A/N: JKR owns all of these characters, I own the plot only. (look familiar?)

A/N: Thanks for the reviews so far. Writing during the work week is hard but I'm gonna keep trying b/c of all the nice reviews. Still plodding along trying to do one a day after working. I wish I had some butterbeer for a reward.

A/N: If there's something y'all want to see, let me know. I can always try and give it a go.



Chapter 17 Trilateral Time

Fred and George were absolutely beside themselves. They were alone in their common room having a desperate conversation. Fred was the first one to voice what they were both thinking.

"You know that I think of Harry like one of our own brothers."

George interrupted him. "Heck I like him better than Percy."

Fred agreed before continuing. "And you know that my most beloved dream in the whole wide world is to publicly humiliate that git, Snape."

"Mine too."

"But it's our last year here George. I'm glad, even grateful, that Ron and Harry will remain here for another two years to continue the tradition --- but it's our last year. We have to live up to our reputation. We're the Weasley twins. Do you realize that Mum hasn't received one single owl about us this year? We have to go out with a bang George."

"I know; it's going to have to be something bigger and better than anything this school has every seen. You don't think we could get away with killing Snape do you?"

"Nah, not a bad thought, but Dumbledore would never let us get away with it. I want the school to remember our name but I don't want to spend the rest of my life in Azkaban."

Harry and Ron went to bed that night after just playing a couple of games of wizard chess. They were amazed at how much they were having to study and practice this year. They hadn't even been allowed one single visit to Hogsmeade yet even though the 6th and 7th years had been three times. Since the 7th years had their NEWTs this year, Harry didn't understand why the 7th years could go but not them. This was just one more mystery he was going to let drift around in his subconscious.

Harry awoke early Saturday morning when he felt his owl perched upon his chest. Hedwig bore a note telling Harry to go straight to Dumbledore's office. He dressed quietly so as not to awaken any of the sleeping people he shared the room with. He was glad to be summoned so early this morning because he had high hopes for today's lesson.

"Ding-Dongs"

After the gargoyle sprung aside to let him pass, he started to feel almost as nervous as back the first time he ever was summoned to the headmaster's office.

"Ah Harry, do come in. Remus and Sirius here are going to help you through the next phase of your training." Harry expected to have to demonstrate his mastery of the last task before they would teach him anything else. Harry briefly wondered how the headmaster knew that he had mastered his previous lesson but he knew that very little escaped that wizard.

He continued, "We'll have breakfast here and discuss what you can expect to face today." Harry's excitement continued to grow. He was practically bouncing out of his seat. Dumbledore nodded to Sirius to continue.

"Hurmmy," Sirius decided to swallow the food in his mouth before continuing. "Harry, today's the day --- at least we hope today's the day."

"What do you mean you hope today is the day?"

"Well, Moony and I are going to try to help you transform today but we don't know yet if it will work. Snape had finished brewing the potion and it's already waiting for us in the room we're going to use.

"Snape is going to help me transform???"

"Professor Snape, Harry, and I --- er --- might have forgotten to tell Severus that the potion was for you." Harry thought it was probably for the best that Snape didn't know he had brewed the potion for him.

Sirius continued, "We're going to try today Harry but it depends on several things. I depends on whether or not Snape made mistakes with the potion" Sirius risked a quick glance toward Deumbledore before continuing. "It also depends on your natural abilities, the strength of the calling from the animal that has chosen you and also how well you have mastered your lessons so far."

Harry thought back to yesterday's potions class and felt comfortable in his mastery of the steps he had been assigned so far. He felt ready and even eager to proceed. The adults pressed him to eat something to help sustain him for what was to come today. He was too eager to eat. They finally had to tell him that they wouldn't start until he ate at least a little something.

WOOF

Harry swallowed an egg sandwich in under ten seconds. It was quite a sight. So as promised Harry, Sirius and Lupin went straight away to a classroom to begin his transformation.

They had already explained that he would have to clear his mind and then have someone basically pour the potion into his mouth while keeping his mind clear. Afterwards his body would begin transforming but he might be called upon to help; more importantly he might be called upon to help his body transform back.

Lupin noticed the confused look on Harry's face so he tried to explain. "You're going to be able to tell certain things that your body is trying to do. For example, you might be able to tell that your fingers are trying to fuse together into fins. If you can sense something like that you must try to help it along --- that was the point of learning wandless magic."

Now Sirius picked up again. "The trick is to save enough energy so that you can help your body with what it needs to transform back. Moony and I will stay with you the entire time --- "

"Unless you become a boggart," interrupted Lupin.

Sirius continued rather loudly, "Moony and I will stay with you the entire time but we're going to try not to intervene. It's important that you do this by yourself."

Meanwhile, in Professor McGonagall's office ---

"Weasley! I told you to aim for the wand hand. Does Miss Granger's nose look like her wand hand to you?"

"Well, maybe a little bit now."

"WEASLEY!"

"Sorry professor, I got carried away."

After restoring Hermione to her natural state, Professor McGonagall wheeled onto Ron. "The entire focus of this lesson is to render your opponent unable to cast spells. To have any chance of doing this against more powerful wizards you MUST be able to focus your energies. I expect pinpoint accuracy from you two. In fact, I demand it."

"Yes professor."

Harry's instructors were more forgiving.

"Let's go boy --- we ain't got all day."

"Leave him alone Sirius, he's trying. You know how difficult this is." Harry couldn't know that they were just saying whatever came into their head to ensure that he wasn't listening to them but was instead emptying his mind of his surroundings. They knew he would expend a lot of effort on his first attempt and they didn't want to waste it.

"UUUGGGHHH --- SNAPE IN DRAG!!!"

Harry burst out laughing (and so did Lupin for that matter.) "Harry, you have to concentrate more. We can't start until you do." After a few seconds Sirius decided to try again.

"McGonagall break dancing!" Sirius wasn't sure if he saw a smile on Harry's face or not. He looked at Moony who just shrugged. He decided to go for the gold.

"JAMES!"

"Nope Sirius, no reaction; he must be ready."

"Ok then. I'll administer the potion and we'll see what happens."

"Excellent Miss Granger. You need to be more creative in the hexes you cast but you've got the right idea."

Ron certainly thought she was on the right track. He didn't see how he could effectively use his wand with the two claws he now had at the end of his arms. He tried to hex Hermione back but only succeeded in hexing himself. It reminded him of the year he tried to get through school with a wand that was nearly broken in half. Hermione had to sing a little song in her head to stop herself from laughing. Ron was looking like the worst combination of Crabbe and Goyle from their last potions class.

Professor McGonagall set Ron right again and bade them to start again. She wondered if they would ever master these skills. She reminded herself of everything these two youngsters had accomplished --- it was much more than almost any other witch or wizard at their age.

Over and over one or the other of the youngsters would count to three and they would try to hex the other's wand hand and/or shield their own. It was a much more educational and professional version of the dueling club they attended in their second year. Professor McGonagall would provide helpful hints and sometimes she would cast a shield spell on one or the other to give more practice for the other participant. Thankfully, she would also perform all of the counter curses. They stayed there for what seemed like all day. She only hoped that she was training them to a high enough standard.

Fred and George also hoped they would perform to a high enough standard. They had already decided against several ideas. Their first thought was to do something to the dungeon but they decided that not enough people would see whatever that happened down there. Their second idea was to do something to Snape or maybe his entire house at the next quidditch game but if they were being honest they would have to admit that it had already been done. They considering tampering with his food but the house elves would have none of that. They got so desperate before giving up for the night that they considered "borrowing" Harry's invisibility cloak and just following him around and hexing him, but they knew Snape would catch them in the act. It had to be something better, and it would be.

After swallowing the potion, nothing happened. Harry was remaining patient and was calmly waiting for any strange sensations. More time passed. Lupin and Sirius were becoming nervous wrecks. And then it happened.



A/N - Please R/R - share your thoughts. It's tough trying to write during the workweek but I'm still trying. - YEA---half way there.