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.
Harry suddenly felt wide awake. 'Tell me,' he thought to his familiar.
'I was James, your Dad…'
'What?'
'Yes, son. Lily AKA Hedwig was my wife and Cassiopeia my sister. I've always loved you and your mother, but I thought that it was because of the bond. Only when Lily transformed into her canine form and cuddled with me and told me everything about Cassiopeia and you and everything that happened that night, I began to remember. Cassiopeia was family, too, but you and your mother… It was not because of the bond. You were the loves of my former life… and both of you still are. Sirius and Remus were my best friends, but it was your mum, who managed to trigger my memories. It was almost as if she knew who I was.'
'I don't think so, or she'd probably have told me.'
'She could have guessed that it was for a reason that Santa assigned me to you, after she already was your familiar.'
'I am very happy to know that you're my Dad, as unbelievable as it sounds.' He glanced at the time display on the ceiling. It was shortly before midnight. 'In fact, it's my best birthday present. Will anything change though?'
'Yes.' Harry almost had to chuckle at the determination expressed in the canine's thought. 'From now on, I won't hesitate biting anyone who wrongs you.'
'Thanks Paws,' Harry replied, before he changed into his Animagus form and drifted off to sleep, embraced by his father and his aunt. He did not notice that Hedwig joined them shortly later on, however, instinctively cuddled close to her as he slept.
HP
'Mum, did you know that Paws was Dad?' Harry thought to Hedwig, as soon as he woke up and realised that Hedwig was awake.
'I did not know it for sure, but I had my assumptions. Somehow, he felt like James and he behaved in his way. What really gave it away was the fact how he loves flying. Until yesterday, when Cassiopeia followed his example, I've never seen a dog fly on a broom.'
'That's true. He really is special.'
'That he is, and I am glad that I managed the Animagus transformation.'
Harry remained pensive for a moment. 'Mum, do you think you could try to transform into your human form? Was Dad an Animagus before by the way?'
'Yes, he was a stag Animagus.'
'Oh right, someone said that it was because of that that Aunt Cassiopeia was a reindeer. Why is Dad a puppy then?'
Hedwig let out a sound that Harry interpreted as a chuckle. 'That's for Santa to know and for us to only be able to guess. I'm afraid that I have no idea.'
Their conversation ended abruptly, when Paws stretched his limbs, jumped out of bed and began to scratch at the door. He was closely followed by Cassiopeia.
=Let us out please.=
Shaking his head in annoyance at the puppies' antics, Harry complied and opened the door. "You'd think one would say good morning first."
"Good morning," Draco said from the guest bed, causing Harry to smile at his friend.
'Oh Merlin, I had almost forgotten that he was here,' he thought, still feeling overwhelmed by the news that Paws was James Potter.
HP
Before breakfast, Harry quickly went to see Santa and asked him to cast a spell at everyone that would prevent them from giving away that Paws was James. "I'd like to tell everyone who is here right now, but I don't want to ask them to swear me an oath again. They already did so with Mum."
Santa nodded in agreement, promising that he would do so during breakfast.
As soon as the older wizard gave him an unobtrusive nod, Harry told everyone that Paws had only realised on the previous day that he was none other than James Potter. While his own friends all smiled at the cute puppy, knowing that he had once been their friend's father, Cassiopeia, Sirius, Remus and Minerva loudly expressed their happiness.
"Oh Merlin, I really need to become a dog Animagus on top of being a reindeer," Remus groaned, causing everyone to laugh.
=Of course. See to it that you manage to do so by Christmas at the latest.=
"Paws," Sirius lightly scolded the canine. "It's not as if it was so easy. Remember, it took us almost three years to become Animagi in the first place, and Remus already has one Animagus form."
=I'm also going to try to become an Animagus.= Harry cast Paws a questioning look. =I want to become a human Animagus. Hedwig, will you try, too?=
#Is that even possible?#
"It won't hurt to try," Santa said, grinning at the animals' enthusiasm.
"Oh Merlin, I will never ever accept a white animal from the North Pole at Hogwarts anymore, no matter whose familiar they are."
"Ah but Minerva, are we so bad?" Sirius asked, wearing a feigned hurt expression.
"Yes."
"And what does that have to do with me?" Merlin asked, giving the professor an innocent look.
"I believe you will have to get used to people reciting your name," Daphne spoke up, smirking.
"Everyone simply adores you, the old you I mean," Harry quipped, pointing to the portrait in front of the screen.
Merlin shook his head in apparent annoyance, especially when Minerva told him that he could not expect people to suddenly stop saying his name, when generations before them had already done so.
HP
It was on Sunday morning, when Tracey and Dudley were watching Aberforth Dumbledore's place on the screen, that Dumbledore and the blue ghost made their appearances in the back room of Aberforth's house.
While Aberforth and the blue ghost remained quiet apart from a simple greeting, Albus Dumbledore arrived and immediately cast a silencing spell around the room, before he turned to the ghost.
Unfortunately, had even had his back turned to them, so that they really had no clue what he said to the ghost. The conversation merely took two minutes, before the old wizard cancelled his silencing spell with a flick of his hand and left.
"Bye Aberforth," the ghost said and vanished through the nearest wall.
"The last time, it was a Sunday as well if I remember correctly," Annika said, when Tracey and Dudley told their friends what they had seen.
They soon found out that the same meeting between the two old brothers and the ghost happened every Sunday morning.
"I know that Albus goes to visit his brother on Sunday mornings, but I don't know what he's doing there. I always assumed that they would have a cup of tea together," Minerva said, seeming surprised at what she had just witnessed on the screen.
"You better not ask him about it," Severus said, grimly.
"I surely won't."
HP
To soon for Harry's liking, the holidays came to an end. In the middle of August, the two professors had to go back to Hogwarts, and a week later, his friends returned home for another week with their parents.
When Holly took his friends back to the Leaky Cauldron, Santa and Claire joined them and took Harry, Annika and Dudley to Diagon Alley to buy their supplies for the new school year. While Hedwig was allowed to come, Santa instructed Paws to remain at home for once, as he expected the alley to be very crowded this shortly before the beginning of the school year.
When they entered Flourish & Blotts, there were even more people than expected due to a presentation of one Gilderoy Lockhart for the press. Before Harry knew what happened, someone grabbed him by the arm in spite of Hedwig sitting on his shoulder.
"That's going to make a brilliant headline – Harry Potter together with Gilderoy Lockhart," the man said, cheerily.
Harry quickly freed himself from the man's grip, just when Santa turned on the stranger.
"How dare you grab my ward without even asking if it was all right to do so?"
Harry became distracted, when Hedwig quickly taught him a spell. 'Cast that at him.' Harry wandlessly cast the spell, and something inside Lockhart's trousers was widely enlarged and finally burst making a white liquid explode all over the reporters.
"Of course, it is all right. Two celebrities on one picture is…" He suddenly stopped speaking and stared down at himself in apparent horror, when everyone assembled began to either laugh or raise their hands to their mouths in apparent disgust and shock. Only the photographers were alert enough to take pictures.
Santa quickly pulled Harry, Annika, Dudley and Claire out of the shop. "We'll send one of the elves to get your school books later on."
HP
"Your anarchistic tendencies really don't match a phoenix," Santa lightly scolded Hedwig, when they were back at home and joined the others for lunch.
#Sorry Santa, but I really didn't like it how he grabbed Harry.#
"I fully understand, but still." Harry noticed that in spite of his words, Santa seemed amused.
"Are you sure that he is our new Defence Against the Dark Arts professor?" Harry asked, feeling horrified at the idea.
"Yes, that's why Minerva and Severus were so upset the other day. They said he was a complete fraud," Santa informed him.
"The headmaster is really stupid. I wonder why he tolerates that curse on the Defence Against the Dark Arts position," Merlin spoke up. "He'd only have to rename the class, choose a different classroom, a different office for the professor, and the curse should be broken. Is that so difficult to realise?"
#Harry, do you still have the muffins Ginny gave you for your birthday?#
"Yes, of course, I won't eat muffins that are laced with a love potion or whatever."
#Hand them to one of the elves and ask them to somehow give them to Lockhart.#
"Are you sure?" Harry's eyes widened at the idea. 'Poor Ginny,' he thought, deciding to not follow his mother's advice for once.
However, Hedwig took matters into her own hands. Without informing her son about the matter, she simply took the muffins to the elves and asked them to put them into Professor Lockhart's quarters at Hogwarts.
HP
On the first of September, they travelled to King's Cross by sleigh and boarded the Hogwarts Express, where Harry once again enlarged a compartment, so that the eight friends would easily fit into it together.
'I hope Remus, Sirius, Santa, Claire, Merlin and Cassiopeia will remember to watch the screen on Sunday mornings. Perhaps Dumbledore forgets to cast the Silencing charm some time,' he thought, while Dudley told their friends everything about their encounter with Lockhart at Flourish & Blotts.
"You did that?" Daphne enquired, looking at Harry, wide-eyed. "I read about it in the Daily Prophet. They had a field day with it, although they could not explain how it happened or who did it."
"Actually, Hedwig taught me the spell and instructed me to cast it wandlessly. I didn't even know what it was going to do," Harry replied, however, could not prevent himself from blushing. "Please never tell anyone that it was me."
"We won't."
"Thanks." Harry smiled at his friends, knowing that he could fully trust them to not give him out, even if someone asked them.
HP
The new school year commenced just like the old one had ended – with the only exception that they were not the youngest anymore, as Dudley pointed out to the friends.
Harry kept his room together with Draco, and they both remained on the Quidditch team. Fortunately, none of their teammates had graduated, so that the team remained just like it had been the previous year.
=Too bad that the first match is only going to take place in about six weeks' time,= Paws said. =I can't wait to be able to fly in a Quidditch match again.=
=As if you hadn't spent enough time flying on the North Pole,= Hedwig replied, as the two canines cuddled on the carpet in front of the fireplace in the common room.
"Are they woofing about something in particular?" Ginny enquired, looking at the canines in apparent amusement.
Harry shrugged. "It's just that Paws loves flying as you all know, but Hedwig absolutely dislikes it. So no, nothing in particular."
"Well, I like flying, too, even if I'm not good enough to play on the house team." Harry smirked, when Paws went over to Ginny and gently licked her hands in apparent consolidation.
"Maybe next year. We should have an opening for a Chaser's position then."
"Really?" Ginny cast him a hopeful look.
"Marcus?" Harry addressed the sixth-year, who was still the Quidditch captain. "Perhaps we should have try-outs at the end of the school year, so that any new team members could use the summer holidays to practise. Ginny would like to compete for the new Chaser position by the way."
"Oh, that's a fantastic idea. Let's do that."
"Thanks Harry," Ginny said, as she gently played with Paws' ears.
HP
The first week passed uneventfully, however, the whole Slytherin house was extremely annoyed by Professor Lockhart. The professor did not teach them anything concerning Defence Against the Dark Arts; he merely told them about his own adventures, which Harry assumed were all simply thought up stories. On Monday morning in the second week, however, the teacher suddenly stood in front of Ginny and told her how beautiful she was.
Everyone stared at the professor in shock, before Paws ran over to the older wizard and fiercely growled at the man, who finally fled from the canine and in extension from the classroom.
"Good riddance," Theodore Nott quipped. "Thank you, Paws. That professor is a walking nightmare."
"That's right," Draco said. "What does it concern me if his favourite colour is red or blue?"
"I like his smile though," Lavender from Gryffindor said.
"And he has done great things," Hermione added. "Paws really has to learn to behave himself."
"All lies if you ask me," Draco scoffed, "and Paws simply stood up for Ginny, which was very well done."
"Thanks Paws," Ginny said, smiling at the canine.
During the following weeks, Lockhart continued singling Ginny out to tell her how beautiful she was. He seemed to be absolutely smitten with the elven-year-old.
A sudden thought crossed Harry's mind. 'Mum, did you do anything with these muffins?'
'Yes, I'm sorry. You should ask Draco to accompany you to Severus and tell him about Lockhart's behaviour and about his classes. See it as a good way to get rid of him.'
Harry unobtrusively nodded in understanding. "Draco, I'm going to go and speak with Professor Snape about Lockhart. Will you come with me?"
Together, they headed to their head of house's office, followed by two puppies, and informed him about Professor Lockhart's behaviour and teaching methods.
=Professor Dumbledore must have completely lost his marbles, hiring a professor like that,= Hedwig added to their conversation.
"I believe so, too," Snape admitted upon hearing Harry's translation. "I shall speak with him about the matter. Maybe he will ask you and Miss Weasley to come to him and confirm everything that you have told me now."
=No problem.= Paws stepped over to the Slytherin head and gently licked his hand.
"You mangy mutt," Snape replied, smirking, as he fondly caressed the canine's ears.
= I'm not dirty, and at least I am not a stupid cat,= Paws retaliated, causing a small smile to play on the professor's lips.
'Thank Merlin they get along so well in spite of the fact that they're said to have been enemies during their time at Hogwarts,' Harry thought, smiling.
HP
To everyone's annoyance, the headmaster did nothing about the Defence Against the Dark Arts professor. While he seemed to understand that he was a lousy teacher, he simply stated that he did not have anyone better at hand.
According to Severus, he and Minerva even suggested to employ Sirius Black or Remus Lupin as the Defence Against the Dark Arts professor; however, Professor Dumbledore did not do as much as consider their suggestions.
To Ginny's relief, at least the professor's attitude gradually improved, even if only very slowly. His teaching, however, remained horrible, and when they had to write a test about the professor's personal preferences, Harry showed the parchment to his head of house.
Apart from their problems with Professor Lockhart, the first weeks of the school year passed uneventfully – until one evening, the caretaker's cat, Mrs. Norris, was found petrified.
On the wall behind her was a writing. 'Enemies of the heir beware. The Chamber of Secrets has been opened.'
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 really appreciates the feedback.