Disclaimer: I do not own Harry Potter or any of the characters.

A/N: Thanks to MaeSilverpaws1, who is beta-ing this story.

Chapter Sixty-Five

Nicknames

"Harry, are you sure you want to do this today?" Hermione asked as she held a vial with a potion in it. They were in the Room of Requirement and were about to test the potion that she had made that would make the Animagus transformation easier.

"Of course, why would I want to wait?" Harry asked back.

"I don't know …" Hermione avoided his eyes.

"This doesn't have to do with yesterday's game, does it?" Harry questioned.

"It might," Hermione admitted. "I know you hate losing …"

"Especially when bloody Dementors interfered with the game," Ron grumbled, he wasn't about to get over that anytime soon.

"I can't do anything about losing the game," Harry said exasperated. "I can't do anything about the fact that my broom broke and now it wanders to the left on its own whenever I fly it," they had gone flying earlier that day so he could test the damage to his broom. It did wander to the left, but otherwise it was just as good as it was before. Still, he felt bad whenever he thought about the broom and how it was before this.

"Then we should wait a few more days," Hermione said. "The book said that you have to have full concentration on the transformation or the potion won't work and could cause side effects."

"I'm doing this today, Hermione," Harry said determinately and held up a hand to stop the argument he was sure she was about to make. "I have to do something to get my mind off the game and I really don't want to work on the Patronus Charm with Moony right now … I just don't want to think about that. So let me work on this, I want to get this transformation done as soon as possible."

"Okay, Bolt, do everything as quickly as you can as always," Ron chuckled.

"Bolt?" Harry questioned.

"It's for the lightning bolt scar on your head," Ron shrugged, "and like I said, you like to do everything at a quick pace … isn't bolt another word for running?"

"Yeah, I think so," Harry said. "Are you saying that should be my nickname?"

"Why not?" Ron shrugged.

"I don't know," Harry said slowly, "I think we should put it to a vote or something."

"Sounds fine by me," Ron shrugged and then he smiled, "I was thinking that I could be called King!"

"King?" both his friends replied with snort.

"You don't like it," Ron pouted. "But the lion is the king of the forest … I thought it fit."

"King might fit for a lion, but not for you," Hermione said.

"And what's that supposed to mean?" Ron huffed this time, glaring at her.

"It's … I just don't think it's the right name for you," Hermione said.

"Because you don't think I'm good enough to be a king," Ron grumbled.

"First of all, there is no royalty in the wizarding world, so it's not like anyone could be king," Hermione rolled her eyes. "And second, I would appreciate it if you don't put words in my mouth, Ronald."

"Oh, it was what you were thinking and you know it," Ron huffed.

"I do not …" Hermione started to say.

"Will you two stop," Harry huffed, annoyed at his friends arguing yet again this year. They seemed to do nothing but argue and usually it was something ridiculous like it was right now.

Ron and Hermione glared at each other for another few seconds before Ron sat down again, he hadn't realized when he stood, but knew it was sometime during his argument. He knew it was stupid to keep arguing with Hermione like he had been, but he couldn't help himself. He liked to argue with her. He liked the way she looked when she was angry! What was the matter with him?

"So why don't you like the name, King?" Ron asked Harry.

"I was just thinking about what the twins would have to say when they heard that," Harry chuckled as Ron made a face.

"Okay, so maybe I'll pick another name," Ron sighed. "I just can't seem to think of anything."

"It might be easy to have someone else think of a name for you," Harry suggested. "I haven't been able to think of anything either, but Bolt is starting to grow on me."

"Do you have any suggestions?" Ron asked.

Harry didn't say anything as he looked thoughtfully for a few minutes. "How about … Redmane?"

"Redmane?" Ron questioned, not looking too pleased.

"Yeah, red because of your hair … not to mention lions could have red hair too … and they have manes," Harry said.

"You don't think people will think that everyone's talking about my own hair," Ron said making a face, "that it would be viewed as a mane."

"I didn't think of that," Harry sniggered.

"How about Redpaw?" Hermione suggested, "I like your nickname having red in it, it suits your temperament … seeing as you're always so quick to anger."

"Argh!" Ron groaned, "Why did you have to say that … I liked the name, before you said that."

"I was just teasing you," Hermione smiled, "and if you like the name, why should anything I say matter?"

"Okay, Bushhead," Ron smirked at her as Hermione eyes flashed with anger.

"That is not my name!" she huffed. "And don't think it's the first time I heard it either."

"Sorry," Ron sighed. "But we do have to think of a name for you."

"I haven't been able to think of name for myself either," Hermione admitted.

"How about Ghost?" Ron suggested and when Hermione looked at him he quickly add, "I always think of a ghost when I see barrel owls."

Hermione bit her lip and looked thoughtful before she shook her head. "You might have a point, but I don't really want to be a ghost."

"I didn't say you would be a ghost," Ron rolled his eyes.

"But that's what I would be called by all my friends," Hermione said still shaking her head.

"I thought Athena would be a good name from you," Harry suggested before his friends could argue … again. "You know, the Greek Goddess of Wisdom … isn't her symbol supposed to be an owl."

"Yes it is," Hermione smiled, that did sound like a good name for her.

"I would have suggested the Roman Wisdom Goddess, but seeing as her name there is Minerva, I didn't think it would work," Harry added chuckling.

"Why not, Hermione is a "Minnie" McGonagall in the making?" Ron laughed.

"Athena is a good name," Hermione said, ignoring her laughing friends. "But isn't it a bit different kind of nickname than the Marauders? I mean, it's actually a name."

"So," Harry shrugged, "we might be doing a lot of the same things as them but we're our own group and we can do thing the way we want to."

"We really need to come up with a name for ourselves," Ron muttered. "So we really can be our own group."

"We're going to have to have a meeting with everyone it seems," Harry sighed. "Maybe we should call everyone here now to get this settled."

"I thought you wanted to try the potion?" Ron questioned and Hermione glared at him, she had liked the change of subject, since as much as Harry had tried to argue, she wasn't convince he would be able to concentrate as much as he needed to.

"This is just as important … and I don't want to be reckless," Harry said, adding the last bit for Hermione's sake.

"Too late for that," Hermione smiled at him, but took out her map and started writing in it, asking if the others had free time now. It took a little more than an hour to get everyone in the room. Once Harry explained that they were going to be picking names for everyone and for the group as a whole today, a big discussion labored on. They had decided that the person that was being named had to agree to the name first and then if there was a list of names to chose from, it would be put to a vote. Then they agreed that the vote had to be five out of the eight people before the name was official.

Harry had told everyone that he was considering Bolt as a name but he was still open for other suggestion. After ten minutes of insulting names, mostly from the twins, they started to think of real options. The only other one that he was willing to consider was Fleetfoot. Seeing as Harry had liked both the names he decided he would put it to a vote, but that would wait until the end of the meeting. He had a feeling he wasn't the only one that would cause a vote.

Ron told everyone his nickname would be Redpaw. Fred tried to point out that he had to get enough votes for that to be used as his nickname, but Ron just smirked at him. He asked Neville and Luna to vote with him, and when they said they would, he had the five necessary votes, leaving his siblings vote moot.

Hermione went next, telling them about wanting to be called Athena, but like Harry, she would listen to other suggestions. She liked Luna's suggestion of Nightwing.

Neville liked the idea of being called Taz, as Harry and Hermione had suggested, but he didn't mind when the twins said he should be called Bigmouth. Hermione had explained that Tasmanian Devils could open their mouth wider than most creatures. The twins seemed to think it was funny to call Neville, who was usually quiet, Bigmouth.

The twins insisted that their names relate to each other, it was just the way they liked to do things. They liked the suggestion of being Mischief and Mayhem, Fred being Mischief and George being Mayhem. As well as Heckle and Jeckle, in the same order as before.

Luna had no suggestion to make, and liked whatever anyone suggested, seeming the same amount as anything else that was suggested, so it took longer to pick her name. In the end they narrowed it down to Brighteyes and Dreamwalker.

Ginny was another one that was difficult to decide a good name for. Her brother thought it was a good idea to start using insults again and she ended up trying to hex them. This only got worse when Harry suggested that maybe she should be called Wildfire for her temper (though it didn't necessarily fit her cat form) and she glared at him. He mumbled something about actually liking the name and Ginny hated the blush that colored her cheeks as she allowed the name to be put to the vote after a long discussion, along with Nipper. Hermione suggested that because a nip was what you call a glass of Gin, and because cats liked nipping at things when they were annoyed. Ginny wasn't so pleased that both her names seemed to be half about teasing her, but she had to admit she liked the sounds of both names once she got use to them.

After this, they had tried to think up names for the group, which seemed to be a lot harder to pick, because it was more necessary to appease everyone. Ron had suggested that they be called the Devious Animagi and call themselves the DA in public but Hermione said it probably wasn't a good idea that they say Animagi, even if it wasn't in public. It would be on their map, and Sirius or Remus might see that before they knew that they were trying to be Animagi. Ginny suggested that they be called Devious Antic and enough people liked that to put it to the votes. Luna suggested that they be call Infinity's Light, and several people liked the sound of that. Hermione especially liked this because there were eight people in their group and the number eight put on its side was the symbol for Infinity. There seemed to be a certain cemetery to that.

By the time they got their names ready to be put to vote on, it was time for dinner. Having spent all day in the room they decided to enjoy the meal and make the final decision when they got back.

A/N: Okay, so I thought I was going to let Harry try the potion in this chapter but then they started talking about nicknames and I decide that I had enough. It was time to pick their official nicknames and be done with it. I'm going to be putting up a pull on this site giving you all the choices, but if you would like to write in and give me knew suggestions I will add them … and make them discuss the change in two chapters. I would like to say that the next chapter will not have any Harry in it, because I want to give everyone time to vote and me time to write a decent chapter. I was thinking that it would be another chapter with Sirius or Remus … or maybe even the rat and how he had escaped Azkaban.

Just as a reminder of the names it is.

Harry: Bolt or Fleetfoot

Hermione: Athena (thanks to BookLuvrr, ravenkate, and Obessivebookworm14 who all suggested the name) or Nightwing.

Ron: Redpaw, there is no decision for that one.

Neville: Taz or Bigmouth (thanks to Zequist who suggested this).

Fred: Mischief or Heckle

George: Mayhem or Jeckle

Luna: Brighteyes (thanks to Zequist who suggested this) and Dreamwalker.

Ginny: Wildfire (which is what Sirius had called her at the very end of Reading the Death Hallows) and Nipper (thanks to Zequist who suggested this).

Group: Devious Animagi (thanks to Bozz ns who suggested this) or Devious Antics or Infinity's Light (thanks to HPFanFicLuvr for suggesting the Infinity part, and giving the explanation and thanks to Zequist who suggested the light part).