Chapter 01 The Return
In the morning of the first day of classes Harry still had not shown himself at school, and many ones were worried about this. Others were feared that Voldemort had killed him. All in Gryffindor had hopes that he was alive and that he would be at school soon.
"I'm sure he will return soon." Said Neville at the breakfast that day, meanwhile McGonagall gave them the schedules.
"Maybe he didn't return yet because the first class of today." Said Ron with a groan.
"What are you talking about?" Asked confused Hermione checking her schedule.
"Divination." Was the only answer of the redhead to his friend.
"OH." Said Hermione understanding what her friend meant. Professor Trelawney always predicted the death to Harry. Hermione didn't believe in her, and less in the predictions she always did.
A few minutes later, Ron and Hermione guided the First Years students to Charms, their first Class, before they went to their own. Hermione went to Aritmancy and Ron to Divination.
****
Dumbledore was in his office writing in a few papers, wondering when Harry would return to the school. He hoped this morning was the moment of it.
Suddenly someone knocked on the door
"Come in!" Said the Headmaster, hoping, it was Harry.
"Canary Creams? You get crazier every day that passes to choose passwords to the office, Professor." Said jokingly from the door the Boy-Who-Lived.
"Harry, it's nice to see you." Said the old wizard hugging tightly the boy.
"Don't do it very hard, please. I think I have one or two broken ribs." Said Harry when Dumbledore released him.
"How did you break them?" Asked worriedly the Headmaster after he and Harry sat down in the chairs.
"It's a long story that I'm sure you know about it: Dursleys." Said flatly the Prefect.
"Where the hell have you been this whole month?" Asked Dumbledore sternly.
"Language, Professor. And I've been here and there. Traveling, working and training." Explained Harry mysteriously.
"Where is "here and there", Harry?" Asked with curiosity the Headmaster.
"It's for me to know and you to find out." Said Harry laughing.
"What did you mean with training?" Asked the Headmaster after Harry stopped with the laugh.
"Training the abilities that you hid from me." Said with a little of anger in his voice Harry.
"Harry, look . . . " Began Dumbledore, but Harry cut him off.
"I understand why you hid everything from me. I don't like it very much, but I understand it. I know all about my inheritance and my ancestors." Said Harry with seriousness in his voice.
"How did you find it out?" Asked surprised Dumbledore.
"Like I said: it's for me to know and you to find out." Said Harry, without any seriousness or anger in his voice. There was a joking tone in it.
"I suppose that you won't tell me very much about where you have been this summer, eh?" Asked smiling the Headmaster, being sure that the answer would be not.
"You'll know when you are ready to know it. Not before, not later." Said Harry imitating, extremely well, the tone of voice of Dumbledore.
"You sound nice like that." Said the Headmaster chuckling at this.
"Thanks." Said Harry with a bow.
"Harry, there are things you must know that I hid from you too all these years." Said seriously again Dumbledore.
"Professor, let's make a deal. You will tell them when I ask them. I know that you do this because all the things that happened over this summer. I want to know them when I want to do, not before or because you feel that you must tell it. Let's keep it in that way, ok?" Said Harry, meanwhile he was petting Fawkes.
"It will be like you wish, Harry." Said Dumbledore nodding at the young student.
"Before I forget, can you make a change in my classes? I want to drop Divination and take Ancient Runes. I have something that will require help and it comes in that subject." Said Harry seriously to Dumbledore returning to his chair.
"Sure. What is it?" Asked Dumbledore in confusion.
"You will know it when the moment is right, not before." Said Harry seriously to the Headmaster.
"Ok. But you'll have to take Divination until it's arranged, and if I'm not wrong is the first subject of the day for you. Minerva will give you the new schedule tomorrow." Said chuckling the Headmaster.
"Ok. Let's make a big exit from that class then." Said Harry with a smile like the twins' ones.
"I don't want to know what you mean with a "big exit", I'm sure I won't like it." Said with a smile Dumbledore.
"By the contrary, Professor. You'll love this." Said jokingly Harry.
"Before I forget, this is yours." Said Dumbledore, giving Harry a Prefect Badge.
"Are you joking? Me a Prefect? I break 100 schools' rules by year and I'm a Prefect? Definitely all the teachers from this school are as much crazy as you, Professor Dumbledore." Said Harry laughing putting the badge on his robes.
"No, we are not. We would be crazy if Mr. Draco Malfoy would be one of them." Said seriously the Headmaster.
"In that case, all of you should be at St. Mungo forever." Said laughing Harry.
"You are right in that Harry." Said Dumbledore chuckling.
"I guess it's time to show myself at school, uh?" Said Harry standing and going to the door.
"Yes. And Harry, it's nice to have you here again." Said smiling Dumbledore.
"It's good to be back at home, Professor." Said Harry exiting the office and going to the North Tower.
Dumbledore smiled at the last sentence before he went on writing on the papers he was at before Harry arrived.
****
When Harry entered in the Divination classroom, silence filled the place, before everyone cheered and went to hug and greet him.
"Welcome back, mate!" Exclaimed happily Ron after a big hug.
"Don't do it very hard. I have a few broken ribs." Said with a sign of hurt Harry.
"Sorry." Said sheepishly Ron, releasing him.
"It's ok and it's nice to see you again too." Said Harry with a smile.
"Mr. Potter, it's nice to see you again." Said in a misty tone Trelawney.
"You saw my return in the balls, didn't you Professor?" Asked Harry pointing the crystal balls that were on all the tables.
"Of course, my dear. They never fail." Said Trelawney proudly.
"As always." Said Harry sarcastically in a whisper sitting down next to Ron.
After a while, Harry decided to make the "big exit" from the class. This would be something that no one in that class was going to forget in many years.
"Tragedy!" Cried Harry with a fake sob.
"What.?" A very confused Ron began to ask.
"Watch this." Mouthed Harry to his friend with a smile like the twins' ones.
"I hope this is good, mate." Said Ron as Trelawney neared their table, alerted by Harry's yell.
"What happened, my dear?" Asked worriedly the Professor.
"I saw the Grim, Professor and the death of someone." Said Harry, going on with the fake sobs.
"Who died, dear?" Asked interested Trelawney, not guessing it was all a show.
"I shouldn't say Professor, believe me." Said Harry, with a face like of him had seen a ghost.
"Nonsense! You must tell me!" Exclaimed Trelawney, meanwhile all the class was seeing and hearing this with very much attention and interest.
"The dead were you, Professor!" Said Harry with fake tears.
At his side, Ron looked like he was going to burst out laughing at any moment. Harry didn't know how his friend controlled himself of doing it.
"Me?" Asked Trelawney as white as a ghost.
"Yes, Professor. The Grim was chasing you and he killed you." Said Harry going along with the show.
"Everyone exit the class. I must check the signs by myself and I must be alone to do it." Said Trelawney shaking from head to toe.
She didn't need to tell it twice. All of the boys of Gryffindor quickly reached the trap door and went down by the stairs. When they reached to the bottom and Parvati and Lavender weren't hearing them, the five bust out in laughter.
"It was great!" Exclaimed Dean, clapping Harry at the back when they stopped laughing.
"I've never seen Trelawney so white as today, mate!" Said Seamus, meanwhile they were on the way to Transfiguration.
"Yeah, she lost her "inner eye!" How couldn't she see the Grim this time?" Asked Ron still laughing.
"Yes and that was my exit from that class. I will begin with Ancient Runes soon." Explained Harry as they reached to the classroom of McGonagall.
"HARRY!!" Cried Hermione going to hug him.
"Hermione . . . I . . . need . . . to . . . breath!" Gasped Harry when she hugged him very tightly and strongly.
"Sorry. I was very worried about you." She said apologizing.
"No problem and it's nice to see you again." Said Harry smiling at his friend.
McGonagall entered the room and almost fainted when she saw Harry speaking to Hermione. "Mr. Potter, when did you return?" Asked the Head of Gryffindor, almost giving Harry a heart attack by the surprise.
"I just returned a while ago, Professor. It would be nice if you don't scare me like that again." Said Harry recovering the breath and his normal heart beatings.
McGonagall smiled, before seeing the rest of the class. She noted Parvati Patil and Lavender Brown some little paled, meanwhile the boys were grinning like mad and seemed that they were going to start laughing at any moment. She checked the schedule of the Fifth years students of Gryffindor and saw that before her class they had Divination with Trelawney.
"Whose death did she predict this time?" Asked the Professor referring to Trelawney and her usual prediction of death at the beginning of all years. During the last two, they had been to Harry Potter. Except the first class of them with Trelawney, Minerva had never seen them with those expressions.
"She didn't predict anyone's death. Harry predicted hers at the crystal ball." Explained Ron, trying to not laugh at the memory.
McGonagall couldn't help but have a little smile, to avoid starting to laugh. When she saw Harry, noted an innocent smile on his lips.
"What I needed, another prankster! As if I don't have enough with the Weasley twins!" Thought exasperated the Professor before she began to talk about the Animagus Transformation, and everything you needed to know about it.
The rest of the class the passed it taking notes about it.
"Mr. Potter I need to speak with you for a moment." Called McGonagall when all the students were leaving to lunch after the bell that signaled the end of the class.
"Yes, Professor?" Asked Harry after he said to his friends to go to the Hall without him.
"Where have you been this summer?" Asked worriedly his Head of House.
"Professor, I didn't tell that to Professor Dumbledore in our little chat this morning. What makes you think that I will do it now?" Asked laughing Harry.
"I had the hope to know it, being your Godmother." Said Minerva with a smile on his lips.
"WHAT???" Cried in surprise Harry. "Didn't Albus tell you the truth?" Asked surprised McGonagall.
"Not this one." Said sitting in a chair Harry.
"I thought he would tell you everything." Said Minerva in surprise.
"I asked him some time till I ask the questions that need the answers and till I want to hear the truth of everything. This is something that I never waited, trust me." Said Harry recovering from the shock of the news.
"Do you want to hear all the truth about this or you want to wait?" Asked Minerva smiling softly.
"Let me listen all the surprises together. It'll be easier to me." Said Harry laughing.
"Where have you been and what did you do all this month?" Asked again sternly McGonagall.
"I traveled, worked in many things, trained abilities, and did things that I don't want to remember about." Said Harry with a mysterious tone of voice.
"Excuse me?" Asked his Godmother confused.
"You don't want to hear about it, believe me. Every time I think about it, I have headaches." Said Harry not happy.
"So bad were those things?" Asked worriedly Minerva.
"Yes. And the worst part is that I don't remember very well what happened that night and how I finished like I did." Answered Harry smiling.
"How did you finish?" Asked with curiosity McGonagall.
"Like this." Said Harry pulling up the left sleeve of his robe to his shoulder to reveal a big tattoo of a Black Panther.
"How?" Asked impressed by the tattoo and not looking happy by it the Professor.
"Like I said before, I don't remember many things of that night. Actually, the last thing I remember is getting drunk with a friend of my job." Said Harry laughing.
"Did you get drunk??" Asked shocked McGonagall.
"Yes, very much. Every time I remember it, I have a headache." Said the student with a groan, pulling down the sleeve.
"What were you working at?" Asked with curiosity McGonagall.
"A DJ at a Muggle Disco. I worked there four days." Said Harry smiling at the memory.
"I never expected to see you as a DJ." Said chuckling the Head of Gryffindor.
"Neither did I till that moment." Said Harry laughing.
"Uh?" Asked confused Minerva.
"My friend, the one who got me drunk, was the DJ there. He took me as an assistant and he taught me all about how to be a DJ. I learnt everything with him." Answered Harry smiling.
"Those are an impressive tattoo and memories. I think you should go to lunch. Just for curiosity, where are your things?" Asked McGonagall when they were exiting the classroom.
"Here." Said Harry pulling off a chain from his neck with a very tiny trunk at the end.
"Did you shrink it?" Asked impressed McGonagall.
"Yes. I thought it would be bad to carry it always, so I did it and put it in a chain around my neck." Said Harry smiling when they reached the Hall.
Before any of them could say anything else, a little cat appeared in the door and started to run to Harry.
"Hey boy, I told you to wait me outside today." Said Harry picking up the cat in his arms.
"Is it yours?" Asked Minerva smiling at the cat.
"Yes. His name is Marauder. I found him alone and lost two weeks ago. Since then he's mine." Asked the Prefect petting the cat, who purred softly.
"Go to lunch, Harry. I'm sure that now EVERYBODY knows about your return and will want to see you." Said with a smile McGonagall.
"See you later, Professor." Said Harry entering the Great Hall and going to the Gryffindor table and McGonagall went to the Professor's table. ****
"Welcome back, mate!" Said grinning Fred as Harry sat down to lunch.
"It's nice to see you too, Fred. How are the "things" that we talked about last year?" Asked Harry, meaning the money that he gave to the twins last year.
"Very well! Everything is working on wheels." Said grinning George, meanwhile Fred nodded vigorously.
"I like it." Said Harry smiling, before asking: "Have you decided who will be captain this year at the team?" This was asked to both of them and to the three Chasers of the Gryffindor Quidditch House Team.
"We'll decide it tonight after dinner at the Common Room." Answered Katie with a smile. Harry nodded smiling.
"Is it yours?" Asked Alicia petting Marauder.
"Yes. His name is Marauder. I found him two weeks ago." Said smiling Harry, petting the cat.
"A nice name." Said Hermione petting him too.
"Where have you been, Harry?" Asked Lee Jordan, the friend of the twins.
"I didn't tell it to Dumbledore or McGonagall, what makes you think that I will tell it to you?" Answered jokingly Harry.
"Good point." Said Fred laughing.
"Is true what Ron said about Divination?" Asked amused George.
"Of course it is! That's what I call a big exit from a subject!" Answered laughing Harry.
"What do you mean with "big exit", Harry?" Asked confused Hermione.
"I'll drop it and will take Ancient Runes." Said Harry seriously in a tone that said that he would not talk about it anymore.
"Poor Trelawney! She'll lose his favorite student! Who do you think that she'll predict the death to now that Harry won't be there anymore?" Asked laughing Dean.
"With my luck, probably she'll continue predicting mine forever!" Said laughing Harry along the others.
The rest of the lunch passed quietly. Meanwhile, all the Gryffindors were laughing with Harry about things that he told.
****
"What do we have now?" Asked Harry when the lunch finished.
"Care of Magical Creatures with Professor Grubbly-Planks. Hagrid is working for Dumbledore since the half of the summer. He wrote us." Explained Hermione, when she saw the look of confusion at Harry's face.
This year the subject was taken by Gryffindor and Ravenclaw, not with Slytherin anymore.
"Great, friendly faces! The last thing I want to see in my first day of School is Malfoy's face!" Exclaimed Harry to his friends when the three of them reached to the class.
"Welcome everybody," started the Professor when everyone was there. "Today we'll begin to study the Heat Wolves. Can any of you tell me what are they?" Asked the Professor looking at the students.
"The Heat Wolves are tiny wolves that emit great heat and fire. If they consider you a friend, they won't burn you. If you are an enemy, they cause great damage with it." Said Hermione smiling proudly.
"Very well, Miss Granger, 10 points to Gryffindor." Said Grubbly-Planks, before turning to the students again: "This year everybody will have to raise one of them. This project will last surely all this year. Please, choose one of them and that will be yours." Explained the Professor to the students.
Harry and his friends went to where the wolves were and they took one of the little cubs and went to sit down again where they were at the beginning. The three cubs had a mix of red and yellow fur. It was a little hot when you touched it.
Harry called his "Moony" after the nickname of his ex-DADA teacher, Remus Lupin. Lupin was a werewolf and "Moony" was his name between the Marauders. Harry liked him a lot, and was sure that Remus wouldn't mind if he named his Heat Wolf with his nickname.
Hermione called hers "Star." She didn't tell the why of the name. She said she liked it to the Wolf and it would be the name.
Ron called his just "Red." He said that it was because the color of the fur of the animal and that he liked the color. To everybody's surprise, Marauder, who was always with Harry, got near Moony and instantly they started to play together.
"I think that they became friends fast!" Said Ron jokingly while he saw them getting fun together.
"Who is the owner of the cat?" Asked the Professor surprised by the actions of both animals.
"He's mine, Professor. Is there any problem?" Asked Harry hoping that there wasn't any.
"No. It's unusual to see a cat and a wolf playing together, nothing normal I must say." Said impressed Grubbly-Planks.
"The master of both animals isn't what you could call normal, Professor!" Said jokingly Harry.
"You are right in that, Potter, 10 points by being the master, and 10 for the cat and the relationship that both animals got into. It's impressive." Said the Professor smiling to Harry.
The rest of the class went on with the students becoming friends with the wolves. It was easy and no one had problems with it.
"What's next?" Asked Harry when the class finished.
"History of Magic." Said Ron checking his schedule.
"Where is your schedule, Harry?" Asked Hermione when they were going to Binns' classroom.
"Dumbledore said that McGonagall would give it to me tomorrow, or after the change of classes is arranged." Explained the Boy-Who-Lived meanwhile the three of them entered the classroom and took seats at the end of it.
Five minutes later Binns entered and he began to talk about the time of Merlin and his childhood.
As usual almost of the class fell asleep, except two persons: Hermione and Harry. Hermione always took notes, she was the only one who did it, of the class. Harry was listening with very much attention to this. Any of the Gryffindors knew why and nobody asked him either.
"Interesting class, eh Hermione?" Asked Harry when the three friends went to dinner after History.
"It was really good Harry. I didn't know many things of Merlin." Said excitedly the girl.
"Neither did I. The only problem is that Binns is really boring." Said Harry smiling entering in the Great Hall and sitting at the Gryffindor Table.
"Harry, meeting of the whole Team at McGonagall's Office after dinner. She wants to know who will be the Captain." Said Katie when they sat down and began to eat.
"Ok. Do you know when is the date of the tryouts? We need a new Keeper." Said Harry thinking about the free position at the team left by Wood, two years ago.
"We'll decide it tonight. And we need to make a reserve team too. Next year you and the Keeper will be the only players at the team." Said Alicia joining the chat.
"You are right. We need 2 Beater to replace the clowns of the House," said Harry referring to the twins, "three Chasers for you two and Angelina" Said pointing the girls and the other chaser, "a reserve Keeper and maybe a Seeker too. I guess I could start training him or her for when I graduate in two years." Finished Harry thinking about what Alicia told him.
"We'll decide tonight, then." Added Katie, before returning to her dinner.
"What were you three talking about, Harry?" Asked Collin Creevey, with his camera at his hands, after taking a picture of his idol, Harry Potter.
"Tryouts for the Team of Quidditch of the House, Collin. We'll need reserves for all the positions for the next year when the other five players graduate." Explained Harry, without being disturbed by the picture that was taken.
After eating the dinner, Harry and his partners in the Quidditch Team, Fred, George, the Beaters and Alicia, Katie and Angelina, the Chasers, went to McGonagall's office to discuss who would be the new Captain and the date of the tryouts for the team.
"Let begin with the most important matter here: the Captain. I received an owl from Mr. Wood with his suggestion to that position. I'll tell it after all of you say yours, in case it must untie the vote." Said McGonagall when the six students sat down.
"First of all, I don't want to be it. Being Head Girl will be consuming too much time to be Quidditch Captain too." Said Katie when McGonagall finished.
"I propose Harry to be it. The five of us will leave the school next year, and he has another two years on the team. Besides, if he wasn't in the team, Gryffindor wouldn't have won the Cup two years ago. All of us know it." Said Alicia.
"I'm with it." Said Fred and George at the same time.
"Miss Johnson?" Asked McGonagall to the last Chaser. "They are right. Harry's our best choice to the Captain's position." Said Angelina nodding to her partners.
"Congratulations, Mr. Potter you are the new Captain of the Team." Said smiling McGonagall to his Godson.
"Thanks. I didn't wait this, but I'm pleased with it." Said Harry with a little of shock by the news.
"A question, Professor. Who was Oliver's choice to the position?" Asked with curiosity Alicia.
"His choice was the same of yours, he chose Mr. Potter was his suggestion." Said McGonagall smiling, before asking: "What about the tryouts?"
"In two weeks. For that day everybody would have enough time to prepare themselves to them. Like I suggested, the best thing is having tryouts to all the positions not only Keeper. That will leave me a base for next year to play with a team ready to do it." Answered Harry thinking a little.
"I agree with that. Another thing the First Match will be against Slytherin a week after Halloween. I think that is time enough for you to have the team ready." Said McGonagall to Harry.
"It is Professor." Said the whole team at the same time.
"Post it at the Common Room in a week. I'll tell you the time in a few days." Said McGonagall signaling the end of the meeting.
"Goodnight, Professor." Said the team going out of the Office.
"Harry, if u dare to wake us up at dawn again like Wood did, we'll kill you!" Threatened the twins.
"At dawn I sleep, man! I don't do any training!" Said Harry laughing when they reached to the Gryffindor Common Room.
"How was it, Harry?" asked Ron when he sat next to him and Hermione.
"I'm the new Captain of the team and tryouts in two weeks." Said Harry tiredly.
"Congratulations, mate!" Said Ron smiling.
"Have to find a new Keeper right?" Asked Hermione happy by the news.
"Yes and we'll have tryouts to the Reserve Team. Next year all the other players will graduate and I'll need a team." Said Harry yawning. He stood up and said: "Goodnights, guys, I'll go to bed right now."
"Me too. Goodnights for both of you." Said Hermione going to her dormitory.
"Goodnight Hermione," answered the boys going to theirs.
When he reached the bedroom, Harry went to his bed and made his trunk to the normal size again. The other four boys were getting ready to sleep when he began to change his clothes
"Whoa, Harry! What is that?" Asked Dean pointing the tattoo of Harry's shoulder, when he was changing his robes to the pj's. The other saw impressed the tattoo too in awe.
"I'll tell you tomorrow. Goodnights all of you." Said Harry closing his curtains.
"Goodnight." Answered the other boys, before falling sleep quickly.
"It feels great to be back at home." Thought Harry, before falling sleep too.
In the morning of the first day of classes Harry still had not shown himself at school, and many ones were worried about this. Others were feared that Voldemort had killed him. All in Gryffindor had hopes that he was alive and that he would be at school soon.
"I'm sure he will return soon." Said Neville at the breakfast that day, meanwhile McGonagall gave them the schedules.
"Maybe he didn't return yet because the first class of today." Said Ron with a groan.
"What are you talking about?" Asked confused Hermione checking her schedule.
"Divination." Was the only answer of the redhead to his friend.
"OH." Said Hermione understanding what her friend meant. Professor Trelawney always predicted the death to Harry. Hermione didn't believe in her, and less in the predictions she always did.
A few minutes later, Ron and Hermione guided the First Years students to Charms, their first Class, before they went to their own. Hermione went to Aritmancy and Ron to Divination.
****
Dumbledore was in his office writing in a few papers, wondering when Harry would return to the school. He hoped this morning was the moment of it.
Suddenly someone knocked on the door
"Come in!" Said the Headmaster, hoping, it was Harry.
"Canary Creams? You get crazier every day that passes to choose passwords to the office, Professor." Said jokingly from the door the Boy-Who-Lived.
"Harry, it's nice to see you." Said the old wizard hugging tightly the boy.
"Don't do it very hard, please. I think I have one or two broken ribs." Said Harry when Dumbledore released him.
"How did you break them?" Asked worriedly the Headmaster after he and Harry sat down in the chairs.
"It's a long story that I'm sure you know about it: Dursleys." Said flatly the Prefect.
"Where the hell have you been this whole month?" Asked Dumbledore sternly.
"Language, Professor. And I've been here and there. Traveling, working and training." Explained Harry mysteriously.
"Where is "here and there", Harry?" Asked with curiosity the Headmaster.
"It's for me to know and you to find out." Said Harry laughing.
"What did you mean with training?" Asked the Headmaster after Harry stopped with the laugh.
"Training the abilities that you hid from me." Said with a little of anger in his voice Harry.
"Harry, look . . . " Began Dumbledore, but Harry cut him off.
"I understand why you hid everything from me. I don't like it very much, but I understand it. I know all about my inheritance and my ancestors." Said Harry with seriousness in his voice.
"How did you find it out?" Asked surprised Dumbledore.
"Like I said: it's for me to know and you to find out." Said Harry, without any seriousness or anger in his voice. There was a joking tone in it.
"I suppose that you won't tell me very much about where you have been this summer, eh?" Asked smiling the Headmaster, being sure that the answer would be not.
"You'll know when you are ready to know it. Not before, not later." Said Harry imitating, extremely well, the tone of voice of Dumbledore.
"You sound nice like that." Said the Headmaster chuckling at this.
"Thanks." Said Harry with a bow.
"Harry, there are things you must know that I hid from you too all these years." Said seriously again Dumbledore.
"Professor, let's make a deal. You will tell them when I ask them. I know that you do this because all the things that happened over this summer. I want to know them when I want to do, not before or because you feel that you must tell it. Let's keep it in that way, ok?" Said Harry, meanwhile he was petting Fawkes.
"It will be like you wish, Harry." Said Dumbledore nodding at the young student.
"Before I forget, can you make a change in my classes? I want to drop Divination and take Ancient Runes. I have something that will require help and it comes in that subject." Said Harry seriously to Dumbledore returning to his chair.
"Sure. What is it?" Asked Dumbledore in confusion.
"You will know it when the moment is right, not before." Said Harry seriously to the Headmaster.
"Ok. But you'll have to take Divination until it's arranged, and if I'm not wrong is the first subject of the day for you. Minerva will give you the new schedule tomorrow." Said chuckling the Headmaster.
"Ok. Let's make a big exit from that class then." Said Harry with a smile like the twins' ones.
"I don't want to know what you mean with a "big exit", I'm sure I won't like it." Said with a smile Dumbledore.
"By the contrary, Professor. You'll love this." Said jokingly Harry.
"Before I forget, this is yours." Said Dumbledore, giving Harry a Prefect Badge.
"Are you joking? Me a Prefect? I break 100 schools' rules by year and I'm a Prefect? Definitely all the teachers from this school are as much crazy as you, Professor Dumbledore." Said Harry laughing putting the badge on his robes.
"No, we are not. We would be crazy if Mr. Draco Malfoy would be one of them." Said seriously the Headmaster.
"In that case, all of you should be at St. Mungo forever." Said laughing Harry.
"You are right in that Harry." Said Dumbledore chuckling.
"I guess it's time to show myself at school, uh?" Said Harry standing and going to the door.
"Yes. And Harry, it's nice to have you here again." Said smiling Dumbledore.
"It's good to be back at home, Professor." Said Harry exiting the office and going to the North Tower.
Dumbledore smiled at the last sentence before he went on writing on the papers he was at before Harry arrived.
****
When Harry entered in the Divination classroom, silence filled the place, before everyone cheered and went to hug and greet him.
"Welcome back, mate!" Exclaimed happily Ron after a big hug.
"Don't do it very hard. I have a few broken ribs." Said with a sign of hurt Harry.
"Sorry." Said sheepishly Ron, releasing him.
"It's ok and it's nice to see you again too." Said Harry with a smile.
"Mr. Potter, it's nice to see you again." Said in a misty tone Trelawney.
"You saw my return in the balls, didn't you Professor?" Asked Harry pointing the crystal balls that were on all the tables.
"Of course, my dear. They never fail." Said Trelawney proudly.
"As always." Said Harry sarcastically in a whisper sitting down next to Ron.
After a while, Harry decided to make the "big exit" from the class. This would be something that no one in that class was going to forget in many years.
"Tragedy!" Cried Harry with a fake sob.
"What.?" A very confused Ron began to ask.
"Watch this." Mouthed Harry to his friend with a smile like the twins' ones.
"I hope this is good, mate." Said Ron as Trelawney neared their table, alerted by Harry's yell.
"What happened, my dear?" Asked worriedly the Professor.
"I saw the Grim, Professor and the death of someone." Said Harry, going on with the fake sobs.
"Who died, dear?" Asked interested Trelawney, not guessing it was all a show.
"I shouldn't say Professor, believe me." Said Harry, with a face like of him had seen a ghost.
"Nonsense! You must tell me!" Exclaimed Trelawney, meanwhile all the class was seeing and hearing this with very much attention and interest.
"The dead were you, Professor!" Said Harry with fake tears.
At his side, Ron looked like he was going to burst out laughing at any moment. Harry didn't know how his friend controlled himself of doing it.
"Me?" Asked Trelawney as white as a ghost.
"Yes, Professor. The Grim was chasing you and he killed you." Said Harry going along with the show.
"Everyone exit the class. I must check the signs by myself and I must be alone to do it." Said Trelawney shaking from head to toe.
She didn't need to tell it twice. All of the boys of Gryffindor quickly reached the trap door and went down by the stairs. When they reached to the bottom and Parvati and Lavender weren't hearing them, the five bust out in laughter.
"It was great!" Exclaimed Dean, clapping Harry at the back when they stopped laughing.
"I've never seen Trelawney so white as today, mate!" Said Seamus, meanwhile they were on the way to Transfiguration.
"Yeah, she lost her "inner eye!" How couldn't she see the Grim this time?" Asked Ron still laughing.
"Yes and that was my exit from that class. I will begin with Ancient Runes soon." Explained Harry as they reached to the classroom of McGonagall.
"HARRY!!" Cried Hermione going to hug him.
"Hermione . . . I . . . need . . . to . . . breath!" Gasped Harry when she hugged him very tightly and strongly.
"Sorry. I was very worried about you." She said apologizing.
"No problem and it's nice to see you again." Said Harry smiling at his friend.
McGonagall entered the room and almost fainted when she saw Harry speaking to Hermione. "Mr. Potter, when did you return?" Asked the Head of Gryffindor, almost giving Harry a heart attack by the surprise.
"I just returned a while ago, Professor. It would be nice if you don't scare me like that again." Said Harry recovering the breath and his normal heart beatings.
McGonagall smiled, before seeing the rest of the class. She noted Parvati Patil and Lavender Brown some little paled, meanwhile the boys were grinning like mad and seemed that they were going to start laughing at any moment. She checked the schedule of the Fifth years students of Gryffindor and saw that before her class they had Divination with Trelawney.
"Whose death did she predict this time?" Asked the Professor referring to Trelawney and her usual prediction of death at the beginning of all years. During the last two, they had been to Harry Potter. Except the first class of them with Trelawney, Minerva had never seen them with those expressions.
"She didn't predict anyone's death. Harry predicted hers at the crystal ball." Explained Ron, trying to not laugh at the memory.
McGonagall couldn't help but have a little smile, to avoid starting to laugh. When she saw Harry, noted an innocent smile on his lips.
"What I needed, another prankster! As if I don't have enough with the Weasley twins!" Thought exasperated the Professor before she began to talk about the Animagus Transformation, and everything you needed to know about it.
The rest of the class the passed it taking notes about it.
"Mr. Potter I need to speak with you for a moment." Called McGonagall when all the students were leaving to lunch after the bell that signaled the end of the class.
"Yes, Professor?" Asked Harry after he said to his friends to go to the Hall without him.
"Where have you been this summer?" Asked worriedly his Head of House.
"Professor, I didn't tell that to Professor Dumbledore in our little chat this morning. What makes you think that I will do it now?" Asked laughing Harry.
"I had the hope to know it, being your Godmother." Said Minerva with a smile on his lips.
"WHAT???" Cried in surprise Harry. "Didn't Albus tell you the truth?" Asked surprised McGonagall.
"Not this one." Said sitting in a chair Harry.
"I thought he would tell you everything." Said Minerva in surprise.
"I asked him some time till I ask the questions that need the answers and till I want to hear the truth of everything. This is something that I never waited, trust me." Said Harry recovering from the shock of the news.
"Do you want to hear all the truth about this or you want to wait?" Asked Minerva smiling softly.
"Let me listen all the surprises together. It'll be easier to me." Said Harry laughing.
"Where have you been and what did you do all this month?" Asked again sternly McGonagall.
"I traveled, worked in many things, trained abilities, and did things that I don't want to remember about." Said Harry with a mysterious tone of voice.
"Excuse me?" Asked his Godmother confused.
"You don't want to hear about it, believe me. Every time I think about it, I have headaches." Said Harry not happy.
"So bad were those things?" Asked worriedly Minerva.
"Yes. And the worst part is that I don't remember very well what happened that night and how I finished like I did." Answered Harry smiling.
"How did you finish?" Asked with curiosity McGonagall.
"Like this." Said Harry pulling up the left sleeve of his robe to his shoulder to reveal a big tattoo of a Black Panther.
"How?" Asked impressed by the tattoo and not looking happy by it the Professor.
"Like I said before, I don't remember many things of that night. Actually, the last thing I remember is getting drunk with a friend of my job." Said Harry laughing.
"Did you get drunk??" Asked shocked McGonagall.
"Yes, very much. Every time I remember it, I have a headache." Said the student with a groan, pulling down the sleeve.
"What were you working at?" Asked with curiosity McGonagall.
"A DJ at a Muggle Disco. I worked there four days." Said Harry smiling at the memory.
"I never expected to see you as a DJ." Said chuckling the Head of Gryffindor.
"Neither did I till that moment." Said Harry laughing.
"Uh?" Asked confused Minerva.
"My friend, the one who got me drunk, was the DJ there. He took me as an assistant and he taught me all about how to be a DJ. I learnt everything with him." Answered Harry smiling.
"Those are an impressive tattoo and memories. I think you should go to lunch. Just for curiosity, where are your things?" Asked McGonagall when they were exiting the classroom.
"Here." Said Harry pulling off a chain from his neck with a very tiny trunk at the end.
"Did you shrink it?" Asked impressed McGonagall.
"Yes. I thought it would be bad to carry it always, so I did it and put it in a chain around my neck." Said Harry smiling when they reached the Hall.
Before any of them could say anything else, a little cat appeared in the door and started to run to Harry.
"Hey boy, I told you to wait me outside today." Said Harry picking up the cat in his arms.
"Is it yours?" Asked Minerva smiling at the cat.
"Yes. His name is Marauder. I found him alone and lost two weeks ago. Since then he's mine." Asked the Prefect petting the cat, who purred softly.
"Go to lunch, Harry. I'm sure that now EVERYBODY knows about your return and will want to see you." Said with a smile McGonagall.
"See you later, Professor." Said Harry entering the Great Hall and going to the Gryffindor table and McGonagall went to the Professor's table. ****
"Welcome back, mate!" Said grinning Fred as Harry sat down to lunch.
"It's nice to see you too, Fred. How are the "things" that we talked about last year?" Asked Harry, meaning the money that he gave to the twins last year.
"Very well! Everything is working on wheels." Said grinning George, meanwhile Fred nodded vigorously.
"I like it." Said Harry smiling, before asking: "Have you decided who will be captain this year at the team?" This was asked to both of them and to the three Chasers of the Gryffindor Quidditch House Team.
"We'll decide it tonight after dinner at the Common Room." Answered Katie with a smile. Harry nodded smiling.
"Is it yours?" Asked Alicia petting Marauder.
"Yes. His name is Marauder. I found him two weeks ago." Said smiling Harry, petting the cat.
"A nice name." Said Hermione petting him too.
"Where have you been, Harry?" Asked Lee Jordan, the friend of the twins.
"I didn't tell it to Dumbledore or McGonagall, what makes you think that I will tell it to you?" Answered jokingly Harry.
"Good point." Said Fred laughing.
"Is true what Ron said about Divination?" Asked amused George.
"Of course it is! That's what I call a big exit from a subject!" Answered laughing Harry.
"What do you mean with "big exit", Harry?" Asked confused Hermione.
"I'll drop it and will take Ancient Runes." Said Harry seriously in a tone that said that he would not talk about it anymore.
"Poor Trelawney! She'll lose his favorite student! Who do you think that she'll predict the death to now that Harry won't be there anymore?" Asked laughing Dean.
"With my luck, probably she'll continue predicting mine forever!" Said laughing Harry along the others.
The rest of the lunch passed quietly. Meanwhile, all the Gryffindors were laughing with Harry about things that he told.
****
"What do we have now?" Asked Harry when the lunch finished.
"Care of Magical Creatures with Professor Grubbly-Planks. Hagrid is working for Dumbledore since the half of the summer. He wrote us." Explained Hermione, when she saw the look of confusion at Harry's face.
This year the subject was taken by Gryffindor and Ravenclaw, not with Slytherin anymore.
"Great, friendly faces! The last thing I want to see in my first day of School is Malfoy's face!" Exclaimed Harry to his friends when the three of them reached to the class.
"Welcome everybody," started the Professor when everyone was there. "Today we'll begin to study the Heat Wolves. Can any of you tell me what are they?" Asked the Professor looking at the students.
"The Heat Wolves are tiny wolves that emit great heat and fire. If they consider you a friend, they won't burn you. If you are an enemy, they cause great damage with it." Said Hermione smiling proudly.
"Very well, Miss Granger, 10 points to Gryffindor." Said Grubbly-Planks, before turning to the students again: "This year everybody will have to raise one of them. This project will last surely all this year. Please, choose one of them and that will be yours." Explained the Professor to the students.
Harry and his friends went to where the wolves were and they took one of the little cubs and went to sit down again where they were at the beginning. The three cubs had a mix of red and yellow fur. It was a little hot when you touched it.
Harry called his "Moony" after the nickname of his ex-DADA teacher, Remus Lupin. Lupin was a werewolf and "Moony" was his name between the Marauders. Harry liked him a lot, and was sure that Remus wouldn't mind if he named his Heat Wolf with his nickname.
Hermione called hers "Star." She didn't tell the why of the name. She said she liked it to the Wolf and it would be the name.
Ron called his just "Red." He said that it was because the color of the fur of the animal and that he liked the color. To everybody's surprise, Marauder, who was always with Harry, got near Moony and instantly they started to play together.
"I think that they became friends fast!" Said Ron jokingly while he saw them getting fun together.
"Who is the owner of the cat?" Asked the Professor surprised by the actions of both animals.
"He's mine, Professor. Is there any problem?" Asked Harry hoping that there wasn't any.
"No. It's unusual to see a cat and a wolf playing together, nothing normal I must say." Said impressed Grubbly-Planks.
"The master of both animals isn't what you could call normal, Professor!" Said jokingly Harry.
"You are right in that, Potter, 10 points by being the master, and 10 for the cat and the relationship that both animals got into. It's impressive." Said the Professor smiling to Harry.
The rest of the class went on with the students becoming friends with the wolves. It was easy and no one had problems with it.
"What's next?" Asked Harry when the class finished.
"History of Magic." Said Ron checking his schedule.
"Where is your schedule, Harry?" Asked Hermione when they were going to Binns' classroom.
"Dumbledore said that McGonagall would give it to me tomorrow, or after the change of classes is arranged." Explained the Boy-Who-Lived meanwhile the three of them entered the classroom and took seats at the end of it.
Five minutes later Binns entered and he began to talk about the time of Merlin and his childhood.
As usual almost of the class fell asleep, except two persons: Hermione and Harry. Hermione always took notes, she was the only one who did it, of the class. Harry was listening with very much attention to this. Any of the Gryffindors knew why and nobody asked him either.
"Interesting class, eh Hermione?" Asked Harry when the three friends went to dinner after History.
"It was really good Harry. I didn't know many things of Merlin." Said excitedly the girl.
"Neither did I. The only problem is that Binns is really boring." Said Harry smiling entering in the Great Hall and sitting at the Gryffindor Table.
"Harry, meeting of the whole Team at McGonagall's Office after dinner. She wants to know who will be the Captain." Said Katie when they sat down and began to eat.
"Ok. Do you know when is the date of the tryouts? We need a new Keeper." Said Harry thinking about the free position at the team left by Wood, two years ago.
"We'll decide it tonight. And we need to make a reserve team too. Next year you and the Keeper will be the only players at the team." Said Alicia joining the chat.
"You are right. We need 2 Beater to replace the clowns of the House," said Harry referring to the twins, "three Chasers for you two and Angelina" Said pointing the girls and the other chaser, "a reserve Keeper and maybe a Seeker too. I guess I could start training him or her for when I graduate in two years." Finished Harry thinking about what Alicia told him.
"We'll decide tonight, then." Added Katie, before returning to her dinner.
"What were you three talking about, Harry?" Asked Collin Creevey, with his camera at his hands, after taking a picture of his idol, Harry Potter.
"Tryouts for the Team of Quidditch of the House, Collin. We'll need reserves for all the positions for the next year when the other five players graduate." Explained Harry, without being disturbed by the picture that was taken.
After eating the dinner, Harry and his partners in the Quidditch Team, Fred, George, the Beaters and Alicia, Katie and Angelina, the Chasers, went to McGonagall's office to discuss who would be the new Captain and the date of the tryouts for the team.
"Let begin with the most important matter here: the Captain. I received an owl from Mr. Wood with his suggestion to that position. I'll tell it after all of you say yours, in case it must untie the vote." Said McGonagall when the six students sat down.
"First of all, I don't want to be it. Being Head Girl will be consuming too much time to be Quidditch Captain too." Said Katie when McGonagall finished.
"I propose Harry to be it. The five of us will leave the school next year, and he has another two years on the team. Besides, if he wasn't in the team, Gryffindor wouldn't have won the Cup two years ago. All of us know it." Said Alicia.
"I'm with it." Said Fred and George at the same time.
"Miss Johnson?" Asked McGonagall to the last Chaser. "They are right. Harry's our best choice to the Captain's position." Said Angelina nodding to her partners.
"Congratulations, Mr. Potter you are the new Captain of the Team." Said smiling McGonagall to his Godson.
"Thanks. I didn't wait this, but I'm pleased with it." Said Harry with a little of shock by the news.
"A question, Professor. Who was Oliver's choice to the position?" Asked with curiosity Alicia.
"His choice was the same of yours, he chose Mr. Potter was his suggestion." Said McGonagall smiling, before asking: "What about the tryouts?"
"In two weeks. For that day everybody would have enough time to prepare themselves to them. Like I suggested, the best thing is having tryouts to all the positions not only Keeper. That will leave me a base for next year to play with a team ready to do it." Answered Harry thinking a little.
"I agree with that. Another thing the First Match will be against Slytherin a week after Halloween. I think that is time enough for you to have the team ready." Said McGonagall to Harry.
"It is Professor." Said the whole team at the same time.
"Post it at the Common Room in a week. I'll tell you the time in a few days." Said McGonagall signaling the end of the meeting.
"Goodnight, Professor." Said the team going out of the Office.
"Harry, if u dare to wake us up at dawn again like Wood did, we'll kill you!" Threatened the twins.
"At dawn I sleep, man! I don't do any training!" Said Harry laughing when they reached to the Gryffindor Common Room.
"How was it, Harry?" asked Ron when he sat next to him and Hermione.
"I'm the new Captain of the team and tryouts in two weeks." Said Harry tiredly.
"Congratulations, mate!" Said Ron smiling.
"Have to find a new Keeper right?" Asked Hermione happy by the news.
"Yes and we'll have tryouts to the Reserve Team. Next year all the other players will graduate and I'll need a team." Said Harry yawning. He stood up and said: "Goodnights, guys, I'll go to bed right now."
"Me too. Goodnights for both of you." Said Hermione going to her dormitory.
"Goodnight Hermione," answered the boys going to theirs.
When he reached the bedroom, Harry went to his bed and made his trunk to the normal size again. The other four boys were getting ready to sleep when he began to change his clothes
"Whoa, Harry! What is that?" Asked Dean pointing the tattoo of Harry's shoulder, when he was changing his robes to the pj's. The other saw impressed the tattoo too in awe.
"I'll tell you tomorrow. Goodnights all of you." Said Harry closing his curtains.
"Goodnight." Answered the other boys, before falling sleep quickly.
"It feels great to be back at home." Thought Harry, before falling sleep too.