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.


Ginny Weasley ran through the deserted halls of the castle and only stopped running, when she reached the owlery. Glad that there was still parchment left on the side table, she grabbed a quill and quickly scribbled a note.

'Dad,
please come and get me. I am waiting in the owlery of Hogwarts.
Your daughter
Ginny'

"Please send this to Arthur Weasley as fast as possible. Wake him up if you can," she instructed one of the school owls that seemed young and could probably fly fast.

The owl gave her a short hoot in confirmation, before it took off into the darkness engulfing the castle.

'I wonder how long it'll take before Dad comes to get me,' she thought, never even doubting that he would come, as she let herself sink against the wall next to the entrance door and began to sob. She sobbed for leaving her mother and the only brother she had ever really known. She knew that she had several older brothers, however, each of them had left her mother, when she had still been a little girl. 'Thank Merlin only one year and then I'll finally be able to attend school myself,' she thought, as she sobbed herself into sleep, the thought 'I'd be a Gryffindor' crossing her mind.

Ginny only woke up, when she felt herself being lifted up into strong arms.

"Dad," she whispered, smiling, upon seeing her father's face right in front of her.

"My daughter," her father replied, giving her a sharp look. "Are you absolutely certain that you wish to leave your mother, Ronald and Hogwarts and come with me?"

"Yes," Ginny replied in a firm voice.

"Then let's go," her father replied and motioned her to take hold of the Portkey in the form of a stuffed plush dog that he held out to her. An instant later, they were gone from Hogwarts and arrived in what seemed to be a comfortable living room.

HP

The distressed girl let herself sink into the offered seat, while her father went to wake up her oldest brother Bill, explaining that everyone else was sleeping in their dormitories.

"I'll call the others here," Bill said and headed to a green point that was integrated into one part of the wall. Touching the point with his wand, he uttered, "Charlie, Percy, Fred and George, please come to our quarters immediately. Ginny is here."

To Ginny's surprise, four small, silvery dogs appeared in the air right in front of the green point and dashed away through the nearest wall.

"That were Patroni in the form of Inu, our school mascot," Bill explained to her, before he pulled her into a bear's hug.

"I'm glad that you came here, Ginny, but what happened?" he asked, eyeing her in apparent concern.

"Nothing really," Ginny admitted. "It's just that Mum does one stupid thing after the next. Yesterday, she tried to burn the Sorting Hat."

"Oh right, we've heard that he has abandoned Hogwarts and came to live here at the MAMA," Arthur replied, shaking his head in apparent annoyance. "It was the right thing to come here, Ginny."

"Exactly," Bill agreed, just when his four younger brothers stormed into the room. "I can't even understand how she managed to remain the headmistress for such a long time."

"She isn't really," Ginny admitted. "Dumbledore is. Mum only is the headmistress for show, but Dumbledore is making all the decisions."

"Oh well, last night must have been a bad show…"

"… if it drove you to leave her and Ron," the twins replied, grinning, as they took turns hugging her.

"It's good to have you here, Ginny," Charlie said, following the twins' example.

"Believe me, we all understand," Percy added.

"At breakfast, I'll introduce you to the children of the last primary school class," Arthur announced. "I suggest that you join them from today onwards. Let's go and speak with the headmistress beforehand though."

Only now did Ginny realise that it had become light in the meantime, and she cast Bill a grateful look, when he transfigured her pyjamas into blue jeans and a white blouse with a pattern of flowers before promising that he would accompany them to the headmistress' office.

HP

To Ginny's relief, Professor McGonagall was outright friendly to her and promised to introduce her to her new classmates during breakfast.

"You might know Luna Lovegood," Bill said, questioningly. "She was a neighbour of us, when we were living at the Burrow."

"She was my friend at that time," Ginny replied as she remembered the nice girl from her early childhood, suddenly looking forward to meet her new classmates. 'Thank Merlin they have a primary school here,' she thought, feeling happy at her late night's sudden decision.

HP

When Harry and Inu woke up in the morning, Sopho was back and adjusted his size to fit onto Inu's head.

=Don't tell me that you're going to sit on my head all day,= Inu growled at the Hat who chuckled.

"No, I believe that I'm going to spend some quality time with Fawkes in your parents' quarters," the Hat replied.

"I think that would be for the best," Harry agreed, glad when Fawkes left together with the Hat, when he, Neville and Inu changed into their school robes. Inu then ran ahead to quickly do his business at his favourite place behind the stables.

HP

At the same time, Molly Prewitt realised in shock that her ten-year-old daughter seemed to have vanished into thin air. She asked a house-elf to look for the child; however, at breakfast time, several house-elves approached her in the Great Hall, stating that they had not been able to find her daughter in the castle.

"Perhaps Ronald knows something?" Albus had the gall to suggest.

Molly glared at the old wizard, however, was desperate enough to head to the Slytherin table to ask her son if he had seen his sister.

"No Mum," Ronald replied, munching on his scrambled eggs as he spoke. "Perhaps she left because of my Sorting into Slytherin," he added, grimly.

"I don't think so, and even if so, it wouldn't be your fault anyway," Molly replied, before she returned to the high table, recalling her unwanted conversation with the Sorting Hat from the night.

Beginning of memory

"I made a grave mistake. I should have sorted you into Slytherin all that time ago," the Hat shouted into her ears. "Your son is a Slytherin because of having inherited your traits."

"I'm a Gryffindor, just like all the Prewitts and Weasleys were," Molly shouted back.

"A Gryffindor wouldn't slip someone a love potion just to make him produce seven children with her," the Hat growled, before he began to scream into her ears.

In lack of a proper response, Molly chose to just scream back in anger.

End of memory

Only three days later, when the post owls arrived on time for breakfast and one of them carried a red letter for the headmistress, did the whole school get to know what happened to her daughter.

'Can't they just leave me in peace with their Howlers, especially in front of everyone?' Molly thought, not even considering that she had been sending Howlers to her former husband on a daily basis for years.

As soon as she unfolded the parchment, her daughter's voice began to shout at her.

'Mum, just how stupid are you? How dare you cast the incendio spell at the Sorting Hat, just because Ron was stupid enough to let himself be sorted into Slytherin? The Hat is an old artefact and can't be killed. Even I know that, although I'm not even a first-year yet. Just so you know and don't worry about me, I'm now living at the MAMA together with the rest of the Weasleys. They even have classes for ten-year-olds, and I'm in a class together with Luna. Oh, well, I guess I have to say thanks for forcing me to make a good decision. Take good care of Ron, so he won't end up here, too, as he won't fit into the MAMA.'

While most of the students were snickering by now, her colleagues eyed her in apparent amusement, and Molly could not help her face heat up in anger.

"Children," she mumbled, sighing, glad that the students chose that moment to rise from their chairs in a huge ruckus.

HP

Later the same evening, when the extended family minus the new first-years was having tea in the parlour, Lily showed everyone the memory that Hogwarts had sent her.

"It's good to see Mum getting what she uses to send to everyone," Bill was the first to comment.

Ginny could not help blushing. "Thanks Dad for showing me how to send a Howler," she spoke up in a small voice.

"Ginny," Lily spoke up, gently, "how is life at the MAMA so far?"

Ginny cast her a huge smile. "I love it. It's much brighter than life at Hogwarts, and I'm glad that we have the primary school classes. It's just a bit sad that everyone returns home before dinner," she replied, brightly.

"We could attend dinner together with the first-years," Dorea spoke up. "I'm sure they won't mind."

With a flick of her wand, Lily cast a Patronus to Harry, Neville and Inu, asking them to join them in their rooms for a moment.

Ten minutes later, the trio arrived, looking at her, wide-eyed.

"Would the three of you mind Ginny and Dorea having dinner at the first-years' table together with you?" Lily asked straight away.

"Of course not…"

"… Just join us whenever you want," Harry and Neville replied, instantly, while Inu proceeded to assure Ginny and Dorea by licking their hands.

"Thanks Harry, Neville and Inu," Ginny replied, smiling at Dorea.

"My brothers are the best," Dorea replied, returning the smile.

HP

The trio just loved their classes, even if they found some classes – such as Charms or Transfiguration – too easy, because the teachers had to take in consideration that half of the class, who had not attended their primary school, consisted of beginners.

Ever since they had become Mini Unspeakables, Inu had practised using his wand – the Elder wand –, and had by now become proficient enough to manage all the transfigurations and charms that the teachers demanded of them. The only class, in which he did not participate but watch from the teacher's desk, was Potions, as Lily, Severus and Harry had decided that it would be too dangerous for him to handle ingredients let alone brew potions.

However, Inu did not mind. As long as he was allowed to be in the classroom with his familiar, he was happy, and he felt very proud to be able to practise together with the students in every other class.

Unbeknownst to everyone but Harry and Neville, Inu used the Potions classes to eagerly attempt changing his left front paw into the brown wing of an earth phoenix.

The new first-years AKA Mini Unspeakables only had time to train with the Unspeakables during the weekends. However, in contrary to the primary school, classes were interesting enough, so that the eleven-year-olds did not feel inclined to complain about the matter.

HP

It was during the third week of school that Harry wondered where Inu was. At dinnertime, the canine was not sitting under the table as usual.

"There!" Neville suddenly blurted out, pointing to the spot, where Fawkes was usually perched on one of the torches during meal times.

Fawkes was there, however, the phoenix was not alone but in the company of another phoenix. It was brown with black and white spots that immediately reminded Harry of Inu.

"He managed the Animagus transformation," Harry blurted out in amazement. "How cool is that!"

"I think that warrants for an Animagus night, don't you think so?" Susan suggested. "We could celebrate into Hermione's birthday out in the park tonight."

"That's a brilliant idea," Hermione immediately agreed.

"Yeah, it's better tonight than tomorrow night, because the adults might suspect something in the evening of her birthday but not the night before," Draco added, smirking.

"Will you please teach me how to become an Animagus?" Ginny spoke up, giving Harry a pleading look.

"Me too," Dorea added, glaring at her brothers.

"All right…"

"We can do that…"

"… on Sunday morning after breakfast…"

"… in our room," the twins replied, smirking.

"I'll take you there," Dorea promised her new friend.

"No, you won't," Daphne spoke up from opposite of Harry, glaring at them. "For seven years, we've been your classmates, and you never told us about being Animagi let alone include us in your training. You will instruct all of us in the common room, won't you?"

"All right, we will," Harry promised, grinning.

"You're very welcome to join us in our common room and attend the training," Daphne then turned to Ginny and Dorea, who nodded in apparent understanding.

Harry rolled his eyes towards Neville, mouthing, "Girls."

As soon as dinner was over, Harry and Neville made their way into their own room and called Gina to ask the house-elves to prepare everything for them for an Animagus party next to the lake, and the head house-elf promised to arrange for everything enlisting Dobby's and Teddy's assistance.

They also invited Charlie and the Weasley twins for their Animagi party, and the three older boys happily accepted the invitation.

HP

At midnight, the whole first-year class headed outside to have a party next to the lake to celebrate Hermione's birthday. The house-elves had overdone themselves and put out a table that was loaded with delicacies which were mouth-watering. Charlie, who was now a seventh-year and head boy, quickly cast a silencing charm around the whole group as well as the lake to prevent them from being heard from the house.

Only when everyone felt completely full, those who were not Animagi headed back to their dormitories, while the Animagi continued to spend the night in the park.

Harry and Inu occasionally changed between their forms, spending a while flying around the park and the manor together with Hermione, Christa and the twins, before they chose to play hide and seek with their brother in their canine forms.

They only headed inside on time to get ready for breakfast.

HP

Molly Prewitt really missed her daughter. As much as it had hurt, when her sons had turned away from her in favour of her former husband, she would never forget the day, when her daughter had left her. 'She called me stupid,' she recalled. 'I probably was stupid. I should have put my family over my loyalty to Albus, but there's nothing that I can do now to reverse things. I only have Ronald left.'

During the following weeks, she felt depressed. 'At least Albus is teaching his classes by himself again,' she thought in relief, as she had not enjoyed teaching his Transfiguration classes.

It was on a cold winter day at the beginning of December, when she received a letter that was completely unexpected.

'Headmistress Prewitt,
it has come to my attention that you need a new professor for Defence Against the Dark Arts for the next school year. Herewith, I apply for the position.

My family was a side family to the Hufflepuff family, who immigrated to Germany in the late 16th century. In my possession, I have the knitting needles of Helga Hufflepuff, which I believe should belong to Hogwarts as the centre of her work. I would also like to make the experience of working at your school for a year. I belong to the German Auror team, and my employer granted me one year of personal leave in case I worked at Hogwarts during this time.
If you agree to my employment at your school for a year, I will donate the needles to Hogwarts.

Yours sincerely
Daniel Maier'

Molly's eyes widened upon reading the letter. 'The needles of Helga Hufflepuff,' she thought in delight. 'Oh, I just have to convince Albus to hire that person.'

In her excitement, she was unable to wait for an occasion to speak with her deputy in private and read the letter to her colleagues in the staff meeting that took place after the last afternoon class.

"I'm not sure if the needles are what Mr. Maier promised, but his references and curriculum vitae look well enough to hire him for a year, especially considering how difficult it is to find an adequate Defence Against the Dark Arts professor," Albus replied, thoughtfully, causing Molly to inwardly jubilate.

'I'm going to send my children hand-made sweaters for Christmas made by the knitting needles of Helga Hufflepuff,' she thought in delight.

HP

Hogwarts silently groaned at the stupidity of her headmistress. 'How can she say something like that in front of her colleagues, including dubious people such as Quirinus Quirrell or thieves such as Mundungus Fletcher,' she thought, incredulously. 'It could be Helga's needles indeed, as I remember that girl, Clarissa, taking them with her, when she left the school and probably the country shortly later.'

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: "The stuttering professor".