A/N: This is an odd little story that snuck into my head just before finals and started beating pots and pans around in the back of my brain until I finally broke down and opened my word processor.
It's Harry's 5th year and some things never change. Malfoy is still a prick *dodges thrown objects from the Draco fans*, Voldemort is still lurking around in the shadows, yet another new DADA teacher has been chosen. Dumbledore has begun making overtures of friendship to the non-human magical races much to the annoyance of Minister Fudge. Things are never as they seem…
All chars you can't recognize are mine but the rest and this lovely world belong to JKR. She rules ^_^
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The Beginning…Movements in the dark
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The thick clouds overhead obscured the light of the moon. They suddenly broke apart and the silver light of the full moon caressed the green landscape, danced on the far hills and merrily found it's way into the crevices and crannies of the rocky outcroppings nearby. In the distance a wolf howled. An Alpha. His pack answered as they began the hunt. The wizards and witches present paused and then bent to their task with more urgency and speed. The smallest wizard, one in ragged clothing, shuddered. He had reason above all others present to fear werewolves.
"Hurry!" his small voice rose into the balmy night as he gestured wildly to a group of wizards at the edge of the trees. They had their wands pointed aloft and above them a dark shape floated. The moved forward and the shape moved as well, as if tethered to their wands. A wooden, metal and stone arch had been constructed in the center of a giant circle inscribed with a great many glyphs and lines. The markings began to move as several people stooped to place blood red stones in little grooves in the earth. The door glowed slightly and swung outward. Inside, the little wizard could see that there had been a door on the other side as well and it too had swing outward. He saw himself in a little clearing in some dark woods. His other self was beckoning madly and looking over his shoulder. The wizards moved the wrapped bundle through the portal and it was received by the same group of people on the other side. The transfer completed the other side slammed the door closed and it ceased to glow. The group of Wizards hurriedly disassembled the door, removed the jewels, and erased the now still glyphs from the ground. The little wizard smiled to himself and nodded to the others who disapperated immediately, each taking pieces of door with them. He nodded to himself and pulled his cloak tighter, a small bit of silver glinted off his hand just before he too, disapperated.
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Movements of the Light
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In Dumbledore's study a tabby cat laid stretched on a window seat in the midmorning sun. Birds chirped outside and the soft bustle of the House Elves made a fairly pleasant background noise. The cat's ears flicked as the rushing sound of two great, flapping wings disturbed her sleep. The cat looked up and a large red, gold bird was settling himself on his golden perch by the window. The phoenix tilted his head and the cat got the distinct impression that the bird wondered why she was sunning herself here. The cat flicked one of her ears in greeting but ignored the bird's quizzical looks, and chose instead to look at the doorway of the office.
Soon the door opened and a tall wizard with an exceptionally long beard strode into the room. He took off his pointed hat and ran long fingers through his silvery hair before fishing out a treat for the phoenix on the perch. Only then did Dumbledore seem to notice the tabby.
"Oh, Professor. Have you been there long?" He asked the tabby cat. The cat stretched lazily with the grace and haughtiness only a feline can possess, then shot him a terribly smug look. The cat sat back on her haunches and transformed into a witch, but while the fur, tail, and pointed ears disappeared, the smug smile remained. She removed two letters, one slightly crumpled, from the pocket of her robe and handed it to him.
"A letter from Hagrid, Albus, and one from Figg," She said. He took the letters and read the crumpled one first. The phoenix tilted his head and uttered one musical call then hopped up on the back of Dumbledore's chair
"Oh, Wonderful!" he exclaimed and permitted his own smug smile. "I imagine," He said with some small amount of amusement, "That some people will be quite put out by some of the new students,"
"No more so than the new teacher," McGonagall replied, "She'll be arriving in a week. The new students will arrive at the same time the express does. And anyway, Durmstrang and Beauxbatons are doing the same thing. Heaven knows the American and Canadian schools have always allowed others peoples to attend their schools if they so desired. Really, the ministry will seem terribly backwards if they oppose this,"
"Indeed," Dumbledore opened and read the letter from Figg. "Ah," he said, "I'm glad he had a good summer. After last year, he deserved it. Ah, he's gone to spend some time with the Weasley's. I imagine I'll be hearing from Molly shortly then," He said and McGonagall nodded in agreement. A tapping and a polite 'Hoot' from the window drew their attention to a tired looking great horned owl, sitting on the windowsill. Fawkes moved over on his perch and the owl hopped into the room and landed next to the larger bird with an audible sigh. It stuck its leg out and Dumbledore removed the message attached to it. He handed the letter to McGonagall to open and then gave the owl a few Knuts and a Chocolate fly. The owl hooted, ate the candy then flew from the room.
"It's a letter from the dean of Hawkwing."
"Speak of the Americans…" McGonagall said with a slight roll of her eyes. Of the nearly fifty (registered and still living) Animagi world wide, 6 were in the UK, but 21 were from the States and a further 17 were from Canada and the South Americas. She'd met just about every one of them at a convention of Animagi a few years back. And while she supposed that they'd found her as odd as she'd found them, Minerva McGonagall had found some of the wizards and witches she'd met from there to be trying beyond rationality. Dumbledore tut-tutted at her and continued to read the letter.
"A girl is going to be transferring here," he told her, "it seems her father works for the International and has been reassigned here because of…recent events," his expression became a tad more grim.
"Well I'll speak with Hagrid when he returns in two days," McGonagall said as she took the letter and read it herself, "Oh! She's got her student Animagus license. That should shake up our students a bit," she said, pleased.