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 4 (uploaded 3/12/04)
Harry swayed as his feet found solid ground. They arrived at an old castle set on a hillside with a view of the loch. At first Harry didn't see the castle because it was hidden against the side of the plush mountain by thick ivy. Once they passed the heavy wooden doors, the entryway opened into an opulent sitting room. "Where are we? Who lives here?" Harry whispered to Charlie. He got a shrug in return.
"Come in, do come in," Dumbledore greeted the new arrivals. There are refreshments against the wall. Please take a seat." Rows of chairs were arranged to face a small raised stage, on which a podium was centered. The room seemed to grow bigger as more people arrived.
"Hi, Neville," Ginny smiled.
"Hi guys, you've met my gran before, right?" Neville held his hand out toward the gray-haired lady with a faded vulture on her hat and red handbag. While Ron, Ginny, Harry, and Hermione were reintroduced, Snape started getting restless in the pocket and squawked. 'Potter unzip this pocket, let me out!'
Neville looked around and whispered to Harry, "Is that Snape?"
Softly, Harry asked, "How do you know about Snape?"
"Ron told me," Neville whispered back. Harry opened the pocket and lifted the black bird to his shoulder, "Shhh."
"Don't you shush me, Potter. Give me a better vantage." SQUAWK! When Neville's grandmother leaned in to get a closer look at the black bird, Snape freaked at the life-sized stuffed vulture on Neville's grandmother's hat, he flapped his wings and stood defensively as tall as he could, snapping his beak at the hat décor.
As everyone laughed, Harry pulled the raven into his chest, "It's okay, boy. It's just a hat. Shhh."
'That hat, I hate that hat!' Snape squawked.
Luna tapped Harry on the shoulder, "Harry, this is my dad. Daddy, this is Harry Potter."
Harry put Snape back up on his shoulder to shake hands, "Mr. Lovegood, I'd really like to thank you for printing those articles last semester."
"Not at all, my boy. Wow, Harry Potter, as I live and breathe," Luna's father said in awe, pumping Harry's hand endlessly. "I am so happy to finally to meet you, Harry. Luna tells me so little about you."
'Enough already, the boy's head won't be able to fit through the fireplace,' thought Snape.
Luna asked, "Is this Snape?"
"Yeh, did Ron tell you too?" Harry hushed.
'I am going to get that Weasley,' Snape mentally noted.
"No, Ginny did. Hi Professor." Luna lifted her hand to pet the bird, but pulled it back when Snape snapped at her. 'I'll get that Weasley, too. Move along Potter.'
"Well, um, nice meeting you, Mr. Lovegood. Please excuse me, I have to find Professor Dumbledore." Harry broke the long handshake to find a seat.
As Harry and Ron took seats in the front row, Dumbledore walked up to them. "Hello, Harry, how has your summer been?" Dumbledore asked.
"Hello, Professor. Actually, it wasn't as boring as it might have been if I didn't have this little guy to take care of." Harry pointed to the raven riding his shoulder. "My cousin got an air rifle before his birthday and he's been shooting paint pellets at cats and birds in the neighborhood. This poor little guy broke his wing falling out of the tree."
"Ahh, yes. Hagrid told me about Professor Snape." Dumbledore offered his hand and the black bird climbed on and started cooing. "Hello there, Mr. Raven."
'Headmaster, it's me, Severus Snape. Look at me, take a closer look!'
Harry leaned into the headmaster and whispered, "Is Professor Snape coming? I don't want to be seen calling this bird by his name in front of him."
Dumbledore chuckled, "I understand."
"Well he put up an argument when I thought of calling him Sirius," Snape shook out his feathers at hearing Harry say that, "and he was quite agreeable to being called Professor Snape."
"Arthur tells me you found a wand."
'Yes, Potter, show him my wand.'
"Oh, yeh!" Harry pulled out the 'borrowed' wand and presented it to the Headmaster.
"Whoa!" Ron said in surprise. "He's letting Professor Dumbledore take the wand."
In fact, the raven jumped to Dumbledore's other hand, the one that was now holding the wand, and turned around several times. Snape pecked at the engraved initials on the handle, 'Me, I'm S.S., it's me.'
"Look at that," Ron gaped at the raven's behavior.
"Harry, this is Professor Snape's wand. He's been missing for several weeks." Dumbledore declared. The raven spread its wings and bobbed it's head. 'Yes, good, now make the connection.'
Ron laughed, "Well there you are! Harry found Snape and he's had him all this time." The bird had stopped turning around on Dumbledore's hand to glare at the lanky red-head who was doubled over and stomping his feet. 'How does he do that?' Snape wondered.
"Ooo, the evil eye again," Ron snickered. Dumbledore sighed and pocketed Snape's wand.
"I have to start the meeting now, Harry, but I want to talk with you later. Here, please take your bird." Harry put his hand out. It was obvious the raven didn't want to leave Dumbledore. 'No, don't go! Albus! Headmaster?' Harry put the black bird back into his pocket and dropped in half a biscuit after it.
Harry didn't learn anything from the meeting that he didn't already know from reading the Daily Prophet or from his day with the Weasleys. The meeting was basically a recruitment meeting for the adults, but the D.A. Club was introduced. That's why Harry and his fellow club members were there with their parents. Snape had made his way back to Harry's lap. Towards the end of the meeting Dumbledore announced that the school was still looking for a DADA teacher for the new year and possibly a substitute potions teacher. That's when he announced that Severus Snape had gone missing, asked for information and urged vigilance. "Constant vigilance!" Moody seconded from the back of the room.
When Snape's name was mentioned, the raven jumped off of Harry's lap with a loud squawk and started running and flapping toward the stage. 'I'm here! Change me back, Headmaster!' Ron yelled, "Look out, there goes Snape!" Dumbledore shrugged and ended the meeting, as the chatter started after the laughter died out.
But Harry quickly recaptured the bird and held it by its talons. Charlie's instruction earlier that day helped Harry in handling the black bird without suffering injury to his fingers. However, he was unable to keep it quiet.
Dumbledore put his arm around Harry's shoulder, "Harry, your bird is quite a character. How about that meeting now? Follow me, please." The tall white-haired wizard led the teen to an adjoining meeting room. There was a large table in the center, surrounded by chairs. Astrological charts and wizarding maps were hanging from the walls. Unfortunately, Harry didn't have a chance to get a better look, because he was soon followed by Arthur Weasley, Mad-Eye Moody, and Professor McGonagall. Fawkes, Dumbledore's phoenix rode in on the headmaster's shoulder.
Before everyone had taken their seat, Dumbledore had already started talking. "Harry, as I mentioned in the meeting, Professor Snape has been missing for several weeks now. I am certain you have found his wand."
Harry took a seat, but the bird squawked in his pocket and poked him in the stomach. As soon as the pocket was unzipped, the raven jumped out onto Harry's lap, then onto the table. "Sorry, about the raven, sir. He's had a few scares and hasn't let me out of his sight since we got to the Burrow."
"Okay, Harry," McGonagall interrupted, "but how did you get Professor Snape's wand?"
"Yes, Ma'am, I was getting to that. The night after I found Snape, this Snape, Hedwig went on her night hunt and came back with the wand. I asked her to show me where she found the wand and she flew out to the tree in the front yard. There was a splotch of green paint, on the tree trunk where she flew to. I think that's where the raven got shot down by my cousin."
"May I see the wand, Albus?" Alastor Moody asked. When he was handed the wand, Snape squawked and ran across the table, 'No, not priori incantato. Albus, don't let him!'
"Harry, control your bird," Moody gruffed. Harry reached out and pulled Snape back with both hands.
"Alastor, just the last spell please," Dumbledore asked.
Moody grumbled, but complied. "Protego. It was Protego. It seems he was in a duel."
Moody stood up at a large map of London spread on a wall of the meeting room and used his wand as a pointer. "We know that Snape was last seen at the Leaky Cauldron and left about 4am. Muggle authorities were called for a drunken disturbance in Hyde Park shortly afterwards. The descriptions of the group match that of a group of wizards in black robes. They were gone before the constables arrived. Witnesses say they vanished into thin air."
"Sir, did Professor Snape have a raven?" asked Harry.
"No, Harry. Why?" the Headmaster, replied.
"Well, Charlie said this bird may be used to being around wizards. I think there's some kind of link to the wand because he seems very protective of it. I just thought this raven might belong to the owner of the wand."
While the wizards discussed Snape's whereabouts and tried to track him on the map, the raven was having his own discussion with Dumbledore's phoenix.
"Fawkes," Snape coo'd, "can you understand me?"
"How do you know my name, Raven?"
"I am Severus Snape. I was hexed into this form. Please help me get someone to understand. Can you communicate with Dumbledore?"
"Not directly." The phoenix trilled as if it were giggling, "How did you get young Master Harry to call you by your name?"
"It is a coincidence. He's calling me after his potions professor as a joke. He doesn't really know." Snape hopped off the table, into Harry's lap and pecked at the pocket with Ron's drawing. Harry pulled out the scroll and placed it and the black bird on the table. Snape picked at the rolled up picture and pushed it toward the phoenix. "Look at this picture, the Weasley boy drew this as a joke on his professor, as well."
Fawkes hopped down and strutted across the table, his feathers dragging gracefully behind him. Not able to unroll it himself, he walked to Professor McGonagall with it and flew to her shoulder for a better vantage. She unrolled it and immediately her shoulders trembled in quiet laughter. Snape ran to her hand and pecked at the picture, 'Minerva, please transfigure me back. This (peck) is me,' then looked back at her.
"Harry," she whispered, with pursed lips and a wrinkled nose, "please take your bird."
As Snape was lifted off McGonagall's hand, he looked at the phoenix, "Fawkes, she doesn't understand."
"Nice picture," Fawkes trilled. McGonagall allowed the picture to roll up on itself and pushed it across the table toward Harry.
Fawkes swooped from her shoulder to pick up the parchment and landed on Dumbledore's shoulder. The headmaster unrolled the drawing and chuckled. Snape was waddling his way to Dumbledore and did the same peck-and-glare that he did with McGonagall. Dumbledore leaned over to the transfiguration professor, "Minerva, do have a chat with young Mr. Weasley about teasing his professors." She nodded, lips thinned to hide her smile.
"No! Use logic, Albus! Moody, what about vigilance? PAY ATTENTION!" Snape squawked and beat his wings on the table furiously.
"Harry, control your bird," Moody snarled, "or I'll transfigure him into Severus Snape and end this blasted hunt. I've never trusted him. And I'm only doing this as a personal favor to you, Albus. I honestly don't know what redeeming features you see in that snarky git."
'Yes! Yes! Transfigure me!' Snape squawked excitedly and held his wings spread.
Once again, Snape found himself in Harry's pocket. It was zipped shut this time and the raven couldn't move. 'No!' Snape sighed, 'not like this.'
That night, while Harry and Ron slept. Snape coo'd from his shoebox, "Hedwig, are you awake?"
"Of course, I'm nocturnal." Hedwig hooted back softly.
Snape told her about the meeting with Dumbledore and his conversation with Fawkes. "Mr. Potter left the drawing on the desk. Please take it to the headmaster in the morning. If he won't take it, perhaps Fawkes can get through to him. It's unbelievable how dense that old man can be." Snape turned around and plucked one of his longest tail feathers. "UGH! Ow! Take this with you too, please."
"He's a busy man, Professor," Hedwig hooted, "He has owls flying in and out of his office all the time. I hate standing in queues."
Hedwig arrived at the teacher's table at breakfast time. "Hello, there. You're Harry's owl, aren't you?" Dumbledore offered Hedwig a bite of melon from his fruit cup. "Not this again. Why is Harry sending this to me? " the old wizard spoke softly to the owl. Hedwig shook her head slowly. "Not from Harry? From who, then?" Hedwig picked up the raven's tail feather, which had fallen out of the scroll when Dumbledore unrolled it, and presented it to the headmaster. "A feather from the raven?"
Watching the headmaster and the white owl, Sibyll Trelawney, put the picture with the shiny black feather and gasped, "Headmaster, a raven is an omen of death. Is somebody warning us of Severus's death? Are we any closer to finding him after last night's developments? I'm sorry I couldn't attend the meeting last night."
If Hedwig could have rolled her eyes and slapped her forehead, she would have. Instead, she shook her head from side to side and ruffled her feathers. She climbed onto the headmaster's hand and tried to point at the green streak in the hair of the wizard in the picture. Hedwig hooted, "Don't listen to her! Besides, she gives me the creeps."
"Severus, Severus, where are you?" Tired, Dumbledore shook his head and pinched the bridge of his nose. Hedwig hooted and pointed at Ron's signature, but did not have the headmaster's attention.
"Whatcha got there, Perfesser?" Hagrid over up from his seat across the table.
Dumbledore sighed. "Harry's raven tried to give this drawing to me last night. Young Mr. Weasley drew it as a caricature of Severus because Harry is calling the bird Professor Snape."
Hagrid chuckled, "Maybe th' raven's trying t' tell ya somethin'."
"I only wish I knew what it was, Hagrid." Dumbledore sighed.
~ ~ ~
Harry buried himself in his summer assignments. If he walked away for more than a half hour, the black bird would squawk and fuss until Harry sat back down in front of his books. Snape paced across the desk or table where Harry worked. In fact, Snape was practically inseparable from Harry. If Harry started to walk away for any reason, the raven would raise such a ruckus that Harry had to pick him up. Snape especially tried to avoid Ron's owl, Pigwidgeon, for it was very irritating.
His first meeting with Pig was the last one he wanted: "Hi I'm Pig, well actually it's really Pigwidgeon, but they call me Pig for short. What's your name? Why are your feathers so black? Do you use anything to keep them so shiny? The oils must make your feathers very heavy, but you look waterproof. Does Harry spray you with cold water? Sometimes Ron sprays me with water when I don't settle down. I like Ron. Do you like Ron? How about Harry? Harry is very nice to me." The little owl spoke very fast and didn't even pause for a breath.
SQUAWK!! "SHUT UP!"
"That's not very nice. You're not a nice bird. Are you even a raven? Your nose is as big as a toucan's, but a toucan's colors are on its beak, not on its head. I've never met a toucan before, come to think of it, I've never met a raven before, either. Maybe you're a bat—"
SQUAWK! SQUAWK! "POTTER GET OVER HERE!!!!"
~ ~ ~
"Harry, take a break," Ron bounced into the bedroom where Harry was doing homework. "let's play wizard's chess."
"I've got a lot of catching up to do, Ron."
"C'mon, I'll make it a quick and painless death. You've been working hard since you got here."
"Are you all done with your assignments?" Harry ran his hands through his hair and messed it up more.
"Yeh, but Hermione thinks I need to write another foot for charms. She's a taskmaster, she is."
"So is Snape," Harry pointed to the raven. "You're right. I need a break, but kill me quickly so I can get back to transfiguration."
"Yes!" Ron pumped his arm and retrieved his chess set from his trunk. He set it up on the bed, where Harry joined him, taking blacks. Snape watched the game progress from Harry's shoulder. Ron quickly had Harry stumped and was ready to pounce
Harry moved his hand over his queen, but Snape hopped off Harry's shoulder to his lap, then to his hand. 'It's a trap, Potter,' thought Snape. The pieces protested when Snape picked up the king with his beak and dropped it. Snape was gently pulled back to Harry's lap, and once again, Harry was about to move the queen. Snape squawked and hopped onto Harry's hand to nip at his knuckles.
"Ow, stupid bird!" Squawk! "Fine, he has me in check already, I'll move the king," Harry announced. "Happy?"
Ron slapped his forehead and took Harry's queen, but the game lasted another hour with Harry accepting Snape's advice, of sorts, to eventually win the game. "Hey, I did it! I beat you!" Squawk! "Sorry, WE beat ya, Ron."
Ron laughed, "Whatcha talkin' about mate? Snape called all the moves and kept you from falling into my traps."
"Well, well, maybe Weasley is capable of insight after all," Snape coo'd with satisfaction. He strutted a victory lap around the chessboard, knocking the remaining chess pieces around.
"I need to get back to my assignments. Call me for supper, mate. Maybe we can go flying after supper."
"You got it," Ron called as he left the room, "thanks for the game." As the redhead reached the door, he turned around, "Hey, let's go to Diagon Alley tomorrow and visit Fred and George at their shop."
"Great! I'd like that," Harry beamed.
"Wicked! I'll send Pig ahead and warn them," Ron bounced out of sight.
Harry sat back down at the desk with a heavy sigh. "Well, Professor, what should I work on next?" Snape hopped down to the desk from Harry's shoulder and pulled out the parchment with potions assignments.
"I don't have to do those, silly bird. I'm not taking NEWT level potions. I only managed an A on my OWLS and it's not good enough. I'm not bad at potions, really. I might actually enjoy it if my professor wasn't always singling me out and making snide, personal comments. I guess I'll have to change my plans of becoming an auror someday." Harry pushed the parchment aside, along with the bird, and pulled out his transfiguration notebooks.
'Merlin help us if Harry Potter becomes an auror. Who would save us from Harry Potter?' Snape thought, as he turned to preen under his wing.
To be continued...
~ ~ ~
A/N: My thanks go out to my wonderful reviewers: moonlight4 (three at once!), lucky, eth, Emortis13, SilverDragonHawk, tall oaks, queenie77, Daintress, chickens, lillinfields, preety-lady-serenity, blubb-blubb, Anna Taure, Anne, esrinthly, searanger, Alynna Lis Eachann, Kateri1, ataraxis, Anora, athenakitty, Ms. Padfoot.
I really appreciate your comments, no matter how long or short. Your reviews are truly inspiring. I've been trying upload this chapter for the last 24 hours, but FFN has not been cooperating with me. I don't know if the next chapter will be the last, as originally planned. Since I finished my taxes, my chapters have been getting longer and I had to push a whole section into the next.chapter.
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 4 (uploaded 3/12/04)
Harry swayed as his feet found solid ground. They arrived at an old castle set on a hillside with a view of the loch. At first Harry didn't see the castle because it was hidden against the side of the plush mountain by thick ivy. Once they passed the heavy wooden doors, the entryway opened into an opulent sitting room. "Where are we? Who lives here?" Harry whispered to Charlie. He got a shrug in return.
"Come in, do come in," Dumbledore greeted the new arrivals. There are refreshments against the wall. Please take a seat." Rows of chairs were arranged to face a small raised stage, on which a podium was centered. The room seemed to grow bigger as more people arrived.
"Hi, Neville," Ginny smiled.
"Hi guys, you've met my gran before, right?" Neville held his hand out toward the gray-haired lady with a faded vulture on her hat and red handbag. While Ron, Ginny, Harry, and Hermione were reintroduced, Snape started getting restless in the pocket and squawked. 'Potter unzip this pocket, let me out!'
Neville looked around and whispered to Harry, "Is that Snape?"
Softly, Harry asked, "How do you know about Snape?"
"Ron told me," Neville whispered back. Harry opened the pocket and lifted the black bird to his shoulder, "Shhh."
"Don't you shush me, Potter. Give me a better vantage." SQUAWK! When Neville's grandmother leaned in to get a closer look at the black bird, Snape freaked at the life-sized stuffed vulture on Neville's grandmother's hat, he flapped his wings and stood defensively as tall as he could, snapping his beak at the hat décor.
As everyone laughed, Harry pulled the raven into his chest, "It's okay, boy. It's just a hat. Shhh."
'That hat, I hate that hat!' Snape squawked.
Luna tapped Harry on the shoulder, "Harry, this is my dad. Daddy, this is Harry Potter."
Harry put Snape back up on his shoulder to shake hands, "Mr. Lovegood, I'd really like to thank you for printing those articles last semester."
"Not at all, my boy. Wow, Harry Potter, as I live and breathe," Luna's father said in awe, pumping Harry's hand endlessly. "I am so happy to finally to meet you, Harry. Luna tells me so little about you."
'Enough already, the boy's head won't be able to fit through the fireplace,' thought Snape.
Luna asked, "Is this Snape?"
"Yeh, did Ron tell you too?" Harry hushed.
'I am going to get that Weasley,' Snape mentally noted.
"No, Ginny did. Hi Professor." Luna lifted her hand to pet the bird, but pulled it back when Snape snapped at her. 'I'll get that Weasley, too. Move along Potter.'
"Well, um, nice meeting you, Mr. Lovegood. Please excuse me, I have to find Professor Dumbledore." Harry broke the long handshake to find a seat.
As Harry and Ron took seats in the front row, Dumbledore walked up to them. "Hello, Harry, how has your summer been?" Dumbledore asked.
"Hello, Professor. Actually, it wasn't as boring as it might have been if I didn't have this little guy to take care of." Harry pointed to the raven riding his shoulder. "My cousin got an air rifle before his birthday and he's been shooting paint pellets at cats and birds in the neighborhood. This poor little guy broke his wing falling out of the tree."
"Ahh, yes. Hagrid told me about Professor Snape." Dumbledore offered his hand and the black bird climbed on and started cooing. "Hello there, Mr. Raven."
'Headmaster, it's me, Severus Snape. Look at me, take a closer look!'
Harry leaned into the headmaster and whispered, "Is Professor Snape coming? I don't want to be seen calling this bird by his name in front of him."
Dumbledore chuckled, "I understand."
"Well he put up an argument when I thought of calling him Sirius," Snape shook out his feathers at hearing Harry say that, "and he was quite agreeable to being called Professor Snape."
"Arthur tells me you found a wand."
'Yes, Potter, show him my wand.'
"Oh, yeh!" Harry pulled out the 'borrowed' wand and presented it to the Headmaster.
"Whoa!" Ron said in surprise. "He's letting Professor Dumbledore take the wand."
In fact, the raven jumped to Dumbledore's other hand, the one that was now holding the wand, and turned around several times. Snape pecked at the engraved initials on the handle, 'Me, I'm S.S., it's me.'
"Look at that," Ron gaped at the raven's behavior.
"Harry, this is Professor Snape's wand. He's been missing for several weeks." Dumbledore declared. The raven spread its wings and bobbed it's head. 'Yes, good, now make the connection.'
Ron laughed, "Well there you are! Harry found Snape and he's had him all this time." The bird had stopped turning around on Dumbledore's hand to glare at the lanky red-head who was doubled over and stomping his feet. 'How does he do that?' Snape wondered.
"Ooo, the evil eye again," Ron snickered. Dumbledore sighed and pocketed Snape's wand.
"I have to start the meeting now, Harry, but I want to talk with you later. Here, please take your bird." Harry put his hand out. It was obvious the raven didn't want to leave Dumbledore. 'No, don't go! Albus! Headmaster?' Harry put the black bird back into his pocket and dropped in half a biscuit after it.
Harry didn't learn anything from the meeting that he didn't already know from reading the Daily Prophet or from his day with the Weasleys. The meeting was basically a recruitment meeting for the adults, but the D.A. Club was introduced. That's why Harry and his fellow club members were there with their parents. Snape had made his way back to Harry's lap. Towards the end of the meeting Dumbledore announced that the school was still looking for a DADA teacher for the new year and possibly a substitute potions teacher. That's when he announced that Severus Snape had gone missing, asked for information and urged vigilance. "Constant vigilance!" Moody seconded from the back of the room.
When Snape's name was mentioned, the raven jumped off of Harry's lap with a loud squawk and started running and flapping toward the stage. 'I'm here! Change me back, Headmaster!' Ron yelled, "Look out, there goes Snape!" Dumbledore shrugged and ended the meeting, as the chatter started after the laughter died out.
But Harry quickly recaptured the bird and held it by its talons. Charlie's instruction earlier that day helped Harry in handling the black bird without suffering injury to his fingers. However, he was unable to keep it quiet.
Dumbledore put his arm around Harry's shoulder, "Harry, your bird is quite a character. How about that meeting now? Follow me, please." The tall white-haired wizard led the teen to an adjoining meeting room. There was a large table in the center, surrounded by chairs. Astrological charts and wizarding maps were hanging from the walls. Unfortunately, Harry didn't have a chance to get a better look, because he was soon followed by Arthur Weasley, Mad-Eye Moody, and Professor McGonagall. Fawkes, Dumbledore's phoenix rode in on the headmaster's shoulder.
Before everyone had taken their seat, Dumbledore had already started talking. "Harry, as I mentioned in the meeting, Professor Snape has been missing for several weeks now. I am certain you have found his wand."
Harry took a seat, but the bird squawked in his pocket and poked him in the stomach. As soon as the pocket was unzipped, the raven jumped out onto Harry's lap, then onto the table. "Sorry, about the raven, sir. He's had a few scares and hasn't let me out of his sight since we got to the Burrow."
"Okay, Harry," McGonagall interrupted, "but how did you get Professor Snape's wand?"
"Yes, Ma'am, I was getting to that. The night after I found Snape, this Snape, Hedwig went on her night hunt and came back with the wand. I asked her to show me where she found the wand and she flew out to the tree in the front yard. There was a splotch of green paint, on the tree trunk where she flew to. I think that's where the raven got shot down by my cousin."
"May I see the wand, Albus?" Alastor Moody asked. When he was handed the wand, Snape squawked and ran across the table, 'No, not priori incantato. Albus, don't let him!'
"Harry, control your bird," Moody gruffed. Harry reached out and pulled Snape back with both hands.
"Alastor, just the last spell please," Dumbledore asked.
Moody grumbled, but complied. "Protego. It was Protego. It seems he was in a duel."
Moody stood up at a large map of London spread on a wall of the meeting room and used his wand as a pointer. "We know that Snape was last seen at the Leaky Cauldron and left about 4am. Muggle authorities were called for a drunken disturbance in Hyde Park shortly afterwards. The descriptions of the group match that of a group of wizards in black robes. They were gone before the constables arrived. Witnesses say they vanished into thin air."
"Sir, did Professor Snape have a raven?" asked Harry.
"No, Harry. Why?" the Headmaster, replied.
"Well, Charlie said this bird may be used to being around wizards. I think there's some kind of link to the wand because he seems very protective of it. I just thought this raven might belong to the owner of the wand."
While the wizards discussed Snape's whereabouts and tried to track him on the map, the raven was having his own discussion with Dumbledore's phoenix.
"Fawkes," Snape coo'd, "can you understand me?"
"How do you know my name, Raven?"
"I am Severus Snape. I was hexed into this form. Please help me get someone to understand. Can you communicate with Dumbledore?"
"Not directly." The phoenix trilled as if it were giggling, "How did you get young Master Harry to call you by your name?"
"It is a coincidence. He's calling me after his potions professor as a joke. He doesn't really know." Snape hopped off the table, into Harry's lap and pecked at the pocket with Ron's drawing. Harry pulled out the scroll and placed it and the black bird on the table. Snape picked at the rolled up picture and pushed it toward the phoenix. "Look at this picture, the Weasley boy drew this as a joke on his professor, as well."
Fawkes hopped down and strutted across the table, his feathers dragging gracefully behind him. Not able to unroll it himself, he walked to Professor McGonagall with it and flew to her shoulder for a better vantage. She unrolled it and immediately her shoulders trembled in quiet laughter. Snape ran to her hand and pecked at the picture, 'Minerva, please transfigure me back. This (peck) is me,' then looked back at her.
"Harry," she whispered, with pursed lips and a wrinkled nose, "please take your bird."
As Snape was lifted off McGonagall's hand, he looked at the phoenix, "Fawkes, she doesn't understand."
"Nice picture," Fawkes trilled. McGonagall allowed the picture to roll up on itself and pushed it across the table toward Harry.
Fawkes swooped from her shoulder to pick up the parchment and landed on Dumbledore's shoulder. The headmaster unrolled the drawing and chuckled. Snape was waddling his way to Dumbledore and did the same peck-and-glare that he did with McGonagall. Dumbledore leaned over to the transfiguration professor, "Minerva, do have a chat with young Mr. Weasley about teasing his professors." She nodded, lips thinned to hide her smile.
"No! Use logic, Albus! Moody, what about vigilance? PAY ATTENTION!" Snape squawked and beat his wings on the table furiously.
"Harry, control your bird," Moody snarled, "or I'll transfigure him into Severus Snape and end this blasted hunt. I've never trusted him. And I'm only doing this as a personal favor to you, Albus. I honestly don't know what redeeming features you see in that snarky git."
'Yes! Yes! Transfigure me!' Snape squawked excitedly and held his wings spread.
Once again, Snape found himself in Harry's pocket. It was zipped shut this time and the raven couldn't move. 'No!' Snape sighed, 'not like this.'
That night, while Harry and Ron slept. Snape coo'd from his shoebox, "Hedwig, are you awake?"
"Of course, I'm nocturnal." Hedwig hooted back softly.
Snape told her about the meeting with Dumbledore and his conversation with Fawkes. "Mr. Potter left the drawing on the desk. Please take it to the headmaster in the morning. If he won't take it, perhaps Fawkes can get through to him. It's unbelievable how dense that old man can be." Snape turned around and plucked one of his longest tail feathers. "UGH! Ow! Take this with you too, please."
"He's a busy man, Professor," Hedwig hooted, "He has owls flying in and out of his office all the time. I hate standing in queues."
Hedwig arrived at the teacher's table at breakfast time. "Hello, there. You're Harry's owl, aren't you?" Dumbledore offered Hedwig a bite of melon from his fruit cup. "Not this again. Why is Harry sending this to me? " the old wizard spoke softly to the owl. Hedwig shook her head slowly. "Not from Harry? From who, then?" Hedwig picked up the raven's tail feather, which had fallen out of the scroll when Dumbledore unrolled it, and presented it to the headmaster. "A feather from the raven?"
Watching the headmaster and the white owl, Sibyll Trelawney, put the picture with the shiny black feather and gasped, "Headmaster, a raven is an omen of death. Is somebody warning us of Severus's death? Are we any closer to finding him after last night's developments? I'm sorry I couldn't attend the meeting last night."
If Hedwig could have rolled her eyes and slapped her forehead, she would have. Instead, she shook her head from side to side and ruffled her feathers. She climbed onto the headmaster's hand and tried to point at the green streak in the hair of the wizard in the picture. Hedwig hooted, "Don't listen to her! Besides, she gives me the creeps."
"Severus, Severus, where are you?" Tired, Dumbledore shook his head and pinched the bridge of his nose. Hedwig hooted and pointed at Ron's signature, but did not have the headmaster's attention.
"Whatcha got there, Perfesser?" Hagrid over up from his seat across the table.
Dumbledore sighed. "Harry's raven tried to give this drawing to me last night. Young Mr. Weasley drew it as a caricature of Severus because Harry is calling the bird Professor Snape."
Hagrid chuckled, "Maybe th' raven's trying t' tell ya somethin'."
"I only wish I knew what it was, Hagrid." Dumbledore sighed.
~ ~ ~
Harry buried himself in his summer assignments. If he walked away for more than a half hour, the black bird would squawk and fuss until Harry sat back down in front of his books. Snape paced across the desk or table where Harry worked. In fact, Snape was practically inseparable from Harry. If Harry started to walk away for any reason, the raven would raise such a ruckus that Harry had to pick him up. Snape especially tried to avoid Ron's owl, Pigwidgeon, for it was very irritating.
His first meeting with Pig was the last one he wanted: "Hi I'm Pig, well actually it's really Pigwidgeon, but they call me Pig for short. What's your name? Why are your feathers so black? Do you use anything to keep them so shiny? The oils must make your feathers very heavy, but you look waterproof. Does Harry spray you with cold water? Sometimes Ron sprays me with water when I don't settle down. I like Ron. Do you like Ron? How about Harry? Harry is very nice to me." The little owl spoke very fast and didn't even pause for a breath.
SQUAWK!! "SHUT UP!"
"That's not very nice. You're not a nice bird. Are you even a raven? Your nose is as big as a toucan's, but a toucan's colors are on its beak, not on its head. I've never met a toucan before, come to think of it, I've never met a raven before, either. Maybe you're a bat—"
SQUAWK! SQUAWK! "POTTER GET OVER HERE!!!!"
~ ~ ~
"Harry, take a break," Ron bounced into the bedroom where Harry was doing homework. "let's play wizard's chess."
"I've got a lot of catching up to do, Ron."
"C'mon, I'll make it a quick and painless death. You've been working hard since you got here."
"Are you all done with your assignments?" Harry ran his hands through his hair and messed it up more.
"Yeh, but Hermione thinks I need to write another foot for charms. She's a taskmaster, she is."
"So is Snape," Harry pointed to the raven. "You're right. I need a break, but kill me quickly so I can get back to transfiguration."
"Yes!" Ron pumped his arm and retrieved his chess set from his trunk. He set it up on the bed, where Harry joined him, taking blacks. Snape watched the game progress from Harry's shoulder. Ron quickly had Harry stumped and was ready to pounce
Harry moved his hand over his queen, but Snape hopped off Harry's shoulder to his lap, then to his hand. 'It's a trap, Potter,' thought Snape. The pieces protested when Snape picked up the king with his beak and dropped it. Snape was gently pulled back to Harry's lap, and once again, Harry was about to move the queen. Snape squawked and hopped onto Harry's hand to nip at his knuckles.
"Ow, stupid bird!" Squawk! "Fine, he has me in check already, I'll move the king," Harry announced. "Happy?"
Ron slapped his forehead and took Harry's queen, but the game lasted another hour with Harry accepting Snape's advice, of sorts, to eventually win the game. "Hey, I did it! I beat you!" Squawk! "Sorry, WE beat ya, Ron."
Ron laughed, "Whatcha talkin' about mate? Snape called all the moves and kept you from falling into my traps."
"Well, well, maybe Weasley is capable of insight after all," Snape coo'd with satisfaction. He strutted a victory lap around the chessboard, knocking the remaining chess pieces around.
"I need to get back to my assignments. Call me for supper, mate. Maybe we can go flying after supper."
"You got it," Ron called as he left the room, "thanks for the game." As the redhead reached the door, he turned around, "Hey, let's go to Diagon Alley tomorrow and visit Fred and George at their shop."
"Great! I'd like that," Harry beamed.
"Wicked! I'll send Pig ahead and warn them," Ron bounced out of sight.
Harry sat back down at the desk with a heavy sigh. "Well, Professor, what should I work on next?" Snape hopped down to the desk from Harry's shoulder and pulled out the parchment with potions assignments.
"I don't have to do those, silly bird. I'm not taking NEWT level potions. I only managed an A on my OWLS and it's not good enough. I'm not bad at potions, really. I might actually enjoy it if my professor wasn't always singling me out and making snide, personal comments. I guess I'll have to change my plans of becoming an auror someday." Harry pushed the parchment aside, along with the bird, and pulled out his transfiguration notebooks.
'Merlin help us if Harry Potter becomes an auror. Who would save us from Harry Potter?' Snape thought, as he turned to preen under his wing.
To be continued...
~ ~ ~
A/N: My thanks go out to my wonderful reviewers: moonlight4 (three at once!), lucky, eth, Emortis13, SilverDragonHawk, tall oaks, queenie77, Daintress, chickens, lillinfields, preety-lady-serenity, blubb-blubb, Anna Taure, Anne, esrinthly, searanger, Alynna Lis Eachann, Kateri1, ataraxis, Anora, athenakitty, Ms. Padfoot.
I really appreciate your comments, no matter how long or short. Your reviews are truly inspiring. I've been trying upload this chapter for the last 24 hours, but FFN has not been cooperating with me. I don't know if the next chapter will be the last, as originally planned. Since I finished my taxes, my chapters have been getting longer and I had to push a whole section into the next.chapter.