By Admiral Albia
I admit that this may be going a little over the top, but it makes the plot so much... simpler =)
Disclaimer; I own nothing except the plot and any characters you don't recognize from the books. It's very simple.
My heartfelt gratitude to Caitlin Black. A better beta-reader I could not ask for.
Chapter 1; Home for Christmas
Harry Potter was looking forward to the start of
the Christmas holidays desperately; he would actually be going home for
them for the first time ever, where `home` was taken to mean `place where
your family lives and where aforementioned family likes you` rather than
`place where you're forced to live`. He was getting owls about once a week
from his parents, though a lot of them asked questions more than they gave
news. He wasn't sure whether it was his mother or father who was actually
writing, but both Hermione and Ron agreed that it was probably Lily. From
what news he had been given, their new house currently only held two beds,
three chairs and a table, and a cupboard. All the same...
"Potter! Will you pay attention!" Professor
McGonagall's voice yanked him out of daydream world and back to reality.
It was the last week of school and he was in Transfiguration. Worse, he
was in Transfiguration with the Transfiguration teacher glaring at him.
"Sorry, Professor." She gave him one final glare
and turned back to the blackboard.
"What's so funny about that?" Harry demanded. "Snape'll kill me, he's been after my blood since he found out Dad was alive..."
"It happens to everyone, Harry," Hermione consoled him, "Just not as badly. Maybe your body's trying to get fifteen years of holiday daydreams into one week, or something..."
"I've never seen you daydreaming," Ron said.
"That's because I force myself not to, then I let it out in History of Magic. Oh, no..." Hermione ran after Harry and grabbed him just before he rounded the wrong corner. "It's Herbology next, not Charms. Charms was after Transfiguration last year, Harry..."
"Come in, Anna." Remus looked up as his niece hurled herself into the room. "What's happened?"
"Indus lost control of his morphic field and that bastard Murdock started making fun of him so Paul attacked Murdock then Murdock's friends attacked Paul then everyone else attacked Murdock's friends and Indus says he thinks he's stuck halfway and they're all having a punch-up in the dining hall and you know what Paul's like when he gets angry and I tried to stop him but he wouldn't listen to me and Georgina thinks Freda's dead, and..."
"All right, I get the point. Dining hall, you said? On my way. Wait here."
"Ron's going to have a fit if he gets picked," he told her. She shrugged.
"So will Malfoy, but he's not getting out of it. Now, Harry. I just received an owl from your parents. They're not done sorting out yet, they want you to go to Remus Lupin's for the first week. He'll meet you at the station. Were you expecting this?"
"Sort of," Harry said. "I mean, they said it might happen." He couldn't help but wonder, though, why they hadn't owled him. Some of his confusion must have registered on his face, because Professor McGonagall sighed.
"Harry, this had to be sent to me because I have to send to the Ministry, who have to tell the closest Auror squad, who have to be alerted in case of other Death Eater activity in the area. It'd be far simpler if You-Know-Who had never existed."
"If Voldemort had never existed, my parents wouldn't be setting up house right now," Harry pointed out.
"True. Well, go back to your party. Maybe you can work off some of that daydream."
"Fighting," Paul offered through his split lip. His uncle groaned.
"Any particular reason? Look, kids, I know it's nearly Christmas, but Freda's going to be in a coffin until full moon and if this doesn't get sorted out then so am I, which will mean even more complications. Quite simply, what happened?"
"Indus transformed in the middle of supper. Murdock called him a Newchanger. I punched Murdock. Crapol punched me. I ducked, his punch hit Freda who died. We all attacked Murdock and co., because they were attacking me. Anna decided to be a snitch. You came. The end."
Remus groaned again, just for the sake of it. He turned to Indus, a tall, lanky boy whose jet-black hair was currently sprouting a couple of wolf ears. Indus sometimes had trouble staying human. "Indus?"
"Yes... um, sir?" Paul and Anna's friends never knew quite where they stood with Remus.
"How much wolf were you?"
"Totally, sir. Then my head changed back, then I got stuck."
"So you weren't much help to the battle?"
"I started it..."
"Get out, Indus. You're innocent." Indus got out, leaving Remus faced with all but two of the Omnibus fifth year, plus one of the seventh year twins; since Freda was currently in the hospital wing, it didn't take a genius to know it was Georgina.
"So, let me get this straight. Since Freda had just died, Georgina, did you or did you not join in the fight?"
"Not," the redhead said firmly, "what kind of a monster do you think I am?"
"Right. Shoo." She shooed. "Mona." The second red-headed girl looked up. "What about you? Freda's your sister too, isn't she?"
"Yeah, but I was beating the crap out of Gonwich and I didn't realize she'd died. Can I go?"
"No, stay here."
"Fine..."
A/n; A story will develop, I swear. I'll do a few scenes with good ol' Voldie, too. Many thanks to my kind beta-reader...
Review please!
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