Chapter 15
Butterbeer for Everyone! (Harry)
My name is Harry Potter.
I had woken up at six o'clock, though I hadn't wanted to. It was my idea, however grudgingly I suggested it. The Animorphs and I were heading over to Hogsmeade early so that we could possibly avoid the school. If a teacher caught me there when I hadn't gone over with my other classmates (the Animorphs didn't have permission slips as I did), I would be in big trouble.
Which is the understatement of the year.
Yawning and stretching, I plodded down into the Chamber of Secrets. It just so happens that I'm not a morning person, so I didn't take the precaution to be quiet. I didn't care if the Animorphs woke up; I was awake, so why shouldn't they be?
They were awake when I entered, looking just as grumpy as me. They were all wearing their robes, so that they could pass off as students. They stared at me as I came in, and I knew why.
My uniform was a mess. My tie hung loosely from my neck. I was wearing the Quidditch socks that Dobby had made for me because they had been laid out for me this morning and I wasn't in the mood to dig through my trunk. I hadn't bothered to button up my robes, and the top button of my shirt was undone.
"Ready to go?" I asked.
Jake nodded sleepily. "Yup."
"C'mon then," I said, and led the way out of the corridor.
When we left the girls' room, I pulled the Marauder's Map out of my pocket. I held it out, tapped it with my wand, and said clearly, "I solemnly swear I am up to no good."
"What?" demanded Rachel, who had Tobias on her shoulder. We had discussed what to do last night, and decided Tobias and Ax would morph there. Marco and Cassie both carried backpacks with robes in them. Of course, Ax was human at the moment. He would demorph in the secret passageway.
I didn't answer her. Lines spread from the point where my wand touched the parchment, snaking around the page to form a map of Hogwarts. Word written by an invisible hand scrawled neatly across the top, "Messrs. Moony, Wormtail, Padfoot, and Prongs, Purveyors of Aids to Magical Mischief-Makers are proud to present the Marauder's Map".
The Map showed me that there were no students out of bed. The teachers were all in their offices. Filch was patrolling on the third floor, and Mrs. Norris on the fifth.
"What is that?" demanded Marco.
"The Marauder's Map. My dad and his friends made it. He was Prongs. Peter Pettigrew is Wormtail, Remus Lupin is Moony, and Sirius Black is Padfoot."
"Sirius Black? Isn't he that escaped convict?" asked Cassie, surprised.
"The one and only. He's my godfather." I said matter-of-factly.
I was greeted by silence and stares.
"Oh, I forgot to tell you he's innocent. Wormtail framed him for my parent's death, and being Voldemort's spy. He faked his own death. Sirius was taken to Azkaban, the wizard prison." I stopped, took a breath, and said, "You know, now's not the time for this. I'll tell you about it later."
"Oh, yeah," Jake said, snapping out of his daze.
I led them down the corridor to the statue of the one-eyed, old crone. I checked to make sure no one was heading our way before tapping the statue and saying, "Dissendium!"
The crone's hump opened, drawing gasps from the others. I took the backpacks from Marco and Cassie and shoved them down the hole. I handed the Map to Jake. "If anyone comes, close the hump and hide in that room." I said, pointing. He nodded.
I hoisted myself up into the hole. I grinned, waved, and said, "See ya!" I let myself go. I slid down a twisting and turning stone slid. The ride was fun, but not as fun as Quidditch. After a while, I hit damp soil.
I heard someone coming down after me and knew I had only moments before he or she landed on me. I hit the ground, grabbed the knapsacks, and rolled with my amazing Quidditch skills. Seconds later, Rachel was in the spot I had been.
It was pitch black in the tunnel, except for the ray of lay that came from the opening above. It disappeared as Jake, the last Animorph, came sliding down.
"Lumos," I said. The tip of my wand lit with blue fire.
"Here," Jake said, handing me the Map.
I held it out and tapped it again. "Mischief managed," I announced. The map of Hogwarts disappeared. I rolled it up and stuffed it down the front of my robes.
We waited as Ax demorphed. As soon as he finished, I took off in a sprint down the corridor. "Last one there buys butterbeer!" I yelled.
"Hey!" Marco shouted, running after me immediately, "No fair!"
Because I held the light, the others were forced to follow me. I heard a galloping sound. In seconds, Ax had passed me. A hawk's cry from ahead told me Tobias had too.
I ran as far as I could without stopping. Finally, exhausted, I slowed to a jog. Here I realized the ground was started to rise. We were almost there!
Ten minutes later, the Animorphs and I reached the stairs. Ax and Tobias were all ready there and waiting.
We started to walk up the many stone steps. After a few moments, my head hit something hard.
Thud!
"Ow!" I yelled, rubbing the spot furiously.
"Hey, Harry, how's your head?" sniggered Marco.
"Ha, ha, ha," I said dryly.
I motioned for the others to be silent. Slowly, I raised the trap door and peeped out. I saw someone shuffle down the stairs, and a voice calling to him.
"John, get a lot of everything. The school is coming over today. Bring the whole box of Bertie Bott's Every Flavor Beans up, too. They're very popular among the students," said a feminine voice.
John, a man in his mid-twenties or so, muttered to himself and shifted through the boxes. He begrudgingly carried it up the stairs.
When he was out of earshot, I said, "We have to get out one at a time. Watch me. Do it like I do."
The Animorphs nodded.
John came down again and took another box. As he started walking up the stairs, I silently darted out of the trapdoor and dodged behind a box. He came down again. When he had his back to me, I picked up the box, hoisted it up in my arms, and walked the stairs so that it would hide my face.
"Good, John," the woman who had called down to John purred, "Set it down just over there, okay?"
"Mmm-hmm," I answered, making sure to lower my voice. I set it down, rolled under the counter, and quickly exited the shop.
It took a little while for the others to come out, but they did. Tobias and Ax had morphed human to do it. The other Animorphs had morphed their wizard/witch morphs just in case they got caught. Much to my relief, they didn't.
I led them down a deserted rode. When Hogsmead was a safe distance away, we stopped.
"Okay. You ready, Harry?" Jake asked.
"Probably not, but let's get it over with." I retorted.
He smiled at me. He bent down and pulled the Escafil Device, holding it out flat on his palm. It glowed faintly now. I stared at it for a moment.
"Go on," Rachel said, "Just touch a side."
My mind raced. I was having second thoughts now, unfortunately. Mechanically, I held my hand out. After what seemed like an eon, I touched the Escafil Device.
A tingling sensation spread rapidly down my fingers and through my body. The feeling in my fingers and toes went numb. It reached my head and made my ears ring. My eyes slid out of focus, and the tension in my jaw slackened. My eyelids half closed.
The next thing I knew, someone was shaking me roughly by the shoulders. "Harry! Harry!" Tobias yelled.
The feeling returned in my body. My eyes could suddenly focus again and opened to their widest extent. I cried out in surprise and stumbled backward.
"What was that?" I yelled, soundly shaken.
"I—I don't know," spluttered Jake, "That didn't happen to any of us!"
Perhaps the morphing technology does not go well with your "magic", suggested Ax, Perhaps it erased your magic, or the morphing technology, or both.
"WHAT!?" I yelled, panicking. I whipped out my wand, pointed to a nearby rock, and screeched, "Accio rock!"
Much to my relief, the rock flew into my hand. Unfortunately, it came at me with such force it knocked me over.
My panic died away. I didn't care much for the power to morph, but as long as I still had my magic…
"Are you okay?" asked Cassie concernedly.
I nodded and stood hurriedly. I touched a hand to my pocket, which was full of galleons, sickles, and knuts. "I'm fine. You know, all this is making me thirsty. How 'bout a round of butterbeer on me?"
Jake smiled, relieved. "Sure."
Chatting happily, we went back into Hogsmeade. As we walked back, I started seeing Hogwarts students. I frowned to myself. No one but a Slytherin would make an issue of my being there, and, fortunately, I saw none.
I walked to a large table and sat down. Madame Rosmerta, dressed in a sparkly green dress with matching high-heel shoes, glided over our table. Her red hair was piled on top of her hair today, for it was turning out to be a warm day.
"Hello, Harry, have a nice summer?" she beamed.
"A great one, thanks." I replied.
"What will you be having today?"
"Seven butterbeers, please."
"Coming right up!" She walked away, her shoes clicking as they hit the wooden floor.
I turned to my new friends. "What's butterbeer?" asked Tobias. He ran a hand through his dirty blond hair.
"It's a drink. It's the best thing you've ever tasted in your life, believe me," I said fervently.
"Is it anything like beer?" asked Marco hopefully.
I laughed so hard I cried. "No," I choked, wiping away tears of mirth, "Of course not!"
Madame Rosmerta returned, a tray in one hand. She distributed the tankards and left, smiling cheerily at us.
I took a large gulp. The moment the liquid reached my stomach, warmth spread to every far inch of my body. I started to salivate, and wouldn't stop until I took another swig.
I watched the other's faces over the rim of my glass. They wore expressions of delighted surprise.
Suddenly, a yell from across the table made me drop my drink in shock.
"TASTE! TAAAAASTE!" screeched Ax.
People all over the pub turned to stare. Quickly, I waved my wand and muttered a spell. Quite suddenly, Ax found he couldn't talk.
Jake looked incredibly relieved. I winked at him.
"Thanks," he mouthed.
"No problem," I replied.
We finished our butterbeers. I left Ax mute, for I didn't want him calling attention to us. The rest of us, however, continued our talking.
When we finished, I gave them a tour of Hogsmeade. I showed them Zonko's, the Post Office, Honeydukes, and the other shops. I even bought them their own wands at the small wand shop on the outskirts of the village. Somehow, I knew that they'd need the wands later.
Marco and I had fun blowing bubbles with Droobles Best Blowing Gum, which made bubbles that lasted for days. I astounded Cassie with the Toothflossing Stringmints. I amazed Rachel by showing her how to breathe fire after eating Pepper Imps. I made Tobias laugh with Ice Mice. I shocked Ax with Bertie Bott's Every Flavor Beans. Jake and I over-enjoyed eating exploding bonbons.
We all went up for a visit to the Shrieking Shack, where I explained that it wasn't haunted. That's where we ran into trouble.
"Well, if it isn't scar-head and his fan club," drawled a cold voice from behind us.
I spun around. Malfoy, Crabbe, and Goyle approached us. Malfoy was walking his usual swaggering gait. His two bodyguards lumbered behind him like apes.
"Why, if it isn't the amazing, bouncing ferret and his two pet apes," I retorted immediately.
Malfoy winced. His pale face flushed. Crabbe and Goyle took a minute to process the insult, and then cracked their knuckles menacingly.
"Well, at least I didn't kill someone," he snapped.
I swear I would have been at his throat if Crabbe and Goyle hadn't stopped me. They held me back as I fought furiously to get at the little weasel.
"I didn't kill him!" I shouted, "Wormtail killed him, you little—"
"Let him go," interrupted Jake. He chose a good moment to interject, because I had been about to call Malfoy something extremely rude.
"Why should they?" asked Malfoy coolly.
Rachel's hands balled into fists. "Because he said so, you freak." She hissed through clenched teeth.
Malfoy examined her closely, and raised his eyebrows in slight surprise.
"Why, you're in Slytherin," he said, stating the obvious.
"So? What's it to you?" snapped Rachel.
"What are you doing, hanging around with this bunch of looser Gryffindors? Why don't you come with us, your own kind. I mean, I know no decent Slytherin who hangs around with arrogant Gryffindors, pushover Hufflepuffs, and know-it-all Ravenclaws! You've gotten yourself in the wrong crowd!"
Rachel would have been on him if Jake hadn't grabbed the back of her robes. "Those arrogant Gryffindors, pushover Hufflepuffs, and know-it-all Ravenclaws happen to be my friends!" she shrieked, fighting her cousin to get to him.
Malfoy shrugged. "Suit yourself." He turned to me. "I never did get to finish what I was saying on the train home, now, did I? Now, what did I say? Oh, yes. You've picked the wrong side, Potter. You're going to meet the same sticky fate as your parents. Just you wait. Lord Voldemort will prevail. He will kill you, like he should've fourteen years ago. He will. It's only a matter of time."
By then, I was seriously seeing red. Unbelievable hatred flooded my veins. My heart thudded and leapt into my throat.
He clicked his fingers. Without warning, Crabbe's fist connected squarely with my face. I yelled in pain. A loud snapping noise told me my glasses had just broken in half. Something wet dribbled down my upper lip. Disbelievingly, I touched it. My fingers came away wet with blood.
I lashed out with my wand. "Stupefy! Stupefy!" I screamed, hitting Crabbe and Goyle both in the back with Stunning Spells. They fell, knocked out cold. Malfoy turned around, shocked.
"Impedimenta!" I screeched. He froze. I shot several different curses at him. The Triwizard Tournament had taught me some handy self-defense skills.
I turned sharply and started to walk down the hill. Jake followed me, looking a little subdued. "What was that?" he asked, giving me a sideways look.
I looked at him, eyes glinting. "I've had too much of that little git. For the past five years, all he's done is taunt me about my parents, my friends, and many other things. I couldn't take it any longer."
"Oh."
We walked in silence a little longer. Cassie gathered up all her courage and squeaked, "What was that he said? About you killing someone?"
I froze in my tracks. The road was no longer in front of me. Instead, I saw Cedric Diggory lying by my side, dead. He clutched the Triwizard Cup in one hand. A look of mild surprise was on his face, and his eyes were wide and glassy.
I shook my head, clearing the vision. "I didn't kill him," I said softly, "Wormtail did. I won a tournament, and the prize turned out to be a portkey, something that transported me to a graveyard. Since me and Cedric had taken the Cup at the same time, it took us both. It was supposed to just be me. It was supposed to be just me so that Voldemort could kill me. He told Wormtail to 'kill the spare'. Well, he did. He killed Cedric. It's not my fault."
"Oh, Harry," whispered Cassie. She was about to say more, but we arrived at Honeydukes and I didn't let her finish.
Somehow, we managed to get back to Hogwarts without anyone seeing us. I bit them goodnight at Moaning Myrtle's Bathroom and went back up into my dormitory. There, I flopped down on my bed, grabbed my photo album off my bedside table, and closed the curtains around my bed.
I wasn't hungry for dinner.
I flipped through the photo album and felt tears prick at the back of my eyes. I closed my eyes and willed them to go away.
Anger filled my mind and nearly drowned out my senses. My thoughts chased one another in my mind. Who to blame for all this? Who to blame for my parent's death? Who to blame for Cedric's death?
Wormtail? Lucious Malfoy? Any other Death Eater?
No.
Whenever I asked myself this, it always came back to one person. It always was because of this person. There was one person to blame.
Voldemort.
Although I didn't know how, I knew one thing: he was going to pay.
And he was going to pay soon.
A/N: Muahahaha! I've officially completed this in one day! Woo-hoo! It's one of my longer chapters, too! I hope you enjoyed it. In case you're wondering, this story is nowhere near finished. I hope you like long stories! Stick around for the next chapter, "Chapter 16: Morphing Lessons (Tobias)"! (side note: the title may change!)
::looking overwhelmed:: Well, Reflections… heh, that's a lot-o-questions. I'll do my best to answer them, using my encyclopedic knowledge of both Harry Potter and the Animorphs! ::wink wink::
Q: About absorbing DNA, does magic act as a preserver of it? For instance would a phoenix wand core still have DNA that can be absorbed, dragon heartstring? unicorn hair? maybe even certain potion ingredients?
A: Well, as I see it, part of an animal would still have the original DNA of the creature. I'm not K. A. Applegate or anything, so I have no idea. I'm just telling you my theory. I probably will use things like this for the Animorphs, Harry, and company so they can get the DNA.
Q: In Animagi transformation is it DNA that changes or is it just a physical self-transfiguration?
A: Again, I have no idea, but I'll relay to you my theory. I think it's just a physical, self-transfiguration change. Though I don't know how wizards become Animagi, I'm pretty sure they can change into only one animal. I'm also pretty sure that the Animagi doesn't have to touch the animal and acquire its DNA. Transfiguration and morphing are basically the same thing, excepting the fact that one is technology and the other is magic. Two very different things.
Q: Would spells that affect the mind affect only the mind in control?
A: ::laughs:: Now, I personally know that K. A. Applegate and J. K. Rowling, though both two great authors, will never collaborate their stories. They have different styles. So, I'll tell you how I see it. I'm going to have to say it would affect both Yeerk and host. If something affects the host, it usually affects the Yeerk, and vice versa. Besides, the spell or potion would probably affect all sentiment minds inside the victim.
Q: If stupefy would force a person unconscious would the Yeerk in control be knocked out or would it be the physical host?
A: Both. Again, the spell would probably affect all sentiment minds in the victim. If it hit the host, it is going to hit the Yeerk. The Stunning Spell, as I see it, affects the mind. Since that is where the Yeerk is, I think it would affect both.
Q: Would a Yeerk's worst fear from a boggart a pile of salt? maybe even an Andalite? or maybe a broken Kandrona(sp?)? either would be interesting to explain in a DADA class.
A: Again (I'm using that word a lot now), there are two minds. Basically two persons inside one. The boggart would become half the Yeerk's fear and half the human's fear. This would only put the boggart in a fix, and confuse the D.A.D.A. teacher (unless he or she was a Yeerk).
Q: What would happen if they researched a spell to block physical entry into an ear? like sound may pass but nothing else will?
A: Well, that would sure muddle things for the Yeerks! Unfortunately, the only people in Hogwarts that know about the invasion are Controllers or kids. Now, Harry and Hermione don't have any expertise in the field of spell making. The only thing they could do was make a big mess of things. So, no, there is going to be nothing like that.
Q: If someone gets stuck as an Andalite can they still morph?
A: That's a question I know for sure! No, they could not still morph. The person would be a nothlit, same as Tobias and David. Just because Andalites invented the Escafil Device doesn't mean their immune to the two-hour morphing limit.
Okay, now that's over with! If you find something wrong with this, feel free to correct me in your review. I might change it in the next chapter's A/N. Thanks for your reviews again! I love you all! Till next time, this is Meagan, over and out!
