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.
'Dear Arthur, Fabian's letter began,
'thank you for writing to me and offering me a deal. I will allow Molly back into the family, however, under one condition.
When Gideon died in the fight against Voldemort, I was, in fact, badly injured, and I will never be able to have any children of my own. Therefore, I ask you to allow me to make your twins my heirs. They will be able to share the position just like Gideon and I did until he died. My sister may carry the name but will never be allowed any position in House Prewitt.
This is my condition, and I as well promise House Weasley the support and friendship of the Prewitt family.
Best regards
Lord Prewitt'
'Of course, he can't display his complete name in something such as a letter,' Arthur thought in understanding, as he let the letter sink onto the table in front of him, before his mind fully comprehended the content of the message. 'The twins?' he thought with a combination of disbelief and shock.
"Arthur, is something wrong?" Minerva enquired in apparent concern.
"No, not really wrong," Arthur admitted. "It's just surprising." Knowing that they were alone with the extended family, while Lily and the trio were at Diagon Alley and Sirius had taken the other children out onto the grounds flying, he quickly explained the matter to his colleagues whom he had come to consider family.
"The twins are good boys," Severus was the first to speak up. "As much mischief as they do, they're extremely responsible in spite of their young age."
"Lily says so, too," James added.
"I believe that Fabian has made a good choice," Minerva agreed, smiling.
"Thanks for your opinions. I'll agree to Fabian's conditions then," Arthur decided, feeling very much reassured how his colleagues had spoken about the twins.
HP
While his mother apparated Percy to a side street of Diagon Alley, Harry cradled Inu close and popped after her, while Neville did the same. A few minutes later, they entered the Magical Menagerie.
"Inu, you have to keep close to my side," Harry warned his familiar. "We're not going to buy any animals for us, only for Percy."
After receiving an indignant woof, they entered the shop.
"Percy, please choose whatever you like, as long as it's not dangerous," Lily instructed Percy, who nodded and looked around, wide-eyed.
They checked out the feline section for a while – much to Inu's annoyance, which the canine voiced by growling at several of the kittens.
"I better choose an owl," Percy finally said, smirking. "Otherwise, Inu will once again chase my familiar away."
"You wouldn't, would you?" Harry spoke up, ready to defend his familiar.
=If it's family, I wouldn't chase it,= Inu replied in a firm voice. =Only if it's a criminal like that awful rat.=
Harry quickly translated, and Percy nodded in understanding. "Thanks," he said, "but I'll still decide on an owl." He pointed to a snowy white owl that was sitting on the top of an open door.
"She's beautiful," Lily agreed, smiling.
'How uninteresting,' Harry thought. 'We have enough owls at the school anyway.' However, he knew better than to voice his thoughts and quietly observed how his mother and Percy chose several items that the older boy would need for his new pet, while Inu stood on his hind paws to come as close to the owl as possible to sniff its scent.
"I'll name her Hedwig," Percy announced, when they walked through the alley towards the Leaky Cauldron to take the Floo home. He was carrying a cage containing the owl, and Inu was walking in front of them as if to clear the way for the new pet.
HP
When the new school year began, the Weasley twins became first-years – much to the chagrin of Harry, Neville and Inu, as they had thoroughly enjoyed spending time with the older twins, even if they were busy with their Unspeakable training and Fred and George with assisting Severus and Lily in the potions lab.
One day, however, Fabian addressed Harry and Neville, unexpectedly. "What do you think of the Weasley twins?" he asked, taking the two boys aside.
"They're great fun…"
"… and great friends…"
"… and brilliant in the potions lab…"
"… and at playing pranks," the twins replied, grinning.
"Do you think they'd be interested in becoming Mini Unspeakables?" Fabian enquired.
Harry and Neville shrugged, exchanging a glance.
"They're sneaky enough…"
"… and people wouldn't believe them…"
"… to be Unspeakables," they finally replied.
"Thanks boys, I'll ask them then," Fabian replied in apparent determination.
"Now with these, we have ten Mini Unspeakables, and we won't accept any more, especially not in Team 5," Arcturus growled, when Fabian, Harry and Neville informed him about the matter.
"Perhaps, the twins don't even want to join us," Fabian replied, sighing, "however, as I made them my heirs, I'm interested in their training, and from what these twins here have told me, they surely have the potential to become valuable allies."
"That's fine," Arcturus said, calmingly. "Go ahead and ask them."
As Harry had expected, the older twins were ecstatic at the idea of becoming Mini Unspeakables, even if they did not have much time for training now that they were first-years, except during the weekends and school holidays.
HP
Albus Dumbledore was sitting behind the desk, where he had already spent many decades, staring at the fireplace in expectation, when the official headmistress stepped out.
"Hello Molly," he said, gently. "How did things go with the goblins?"
Molly let out a deep sigh. "Yes, I'm Molly Prewitt again," she admitted, casting him a small smile. "However, I still don't know who the Lord Prewitt is, and I was told that he only accepted me back into the family on Arthur's pleading. The worst of all is though," she paused to wipe a few errand tears from her cheek, "that my twins, the greatest trouble makers I've ever seen, are said to be his heirs. I suppose that that was one of Arthur's conditions to finish off the family as soon as possible."
"Now now, Molly," Albus said in a soothing voice, "perhaps the twins are not so bad at all. When you last saw them, they were six…"
"Four," Molly corrected him, grimly.
"Very well," Albus continued, "they were four, and now they must be ten or eleven. Perhaps they've improved a lot. Arthur is not so irresponsible."
"But as we know from the Daily Prophet, my oldest, Bill, is the head boy at their school," Molly protested. "They should have chosen him at the very least."
"Perhaps they had their reasons," Albus reasoned. "I don't have any information, but in case one of your twin brothers was still alive…"
"They aren't," Molly interrupted him, grimly.
"Well, if one of them was, he would be the Lord and could have demanded to make the twins his heirs. That we don't know. I really can't imagine who could be the Lord Prewitt."
"Oh well, we'll see," Molly replied, sighing deeply. "At least I have a family name now, even if no family."
"What about Ronald and Ginevra?" Albus enquired. "Aren't they fine children?"
"Yes, that they are," Molly agreed, nodding her head. "I just hope that they won't follow their older siblings' lead sooner or later."
"They won't," Albus said in a soothing voice, before he admitted, "I've seen to that by casting loyalty spells at both of them, when they were still babies."
Molly's eyes widened in surprise, and she let out a sigh of apparent relief, before she thanked him profusely.
'Thank Merlin she doesn't know that I cast the same spell at all Hogwarts students, and that it doesn't make them loyal to her but to me,' he thought, once he left the office to head to the kitchen for some hot chocolate. 'I'll need to re-cast all spells though, as soon as my magic is as strong as it was before,' he recalled, glad that his magic was slowly recovering from whatever spell Sirius Black had probably cast at him.
HP
Regina felt outright happy. Just a few years ago, she had still believed to be a Squib, and now she was busily studying for her NEWTs together with the seventh-years, and she thoroughly enjoyed herself.
This morning, James Potter had taken her aside and asked if she was interested in a research position at the school, where she would work on combining muggle Biology studies with a magical background, and Regina was delighted at the idea. It was a completely new area that was not taught anywhere, and she would be able to work on it just by herself before finally teaching students. 'I can't wait,' she thought, as she recalled this morning's conversation.
Her husband was busying himself with his computer studies and had predicted that just a few years into the future, all teachers at the MAMA would be able to have their own personal computer, which would be extremely convenient for her research. Since Brian was a Squib and did not possess enough magic to actively work with it, he had enlisted Lily's assistance to efficiently get his computers to work in the magical world. Right now, Regina had more important things to do, such as studying for the NEWTs, however, she intended to consult her husband and Lily concerning personal computers and how they worked in the magical world, as soon as she had finished school.
Her children were happily growing up at the MAMA with a group of siblings and friends, and she felt that not only Christa but also Jonathan was developing well. Most importantly, both children were outright happy, and Jonathan's magic seemed to be as strong as Christa's – a fact that was very reassuring for her.
HP
The Yule Ball was traditionally opened by the head boy. This year, Bill Weasley opened the ball together with Nymphadora Tonks, who was a fifth-year and classmate of his younger brother Charlie.
All the teachers were talking about the matter and about the dream couple as they called them, and Harry and his friends were very eager to watch the Yule Ball. However, just like it had been during the last few years, only students from fifth-year onwards were allowed to participate in the ball.
"It's totally unfair," Harry and Neville told Minerva.
"As Mini Unspeakables…"
"… we work together with the adults every day…"
"… but when it comes to this…"
"… we're just small children," the twins complained, accompanied by Inu's woofing.
"I'm sorry, but only students from fifth-year onwards are allowed to participate in the Yule Ball, and it's going to remain that way," the headmistress replied in a firm voice. "I'm sorry."
The twins grudgingly left the headmistress' office to search for their friends and inform them about their unfruitful attempt to convince their granny otherwise.
"Let's go to the Unspeakables' office and ask Ra, Raros and Mento for an advice how to play a prank on the adults," Draco suggested, and the others immediately agreed.
HP
The three Unspeakables listened in apparent amusement, when the Mini Unspeakables explained their presence in the office in the morning of Christmas Eve, although they had been ordered to not come to work over Christmas.
"You want to prank all the adults?" Ra enquired.
"No…"
"… Only those of the extended family…"
"… which means Mum and Dad, Granny Minerva, Granny Augusta…"
"… Frank and Alice…"
"…Uncle Sirius, Aunt Amelia, Uncle Remus, Uncle Sirius, Aunt Narcissa…" The twins slowly trailed off, giving their friends questioning looks.
"Our dad," the older twins added.
"My mother," Christa spoke up.
"Perhaps not my parents," Hermione added, hesitantly.
"Harry, Fred and George, you're good at brewing, aren't you?" Arcturus enquired.
Everyone nodded their heads.
"Very well then," Arcturus continued, "Regulus, would you be so kind and look up let's say five or six different recipes for prank potions? We'll bring them, when we come to the MAMA for dinner, and you'll have the evening to brew them in the Potions classroom. Regulus, would you be willing to supervise the three?"
"Of course," Regulus confirmed, grinning.
"May I assist?" Christa spoke up in a small voice, giving Harry a questioning look.
"Me too?" Hermione asked.
"That would be helpful…"
"… if we have to brew five different potions," the Weasley twins replied, grinning.
"Yes please," Harry added, giving the two girls grateful smiles. 'Oh, I can't wait what the potions are going to do to them,' he thought in anticipation.
HP
The five children had much fun brewing the five different potions. Neither Arcturus nor Regulus had explained what the effects were going to be, and Harry and the twins slowly discussed possible properties during the brewing process; however, they could not be certain about the effects the potions were going to have.
When the brewing was finished and the classroom cleaned up with a few selected Unspeakable spells by Hermione and Christa, Harry called Dobby. While he was Draco's elf, he was the funniest of all the elves at the MAMA. Harry handed the phials to Dobby and asked the elf to spell them right into the adult family members' systems. Dobby jumped up and down with both feet in apparent excitement and reassured him that he would do so right away.
"Are you sure that he won't give us away…"
"… to the adults?" Fred and George asked in concern.
"He won't," Harry replied in a firm voice.
"He's been involved in other small pranks before," Christa added, smirking.
HP
At breakfast on Christmas morning, no one was able to understand Minerva, as she was speaking all the words backwards, which Harry only realised, when Sirius explained it. His godfather was, however, stuttering badly, and everyone laughed at his explanation. Lily and Alice were singing, and when James opened his mouth to speak, only bubbles escaped, leaving no space for words. Remus and Severus were barking like dogs, and apart from Inu, only Harry and Neville as canine Animagi, were able to understand them.
Neville had not managed the complete transformation yet; however, he was already able to transform his whole body apart from his head. Christa and Hermione were on the same level. Christa was a beautiful ice phoenix and Hermione a brown eagle, however, both birds still had human heads. In the meantime, Harry had admitted that he managed the transformation into his phoenix form and had taken a couple of lessons with Fawkes, who had taught him to fly and flash and walk on his unused bird feet.
"I wonder to whom we owe these pranks," Frank spoke up, causing everyone to stare at him, questioningly. Only some of the adults grinned, knowingly, before Alice explained, "That's Latin."
=There are only three among the children and students including seventh-years, who would be able to brew such potions,= Severus barked, glaring at Harry and the older twins, who – after receiving a translation from Neville – cast innocent looks back at the Potions Master.
"Wehehell donononn," Sirius commented, grinning at the three boys, while Minerva contented herself shaking her head in apparent annoyance.
Harry knew better than to translate Severus' barks, =I'm going to get my revenge once you've forgot about the matter.=
HP
By the end of the school year, all nine Mini Unspeakables were able to change into their Animagi forms. Apart from Harry's canine form, he was a water phoenix with feathers in all kinds of emerald and blue tones, Christa was an ice phoenix with completely white feathers and just a few light pink back feathers, Fred and George were wind phoenixes with green feathers with some shades of orange, Hermione was an eagle and the spitting image of her familiar, Neville looked exactly like Inu and Harry in his canine form, Draco was a niffler, similar to the niffler, which Remus kept on the ground together with the other magical creatures, and Susan was a marmalade cat.
"I'm surprised that you haven't become a toad like Wonka," Sirius teased Neville, who stared at him in surprise.
"As much as I like Wonka," he replied in a firm voice, "Inu and Harry are my twins, and it was much more important for me to become a doggy."
Harry and Inu nodded in confirmation.
"Oh well, as it's the first day of the summer holidays, let's have an Animagi night tonight," Sirius then suggested, and everyone agreed, happily.
"Oh, I wonder what we're going to do," Harry thought aloud.
"It's going to be much fun in any case," Neville added, grinning in anticipation.
#Just so you know, I've made a deal with the dog hero,# Fawkes announced, fluffing his back feathers.
"You've made a deal with Inu?" Hermione asked, incredulously. "And what might that be?" she added with apparent curiosity.
'Ah, it's convenient that we have several bird and dog Animagi, so that others can translate for once,' Harry thought, inwardly grinning at Hermione's eagerness.
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: "Animagi night".