Everything is Relative
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.
It was quite late in the evening, when Minerva joined the extended family at Hogwarts Manor with Neko in tow, who was greeted by Lucy with a series of loud woofs.
"Lucy, leave Neko in peace," Harry scolded her, lightly.
"You're quite late. Is everything all right?" Petunia asked, giving Minerva a questioning look.
"Yes," Minerva replied, nodding. "Albus visited me, and I had the impression as if he was feeling alone on Christmas, so I kept playing Wizard's Chess and talking with him. I also asked him if he knew any Squibs apart from Mrs. Figg and Mr. Filch, and he told me that he knows two more Squibs, both males who are working in the magical world, and he promised to contact them tomorrow."
"I still can't believe that Mrs. Figg doesn't want the potion," Harry spoke up, shaking his head in disbelief. "Why would someone not want to have magic?"
"Either she or Miss Lestrange must have magic to a certain extent anyway," Petunia said, pensively, "considering how they managed to surf the Wizardnet the other day."
"Apparently, all Squibs have magic to some extent," Hermione spoke up, caressing Lucy's ears with her right hand.
"Yes, two percent or such," Susan added, nodding in agreement.
"I can't believe it either, and Albus was not able to give me a reasonable explanation either," Minerva replied, thoughtfully. "She said something about the magical world having failed her badly or such."
"I'd rather think that Regina would have to complain about that, considering that she was cast out of the family for being a Squib," Severus said, grimly.
"She seems a very pleasant person though," Minerva replied, smiling at her younger colleague. "We need to set up a lesson plan for her and Vernon and perhaps the two Squibs whom Albus promised to contact. Harry, Hermione, Susan, would you also be willing to teach them from time to time? Augusta? Petunia? Luna?"
"Of course," Petunia was the first to reply with a cheerfulness that made Harry look at his aunt in surprise. "Earlier today, I received the result from my Charms NEWT, and I received an O," she added, smiling. "Winky?"
An instant later, the elf popped up and, seemingly proudly, showed around the certificate from the Ministry of Magic, causing everyone to congratulate and hug Petunia in an ad hoc celebration.
"Very well, I suggest that Petunia teaches Miss Lestrange and Vernon in Charms," Filius Flitwick shouted in apparent enthusiasm. "I will in turn help you study for the mastery every evening after dinner."
"Accepted," Petunia replied, smiling.
"Miss Lestrange and I seem to be going to be very busy," Vernon quipped, after everyone had offered their services to teach the former Squibs including himself.
"That you will be," Minerva confirmed, smirking, only to add, "And maybe one day, we can convince you to give up your position in the muggle world to accept a job at Hogwarts as well."
"Possibly," Vernon replied, smirking. "I'm looking forward to it."
Harry stared at his uncle in surprise, knowing that he held a managing position at Grunnings and had always been proud of it.
"Harry, Dudley," Susan suddenly spoke up, grinning broadly. "Hermione and I have a surprise, too."
When the boys cast them questioning looks, they exchanged a glance and left their spots on the sofa, before they transformed into their Animagi forms. A moment later, a magical lynx and a marmalade cat roamed the parlour – under huge applause from everyone else.
"Come on, all Animagi transform," Sirius cheered, and everyone, who was an Animagus, except for Amelia, who was afraid to harm the baby by transforming, obediently changed into their Animagi forms.
=Can you understand me?= Harry questioned the lynx and the cat, and both confirmed, before they began to purr in apparent pleasure, when he began to gently lick their paws.
"Why don't you hold an Animagi night here in the Parlour? It's almost time to head to bed anyway," Amelia suggested and together with Luna, Hannah and their parents began to magically move the furniture aside and equip the room with a thick, comfortable carpet as well as dozens of cushions, which the Animagi immediately used to make themselves comfortable, cuddling into each other.
HP
"This looks like much fun," Luna spoke up, casting her friends a longing look.
"Don't worry, Luna," Amelia replied in a soft voice. "Soon, you will be able to join them, too. It only took Hermione and Susan a little more than six months to manage the transformation."
"That must be really fast though," Emma Granger spoke up. "Sirius told us that it took them the better part of three years."
"Perhaps they didn't have a bunch of good teachers at that time," Amelia quipped, glancing at Remus. "Remus, you don't have a reason for not trying to become an Animagus anymore," she pointed out, smirking.
"Yes, that's true," Remus agreed. "I've already been thinking about becoming a bear Animagus."
"Oh, that'll be an amazing form. I haven't managed the transformation either," Hannah spoke up. "We can practise together."
'No, I want to become an Animagus now!' Luna thought in desperation. 'I don't want to stand behind his other two wives.' From time to time, she was able to wish for things, although she barely used this kind of wish magic, knowing that she always felt extremely weak afterwards. However, this was a special situation, and she summoned her magic, stared at Harry and Dudley, and transformed into a Freg, causing everyone to look at her in apparent surprise. Feeling too weak to do as much as walk on unused four paws, she simply let herself sink onto the carpet and closed her eyes, sensing more from the smell than from seeing it that Harry, Hermione and Susan cuddled close to her.
=You did it,= Harry whispered into her ear. =You're brilliant.=
=Thanks Harry,= Luna whispered back, sensing that Harry had begun to gently lick her cheek. An instant later, she drifted off to a much-needed sleep.
HP
When Harry woke up on Christmas morning, he felt extremely relaxed. 'What happened that I feel so good?' he wondered, before he opened his eyes and realised that he was surrounded by a group of cats and dogs as well as several other species. 'Our Animagi night,' he recalled, as he instinctively began to clean his own fur, before he gently continued with that of his nearest companions.
He was just about to drift back to sleep, when Sirius' excited voice penetrated his mind.
=It has snowed overnight. Let's go for a stroll onto the grounds.=
Together, the whole group of Animagi, no matter which species, headed outside to the beach, accompanied by Lucy, Neko and Crookshanks. The weather in front of the entrance door of Hogwarts Manor was tropical as always; however, as soon as they left the beach and stepped through the portal onto the Hogwarts grounds, freezing air hit their fur accompanied by large snowflakes.
The Animagi and animals had much fun playing on the grounds, and Harry and the other canine Animagi even participated in a snow ball fight organised by the few students who had remained at Hogwarts over Christmas.
Only when one of them shouted, "Let's go inside. Breakfast is going to commence soon," did the Animagi spontaneously decide to follow them inside as well.
Harry instinctively growled at the caretaker, who immediately began to scold the students for bringing mud and snow into the entrance hall.
'I don't like him,' he thought, unobtrusively sniffing out the Squib's leg. 'If he had taken the second magic potion, he could simply clean everything up with an easy cleaning spell.' He refrained from voicing his opinion though and merely transformed back into his human form and cleaned up the mess with a flick of his wand, before he changed back into his Freg form and dashed away towards the connecting door in the founders' quarters, closely followed by his family and friends.
"I wished we could simply get rid of Mr. Filch," Harry groaned, as he transformed back together with everyone else.
"I believe that we can't simply let him go," Pomona spoke up, thoughtfully, "considering that it would be difficult for him to find other work as a Squib."
"Then he should have simply taken the second magic potion," Harry said, grimly.
"Oh well, I believe that we need to attend breakfast in the Great Hall," Severus addressed his colleagues, and Minerva and the three heads of the houses swiftly stepped back into the deserted hall of the hibernating castle."
HP
Christmas breakfast at Hogwarts Manor was a pleasant but quiet affair, in which the Grangers caused a huge discussion about Animagi, magical and mundane forms, and the transformation itself.
"This is going to be our last quiet Christmas I suppose," Amelia finally changed the topic.
"Because of the baby?" Petunia asked, smiling.
"The baby?" Sirius quipped. "Ah Petunia, just to let you know," he continued, "as our daughter is going to be born at the end of January, we could well mange to have a second baby before Christmas next year."
"Oh Merlin," Harry groaned, glancing at Hermione, who was sitting on his right side. "I'm afraid next year I'm going to attend breakfast on Christmas Day at Hogwarts."
"That reminds me of something," Amelia said, turning to them. "Harry and Susan, would you be willing to become our daughter's godparents?"
Harry and Susan exchanged a glance, before they both replied, affirmatively. 'That might be fun,' Harry thought, smiling.
HP
After breakfast, the extended family exchanged presents. Harry gave the book 'Elegant Solutions for Bizarre Transfigurations' to Hermione, a silk scarf that exactly matched her new dress robes to Susan and the book 'Care of Rare Magical Animals in Modern Times' to Luna.
When all three thanked him in apparent enthusiasm, he told them in a quiet voice, "I have something else for each of you, but I'd prefer to give it to you in private."
While Hermione and Susan gave him questioning looks, Luna smiled, happily.
"Shall we go out onto the beach?" she asked, wearing a dreamy expression. "Then you could conjure a small boat for just the four of us, and Lucy and Crookshanks of course, and you can pretend rescuing us and saving our lives."
"I'd love that," Susan spoke up, grinning.
"All right," Hermione agreed, laying her new book aside with a small sigh of apparent regret. "Why don't we go in our Animagi forms, so that we'd fit into a smaller boat," she added an explanation.
"No," Harry contradicted. "I'm afraid that I'll need you in your human forms."
Together, the four headed outside, only accompanied by Lucy, as Crookshanks did not show up, when Hermione called her. Once they arrived on the beach, Harry called Dredy and Dobby and asked them if they could make a small boat for all of them to fit in.
"No, we can'ts makes a boat, but we haves a boat in one of the stables behind the manor," Dredy informed him and led the friends around the manor, where they found a couple of stables. "These were used for unicorns, but we don't have any in this time," Dredy explained, before they could ask about them. "And this is the one, where the boat stays overnight. Dredy is sorry. Dredy forgots to tells Master and family about the stables."
"No problem, Dredy," Harry replied in a soft voice, before he added, slightly feeling impatient, "How can we get the boat onto the beach though? Can we simply levitate it with a spell?"
The elves shook their heads. "No, Harry, Dredy and Dobby wills takes the boat to the water," Dobby beat Dredy to a response, and with a snip of his finger, Dobby, Dredy and the boat were gone.
"Funny elves," Luna spoke up, smiling happily, as they made their way back to the beach.
"A boat trip on Christmas Day. That's a first," Hermione stated.
"Yeah, that's cool. Come on, let's get into the boat," Susan added in apparent enthusiasm.
'Girls,' Harry thought in annoyance at the girl's apparent excitement. 'I simply wanted to give them the rings and not necessarily together with the whole family,' he thought, immediately complying, when the elves ushered him onto the boat behind the three girls and Lucy.
"Eh, Harry, do you have any idea how this boat works?" Hermione enquired, once they slowly drifted around in the shallow water.
"Just thinks where you wants to go and calls Dobby, when you wishes to return to the shore, and Dobby will make the boat come back. Do not go too far, or it will be very cold," Dobby instructed him, before the elves whished them much fun and took their leave.
Fun they had – at least the girls. The small boat was equipped with a few seats and a couple of small tables. There was also a staircase leading to the upper deck, which was equipped with everything needed to usually operate a boat. 'Thank Merlin I don't have to do that and can concentrate on the task ahead,' Harry thought in relief, as he placed a yellow box in front of Susan onto a small table, followed by a blue box for Luna and a red box in front of Hermione.
'I hate such things,' he thought, when they girls explored their specific rings with a combination of apparent enthusiasm and excitement.
"I have the matching ring," Harry explained, as he pulled another green box out of his robe pocket. "If you're wearing the rings, we can, for example, communicate through the ring – just like by telepathy."
"All four of us together?" Susan enquired. "Or just one of us with you?"
Harry stared at the girl, taken aback. 'Oh Merlin, how do I answer such a question?' he thought, before he replied, "I don't have a clue."
"Let's just try it out," Hermione suggested in obvious eagerness. "I'll try to think to all three of you."
'This might be my favourite Christmas of all times,' she thought through the rings just an instant later.
Before Harry could ponder the message, however, Luna spoke up. "Got it, and yes, I agree."
"Me too," Susan added, sounding excited.
"Me too," Harry echoed, smiling.
Harry inwardly groaned at the girls, who made a huge ruckus about the rings, comparing each of the designs to each other, trying out each of the charms the rings were equipped with. 'Oh well, thank Merlin they refrained from asking me to cast Unforgivable spells at them to see if the rings properly protect them,' he thought, when the ladies were finally ready to return to the shore after hugging and kissing him one after another.
"Could we perhaps," Susan spoke up, right before they reached the shore, "spend the afternoon together, just the four of us? And Lucy of course, sorry," she added, when the canine laid her head onto her knee giving her a beseeching look. "Or did you rather want to spend time with your parents?" she asked as an afterthought, giving Hermione and Luna questioning looks.
"No, that's fine," Hermione replied, immediately. "I'd love to get to know Luna some more, as we still barely know each other."
Everyone agreed, and the teenagers decided to go for a snow walk to Hogsmeade. "If it's too cold, we can always return home and spend some time on the beach," Susan quipped in apparent happiness, and the others agreed, immediately.
HP
Only after dinner, Minerva, Pomona, Severus and Filius returned from Hogwarts and joined the extended family in the parlour of Hogwarts Manor.
"This afternoon, Neko told me that the Felina Majora, you know the person who put her under the Imperius spell and tried to make her spy on Petunia and her family, was at Hogwarts this morning," Minerva informed them, causing Sirius to give her a sharp look.
"Does Severus need to cast Legilimency at Neko again?" the Marauder enquired in a sharp voice.
"I already did," Severus spoke up. "I cast several other spells in addition, just to be sure, and no, the Felina Majora did nothing to her this time."
"Why did she come to Hogwarts at all, and where did Neko meet her?" Petunia asked in apparent concern.
"According to Neko, she visited Mrs. Norris and Mr. Filch," Minerva explained, sighing. "Too bad that I only heard about it, when Neko returned to my rooms. Otherwise, I'd have transformed and unobtrusively gone to meet her."
"Are you sure that Neko is not spying on you, us or anyone else?" Petunia enquired, seeming suspicious.
"We're absolutely certain," Severus replied, reassuringly.
"Why would anyone visit Filch?" Harry asked in disbelief, as he thought of the unkempt and unfriendly caretaker.
"I suppose that it's because he loves cats," Minerva replied, shrugging. "According to Neko and considering her name, she must be a great cat lover as well."
=I don't like him, because he smells a bit cat, just like Minerva does,= Lucy voiced her opinion, and Harry quickly translated, shaking his head at his familiar, who rarely ever spoke, when everyone was assembled.
"Minerva probably smells a bit like a cat, because she has been a cat Animagus for decades," Harry explained. "Mr. Filch can't be an Animagus though, because he's a Squib. Perhaps he smells, because he has a cat familiar, Mrs. Norris?"
=I don't know,= Lucy replied, seemingly unsure.
"So you don't like me, because I smell like a cat?" Minerva addressed the canine, smirking.
=Nooo,= Lucy whined. =I still like you a lot.= That said, she quickly crossed the room and stood in front of Minerva, putting both front paws onto her lap to gently lick her face. =You're much nicer than the caretaker,= she added in a firm voice, before she jumped onto the sofa between Susan and Hermione, letting out a deep yawn. =I don't mind both of you being felines either,= she uttered, as she made herself comfortable to take a nap with her head on Hermione's lap and her behind on Susan's.
Harry simply translated, smirking. 'Some people are really strange,' he thought, sighing. "I still can't believe how someone can reject the second magic potion."
Only when Sirius spoke up, did he realise that he had voiced his thoughts. "There are only two explanations, why someone would reject that potion." Seeing everyone stare at him with apparent interest, he added, "One would be that they detest the magical world, and one would be that they're magical in the first place."
Remus let out a deep sigh. "Sirius, you know as well as I do that neither Arabella Figg nor Argus Filch have magic, and if they detested the magical world so much, why does Filch work within it, and why would Arabella belong to Albus' chicken order and was willing to watch over Harry for years?"
"Remus," Minerva lightly scolded the Marauder, before she nodded her agreement.
"Still, it's strange," Harry insisted, smirking.
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. My muse really appreicates the feedback.
Next chapter: "Failure".