AN: Before I get to this chapter I have two things to say about the last. 1) Harry, Hermione and Tonks only have one animal form, none of the English magicals took part in the Aboriginal ceremony, they were just observing, Harry got painted to honor their god, that's it. 2) The bikini scene wasn't the first time Harry saw them in swimsuits, they were part of the search for Jumal after all, this was just the first time they had dressed specifically to impress him. It is going to pay off at the same time as fly!Hermione. Another side note is that this chapter is the first of the third year as I divide them up on my computer. Year 1 had 18 chapters and year 2 had 33. At that rate of increase year three will have like 60 or 48, depending on how you look at it. I don't expect that many.
HPCOC
It was raining as they all left Gringott's on the way to the Leaky Cauldron to use the public floo home. Despite that Hermione still stopped the whole procession in front of Flourish and Blotts. There was a sign introducing a new edition of Hogwart's: A History that caught her eye.
"Look Harry!" She squealed as she read the sign. "They have a chapter on you now!"
"Really?" Harry frowned. "That seems a bit premature."
"I guess, but it says that chapter is automatically updating." Hermione nodded and turned to her parents. "Can I get a copy?"
"Maybe for your birthday sweety." Emma replied with a small smile.
"Please!" She stretched the word out and pouted.
"We'll see." Dan chuckled.
"That means no." Hermione grumbled.
"If it is any consolation the new Firebolt is going on the public market next week and I won't be getting that either." Tonks sighed as she looked wistfully across the street at Quality Quidditch Supplies.
"You're right!" Andromeda quipped merrily. "It's supposed to be dreadfully expensive."
"It's not that much." Tonks replied and focused on her inner owl, changing only her eyes. "Just...price on request. Oh. Never mind."
"So, Harry, do you have anything to stop and stare at too?" Sirius asked with a smirk.
"Actually I do need to put in an order for a hundred test blanks from Erikson's Excellent Enchantments, but I can send Hedwig with that." Harry shrugged.
"Excellent!" Gwenog cheered. "Home then!"
"How did you do just your eyes?" Sirius asked as the group started moving again.
"Um, I don't know." Tonks said. "I just thought about it really hard I guess. Basically the same way as any other morph."
"Huh." Sirius frowned and scrunched up his face.
"Don't do that Sirius." Remus laughed.
"What? Why not?"
"It makes you look constipated."
"But..." Sirius sighed and gave up, shaking his head.
"Exactly." Remus smirked causing Sirius and the women to glare at him. "What? It was a good setup."
"Not that good." Harry said casually. "It's okay though, not every joke can be good."
Hestia reached the entrance to Diagon Alley first and quickly tapped the appropriate bricks to make the arch appear. Sirius casually tossed a galleon to Tom as the group moved towards the fireplace and made their way back to Grimmauld Place with the provided floo powder.
"Say your goodbyes Hermione, we've been away from home for long enough." Dan ordered as the kids moved away from the adults.
"Aww." Hermione moaned.
"It's okay, you'll be here tomorrow right?" Tonks asked with a cheerful smile.
"Right after breakfast if I'm allowed." Hermione nodded.
"That's not too long." Harry concluded glumly. "I'm sure I'll survive 'til then."
"Oh, hush you." Hermione giggled and swatted his arm.
"Okay Hermione, let's go." Emma called and beckoned her over.
"Bye." Hermione hugged them both quickly as they said goodbye too. Within two minutes the Grangers were back home.
"Right, well I need to go check on something." Sirius remarked and headed up to the attic.
"We should get unpacked." Gwenog recommended and headed up the stairs along with Hestia and all three Tonks.
"Shouldn't you be going up too?" Remus asked.
Harry shrugged. "What's the point of procrastinating if you do everything right away."
Remus raised an eyebrow and was about to retort but was cut off by Sirius apparating into the room.
HPCOC
"Kreacher!" Sirius called as he moved into the attic.
"Nasty Master has returned." Kreacher moaned as he came into view.
"Yes I have, now tell me if anything unusual has happened while we've been gone." Sirius ordered shortly.
"Some of your mangy pet's friends came sniffing around." Kreacher sneered. "They didn't try the door so I ignored them. Had to search the stoop for flees though."
"What pet?" Sirius glared.
"That wolf you keep. Disgusting thing." Kreacher replied and it took Sirius half a second to put it all together and he disapparated without another word. Shaking his head Kreacher moved back into the recesses of the attic. "Thank you Kreacher, I appreciate your efforts Kreacher, you're a good elf Kreacher." He muttered to himself.
HPCOC
"Moony, I need your nose outside." Sirius said and grabbed Remus by the arm.
"What's going on?" Remus asked as he was dragged towards the door.
"Werewolves were here." Sirius replied as he opened the door and shoved Remus out before transforming into Padfoot. Harry followed them to the stoop and watched as they set off in opposite directions around the house.
After a few minutes of walking Remus made it back to the front, a few seconds later Padfoot joined them and returned to his human form. Sirius sighed. "I smelled five."
"Same. I know this one too." Remus pointed at the stoop. "He introduced himself as my brother a few years ago. He has a nasty reputation too. He's called Chip."
"Chip?" Harry asked skeptically. "What kind of a name for a werewolf is Chip?"
"It's a nickname, as in, 'Chip off the old block'. He's known to be almost as bad as Fenrir was." Remus frowned. "My guess is that the Grey Pack has settled on a new alpha and it's him."
"Is he the one that sent the rabbit?" Harry asked.
"No, I'm not sure who that was." Remus shook his head.
"They must have been disappointed that we weren't here." Sirius remarked with a laugh. "Bet we stuffed up their plan."
"I don't think so." Remus replied. "I think they were just trying to inform us that they know where we are, or rather, where we would be."
"What can we do?" Sirius asked.
"Well, nothing really. I can't go talk to them since Harry threatened them." Remus rubbed his neck. "The best I can think of is teach the kids to conceal their scents so they cannot be followed as easily."
Harry looked from one to the other then transformed. As a snake he slithered around the house tasting the air and returned to the front. He returned to his human form and frowned. "I think it is going to be a while before I am experienced enough for that to be helpful for anything. It was all just an indistinguishable jumble to me."
Sirius nodded sagely. "It took me the better part of a year to figure it all out, and I think it was easier for me than it will be for you."
Harry sighed and threw his hands up melodramatically. "Nothing is ever easy is it?"
"Except everything else for you apparently." Remus sighed and Sirius laughed.
"Hey, just because I don't show my work doesn't me I don't do any." Harry grinned and they went back inside. "You wouldn't believe how much effort I put into somethings."
Before dinner Harry sent off his order to the enchanters and Sirius and Remus introduced the idea of the scent masking charm to Tonks. They decided to wait until Hermione arrived to teach it though. After dinner and some relaxing everyone made their ways to bed, early to their perspectives but they were getting a step up on the time shift.
Once Harry was reasonably sure that everyone had fallen asleep he slipped out of bed under a silencing charm, just in case, and gathered up the jar of sand that he had spent months carving with runes. After activating it he disillusioned himself for good measure and warped into the airspace above the house. An hour and a half of careful flying later he had sprinkled all of the sand in every place that had a clear view of his home. Most ended up in grass and flower beds but some he had to banish under shingles or into the road surface. After a moment of thought he also embedded some into the bark of the trees. If anyone decided to spy on them he would know about it immediately. Then he went to sleep.
HPCOC
"Hey Hermione. How do you feel about not having angry hairy dudes track us down and kill us all?" Tonks asked cheerfully as Hermione stepped through the floo.
"Erm, is that likely to be a problem?" Hermione frowned.
"Seems that way." Harry nodded.
"You seem awfully relaxed about it." Hermione said pointedly to Tonks.
"My plan is to stick near Harry." Tonks shrugged. "Angry hairy dudes don't stand a chance against him."
"True, but still, I suppose I would rather avoid being killed by angry hairy dudes. Or anyone else for that matter." Hermione said.
"Good point, it could be angry hairy ladies too." Tonks nodded at her wisdom.
"Is someone going to tell me what's going on or should I start guessing?" Hermione crossed her arms.
"Grey Pack, grumpy, know where we live. Same old." Harry shrugged.
"Grey Pack?" Hermione asked.
"The late Greyback's pack." Remus said as he walked in. "They were around over vacation and this morning I'm going to teach you three how to avoid leaving your scents behind."
"Oh." Hermione said thoughtfully. "That sounds useful."
"Hopefully it will be useful enough." Remus sighed. "Sirius is getting some silver for you two to wear while you're not here too, or around me."
"So when do we start?" Hermione asked.
"Right now if everyone has their wands." Remus smiled as the three replied by drawing their wands. "Excellent, now the wand movement is like this..."
HPCOC
Severus Snape had been halfway through brewing enough blood replenishing potion to restock the hospital wing's supplies when he was summoned up to the Headmaster's office. With a short sigh he cast a stasis charm on the industrial sized cauldron and quietly left his lab. He started scowling after only three steps and with each second it got deeper. The only thing more irritating than getting interrupted was Potter, or a Weasley, or a Marauder, or that know-it-all mudblood bitch, or their freakish shape shifting sycophant.
Snape's list continued all the way to the gargoyle and he had transitioned from merely annoyed to very angry. "Acid Pops!" He spat and stormed up the stairs. He took a deep breath to center himself and walked into Dumbledore's office. "You called?"
"Ah, Severus, yes I did. Lemon drop?" Dumbledore smiled genially and held out the candy dish.
"No thank you." Snape glared at the bowl.
"Just as well, this wasn't a social call." Dumbledore nodded and returned the candy bowl to its place. "Mr. Potter and Ms. Granger have returned home and it is time for their meeting about scheduling. I would like you to go collect them for me."
Snape stared at him intently for a second before nodding once. "Very well." He said and left the office in a worse mood than he had entered it in.
HPCOC
Lunch was a casual affair, which given the company involved a few spit takes and some dancing food. Sirius eventually settled down and let everyone eat though. Harry had gotten the charm down on his third try, Hermione shortly after and Tonks managed it just before were going to stop, none of that stopped Hermione from boring Hestia with the details and theory behind the spell for the whole meal.
They were almost done with pudding when a knock came from the front door. Hestia immediately stood up. "I'll get it."
"Don't forget to look through the peephole before you open the door." Hermione advised.
"I won't." Hestia replied with a small smile and walked out of the room. She made it to the door as the visitor knocked again and quickly opened it. "Oh, hello Snape. What are you doing here?"
"Where's Potter?" Snape demanded and pushed passed her.
"Excuse me?" Hestia growled. "Rude much?"
"Shh." Snape hissed as the voices of the others filtered out of the dinning room. Without even glancing back at Hestia, Snape strode off towards the voices and into the dinning room. "Potter! The Headmaster needs a word with you. Granger, good, saves me a trip."
"Okay." Harry looked at him coolly from his seat. "Um, I can pencil him in for Monday at Tea Time."
"Not Monday, now!" Snape sneered and moved so he was towering over Harry. "Come along."
"We can't today." Harry shrugged.
"I'm not leaving without you." Snape glared, neither of them noticing the others drawing their wands.
"Well, tough. Unlike you, I'm not Dumbledore's pet to order about as he wishes." Harry smirked and turned back to his plate. "Besides I have far more important things planned for today."
"What plans?" Snape demanded then spun his chair around to catch his eye and launched a legilimency attack. Snape found himself in a large empty room with hard wood floors. Surprised at the lack of resistance he looked around and found Harry staring at him passively from a leather recliner.
"Welcome to my inner sanctum." Harry said from his chair and a cup of tea appeared in his hand.
"I should have known your mind would be too weak to have any defenses." Snape sneered.
Harry sighed and shook his head in disappointment. "If my mind had no defenses you would be currently looking through my memories and I wouldn't know you were here. I let you in."
"Why would you do that?" Snape asked.
"Why waste the energy? It isn't like you'll be able to find anything from here anyway. I wonder how long it will take Padfoot and Moony to figure out what you tried." Harry shrugged and snapped his fingers causing chains to appear and wrap around Snape, holding him in place. "I could throw you out whenever I want, or I can keep you from leaving."
Snape thrashed against the chains for a few minutes while Harry calmly drank his tea. "Release me." He commanded once he gave up.
"I don't think so, you see, it has only been a split second in the real world and I wouldn't want to deprive you of whatever fate those two have cooking for you. I also am looking forward to what the girls add. What do you think they'll do? We can place bets." Harry smiled.
"Are you really that childish?" Snape sneered.
"Not really, it's just a bonus." Harry dropped the cup and it vanished before it hit the floor. "Besides there is something much more satisfying that is happening."
"Oh, and what's that?" Snape rolled his eyes.
"Let's just say, that you need to work on your occlumency." Harry grinned and leaned forward. "Also, I don't like being attacked and if you do it again the damage will be permanent."
"What damage?" Snape asked, suddenly worried.
"Oh, that's for me to know and you to find out." Harry chuckled. "How's that for childish?"
There was no response as Snape suddenly was thrown to the side and out of Harry's mind. Harry sighed and sat back in his chair. "Did you accomplish everything?" He asked as his older incarnation appeared.
"And then some." Old Harry nodded. "I locked the memory of this encounter so he won't be able to talk about it, and I managed to copy his potions knowledge. Did you know he keeps everything stored as potions?" He asked and held up a large jar of green liquid.
"It doesn't surprise me in the slightest." Young Harry laughed and stood up. The chair disappeared as he walked the combination to call forth his own potions knowledge while Old Harry converted Snape's representation to books like the ones Harry used.
Once the books were filed Harry returned to the world. He looked around and found an unconscious and bound Snape lying in a crumpled pile by the door. He couldn't help but laugh at the other modifications. "Okay, who did what?"
"I banished him and turned his hair into daisies." Tonks said proudly. "Hopefully he'll remember the last time that happened to him."
"I stunned him and added the clown make up." Sirius grinned. "Moony did the bindings and the pink tutu leotard combo."
"That was for James." Remus added. "It was one of his favorites."
"I only hit his ears." Hermione said glumly and pointed at the dinner plate sized ears. "I can add something else though."
"I missed." Gwenog said and directed his attention to the wall that had 'GIT' written on it in large red letters.
"That's okay." Harry smiled and motioned to the potions master. "He isn't moving now."
"It's not sporting when they're defenseless." Gwenog shook her head.
"Sorry about that." Tonks smiled sheepishly.
"You should be young lady!" Andromeda remarked as she came out of shock. "Who taught you that that was proper behavior?"
"Dad did." Tonks pointed at Ted, who was busy chewing on his fist to keep from laughing.
"Theodore!" Andromeda cried and turned to her husband.
"Uh oh." He said soberly and fled the room.
"Get back here!" Andromeda yelled and followed after, making sure to step on Snape on her way out.
"Sorry about letting him through in the first place, Harry." Hestia said mutely.
"It's perfectly okay." Harry smiled and walked to the small table in the corner. After a quick search he came back with a full inkwell and a brush. He knelt down next to Snape and wrote 'Monday Tea' on the exposed part of his chest. "I suppose we ought to send the note back."
"So what are the your plans for today?" Hermione asked as Harry stood up and levitated Snape.
"Oh, I don't have any." Harry shrugged and floated Snape through the door into the living room. "I just don't want Dumbledore and him to think I am theirs to command." Everyone followed as Harry made his way to the floo and watched as he threw a pinch of floo powder in. "Hogwart's Faculty Lounge." Harry called and offhandedly chucked Snape into the fire. "I'm open to suggestions though because once he is found an old man with an 'I am disappointed' face will show up and I'd rather dodge that."
"The NQL got their Firebolts last week. I have practice in an hour, if you want we can get there early and you can try mine out." Gwenog suggested and was suddenly being hugged by a very happy Tonks.
"I don't mind." Hermione nodded. "It will be interesting to see the differences between professional practices and Hogwart's practices."
"Alright. How soon can we leave?" Harry grinned.
"I'll gather my things and you two can put on your Quidditch robes and we can go." Gwenog answered and waved towards the stairs.
HPCOC
"Oh, Filius. Hello." McGonagall said as she and Sprout rounded a corner.
"Good afternoon Minerva, Pomona." Flitwick replied with a slight bow.
"We were on our way up to the lounge if you'd like to join us." Sprout offered. "For tea and a discussion on who we're going to nominate for Head Boy and Girl."
"We know that Severus is going to put his prefects names in no matter what." McGonagall rolled her eyes. "Just like every year."
"But the two of us were thinking that if the three of us were united in our picks Albus would have to select them." Sprout added.
"Certainly. I was just stretching my legs anyway." Flitwick nodded and fell in with them. "Who are your picks?"
"I was thinking Percy Weasley." McGonagall replied. "His grades are constantly near the top of his class and I cannot think of a time when he has broken a rule intentionally."
Flitwick nodded. "I was figuring him on being the front runner anyway. More for the fact that the Twins cannot intimidate him. I don't think either Adams or Williams could stand up to them."
"Unfortunate but true." Sprout sighed as they reached the lounge. "We want Ms. Clearwater for Head Girl though."
"Hasn't she been dating Mr. Weasley?" Flitwick asked as McGonagall opened the door.
"Oh my!" McGonagall gasped and came to a complete stop in the doorway. "Droopy!"
"Yes Professor Kitty?" The house-elf asked as he popped over.
"Could you fetch my camera please?" McGonagall asked without taking her eyes off of Snape, who hadn't woken up yet but had crashed into a few chairs on his way out of the floo.
"Right away Professor." Droopy replied and left.
"What is it?" Sprout asked and leaned around McGonagall. "Oh. Could you make me a copy of that picture when you get it?"
"Of course." McGonagall nodded. "Would you like one too Filius."
"Please." Flitwick said as he started to snicker. "I feel like there is an amusing story behind this."
Droopy returned and handed the camera to McGonagall. She quickly and quietly lifted it up to her eye and moved into the lounge, snapping pictures every time she got to a better angle.
"Should we do something about this?" Sprout asked.
"I'd rather not deal with his temper when he wakes up." McGonagall handed the camera back to Droopy. "I say we leave and not tell anyone we saw anything. It's not like he's being hurt or anything."
"I agree." Flitwick said. "He probably deserved it."
"So it's unanimous." Sprout grinned and closed the door behind McGonagall as they left.
HPCOC
"Oh, the girls are here." Gwenog observed as the rest of the Harpies walked on to the pitch. Turning away from Harry and Hermione she cupped her hands around her mouth and yelled. "Tonks I need my broom back now!"
"Kay!" Tonks shouted back and flew over to the stands where they were sitting. "That was amazing. Thanks for letting me try it out."
"No problem." Gwenog smiled and hopped on the broom before flying down to the team.
"Sorry for hogging it the whole time." Tonks said as she sat down next to Harry. "I really should have let you take a turn, but time got away from me up there."
"Don't worry about it Nym." Harry hugged her with one arm. "I understand the phenomenon completely."
The three of them sat quietly for a few minutes while the Harpies spoke to one another rapidly. It was too far to hear but it was apparent that they were catching up on the last few weeks. The other beater dug around in her bag and pulled out a magazine. After flipping through for a few seconds she excitedly showed it to Gwenog, who stared for a few seconds before snatching it away from her teammate and returning to the air.
"Congratulations Harry." Gwenog grinned when she got back to them and tossed the magazine to him.
"Er, thanks." Harry nodded and she flew off while Tonks grabbed the magazine.
"Harry!" She squealed. "Quidditch Quarterly named you the rookie of the year!"
"What!" Harry shouted and looked over her shoulder to see a photo of him being pulled off his broom by a bludger and hitting it before falling out of frame.
"That's amazing!" Hermione hugged him tightly and pressed her lips firmly against his cheek.
HPCOC
Severus Snape was not a happy camper.
He estimated that he had been lying in the Faculty Lounge for two and a half hours before Dumbledore got impatient and tracked him down. Even worse was that Dumbledore asked for his report after only waking him up and unbinding him; then the old man rushed off without doing anything else. Snape was just thankful that he had time to undo all of the other charms before anyone else saw him like that.
He scared off two house-elves, a ghost and had kicked Filch's cat before he made it back to his suite. That made him feel slightly better. He had a simple plan to relax. A shot of Firewhiskey followed by a glass of meade and a long evening of brewing potions.
He quietly made his way into his lab, still smoking slightly from the mouth, and set his glass of meade down a short way away from his brewing station. A quick jab of his wand removed the stasis charm from the partially complete blood replenishing potion. Then he realised that he had no idea what came next.
"POTTER!"
AN:
Let's see, first of all the only thing I am waiting on to go interview with the Coast Guard is getting a copy of a medical record in the mail. Hopefully it will come in tomorrow and I can go talk to them on Thursday. Which bring me to a reviewer who used a guest account so I cannot reply directly.
Cameron: I don't want to join the Air Force or any of the other branches of the military because there is a good chance that I would get sent to a foreign nation, I have not agreed with any foreign occupation since WW2, although I'll admit I understand Korea and Nam as part of the cold war fears and I don't really know a lot about the first gulf war. I'm fairly certain that our involvement in the middle east is to control the Afghanistan opium supply and establish a counter measure to the growing Chinese economy. Iran has oil.
If I get accepted and everything goes smoothly and quickly this might be the last chapter for at least two but probably three months. If I have the time I'll try to get one more out before I head to boot. I have no plans to abandon this fic but three months is a long time and it might happen despite my intentions.
Second, yes Harry blocked Snape's potion knowledge, no that's not the worst thing I can think of, and no it isn't permanent. There has been some confusion about this. Harry put up a 'wall' around Snape's potion knowledge the prevent him from accessing it, he did not remove the knowledge.
I can't think of anything else. OH, I just remembered. Duels during the Triwizard tournament, Yes or No? Vote in my profile.
