** Ok, ok! I have been pelted with reviews asking for updates. Just because I managed to update two nights in a row for the first time since my first fic ended doesn't mean I've managed to mislay my life!

Oh well, it's not like I had anything important to do anyway.

This is only a very short chapter to update you on what is going on in the story. If you ever loose track you don't really need to read it from the beginning – you can return to this chapter and sort it out from there.

I'm also going to post a thanks list for chapter 28.

IMPORTANT NOTICE: Ok, I finally got around to updating my bio, and you should really read it – especially those of you who have asked to be on my mailing list, which, as you might have guessed, is no longer functioning. See my bio for notes on how to get notified when I update.

Also, I've left a link to an RPG just starting in a Yahoo group called Turning of the Times. They are in need of characters and it would be great if someone could help out. Thanks. (Please note – I'm playing Harry!)

Well, I think that's it, except for school starts in a day and that means less updates – sorry, people! Please don't harass me for updates, but reviews and constructive views and criticism is always welcome. Please tell me which part of the story you are enjoying most. **

The black owl soared over the Quidditch pitch, barely visible except when it crossed the rays of moonlight beaming down on the grounds.

It was nearly the end of October. After the twisted events of Sunday evening, life had continued almost as normal, except that Harry had resumed his lessons with Wendy – and without hesitation had asked if Ron could come along too.

Ron needed the lessons more than Harry did, but he had been rather upset when Harry had told him what he'd done. "That woman's a maniac," he'd said. "Didn't you hear what Hermione said? They tried to do us in, in front of the whole class!"

But, he had reluctantly agreed to come along. He complained constantly about his bruises and his aching brain but didn't really put any heart into the complaints. Even Harry was starting to enjoy the duels that he and Ron set up between each other, especially when Wendy wasn't there.

"Is all this extra practise necessary?" Ron had asked after they'd snuck out into an empty classroom in the dead of night for the fifth night in a row one week in October. Harry hadn't answered. He knew Ron enjoyed flying just as he enjoyed running. Getting back and fourth from their favourite duelling spots was nearly as fun as the duels themselves.

There had been a meeting at some point between everyone who now knew about Harry and Ron's blood bond, and their animagus abilities, including Hermione and Neville. Harry couldn't understand how Ron had actually seemed to enjoy it, chattering on and on about flying and talking without speaking.

Harry himself had been called upon to perform, which he'd done, to some extent. My Lord the cat, Quill the owl, Pitch the snake, Jet-Wing the falcon, Night-mane the lion, Dark-claw the mouse (briefly) and even Web the frog had all made reappearances to endless rounds of applause.

Harry had blushed furiously once back in his own form, but Professor McGonagall had tears in her eyes and Hagrid was talking animatedly about having Harry appear in Care of Magical Creatures.

Hermione, who hadn't known about Harry's animals before the meeting, gave both boys a thorough talking-to afterwards, which they sat through patiently. They felt they deserved it somewhat – or at least Ron did.

Ron and Hermione, after Sunday night, had progressed their relationship considerably. It was now common knowledge to all of the school that were interested that the two were now 'going out'.

After Ron had accidentally let the barrier to Harry's mind slip during one of their more intimate sessions, Harry insisted that Ron let him know before they got started so that he could get as far away as possible.

Harry and Ron had no more dream visions – only nightmares about the school they had failed to save.

Dumbledore had somehow managed to explain the situation to Barnaby Dunst, the man who had called through the fire, and whom, they had found out afterwards, was one of the three they had not yet met who knew about Sirius' innocence.

Mrs. Warnes had been in touch. Dumbledore had called Harry and Ron up to his office to face a woman awash with tears wanting to thank them for saving her Jenny – even if they hadn't been able to save her Benjamin.

Harry had closed his mind to the fact that Benjamin just might have been the boy that had fallen off his back while he and Ron were climbing down the wall of the building. He couldn't bear to think that.

Neville was treating the whole situation with a kind of numb indifference. He had demanded, while at the meeting, to be told why he had been talking to a dog for ten minutes up in Dumbledore's study.

After a brief nod of assent from both Remus and Harry, Dumbledore had taken him aside to tell him. Wendy had acted suspicious, but had accepted Remus' story that the dog in question was an enchanted young wizard in Dumbledore's care until a cure could be found.

Harry thought the story was rather good – and wondered how many lies Remus Lupin had told during his days at Hogwarts. Since he'd been one of the Marauders – he guessed the number was in its hundreds.

Sirius himself was, of course, hiding out in rooms ajoined to Remus' by a back door unseen by anyone unless they knew where it was. Harry had been to see him as soon as he knew this, and had been accosted with a bone-breaking hug alike to Hagrid's, and a solomn reprimand that he was never to scare his Godfather like that again. Harry only half-promised.

Zedik and Sleeve, Harry's snake guardians, had been nothing but apologetic when they next met after Sunday evening, if they weren't devastated.

Since Harry had left the dormitory in the middle of the night to find Remus in the forbidden Forest, they had not been with Harry at the time of his and Ron's vision, when they could have warned him of it.

Harry had spent hours trying to explain to them that it wasn't their fault, until he gave up and accepted their constant watch from now on. When he had asked where all the other snakes had got to during the night, Sleeve explained that they had gone to spy on Voldemort as double agents.

Zedik admitted that a lot of them would probably get killed in the attempt, but not so many that Voldemort would suspect that his whole snake army was a living vendetta against him.

Pleased with the knowledge that he would be warned perhaps days in advance if another attack was to come, Harry had tried to continue his school life as normally as possible, trying to fit in extra duelling and lessons with Wendy around Quidditch practice and homework.

With the snakes as allies, the Light side slowly began to get the upper hand, as it were. Harry informed Dumbledore of the incoming attacks, and Dumbledore warned the Ministry's reluctant Minister, who set up Auror stations all around the area in danger, and evacuated the inhabitants temporarily.

As a result, Death Eater attacks were extinguished before they had even begun.

To Harry's knowledge, no one ever questioned the source of Dumbledore's information, or if they did, Dumbledore evaded their questions.

Harry was never approached by any member of the Ministry or Aurors – although Mundungus Fletcher dropped by from time to time, as did Barnaby Dunst, the Head Auror.

Harry watched Dunst from a distance, wondering why Sirius and Remus had chosen to trust this man with the knowledge that Sirius was innocent. And if he was Head Auror – how would he be able to stop Sirius being put back in Azkaban if he was caught? He'd loose his job, surely?

Harry didn't think about it. He had too much on his mind – and besides it wasn't really any of his business. He let it go.

Hedwig's three chicks were by now quite large and ready to leave their mother. Harry had kept the snowy white one, the one he had named Mouxaile – Softwing. The other two, as he had promised, had gone to Remus and Wendy, and had been named Streak and Tumble in their turn.

It was now seven weeks since he had left the Dursleys. No one ever even mentioned them. Harry didn't try to find out what had happened to them – he got the feeling he wouldn't want to know.

In fact, Harry hadn't even thought about them until this morning.

When the pictures had finally come out.

Hermione had split milk all over the front page of the Daily Prophet, and Harry had snatched it from her before she even had a chance to try and hide it.

It was almost exactly the same as the article in the Muggle newspaper, with phrases like 'Boy-Who-Lived sourly mistreated' and 'Dumbledore's grave mistake finally comes to a head' thrown in. The stationary pictures looked odd in the Daily Prophet.

Harry stared at them – he couldn't help it.

He'd been half conscious when they'd taken those photos! He couldn't even remember his arm being put in that sling, let alone having been 'brave enough to resist' it.

The whole school had whispered behind his back for the entire day – except Sarah Pordell, who gave him an encouraging, if wistful, smile. She didn't need the pictures. She'd seen the reality.

Wendy had also understood. After her class, she'd taken him aside and promised to fulfil the promise she'd made at the beginning of the year. She was going to teach him hand fighting.

"Potter! Hey Potter! Is it true? You let yourself get beaten up by a bunch of Muggles? He survived a killing curse and he can't even best Muggles? Do you know what? I don't think he's the genuine article!"

Harry ignored Malfoy.

Today had been his first lesson. With Ron and Wendy watching in awe (and fear) he'd taken out his frustration on the dummies and sandbags she'd conjured until his arms ached and his fists were sore.

Ron had even joined in after a while, punching out the grief for the girl who had fallen from his back. He was in tears by the end, but that was nothing to the state that Harry was now in.

Ron and Hermione sat at the window in Gryffindor common room. "I'm going to sort them out," Hermione said for the hundredth time. "They don't need Rita Skeeter – none of them have any respect for people's privacies – especially Harry!"

The black shape in the sky outside flew in circles, gaining height until it was barely a speck, then plummeting down in a gracious dive. Unsatisfied, it paused in mid-air and changed size. Harry had transformed into Jet-Wing.

Blinded now by the dark he flew in circles once more, renting his anger on the innocent air.

"You want to join him, don't you?" she said, softly.

Ron looked down at her smiling face. "Go on," she said.

Ron kissed her softly on the lips, stood back, and made the change into the magnificent Red and Gold Eagle they had named – or rather, Hermione had named – Aureus Plumeus, or Golden Feathers.

"I love it when you do that," Hermione whispered. The Eagle flew around her head, stirring up her hair with its feathers. Then it soared off into the night.

Hermione watched the two graceful birds as they embarked on a graceful dance among the stars, joined after a while by two white dots that were Hedwig and Mouxaile. She might not have thought it so graceful had she heard the first line of their conversation.

~It's bloody cold out here, don't you think? ~

'Would you rather freeze to death…?'

** Well, it wasn't THAT short, four and half pages. Ok, that is kind of short. Oh well, I don't really have time for much else right now.

Here Be Thanks:

Mella deRanged: I've decided to make them more ultra-real-visions than

dreams. I wanted Harry and Ron to be able to intercede – makes things far more interesting.

LunaWolf

Ella8: Yes, Ellyna was a spur of the moment character. After creating her

so suddenly I decided to kill her off in the same way. Sad, but necessary. She was interesting to characterise, though.

Dan: I'm sorry that you felt Hermione was out of character. The only

reason I can give you as to why she was offended that Harry and Ron kept secrets from her, was that her feelings for Ron were growing and she felt that neither of them had the right to keep things from her while talking about it behind her back – unlike when she kept secrets and kept them to herself. The mind of a teenage girl – if you are male then I cannot explain it to you! As for Wendy – she's a weird and wonderful character and I normally let her do what she wants. As to the Gryffindors – any chance to join in and I think they'd jump at it. But that's just what I think. Thanks for reviewing!

Arow: Good point. I'd nearly forgotten about my favourite phrase – there

were so many places I could have put it! Oh well, I can't be bothered to go back and put them in now. I'll slip it in during the next chapters – where the mystery will come to light! Muahahahahah!

Leah

Anne: Hey – I'm fourteen! Thanks, though. By the way Anne is my middle

name. Just a useless piece of information at your disposal.

Thom Verdace

Almost Infamous: Wow, on your birthday? Cool!!! I wish my favourite

authors would update on my birthday.

Naomi SilverWolf

Katani Petitedra: Hello Kit the wonder child! Can't wait to see your amazing

works!

chaser1

two2feet

skahducky

Indra

ParanoiaIn2005: Glad you liked it!

The Social Leper: Actually there aren't better things to do except RP,

which I've taken a shine too lately. Can't wait to talk to u tomorrow!

princess55: Oh lord. I don't even want to think about it – yes, they'll have to

meet soon – but how, I'm not sure. I did have a brilliant plan but it's a bit, well, rubbish. I'll have to work on that a bit more.

magnetic-starfish

LoonyLoopyLisa

Zahri Seb Melitor: Completely moved in but missing some items of

furniture that are on a boat somewhere. See princess55.

Kaizer Knuckz

Lady-of-the-Dragons: Actually over three hundred reasons.

SillyGillie: My sister has to go through step by step instructions just to work

out how to turn on the computer. I don't think I'm in danger. Thanks for the long review! **hugs review** I LOOOOVE long reviews!

Liberty Belleview

Charley4

Bumblebee Bucy: Oops, I think I failed there. It's a depressing time, really. (I can't help it, it's freezing here!)

NasserPotter: I don't want Ron to be as powerful as Harry. You're right,

that would suck. I'm just giving him a bit more influence as he's one of my favourite characters. Harry's gonna get all the glory in the end, don't worry.

Phoemix marauder

Shadow Adams

Harmoni: See important notice above the chapter.

Athenakitty: Mouxaile is my brainchild and I am totally in love with her. I

hope to bring her more vividly into forthcoming chapters.

Adept: **fans herself, dizzy from flattery**

Alynna Lis Eachann

Yolande: Sorry this is such a short chapter. I'll try and update longer ones

when I have time.

Jordan

Sunkyssed

azntgr01

Angelis1

LILRKCHK

Mronimusha

Tayce

EriEka127: See Arow

ccs rox

Dumbledore

Delta T

Stupidx: **sheepish grin**

Contraveritas

Charma1219

Phew, that took a while! Thanks for all those reviews! Hope to see you at the next update!!

~*Laterose*~

**