Friend Chapter 21: Bigger and Stronger Too, a Harry Potter + NCIS Crossover fanfic

Edit: The poll is up, and I will not be taking any more suggestions. If your suggestion was not added to the poll, it was either too similar to something already suggested, or I feel as though they would not think of it. Also, a big thanks to renakawaiichan for noticing a stupid mistake on my part. It has been corrected. You all have five votes in the poll, and have until the next update to vote, although I would get it done sooner rather than later. Thank You.

New chap, yippee! It's short, but for one reason, I have a question to ask you at the end, and need your input for it. It's a kinda rough chap, in my opinion at least. I finally got a job, but am really just sitting around a lot, so I have random bits for the sequel written. I don't own any of this, especially any lines that appear to be from the text. I tried to change it slightly, but at some parts it wasn't very easy.

Dad,

I avoid trouble as much as possible. You know me. Besides, Aunt Minnie keeps a close eye on me. She doesn't let me get away with anything.

She also won't let me even go to practice without making sure at least half of my homework is done. I have my first Quidditch match in two days, and she made me finish all of my work already. It's cool seeing her more than I used to, but it does get annoying sometimes.

Why can't you just tell me now? Christmas is still over a month away.

Harry

-oOo-

Kelly,

Of course I remember when I said the S-word. I couldn't get the taste of soap out of my mouth for a week.

I did not know that our house makes weird noises. Maybe it's haunted! That would be sweet! And I told you about the cabinet. Please don't give away the fact that we know about it. I don't want to have to find it again like I did after you let them know we found the stash on top of the garage freezer.

The wizard-born students probably would fail at a Muggle school, especially in maths and sciences. Magic kinda takes away the need to understand why stuff happens. I wish I could get them into a Muggle school. It would certainly knock some of them down a few pegs.

A Deathday party is depressing. It's where a ghost celebrates, for some reason, the day of their death. We didn't miss the feast, fortunately, although something mega happened after the feast.

When we were all leaving the feast, we found the caretakers cat hanging on the wall. At first we thought she was dead, but she's apparently just petrified. We have no idea how it happened. I have something major to tell you about it when I get home, but I don't really know how to explain it in a letter.

Love,

Harry

Harry dropped about ten feet. He gripped his broom tightly as he speed across the pitch, back the way he came. He took his chance to scan the pitch for his target, but couldn't find the snitch before the whistling returned.

He groaned, and dove towards the ground. The iron ball followed him closely. He pulled out of the dive just meters from the ground. He heard the bludger hit the ground, and returned to his search.

A whistle sounded, and he spun around to find Wood. He spotted the Gryffindor team huddle together across the pitch. He started over towards them, but was stopped when pain shot up his right arm.

His broom bucked slightly until he could regain his focus. He pulled his arm towards his chest, and looked around to see what had hit him. His face paled when he saw the bludger zooming towards him. He sped away from it, towards his team.

"Help!" he yelled when he circled around them. He vaguely noticed Fred and George jumping on their brooms. They flew slightly behind him, keeping the bludger away.

He flew past Madam Hooch, and she also started to race after him. She flew up next to him.

"Keep going, Potter," she yelled at him. He nodded in response.

She fell back, pulling out her wand as she went. Harry ignored everything that was happening behind him, and focused on staying away from the bludger. He didn't stop when someone yelled something behind him, nor when something exploded.

Something appeared out of the corner of his eye. He looked over to see Madam Hooch slowly catching up him.

"Slow down, Potter," she called to him. "I got it."

Harry nodded, and pulled up on his broom. He started to slow down, and eventually stopped.

"What was wrong with the bludger?" he asked Madam Hooch.

"I'm not sure, Potter, but it's gone now," she told him. "You okay?" he nodded. "Good, go see your team."

Harry nodded again, and flew over to the group of scarlet robes.

"Y'alright, Potter?" Wood questioned when he landed with the twins.

"Yeah, what you got for us?" Harry replied after making sure he could move his fingers on the arm the bludger had hit.

Wood smiled, and quickly ran through the plan. Within minutes, they were back in the air, and the game resumed with an alternate bludger.

Harry rose above the play, scanning the field below him for anything gold. He paid enough attention to the game to know that Gryffindor was down by over 50 points. He had to catch the snitch soon.

He rolled his eyes when he saw Malfoy just watching the game. The blonde turned to Harry.

"It's a wonder what decent brooms can do, isn't it, Potter?" he smirked.

Harry just ignored him, and was about to turn away when he noticed a glint of gold hovering just above Malfoy. Harry locked eyes with the other boy.

"Let's play a game of Chicken, Malfoy," he said before leaning forward and speeding towards Malfoy.

Malfoy's eyes grew wide, and he dropped to avoid Harry, who reached out with his left arm. Seconds later, his hand closed around the golden ball.

"I got it!" he yelled, raising his hand. He landed, and was mobbed by his team. Someone hit his injured arm, and he let out a cry.

"You need to go see Madam Pomfrey," Wood said through a grin.

"Then, let's take him there," one of the twins said to the other.

"Let's," the other replied.

Before Harry could say anything, he was lifted up onto their shoulders, heading towards the castle.

"I'm keeping you here over night, Potter," the matron said after they arrived, and she had kicked the others out.

"Why? I'm going to miss the celebrations!" he groaned.

"Sorry, I'm under orders," she told him.

He groaned again, and fell back.

"She doesn't want me to have any fun," he mumbled.

"She doesn't want you to get in trouble. She knows exactly what goes on at those parties."

"Really, how?" he asked.

"She played Quidditch when she was a student here."

"Yeah, a chaser. She told me."

"Well, I do not think she ever told you about the after parties." He shook his head. "Well…"

"Gerroff me," he growled hours later when he was woken up by someone sponging his forehead. He grabbed his glasses from the night stand. "Dobby?"

"Harry Potter came to Hogwarts. Dobby warned him not to, but he did not listen to Dobby" the elf said.

"I had to, Dobby, I couldn't just not come."

"But Harry Potter is in danger!"

"Maybe I would have listened if you had told me what the danger was."

"Dobby cannot tell Harry Potter. He had tried to stop Harry Potter at the train station, but Harry Potter came earlier than expected. Dobby burnt his master's dinner that night. Dobby has never had so bad a flogging. Then Dobby's bludger did not injure Harry Potter enough for him to go home."

"That was your bludger? It could of killed me!"

"Not kill you, sir, never kill you!" Dobby was looking at him with wide eyes, and was rocking slightly. "Just get you sent home, to safety."

"What is the danger? Is it Voldemort?"

Dobby shook his head. "It is not He-Who-Must-Not-Be-Named."

Harry thought hard.

"He doesn't have a brother? Or another family member?"

Dobby shook his head again.

"Harry Potter does not understand. Life was not good when He-Who-Must-Not-Be-Named was in power. House Elves were not treated well. Dobby must help Harry Potter because Harry Potter helped the House Elves."

"How?"

"When Harry Potter defeated the Dark Lord, he helped the House Elves. We were treated like vermin, Mr. Harry Potter, sir. Of course, Dobby is still treated like vermin, but Dobby's elf friends have better lives. Harry Potter survived against the Dark Lord, and there was a new dawn in the magic world. But everything will return to the way it was if the Chamber of Secrets is opened again…"

He cut off and hit himself on the head with the jug of water on Harry's night stand.

"Bad Dobby, bad Dobby," he started to mutter.

"The Chamber of Secrets is real?" Harry asked. "And it's been opened before? Who opened it? Who's doing it now? Is there any way to stop them? I'm friends with muggleborns, how can I make sure they are safe?"

"Oh, Harry Potter, you are so noble, so valiant, putting others before yourself, when you are in the most danger!"

"The most danger? How? I'm not a muggleborn."

Dobby opened his mouth to say something, but one of his ears perked up. He looked at the door, and disappeared in a second.

Harry turned to the door, and saw shadows in the hall. He lay back down, and pretended to be asleep. He watched as McGonagall and Dumbledore walked in, carrying what looked like a statue. McGonagall rushed through the wing, and into Madam Pomfrey's quarters. Moments later, they both came back out.

"What happened?" Pomfrey quietly asked them.

"Another attack," Dumbledore explained. "Minerva found him."

"We think he was coming to see Harry; he had some grapes with him, and his camera," McGonagall added.

Harry's stomach lurched. He raised himself slightly, and could see Colin on the bed. His hands were held out in front of him, his camera in his grasp.

As he watched, Dumbledore pried the camera out of Colin's hands. He opened the back, and steam jetted out of it with a strong scent of burnt plastic.

"What does it mean, Albus?" McGonagall asked him.

"It means that the Chamber of Secrets is in fact open."

"But, who Albus?"

"I do not think who is the question, but how."

Harry could see the confusion on McGonagall's face, but could also make out the fear. Neither made him feel better.

Dumbledore glanced over at Harry's bed. Harry shut his eyes instantly.

"I just hope that the person responsible realizes that Harry is at Hogwarts, or his target may change."

He heard them leave, and sat up to look at Colin. He couldn't fall asleep for another hour.

"Harry," a voice called out.

Harry put his fork down, and twisted around.

"Hey, Susan, what's up?"

"I need to tell you something," the girl told him.

"Sure, sit down," he said. He moved over, and motioned for her to sit.

"Listen, Harry, some of the other Hufflepuffs are saying some stuff," she said after sitting down.

"What?" he pushed.

"They think that you are the Heir of Slytherin," she said.

"They think what?" Ron spoke up.

"They're scared," Susan explained.

"But why Harry?" Hermione asked.

"They noticed that you arrived at the Halloween feast late, and think you might of attacked Mrs. Noriss before you came," she told Harry.

"We were all later, we were at Nicks Deathday Party, they can ask him," Harry told her.

"Like I said, they are scared. Some think that you defeated You-Know-Who because you are darker than he was."

"Why are you telling him this?" Neville asked her.

She blushed slightly. "I just don't think you should be in the dark about this."

"Well, thanks," Harry grinned at her.

She blushed slightly harder, and quickly left.

"She fancies you, mate," Seamus told Harry once she was out of ear shot.

"You keep telling me that. You're barmy," Harry laughed.

"Think what you want," Seamus shrugged and went back to his breakfast.

Harry froze as the snake shot out of Malfoy's wand. He didn't know anything that could get rid of a snake. He didn't even know Malfoy had conjured it.

fear… sense, fear… no need for fear…

Harry jumped slightly at the voice. It was similar to the voice he had heard earlier in the year. It had the same slithery quality, but was higher pitched.

no hunger… no feeding…

He stared at the snake. It was the only thing that could be saying that. He heard Lockhart say something behind him, and the snake shot up into the air.

stay on ground…no hunger, no fear… must leave… must…

The snake vanished in a second.

"Scared of a snake, Potter?" Malfoy asked.

Harry looked away from the snake had been to see Malfoy laughing at him. He realized what it must have looked like, just staring at the snake.

"Not really, rather pathetic animal if you ask me, actually," Harry shot back. It wasn't true, of course, but he knew the effect it would have on Malfoy.

The blonde raised his wand, but before he could say anything, Harry spun around and left the hall. Before he was halfway down the hall, he heard more people leave the hall. He didn't have to turn around to know it was his friends.

"That was bloody brilliant, Harry," Seamus laughed.

"Did you see Malfoy's face after you said that? Priceless," Dean added.

"It was rather rude, though, Harry," Hermione spoke up. "You shouldn't of said anything."

"Oh, leave him alone, Malfoy shouldn't of tried to set a snake on him," Ron told her.

Neville looked at Harry's face.

"You alright, Harry?" he asked after a few seconds.

"I need to tell you guys something, but I'm not sure exactly what it means," he said.

He opened the next door they came up to, and opened it. After making sure the classroom inside was empty, they all piled inside. Neville and Hermione sat down in the chairs, and Harry stayed standing, but the rest hopped onto the desks.

"Is hear snakes talk normal?" Harry asked after they had all settled.

Dean looked confused, and Hermione interested, but the other three all glanced at each other, then at him.

"What do you mean, hear snakes talk?" Neville slowly asked.

"I mean, that snake that Malfoy just conjured, I heard it speak. It said it wasn't hungry, so there was no reason for anyone to be scared of it," he explained. "It's normal, right? I'm not crazy?"

"You're not crazy," Seamus started. "But it isn't normal."

"There have been very few Parselmouths in history, and most of them have been bad," Ron added.

"Wasn't Slytherin himself one?" Hermione asked.

"He may have been the first, that's why the Slytherin symbol is the snake," Ron nodded.

"My Gran said that You-Know-Who was one too," Neville said.

"Then how am I one?" Harry asked. "I'm not related to Voldemort. I can't be."

The other shrugged.

"This can't get out, or people may think you are," Dean spoke up.

"We promise not to tell anyone, Harry," Hermione said.

"Nah, it's gotta be better than that," Dean shook his head. "We've gotta make a pact."

"A pact?" Ron asked.

"I saw it on the telly once," Dean explained. "We all hold hands, and say the pact. Once we say the pact, we can never break it."

"What do we say?" Harry asked.

"Everyone hold hands, and repeat after me," Dean instructed.

They all stood up in a circle, and put their right hand in the center.

"Now, repeat after me."

"Now, repeat after me," Ron, Seamus, and Harry chorused.

Hermione glared at them, but Neville and Dean laughed.

"I do now promise," Dean said.

"I do now promise," the others said.

"To keep locked away."

"The secrets of the others."

"To never talk of those things kept quiet."

"For it I do."

"I may forfeit."

"The friendship of those in this room."

They all looked at each other, a stronger sense of friendship between them. All of a sudden, they all started laughing.

"So, nobody tells until we can figure out more?" Harry asked once they stopped.

"Of course," Ron nodded.

"We should name us," Neville suddenly said.

"What do you mean?" Seamus asked.

"I mean, a way to sign anything we do without getting in trouble," Neville explained.

"I get it," Harry nodded. "When my father was here, his group was named the Marauders."

"Maybe we should be the Minnie Marauders," Seamus laughed.

"How about no," Harry said, pushing him.

"Well, any other ideas?" Hermione asked.

"Potter Pals!" Seamus yelled.

"Lightning!" Ron added.

"The Hairy Potters," Dean snorted.

"We are not having a name related to anyone in the group, especially not me," Harry groaned.

"How do you know they are all related to you?" Hermione said. Harry just glared at her.

"Fine, seriously, what about the Screaming Mandrakes, or the Devils Snare?" Neville spoke up.

"Not bad," Hermione nodded. "The Leos?"

"If we're going to go lion related, it should be Kimba," Harry said. They all stared at him. "It's a lion from a Japanese thing my sister likes." They kept staring at him. "Or we can not be Kimba."

"Yeah, let's go with not," Ron said. "What about Flying Bandats? Or the Braves, not lion, but Gryffindor related."

"We could be the Injuns," Harry laughed, but they all stared at him again. "Or not, let's keep with Braves with that one."

"I vote that Harry stop giving suggestions," Dean said.

"I agree. You need to stop, Harry," Hermione nodded.

Harry just rolled his eyes. "What about Thunder? You don't see us, but you know we're there."

"That one is not bad," Neville nodded.

"What about 9-8, for the year we will leave Hogwarts, or 9-1, for the year we started? Or, the Hogwarts 6," Hermione suggested.

"What about the Beats? It's generic, so it could be anyone," Seamus added.

"We should write them all down," Hermione said, pulling a piece of parchment and a quill out of her bag. She quickly wrote down all of the decent suggestions. "Okay, here is what we have so far: Leos, Hogwarts 6, Braves, Thunder, 9-1, 9-8, Beats, Flying Bandits, Screaming Mandrakes, and Devils Snare. Any more suggestions?"

So, any suggestions? I will be taking suggestions for names for one day, but once the poll goes up for you guys to vote, I will stop adding, so get them in now. I will take almost anything, so don't be shy. Once I get enough, I will put the poll up, and you can all vote, so check back tomorrow to vote. If your suggestion wins, I will be sure to credit you, don't worry.

Also, how many of you even realized that Harry didn't know about being a parselmouth?