Adam and Po exited the school on the evening of the full moon to find Adrian, his boyfriend Josh Roccer, Max, Sarah, and Benny waiting for them.
"Ready?" Po asked.
They all nodded.
The sun sank fully over the horizon and everyone began their transformations. Max shrank, sprouting feathers and a beak, turning into a large Eagle owl. Benny, who was easily as tall as Max, shrank and sprouted feathers as well, changing into a peregrine falcon, earning him the nickname of Hawkeye. Sarah broke out in brown fur two large black spots appearing on her brown coat, taking the form of Doberman Pincher without a clipped tail or ears. Josh was easily the smallest male of the group so it was no surprise to anyone when they found he was a cat Animagi, he was nearly all black except for a white mottled right front paw and leg, he was Whiskers. Po was the last to start her transfiguration, waiting until the two werewolves began to feel the call of the moon. She actually got bigger when she transformed, a black shaggy coat enveloped her and Padfoot was reborn.
Adrian was the first to start his transformation to a wolf, his undercoat was white with a black overcoat, his right front paw and leg, like Josh, was a mottled black and white, he also had white streak down his muzzle giving him the name Blaze. Josh nuzzled Adrian and licked his nose, cleaning the blood from where he had started to bleed during the change. Adam hit the ground on all fours, his fur slowly growing, a white coat taking place of his clothing, reddish brown ear laid back as Moony howled, Blaze, Scooby, and Padfoot picking up with it.
Padfoot panted and trotted over to Moony, nuzzling his neck. Moony licked her muzzle and then crouched down and turned to tackle Scooby. Scooby yelped and together they wrestled on the ground. Post and Hawkeye took to the skies to keep an eye out for anyone who may stumble on the group and inadvertently place themselves in danger.
(HP)
Together the group slowly made their way back the next morning, Max and Benny supporting Adam. Josh, though small, was a Beater for the Quidditch team and easily carried Adrian. Scotty and Po followed them leaning on each other.
As Po crawled into bed with Adam he snuggled up to her and smiling he said, "Party's next week."
(HP)
Adam and Po enter their House's dorm and was greeted by the sight of Max and Sarah dancing in their underwear on a table covered in playing cards.
"Strip poker," Adrian yelled in her ear. "One helluva party!"
Po hugged him. "Congrats, Valedictorian!"
Adrian smiled, thanking her, and was pulled back into the middle of the room, which was serving as a makeshift dance floor, by Josh.
"CHUG, CHUG, CHUG," came a chant from the corner of the room where a Seventh Year boy named Tom was drinking directly from the keg tap.
No one under Sixth Year was here, Po noted, she herself hadn't been allowed in one of these parties until this year, all the underclassmen had been sent home. Adam yelped as a Sixth Year girl, Brandy Adams who was a Chaser for the Quidditch team, grabbed him and pulled him onto the dance floor. Po smiled at him as he started to dance, another girl joined them and handed Adam a cup. The Quidditch Captain, a Sixth Year, Johnny Allen came over to Po and handed her a cup before pulling her out onto the floor.
"How's my Chaser?" he asked as they started dancing to the techno music.
"Excellent, now," she said. "Are we ready for next year?"
"Yeah, baby," he replied. "All we need is a new Beater."
"Benny Pious, Max's little brother, Fifth Year."
Johnny gave her a reckless smile. "Good call."
"We've had that Cup three years now, let's not give it up yet!"
(HP)
Somehow, Adam and Po had managed to find their way back to his room, although, Po didn't quite make it to the bed and had ended up sleeping on the floor.
Adam moaned as he woke up a few hours later by a brief pounding on the door, Duo giving them a wake up call. "Padfoot, I'm going to be sick."
Po slowly rolled over on the floor and started to crawl towards the bathroom. "You'll have to wait or puke on the floor."
(HP)
Professor Mathews had enough foresight to brew hangover cures the night before and have them handed out the next morning at breakfast. Max and Sarah blushed each time they looked at each other, Johnny was asking Max about Benny, Adrian was a bit wistful as he looked about and realized that he wasn't coming back next year and Josh was trying to cheer him up.
Po and Adam were sitting at the far end of the table. "You realize this will be the first summer we haven't stayed at school," Adam said.
Po nodded, she was feeling homesick already and hadn't even left yet. "It's just twelve weeks; three months, and it's really less than that when you realize that we'll be coming back early. Draco has to be back at Hogwarts on the 31st of August, so we'll be leaving before then."
Adam nodded. "Yeah, plus we'll have to come back and do most of our school shopping."
"So it'll be more like nine weeks." Po forced a smile.
"You don't wanna go."
"Not really." Po wanted to go, sure, but it was safer here.
"We'll be fine," Adam said.
Po wasn't so sure of that, but said nothing. An eagle owl landed in front of Po and held out its leg so she take the box tied to it off. "Thanks," she said, giving it some toast. "It's our Portkey, set for eleven a.m."
Adam nodded. "It's 10:30, now, should we go get our things?"
"Finish your breakfast first, Moony, and you need to take your other potion."
(HP)
Duo had followed them to Adam's room. "Be careful, I have a bad feeling, something's coming," she said.
"Dumbledore's going to try something," Po said.
Duo scowled. "He already has, remember?"
Po nodded. "I'll owl you when I get there."
"No, here," Duo said and pressed a cell phone into her hands. "I've programmed my number in there, use it for emergencies."
Po hugged Duo. "You're the best, Duo."
"Call me when you get there," Duo said with a smile.
"Yes, Mom," Po replied with a smirk as she slipped the phone into her pocket. She turned to Adam and pulled out the Portkey. "Grab your trunk, Adam." Together they touched the Portkey, a ring, and felt the familiar hook behind her navel.
(HP)
At Malfoy Manor, Draco Malfoy was reclining on the marble stairs while his mother paced. "Anytime, now," she kept saying.
"Mum!" he finally said smiling at her. "They'll be here. Don't worry."
"She may have changed her mind." Narcissa Malfoy chewed her thumbnail.
Draco shook his head and she sat down on the step next to him, a few things had happened to Draco in the last year and it had changed him greatly. He had seen Snape tortured within an inch of his life for being a traitor and had watched his father die at the hands of Voldemort, sacrificing himself for Narcissa and Draco. And it had finally dawned on him after nearly two years that the Dark Lord was not the answer. Nor was the path he was on the correct one. He had changed that and he and Narcissa had joined the Order of the Phoenix. While Draco was now part of the Order, he still hated Harry Potter and Harry Potter still seemed to hate him. The more things change, the more they stay the same Draco figured.
He started to say something when Po and Adam crashed to the floor. "They're here."
Narcissa laughed then went to help Po and Adam up. Draco grabbed Adam's hand and pulled him up while Narcissa helped Po.
Po smiled and hugged Narcissa. "Hey, Narci," she said. "This is Adam Lupin."
"Hello," Adam said.
Narcissa smiled and hugged him. "Hello, welcome to Malfoy Manor, this is Draco."
Draco nodded and shook Adam's hand then turned to Po. "You must be Polaris, it a pleasure to finally meet you."
"Just call me Po," she said shaking his hand.
"Let me show you both to your rooms," Draco said, "the elves will get your trunks in a minute."
(HP)
Po pulled the phone from her pocket and found Duo's number, there was nothing like having a Muggle oriented Headmistress.
"Hello?" Duo answered sounding nervous.
"Hey, we made it," Po told her.
"Okay, good, I just got a letter from the British Ministry of Magic, Po," Duo sounded upset now.
Po's breath caught in her chest. "Werewolf Registration?"
"I'm sorry, Po, I know you were trying to avoid it. It says that due to the fact that Adam current address is now in England he must register. They are sending the paperwork to be filed out to Malfoy Manor."
"Damn it!" Po cried.
"It also says that if you do not have any current pictures of his wolf form he will have to stay the night of the full moon under surveillance. I've owled you the last set of pictures we took of him, so there's at least that."
"Thanks, Duo, I owe you big time."
"Don't thank me yet, I've got more bad news."
"Now what?" Po asked exasperated.
"Dumbledore, he went over your head, Narcissa's head, and my head. I just found out, he went to the school's governors and offered them an invitation. The whole school is going to Hogwarts."
"Damn him!" Po yelled. "And damn my stubborn hide, too."
"Po---"
"Don't come, Duo, I'm sending Adam back."
"I don't have too much choice in the matter, Po."
"Talk them out of it, I know you can."
Duo sighed. "Po, we're coming."
"Duo, please, stay there, I won't put Adam in this kind of danger and I'm sending him home. I'll stay here."
"He's cornered us."
"See if you can talk us out of that corner, I'll stay but Adam can't."
"He'll be miserable without you."
"I know, but I'd rather he'd miserable and safe than happy and in the path of Voldemort."
"I'll see what I can do, but the Werewolf Registration...?"
"I'll take care of him. Call me when you know something definite on the Hogwarts sitch."
"All right, bye, Po."
"Bye, Duo."
A knock sounded on Po's door followed by Narcissa saying, "Polly, may I come in?"
"Yeah, Narci."
Narcissa opened the door and with one look knew something was wrong. "What is it?"
"Close the door and I'll tell you."
Narcissa closed the door and sat down next to Po. "What happened?"
"Adam's got to register, the Ministry sent the letter to Duo. They are sending paperwork here, I have to tell Adam before it gets here. On top of that, Dumbledore has beat me, he has the whole of UHS going to Hogwarts next year."
"That barmy old codger!" Narcissa stood up and started to pace. "He doesn't realize what type of danger you'll be in!" She stopped and sat down beside Po again and said in near whisper, "I was going to enroll Draco at UHS."
"Duo's trying to talk the governors out of making us go, she'll let me know when she's got the answer," Po told her. "I'm thinking of sending Adam back to UHS if Duo succeeds, I'll go to Hogwarts."
"Po---"
Po shook her head. "If I can protect Adam by doing this, I will. I'll write Dumbledore."
"ADAM! There's a letter here for you!" Po heard Draco yell; she shot out of her room and intercepted Adam at the top of the stairs.
"He'll be down in a minute, Draco!" Po called down. "There's something I have to tell you, Adam. I just talked to Duo, she said that the Ministry sent you a letter to UHS. It was your Registry order."
Adam took a deep breath and gave Po a weak smile. "I knew it was coming," he said.
"She's sending the last pictures we took of you, so that much is taken care of, but there's still paperwork and if I remember correctly a physical examination."
Adam swallowed hard. "Okay."
"You're allowed to take someone with you when you go for your exam."
"You'll come, won't you?" he asked as if there was a doubt in his mind.
Po took his hand and squeezed it. "Of course."
(HP)