Author's Note: Hello everyone! Yes, I've gotten another Harry Potter story up. Or working on one, anyway. What with recent knowledge given to me after the 5th book's new release, I've decided that I'd try my wings with another story featuring the world's favorite wizard.
Here we find Harry has graduated from school and is working for the Order of the Phoenix alongside those who were already. With Voldemort still rising to power, it is Harry's safety that the Order worries about, therefore sending him into hiding. Unfortunately, history is beginning to repeat itself. One by one, Voldemort turns the Order's members, or kills them. And with each kill, he gets closer to finding Harry's whereabouts.
When rumor starts up that Harry has indeed been found by the Death Eaters, Sirius Black (whom I refuse to accept as dead if you haven't noticed) leaves to seek out his godson. Soon the story splits and we are following Sirius on his quest, living at Grimmauld Place with the Weasley's, traveling Europe with Hermione to find information on growing members of Voldemort's clan, running with Harry toward safety or danger, and in the end always coming back to the security of Hogwarts.
~Return to Grimmauld Place~
Platform nine and three quarters was packed with students returning from an unusually normal year as they had known it. Harry stood with Hedwig perched on his shoulder instead of in her normal cage. Ron and Hermione were at his side, as well as Ginny.
'I can't believe its over.' said Hermione, 'just like that, we've graduated!'
'And passing everything besides!' said Ron with a happy look at his N.E.W.T.s grade sheet once more. 'I can't believe it! An outstanding in Potions! Who knew I'd make it this far?'
'Who knew you'd make it at all!' Hermione shot back. 'You barely studied for that exam! You were lucky!'
Hermione, of course, had gotten an Excellent on her potions exam, but could not help badgering Ron, trying to make him feel guilty for his taking advantage of his luck. Harry stayed back with Ginny as they marched forward through the barrier, the both of them rolling their eyes at the pair.
'Think they'll ever stop?' Ginny asked before they followed through the wall.
'No. And it'll only get worse.' Ginny didn't know it, and of course neither did Hermione, but Ron had been intending on purposing when they had finished schooling at Hogwarts. He had even showed Harry the ring.
'She's a beauty, isn't she?' Ron had beamed. Harry couldn't believe it, personally.
'When are you going to ask her?'
'After we're all settled in.'
'But that'll be years, Ron.'
'I know. Gives me plenty of time.'
Harry sighed. Ron was putting too much hope into this and not enough brain. Hermione could well meet someone else by then. He didn't think to say a word about Hermione's past relationship with the famous Quidditch player Viktor Krum.
Ginny and Harry passed through the barrier together. Hermione and Ron had not stopped bickering. Sighing once more, Ginny and Harry passed them by and stepped out into the sunlit streets. The Dursleys were nowhere to be seen.
'Harry, where's your Uncle and Aunt?' Ginny asked.
'I'm not going back to Privet Drive.' he stated knowingly.
'Where are you going, then?'
'Grimmauld Place. Sirius said I can live there now if I like.'
Ginny smiled, though she hid it.
'That's where we were going to stay this summer!'
'I know.' Her eagerness seemed to fade. Harry looked around, somewhat suspiciously. 'Where's your ride.'
'Oh...I was under the impression that we were going to...well...you know.' she elbowed him gently in the side. He barely moved, but laughed all the same.
'Are we still up for that then?'
Ginny nodded. Hermione and Ron had caught up with them at last, their bickering finally at an end.
'Are we going then, Harry?' Ron asked.
'Yes, just sending Hedwig off first.' He stuck a note in her left foot and watched as she took off toward the sun.
'What was that?' Hermione asked as she shaded her eyes to watch the snow white owl.
'A letter to let then all know we're coming.' he turned to the others smiling. 'Ready then?'
They nodded. Harry eyed around and found a dank, abandoned alleyway about half the block's length down. With little consideration of the funny looks they received (they were, after all, still wearing their Hogwarts robes) they entered it. Harry stood watch.
'Ginny, Hermione, you first.'
The girls nodded. Before Harry turned around, a red hawk (Ginny) and a black tabby (Hermione) now stood in the middle of the alley. 'Your turn Ron.' A rather awkward looking cat that surely did not belong in London, if indeed anywhere in England, joined them. Harry turned his head. 'All right then?' A large black dog not unlike Sirius' form then stood before them all. With a slight yip he announced that they start the race back home. Ginny took off, her wings picking up a brilliant gust of wind that sent her off on a good head start. Hermione slinked away down the alleys, searching for shortcuts. Ron bound off, with Harry well after him, his tongue lolling in his mouth, enjoying the freedom of once again being an animagi.
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A small group of people sat around the basement kitchen table, making small conversation. Sirius Black, Remus Lupin, Alastor Moody, Kingsley from the Ministry, Mr. and Mrs. Weasley, Bill, Charlie, Fred, and George.
'I can't believe they've graduated already.' said Mrs. Weasley with a teary smile, referring to all of them save Ginny, who would be completing her last year at Hogwarts the next year. 'I'm so proud of all of them.'
'I wish I could have seen Harry's Defense Against the Dark Arts final exam grades.' said Lupin with a funny smile. 'He was always so good in that class. Enjoyed it too.'
'Wish I could've seen him at it.' said Moody with a growl. There was an awkward silence for some time before Mr. Weasley cleared his throat.
'I'm sure they all did fantastic!'
The others nodded, this seemed to do the topic justice.
'How are they all getting back?' Sirius asked, tipping his chair on the two back legs. 'Wasn't the Ministry sending cars for them?' There was a silence that made Sirius' chair clank loudly back down on the floor. 'Weren't they?'
Glances were cast around at Kingsley and Arthur.
'Err, there were no arrangements made for that.' said Kingsley, his face suddenly going slack and his eyes widening.
'What?' Sirius looked to Arthur. 'We sent a letter to the Ministry to-'
'Sirius there wasn't any letter regarding a pack of cars for the kids.'
Mrs. Weasley looked now to him angrily.
'How did you expect us to be picking up the kids then, dear?'
'I well....rather wondered that myself darling.'
Sirius looked outside. It was pitch black out. He could only imagine Ginny, Ron, Hermione and Harry waiting for them. Then another thought occurred to him, what if they'd given up and started walking? He stood, his chair falling backward onto the floor.
'Well, we're going to go get them.' he stated.
'Sirius you can't leave!' Molly stated fiercely.
He was about to turn around and remind her how Harry was his responsibility. He was about to tell her how he didn't care about himself with Harry out there and Voldemort well after him. He was about to yell at her for being so stupid to the fact that Sirius wasn't going to sit around with Harry in possible danger, when something brushed the back of his skull at amazing speed, knocking him into the wall.
A white blur whirled around them all, then landed in a daze on the table. The owl hooted warmly in greeting, looking around for the man she knew the letter was addressed to. She saw Sirius and hooted louder, as if hurrying him to take the letter.
'That's Hedwig.' said Fred immediately.
'Isn't she Harry's owl?' George asked.
'Yes, she is.' Mrs. Weasley replied, her eyes flashing up at Sirius. 'Well, the letter is obviously for you otherwise she wouldn't be throwing this fit! Take it! He's probably wondering where on earth we are!'
Sirius stepped forward. Hedwig hooted warmly and landed on his shoulder, nipping his ear affectionately. He took the letter, and she flew off, landing back on the table where Lupin was brandishing a small treat for her.
'Well?' Mrs. Weasley barked. He glared at her, then continued to read the letter. It was rather short, and he was quite confused as to what it meant.
'Sirius,' he started, reading it aloud. 'Hermione, Ron, and I will be arriving soon. Don't worry, we'll be fine. Look forward to seeing you all very soon. Love, Harry. P.s., you may want to open one of your windows.'
'Open a window?' Mrs. Weasley repeated.
'A rather strange request.' said Moody, his magical eye peering at the paper, reading it to himself.
'Well, we've got one open upstairs anyway...I just wonder how they're getting here?'
At that, Lupin smiled. Sirius cast him a quizzical expression, but before he could say a word a loud screech rang from upstairs. He turned to face the stairs and ducked in time to avoid a mouthful of red feathers from a hawk.
'What on earth?' Mrs. Weasley cried as she scooted back from the table. It landed where her tea had been moments ago. It then leapt into her chair and transformed almost instantly into Ginny.
Sirius stared in utter amazement, then laughed in humored realization. Ginny, however, stood almost immediately.
'I can't wait to tell Ron! I knew I'd beat him!'
At that moment, the baying of what sounded like an overlarge wolfhound echoed through the air.
'What on earth-?' Mr. Weasley looked around. 'That wasn't a werewolf?'
'Of course not.' said Lupin, his eyebrow raised casually as he stood.
'Oh...right...sorry.' he blushed. 'But what was it?'
Sirius clambered up the stairs, followed by Remus and the others. Ginny, however, was well in the lead. She opened the door, where a black cat slinked inside.
'Ron's not here yet?' she asked. Mrs. Weasley looked to Arthur as if their only daughter was going insane. But as they all looked up, the cat had disappeared and Hermione was standing before them all.
'Hello!' she greeted warmly. The others smiled. Lupin pulled her into a one armed embrace and smiled.
'I think I see where this is leading. Hello Hermione, good to see you.'
'And you, Professor.' she smiled, but then rounded on her heel to talk to Sirius. 'Harry and Ron will be arriving shortly, you might have heard Harry, he was howling something but I didn't bother with it because I was already on the porch.'
Sirius smiled, his eyes lighting for the first time she could ever remember.
'Thank you Hermione.' he turned to the others. 'If you wish, and if the children desire they can have anything out of the cabinets to eat. I'm going to meet them half way.' Remus nodded his head and smiled.
'Tell Harry hello for me.' he extended a hand to Ginny's shoulder. 'Hungry?' he asked.
'Famished!' Ginny stated.
Sirius slipped out of the door and transformed instantly. As a great black dog, he bound out toward the forest that was some distance down the street and away from the town, baying his own greeting. A howl greeted his own.
'Harry is that you?'
'Sirius! Hello! Are the others there?'
'Ginny and Hermione have already arrived.'
'Okay, coming now.'
As he continued running, another large black dog similar to himself came bounding out after him, an awkward looking cat slinking after him. The dog barked.
'There you are!'
Sirius laughed, tackling the other dog playfully.
'I should bite your ear, you know that?'
'What did I do?'
They continued to wrestle, having a great amount of fun.
'We thought the Ministry was coming to pick you up, its near midnight and you weren't back yet! You must live to scare the crap out of me!'
'Well yeah, that's part of my purpose!'
Sirius laughed.
'What's the other part.'
'To scare the crap out of everyone else.'
'Have I told you that you do a great job?'
'You don't have to, but thanks.'
Sirius nipped Harry's tail lovingly, as he reared and tackled Sirius from underneath. Sirius went tumbling, laughing hysterically inside.
'Should we be getting back? Ron's probably already arrived.'
'Yeah all right. I'll race you!' Harry peered down the road. For a moment Sirius started to take that back, realizing he had run all the way from the station, Harry was probably near exhaustion. But a sudden renewal in the unchanged emerald green eyes that would put any jewel to shame, and Sirius' tail raised in excitement.
'You're on!' he barked, and Harry bound off, Sirius chasing behind, yipping in glee.
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Remus heard the scratching on the door and the shrill familiar barks of an old friend. He smiled and opened the door. Two, not one, very large black dogs stared up at him with tongue's hanging out. Slightly surprised, he stepped backward, allowing them in. Closing the door behind him, he saw from the corner of his eye the brown eyed dog gently biting the ear of the green eyed one. Remus laughed, shaking his head.
'Now if you don't stop that Snuffles, I'm going to have you neutered!'
Immediately the dogs transformed. The green eyed one, as Remus had predicted, was Harry. The brown eyed one was Sirius, looking slightly unnerved at Remus' statement. Harry was, on the other hand, trying hard not to burst out laughing. Remus, however, did not bother to hide his laughter. He extended an arm to Harry and embraced him lightly.
'How are you Harry?'
'Good. How about yourself Professor Lupin?'
'I'm good. Quite glad to see you and your friends all right and arriving safely.'
'Oh, did Ron-'
'He's already here.' Remus smiled. 'In the basement, all of them eating. If you're hungry I'm sure you're welcome to help yourself.'
'Oh, of course!' Sirius stated as both pairs of eyes were cast questioningly to him. As Harry disappeared behind the basement door, Remus looked up and smiled slightly.
'Well, who does this remind you of?' he asked.
'Just like James.' Sirius stated, a sort of awe in his voice.
'Yes. But, I think there's some of you rubbing off on him.'
Sirius raised an eyebrow. 'Oh?'
'Yes. You'd think his animagus form would have been more similar to James'. Instead it was almost exactly identical to yours.'
'Is that bad?'
'No! Not at all!' Remus smiled brightly. 'In fact, I'm rather glad of it.'
Sirius watched as Remus stepped downstairs to join the others, leaving him alone to ponder the statement.
