Disclaimer: not mine. All Rowling's.
I'm really, really sorry that this chapter took so long... *sweatdrop*
Now on to the story…
xxxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxxx
OF TEDDIES AND BASILISKS
sss
Privet Drive No 4
Sometimes around Hallowe'en
Regulus and Caspet talk
"So… this is-"
"A possible location of another," Regulus agreed, looking at the map in front of him instead of his sister who was leaning over his shoulder.
"At Hogwarts?!"
Regulus shrugged.
"Well, all good things are at Hogwarts," he countered.
His sister frowned at those words, but finally nodded slowly.
"I guess… you might be right," she agreed before looking the map over again.
"Where is that?"
Regulus shrugged.
"Come-And-Go-Room, I'd say," he said. "Would at least explain the odd marking on the map."
Petunia frowned.
"So - how do you plan to get it?" She asked.
"Me?!" Regulus looked at her in terror. "I'm not setting another foot in that damn school as long as I don't have to! Find somebody else!"
For a moment, his sister looked at him with disbelief.
Then she pinched her nose.
"What did those two idiots do again that you refuse to enter Hogwarts?" she asked in the tone of voice of a long-suffering older sister.
Regulus looked away.
Petunia raised an eyebrow.
Regulus squirmed.
Petunia's gaze narrowed.
"They're basilisk hunting!" Regulus finally blurted out, not able to lie any longer.
"Basilisk hunting?" Petunia repeated, her voice deceptively calm. "Who is basilisk hunting?"
Regulus gulped.
"Er… all… three?" He confessed a bit sheepishly before adding hurriedly. "But they're all safe!"
"How?" Petunia asked her youngest brother. "How are they all safe if they're hunting a thousand year old basilisk?!"
"Er… the basilisk could be younger, you know, Caspet?"
"The stories say it's Salazar Slytherin's basilisk," Petunia countered, her hand gesturing to the nearby table that held her research on the basilisk of Hogwarts. "Unless confirmed otherwise, we simply assume those stories are true and the basilisk is really a thousand years old, do you understand?"
"Yes, Madam," Regulus said, feeling intimidated by his sister.
"Good," Petunia said. "Now, let me repeat: why do you think they're safe while hunting a thousand-year-old basilisk?!"
Regulus averted his eyes.
"They have each one of Grandfather's teddies with them," he said, not looking at Petunia. "They're safe."
For a moment, his sister looked at Regulus sharply.
"Are you sure?" She asked, in the end.
Regulus nodded.
"I ensured it," he assured her. "Don't worry."
xXx
Elsewhere:
"Harry?"
"Hmm?"
"Why is your… Teddy following you?"
Harry turned and looked at the Teddy walking behind him.
"Oh," he said. "I must have forgotten it at the dorm!"
With that, he picked it up and sat it onto his shoulder like a weird pirate's macaw.
His friends looked at each other.
"Er… aren't you a bit old for a plush-teddy?" Ron asked finally.
Harry returned the question with a frown.
"It's a ninja-teddy," he said. "Why should I be too old for a ninja-teddy? I mean, even Snape has one!"
For a moment, his friends seemed ready to object, but before they could, they reached the entrance of the Great Hall - just to look at Snape sitting on the teacher's table with a teddy on his left shoulder. His colleagues to his sides looked at him as if he'd gone mad.
The students did the same.
"See," Harry said to his friends. "I told you so! One is never too old for a ninja-teddy!"
xXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXx
Hogwarts
Shortly after Hallowe'en
Basilisk-hunt
"Where do we do our stealth training today, Uncle?" Harry asked exited while hopping along next to his Uncle Rus.
"Keep your head down and look morose," his Uncle corrected his behaviour. "Don't act like a Hufflepuff on pepper-up!"
Harry frowned at that.
"Are you saying that Hufflepuffs act differently than others when they're on pepper-up potion?" He asked confused.
"Of course they do!" his Uncle replied immediately. "Just like the Gryffindors act differently… and the Ravenclaws… even the Slytherins…"
He shuddered.
Harry on the other hand suddenly looked interested.
"How do the other houses act when on pepper-up?" he wanted to know.
His Uncle shuddered again.
"Gryffindors… they get all touchy-feeling," he said revolted. "I remember the one time I had to interact with your father while he was on the potion! At the end, I was sure I'd have to burn my robes from all the body-fluids he left on them while hugging and crying and-"
He stopped, clearly still traumatized from the experience.
"Even your Uncle Ris is harmless against a Gryffindor on pepper-up," he concluded and shuddered again.
"And Ravenclaw?" Harry asked interested.
His Uncle frowned.
"They walk around and see the light," he said. "It's definitely disturbing on another kind of level."
Harry looked at him in interest.
"See the light?"
His Uncle shrugged.
"That's what they mostly say," he agreed. "Some of them also express some sudden Lovegood-tendencies and see Nargles, others see the 'world clearly for the first time in their lives'."
"Lovegood-tendencies?" Harry asked.
"Let me arrange a meeting by chance with the newest Lovegood member in school for you," his Uncle replied. "You will know what I mean, then."
"Oh," Harry said. "Alright."
"Just know, that Ravenclaws on pepper-up act basically like muggles on drugs, nothing else needs to be said about that," his Uncle Rus conclused.
Harry nodded in understanding.
"And Slytherin?" He asked.
"Broody," was the calm reply. "And a lot of insane plans. Don't leave a Slytherin on pepper-up in charge if you don't want an attempted world-domination. Just look at the Black King, if you don't believe me."
Harry gawked at his Uncle.
"The Black King is on pepper-up?!" He asked in disbelief.
"Was on pepper-up," his Uncle corrected him. "I'm quite sure there's more wrong with him now but a high dose of pepper-up. Or, well, at least I suspect he has been on pepper-up at the start of his campaign. I can't explain his world-domination-delusions, otherwise."
"Oh," Harry said. "That makes sense."
And he bounced a bit.
"No Hufflepuff on pepper-up anymore, Harry," his Uncle reminded him. "And now let's go on. We're doing our stealth training in the dungeons near the Slytherin common room today."
Harry frowned.
"But you lived there for seven years and walked there even longer!" He objected. "Don't you think the chances to find the basilisk down there are slim to none?"
"Chances are there's something I overlooked," his Uncle countered. "We start our stealth training there today. If we don't find anything, we continue on to Hufflepuff dorm tomorrow."
"Alright," Harry agreed cheerfully before forcing himself to look morose. "Let's start!"
With that, the two of them continued on, striding through the halls. And behind them, just a step after them, two Teddies hurried along.
xXx
"Severus, can you explain why Harry Potter earned even more detention this month than he did the whole last school year?"
"He disrupted class repeatedly," Severus replied coolly. "He has earned them."
The Headmaster sighed.
"Severus…"
xXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXx
Letters between Privet Drive No 4 and Hogwarts
Sometimes around Hallowe'en
Perseus and Caspet talk
P.T.
This is your official 'Cease and Desist' Notice.
Sincerely
C.P.
x
Caspet
Cease and Desist what?
P.T.
x
P.T.
Don't play dumb. Unlike other people, you can't pull it off. NO basilisk-hunting with our nephew!
C.P.
x
Caspet
We're doing stealth training. We don't hunt basilisks.
P.T.
x
P.T.
Forget it, Caspet knows. Just own up and accept your punishment - it's better than the other way.
R.A.
x
Caspet
Alright, alright. We… might have added a few seconds of basilisk hunting to our stealth training here and there.
P.T.
x
Dear P.T.
Since you're obviously currently emulate your twin brother, I decided to ensure that you use your time a bit more wisely: You and Harry have until Christmas to find the Horcrux in the RoR. Have fun - and maybe let Ris in on your game.
Sincerely
Caspet.
xXx
Let it be said, that Caspet's distraction ran out on the first of December. After that, Ris owned a new diadem and Rus and Harry were off hunting basilisks again.
xxxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxxx
I'm sooo sorry it took so long to update this story. While I have a plot, I only work on one story at a time for a chapter... and always where my muse takes me next. Sorry. T.T
Hope you like it anyway,
Ebenbild