Harry Potter and the Kid and the Tiger
Chapter Eleven-Padfoot's Warning
Disclaimer: I don't own Harry Potter & Co. they belong to the talented J.K.. Rowling. Calvin and Hobbes don't belong to me either, they belong to the talented Bill Watterson. I'd also like some reviews plz! I only need 1 (one) review to continue the story so please R/R & E!
Harry Potter stared out at the Quidditch pitch. It was perfect conditions for Quidditch try-outs. Unfortunately, despite the fact that nine people had signed up for the Keeper position, only two, Hermione and Calvin, had signed up to replace Fred and George as Beaters, so Harry decided not to bother with Beater try-outs, and congratulated Hermione and Calvin on making the team.
Harry looked at the list in his right hand that had the names of all of the Gryffindors trying out for Keeper, Colin Creevey, Dennis Creevey, Ginny Weasley , (that had surprised Harry), Ron, (no surprise there), Lavender Brown, Parvati Patil, a few second years no one had heard of, and Lee Jordan.
The twelve try-outees, soon had gathered out of the Quidditch pitch, and Harry began his first official speech as Quidditch captain.
"OK. You're all trying out for Keeper, correct? What you do is take fifteen throws of a Quaffle from Alica, and Angelina, who will try to confuse you," Harry gestured at Alicia Spinnet, and Angelina Johnson who were grinning widely in an attempt to psyche out the new participants. "Let's fly!"
The fourteen players took up to the air. Dennis Creevey was first and he turned out to be pretty good. He stopped the first five no sweat, then performed a pretty complicated Starfish-with-Stick Keeper move to stop the sixth, a tricky underhanded toss from Alica.
After that, however, Alica and Angelina stepped up their play, and Angelina snuck a Quaffle behind him, off of a pass from Alicia. Angelina then got another one passed him. Rattled, Dennis only managed to catch two more for an eight out of fifteen mark.
Colin, the next player wasn't too hopeless. He only managed to catch four out of fifteen Quaffles, and nearly fell off his broom three times.
Ginny was next. She did fall off her broom while staring at Harry and landed with such a crash everyone thought that she had died. Fortunately, she had only broken several bones and Colin and Dennis Creevey carried her off to the hospital wing.
Ron came up next, and performed the best out of all of the previous players, but would have been no match for the old Keeper and captain, Oliver Wood. He was clumsy but still garnered ten of fifteen Quaffles.
Following Ron was Parvati, who needed a little bit of help learning how to hold on to the broom. Once she was in the air she was easily the worst player, snagging no Quaffles.
Lavender didn't far much better, despite the fact that she said that as a Seer, she had tried-out so she could prove her continuous predictions that she would be a professional Quidditch player. She caught a single Quaffle.
The second years were actually very good, one of them catching fourteen Quaffles, and Harry figured that they had finally found their new Keeper in the young second year.
Last up to bat was Lee Jordan, who from the moment he reached the air, you could tell had the job in the bag. He flew smoothly, almost as good as Harry flew, and made even the hardest saves look easy. He was Oliver Wood to the tenth power. He managed to snag one hundred percent of the Quaffles, fifteen out of fifteen.
As the players all hit the ground, Harry welcomed Lee onto the team and announced that the second year, James Hays, would be the reserve.
After changing into his regular school robes, Harry walked back to the Gryffindor common room with Harry, Ron, Hermione, and Calvin, who they had befriended following Harry and Hermione walking in on the G.R.O.S.S. meetings.
"Wow," was all Ron could say, "I can't believe that. Fifteen out of fifteen, has that ever happened?"
Harry shrugged, "Oliver Wood might've. I don't know."
Hermione smiled, "Lee was great."
Calvin agreed vigorously, "At Salem, we never had a good Keeper. Gryffindor should easily win the Quidditch Cup this year. Most people played Quodpot back in America."
"Don't get to cocky," Hermione said, "You haven't seen the Slytherin team yet. Or for that matter, the Ravenclaws or Hufflepuffs."
Back at the common room, Harry and Hermione crouched over a piece of paper trying to come up with the perfect Quidditch plan, with a bit of help from both Calvin and Ron. Soon, however, Hermione reminded them about the essay for Defense Against the Dark Arts on Patronuses, and Harry, Ron, and Calvin scurried about for quills and parchment and managed to finish the essay before it was midnight. Hermione meanwhile, just read four books while they were doing this. She had finished the report the day before.
Therefore, it was no wonder that they were a little tired going to classes the next day. Calvin who had Divination and Care of Magical Creatures as well, feel asleep during Transfiguration resulting in twenty points gone from Gryffindor. In Divination, Harry, Ron, and Calvin fell asleep while making jokes about Professor Trelawney's continual predictions of death for Harry. Eventually however, Divination ended and they made their way down to Hagrid's hut for Care of Magical Creatures with Sirius, AKA Professor Icarus Snuffles.
One they way there they met up with Hermione who immediately went to Harry's side, and they held hands. Suddenly, however, Harry started to feel very faint, and began swaying as though drunk. The last thing he remembered before passing out was Calvin yelling out,
"Harry! You're scar's gone!"
"Hello Harry." a black-haired man with glasses who looked remarkably like Harry, except for his blue eyes, was standing next to a women. A women with red hair and green eyes. They were Harry's parents.
"Mum, Dad?" Harry asked, almost choking. "Where am I?"
"Just here, watching over you." Lily Potter said. "Look down."
Harry turned around and saw himself lying at a strange angle where Hermione was doing CPR on him, and Ron was looking very worried. Harry could make out Calvin heading in the direction of the hospital wing.
"Am I dead?" Harry inquired of his parents.
"No, don't worry about that son," James Potter said. "Your not dead, what you are I can't tell you."
"Oh," was all Harry could say.
Suddenly, Harry felt like he was being sucked down back into his body.
"Goodbye son," James said.
"Be careful, Harry, we love you," said Lily, waving goodbye.
Harry felt himself go back into his body.
Harry's body jumped, giving a lurch.
"He's alive," Hermione sighed with relief, pulling herself away from Harry. She pointed to his forehead, "His scar's back as well, that's good. I wonder what happened."
Ron shrugged his shoulders, "Well. How d'you feel Harry?"
"Pretty good, thank you. Hermione, thanks for reviving me."
"How did you now that I did that?" Hermione inquired.
Harry told them how he had seen his body lying there, Calvin running off to the hospital wing, Ron standing worried, and Hermione doing CPR on him. He also told them about seeing his parents.
"It must have been a hallucination, Harry," Hermione said, as she helped Harry to his feet.
"No," Harry said, "It wasn't, hallucinations aren't that real. It was like I was really there."
"Hallucinations can be that real, Harry," Hermione said quietly.
Harry shrugged his shoulders as Ron had done just a few minutes before him. As soon as he did this, Calvin came running back with Madam Pomfrey.
"H-H-H-Harry, you're standing up," Calvin stammered.
Harry nodded, "Yes, I am."
"But just a minute ago, you were dead."
Harry smiled, "No, I wasn't dead. Don't worry. I just, er, fainted. That's all. Hot day out."
Madam Pomfrey raised an eyebrow, and did a few fairly complicated testing charms on him to see if he was sick.
"He's perfectly well, curious, and curiouser." she mumbled.
"What?" Harry said nervously.
"You're absolutely fine. I'd rather if you stayed at the hospital wing...but..."
"No!" Harry said vehemently, "I've, er, got to get to class."
"To see your godfather, I'd expect," Madam Pomfrey said with a wink, "Don't worry, I know he's innocent. Dumbledore told the entire staff. Severus still hasn't gotten over it."
Harry nodded and they continued off in the direction of Hagrid's hut.
"Please," Hermione whispered to Harry as she grabbed his arm tightly, "Please don't do that again, Harry. That was very scary and I don't want to lose you. Please, never do that again."
Harry slipped his arm around Hermione's waist, "Trust me, Herms, I don't want that to happen to me either. I really want to thank you for saving my life."
Hermione looked up at him, "But, you said you weren't dead."
"I wasn't dead," Harry agreed, "But, if you hadn't tried to revive me, I might never have come back."
Hermione smiled, and Harry melted.
"Hey, Harry and Hermione," Ron called out, "We've got to get to Care of Magical Creatures quickly or we'll be late."
Harry and Hermione sighed, they hadn't wanted that moment to end. As they reached the Care of Magical Creatures class, Sirius called them over.
"Hey Harry, hey Hermione, hey Ron," Then Sirius noticed Harry's arm around Hermione's waist.
"Awwww, it looks like my godson has a girlfriend," Sirius said in a falsetto, whilst putting his hands together under his chin and tilting his head.
Harry and Hermione blushed a deep shade of magenta, but Harry kept his arm around Hermione's waist. I will not let him see embarrassed. I will not. I will not. I will not.
"So," Sirius said, "In any event Harry, I really need to warn you. This is something I'll have to tell you now. Let's go to Hagrid's hut, and let class start late, OK?"
Harry nodded, "OK."
"Hermione, and Ron, you should come too," Sirius said.
After Sirius told the class that he needed Potter, Granger, and Weasley for a few minutes inside, they walked over to the hut.
As they sat down Sirius looked at them seriously (A/N: Forgive me, I had to do that), "I've heard a lot of things while spying for Dumbledore, and I can tell you, things aren't looking good. We've sent Snape back to spying, and let me tell you, You-Know-Who is very suspicious of him. Personally, I don't blame him, he's as tricky as he was at school. Still, Snape is our best source of information, maybe aside from you. Telling us about the attack on Beauxbatons was a godsend, but somehow they must have found out. Dumbledore was even there himself, and they managed to get around him, it didn't make any sense, especially since You-Know-Who wasn't even there, he killed Ludo Bagman,"
Sirius took a deep breath before continuing, "The dementors are even worse, they have give You-Know-Who a lot more power and he's killed a lot of Muggles and Muggle-borns. Things aren't looking good, especially with most of the other schools gone. There were more attacks on the Japanese and Chinese schools. Easy victories for You-Know-Who. The Czar Academy in Russia is still holding out, though. Hagrid and Madame Maxime are also having trouble bringing the giants to are side. That's why Hagrid's gone, he's trying to pull them over to Dumbledore's side. We're real lucky that Madame Maxime was with Hagrid when Beauxbatons was wiped out. Not only that, but Ron, your mum and dad have been through some tough scrapes. Then there's the new Minister, Percy Weasley, your brother Ron, am I correct?"
Ron nodded.
"He's cut off of the same block as Cornelius Fudge was. Refuses to believe You-Know-Who is behind all of this. Says it's Death Eaters trying to regain power. He also is covering up the destruction of the two other schools. Ron your family might very be torn apart by this. It'll be a great war, brother against brother, just like the Muggle American Civil War."
"Are you saying Percy is on You-Know-Who's side?" Ron yelled out incredulously. Harry really couldn't blame him.
"No," Sirius said, sighing, "But he's not our side either, and makes him an enemy. This is a hard game Harry. A very hard game, with way too much at stake."
Harry looked blankly at Sirius. How could Percy not believe Dumbledore?
Sirius stared at Harry, "Harry, I'm going to tell you something that's very shocking. Your parents, well, let me start from the beginning. Lily was a beautiful girl at Hogwarts, and she was Sorted into Gryffindor, but, like Harry, wondered if the Sorting Hat had made a mistake. She fell in love with James in her third year, after being friends like you and Hermione were and are,"
Harry felt his face go red. He turned to Hermione, and saw that her face was flushed too.
"James was a practical joker. Always setting of Dungbombs and that sort of thing. He loved Lily more then life itself. At the time they were the powerful witch and wizard at Hogwarts. By the way, Harry Lily's last name was Mantle. Lily Mantle. Again, like you and Hermione."
Harry blushed, and saw Hermione flushing with a deep pleasure.
Sirius smiled, "Anyway, they were prefects, and then Head Boy and Head Girl. James went on to become an Auror, and made a lot of money of bounties, which attributed to a good amount of your Gringotts gold Harry. But James was from a rather rich family and inherited a lot. Lily still made most of it though, she worked in the Department of Mysteries, as an Unspeakable. Unspeakables get paid a lot of money Harry, and she was a good one. Within two years after they got married, which was when they were twenty-one, she was the youngest Head of Department. Then she got pregnant with you, Harry, and quit her job. She already had a lot of money, more then a million Galleons and wanted to raise you. But there was another reason.
"They knew You-Know-Who was after them. Why? Because she was pregnant. They were the most powerful witch and wizard in the world, and their baby, you Harry, would be the most powerful witch or wizard in the world. That's right Harry, you're more powerful then Dumbledore."
Harry's head was spinning, this was way too much to take in at once.
Sirius continued, "You-Know-Who must have went into a frenzy! He could be defeated! Especially if Dumbledore and the Potter child teamed up. To him there was only one conclusion. Kill the Potter child and James or Lily Potter so that they couldn't create another child who would defeat him. So James and Peter performed the Fidelus Charm, and the Potters seemed safe, until Pettigrew betrayed them.
"So, Harry, while there's some things that I left out, that's basically what Dumbledore wants you to know right now. But before we get back to class, I need to give you a warning.
"Harry, you need to be careful. If you see anything that's out of the ordinary, anything, no matter how stupid it looks, go directly to Dumbledore. Now, let's get back to class, shall we?"
Harry looked up at Sirius, "One last thing Sirius, why did my mum thing she was Sorted into the wrong house."
Sirius stopped, as though he didn't know what to say.
"Well, Harry, your mother wasn't exactly a Muggle-born. Salazar Slytherin had a disowned cousin. No one knows his first name."
Harry wondered why Sirius was telling him this.
"Harry, Dumbledore will have my head for this but I might as well tell you. In our seventh year, your mother, your dad, and me, learned Lily Mantle was related to that cousin, meaning that she was vaguely related to Salazar Slytherin." (A/N: But not the Heir of Slytherin, Riddle was the last direct relative, cousins aren't.)
"Oh," Harry said. "We'll be out in a minute, Sirius. This is a shock, and I need to talk to Ron and Hermione about this."
Sirius nodded sympathetically, "Go right ahead, stay in here for the entire period. You have my permission as Professor Icarus Snuffles."
Sirius smiled and walked out the door.
Harry began crying, putting his head on Hermione's shoulder for
support.
