My name is Harry Potter.
I sincerely hoped Rachel was wrong, and Malfoy didn't know about her being an "Andalite bandit". If Malfoy knew… Well, I just didn't want to think about it.
It was just Hermione, Ron, and I sitting in the common room late that evening, in our usual three armchairs in front of the fireplace. Ron was dozing lightly in his armchair. Hermione had her nose buried in her book, but she was blinking frequently. I stated at the fireplace, but I was falling asleep too.
I think I nodded off eventually. It was Hermione's cry of dismay that jerked me from my sleep. I blinked sleepily and confusedly. Ron never came to, but remained snoring in his armchair.
Sirius's head was sitting in the common room fire. I sat up straight in my seat and, after a few seconds, leapt to squat in front of the hearth.
"Hello," Sirius said with a grin, "How are you doing, Harry?"
"Um, fine, Sirius. Could you do me a favor?"
"Anything, Harry."
"Could you come through and see something?"
Sirius's face brightened. "I thought you'd never ask!" he said, "Wait just one moment." He disappeared for a moment and reappeared suddenly, tumbling out of the fireplace. "What do you need me to see?"
"It's not here," I said, glancing nervously at the staircase. "Listen, could you do a spell for me?"
Frowning, Sirius pulled out a wand and did a spell. A mug of hot chocolate appeared, which he took from midair and took a sip of. "What's this got to do with anything?"
I shook my head. "Not now. Can you turn into a dog for a moment? I have to go grab the Invisibility Cloak," I said, turning and running up the stairs. I grabbed it and flew down the stairs. By the time I got back down, he was a dog, grinning and panting with his tongue hanging out.
"Hermione, come under here with me. Sirius, can you follow us when we're under the cloak?"
He nodded.
I threw the cloak over Hermione and me and left the common room. Sirius followed, nose quivering. Mrs. Norris caught Sirius once, but I think he must have said something to her and she padded away.
He stopped and gave a low bark when we went into Moaning Myrtle's bathroom. I took off the Cloak and beckoned for him to follow. He did so, but grudgingly. I folded the Cloak and hid it in a stall.
Sirius became a man again. "What are we doing?" he hissed.
"I have to show you something," I repeated. I turned to the sink, found the snake engraved into the handle, and hissed, "Open."
The sink slid away, leaving the portal to the Chamber of Secrets. Sirius jumped back, shocked, and stared at me. "We have to go to the Chamber of Secrets," I explained, "There's someone I need you to meet."
"Down there?" Sirius asked.
"Down there," I confirmed. I turned and jumped down the pipe. I heard two thuds as Sirius and Hermione followed. I lead them all to the Chamber itself.
The Animorphs were awake when I arrived. "Hey, guys, there's someone I need you to meet—" I said, breaking off as Sirius entered the room. He looked around him with wide eyes, eyes roving over the giant Salazar Slytherin statue, the dead Basilisk, and finally at the Animorphs.
"Harry, what's going on?" he demanded.
"Sirius, meet the Animorphs," I said with a grin, pointing. "This is Jake, Rachel, Cassie, Marco, Ax, and Tobias. Animorphs, this is my godfather Sirius Black."
"What is that?" Sirius asked, pointing at Ax.
Ax had his tail blade cocked and ready for action. None of the Animorphs moved. Finally, Ax said, That happens to be an Andalite. I am Aximili-Esgarrouth-Isthill. My human friends call me Ax.
Sirius gave a start when Ax spoke. He observed the six, as they did him.
"Why did you bring him here, Harry?" Jake asked finally.
"He can help," I said excitedly, "He's an Animagus—"
"Harry!" Sirius yelped, "Don't tell them! I—I'm not registered, first of all, and neither were James and Wormtail! Second of all, I'm an escaped convict from Azkaban!"
"Sirius, it's okay," I said, "They're friends. You see, they're fighting parasitic aliens that control your body by going through your ear. Voldemort" —Hermione flinched— "has allied with them. They're planning to get Hogwarts and then the world! They're special Animagi, though. They can become more than one animal."
This was followed by a prolonged silence.
"Harry," Sirius said, looking harassed, "How could you believe a story like this? You're smarter than that! Do you realize you've put us all, the Order of the Phoenix included, in trouble?"
"No, no, it's not just a story! I've seen it with my own eyes!" I said, getting so frustrated I stomped my foot. "Hermione, you can vouch for me!"
"T-they can," Hermione said slowly, "I've seen it."
"Prove it," Sirius said, nostrils flared.
"Could you, Jake?" I pleaded.
Jake turned to Cassie. "You're an Estreen, Cassie. I'm sure if Harry knows Sirius isn't a murderer or a Controller, he's right. Could you morph for him?"
Cassie nodded and stepped out from the shadows. She held Sirius's gaze. As she did so, a feather pattern zoomed down her skin. The feathers became real. Her mouth and nose converged and sprouted outward, forming a beak. Her fingers melted into feathers and her arms reshaped, making her a human with feathers and wings.
Her eyes changed color and shape. She shrank. The skin on her legs became hard and scaly. Her toes came together to form three talons on each foot. Her bone structure changed.
When she finished, I held out my arm. She flew up and landed there. Hello, Mr. Black. My name is Cassie. I'm an Animorph. Cassie said sweetly in thought-speak.
Sirius stared. He reached over to stroke her feathered head and said, "May I?"
Yes.
He ran his fingers over her head. "Can you really become more than one animal?" he asked.
She nodded, fluttered to the ground, and demorphed. She remorphed to wolf, demorphed, and became a fly. When she demorphed for the last time, I was sure my godfather was convinced.
"Sirius, could you transform and show them you can too?" I asked. He nodded weakly. With a little "pop" he became the big black dog I had mistaken for a grim in third year. The Animorphs gasped, surprised at such a quick transformation.
I absently scratched him behind the ears. He looked up at me, panting, his tongue lolling. Once I had put my hand back at my side, he became human again. He looked down at me and said, "Now, explain."
And I did.
"Oh, Harry," he murmured when I finished, "Why didn't you tell me before?"
"I didn't know if you were a Controller or not."
Sirius's lips stretched into a thin line. "I haven't been out of my house since the Triwizard Tournament."
"Um… Mr. Black?" Cassie asked timidly.
Sirius blinked at being addressed like this. "Call me Sirius." He paused, then added thoughtfully, "Or Padfoot, even. Please don't call me Mr. Black. It brings back memories of sixth year detention."
"Did you really commit that murder?"
Sirius's nostrils flared. "No. I was framed. I was supposed to be Lily and James's—I mean, Mr. and Mrs. Potter's—Secret-Keeper. Instead, I told them to use my friend Peter Pettigrew. It turns out he was Voldemort's spy. He betrayed them. Voldemort came and murdered Harry's parents. I cornered him on a street full of muggles—non-magic people—to kill him for what he did."
He paused, smiling regretfully. "He yelled for the whole street to hear that I had betrayed Lily and James and cut his finger off. Then he blew up half the street, killing thirteen people, and transformed into a rat. He scrambled down into the sewer and was considered dead."
He sighed. "We were never registered as Animagi, which is both a good and bad thing. No one would have believed me if I said he had become a rat and escaped. But I escaped from Azkaban by becoming a dog."
"S-so… you were framed?" Cassie repeated.
He nodded solemnly.
"Why did you become unregistered Animagi?" asked Marco.
Sirius looked dreamy for a moment. He smiled and closed his eyes. "One of my best friends is a werewolf. We became Animagi so that we could run around with him under the full moon. It helped him somehow. It was all James's idea. It took five years, but we did it."
"You said something about sixth year detention… why? Did you spend the whole year in detention something?"
Sirius laughed. "I did, actually. James, Remus, and I were masters of the prank. I remember when we turned McGonagall's hair blue with her own Color-Changing Charm. No one would tell her about it, but she found out eventually. We got two months of detention for that. Then there was there was the time enchanted the snow outside the castle to pelt any Slytherin that walked out. Oh, and there was also the time—"
I cut him off with, "Sirius, be serious!" Once the words left my mouth, I realized how incredibly stupid this sounded.
"But I am Sirius," Sirius said with a wide grin.
Marco looked at Sirius with wide eyes. "Sirius Black, you are my new idol."
Sirius looked rather surprised at this, but then roared with laughter. Everyone laughed. I hadn't heard Sirius laugh like that before.
Once we had calmed down, I asked Sirius, "Could you test the Order of the Phoenix to see if we've been infiltrated?"
He nodded, giving me a dog-like grin.
I pulled back my sleeve and looked at my watch. It was three in the morning, and if I didn't get back soon I'd have no sleep for class. "Holy hippogriffs! We have to get back!"
We rushed back to the common room. Sirius left the same way he came: the fireplace. He said goodbye with the promise of secrecy. Hermione went up to the girls' dormitory with a yawn and goodnight. I quickly put my Cloak away and went back to the common room.
Ron was still asleep on his armchair. I shook him awake. "Ron," I whispered, "Ron."
He grunted and woke up. He blinked sleepily at me. "What time is it?"
"Three in the morning. We all fell asleep." I lied.
He stretched. "Oh."
We walked up to the dormitory. When I got into the room, Seamus, Dean, and Neville were all awake and dressed. I raised my eyebrows. "Uuuh… hi. What are you all doing?"
"It's time you found out what's causing this illness."
Ron said this from behind me. He grabbed my arms before I could do anything. I jerked and tried to get away. The other three advanced on me. "Guys, this isn't funny," I said, my heart racing.
"You're right," Neville said with a grin that held no warmth, "It isn't."
My scar suddenly exploded with pain. I yelled. My knees buckled and gave way. Seamus hurriedly stuffed a gag in my mouth, but I could hardly feel it the pain in my head was so violent. Then I knew something that nearly made my heart stop: Voldemort was pleased.
I was dimly aware of being shoved to my feet. When the pain finally died away, I was being forced down the corridor. I struggled, but to no avail.
They shoved me and pulled me down many flights of stairs. We were going deeper than I had ever been in the school before. When we stopped, I knew we were maybe miles below the school. All thoughts stopped, though, when we entered the room.
We were high up, so I could see almost everything. The room was huge, probably the width of the school. There was a huge pool filled with gray sludge in the middle of the room. Cages lined the walls and people filled them: people I knew. Alien species I had never seen before filled the room. People, my schoolmates, were being forced onto a loading pier.
Then I knew this was the Yeerk pool.
Screams filled my ears. Threats, pleads, cries of sorrow reverberated through the room. The worst were the people who sat and stared blankly at the wall, defeated.
I watched in horror as Roger Davies, the Ravenclaw Quidditch Captain, was dragged to the pier. He struggled against the seven-foot-tall, bladed creatures that held him captive. "I'LL GET YOU FOR THIS!" He screamed. They kicked his legs out from underneath him.
"NO! NO! NOT AGAIN! YOU CAN'T—"
His screech was cut short as a Yeerk crawled his ear. The bladed aliens let go and he calmly stood up, fixing his robes. He left the pier.
It was the most horrible thing I had ever seen.
"C'mon," grunted Dean, shoving me.
Ron suddenly stumbled. He yelled, his face furious and determined and horrified at the same time. "NO!" exploded from his lips. I knew then that that was the real Ron. He staggered and fell, screaming, off the stairs leading down to the Yeerk pool.
"RON!" I yelled, horror-struck.
"Get moving," Dean snarled, kicking me. I moved, looking blank. Had the fall killed him?
We stopped in front of an Andalite. He looked like Ax, but older. The… aura, I guess, that radiated from him was totally different and could only be described with one word: evil.
Aaah… it said, fixing all four eyes on me, So this is the famous Harry Potter.
I spat at his feet and he laughed.
Yes, a defiant little thing. Lord Voldemort told me to expect this. I am Visser Three, Harry, and I am going to be your new master.
"No one will ever be my master," I snarled. My wand was in my pocket. I strained to get at it… it was only inches away…
Stop him! Visser Three roared, Disarm him!
I cringed and expected an "Expelliarmus" to come flying my way. It never came, but I felt my wand slide out of my pocket. I stared at it. It was my only protection and it had been taken away.
Have him infested. the Visser said.
Dean, Seamus, and Neville handed me over to the bladed aliens. My eyes widened. I struggled harder than ever, but there was no escape for me; they were too strong.
They brought me to the pier. Every fiber in my body was hoping Dumbledore would come, or Hermione, or the Animorphs… or someone.
They kicked my legs out from under me, making my knees throb as I landed on hard metal. My head fell forward. I rolled away while I had the chance, but they grabbed me and held me down. They pressed my head into the sludge. I closed my eyes. They couldn't make me beg. Not in a thousand years.
I felt something crawl into my ear. I held my breath. I felt pain as it squeezed into my ear but then it numbed. I was suddenly aware that I couldn't move my arms and legs. My eyes opened and focused, but I didn't do it.
This had to be a horrible dream. This had to be a nightmare!
"No!" I screamed, but the words never left my lips.
Hello, Harry Potter, said the Yeerk in my head, sounding uncomfortable, I'm Erllon 658.
He got me to my feet. "Get out of my head," I demanded.
I wish I could, he said. I usually only take voluntary hosts. I'm sorry. I couldn't refuse you, because you'd be a big help in the Yeerk Peace Movement.
"Oh, great," I moaned. I wanted to sit down and put my face in my hands. "Not only do I have my free will taken away, I also get my magic taken away too!" I paused a moment, and then realized something with horror. "I can't play Quidditch anymore!"
Quidditch? Erllon asked. He flipped through my memories as he walked out of the Yeerk pool. He watched all my Quidditch matches with amazement. Wow! You're quite the player, aren't you?
"I was," I retorted, "But, unfortunately, I can't control my body now."
I said I was sorry, he said, sounded awkward. Dean tossed him my wand. Erllon caught it, looking a little surprised when he caught it easily with my Seeker reflexes.
He continued to flip through my memories. He went so fast I caught only glimpses: Dudley beating me up, Diagon Alley, the Sorting Hat, my first Quidditch match, the Sorcerer's Stone, Voldemort and Quirrell, and Dumbledore explaining to me.
He quickly moved onto second year: Dobby's warning, the voice in the walls, the writing on the wall, the bones in my arm disappearing, Nearly Headless Nick petrified, Hermione petrified, Aragog, fighting the Basilisk, Dumbledore explaining.
Then third year: blowing up Aunt Marge, seeing Sirius for the first time, the Knight Bus, Diagon Alley, Dementors, Professor Lupin…
And so he continued.
I wanted someone to help. Someone… anyone…
I screamed a scream that never left my lips.
I was a prisoner in my own mind!
A/N: See what I can do if I can really set my mind to something? This has got to be my best chapter, and maybe my longest. Sorry to leave you hanging like this, but it's getting too long and I have to take my contacts out. Heh, everything is fuzzy if I stare at it too long… like the computer screen! Plus, I went into the pool today and I need a shower (yeah, a little too much information). Heck, my clothes need a shower too, since I jumped in the pool with them on. ::thinks a moment:: I really am insane. Well, stick around for the next chapter, which is told by Cassie but I don't know the title! Hobey-ho!
