-1A/n: I may end up skipping forward a few times over the next few chapters. Ultimately, I want to end up in Harry's sixth year by chapter fifteen or so. Preferably sooner. I'm going to completely skip Harry's second year in writing, as well as the third. They're going to occur exactly the same as the books. In fact… really I just want to do Harry's first and fourth years slightly differently before skipping ahead to the present. So I guess you should ignore the above statement. The story will commence properly in the present around chapter 11 or 12. The only difference with book 3 is that Harry will already know how to cast a Patronus.

Also, if I skip a scene for some reason assume it is the same as it was in the books.

All It Takes

Chapter Eight/Seven (I need to fix the chapter's numbers sometime…)

"So…" Harry said, standing at his father's side. "This is it, the legendary Hogwarts Express."

Moody nodded, but Harry wasn't looking in his direction, so he added a verbal confirmation. "Aye."

"It's just a magically modified antique train." Harry felt a slight smirk come to the corner of his mouth. Years with Moody had given him a dry sense of humor.

Moody recognized the look. His Auror instincts had started buzzing every time he'd seen it. 'Danger, Danger, Danger!' a voice in his head would always shout.

"Alright, spit it out!" Alastor ordered.

Harry stood on his tip-toes to whisper into Moody's ear. "Wouldn't it be great if someone reported the train to the Misuse of Muggle Artifacts department?"

Moody choked on his tongue and coughed up a storm. "I s'pose I could send you the paperwork needed to file a complaint." Moody managed. Years with Harry had forced him to enunciate and now he spoke understandably out of force of habit.

"Nah. I couldn't do that to Mr. Weasley. Maybe if Kingsley was in charge of that department…" Harry was cut off by another one of his father's snorts followed by a few nasty words. This happened every time Kingsley Shacklebolt was mentioned by anyone in Alastor's presence. A few years ago, Kingsley had started a comic strip that aired in the Daily Prophet. About Moody the Paranoid Pirate. The comic aired for a week before people caught on, and it was removed. Moody had never forgiven him.

"It's almost time dad. I've got to go." Harry said.

"Yeah… See ya at Christmas kid." The Ex-Auror replied.

"Wouldn't miss it for the world." Harry said, wrapping his dad in a big hug.

Harry left and got onto the train with his trunk. Though he could have carried it easily, it was far more amusing to watch it float leisurely behind him as he walked.

"HEY! SHOW OFF! WE SAVED YOU A CABIN!" a familiar voice yelled.

Harry raised his eyes and saw his best friend Ronald Weasley at the end of the train.

'This is going to be a good year.' he thought.

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"Harry Potter." The Transfiguration professor read from the list of names. The room was suddenly filled with whispers before turning deathly quiet.

"It's Moody now, actually." Harry said to the Professor. "I got it changed last year to keep things simple when we travel. I didn't think my parents would mind.

Minerva nodded in an understanding way. "Your name was Harry Potter when you were accepted into the school. We hadn't changed it. I do hope you don't mind."

"Of course not." Harry sat down on the stool. Minerva lowered the hat onto his head. It barely made contact when the hat boomed "GRYFFINDOR!"

Harry smirked slightly as he made his way over to his house's table.

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Harry sat in his bunk directly across from Ron. He was way too excited to fall asleep yet.

"Hey, mate. How've you been?" Ron asked. "I haven't heard from you since you went on that trip to China."

Harry had only gotten back from China a few days ago and had needed to rush to get his things ready in time to leave for Hogwarts.

"I've never been better." Harry said with a grin. "China was amazing! They have the largest dragon population of any country in the world. And with their high population of people it keeps getting harder and harder to find them. Sometimes they let Muggles onto the sanctuaries to help take care of them because they have so many dragons. It was bloody amazing… They're almost domestic. And they have this Asian equivalent of Diagon Alley that's to die for. You should see what I picked up from the joke shop."

Harry and Ron seemed to notice it at the exact same time. The snoring sounds had stopped and the room had gotten awfully quiet. All the attention in the room was focused on Harry and Ron.

"You boys want to see too?" Harry asked, a mischievous glint in his eyes.

"Yeah!"

"Of course."

"Who wouldn't?" were the three replies as his other dorm mates practically tripped over themselves to get to Harry's trunk.

"Lumos." Harry cast. Just so everyone could see. "All right, let me get this straight to make sure I'm remembering this properly. You're Neville, you're Dean and you're Seamus, right?" Harry asked, pointing to each of the three boys in turn.

"Got it in one!" Seamus replied with his comical Irish accent.

"Are you really Harry Potter?" Neville asked. "Do you have the scar?"

Harry rolled his eyes slightly. "No. I'm Lord Voldemort. I tripped and fell into the fountain of youth and cut a lightning bolt into my forehead with a knife because I was bored." Harry's withering sarcasm cut through the air so sharply that the boys forgot to twitch at Voldemort's name.

There was an awkward three second pause before all five boys burst into fits of hysterical laughter.

"You… pretending to be You-Know-Who…" Neville gasped out.

"Priceless…" Dean managed.

Harry was still chuckling when he opened the lid of his trunk. Harry rummaged for a moment and pulled out the first Chinese souvenir. It was a black velvet drawstring bag. Four heads leaned over as he opened the bag.

And then there was silence.

"Um… Harry?" Neville asked.

"Yes, Neville?" Harry responded.

"You know that those are just marbles, right?" Neville inquired.

Harry scoffed. "Just marbles? What kind of fool do you take me for?" Harry waved his hand over the bag and the marbles rose out. Once every last marble was out of the bag and floating in the air, they started to buzz.

"I, Harry James Moody am proud owner of one swarm of Carnivorous Chinese Checkers." Harry said with a smirk.

"So… you could tell these things to eat someone if they bugged you?" Ron asked with a look that said hw wasn't sure whether to fear for his life, or give thanks to the gods that he wasn't a Slytherin.

"They wouldn't eat them. But it hurts a lot when they bite you. Their teeth are sharp. Sometimes they draw blood. But no worries. They follow my orders only. All you have to do is think the password and they'll do what you want." Harry said with a grin.

"And what's the password?" Seamus asked.

"Nuh-uh. I have to hold all the cards. They won't bite unless I tell them to, and I like it that way." Harry responded matter-of-factly. "Besides, why should I give you the password to mine when you can have your own? I have four more that are just like this in my trunk. You can make up your own password. There are sixty marbles per bag. You will each get a swarm, so long as you all swear not to use these on another Gryffindor. Unless all five of us agree. After all, they said Gryffindor will be our family. There's no need to start trouble between our housemates unless we have to. But we don't want to be weaponless if trouble comes a-knocking, eh lads?"

That night, a group of two friends became a group of five. And as far as they were concerned, there was room for a whole lot more. For that night, those five made a pact, whether they realized it or not. A pact of loyalty. To stand together against whatever threats they might face, no matter what.