AN : Hey guys, I am extremely sorry for the long wait but I had my preparatories and finals in the last 2 months and it has been an extremely busy time for me. I know that you are a bit upset (right! a lot) but to me my studies come first. Writing fanfic is just a hobby which I picked up. My finals are not yet over but I am doing my best to update the 2 fanfics.
If you have not read my second fic pls do read it - Harry potter and The Deathly Avenger. I may change the name of that fic but not for anytime soon. I will be updating that fic also in some days.
Anyway that's all for now. Here's Chapter 9.
Disclaimer : I don't own Harry Potter.
Last Chapter :
As much as he trusted the rest of his staff, Albus relied on Severus to tell him everything about a given student. After hearing the man's positive assessment of his worst enemy's offspring, it seemed that the young Mr. Potter could prove to be a valuable piece in the future. With the Peverell Lordship at his disposal, and as powerful as he already was, Albus knew he needed to have the boy in his pocket soon.
"Perhaps it's time for me to recruit Mr. Potter. With the Weasley boy having failed to befriend Longbottom, Potter could provide the information we need to control the Boy-Who-Lived."
"And if he doesn't decide to join?," Severus asked expectantly.
Albus smiled at his young friend and replied, "Then accidents happen, Severus. As valuable a piece as he could be to me in the future, I would rather destroy him now then let him corrupt my weapon against Tom."
When he saw the headmaster dismiss him with a wave of his hand, Severus got up and walked out of the office. As he made his way back to his private room in the Dungeons, he truly hoped the Potter brat would decide not to follow Albus. Now that he no longer harbored foolish feelings for his mudblood mother, Severus planned to enjoy killing the boy as well as the rest of his family. All he needed to do was bid his time and he would soon get his revenge against all those who spurned him in the past.
Chapter 9 – An Exciting Sunday
Neville walked into the Great Hall for lunch and found the place mostly empty. Since it was a Sunday, he assumed people were sleeping in at the time. He was just about to make his way to the Gryffindor table, when out of the corner of his eye he spotted Hermione and Daphne sitting by themself. Knowing Harry was having a special lunch with Alex, he hoped the two Ravenclaws would want to eat with him.
When he finally arrived at her table, he saw Hermione and Daphne intently reading the Daily Prophet. "Hey, Hermione. Hey, Daphne. Good to see you. Do you mind if I sit down and join you for lunch?"
Hermione jumped at the sound of his voice, and reflexively threw her newspaper up in the air.
Neville was bemused by his friend's actions and reached down to pick up the fallen paper. No sooner did he have it in his hands, did he see what the article was about.
Longbottom vs Potter: Who is the King of Hogwarts?
By Daily Prophet Senior Reporter: Rita Skeeter
Now that the first week of Hogwarts has come to an end, our sources inside the Castle have told us that the hallways of the prestigious school are once again being graced by the presence of multiple Lords.
In a stunning move by both boys, Harry James Potter and Neville Franklin Longbottom claimed their Lordships just before the start of the new school year. On August 6th, Mr. Potter was emancipated by his father Lord James Charlus Potter. This in turn allowed the younger Potter to claim the Head of House rings for the Most Ancient and Most Noble House of Peverell and Heir for the Most Ancient and Noble House of Potter.
Yes readers, you read it right the first time. The young eleven year old is a full Lord of an Ancient and Noble House and Heir to another. How is this possible you ask?
Another shocking news was that when Lord Peverell took the Headship he was entitled to marry his long time friend Alexandra Black due to the activation of a betrothal contract written by Rachel Peverell and Arcturus Black III in 1848. We at the Prophet wish the very best of lives for this young couple.
This unique twist tells us why Lord Peverell was able to claim his Head of House ring, but I'm sure many readers are wondering how it's possible since many in our world believed that the eldest Potter was born a squib. After days of research we here at the Prophet have learned of the grave error that was made with the new Lord.
In a shocking turn of events, we discovered that Mr. Potter had a rare medical condition that was misdiagnosed when he was just a toddler. He was never a squib! A few weeks ago he found an accurate diagnosis for his malady, and received his treatment at Gringotts London. Unfortunately the heroic journey the young Mr. Potter has survived, seemed to tarnish the relationship he once shared with his god brother, Neville Longbottom.
Apparently the Boy-Who-Lived did not appreciate the attention Mr. Potter was receiving and in a fit of jealousy cut off all ties with the Potter family. Many speculate that on August 11th, in an effort to show he was indeed the young Lord Peverell's equal, the Boy-Who-Lived took up the Lordship of the Most Ancient and Most Noble House of Longbottom.
Now that both boys are finally at Hogwarts, it seems their rivalry will soon become known as the stuff of Legends. From what we at the Prophet have been able to ascertain, the two boys are currently vying for the number one spot in their year. If their ferocious competition wasn't enough academically, both young Lords have somehow managed to take their rivalry on to the Gryffindor Quidditch team. This would be the first time in 212 years that two first years are playing on the team together, and in Mr. Potter's case, the first time in a 100 years that a first year will be playing Seeker.
What will happen to these two god brothers? Will their relationship ever be fixed or will Hogwarts suffer as the two Lords battle to be its King? We here at the Prophet can't tell you for sure, but we will definitely keep you updated to the best of our abilities.
The true story behind the Boy-Who-Lived: pg 3
Lords Potter and Black take their seats on the Wizengamot: pg 5
Did the Ministry cover up the Alistair Moody fiasco in London last month?: pg 11
As she watched Neville glare hatefully at the newspaper, Hermione felt horrible for allowing him to get his hands on it. She saw the paper when she came down for lunch earlier, and the moment she read the article she was furious with the Skeeter woman for writing such lies. Anyone who spent even a second around Harry and Neville would know the pair were close enough to be brothers. Yes they had a bit of a rivalry between them, but it was all in good fun. Both boys were highly competitive, but at no point did they ever act jealous or angry over the other's success.
"Are you okay, Neville?," Daphne asked her irate friend cautiously. "Please don't get upset over what that Skeeter woman wrote. No one who knows either you or Harry, would ever believe you two dislike each other."
Neville looked up from the annoying article he was reading, and when he saw the look of concern on his blonde friend's face, he immediately flashed her a reassuring smile.
"Don't worry, Daphne. I'm not upset by this trash. Harry already warned me that something like this would happen and he's taken some precautions to make sure it doesn't happen again. Apparently Miss Skeeter has a history of taking the facts she discovers and twisting them to sell a juicy story. If everything works out, we should be reading a retraction in a day or two."
Hermione was thrilled to see that her friend wasn't upset, but now her innate curiosity drove her to find out why. "What kind of precautions did he take?"
Neville grinned smugly at the Ravenclaw sitting across from him, and said, "He bought part of the Daily Prophet."
"HE DID WHAT?!," Hermione asked, her tone laced with a mixture of shock, awe and outrage.
"Shhhh. Relax Hermione. It's no big deal. It's not like he bought the whole thing. The Ministry won't allow that."
Neville could see his friend trying to control her excitement, and before she bombarded him with questions, he decided it would be best for him to give her some added details.
"Sometime in the late 1800's the Ministry decreed that no family could hold a monopoly on any institution that provided the public with news..."
"Not that I don't agree with the idea, but why would they do that?," Hermione asked, as she interrupted him.
Neville just shrugged his shoulders and replied, "To be honest with you, Hermione, I don't really know for sure. I would assume it had something to do with politics. The Ministry usually doesn't make rules that limit what the Purebloods can do, unless somehow they are being affected by it. Anyways, they made it so no family could own more than 10% shares of the newspaper except the Blacks. Since they originally held the majority ownership, it was decided they could have a higher stake than the others."
When he was sure that his Ravenclaw friend wasn't going to interrupt him again, Neville continued, "As of a week ago, the Ministry owned 30% of the Daily Prophet and the rest was dispersed between several families."
By the smug smile on his face, and the twinkle she could see in his hazel eyes, Hermione somehow knew Neville was also one of the owners. "Let me guess, the Longbottoms also own a part of the Prophet?"
"Oh it's much better than that," he replied with a grin. "This time last week the Blacks owned 20% of our illustrious newspaper, with the Potters, the Malfoys, and my family also owning 10% each of the Prophet stock. Unfortunately since Malfoy Sr. and the current Minister are so close, and with the Ministry owning 20% of the Prophet, we were effectively deadlocked if we ever faced a problem that would require a vote. The best both sides could hope for was that the other owners that controlled the final 20 % would vote on their side. Most of the time the Ministry was able to sway the other votes to their cause, so they usually got what they wanted."
Hermione cringed at all the political maneuvering that seemed to be common place in the Magical world, but she still found herself wanting to learn more about it. "So Harry bought 10% of the paper and shifted the power back to you guys?"
Neville laughed and nodded his head, "Yes, he did just that. At this point Fudge and Malfoy can protest until they turn blue in the face, but they no longer have any power over the Daily Prophet."
The conversation came to an end, as the two friends returned their attention to the plate full of food that were in front of them. The hours the pair spent studying together in the library or in Harry's suite, made them comfortable enough with one another that the ensuing silence didn't bother them at all. Daphne excused herself saying that she was going to the library.
By the time both of them finished their lunch, Neville felt his boredom begin to rise. Normally he had Harry to keep him occupied, but with his god brother busy for the rest of the day, he really needed to find something to do.
That's when he had a brilliant idea. "Hey, Hermione?"
"Yeah, Neville?"
"Do you have anything planned for the rest of the day?"
"I was going to go to the library and review the Potions essay that's due tomorrow. Why?"
"Why don't you take a break and explore the Castle with me? I promise you'll have some fun."
"You should take your studies more seriously, Neville," Hermione reprimanded her friend. "We should really take this time to review our work."
"Oi, I take my studies very seriously," Neville replied in mock outrage. "Besides, it won't take forever, Hermione. We studied hard all week long and we deserve to have a little time off."
When he saw his friend gently chewing on her lower lip, Neville could tell she was on the verge of saying yes, and he knew the perfect way to nudge her in the right direction.
"Knowledge is power, Hermione," he said in a knowing manner. "If we find alternative routes of getting around the Castle, imagine how you could use them to get to class on time."
As soon as he saw his friend's brown eyes light up at the thought, Neville knew she would agree to go with him.
"Fine. I'll go with you, but only for a little bit. Then the two of us will go to the library to review our essays. Deal?"
"Deal."
The two friends quickly gathered their things and made their way out of the Great Hall. Thanks to the passages he'd already learned from Harry, Neville was able to show Hermione several different routes to get around the Castle. In their search to find a route Neville didn't already know about, the duo found themselves walking down a hallway on the fifth floor.
As they were about to pass by a painting that had a picture of a bearded gnome stuck amongst the weeds, the two friends stopped at the sound of voices coming from the other side the canvas.
"I'm telling you, Fred, there's a Cerberus guarding something on the third floor. Lee and I overheard Hagrid mumbling about it in his hut, and if it's true, it has to be the Philosophers stone."
"The two of you are out of your mind, Georgie. Dumbledore might be a little eccentric, but he's not crazy enough to hide something like that in the school. Especially not with a dangerous animal like a Cerberus guarding it. For Merlin's sake boys, we're in a school full of children."
"Exactly what I'm trying to tell you, brother of mine. Oi, Lee, quit playing with that stupid parchment you nicked from Finch and tell my brother what you heard."
"It's not stupid, George. I just know it has to be something good. Finch wouldn't have bothered to lock it up, if it was just a blank piece of parchment."
"Well, give it to us then, Lee old boy. You've had that damn thing for two years now, and you still haven't gotten it to do anything but insult you on a regular basis."
"No thanks, mate. I really want to figure this out myself. I know it needs a password, and I intend to find out what it is."
The two friends were concentrating so hard to eavesdrop on the conversation, they didn't realize the voices were getting closer to their position. Without any warning the painting opened up, and the pair suddenly found themselves lying on the ground, as the Weasley twins walked out and collided into them.
"Look what we have here, George. It seems ickle Neville is spending the day with his girlfriend."
"Too right, my wise brother, but I wonder what the two of them are doing right here."
Hermione looked up to see the three Gryffindors grinning down at them and she glared back furiously. "WE ARE NOT DATING," she exclaimed as calmly as she could manage. "WE'RE JUST FRIENDS."
Before the twins could continue with their suspicions, or anger Hermione even further, Neville knew he had to gain control of the situation.
"We were just exploring the Castle when you guys walked into us," he lied, hoping his House mates would believe him.
Fred and George stared suspiciously at the two first years, but they really couldn't find a reason to doubt them. Deciding their presence was just a coincidence, they nodded their heads at Neville's explanation.
"All right then, mate," Fred replied good naturedly. "Our apologies for the collision, but we weren't really expecting anyone to be here. This floor is usually empty during the weekends, so we use the room as a place to relax and get away from it all."
When he realized his ploy worked, Neville let out a small sigh in relief. "No problem, mate," he replied happily. "Enjoy the rest of your day."
Neville watched as the third years waved at the two of them, before leaving down the empty hallway. Once he realized they were still laying on the ground, he pushed himself to his feet and then reached out his hand to help Hermione.
As he pulled the stunning Ravenclaw to her feet, Neville noticed the parchment she now held in her hand. Assuming it was the same one they overheard his fellow Gryffindors just talking about, he couldn't resist teasing his friend.
"Merlin help us," he cried out in mock outrage. "Hermione Granger just nicked a piece of parchment from one of my House mates. What is our world coming to?"
Hermione turned the glare she had for the twins on to the smiling Neville, and replied, "I did not steal anything, thank you very much. The parchment fell on the floor and I picked it up. Besides, it it's what I think it is, it belongs to Alex."
His curiosity now peaked, Neville asked, "What do you think the parchment is?"
Rather than waste time giving him an explanation, Hermione pulled out her wand and pointed at the parchment. It took her a second to remember the story Alex told her and Daphne, but then she tapped the map and said, "I solemnly swear I'm up to no good."
The moment she finished saying the password, the two friends gasped as the map suddenly became active. From what they could tell at first glance, it seemed to show the entirety of the Castle and even included the grounds leading up to the Forbidden Forest. The most amazing part was, it also showed where every person was inside of the Castle.
"This is amazing," Neville said in awe. "I wonder how her dad made this?"
"He didn't do it by himself," Hermione explained. "Harry's dad and two of their other friends helped with the process. Alex said it took them three years to make it. One copy was lost during the war. One was destroyed by accident while they were still at school. Lord Black's copy was confiscated by Finch during his seventh year. And Harry's dad gave him his at the start of school."
"Wait a minute...Harry has one of these maps here with him?"
Hermione shrugged before replying, "That's what Alex told me."
The two friends spent another few minutes playing with the map, and once they were done Hermione pointed her wand at the map, tapped it once and said, "Mischief managed."
The two hour adventure they just had was more than enough for Hermione and she gently pushed Neville down the hallway. "All right, Mr. Longbottom. We took the break you wanted and now it's time to study."
Neville reluctantly nodded his head and joined his friend. As the pair quietly began to walk towards the library, he found himself suddenly thinking about the conversation they just overheard. The mere thought of a rare creature like a Cerberus being so close to them was almost too much for him to ignore. When combined with his desire to know what a Philosophers stone was, and why Dumbledore would keep it in a school full of children, Neville could feel the mystery just begging him to solve it.
"Hey Hermione?"
"Yeah, Neville?"
"Are you curious about what a Philosophers stone is?"
Harry nervously stood outside of the Ravenclaw common room, patiently waiting for Alexto make her way outside. Once the girls found out about him and Neville making the Gryffindor Quidditch team, they were thrilled for the both of them. His fiancee actually demanded that they celebrate such a momentous accomplishment and so here was two days later, hoping he was doing the right thing.
When the door opened and the girl finally walked out, Harry smiled confidently at Alex and said, "Hello, my lady. Are you ready for a day of fun?"
Alex was surprised to see Harry standing outside of the Ravenclaw common room. "What are you doing here, Harry?," she asked her fiancee.
As soon as Harry heard the question, he felt his heart begin to beat faster than he thought was humanly possible. "Ahhh, you said you wanted to celebrate. I thought we decided on Friday that we would do something today. It's okay if you don't want to. If you're busy we can do something another time."
Alex could see how nervous Harry was feeling at the moment, and she instantly felt bad for making him think she didn't want to celebrate his new spot as a Seeker.
"That's not what I meant, Harry," she replied quickly. "I was just wondering why you were here, as in at the Ravenclaw dorms. I thought it was supposed to be a secret from the other Houses but I guess the map helped you."
Harry breathed a silent sigh of relief, happy that he hadn't misunderstood their conversation from two days ago.
Alex mock glared at him, but she couldn't hold the expression for too long. His bubbling enthusiasm was just so contagious, and she couldn't stop themselves from sharing in his excitement. Soon the girl grabbed the left arm each of her future husband, and allowed him to guide them to their destination.
When Alex found themselves walking out of the Castle, she directed her gaze towards her betrothed and asked, "Where are we going, Harry?"
"That's a surprise, Alex. But don't worry, the wait won't be too much longer. We're almost there."
After another five minutes of walking, the pair found themselves in a secluded corner near the Black Lake. She were about to ask what they were doing there, but stopped when she heard Harry mumble something. Suddenly the spell that was hiding the picnic area disappeared and Alex gasped at the large black and green blanket that was spread out across the grass. On top of it were a dozen pillows for them to sit on or lay against, and in the middle of this arrangement was a brown picnic basket and an ice bucket full of bottled water and butterbeer.
"If you don't mind, I thought we could have lunch here, and have some fun."
At the sight of the wonderful spread in front of her, Alex didn't know what to say. Between the beautiful lake that glistened only a few feet away and the amazing weather they were having that day, everything looked just perfect. Before she could lose her resolve, Alex leaned forward and gently kissed Harry on the cheek.
"This is beautiful, Harry," she told him shyly. "Thank you for setting all of this up."
Harry felt his face flush red from the chaste kiss, and he quickly tried to divert his attention to the meal they were about to share. He helped Alex sit down comfortably on the soft blanket and then he took his seat across from her.
Once he was settled, Harry opened the bottomless brown picnic basket that rested in front of him and slowly began to pull out a plethora of dishes. Each dish that came out was a favorite of the girl's, and he smiled when he saw the stunned look suddenly appear on her face. When the last dish was set down on the blanket, Harry grabbed three trays and handed one to the girl.
Alex watched the small mountain of food appear in front of them, and she was stunned by how many of the dishes she considered her favorite.
"This is amazing, Harry. You have so many of the dishes that I love."
Harry grinned at Alex and said, "I should hope so. I sent Hedwig to your mum and asked her what you liked to eat. She gave me a couple of options and since I couldn't decide what you might want to have today, I had the elves make a little bit of everything. Also, I have known you for quite some time and I do know some of you favourites."
This past week she spent studying with Harry, she was amazed by how brilliant he was and how easily magic came to him. Despite that, he never once acted arrogantly in her presence. Instead he spent extra time patiently going over the material that she didn't understand properly. If she was being honest, he was probably a better teacher than some of the Professors at Hogwarts. The way he explained things just made them so fun and easy to learn. And now with this picnic, she was beginning to feel like he was the most incredible thing that ever happened to her.
The duo then attacked the various dishes that were in front of them and when they each had a sample of everything present on their plate, they leaned back against the large pillows and ate their meal in a comfortable silence.
By the time the duo finished eating, Harry and Alex were sharing stories about how Hogwarts was and stories of their pranks and other stuff. It was actually fun to be himself for some time and not to lose his guard around the other students.
"I heard Snape asked you about the Werewolf potion. I can't believe you knew the answer to a NEWT level Potions question."
It was a statement to how relaxed he felt around the girls, that Harry didn't think before replying, "Snape's a jerk, and he deserved what he got for making fun of my dad. Besides, I've been working with the Werewolf potion for years. I could answer any of his questions with my eyes closed.
As soon as realized what he just said, Harry wanted to find a tree and destroy it by banging his head against it.
"Why have you been working with that potion for years, Harry?," Alex asked him.
Harry knew he was caught in a bind. Alex would know the truth come Christmas time, so he couldn't just lie to her now. Deciding that honesty was the best policy, he replied, "I'm going to tell you, but please don't tell your parents. It's nothing bad, but I don't want to get anyone's hopes up. Okay?"
Once Alex nodded her head in agreement, Harry continued, "Uncle Moony has lived a tough life, and every time I think about it, I get angry at how unfair things are for him. Despite the fact that he's capable of achieving a Mastery in at least two core subjects, he's shunned by our society for being a Werewolf. So many talented people in our world are ignored and hated, because of something that wasn't even their fault to begin with. Ever since I found out I was good with potions, I wanted to find a way to help him. I've spent a lot of time experimenting with the Werewolf potion and I think I may have found a type of cure to the lycanthropy. Right now I'm having the Goblins test it for me, so if everything works out, that's going to be my Christmas present for Moony."
"WHAT?", Alex exclaimed.
"How did you do it? What do you mean by a type of cure?," Alex asked.
The sheer volume of the scream that came from Alex, was enough to knock Harry back into his pillow. He took a moment to clear his ringing ears and then replied, "For centuries people have been trying to cure Lycanthropy, but they all failed to remove the virus from the body. I tried to do the same thing too, and when I finally came to the realization that it couldn't be done, I thought of a different way to attack the problem."
Harry paused to take a breath and saw the girl staring at him with rapt attention. He could clearly see the gleam in her eyes, and he couldn't help but smile at her obvious desire for knowledge. His fiancee certainly was a credit to her House.
"Instead of trying to get rid of the virus, I decided to alter it," Harry said, as he continued with his explanation. "To me a Werewolf is a normal person that is forced to turn into a half-man half-wolf every full moon. It almost sounds like they become a bastardized version of an Animagus. So I thought why not change the virus and give them control over when they shift. It took quite a bit of work, but using a handful of specialized ingredients, I was able to combine the Wolfsbane potion with the Animagus revealing potion to find my cure. If everything works out like I expect it to, the Goblins should send me good news about the first phase of testing shortly after the full moon this month."
Alex was amazed by what she was hearing. She knew Harry already had one huge discovery with Runes and Muggle technology, but his potion was beyond anything she could imagine. His discovery would be one of the greatest in the history of Magical Britain, and if it worked like he described, it could change the lives of thousands of people across the world. No longer would innocent witches and wizards be shunned for a disease that only affected them on a full moon.
"This is so incredible, Harry," Alex told her fiancee. "I'm so proud of you. If your potion works, you could singlehandedly change the course of the Magical world."
Alex's joy was tempered at the mention of the testing. She wasn't stupid enough to think something like the potion could be claimed as a cure without testing it on acutal Werewolves, but she feared what the people being tested would have to endure.
"Will the people that are being tested be okay, Harry?," Alex asked her betrothed hesitantly.
As soon as Harry heard the concern in Alex's voice, he could sympathize with her reaction. At first he'd been afraid to test the potion too, but with Death congratulating him on the potion in her letter and with her suggesting the added blood, he thought it was well worth the risk.
"I'm sure they will be fine, Alex," he tried to soothe the girl. "The Goblins made sure that everyone involved was aware of all three stages of testing before any of them signed their contracts, and I also hired the best Goblin Healers just in case anything goes wrong. I can't guarantee that nothing will happen to the people being tested, but I'm confident my potion will work."
"Contracts?," Alex asked in surprise. "I thought people would be dying to test the cure for free."
"They were," Harry answered with a shrug of his shoulders. "But I wouldn't let anyone take a risk like this without being compensated for it. All six people involved in the trials are receiving 10,000 galleons each for their services. Merlin willing things go according to plan, by Yule break they'll have their money and the cure."
Alex stunned by the deal Harry was offering the Werewolves being tested. That much money was twice as much as what most Ministry Heads made in a year and a Werewolf would never get a chance to make so much for a few months worth of work. To have a chance for a cure to their condition and get paid for it, was a great deal in her eyes.
When Harry saw the contemplative look in the girl's eyes, he thought this was the perfect time to change the subject. While he really was interested in knowing her better, he had another reason to move the conversation away from him. The last thing he wanted to do was make a mistake and let someone know about his true past so soon.
"Umm Harry since you have been telling a lot about yourself, I think I should also reveal my ability to you." Alex was nervous as only her parents knew of her ability.
"What is it Alex?" Harry asked gently to the nervous girl.
"Harry, I am a full Metamorphagus." Alex proved the fact by changing her hair colour to blonde and her eyes to black.
Harry was stunned to say the least. He had thought that he and Dora were the only ones to have the ability but this was a welcome surpise.
"That's a really cool ability Alex and I am glad that you didn't show it in public. How are you able to control your appearance during high emotions though? Tonks' hair keeps changing during her moods according to Mum."
Alex replied, "You don't look much surprised and that idea about not showing my ability in public was the same which Dora told me."
Harry knew that it would be better to tell the truth about his Metamorph abilities. After all Alex had revealed the rare talents and it would be unfair for him to not do the same.
Harry replied, "I think I better tell you my ability. Even I am a full Metamorphagus. I suspect I got it from the Black blood from my Grandmother. As to the idea of not changing in public, it is not a smart idea to show you ability to public. We will be hounded to change our looks just for the public and I am not going to become a Dressing Doll for those idiots."
Harry changed his hair to red and his eyes to hazel just to prove the fact.
Alex was stunned that her fiancée was also a Metamorph. In a way she was glad as the only people who would understand her situation was Dora and her family but now even Harry was able to understand.
Harry changed the subject, "Hey Alex, how about we go and explore the castle for some time? I heard Dad and Uncle Padfoot say that there were secret passages in the school."
Alex's eyes lit up and she was ready, "Harry do you have the Map with you?"
Harry replied, "Yep, right here. So how about we find the secret passages?"
Alex replied, "Lead the way, Lord Peverell."
Quirinus Quirrell sat on the chair in his office, patiently waiting for his Master to speak. He didn't need words to know that his Lord was angry, because he could feel the rage seeping into his mind from the partially possessed spirit attached to the back of his head.
"Quirinus?"
"Yes Master?"
"Something must be done about the Longbottom boy. He's too powerful for a normal first year. It's obvious Dumbledore must have taken him as an Apprentice."
"His power is nothing in comparison to yours, my Lord."
"Of course it's not you fool. He's just a child. But children grow up, Quirinus. It wouldn't be prudent to let the boy grow into his power."
"Shall I kill him then, Master?"
There was a long pause, as Quirrell eagerly waited to hear his orders.
"No, the stone is more important. For now that is our priority."
"I understand, my Lord. I have used my resources to procure a dragon egg for the half giant. Within a month we should have the knowledge to get past the mutt guarding the door."
"Very good, Quirinus, you have pleased me. I have decided that we will steal the stone during the feast on Samhain. The night of my demise shall now mark the night of my rebirth."
"By your will, my Lord, but what will we do about Dumbledore? He will be at the feast with the other Professors and I'm sure the old coot must have several monitoring Charms placed around the stone."
"You are correct, Quirinus. We will obviously need a diversion for the adults to handle."
"Might I offer a suggestion, Master?"
"Speak."
"I may be able to get us a troll, if you can control it until it's safely inside the Castle."
"The troll will not be a problem, but I will have to completely possess your body to do so."
"I am your willing servant, Lord Voldemort. Anything you require is yours for the taking."
"Very well, Quirinus. Have your people procure a troll for us before Samhain."
"As you command, my Lord, so shall it be."
Voldemort was thinking about the Longbottom and Potter boys. The two children of the prophecy yet it was Neville Longbottom who had vanquished him and survived the killing curse. He also thought about the Potter boy. The boy was extremely powerful and could be useful to his plans. Potter was the Lord of Peverell House and Heir to the Potter house. He was also betrothed to the Heiress of the House Black. He would be extremely useful to Voldemort's plans. He decided to think of the boy on a later date. For now, the Stone was his priority.
Harry walked out of the bathroom in his private suite, wearing a loose white t-shirt and a pair of baggy black shorts. He dried his hair furiously with the towel in his hand, and when he was done he threw the wet garment into the hamper he placed by the bathroom door.
The day had been a strenuous one for him, and the hot shower was exactly what he needed to relax. When he planned the celebratory picnic with his betrothed, he never expected things to turn so heavy.
The duo spent the rest of the day together sharing stories and talking about school. During this time Harry made sure to steer the topic away from anything too serious, and he was more than happy to answer her questions about his potion or the runic array he created. After several hours of conversation and multiple plates full of food, the day turned out to be more enjoyable than he could have imagined. In the end he was glad he set the picnic up.
Alex was still young, but in her he saw the potential for one amazing woman to develop. While she was pretty now, in a few years she would grow into her body, and he had no doubt she would be gorgeous. When her beauty was taken in conjunction with her brains, Harry was truly thankful for Death's intervention. When she was older, the girl would have been anyone's dream wife, and he was fortunate enough to marry her one day.
When the alarm he set on his wand began blinking, Harry knew it was time to begin the next part of his day. Since his last discussion with Death, he had been diligently working on developing his Shadow Mage abilities. So far he'd trained with them for several hours each night this week, and now he could Shadow Walk to any place he could picture in his mind. His last experiment took him to the alley outside of the Leaky Cauldron, and he was pleased that his ability allowed him to bypass the Hogwarts wards.
As a reward for his hard work and dedication in developing the gift Death gave him, Harry planned tonight to merge again with his two Animagus forms. He missed having the benefits he received from the merger, and since Death assured him his body could handle the change, he couldn't wait to shift into his forms again.
As soon as he was ready to begin the process he learned in the time Chamber, Harry conjured a full length mirror with his wand and then floated the item to his bedroom. He immediately saw an empty wall that was perfect for his purpose and stuck the mirror to its surface with a sticking Charm. Once he was ready, Harry sat down in front of the mirror and closed his eyes. Taking deep, even breaths, he slowly allowed his body to enter into a trancelike state.
Suddenly in his mind Harry found himself standing at the edge of a thick forest and he could feel his animals hiding somewhere deep within the trees. Harry used his magic to call out to them and the first one to answer his call was the eagle.
Harry called this form Aquilla and from what he was able to learn of the breed, it was a Golden Eagle. The stunning bird's colouring was a dark brown with lighter Golden brown plumage on their napes. Aquilla shared the same emerald green eyes that he got from his mother.
When he first used the form in the time Chamber, Hedwig spent hours helping him learn how to use his new wings properly. It was a long drawn out process, but when he finally got it right, it was one of the most thrilling experiences he ever had in the air, and Harry longed to do it once again. The eagle was extremely fast and agile and it symbolised Harry's love for flying and being free in the skies.
When the eagle landed gently on his shoulder, Harry reached out his hand and scratched the top of its head. "Hey Aquilla," he called out to the bird. "You ready to merge again, boy?"
Aquilla chattered loudly in his ear and then leapt off his shoulder and into the sky. Now that he'd met the bird, once he returned to the waking world, Harry knew he would be able to make the change. All he needed to do before he left his mindscape was to meet his second form.
Harry called out again with his magic, and once more he failed to get a response. He was getting frustrated with his inability to meet his second form, and so he decided he wouldn't hold back anymore. He gathered all the magic that he could feel in his body and unleashed the full might of his powers against the forest. The trees literally swayed under his fury and when he finally stopped, a shape began to emerge in front of him.
The wait was excruciating for him, but when the animal was almost out of the forest Harry could barely contain his excitement. His second form was a White tiger with dark black stripes and a white coat. Due to its size and power, Harry fittingly called this form Altor. Latin for protector, Altor was truly worthy of his name.
When the animal finally emerged from the forest, Harry was shocked by what he saw. Altor was significantly larger than he remembered from his old world, and the tiger looked to be stronger and faster in his new body.
Harry watched the white tiger stalk menacingly towards him, and he couldn't help but appreciate the tiger's deadly grace. Altor's every step screamed power and danger, and Harry knew to be wary of the majestic beast.
When the tiger finally stood before him, Altor's killing curse green eyes stared piercingly into his own, and Harry felt as if he was being tested all over again. Refusing to back down from the tiger's deadly glare, Harry stared back at him without any fear in his eyes. For a moment he wasn't certain what would happen next, but soon Altor dropped his head in surrender, and allowed Harry to run his fingers through the tiger's soft fur. Now that his second form had accepted him once more, Harry was ready to return to the waking world and make the change.
Harry closed his eyes in his mindscape and willed himself to leave the forest in his mind. As soon as he opened his eyes once more, he smiled at the sight of the mirror in front of him. Now that he was back in his bedroom again, it was finally time to merge with his animal forms.
The first one he wanted to do was Aquilla. Through the Golden Eagle, Harry received a gift he would always be grateful for. After years of spending life barely able to see, the vision the merger would grant him, would surpass anything a normal human could hope to achieve. The ability to see things with such clarity was an experience he would never forget and Harry couldn't wait to have it back again.
When he was ready to start the change, Harry pictured the image of Aquilla firmly in his mind, and then pushed his magic to make the change happen. Unlike his old body where the change was near instantaneous, his new body was still learning how to shift forms for the first time. The process took almost two minutes to complete, but in the end Harry changed into an exact replica of Aquilla.
Proud of his accomplishment, Harry took a moment to admire his new form, and then used his magic to change back. When he finally returned to his normal body, Harry instantly saw the improvement in his vision. He smiled at the thought of once again having "perfect" vision, and he was thankful to Aquila for being one of his Animagus forms.
Harry gave himself a few minutes to give his body some rest. While he had more than enough power to make the change easily, his young body still couldn't handle that much magic at one time.
When he felt his breath finally return, Harry pictured the new image of Altor firmly in his mind, and then used his magic to shift into the tiger. Much like with Aquilla, the change took several minutes to complete, but when he was done, Harry was a white tiger. As he looked over his new form in the mirror Harry marveled at how large he was now.
From the research Harry did in his old world, he knew that White tigers were the second largest species of tigers in the world, and in Altor's old form Harry was slightly bigger than average. From nose to tip of tail, Altor used to be 315cm(10ft) in length, 120cm(4ft) in height and 200kg(441lbs) in weight. The new version of the tiger was even bigger at 336cm(11ft) in length, 130cm(4.2ft) in height, and 250 kg(550lbs) in weight.
Harry allowed himself a minute to admire his massive tiger form, and then used his magic to change back. Unlike Aquilla, the benefit of the tiger to his body was two fold. The first was the change to his senses. While it didn't improve his vision any further, he could now hear, smell and taste better than before. When he tested the new ability, Harry was pleased to smell the wet towel he placed in the hamper near the bathroom door.
The second gift Altor granted him was improved reflexes. Harry was already blessed with his innate speed, but with his Animagus bonus added to the mix, now his balance would always be perfect and his reaction time would be better than normal. He was too tired from shifting to test his reflexes now, but he had every intention of using them during his sparring session with Neville in the morning.
When he finally got to his feet Harry could feel the t-shirt he wore was resting more snuggly across his chest. As soon as he took it off, Harry was stunned to see the increase in the size and definition of his muscles in the mirror. This change hadn't occurred in his old world, but he wasn't about to kick a gift horse in the mouth. He was just happy the change wasn't more noticeable. As long as he had his robes on, he didn't think anyone would be able to tell the difference.
By this time the shifting had taken its toll on Harry's young body, and he could feel his eyes wanting to close from the exhaustion. Somehow he managed to drag himself to his bed, and crawled on top of it to grab the sleep his body was craving.
AN : That's all for now. Hope you liked the chapter. I know I said that this chapter would be about the troll and quidditch but I added some twist so I promise that the next chapter will be about the troll and quidditch.
It is my pleasure to announce that I have launched my very own Discord Server: LightningLord139's Domain
I really hope to see you all there and have fun with you all. There, you can communicate with me and other members, ask me questions regarding any fics, share your own ideas
Discord Server Invite Link: c9wupdBMZ8 {Remove the spaces wen typing}
Please do join and give suggestions to improve my fics and also help with the discord server as I am fairly new to Discord.
Stay Safe. Stay Happy.
LightningLord139