Another Note: There is no excuse for the long time between chapter updates, all I cam say is that real life, including family, school, homework, assignments, play practices, keeps me busy. Wait a minute, that Is starting to sound like an excuse! Just count yourselves lucky that someone at my school keeps on insisting I update soon or else!! Otherwise this might have been even later in coming, and then what would you be doing now?

Note to stop confusion

The castle with be in bold italic, Harry will be in bold.

Disclaimer: Unless something has changed, Harry Potter was not written by an Australian. So I'm sure I don't have to tell you that I own nothing that you recognize, that pre dates this story.

Quote

Children seldom misquote you. In fact, they usually repeat word for word what you shouldn't have said. (I don't know who said this)

Chapter 3

The hyperactive eight year old seeing that his victim was now awake, bellyflopped on the bed, so he was facing him.

"Are you really Harry Potter, because grandma said you were, and that I was not to bother you, but I didn't believe her, and so l asked Uncle Snape, because I knew he wouldn't lie to me, because he doesn't like me, and he said you were too. I don't think Uncle Snape likes you either." said the little boy in one breath, looking up to him with big grey eyes under a mob of light brown hair.

"I know, he hates me." said Harry sitting up in bed, still half asleep. Why in Merlin's name did the kid have to wake him up today.

"Why does he hate you?" asked the boy sitting on his knees.

"Because he hated my father and because he's a greasy git." answered Harry without thinking of the Pandora's box he was opening, and the trouble that simple statement could cause in the tackless hands of a eight year old.

"Why?" asked the boy curious as to why would hate someone because of someone else..

Harry did not feel like getting in to that, this early in the morning, and so did what every other person does when faced with an tackless questioner. Quickly changed the subject.

"How did you get in here anyway, I mean.., I'm sure I had locked……….." asked Harry, and then stopped himself, and remembering a certain being of sorts, he changed his question. "Let me guess, the door was just open?"

"It was the only door that opened, the rest were all locked, I had to try all of them because Grandma wouldn't tell me which one was yours. She said I wasn't to annoy you and that you have probably still be asleep, but your awake now, and I'm not annoying you am I?" asked the boy, with the simple child logic that because he is awake everyone else should be too.

"Nah, of course your not." said Harry lying though his teeth.

Though the kid wasn't all that annoying, it was simpley that Harry did not appreciate being woken up so early, on his so called day of rest. Especially a sleep deprived one, with a sadistic defence instructor with a liking for ungodly training hours.

Why do you insist on torturing me? whined Harry, to the castle.

Constant Vigilance. said the Castle simply. Besides someone got to have to keep you one your toes. I'm doing you a favour.

Yeah, some favour.

Harry had a funny feeling that the castle was laughing at him, and that there was not a thing he could do about it, anytime soon.

"…….and because Mum had to see the Uncle Albus, Mum said I could come too, and see Grandma, and I could meet you as well….."

Why on earth did the castle have pick him to torment anyway. He could just imagine how the rest of the year would go, anytime he hurt the castle's 'feelings' he could see himself being locked out of classrooms, staircases forcing him to go the long way round, and anything else that the castle could think of, to make his life as miserable as possible.

"…….I've read all of your cartoons."

I have cartoons, thought Harry confused, and just a bit freaked out, what else was out there about him, that he didn't know about.

"What's your name?" asked Harry sighing slightly, turning his attention back to his unexpected early morning visitor who was still looking up at him in awe.

"Daniel Hunter." answered the boy, "Do you really have that scar?"

Harry lifted up his bangs in answer.

"Wow, that's so cool." said the little boy, his eyes tracing the scar, "I can't wait to tell school I got to meet you and that my grandma teaches you, in show and tell. We've learnt all about you at school." said the boy, looking at him with something close to wonder.

"You go to a wizardly school?" asked Harry in a mixture of confusion and embarrassment, he had not known there were schools before Hogwarts and he couldn't help but wince slightly that he was a topic.

"Yeah, my mum makes me. It's boring sometimes, because we don't get to learn magic till Hogwarts, but it's alright." said the boy shrugging his shoulders. "Where did you go to school before Hogwarts?"

"I went to a muggle primary school." answered Harry, leaving it at that.

"Really, no way, so you must know all kinds of muggle things." said the boy, suddenly reminding Harry vividly of Mr Weasley.

"I was raised as a Muggle, I didn't know about magic, till I turned eleven." said Harry.

"Like a muggle born?" said the boy excitedly, like it was some kind of a exotic animal you looked at, in a zoo behind glass.

"Yeah, something like that." said Harry, to save argument.

"Wow, my grandfather was one."

"My mother was one as well." said Harry, stating one of the few facts he knew about her.

"I know, we've leant all about the Potters." said Daniel. "How YouKnowWho was taking over everything, and he tired to kill your parents and you, but as soon as he got to you, it was like bam. YouKnowWho was gone and you had that scar! But now that he's back and it all going to go bad just like before, but that's ok because we've still got you and you can," he continued slower, looking up at Harry in awe and wonder, causing Harry to feel like squirming. "stop him again. You will, won't you? Just like last time, only for good this time."

Out of the mouth of babes.

"Yeah." said Harry, remembering the prophecy, the line that stated 'either must die at the hands of the other and that neither can live while the other survives' and rubbing the scar on his forehead, the result of the death spell that Voldemort had cast, unknowingly marking him as his equal. "You could say it was my job."

"Can you remember anything?" asked David. "About that night?"

"Um…a lot of green light." said Harry.

"Wow, that so cool."

No. It's not.

It had only taken another half an hour, before Professor McGonagall found Daniel fast asleep in Harry's room. He had worn himself out, and had fallen asleep on the covers.

McGonagall clinked her tongue when she saw her grandson, but she couldn't help smiling softly at the sight. Looking completely different from the teacher Harry thought he had known for the last five years.

"Poor little mite, I don't think he got any sleep last night. He was so excited that he was going to meet you." said McGonagall sitting on the side of the bed, "He'd been learning about you at school, and he'd grown up like all children knowing your name and story. Reading story books, comics and what nots, on the famous Boy Who Lived. When he found out I was teaching you, he wanted to know everything about you."

"Did you tell him how bad a student I am?" said Harry as lightly as he could, he could feel his colour rising.

"No, I told him you were a good student, who always did his homework before defeating Dark Lords. If I told him otherwise, his mother and I, would probably never be able to get him do his homework ever again. It's a battle as it is! You're his idol, you know."

Harry was blushing again, and as much as he hated it, he still couldn't help it. The whole, being famous thing, still took him by surprise, even after 5 years of going to a school in a world, where everyone knew his name and who he was even before he did.

"You have more of your mother in you then anyone realises, people see you and see James." McGonagall said softly observing him, shanking her head slightly.

"Tell me about her." said Harry, while people always talked about his father, they rarely spoke of his mother.

"She was a good witch though she had her faults as people do." said McGonagall, her eyes looking far away, "Your so much like her, you have her eyes, and her strength of character, but you defiantly inherited his recklessness. Though he grew out of that around his twenties, I dare say you will too, though probably a lot earlier then he did. You have had to grow up so quickly." said McGonagall sadly, shanking her head softly.

"I was there that day, you know, when we left you at your cursed muggle relatives." she said absently, Harry listened intently. "I had watched them all day, waiting for Dumbledore to show up, to tell me if the stories I had heard were true. That Voldemort had been defeated by a one year old, and not just any one year old, but the son of my former students and good friends. From that one day of observance I could already tell they were nothing like our kind. Did you know Hagrid was the one you took you to Privet Drive from Godric Hallow? On Sirius Black's flying motorbike, no less?" McGonagall snorted. "That man, no sense of subtlety."

She paused for awhile.

"We knew even then that you would not have a easy life with those Dursleys, but it either with those muggle, or in this world, famous before you could even walk or talk," she sighed. "But Dumbledore knows best, and beside's you didn't turn out too badly, did you?"

Harry smiled.

"Anyway, I'll pop this little tyke back to bed." said Professor McGonagall, picking up Daniel who didn't stir. "So you can get back to sleep, you want to rest up for tomorrow, I hear Moody is planning something to make up for the brake today. That will make the rest that he's been putting you though look like a picnic."

"Thanks, for the warning." said Harry

"Trust me, you'll need it." said Professor McGonagall, and with that, she and he still sleeping Daniel left. Leaving Harry in peace to ponder if he should start writing his will. For if Voldemort didn't kill him, Moody sure as anything would.

Moody had been training him for the last month, to 'toughen' him up. He always left the session, feeling like he had been beaten within a inch of his life, and if that was, but a picnic compared to what Moody had planned for tomorrow. Harry didn't like his chances for survival.

Harry got up, and walked to the desk on the other side of the room, and getting out a quill and parchment, started writing.

The last will and testament of Harry James Potter……………………

Harry rolled it up and chucked it in the bin, he was being stupid. Besides, Dumbledore wouldn't let Moody do anything really serious. Would he?

oooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooo

Harry walked in the Great Hall at bit later then usual that morning, and walked towards his usual spot on the one long table in the Great Hall, between McGonagall and Flitwick. Today though Harry didn't find himself at all surprised when he found the Flitwick seat had been taken by Daniel, who was currently being fussed over by a women on the other side, wiping his mouth was a napkin in a obvious maternal gesture, which typically Daniel didn't appreciate as he squirmed in his chair, tying to avoid his mother's hand.

Seeing Harry walking over to the table, she gave up for the moment, stood, and shock his hand as he reached the table.

"It's so nice to meet you at last, Harry. I've heard so much about you that I feel I already know you. Though I've heard from my mother that you're already meet this little rascal earlier this morning." she said, tossing a glare at her son.

"Yeah, I did. It nice to meet you too." said Harry, as he sat down in his chair, and reached for his first piece of morning toast.

"I hope he didn't wake you up too early this morning."

"No, Ma'am, I'm usually forced up an hour earlier anyway, so I still got to have a lie in."

"I had heard that Moody has taken you under his wing." stated Mrs Hunter, sitting down again. "I suppose that proves it, he always did like catching people of guard, usually a some ungodly hour in the morning."

"Yeah, he still does like catching people off guard." said Harry, "but sometime, I can't help but think, that he just does it to torture me."

McGonagall's daughter laughed.

"'ey 'arry." said Daniel with a mouth full of food, waving a him.

"Daniel John Middleton Calen Jay Hunter, how many time have I had to tell you! Don't speak with a mouth full!" said Mrs Hunter in that tone of voice that so far Harry had only ever encountered in Mrs Weasley. That tone of voice that left everyone in no doubt that someone was deeply in trouble.

Daniel winced, as his mother started her more then likely well practiced lecture on table manners.

Poor kid. commented Harry, to the castle.

Nah, you don't mean that. I happen to know that you would give anything to be in his shoes. said the castle.

What, have you added mind reading to your bag of tricks? said Harry sarcastically .

Just saying what I think. said the Castle defensively, like it was insulted Harry, even thought that the Castle had a bag of tricks.

Yeah, right. And I'm Merlin himself. said Harry dryly.

After that comment, for some reason the Castle cracked up laughing and Harry had no idea what on earth, could have been that funny. After a minute of non stop laughter, Harry blocked out the castle, in a vein attempt to get some peace.

"So, Harry. All prepared for what Moody has planned?" asked Mrs Hunter, after having calmed down, and starting to cut up her pancakes.

"Not really, I only found out about it a couple of hours ago. I have a feeling Moody didn't even want me to know about it at all." answered Harry.

"Maybe, I could see him doing that." said Mrs Hunter, "but now your got a head start, which is always good. Just remember not to lose your head. Though from what I've heard you shouldn't have a problem. You would be surprised how often that ended up happening though even after three years of Aurora training. Grown Witches and Wizards crying." she finished shanking her head, smiling slightly as if she was proud of something.

"Are you an Auror?" asked Harry interested, turning his head away from his plate, to look at her as she answered.

"I used to be, way back when, but then I had this little tyke, and I didn't want to be gone half the time. So I've now got the job of making sure the Auror Trainees are up to scratch for their final exams." she smirked, the slight smile widening. Which suddenly reminded Harry sharply of Moody, just before he was going to do something really cruel (like last week when he made Harry run though an obstacle course complete with everything from dummy Death Eaters, Boggarts, and Peeves at three o'clock in the morning. In Harry opinion Peeves at three in the morning should be illegal and under cruel and unusual punishments.) "Which is always has it's fun points."

"Nonsense." said McGonagall having entered the hall not long before, and siting down on the other side of Harry. "Don't forgot I raised you, I know you. You just like bossing them around, tormenting them, and getting paid for it."

"Mum, how could you say such a thing about your own loving daughter. Didn't I come here specify to see you." said Mrs Hunter.

"No, dear. You came to see the Headmaster, after which 'something is going to come up' and you'll rush off, leaving David with me, content in the knowledge that your got free babysitting from your dear old mum again."

"Mum, you have an overactive imagination." said Mrs Hunter. "0ne, your not old. Two, nothing is going to come up. Three, if, not when, something does come up I'm not going to ask you to baby sit. I'll just ask Harry, seeing that David taking such a liking to him, I'm sure he would appreciate the pocket money. Only if that's ok with him, of course?"

"Yeah, sure." said Harry only resizing after what he was agreeing to.

Oh Merlin, what have I just got myself into!

You just agreed to baby-sit the 'little tyke'.

But I can't! I've never been a babysitter in my life!

Should have thought of that before you agreed to it. said the Castle.

"So, Harry, have you nearly finished all your homework?" asked Mrs Hunter

"Yeah, I finished it last week." said Harry

"So, the famous Harry Potter saw fit to complete his homework on time like everyone else for a change." said Snape, he opened his moth again, no doubt to continue. When suddenly David started laughing, and with everyone's attention turned to him.

"You're a greasy git." said David.

Oh, no. thought Harry.

"David!" exclaimed Mrs Hunter shocked.

"Elizabeth!" exclaimed McGonagall looking at her daughter.

"Mum!" exclaimed Mrs Hunter again, and then looking at her son, "David, apologise to Professor Snape immediately!"

"I'm sorry, Uncle Snape."

"David, I have no idea where you leant that kind of language. There is going to be no dessert for the rest of the week." said Mrs Hunter.

"But Mum…."

"Do you want me to make that two weeks?" threatened Mrs Hunter.

"No." said David, looking down in to his cereal, like it held the secrets of the universe.

oooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooo

Harry spent the rest of the morning in at state of nerves. He hadn't been this nervous since the Triwizard Tournament. It didn't help that everyone he spoke to wished him good luck, and looked at him like it was the last time they would see him in one piece. After lunchtime he had finally had enough and had decided to lock himself up, in the library for the rest of the day, going though all the defence bocks. He had a feeling he was going to need to know everything he could get his hands on for whatever Moody had planned. Knowing Moody, whatever it was, it was bound to be sadistic, and when he would least suspect it.

So after lunch, with the noble intentions of studying his mind numb, he planned to read every defence book he could get his hands on. Unfortunately for Harry, his plans rarely work out like there supposed to. As it worked out in the end, he only managed to fit in a hour, of possibility lifesaving research before McGonagall asked for a favour, and it's not like he could say no to his head of house. Could he?

Harry sitting on the red plush chair in the library, watched as Mrs Hunter wrote down a list of the books, she and her mother had to pick up from Diagon Ally.

"I would have asked Professor Snape, but Daniel wanted to stay with you, are you sure it's alright?" asked McGonagall again for the fifth time

"It will be fine." said Harry reassuring for the fifth time.

"We should only be a hour or two at most." said McGonagall winging her hands.

"It will be fine, mum." said Mrs Hunter. "It's not like Daniel hasn't been baby sited before, and I'm sure Harry will have no trouble looking after Daniel. In fact" she continued looking addressing Harry. "he's probably more likely to listen to you, then to me."

Mrs Hunter looked back at her list.

"I'm forgetting something. Oh and Harry, as much as he will try, to convince you otherwise, Daniel is not allowed to fly, and is to keep his feet firmly on the ground at all times. If you run into any trouble, Professor Dumbledore will be know how to contact us. Oh, yes," said Mrs Hunter, scribbling down on her list. "Sybil wanted us to pick up her order of tea cup sets."

McGonagall snorted, "It's amazing how she does though them so fast, seeing as she didn't even have any class for half of last year."

"I think that's about it." said Mrs Hunter, ignoring her mother's comment. "Well, we'll be off. I'll send Daniel up here in a bit before we leave." she said, rolling up the parchment shopping list and shoving it in her huge green dragon skinned handbag. "See you in a couple of hours, Harry."

They left thought the library doors.

"Yeah." called Harry, then quietly as soon as he knew they were out of hearing range. "Hours."

What on earth am I meant to do with an eight year old for two hours?

Wreak havoc? Torment Snape? Do the Hokey Pokey?

Hokey Pokey? thought Harry incredibly, like he had a feeling the Castle had a couple of screws loses.

Don't tell me you don't know the Hokey Pokey. Even I know about it.

Of course I know the Hokey Pokey. snapped Harry, then taking the effort to calm down as he was already well aware by that point that if he didn't calm down now, he'll say something he'll regret and spend the next few days getting hopelessly lost. The castle tended to keep grudges.

Then you shouldn't have any trouble entertaining an eight year old then. Good luck, though. Just remember they can smell fear.

Thanks, that's so comforting. said Harry sarcastically .

Your welcome. said the castle like it was completely unaware that Harry was being sarcastic. Harry rolled his eyes, he didn't know what was the more crazy, a person thinking a Castle was talking to them, or a Castle thinking it could talk to a person. What would Hermoine and Ron say when….

'even in the wizarding world hearing voices isn't a good sign'

He couldn't tell them, they probably wouldn't even believe him if he did. Whoever heard of Castles talking? It isn't like in second year when he was simply hearing another language and didn't know it. This was different. This was in his head.

Harry shock his head, this was just going to have to be one of those thing he had to keep to himself, just like the disturbing new ability to see magic. No, way was he telling anyone about that, they'll probably lock him up with Lockhart in St Mungo, knowing his luck.

At least Voldemort had been quiet recently, and he hadn't had a dream since…..that one. The one that baited him in to going to the Ministry, that worked because Harry had a 'playing the hero' thing. That hurt his friends, because they wouldn't let him go on his own, and got his godfather Sirius killed, because of him. As much as Harry had at first blamed everyone, most especially himself, the only one who could really be blamed was Voldemort.

Harry shock his head again, it would be no good thinking about that.

He trained his eyes back on his book Defence Training, 101 Points to Remember When Your Instructor is a Paranoid Mad Sadist. Which had been written by a person who had obviously met Mad Eye Moody or even Mrs Hunter, if her smirk at lunch was anything to go by.

57. Do double the amount of work they set for homework. P.M.S (Paranoid Mad Sadist) Instructors tend to underestimate the amount of work you need to do. In order to catch you out, something which they take great delight in.

The writer had also evidently met Professor Snape as well. Though the most helpful tip had to be number 58.

58. When dealing with physical P.M.S Instructor who tends to take great delight in waking you up each morning in increasingly mean ways. Invest in an alarm clock, set to an hour before the usual wake up call time. By being already up and dressed, you eliminate another chance for your P.M.S Instructor to ruin your life.

Not a bad idea, thought Harry, making a mental note to buy an alarm clock at the next opportunity

"What you doing?"

Harry nearly jumped out of his seat, he had been so busy reading he hadn't see or heard the approach of David. Moody wouldn't have let him live this down, if he was here. Constant Vigilance.

"What are you doing." corrected Harry, without thinking. Oh, no! Now I'm sounding like Hermoine, like the sudden studying bug isn't enough. I wonder if they do voluntary commitments at St Mungo.

What are you doing then?" asked David again, sitting down on the chair next to Harry. His feet didn't touch the ground.

"I'm studying." said Harry, thinking it was easier to say that then get in to an explanation about the real story about the about mad Headmasters and P.M.S instructors.

"Why?"

Because if I don't, Moody will probably wipe the floor with me come tomorrow, saving Voldemort the trouble.

"Because it will help."

"Why?" asked David, "Oh, does this have to do with……" looking around, then whispering. "You-Know-Who."

"You could say that." said Harry quickly finishing the page he was on, and slamming his book shut. "So…….up for a game of Exploding Snap?"

In the end, babysitting wasn't as bad as he thought it would be. It was like hanging out with a younger and a hell of a lot shorter Ron. In the end, it surprised Harry how the time just flew by. While they just hanged out in the library, playing Exploding Snap, (which they were lucky to escape from with their eyebrows still firmly attached). Chess, (which Daniel also managed to beat him at four times out of six games, something which if Ron ever found out about, would never let him live down), and arguing about who had, by far, the best Quidditch team, which Harry hid his extremely limited knowledge of, by playing Devil's Advocate to everything he said.

Now, if only Harry could be sure of what Moody was planing for tomorrow….. maybe he would still be alive by the start of the term in two weeks.

From Cartooned,

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