Hiya! Since I got so many reviews; 29, to be exact, I decided to upload the chapter Tuesday night instead of Wednesday at 5pm. So it will be downloaded faster, since it takes about 24 hours for the new chapter to be installed correctly. Aren't I nice? ^_^ But don't thank me, really, thank the reviewers! 29 reviews for only 1 chapter! WOW! ^__^
Neewayz, here are my faithful reviewers names! :
Baby Daydreamer Wiley jaz7 Magic cat Lady Aya Usagi Asia Maxwell Ancient-Legend Miranda Compton
Crazygurl70 Anime Gurl16 Birdgirl Chibi Pyro Duo Bishienomiko1 Koneko-hime Lady Light Sere
Sailorsunandchildofthesun Yadrianne Jessica Oracle of the stars Light Angel Silverpaws the silver Nukachu
Lil Kawaii Doom Alixandra Draken Lanc Noin Sachi Nyoko Taiki Prophetess of hearts
Chibi Koneko: You guessed wrong! But it could've been a phoenix. Only, I wrote; "It's a good compromise, almost like Sirius." Guess again! It's not so hard! ^_~
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Father Mine
Chapter 14: Helios' gift
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"You sure do look happy this morning, Serena! Slept well?" Hermione asked the beaming rabbit. They were in the process of beginning their breakfast and Ron was already pigging out. "I couldn't be happier, 'Mione! For the first time ever, everything is as it should be."
Hermione cocked her head on the side questioningly. "What do mean by that?" Usagi merely took a bite of her apple and smiled mysteriously at her. Harry came in the dining hall followed by Seamus. The second boy took a seat on the other side of the table but Harry walked beside Usagi, putting his hands on her shoulders. "You okay?" He asked gently.
The Gryffindors watched the display quite curiously. Ron was scrunching up his nose. Harry sure was acting weird this morning! The rabbit tilted her head and met his gaze, smiling tenderly. "Of course. Why shouldn't I?" Harry's eyes softened and he bent down slowly.
Ron dropped his toast and muttered; "Don't tell me he's going to do what I think he's going to do!" Hermione retorted, as equally shocked as he; "Oh, he's not going to do it, Ron, he's doing it as we speak!" Surely enough, the Boy-Who-Lived was kissing their blue eyed friend, and it looked as if they were enjoying every minute of it.
So, as a result, they didn't see Remus choking on his Pumpkin juice or Snape making a disgusted face.
They broke contact and he seated himself right next to her, helping himself to a glass of milk. "Harry…Since when did the 2 of you…?" Asked the still dazed Hermione, pointing at them. Harry blushed a little. "Hum…since yesterday, really. It took us time to make this work out." When he finished, Hermione squealed and that got everyone out of their daze. She almost leapt to the other side of the table and fiercely hugged the surprised new couple.
"I'm sooo happy for you guys!!! This is great!" Usagi giggled, still caught in the hug. "Thanks 'Mione!" And Harry got patted on the back by his buddies. "You sly boy! It was about time you got yourself a girlfriend!" Seamus added playfully.
*~*
"Can I have your homework, Miss Tsukino?" Mc Gonagall was collecting the homework on animagus. Usagi grimaced. "I don't have it, professor." Minerva raised her eyebrows. "You don't have it? You normally do all your homework, Miss Tsukino! Did something, or someone" She glared reproachfully at Harry, who winced in return, "prevent you from doing it in time?"
Usagi shook her head negatively. "No, Harry doesn't have anything to do with it. I just couldn't find any animal that could suit me. I tried almost all of them, I assure you, but I didn't feel myself connect with any of them." She said between gritted teeth.
Mc Gonagall frowned lightly. "Since you're a good student, I won't give you detention. I'll give you some more time but I'll have to deduct points nonetheless. 5 points off Gryffindor. Not everyone is cut out to be an animagus, probably only 1 or 2 in this class, but you could've at least written about any animal. It would've been fine."
Usagi nodded stiffly and Mc Gonagall took the papers of the rest of the class. She glared at Draco, who was trying to stifle his snickers and hissed at him. Harry saw this and was preparing to take his wand out when Minerva announced the end of this class.
The students all piled out and Usagi didn't wait for anybody, still seething, but angry at herself for not being a good witch. 'Why can't I be good and honor my father's name? For once, I really wanted to make an effort and become something a wizard could be, and now, no animal wants to be my animagus form!' She thought, while Harry and the gang ran after her.
"Serena! What's going on? Wait for us!" Hermione shouted. Usagi's eyes softened and she stopped to wait for them. 'Don't make them see you like this, be happy, yes. Conceal your emotions.' She berated herself.
"Finally! Are you ok? You could've waited for us!" Harry asked her worriedly. Usagi smiled. "I'm sorry! I've been caught by the flow of people! Come on! We should go eat!" Ron nodded fervently and patted his stomach. "Yeah! I'm starving!" Hermione rolled her eyes. "You're always hungry, Ron!" They laughed.
*~*
They were about to enter the dining hall when Usagi felt a pulling in her heart and her head rose up in alarm. "No, not now!" She whispered with dread and stopped in her tracks. Dean bumped into her. "Ow! Why'd you stop?!"
Harry looked back at her and she mustered a smile, although shaky. "Nothing's wrong! I just remembered I forgot something in the common room! I'll be late, why don't you guys go eat? I'll get myself something later!" Harry was about to protest when she urged him to go with his friends.
"Oh, alright! I'll see you later, then." He surrendered. She pecked him on the lips to assure him she was ok and he went to sit down with a dreamy grin. She began to back away when a hand caught her arm. She was about to hit the person when Remus held his hands up in the air. "Hey! It's just me!!!"
Usagi relaxed visibly and eyed him curiously. "What can I do for you, professor?" Remus fidgeted and began; "Well, I just wanted to apologize for my behavior towards you. I've been on my guard a lot, especially with the ones who were trying to befriend Har-Um…Mr. Potter. But when I saw him this morning, I realized how happy you made him. I really hope you'll forgive me." His hung his head downcast in shame and when he heard no response from her, he gulped.
He was about to turn around when he got caught in a hug. He gasped out loud and gazed wide eyes at the girl. "M…Miss Tsukino! What are you doing?!" He stuttered. She sighed in the warm chest and he heard a muffled; "Thank you. I know the 2 of you are close, and I will never replace the figure you represent for him. I will honor the trust you have in me." She added mentally; 'Uncle Remus.'
Remus loosened up and even dared to hug bag, just a little. Her warmth was utterly familiar and old memories came back to him. It made him nostalgic. He could almost pinpoint this familiarity when she stepped back. He bit back a growl of disappointment and chose to blush instead. "I'm sorry! I got caught in the moment! Don't tell Harry I just did that or he'll kill me! Heck, the other teachers too!"
Usagi giggled but felt the pulling again, stronger, and winced mentally. "It's ok, professor! I quite liked your warmth! I'll see you later, I have something to do in the common room! Bye!" She began to run up the stairs and Remus could only wave back with a smile. 'She's not so bad. But why do I suddenly feel this wave of protectiveness over her?' He pondered, walking up to the teacher's table.
*~*
"JUPITER OAK EVOLUTION!!!" The attack hurled towards the dementors and they screamed in agony. She ran full speed to the next area and jumped from house top to house top. She had teleported into another city when she had felt the presence of darkness rise.
"Shit!" She cursed. "They're beginning to be more daring! To show themselves in plain daylight!" She jumped again and landed in a park, near woodland. She could feel him, the traitor! The Death Eaters turned in alarm when they saw the cloaked person invading their privacy.
They didn't even ask who she was, instead attacked immediately. They seem to protect someone and she dodged a nasty Locomoter Mortis hex. She concentrated on Mercury's power and called out; "MERCURY! AQUA RAPSODY!!" It froze the villains but they pushed someone else out of the way just in time. He fell with a thud on the ground and her eyes widened, and then turned almost black with hate. "YOU!"
The man scrambled to his feet and his hand of steel glinted in daylight. He began to transform and she finally moved. "Oh no, you don't! VENUS LOVE CHAIN ENCIRCLE!" The glowing chain was about to grasp him but it fell on the ground when Pettigrew finished his transformation.
The rat squeaked, before it disappeared in the woods. She let out an enraged yell. "DAMN! I can't sense him anymore!" She was about to run in the woods when voices were heard and she retracted on a house top to get away. From there, she saw the Aurors arrive on the spot and question themselves, while taking care of the still frozen Death Eaters. She teleported back to Hogwarts without a second glance.
*~*
This incident frustrated her for the rest of the day. During the DA meeting, it took all her will power not to scream and break everything, to let go of her power to vent some steam. She watched everyone almost succeed in creating their patronus with envy and when the meeting ended, she gave a small smile to Harry and exited alone.
"I wish I knew what was bothering her." Harry said silently. Ron slapped him on the back. "Bah! She's a girl! It must be her time of the month!" He promptly received a whack on the back of his head by Hermione, and glares from the other girls. "Ronald Weasley! That's not something to say!" Hermione shouted in his ear.
She then turned to Harry with a sympathetic smile. "Don't worry, Harry. She must have something big on her mind, that's all. Give her some time." Harry nodded. "You're probably right. We should go." They dispersed in the halls and each person went back to their own dormitory.
In the mean time, Usagi was back in the forest and pushing her angriness out of her system by kicking and punching a tree. "Chikuso! He was so damn near! I was about to get him!" Another kick and she collapsed on the ground, breathing harshly. "Why? Why couldn't I sense him when he transformed? Is that why I couldn't pinpoint him all this time? Because he remained in his animagus form?"
She rolled on the side and tears of frustration blurred her vision. "I wish…I wish I was an animagus! I wish I could do the things wizards do! Father will be so ashamed!" She curled into a ball and her eyelids fell with exhaustion.
"Hime-sama?" A warm snout nudged her and she woke up, turning on her back, and then sitting up swiftly. "Helios!? What's going on?" The Pegasus shook his head. "I heard your prayer, Hime-sama. I only came to fulfill your wish, to give you back a part of yourself."
"What do you mean, Helios? I don't understand!"
"Touch my horn, Hime-sama." Was the only thing he said.
With a suspicious gaze, she slowly lifted her hand and touched the horn on the horse's forehead. A light burst out from under her hand and she shielded her eyes, yelping. When she finally opened her eyes again, she felt different, as if something new, yet old, made place in her heart. "What happened, Helios?"
The horse whinnied, and then transformed into his human self. "Lunarians of royal blood can only transform into one, and only one, animal. Queen Serenity was unfortunately incapable of this task, but you had the gift. It remained hidden in your heart for so long! It's not really a transformation called animagus, but it's the same, if only not more powerful. Use that new feeling in your heart and concentrate on it, Hime-sama."
The rabbit focused on the new energy and in a flurry of feathers, she felt her body change for the first time. When the process finished, the impressive animal let out a powerful neigh and opened its long glowing wings. She felt her surrounding and became slightly nervous.
'I'm a Pegasus?!' She said telepathically, still shocked by the change. Helios shook his head negatively. She gazed at him questioningly. 'I have wings, don't I? What am I if I'm not a Pegasus?'
Helios smiled. "You're not a Pegasus, nor a Unicorn." He said, eyeing the silver, crystal-like horn on her forehead.
'You have a horn too, Helios! What would that make you?'
Helios unconsciously touched the horn on his head. "I'm a true Pegasus, because this horn is the golden crystal I'm supposed to protect. I can take it off anytime. Yours, one the other hand, is a real horn, capable of doing much damage and heal wounds, just like a real Unicorn."
'But you just said I wasn't a Unicorn!' Was his reply.
"Exactly. You are neither a Pegasus, nor a Unicorn. You are better, legendary. An animal who was supposed to exist only in the children's imagination. A mix, the best kind of mix. People can call you a winged Unicorn, Or a horned Pegasus, no matter. Because you are neither one, nor the other."
He transformed back into his Pegasus self and the differences were obvious. While his horn was straight and measured about 20 cm, hers was twice his size, about 45 cm, and curving slightly upwards. Her form was even bigger than his and her wings longer and less delicate looking than Helios'. Her frame was majestic and she held her head upwards with pride, just like an Arabian horse.
Helios flapped his wings and said, before going away; "I cannot do anything for this other problem of yours, unfortunately. You will have to believe in yourself and search deep into your heart to find a way to make your patronus work. But your friends, the scouts, are still rooting for you, Hime-sama! You aren't disappointing them, so don't despair. I will see you sometime, Ja!" And he disappeared.
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ARE YA HAPPY??? She's an animagus! ^_^;
Some people were close to finding Harry's chosen animagus form but they didn't actually name it. Come on! It's not so hard! Some people were referring to the mongoose…I burst out laughing about this one! ~^_^~ Harry…a mongoose…HAHAHAHAHAHA!!!! *sorry, slight moment of insanity*
I didn't make any reference that his animagus form was an enemy of the snake. It just appeared out of his imagination and tore the snake in pieces because it's strong and quick enough.
Oh, I take pity of you. Here are some clues;
-Some of them can have bright yellow eyes *It's not a cat*
-They have 4 legs *duh!* and really sharp claws
-Some of them can be vicious while others submissive in their packs.
-I said it was a compromise, not a dog form like Sirius, but in the same family.
If you still don't know what it is…well…wait for it in the chapters to come! *Bwahahahaha!*
I want to see reviews!!! No reviews, no chapters!!! *Although I don't think I'll have troubles with that! ^_^;*
REVIEW!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!REVIEW!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!REVIEW!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!REVIEW!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Love ya all
Eternal Cosmos ^_~