Harry Potter and the Bookwyrm

Author: Jill D. Weber

AKA Jelsemium

Characters Owned by J.K. Rowling and Warner Bros.

They are used without permission or intent to make a profit.

Rating: PG for threat of violence.

Author's Notes: This story is more or less set during the Christmas break of the third book -- Prisoner of Azkaban.

Now contains spoilers!

Chapt. 3 -- The Wyrm Turns

**** Bookcase ****

Fifty-two cards did not divide into five evenly. So it was just as well that Hermione chose to pace rather than to play Snap. George dealt out four hands of thirteen cards each. "Sure you don't want to play, Hermione?" he asked.

"How can you sit around and play cards?" Hermione asked in exasperation. "We've been stuck in here for hours! I have homework to do!"

Ron, who was picking up the first card in his hand sputtered and squeezed it too hard, causing the first explosion of the game. "WHAT? Hermione! It's CHRISTMAS EVE! You can't be doing homework on CHRISTMAS EVE! That's…" He blew up two more cards before he thought to set them down. "It's got to be sacrilegious or something!"

"I have a lot of homework," Hermione huffed.

"Well, drop a few classes!" Ron snorted. "Even you can't learn everything in one year!"

"I'm not trying to learn everything!" Hermione said in exasperation. "I'm just trying to catch up to the people who've lived in the Wizarding world all their lives." She frowned at the boys sitting on the floor. "Why don't you make some cushions? That looks uncomfortable."

"Good idea," Fred said. "I'll transfigure our handkerchiefs…"

"No, thanks," Harry said firmly. "I'd rather sit on the floor"

"Good point, Harry," George said.

Fred scowled. "Et, tu, George-us?" he asked.

George just raised an eyebrow. "Honestly, Fred, do you know how to conjure a cushion that doesn't explode, make rude noises or put embarrassing stains on one's posterior?"

Fred rubbed his chin and his scowl faded. "Erm, no, I'd have to look it up."

"Unfortunately, all the books are on the other side of the bookcase," Ron pointed out.

Hermione made a rude noise of her own. "If you would just apply yourself to your studies…"

"Then you'd never catch up to us," Fred interposed quickly. "We would never be so rude as to leave you in the dust like that."

Hermione rolled her eyes and started transfiguring handkerchiefs into cushions. "Don't you have a handkerchief, Harry?" she asked.

"I just gave mine to the Bookwyrm," Harry said.

"You can use mine," Hermione said. "I'll stand."

"Maybe we could get out the way Bookwyrm got in?" Ron suggested.

"Getting anxious to get out of here?" Hermione teased.

"I'm getting hungry," Ron said.

Hermione muttered to herself. "And I'm surprised. I'm definitely losing it."

Without even consulting each other, Fred, George and Harry decided to steer the conversation away from this.

"So, maybe we should try to find the Bookwyrm's exit," George said. "He can't attack, because he lost the riddle contest and I think the five of us can keep him honest."

Fred grinned. "That almost rhymed."

"I'm a poet," George said modestly.

"You're an idiot," Ron grumbled at him.

"So I've been told," George said. "But I'm not one of the three who fell behind the bookcase by accident!"

Ron responded with a gesture that caused Hermione to whack his hand with her wand. Ron yelped and glared. The other three made a point of searching for the Bookwyrm's exit while Ron and Hermione glared it out.

**** Bookwyrm ****

The Bookwyrm cursed sibilantly as it wended its way towards the statue of Godric Gryffindor. It was Christmas Eve and he'd been cheated out of his dinner. Some holiday this was going to be. He wondered if he could pick up a drunk or two outside the Three Broomsticks. Then he decided against it. With the way his luck was running, he'd run into that damnable Hagrid.

It was bad enough that the vulgar game keeper was twice the size of a normal human; he was completely inedible! On top of that, Hagrid wanted to make a PET of him! "A bookwyrm's not quite as good as a dragon, but it's close," the oaf had said when he'd tried to shut him up in a giant terrarium. Not quite as good as a dragon! Some oafs have a lot of nerve!

He was still cursing to himself when a low growl ripped the frosty air. The Bookwyrm raised his head and puffed his hood out as he wheeled around to face the source of the sound. It was a Grim. Normally, dragon's kin wouldn't fear a dog. However, after the Bookwyrm sized up his bear-sized challenger, he decided to make an exception.

Anxiously, he attempted to sidle past the bear-sized, black dog, but the Grim blocked his path. 'I'm Grim chow,' thought the BookWyrm. Then it looked into the dog's pale blue eyes. "Wait, a Grim's eyes should be fiery! At the very least, they should be red!" he spoke aloud, in English, to see if he'd get a reaction.

The dog sat back on its haunches and lolled out its tongue, which was red.

The Bookwyrm flicked his tongue out, tasting the air. "You're no dog," he accused. "You're an animagus. On top of that, you're an illegal animagus. I know, because I've read the roster of registered animagi many times."

The animagus' grin grew wider. Ersatz dog or not, that thing still had big teeth. The Bookwyrm felt a little braver now, though. Humans had standards. Humans didn't go around eating people. "Show yourself, human," he challenged. "Riddle me this, I soar without wings, I see without eyes. I've traveled the universe to and fro. I've conquered the world, yet I've never been anywhere but home. Who am I?"

The dog disappeared with a small pop, leaving behind a tall, painfully thin man with waist long, tangled hair and a skull-like face.

'So much for humans having standards,' thought the Bookwyrm with scorn.

"You are my imagination," the Animagus said in a rusty voice.

The Bookwyrm was taken aback for a moment, until he realized the human had answered his riddle. Obviously, the Animagus wouldn't need to be introduced to this game.

The Animagus spoke again. "The waters are wild, the walls are of stone, but the strongest bond is despair. Of all the prisoners, I alone, battled my way free from there." He paused, then added. "Who am I?"

'A prison that uses despair as a bond? Obviously Azkaban, and the only prisoner who ever escaped from Azkaban was…' The Bookwyrm swallowed. "Sirius Black."

The Animagus inclined his head slightly. "I am."

The Bookwyrm flinched. 'I was better off with the Grim!'

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Author's Notes: Thanks for the reviews!

Almah: I think your stories are funny! Thanks for the comments about the Bernie Bott's Every Flavor bean! I think I spent as much time coming up with flavors as I did on the plot!

Glad you liked the first two chapters, Unrepentant Reader, hope you like this one and the next two!

Hi, Silver Arrow! Thanks, I worked hard to keep the characters true to canon. I think you do a good job of that yourself, your stories are brilliant! And thanks for the mention in your Author's Notes!

Hi, Chary! Love your "Beloved on This Earth"! Thanks for the kind words on my story!

Kelly the Maiden-- I'll e-mail you as soon as I have this posted! Thanks for the moral support. (I wasn't planning a second chapter for "A Harry Situation" or "Keeping in Touch", but the plot bunnies lurking under my bed have different ideas.)