Avian Anarchy
by Teddylonglong
All recognizable characters belong to J. K. Rowling or Disney, 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, magically powerful Harry. Dumbledore/Weasley bashing.
During dinner, Harry received a response from Professor McGonagall.
'Dear Harry, first of all, I wish you a very happy eleventh birthday! I hope you are having a wonderful day.
Thank you very much for your letter. I am surprised that you did not receive your Hogwarts letter; according to our house-elves, it has been sent out two hundred fifty-eight times, because you seemed unable to receive it. Attached, please find the letter as well as the shopping list for our first-years.
Usually, students are allowed to bring one pet; however, in your case, I will make an exception, especially if they are, as you stated, your familiars. You may bring both your phoenix and your dog, provided that he is behaved and house-trained. If you have any further questions, please do not hesitate to contact me. I am looking forward to meeting you on September 1.
Best regards
Minerva McGonagall
Deputy headmistress, Hogwarts'
"Professor McGonagall sounds nice. Thank God I may bring both of you, Hedwig and Paws." Harry cast his familiars a look of pure relief.
#When I was still alive, she was your surrogate Granny. It was only Dumbledore's fault that she wasn't able to keep in contact with you.#
"It's all right." Harry gently caressed Hedwig's head feathers to soothe her anger towards the old headmaster.
"Dumbledore will receive a trial in front of the Wizengamot as will Sirius Black," Santa said, before he motioned Harry and Hedwig to follow him and Claire out onto the grounds.
Closely followed by Paws, Harry stepped through the side door behind Claire and Santa. For an instant, he wondered why no one bothered to pull on their warm robes and shoes. His eyes widened upon realising that the door seemed to be charmed to provide the appropriate attire for them. Just when he stepped through the door, his shoes changed into warm boots, and his usual robes were replaced by warm winter robes. He sighed contentedly, as he snuggled into the comfortable fabric. 'I just love magic,' he thought, feeling very happy.
Just behind Santa's Workshop, there was an enormous fir tree. It was completely white and larger than any tree that Harry had ever seen before.
"This is the North Fir tree. There is only one of its kind in the whole world," Santa said, wearing an expression of apparent amusement at Harry's look of pure amazement.
White fir cones were hanging down from the branches, and Harry realised that even they were extremely large.
"These cones possess the magic of the North Pole, and they are more powerful than any other magic."
"North Fir cones." Harry gave Santa a thoughtful look. "They were one of the ingredients for my wand."
It was more a statement than a question, however, Santa nodded, smiling. "That's what makes your wand more powerful than any other wand." He then motioned Hedwig to leave Harry's shoulder and sit on a perch right in front of the tree.
When the bird complied, Santa pointed his hand at one of the fir cones, which came off the tree and made its way to the avian, only to be completely consumed by the bird's body.
Together with Santa, Claire and Paws, Harry observed Hedwig in excitement. At first, nothing happened, and Harry was slowly beginning to feel disappointed, when the owl suddenly changed into a different form of bird. Her feathers were still completely white, and her eyes had remained emerald green. Only her body structure had changed, and she looked much more impressive.
"A beautiful phoenix," Claire said, smiling at the bird.
Harry hesitantly stepped over to his familiar. "Are you still Hedwig?" he asked and carefully began to caress the phoenix' crown feathers. "You're even more beautiful as a phoenix." 'She is amazing,' he thought, as he observed his familiar fluff her feathers.
#Yes, I am still Hedwig. Thank you so very much, Santa. This form feels much more adequate than that of an owl.#
"You're welcome. Now, you'll need some time practising to flash, before you'll be able to take Harry and Paws with you."
#Oh believe me, I will.#
Harry could not help chuckling at the phoenix' expression of pure determination.
'A phoenix must be very special,' he thought. 'I've never seen one before. They only appeared in some of the stories that we read in primary school. What in the world is flashing though?' he wondered, however, knew better than to ask.
HP
"Harry."
Harry cast Santa a questioning look. It was the morning after his birthday, and he was sitting at the breakfast table together with Santa and Claire. Paws was standing next to Harry with his front paws up on his lap to beg for some of his breakfast that seemed appealing to the puppy. At the same time, Hedwig busied herself practising to flash from the back of an empty chair to a perch that the elves had set up for her in a corner.
"You know that you're splashing small bits and pieces of ice every time you flash?" Claire addressed her in apparent disapproval.
#Sorry.# Hedwig returned to Harry's shoulder, rubbing her head against his neck.
"Harry," Santa said, letting out a deep sigh. "I did not want to spoil your birthday yesterday, but I need to take you to the North Fir Tree once more."
Harry nodded in understanding, giving his guardian a questioning look.
"The other day, we told you how Voldemort attacked your parents and you and how you received your scar, when the killing curse rebounded to him."
"Yes."
Santa let out a deep sigh, before he continued. "We believe that at the time, a small part of his soul might have attached itself to your scar. Therefore, I would like to use the magic of one of the North Fir Tree cones to get rid of it." Sighing again, he continued, "I don't know if this will have any effect on you. Claire and I conferred with your mother as well as with Alicia, the former Helga Hufflepuff, and Merlin, and we all agreed that the pros will outnumber the cons by far, provided that you agree."
"I agree." Harry decided to take some time speaking with Merlin, before he had to leave for Hogwarts. 'Too bad that I'm not able to communicate with Helga Hufflepuff. She could surely tell me some interesting things about Hogwarts.'
Accompanied by his familiars, he followed Santa and Claire out to the North Fir Tree. Santa conjured a most comfortable chair for him and motioned him to take a seat. Sitting in the red plush chair in the middle of the snowy landscape, Harry had to chuckle at the situation, even knowing that he had no idea what was going to happen to him the next instant.
'I trust Santa, and when he discussed this with Mum, Merlin and Alicia beforehand, I'll be all right,' he thought, just when he noticed the white fir cone approach him. An instant later, the world around him vanished from the sight.
HP
By the time Harry's mind returned to awareness, he was lying in his own bed with Paws stretched out against his stomach and Hedwig sitting on her perch trilling a soothing melody.
Harry noticed with a combination of surprise and delight that he felt better than he had felt ever before.
#Good morning, sleepyhead. How are you feeling?#
"Really good." Harry's voice was laced with surprise.
#Apparently, there was a piece of Voldemort's soul attached to your scar. Thank Merlin for the cones of the North Fir Tree. Neither Santa nor Merlin nor Alicia had any idea how to take it out otherwise.#
"It's so strange." Harry gave his mother a pensive look. "Santa is alive now, and Merlin lived ages ago. How can they be brothers?"
#Santa has been alive for almost one thousand years. It's the magic of the North Pole that keeps him young, just like with the puppies. Some of them, like, for example, Alicia, have lived here for a millennium, but they're still puppies. They receive cones of the North Fir Tree to remain young and alive every now and then. Probably once a decade or so, but I'm not sure.#
"Cool." Harry scrambled out of bed, when his eyes fell onto his broom that was standing in a corner of his room. "Can we go flying?"
#Why not? Thank Merlin that everlasting snow has stopped, and it's sunny outside.#
"You're a snow phoenix, but you don't like snow?" Harry quirked an eyebrow at his familiar.
#I am an ice phoenix, but still, I like how the snow twinkles in the sunshine,# Hedwig replied, fluffing her feathers.
Paws was the first to be ready. Suddenly wide awake, he jumped down from the bed, stretched himself and dashed towards the door, where he impatiently waited for Harry to cross the room with Hedwig on his shoulder and his broom in his hand.
#Someone seems to be eager to get out for a wee-wee.#
Harry looked at the puppy in concern. However, the canine let out a small growl. =Flying is the best,= he barked, as he happily ran ahead, only to be pulled into a mock war by his fellow puppies, as soon as he arrived on the grounds.
"I wouldn't call that flying," Harry whispered to the phoenix, who let out a trill of what seemed to be amusement.
He took into the air and flew over the icy grounds with the phoenix soaring beside him, when all of a sudden, loud barking from the ground penetrated his ears.
=Take me with you. I want to go flying, too.=
Hearing Paws whine, Harry quickly descended to the ground and gently lifted the puppy up to sit in front of him. Together, they took back into the air and thoroughly enjoyed themselves until Claire came to call them down for lunch.
HP
"Merlin has told me that Sirius and Professor Dumbledore are going to have their trials tomorrow," Santa informed them.
Harry looked up with interest. Just outside of his own room was a big screen, on which they could watch any place in the world. Merlin's portrait was hanging opposite of the screen, so that Santa often asked his brother to observe certain events for him.
#I can't believe that no one thought it was important for Harry to know.#
"Where you are wrong," Claire said, as she handed Harry a letter from Gringotts. "I suppose that the goblins sent the letter because of the impending trials. It's not their fault that the ministry decided on the dates on such a short notice."
"Excuse me, but are owls able to approach us here on the North Pole?" Harry gave Santa a questioning look.
"No, they can't. Patty, the post elf, travels to the owl office at Hogsmeade at least five times a day. She also does the same for all the other countries. Well, to some places, she goes more frequently, to others only once a day or even once a week. When you wrote to Professor McGonagall, she even took it right to Hogwarts."
"Oh all right," Harry said, as he reached out for the letter and engrossed himself in his reading.
'Harry Potter,
may your gold always continue to flow. This is Buckbean, your account manager at Gringotts. I trust that you remember me. I wish to inform you about two upcoming trials. The one for your godfather, Sirius Black, is scheduled to commence at 10 o'clock tomorrow morning. As the ministry is famous for changing times on short notices to exclude certain witnesses, I believe that it would be fortunate if you arrived at 7 o'clock if possible. Now, the trial against Albus Dumbledore is scheduled for two o'clock tomorrow afternoon. It might commence directly after Sirius Black's trial.
Since neither an eleven-year-old nor an owl are likely to be taken seriously in front of the Wizengamot, I strongly suggest that you speak with Andromeda Tonks. She knows about your situation and is willing to represent you tomorrow. As she is unable to visit you at your home, she asks that you visit her this afternoon if anyhow possible. She will be waiting for you.
Good luck tomorrow. Will your enemies cower at your strength.'
#Yes. Let's go and speak with Andromeda. She's a good person.#
"Holly!" Santa called out.
An instant later, Harry's favourite elf popped up in front of them, giving Santa a questioning look.
"Holly, please prepare a sleigh and take Harry and Hedwig to Mrs. Andromeda Tonks. Wait for them at her place, however, remain invisible at all times."
"Of course, Santa. The sleigh will be ready in two minutes."
As soon as Hedwig settled on his shoulder, Harry hurried after the elf, closely followed by Paws.
=I'm going with you.=
"Of course, Paws. I wouldn't go anywhere without you and Hedwig."
The puppy quickly licked his hand, just before he dashed away to get to the reindeer. He jumped up at each of the reindeer to greet them, before he followed Harry onto the sleigh and lay down on the bench next to him.
HP
Harry thoroughly enjoyed the travel. The reindeer had once taken him for a short ride; however, it was the first time for him to travel away from the North Pole. Just ten minutes later, they landed on the ground in what seemed to be a normal muggle neighbourhood, even if it did not seem as boring as the area, where he had grown up.
"Paws, you really must behave yourself. Don't pee where you're not supposed to pee." He gave the puppy a stern look, only to have his hand licked again in silent promise.
"Thank you so much, Holly, we'll be back as soon as possible."
"You're welcome, Harry, and please take your time. Holly will be fine."
Just when he mentally readied himself for the visit with an unknown witch, a warm, female voice addressed him from behind.
"Harry, I am very happy to meet you." Harry turned around to see a tall witch with a broad smile stand in the doorframe. "Please come in."
"Hello Mrs. Tonks. Thank you so much for taking time for me."
"Ah, please just call me Andromeda. I'm your godfather Sirius' cousin."
Following the witch inside, Harry looked around with interest, when an older girl appeared from upstairs.
"This is Nymphadora, my daughter. She has just finished Hogwarts and will commence her Auror's training next month."
Harry stared at the young witch in amazement. 'An Auror, that's too cool,' he thought.
"Just call me Tonks. I greatly dislike that name." The girl changed her neon green hair to pink, as she spoke, causing Harry's eyes to widen in surprise at her ability. He nodded in surprise, when Tonks informed him that she was a Metamorphmagus, only to let out a gasp, when she changed into an exact copy of himself.
"Hi Tonks, I'm Harry," he said, once the girl had returned to her own form, albeit with purple hair. Pointing to his familiars, he introduced them as Hedwig and Paws.
"Buckbean informed me that Hedwig was your mother in her former life?" Andromeda cast them a questioning look.
"Yes," Harry said. "That's why I know at least some things about the magical world. Before that, I grew up with my muggle relatives, who did not tell me anything about it."
During the following hour, Andromeda first discussed the matter with Sirius with Hedwig, having Harry translate the phoenix' trills. Afterwards, they spoke about everything that Professor Dumbledore had done to Harry.
"Dumbledore should at least lose his position as the headmaster of Hogwarts, if not the position as the head of the Wizengamot as well. If we accuse him of attempted line theft though, we should extend the trial to Molly Weasley." Andromeda's expression was grim.
Seeing his mother nod, Harry agreed, wondering what was going to happen during the upcoming trials.
tbc...
Thank you so much for the many kind reviews for the previous chapter! Please let me know what you expect from this story. As to the pairings - thank you so much for telling me your opinions. At this point, I have only decided to not pair Harry with Ginny (of course not) and probably not with Hermione either. It will not be a polygamy story either. At the moment, I am considering Tonks, Daphne or Astoria, but you can still convince me otherwise :P
Next chapter: "Trials".