginny gave ground and stepped purposefully around the furry wall of potential death to follow her very irate mother homeward.
'We can't let her go alone,' Catherine mewed indignantly. 'The bonds of sisterly fellowship must be upheld.' Catherine was a striking grey striped molly with slightly longer fur than her litter mates and a strong opinion on the place of mollies and toms in the world. Harry doubted she'd ever be one to get mated off.
"It's a mum thing," Harry repeated, blowing out a breath he hadn't realised he was holding and running his hand through his hair frustrated at the mess he'd gotten himself and his molly into.
'She won't hurt her will she?' another of his sisters asked.
"Of course not, she's her mum," Harry scolded, appalled at the idea. Mum Weasley had a temper, but she'd never strike her children.
'We better go and make sure. I've heard horror stories about what human parents can do to their kittens,' Catherine argued
"I don't think either of them would appreciate you marching into the kitchen and standing guard," Harry rebuffed. Catherine merely smirked.
'Of course not, but we can watch. We're very good at watching, aren't we ladies.'
'Be careful,' Mum warned. 'I have to get back to your father, but make sure to be home this evening.'
'We will!' the mollies chorused.
Meanwhile at The Burrow, Ginny was receiving a verbal flaying the likes of which she had only heard rumour of.
"I don't think you realise just how much danger you could be in, Ginevra!" Molly shouted.
"I was with Harry the whole time," Ginny protested.
"Being outside, alone, with your equally underage boyfriend is not an acceptable defence. I'm seriously reconsidering the amount of freedom we've given you in the past. If you're not mature enough to handle it then you can't be allowed to simply roam."
"What are you going to do, lock me in my room and push tins of food through a flap under the door?" Ginny scoffed, rolling her eyes, and crossing her arms.
"You will not take that tone with me, young lady. He-Who-Must-Not-Be-Named is back and I take the safety of our family very seriously."
"Mum…" Ginny groaned. "I wasn't in any danger and I've been in bad situations before."
Molly paled a little bit. "Don't I know it! I can't believe even with having been kidnapped, you'd so willingly entrust your safety to chance. Death Eaters are back. We are a target!"
"I won't hide, mother. Those masked gits can come have a go anytime. I'm not afraid."
"Would you listen to yourself, Ginny? Merlin, I can't believe I'm saying this to my own daughter, but have you gone out of your bloody tree? Death Eaters are the foulest, most evil and some of the most accomplished members of our society. They've killed wizards and witches twice your age with the same difficulty as swatting a fly. They… they took your uncles, and I will be God-damned if they take one of my children. So you are confined to the house, young lady, unless you're with an adult escort, and I want that boyfriend of yours to steer clear for a few days."
"He didn't do anything, Mum!" Ginny protested.
"You're quite likely right, dear, which is why I'm not setting out to eviscerate him at the moment, but in the state I'm in I'm likely to hex him for influencing you all the same. Now go have a bath. I'm sure you need one after spending all night out in a bloody field." Ginny glared defiantly at her mother, but finally turned and stomped up the stairs making as much noise as possible.
"Bloody mums," Ginny growled as she entered the bath.
oOo
"Carry this to Ginny," Harry ordered, tying a note onto a makeshift harness he'd fashioned for his calico triplet sisters.
'This is so romantic,' Lily sighed.
"It's a pain in the arse," Harry grumbled. He hadn't been allowed to see his molly in a week. That didn't stop him, of course, as Molly wasn't aware that he was one of the multiple Kneazles hanging around, but he and Ginny had agreed that her mother was becoming suspicious.
Molly had claimed she couldn't look anywhere without suspicious and accusing sets of yellow eyes glaring back at her.
'Danger, brother!' Merlin mewed.
Lily and Harry both looked up to see their brother pelting towards them from the direction of The Burrow.
'What's going on?' Lily demanded.
'My pet and his pride are evacuating their den,' Merlin ground out, breathless from the run.
"What? Do you know why?" Harry exploded.
'They think crows are after them.'
"Crows… that doesn't make any sense."
'You know, carrion eaters. They eat dead things… crows, Harry,' Merlin explained patiently. Harry stared at his brother for a moment before the light clicked.
"Death Eaters?"
'That's what I said, carrion eaters. They eat dead things. Anyway, they think these crows are going to attack.'
'We can handle a silly bunch of birds,' Lily scoffed.
"Not these. These are big birds with teeth."
Both Lily and Merlin stared in horror at their two-legged brother. 'Surely not. No one has really seen big birds with teeth, after all,' Merlin protested half-heartedly.
Harry nodded in all seriousness. "Big birds with teeth, for certain. Lily, go back to the den and warn Mother and Father. Merlin, get to The Burrow and warn our mollies on Molly duty. Everyone gets back to the den as quickly as you can. We have to have a family meeting," Harry ordered.
'Where are you off to?' Lily demanded.
"I'm going to take care of Arabella and Sebastian. They'll know what to do."
The other two nodded and soon three Kneazles were streaking in different directions as fast as their powerful legs would carry them.
As Cat's Haven came into view, Harry transformed, but continued running, slowing only to enter the house as quietly as he was able. Sebastian insisted on him doing such things after all. As he approached the kitchen, Harry heard the raised voices of Sebastian and his headstrong niece. It seemed to be getting into a bit of a habit.
"He's just a child, Uncle. We're leaving tomorrow. Dumbledore agrees with us; it just isn't safe," Molly stated firmly. Harry heard the long suffering sigh of his not-Uncle.
"And Dumbledore agrees with me, too, Molly. What's right for your children isn't right for Harry."
"He's just a child…" Molly began before being cut off.
"He's not just a child, and you know it. He's a hyperactive, hormonal, teenager with an odd background and a penchant for getting into trouble. Do you really think it would be a good idea for him to be cooped up inside Grimmauld Place for more than twenty minutes? The boy would go crazy," Sebastian argued.
"He's not ready to fight. They know where you are and I'm sure they're beginning to piece together where Harry is as well. He's talked about it at school, Ron tells me, and more than a few Death Eater's children are in the same year. They'll know."
"I can handle myself and how is Harry supposed to get ready without any help? The boy has made amazing strides just in the short time I've been training him this summer. It's your daughter that did it. She brought out the best in him. He works twice as hard with her around," Sebastian trailed off suggestively.
"Absolutely not! Harry may not be my son, but I will not endanger my daughter by leaving her exposed like that. Where is Aunt Arabella? She'll make you see sense," Molly demanded.
"I packed her off with a friend this morning. She'll come back when I think it's safe."
"Who? Is he trustworthy?" Molly asked, doubt evident in her voice.
"Ted and Andy. " Molly snorted, but Sebastian took no notice. "I know what you think of them, but Andy isn't her sister and Ted has done a fair bit of growing up since you last saw him. When was that, your seventh year of school?"
"That was the last time I had a real conversation with the man. The last time I saw him you and he had both Apparated home at two in the morning completely pissed. You spent the night throwing up in the loo while I spent it reassuring him that I wouldn't tell his darling wife where he'd been." Molly was clearly disapproving of this mysterious friend of Sebastian's, while Harry's interest was piqued. He sounded a bit like Ron.
"He's trustworthy. The Aurors trust him, and so do I. He's an alright sort."
"Neither one of them are in the Order," Molly countered. "She's your sister, but my Aunt. You don't have the sole prerogative to worry."
"His daughter is, and you do enough worrying for ten, Molly. I'm sorry you don't see it my way, but I need to protect my family the same as you do yours." Sebastian was firm and at that moment, Harry chose to enter the kitchen.
"Harry dear, I didn't realise you were home," Molly smiled. It was a bit forced, but Harry could read the concern for him underneath.
"Just got here," Harry mumbled. "What are we working on today?"
Sebastian looked thoughtful. "Have we done any close combat recently?"
"No, sir."
"We'll do that, then. Run along and start running the obstacle course. I'll be out to work with you, but I have a few more things to discuss with your mother-in-law first."
Harry nodded, blushing slightly at the implication and hurrying out the door, but not before hearing Mum Weasley berating her uncle for being inflammatory.
oOo
Harry sat down with a loud huff at the dinner table, every muscle exhausted, but unable to hide the slight smile on his lips.
"What are you so happy about, boy?" Sebastian demanded. Harry wordlessly held up a letter from Ginny which had arrived that morning, but he'd been unable to read until now. Sebastian merely grunted and picked at his food rather mulishly. Harry sighed at his mentor's bleak demeanour. A week after Arabella had gone off to live, albeit temporarily, with Sebastian's mysterious friend Ted and his wife, the mood in the house had gone sour.
Sebastian was grumbling aloud, complaining about everything and yet denying that anything was wrong. When Harry had suggested that the old man missed the companionship of his sister, as was perfectly natural, Sebastian had snapped at him and spent the next day working him into the ground, though that state of affairs was hardly unusual now.
Harry found himself being pushed harder than he'd ever been pushed before, even as a young tom learning to hunt. Sebastian had him running, jumping and dodging a variety of spells in the morning and afternoon. Then, when Harry felt himself near collapse the old man would bring him inside and they'd drill a variety of more cerebral specialties.
Harry was fascinated and wished he wasn't quite so tired that he might give his whole attention to the lesson, this evening's had been about stealth and concealment. The only real upside to being as tired as each day left him, was the fact that some of his pride mates began sharing meals with him, and the fact that very often he was too busy and tired to actively think about how much he missed Ginny.
Each night when he did give it more than a passing thought, and was able to really concentrate and possibly even write a letter to her, it was a physical ache in his chest. He longed to be back curled up under that tree with his molly, not a care in the world, but he had at least another month before he could see her again. September first never seemed so far off, Harry thought, morosely.
Shaking his head to clear it, Harry mentally chastised himself for such morose thoughts. He knew why he had to stay here and he knew why Molly had taken his molly away. Sighing deeply, he sat down at the table in the kitchen and dug a crumpled piece of parchment out of his trouser pocket. The letter had only arrived this morning, but he'd not a chance to read it and after the day he just experienced he needed any help he could get.
"Dear Harry,
I miss you so much. I don't think we've ever been apart this much since your first year at Hogwarts. We're still stuck at Grimmauld Place, and I for one am going round the twist. Mum has us cleaning till our fingers are raw and trying to keep us from too much mischief. It isn't working. The twins are still working on 'top secret' projects and there are all sorts of meetings going on. We're not allowed in, of course. Driving me bloody mad. Percy and Dad are in a bit of a tiff at the moment. Seems he didn't appreciate them packing the family up without a by-your-leave and not telling him. Not that he has much to say about it now that he has his own flat. Apparently, Percy made a few comments about you, too. Dad doesn't know I know, but I heard him venting about it to Mum. I'm not particularly pleased with Percy the prat at the moment either.
Ron and I are still working, though. He's reading the books that Uncle S gave him voraciously and he's trying to teach me a little. Don't tell him I said so, but I think having his leg damaged is possibly the best thing for him. Don't give me that look, I know you are, but really he's become so much more mature. He's hardly the annoying older brother I grew up with. He's gotten older somehow. He tried to teach me to play chess once, and after ten minutes he just got frustrated and gave up, but now he's just so much more patient.
I wish I understood why, and I really wish the Healers could fix him, more than anything, but I don't know if he'd be the same if he'd never been hurt. He's always dreamed of playing for the Canons, or being an Auror, or something equally dashing. The other day though, he looked at me and out of nowhere said that all he wanted was to fix people. I don't know what that means, but I'm starting to wonder where my brother went. Maybe Uncle's lessons sank in more than we realised.
Anyway, enough about me. I hope Uncle is running your scrawny arse into the ground. Write me soon!
All my love, Your Ginny."
Harry smiled as he folded the letter back into his pocket. His Ginny, he supposed that made sense. He was her Harry after all. Harry stood and stretched, hoping the kinks would go out of his shoulders before training tomorrow morning, but knowing full well that was a pipe dream. Sighing at that dreary prospect, he dropped to four legs and sauntered to the corn crib for the night.
'Where is your nearly-mate?' Lily asked, curling up next to him and kneading his side.
'She and her pride have gone off for a bit. Don't worry, they'll be back.'
'Is she upset with you, like when mum goes hunting after she and father have a row?'
'They've been having rows? What about?' Harry asked, clearly surprised.
'Mum says her time is nearly up, that she's to go live with Isis soon, but Father won't hear that sort of mewing. They've been having rows about it.'
'They're both a bit scared, I think. Don't worry, I'm sure Mum will be ok,' Harry assured his youngest sister.
'Do you really think so?'
Harry purred a little to reassure his sister. 'I know so.'
'I suppose I have to trust you, don't I? You're among the oldest of us now. Your nearly-mate hasn't gone and done the same thing has she?'
'No, Lily, she hasn't. She'd be here with us if she could.'
'Good, because I like her. Don't let that one get away.'
Harry closed his eyes and began purring softly. 'I don't plan on it.
'HARRY!' the panicked cries of several of his siblings jerked Harry out of a deep and restful sleep. He opened one bleary eye in irritation. He'd been having such a nice dream, too. Ginny had been there and she'd brought a bottle of oil…
'Harry!' The panicked and unmistakable mews of Lily and her litter mates shocked his ears.
He quickly roused himself and slunk outside the den. 'What in Isis… MOTHER SEXER!' Harry cried in horror. Staring back at him was the face of an ugly human mated to the body of a lion, but not in a regal sphinx fashion as the location its tail ought to occupy was instead the tail of a scorpion.
"Yesss… you will do nicely. Treats, I love furry treats."
'What is it?' Lily asked, trembling, her fear rooting her to the spot.
'It's a bloody Manticore,' Harry replied. The beast's face twisted into a smile as its paw moved like lightning pinning Lily to the ground.
"Now, little treat, tell me where I can find Harry Potter?"
AN: Here we are, chapter 21. I'm working on 22 as we speak so hopefully there won't be too much of a wait. For any of those who were interested, the motorcycle Hagrid rides in Deathly Hallows part 1 was a Royal Enfield C5 Classic in teal. 500 cc single cylinder thumper. I hope this satisfies and keep the faith. There might not be a lot of comedy in the next few, but rest assured, I think year 5 will still be fun. Thanks as always for reading and since I haven't mentioned it in a while a hearty thanks to Wsbenge and the story 'The natural animagus' for the inspiration for the whole Kneazle franchise. And, in case anyone wants to contribute, I'm always looking for good plot ideas. Credit will be given, of course.