The Mutt who Lived
by Teddylonglong
All recognizable Harry Potter characters belong to J. K. Rowling, and I am not earning anything by writing this story. I am merely borrowing the characters to play with them.
I am not a native speaker of English. Please excuse my mistakes.
Warnings: Completely AU, partly OOC, Dumbledore/Weasley bashing.
If you don't like my stories, don't read them. I am only writing for my own fun and for those, who like reading my stories.
=Fawkes wants to take all the phoenix Animagi to Dragonsedge tonight to show you some places of interest in the air,= Inu explained to Harry. =You can go with him in your birdie form, but in return, you're going to be a doggy for the rest of the night.=
Rolling his eyes at his two familiars, Harry replied, "Thanks Inu and Fawkes, for deciding over my Animagi forms," before he translated for the others.
"Oh Merlin, I just wished I had your problems," Hermione blurted out, causing everyone to laugh.
"Go on and try for a second Animagus form," Harry quipped, grinning, as the girl glared at him, mumbling something that sounded like being glad to have managed one form.
HP
As soon as it became dark that evening, the Animagi headed out onto the grounds, where Fawkes motioned the phoenixes to follow him. To Harry's amazement, several of the professors joined him and his friends in their Animagi forms. Even his father in his majestic stag form was there, while his mother remained at home with his younger siblings.
#Fawkes, may Hermione join us please?# Harry asked his familiar.
#She's a cheap eagle,# Fawkes replied, indignantly.
#But she can fly like us, and she understands bird talk,# Harry replied, somehow not comprehending what the difference was. 'Oh well, she can't flash, but we'll all able to fly to Dragonsedge,' he thought in confusion.
#That's up to you,# Fawkes told them. #I wanted to take you to phoenix land, but only phoenixes are able to go there. An eagle wouldn't be able to find it let alone flash there.#
#Oh, that's fine then,# the eagle spoke up. #I'll join you another time, when you simply fly to Dragonsedge or such. What exactly is phoenix land?# Hermione then enquired with apparent interest.
#It's a holiday place for only phoenixes to go and know about,# Fawkes trilled, glaring at the eagle in apparent annoyance. #Now Splash, Icicle and Stormies, are you ready to leave?# he added, seemingly impatient.
#Yes,# the four phoenix Animagi replied, looking at their leader in expectation, while the eagle proceeded to take a flight around the park.
#Now, concentrate and think of travelling to phoenix land, before you flash,# Fawkes advised the Animagi, who nodded their heads and left after him.
The first thing that Harry felt upon arriving at their destiny was relief. 'Thank Merlin I managed to arrive here, and Christa and the twins did, too,' he thought, before he curiously looked around.
They found themselves in a huge garden that was spread seemingly infinitely in all directions. The garden was full of flowers and trees, the sun was shining, and thousands of other phoenixes were flying, walking or hopping around, obviously having fun. Happy trills filled the air. Harry could see many tiny lakes that looked extremely inviting, and here and there, he recognised bowls with phoenix treats and fruits.
#This is phoenix land,# Fawkes explained, gently. #You may do as you wish, eat and bathe, fly around, but as we only have one night, which is going to pass quickly here in phoenix land, I suggest that we remain together for the time being.#
Everyone agreed, and they followed Fawkes around the park, observing how he greeted other phoenixes who seemed to be old friends.
#This is beautiful,# Christa trilled, when they took a rest next to a lake, where they sat down for a while filling their bellies with the most delicious phoenix treats and fruits. #Thank you so much for bringing us here, Fawkes.#
A short while later, Christa was joined by another ice phoenix, and the two phoenixes were chatting away, when the twins saw fit to flash from one side of the girls to the other, causing a huge storm to engulf the ice phoenixes.
Harry was observing the scene, shaking his head at the twins' antics, when all of a sudden, an older earth phoenix joined them.
#Are you the father of these young ones?# he asked Fawkes.
#Kind of,# the fire phoenix replied, shortly, fluffing his back feathers.
#You must teach them to not conjure such a storm around young girls,# the earth phoenix told him, sounding slightly reproachful.
#I know, but they're young and mischievous,# Fawkes replied, pleasantly, before he flashed away in a bright flash and jumped right into the water.
Harry quickly followed his lead, realising that the water was pleasantly warm and felt comfortable and soothing to his plume.
Much too soon for their liking, Fawkes informed them that breakfast in the atrium was going to commence soon.
#We only arrived here about an hour ago,# Christa replied in apparent bewilderment.
#I know. Time always flies here,# Fawkes said in what seemed to be regret.
#Can we come back here at any time?# Harry enquired, resolving to instruct Inu and Neville to become phoenix Animagi as soon as possible.
#Any time,# Fawkes confirmed, #and I'll gladly accompany you. Always,# he promised. #Now flash back into the park of the MAMA,# he instructed them, and with great regret, the four younger phoenixes followed his lead.
HP
'I can't believe how quickly this night passed,' Harry thought, as he greeted Inu and absentmindedly took his seat at the breakfast table. 'We didn't even sleep, but I'm fully awake,' he realised in amazement.
'I missed you. You were late,' Inu thought to him, reproachfully.
'I'm so sorry, Inu. Time passed so fast at phoenix land. I thought that only about an hour had passed since we arrived there,' Harry apologized, only to add, 'You must try to become a phoenix Animagus, so that we can go there together.'
'I'll try,' the canine promised.
Harry looked up in confusion, when Neville, who was sitting next to him, suddenly transformed into an overlarge, yellow chicken.
"Neville?" Hermione blurted out in apparent bewilderment.
#Don't drink the pumpkin juice,# Neville trilled. #Someone must have pranked us.#
Harry quickly translated for those who were not bird Animagi, before he called Gina and asked for a cup of hot chocolate for himself and his friends, which arrived instantly.
Nevertheless, he could not prevent himself nor his friends from unwillingly transforming into various kinds of animals. Inwardly groaning when he felt the transformation set in, he realised in horror that he was some kind of pig.
=Change into your canine form,= he heard Inu advise him. =You can do that.=
Without even bothering to look left or right, Harry thought intensely, 'I wish to be in my doggy form.' He let out a relieved sigh upon realising that his body began to change again. A moment later, he felt himself back in the canine form, which felt very familiar. 'Thank Merlin,' he thought, only now noticing that his friends had left the table and were running around the atrium in various animal forms. He did not even know who was who. In fact, a sheep was chasing the overgrown chicken and a kangaroo, while two baboons were running after a squirrel and a meerkat.
"Oh well, if you're finished playing, you could try to transform into your Animagi forms," he told the others, as he changed back into his human form. Glaring at Severus, he asked, "What was that for?"
"What are you talking about?" Severus enquired, causing Harry to roll his eyes at the older wizard.
"As Sirius isn't adept enough at potions and Mum wouldn't do such a thing, I suppose that this was your prank potion," Harry replied, matter-of-factly, causing the adults to laugh.
"Oh, I believe that we still owed you a revenge for a well-played prank from months ago," Minerva informed him, chuckling.
"Thank Merlin that we're all Animagi," Hermione stated, what everyone else thought.
"Yes, I didn't think about that. Next time, we need to consider that," Severus loudly whispered to Lily, who nodded, pleasantly.
"Mum?" Harry and Neville blurted out, simultaneously; however, their mother merely cast them an innocent look in return.
HP
During the remaining weeks of the holidays, a prank war took place, which left adults and children with various predicaments every other day. As the children knew that Severus and Lily spent the day doing valuable potions research and the Mini Unspeakables had training during the day, both parties waited until dinner time to strike.
"This is totally annoying," five-year-old Charlus complained to his mother. "Mione promised to read us a story, but she can't. That's your and Uncle Severus' fault that her hands are reversed."
Lily nodded, grimly, trying hard to keep her grin at bay, before she inwardly sighed in relief, when James promised to read their son a story.
Hermione was equally annoyed, as she had wanted to continue reading the twelfth book from the series of the five magical friends, which Harry had received for his birthday. However, with the inside of her hands outside and the outside inside, she was unable to hold anything in her hands – at least not well enough to properly read.
"As they kind of stole us the whole evening…"
"… we should have another Animagi night…"
"… without the adults…"
"… to make up for it," the Weasley twins suggested, and the ten-year-olds were all for it.
"We should wait until midnight though…"
"… so that Mum and Dad won't realise that we're missing," the younger twins added, and everyone agreed.
"Dobby!" Draco called his elf, who appeared in a blink and immediately promised to wake them up at midnight and help them have a party on the grounds. The mischievous elf went even further and had his son Teddy assist, and when the children in their various Animagi forms crept out into the park, it was beautifully decorated with all kinds of illuminations, and a huge buffet with delicacies was laid out right next to the lake.
"Don't worries, no adult wills be able to sees this," Dobby reassured them, grinning broadly.
This time, Harry decided to spend the night in his canine form, and while Fawkes took Christa, Hermione and the Weasley twins for a flight around Dragonsedge, he roamed the grounds together with Neville and Inu. They had much fun, and only when it slowly began to become light, did they quietly return to their beds.
'Thank Merlin tomorrow is Saturday and we don't have training,' Harry thought in relief, as he closed his eyes, happily noticing that Inu crawled under the covers and pressed himself against his stomach as usual.
HP
What the children had completely forgotten, however, was that this Saturday, the 18th of August, was the wedding day of Severus and Narcissa. On this occasion, they had to perform a play for the happy couple, which Evelyn Jones had practised with them. Evelyn was going to be their teacher during the last year, before they were going to be first-years, and they liked her a lot.
To the children's relief, the play only took place in the afternoon. In a conjured tent on the grounds, three working tables with two chairs each were placed in a row, in front of them a teacher's table. Severus Snape was standing in front of the row, where six children were sitting at their tables.
"Now, test your potions," the professor instructed them in a firm voice, before he left the room through a side door.
Neville, who was the first student from the left side, eyed the phial in front of him with apparent trepidation. "Do I really have to drink that?" he asked, shuddering visibly.
"Yes, but don't worry, you've done well," Susan assured him from his right side, causing Neville to gulp down the concoction in a large gulp.
Instantly, his hair began to grow and took on a bright orange colour, causing the other pupils to let out large gasps.
When Susan tried her own potion, her hair turned green and let out bright neon sparks.
"I'm going to get Professor Pomfrey," Hermione blurted out and left through the door on the left side, only to return an instant later with the healer in tow.
The healer looked at the two pupils. "What's happening here?" she enquired, strictly.
"Professor Snape instructed us to try out our own potions," Hermione explained, quickly.
"What is the potion supposed to be?" Poppy asked, casting a spell at Neville and Susan that made the two pupils' hair return to their normal state.
"Pepperup potion," Hermione informed her, giving her a questioning look, just when Professor Snape returned to the classroom.
"What's taking you so long?" he hissed at Hermione, Christa, Harry and Draco, Susan and Neville, completely ignoring Poppy. "Get on with it."
Before the children could do as much as move a limb, however, his whole body began to shake and let out neon sparks in rainbow colours.
"That's it. I'm going to take you with me for the time being. I don't know what happened to you, but if you're not better able to teach your students how to brew pepper-up potion, I'm afraid Lily will have to take over your classes from now on." With that, the healer pulled the Potions master with her out of the classroom.
"Mischief manged," Harry loudly whispered to Inu, who was holding the elder wand in his right front paw. "Well done, Inu."
"Just tell me one thing," Severus spoke up from where he and his bride were sitting among their colleagues. "Who had the gall to impersonate me?"
"That was us," the other Severus Snape spoke up.
"… But you have to admit," Poppy added.
"… that we were brilliant," Severus finished the sentence.
"Weasley and Weasley, see to it that this Polyjuice potion wears off soon," Severus growled at the twins, much to the audience's amusement.
HP
Soon, school began again, and with classes, Unspeakable training, Animagi nights and the occasional night spent at phoenix land, the school year passed much too quickly for Harry's liking.
'Soon, we're going to be first years and won't have much time left to play or to train with the Unspeakables. Neither will we be able to get away to phoenix land,' he thought, sadly.
However, he soon became distracted, when Arcturus informed the Mini Unspeakables that it was time to make their own wands. "I know that you already have wands," he turned to the Weasley twins, "but I still suggest that you make your own, as they will be much more powerful."
"How can we make them?" Hermione asked, eagerly.
"You must think about what ingredients you should use," Arcturus explained. "If you have a familiar that's able to give you, for example, a feather of an eagle or a phoenix, you could use that as first ingredient. You could even use a feather from your own Animagus form. Secondly, you need something from a plant, like, for example, lichens from the roof of the MAMA or the willow next to the lake, and thirdly, you could add the blood from a powerful wizard or witch or from yourself. Please think about it for a while, and when you've decided, come to me, and I'll help you get the ingredients."
HP
Later in the evening, when the extended family was sitting together for tea, the conversation returned to the topic of wands.
"Excuse me," Harry spoke up, questioningly, "is there something I could use from Inu?"
"You could use his blood," James replied, smirking, "perhaps in addition to a feather from Fawkes and some skin from the basilisk at Hogwarts."
"Is it possible to have four ingredients?" Harry enquired.
"It will not only be possible, but in your case very powerful, too," James confirmed, only to add, "As a plant, I suggest for all of you using strings from a branch of the blood beech that's towering over the lake.
"Oh, the one we can see from the balcony of our room," Neville blurted out in excitement.
"It's at least older than us and will surely add a valuable ingredient to a powerful wand," Sirius agreed.
"It's not only older than us, you moron," James corrected him. "There's a plate attached to its trunk stating that it was a gift from the minister of magic for Potter Manor after its rebuilding in 1777."
"That will be adequate," Arcturus spoke up, causing everyone to look at the old Unspeakable in surprise.
"Don't sneak up on us, Grandfather," Sirius said, reproachfully, making the Mini Unspeakables chuckle, as they – in contrary to the untrained adults – had heard their colleague pop into the room. Even Inu knew to not bark if an Unspeakable approached, provided that he could not sense any evil intention.
HP
During the rest of the week, the children engrossed themselves in discussing possible ingredients for their wands, before they spent the weekend harvesting their ingredients with the help of the extended family and informed Arcturus about their decisions on Monday morning.
During the following two weeks, Arcturus led one Mini Unspeakable a day to Athene, the Unspeakables' wand maker.
"We're not proficient in wand making," he informed Harry, as he led him through the Unspeakables' corridors. "Athene is our wand maker, and she'll help each of you make your wands."
Athene was a very old witch, and to Harry's surprise, she was not wearing a hood. She had long, white hair, and her face was full with wrinkles, however, she smiled at him and was very friendly.
It took Athene almost three hours to make a wand from the intertwined phoenix feather and basilisk skin with lichens from the roof of the MAMA and five drops of Inu's blood.
Finally, she handed Harry his wand, smiling broadly. It was black with some brown and white spots that reminded Harry of Inu, however, it was shimmering red, and when Harry held it in his hand, it felt cool and silky almost like the basilisk skin had felt against his skin. His whole body seemed to warm up, and he realised that he felt incredibly happy. Small sparks erupted from the tip of his wand, when he gave it a slight shake.
"It's beautiful," he sighed, happily.
"Be careful, child," Athene warned him. "This wand is one of the most powerful wands which I've ever seen. The only wand more powerful than this is the Elder Wand. If it is more powerful at all," she added as an afterthought.
"And that belongs to Inu," Arcturus added, smirking. "Now, that's the end of your quiet time here. From next week onwards, Devil is going to intensify your training, and believe me, powerful wand or not, it's going to be hard."
HP
At Hogwarts, Molly Prewitt was sitting behind her desk in the headmistress' office pondering her situation.
'Why did Albus have to insist on hiring a stuttering professor for Defence Against the Dark Arts?' she wondered in annoyance. 'Just because he's in discredit with the Aurors, I could have asked Moody to lend us an Auror for a year. Considering that Ronnie is going to be a first-year, I really am interested in having good teachers for once.'
Glancing at the Sorting Hat, she uttered, "I very much hope that you're going to sort my son into Gryffindor." However, the Hat conveniently chose to ignore her, much to her annoyance.
tbc...
Thank you so very much for the kind reviews for the previous chapter. Please let me know what you think of this chapter and what you expect from this story. Any ideas or opinions are welcome.
Next chapter: "First-years".
