At a random location in jolly good England, a wraith floated about ominously. To muggles, this would have been a spectacle; evidence that spirits and ghosts exist! To wizards and witches, this was simply another insignificant creature that bears no merit to investigate upon. But to those in the know, this was the spirit of the most feared dark wizard and bane of all those who fought for the Light.
Voldemort had been travelling for weeks, trying to find the perfect host to inhabit and get his revenge on that Potter brat. But during his travels he hadn't come upon a single wizard that could become his minion, and unfortunately, he hadn't the guts to go back to his hideout and get help from his loyal death eaters; his pride wouldn't allow it. And so, he once again searched for the perfect host…
'Soon, once I get a body. I will challenge that boy again and take him down once and for all. And then no one will be able to stop me, Lord Voldemort!'
His maniacal laughter reverberated in the dead of night.
So much so he didn't notice the incoming car until it was too late.
"ARGHHHHH!!!"
The wraith was crushed under the wheels of the car, flattened like a pancake.
"Brrrr…"
Harry felt a shiver run up his spine as he spent the day with Hedwig outside, playing with the Whomping Willow by throwing rocks at it and letting it swat the rocks in the air.
"What's wrong, Harry?" Harry looked down to see a worried expression on Hedwig's little face. He put on a smile and reassured her calmly.
"Nothing, must be the air. Want to continue playing with the Whomping Willow?"
She took a moment to consider her options, before shaking her head and stating earnestly, "No, I think we should go inside. You might catch a cold."
Harry had to smile at that, the humour in the situation not lost upon him, and he tossed one last rock to the Whomping Willow, who swatted it half-heartedly as it knew it's fun had come to an end, "Alright, let's go inside."
Hedwig nodded and waved goodbye to the sentient tree. Harry followed suit as the tree responded by shaking one of it's branches up and down. Taking out his wand, he motioned for
Hedwig to stick her hands out, and as she did, Harry waved his wand and a small stream of water poured out at the tip of his wand. After making sure her hands were clear from any dirt, they entered the castle through the front gate. And it was there they confronted a person they had not expected to meet.
"Potter!"
The duo were caught off guard to see Pansy Parkinson, of all people, running up to them.
"Geez, were you outside all this time? No wonder I couldn't find the both of you anywhere in the castle."
Hedwig had immediately hid behind Harry as Pansy approached and he also had his guard up as he tried to figure out what sort of ploy she had up her sleeves, "Why were you trying to find us?"
She gave a huff and had her hands on her hips as she slightly glared at Harry, flipping her hair with her head out of habit as the action did not do much to her straight bob haircut, "Well if you must know; Professor Snape asked all of us in Slytherin if one of us could lend a hand in taking care of Holly, and I graciously volunteered my services."
"Woah, wait just a minute. Why did Snape ask you guys if one of you could look after Holly? I thought I'd be taking care of her." He held a close hand on Hedwig as he talked to Pansy.
"I mean, you'll still be her main caretaker; apparently you're the only one she's comfortable being around with. It's just that you'll also have some help from the other houses."
Harry's confusion grew further at her last statement, "Wait, other houses?"
"Yes, Potter, other houses. I've heard that the other house heads had representatives in helping you take care of Holly."
Now Harry was a bit miffed at that piece of information, it had Dumbledore's influence all over it. Maybe he had good intentions, but he didn't give any hints to him when he last met him and Harry hadn't asked the Headmaster for anything of this nature.
But he couldn't refuse their help, it could bring unneeded scrutiny to both him and Hedwig. And so it was with trepidation and a resigned tone that he asked Pansy, "Can I at least meet the others?"
"Well duh, that's why we've been trying to find you two. Come on."
The two followed the Slytherin girl, a few feet separating them. Harry felt a tug on his sleeve and he looked down to see Hedwig with her arms up. Understanding her request, he lifted her up and continued on walking whilst carrying her.
"I don't wanna be with her, she's a big meany."
Harry sighed and gave a comforting squeeze, "Sorry bud, I don't think I have any say in this. I think Dumbledore's to blame for this."
She puffed up her cheeks, "Dumbledore's a big dumb dumb."
"Hehe, I agree. But maybe this can be a good thing. It must be boring having to be with me all the time." Harry tried saying, hoping that would make her more accepting of the inevitable situation.
"No, being with you is enough. I don't want anybody else."
Harry couldn't help but let out a huge smile at her words, the happy feeling making him warm all over.
They stopped at a particular door, Pansy grasped the door knob and looked at the pair, "Here we are."
Without much flair or fanfare, the door opened and Harry stepped inside. Two other people were inside, seemingly waiting for their arrival.
"Hello Harry. A pleasure to meet you. Sue Li, a representative from Ravenclaw." He nodded at her and recognised her from the classes he shared with the Ravenclaws. Jet black hair with an aloof look in her eyes, she was the shortest among them all but an aura was still felt in the air around her.
"Hiya Harry, nice to meet you two again." Susan Bones took a hold of Hedwig's hand and softly shook it up and down. Harry presumed that she was the person representing Hufflepuff. The red-haired Hufflepuff was probably the closest to the duo among the three of them, so he didn't have any reservations when it came to her taking care of Hedwig. The other two, however…
"So, you three will be the ones helping me look after Holly?" Harry asked, taking a step back to get a good look at all three of them.
"Yes. I can't speak for the others but Professor Flitwick expressed that we were to help you take care of Holly, mostly so that your studies may not be obstructed. Each of us will have a designated schedule to look after Holly and have free reign to do anything, so long as it is both beneficial to Holly's growth and it does not cause any trouble for anybody in the castle."
Sue Li stated as if she had remembered the specific instructions bestowed upon her. The others did not make a move to correct her.
"Er… Alright. So whose turn is it right now?" Harry asked, letting Hedwig down and letting her explore, although she instead took her spot once again behind Harry's leg. The action was not lost on the three girls.
"Actually, we thought it would be a good idea for all of us to try and make Holly feel comfortable with us. And for that we need your help." Pansy said, frowning as Hedwig quickly disappeared behind Harry's leg as she stared at the child.
Susan nodded and added her own two cents, "We thought maybe having lunch together or playing some games together can make her feel more relaxed around us. And if you have any suggestions, we're all ears."
Harry took a moment to think; what could they do to make Hedwig more comfortable around them? Their ideas were alright, but there wasn't a guarantee that Hedwig would start to warm up to them. But it was Hedwig who spoke up and gave the perfect solution.
"Um… Can we play hide and seek?"
The others were surprised to see Hedwig speak up, as quiet as it was. Harry looked down and nodded, "Huh, well if you want to then maybe we should. Do you think we should include them?"
Nodding excitedly, Hedwig spoke brightly, her voice becoming louder and filled with enthusiasm, "Yeah! I can play as the seeker."
Pansy grinned, happy that they were starting to make some progress with the aloof child, "Perfect, then where should we play?"
A wide smile was still on her face as Hedwig stated what she thought was the perfect location, "The Forbidden Forest!"
They all stilled at that and a frozen expression of weariness was on all their faces. Hedwig turned right and left, confused as to why the others had grown silent. It was Susan who first tried to persuade Hedwig.
"Ah… Maybe we can play somewhere else? Oh, I think the courtyard could be a good place to play hide and seek."
Hedwig puffed out her cheeks and shook her head, semi-glaring at the red head, "No, I want to play in the Forbidden Forest!"
The three girls gave Harry a pleading look, a look he sighed at as he knew what they were asking of him. He knelt down and turned his back towards them, hiding Hedwig and whispered to her so that their conversation wouldn't be overheard, "Why do you want to play in the Forbidden Forest?"
"Because that's where I flew when I was let out of the cage." Hedwig quietly admitted, looking down and playing with her fingers anxiously, "I just want to go there and show you guys."
Harry's stomach churned a bit at Hedwig's sad expression and he smiled at her attempt to connect with the others by trying to show a place where she felt most comfortable. Making his decision, he stood and turned around to address the others.
"I think we should go to the Forbidden Forest."
The three girls gave a start at that, it was Pansy who spoke first in exasperation, "Are you crazy? There's a reason why The Forbidden Forest is forbidden, it's a place a child shouldn't even be near at, let alone play in!"
He gave a raise of his eyebrow in contention at that, as Harry retorted, "If my memory serves me right, I was given detention and went to the Forbidden Forest with Ron and Malfoy in my First Year. Granted, we had Hagrid with us, but still, I'm pretty sure if they didn't want children near the Forbidden Forest they wouldn't have forced us to enter it. Plus, it's not as if we'll play in the deepest part of the forest; we'll play at the outskirts, and a few feet inside the forest should be alright."
They gave each other a hesitant look at one another, still not fully convinced, something that Harry rectified with his next statement.
"And Hedwig was the one who wanted to play there. Perhaps playing there can make her feel more relaxed, maybe even getting her to act more friendly with you guys?"
He knew he got them as they steadily agreed to the idea, albeit still a bit reluctant to actually play at such a dangerous place. Sue Li stated in a firm tone, "Alright, we'll play hide and seek there. But I propose that we survey the area first and figure out where we lay the boundaries. For our safety."
Susan and Pansy gave a nod, and Harry was no different as he was already thinking along those lines. He sneaked a glance and checked what Hedwig's reaction was; she couldn't contain her excitement as she moved to and fro with the balls of her feet. Harry grinned and gave a satisfied nod.
"Well, what are we waiting for?" Harry carried Hedwig and she laughed as she was suddenly put on his shoulders, bringing her further into excitement.
"Let's go!" Her happy proclamation was met with smiles all around as they traveled as a group to the Forbidden Forest, Hedwig humming a jaunty tune and playing with Harry's hair all the way.
The luscious green field of the outskirts of the Forbidden Forest welcomed them as they arrived. The day was perfect to be outside, the trees dancing as the wind carried through. Harry took in the air and enjoyed the fresh smell, an action that Hedwig copied as she too held a fond smile on her face. He turned around and stood in front of the others.
"Looks like this is the perfect place after all." A brief look of confusion entered Harry's eyes as the others started had amused smiles on their faces, he hadn't made a faux pax, did he?
"Er, Harry…" It was Susan who spoke up, trailing off and pointed at something above him. He looked up to see Hedwig's upside down smiling face. He picked her up and let her down on the ground, feeling his hair splaying out every which way. Not needing a mirror to know what a mess his hair was, he tried to contain his hair and fixed it the best he could, sweeping his hair back to finish.
Hedwig giggled and raised her hands up in the air in anticipation, "Come on come on come on, let's play!"
Smiling at her exuberance, Harry nodded and spoke to the three girls, "For now, let's just keep it here until Hagrid's hut. And maybe a few feet in the forest if you guys are feeling adventurous."
The trio looked at one another again - reassessing if this was really the best course of action - but they relented and split up to find their individual hiding spots. Once Harry made sure that they were not in earshot anymore, he leaned down and gave Hedwig a small pat on the back, "Alright Hedwig, now remember; you have a human body now, so it's much more fragile and you'll have no avenue to escape like you did when you had wings. Don't go too far into the forest and especially do not interact with any animals in said forest. Do you understand?"
"Uhuh! Don't go deep into the forest and don't speak to any animals!" Hedwig was obviously keen to start the game and Harry decided to let the little hunter have her fun. Giving her a wink and a thumbs up, he set off to find the best hiding spot he knew.
Hedwig turned around and buried her face in her hands, "Okay! One! Two!..."
Her loud counting continued on. And when she finally reached sixty, she yelled out for the hiders to hear, "Ready or not, here I come!"
The wind breezed past by her and as her hair was swept away, her ears were fully uncovered, letting her hear around her surroundings. She zoned in to the sounds around her and her ears twitched as she picked up little sounds.
A frog jumping, a leaf falling, ants crawling on the dirt at the dirt she was standing on…
Then, she heard leaves crackling.
At an unnatural speed, she turned her head and focused it on a tree. Hedwig wasted no time and sprinted towards the tree, and as she neared she stopped suddenly, her body almost toppling over as she balanced back to her feet, and met the eyes of one Susan Bones, a smile on her face the young girl's face.
"Found you!" Susan was shocked, mouth agape at Hedwig as she found her instantaneously. But Hedwig was not wasting any time, keeping her ear out for the others. Her ears strained and her eyes shut in concentration. Susan was almost worried that something was wrong with her until she suddenly started moving towards, this time to an undescript bunch of bushes. Hedwig started fiddling around and found what she was looking for, pulling on the clothes of the person hiding in the bush and revealing it to be Sue Li.
A look of complete surprise was on her face - finding both of them under a minute was impressive - and it was with another closed eye concentration that Hedwig began to circle around the area, this time taking much longer to discern where the last two hiders were at. Sue Li and Susan reconvened at the middle of the field and watched Hedwig as she continued her search.
"What the hell was that…" Sue Li's normally blank expression transforming into one of bewilderment. Susan was not any better as she too could not fathom Hedwig's superhuman speed and hearing.
"I mean, she is Dumbledore's niece. Maybe it's a family thing?" Susan offered, and despite the ridiculousness of the half-assed explanation, it kind of made sense in a way to both witches; Dumbledore's reputation aiding in making sense of Hedwig's peculiarities.
A frustrated groan came out of the Hedwig, still trying to look for Pansy and Harry. She was sure that one of them was near, as she had heard footsteps on the grass near them earlier as she found Sue Li. But there wasn't anybody there when she swerved her head towards that direction. If she didn't know any better, it was as if…
Hedwig realized what was up and she began to strain her ears once more, listening for the same footsteps as before. And when the telltale signs of grassy footsteps reached her ears, she looked towards the direction of the sound.
And made a beeline towards it.
"Holly!" Both ladies shouted out of concern. It looked as if Hedwig was going to run face first into a tree.
Until an invisible Pansy appeared and picked up Hedwig with one swift motion. She had a thing or two to say to the girl, one being the danger of concussions, before she saw Holly's face break into a great smile.
"Found you!" Hedwig shouted out and Pansy discovered she had been played, by a child no less. Despite her best efforts, she couldn't help but smile as she put down the little rascal.
"Nice one, Holly. You really are something else, huh?" Although Pansy meant it as a compliment, Hedwig suddenly started fidgeting around nervously at her statement. Before Pansy could ask why however, Sue and Susan came closer to both of them.
"That was amazing, Holly!" Susan praised the young girl, who bashfully lowered her head but a smile was present on her face.
"Quite, I must admit that it was a sight to find us all so quickly." Sue Li added with a appraising eye to Hedwig.
Pansy was the one who recovered everyone's attention to the game, "Potter hasn't been found yet, let's help Holly look for him."
The two girls nodded, ready to begin searching for Holly's original guardian, but it was said girl who let out a little giggle at that.
"Oh don't worry, I've already found him!"
The other girls looked around confusingly, and it was Hedwig who helped by pointing upwards, to the tree right behind them. Looking up, they saw Harry, lazily sitting on top of a branch of the tree, looking down at them all with a slight grin.
"How long have you known I was here?" Harry directed this inquiry to Hedwig, who smiled a great big smile and cheekily replied.
"From the very beginning."
Harry chuckled and leapt off of the tree. Hedwig ran to him and he scooped her up into his arms.
"So Holly, had fun today?" Harry asked, and Hedwig responded with an enthusiastic nod, something that the other girls were glad to see.
"That's good. I think it's best if we go inside now, the sun is almost down. You'll have more fun tomorrow with…" Harry trailed off as he looked towards the trio, and Sue Li stepped forward to answer his non-vocalised question.
"It will be my turn tomorrow, then Susan's, and after that Pansy's. Then it will be your turn and it shall go in that order again, so long as no one has any change in schedule."
Harry nodded appreciatively and continued on, "You'll have fun with the Ravenclaws tomorrow. So be nice and be on your best behaviour, got it?"
"Yes Harry!" Hedwig shouted, making Harry flinch at her sudden outburst and she giggled apologetically. The girls made their way up the castle.
Before they left however, Harry said out of the blue, "Sue, Susan, mind if you look after Holly for a minute? I just need to talk to Pansy."
Pansy arched an eyebrow at that, and as Susan and Sue Li got Hedwig and left the Slytherin and Gryffindor to their lonesome, Pansy crossed her arms defiantly, "So, what is this about, Potter?"
"That, if we're going to work together I think it's best if we at least get to first name basis, don't you think?" Harry pointed out to her.
She blinked in surprise, before stating, "Fine, I guess so. Is that all you want to talk about… Harry?"
Said boy couldn't help but find the awkward way she had said his name amusing, "No, I also need a promise from you that the Slytherins won't hurt Holly. Namely Malfoy."
Pansy scoffed at his words and voiced out her thoughts at his worry, "No one is dumb enough to do anything to Dumbledore's niece. And yes Draco can be… Well, much. But you can have my word that I'll reign him in if he does something to Holly. In fact, I'll probably punish him more than you or the Headmaster can."
"Well, that's perfect then." Harry happily said, "But I am curious, why did you decide to volunteer to look after Holly? I mean, you probably knew that I'd be involved no matter what."
His question made Pansy unexpectedly take a few moments to answer, "Er… well, because the clout from knowing the Headmaster's niece would be beneficial to me."
Harry raised an eyebrow at her, telling her to try again.
"Umm… Because I want to make amends with you and be your friend?"
Again, Harry remained quiet, knowing that sooner or later she would have to tell the truth.
"Grr… Fine! Because Draco and I are planning to have kids and I need practice!"
That had Harry shell shocked. Pansy snorted at his look of bewilderment and blushed while looking away from him.
"Do- Don't look at me like that! Draco and I are already part of a marriage contract, so I'm just thinking of the future."
Harry blinked and then coughed, the awkward atmosphere becoming too much for him, "Er… Congratulations, I guess?"
"Look, How about we just forget this conversation ever happened. Just know that I'll do my best to look after Holly and let's leave it at that."
"Yeah, that sounds good."
The two made their way back to the castle, where Hedwig and the others waited for them. As he took Hedwig's hand and said goodbye to the others, one thought ran through Harry's mind.
'This will be an interesting year.'
A/N: Hey, I'm still alive! So, a little update: College is on the horizon, and I'm going to be busy with school (Being student council president is a nightmare), graduation, getting ready to move out of my house and moving into a dorm for college, and other general real life things that eat up my time.
I enjoy writing when I find the time to sit down and actually write. Forcing myself to write is not enjoyable for me and it probably comes out in my writing, so I'll try my best to write during the rare down times I have and hopefully be able to release more chapters. And rest assured that when I'm fully settled in and college finally starts, I'll definitely have time to write.
So, with that said, please enjoy this chapter. And leave a review! It satiates my dream to read minds.
