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.
=Who are you?= Paws questioned the new canine.
=It's me, Hedwig. Don't wait for me. I'll catch up. I have to get used to sorting out four legs first.=
=Mum?= Harry stopped running for a moment to get a glimpse at his mother's canine form. 'Of course, she has kept her eyes. I should have known right away,' he thought, when Paws gave him a nudge.
=Come on, we want to help your aunt quickly.=
=I'm coming, but five more minutes won't matter. Let's wait for Mum. I know how hard it is to get used to suddenly having four legs. Well done, by the way, Mum. It's totally cool that we're both dog Animagi now.=
=Yes, I am really happy to be more efficiently able to interact with you.=
=Your phoenix form is beautiful and extremely helpful, too, though,= Harry said, as he tried to evade Paws, who was kicking snow at him.
=Hedwig, as soon as this is done, we need to introduce you to my siblings and have a proper fight in the snow,= Paws said, burying Harry in a small pile of snow.
Harry shook himself to get rid of the wet snow, unintentionally spreading bits of snow at his familiars.
HP
When they reached the North Fir Tree, Santa and Cassiopeia were already waiting for them along with Sirius and Remus.
"Now, as everyone finally has arrived…" Santa gave the three canines a mock glare, receiving a triple =Sorry= in return, "… let's begin."
The reindeer impatiently scratched her hooves, and everyone stared at the North Fir Tree in clear expectation.
"Now, Cunegonde, you have a choice. I can either ask the North Fir Tree to enhance your magic, so that you theoretically would be able to manage the Animagus transformation into whatever you wish." Holding up his hands to not be interrupted, he continued, "However, your magic is already very strong, and you are capable of whish magic, so that it should not be a problem for you to achieve that completely on your own already. Asking the North Fir Tree for help would not be necessary in my opinion."
=And the other choice?=
"You could give up being a reindeer and become a puppy instead. When you first came to live on the North Pole, the North Fir Tree chose for you to be a reindeer, probably because in your former life, you had a strong connection to a stag, considering that your brother was a stag Animagus. Stags and reindeer are of the same category of animals, and here on the North Pole, we don't have much choice. If you'd rather be a puppy than a reindeer, we can ask the North Fir Tree to fulfil you this wish. I am not one hundred percent sure if it will work, but I suppose it will, considering that you have a valid reason." He pointed to the three puppies, who were quietly sitting there listening rapidly.
=Remus, is that all right with you? I am really very sorry.=
"Cassiopeia, I fully understand, and it's fine," Remus replied, smiling. "I can still play with the other reindeer."
=Yes please. Thanks Santa. I really appreciate it very much.=
"Remus, you can also try to have a second Animagus form," Santa informed him, before he turned to the North Fir Tree.
Together with everyone else, Harry observed how a cone came off from the large tree and entered the reindeer, which became engulfed in a golden glow.
"This will take about an hour I suppose."
"Thanks for the information and for doing this for her," Remus replied, smiling, before he transformed into his reindeer form to keep his friend company.
The three puppies as well as one black dog that stood out among all the white puppies decided to remain as well and were soon engulfed in one of Paws' favourite mock fights. Harry had to admit to himself that it was much fun. Before he knew what happened, Santa was back, and a moment later, the golden glow lifted, and a white puppy came into view.
"Welcome to being one of the puppies of the North Pole. Do you still wish to go by the name Cunegonde, or would you prefer Cassiopeia?"
=Cassiopeia please. Thank you so very much. Somehow, I feel very small compared to being a reindeer, but it's great.=
=Brilliant,= Harry agreed, while Paws went to sniff the puppy, eagerly waggling his tail.
=Wait a moment,= Cassiopeia said, gently pushing him away, before she stared at Remus for a moment in apparent concentration.
"Thank you so much, Cassiopeia. I really appreciate it. She bonded with me," Remus explained to the others.
=That's good. Then she can translate between us and Remus, when Harry is in his canine form and cannot speak with him,= Hedwig said, matter-of-factly.
Harry nodded in relief. 'Thank Merlin. I wouldn't want Remus to feel like an outsider among all these canines,' he thought, feeling very happy to be in the same form as his mother and his aunt. 'Now we only need to find my Dad to be a real family.'
HP
To Harry's chagrin, it was already beyond his bedtime, and the adults decided that he had to go to bed, as soon as the puppies returned to the screen room.
"Even the two couples of twins have already retreated for the night a while ago," Claire informed him.
=Did you only bond with Remus so he can understand you, or are you going to be his familiar?= Harry asked his aunt.
=I wanted him to understand me.=
=Will you come to bed with Hedwig, Paws and me then?= Harry invited the puppy, only to add as an afterthought, =provided that Paws doesn't mind.=
=I don't mind. I'm tired anyway. We can do the introduction to the other puppies tomorrow.=
The four puppies retreated to Harry's room, and, seeing that Hedwig did not transform back into her phoenix form, Harry decided to remain in his Animagus form as well, and the puppies curled up together on Harry's bed.
'I think I never slept so well,' Harry thought to his mother, when they woke up in the morning.
'I'm glad to hear that. Still, I believe that you should transform back into your human form before attending breakfast. I will change back as well.'
HP
During breakfast the following morning, Hedwig informed Santa that she had tried to invent a charm for Merlin to leave his portrait in his phoenix Animagus form, and Santa eagerly translated for his brother and everyone else.
#I don't know if it will be efficient, but I believe that it might have a real chance to work.#
Merlin nodded in understanding. "Will I be able to return back into my painting? I am not sure if I wish to remain in my phoenix form forever. If I just transformed back outside the painting, I'd probably die immediately."
While everyone remained pensive, Snape spoke up. "I am not certain, but theoretically, if Merlin in his phoenix form went through a burning day, he would be re-born as a baby phoenix, because phoenixes can't die. Shouldn't he then be able to transform back into his human form?"
"And be a baby again?" Merlin asked, wide-eyed.
Snape rolled his eyes. "No sir. Before transforming back, you'll have to wait for the phoenix to be grown up in any case, which as far as I know from Professor Dumbledore's phoenix should take approximately three weeks. If you transform back as an adult phoenix, you either be a young adult or have the age at which you were last alive. Maybe this theory is wrong though." He looked questioningly from Santa to Hedwig.
"It sounds extremely plausible. Merlin, are you up for a try?" Santa looked at his brother in clear expectation.
Merlin grinned at his brother. "Of course. Although I must say that it doesn't sound very appealing to be an old man again. Would you be willing to ask your tree to de-age me to… let's say the age of Severus if I became an almost two-hundred-year-old?"
"Sure. Do you wish to keep your memories?" Santa chuckled upon his older brother's intense glare. "Yes, I know, it would be a great loss if you didn't. I shall see to it."
Merlin nodded at Hedwig. "Madam, please go on. Just let me transform into my phoenix form first."
He swiftly transformed into his fire phoenix form and nodded, when Hedwig asked if he was ready.
Harry could feel a bout of magic travel across the room from Hedwig's perch to Merlin's painting, and an instant later, the fire phoenix came out of the painting, landing on the floor in front of it.
Everyone cheered, when Merlin flashed up onto the perch in a bright flame and settled down next to Hedwig.
Harry could not understand what he said to Hedwig; only from her reply, it became obvious that he had thanked her profusely.
"Now, who is going to kill Merlin?" Everyone looked at Sirius at his sudden question.
"Do not kill my brother," Santa replied, grimly. "Let me take him to the North Fir Tree in his phoenix form. I fully trust the tree, as it doesn't endanger life. It gives life."
Merlin jumped onto Santa's shoulder, and the whole group set to follow the brothers outside, when Snape kept Harry and the twins back.
"We should give Santa, Claire and Merlin some privacy. Weasley and Weasley, Potter, let's head to the lab."
"That's true," Annika said, nodding her head. "Sirius and Remus, could you help Dudley and me practise the Animagus transformation?"
"I will assist with that."
Annika cast the older witch a grateful look. "Thank you, Professor."
=Hedwig and Cassiopeia, let's introduce you to my siblings,= Paws suggested in apparent eagerness.
Hedwig agreed and swiftly transformed into her canine form, before the three puppies dashed away to look for the other puppies.
HP
At lunchtime, Santa introduced Merlin to the others. He was about the age of the Marauders, but otherwise looked like his older version in the portrait.
To Harry's surprise, the old Merlin was still present in the portrait.
"I made a copy of the portrait beforehand in case something happened," Santa answered his silent question. "I didn't want to lose my brother."
"Merlin," McGonagall spoke up in apparent admiration for the wizard, who was so famous yet younger than herself. "You're aware that the whole magical world, at least of Britain, practically worships you? What are you going to do now?"
Merlin chuckled. "I already have a plan, but for the time being, it is just a plan. I promise that all of you here will belong to the first people getting to know about it. I suppose that I'm going to need a year for the preparations, so I might tell you on Christmas. I might even ask for your help with certain aspects of the plan."
'I wonder what he intends to do and why that secrecy,' Harry thought, however, knew better than to ask.
HP
Harry thoroughly enjoyed himself. 'These are the best summer holidays I ever had,' he thought on a daily basis. 'They even top last year's summer.'
He spent much time with the Weasley twins, Polly and Snape in the Potions lab. Sometimes, Polly taught them potions invented by Salazar, which were lost in their time. At other times, Snape, who allowed them to call him Severus during the summer holidays, made Harry and the Weasley twins help him brew the stock for the hospital wing. After working on much needed potions for a few hours, however, Severus assisted them in the invention of new prank concoctions. Altogether, they had much fun.
At other times, Harry concentrated on his summer assignments together with Annika and Dudley. He got along with his cousins very well. Even if he faintly remembered that they had wronged him during his childhood, their behaviour was completely different as it had been, and he felt as if they were just completely different persons.
Sometimes, he went flying with Sirius, Remus, Claire, Santa, the two couples of twins and the two professors – plus Paws, who as usual insisted to sit in front of him on his broom. Minerva even conjured a Snitch for them, so that they were able to play a very light version of Quidditch. 'We should charm the Snitch to a different colour,' Harry sometimes thought, when he just could not see the white ball above the snow.
At least once a day, he changed into his Animagus form and played with Paws, Hedwig, Cassiopeia and the other puppies, and from time to time, he and Paws, he and Hedwig or Hedwig and Paws engrossed themselves in snowball fights against Minerva and Severus in their Animagi forms. To Harry's enormous surprise, the felines usually won.
"Felines are simply cleverer than canines," Severus once said in apparent amusement, causing Paws to good-naturedly growl at the wizard who was a lynx Animagus.
HP
In the morning of Harry's birthday, Holly, Harry, Annika, Dudley, Hedwig and Paws travelled to Santa's secret sleigh parking slot behind the Leaky Cauldron to pick up Daphne, Tracey, Ginny, Draco and Neville. Paws happily greeted each of them by licking their hands, as soon as they boarded the sleigh, before he nestled down on Daphne's feet, resting his head on Ginny's lap.
"He seems happy to have you back," Harry said, grinning.
They eagerly discussed their first half of the holidays, before Daphne finally asked, "Did you find out anything about Aberforth Dumbledore and the ghost?"
Harry stared at the girl in shock. "Believe it or not, so much happened that I completely forgot about the matter."
"Oh well, let's take turns watching the screen again," Ginny suggested, and everyone agreed.
#I can help, too, if you have other things to do.#
"Thanks Hedwig, but we'll have time enough, and now that you managed the Animagus transformation, you should enjoy your time on the North Pole, too."
"You what?" Daphne stared at the phoenix in confusion, causing Hedwig to fly down from Harry's shoulder and transform into her canine form.
Harry inwardly grinned in amusement, when the three girls immediately began to fawn over the puppy.
"Will Sirius and Remus teach us again? I want to become a puppy, too."
Harry gave Neville a reassuring nod. "They surely will. They're still teaching Annika and Dudley anyway."
"Professor McGonagall is brilliant though," Annika spoke up. "The day before yesterday, she joined us and explained everything efficiently helped us. Ever since then, I've been able to transform my left hand."
"Do you think she'd teach us, too? I mean, it's the holidays, and Animagus studies isn't even taught to the seventh-years," Daphne said.
"We can ask her. She's not very teacher like, neither is Severus," Harry replied, smiling at Daphne in reassurance. "Oh, by the way, do you remember meeting my aunt at our Quidditch party? The reindeer? She is not a reindeer anymore, but a puppy, and she's really nice."
"How do animals change from one form to another?" Ginny cast him a look of pure disbelief. "Are my brothers behaving by the way?"
Harry chuckled. "How could they not, considering that we're sharing a potions lab with Severus Snape?"
"Oh Merlin." Ginny let out a groan. "And they get along?"
"Of course," Harry reassured her, just when they arrived on the North Pole, where everyone had come outside to greet them.
HP
When they headed inside, the table in the screen room was beautifully decorated with a large cake in the form of a white puppy sitting in the middle. Everyone sang the birthday song for Harry, who felt extremely happy. 'My first birthday party with friends,' he thought in amazement, feeling very grateful towards his mother, who had rescued him from where he lived before just a little more than a year ago.
He received many presents, mostly books, but also a couple of funny T-shirts from Sirius as well as dragonhide boots from Remus and a wand holder from Santa for his second wand.
"You have two wands?" McGonagall gave him a strict look that made Harry explain about his real wand and that he used the one he got from Ollivander's at Hogwarts, because he did not want people to know about his real wand.
"What is so special with that wand?" Snape enquired.
Harry showed him the wooden stick. "It's the ingredients. Santa made it using a feather from Hedwig, a piece of fir cone from the North Fir Tree and two drops of blood each from Hedwig and Paws. He told me that it was extremely powerful."
The professor nodded in understanding. "Then it's better to not have people know about it."
"Especially not the headmaster," Draco added, causing Harry to give him a sharp nod.
HP
When Sirius suggested to go flying and have a Quidditch match adults versus students, everyone agreed.
"Paws, are you going to fly with me?"
=Of course. Always.=
=Then I am going to fly with Remus. It's unfair if the students have a puppy with them and the adults don't.=
Remus quickly translated, as he gently helped Cassiopeia onto his broom, causing everyone to laugh.
"Hedwig, would you like to transform into your canine form and fly with me?" the Gryffindor head invited her former student; however, Hedwig shook her head.
#I prefer flying as a bird. I've never been a fan of riding a broom, and doing so in the form of a puppy surely won't improve this feeling.#
They played several matches and had much fun, but the adults realised soon that they did not have a chance at winning, as long as Harry played Seeker for the students.
HP
After a long day of celebrating Harry's birthday and enjoying that they were together on the North Pole, everyone headed to bed much later than usual.
Paws seemed strangely excited, when he crawled under the covers and cuddled against Harry's stomach and Cassiopeia's back. =Do you know what? I remember that I know them all, Lily, Cassiopeia, Sirius, Remus and Minerva and Severus. I know who I was in my former life. I don't know why it took me so long, but I finally remember everything.=
tbc...
Thank you for your kind comments on the previous chapter. Please tell me what you thought about this chapter and what you expect from this story. My muse appreciates the feedback.