Disclaimer: we still don't own anything, cept for two characters that show up to say hi to Malfoy. Chapter 2 rewritten 12/2003 by Bunny. (And remember, R&R!!) - Bunny



Chapter two- Hermione Gets a Bird

Hermione was already eating breakfast when Harry and Ron stumbled downstairs the next morning, still in their pajamas.

Yawning, Harry sat down and Ron got them bowls of cereal.

"We'll be leaving soon for Diagon Alley, so hurry up!" Mrs. Weasley called.

Hermione put her empty bowl in the sink, which started washing it, and went upstairs.

Ginny, already dressed, came down, made herself toast, and then went back upstairs.

"Not much of a morning person, is she? Didn't even say good morning," Harry remarked.

"She's been like that lately, though she's normally wearing her pajamas, guess it's cause of you," Ron said with a grin.

"There's nothing special about me," Harry sighed.

"There is to her," Ron said, then shrugged.

They finished eating, then went upstairs and got dressed. Then they waited downstairs for everyone.

An hour later they were finally ready to leave by Floo Powder.

Fred and George went first, Ginny went next, then Hermione, then Ron, and then, before Mrs. Weasley, Harry.

Once at Diagon Ally, they went to Gringotts, then got their school supplies.

Then Harry and Ron went to the Qudditch supply store while Ginny and Hermione went to a new store that was selling make up.

"I don't know what girls see in that," Ron remarked as he looked at a shelf.

"Yeah, but they don't know what we see in Qudditch," Harry replied.

"I guess-look at that!" Ron interrupted himself, pointing to a box.

"What is it?" Harry asked.

"It's a device that makes you broom invisible to Muggles," Ron said as he picked up a box. "You just attach it to your broom."

Harry wondered how much it costed, even though he didn't think he'd buy it, after all, he still had three more years of school left.

"Yikes! It's 750 Galleons!" Ron yelped.

"To much for you, Weasley." A voiced sneered.

It was Draco Malfoy. Ron and Harry turned to face him.

"It's pointless to buy it with what it costs," Harry replied.

Draco opened his mouth to speak but stopped when a girl ran up to him, plucked one of his hairs, then ran out of the store, yelling, "Malfoy rhymes with fan-boy!", heading toward the make up store.

A second girl came up to them and asked, "Have you ever considered writing a hula about Quidditch?"

Then, with out waiting for an answer, ran out of the store, shouting something about having socks.

The three boys stood there a moment, staring after them. Then Draco walked after them, with out saying another word to Harry and Ron.

"He just makes me so mad," Ron said.

"That's okay, I think he's made for it," Harry replied.

Ron cheered up after that.

They put the box back on the shelf and left to go join the girls, who were waiting for them outside the makeup store, each with a bag.

Harry and Ron shook their heads and didn't say anything.

"Malfoy entered the make up store," Hermione said, giggling.

"He was probably following the girl that pulled out one of his hairs," Harry said before telling Hermione and Ginny what happened.

"Weird," Ginny said when he was done.

"Let's stop here," Hermione said when they reached the pet store.

"What for?" Ron asked.

"I want to get an owl so I can mail my parents more often," Hermione answered.

"Alright then," Harry said as they entered the store.

They looked around for a while before they came to a red-tailed hawk.

"Isn't he beautiful?" Hermione asked.

"Yes, you gonna get him?" Ginny asked.

"I don't know, I've read that birds other than owls are harder to control," Hermione said.

"He isn't to expensive, you can always buy him, and then buy an owl if he doesn't listen," Ginny reasoned.

"I guess, what do you think?" Hermione asked Harry and Ron.

"What ever you want to do," Harry answered.

"I think I'll buy him," Hermione said a minute later, after thinking about it.

She picked up the cage and went to wait in line with Ginny.

"I thought she wanted an owl," Ron whispered to Harry.

"She said she wanted one before and then she got Crookshanks, remember?" Harry said.

Ron nodded.

"Come back if he runs away, he's already tried twice," the person at the counter said.

"Alright," Hermione said as she left with Ron, Ginny and Harry.

"What should I call him?" Hermione wondered.

My name is Tobias.

"Who said that?" Ron asked as they looked around.

I did, the hawk.

"I think Malfoy's right, I am delusional," Ron said.

I really am talking, you're not delusional.

"How?" Ron asked.

I'm a human trapped in a hawks body.

"How?" Ron repeated.

I'm an Animorph.

"Ani-what?" Ron asked.

Animorph.

"And what's an Animorph?" Harry asked.

Let's go somewhere else and I'll explain.

So they went to an ally, on the way they noticed that the Weasley twins had set up a booth for their pranks.

Once in an ally, Tobias explained what an Animorph was and how he had gotten to be one.

"Wow," Hermione said when he was done.

"Let's go to the Leaky Cauldron and wait till we go back to the Burrow to talk more," Harry suggested after they introduced themselves.

Harry, Ron, Ginny, and Hermione had time for a butterbeer before the Weasleys came back and they went to the Burrow.

After gathering their things, the trio went up to Ron's room.

"A talking bird. I have now seen everything," Ron said.

"No, you haven't seen a vampire, or a imp, or a-" Hermione said, and she would have said more but Ron interrupted her.

"It was just a figure of speech," Ron said.

Tobias morphed into his human form.

"Hi," he said.

"Yikes! Warn me next time, will you?" Ron yelped.

"Sorry," Tobias apologized.

"It's okay, you just startled me," Ron replied.

Tobias shrugged.

Ron and Harry noticed Hermione was blushing lightly.

"Looks like Hermione fancies you," Harry teased.

"Do not," Hermione protested, blushing more.

"I bet you do," Ron replied.

"Shove off you two, I don't fancy anyone," Hermione said.

"What about Vicky-Wicky?" Ron asked.

"Will you stop!" Hermione said as she got up and left.

Tobias morphed back into a bird.

Look at what you did now.

"It's all Ron's fault," Harry accused.

Ron shot an angry look at Harry, then smiled, "She fancies you, Tobias."

Probably doesn't. Who's 'Vicky-Wicky'? Tobias asked, changing the subject.

"Just a boy who went to a school dance with Hermione," Harry said, "his real name is Victor Krum, but Ron calls him names."

"It suits him," Ron said.

Harry laughed.

Tobais flew out of the window.

"Stupid bird," Ron muttered.

"If he's so stupid, how come he can talk?" Harry asked.

"He was born like that?" Ron suggested.

"He was born a human," Harry replied.

Tobias flew back inside.

Someone knocked on the door, "Bed time, boys!" Mrs Weasley called as she stuck her head in.

"Alright," Ron replied.

Mrs. Weasley blew kisses at them both and then left.

"You can stay here tonight, Tobias, give Hermione some time to herself," Harry said.

Alright, thanks. Tobias perched on Ron's dresser and closed his eyes.

Harry and Ron got in their beds and went to sleep.

The next morning was the day before they had to go back to school.

All throughout the day everyone was packing.

Tobias helped whenever he could, and, any time there was a free moment, he asked Hermione, Ron, or Harry a question about Hogwarts or the wizard world.

Do you have a sport?

Harry was taking a break from packing, his stuff was mostly packed.

"Yeah, it's called Qudditch. There are seven players, three Chasers, two Beaters, one Keeper, and one Seeker. I'm the Seeker for the Gryffindor team. You should ask Ron about how it's played, if you want to know," Harry answered.

Alright, I will, Tobias said as he flew off.

Harry shook his head. He had to admit it was getting annoying.

"Hey, Harry? Do you have any idea why Tobias is asking about Qudditch?" Ron asked as he entered the room.

"He just asked me if we had a sport. He's starting to act like the Dursleys, thought not as bad as them," Harry replied.

Tobias flew back into the room.

"Now what do you want?" Ron asked, impatiently.

Just wanted to tell you I'm leaving, I'll be back tomorrow. Tobias told them.

"Does Hermione know?" Ron asked.

Yes, I already told her. Tobias answered.

"Bye."

"See you tomorrow."

I'll see you tomorrow if all goes well, Tobias said as he flew out the window.

"What did he mean, 'if all goes well'?" Harry asked.

Ron shrugged, "Who cares."