I could not get this chapter to upload – perhaps it was too long. So I've split it into two parts and put both up.

Author notes (teensy bit of snarkiness and lots of amusement) at the end of this half of the chapter…

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Chapter 26a

Back to the Present

Classes were now held in group sessions, with the ghosts in their solid forms helping with the practicals. The four youths learned how to combine their magic to cast tooth-jarring powerful spells, and practical uses for their animagus forms. Harry still had to end days involving his robin form with a tankard of 'liquid medicine' to sooth his ego. At least Malfoy would never see it.

Dueling lessons were getting more and more intense. It was now Founderettes against Founders, and everything short of unforgivables was game. At first it was terrifying to cast slashing and dismembering hexes so close to his friends and fiancé, and very disturbing to be casting them at his beloved teachers. But they quickly learned that Luna could heal just about anything on the spot, and the more brutal the battle, the better the lessons learned.

Brutal was the word for it. The founders had no qualms with hurting the students, and hurting them badly. There was only one time the students relaxed a bit after a duel started getting rough, 'knowing' their teachers wouldn't really hurt them. They spent a full painful week recovering in the infirmary with absolutely no sympathy from their mentors. They never made that mistake again.

So their final group duel started. The fearsome foursome found themselves immediately attacked with a frightening barrage of hexes and curses, which Luna created a strong shield to deflect. Harry leapt forward and struck at Godric with his sword, Neville close to his side. While Hermione started firing off hexes two-wanded at Helga and Rowena, Neville transfigured the torches from the wall sconces to attack Salazar and Harry and he lit upon Godric with swords. Godric was grinning like a maniac.

The founders had succeeded in turning the four wizards into a finely tuned machine. Harry and his friends used their strengths and covered each other's weaknesses. Harry had no doubts that the founders were not giving it their all – they were their teachers and not truly trying to kill them. Battling together, Harry would courageously confront the largest threat to the group, as he had the most skills in dueling and defense, and had the most, well, courage. Luna was the shield of the group – casting powerful blocks and shields, keeping an eye on everyone's health and stamina, and healing as needed. Hermione was the cleverness – casting the unexpected or unforeseen spell. Neville was the staunch and strong ally – a powerhouse of strength fighting his way to victory and never leaving his friend's sides.

This particular duel was dragging on – everyone on both sides was exhausted. Luna sent the group a burst of energy to her friends through her fairy magic, and Hermione conjured a basilisk to attack the founders. As their mentors were avoiding the basilisk gaze, Harry went again for Godric with two wands, and Hermione swiftly changed into her snake form and sank her venomous fangs into Salazar's heel. That would teach him to laugh at her.

Gladly and proudly the founders yielded. They had taught their students well.

O0o0o0o0o0o

They had spent about a year total with the founders, and as the lessons were winding down, they were all feeling homesick to some degree. Although only three weeks had passed in the present world, they had indeed aged and filled out. No longer where they four gangly teens, but four young adults with power and strength oozing out of their very beings. Neville had grown his beard, like Luna suggested, and it suited him. He was now even taller than Ron, and powerfully built, with softly curling black hair tied back in a ponytail. Luna had transformed her custom wand into a staff, and used it in that form most of the time. Both of the women were shapelier and mature looking, with the charisma that comes from self-confidence. Harry didn't feel like he had changed any, but in reality he was wiry muscled, graceful and balanced and had grown a mustache.

It was always summer in the painting, and there was a feeling of sadness in the air. Luna looked at her professors and companions around the table and said "this is the last meal together, isn't it?"

The others looked around in shock, as the founders all nodded their heads in sad agreement. "Yes, dear children" Helga finally spoke sadly, "we have taught you all we can. The four of you now have the skills to take Riddle down."

"The final battle" Godric spoke solemnly, "will be more than you against Riddle. He will use any body and anything for allies to defeat you, Dumbledore, and the ministry. He is low on Death Eaters, so have no doubt that he will look elsewhere for assistance."

Rowena frowned in her deep-thinking way. "He will use magical creatures and beings, but if he wins, he will slowly kill off anything that isn't a pureblood wizard. The magical world is doomed if you do not defeat him and his disillusioned followers. If the magical world collapses, I don't know if the non-magical world can survive."

"Remember to use all the skills and abilities you have learned over the years" Salazar said. "Use everything we represent – strength, cunning, wisdom and righteousness. Use everything that love and friendships can offer in assistance. It is Riddle's paranoia and megalomania that will be his undoing. It is Dumbledore's paranoia and megalomania, though in a lesser degree than Riddle's, which has lost him the headmaster position."

Lady Hogwarts spoke last. "You are the true headmasters now. I have withdrawn all but minimal communication with Dumbledore – he has only what is needed to protect the students and run the school until you can take over. Finish your education, and please turn the school back to what it is now in our times. End the inter-house rivalry, and especially restore Slytherin into the house it was meant to be."

With an unspoken signal, the founders and ghosts stood up and Harry and his friends followed. With a quick trip to the dorms to collect their belongings and change back their clothing, they walked out to the courtyard, where the founders sang and played encouraging songs for them. Rowena looked up toward the hut on the cliff and said "it is time – your headmaster is out of Hogwarts and the moment to part has come."

Reluctantly they trudged up the cliff in pairs – each founder with their heir, giving final words of love and encouragement. When too quickly they reached the back door of the stone cottage, Harry had a strange feeling that time had not moved, and they had only just stepped into the picture high on the castle wall. The founders would go no further than the inside of the hut. With tearful hugs and kisses, the four founderettes left the cottage and entered the forest clearing, seeing the window back into their time in the far distance. Tears in their eyes, they heard the cottage door gently shut, and knew that chapter of their lives was over with.

With a final short hike, they were once again at the flexible window looking into Hogwarts main stairway, and the stairs had indeed swung to meet them. Waiting for them with large smiles were the house ghosts, cheering for them as they stepped through. Harry blinked and looked around – after three years of a chilly, bare walled Hogwarts, it was jarring to the senses to be back where they belonged, with walls covered in paintings and tapestries, suits of armor, and glass on the windows. It would take some getting use to.

"Well" Sir Nicholas said warmly, "I will miss having my solid body constantly! We can go back and forth, but we are bound to the present day Hogwarts so typically we can't visit for any length of time. And it is nice to have a job to do."

"Oh Baron" Hermione sniffed sorrowfully, "I will miss it dearly. And we have so much work ahead of us."

The procession worked its way down the stairs to the sixth floor. They knew they could have popped at any time, but felt they needed to see the school, even if it was only for a few minutes. The four of them could hear and feel Lady Hogwarts clearly in their minds and hearts now, encouraging them and giving them constant updates on the state of the house-elves, location of Peeves, Mrs. Norris and Filch, and the giant squid. It would take a while to place the constant input of information into a more recessed part of their brains.

"Anne?" Neville turned to the now translucent ghost of Hufflepuff, unconsciously recalling the vibrant young lady they studied with the past three years. "What's up with Filch? Why is he so hateful, and why does Dumbledore keep him around?"

Anne and the other ghosts' expressions were a mixed bag of sadness, anger, amusement and revulsion. "Why don't you pop back to your trunk and we will discuss it there" she suggested.

The four friends popped into Godric's Suitcase and took turns hugging a delighted Dobby and Winky and greeted the many fairies. Harry practically ran over to his parents and Sirius' portraits and exchanged heart felt salutations. "Boy, this time warping can really mess with your head" He thought wryly.

"You children don't look like children anymore" Lily smiled sadly. "I understand time was different for you, but it's a bit of a shock. I'm not sure about the mustache, Harry." James and Sirius smirked in agreement. "Tell us what you learned while you were gone!"

"It was wonderful!" Hermione had an arm around both the elves, which were eating up the attention. "We learned all kinds of wandless and soundless spell casting, how far Hogwarts has gone from its original vision, we are all animagus now, we studied with the personification of Hogwarts …"

James interrupted her before she passed out from lack of breath. "Animagus! I knew you all had it in you! What forms are you?" He looked around eagerly, especially at Harry, who was pointedly avoiding their eyes.

With a smile, Luna and Neville transformed into their animal forms. The three painted friends nodded with approval. "What about you two?" Sirius looked at Hermione and Harry.

Hermione gulped, and turned into the shiny brown-patterned adder, which was greeted with a chorus of 'ooohs' and 'aahhhs'. She transformed back looking relieved. Everyone was looking at Harry now.

"I'm going to pop out and visit Griphook, the twins and the Lupins in a bit, but I want to hear what Anne has to say about Filch." Harry said, ignoring the pointed looks.

"Harry, what is your animagus form?" James asked with interest. "Are you a stag like me?"

"Harry, is something wrong?" Lily asked with concern, seeing her son's face turning red with embarrassment.

"Yah, Cub, let's see what 'cha got!" Sirius broke in with a grin. Lily noticed her son's friends suddenly looking away, pretending they weren't listening. Strange.

Harry gave the sigh of a condemned man. "OK" he muttered with resignation, and transformed. At the sight of the small robin now perched on the back of the chair closest to the fireplace the three in the portrait did what any other loving parent/guardian would have done. They choked and sputtered with a losing battle not to laugh. They really did try.

Giving up, James and Lily were holding each other howling, and Sirius collapsed on the floor of his portrait. Harry transformed back and glared. "Hey – how about some support here!" he yelled at them. "And no – I'm not going to register. I'd never hear the end of it." With that he spun on his heels and sat on the couch, glaring at nothing in particular, his back to the fireplace.

"Oh Harry – it's not bad at all. It will be dead useful for spying and such" James said once he calmed down. "It was just rather unexpected."

Harry muttered something like "hrump" and looked toward the ghost of Anne. "Alright – new subject. Tell us about Filch." Everyone in the room sat down to listen.

Anne nodded and started in. "Headmaster Dumbledore took Filch on after defeating Grindelwald. Filch's father, Albert Filch, saved Dumbledore's life in the next to final battle and owed him a life debt. This was his way of repaying it. Argus wasn't very happy with the arrangement – he was deeply embarrassed and humiliated about being a squib, as was his parents, but he didn't have the education, smarts or drive to make it in the muggle world.

The Baron nodded in agreement. "Yes, he started out with a small attitude problem, and it rapidly went downhill from there. He truly resents anyone with magical ability – especially muggle-born. He feels they don't "deserve" the gift of magic.

"Headmaster Dumbledore gave him Mrs. Norris as a kitten" the Friar continued, "to help him in controlling students. We aren't sure what she is – an enchanted cat, part kneezle, or perhaps a cursed human? I lean toward that myself – they certainly are connected somehow, and the cat is indeed intelligent and malevolent."

"But how old is Filch?" Hermione asked in amazement.

Sir Nicolas shrugged, tipping his barely-attached head off onto a shoulder. Pushing it back up with one hand, he said "Well, somewhere in his 70s, I'd imagine. Perhaps far older – he was an adult when he came here in 1946. He was always scruffy and uncaring toward his appearance, so it was hard to tell exactly how old he is."

"I thought Squibs had the same life span as muggles" Luna pondered. "That doesn't follow through for him then. He's very energetic for a man in his 70s or older."

"That's part of the mystery" Anne agreed. "We think that the Headmaster might be using the Philosopher's stone on him as part of the debt, and gave him Mrs. Norris as a way of compensating him for his lack of magic. I think the Headmaster keeps him around because his attitude amuses him – like Professor Snape's does."

The Baron nodded in agreement. "We think that the 'dear' Headmaster has been keeping him in Hogwarts all these years to keep him embittered and indebted to himself. Like he has Hagrid, Lupin and yourself, Lord Potter-Black."

"Wow" Neville shook his head in wonder. "That will be a pretty problem to figure out when we take over. I don't want someone that mean with authority over students. But I feel sorry for him too." Harry and Hermione nodded in agreement, and shelved the topic for another day.

But with an amused look, Luna popped out of the trunk. She appeared in one of the corridors, arms full of books, when she 'accidentally' bumped into Mr. Filch. Dropping books and a wand right at his feet, Filch growled at the girl "Watch where you're going! What are you doing here this time of year?"

Luna looked at him dazedly. "I have an appointment. Oh – could you please hand me that wand?"

Filch shot her a disbelieving look, and bent down to pick up the wooden stick. Suddenly red sparks started sputtering out the top of it. With a startled cry, he practically threw it at her. "What did that do?" he cried with fright and anger.

"Why Mr. Filch" Luna answered in her mild, calm voice, "Surely you recognize a magic indicator? It's one of those wands used to check and see if a person is a wizard, like your self."

Mr. Filch started to sputter and gasp like a fish out of water. He suddenly turned and sped off down the hall. Professor Flitwick was always kind to him – he could answer some questions…

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Author Notes:

Oh my – I'm going to need a 'grin-ectomy' after all the reviews on the last chapter! I wake up at 6:30 in the morning after posting chapter 25to find my e-mail overflowing with reactions to Harry's animagus form and the AK 'problem' – I can't stop laughing and smiling. My keyboard has melted from some of the flames, but hey – it keeps down heating costs! And flamers – keep on letting me know how much you hate me, but could you tone down some of the 4-letter words? My son reads my reviews too – well he use to. I won't let him now!

About Harry's Robin form:

OK – why a robin? First of all, American robins and British robins are two entirely different species. The ONLY thing they have in common is an orangey-red chest. American robins were named by homesick Brits – they are not the same bird. British robins are tiny and amazingly bold and brave. They will fight actually to the DEATH to defend their mate or their territory. They will hand tame very quickly to take treats from humans. Harry is small for his age, and will courageously put himself in danger to defend his friends, and swiftly befriend those who are different than himself.

Many reviewers complained 'how is a robin going to help Harry fight Voldemort'. Well, an animagus form (in my story)is a reflection of the animal within – the magical powers-that-be don't choose and say "hey – Harry's a nice guy – let's give him the form of an elephant to help him trample his enemies". Some folks say 'a robin can't fight'. Again, an animagus form is nothing to do with becoming a weapon. How well can Rita Skeeter fight as a beetle? Sirius' dog form really doesn't fight – pretty useless against an animagus bear or panther. Hawks are great hunters, but fighters?

Another point – I got a lot of 'a robin is useless' e-mails. Well, how useful is a fox, or a dog, or a cat, or a rino? It's what you make out of it, not what it is. If I had an animagus form, it would probably be an Oscar fish. I have Oscars – very tough, predatory, loyal to their mate, intelligent, and a great sense of humor. (If you have never seen Oscars, they are amazing fish – the dog of the aquarium). The first time I transformed I'd be flopping on the floor gasping for air – pretty useless. Useless unless I transformed in water, used it for spying or sneaking into underwater places….

Harry's robin form really doesn't play into the story a whole lot from now on, but it will some. I was merely trying to bring in the scenario that we don't always get what we want or fantasize about in life. We get what life deals us and move on. Harry wanted something dangerous and cool - now he has to figure out how he can use the robin form since he didn't get a wolf, eagle, dragon, etc. And I wanted to point out that even pure and good Harry has an ego, and egos can take a hit here and there.

It is funny the passion that some reviews have voiced. It was like I hit readers personally or something. Hey – it's just a story, and it's my story. Just because I write something you personally disagree with doesn't mean I 'can't write'.

So sorry to all my fanfic friends who don't like Harry's animagus. It's not an April Fool joke, and it's not a dream sequence. Harry is a robin. If I have deeply offended folks so they want to stop reading – well go! Find yourself a nice Super!Harry fanfic to read for crying out loud. Some of y'all take fan fiction waaaaay too seriously.

About James Potter dying under the AK curse:

Now, why did Harry's Dad survive the killing curse if he is a blood relation to Godric Gryffindor? I have gone back and tweaked in the chapter to add this, and I apologize for leaving it out. In my story Riddle didn't use the AK to kill James Potter. Remember when Harry is overtaken by the dementors he sees his mother's death – he wasn't in the room when James was killed. There are marks on the wall from a battle – that means several curses/spells were fired. I feel that the AK has to take a lot of hatred and energy to cast against a fellow human – I don't know that even Voldemort would risk depleting his magic to use only AK's to fight, when a weaker spell would do the trick. I don't feel that Voldemort felt very threatened by the two young parents and a baby, and was toying with James – keep in mind Riddle thought he was immortal. Now, once he goes up the stairs and tells Lily to step aside and she refuses, he gets furious and goes for the Avada Kedavra because it is born of hatred.

On a side note, I need to mention that you don't need to feel the hatred to kill an animal with the AK. Only a sentient being. You have to hate a person, but you can feel ambivalent toward a cow and sendit to its dirt nap.