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.
In the morning, Harry and Sirius boarded a sleigh together with Holly, Hedwig and Paws, shouting "Ho, ho, ho!" in pure joy, as they travelled to London.
Harry noticed that the elf shook his head at their antics; however, Holly did not complain, and he realised that the sleigh was probably under a silencing charm, just as it was spelled to be invisible to everyone but them.
Harry and his familiars patiently waited on the sleigh, when Sirius went to fetch the twins.
'I can understand that my parents made him my godfather,' he thought. 'He is outright nice and funny in spite of the fact that he spent ten years in prison, innocently at that.'
"I have made the sleigh visible to the twins and their family," Holly said, and Harry watched in amusement, when Sirius came out of the house followed by two identically looking boys as well as Arthur and another boy. The twins looked at the sleigh in apparent delight, wearing broad smiles, while the other boy's expression remained blank.
Harry quickly descended from the sleigh after Holly to greet them, and hearing that Arthur and Percy were headed to the Ministry of Magic, Holly offered them a ride.
"I'd like that." Percy gave the elf a look of pure appreciation.
"Yay, Percy, come on..."
"… please Dad…"
"… Let's ride that thing together…"
Mr. Weasley agreed, and everyone boarded the sleigh in apparent amazement.
"So, Percy, you're working with Amelia Bones during the rest of the holidays?" Sirius asked, giving the oldest boy a sharp look.
"Yes sir. I am very much looking forward to it, and it's really kind of her to give me a job. It means a lot to me that I can still attend Hogwarts. I just hope that I'll be able to meet her expectations."
"You will," Sirius said. "The fact that you're wondering if you will be able to please her alone already makes you a valuable assistant. Don't worry; just enjoy the rest of your holidays, just like your brothers will do."
Holly turned around to face them. "Mr. Weasley, Percy, we will shortly reach our private parking spot behind the Leaky Cauldron. Will that be adequate for you to get to the Ministry of Magic?"
"That's wonderful. Thank you, Holly." Mr. Weasley cast the elf a broad smile.
'Mr. Weasley is very polite in contrary to his wife,' Harry thought, although he had only met her during the trial on the previous day.
"Fred and George, please behave yourselves," Arthur said to the twins, before he profusely thanked Holly and Sirius and got off the sleigh together with Percy, after Sirius had reassured him that the twins would safely return home in the evening.
"Ho, ho, ho!" Sirius shouted, as they went back into the air, closely followed by a triple "ho, ho, ho! "
"Is it Christmas yet…"
"… on the North Pole?"
"Is it cold by the way…"
"… should we have brought our winter clothes?"
"Your clothes will automatically adjust to the surrounding temperature when you get off the sleigh," Harry informed them.
He immediately agreed with his godfather about the twins. They were outright funny, but very friendly. He introduced them to Santa and Claire, and Santa suggested that Harry should show them around his Workshop and make them help him cook lunch for all of them.
Harry nodded in agreement. He had already spoken with the elves, told them about his agreement to teach the twins cooking and asked them to merely provide the ingredients but allow them to prepare lunch every day during the rest of the holidays.
Harry introduced the twins to the puppies, only to realise that a black dog was among the white canines.
"Is that a grim?"
"Didn't you tell us that all the puppies were white…"
"… on the North Pole?"
"What's a grim?" Harry cast the twins a questioning look, noticing that the boys seemed strangely uncomfortable at the question.
"The death dog," Fred said.
Harry shook his head. "No, that's neither a grim nor a puppy. That's Padfoot in his Animagus form." He quickly brought his arms in front of his face, when Padfoot began to scratch in the snow and stir up snow in his direction. "Stop that." He could not help laughing at his godfather's antics, before he became distracted by the twins' words.
"Mr. Padfoot…"
"… Will you please teach us…"
"… how to become Animagi?"
Harry's eyes widened in excitement. "Me too. I'd love to become an Animagus as well. Please, Sirius."
The black dog fiercely nodded his head, before he buried them all under a huge pile of snow.
"Let's go inside. What kind of animals do you wish to become?"
The twins exchanged a glance, before they shrugged.
"Such a puppy…"
"… would be nice."
"Yeah, I think so, too." 'I wonder if Mum would mind if I became a dog and not a phoenix,' Harry thought, when he led the twins back inside. However, before he could relay the idea to Hedwig, he became distracted, when Holly appeared in front of them.
"The elves have prepared a corner of the potions lab for you to use. Do you want Holly to show you?"
"Yes please."
The elf chuckled in apparent amusement at their eager triple response. He led them to one of the rooms that no visitor had ever entered before.
The three boys stared around in amazement. It was a large, white room with at least a dozen workstations, shelves with ingredients and others with cauldrons, phials and many kinds of tools. A couple of elves were busying themselves at the far side of the room. The room was very bright, and the snow outside the huge windows was twinkling in the blazing sunshine.
"The ingredients shelf is self-replenishing, and the tools shelf is self-cleaning," Holly said. "These three work stations are for you to use." His voice became strict, as he continued. "You must be quiet and not disturb the elves. Only under this condition, you may stay in this room."
When they voiced their understanding, Holly called out to one of the elves, who then came over and gave them a sharp nod.
"This is Polly. She is an expert in the brewing of all kinds of potions. She will teach you, so that you won't put yourselves in danger."
Polly greeted them in a friendly voice and said, "During the summer, we are not so busy, and I can teach you to brew whatever you wish. My methods might be different from what you learn at school, but I have been taught by Merlin's grandson Salazar."
"Salazar…"
"… as in Salazar Slytherin?"
The twins' eyes widened in apparent surprise, when Polly nodded.
"Yes, he was a brilliant potions master."
"He is said to have been the best…"
"… and we'd be honoured…"
"… if you could teach us."
"Come back at two o'clock in the afternoon." With that, the elf popped away soundlessly.
"Salazar…"
"… Slytherin." The twins looked at Harry, wide-eyed.
"Let me introduce you to Merlin. He is Santa's brother." Harry led the twins out of the lab. Only when they closed the door behind them, he listened to their ramblings.
"How can Santa be Merlin's brother…"
"… Considering that Merlin lived in the middle ages…"
"… and Santa is very much alive now?"
"It's the magic on the North Pole that keeps people and animals alive. Why do you think Polly is still alive if she studied under Salazar Slytherin?" He quirked an eyebrow at the twins.
"What exactly is the magic of the North Pole…"
"… and how does it work?"
Harry let out a deep sigh, as he recalled the last time he had stepped in front of the North Fir Tree.
"The North Fir Tree has special magic, which lies in its cones." Harry told the twins what Santa had explained to him concerning the cones of the North Fir Tree and how one of the cones had turned Hedwig, the owl, into a phoenix.
The twins were still listening, open-mouthed, when they arrived in front of the screen and Merlin's portrait.
Harry smiled, realising that the twins were as fond of the North Pole as himself. They spent a while talking with Merlin, before they had to head to the kitchen to prepare lunch.
"If it's true that they can see any spot in the world…"
"… would it be possible to check on our younger siblings that way?"
Harry nodded in amusement. "We can do that right after lunch." In fact, he was not very fond of seeing Molly Weasley again, however, the twins were outright friendly to him, and he saw no real reason to not do them the favour.
HP
After lunch, the three boys headed to the screen, accompanied by Hedwig and Paws, who – as usual – followed Harry around.
"Merlin, can you please help us and show us Molly Weasley and her children?"
Merlin mumbled something that sounded like "About time that you learn to operate the screen", however, complied.
They found Molly Weasley sitting at a table together with a girl and a boy of about Harry's age.
"Mum, Ron and Ginny…"
"… How cool is that?"
Apparently, the three Weasleys were discussing their new situation.
"At least, your father has agreed that we may continue living here."
"I'd have wanted the twins to stay here as well. They're my best brothers apart from Bill."
"I am here," her brother said, causing the girl to roll her eyes in apparent annoyance, while the twins, who were sitting on the sofa on each side of Harry, chuckled.
"You can be glad that your father somehow managed to get your Hogwarts fees paid. Otherwise, you'd have to attend a muggle school, as I'm not able to teach you magic anymore."
"Perhaps you could try to do wandless magic," Ginny suggested. "Bill told me that he can do some things without his wand."
"I don't know, but believe me, I'll try. At least I can still brew potions." Suddenly, a smile crossed her face, and she added, "I could brew a love potion for Harry."
"Mum, we haven't even met him, and I won't be able to go to Hogwarts yet anyway." The girl glared at her mother, who merely shook her head.
"Dumbledore said that he'd try to get you into Hogwarts together with Ron, knowing that I can't teach you, because I'm not allowed to do magic. Ron, you should try to friend Harry in any case. Dumbledore said that he'll be a useful friend for you and a possible lover for Ginny in spite of everything that happened."
"Yes Mum."
Harry shook his head in disgust, while the twins let out a collective groan.
"Harry…"
"… not all Weasleys are as senseless…"
"… as our mother and youngest siblings…"
"… so please don't judge us…"
"… because of their stupidity."
"I won't." Harry eyed the twins in amusement, and for the first time in his life, he had the impression as if he had gained friends.
#Apparently, Molly has not learned anything from what happened yesterday.# The phoenix sounded extremely angry.
HP
It was after dinner the same day, when Santa had sent the twins back home with a self-made Portkey in the form of a stuffed North Fir Tree cone toy, and Harry, Santa and Claire were sitting together engrossed in a conversation about Hogwarts, that Merlin caught their attention.
"Perhaps you will want to watch this. Dumbledore is talking with McGonagall in his office."
"Minerva, I have one request," the old wizard said.
"And what might that be?" McGonagall somehow sounded annoyed.
'No wonder that she's annoyed, considering that he came so close to losing his position yesterday but still managed to keep it just by pure chance,' Harry thought. 'If Sirius had shown up just a few minutes later, he wouldn't be the headmaster anymore.'
"As you know," Dumbledore took the time to slowly pop a lemon drop into his mouth, before he continued, "Molly Weasley is not allowed to do magic anymore."
McGonagall rolled her eyes, a reaction which Harry could understand all too well.
"Therefore, she won't be able to continue teaching her youngest, and she asked me if we could accept Ginevra at Hogwarts a year early."
"No! No, Albus. Definitely not, and that is my last word."
The old man let out a deep sigh. "But Minerva…"
"Do not but Minerva me." McGonagall cast the headmaster a deadly glare that made Harry stare at the scene in amazement.
'She's really cool,' he thought. 'I just hope she won't ever be angry at me.'
HP
During the remaining three weeks of the holidays, the twins spent the whole day on the North Pole with Harry.
Polly instructed them in interesting or funny potions from the time of the founders of Hogwarts, Sirius taught them the Animagus transformation, and Merlin told them anything that he deemed worthy knowing from the last millennium.
The three boys also spent time developing new prank potions, playing with the puppies and flying. Occasionally, they even helped the elves making presents for Christmas, even if they thought that it was still early, considering that it was only August.
When the twins readied themselves to return home on the last day of the holidays, Harry profusely thanked them.
"Thank you so much for becoming my friends and spending time with me. These three weeks were the best of my life."
"Thank you for allowing us to come here…"
"… We had much fun, too…"
"When we're at Hogwarts…"
"… we can meet in one of the unused classrooms…"
"… on a daily basis…"
"… to continue practising the Animagus transformation."
"Oh yes, I'd like that," Harry replied. "I hope we'll be able to transform our left hands soon.
During the three weeks of the holidays they had spent together, they had practised thirty minutes every day; however, none of them had managed to even spike the slightest bit of fur so far.
"We'll see you on Platform nine and three quarters tomorrow…"
"… and we can introduce you to Ron…"
"… if you wish."
"No thanks," Harry replied, rolling his eyes at the twins, who were grinning broadly.
Little could he know just how well he would get to know the youngest Weasley boy once he was at Hogwarts.
HP
Sirius had been gone most of the day and only returned late that evening, dressed in what seemed to be a uniform.
"I went to see Meli and took my position as an Auror back," he said, causing Santa, Claire, Harry and Hedwig to congratulate the Marauder.
'That's good,' Harry thought, glad that his godfather seemed to have made another step back towards a normal life after his long stay in prison.
"Nevertheless, I told Meli that I'd only work after eleven o'clock tomorrow morning, as I need to see my godson off to the station." Sirius grinned broadly.
"You don't have to." 'Well, I'd feel safer if he accompanied me, but Mum will be with me anyway,' Harry thought, feeling very much reassured, when Sirius insisted to take him to the station.
"Claire and I will accompany you, too. We can take a sleigh right to King's Cross. We have our own, private parking slot right behind the station."
Harry smiled at the prospect of having his new family see him off to the Hogwarts Express just like any normal family would do.
"Thank you so much," he said, feeling very happy.
HP
Shortly after ten o'clock the following morning, Santa, Claire and Sirius accompanied Harry into the muggle train station and showed him where he could find the entrance to platform nine and three quarters.
All of a sudden, a well-known redheaded woman crossed their way with two children in tow.
"Packed with muggles of course," Harry heard her say, just when Sirius, who was wearing his new Auror uniform, interrupted her in a strict voice.
"Madam, you're under arrest for breeching the statute of secrecy."
"Ah, rubbish," the redhead protested, only to add, "Sirius?"
From the corner of his eyes, Harry noticed how Hedwig left the spot on his shoulder, flew over to the top of the nearby display board and relieved herself, just above Mrs. Weasley's shoulder.
"That's Auror Black for you, and as I said, you're going to accompany me to the Auror's office." Sirius' voice was colder than Harry had heard him speak ever before, causing Paws to growl at the redhead.
Mrs. Weasley did not even notice the dirt on her left shoulder. She opened and closed her mouth repeatedly, apparently clueless as to how to respond.
Harry had not even noticed that Sirius had contacted anyone, however, all of a sudden, three more Aurors appeared at his side and took Molly Weasley into custody.
"Thanks Moody," Sirius said, before he accompanied Harry, Santa and Claire through the barrier to platform nine and three quarters.
#Sirius, that was brilliant.# Hedwig's voice was laced with amusement, and Harry quickly translated, causing Sirius to mock bow in her direction.
"I would have offered to take their son with us to the train, but after what that bitch did to Harry, I couldn't care less."
"Harry!" He looked around, and his smile intensified upon seeing his friends wave at him.
"Come on, Harry…"
"… Let's get onto the train."
Harry happily said good-bye to Santa, Claire and Sirius and followed his friends with Hedwig perched on his shoulder and Paws on his heels. 'Hogwarts, we're coming,' he thought in expectation, looking forward to making more friends.
tbc...
Thank you so much for the many kind reviews for the previous chapter! Please let me know what you expect from this story.
Next chapter: "The Sorting".