Chapter 4
A/N: *staring blankly at the screen* Ah, you'd like the chapter now. *Impatient nods* Ok, here you go!
~~~~ = Flashbacks
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"He's got the cup, Cedric won!" Harry shouted over the cheering, he could see better than Ron and Hermione at this point. Even if he wasn't too fond of Cedric, he was glad it was a Hogwarts victory. Suddenly Harry's scar burned.
"Harry! Harry what's wrong?" Hermione called.
"Don't know," Harry mumbled, pressing his hand against his forehead.
"Potter, come with me," Moody said, pulling Harry with him. Harry shrugged to Ron and Hermione and went with him. They got out of the stands, then Moody muttered something and they vanished. Harry's scar burned stronger as the pulling on his navel stopped and he looked around at his surroundings. A graveyard. Voldemort was reborn, and a duel challenge was made. Voldemort tossed Harry a sword.
"I believe you know how to use this."
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"I don't know if anyone told you this or not, but I'm your godfather," Sirius said.
"Yeah, I know," Harry said.
"Oh. Well, I was wondering if you'd like to come live with me?" Sirius asked nervously, "I mean if you'd rather stay at the Dursley's, I'd understand."
"Who?" Harry asked, looking a bit confused, "Wait- did you say I could come live with you? Do you have a house? When can I move in?"
"R-Really?" Sirius stammered. Harry nodded with a grin.
"Mr. Black! Professor Lupin- he's changing, and he hasn't had his potion!" Hermione yelled. Sirius transformed after telling them to run. Peter transformed, and made a mad dash for the forest.
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"Ginny, get out of here!" Harry yelled. He was covered in slime from the pipe leading to the Chamber and trying to get Ginny to run for the door. He'd destroyed the diary just after Tom came out of it, but the Basilisk was still there. Ginny seem frozen as the huge snake came at her. Its eyes were gone thanks to Fawkes, but it was still extremely dangerous. Harry held the sword ready, but he needed to make sure Ginny was all right.
"Ginny, MOVE!" Harry shouted. He pushed her out of the way, and thrust the sword into the snake's mouth; it fell down dead, but pierced his arm with a fang. Ginny pulled him back to Ron and Lockhart, where Fawkes was waiting. Fawkes healed Harry's arm and took them to back to Dumbledore.
"Ah, I trust you four are all right?" Dumbledore asked upon seeing them.
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'Bugger,' Harry thought, staring at the Mirror of Erised. He wasn't quite sure what was going on, but the mirror seemed to be divided in half. On one side he saw himself, standing with his parents. One the other, he saw himself correcting the largest mistake he had made- stealing for the first time. Harry had always wished he could take that back, because then maybe, just maybe, things would have turned out different for him, though for better or for worse he did not know. He wished this just as much as he had wished he had his family. "Does this show us our wishes?" Harry wondered out loud to himself.
"Yes... and no, Harry," Dumbledore said from behind him, "It shows us no more or less than our heart's deepest desire. The mirror will be taken to a new home tomorrow. I will have to ask you not to seek it again." Harry nodded, and Dumbledore turned to go.
"What do you see in the mirror, Professor?" Harry asked suddenly.
"Socks," Dumbledore said, "I see myself holding socks. Another Christmas came and went... and people seem to like to give me books rather than socks." Then he left, leaving Harry to wonder whether or not he was serious. Then he decided to keep that in mind for next Christmas.
~~~~~
Harry was not at all happy with his current situation. He was furious that he let himself get caught off guard and out of practice.
"Shadows are hidden, but with Moonlight we seek them, in the shade of the night with spies all around," came a whisper through the window.
"Come in, the cost is clear," Harry whispered back. Moonlight, SpyMoon and NightShade climbed through. They looked him over.
"You look like crap," NightShade said bluntly.
"Thanks," Harry said dryly, "Could you get these damn ropes off now?" They untied him. Harry tried to stand but he didn't have enough strength. NightShade helped him up, Moonlight climbed back through the window, and NightShade lifted Harry through the window to her. Then he and SpyMoon left. NightShade transformed and Moonlight set Harry on his back. SpyMoon transformed and ran ahead to let them know Harry was ok. The bangs told them Howl was assuring their getaway. They quickly headed up to Hogwarts.
* * *
"I am perfectly fine!" Harry protested. Dumbledore, Wolf, Madame Pomfrey and Sirius all gave him a look. "Ok, so I'm not perfectly fine, but I've been beaten up before, you know," Harry said irritably.
"Proud prick," Wolf muttered.
"Am not!"
"Yes you are- stupefy!" she said. Harry fell back on the bed unconscious.
"Was that really necessary?" Sirius growled.
"Yes," she said simply, "Because he is a proud prick when he wants to be." Madame Pomfrey shook her head and healed him.
* * *
"NO! Absolutely not!"
Harry and Wolf were in the middle of an argument in the middle of breakfast the next morning. Slytherins around them glared sleepily, and while everyone agreed it was much too early for this, no one wanted to be the one to break them up.
"Shadow!!! Have you lost your mind?? We need to retaliate!"
"NO! Wolf, I am NOT declaring war on Dante!"
"What did you do- go soft on us? Become one of those goody-goody counselor's at the hall that kept trying to convince us fighting's not the way? They don't know what it's like, and I think you've forgotten. Unless you want to challenge me for HeadWolf, I will declare on Dante. I can't believe you of all people don't want to fight," she ended in a whisper. Then she stalked out.
"Don't do this, Wolf," Harry said sharply.
"Certain things have to be respected, ShadowWolf. And you know it," she called back.
"Of all the idiotic, fool hearted, MORONIC, INSANE STUNTS TO PULL!!! SHE'S BLOODY NUTS!!!" Harry fumed, pacing angrily back and forth, ignoring everyone. "Declaring on him now of all times! Bloody hell..." he wandered out aimlessly, and ended up by the Wolf dorms. He went in. Wolf had her back to him, but the rest were all facing the door.
"Wolf," Harry said quietly. She turned. "I challenge you for HeadWolf. One hour, on the grounds." Her question of 'But don't you have class?' when unanswered, for Harry had left. Murmurs broke out between them as they headed to breakfast.
"He's seriously going to challenge her?" Moonlight mused out loud.
"He seemed serious enough," NightShade shrugged, "I wonder what happened though."
"What do you mean?" one of the pups asked.
"He hasn't fought in five years, and suddenly he's challenging Wolf. Something must have happened," he replied.
"What do you mean, 'challenging Wolf'?" a stern voice said. NightShade turned to see Professor Snape looming over him.
"Exactly what I said. Harry's challenging WolfSong for HeadWolf. Did something happen this morning?" NightShade asked.
"She and Harry had a rather large disagreement this morning, about declaring on Dante," Snape replied. NightShade whistled.
"That would do it," he said, "Guys!! Shadow and Wolf got in a fight! That's why he's challenging her. This is gonna be one of the best fights in a long time as long as Harry isn't too rusty!" All of the Wolves looked excited at the prospect. It did promise to be a good fight.
* * *
"Where is it, where is it?" Harry muttered, rummaging though his trunk. He threw a spare robe behind him, where it landed on a rather disgruntled Draco. A pair of filthy socks flew at Snape.
"Ug, Potter, where did you get those?" Snape said, holding them at arms length.
"Dunno, but I thought I burned them at some point," Harry said, his voice muffled as his head fully in the trunk now, "Aha!" He pulled out a miniature trunk, and restored it to it's normal size- about a forth of the size of his school trunk. He threw it open and examined the contents. There was a short sword strapped to the inside of the lid, two knives about the length of Harry's forearm strapped to the back wall of the trunk, three daggers strapped to each of the two short wall of the trunk, and a staff strapped to the front wall. There was no bottom; it dropped into a good-sized training room with a magical dummy to fight with and moving targets on the walls. Harry drew the sword and the two long knives, and dropped down into the room, landing lightly on his feet. "Come on down, if you want," Harry called, starting to spar with the dummy. They did. Draco watched Harry, while Snape examined the room.
"I never got any chance to practice in the Gryffindor dorm- didn't feel like explaining why I had it. I got it at a weapons shop in Diagon Alley my third year. Hmm.... I'll have to get some more weapons from the Wolf stock later, this won't be enough in case Dante declares on us... Damn..." Harry fought a bit harder, then suddenly whipped around, throwing a knife directly into the target next to Snape. He grinned, "Bull's eye." Then he looked down at his watch, and put his sword in the sheath on his belt, the long knives in holsters on his arms, and grabbed three of the smaller knives and stuck them in other hidden holsters. Finally he grabbed his staff, and hoisted himself out, giving Draco a hand as Snape levitated himself out. "I'll be out on the grounds- WolfSong and I have a fight," Harry said, donning a black cloak over his jeans and black shirt, and ran out. Curious, they followed.
Wolf was pacing back and forth on the path, waiting for him.
"WolfSong," he nodded.
"ShadowWolf," she acknowledged, "I assume you want to cut the chit-chat?"
"Don't I always?"
"Let's get this started then."
"Agreed."
They each drew short swords and began going at it. It was clear to them that Harry was more skilled. Wolf was good, but Harry was a natural at it. At one point, Wolf drew a long knife. Harry drew one of his, and they fought with both. This went on until Wolf made a mistake- she left her side open. He hit it with the flat side of his sword, knocking her down.
"I give," she said finally, he gave her a hand up and they hugged.
"Nice fight, but I really do need to get to class now," he said with a lop-sided grin.
"Thank you, HeadWolf, you weren't so bad yourself. I'm off to tell the others then!" she said. Harry looked relieved.
"I was hoping she wouldn't be mad at me," Harry said, then turned and went to class. He made it in time for Potions. Nobody said a word about the weapons he carried with him, but he magicked them back to his trunk all the same before Charms all the same. He really didn't feel like carrying them around all day anyway. He kept one of the small knives hidden in his robes though- he couldn't shake that vaguely paranoid feeling. Charms went normally, but Harry sunk into his seat at the Slytherin table thankfully anyway.
"Bad morning?" Ginny asked sitting down.
"Long morning," he corrected.
"How so?" Terri asked, sitting too.
"He's HeadWolf again," Draco said, coming over.
"Really?" George asked.
"Yeah," Harry sighed, "Something doesn't feel right. I don't know why though!" The other four shrugged.
"No idea, mate," George said finally.
"It's not your scar is it?" Ginny asked anxiously.
"No, thankfully, something else," Harry replied, "I just wish I kn-"
"SHADOW!!!" WolfSong shrieked, racing across the Great Hall. Harry jumped up. They were talking in low tones, WolfSong gesturing wildly, and Harry frowning and looking more and more worried by the second. Finally, Harry nodded, and WolfSong left. Harry dropped back on his seat, and put his head in his hands.
"It has begun."
The doors of the Great Hall burst open as the Raiders burst in. Harry was up in a second, all his weapons on him, eyes flashing.
"How dare you," Harry hissed, "How dare you just burst in here? This is your territory no more than it is mine, got it?"
"Maybe I'm looking to expand," Dante shot back.
"This is a school. We don't claim schools as our territory- remember?" Harry said.
"Those are your rules ShadowWolf. Rider's have different rules," Dante replied.
"If you wish to challenge me, we go outside," Harry said coldly.
"That will always be your weakness, Shadow. You care too much."
"You care too little." Dante took out his wand and muttered something. Harry's left leg was broken, the same place that Dante had broken it originally. Another muttered curse, and his right arm was as well. Harry quickly shifted all his weight to his right leg, and held his arm protectively, grimacing in pain. It hurt like hell, but he didn't have time to do anything else. But Dante wasn't finished. He shoved Harry hard before Harry could get to his wand or sword. Harry reeled, unable to get his balance back. His leg collapsed beneath him, and he fell on his broken arm. Gasping in pain, he saw the teachers raise their wands and ducked as Dante was blasted off his feet over his head.
"I think we overdid it a tad," Dumbledore said lightly. Harry managed a small smile, but made no attempt to get up. George and Ginny, who were closest, helped Harry to a seat, where he promptly passed out.
* * *
Harry awoke sometime later, in the hospital wing. He opened one eye and looked around. Sirius was lying on the bed in dog form next to him. Seeing Harry was awake, he jumped down and transformed.
"How are you feeling?" Sirius asked worriedly.
"Like I got ran over by a truck," Harry said, moving his arms and legs a bit. His left leg and right arm were in casts. "Pomfrey couldn't heal them?"
"No, the spell that kid- [Dante] The spell Dante used broke them the way they had been once, and only allowed them to heal the original way they had healed."
"Which is in a cast," Harry finished then said dryly, "Just great. Twice now I've gotten the crap kicked out of me by my former second. I seriously need to get back in practice."
"Why? I thought you hated fighting?"
"I do," Harry said, and conjured a map of London. There were colored patches filling up the entire thing. Harry pointed to the silver one around the Leaky Cauldron. "That's Wolf territory. The black patch next to it is Rider territory. We have allies in Eagle (blue), Fox (red), Moon (white), and Sun (yellow) territories that will defend our territory while we are here. The Rider's have allies too, in Panther (purple), Horse (brown), and a few others that I can't remember at the moment. They defend the Rider's territories while they are here. I've got to go back there during Christmas break. I need to make sure our allies still want to be allies, and that our territory is safe. But I need to practice because when word gets out that the HeadRider beat the HeadWolf twice, when the HeadRider was the HeadWolf's second, I'll lose support that we need.
~~~~~
In the next chapter we will see Harry practicing more, the switch back to their normal dorms, and what that does to the new found alliance between Harry and Draco, plus a reaction when the word of what the Wolves do gets out to the general population of Hogwarts. Please review!
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