The Raven
Disclaimer: This story is based on characters and situations created and owned by JKR, various publishers of the HP series. No money is being made and no copyright or trademark infringement is intended.
Chapter 3 (uploaded 3/8/04)
Hagrid's rock cake lasted him a long time because it wasn't until the day before his birthday that he was down to crumbs. He had offered the last crumbs to Hedwig and Snape first. They blinked at the offer and didn't take any from the napkin.
"You guys must know something I don't about Hagrid's cooking," Harry chuckled. "It's not that bad."
Snape shook his head, 'Can't say I've had the pleasure.'
Harry laid back on his bed with his hands under his head and thought out loud "Mrs. Weasley sends pasties or a pie and Ron always gets me Every Flavour Beans for my birthday. He's so creative when it comes to gift giving, isn't he, Hedwig." Hoot. Coo.
Snape coo'd, "I hate those jelly beans. What's worse is the Headmaster's bloody lemon sherbets."
"You're a picky eater. It's a good thing you finally decided to eat frog legs and bread crumbs," Hedwig hooted.
"I'm eating for my survival but I draw the line at mice. Although, there is one rat in particular whose limbs I'd like to tear apart."
"It's better than avian mush."
Harry laughed, "Anybody would think I've gone nutters having conversations with a couple of birds. They would definitely think I've gone mad if I told them you were talking back to me."
"Hedwig, I have an idea," Snape continued.
"Go on, you."
"Do you know any parrots? Perhaps a parrot could communicate for me—"
"Stop there," Hedwig interrupted. "Parrots are smart, but they have to first hear the sounds they are supposed to imitate. Your message is going to sound like a nasal squawk-squawk." Hoo-hoo-hoo-hoo.
"Nasal? You, you're laughing at me!" Snape snapped his beak shut and tucked it under his wing to brood a while.
~ ~ ~
Ron ran up to meet Harry he walked up to the Burrow behind Arthur Weasley. "Is this him? Is this Snape?" Harry gave Ginny a quick little hug, then gave Mrs. Weasley a big hug and a peck on the cheek.
'A reunion, how touching.' Snape watched calmly from Hedwig's cage.
"Hiya, Harry," Charlie shook hands with the new arrival.
"Hiya, Charlie, long time no see. On holiday?"
"Yup, so this is Snape. Ron's read your letters to us about him. Are you sure it's a raven?"
"Looks like a raven, squawks like a raven. Why?"
"From the sound of your letters, he's too tame to be an ordinary raven. Charlie held the cage up to eye level for a close inspection."
"Tame?" Harry laughed, "Only as long as he gets his way. Otherwise he's a snarky git."
Ron laughed hysterically, "Ya, are you sure it's a raven? His beak is almost as big as a toucan's." Snape spread his wings and squawked angrily at Harry's best friend, '50 points from Gryffindor!'
"I love it, he looks just like Professor Snape if he were a bird. I must admit, though, I always saw him more as a big bat." Snape grabbed a hold of the cage door with his beak and started rattling it. 'Let me out of here, I'll show you a bird from a bat!'
Charlie shook his head. "He's most definitely a magical creature, Harry. He understands what we're saying. Are you going to keep him?"
"I'll let him decide that, but I wouldn't mind if he stuck around." Once inside, Harry asked, "Hey, Charlie, can I borrow your broom later? My Firebolt got locked up at Hogwarts last year and I really miss flying."
"Sure. I heard about that. No problem, mate. Let's try to fit in a bit of Quidditch while you're here, too." Charlie winked, "We'll get you ready to beat this year's Slytherin team."
'I don't think so, Weasley.' Snape squawked and shook out his feathers, causing Harry to laugh.
"I think Snape's rooting for the Slytherin team," Harry snorted.
Ron pointed at the green paint still on the raven's head laughed, "Yeh, he's got the colors for it." Snape snapped at Ron's finger but couldn't get past the cage wires. "Whoa, he's as vicious as the greasy ol' git, too." Ron's teasing was clearly winding up the shiny black bird, as he got noisier and started beating his wings inside the cage.
Harry was afraid Snape might hurt himself, so he covered up the cage and ran up the stairs to Ron's room. "Shh, calm down. It's nothing personal to you." Harry had him out of Hedwig's cage and cradled against his chest when Charlie walked into the room. Snape was a bit skittish and jumped in surprise, but Harry held him firmly. "Hey, Charlie, long time no see," Harry grinned. "Shhh, it's okay."
Charlie held a hand out to the raven, "I'd like to take a look at his wing, if you don't mind." Harry winced when Snape attempted to take big bite of Charlie's finger, 'Get away from me Weasley .' CHOMP. **GAG** But Charlie reacted by shoving his finger deeper into the bird's mouth and it wasn't able to bite down with any leverage.
"See that, Harry? I'm sure you have the reflexes to do that. He can't clamp down on my finger, so it's just a squeeze rather than the chunk of skin you would lose if he could have chomped down with the tip of his beak. Comes in handy with baby dragons."
"Cool!"
"These bandages are dirty. How long has this splint been on?" Charlie gently isolated Snape's injured wing as Snape tried to get a better bite. But every time Snape opened his mouth wider, it was actually Charlie who found a more comfortable position for his finger.
"A bit over a week, I guess. Between cat and dogs trying to eat him, he's been through a lot with me."
Snape thought, 'You should be more careful with me, Potter.'
"It's definitely time to change it then. It'll give me a chance to see if it's set properly," Charlie stated.
"Thanks, Charlie. Shhh, Snape this is Charlie. He works with animals, mostly dragons. Be good for him and let him look at your wing, okay? That a boy." Harry stroked and calmed the black bird.
Snape was still and quiet while he was checked out and rewrapped. "Great job, Harry. It looks like it was a simple fracture and it's healing straight. Couldn't get the paint off his head, eh?"
"You should have seen him before. He wouldn't let me scrub his head. Do you think it can come out with magic?"
"Don't worry about it, Harry. I'd rather not attempt it and end up disfiguring him." Snape shuddered at Charlie's words. "Has he been eating all right?"
"He wouldn't eat at first and got really weak. Hagrid's formula did the trick. I got him to eat frog legs by boiling them first. My aunt gave me about a handful of birdseed on my birthday when no more would fit into the back yard feeder."
"Oh that's nice," Charlie said.
Snape thought, 'Why did you word it that way Potter? He missed the point that it was your birthday present. Honestly a handful of birdseed, why bother at all.'
"He wouldn't eat it until Hedwig showed him it was safe." Harry chuckled as he stroked down the bird's neck down to its tail feathers.
"Harry!!" Hermione called ahead before running through the bedroom door, arms open for a hug.
Leaving Snape on the bedroom desk Harry got up. "Hiya," Harry beamed and while they hugged, Crookshanks padded in behind her, RRREEEOOOOWWWW!! SQUAWK!! Hisss!
"Crookshanks, NO!" Hermione scolded.
"Snape!" Harry broke the hug and turned to scoop up the black bird as the cat's claw came down across the raven's head. He snatched the bird in time but got three scratches across the back of his hand. "Oww!"
"Hermione, get Crooks out of here, please," Harry held the freaked out bird firmly despite the noise and flapping. 'POTTER! I told you to be more careful!' Snape screamed, '50 points from Gryffindor! Hell, 100 points from Gryffindor, it was Granger's bloody cat!'
"Shhh, it's okay. Shhhh." Harry spoke softly. "He's gone now. I've got you."
Charlie watched this from Ron's bed, "Harry, you should consider a career with animals."
"Charlie, he's scratched. Can you help me clean it?"
"Hang on, Mum has an ointment. You're scratched too, mate." He left the room through the door and was back with a pop. Curiously, the bird didn't react when Charlie apparated into the room but Harry jumped. "Did you see that, Harry?"
"See what?" They talked while Charlie treated Snape's scratch. Harry put ointment on his own scratches.
"He wasn't surprised when I apparated. You were."
"What's that mean?"
"It means he's used to wizards apparating. You jumped because you're not."
"Do you think he belongs to a wizard? That reminds me. I found, rather Hedwig found, someone's wand." Harry pulled out the 'borrowed' wand. He held it out for Charlie, but Snape attacked Charlie's hand as he reached for it. 'Idiot boy, don't give it to him. Get away! Don't touch my wand,' Snape snapped at Charlie.
"It's okay, Harry. Give it to Professor Dumbledore at tonight's meeting."
"Meeting? I'm going to a meeting?"
"You're invited to a meeting of the Order tonight." Charlie slapped Harry's shoulder.
Inside, Snape was ecstatic at the news, 'Yes. Good, a meeting of the Order. This is my opportunity. Dumbledore will be there, as well as a number transfiguration experts. Potter, I'm going with you.'
"Wicked!" Ron said from the door frame. He held two brooms in his hands. "Come on, Harry, let's go flying before supper."
"Coming," Harry said as he tried to put Snape into the cage. Snape stepped up and climbed to the top of the cage. 'No,' Snape thought, 'I am not your prisoner.'
"Bad bird, go inside." Harry tried to pick the bird up again, but Snape snapped at Harry's hand. 'Leave me up here. I have got to think of a plan.'
"Get inside, boy. If I leave you out, Crookshanks might try again to eat you."
Snape stepped up on Harry's hand. "Good bird." But when he tried to put the bird into the cage, it ran up his arm and perched on his shoulder. When Harry tried to pick it up again, Snape hopped on top of his head and sat down in his black nest, 'Take me with you.'
Harry sighed. Charlie chuckled, "I don't think he's going back into the cage. Take him with you. His talons should be strong enough to hang onto the broom and he needs to exercise his wings."
Harry moaned, "I really don't want him along."
Snape hopped down to Harry's shoulder and coo'd into his ear, "This will be interesting. Let's go."
"Fine, let's go flying then, Snape."
Ginny joined Ron and Harry in flying circles around the Burrow. Hermione watched from the ground as Crookshanks took to chasing gnomes. Even Snape gripped the end of Harry's broomstick and spread his wings to feel the rush of air against his body. Charlie had more practice at bandaging little wings, so his result wasn't nearly as bulky and heavy as Harry's splint job. At one point, Harry's aerial maneuver was too much for the raven and the black bird lost his grip on the broomstick.
"Damn you, Potter! No need to get fancy," Snape squawked, "CAT! Potter! CAT!" As he fluttered toward the ground, Crookshanks ran to where he thought the bird would land. When the raven spotted the cat, Snape tried to get more lift by flapping desperately but he was weighted down and lopsided by the bandages on the injured wing. Being the star seeker he was, Harry was able to dive and put his hand out for Snape to land on before getting within a foot of the cat's best reach. Snape huffed on the broomstick, 'Nice catch, Potter.'
Back inside after flying, Harry found Hedwig had returned from her deliveries and was back in her own cage. Not having any other place safe enough to put the raven, Harry allowed him to ride around on his shoulder. "I hope you don't mind, Hedwig." The white owl hooted her consent. It sounded like Snape coo'd his thanks, as well.
Harry really didn't want Snape to join them at the supper table, but Snape noisily refused to be put down. Not only did he keep an eye out for Crookshanks, he had one out on Ron as well. "Harry, he keeps giving me the evil eye," Ron complained.
Harry only laughed, "He's acting strange since we got here. Once the locks were off my school trunk, I got my wand out but every time I try to put the 'borrowed' one away, he kept biting and scratching at my hand."
'Take a hint, Potter,' the raven coo'd, 'and pass the potatoes.' Harry fed the black bird some carrot off his fork. Mrs. Weasley made a disapproving face, but didn't say anything as the black bird ate over the napkin on Harry's shoulder. 'Don't look at me like that, Molly Weasley. This beats boiled frog legs any day.'
Arthur Weasley looked up from his plate, "Borrowed wand, Harry?"
Charlie answered for him, as Harry had just taken a mouthful of potatoes. "Harry's owl found a wand with 'SS' engraved into the handle. The raven has insisted Harry use it since his was locked up by his uncle."
"Insist? A raven insist?" Ron sputtered. "Stop staring at me, stupid bird."
"Ron! Manners please, we have guests," Mrs. Weasley scolded.
"Wha', Harry and Hermione aren't guests, they're family," was Ron's muffled reply.
Harry finished the story, "I think the raven might belong to this SS fellow. Has anyone gone missing, Mr. Weasley." The Weasley patriarch nearly choked on his potatoes, and reached for his drink, waving off the question for the time being. Mrs. Weasley piled more food onto Harry's plate.
"When's the meeting, Dad," Ginny asked. "Can I go, too?"
"Yes, you four are traveling by portkey with me to the meeting destination. We are no longer using Sirius's house, as it is tied up in probate at the moment. Everyone else will apparate to the meeting. Meanwhile, you kids have a bit of time to do some homework."
Once the table was cleared, books and parchment covered the table as the four students got to work. Snape paced the table and would look down at the work, 'You have got a lot of catching up to do, Potter. Get busy. Weasley, doodles do not count toward the length of your essay. Granger, you didn't dot your eyes. (peck, peck)'
Ron's face screwed up, "Eww, Harry, your bird even hovers over our work like Professor Snape. Damn good thing I can't understand what he's saying. I notice he doesn't say anything to you, Hermione."
"What are you working on, anyway?" Harry asked Hermione. "I thought you finished your assignments."
"Harry, Snape is pecking at my essay. Shoo. Anyway I'm adding another six inches to my Potions essay. Are you taking Potions this year, Ron?" Hermione looked up at Ron.
"ARRRGGHHH. Apparently not," Ron stood up from the table, causing his chair to fall back. On Ron's paper was a huge turd from the raven, which was now hopping to the other side of the table. SQUAWK SQUAWK, 'Hahaha, understand me now, Weasley?'
"Bad bird!" Harry giggled.
Ginny giggled too, "I think you understand him now, Ron!"
"Yeh, well he's going to understand me when I run a spit through his tail and hang him across the barbeque pit," Ron said angrily as he balled up his parchment and threw it at the bird. It grazed Snape's tail feathers as he hopped off the table in time, into Harry's lap, 'Missed me, Weasley!'
They worked until Mrs. Weasley came into the kitchen, "Okay, kids, time to go. Put your books away, we'll be coming home late. Harry, do you have a jacket?"
"No, ma'am, but I'll be all right."
"I won't hear of it, Harry. Here, dear." she draped a large windbreaker over Harry's shoulders. "It used to be Charlie's."
"Thank you, Mrs. Weasley."
'Yes, thank you Molly,' Snape thought as he hopped into a front pocket.
"Hey, you're not coming, Snape." Harry tried to pull the bird out of the large pocket, but Snape pecked at his hands. "Ow, stop that! Argh, all right, but you have to be quiet or I'm giving you to Ron for a barbeque."
'Idle threats, Potter,' the raven thought, "idle threats."
"Look here, Harry." Ron held up the parchment he had been working on since he threw the last one at the bird. It was a picture of their esteemed Potions Master, easily identified by his long hooked nose. There was a streak of green on the right side of his long straight black hair, a nasty gash across his left cheek. His left arm was hidden in a white sling against the black, flowing robes. He was holding his wand, complete with 'SS' on the handle, in his right hand. Ron was laughing hard. "For you, mate. I even autographed it."
Harry laughed and showed it to the raven, whose head was sticking out the top of the pocket, 'Don't lose that, Potter. I can use it later to incriminate him. Snape ducked back into the safety of the pocket. Now being rushed by Mrs. Weasley, Harry rolled up the drawing and put it in another pocket.
Harry, Ron, Hermione, and Ginny gathered out on the front lawn around Mr. Weasley. Holding out a tartan pouch, Arthur tapped it with his wand to activate the portkey. The four Hogwarts students reached out to touch it and felt that familiar pull at their navel as everything around them started to swirl.
To be continued...
~ ~ ~
A/N: Thank you to everyone who reviewed: Lucky, Alynna Lis Eachann, Lady S, yugure3, M.C.R., preety-lady-serenity, zol, Ms. Padfoot, lillinfields, athenakitty, RavenPotterBlack, Sky, Bronwyn, Jc, Emortis13, KC, Kateri1, Anora.
Disclaimer: This story is based on characters and situations created and owned by JKR, various publishers of the HP series. No money is being made and no copyright or trademark infringement is intended.
Chapter 3 (uploaded 3/8/04)
Hagrid's rock cake lasted him a long time because it wasn't until the day before his birthday that he was down to crumbs. He had offered the last crumbs to Hedwig and Snape first. They blinked at the offer and didn't take any from the napkin.
"You guys must know something I don't about Hagrid's cooking," Harry chuckled. "It's not that bad."
Snape shook his head, 'Can't say I've had the pleasure.'
Harry laid back on his bed with his hands under his head and thought out loud "Mrs. Weasley sends pasties or a pie and Ron always gets me Every Flavour Beans for my birthday. He's so creative when it comes to gift giving, isn't he, Hedwig." Hoot. Coo.
Snape coo'd, "I hate those jelly beans. What's worse is the Headmaster's bloody lemon sherbets."
"You're a picky eater. It's a good thing you finally decided to eat frog legs and bread crumbs," Hedwig hooted.
"I'm eating for my survival but I draw the line at mice. Although, there is one rat in particular whose limbs I'd like to tear apart."
"It's better than avian mush."
Harry laughed, "Anybody would think I've gone nutters having conversations with a couple of birds. They would definitely think I've gone mad if I told them you were talking back to me."
"Hedwig, I have an idea," Snape continued.
"Go on, you."
"Do you know any parrots? Perhaps a parrot could communicate for me—"
"Stop there," Hedwig interrupted. "Parrots are smart, but they have to first hear the sounds they are supposed to imitate. Your message is going to sound like a nasal squawk-squawk." Hoo-hoo-hoo-hoo.
"Nasal? You, you're laughing at me!" Snape snapped his beak shut and tucked it under his wing to brood a while.
~ ~ ~
Ron ran up to meet Harry he walked up to the Burrow behind Arthur Weasley. "Is this him? Is this Snape?" Harry gave Ginny a quick little hug, then gave Mrs. Weasley a big hug and a peck on the cheek.
'A reunion, how touching.' Snape watched calmly from Hedwig's cage.
"Hiya, Harry," Charlie shook hands with the new arrival.
"Hiya, Charlie, long time no see. On holiday?"
"Yup, so this is Snape. Ron's read your letters to us about him. Are you sure it's a raven?"
"Looks like a raven, squawks like a raven. Why?"
"From the sound of your letters, he's too tame to be an ordinary raven. Charlie held the cage up to eye level for a close inspection."
"Tame?" Harry laughed, "Only as long as he gets his way. Otherwise he's a snarky git."
Ron laughed hysterically, "Ya, are you sure it's a raven? His beak is almost as big as a toucan's." Snape spread his wings and squawked angrily at Harry's best friend, '50 points from Gryffindor!'
"I love it, he looks just like Professor Snape if he were a bird. I must admit, though, I always saw him more as a big bat." Snape grabbed a hold of the cage door with his beak and started rattling it. 'Let me out of here, I'll show you a bird from a bat!'
Charlie shook his head. "He's most definitely a magical creature, Harry. He understands what we're saying. Are you going to keep him?"
"I'll let him decide that, but I wouldn't mind if he stuck around." Once inside, Harry asked, "Hey, Charlie, can I borrow your broom later? My Firebolt got locked up at Hogwarts last year and I really miss flying."
"Sure. I heard about that. No problem, mate. Let's try to fit in a bit of Quidditch while you're here, too." Charlie winked, "We'll get you ready to beat this year's Slytherin team."
'I don't think so, Weasley.' Snape squawked and shook out his feathers, causing Harry to laugh.
"I think Snape's rooting for the Slytherin team," Harry snorted.
Ron pointed at the green paint still on the raven's head laughed, "Yeh, he's got the colors for it." Snape snapped at Ron's finger but couldn't get past the cage wires. "Whoa, he's as vicious as the greasy ol' git, too." Ron's teasing was clearly winding up the shiny black bird, as he got noisier and started beating his wings inside the cage.
Harry was afraid Snape might hurt himself, so he covered up the cage and ran up the stairs to Ron's room. "Shh, calm down. It's nothing personal to you." Harry had him out of Hedwig's cage and cradled against his chest when Charlie walked into the room. Snape was a bit skittish and jumped in surprise, but Harry held him firmly. "Hey, Charlie, long time no see," Harry grinned. "Shhh, it's okay."
Charlie held a hand out to the raven, "I'd like to take a look at his wing, if you don't mind." Harry winced when Snape attempted to take big bite of Charlie's finger, 'Get away from me Weasley .' CHOMP. **GAG** But Charlie reacted by shoving his finger deeper into the bird's mouth and it wasn't able to bite down with any leverage.
"See that, Harry? I'm sure you have the reflexes to do that. He can't clamp down on my finger, so it's just a squeeze rather than the chunk of skin you would lose if he could have chomped down with the tip of his beak. Comes in handy with baby dragons."
"Cool!"
"These bandages are dirty. How long has this splint been on?" Charlie gently isolated Snape's injured wing as Snape tried to get a better bite. But every time Snape opened his mouth wider, it was actually Charlie who found a more comfortable position for his finger.
"A bit over a week, I guess. Between cat and dogs trying to eat him, he's been through a lot with me."
Snape thought, 'You should be more careful with me, Potter.'
"It's definitely time to change it then. It'll give me a chance to see if it's set properly," Charlie stated.
"Thanks, Charlie. Shhh, Snape this is Charlie. He works with animals, mostly dragons. Be good for him and let him look at your wing, okay? That a boy." Harry stroked and calmed the black bird.
Snape was still and quiet while he was checked out and rewrapped. "Great job, Harry. It looks like it was a simple fracture and it's healing straight. Couldn't get the paint off his head, eh?"
"You should have seen him before. He wouldn't let me scrub his head. Do you think it can come out with magic?"
"Don't worry about it, Harry. I'd rather not attempt it and end up disfiguring him." Snape shuddered at Charlie's words. "Has he been eating all right?"
"He wouldn't eat at first and got really weak. Hagrid's formula did the trick. I got him to eat frog legs by boiling them first. My aunt gave me about a handful of birdseed on my birthday when no more would fit into the back yard feeder."
"Oh that's nice," Charlie said.
Snape thought, 'Why did you word it that way Potter? He missed the point that it was your birthday present. Honestly a handful of birdseed, why bother at all.'
"He wouldn't eat it until Hedwig showed him it was safe." Harry chuckled as he stroked down the bird's neck down to its tail feathers.
"Harry!!" Hermione called ahead before running through the bedroom door, arms open for a hug.
Leaving Snape on the bedroom desk Harry got up. "Hiya," Harry beamed and while they hugged, Crookshanks padded in behind her, RRREEEOOOOWWWW!! SQUAWK!! Hisss!
"Crookshanks, NO!" Hermione scolded.
"Snape!" Harry broke the hug and turned to scoop up the black bird as the cat's claw came down across the raven's head. He snatched the bird in time but got three scratches across the back of his hand. "Oww!"
"Hermione, get Crooks out of here, please," Harry held the freaked out bird firmly despite the noise and flapping. 'POTTER! I told you to be more careful!' Snape screamed, '50 points from Gryffindor! Hell, 100 points from Gryffindor, it was Granger's bloody cat!'
"Shhh, it's okay. Shhhh." Harry spoke softly. "He's gone now. I've got you."
Charlie watched this from Ron's bed, "Harry, you should consider a career with animals."
"Charlie, he's scratched. Can you help me clean it?"
"Hang on, Mum has an ointment. You're scratched too, mate." He left the room through the door and was back with a pop. Curiously, the bird didn't react when Charlie apparated into the room but Harry jumped. "Did you see that, Harry?"
"See what?" They talked while Charlie treated Snape's scratch. Harry put ointment on his own scratches.
"He wasn't surprised when I apparated. You were."
"What's that mean?"
"It means he's used to wizards apparating. You jumped because you're not."
"Do you think he belongs to a wizard? That reminds me. I found, rather Hedwig found, someone's wand." Harry pulled out the 'borrowed' wand. He held it out for Charlie, but Snape attacked Charlie's hand as he reached for it. 'Idiot boy, don't give it to him. Get away! Don't touch my wand,' Snape snapped at Charlie.
"It's okay, Harry. Give it to Professor Dumbledore at tonight's meeting."
"Meeting? I'm going to a meeting?"
"You're invited to a meeting of the Order tonight." Charlie slapped Harry's shoulder.
Inside, Snape was ecstatic at the news, 'Yes. Good, a meeting of the Order. This is my opportunity. Dumbledore will be there, as well as a number transfiguration experts. Potter, I'm going with you.'
"Wicked!" Ron said from the door frame. He held two brooms in his hands. "Come on, Harry, let's go flying before supper."
"Coming," Harry said as he tried to put Snape into the cage. Snape stepped up and climbed to the top of the cage. 'No,' Snape thought, 'I am not your prisoner.'
"Bad bird, go inside." Harry tried to pick the bird up again, but Snape snapped at Harry's hand. 'Leave me up here. I have got to think of a plan.'
"Get inside, boy. If I leave you out, Crookshanks might try again to eat you."
Snape stepped up on Harry's hand. "Good bird." But when he tried to put the bird into the cage, it ran up his arm and perched on his shoulder. When Harry tried to pick it up again, Snape hopped on top of his head and sat down in his black nest, 'Take me with you.'
Harry sighed. Charlie chuckled, "I don't think he's going back into the cage. Take him with you. His talons should be strong enough to hang onto the broom and he needs to exercise his wings."
Harry moaned, "I really don't want him along."
Snape hopped down to Harry's shoulder and coo'd into his ear, "This will be interesting. Let's go."
"Fine, let's go flying then, Snape."
Ginny joined Ron and Harry in flying circles around the Burrow. Hermione watched from the ground as Crookshanks took to chasing gnomes. Even Snape gripped the end of Harry's broomstick and spread his wings to feel the rush of air against his body. Charlie had more practice at bandaging little wings, so his result wasn't nearly as bulky and heavy as Harry's splint job. At one point, Harry's aerial maneuver was too much for the raven and the black bird lost his grip on the broomstick.
"Damn you, Potter! No need to get fancy," Snape squawked, "CAT! Potter! CAT!" As he fluttered toward the ground, Crookshanks ran to where he thought the bird would land. When the raven spotted the cat, Snape tried to get more lift by flapping desperately but he was weighted down and lopsided by the bandages on the injured wing. Being the star seeker he was, Harry was able to dive and put his hand out for Snape to land on before getting within a foot of the cat's best reach. Snape huffed on the broomstick, 'Nice catch, Potter.'
Back inside after flying, Harry found Hedwig had returned from her deliveries and was back in her own cage. Not having any other place safe enough to put the raven, Harry allowed him to ride around on his shoulder. "I hope you don't mind, Hedwig." The white owl hooted her consent. It sounded like Snape coo'd his thanks, as well.
Harry really didn't want Snape to join them at the supper table, but Snape noisily refused to be put down. Not only did he keep an eye out for Crookshanks, he had one out on Ron as well. "Harry, he keeps giving me the evil eye," Ron complained.
Harry only laughed, "He's acting strange since we got here. Once the locks were off my school trunk, I got my wand out but every time I try to put the 'borrowed' one away, he kept biting and scratching at my hand."
'Take a hint, Potter,' the raven coo'd, 'and pass the potatoes.' Harry fed the black bird some carrot off his fork. Mrs. Weasley made a disapproving face, but didn't say anything as the black bird ate over the napkin on Harry's shoulder. 'Don't look at me like that, Molly Weasley. This beats boiled frog legs any day.'
Arthur Weasley looked up from his plate, "Borrowed wand, Harry?"
Charlie answered for him, as Harry had just taken a mouthful of potatoes. "Harry's owl found a wand with 'SS' engraved into the handle. The raven has insisted Harry use it since his was locked up by his uncle."
"Insist? A raven insist?" Ron sputtered. "Stop staring at me, stupid bird."
"Ron! Manners please, we have guests," Mrs. Weasley scolded.
"Wha', Harry and Hermione aren't guests, they're family," was Ron's muffled reply.
Harry finished the story, "I think the raven might belong to this SS fellow. Has anyone gone missing, Mr. Weasley." The Weasley patriarch nearly choked on his potatoes, and reached for his drink, waving off the question for the time being. Mrs. Weasley piled more food onto Harry's plate.
"When's the meeting, Dad," Ginny asked. "Can I go, too?"
"Yes, you four are traveling by portkey with me to the meeting destination. We are no longer using Sirius's house, as it is tied up in probate at the moment. Everyone else will apparate to the meeting. Meanwhile, you kids have a bit of time to do some homework."
Once the table was cleared, books and parchment covered the table as the four students got to work. Snape paced the table and would look down at the work, 'You have got a lot of catching up to do, Potter. Get busy. Weasley, doodles do not count toward the length of your essay. Granger, you didn't dot your eyes. (peck, peck)'
Ron's face screwed up, "Eww, Harry, your bird even hovers over our work like Professor Snape. Damn good thing I can't understand what he's saying. I notice he doesn't say anything to you, Hermione."
"What are you working on, anyway?" Harry asked Hermione. "I thought you finished your assignments."
"Harry, Snape is pecking at my essay. Shoo. Anyway I'm adding another six inches to my Potions essay. Are you taking Potions this year, Ron?" Hermione looked up at Ron.
"ARRRGGHHH. Apparently not," Ron stood up from the table, causing his chair to fall back. On Ron's paper was a huge turd from the raven, which was now hopping to the other side of the table. SQUAWK SQUAWK, 'Hahaha, understand me now, Weasley?'
"Bad bird!" Harry giggled.
Ginny giggled too, "I think you understand him now, Ron!"
"Yeh, well he's going to understand me when I run a spit through his tail and hang him across the barbeque pit," Ron said angrily as he balled up his parchment and threw it at the bird. It grazed Snape's tail feathers as he hopped off the table in time, into Harry's lap, 'Missed me, Weasley!'
They worked until Mrs. Weasley came into the kitchen, "Okay, kids, time to go. Put your books away, we'll be coming home late. Harry, do you have a jacket?"
"No, ma'am, but I'll be all right."
"I won't hear of it, Harry. Here, dear." she draped a large windbreaker over Harry's shoulders. "It used to be Charlie's."
"Thank you, Mrs. Weasley."
'Yes, thank you Molly,' Snape thought as he hopped into a front pocket.
"Hey, you're not coming, Snape." Harry tried to pull the bird out of the large pocket, but Snape pecked at his hands. "Ow, stop that! Argh, all right, but you have to be quiet or I'm giving you to Ron for a barbeque."
'Idle threats, Potter,' the raven thought, "idle threats."
"Look here, Harry." Ron held up the parchment he had been working on since he threw the last one at the bird. It was a picture of their esteemed Potions Master, easily identified by his long hooked nose. There was a streak of green on the right side of his long straight black hair, a nasty gash across his left cheek. His left arm was hidden in a white sling against the black, flowing robes. He was holding his wand, complete with 'SS' on the handle, in his right hand. Ron was laughing hard. "For you, mate. I even autographed it."
Harry laughed and showed it to the raven, whose head was sticking out the top of the pocket, 'Don't lose that, Potter. I can use it later to incriminate him. Snape ducked back into the safety of the pocket. Now being rushed by Mrs. Weasley, Harry rolled up the drawing and put it in another pocket.
Harry, Ron, Hermione, and Ginny gathered out on the front lawn around Mr. Weasley. Holding out a tartan pouch, Arthur tapped it with his wand to activate the portkey. The four Hogwarts students reached out to touch it and felt that familiar pull at their navel as everything around them started to swirl.
To be continued...
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A/N: Thank you to everyone who reviewed: Lucky, Alynna Lis Eachann, Lady S, yugure3, M.C.R., preety-lady-serenity, zol, Ms. Padfoot, lillinfields, athenakitty, RavenPotterBlack, Sky, Bronwyn, Jc, Emortis13, KC, Kateri1, Anora.