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Chapter 30

Scamper Scamper

It was the day after they met with the centaurs. Hermione had left to visit the merfolk in the lake, Harry was studying some ancient books on dark magic for ideas on how to combat it, and Luna had gone to Hagrid's.

Neville was finishing up the last of his coffee, pondering the coming battle. The reports that Riddle was using demons weighed heavily on him. He stroked his beard a few times and looked over at Harry. "Harry, I think I know how to find out what Riddle is recruiting" he called over to his friend. Harry looked up with interest, and set his book down as Neville walked over to join him on the couch.

"What's up?" Harry gratefully accepted a mug of coffee from Winky and propped his feet on 'Malfoy the Ottospam'. He sat up abruptly, removed his feet and muttered "oh – I forgot." With a flick of his hand, his feet were properly covered in mud, and he put them back on the much abused footrest.

"Do you think he's still at Riddle Manor?" Neville asked him, accepting another mug from the house-elf.

"Yes – I keep checking on him, and I haven't seen any signs of moving, and I recognize the graveyard outside of his window." Harry winced, recalling the pain and despair of his forth year, when his friend Cedric was killed and he was forced to participate in the rebirth of the evil wizard.

"Well, I'm sure I can ask the gnomes to keep tabs on what is going in and out of the place. You said Riddle Manor is surrounded by forest. The gnomes hate dark creatures, and will do anything to keep them out of their territories. I'm going to pop over to Little Hangleton and find some to talk to, if we can find it through the wards."

Harry looked at his friend soberly. "Let me come with you, Nev. In my animagus form (and Harry winced) I can watch your back. Finding it will not be a problem – being inside Tom's head bypasses the fidelius."

With a manly high-five, Neville and Harry apparated out of the trunk.

O0o0o0o0o0o0o

Neville and Harry popped in at the border of Riddle Manor, crouching down low despite being hidden under Harry's old invisibility cloak. Once they felt assured they hadn't been seen, Neville transformed into his animagus wolf form and stealthily crept around the perimeter of the grounds. Harry took his robin form and flew to a high branch at the edge of the wood facing the manor. The place was heavily warded – Neville could sense it with both his wizard and wolf abilities, and he kept well clear, not wanting to trip any alarms.

Lying down in some long grass in back of an ancient oak tree, the yellow-eyed wolf sniffed the air. He could clearly smell the Lestranges, and had to force himself not to growl. The scent of dark creatures was stifling and pungent, and he wanted to roll in something to get the stench off of his fur. His sharp ears picked up the sound of a door softly shutting and he peaked around the trunk.

In the distance two Death Eaters were leaving the manor. Though from that distance he couldn't make out what they were saying, he could tell by the sound of their voice they were grumbling. Throwing their hoods up and putting masks in place, the pair walked to the edge of the wards and apparated with noisy cracks.

Confident that he hadn't been noticed, Neville stood up and walked into the woods, away from the graveyard and house. He started snuffling in the leaves until he found the scent he was looking for – gnome. Following the trail, he trotted quickly through the dense forest until he came upon an obvious (to his experienced eye) hole in the base of a hickory tree.

"Hey – anybody home?" He called in a low bark down the hole. He could hear a tiny door open and a scampering sound.

"Whoa! How is it that a wolf, and a gnomish speaking wolf at that, comes calling?" The tiny being stood in the hole, hands on his hips looking him over. The gnome could have been a model for German Christmas cards or cute little collectables. Classic brown tunic and pants, bright red boots and tall pointed hat, his eyes crinkled with many lines and a full white beard framed his face.

"My name is Neville Longbottom, heir of Helga Hufflepuff. I was wondering if you could tell me about the creatures at that house over there." He gestured back toward Riddle Manor with his snout.

"Why you be wantin' to know about them?" The gnome answered abruptly. "Are ye helpin' them?"

Neville gave a low convincing growl. "No – soon my companions and I will call them out and end their time. I'm just gathering information to make it easier."

The gnome laughed. "Spoken like a true heir of Hufflepuff. Aye – I recognize a heir when I see one. My name is Sapwood. My family and several others have been eyeing them, and not liking what we see. So is it true –the founders returned. Is the Chosen One here?"

"Yes, the Chosen One is here in the form of a robin – I'm living with him as we prepare. Yes, the founders are all back." Neville liked the gnome, but then, he had never met a gnome he hadn't liked.

"Let me get my family and friends and come back with you, Neville." Sapwood turned around and scampered down his hole. A few minutes later he returned with his plump wife, twin children, and four other adult gnomes. Neville transformed back, and gathered an armful of leaves into the invisibility cloak, and a framework of branches.

"Do you think you will be comfortable in here, Sapwood? I can pop us back that way." Neville looked at the gnomes, and critically eyed his gnome carrier.

"We'll be right as rain, laddie" Sapwood winked at him and the gnomes all climbed in.

It was at that moment that a ruckus erupted in the wood. Squeaking with fury, Harry's tiny robin form flew through the branches and started attacking something in the grass. Neville whirled from the gnomes and drew his wand, trying to see what the small bird was diving at with such fury. Then he saw it – Nagini!

Neville received a hurried telepathic request from Harry to pop back to the safety of the trunk with the gnomes, but he just laughed. Leave his best friend in danger?

Harry the Bird Wonder glared with rage at the snake. How dare Nagini try to sneak up on his friend? He found himself boiling with anger – get away from my friend! Keep away NOW! Instinctively the bird aimed for the snakes eyes again and again, trying to pierce them with his small sharp beak, cut the reptile's smooth head, or drive her away at any cost. It never crossed Harry's mind to change back to a wizard – he was all consumed with his animagus form's fury.

Nagini hissed and struck repeatedly at the miniscule annoying little bird. At first it was merely an irritation – this was after all, just a robin. But the runt just would not quit! Didn't the bird realize how large and how poisonous she was? However, if Nagini had been a Quidditch player, she would not be a seeker. She was more of a beater type, and she could not land a strike on the small, flitting form once.

Harry, on the other hand, was a seeker. A very good seeker – even in bird form. First one eye, and then the other, and just like Fawkes and the basilisk, Nagini was blinded. Hissing, thrashing, and striking out without the help of sight, Neville stepped in and sliced the snake in two with a brutal slashing hex. Riddle's familiar was no more.

Harry landed on the ground and reverted to his human form, clutching his head in pain.

"What's wrong, Harry!" Neville ran up to him, forgetting the gnomes for the moment. "Did Nagini bite you?"

His friend shook his head painfully. Gritting his teeth, Harry said "Riddle is really upset. I usually don't feel it, but Nagini and he were really bonded. He knows the snake is dead, so let's get out of here!" Standing weakly, Harry cut the snake's head off with his sharp goblin knife, gathered it in the edge of his cloak and popped off with Neville and the gnomes for the trunk.

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Neville and Harry popped in and gently set the cloak full of gnomes on the table. Harry took Nagini's head over to the potions bench for removing the venom sacs later, while Neville gently opened the cloak. Fairies flew over from around the room, greeting the gnomes, who listened intently to what they were saying. Harry sauntered back over to see gnomes and fairies all over the table, chatting away with each other. "Winky, can you stir up some gnome-appropriate snacks?" he asked.

Winky walked over and smiled at the gnomes. Harry gave her a quick hug and sat down to talk, while she and Dobby brought over upside down tea cups. Neville and Harry transfigured them into comfortable gnome seats and tables.

Sapwood introduced his family and friends, who all eyed Harry over with a friendly but critical eye. "So this be the Chosen One" he mused.

"Pardon?" Harry asked. He didn't learn gnomish in Hogwarts past – he had spent that time learning about the centaurs.

"Sorry, Sir." The gnome broke into English. "I was just commenting with my fellows that you were the Chosen One." The gnome smiled at him.

Harry blushed. "Yep – that be me" he agreed. "We were wondering if you could fill us in on what kind of nasties Riddle is palling around with."

The gnomes all looked at each other, enjoying the repast Winky brought over for them – strawberries and butterbeer. "Typically we gnomes steer clear of the big 'uns. Wizards are usually too uppity to pay us any mind. We found years ago that making ourselves look like mindless garden pests gave us access to magical locations to hear all the good gossip, snitch a few strawberries in season, and be left mostly alone. But we agree the time is critical and Riddle must be stopped."

An old gnome spoke up. "Aye – we've been watching Riddle Manor. We couldn't set foot in it, with that blasted snake of his, but we have been watching. Thanks for destroying that cursed creature! First of all, his closest mate, if that's what you can call his servants, is a fat little wizard with a silver hand that changes into a rat. He's not much of a threat. We've considered capturing him several times."

Harry and Neville looked at each other. "Wormtail" Harry stated with disgust.

"He betrayed Harry's parents to Riddle" Neville explained to the gnomes, seeing their puzzled expressions. "He's the reason they died when he was a baby, and his godfather spent 12 years in Azkaban."

"Ah" the gnome nodded. "The number of Death Eaters has dropped considerably in the past two seasons. The dark wizards are in a right fright over it – they use to just pop them out of jail, and now they can't find them."

Sapwood's wife, Greenleaf, spoke next. "As for demons, he hasn't had much luck. He was hoping for some very nasty humanoid type of demons from the underworld, but they wanted to trade the work for his soul. Riddle doesn't want to tamper with his perceived immortality."

"Aye" agreed Sapwood, "that is a bit 'o luck for ye. They would have been tough to beat. What he's got in his 'army' now," and Harry didn't miss the sarcasm in his voice, "is a lot 'o boggarts, hinky punks, vampires, werewolves, and basically bad magical creatures. He's gone and told his servants that he's got demons, but the closest thing to a demon in his following is the dementors."

"Hmmmm" Harry pondered out loud. "The last I knew he had about 200 of them. But how do we destroy dementors for once and all? And how do I deal with boggarts on a battlefield?"

"Boggarts we can deal with – even on a grand scale." Sapwood smiled, rubbing his hands together in glee. "Please leave them to us."

They finished their meal and gave the gnomes the 'grand tour' of Godric's Suitcase. After a delightful afternoon, Neville returned them to their tree and parted.

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Harry and Neville were woke up the next morning to Dobby calling them excitedly.

"Harry Potter Sir! Master Neville! The gnomes came and found me in the kitchens! They brought you a present, sir!"

Harry sat up in bed, rubbing his eyes. Winky came with tea for the both of them as they stumbled out of the room. "What's up?" he mumbled groggily.

Dobby pointed to a cage on the kitchen table. "Sapwood said this was with his complements, sir."

In the cage was a very fat, half bald rat with a silver paw. The rat was looking extremely nervous.

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"See – my Harry the Bird Wonder is brave" the author whined. "