H P Boy who livesYear 7- Summer
Chapter15
Viktor Krum
--
Viktor comes a calling at Hermione's while he's there for the celebration. Harry sets him straight...they work on that homework assignment.
--
Harry awoke on top of the covers with Hermione tucked underneath the covers beside him. He looked over at the clock it was going on 11am. "Now this is what I call a choice way to start the day off." He carefully got out of bed as not to awaken his sleeping princess, stretched his sore muscles, and headed for the shower.
James and Lily were asleep in their portrait.
Ten minutes later, he emerged fresh for the day dressed in a pair of gray sweat shorts and socks. He planned on going for a run and didn't feel like adding a t-shirt to his workout gear. His Nikes were downstairs, so he headed down to the entryway to go get them.
The doorbell rang, as he was reaching for his shoes. "Who could it possibly be and how did they get through the security gate?" He looked into the peephole in the door and swore when he saw who it was. "Viktor Krum is it! Well I'm about to set this guy straight." He opened the door and greeted him as if he owned the place. "So what brings you to these parts Viktor?"
Viktor, who had something in his arms, it looked like flowers and candy for Hermione, stared at him in unwelcome surprise. "Harry Potter why are you at Hermi-ooone's home?" He was dressed in his finest robes.
"I live here Viktor. Why are you here at Hermione's home?" He arched a brow at him.
"I have come to call on Miss Hermi-ooone. She did not mention that you were living here." He growled. "Not once in any of her letters."
"Letters...She still writes you letters…" Harry was leaning against the doorjamb, his eyes had a dark dangerous gleam in them, and to anyone who knew the signs that was not a good thing. "So Viktor when was the last time she sent you a letter?"
"I don't know what business it is of yours, but it was Easter." Krum narrowed his eyes at him.
"Easter," Harry sighed, "Well then you really are out of the loop aren't you Viktor."
"I know that you defeated the Dark Lord at the end of your sixth year." Viktor was not pleased about this turn of events.
"Well then you know that Hermione and I got engaged on the first of August then don't you." Harry had to rub that little bit in.
"ENGAGED!?" Viktor roared. "YOU SAID THAT YOU DIDN'T HAVE FEELINGS FOR HER!"
Harry pulled his wand out of his pocket and pointed it at him. "Lower your voice." He growled. "That was fourth year things change, besides she's loved me since we were toddlers. In fact, our parents promised us to each other. I just didn't remember anything because of this thing on my forehead. I've loved her from the start, but I didn't open my eyes till end of sixth year when we both nearly died."
"Hermi-ooone is mine!" Viktor pulled out his wand.
"Oh, Viktor you want to duel? Do you not know who I am? What I can do to you? You did go to Durmstrang and that was a dark magic oriented school was it not?" Harry stood to his full height of 6ft 3 inches, which was taller than Krum. "Now think before you use that wand in your hands."
"I'm not afraid of you just because you defeated the Dark Lord!" He snarled.
"I can stand here and take Avada Kedavra as many times as you wish to cast it on me and remain standing. Try Crucio on me I dare you same thing happens, and Imperio it's a waste of time. You see Vik I happen to be what in England is known as the Half-Blood Prince." He pointed at his wand hand and the ring. "That makes me Dark Wizard hunter and you my unfortunate friend are dark magic trained are you not?" Harry stepped out the front doors and then closed them. "Now shall we duel?"
"What's that on your left hand?!" Viktor spotted the ring on his left hand ring finger and lost it.
"This?" He held up his left hand. "I believe it's what you call an eternal promise that is given to you by the one you love and wish to spend the rest of your life with..." Someone stepped outside and put her hands around his waist. "Hello love you should have stayed in bed."
"It's an Irish Claddagh ring; it symbolizes love, loyalty, and eternal friendship." She liked the feel of his bare skin under her hands. "I missed you. Why didn't you wake me up?" She purred going as far as to kiss his bare shoulder.
"Well, we had a long night last night and I wanted to let you sleep in for a while." He didn't take his eyes off Viktor's face he was positively livid. He fought back the urge to take her in his arms and kiss her good morning as a proper boyfriend should.
"Hermi-ooone you cannot mean that you have chosen HIM over ME?!" Viktor was still not getting the whole point.
"Viktor I never even once gave you any suggestion that we were anything but friends. If you thought that we were anything more I'm sorry. I love Harry and always have with all of my heart and I always will. But, if you feel the need to give in to your darker side then please continue your attempt to ruin your life, as you know it. I'm not going to stop either of you. I can't stop Harry. It's his job to take down potential Dark Wizards and I can't stop you, because you have this insane notion that I'm yours somehow." She sat down on the front porch.
"I am not a Dark Wizard Hermi-ooone, but I am ready to challenge him for your hand. You may not think that we have nothing more than a friendship, but I know we can have so much more." Viktor prepared to duel.
Harry was ready for him. "I will warn you though if you use Dark magic I will give back with some of my own."
Wills staggered outside he looked hung-over. "My head hurts what's with the bloody racket!" He snarled.
"Wizards duel for my honor." Hermione shrugged her shoulders.
"I tried fire whiskey last night. Hagrid gave me some. Now did I just hear you say wizards duel?" Wills squinted at Harry and Krum. "Is that the one with duck feet?"
"That's Viktor Krum and yes I guess he is rather duck footed." Hermione mused not fazed by the battle in front of her.
The two were fiercely dueling with each other and a ricocheted spell hit one of the columns near Wills.
"Sorry about that Wills!" Harry didn't seem the least bit worried about this duel.
Krum tried Glacius on Harry and he countered with Aqueductus, freezing his opponent into a giant ice statue. The only thing that wasn't frozen was one finger on his right hand.
The duel was over and Harry hadn't even warmed up yet. "Why did he have to go and do a stupid thing like that? It was just getting fun too." Harry was actually pouting. "I really expected more of a challenge than that." He noticed that one of the spells had grazed the side of his hand and caused a little cut on his skin. "You know at this rate I'm gonna be wearing a lot of bandages." He walked over tested Krum and to his great disappointment he passed.
"Do you think it will take him long to melt?" Hermione stood up to go look at frozen Krum. "He really is quite frozen isn't he?"
Harry looked at Krum and used his wand to melt the ice by his nose. "Well now he'll at least be able to breathe while St. Mungo's sorts him out."
"He's so gonna want payback one of these days." Wills grinned.
"Oh, I know that and I know about when he tries it to." Harry chuckled.
Remus came outside to see what was going on. He was just about to take a sip of his morning coffee when he took in what was happening in the courtyard. "What in blazes is going on now?!" He spit out his scalding hot coffee.
"Nothing Uncle Remus, Krum challenged Harry to a wizards duel for my honor and you can see who won." Hermione seemed bored.
"He cast Glacius and you countered with what exactly?" Remus' eyes narrowed as walked up to frozen Krum.
"I used Aqueductus which countered his spell and that's the result." Harry acted as if it were no big deal.
"Aqueductus?" Remus frowned at the two of them.
"He came up with it when he was in a water fight with the tweebs; it douses the opponent with a deluge of water." Hermione answered her mobile. "Hello? Daddy how was the party? Someone hit Wills father with the cake? Well he is Diana's great-uncle so if he said anything bad about Wills...What? No nothing whatsoever happened here last night. Circus...yes we went to a circus of sorts...Harry getting hurt. Well he sort of tried sword juggling...stitches? Well there were Healers there so they sorted him out. You're reading The Daily Prophet...Oh, no going to the circus today. Not a problem. Homework to do, we did get some yesterday. The photos of us kissing? Oh yes, we did look rather good in that royal nonsense didn't we...love you too daddy, kiss mother for me." She hung up the looked at Harry "You are to start on your homework. No fun for you today."
"Homework? You mean the Animagi homework for my Aunt?" Harry scowled. "That's like a ton of nothing but reading."
"You went and got yourself hurt. We went missing, then the whole Pansy debacle, so they just want to know that you're safe at home." Hermione didn't really feel like doing homework either.
Harry walked over to the lawn and began to stretch out. "I'm going for a run; I'll hit the books after."
"You know that dream that you had this morning?" She took off running down the drive. "I had the same one and might I say it's far more interesting from my view."
"Granger!! You get back here and tell me what you meant by that!" Harry chased after her.
"Were the vampires really that scary?" She teased as she continued to sprint out the gates.
"Hermione!" Harry was in hot pursuit.
Remus melted Krum. "Go home Viktor. You are way out of your league." He glared at him.
Viktor, Disapparated from the courtyard with a loud crack that echoed around them.
"I don't know about you, but I'm going back to bed." Wills headed back in the house.
"I'm going to set out their studies in the library and then go enjoy the celebration with Genevieve Rana." Remus grinned.
"It's contagious isn't it and to think me with no Kate."
"Then why not invite her to The Meadows?"
"I'll think about it. You see she's well aware of the whole Harry Potter franchise. She's a huge fan of the books." He frowned. "So I don't know how she'll react."
"If you really care about her as much as I think you do. She's going to have to find out sooner or later." Remus left him with those words to ponder.
"Katie is the only one that I would ever trust this secret with. She's my best friend, so what could it hurt." His mobile rang as if on cue and he looked at who was calling and grinned. "Katie, luv. I was just about to give you a ring. I miss you too. So how about if you come to me? Since I'm going to be here for a little under two weeks. Why that long? My baby cousin is home and I haven't spent time with her in years. Yes the one that I called Ducky, but she's more like the swan now. I'm in Godric's Hollow at Lazy Meadows estate its on 11 Gryffindor Lane. Yes it does have the same name as that of JK Rowling's books." He chuckled. "No I'm not hiding anything from you. So you'll come. Splendid!! I'll expect you some time today and Kate you might have to ditch the Men in Grey... Grandmother is having a snit again. See you soon luv." He hung up. Grinning like an idiot he went to take a ride on Beaky.
--
An hour or so later
Hermione was being carried home on Harry's back.
"You know you should have thought twice before trying to run that third mile." Harry sat down beside the statue. "I think carrying you those two and half miles was a bit much even for someone in shape." Panting clearly out of breath he collapsed on the grass.
Hermione collapsed nearly on top of him. "You really surprised me. I didn't know that you could carry me that far after running three miles." She puffed in air.
"Oh, so you thought I was a scrawny nothing? Is that it?" He looked over at her.
"It's really difficult to see any shape under the robes and uniforms. You always wore those clothes that revealed nothing." Hermione rolled onto her side, so she was leaning on her elbow looking at him.
"I could say the same for you, except during Hogsmeade visits, and the Yule Ball." Harry was lying on his side leaning on one elbow staring back at her.
"I know. I remember when you saw me. I think you almost started drooling." She giggled.
"Honestly, I think that's when it hit me that you just weren't one of the guys. You looked beyond beautiful that night."
"I figured as much when neither of you asked me to the dance." She rolled her eyes at him.
"I was really preoccupied that year and I did ask you to the dance, but then you were going with ole duck feet." He chuckled. "How he could dance with feet like that is beyond me."
"You should talk. You dance like you have two left feet." She sighed. "Besides you wised up in the end."
"I sure did."
Her mobile rang. "Hello? Wills? Why are you calling me on the mobile? Kate is coming to the meadows. That's great news for you and I would love to meet her. Where are you? Putting Beaky back in his stall? Well hurry up, we need you to come to the statue in the SUV and pick us up. Why? Because we ran three miles and then Harry carried me back the other two and a half..." She held the phone away from her ear. "Stop shouting at me! No he isn't dead..." She tossed Harry the phone.
"Nope I'm still breathing...yes she does tend to go for seconds sometimes doesn't she..." Hermione pounced on him and began to tickle him. "Nothing...is wrong...we're by the...statue..." Harry forced himself to talk and not laugh. "See you in a few minutes." He ended the call. "I'd back off if I were you Granger." She was mercilessly tickling him.
"Did you call me fat?" She poised to tickle him some more.
"No I just meant that you weren't light as a feather..." He groaned when she lost her balance and fell on top of him. "Uh, this is not good... Not good at all." They were nose to nose.
"You know if someone from The Prophet were to see this, they would make it look less innocent than it really is." She looked down into his eyes but didn't move.
"Yeah, that's true and then we'd be really grounded wouldn't we." He was barely reining in his James side. "That would be a very bad thing indeed." He wrapped his arms around her, threw caution to the wind, and got lost in their kiss.
When the SUV pulled up they were seriously snogging.
"Bloody hell, if your parents saw you like that they would ground you for life!" He jumped out of the SUV and glared down at them. "Enough!! Now get into that car NOW you two!"
"Did you hear something?" Hermione looked down at Harry.
Harry was just about to answer no when Wills tugged on Hermione's braid.
"Yeah, unfortunately you did…Hello Wills. What rotten timing you have lately." He growled.
"I think I have brilliant timing! Now move your asses into that car now!"
Harry reluctantly did as he was told he, let go of Hermione, and then vaulted to his feet. "Ow that wasn't such a good idea." He winced when his muscles screamed in protest.
Wills grabbed him by the ear and dragged him to the car. "Get in!"
"Wills what's the big deal!" Hermione got in after Harry.
"Your parents are due home in twenty minutes and this is not what I call studying!" He sped out of the clearing and onto the road. "You sure got your second wind back in a hurry."
"Uh, well, you see... She tickle attacked me while I was talking to you on the phone and it developed from there." Harry didn't feel the least bit guilty.
"You have your own version of the press and they very well could have shot some very interesting snaps of you two rolling around snogging on the grass. Mine are bad enough but yours move." Wills pealed into the drive and then screeched to a halt in the garage. "Move it you two!"
"We're going!" They grumbled.
"Remus put your books in the library." He was no longer in a happy mood. "I suggest that you shower and change before you start studying!"
"Kate isn't coming is she?" Hermione frowned.
"Oh, no she's still coming here to see me. I just didn't need the visual of the two of you rolling around in the grass! God I'm starting to sound like a parent!" He raced passed them and through the back gate.
"I think we're good practice for him." Harry grinned.
"If only he knew that he's going to marry Kate." Hermione giggled.
"That sweetness is our little secret." They heard a car coming down the lane and raced into the house.
--
Three hours later
Harry sprawled out on the couch in the library with Hermione curled up against him. They were reading Animagus of the World together.
"Now this is my kind of studying." He turned the final page in the ancient book.
Hermione smiled. "You know if I would have thought of this before, you would have gotten something done."
"Let's see what we've learned so far, since we've only one book to go. It seems that becoming an Animagus is all about mind over the inner animal spirit within the witch or wizard. You have to focus on that spirit to the point where it becomes a part of you and then you should morph into that animal." Harry reached over, picked up the final book, A Wizards Guide to the Animal Spirit,and began to read it.
"You basically need a powerful mind to even try it that's for certain and the three of us do have that in spades." Hermione still couldn't believe that you didn't have to make a potion, do a spell, or chant something in your head. "It says here that Dark Wizards fail to become Animagus, because of the chaos in their minds, so it's rare for them to be animagus. You need a clear line of thinking to achieve an animal form."
"You need to focus on finding the animal spirit inside you until it becomes one with you. Then if the wizard or witch is meant to be that animal they will change into that form." Harry read some of what had been stated repeatedly in the other books.
Hermione felt a little let down to hear that it was all by chance. "It comes down to whether one is fated to become an Animagi or not. I always imagined that it took a potion, a spell cast from a wand, or something like that. That's why this is almost impossible to achieve. You have to be fated to be one." She was pouting.
"Dad, Uncle Sirius, and Rat Traitor all had a goal and that was to be around Uncle Remus when he was a werewolf. I believe Aunt Minerva has always watched over her students in her cat form. The key is that you need a purpose to achieve this." Harry racked his brain going through all the various reasons to be an animagus. It always came back to he needed a purpose. Did he have one? That was stupid of course he had a purpose. He hunted Dark Wizards, and wasn't even an Auror yet. Being an animagus would be ideal in his line of work. He thought still focused on everything that surrounded becoming an animagus.
:Think of your animal spirit deep within you and then become one with that animal. It's all right there in front of you young master. You just have to believe that you can do it. : Leo came alive inside his mind. : Focus, you have already found that animal spirit within and have used it many times to survive. You are cunning, brave, intelligent, fierce, loyal, loving, and protective.:
Harry's eyes were the first to change. They became almond in shape, but kept their vivid green color.
Hermione sat up the second that she felt something had changed in Harry. She looked down into his eyes, but they weren't the eyes of a human anymore. "Um Harry...your eyes...are changing." She stammered as she scooted to the other side of the couch.
Harry didn't respond something was changing in him.
Leo's words echoed in his mind, :Become one with your animal form... You are the wolf.:
It didn't take long for him to change. One minute he was Harry, and the next he was a jet-black wolf with very intelligent green eyes, Harry's eyes. He was even bigger than Snuffles in size. He had silky thick black fur and a full tail. His Paws dug into the sofa, they were enormous in size.
The sofa groaned under the weight of the wolf sitting up on it.
Hermione tried to remain calm. After all, this was Harry and animagus kept their humanity while they were in their animal forms. The thing was that he was huge and she didn't know what he was going to do next.
"Harry can you hear me?" She called timidly to the wolf.
The wolf looked over at her as if sizing her up or something. Then jumped off the couch and looked around as if to check out his surroundings.
"Harry?" She called to him again.
He turned around to look at her. His ears were pricked up, taking in all the sounds around him. He padded over to her, barely making a sound, and went to lay his head in her lap.
"Well hello there handsome. You're still my Harry in there aren't you?" She scratched his ears.
He put his paws up on either side of her and then went to give her several sloppy kisses.
"I love you too handsome, even if you are currently a wolf." She wrapped her arms around his huge furry neck and hugged him.
Harry waited until she let him go, then sat down on the carpet, and went to let out a howl of happiness.
Hermione laughed. "Now I need to give you a name. Let's see how about Prince."
Harry all but jumped into her lap, so he could give her another sloppy kiss.
"Well then Prince it is." She was about to pick up the book and read how to revert to human form after becoming an animagus, but Draco poked his head into the library to see what had howled.
He took one look at the huge black wolf and lost it. "No Way!! No bloody way in hell!! He did not do that, in not even a day! It's not possible!" He raked his fingers through his silver blonde hair in frustration. He was positive by the way the wolf was looking at him that this was Harry.
"We were on our last book and he was already figuring out the key to becoming an animagus." Hermione grinned.
"I guess we should count ourselves lucky that he's a wolf and not a panther or something." Draco walked over to get a closer look at him. "Does he know how to change back or are we gonna have to walk him and stuff?"
Prince bared his teeth at him.
"Okay. I take it walking is out." Draco grinned.
"You see we hadn't gotten that far in the last book and suddenly he just changed into Prince." Hermione bit down on her lip.
"Prince is it. Well it does fit his profile. So how are you going to explain Prince here to your parents? Who're just driving into the garage?" Draco frowned.
Prince's ears went flat and he took off out of the room.
"Bloody hell was that a wolf?!" Remus looked into the room.
"No that was Prince." Hermione grinned.
"Prince?" Remus frowned. "That was Harry and you just let him go outside!" He raced after the wolf.
"Oh cripes, Hermione! We didn't think!! He'll take off when he gets outside!" Draco grabbed her by the hand and they raced after Lupin.
"What's up?" Ginny called to them. She had Isis in her arms.
"Harry completed his homework!" The two of them shouted not bothering to stop and talk to her.
"Harry is an animagus?!" Ginny chased after them.
--
"Nice doggie..."
Prince was confronting Wills.
"Good doggie. Where did you come from?" He eyed the enormous dog with wary eyes.
Prince sat there staring intently at him with his vivid green eyes.
"You do know that royalty make bad meals." He tried to take a step back.
Prince followed as if stalking his prey.
"Really we make tough to chew meals."
"Prince!! Back off!" Remus commanded him.
Prince turned to look at Lupin, his ears perked up, and his tail wagged.
"Come here Prince." Remus held out his hand and Prince obeyed.
"Prince!" Draco and Hermione stopped by Remus.
"So you three know who this wolf belongs to?" Wills wasn't sure what was going on and he stayed a safe distance on the lawn.
"He belongs to Hermione." Draco chuckled.
"Nonsense!! Hermione has Crooks and I don't believe he would welcome a dog into the fold." Wills frowned.
"He isn't a dog, Wills." Hermione giggled. "Prince is a wolf."
"A wolf?! Where the bloody hell did you find a wolf!?" Wills was not enjoying the joke.
Prince reacted to this by pouncing on Wills, sending him flying back onto the grass, and pinning him.
Wills went to grab the wolf by the neck and throw him off, but discovered that this wolf had a very interesting and familiar collar. "Did Harry do a Sirius? Is he like Snuffles was?" Wills was no longer scared of the wolf that was pinning him. "So you wanna play do you? Think you can get away with scaring the crap out of me do you?" Wills began to wrestle with Prince.
"Wills that's Harry, he's an Animagi." Draco looked down at the two of them.
"Who's an Animagi?" Alex and Katherine came out onto the patio.
"Mum? Dad? When did you get back?" Hermione whirled around to look at her parents.
"Five minutes ago. Where is Harry and why aren't the two of you doing your studies?" Katherine arms crossed waited for an answer.
"Yes and since when do we have an enormously large dog in our backyard?" Alex saw that Wills was playing with a huge dog or was that a wolf.
"Minerva's assignment was for the three of them to try to become animagus by the end of first term and as you can see he did it in a few hours." Remus pointed to the wolf.
"Oh dear and we have company in the sitting room waiting to see Wills." Katherine bit down on her lip.
Hermione's eyes widened at that information. "Kate? Oh frazzle that means that Prince will have to stay Prince until we can figure something out."
"Send Hedwig to Uncle Albus… Have him send that confidentiality clause for her to sign. It's a simple solution." Ginny suggested.
"William!" Hermione shouted over at him.
"What!" Wills was having fun playing with Harry.
"Kate is in the sitting room!" She told him.
"Oh bugger!" He sat down on the grass and buried his face in his hands. "What are we going to do?"
Prince sat there wagging his tail looking highly amused.
"This is not funny Harry! She knows that they don't have a wolf!" He glared at him.
One second Prince was there and the next Harry was grinning down at him. "Well who says that she has to know?"
Wills gaped at him in shock and astonishment. "That was bloody brilliant!"
"Thanks." He ran up the steps. "What a rush that was bloody awesome!"
"Let's not break this news to your father just yet." Remus grinned. "I don't think he could take the fact that you surpassed him and you're only seventeen."
"Excuse us we need to discuss the homework assignment." Draco, Ginny, and Hermione dragged him off towards the tweeb's castle fort.
"Kate has seen me look worse after a mean Polo, Rugby, or Football match." He ran into the house passed the three of them.
"What do you suppose the four of them are up to?" Alex frowned at Remus.
"Two of them have an assignment to try and complete and the third doesn't want to be left behind the others." He shrugged his shoulders. "Now if you two will excuse me, I have a date with Genevieve." He disapparated from the patio.
"Remus didn't waste any time dating again," Katherine grinned.
"It's about time he found his own happiness." Alex grinned.
"And who better than Gene Rona his old sweetheart!" Katherine hugged Alex.
"Remus might get his happy ending after all." Alex was happy for his friend.
--
Harry was cornered inside the castle fort by the three of them. "It's not something that's explainable. You just focus your mind, everything in you, to that animal within, and then if it happens it happens. Oh and you need a purpose a reason for the change and not some tiny reason either it has to be major."
Draco thought this over in his mind. He needed to concentrate on the animal within and then somehow have reason enough to become that animal. It seemed easy enough to grasp, but would it be enough to keep up with Harry? He needed to be an animal that could keep up with a wolf. In moments, Draco was a silver furred silver grey-eyed wolf sitting in front of Ginny.
"I'm beginning to think the four of us are the next generation of marauders." He looked down at Draco.
"He's going to need a name too. Let's see. I'll call him Dragon." Ginny was petting Dragon.
Hermione pouted. She really didn't want to be wolf. It just didn't seem in her nature, but then she didn't want to be a huge lioness either. There had to be some cat capable of keeping up with two wolves. She concentrated and instantly it came to her. Of course, a Kneazle that could easily keep up with the boys and detect dark magic at ten paces. that was all she needed to trigger her transformation into a full-grown Kneazle. She was the size of a medium size dog; she had tawny fur peppered with caramel colored spots, large paws with sharp claws, and a lion like tail. The boys' forms were massive, while her form was sleek. Her amber eyes blinked up at Harry.
Harry reached down and picked up the cat. "I thought you'd be a kneazle." She curled into his arms and purred. "Well you named me Prince so I'll name you Princess." She purred louder. "So you like that do you."
Ginny got that look in her eye and grinned. "Well if it's that easy why don't I give it a shot?"
Dragon was instantly Draco. "Ginny I know that this seems like a game, but it isn't. This is our homework assignment and we had to have permission from Professor McGonagall to even try this."
"But I don't wanna be left out of this." She pouted.
"Honey, you aren't being left out. This is homework." Draco paced the fort.
"Ginny I'll ask my uncle and aunt okay, but until then the answer is no." Harry agreed with Draco.
Ginny sat down and pouted. It wasn't fair that she couldn't even try. After all she was just as bright as they were. She had the will to try and by gum, she was going to try. She had listened to their words focused and to her delight, it worked. She was similar in form to Hermione, just smaller with different color red golden fur, with spots the color of butterscotch peppered all over it, and her eyes were moss green.
Draco swore under his breath. "Never mind... She's just as stubborn as Ron was." He sighed in defeat and picked up Ginny. "I think I'll name you Cleo as in Cleopatra."
Cleo purred in his arms.
"Seventh year is so gonna rock." Draco and Harry grinned.
"Guys come out here and meet Katie." Wills called.
Harry set down Hermione. "Back to normal sweetness."
Hermione was back in moments. "I loved every second of that! Now I know why Uncle Sirius liked being Snuffles so much." She hugged him.
"Peaches it's your turn." He set her back down.
"I loved that." Ginny threw her arms around him and kissed him. "Not mad at me are you?"
"Nope not even a little," He kissed her back.
--
"GET OUT HERE AND QUIT MAKING OUT!!" Wills shouted.
"William! I can't believe that you just shouted that." Kate hit him in the ribs with her elbow.
"Bloody hell woman that hurt. Those aren't adults in there. They are teenagers." He growled.
Harry stalked out, as did Hermione. "You called your majesty!"
"Yes royal pain in the ass! Did you bellow?" Hermione narrowed her eyes at him.
Kate was trying not to giggle. "He is a royal pain sometimes isn't he?"
"Hey!" Wills glared at her.
"Hi there! I'm Hermione Granger and this is Harry Potter." Hermione walked over to greet her. Puzzled that this wasn't the Kate from her vision, but then visions can be off.
"Hi welcome to Lazy Meadows." Harry was standing beside Hermione. This girl was beautiful, but she looked nothing like the Kate from his dream...Oh well maybe he had seen wrong or something.
Kate started intently at the two of them. "You must get this all the time, but you share names with two of the most famous fictional children's characters in the world, and you resemble them."
Harry glowered at Wills.
"Oh, we get that a lot." He forced himself to remain smiling.
"Hi there!" Ginny waved as did Draco.
Kate stared at the two newcomers that were walking towards them. "Wills is there something you want to tell me?"
"Hi I'm Draco Black and this is my girlfriend Ginny Weasley." Draco smiled at the beautiful blonde next to Wills.
"I mean it William. What is going on here?" Kate glared at Wills.
"Hey Harry! I'm gonna take Beaky for a flight, so he can hunt for a while!" Hagrid was standing by the pool house.
Kate fainted in Wills arms.
"That went well don't ya think?" Harry chuckled.
"I think it went rather splendidly." Hermione giggled.
"Well it is kind of obvious." Draco grinned.
"Poor Wills. You have much explaining to do." Ginny giggled.
A flash of flame and then a letter appeared with a single phoenix feather.
Harry picked up the letter and opened it. "It's from Uncle Albus."
--
Dear Brilliant Nephew
I am over the moon that the four of you managed to achieve that in just a few hours. Minerva and I always knew that you could, but we thought we would save it for your sixth and seventh years. No Draco. Ginny is not in trouble. I have made it so your animal forms will not become public knowledge. You will be registered, but only a handful of trusted wizards and witches will know. Now onto the current problem of Williams, Katarina Channing, I have once again enclosed the Confidentiality Clause for her to sign with the enclosed quill.
I hope that you and Hermione enjoyed your glimpse into the future last night and look forward to seeing you tomorrow when you rematch Puddlemere United on the pitch.
Love
Uncle Albus
--
"Rematch?" Draco, Ginny, and Hermione looked at Harry.
"We did kind of promise Wood." Harry shrugged.
"No matter… We'll just slaughter them again." Draco grinned.
Kate was listening to everything around her and was beginning to realize that her own secret might just be even more difficult to keep than she had thought. "Wills is JK Rowling a fraud?" She blinked open her eyes. Not that this was any big surprise, but then she didn't feel like sharing that information with anyone not even Wills. Her life was normal and that was just the way she liked it. She'd been born a squib that had been her fate. She'd come to terms with it years ago and this changed nothing. She had put that world behind her and that was why this was all news. She didn't keep up with the goings-on in the world of magic, but that didn't mean that she couldn't enjoy JK Rowling's books. It was a window into a world that had been denied her and she loved getting lost in them. No she hadn't been shunned because of her lack of magic, but she didn't fit in either so she resigned herself to never try.
"No. I don't think she realizes the world she thinks she created does in fact actually exist." He held her in his arms.
"You know we don't really hex anyone on the first meeting." Harry grinned.
Kate sat up. "So you three are in your seventh year at Hogwarts? That would put Ginny in her sixth year."
They nodded.
"Um not to be rude or anything, but why aren't you with Ron?" Kate was confused. "And shouldn't you be in your twenties?"
"To make a long story short Ron and Luna are dead, as is Voldemort and Lucius Malfoy. Hermione never loved Ron in that way. The two of us are soul mates and Ron loves Luna even in ghost form." Harry answered her question. "The Half-Blood Prince was my father and now I'm the HBP. Dumbledore and McGonagall are my Great-Aunt and Great-Great Uncle. Aunt Petunia is a squib and Draco is on our side now. She got the timeline wrong by a few years."
"Wow you really aren't thrilled with the books are you?" Kate arched a brow at him. Drat I think I should touch base with everyone at home every once and a while!
"I'd sue, but then that would out my world." Harry shrugged his shoulders. "Oh that reminds me sign this or else you can't continue to see Wills anymore."
"I never thought of it that way." Wills frowned. "Please Katie sign that."
Thank you Professor Dumbledore for honoring my secret... Kate took the letter and the quill then read and signed it without question. "No worries. I know I sound like a groupie, but can you show me some magic?"
Harry grinned. "Sure we just learned something this afternoon and are dying to try it out again."
The four of them changed to their animagus forms.
"Show-offs." Wills grumbled.
"Poor baby," Kate gave him a kiss. "You wish you could do that don't you?"
"Kate my love, you and I need to have a nice long chat." He took her hand in his and they strolled to the guesthouse.
"Wills what else could you possibly tell me?" She looked up at him.
"Magic runs on my mother's side of the family." He winked at her.
"I know that William as Hermione is a muggle-born witch." She rolled her eyes at him.
"No Katie. I mean that when I was eleven-years-old my parents received a letter. I was never told about it of course, but this did lead to part of the reason my parents split. I just found out about it two days ago." He stopped to look down at her to see her reaction to his words.
"So are you trying to tell me that you're an untrained wizard?" Kate arms crossed frowned at him. Drat this is so not fair!! Even Wills got blessed by the magic fairy! Okay Katie girl it's time to play this for all it's worth! Give them all a BAFTA award winning performance that should keep the spotlight on him and not you. It's been nearly three years plus and clueless wonder doesn't even realize that your parents are a Lord and Lady and with her trust she was pretty much set money wise.
Wills nodded.
"And you shared this part of you with me because?" She arched a brow at him.
"You're my best friend and I care about you." Wills saw the gleam in her eyes and knew that was a good and a bad sign. "A lot...I care for you a whole lot."
"I was dragged to the palace to visit with your grandmother yesterday. I was put through the tenth degree. They had this dossier on me and everything. They'll try anything to protect the crown even try to scare your friends away. I told the Queen to go to hell and left the palace satisfied that they would get the hint. Then this morning I had the MIG on my front doorstep...the thing is they wanted me to take them to you. Mace is a useful tool for unwanted guests and they scurried on their way with their tails between their legs. Then I get this call from you that you miss me and that you want me to come here and so I did. Now your highness what exactly does really like mean?" Kate was talking to him in a calm cool tone and every once in a while she would shove him inches closer to the pools edge.
Wills pulled her into his arms kissed her and they both fell into the pool.
This didn't last long, because that tactic was not going to work on Kate. She pulled out of his arms and swam to the other side of the pool. "You can't solve all of your problems with actions William. It doesn't work that way. Now answer the question."
"Look I don't want to ruin our friendship by saying something that I'm not so sure you're ready to hear yet." Wills got out of the pool.
"If I didn't feel the same way about you then I wouldn't have withstood the rubbish that your family has been putting me through these past two days. Nor would I be here in this pool sopping wet because you're afraid to admit that you more than like me." She got out of the pool stalked over and glared up at him.
"Well you know why I'm afraid to admit that I love you! My family isn't something that I would wish on anyone!" He glared back down at her.
"I wouldn't be just stuck with the royals. It looks like I would be stuck with something magical as well." She didn't take her eyes off his. "I don't care if you're the future king of England. I care about one thing and one thing only and that is you. I'm the one that pushes you to be yourself and not listen to them all the time. You are nothing like them and they know that. You are your mother's son and I know that you will do great things when the time is right. For now let's not focus on what they wish, but what we wish." She reached up and touched his cheek. "If you haven't noticed I'm not going anywhere."
"How would you like to go to a Muggle/Wizarding celebration?" He pulled her closer for a hug.
"Are the four eavesdroppers coming along to?" She noticed that they were being watched by a set of four animagus.
"Well the thing is luv, two of them are grounded." He looked over at Prince and Princess.
"Grounded, huh, so what did they do?" Kate looked at Prince and Princess who were so obviously pouting.
"Minerva McGonagall, that's Harry's Aunt, sent an owl to Hermione's parents that would be Harry's godparents. Stating in detail what had occurred last night. Then Aunt Kath and Uncle Alex called Ducky up on the mobile and she proceeded to lie through her teeth to them. Hermione doesn't ever lie and they knew that meant the two of them needed some downtime from each other. The solution to that problem was for them to do some of their homework. The problem well you can see that with your own eyes." Wills sat down on one of the lounges with her on his lap.
"I see. So those two are really serious about each other and got caught?" Kate looked over at the two in question they looked guilty as hell.
"Let's just say that if the wizarding version of the paparazzi got pictures of this morning that they are beyond caught." He looked over at Prince and Princess with a pray-that-didn't-happen look.
"Well if it was innocent then I don't see the problem, but if they were rolling around in the grass or..." Wills nodded. "Oh well they're new at the game and it happens."
"Game?" Wills growled.
"Yes do pay attention." She rolled her eyes at him. "To the press any relationship as high profile as say ours or Harry's and Hermione's becomes a game to the press. You know the game and are good at it. Although, dark doorways and other hiding places, tend to get annoying at times. You were raised to handle their game even though you hate every minute of it. They weren't. So you see the problem now?"
"Katie they already took out Rita and her sister, so they know somewhat how to play the game." Wills was not used to seeing the four of them as animals. It was unnerving being stared at by four sets of eyes.
"Didn't Rita have a photographer? I remember reading that she did in Goblet of Fire. You two were brilliant in that one by the way." She smiled at Prince. "By the way whatever happened to Krum?"
"Krum?" Wills started to laugh. "He became a Krum sickle this morning when he came a calling for Hermione."
"Interesting way to use Glacius," She winked at Prince, who was wagging his tail. "I think his name was Bozo. Did you take care of him as well?"
Princess buried her head between her paws, as did Prince.
Dragon and Cleo looked over at their two companions like what-did-you-do-now.
"Well then the two of you might want to be the first up in the morning when The Daily Prophet is delivered." Kate offered a solution. "Now if you will excuse me I'm going to change into something dry, so you and I can go explore the celebration with our pets."
"Pets? Like those four will want to be collared and leashed." Wills let her up.
"Well Prince has a collar already and so does Princess it looks like it's designed like a Claddagh. Dragon and Cleo are the only two that lack collars." Kate walked over and knelt in front of the four.
Hagrid who was getting Beaky out of his stall looked over on the back lawn. "Now that ain't somethin you see everyday now is it."
Prince took off towards Hagrid.
"Prince!! Get your furry tail back here!" Wills shouted.
Princess took off after Prince.
"Damn it you two! I will not get my arse chewed off, because you wish to go to the celebration!" He shouted.
Prince sat in front of Hagrid totally ignoring Wills order to come back.
"Well hello there." Hagrid knelt down in front of Prince. "My you're a handsome wolf ain't ya?" He offered his hand to Prince who of course licked it.
Princess padded up next to Prince.
"And who might this beauty be." He looked at the female Kneazle sitting next to the wolf. "Odd as the two usually don't get along."
Prince and Princess wagged their tails.
"Hang on a minute what is this around your neck?" He noticed the jeweled HBP collar on Prince.
"Harry?" He looked into Prince's eyes and found himself licked. "Outstanding!" He ruffled the fur on Prince's head. "So this must be Hermione?" Princess purred in response to his question and then slinked against his leg. "So the two up there are Draco and Ginny?"
Prince barked and Princess meowed.
"Outstanding." Hagrid beamed.
"What's outstanding?" James and Sirius were in search of the kids.
Prince growled and Prince hissed at the two ghosts.
"Oh nothin the two of them likin each other is really, uh, outstanding." Hagrid took the hint.
They looked at the cat and wolf. Then up at the lawn, but Dragon and Cleo weren't there anymore.
"I agree with you Hagrid, so why is it that these two seem to like each other, hmm?" James looked intently at the wolf with green eyes and then at the Kneazle with amber eyes.
Prince gave James a look.
"Prongs I think that one just gave you the dog version of the finger." Sirius laughed.
"That one will find that he is grounded for the next two weeks without a chance of freedom if he doesn't cool it." James glared down at Prince.
"You mean that's Harry?" Sirius gaped at the two animals sitting in front of them. "Then that must be Hermione."
"Harry James Potter you will reveal yourself right now young man." James growled.
In less time that it takes to blink Harry was glaring at his father. He reached down and picked up Princess. "Are you sure that you're one of the original Marauders because you sure seem stodgy to me."
"I grew up son. You of all people should know that life isn't all fun and games." He glared back.
"I wouldn't know!! You see the only fun that I've ever had was playing Quidditch and the few days that I've spent here!" He snarled bitterly. "I deserve the chance to be a teenager and have some goddamn fun! I've been older than my years since first year at Hogwarts!! No scratch that before Hogwarts since the Dursley's! It was the only way I survived!"
"Way to go there Prongs. Looks like you went and stepped in it again." Sirius knew Harry better than James did.
"Do you think you can do any better with him and that he will listen to you?!" James was in a full-blown temper.
"Uncle Sirius knows me a hell of a lot better than you do! So yes father it's easier for me to listen to someone who knows firsthand what I went through!" Harry was in a full-blown temper as well.
Princess leaped out of his arms and turned back to Hermione. "Uncle James you really need to take the time to read those books and then maybe you will understand where Harry is coming from. He has been grounded for most of his life and he just isn't going to just sit and take it from anyone not even you or my parents. You may be adults, but until you know what the two of us have gone through... How do you expect us to respect and listen to you?"
"We didn't do anything wrong last night and all of you panicked for no reason!! You're treating us like kids!! Not young adults, who have faced, defeated, and destroyed what killed both of you! Uncle Albus, Aunt Minerva, Uncle Remus, Aunt Molly, and Uncle Arthur are the only adults that really see us as who we really are. That being almost completely grown up wizards and witches that has and can damn well take care of themselves!" Harry let his father know how he truly felt.
"I think I'll go read some books then." James vanished.
"I'll join you." Sirius could sense the coming storm.
"Harry you were kinda harsh with your dad. I know that it's frustratin, but he means well." Hagrid knew that Harry was having a hard time going from always on the defense to just being a normal seventeen-year-old, as normal as you can be for being who he was.
"Oh yeah, they all mean well and know what's best for me." Harry blinked back hot angry tears.
"I LOST RON!! I LOST LUNA!! I SCREWED UP!! I DON'T NEED MY FATHER REMINDING ME OF HOW MUCH OF A SCREW UP I AM!! THIS WAS SUPPOSED TO BE MY DOWN TIME AND IT TURNED OUT TO BE MORE FRICKIN WORK!! ALL THE ADULTS DO NOTHING BUT LECTURE AND I JUST CAN'T HANDLE THAT RIGHT NOW!! I DON'T EVEN KNOW IF I CAN BE AT HOGWARTS!! I'M RAW INSIDE AND NO ONE!! NOT ONE ADULT SEEMS TO UNDERSTAND THAT! THEY KEEP ADDING ONTO MY RESPONSIBILITIES!! AND I HAVE BLOODY WELL HAD IT!!" He roared up at the sky, his voice echoing around them, then morphed into Prince so that he could go off and sulk.
Hermione reverted to Princess and took off after him and as did Dragon and Cleo.
"I'll fix it." Ron appeared next to Hagrid.
"I don't know Ron it might make him worse." Hagrid frowned.
"Oh no it'll be all right. You see they've only seen us that one time, so I imagine he thinks we aren't around anymore." Luna appeared next to Ron.
"Well we've been haunting his old family and lost track of time." Ron grinned.
"Then you don't know all of it." Hagrid frowned.
"I know that Hermione and Harry are together, because I was there. I know that she went and put that bloody ring on his finger and now he's shackled being the HBP. Sometimes she should just leave well enough alone. I know that he and Draco called it truce and that he's actually in love with my baby sis. I know that he took down Krum this morning. I know their relationship is too hot to handle for the adults, mainly Remus, his parents, and her parents." Ron went down the list of things on his fingers. "Oh yeah, he actually sang for her dessert and never bloody well got it last night. He took down Toad lady, Fudge, and Pansy. Then this afternoon he and the other four are all animagus did I miss anything?"
"You missed one thing Ronnie. They got to see into their future." Luna smiled serenely.
"Wait a second I missed something crucial. He got Hermione on a broom playing Quidditch and they beat Woods team 420 to 80. I think besides the pool time and Quidditch that those are the only fun times he's had. Not including the incidents with Hermione and her lack of tact around him. Bloody girl had the nerve calling us tactless all the time." Ron grumbled.
"Ronnie let's focus on the problem at hand." Luna kissed his cheek.
"Sorry Luv. I'm just a little frustrated right now." Ron sighed.
"Ron I know that it must be hard ta not be able ta do nothin but watch over 'em, but they still need ya." Hagrid wasn't over the death of Ron and Luna and blinked back his tears.
"I know that Hagrid, but I thought I would give the two of them some alone time and it was working until fate once again took its frickin bloody course!" Ron snarled.
"Ronald Weasley stop growlin' and go after Harry." Hagrid frowned.
"Oh yeah, sorry about that, but his brooding is contagious." Ron vanished.
"We'll watch over them Hagrid, so don't worry." Luna vanished.
"I feel like the biggest ass of all eternity!" James appeared next to Hagrid. He was reading book one.
"Not quite James but close." Hagrid led Beaky off for his ride.
--
Chapter 16
Morning paper
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I do not claim any of JKR's characters only that I love being able to create my own kind of mischief with her beloved characters. I do not claim any other things that are owned by other companies that I may mention once and a while in the stories...Although the original characters and ideas are mine and I loved creating them. So please review if you wish but try not to flame me too badly.
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Cindra 2004-2008